Page 25 of Your Rule to Break

My dick twitches at the thought of her naked. Her skin, creamy and bare. Those perfect tits on full display. The curve of her thighs up and around her ass. I wonder what she looks like when she comes undone?

“Any other fuck friends in this bar? Boyfriends? Anyone else eager to follow you into a dark hallway?”

Emilie shakes her head no. “Well, no one besides you.” She winks, and I swear to god I can’t help the devilish laugh that escapes me. I pull my head back and shake it, desperate to get a grip.

The push and pull. The push of the fabricated nature of this whole thing but the pull of the way she looks at me, how her skin feels touching mine, the way my hands feel as if they belong on her.

“Just me, huh?” I tease, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before grazing her jaw.

Her eyes blink slowly. “Just you,” she answers, quiet enough that I can barely hear her. But I feel her lips move—that’s how close I am.

Our mouths are a sigh apart. A single shift from either of us and they’d be touching. Fuck, I want to kiss her. Maybe I should?

Her chest rises and falls, quicker than before. The result of us, like this.

“Are you going to kiss me?” Emilie asks, catching me off guard.

I almost answer her with a kiss. A resounding yes. But her eyes glance to her right, just for the briefest of seconds. I follow suit and see Colton, still awkwardly standing around.

This changes things.

I lean in, and before our lips could hit, I move my head to the side. “Here’s the thing,” I murmur, my voice low and raspy. “The first time I kiss you won’t be in front of any of your old fuck friends.” I can feel her suck in a breath. “Or when we have friends waiting for us to get back.” I tip my head into hers.

“Is that so?” she asks, her voice shaky in a way you could only hear if you were really listening for it.

“Fucking positive. You only get one first kiss, and I plan to make the most of it.” I barely know what I’m saying but I don’t know if I could ever just kiss her once, in a dark hallway.

“I’m the kind of guy who likes to take his time.”

But because I can’t help myself, my lips graze from her ear lobe down to the crook of her neck, where I plant a soft kiss.

Emilie presses into it.

And Ialmostgive in.

Chapter 16

Emilie

Willow and I walkhand in hand to the high-security entrance. Even though I’ve done this before, today feels different. Charged.

Granted, it is the Upstate Cosmos’ first game of the season, and it’s at home since they’re the reigning Super Bowl champions. It might only be their second season in the NFL but you’d never be able to tell from their fan base.

Seth, Willow’s head of security, walks a few steps ahead of us. Even though the security here is more than sufficient, he needs to be in control. I know he’ll stand outside of the suite for most of the game, just like he always does.

We love him, though.

Since it’s the home opener, I thought Zack’s parents would come but apparently they get too nervous and don’t attend many games.

Today, I get that. My stomach feels like it’s tied in a knot, and with each minute closer to kick-off, it pulls tighter. I went to almost all of the home games last year and yes, I wanted the Cosmos to win, but now it’s different.

We walk into the suite and are greeted by familiar faces—mostly WAGS, wives and girlfriends, of other players. They take me in wearing Zack’s jersey tailored into a dress and paired with a charcoal gray slip underneath, the lace peeking out at the bottom. I’m wearing Cosmos blue glitter boots—a perk to being Willow’s assistant. Stylists, brands,and anything you can think of will send her things to wear on game day, and sometimes I benefit.

I walk to the glass and try to spot Zack. He’s easy to find in the special teams core because he looks like a kernel of popcorn in hot oil. The man’s energy is unmatched—that’s how it’s always been on game day.

Zack stretches with a teammate, and I swear I can hear his laugh from here. Seeing him on the field has my nerves fighting for their life. There’s no denying I'm nervous but also ridiculously excited.

Today’s going to be fun.

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