Page 7 of Against The Rules

“You know, if you haven’t had a chance to get out of the gym this week, I could take you down the Strip, show you some of my favorite spots. There’s a great hidden pizza place—”

“Oh my god, that sounds amazing.” My eyes nearly roll back in my head because shit, pizza sounds like life right now. “I am starving.”

“Perfect.” His dimples reappear.

I fan myself, then stop, blushing furiously. No wonder the director thinks I’m not sexy. Who the hell fans themselves?

Ugh.

“So, pizza, and then we can maybe catch a show and see where the night takes us?”

“Wait, I need to tell my friends—” I whip my head over to where they’re all dancing on the club floor, drinks in hand and hairography in full force. How they manage to do that without spilling a drop is a testament to years of dance training. Or something.

“Yeah, of course, I do too,” he says. He checks his watch, and I swallow hard as I can’t help checking out his forearms again.

Tyler Matthews is extremely hot, and his forearms definitely help.

A little excitement bubbles through me. He’s hot, and he wants to hang out with me tonight.

“Meet you at the entrance in five?”

I nod once, unable to think of a response that won’t sound stupid. I don’t want him to think I’m stupid.

I want him to like me.

I slide out of the booth, grinning like a fool but trying to walk—sexily—over to where my teammates are making everyone else’s dancing look completely uncoordinated.

“Hey,” I shout over the music. “I’m heading out.”

Tiffany immediately grabs my hand, twirling me as I laugh. “Good for you, sexy beast,” she yells back. “Go get some.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s not like that—we’re just going to get pizza.”

“Yummmm,” Ashley says, sidling up and shimmying at me. “Make good choices.”

I laugh at that, because of course I will make good choices.

Sure, I’m half, no, two-thirds drunk, but I’ve always made good choices.

Why would I start making bad choices now?

I wouldn’t.

I tell the rest of the girls, the beat of the music pounding in my chest so loud that I’m positive my heart’s somehow synced to it, and they make me promise to be safe, something that continues to strike me as hilarious.

Out of all of them, I’m the most responsible one, definitely the most high-strung.

That’s probably why I’m the least sexy.

The thought ricochets around my mind as I weave through the crowd of writhing bodies, clutching my little purse close to my hip and making my way to where Tyler Matthews stands out at the exit of the club.

As soon as he sees me, his whole face lights up. It makes my breath catch, the way he looks at me.

“Ready?” he asks, his eyes sparkling.

“For pizza? Always.”

My ears ring as we make our way onto the Strip, which is way more crowded than it was earlier today, even though it’s way past my normal bedtime.

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