Page 17 of Out of Bounds

With a triumphant smile, Ryan finished tearing out the drawing, folded it, and shoved it in his pocket. Without breaking a stride, he passed the sketchbook to me.

The whole damn conversation was childish. There were goals I wanted to achieve and those wouldn’t be checked off by filling my time arguing with some cocky football player.

Whatever he was selling, I wasn't buying. Shaking my head, I knew without a doubt, whatever the upcoming meeting was going to bring—I wouldn’t be involved in it.

7

Ryan

Benefit All Parties Involved

I’d walked through our training facilities thousands of times. You could’ve asked me where the exits were, what doors needed an extra shove, or what conference rooms Adam hid inside when one of his girls came calling. I could’ve answered all of it. I knew the place like the back of my hand.

But there was something different with Kassie. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but every shadow on the wall, every minor stain, made me grimace.

"Hm." Kassie craned her neck to get a better view of the enormous banners in the front lobby. "Seethat’smore accurate than the bobblehead."

"Uh-huh."

My mind drifted off toward other things. The next couple of months would be…something. I’d been so focused on practices,training, and gameplays, I couldn’t picture the kind of schedule Cleo would draw up.

I glanced down at Kassie again, with her hands shoved in her pockets. And her jeans, with something scribbled on the back pocket. The curve of her ass…

The nice ass of a feisty art student.

No. Back to business.

To get to Cleo’s War Room, our public relations office, it took a tense elevator ride. Kassie made sure I knew how reluctant she was. And when we walked to the door, she didn’t move from the hallway. The art girl gave me a hard look.

"So…what is this?"

I wasn’t the one to explain it.

"Sit down," I said, striding over to the chairs.

"I want to know what this is."

"Are you going to sit down?" I held the back of the chair for her and offered a smile. "Or are you going to eye-fuck me hard again?"

Kassie’s suspicious glance vanished. She held up a finger, thought better of it, and put it back.

"Yeah, I heard." I chuckled. "Are you going to sit down?"

In one fell swoop, I found the perfect way to stop the arguments. Kassie took a seat without another word. Her dark hair cascaded over my fingers while I pushed her chair in.

I pulled away, but my fingers twitched on their own accord.

What is this?

Adam had a point. I’d been staying away from girls since Coach Lawson took over and straightened us into shape. There wasn’t time for bleacher bunnies. The last time I got laid was…shit, December? Was it really that long ago?

I flexed my hand at my side and tried to walk over to my chair, like any of this was normal. Like I couldn’t hear the blood pounding in my ears.

Cleo’s War Room was two parts wall and two parts uninterrupted glass. One side showed our outdoor training field, and the other side showed the hallway. A hallway that was usually empty when I called in.

But, in the middle of the school day, a stream of cheerleaders and football players breezed in between classes—all my people.

All my people gawking at the two of us as they walked down the hallway.

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