Page 74 of Breaking Rules

My mouth waters…because damn, the man is hot.

“Oh, uh, yeah. I shut it off a while ago. Sorry.”

With a chuckle, he heads my way. He assesses me, smiles at Milo, then arches a brow at the bottle of wine on the coffee table. “Decided to let loose a little?”

“A little.” I hold up my wine. “This is my first glass.”

He tosses his jacket over the back of the couch. Then he plops down beside me and places his hand on Milo’s fur, trailing it up until it covers mine. A rush of hot energy spreads from my fingertips to my toes, making me clench my legs tighter.

He’s my friend.

Kind, caring, and extremely hot…but a friend nonetheless.

Do I want him to be a friend, though?

“How are you?” His hands are calloused, but his touch is surprisingly featherlight and gentle.

“Good,” I say hoarsely. “You were incredible on the field.”

“Did you watch the game?”

I shake my head. “Just highlights. I don’t think I’m ready to see…him.”

The corners of Xander’s mouth drop, and his fingers stop moving. I hold my breath, hoping he won’t retract his hand. He doesn’t, and when he threads his fingers through mine, I exhale.

“No one knows you left Miller—not even him. He said some shit to me and Garcia about you waiting for him at home.”

“That’s my fault. I told him it was a break, not an actual breakup.” I eye my phone. “He’s been calling and texting. That’s why I turned it off again.”

He arches a brow. “What does he want?”

“Depends on the day. He wants me to come home. He wants to talk, to sort out our issues. He wants me to stop acting stupid, and he wants to remind me that I’m risking losing the best thing that ever happened to me. No one will ever want a girl like me if I’m not with him.”

Xander’s eyes bulge. “He said that?”

“It’s fine.” I shrug. “I’ve heard worse.”

“That’s not right. This kind of belittling and humiliation is disgusting.”

Annoyance flashes through me. “I’m trying to figure it all out. There’s no need to lecture me.”

He slumps back and drags a hand down his face. “That’s not my intention. I just want to help you see thatJakeis in the wrong, not you.”

I pull my hand away and haul myself up, intending to escape to the guest room, but I’m not fast enough. Xander catches up to me and grabs my elbow, and in one swift motion my back is flush against his chest. My skin hums, and a fire forms in my lower abdomen, like it did the other day in the bathroom.

I want him.

“I’ve only been gone for two fucking days,” he says, his lips brushing the shell of my ear, “but it feels like an eternity. Not seeing you, not talking to you, not hearing your voice? It’s torture. I’m fucking obsessed with you, Bella, and when you’re around, I lose my goddamn mind.”

“Why?” Without my mind’s permission, my body takes over, and I grind my ass over his groin, feeling his hardness through his pants. Just that hint of friction is enough to make my eyes roll back.

“Because all I want is you, and it’s driving me absolutely crazy.” He cups my breasts, making my skin buzz.

Head tipped back, I sigh. “I?—”

“But you’ve been drinking.” He pinches my pebbled nipples through the fabric of my tee. “What if you forget this tomorrow morning? Or, worse, regret it?”

“I didn’t even finish my first glass of wine. I’m not drunk.” I look over my shoulder, my gaze colliding with his. “I could never regret you.”

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