The Dixon Rule: Chapter 15

I’M GOING TO KILL DIANA.

I knew she was going to bust my balls and take great enjoyment from it, but I didn’t expect our epic love story to involve me wooing her via dance. Now, while Lynsey uses the bathroom and Tyreek’s in the kitchen making a call, Diana puts on some music and skips toward me on bare feet. Her heels are abandoned on the floor near the couch.

“What are you doing?” I ask warily.

“I feel like dancing.” She pulls me toward the bay window next to the balcony door.

I let her manhandle me only because I’d like a second alone with her, and this gives me the opportunity to say, “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t. You love me. I’m your girlfriend and we’re madly in love.”

Beaming, she places one hand on my shoulder and slides the other into my palm. I instinctively clasp her waist and draw her closer, and damn, she’s a lot shorter than I realized. Whenever I danced with Lynsey, I didn’t have to bend my head this low to get to eye level. With Diana, I’m nearly a foot taller.

Fuck, she’s a little spitfire in that tight dress. She looks delicious. Almost makes up for all the pain and suffering she’s putting me through tonight. But I guess that’s what I get for enlisting her help.

“Stop laying it on so thick,” I warn in a low voice.

“Why? It’s making her jealous.”

That gives me pause. “You think?” I had a feeling, but Lynsey can be hard to read.

“Absolutely,” Diana says. “When you said we were going to do the competition?” She points two fingers at her eyes. “Daggers. Like, I felt them stabbing into me. Spin me.”

Grinning, I lift our joined hands so she can execute a little spin, then pull her toward me again.

Diana studies our feet, as if she’s critiquing me. “Your footwork’s not bad.”

“We’re literally just moving back and forth and side to side.”

“Hey, a lot of men can’t even do that.”

Tyreek returns to the living area, smiling at us. To be honest, he’s a decent guy. Soft-spoken, easy to talk to. I wanted to hate him, but I can’t.

“Diana, here’s that routine I was telling you about,” he says. He’d been trying to track down a video of one of the cheerleading routines the BU squad performed last year.

“Oh, perfect. I’m dying to see it.”

Diana lets go of me and darts to the couch. She plops down next to Tyreek as he plays the video for her.

Lynsey emerges from the hall a moment later, joining me by the balcony door. She follows my gaze to our respective partners. Well, her partner. Mine’s a fraud.

I can’t believe she has a boyfriend. And I can’t believe she had the nerve to show up with him. It’s a huge slap in the face. Makes me angry every time I think about it, but I can’t let it show. Besides, I don’t want Tyreek thinking I’ve got beef with him. It’s all Lynsey.

“Some warning would’ve been nice,” I murmur to her. This is our first moment alone since they arrived. She literally hasn’t left his side.

“Yes. It would have,” she agrees tightly.

I glance at her in surprise. “Seriously? You think I should have warned you?”

Our voices are hushed, but I don’t think Diana or Tyreek even notice. They’re engrossed with the video.

“You didn’t tell me you were dating anyone.”

“Right back at you, Lynz. Also, I’m not the one showing up at your house with Diana asking her to sleep over.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would be a big deal. We’ve been broken up for a year, Shane.”

“How long have you been seeing him?”

“About a month. We met at a party in Boston. He’s friends with Monique’s cousin.”

So she was with him when we spoke on the phone a couple weeks ago. Would’ve been nice if she’d filled me in then. I get it—she doesn’t owe me anything. She doesn’t have to update me about her love life. But it still feels shitty to be kept in the dark and then ambushed on my doorstep.

“You’re not mad, are you?” She studies my expression.

“No, of course not.” I take a step away. “I’m going to grab another beer. You want anything?”

“No, thanks.”

I cross the room toward the kitchen and hope she doesn’t notice the stiffness of my stride. I’m annoyed as fuck. I would never have blindsided her like this. Never would’ve dreamed of bringing my new girlfriend to Lynsey’s apartment for an overnight. And I realize I’m going to have to give them my goddamn bed now. It’s only the polite thing to do.

Awesome. Now I’ll have to burn those sheets.

