Page 72 of Three Rules I'd Never Break

“Sherlock is sure happy to see you.” Eli stroked the dog. “He’s been off-kilter the last few days.”

“I’m so sorry.” It was easier to stay focused on Sherlock and not look at Eli. “I cried myself to sleep Friday night. I was so mad. But you have to understand that I’ve had guys tell me that they were shopping for their mom. They act like it’s funny or some inside joke. When you said that...” I looked up at Eli. “I don’t know how to explain how it made me feel.”

“Mad.” He poked me in the side. “Guys have really said that? That’s weird. If I’d had any clue what was in the bag, I would’ve done a lot more explaining then and there.”

“But you didn’t want to see what was in the bag.”

“Does it surprise you at all that I didn’t want to see what my dad bought my mom at the lingerie store? Really?”

The way he’d behaved that day made more sense without the cloud of anger and jealousy masking the truth.

“You asked about my panic when Tandy talked about the robe.” I rubbed at the wrinkles in his t-shirt.

He trailed a finger along my jaw liked he’d done that day. “One minute we were flirting, and the next minute, you were looking at me like I was dangerous.”

“Why did you get your mom a medium?”

“Delaney, when you were modeling that robe, I wasn’t thinking about my mom.” He grinned when I laughed.

Telling him about my rules would sound silly, and I asked another question, hoping to delay that part of the discussion.

“Tessa knew about you picking up the gift for your dad, didn’t she?”

“Yep, but I made her promise not to say anything. She didn’t need to be in the middle of it.” He shifted me into his lap. “But I made her tell me about your rules.”

“How is that fair?”

“We’ve already established that I have flaws. Do you want to hear my side or not?” He lifted his eyebrows.

“I’m listening.”

“When I told her what happened, she mumbled something about rules. I hounded her until she spilled the beans.” He wrapped his arms around me. “Then I understood. You and me, we like rules. And if I had you breaking your rules, I was a little bit dangerous.” Soft lips pressed against my temple. “I know that not being like your mom is why you have rules. I’m sorry for implying you were acting like her.”

“The truth hurts.”

“I shouldn’t have said it.” He leaned his head on mine. “As soon as I did, the look on your face broke my heart. I worried you wouldn’t forgive me even after you knew the truth.”

“When I knocked and you didn’t answer, I worried that you had reverted to the quiet Eli or that you’d lost interest.”

He dropped a kiss below my ear, then continued down the side of my neck.

My rules had been so important to me that I’d given up good sense. “Rules have always been important. I never wanted to be like my mom, and she acted like rules didn’t matter. But I put too much focus on my rules—which might’ve been the wrong rules to have anyway—and lost sight of what’s most important.”

Eli hugged me closer but didn’t say anything.

“Will you forgive me?” I resisted the urge to bury my face in the curve of his neck. Instead, I held his gaze and waited for his response, knowing what he’d say and needing to hear it.

“Yes. I forgive you.” He tapped out our secret knock on my hip. “And I love you, rules and all.”

I tilted my head, giving him easier access. “When your mom came into the store to exchange things, I told her that I love you.”

“I know. She called me.”

“Did Joji tell you that I went to your house?” I tipped my head back as he kissed the front of my neck.

“Clint sent me a video.”

“Video?”

---