Offside (Rules of the Game, #1)

by Avery Keelan

“Actually, I’m getting tired.” I stifled a yawn, wondering if Chase would come to bed when I did, or if he would stay up with his friends like Luke always had. Chase shot me a glance. “Want to call it a night?” “I think so.”

His black T-shirt hiked up, revealing a sliver of washboard stomach that I did my best to ignore. Though after being pressed up against him earlier, I already knew his abs were spec-tac-u-lar.

At that, tiny fireworks erupted low in my belly. We were going to bed—together.

Chase let his hand linger on my back as we continued down the hall. I was dying inside in the best possible way. He followed me into his room and closed the door behind us. As soon as it clicked shut, I was hit with a whack ton of nerves. Suddenly I was jittery—skittish in a way I wasn’t usually with him. Sure, there was always a hefty dose of sexual tension between us, but most of the time, it manifested in teasing and banter, play-fighting and flirting. Right now, it was manifesting in me being coiled tighter than a spring. After tonight’s kiss, everything felt different. We’d moved out of the friendship gray zone tonight. Our mutual attraction was out in the open, and the chemistry between us had proved to be explosive.

Not because I would be kissing him again or anything. But, you know…just in case. Okay, even I knew we were about to kiss again. That was why the tension was through the roof and I was practically vibrating.

“I know I lost our bet, but you can still grab a shirt.” Chase nodded to the tall dresser beside him. “If you want.” Want. Not need. Was it wrong to want to sleep in one of his shirts even though I had my own? Probably. And yet, I was totally going to do it.

“Since you won, are you going to collect?” “I haven’t decided what I want yet.” He grinned. “I could give you some ideas.” Heat spread through my body. My cheeks were likely the reddest they had ever been. He winked at m...

The good news was, I definitely wasn’t tired anymore. The bad news was, I was so keyed up that I might never sleep again. And I had no idea what, if anything, was about to happen.

Bailey was in my room for a third time, and I wanted to pinch myself. I’d have said third time’s the charm, but I had no delusions about getting lucky tonight, and I was more than okay with that. Just getting to spend time with her, especially alone, had me flying higher than I’d ever been.

Bailey came out of the bathroom wearing a faded blue T-shirt from one of my minor hockey teams. It hugged the curves of her torso in a way that made me borderline jealous of the fabric.

I must have done something right in my life to end up here.

“You look so much better in my shirts than I do.” Her lips curled into a wry smile. “You just want me out of the shirt.” Well, that was also true. But James in my shirt was still pretty awesome. “It may have crossed my mind.”

I took a step forward, cupping her chin with my hand. Her skin was soft and smooth beneath my fingers, which were callused from my gloves and time in the gym. She looked up at me through impossibly dark lashes, eyes wide. Her breath was quiet and shallow, like she was nervous or aroused, maybe both. “Yeah?” “We don’t have to do anything tonight if you’re not ready.” I wanted her so bad it hurt—literally—but more importantly, I wanted it to be right. Until then, I was going to compile a very long, very detailed list of all the things I would do to her in the future.

“But what if I want to?” All the blood left my brain. That was it. I was done. I sucked my bottom lip, trying to get my head straight. I’d gone into this thinking we would just sleep tonight, that maybe it was for the best, because I didn’t want her to freak out after if we did fool around. But no guy in his right mind could look at her and say no. And I wasn’t in my right mind at the best of times, let alone when I was around her.

“Can we just kiss? Make out a little?” “Of course,” I murmured, wrapping my other arm around her back. Her expression turned serious, and she looked up at me, hesitating. “No sex.” “You’re in charge here. I would never pressure you.” Her eyelids fluttered shut as I slid my hand down to her neck and covered her mouth with mine.

Mouth still locked on hers, I took a few steps back, walking her over to the bed. Grabbing the backs of her thighs, I pulled her down with me so she was sitting in my lap, straddling me. Her legs spanned my hips, hair tumbling all over the place in a curtain. Having her on top meant she would hopefully feel more in control. But the view was phenomenal too. Bailey pulled back, gold-flecked eyes meeting mine. They were endless, captivating.

The mental to-do list I’d created was multiplying by the minute, like kissing every inch of her body. At this point, I could fill an encyclopedia with ideas. She tangled her hands in my hair, tugging, and I drew in a shuddering breath, grasping her tighter. Sliding under her shirt, I clasped her smooth, bare skin and moved my hands up her ribcage, stopping just below her breasts.

She kissed me again, deeper this time, and arched her back, grinding against me. It was delicious torture. Neither of us was wearing much, just two thin pairs of shorts, which meant she could feel exactly how much I wanted her in the moment. I wanted to touch her, to slip my hand beneath her waistband and find out if she was as wet as I suspected, but I wouldn’t push it.

Usually, making out was a means to an end for me. But doing nothing but kissing her was fan-fucking-tastic. Maybe I was going soft. Except I was hard as hell and about to end...

