Page 69 of Playing to Win
“Why’d you encourage me to come over then?”
“You mentioned earlier that you wanted to see me. I remember how important it was for you to see me earlier at practice so I figured I better say yes.” She shrugs, her hair sliding over her bare shoulders and I’m tempted to go to her. Kiss her bare skin. Her neck, breathe in deep her fragrance just behind her ear.
No other woman smells as delicious as Ruby Maguire.
“You were a big help to me today at practice.”
“I did nothing.”
You exist, is what I want to tell her.Just looking at you calms my chaotic thoughts. Like right now.
Having her in front of me, looking at her is enough.
Well, I’d also like to touch her. Kiss her. Hear her sigh with pleasure when I slip my hand under her clothes…
“But I’m glad I could help,” she adds, her voice soft.
I inhale deeply, keeping my gaze on her face, deciding to hell with it.
“I was hoping I could take you out on a date.”
Ruby blinks, tilting her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“I mean what I said. I want to ask you on a date.”
“Oh.” Her face falls a little and my heart drops into my fucking balls at that look.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I’m going to have to decline.”
TWENTY-ONE
RUBY
I am blown awaythat this big, beautiful, sexy man crawled through my window late at night just to stare at me and ask me on a date with so much sincerity in his voice, it made my heart ache. For whatever reason, he’s into me, and while I am definitely attracted to him and even might like him as a person—fine, I totally like him as a person—I am going to have to say no.
And it hurts. It hurts to turn him down and see the crushed expression currently on his face. I feel like a shithead.
“Why?” he asks, sounding like he’s had the shock of his life, which he probably has.
“I signed an agreement,” I admit.
“An agreement to not date me?” His brows draw together in total confusion.
“An agreement to not date anyone on any athletic team at CU,” I clarify, wincing when he tips his head back to stare at the ceiling.
Wow, his neck is thick and not in a bad way. His chiseled jawline is way too attractive as well. I want to go to him right now and kiss it. Kisshim.
But I remain where I’m seated on the edge of my bed, waiting for him to storm out pissed off.
I’d let him leave through the front door too. That whole Natalie is entertaining someone was a lie, and I don’t know why I said it. To see if Ace would crawl through my window?
Yes. That’s exactly why.
Natalie is most likely in her room and already in bed. Her nightly ritual includes scrolling through TikTok for approximately fifty hours before she finally falls asleep due to complete exhaustion.
That’s an exaggeration but I’m not too far off.
