Playing to Win (The Players #3)

by Monica Murphy

“Sometimes a woman just needs to be—reassured.” “I don’t reassure you enough?” I frown. “Our situation isn’t very reassuring.”

“I hate having to keep everything a secret. I just want everyone to know we’re together.”

“Can you answer one more question for me?” she murmurs against my lips. “What is it?” “What are you hoping to win?” she asks, her tone cautious.

“I’ve already told you this before, Ruby. I’m in it to win you.” Which is the truth. I’m fucking obsessed with this woman. She’s all I think about. All I want.

“You really want to be with me?” Her voice is so soft, I almost don’t hear her. “Are you serious?” I pull away, so I can stare into her eyes. “It’s only been you since school started. You’re all I think about. You’re the only one I want.”

“You’re the only one I want too.”

I crush her lips with mine, cupping her face, communicating without words that she’s it for me. I don’t know when this happened. When I realized that I’m halfway in love with this woman, but here I am. A complete goner for Ruby Maguire. Wait, there’s no halfway in love with her. I am in love with her. How do I tell her? How do we make this work without her having to give something up? Life is really fucking unfair sometimes, I swear.

Acey Baby: Miss you. Good luck today.

Me: Shouldn’t I be the one wishing you luck today?

“Go ahead and tell them what you did last night, Knox.” “I asked Joanna to marry me,” my brother announces.

Acey Baby: We’ve got this game in the bag, just like you do. You’re going to do great. Me: So are you.

Acey Baby: It’ll be nice to have you on the field with me. Me: You have to ignore me. Pretend I don’t exist. Acey Baby: Impossible. You’re all I see.

Me: See you soon. Acey Baby: Can’t wait Red.

Our team jogs out onto the field accompanied by the roaring crowd and my gaze finds Ace. And his finds me too, like we’re two magnets drawn to each other and the slow, easy smile that spreads across his face has butterflies dancing in my stomach.

He’s so freaking handsome. And strong and capable and confident. Women scream for him throughout the game. Make signs with some pretty inappropriate stuff written on them. I know this sort of thing goes on all the time and I should be completely immune to it, but when it comes to the guy I’m dating in secret? It’s annoying. I want to tell them all to back off. That Ace Townsend is mine. But I can’t do any of that.

“Hey, Red.” I turn at the familiar drawl to see Ace standing there, a little distance between him and his teammates, his focus one hundred percent on me.

“Looking good out here.” His gaze slowly scans me from head to toe. “I like having you close.”

“Whatcha doing later tonight?” I shrug. “Hanging out with my parents. They want to go to dinner.” He nods slowly. “That sounds nice.”

“Do you have plans after the game?” “Not sure. The usual? Logan’s and whatever.”

“You want to come with us?” Oh, this is dangerous, but we could write it off to my dad wanting to meet him. Dad always enjoyed meeting Knox’s teammates so that tracks.

Ace’s eyes light up. “You wouldn’t mind? People wouldn’t…say anything? About us together?” I slowly shake my head. “We’ll go somewhere far away from campus. Not like anyone is going to catch us.” “You don’t mind if I go?” “Why would I mind? I want you to meet my parents.” “I want to meet them. And not because your dad is who he is. I want to get to know them because well…you know.” He smiles. I smile too.

A whistle blows, and without warning, Ace slaps my ass before he jogs out onto the field, leaving me standing there in shock. What was that? God, hope no one noticed.

“You two are friends then?” Ruby and her mom go silent, exchanging secret looks. This is my cue to step it up and say what Ruby really is to me. “I like your daughter a lot, sir.” “As friends?” Owen asks again, his brows shooting up. “Well, yeah. I like her as a friend, but it’s—more than that.”

“We’re together, Daddy.” Ruby scoots closer to me, curling her arm through mine. “It’s just—complicated.” “How so?” “No one can know we’re together until the season is over,” Ruby says. “And why the hell is it like that?”

“Is this some kind of weird superstitious thing you’ve got going on? Because if that’s the case, you need to know I’m about...