She crawled off me and onto the bed, getting under the covers on the far side. I slid in beside her and rearranged the pillows. “Come here.” I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her closer. She yawned and snuggled in against me. She radiated warmth, along with the scents of her perfume and shampoo, which together created something so delicious that I wanted to bury my face in her neck and inhale her all night long.

I wasn’t a touchy-feely person, aside from the usual “touch-me, feel-you” one-night stand scenario. But with Bailey, it was perfect. She lay on my chest while I stroked her long, silky hair, having a mini-panic attack. Because I was getting exactly what I wanted, even though I definitely didn’t deserve it.

Her caramel hair was piled in a messy bun, and she’d cinched the drawstrings on a pair of my gray sweats tight and rolled the waistband down. She looked fucking adorable.

“Do you have anywhere to be this morning?” Bailey shook her head. “Not until after lunch.” I moved close and touched her shoulder, stroking with my thumb. “Why don’t you try to get back to sleep? If I get a few more hours, I’ll be much more functional.”

was kind of cold anyway.” “You could take a hoodie. They’re hanging in the walk-in closet.” James in my hoodie would probably be the only thing cuter than her in one of my shirts. “Noted,” she said. “Next time.” Next time. I guess that was a positive sign. But something was clearly wrong.

Her face was so fucking perfect that it almost killed me.

“Why were you so upset about that text Luke sent to everyone?” Couldn’t even attempt to dodge that question or deflect with humor, because I hadn’t just been upset. I had been livid. Still was. I wanted to shove that phone down his throat. “Was it because you thought it might be true?” Her forehead crinkled. “Did you think I would do something like that?” “No, not at all.” I fumbled inwardly, trying to find a non-pathetic way to phrase it. “I know you can handle yourself, but it triggered something protective in me. You’re one of my favorite people.”

“Well, now you’re stuck with me.” “Thank Gretzky for that.”

Lying with her like this felt more intimate than anything I’d ever experienced. It made my heart ache a little, and I didn’t even know why.

“Have you been with anyone since we started hanging out?” There was another tug in my chest, because suddenly I knew this was what had kept her awake. “I mean…” She winced. “I know it’s not my bus—” “No,” I said. “It’s okay. But the answer is no, I haven’t.” She eyed me warily, which kind of hurt. But I understood. I knew my reputation preceded me. “Look,” I said, touching her cheek. “In the interest of total transparency, I haven’t been with anyone whatsoever since you and I started talking.”

Disappearing for days, calls and texts from other girls late at night, flirting right in front of her face. Hockey knows I was no saint, but he was next-level trash for treating Bailey the way he had. It stung a little to know she thought I would do those things to her. But I guess getting past that would take time.

“I’ll always give you the truth, even if you might not want to hear it.” I covered her hand with mine, squeezing, and laced my fingers in hers. Her eyes dropped to my hand, then back up to my face. She bit back a smile, letting out a little huff of breath. “Okay.”

“I don’t want anyone else, James.” “You don’t?” “Not even a little,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “Think you’ll be able to sleep now?” “Yeah,” she said. “Think so.”

After dropping Bailey off and giving her a not-so-brief goodbye kiss on the front step, I was flying way too high to return home and face the guys.

While out and about, I fought the constant urge to text James. I didn’t want to come off as clingy. I was probably overthinking that one, but this was uncharted territory for me. I had no idea what I was doing. At all.

“So, Bailey spent the night.” I nodded. “Sure did.” “You’re grinning like a lunatic,” Ty said from the back seat. “Just FYI.” I stole a glance in the rear-view mirror. He was right. “Can’t a man be happy?” I said, turning away to shoulder-check and easing out of the passing spot. “Damn, guys.” He snorted. “Did you even get laid?” “Not that it’s your business, but nope.” If I was this loopy now, I was going to be straight-up cracked out after that happened. It was going to be great. Fuck, now I was thinking about sex with James at the most inopportune time.

“I can’t believe you have a girlfriend. That’s wild.” “I don’t know if she’s my girlfriend.” But somehow, I felt like a gigantic asshole saying that. It wasn’t like that would be a bad thing. Oh, shit. I really was in deep. “Dude,” he said, laughing. “She definitely is.”

“Where were you the other night?” she asked casually. “You didn’t come home.” She was trying to sound friendly, but beneath the pleasant veneer, there was an undertone of nosiness. “Where do you think?” I grinned, turning to the cupboard to retrieve a mug. Thinking about the goodbye kiss yesterday made me feel warm and tingly…Not to mention all the kissing that came before. Who knew kissing could be like that? I had been seriously ripped off until now. Amelia’s mask slipped, and she gaped at me, wide-eyed. “Seriously?” “Sure was,” I said. “It was great. He’s great.” “So you guys are actually…” I poured the coffee and blew on it. “Yup.” “Carter,” she said, dumbstruck. “Chase Carter.”

