Rule Number Four (Rule Breakers Book 4)

by Nicky Shanks

  “No, no.” She waves me off. “I just think we need some time apart sometimes, you know? Absence makes the heart grow fonder?”

  I narrow my eyes, because I don’t believe her. “I already know you’re going out with Staci today, but is there something else I should know? Anything about Lucy?”

  Okay, man. You’re digging and she’s going to see right through you.

  Julie looks angry. “Nothing is wrong. I just want to spend a day where I don’t have to answer to you or think about what you’ll say or do.”

  Ouch.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I growl. “You act as if you don’t have freedom.”

  She quickly realizes what she’s said wrong. “I didn’t mean it like that. I love my life with you, don’t get me wrong. I just think that some time apart will be good sometimes. I didn’t get that with Brandon and I felt suffocated.”

  “Say no more, I understand.” My lips purse together and they start to hurt from the pressure I’m putting on them to keep them closed. I don’t want to say anything to fuck myself over with her again like I did when she told me she was late a few months ago. The thought of having a family—a real family—with Julie excites me. I’ve never been the kind of person who plans for the future and gets excited about what’s to come, but with Julie…everything is flipped.

  I can’t imagine life without her.

  “Oliver?” Her voice is faint and she’s worried. “Is everything okay between us?”

  I scoff. “Of course it is, baby. It just takes me longer sometimes to realize the point you’re trying to make. Your beautiful face distracts me.” I smile and wrap my arms around her. Before, she would swat me away and blush when she’d remember she was naked, but not anymore. Now she welcomes my touch and aches for more.

  I want to give her more.

  I want to do more to her, with her, and for her.

  “Do you think we can go on a date tomorrow night? Just you and me, maybe Dilaggio’s?” She licks her lips before I can devour them. I know we have to start our day and standing here, in our bedroom, naked and willing…that’s never going to happen.

  I nod. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go. We should spend a weekend in New York City sometime soon, too, before we start the bar. That will take up a lot of our time once it gets going.”

  She squeals. “I’m excited about that. I love that you wanted to name it after me, but Boomerang…that fits it perfectly. Do you have anyone else helping you?”

  I let her go so she can pull on some clothes before examining herself in the mirror. I watch her smile and gawk at her teeth and lips, no doubt picking herself apart in her mind. I come up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist and smile into her hair. “Harley and Victor are going to help me do some construction work on the place so I don’t have to have a contractor for very long. I thought you could come up with a menu for the restaurant, maybe some of the things you’ve made for me since we’ve been together? And some of your favorite dishes, too—nothing as fancy as Dilaggio’s, but somewhere around that. You and Staci can decorate both spaces if you want, the bar and the restaurant.”

  She laughs. “I’m sure she will love that. That’s more her forte than mine, though, but I’ll be glad to help wherever you need me.”

  Oh, I need you to help me with this raging hard-on poking into your back, sunshine.

  I clear my throat. “I know I can count on you, baby.”

  She smiles at me in the mirror and waves me off. “Okay, now get dressed and get your day started. You don’t have much time before you have to meet your lawyers.” Her grin is wicked as she sees my pout and growing rebuttal. “And if you don’t get dressed, I’m going to get undressed again and then both of our days will be wasted.”

  “Oh…” I spin her around and pick her up, placing her on the dresser next to us. “Trust me. The day won’t be wasted.”

  She giggles and pushes me aside, jumps down, and races to the bathroom. Before I can get to her, she’s locked the door and laughs on the other side, mentioning something about blue balls and the water in the sink starts to run. I look down at my hard dick and frown. I wonder if I could get away with just taking care of it myself without her finding out. Not that she would be disgusted, but I don’t want her thinking that she doesn’t turn me on.

  Because she surely fucking does.

  “That’s fine,” I say loudly to the closed door, “but you’re gonna get it later.”

  She shuffles around in the bathroom and laughs loudly so I can hear her. “Promises, promises.”

  Okay, you win. You’re cute as hell and you’ve won me over.

  After I find some basketball shorts hidden away in my suitcase, I pull them on and rush through various sets of push-ups, crunches, and planks until I can’t take it anymore and collapse onto the floor in a sweaty mess. I packed some of our things to bring over to the new house, but there isn’t much here and I didn’t bring a suit, so I opt for a pair of jeans and a black sweater. I know I need to shower, though, and she’s still locked away inside the bathroom.

  I knock on the door. “I need to shower, Julie.”

  She waits a few seconds before answering. “You just woke up, you haven’t done anything to even sweat. Why do you need to shower? You shower more than three people do.”

  I snort. “I just worked out, I’m sweaty.”

  She groans and opens the shower door and her small feet pad toward the door. When she opens it, her smile widens as they fix on my flushed cheeks.

  She’s wet.

  …and naked

  She’s wet and naked.

  I almost reach out to grab her but restrain myself at the last minute. “Can I shower with you?”

  She shakes her head. “I’m already done and I have to meet Staci. I’m sure you can manage to shower by yourself. You need to take care of that, after all.” Her small fingers point down to my dick and she has a hard time wiping the smirk off her face. “I’m sure you don’t want to walk into a business meeting with an erection.”

