Playing to Win (The Players #3)

by Monica Murphy

Okay, specifically I’m eyeing Ace’s happy trail and it’s making me feel very, um… Happy.

Here’s the thing when it comes to Ruby. I like her. A lot. I can’t stop thinking about her. I’m dying to spend more time with her. How do I convince Ruby I’m not such a bad guy?

I have a legit fan club for God’s sake, and while I love that those girls love me, they’re not anyone I can take seriously. Sometimes, I wonder if anyone can take me seriously.

Ruby Red is pretty damn cute in those glasses, though I bet if I told her that, she’d roll her eyes and blow me off. She’s good at that. Blowing me off. Too bad she won’t give me a shot and just blow me…

“Only cute, huh?” I’m only mildly offended. “I was hoping for manly. Sexy at the very least.” She grabs her textbook and slams it shut. “You’re too sexy for your own good.”

I hate to admit this, but I want to get outside and watch Ace in action. I haven’t seen him since he stopped to talk to me when I was sitting at the picnic table struggling to take notes on the most boring chapter I’ve ever read for my ancient history class, and I… Miss him. No. I don’t miss him. That’s just weird. How can I miss someone who irritates me every time I talk to him? Hell, I look at him and I’m irritated. I definitely don’t miss him, but I do miss his…smart mouth and charming smile. God, if he ever knew I thought that, he would be so smug.

“What’s up, future MILF?” His light blue eyes are twinkling as he stands directly in front of me but I choose to ignore him.

“We should catch up.” “Catch up about what?” I ask warily. “Anything. Everything. I like talking to you, Red.” He reaches out, his fingers curling around my chin, tilting my face up. “I like looking at you too. Whatcha think? Tonight, say around nine?” What in the world is going on? Am I dreaming?

He presses his thumb to the corner of my mouth, his gaze hot as it lingers on my lips. I wish he wouldn’t stare at them. Fine, I like it when he looks at me. But this is nothing! It means nothing.

“Can I confess something?” he murmurs. “Okay,” I say, suddenly breathless. “Can’t stop thinking about you since our last encounter, Red. I missed having you on the sidelines.”

Ace nods, his gaze locked on my mouth. As if he’s thinking of the many things he can stuff in it. Or maybe that’s me having those filthy thoughts.

“Just say yes, Ruby Red. You’ll make my day. Oh, and stick around, will you? Pretty sure I’ll have a better practice today thanks to you.”

I am an anxious motherfucker. A bundle of nerves. A finger-tapping, knee-bouncing asshole who’s earning dirty looks from everyone who’s sitting with me every time my knee hits the underside of the table.

“Calm your tits, bro.”

Fuck. She’s ditching me.

If she doesn’t show up tonight, this is it. I’m leaving her alone. I don’t need some girl stringing me along. Even if she’s hot. Even if her skin is kitten soft and her greenish-hazel eyes were eating me up earlier. Even if she’s the reason I play that much better whenever she’s close by.

For Ruby? All I want to do is impress her.

Tonight though? I’m not interested in a single one of them.

I like that about Ruby. Her funny T-shirts. Hell, I like a lot of things about Ruby. Yet I don’t think she likes me much.

Feels like lately I’m always thinking of Ruby, which is fucking annoying, especially when she doesn’t think of me.

The server reappears with our orders and I take both of my beers, placing them as far away from Derek’s grabby hands as I can get them. I notice the empty spot beside me, wishing a cute ass was filling it, and when I glance up, I shake my head, positive that I’m hallucinating. I blink. Close my eyes for a second. Two seconds. Crack them open. Oh shit. Now she’s even closer. Ruby. Fucking. Maguire.

She’s got on black shorts that are too damn short and show way too much skin and there are white Nike Air Force sneakers on her feet. She’s wearing another one of her T-shirts. This one is pale pink with black lettering in all caps that says: DUMP HIM. Straight across her perfect tits. I scrub a hand over my face, waiting for her to evaporate, but she’s still there. Approachin...

“Hey, guys.” She stops right in front of our table, offering us a little wave. As casual as she pleases, not singling me out but acting like she’s come to speak to all of us. “How are you?” “Ruby, what’s up?” Derek nudges me in the side with his elbow, making me grunt. That fucking hurt. “You should join us. Lov...

“Come on, Ruby Red. Just sit down and let me stare at you for a minute.” She pauses, her eyes wide and I realize what I just said. Feels like I gave something away. Like my feelings. Fuck.

Eventually she does as I request, sliding onto the booth seat, her knee knocking into mine when she settles in close. I can smell her perfume, the bare skin of her thigh pressing against mine and I remind myself that I can’t touch her. All I wanna do is touch her. It feels like a switch flipped on inside me and it pounds out her name with an incessant drum. Ru-by. Ru-by. Ru-by.

“I thought you were going to be a no-show,” I tell her, my head bent so I can speak directly into her ear. “Better late than never?” She gazes up at me, her eyes wide and I dip my head closer, my lips practically brushing her ear. “Worth the wait,” I whisper, wishing I could bite her lobe. Trace the length of her neck with my fingers.

