Page 26 of Dare to Love

He grinned. “A carb girl.”

“I worked up an appetite.” The blush returned. “I can eat it on the way to the stadium if you have things to do.”

He slid his chair closer to her, gratified when her color heightened even more and her breath caught in her throat. He didn’t want to be alone in feeling like he couldn’t get enough of her.

Still, she was suddenly skittish, and he wanted to know why. “In a rush to get away?” he asked her.

“No, it’s just... I don’t know... I don’t do this.” She glanced away and took a large bite of her bagel.

“Definethis.”

She chewed and swallowed. “I don’t usually have sex with a guy outside of a relationship.”

Now they were getting somewhere. “And?” He needed her to continue with no suggestions from him. He wanted her unvarnished take on what this thing between them was. Because he was still working it out himself.

Without meeting his gaze, she took another bagel bite, chewed, swallowed, and followed it with a long sip of orange juice.

He waited.

“Alex said you go from woman to woman,” she finally admitted.

He clenched his jaw, wanting to kill his half brother for offering any kind of take on his life. The other man didn’t know him. At all.

“That’s been my MO,” he admitted to her.

She placed her unfinished bagel on the plate. “Well, I appreciate your honesty. Can we go now?”

He shook his head and couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face. “Riley, Riley, Riley. I said that’sbeenmy MO. Has there been anything about my behavior, from last night to this morning, that led you to believe I’m finished with you?”

To punctuate his point, he swiped his finger over the corner of her lip, where a drop of cream cheese remained, and licked it off his finger while she watched. Her eyes dilated with undisguised need, and his cock grew harder in his sweats.

“So we’re not finished?” She gripped her napkin in her lap, twisting it unmercifully.

“Not by a long shot.”

She finally met his gaze. Big blue eyes stared at him through thick lashes as she clearly worked out what she wanted to say next.

“I have some rules.”

He raised an eyebrow, not wanting to be amused, yet he was, despite himself. “Go on.”

She drew a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “If you don’t want to call this a relationship, that’s fine, but if you’re seeing me, you aren’t seeing other women at the same time.”

He hadn’t said he didn’t consider them in a relationship. Hell, Ian wouldn’t know what a relationship entailed, but he had a feeling that admission wouldn’t win him any points.

He rested his hand on her thigh where his shirt had inched up, revealing bare skin. “We both know that since we started going out together, I haven’t had time for anyone else. But you’ll be happy to know I haven’t wanted anyone either. So no other women.” He stroked her soft flesh, inching higher with a broad sweep of his thumb.

“Good.” Her voice came out on a husky rasp.

“Now for a condition of my own.” He lifted her chin with his hand. “No other men for you.”

“Done.” A cheeky grin lifted her lips, and he knew he had her back.

No more distance.

He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers, tasting a mix of Riley and citrus from her juice.

She moaned and kissed him briefly before pulling away. “One more thing.”