Page 7 of Offside Rule

"Did she eat anything today? Except for the ice cream, of course," I laughed, and my mother nodded her head.

"Yes, she ate some eggs in the morning with pancetta."

My mom threaded a hand through her white hair, the wrinkles on her face growing more prominent every year. She’d had a tough life. Even if she wasn't old, the hard work over the last few years had caused her to slowly fade away.

"She's ridiculously energetic today. She made me run—" she paused, walking further towards something. "Giulia!" my mother shouted. "Giulia, get away from there!" Her speed increased as she looked down at me. "I have to go, Giulia is playingswimmingwith her toys in the toilet," she told me before closing the call.

I laughed, shaking my head. When I was home, Giulia usually knew that she could play the game in the sink or the small pool we had bought for her, but I had a feeling she believed rebellion would get me home faster.

I placed my phone in my bag and walked further down the street, the warm air enveloping me. I was going to drink a beer, then throw myself in bed and wait for my flight in the morning.

My heart sang at the idea of having Giulia in my arms again. Since she had been born, we'd been inseparable. My daughter was everything I had after ...

No.

Don't go there.

I drew in a harsh breath, hurrying into the first bar my eyes landed on. Great. Now I really needed a beer. Or two.

I refused to acknowledge anything around me as I walked inside and through the crowd. On my left there were tables and chairs everywhere, but that wasn't my destination. I was heading straight to the bar on my right to get tipsy and call it a night.

"Here's your tequila shot," the bartender said as he slid a small glass across the wood to another patron. I refrained from showing my surprise. This seemed like the kind of place where people only drank beer.

I took a place on one of the stools, setting my elbows on the counter. After a few minutes, the bartender moved his attention to me. "Wie kann ich dir helfen?"

"God knows what you said there, but I'll have a beer. Whatever you have," I smiled.

"My question was 'how can I help you' so I guess you got it right," the brown-haired guy joked. "One beer coming right up.” He threw me one of those charming smiles men have, accompanied by happy, light-blue eyes that looked friendly.

"Thank you." My limbs screamed for the solace of a bed as I waited for my drink. Today had really worn me down, especially with the buzzing pain in my knees. It still hadn't calmed down, so I was stuck holding a palm over them for comfort.

Gah. Josh's freezing spray would have come in handy right now.

I slipped a strand of hair behind my ear and thanked the guy as he handed me the beer. I took a sip, groaning as the bitter liquid raced down my throat. My eyes immediately watered, and I gave him what I hoped was a pleased smile.

“Oh, this is good,” I told him, tipping the bottle toward him.

"The first one is on the house," he shouted at me over the chatter before returning to those waiting.

I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t going to stay long enough to make his free drink worth it, but before I could, a shadow fell over me. All the hairs on my body stood in anticipation as I sucked in a breath at the sudden warmth rippling through me.

The wooden bar vibrated under his hands as he placed one on either side of me. I straightened my spine, but my body refused to turn around and face him.

"So," the rough voice tickled my ear as he lowered his head to less than an inch from me. His breath fell over my neck, and I instinctively raised my palm to rub the spot, shivers running down my spine. "You do know football.” The scent of his aftershave invaded my senses.

I rotated on the stool, still a prisoner between his muscular arms. Xavier Kevalle was standing in front of me with a confident smirk and a shining spark in his beautiful green eyes. I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander over his face, taking him in instead of thinking about what to say.

What were the chances we’d meet two nights in a row in two different bars?

"That's my fault for underestimating you," he continued, a small squint on his face—as if he was trying to read me.

I mentally smacked my chest to stop my heart from beating so fast at the mere sight of him. I had always found men incredibly attractive on the field, especially this man—whose career I may or may not have followed over the years.

I swallowed. “Glad I helped you learn a lesson." I gave him a smile, then took another sip of my drink.

"Can I?" He motioned at the empty stool next to me.

My eyes scanned our surroundings nervously, as though I was doing something wrong. “Yeah,” I said after a moment. We weren’t doing anything wrong. For now.

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