Offside (Rules of the Game, #1)

by Avery Keelan

“Have you tried a vibrator?” “What?” I squeaked, eyes snapping back up to his. “Like a sex toy,” he said. “It might help.” “During sex or alone?” I cringed. Surely, I had used up all nine of my lives by now. It would be a great time for a sinkhole to open and swallow me up. He shrugged. “Either.” Luke’s ego—and male parts—would have deflated faster than a slapshot if I had suggested using a vibrator. Hell, he would have freaked out if I’d even owned a sex toy, which was one reason I didn’t. The other being that I was kind of intimidated by the idea. “Don’t most guys have a problem with that?” “No,” he said, perfectly straight-faced. “Why would they?”

“I guess I thought it might make them feel threatened.” “Baby, I can do all kinds of things to you that a little toy can’t.” He gave me a mischievous smile that, despite the situation, had its intended effect. Something inside me really, really wanted to find out what those things were. “I bet,” I said, suddenly a little breathless.

“You know, pick up a little something for you.” “I don’t know.” I crinkled my nose. “The idea of a sex toy seems so freaky.” “It’s okay to be a little freaky. You can be freaky with me.”

“And as far as you and I go, I’m in this for you. I want to make you feel good. Remember that, okay? You can trust me.” “I know.” Somehow, I did.

Despite my blatant attempt to ignore him, Morrison slithered my way, coming to hover close enough that I was engulfed in a cloud of his too-strong, obnoxious cologne. His presence was irritating on every level. He nodded at the skates in my hand. “Are those Bailey’s?” The fuck? “Anyone ever tell you that you’re a creep?” I asked. Morrison squinted his watery blue eyes, glaring at me. Or attempting to, anyway. He didn’t have enough spine to lend the weak glare any credibility. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re a dick?” he countered. I grinned. “All the time, man.”

Once I dropped Bailey’s skates off at the counter, I browsed the store, making a conscious effort to avoid him—not because I was scared of him, but because I was scared of what I might do to him. He talked a lot of shit for someone who couldn’t back it up. I should pummel him for the text message thing alone. But I couldn’t afford to lay him out off the ice. Good thing we were playing them again soon.

minute later, Bailey came down the stairs, eyes brightening when they landed on me. Her dark blond hair was loose around her shoulders, and she looked hot as fuck in a pair of black jeans that showed off her legs, paired with a pink sweater that was just tight enough to keep drawing my eyes to her chest. I was trying to behave, but damn, it was hard—literally—when I was around her.

“Where’s my autographed picture, Carter?” “My bad.” I grinned. “I guess we’ll have to hold a private photoshoot later.” Bailey reached over to my side of the truck, poking me in the bicep. “You’re going to offer up things and not deliver them?” I dropped my voice, giving her a look. “Oh, I can deliver.” Her eyes widened slightly, pink lips curving into what could only be described as a flustered smile. It was cute as hell. She shifted her weight, biting her bottom lip. “I guess we’ll see.” “Guess so.” Hopefully tonight. I mean, I could be patient. Would be patient. But I could still hope, right?

I could count the number of times in recent history that I’d been nervous on one hand, and they were all around Bailey.

While it would be convenient for me if Bailey was closer to my friends, the truth was that I mostly wanted her out of her current living situation. Between Morrison showing up and the messed up secret affair between Derek and her roommate, it was toxic as hell. It left me low-key worried about her whenever she was at home. And if Morrison showed up in her living room one more time, I might not avoid that felony again.

“I totally would,” she said, pressing her lips together. “But I don’t know if she would. Can you, like…float it by Dallas to have him float it by her?” “You’re adorable.” “What?” Bailey shrugged, her cheeks turning pink. “I don’t want to make it awkward. We’ve only met twice. Maybe she thinks I’m a weirdo.” “I doubt that very much, James.” I squeezed her hand over the table. “But I’ll talk to him.”

Was this what falling for someone felt like? It was a trip.