  I growl. “That’s what you do to me, Julie.”

  She shrugs. “I was in the shower, how did I do that?”

  “I was thinking about you.”

  She makes a small noise and steps out of the now-open bathroom door. As she saunters toward the bed, I notice that the towel she grabbed is only covering her front and her bare, wet ass is staring me straight in the face. Her sexy eyes glance back at me to make sure I’m watching, and she smiles when it’s clear that my gaze is fixed on her ass.

  Oh, I’m fucking watching, all right.

  “Like what you see?” She laughs. “I could show you more and it could be our little secret.”

  The air I’m holding in my lungs starts to hurt my insides, so I quickly blow it out and take a step backward into the open bathroom doorway. I know that if I don’t keep myself from wrapping her legs around me, I’ll never make it to that meeting.

  I fake a chuckle. “I get it. That’s what I said to you our first night at the cabin when we met.”

  She giggles and wraps the towel fully around her so I’ll retreat into the bathroom and leave her alone. I’m not sure how, but I manage to close the door and step into the shower to wait for the water to get warm enough to relieve myself in.

  I think about her round, thick curves and how they meet her ass with perfection.

  I think about the way her lips suction with mine and it sends shocks down my spine.

  I think about her long, sunshine-colored hair and her strawberry shampoo.

  She’s taking over every single thought I have and it’s like I can’t focus on anything else. She doesn’t have to be naked for me to want her; I’ll always want her no matter what she looks like.

  She was made for me.

  My mind races back to her again like it’s never felt more at home.

  Her finger skims the rim of a silver mixing bowl and she licks batter from her finger.

  She looks up at me with wide, br
ight blue eyes after she’s been reading for a long time.

  Her innocence is in everything I see, everything I touch.

  Lucy.

  Fuck.

  Then there’s Lucy.

  I have to play by the rules on this one.

  I have to remember that Lucy isn’t out to get me and she doesn’t want Julie to know.

  But Casey does.

  I’ll kill him if he tells her.

  Chapter Ten

  Casey

  I exhale everything I’m saving in my lungs. I want to have fresh air flowing through me when I bring Oliver’s world to a screeching halt. Lucy told me everything and I have so much leverage over him now, his life is going to become mine without anyone even knowing.

  Their voices waft through the closed door and flashes of what happened last time I was at this house buzz through my skull. I let her down here; I couldn’t save her no matter how hard I tried. I punished myself for days after that, wishing that I did more or trying to think of what I could’ve done better so they wouldn’t have taken her.

  Oliver would’ve saved her.

  My eyes narrow at the light pouring from the top of the door. Julie is in there and he’s touching her; the anger rises in my throat as I ring the doorbell before I can stop myself. I know I’m stupid for even thinking I have some sort of claim over her, but she never gave me a chance to show her the man I can be. Well, the good parts of me, that is.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” he snarls. “You’re out of your damn mind if you think I’m letting you get near her.”

  I frown. Oliver has no intentions of letting me pass and he puts his arms across my chest to stop me from just coming inside on my own accord. Julie comes into the room and her fear scratches my flesh so much that it burns.

  “Just listen to me, man,” I say. “I have something I need to tell you.”

  “Nothing you have to say is anything we want to fucking hear.” Oliver snarls and takes a step forward. “I guess I wasn’t clear enough the last time. Get the hell out of here and don’t come back. We don’t want to see your face or listen to anything you have to say.”

  He starts to shut the door in my face, but my arm jolts out from the side of my body and obstructs him from being able to shut me out. He swings the door open and steps outside, making me take a few steps backward. My eyes find Julie’s—who hasn’t said anything since Oliver answered the door—and she waits a few long seconds before averting her gaze to Oliver.

  “I know something he’s not telling you,” I say to her. “Julie, let me in.”

  Her body shivers. “No, Oliver’s right. You should leave.”

  “You know nothing, now leave,” Oliver snaps. “Get the fuck out of here.”

  I don’t know what else to say for him to let me inside.

  “I know about Lucy.” My voice turns dark. “I know all about Lucy.”

  He scoffs. “I’m sure you do.”

  “No.” I look directly into his eyes. “I know.”

  The tone in Oliver’s voice changes. “You want to talk? We can talk. Let’s do it outside.”

  “I’d like to talk in there, please.” I smile and I know I’ve won the battle. “Julie should hear this, too.”

  Oliver slams his hand on the doorframe and the steam from his hatred sizzles in the air. “You and I will go outside and talk and that’s fucking final. You’re not getting within ten feet of her, you understand me?”

  I decide not to press my luck and I let him shut me out from Julie once again. His body revs like an engine that’s ready to roar. “What the hell do you think you know about me?” He crosses his arms over his chest—no doubt so he won’t haul off and punch me in the face. “I’m curious to see what you think you know.”

  I try to swallow the lump in my throat. “You’re not winning this one, asshole. Lucy told me all about you taking her home from The Tavern and what you two did.”

  “I don’t know what she told you, but she’s a fucking liar. I didn’t take her home with me and I didn’t even know her before you introduced us.”

