Page 5 of Unwritten Rules (The Sunburnt Hearts #1)
Chapter Two
TATUM
“ W here are you taking me?”
“Are you going to murder me?”
“What?” Sinnett snaps his head to me, ocean eyes roaming my face before glancing back at the deserted road. “No, I’m not going to murder you. If you thought I would, you wouldn’t have gotten in the car with me.”
I swallow and nod. “Yeah, no, you’re right.”
“Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi filters through the speakers, his deep voice consuming the small space in the car.
I take the distraction as my chance to zip my lips and throw away the key because why can’t I stop talking ?
Since we’ve been in the car—which is all of two minutes—I’ve asked Sinnett what his favourite colour is, go-to pub food order and if he would prefer to get eaten by a shark or stomped on by an elephant.
And let’s just say he wasn’t too keen on answering the ‘would you rather’ question.
I need to shut the hell up .
Sinnett exhales and runs his hand through his messy hair. “I know a quiet place we can go.”
Now I’m nearly breaking my neck to look at him. “What? Why? We can just go back to my place.”
“I don’t do sleepovers,” he mutters and turns the car onto the road that leads to the park on the edge of town. “And I certainly can’t take you to where I’m staying.”
The further we drive from the town centre, the harder my heart beats in my chest. I feel every thump at the base of my throat, getting louder and louder as the lights of Barrenridge disappear behind us.
Ridge Park is the local hangout spot for teenagers.
It’s far enough away from the watchful eye of the townspeople that it allows the kids to let loose and have fun without fear of getting in trouble.
Noah, Nathan and I would come out here every day after school to hang out and watch some of the guys from our year group ride their scooters and skateboards on the outdoor skate park.
The popular girls would sit in the grass nearby, making flower crowns and giggling while watching the guys.
It was almost like a daily routine by the time we graduated from high school. And now that same routine has been passed on to the new generation of kids going through school.
To take my mind off what I have agreed to do with this stranger, I do the one thing I know will distract me: talk and ask questions.
Because obviously I haven’t done enough of that since being in the car with Sinnett.
At this point, I can’t help myself. He makes me nervous, but not in a bad way.
More like a why is this man here with me when he could have any woman he wants kind of way.
Twirling a lock of strawberry-blonde hair around my forefinger, I ask, “How old are you?”
Sinnett glances over at me, brows pinched into a frown. “Twenty-four.”
My eyes widen in surprise. “Me too! Well, almost… Woah, we’re twins.”
“Well, I already have one of those,” Sinnett answers gruffly.
I blink at his side profile. “You’re a twin ? What the hell, that’s so cool.”
“Twin sister,” he corrects, eyes focused on the road ahead. “And I don’t know if I would categorise it as cool .”
“Well, it’s cool to me,” I retort and shift in my seat. “What’s your favourite type of music?”
“Rock.”
“Do you read books?”
“Not really.”
“Do you have a favourite TV show or movie?”
“My guilty pleasure is The Office and I fall asleep to Fast Five most nights.”
“Red liquorice or black?”
“I don’t eat lollies.”
“Favourite chocolate?”
“Cadbury is the only correct answer.”
“And do you watch any sports?”
Sinnett’s head snaps in my direction, his eyes swiftly roaming my face before looking ahead. “Yeah, rugby league.”
“Of course,” I mutter with a soft chuckle. Given Sinnett’s athletic appearance, it doesn’t surprise me that he watches the footy. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him which team he supports when he parks the car and turns in his seat.
“Do you ever stop talking?”
I blink, taken aback. “Um, yeah… when I’m sleeping, of course.”
“Good,” he murmurs and reaches between him and the driver’s door. The chair slides all the way back, allowing him to stretch out his long legs. “Get on my lap.”
My heart thunders as I look between Sinnett and his empty lap. “I-I don’t?—”
“Did I stutter, strawberry? Be a good girl and crawl onto my lap.”
Oh, my God .
What have I gotten myself into?
Sinnett holds my gaze as I unclip my seat belt and awkwardly climb over the centre console.
Strong hands find my waist, guiding me onto a hard lap.
An even harder presence pokes into my ass, blurring my vision.
I stare down at Sinnett, my hands resting on his shoulders for support.
