11. Rules
RULES
Lorelei
I drew in a much-needed lungful of air after that unexpected kiss and staggered back a step, but Axel’s unyielding arms kept me trapped against his barrel chest. Damn, I never expected the big, sweet puppy dog football player to kiss like that.
His crystalline blue eyes seared to mine as he ran his tongue over his bottom lip.
Okay, we were doing this. Axel and I were really going to pretend we were dating so I could get my father off my back about Brock, and he could make Cordelia jealous.
I plastered a smile on my face, which wasn’t hard because the big guy had already stolen a genuine grin after that scorching kiss. I pressed my finger to Axel’s lips and batted my lashes. “Just give me a second to finish up, babe.”
Babe? Where did that come from? I wasn’t sure if I liked it…
Turning back to my Entrepreneurship study group, I passed out the bulleted worksheets I’d drawn up explaining everyone’s tasks for the class project.
I’d signed up for a few bullshit electives just to keep up my ruse, but this was my one important course of the summer.
Daddy never checked my schedule so he had no idea if I was taking Macroeconomics or Home Economics.
Amidst a sea of groans from my classmates as they scanned the sheets, I offered a quick wave and spun around to face my new boyfriend. Damn, that sounded weird even in my head. When was the last time I had an actual boyfriend?
Probably not since high school, which was pretty sad at the ripe old age of twenty-one.
“Okay, I’m ready,” I chirped, tossing back the dismal thoughts.
“Great… you said you wanted to go back to the Zeta house to discuss?” He waggled a flirty brow.
“Yes, we should totally do that.”
Axel’s hand slid down my arm, and his warm fingers weaved between my own. My heart fluttered, an unfamiliar feeling throwing it into turmoil. Giant butterfly wings whipped at my insides as we walked hand-in-hand through the library.
Shit, Lore, get it together. This was what you wanted.
Steeling my spine, I met the curious gazes of half a dozen students as we passed and donned that practiced smile. Everything was going to work out perfectly.
As soon as we were free of the brutal scrutiny from the library, I inhaled a swig of sultry summer air and led the way back to the sorority house. Axel was quiet beside me, his eyebrows pinched and a vein thrumming across his forehead.
“So what made you change your mind?” I finally asked. After our conversation yesterday, I was almost certain he’d pass on my deal.
He shrugged, his burly shoulders straining against his collared shirt. “I guess this shit with Cordi has been bugging me more than I thought.”
“Because you love her…” I couldn’t help the little childish sing-song.
“Shut up, Battenberg!” Axel’s cheeks burned fifty shades of red. “I told her I wanted a break actually.”
“You did?” I was sure my eyes had gone cartoon-character wide. Wow, he really was all in.
“Yeah, I mean I figured if we were doing this, we better do it right.”
“I like your style, Vanderhart.” I tossed him a smirk. “We should probably set some clear boundaries so we’re both on the same page. We should have a list of expectations, terms of endearment, events to be attended, rules—”
“Oh God, woman, please don’t tell me there are gonna be spreadsheets.”
I jabbed my elbow into his side, and he buckled over, releasing a satisfying groan. “I’m just saying we should cover all our bases.” And maybe, I’d created a Google sheet or two.
“Fine, whatever you say, sugar mama.”
“Absolutely not. Take that back immediately.” My lips screwed into a pout as his deep chuckle vibrated between us.
“What? You said there were going to be terms of endearment, and I totally heard you call me babe back there.”
“Did you like that? Was it too much?”
He smirked, the soft smile lighting up his baby blues. “Nah, it’s cool. I’ll have to think of a good one for you.”
“Definitely not sugar mama.” My nose crinkled at the nickname even from my own mouth.
When we reached the Zeta house, Axel released my hand, scooted in front of me and opened the front door. I eyed him as I passed through the opening, jaw nearly unhinged. “You know, when there’s no one around you don’t have to do stuff like that.”
His broad shoulders lifted. “It’s okay, I don’t mind. This way it’ll be more natural when others are watching.”
“Good point.” Man, I kind of hit the jackpot with Axel.
How had I never noticed what a great guy Killian’s roommate was? I’d spent most of the year so obsessed with the asshole, I’d completely missed it.
“Hey, girl.” Tate spun around on the living room couch and peered up over the top of her book.
Shit, she’d been so quiet, I hadn’t even noticed her from the entry foyer. Had she heard our conversation?
“What are you doing here? I thought you were off to the Maldives this summer with your family.”
“Not until July.” She dropped her book on the floral couch and walked toward us, her curious gaze pinned to Axel.
“My grandparents are spending the summer with my family at our home in Copper Cove, and I just can’t stand the old people smell.
