The Rules According to Gracie Read Online Free PDF

about variety.” Des gestured with his fork. “You’ve been hitting the same type of guys via the same mediums and it’s not working. You need to break out of that rut.”
    She had hit a rut. Dating had begun to feel like a chore and each disastrous date was making her increasingly despondent about the whole thing. She hadn’t been kissed in a while, she hadn’t had sex in…
    Biting down on her lip, she tried to calculate the days in her head. Too damn long. She speared a piece of lamb with her fork and popped it into her mouth.
    Maybe that was why she thought about Des constantly. She was parched and he was the refreshment she craved. It was a totally natural response, her body’s way of telling her what it needed.
    So why didn’t she feel that way about anyone else?

    Watching Gracie eat was unsettlingly erotic. She savored every mouthful, pulling the fork through her lips slowly with each bite as though she wanted the moment to last forever. Des had to shift in his seat; he found everything about her so carnal he was in a constant state of arousal. It wasn’t healthy, particularly if she had a rule against that kind of thing.
    Des wasn’t a rules guy. In fact, some of the best experiences of his life had come out of breaking the rules—or ignoring them at the very least.
    “Aren’t you enjoying your meal?” She motioned to his plate with her fork. He’d barely touched the moussaka, mainly because he’d been fighting off thoughts of devouring her instead.
    “No, it’s good.” He stuffed a forkful into his mouth and she grinned. Under the table their knees touched, and his blood pulsed hotly. “Tell me, Gracie Greene, what do you look for in a man? ’Cause I’m not sure, beyond briefcases, shiny shoes, and bald patches.”
    She laughed and reached for the plastic cup that held her wine. “The bald patch wasn’t a plus.” She took a delicate sip. “I look for a guy who’s got it together, who’s successful and serious. I look for someone who’s going to be reliable and stable.”
    Des studied her. Those were all things that were far removed from who Gracie was. Not that she wasn’t successful or stable, but she appeared to be so brimming with light and passion that it baffled him that she would look for a guy who sounded so…dull.
    “It sounds like you’re shopping for insurance.”
    “And you look for a girl who’s into extreme sports and body piercing?” she drawled.
    “I don’t look for anyone, truth be told.” He speared another piece of moussaka with his plastic fork. “I’ve been off the dating scene for a long, long time.”
    “Why?”
    “Picked the wrong girl, got burned, didn’t feel the need to try it again.” And he hadn’t experienced the desire to get close to anyone…until now.
    Damn .
    He might not be looking for someone in particular but he seemed to be falling for exactly the type of girl he promised himself he’d stay away from. There was no way he’d go through the constant judgement and shame of being considered “lesser” ever again.
    Except he was sure Gracie was a different person underneath the ridiculous list-checking and rule-making behavior.
    “It happens.” She shrugged, tossing her curls over one shoulder. But her nonchalance didn’t come off as sincere. “That’s why I don’t leave things to chance, much less allow the opportunity for things to get out of hand that way.”
    “Don’t you ever want to get out of hand?” He reached over the table and grabbed her wrists. They were small and delicate between his fingers. She’d covered them with thin, gold bangles and he could feel her pulse racing. “Don’t you ever want to go crazy?”
    “I don’t do crazy.” She looked at him through long, thick lashes. How could this girl look like a luminous, free-spirited gypsy, have a light inside her like she was wild and passionate, yet be so careful and cautious? “Rule number three, don’t go crazy.”
    “That’s a terrible rule.”
    She