The Rules

“I like what I see,” he said, the timbre of his voice dropping several octaves.

Tiny shivers danced over her skin, and the pace of her heart upticked as his gaze dragged over her shape.

“Typical male,” she said.

If she had a dime for every man attracted to her body, she could stop working. Men had been ogling her curves since she hit puberty.

Gavin studied her with nerve-wracking intensity. “There’s nothing typical about me.”

Terri’s knees turned to gelatin. His self-confidence was sexy. “You sure about that?” She arched a brow, feigning nonchalance.

“I want to get to know you.”

“You want to screw me.”

“True.”

The blunt answer surprised her so much she didn’t move when the elevator doors glided open.

“But I want to get to know you, too,” Gavin added, managing to sound sincere. “I don’t see why we can’t be friends.”

“I’ve seen your Instagram and Twitter accounts. You already have a lot of friends.” Terri exited the elevator.

Gavin came up beside her. “No more than the usual.”

“I consider millions of followers way more than the usual, and a lot of them are female.”

They walked together across the marble floor of the lobby, bright lights shining down on the expensive furnishings and the residents coming and going.

Gavin chuckled, a smug sound that confirmed her assessment of his online friendships.

With such a huge following, if he tweeted about a product, sales shot up and the item could very well go out of stock. One time he posed in a black and red scarf with frayed edging. Not only had the photo received thousands of likes, but within twenty-four hours the scarf sold out of stores around the country. He could parlay his celebrity status into lucrative contracts, but she’d never heard his name linked to any endorsement deals.

“So are you saying I don’t have a shot?”

“I’m afraid not.”

He frowned. “Did Trenton or Alannah tell you something not-so-nice about me?”

“Nope. I just don’t need a man right now.”

Not now, not ever. Experiencing independence for the first time, Terri lived her own life on her own terms and loved it. No man would ever take away her freedom again.

“Because…?”

She stopped a few feet from the exit, where a doorman opened and closed the door for incoming and outgoing guests.

“Because I don’t.”

“So your relationship with your ‘something like that’ boyfriend isn’t serious?”

“My relationships are never serious.”

“Well, damn. You might be the woman of my dreams. Why aren’t they ever serious?”

“I just like to have fun. Men are in my life for one reason only, and that’s to make me feel good. Otherwise, I don’t need them.”

His eyebrows shot toward the ceiling, and she took pleasure in knowing she shocked him.

“What about sex?”

“I’m talking about sex.” She pursed her lips a little, a trick she’d learned that gave her already full mouth a more pouty appearance.

His gaze ran over her with overt interest. “So how many of these non-boyfriends do you have?”

“Only one right now.”

“What’s this chump’s name?”

She angled her head to the right. “Why does he have to be a chump?”

“Because he’s with you and I’m not.”

Terri shook her head and started walking again.

“You’re not going to tell me?”

“It’s none of your business, Gavin.”

“Can’t hurt to tell me his name. I’m not asking for his social security number and address.”

She sighed heavily. What difference did it make? They’d never meet each other anyway. “His name is Douglas.”

She walked out into the cool night air and headed to the waiting car. Trenton thought the location of the yoga classes was questionable and always made sure she and Alannah had a driver at their disposal to drop them off and pick them up from class. The minute the tall, brawny man saw Terri, he exited the vehicle and opened the back door.

“Yep, that definitely sounds like a chump name,” Gavin drawled.

“It does not.” Despite herself, Terri giggled. He was incorrigible. “It’s a perfectly fine name for a strong man.”

“What does Dagwood do?”

“Douglas,” she corrected, though she knew he’d intentionally screwed up the name. “He’s a bank manager.”

They arrived at the car, and Gavin waved away the driver. With a brief nod, the man went to sit in the front seat.

“I hope he’s strong.”

“Why does he have to be strong?” Terri asked.

Gavin rested an arm on the open door. “Because.” His voice dropped low, and looking up into those hypnotizing light brown eyes, she felt dangerously close to swooning. “He’s going to have to be a soldier to deal with me.”

“Are you saying you want to be one of my non-boyfriends?” Terri asked in a syrupy voice, equally low.

“Sure do. And I want all the benefits that come with the title.”

She pursed her lips again and watched his gaze drift down to her mouth. “I don’t know. I’m not the kind to jump when you say jump because you’re rich. You might want to stick to those high society girls you’re used to. You can’t handle a woman like me.”

He chuckled, and his entire body shook. He had the most delicious smile. All white teeth and mahogany lips that hinted at untold pleasures. He was definitely a pretty man. Pretty eyes. Pretty teeth. And last but not least, pretty lips. So full and pretty they made her want to sit on his face.

“You’re something else, you know that? You talk a lot of shit.”

“I can back it up, too.” She rubbed her bare arms against the chilled air.

“Oh yeah?”

“Mhmm. Ask any of my previous lovers. But like I said, you might not be the right man for the job.” She took unprecedented pleasure in needling him.

Gavin narrowed his eyes as he watched her. “You’re wrong.”

“I doubt it.”

“I’ll win you over eventually.”

“You’re so sure?”

He shrugged, smiling a little. “What can I say? I’m rich and I’m spoiled, and I never take no for an answer.”

“Are you saying you always get what you want?” she asked.

This time, the smile was an all-teeth, hell yeah smile. “Always.”