I tugged her against me, stroking the hair away from her face. “Well, if I’m being honest, there wouldn’t be any rules if it were up to me. But you’re calling the shots right now. This is your time, Jeege. I support that.”
“Leave it to me to have something casual and make a ton of rules anyway.” She shook her head with a laugh. “What’s the point, if it’s supposed to be light and fun?”
“Listen, I love everything we’ve got going. I know you aren’t staying. I know what this is. You know what this is. So maybe you just stop trying to control it and do what you want. We’re best friends. Nothing we’ve done has changed anything, right?”
“Right.” She chewed on her thumbnail. “So do you want to remove the no-sex rule?”
Damn, I loved this girl something fierce.
“I would love to burn the rule book and bury myself deep inside you for the next few months until you leave,” I said, my voice gruff.
“I want that too,” she sighed. “It’s not like we both haven’t done it before. And it’s not like we haven’t showered together and been naked together almost every night since we came up with this plan.”
“Agreed.”
“I think everyone already suspects something is going on after the way they acted tonight,” she said, teeth sinking into her bottom lip.
This was Gracie.
She was working through the idea.
She wanted it. She knew I wanted it. But it terrified her because this wasn’t what was supposed to happen.
My girl liked a plan.
And I understood that, because I understood her.
I chuckled. “They definitely know something is up. And I know we agreed not to tell anyone, and I do understand not sharing this with our families because it would be a big fucking deal—but our friends are different.”
She studied me. “What do you mean?”
“They aren’t going to put pressure on us or ask a million questions. And it’s getting uncomfortable when we’re all out, you know, keeping this secret.”
“Why?” she whispered, eyes wide and curious.
“Because I don’t want to pretend to talk to random girls or watch some dude dance with you. You’re here right now. We’re always together. And then we go out, and everything has to shut off. I don’t like it.”
“That’s fair. I just didn’t want to add any pressure to the situation.” She blew out a breath. “But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to scratch out Sydney’s eyes when she was all up in your business the other night when we were out.”
“So how about we change the rules,” I said. “We do whatever the fuck we want while you’re here. We’re good with the arrangement and we don’t need anyone else’s approval.”
“Agreed. But I do think keeping this from our parents is smart, because that’s where we’d feel the pressure. They’d have a lot of questions.” She chewed on her thumbnail some more as her gaze locked with mine.
She was right. They’d have a shit ton of questions. Questions I sure as shit couldn’t answer, because I didn’t know what was happening between us.
This was not familiar territory for me.
But this was Gracie, so everything was different.
“Okay.” She tipped her head back and smiled. “Have your way with me, Cutler Heart. Show me what I’ve been missing.”
“Isn’t that what I’ve been doing?” I smirked.
“Yes. But no more holding back. No more rules. I’m all in.” She sank her teeth into her bottom lip, and her cheeks flushed.
That was all I needed to hear. I reached behind her, my hands covering her perfect little ass, and I lifted her up. Her legs came around my waist, hands tangling in my hair as she chuckled.
“Get ready to have your world rocked, Gracie Reynolds.”