“You’re definitely drunk.” “Not quite. Getting there,” I say agreeably. “It’s your fault.” “Oh yeah? How?” “I had nothing else to do but drink while I waited for you.” “Aw, poor Ace. Waiting for a woman for once? You weren’t flirting with your fan club to distract you?” She’s teasing, her lips curved into this sexy little smile I want to kiss off.

No. What the hell am I thinking? There’s no kissing this girl. That will only lead to trouble. I need to just—fuck her hard once. From behind? Yeah, that sounds perfect. Tugging on her silky hair and making her moan with every thrust… That should get her out of my system once and for all.

“Haven’t seen the fan club around tonight. Don’t really care either.” I stare at her lips, wondering what she’d do if I just leaned in and kissed her. Jesus, I need to get it together. Why am I so fixated on her mouth? “What?” She sounds and appears genuinely shocked. “But you’re all about your fan club.” “Not lately,” Derek says from somewhere over my shoulder. The asshole has been creeping in on our conversation...

I find Ruby sitting a little closer, her hand resting on my thigh.

“He’s an asshole,” I mutter. “I know he’s just joking.” She pats my leg like she’s my grandma and when she starts to remove her hand, I drop mine on top of hers, keeping her hand pinned there. “Maybe he’s not joking.” My tone comes out way more serious than I intended and I swallow hard, hating myself. No more beer for me.

“Ace.” She tilts her head to the side, her ponytail swinging and I reach out with my other hand, slipping my fingers into the silky strands. “You know you don’t do serious.” “You’re right.” I nod. “I don’t.” “Meaning this is nothing.” She waves her hand between us.

“Tell me what constitutes a date then,” I challenge, sounding like a dickhead. Because I am a dickhead. “Well, first, if you were asking me on a date, you’d offer to come pick me up.” Uh huh. “And when you’d pick me up, you’d take me to dinner or a movie, or some sort of form of entertainment that’ll keep us occupied for a few hours,” she continues. Sounds fucking boring as shit. “Keep going.” “And then you’d take me back home and—” “Kiss you at the front door, convince you to go inside and end up in your bedroom and fuck you until you were screaming my name?” I suggest helpfully. Her cheeks go bright red. “Absolutely not.” “What? Why not?” “I don’t fuck on the first date.” She manages to make the sentence sound prim but come on.

“I’ve never really dated anyone before.” Her brows shoot up. “Seriously? Not even in high school?” “I never really had to.” I shrug. “Girls just…wanted to hang out with me, but we never actually dated.”

“No surprise,” she murmurs. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I’m vaguely insulted. “It means nothing.” She shrugs. “I guess when you’re—you, you don’t have to work hard to find a random girl and hang out with her for the night.”

“That’s not what I’m looking for.” I’m not? “And I don’t give a damn about random girls,” I say vehe...

Shit, where is this coming from? I blame it on Ruby. She makes me feel…I can’t even explain it. I just know one thing. I want her. I want to spend more time with her. I want to kiss her and talk to her and get to know her better. I want to strip off her clothes and fuck her nice and slow. Then fuck her hard and fast. Make her come. Make her shout my name. Stuff her mouth full of my...

“I don’t really know you either,” Ruby points out. “You know me better than any other woman does.” I curl a few strands of her silky blonde hair around my finger and gently ...

“Are you just starved for conversation, Ace?” “I’m starved for a lot of things.” I let go of her hair and give in to a sudden urge, tracing the side of her neck with my fingertips, curling them around the front of her throat so I can lightly hold her there, pressing beneath her chin and tipping her head up so our gazes meet. Her breath catches, her lips parting and a shuddery exhale leaves her.

Ruby tries to glance down at herself, but she can’t thanks to the way my hand is currently wrapped around her neck. Not in a threatening way. But damn, I like the way my fingers look, curled around her throat. It’s fucking sexy. She’s sexy.

I have a feeling we’d be so damn good together. Like we have the potential to burn down the world, if she’d just let me show her.

He’d looked so down and out when I first spotted him sitting at the table. The moment he noticed me, though, his eyes lit up. His entire face brightened and I knew then. He was sad because I hadn’t shown up yet.

And while I shouldn’t look too much into it, this guy was most definitely just feeling low because he thought I was going to reject him. I’d bet big money women don’t reject him. I mean… Look at him. What rational woman would reject him?

Tonight, he’s edgier. A lot more intense. And all of that intensity is currently focused on me. I don’t know how to handle it. Handle him.

I might be a complete deviant, but I loved the way Ace grabbed my face without asking. My neck. Like he wants to claim me. As if he might already own me. I wanted to melt, it felt so good.

“Do you ever do that hand thing when you’re…having sex?”

He frowns, his brows drawing together in confusion. “What hand thing?” “Like how you put your hand around my face and around my…neck.”

His gaze locks with mine, his expression serious. “You like that sort of thing?” I nod, breathless. No longer able to speak.

“I don’t really remember doing that to a woman before. Sexually.” He’s frowning, seemingly lost in thought. “Like I don’t think ever.” “You did it earlier. To me.” His frown deepens. “At practice. You touched my face. Curled your fingers around my chin and tipped my face up.” “Oh yeah?” He lifts his brows. “Uh huh.”

“Like this?” He reaches for me, holding my chin with his index finger and thumb, tilting my face up. His finger streaks slowly across my skin, like he’s savoring touching me, and I want to die, it feels so good.