Page 68 of Breaking Rules

Xander grabs the remote from the coffee table and scrolls through the list of movies. “Hm,” he says noncommittally. “Do you want something specific?”

“Spirited Away.” I beam, pulling my legs under my butt. “I’ve seen it at least a dozen times, and I still love it.”

“Okay, if you say so.” With a serious look on his face, Xander skims through the movies.

I use this moment to study him. Impossibly long eyelashes frame his deep blue-green eyes, and there’s the tiniest smattering of freckles over his nose and cheeks. For the first time, I realize there’s a little scar crossing his eyebrow. So many new things, the smallest details… I’m devouring every bit of information I find about him.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

Busted.

I smile through the embarrassment. “Just observing you.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t get you.”

“Really? I’m an open book when I’m fed, hydrated and my needs are taken care of. There’s nothing to get.”

He watches me in silence, his finger hovering over the Play button.

My needs are taken care of?Why the hell did I say that?

I worry my bottom lip, wondering how to play it off, and his gaze instantly drops to my mouth. A powerful rush of energy travels between us, and heat pools in my lower abdomen.

“So this is…the happy version of you?” Xander breaks the silence, arching an eyebrow.

“Uh-huh.” A full-blown smile blooms on my lips. “And I’ll be even happier if you agree to watch anime with me.”

With a chuckle, he presses play, though within minutes his phone buzzes, and he pauses it again. He snatches the device from the coffee table and stares at the screen, his lips collapsing into a frown.

He turns the screen to face me, and when Jake’s name registers, my stomach twists painfully.

“Hey, man.” Xander puts the call on speaker, his focus intent on me but his tone easy.

“Hey, Walker.” Jake’s booming voice vibrates through me, and I shudder. “How about hitting the gym in a few hours? Might be good before tomorrow’s practice.”

“That’s a great idea, but I’ll pass.”

“For fuck’s sake, don’t tell me it’s because of some chick. I already heard that bullshit from Garcia.”

“Well, actually, yeah. I have a guest, and hanging out with her is far better than hitting the gym.”

He bursts out laughing. “Is it Cindy? She was asking about you the last time I saw her. She definitely has her eye on you.”

Breath caught in my lungs, I gape at Xander. Jake claimed he didn’t remember who Cindy was. It just confirms what I’ve known all along: He’s nothing but a liar.

“No,” Xander says, his tone a little sharper. “It’s not Cindy.”

He snorts. “Your loss. She’s great in bed.”

Xander’s gaze focuses on me. He’s studying my reaction to Jake’s words, his expression intense, tearing down all my walls and staring right at my battered soul.

“No offense, but I prefer the company I’ve got,” Xander says.

“What does she look like? Maybe I know her.”

He searches my face, as if he’s memorizing every detail. “She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

My cheeks heat.

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