Page 31 of Offsides Attraction

Maybe I do. Which is why it’s a good thing to have an expiration date on whatever it is we’re doing.

But there isn’t an expiration date. He’ll be gone five or six months after the season ends and then he’ll be back.

George’s words bounced around her head as she drove. She hadn’t dated—and whatever they were doing was dating since they’d promised exclusivity—without an expiration date since she’d been a senior in high school. Penny groaned as she parked in front of the house and laid her head on the steering wheel.

She was in uncharted waters. Dating a man without an expiration date. A complex man who was a pain in the butt and threatened her gifts, but one who intrigued and challenged her. One who was more interesting than a book.

For the first time, Penny wanted to see where things went. She had more in common with Bash than she thought she would. For a man who didn’t read and thought New York City was the best place on earth—she agreed, but she’d never admit it—they had a lot in common. They had the same sense of humor and they both preferred being outdoors than in. They preferred dogs over cats, and he’d walked dogs with her at the rescue center. She couldn’t discuss books with him, but she had other people she could do that with. Penny didn’t expect him to fill all her needs. Maybe a relationship with Bash wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to her.

The knock on the windshield startled her. Bash stood there in the fading light with his eyebrows drawn together. He opened her door. “What’s wrong?”

“What makes you think anything is wrong?” Penny slid out of the car and walked to the trunk.

“Because you sat in the car for several minutes with your head on the wheel,” he said.

“Gathering my thoughts.” She slapped on a smile as she opened the trunk, hoping he’d change topics.

“Your thoughts are always gathered. Probably alphabetically ordered, too,” he grumbled as she handed him a tray. Penny liked the compliment.

“And yours are in order of importance.” She shut the trunk and genuinely smiled at him. “Hi.”

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

Penny fully supported that thought, but she didn’t want Cal to see it. “Most people respond with hi or hello.”

“Hi,” he deadpanned.

“And I really want to kiss you, too,” she said.

The corners of his mouth twitched. They carried the trays into the kitchen, where Lucas reigned over the chaos. The table was covered with trays of deli meats and cheeses, sliced tomatoes, lettuce and onions, assorted buns, chips, dips, hummus, and several large deli salads. “I thought you were doing soup?” Penny asked, looking at the pile of food and wondering where to put the bars.

“Change of plans. This is easier,” Lucas said, taking the tray from her. “Guys can load up on food and either eat in the living room or around the fire pit outside.”

“And you’ll have leftovers,” Penny said before the men burst out laughing.

“Maggie didn’t make the frosted ones?” Cal frowned as he inspected the trays.

“She didn’t have time. Maybe next time she’ll get more warning.” She glared at Lucas, pleased to see guilt surrounding him. She couldn’t dive into Cal, but she knew her baby brother’s moods, and he was a mixture of happy and nervous. Penny knew he enjoyed playing, but as a rookie, he was still finding his place with his teammates. She turned to Bash and got nothing. Blank. Empty. A vast well of nothingness. Just like your skills.

Penny looked away from him. Being with him would be easier if she wasn’t a witch, but if she wasn’t a witch, she wouldn’t have given Bash the time of day. She needed to push through this challenge.

Chairs surrounded the fire pit. Someone, probably Cal, had built a Jenga-style pile of logs and some twigs glowed inside them. Penny moved closer to the window and stared at the embers, willing them to grow. And they did. She added a touch of wind swirling out from the house to the backyard. It was enough for the flames to breathe but not jump. Penny might not fully have her gifts, but she would. She would stick with Bash and make a breakthrough.

“Do you want a sandwich to take with you?” Bash asked, surprising everyone.

“No thank you, but I won’t say no to one of Maggie’s blondies.”

He grabbed one with a napkin and handed it to her.

“I’ll walk you out.” She gave Cal a quick hug as she passed and wished Lucas good luck with the meeting. “Your fire’s roaring,” Bash said to Cal, and she followed his line of sight to the fire pit.

Cal shook his head as he walked to the sliding patio door, saying, “Yeah, I’ve got a magical touch with fires.” He looked at Penny in disbelief. She hadn’t pulled a stunt like this in ages. But she didn’t regret it. His pathetic fire needed help, and she needed to prove herself to herself.

He opened the door for her and inhaled as she brushed past. The scent reminded him of the fruit trees blooming on a small Greek island he’d visited. She smelled of sunshine, lemon, and a hint of warm earth. Bash pulled her to the side of the garage away from the house, loosening the bulb in the light as they passed. He needed a little one-on-one time with Penny without being watched, and he wanted to know what had caused her to look so forlorn in the car.

She seemed anxious instead of her usual calm, and it fueled his anxiety. Bash had enough worries of his own about tonight’s meeting; he didn’t need to be distracted by hers. He’d get her issue out of the way and then they could deal with his bigger ones.

“What’s wrong?”

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