Offside (The Barker Triplets 1)

“I think it kinda runs in your family. Maybe it’s an inherited gene or something. All you Barker girls—”

“That’s going too far.” Her pulse spiked and pounded a rhythm that was dizzying.

“[i]You[i] kissed [i]me[i] the other day or did you forget about that?”

Her cheeks burned and she ran cold fingers along them. “I told you that was a mistake and it wouldn’t happen again.”

“Why? Why the fuck can’t it happen?” he challenged. “We’re both adults. We both want each other, or at least I’m straight up about that but you…you I can’t figure out. I know you enjoyed it so why the denial?”

The underlying anger in his words was sharper now and she knew he’d passed the point of just being pissed off. Nope, he’d crossed that bridge and was now heading down another road entirely. One called fury.

She felt helpless because she had no idea how to fix this. Billie didn’t know how to explain everything without making herself look pathetic or cheap.

Or like a liar.

“Because,” she searched frantically for an excuse that wouldn’t sound lame.

“Christ, I knew getting involved with the Barkers wasn’t a good idea.”

Her head shot up. “Well, no one asked you too.”

He continued on as if he hadn’t heard her. “Betty was difficult but you’re something else entirely.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Pain twisted inside her chest so hard, that for a few seconds she couldn’t breathe. She squared her shoulders, and pushed at the damn, feathery wings that flapped behind her as she began to shiver. Whether it was from the cold or the deluge of emotion or plain old fatigue, she had no clue.

“It means your sister Betty liked to play head games and I was stupid enough to let her play with mine a long time ago.” He sounded bitter.

[i]He sounded like he still cared.[i]

Billie shrank back as his voice rose.

“It means that I’m not playing this game with you. I was burned once by your sister and hell if I’m going to line up for another ride on that crazy train. I’m done with the hot and cold and then the fucking, see-you-later.”

Logan gave her a disgusted look and turned on his heel. She watched him take four or five steps before he paused and spoke without looking back.

“What time on Monday?”

“What?” she barely managed the word.

“I paid one thousand dollars for the privilege of your coaching abilities, so what time Monday morning?”

She swallowed thickly and forced herself to answer.

“Six A.M.”

“See you then.” He disappeared inside the community center, leaving her alone in the parking lot.

Logan Forest was right about a lot of things. The Barker sisters were seriously flawed—all of them. And maybe—just maybe—she was the most screwed up one of them all.

Because that Christmas Eve when he’d been home from college he’d pursued Betty relentlessly and her sister had let him. But when he’d shown up at a keg party held for one of the junior hockey teams, it wasn’t Betty-Jo Barker who’d finally given herself to him that night. It wasn’t Betty-Jo who’d followed him into that dark room and thrown herself at him.

And is sure as hell wasn’t Betty-Jo who’d lost her virginity to him.

Logan might have believed he’d finally snagged the untouchable and beautiful Betty—the one who’d been driving him crazy for days. The one whose sights were already set on the big apple and an exciting modeling career.

The one who no longer had time for small town boys.