Fair Game (The Rules 1)

The roommate frowns at me, as does Jade. “Really?” she asks.

I nod, glancing over my shoulder to see what’s going on out on the field. We called a break a few minutes ago and I should be chugging water so I don’t collapse from dehydration when I get back out there but…I can’t walk away from Jade. I’d rather suffer and pass out than miss this opportunity to talk to her. “What are you doing right now?” I ask when I return my gaze to her.

Jade’s cheeks turn pink. Almost as pink as the shirt she’s wearing, which happens to have a hole in it. A couple of them actually—one at the neckline and another that’s just below her left boob. “Um…”

“Nothing,” the roommate supplies for her. “She’s absolutely free.” That remark earns her another elbow jab.

“Kelli right?” I smile down at the roommate who beams back up at me like I just made her day. “I owe you. Big time.”

“I’ll collect too. Just saying.” She breathes deep and stands, smiling at the both of us. “My work here is done.”

“You’re not leaving are you?” Jade asks, her voice low and vaguely threatening.

“You’re going out with Shep after he’s done, right?” Kelli asks.

“That’s the plan,” I confirm.

“I can’t go out like this.” Jade waves a hand at herself, the frown she’s wearing so deep I swear she’s going to give herself permanent wrinkles. “I look…”

“Beautiful,” I finish for her, which only makes her cheeks turn pinker.

“You’re so full of it,” she mutters and I chuckle, moving so I can sit in the spot her roommate just vacated.

“Just telling the truth.” I take hold of her hand, my arm pressed against hers and I’m ultra-aware of her scent, the way she feels next to me, her fingers curling around mine. “Hang out with me tonight, Jade. You’ve ditched me all week. I’ve missed you.”

She turns her incredulous gaze upon me, those big hazel eyes eating me up, I swear. “You missed me?”

Nodding, I bring our connected hands up between us and drop a light kiss to her knuckles. “Yeah.”

“You don’t even know me,” she whispers.

“I want to. Get to know you.” I kiss her knuckles again. Her skin is so soft. I want to kiss more than her knuckles. Hell, I want to kiss her all over. “Come over. I’ll ditch practice right now. We can leave together.”

“But Kelli.” She waves a hand at the spot where her roommate once stood.

“Is gone.” I need to send her flowers or something as a thank you for bringing Jade to me. “Come on, Jade. Let’s go.”

“Don’t you need to finish practice?”

“They’ll survive without me.” I stand and pull her up along with me, releasing her hand. There are a few stragglers sitting on the bleachers, most of them female and gawking shamelessly at the field. I’m guessing they’re here for the shirtless show. Speaking of my shirt…“Let me grab my stuff and we’ll go?”

“Okay.” She nods, a bunch of strands of wild red hair falling around her face and I give in to the urge, reaching out so I can tuck all that silky soft hair first behind one ear, then the other. I skim her face with my fingertips, hear the shuddery breath she sucks in and I know I’m not the only one buried deep in this.

We’re both feeling it. The chemistry that crackles between us, that’s been there from the start, from that first moment our gazes met in the mirror. I touch her chin, smooth my thumb across her lower lip and her eyelids waver.

“Stay here,” I murmur. “Don’t leave this spot, okay?”

She nods silently, her gaze dropping from mine to stare at my…chest.

Right. Because I’m not wearing a shirt. And I’m all sweaty and I probably smell and whoa, is that interest flaring in her eyes because that’s the first time I’ve ever seen Jade look at me like that.

“Five minutes,” I tell her, leaning in so I can press a quick kiss to her surprised lips. Who knew lips could be surprised? And they would taste so damn good? “Give me five minutes.”

“Okay,” she whispers.

I walk away from her backwards, like I can’t stop looking at her and truth be told, I can’t. Her lips curl into this mysterious little smile and she shakes her head. “You’re going to hurt yourself,” she calls right as I fucking stumble.

I right myself, quickly glancing over my shoulder before I look at her once again. “It would be worth it.”

Her cheeks go pink again and I swear to God, I’m going to make it my life’s mission to make her blush as much as possible.

I turn and head back to the field, snatching my T-shirt from where I flung it on the ground, then grab my phone and car keys. We’re so casual out here, I know none of these guys are going to take my shit. Gabe’s standing nearby, polishing off a bottle of Gatorade and I approach him.

“I’m out,” I tell him. He’s never been part of the summer soccer league. He just comes out here to practice when he has nothing else to do. I think he likes feeling like he belongs to something. “Tell the rest of the guys, okay?”

Gabe frowns. “Where you going?”

I slip my shirt on and shove my phone in my pocket. “Home.” The less I tell him the better. Tristan’s not home tonight. It’s his turn to manage the tables. I’ll be working Saturday night. Gabe’s on for tomorrow. We’ve decided to close on Sundays for the rest of the semester. Business is down and school’s almost over.