After all, how could I live somewhere Chase wasn’t even welcome? Heck, I didn’t feel welcome myself.

Jill furrowed her brow, blinking at me like I was some kind of hallucination. “This is so irresponsible. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, based on who you’re dating.” “Excuse me?” I shot her a scorching glare. “Don’t you even.” Talk about glass houses. It would take a tiny pebble to shatter hers to pieces.

Bailey curled up against my chest as we lay in my bed, watching an NHL game. We chatted idly, only half following the game as neither of us was particularly invested in the teams playing. As far as a weekday evening went, it was pretty perfect. Except for one thing: the conversation we needed to have.

The whole situation made me furious. I literally treated one-night stands and casual hookups better than Morrison had treated his own girlfriend. It was wrong on every level.

Alarms went off in my head, complete with blaring sirens and flashing red lights. I was certain the gist of this conversation was: he didn’t like me anymore because of it, and now he was ready to end things between us. Already. Cue maximum panic mode.

My breath snagged, heart pole-vaulting into my throat. No. I didn’t. I couldn’t have. I wouldn’t have. “What did I say to you?” I whispered, panic winding up my neck like a vise. “Tell me, please.” “You told me that Morrison sucked in bed.” Chase paused, uncharacteristically hesitant. Time slowed as I held my breath, waiting for him to continue. “Specifically, that he didn’t go down, and that you faked it with him on the regular.”

“Okay.” I wriggled out of his embrace, slid out of bed, and stood up. “If you need me, I’ll be at home dying of embarrassment. Tell my parents to get a nice headstone. Gray marble, something like that.” “Wait. Can we talk about this, please?” He reached over and gently grabbed my hand. Humiliation simmered in my gut, caustic and searing, threatening to boil over. I spun around to face him, cheeks scorching. “Why do you even like me if you know this?” “What?” Hurt flashed across his face, and his lips tugged into a frown. “I like you for a million reasons, and none of them have to do with sex.”

“I’m an asshole. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’ve been thinking about how to talk to you about this for a while now because I didn’t want to fuck it up.” “You didn’t,” I said, fighting back a wave of tears. “It’s fine.” Somehow, I felt bad that he felt bad. Which only compounded my overall distress. A complicated mix of shame, sadness, regret, and fear swirled within me. And maybe, just maybe, a tiny bit of relief. “James.” Chase angled himself to face me. He took my hands in his, which were warm, slightly callused, and comforting. “I’m not judging you. I promise.” I looked at our hands, avoiding his eyes. “You should be.” “Trust me, you’re not the one I’m judging in this situation.”

“No, I’m glad you did. I don’t want you to feel like you need to fake anything with me.” He leaned closer, brushing a stray piece of hair out of my face. “If something I’m doing isn’t working, I’d rather know. That’s why I wanted to talk about this.” “To talk about how I’m broken, you mean?” “You’re not broken,” he said softly. “Lots of girls can’t come from penetration alone. It’s pretty common. Normal.”

“It’s just really hard to get me off.” “I’m up for the challenge.” He grinned. “Literally.”

“He would complain because only certain positions would do it for me, or I took too long. Sometimes it was easier to let him think I had.” And now I’d shared the most intimate details of my former relationship with Chase, things even Zara and Noelle weren’t privy to. Great. “He did what?” His brows snapped together. “What kind of sorry excuse for an athlete is he? Fucking dick.” His jaw ticked, and he exhaled heavily, shaking his head. “Sorry. It just pisses me off to know you were treated like that.” “I don’t know,” I said. “I think it’s a me problem.” It had to be when it was that elusive and difficult to reach. There were maybe two things that worked—some of the time—and that was it. Even then, it was about as reliable as a rain dance. “Not even a little.” He smoothed my hair away from my face. I sucked in a shaky breath. “Agree to disagree.” “Not on this one. Morrison is a fucking idiot. Full stop. It’s the eleventh commandment.” This time, I laughed for real. He leaned in, brushing his lips against mine. The tension in my body loosened as I returned the kiss, lips opening against his. He pushed inside my mouth, but it was tender, gentle. As we pulled apart, he wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me closer to him. “You’re not a means to an end, James.”

“Plus, the idea of getting you off is so fucking hot,” he murmured. “Really?” It was hard to wrap my mind around that. Sex had always seemed like it was more about pleasing the guy. “Hell yeah.” His gaze met mine, and he bit his bottom lip, nodding. “Do you know how many times I’ve thought about that?” “No idea.” “A lot.” Chase’s eyes danced. “Ah, so you do have a dirty mind.” “Dirty for you.”

“Just to clarify,” he said, “you have had an orgasm before. So you can.” “Right. It’s really hit or miss. Heavy on the miss.” My cheeks flared with heat, and I worked overtime to maintain eye contact with him. “Then it’s a matter of finding what works. Some of that is trial and error. But if you fake it, I won’t know what works.”