He hisses out a breath when I settle my full weight on his thighs.
The side of the console and door dig painfully into my knees.
With this being a smaller car, we’re not left with much room to move.
“Are you okay?” I ask, taking note of the flash of pain that crosses his sharp features. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”
He shakes his head. Messy strands of inky hair fall over his stunning eyes. “I’m fine.”
Sinnett slides his hands over the curve of my ass in a circular motion before his fingers dig into my hips, holding me in place.
Between his dick poking my ass, the warmth of his hand seeping through the material of the thin dress and his eyes looking at me like I’m good enough to eat, I’m having a hard time finding my breath.
What the hell am I doing?
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asks, voice surprisingly gentle. Can this man read my mind? “You can back out now and I’ll drop you home. The choice is yours.”
Warmth simmers beneath my skin as I tear my eyes from his and glance through the window.
It’s pitch black outside with not a soul in sight.
We’re completely alone. Being in an empty park with a stranger I met not even an hour ago is enough of a warning for my brain to throw a red flag up and demand we get out of here.
But the alcohol in my system pushes those concerns away, instead filling me with a confidence I didn’t know I possessed.
I have never hooked up with a guy like this before.
The last time I slept with a man was my ex-boyfriend, Jayden.
We started dating not long into my first year at university, after meeting at a club in Sydney CBD.
I was studying to be a physiotherapist and he had dreams of being an architect, wanting to design the best building Sydney had ever seen.
Jayden was persistent when it came to taking me out on dates and getting to know me.
I liked that he was confident, smart and good-looking—it fuelled the attraction I felt for him.
Being with Jayden was easy. He took me out to dinner once a week, we studied together late into the evening and sometimes on the weekends we would catch a movie.
Life with him was simple. Three years flew by, and before I knew it, I was twenty-one and ready to return to Barrenridge.
Mum got me a job lined up at Happy Limbs, and I was content with starting my career in my hometown.
But that’s not what Jayden wanted. Sydney was the only city he had ever lived in, so he had no plans of leaving, not when there was an abundance of work for him there.
Our relationship came to a screeching halt. I wanted to leave, and he didn’t. Long distance was an option, but with our ambitions pulling us in different directions, it would only delay the inevitable.
The breakup was a mutual decision, and while I had been a sobbing mess in my mum’s arms when I returned home, I soon realised it was for the best. We just weren’t meant to be.
Nearly two years on, I’ve been on my own, working and spending time with my friends when I can.
Putting myself out there and dating again is so far down on my list of priorities that it’s no longer visible.
But being here with Sinnett has restored a hunger I haven’t felt in a long time—the desire to be touched and taken to heights the deepest part of me craves.
If I leave now, I may regret that decision and be left wondering what could’ve happened if I had stayed.
The fire burning in Sinnett’s eyes matches the wildfire raging in my core. My hips grind against his without my permission, deciding for me.
Sinnett grins, his hands on my waist tightening. “Good choice, strawberry.”
His hands drop from my waist to my thighs, travelling up the length of them to toy with the hem of my tight black dress. A burst of nerves tears through me, and without thinking, I grab Sinnett’s face between my hands and press my lips against his.
For a brief second, he doesn’t move. I inwardly groan. God, I’ve messed this up already and we’ve barely started. Idiot, idiot, idiot .
I pull away slightly, but Sinnett’s hand finds the back of my head, fingers tangling in the long strawberry-blonde strands. He brings my lips back to his and takes the lead, moving against me effortlessly. Electricity thrums in my veins as I hold his face, kissing him like my life depends on it.
His tongue swipes across my bottom lip, demanding access. I greedily give it to him, my hips grinding against his. A deep growl echoes in his throat, making me dizzy with lust. Sinnett’s free hand moves from my waist to rest on the curve of my ass and guides my hips forward to meet his.
At the age of twenty-three, I never thought I would be grinding against a man in his car in an empty park. It’s like ticking off a bucket list item most people experience in high school. I’ve always been more of a late bloomer in the intimacy department.
The hem of my dress rides up my thighs, settling just below my ass. Sinnett uses his hand in my hair to deepen the kiss, and I take this as my chance to roam my hands over his chest. Even through the thick material, the muscles are prominent. Oh my .