Page 25 of The Problem with Players

“I’m more of a rule breaker.”

“Trust me, I know. I saw your baseball stats.”

I smiled slyly. “So you’ve followed my stats?”

“Deflate your big head, Mr. Ego. I study all the top baseball players’ stats.”

I smiled wider. “So you think I’m one of the best?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “Rule number one,” she scolded. “You’ll respect my decisions around the boys. If you disagree, you discuss it with me in private.”

“Does that go both ways?”

“Of course. I don’t need the boys thinking there’s an issue between us coaches. Coach Erikson didn’t adhere to that rule. It made the past few years of my life hell. We don’t need to showcase a disconnect.”

“Even though there is a clear disconnect, based on the room's energy right now.”

“We are as disconnected as two people could ever be.”

“I’d like to take an opportunity to plug us back together.”

“That sounds highly inappropriate, which brings me to the next rule. No inappropriate comments toward me.”

I arched an eyebrow and dramatically slammed my hand over my heart. “When have I ever been inappropriate?”

She cocked an “are you shitting me right now” eyebrow.

I chuckled. “Okay, no inappropriate commentary.”

“Rule number three?—”

“How many rules are there?”

“A lot. There are a lot of rules.” She smoothed her hands over her hoodie and rolled her shoulders back. “No talk about us.”

“I can’t talk about us?”

“No. Not the old us, at least. Not like…what we once were.”

“You mean how we were in love?” I questioned.

Avery’s cheeks flushed as she moved over to my door andshut it. She continued to whisper-shout as she looked my way. “Exactly that! No talk about any of that. No one even knows about that whole situation.”

“I’m sure Yara and Willow do. Didn’t you tell your sisters?”

She pointed a stern finger my way. “I would answer that, but that’s breaking rule number three, and we will not break these rules.”

“Whatever you say, Coach.”

She rolled her eyes—again. It was as if whenever I spoke, she displayed a heavy level of disgust. I’d never had someone react so intensely to my mere existence. It was as if whenever I spoke, Avery got a damn hairball stuck in her throat that she wanted to hack up.

Most women had the complete opposite reaction to me. Not to sound cocky, but Avery made me feel like a slimy alien that she loved to belittle.

Oddly enough, that only made me want to be closer to her.

Call it a shame kink, if you will.

I took a seat in my office chair and spun around. “Any more rules?”

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