Page 46 of Pinky Promises

“Huh?” Clearly, her brain is still coming out of her orgasm-induced coma as she lies flat, bent over on the counter, still with no sense of moving anytime soon.

I trail kisses along her spine and repeat myself, my breath fanning her skin. “What was it that you were asking before we got carried away? Is nothing more happening between us what I want? I think our little performance right there tells you that what I want isyou.”

“You don’t want me.” She says it as more of a statement and not a question as she finally rises to a complete stand.

“No, I don’t?”

“Nope, every other girl you have ever dated is the complete opposite of me, Callum. You forget I’ve been there since the beginning.”

“You know, the same could be said about you. But I’m intrigued by your theory, though. It’s interesting.”

“Interesting?” she repeats as if testing out the waters of that word on her tongue. “I’m not sure that’s the choice of words I’d use.”

“Hmmm. Why do you think that is—your theory, I mean.”

She shrugs. “I don’t know because I’m not your type.”

“Hmm,” I hum again. I can’t help but smirk because I can tell my lack of reaction is starting to annoy her. The furrow of her brow creates the cutest wrinkles on her forehead. “Have you ever thought that I date women your polar opposite because nobody could ever compare to you?”

Her mouth drops in shock. I guess she wasn’t expecting that response. Honestly, I’m kind of shocked by my confession, but there’s complete honesty behind it. I close her mouth with the tips of my fingers and chuckle. “Cat got your tongue, babe?”

Brynn shakes her head. “Sorry, I guess I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” I lean in and kiss the corner of her mouth, and I feel her breathing change. I love how responsive this woman is to me. “So still sticking to your guns from earlier of this thing between us can’t happen again?”

She opens and clothes her mouth several times as she gathers her thoughts before sinking back against the counter. “If,” she emphasizes loudly, “this thing is going to happen between us, then we need to have rules.”

“Rules?”

“Yes, rules.”

“Like on Tuesdays, I fuck you in the kitchen. And on Thursdays, I get to wake you up with my tongue in your—” Brynn stops me by placing her pointer finger over my lips. I playful bite it, earning me a stern look in return.

“No, I mean rules so that lines don’t get crossed any more than they already are.”

“All right.” I don’t like it whatsoever, but if this is what she needs to continue this, then I can go along with it and work on breaking her down so she forgets all about the rules. Maybe Zoe was right last night when she said that Brynn is just struggling to process all of this. If this is what she needs to figure it all out, then so be it. “Lay them on me.”

She twists the corners of her mouth to the side. “Rule number one, no one can know. This thing”—she moves her hand back and forth between us—“doesn’t leave the apartment.”

“You honestly expect me to believe that the girls don’t already know?”

Her silence tells all. “I mean moving forward. I just—I just…” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. “I just don’t want them to make a bigger deal out of this than it is.” I might have believed her more if she wasn’t just coming on my cock moments ago. Because us doing thisis, in fact, a big deal.

“Secrecy. Got it.”

“No dates—either with each otherorother people.”

“I’m not following.” I understand the other people part. It’s been a hot minute since I went on an actual date with someone, so we don’t have to worry about that. But I’m not sure what she means “with each other.”

“I mean you and me, we won’t go on dates.” I’m not sure what that means exactly. I mean, we go out to dinner just us and go plenty of places that if strangers looked at us, they would assume we are on a date. “And if—”

I abruptly cut her off, correcting her. “When.”

“Huh?”

“You said ‘if.’ And I was correcting you ‘when.’ When this happens, because itishappening.”

“When this happens, there’s no one else to hook up with. And if at any point there is someone else, we let the other know.” Little does she know there’s no one else for me—just her.

“Oh, and lastly, we should sleep in separate beds.”

“Woah, hold up. What’s wrong with sleeping in the same bed? We’ve been doing that for years.”

She shrugs and starts to gather her clothes. “Yeah, but sleeping together every night would be too much like a real relationship.”

I grip the back of my neck as I ponder over these rules. There’s a reason she’s fighting this—fighting us—and I know that I can wear her down with a bit of time. Reverse psychology worked earlier tonight because I knew the words leaving her lips were what she felt needed to be said versus what she wanted. Was it fucked-up? Maybe a little, but it got us both to what we wanted.

“Hey, Brynn, you don’t have to say it aloud, but I know you’re hoping that that Thursday rule is in play. It can be our little secret.” I wink before heading down the hall toward my bedroom. If I had eyes in the back of my head, I assume I would find her mouth gaping and eyes wide yet again.Your move, Macallister.

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