  The tone of his voice even makes me believe him for a second. I know him better than this, though. I know how hard he worked to be someone else at the drop of a hat and now he’s perfected living a lie of a life. He painted himself a good person from the very moment he could.

  “What exactly do you think I’m lying about now?” he snarls. It’s like he read my mind and he’s trying to snake his way out of this one like I’m going crazy.

  “You took her home and slept with her. You cheated on Julie when she was worried about being pregnant or not. Once she finds out, she’ll hate you and be rid of you for good.”

  He throws his hands into the air. “Are you forgetting that we’re together because of you? You and Nora, to be exact? I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you but Casey, you have to leave this delusion alone. It’s eating you alive.”

  “I’ll get her alone and I’ll tell her. I don’t know when, but I will,” I call after him as he walks back into the house and turns the light off on me. I stick around for a few silent minutes and try to hear their conversation inside, but I give up after I realize I didn’t win after all.

  I lost again.

  I scream into the air and rush back to my car. The cold air whips through the inside of the car as I speed away and roll the windows down. I need the whip of the icy wind to bring me back to life. Every time I try and go up against Oliver, I lose. He hardly even tries—that’s what pisses me off so badly.

  I want what he has.

  I want it all.

  At the end of the road, I slam on my brakes after nearly hitting someone crossing the street. Their tattered clothes and pale, cold skin reminds me of someone who I’d rather forget. Her electric green eyes stare at me through her limp hair, and even on the dimly lit street, her wretched snarl makes me uneasy in my own skin.

  Veronica.

  I roll down my window and hiss, “What are you doing out? Don’t make me call Oliver and warn him, or better yet…the police.”

  She shrugs her bony shoulders. “He knows I’m coming. He invited me.”

  A sour burning in my stomach bubbles and makes me nauseous. “Oh, he did…did he? And the fact that you just fucking kidnapped the love of his life escaped his decision-making? What a fucking idiot! He has no regard for her safety and puts her in danger every chance he gets! I’m tired of him making stupid plays with her life!”

  I can feel her disappointment from a distance. “You’ll never compare to your brother. Oliver may hate me just as much as you do, but there’s something off about you, kid. You’re turning out just like me, no matter how much you don’t want to admit it.”

  I scoff. “I’m not a drug-fueled pathetic waste of life.”

  She shrugs and adjusts the small bags over her shoulder. “There are many ways you can take after me besides that. You think you’re owed something when you’re not. Or maybe the fact that you let jealousy overpower you and take your freedom?”

  I growl and hit the gas pedal, peeling the tires out in the street and leaving her behind. She’s wrong; I’m nothing like her. A quick drive around Rockford and it hits me that I don’t really even know her to believe that isn’t true. I know I want answers from her and I’ve probably lost my only chance to know anything about her…or who my father truly is.

  I need to distract myself.

  “Hey, you.” Lucy picks up the phone and coos. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were addicted to my wicked ways now.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself.” I snicker and pull into my apartment complex parking lot. “I’m just looking for some fun.”

  “I told you when we first met that I’m not a whore.”

  I snort. “Since when does casual sex make you a whore?”

  She thinks for a few moments in silence. I hardly care if I offend her—since I don’t even think about her when we’re together, anyway—but she’s my ticket to easy sex without any strin
gs attached. Lucy knows she wants to come over; she’s just scared of what people will think if they find out.

  “If people ask, you can say we’re dating,” I assure her. “I know you care about what people think for some fucking reason.”

  She scoffs. “Uh, I care if people see me as loose, thanks.”

  “It’s literally 2018, Lucy. It’s not like casual sex was born yesterday—it’s more common in our youth than it was twenty years ago. Not to mention you shouldn’t fucking care what other people think.”

  “Like you don’t care what Julie thinks?”

  Shit.

  My throat tightens.

  “I know you’re in love with her.”

  All the air in my lungs evaporates and I’m left gasping for air. “I’m not in love—”

  “You are.”

  “You don’t know what you’re fucking talking about.”

  “I don’t?”

  I shake my head and open the car door, taking in as much fresh air as I can handle. “I don’t know what to tell you. I’m not in love with Julie.”

  “So, you’d be okay with never seeing her again?”

  My fist slams against the dashboard in the car. “What is this? Have you already talked to Oliver?”

  “No, why? Should I?”

  I want to hang up on her, but I still want to unwrap her body in my bed. “Just…come over. I’ll give you what you want if you give me what I want.”

  She makes an agreeing noise. “Oh, answers for sex, huh?”

  I chuckle. “It’s a fair offer.”

  Lucy isn’t one to shy away from a challenge, and she’s not going to run away from an opportunity that we both clearly know that she wants. After agreeing to meeting me in an hour, I’m in no rush to get upstairs to my apartment. I don’t give a shit if I smell good or if my hair is clean; I’m going to fuck her, let her ask a few questions, and then make her leave.

  Mac, on the other hand, has another plan for me.

  My phone buzzes in my pocket and I don’t recognize the number. I answer it because it could be Julie…I want it to be her so damn bad. “Hey, you little jerk,” Mac snarls as I get the key into the apartment door. “I think it’s about time we talk, don’t you?”