Page 79 of The Rookie

Griffin’s lips twitch, his expression softening into something infuriatingly amused. “Of course you do.”

“I’m serious.” I march over to my bed and grab my notebook, flipping it open to a blank page. “If we’re doing this, we need boundaries. Aside from the, ah, safe words we’ve established.”

Griffin sits up, swinging his legs off the bed. “By all means, lay ‘em out. I’m all ears.”

“Rule one:No cuddling after sex.”

Griffin raises an eyebrow. “What, no post-game analysis? I feel like we’d want to go over the highlights.”

“This isn’t a football game, Knox. No cuddling.”

“Fine,” he says, holding up his hands. “No cuddling. Your loss.”

I shoot him a look before continuing.

“Rule two:No acting coupley.”

“Define ‘coupley,’” Griffin interrupts, smirking like he already knows where this is going.

“No holding hands. No cute pet names. No… anything that would confuse this with something it’s not.”

Griffin leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So I can’t call youPrincesa?”

“Especiallynot that. That is done.”

He just grins wider, and I’m already regretting this.

“Rule three:No flirting.”

Griffin actually laughs at that one, the sound warm and low and making my stomach flip in the worst possible way. “You want me to stop flirting? Sinclair, I don’t even know if I can turn that off.”

“Figure it out,” I say firmly. “This ispurely physical.”

“Purely physical. Got it.” He pauses, tapping his chin like he’s deep in thought. “So what do I call all the lingering eye contact and the‘I hate how hot you are’moments?”

“Rule three-and-a-half: stop talking.”

He laughs again, and I ignore the heat crawling up my neck.

“Rule four:No falling in love.”

Griffin presses a hand to his chest, mock offended. “Ouch, Sinclair. Straight for the jugular.”

“I’m serious. That’s not happening.”

“You’re cute when you’re in denial,” he mutters, grinning.

“I’m not in denial,” I snap, flipping the notebook shut. “And the last rule—your sister never, ever finds out.”

That wipes the grin off his face. He nods seriously. “Fair. I’d like to survive this trip.”

“And last? But most importantly. This…thing…stays here. Once we leave Mexico, this never happened.”

Griffin stares at me, his expression unreadable.

“Promise me, Griffin.”

He raises one hand in mock salute. “I solemnly swear, on my Division I tight end status, that what happens in Mexico stays in Mexico, and that Cassie will never find out.”

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