“How do you feel about this?” “I hate it,” I say truthfully. “All the sneaking around. Not being able to tell everyone Ruby is mi—my, uh, girlfriend.”

Though it’s more than that with Ruby and me. It goes beyond sex. I like her. I enjoy her company. I want to know about her. I want to know everything about her.

I can imagine her in a pretty dress, standing at the altar near Joanna. Or even better, her wearing a wedding gown, walking down the aisle on her father’s arm. Headed straight for me. Sitting up straighter, I swallow hard, shaking the image from my brain. What the fuck? Marriage? Now that’s pretty fucking serious. We’re only twenty-one. I’m not ready for marriage yet. But the idea of spending forever with Ruby? That sounds… Perfect.

I love him.

“A girl could get used to this kind of treatment.”

“Coming home to find her boyfriend surrounded by candles and waiting for her naked in bed.” “I was feeling romantic.” “Here’s the thing—lately you’re always feeling romantic, Ace.” I tip my head back and smile up at him. “That’s my favorite quality about you.”

“Did you really mean it when you called me your girlfriend?” I ask, suddenly filled with the need to know.

“What do you think?” “I need to hear you say it,” I whisper, feeling the tiniest bit insecure.

“Ruby Maguire, I want you to be my girlfriend,” he murmurs, leaning in to kiss me again. His lips are so soft and warm. They hold the power to revive me. Make me feel lighter. Make me feel whole. Make me feel loved.

“I want to be your girlfriend,”

“I hate hiding what we’re doing.” His tone is fierce and his blue eyes blaze with frustration. “I hate it too.” I settle my hand over his, trying to reassure him. “But we don’t have to hide it for much longer.” “I want everyone to know that you belong to me.”

My heart feels like it might explode, it’s so full of emotion. “So territorial.” “I am,” he says without hesitation. “I didn’t know I had it in me, but when it comes to you, I am. You’re mine.” “I’m yours,” I whisper, unable to deny it.

“I’m in love with you.” I open my eyes to find him studying me with a mixture of pain and love swirling in his eyes. It’s written all over his face. Like it took everything out of him to admit that.

“I will do anything for you. Do you realize that? You want us to keep this quiet to save your job, my lips are sewn shut. You want me to squeeze your throat because it gets you off? I love that. I will do it for you every single time. You like it when I pick you up Taco Bell when you don’t even ask, and you love it…you absolutely love it when I eat your ass.” He chuckles when I shove at him. “You do, Ruby. You love everything I do for you. And I love doing those things for you because I’m in love with you.”

“I love you too. I love everything about you. How protective you are, how smart. You’re kind and funny and sexy and you never hesitate when I ask you for something. You go above and beyond to make sure I’m happy. Satisfied.” I climb on top of him, causing him to fall onto his back so I’m now straddling him. “It’s like you were made for me.”

“You were definitely made for me.”

“I love everything about you too, Red. Thank you for letting me go to dinner wit...

There’s a connection between us that can’t be denied. This man admitted that he loves me. And I admitted that I love him. What we’re doing doesn’t feel like just fucking anymore. It feels…transcendent.

“Don’tstopdon’tstopdon’tstop.” “I’m not,” he whispers into my ear. “I’ve got you, Red. I’m never going to let you go.”

Now I can’t imagine my life without him.

“I love you, Ruby.” “I love you too, Ace.”

This has been torture, pretending we’re not involved. Sneaking around. Meeting each other at night, always alone, rarely hanging out with anyone else. We can’t even be friends because the athletic department gets suspicious and people are always watching. It’s ridiculous. I’m tired of it.

But Ace isn’t just a guy. He’s the man I’m in love with, and he’s in love with me. Marilee is wrong. It did work out for me.

“I cost her the job.” My voice is hollow and a ragged exhale leaves me. “This is my fault.” “No way—” Eric starts but Gwen cuts him off. “Yep. It’s all your fault, Townsend. And now we’ve lost her. God, it’s so unfair.”

“This is such bullshit.” Gwen glares at me, jabbing her index finger in my direction. “I hope it was worth it. You better not dump her after this. I don’t know if she’ll be able to survive it.”