“Well, are we allowed to be here?” “Define allowed,” I said, hoisting the black duffel onto the middle console. “I mean, it’s a free country. We have the constitutional right to freedom of movement.” “Carter…” She made a little eek face. “We’re not not allowed.” I shrugged. “No one’s booked the ice. Plus, I’m on Coach Miller’s good side these days, so we should be okay.” Bailey groaned. “So we’re definitely breaking in.” She was such a rule-follower. Adorable.

I smiled innocently. “You get out of a lot of trouble with that smile, don’t you?” “Sure do,” I said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. Her skin was so soft, and she smelled so good…Bad idea. Now I wanted to kiss her on the mouth, and if I did that, we’d probably never make it out of the truck. I really needed to get it together. “Come on,” I said. “They don’t flood the rink for another two hours.” “You’re sure?” “Don’t worry. I’ve done it dozens of times before.”

The truth was, I’d never liked anyone else enough to want to take them skating, but I wasn’t sure she would find that reassuring, either.

“So you commit crimes habitually,” she said, fighting a smile. “Good to know.” I winked at her. “You knew who you were getting.”

“When were you in the Bulldogs locker room?” As usual, the question slipped out before I could stop myself. And it didn’t sound nearly as casual as I would have hoped. Bailey stepped closer, wrapping her arms around my neck. Instantly, my willpower disintegrated. Fuck G-rated; if I kept it PG-13, I would consider it an accomplishment.

Even with her height, she was still a good measure shorter than me, not to mention way smaller. I loved how she felt beneath my hands—pliant and feminine. I tilted my head and leaned closer, my mouth meeting hers. Bailey let out a little sigh and parted her lips, letting me taste her. I took her bottom lip, sucking on it before pushing into her sweet mouth with my tongue. Gripping her waist, I pulled her closer, warm curves pressing up against my body. She stood on her tiptoes as I deepened the kiss, taking, tasting, claiming. Desire surged through me, my cock growing harder by the second. Then I remembered where we were. If we didn’t stop now, we would never make it onto the ice.

“For the record,” she said, booping me on the nose with her finger, “you’re cute when you’re jealous.” “I was just curious.” I shrugged, reluctantly releasing her. Her lips tugged. “Sure, Carter.”

Bailey opted to keep her coat on over her sweater, claiming she was cold. Why were chicks always freezing? The high today was sixty-four degrees, which was shorts weather as far as I was concerned. But I ran at a million degrees year-round, especially when I was moving.

From the home bench, I opened the gate for Bailey. She skated backward, blond hair flying loose in the breeze. “Come on, slowpoke.” She made a come-at-me gesture, arms spread wide. “You’re not half bad.” I stepped onto the ice with a huge grin. She was so fucking cute.

Finally, I couldn’t wait any longer. She made it to the corner, and I picked up speed, carefully grabbing hold of her. I came to a stop, spinning us both and pushing her into the boards. She looked back at me, lips softly parted. “I guess you win.” I had her in my arms, so I definitely did. “Looks like it.” I pinned her up against the plexiglass, wedging a thigh between her legs. She let out a little gasp, her eyes glazing over. “This is so much better than the other kind of boarding,” I murmured, my attention falling to her full, kissable lips. “But now I’m going to get turned on every time I’m in this corner during a game.”

I held her in place as I crashed my lips to hers again. Kissing her was unreal, like everything else in the world instantly vanished the moment our lips came together. And each time, she relaxed a little more. Softened somehow. Maybe it was a trust thing. Either way, it drove me crazy in the best possible way.

“Carter?” She held on to my forearms, breathless and wide-eyed. I was too, and definitely not from the skating. “Yeah?” “I’m going to lose my balance if you keep kissing me like that.” “I got you,” I said, voice husky. “I won’t let you fall.”

We burst into the locker room in a frenzy of kissing and groping.

“Here.” I picked up her legs, turning her ninety degrees and taking her feet into my lap. I quickly loosened the laces, tugged off her skates, and placed them out of the way on the bench.

