Page 5 of Dangerous Play

Maybe I should have gotten laid. My throbbing cock agreed with me.

“Good game today,” she mentioned casually.

I smiled, and this time, I didn’t even have to force it. It came naturally, like any time someone told me I played well. But contrary to all the Hillview girls screaming it at me as we exited the stadium, Ivy stated it. As if she didn’t expect anything less.

“I know.” I grinned, wanting to hear her sweet chuckle one more time.

“Can’t even pay you a compliment without you getting all cocky about it.”

“Oh, you can. I’m just surprised you watched me play. I assumed your eyes were glued toyourcaptain.”

The sharp inhale of her breath told me I hit a nail. Her cheeks flushed and her playful smile dropped.

“You know,” she muttered, turning around and letting her golden curls cover her face.

“I was trying to piece it together. You look alike… you and your sister.”

Her shoulders slumped. Having your boyfriend dump you for your sister was not a position anyone would want to be in. Especially not when said boyfriend was a colossal asshole. Even I heard the rumors about their messy break-up during their family vacation.

“Hey… you don’t have to be embarrassed about it,” I said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. I curled my fingers into the soft cotton of her hoodie until she stiffened under my touch.

I wasn’t the best with dealing with outbreaks and the last thing I wanted was to see Ivy cry.

She turned to face me, no longer teary-eyed. “I want payback.”

I wanted to shake myself for not seeing it before. Perhaps, I was too busy ogling her to realize the truth of our encounter.

She. Sought. Me. Out.

And she had an agenda.

“I would say… date his best friend?” I offered, but we both know Ander didn’t care about that. He would have cracked a joke about how they are sharing her, and even the thought of that pissed me off.

Ivy shook her head. “You and I both know he only really hates one person.”

Hate was a strong word, but Ander couldn’t separate the game from real life. I was his enemy on the field, but he was always hostile toward me outside of it as well. Ever since our freshman year when we first played against each other.

I thought he saw me as a threat, but maybe there was something more to it.

“You want me to date you?” I pried, putting her out of her misery. “I never even had a girlfriend.”

“You had, freshman year… that brunette girl.”

Okay, yes. Thalia was, but that was a long time ago. I was a junior now, and ever since that shit show of a relationship, I never jumped back into the dating pool. I preferred playing in the hookup now.

“It wouldn’t come as surprise,” Ivy went on. “Plus, you don’t want to get caught up in emotions. This would be the perfect alibi for you too. It would give you a free pass.”

I stared at her. “Are you proposing I date you?”

“Fake-date,” Ivy corrected, making me blink.

What the hell was even fake-dating?

“Babe, I think you read way too many romance books. People don’t do that in real life.”

“Yeah, they do. Even soccer players when they mess up and they need to clear their image, or whenever you want to get back at someone… or really any time.”

My ego hurt. I needed to end it and get the hell away from Ivy.