Consider Me (Playing for Keeps #1)

by Becka Mack

“Has anyone ever been able to tell you no?” she asks on a whisper. My chest puffs with pride. “Never.” She grins, and Christ, it’s a glorious sight. “Well, I guess there’s a first time for everything.” My forehead crumples as she steps out of reach. “What?” “Enjoy the rest of your night,” she calls over her shoulder before she squeezes through the crowd, disappearing, and Jesus Christ, I’m actually gonna have to go home and do what she told me to: fuck myself. Well, fuck. I don’t like this.

“Olivia!” Carter Beckett yells. It’s unnecessary, really. For God’s sake, I’m right here. There’s that damn tapping again. The longer I ignore him, the louder he taps. It’s incessant and irritating, and everyone around me buzzes with excitement, wondering why he wants my attention, and more than that, why the hell I’m not giving it to him. They don’t understand. I may be entirely turned off by the way he carelessly collects women, but I’m only so strong. I’m afraid it might be possible to charm the pants right off me. If anyone can do it, it’s him. “Liv, Liv, Liv, Liv, Liv,” Carter chants, punctuating each call of my name with a tap on the glass. “What?” I whisper-yell, finally spinning his way, throwing my hands overhead. His grin is explosive, handsome, sexy, infuriating. Leaning over the boards, he stares down the length of his stick at me, the tip resting on top of the glass. “Hi.”

Why was she furious? Because I’m relentless and I drive her nuts? Possibly. But I think it’s mostly because she wants me and she fucking hates that she does.

I’d love a foot rub and to be politely railed into the new year if I’m being honest, but the request that comes out of my mouth is so much tamer.

You need to decide what you want first before you go after the girl.” “What if the only thing I’m sure about wanting is you?” She sweeps her thumb over the indent in my chin. “Sometimes wanting something isn’t enough.”

I swear I had a goddamn epiphany last night while my sword of thunder was buried nine inches deep inside the most insanely stunning woman I’ve ever sparred with. I never wanted to leave, and this morning, I still don’t. I hope she’s okay with that, because I’m pretty sure she just got herself a shadow. The shadow is me. I’m gonna be glued to her leg like a horny, unneutered dog for a long-ass time. Maybe forever. I don’t fuckin’ know. I only know I’m not letting go.

Olivia’s got her hair piled on top of her head in a bun messier than the one my sister always wears, the one I tell her looks like a bird made a nest on her head. She’s wearing the rattiest hoodie I’ve ever seen, covered in paint splotches and holes, and she’s so fucking beautiful it hurts. Her wide eyes lock on mine, cheeks blazing, hand hanging there in midair, holding on to a… A goddamn Oreo. Woman’s my fucking soul mate.

“YOU REALLY THOUGHT OLAF WAS going to die there, huh?” “He did die, Ollie. Elsa brought him back to life, thank fuck. I would’ve rioted.” I nearly cut off the circulation to her hand by gripping it so tight while I waited, hoping the funny snowman would reappear. “Can you imagine if Disney movies were as cutthroat now as they were when we were growing up?” I shudder, squeezing her hand as we step outside. “There was so much trauma back then.”

“I’ve never seen something so beautiful.” Her smile is so dazzling, it hits me right in the stomach like a sucker punch. “Yeah. Me neither.”

Not until Carter crawls up my body do I realize his hands are trembling. Catching my breath, I stroke his cheek. “What’s wrong?” “I like you so much,” he blurts. “I like everything about you. Is that right? Is it okay to tell you how much I like you or am I supposed to keep it to myself? Tell you once and never talk about it again? Tell you every single day? I don’t know, Ollie; I’m new at this. All I know is I really wanted to tell you, and also, I’m super fucking terrified.” He rests his forehead against mine and breathes. When his eyes open, the fear in them tells me I’m not alone. “I don’t wanna mess this up.”

“Carter’s still coming to terms with the fact that he loves someone more than himself and Oreos. Ollie’s struggling to admit to herself that she’s in love with the world’s most arrogant, controlling, annoying man. It would be impossible for anybody to wrap their head around such a mind-blowing scenario.”

“I’m going to be really good at loving you, Ollie. I promise. Nobody will ever do it like I do.”

“Before, nothing scared me more than the idea that I might fall in love. But nothing has ever scared me more than the thought that I might lose you. I know you like to say that I’m ostentatious, that I like to flaunt what I have, that I do everything with flair. And you’re right. Because why wouldn’t I? I’m proud of every damn thing I have, and at the forefront of things I’m smug as hell about having earned is you and your love.”