I picked her up, pinning her against the wall beside the lockers. Our lips collided, and everything exploded. It was different from any kiss we’d shared before: hurried and needy, hungry and wanting. Gripping the backs of her thighs, I lifted her off the floor and thrust against her, pressing between her legs. A whimper escaped the back of her throat. She wrapped her long legs around me as I pushed into her again, and she tilted her hips in rhythm with me. Her mouth moved against mine, fingers digging into my shoulders. I was in the zone. So into her that it put me into some kind of trance.

Scrambling to sit, I leaned an elbow on my bent knee and attempted to seem casual. The fact that I had a massive fucking hard-on made it a difficult task.

The sexual tension between us was high after I spent the night with Chase last weekend, but it was nothing compared to the atmosphere in the truck after the arena. The ache between my legs made it impossible to focus on anything else.

Strong jawline, sinewy forearms, large hands that I desperately wanted all over my body again. It was torture. And by the tension he was holding in his body and the way he gripped the steering wheel, he felt the same way.

“Those little moans you were making in the locker room almost did me in, James.” His voice rumbled in his chest, flush against my back. Warm, slightly rough palms smoothed down the sides of my arms, leaving behind a trail of goose bumps. “Too bad we were interrupted,” I said. He grabbed my hips and turned me to face him, grinning wolfishly. “But now we’ve got all night.”

“Remember our talk?” His tone was gentle. I was standing on a precipice now, deciding whether to jump. But the truth was, I already had. “I trust you.” I nodded, sucking on my bottom lip before releasing it. “I want…you.” Chase’s lips tipped up. “Yeah?” “Yeah.” Midnight eyes traced my face, dropping to my mouth. Then they sank lower, skimming the rest of my body in a way that made me feel naked while fully clothed.

He nuzzled my neck, inhaling deeply against my skin and exhaling with a low groan. Luke had wanted sex. But Chase? He wanted me.

His broad hands landed on the strip of bare skin beneath the hem of my sweater, lifting it slightly. “Can I?” he murmured. I nodded. “Yes.” Carefully, he tugged it off over my head and tossed it aside. He sat back on his knees and bit back a grin, shaking his head. “Baby, you’re so hot, and you don’t even know it.”

He groaned as I grabbed him—rock hard and huge—over the top of his pants. Tugging, he moved my underwear aside and slid his fingers against my center. My hips jerked in response, and I drew in a shuddering breath as pleasure rippled through my core. Warmth spread across my skin, and the ache between my legs grew, the sense of want growing into a desperate need.

“Let me take care of you,” he said against my skin. “What do you mean?” Chase pulled back, his dark eyes hungry, his lips curved. “I want to eat your pussy, James.” Heat shot through my body. My heart thudded against my ribcage, and I held my breath for a beat. “Okay.” I nodded. He flashed me a wicked grin before kissing his way down my body, alternating licking and sucking.

Chase spread my legs apart, exposing me to him. He ran his hands over my hips and down to my knees and back, his eyes gleaming with desire. “Fuck, baby. Your body is so beautiful. Every single inch of it.”

Shifting his body, he settled between my legs and flattened his tongue against my center. My breath hitched and I jumped slightly. He grabbed my left hand, lacing his fingers with mine, all the while teasing and caressing, coaxing me with his tongue until it felt too good to focus on anything else. I shifted into a state of hyperawareness. Of his hands, his lips, his tongue. It was like seeing color for the first time.

I squirmed as the intensity of the sensations grew, verging on unbearable. I gasped, legs jolting. “Ohmigod.” Chase rumbled a low, throaty laugh against me. He released my hand, snaking his free arm under my leg so both were wrapped around my thighs. Keeping the same pace and pressure, he worked me with his tongue in long, devastating stokes. A breathy whimper escaped me, my back arching in response. It felt so good, almost too good to continue. I desperately needed release, but I never wanted it to stop. My breath quickened, shortening into shallow pants. I grasped his dark silky hair with one hand, tugging at the roots, and fisted the covers with the other. He used his arms to pin my thighs down, keeping me open for him while my hips bucked, my pelvis tilting. Pulling me down the bed, yanking me closer to him, he devoured me as I came apart with a moan. Chase kept going, working my body with his tongue until I was almost too sensitive to continue. Then he pulled away and planted a gentle kiss between my legs, followed by a trail of them up and down my inner thighs.

