Fair Catch (Leighton U, #3)

by C.E. Ricci

And to all the guys on Bumble in the PNW: The obscenities in this book had to come from somewhere. Y’all are the real MVPs.

Today might be the most Monday of all Mondays to ever Monday.

“Promise me you’ll give him a chance. A real one.”

“And I don’t know for a fact that he hates me. It’s just a vibe.” “A vibe,” she repeats dryly, her brow lifting. “That’s what we’re basing this on?”

“Absolutely. Because I, for one, am a fucking delight.”

“I have a hard time waking up early, so I set one every fifteen minutes. It helps me not oversleep.” Oh, hell no. “Every. Fifteen. Minutes?” I repeat, gritting my teeth. “Please, tell me you’re joking.”

Let the record show, if this guy just doesn’t come home for days on end at any point during our time living together, I will not be the one filing the missing person’s report. I will be too busy relishing in the silence.

Homicide is illegal, and the only person who’d help me hide the body now lives in New Jersey.

But we don’t need to be friends. I have enough of those.” Scoffing, he mutters, “I find that hard to believe,” just loud enough for me to hear it.

“Okay, Obi-Wan. What am I gonna do?”

he makes more noise than a monkey playing the cymbals when he gets home.

“You got a minute?” “Plenty, actually. If I live to be eighty, I have about,” I pause briefly, doing the math in my head. “Twenty-eight point five million left, give or take.” “Did you just make that calculation in your head?”

“Reese’s Pieces?” I ask. When he nods, I hold out my hand for him to dump. “Yeah, sure.”

Hayes and I are definitely not in a good enough place for me to be eyeing the way his Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows, or how nice his lips look wrapped around that bottle, but I can’t stop myself from watching anyway.

“Cannibalism is frowned upon in this household unless it’s on the television screen, Hazey.” Hazey?

“Call me that again and we can find out if murder is also.”

“Considering my best friend is bi and I’m also a member of the alphabet mafia, I’d be one helluva hypocrite if I had any issue with you being into dudes, Kason.”

“You’re actually contemplating swiping yes on” —I lean in more so I can read off his screen verbatim— “Zak, who ‘is not gender fluid, but is definitely tryna put fluid in every gender’?”

“It’d be nice to have a real relationship before I play hide the salami for the first time.”

“Well, now that I know the stakes are even higher, since you’re swiping that V-card, I think we can do better than the garbage that’s been coming up on your screen.” Kason arches a brow and drops his cell to the cushion. “So it’s we now?”

“Would you rather me just stand there awkwardly like a fucking dumbass?” It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him it’s no better than sitting there awkwardly like a dumbass, but I manage to catch myself.

“You don’t even like my normal self. Why the hell would you give me that advice?” He’d be surprised to know that his slightly neurotic, himbo ass has started to grow on me. A miniscule amount, but it’s growth regardless, and that’s a lot coming from me.

“Then what made you say yes?”

“Because, despite our rocky start, you’re kinda growing on me.” Frowning, he adds, “Like a fungus or something.”

“Truthfully, you don’t give yourself enough credit,” Hayes murmurs, pulling my attention back to him.

Like when I saw you in the coffee shop the day we first met, fucking you was something that crossed my mind, but I had no intention of acting on it because, again, I wanted it to mean something.”

I see Hayes pause with his beer halfway to his mouth and I do a little rewind to five seconds ago, my stomach drops straight to my ass. Oh, fuckity fuck fuck. I did not just say that.

But a slow smirk pulls at his lips as he raises the beer the rest of the way to his mouth and finishes it off. Then he proceeds to floor me further by opening his mouth and saying the filthiest, most seductive thing I’ve ever heard. “And who says you’d be the one doing the fucking, there, Kase?”

my brain screeched to a fucking halt when he said the last guy I was seeing. Because…guy.

Truthfully, I’m still stuck on the guy comment, much to his obliviousness, because he keeps on chattering away.

Me: There is more than one entrance? The hockey arena only has one. Why is it so fucking big? Q: Yes, there is more than one. It’s so big because the football teams need to compensate for playing a less physically demanding sport. And FOR FUCK’S SAKE. WILL YOU TELL ME WHY YOU ARE AT THE FOOTBALL STADIUM?

I nod, and make a mental note to start buying blue Gatorades on my way home from class Friday nights.

“Well, hell, I was really looking forward to making you watch my movie pick tonight. I even got a little recording camera set up in the living room so I could catch you jumping in my lap. Y’know, since you seem hell-bent on claiming it never happened last week during Sinister.” “Because it didn’t, and I know you think you’re funny, but trust me, you’re not.” “You’re right, I’m hilarious.”

Flipping him the bird, I shout, “Get lost, and remember I’m the best emergency contact you have!”

But then Madden reaches across the table, resting his hand on top of Kason’s while they laugh about something I can’t hear from this distance. And rather than seeing red, the most vibrant shade of green floods my vision.

“What the hell are you doing?” I ask the fool staring back. And more importantly, why the hell are you jealous?

“Why are you going all kamikaze on my date? And don’t fucking say because you lost your keys, because we both know that’s a bold-faced lie.” I’m struck silent as I stare at him.

At all the things I never noticed before, yet are in vivid technicolor now. “Are you gonna answer me, or just stand there like—” He doesn’t get to finish his thought before my lips land on his.

Every inch of my body presses into his, and I just…kiss him. And it feels good. Like something just clicks in place.

And the second my tongue brushes his, I’m done for. Drowning in his oaky scent, in the bite of pain from his stubble, the way his hips arch toward mine. Consumed by the strong fingers digging into my waist, holding me tight against his body. Completely lost in him.

“But…we’re just friends. You’ve never looked at me like that, you’re not attracted to me—” “Apparently, I am now.” His head drops to his hands, clearly as frustrated by this turn of events as I am.

My brows collide, wondering why the hell he’d ever think I’d want to move out or forget about what happened. And that’s when I realize he must think this is one-sided.

“I don’t think that’s really up to me here, considering I’m the one who mauled you without prompting.” Oh, you beautiful fucking fool. “Then let me return the favor,” I murmur before cupping the back of his neck and reeling his mouth to mine.

“There. We’re even.” “Not even fucking close,” he growls before dragging my mouth back to his.

GAHHHH

Hayes breaks away first, ripping his mouth from mine and panting against my mouth. “I know what I want. I want you to delete that app and never see any of those fuckers again,” he utters, the words coming out like a harsh command. “Not a single one of them is good enough for you, Kase.”

His lips pull up in a devious smirk before he murmurs a rough good, then dives back in.

And holy fucking shit. That thing they say about the tall, skinny ones? Absolutely true.

“Are you even sorry?” “Not in the slightest.” “Good.” A hellish grin crosses his face when I look up at him. “I’m not either.”

Shit, a month ago, I was hyper focused on getting through the rest of the year without murdering the guy and passing my classes. That was all. Classes, homework, fighting the urge to commit homicide, sleep, repeat. And now I’m— Fucked. I’m so fucking fucked.

“So fucking worth it.” And then his lips are on mine, claiming them all over again.