” She wrinkled her nose. “Besides, I’d rather spend the summer at the Zeta house than be forced to entertain them. ”
“Great,” I muttered. And I’d hoped the summer would be fairly drama-free. No one could smell scandal like Tate Astor.
“What are you doing here, Axel?” She danced her fingers up his muscled forearm, and a crack of jealousy shot right through me.
My gaze darted to his, and the insecurity I’d been fighting my whole life reared up. He wriggled his arm away from her touch and swung it around my shoulders. If my damned heart could actually grow wings, it would’ve just leapt out of my chest.
God, I was so pathetic.
“Just hanging out with Lore,” he answered.
Lore. I liked the sound of it from his lips.
“Hanging out?” Her auburn brow lifted into a curious arch.
Crap, I’d just spent the other night blathering on about how great Brock was. “Just keeping my options open, Tate. You know how that is, right?” I threw her a wink and curled my arm around Axel’s waist, tugging him toward the grand spiral staircase.
“Sure,” she called out, her tone saccharine. “Have fun, you two.”
As soon as we turned the corner of the second floor, I tugged on Axel’s hand and hurried him to my room. Slamming the door behind us, I flopped onto my bed and heaved out a breath.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“What’s wrong?” Axel folded his big frame beside me.
“Tate has a huge mouth, and she knows I’m supposed to be marrying Brock at the end of the summer. She’s going to blab about seeing you and me together to everyone.”
“I’m confused.” His light brows knitted as he sat back on the mattress. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Yes. No… ugh, I just thought I’d have more time to explain things to my father. And I’d hoped Brock would be sailing off on his yacht somewhere when he heard the rumors.” A whisper of fear lanced through my insides.
What if he got pissed? What if he tried to hurt me or Axel?
“I can handle Brock Haversham, okay?” He took my trembling hand between his two big, warm ones and squeezed. A smile parted his lips and lit up that serene blue gaze of his. “Now let’s see that spreadsheet.”
An easy laugh tumbled out as I stood and grabbed the laptop off my desk. “It isn’t so much a spreadsheet as a list of ground rules.”
“Okay, let’s see them.” He eyed the bulleted list as I scrolled down the page.
Rules for a fake dating relationship:
1. Define the duration:
o Set the term
o Exit clause
2. Public Interaction Protocols:
o Affection Levels
o Event Attendance
3. Social Media Rules:
o Posts
o Interactions
4. Financial Arrangements:
o Expenses
o Gifts
5. Personal Boundaries:
o Physical Limits
o Emotional Boundaries
***Most importantly, tell no one the truth and do not under any circumstances develop real feelings.
“Holy shit, Battenberg, this is intense.” He tore his wide eyes away from the screen and stared at me. “Wait a second, I can’t even tell Killian?”
“No!” I shrieked. “Especially not him. If he knows, he won’t be able to keep it from Lexi and then she’ll tell Cordelia. They’re besties.”
He let out a groan and dragged his hand over his face. “But Lorelei, he’s going to kill me.”
“Come on, you can’t stand up to your best friend? Just tell him how great I am in the sack. He should remember after all.”
His expression soured, lips puckering. “You had to go there, didn’t you?”
“It’s not like you and your Sigma Delts don’t pass around sorority girls like it’s your day job. What’s the big deal?”
“I don’t know. It just feels wrong lying to Killian and the other guys. We’ve been through so much together… They know how to keep secrets.” A hard line slashed across his lips. “I thought I could at least tell them.”
“That’s a hard no, Ax. We can’t tell anyone or the deal’s off.”
He heaved out a sigh. “Fine, you drive a hard bargain, Ms. Battenberg. What else?”
“Now we have to fill in the subsections.”
His eyes rolled so hard only the whites showed.
“Obviously we should be exclusive…” I added.
“Obviously.” He smirked.
“And if Cordelia does come around begging you to take her back, which she totally will, you must be a gentleman and tell her you have to break things off with me first, got it? None of this going behind my back shit.”
“Fair enough.” He scanned the screen, lingering on certain bullet points longer than others. “Dinner with your family?”
“Just one. Daddy has to believe I have a future with you.”
“Fine,” he grumbled. Once he finished scrolling down the page, he turned to me. “What if something happens, and we need out of the deal before the end of the summer?”
My lips twisted at the thought of being forced into the waiting arms of my cruel fiancé. “It has to be mutual.”
“So if Cordi wants me back in a month, I have to wait?”
I nodded. “You know how Cordelia is. Once she finds out you’re unattainable, it’ll just make you all the more attractive.”
“You’re not wrong there, blondie.” A grin tugged at his lips. “What do you think of that one?”
“Keep working on it, babe.”