Page 21 of Pump Fake

“This is a mistake.” Brielle pressed her back against the door to my condo, arching into my touch. “I don’t even like you.”

An electric current buzzed in the air between us. I couldn’t get enough of her. “We don’t have to like each other for a mutually beneficial experience.” It was more than that. It was explosive, an attraction that hummed like a live wire. All I wanted to do was touch her and experience the intensity of being together again.

She worried her full bottom lip with pearly-white teeth before slowly releasing it. “We need some ground rules.”

I took a step closer. “Rules are meant to be broken.”

She scowled, just like I knew she would. I didn’t want to admit that I rarely skirted the lines myself, but when it came to her, I would throw caution to the wind every time.

“One”—she ticked her points off on her fingers—“this is not a relationship.”

“We never said it was.”

I advanced slowly, and she held her hand higher between us, continuing to go through her list of reasons for our not being together that night. Like that would keep it from happening. I was down with the no-strings part. The last thing I wanted was a relationship. I didn’t have much time, and giving what was left after football, school, and family to some girl wasn’t likely.

“Two, if we do this again, you can’t sleep with someone else, which still doesn’t mean we’re in a relationship.”

“Same goes for you.” My gaze dropped to her lips. I was ten seconds from covering them with mine, stopping her nervous chatter.

“Right.” She nodded, her eyes dilating the closer I came. “If either of us wants to be with someone else, we inform the other person, and whatever this is between us ends, no questions asked.”

“I don’t see a problem. Are you done?” I wanted to taste her. Badly.

“And, ah… three, if one of us needs the other to continue with the fake relationship for whatever reason, we do it.”

I almost laughed but managed to contain my amusement. She’d rethought the mean-girl’s wedding. If she showed up without me, the vultures would attack. Or I assumed they would. “I’ll go to the wedding with you, assuming it doesn’t interfere with a game.” Family, which included my roommates, and football still came first.

“Four, no videos.”

Anger ripped through me. She’d swatted a hornet’s nest with that comment. “I should be saying that to you and your kind.”

Her head jerked back, thumping against the wood behind her. Eyes filled with indignation, they narrowed to slits as her anger spiked. “Excuse me? Mykind?”

I crowded her against the door, caging her in as she bristled. A pretty flush spread over her cheeks, and my need for her only increased, despite her offensive rule. “Opportunists, among other things.”

“Who do you think you are to call me an opportunist?” She took a step back, her mouth twisting with disgust. “Read the room, baller. I don’t want anything from you. Nothing permanent or public anyway.”

I swallowed my anger enough to realize my misstep. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Knee-jerk reaction, but it still wasn’t okay to say. Forgive me?”

We may not know or like each other well, but I wanted her, and nothing, not even a stupid insult, would deter me. Her plump lips parted, and I took advantage by swooping down and slanting my mouth over hers. The way her body melted against mine told me she was equally ensnared by whatever was between us.

She wrenched herself from me. “You’re still a jerk.”

“Noted.”

I picked her up and carried her through my bedroom to my bathroom. Setting her down, I turned on the shower, testing the heat before focusing on her. I gave one tug on the hem of her shirt, and she took the hint, pulling it over her head and flinging it away. I caught it. After plugging the sink, I twisted the knob, and cold water filled the basin. I dunked her stained tee in it. We would deal with it later. I had more pressing things I wanted to put my hands all over.

“Condom?”

I froze. I’d forgotten to grab one. I never did that.

She grinned at my panic. “I’m on the pill and clean.”

“I am too.”

Her brows rose, and she laughed. “You’re on the pill?”

“Ha, funny. I’ve never had sex without a condom before.” I wanted to with her. Badly.

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