Page 3 of Breaking Rules

“I-I—” I stammer, wetting my lips.Goodness, Isabella. Get a grip!

Xander’s lips lift in a cocky grin, and he dips his head so our eyes are level. “Done eye-fucking me yet?”

Heat creeps into my cheeks and neck. He didn’t say that, did he? Right in front of Jake?

“I wasn’t,” I grit through my teeth, staring daggers at the guy.

He huffs out a laugh. “You obviously were.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but you’re not as observant as you think,” I hiss, not bothering to look at Jake for his reaction. “You’re being inappropriate.”

“It was a joke,” Jake says in a low voice, his fingers sinking into my belly. “He’s messing with you.”

His sharp hold makes me wince, and embarrassment settles in my chest, making me shift my weight from one foot to the other.

“Sorry,” Jake says to his friend. “Give her time to get used to you before you joke like that with her.”

Xander studies me for another beat, then shrugs. “I’m sorry about the joke,Isabella.”

When he says my name, a tingling sensation that has nothing to do with Jake’s hand on my stomach spreads across my skin.Oh my God.What’s happening?I’ve never reacted to a person’s words in such a visceral manner.

Shaking off the thought, I extend my hand, and his fingers gently curl around mine, lightly skimming along my palm and down my wrist. Instantly, my core throbs.What the hell?I cross my legs at the ankles and do my best to ignore it. It’s neither the time nor the place. And, a thousand times more importantly, he’s not the person my body should be reacting to.

Slowly, I free my hand from his and give him a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Xander.”

“You too, Isabella,” he murmurs, glancing between Jake and me. “Are you going to join us at the club later?”

“The club?” I ask, tilting my head to look at my boyfriend. “I thought we were going home after this.”

“No. The guys are going clubbing, baby.”

Jake’s reply is nonchalant, and my heart squeezes painfully. This isn’t how I imagined my night ending.

“Now that this jackass has joined the team, we need to celebrate. It’ll be a blast.”

“As long as I have a woman in my bed by the end of the night,” Xander says, sneaking a glance at me.

I roll my eyes, annoyance poisoning my mood.

Jake snorts. “Like the good old days?”

“Like the good old days,” Xander confirms, but his smile slips almost instantly. His jaw ticks, and he balls his hand into a fist at his side, his knuckles turning white before he shoves it into his pocket.

Clubbing? That is so not my scene. But… “Do you want me to go?”

“Nah. It’s just the guys tonight.” Jake whirls me around. “And I figured you wouldn’t want to go anyway. You never come with me.”

He’s right. I’d much rather stay out of his limelight. But why bring me here only to ditch me for his friends?

I shouldn’t be surprised. He’ll choose clubs, parties, and posh events over me every time.

“Sure,” I mumble, faking a smile.

Softly, he presses a kiss to my lips. Then he spins me back around, holds me against him, and dives back into a conversation with Xander as if I’m not here. With a sigh, I lean against him, preferring my own thoughts over their conversation anyway.

I don’t fit in, and Jake does nothing to help me feel welcome. Rather than a partner, I’ve become an accessory to show off, so he can brag about how he won back his high school sweetheart. So he can praise my beauty anytime someone comments on how good we look together.

Beautiful to everyone except myself.

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