Page 30 of Out of Bounds

She rolled her eyes and leaned back far enough to thump against the counter behind her. I wasn’t done with the conversation though. I reached down and bunched up the jersey, gripping it tight. Slowly, I pulled her back up to talk to me. Kassie gazed at me in surprise as I tugged her closer until she was only inches away.

My eyes flickered down to where the jersey left her skin. The hint of her hips.

Slowly, I released her.

"You’re so goddamn demanding," she muttered.

"I don’t like this," I said. "You’re drinking. What if something happened? What if you got hurt? And I wasn’t here?"

For the first time in my life, I was playing a game I didn’t understand. I had no clue. Last November, we had a football practice at the start of a tropical storm.Thathad been easier than what Kassie and I had going on.

"Fine," she sighed. "We can redo it."

"Good. How’d you get here?"

"We walked."

"We?"

"My roommate, Zariah, and I," Kassie explained, searching the crowd. "She’s my designated walker for the night. Over there."

I took a long look at the girl with curly hair, hunched over. "Your designated walker is throwing up in the bushes."

"Then…Lyft’s my designated driver."

"No."

"No?"

"I’m driving you home," I told her, leaving no room for argument. "And I’ve got another shirt in my car."

"Why?" Kassie raised her eyebrows.

I took a step closer to the counter, pushing between her legs. "Why?"

12

Ryan

Princess Style Across The Threshold

Was that really a question? The idea that Kassie was wearing anybody else’s jersey made my hands tighten into fists. She wasn’t just Kassandra Ragar anymore. She wasmyKassandra Ragar. My girlfriend. Her wearing anyone else’s jersey couldn’t happen.

"It was ten dollars cheaper." Kassie shrugged. "Andthisstarts a conversation."

Other people at the party forced their way into the inches behind us, trying to get to the outdoor bar. I’d run out of space and her legs rested on either side of me while I was up against the counter. She was so warm to the touch, rubbing against my denim.

"This wasn’t the conversation I wanted," I admitted.

Something new flickered across her face. "We can’t have everything we want, can we?"

I rubbed my jaw. "No."

Eye contact had never been something I’d mulled over before. It was like breathing. Something you don’t think about until you need it. I’d never thought about it before but I did at that frat party, in those sparkling eyes of hers.

Against all reason, against every good idea in the world, I placed my left hand on the counter. She wasn’t even far away. Maybe half an inch. Warmth radiated off her, and I wanted to move in a little closer. No doubt about it, it wasn’t an innocent move. I wasn’t taking up my own space. I was taking hers.

"We’re leaving, Kassie."

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