When Diana sees me in the kitchen, she pats Tyreek’s arm and tells him she’ll be right back. A moment later she’s beside me, hopping up to sit on the counter.

“Come here, Boyfriend,” she teases.

Closing the fridge, I put on my boyfriend face and walk toward her. I can’t help but notice that her dress has ridden up so high her thighs are pretty much bare. If she parts her legs even half an inch, I’ll be able to see her panties.

If she’s wearing any.

The thought summons a sizzle of heat that makes my dick twitch.

Diana grabs me by the belt loops and tugs me into the cradle of those tanned thighs. Then she laces her hands around my neck to pull my face close to hers.

“Are you okay?” she asks quietly. There’s genuine concern in her voice.

“I’m fine.”

“Your mask is starting to slip.”

“I know,” I admit.

I plant my hands on her knees and gaze down at her.

It suddenly registers how fucking hot she is. When I let her in earlier, I recognized she looked good, but now I’m really taking in the sight of her, and it’s quite a sight. Her green eyes seem brighter. That red lipstick is killer. Her cleavage is top-notch. She’s a weapon.

“Why are you staring at me?” Her cheeks are flushed, either from the whiskey or the dancing. She doesn’t seem wasted, though.

“Have you always been this hot?” I muse.

Her mouth falls open. Then a laugh slides out. “Well, yes. I have.”

“You look good, Dixon.”

“I know.”

I lock my gaze to hers. My mouth feels a bit dry.

She lifts a brow. “Are you waiting for me to return the compliment?”

“No. I know I look good. I always do.”

Diana laughs again. Something about the soft, melodious sound has my body tightening. Before I can stop myself, I drag my thumb along her cheek. Damn, her skin is so smooth.

I glance over my shoulder. Lynsey and Tyreek are laughing at something on his phone.

If Lynsey’s gaze were on me right now, I don’t know if I would be licking my lips and murmuring, “I have a confession to make, Dixon.”

I think she’s also affected by this strange thread of tension moving between us. When we kissed during the dare game, she pretended it didn’t get her hot, but her responses said otherwise. Her hitched breath. Her pulse racing when I touched her wrist. Pupils dilated.

I’m seeing all those same signs now.

“What is it?” she asks.

“I sort of want to kiss you.”

“Are you drunk?” She sounds amused.

“Maybe just a little. Are you?”

“Maybe just a little.” She visibly shivers when I cup her cheek, then inhales when I use my other hand to lightly caress her bare thigh. Her skin is burning to the touch.

“Do you want me to?” The question comes out hoarse from the sudden desire clamped around my throat.

Diana dons a thoughtful look.

Then she eases forward slightly and presses her lips against mine.

It’s a soft kiss. An exploration. Like putting one foot into the hot tub to test the temperature. It starts as a warm rush bubbling around you. And then, when you realize how fucking good it feels, you submerge yourself. Let it consume you. That’s what happens in a nanosecond. I’m submerged and consumed. She tastes like whiskey and temptation, and I never want this to end. This kiss is pure fire.

Our mouths pressed together, slicking over each other, her lips parting, her tongue coming out to touch mine. My heart is beating too fast. Diana makes a little sound. It’s hard to hear over the music. But it vibrates against my lips.

“Hey, Shane, what’s the Wi-Fi again? I got kicked off—oh, sorry.” Tyreek chuckles softly.

Diana and I break apart. I swipe my hand over my mouth, while she hastily shoves a strand of hair that came loose of her top knot behind her ear.

“No, I’m sorry,” I call back. I clear my throat. “Forgot we weren’t alone.”

I’m not even lying. I completely forgot Lynsey and her boyfriend were here. I was so absorbed in that kiss, a meteor could have hit Meadow Hill, and I would have obliviously and happily died with my tongue in Diana’s mouth. The pool party kiss was hot. This one? Blistering inferno. My dick’s never been this hard from one kiss.

Moistening my suddenly dry lips, I spare a glance at the couch. Lynsey’s gaze finds mine. I can’t decipher her expression.

But I can clearly read Diana’s—a mixture of lust and shock.

I know exactly how she feels.