Her Dad's Best Friend

Unwritten Rules

The sunlight streaming through the windows felt like an accusation. I sat on the edge of my bed, my fingers tracing the hem of the sheet, while Jordan stood by the door, arms crossed, his face tight. Neither of us had said much since last night. Hell, neither of us had said much since he walked into my room just moments ago, trying to avoid looking at me but failing miserably.

"Hailey," he started, his voice rough like gravel. "We need to talk."

I leaned back against the headboard, biting back a smirk. The tension in the room was palpable, but I wasn't about to make this easy for him. I knew why he was here. I knew the game we were playing, even if he didn't want to admit it."Talk?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow. "You came all the way over here to 'talk'? Now that's new."

His jaw clenched. "This is serious. What happened last night—it can't happen again."

I let out a soft laugh, barely loud enough for him to hear. "Can't or won't?"He shot me a look, one that should've made me feel guilty. But instead, it only fueled my fire. He was the one who had lost control last night. He was the one who crossed the line, and now he was scrambling to draw it back."Hailey, I mean it," he said, his tone sharper now. "This—whatever this is between us—it stops here."I swung my legs over the side of the bed, standing up slowly, deliberately. His eyes followed my movements, betraying him even as he tried to act like he was in control."You think you can just call the shots, don't you?" I asked, walking toward him, stopping just close enough to feel the heat between us. "Like last night didn't happen. Like you didn't want it just as much as I did."

His eyes flickered, and I could see the cracks forming in his resolve. "That's not the point."

I tilted my head, biting back a grin. "Oh, I think it's exactly the point."He let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through his hair. "Hailey, your dad—"I cut him off, rolling my eyes. "Oh, please. Stop using my dad as an excuse. You weren't thinking about him when you kissed me, when you—""That's enough." His voice was hard, but I could hear the edge of desperation. He was losing control, and we both knew it.

I crossed my arms, leaning back slightly, my eyes never leaving his. "So, what's the plan then, Jordan? You going to act like last night was a mistake? Pretend like you don't want me?"

He took a step forward, closing the distance between us, his face inches from mine. "You have no idea what you're doing."I grinned, my voice low and teasing. "Oh, I think I do. You're the one who doesn't know what to do with yourself."His hands curled into fists at his sides, and I could see the battle raging in his eyes. He was fighting it, trying to stick to whatever rules he'd set in his head, but I wasn't making it easy. I wasn't going to."Listen," he said finally, his voice tight. "This is the last time. I'm serious, Hailey. No more sneaking around, no more... club. I'm not going back there."I arched an eyebrow, my smile playful. "What, embarrassed because you enjoyed it? Because you couldn't resist?" I leaned in, whispering close to his ear, "Don't worry, Jordan. Your secret's safe with me."

He groaned, his hand coming up to grab my arm, gently but firmly. "This isn't a joke, Hailey. You think I don't care about you? You think I want this to keep going like it has?"

I pulled back, looking him dead in the eye. "Maybe you do. Maybe you can't help yourself. I mean, I *did* see the way you looked at me last night."His grip tightened, and I could feel the tension radiating off him. "This is the last time," he repeated, but there was less certainty in his voice now. "We can't keep doing this."

I smirked, stepping closer until our bodies were almost touching. "Last time, huh?" My voice was soft, teasing, like I was daring him to prove me wrong. "You sure about that?"

His breath hitched, and I knew I had him. His hands moved up to my waist, pulling me against him before he could stop himself. His lips were on mine, hard, hungry, desperate. I kissed him back, matching his intensity, my fingers tangling in his hair as I pushed him against the wall."This isn't... supposed to..." He muttered between kisses, but the words were lost in the heat of the moment. His body told me everything I needed to know—he wasn't done. Not by a long shot.

I pulled back slightly, my lips brushing his ear as I whispered, "Last time, right?"

He cursed under his breath, his hands roaming my body like he couldn't get enough. "This... this is the last time," he growled, but there was no conviction left.

I grinned, running my fingers down his chest, feeling his heart pounding beneath my touch. 

"Sure, Jordan. The last time."

But we both knew that was a lie.