He shifted back up to the head of the bed and leaned on one elbow. “Hey, baby.” “Hey.” As I came down from the high, I was acutely aware of how naked I was, especially since Chase was still partially clothed. He’d seen every single inch of my body. Every. Single. One. I turned, scrambling to grab my tank top and underwear off the floor, and slid them on quickly. He picked up my shorts and handed them to me. “How are you doing?” “Um…Dazed?” No further discussion necessary—I couldn’t have faked that if I tried. I wasn’t even sure what had just happened. It was like an out-of-body experience that I hadn’t fully returned from. “Good.” He grinned. “That was so fucking hot.”

“Come here.” He lifted my hips up slightly, pulling me toward him on the bed and wrapping his arm around me. Brows knit together, I studied him. I was more than a little confused. “I feel like I’m leaving you hanging.” He shook his head. “Not at all.” “But you didn’t—” Chase caught my eye, stroking my hair. “It’s not a hockey game, James. I’m not keeping score.” He kissed my lips softly. “But if I was, I’d definitely want you to win.”

After kissing outside the truck at his place, inside the truck, and outside it again, Chase walked me to my front door and wrapped me in a big hug. I inhaled his scent, relaxing against the warmth of his embrace. Everything was easy with him in a way I’d never thought possible.

He frowned, expression clouding over. “You can stay at my place while I’m gone if you want.” “Without you?” “Yeah,” he said. “To get a break from your roommates, I mean. Shiv will be there alone, so…” He shrugged. “She would probably like the company.” “Actually, we did make plans to get together for dinner.” He raised his eyebrows. “For apartment hunting? That’s awesome.” “To talk about it more, at least. Maybe make a list of places to check out.”

“See?” His face brightened, a smile peeking through. “You could stick around on Sunday until I get back. It shouldn’t be too late. Probably shortly after lunch.” “That was your angle all along, wasn’t it?” “Sure was.” He glanced at his watch, smile fading. “Oh shit. I really do have to go, or I’ll be late for practice.” Tipping forward, he gave me a quick peck on the lips and released my waist. “We can talk tonight. I’ll text you the door code too.”

I was back to cloud nine over Chase. It really was a wild experience. I’d never felt this way before. Ever.

But I’d never been giddy about him or filled with that intense, inescapable infatuation. It had almost been one of those you don’t know what you don’t know situations. But I knew now, and it was amazing.

“You saw Chase again last night, didn’t you? Did you guys finally…?” I bit my lip. “Maybe.” They both squealed. “Well, no.” I held up a hand. “No sex. We just fooled around a little.” Or, you know, a lot. Zara raised her eyebrows. “Must have been some fooling around if you’re this giddy.” A rush ran through me at the memory. “Oh, it was.” “That’s awesome.” Noelle swatted me playfully. “Especially after what you said about Luke.” Oh my god, how many people had I told? I’m never doing shots again.

An hour later, we were camped out in the living room with takeout Mexican food and homemade margaritas. Plus a plan to watch every rom-com on Netflix we could find. It was nice to have a girls’ night in again; I hadn’t done it since things went sideways with Amelia and Jill.

I picked up my chicken taco and bit into it. Heavenly. Between dinner out with Chase and takeout tonight, I was getting totally spoiled. It was a nice change from my usual broke college student fare.

“Your ex almost makes Luke look good.” Luke was an asshole, to be sure. And inexplicably hell-bent on messing with my life now that I had moved on. But her ex sounded next-level, like the kind that could be dangerous. The damage Luke could inflict was likely limited to spreading ridiculous lies and trying to annoy Chase to death. If anything, Chase was the bigger threat to him. “I dunno. Luke sounds terrible.” Siobhan dipped a tortilla chip in guacamole. “I heard about that text message thing.” “Right? Who does that?” I hummed. “Actually, it’s pretty on-brand for Luke. I think he was trying to cause trouble between Chase and me.”