Page 33 of Major Penalty

I watch as he crouches in front of one of the smallest girls, adjusting the crooked flower crown on her head.

“Do I look like a princess, Ares?” She giggles.

“Youarea princess,” he replies, fixing the flowers on her head.

The girl smiles up at him, and his eyes soften. I just spent the entire day watching him be someone no one else knows he is. Someone soft and gentle. And now I have to walk away, pretend like this man hasn’t scrambled my brain completely.

I exhale and force myself to walk up to the desk where my purse is.

I hear footsteps behind me, slow and steady.

“How are you getting home?” he asks, the question hanging in the quiet between us. “My friend dropped me off,” I say, turning around to face him. Lie. It was my dad. I still don’t want him to know I’m his coach’s daughter. I don’t want him looking at me differently.

“I’ll take you,” he says after a beat of silence.

I still, my fingers gripping my purse strap a little tighter.

“You don’t have to.” I shake my head.

“I apologize if I made it seem like it was a question,” he says, staring at me with that heavy, intense gaze.

I swallow, realizing that he’s not asking.

His car smells like him—clean, with that faint edge of spice I’m starting to crave. The interior of the car is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I feel like I’m in a spaceship. His presence is overwhelming as I sit in the passenger seat, trying not to look at him.

But I can’t help it. I sneak another glance, but he doesn’t react; he keeps driving as I watch the way his tattooed fingers grip the wheel. The way his jaw tightens and flexes under the streetlights. The way his broad shoulders move with every shift of the car. His side profile is perfect—straight nose, prominent jawline, and Adam’s apple beneath a layer of ink. He’s almost too much to look at.

I look at his hands again, remembering how they felt wrapped around my wrists, and immediately press my thighs together at the surge of heat spreading through me. But Ares glances down, catching the movement. My cheeks warm, and I shift in my seat, trying to cover it up. But I don’t miss the way the corners of his lips curl upward.

“You didn’t have to walk me all the way to my apartment.” I say, my fingers curling around my bag, turning to face him. “But thank you. Not just for the ride. Today was amazing.”

“You’re welcome.” Ares’ eyes drag over my face.

“I bet it was nice having someone above the age of five with you for a change,” I huff out a laugh that Ares doesn’t return.

He hums, considering me for a moment.

“It was,” he finally says, his eyes softening. “The kids like you.”

I play with my bottom lip, backing away toward my door, but something stops me. Something bold, reckless, and stupid makes me take a step toward him instead. I rise on my tiptoes, watching him instinctively lower his head. And I kiss his cheek. It’s soft and quick, barely anything, but I feel his smooth skin beneath my lips.

His body goes rigid, and he turns his head, his pale blue eyes narrowing before dropping to my lips. I mimic him, dragging my gaze down to his slightly parted mouth.

And I don’t think. I just press my mouth against his, light and hesitant. A breath of a kiss, yet it’s enough to have fireworks exploding all over my body. His lips don’t move against mine, don’t pucker, don’t kiss back. And when I open my eyes, I see he hasn’t even closed his and is staring at me with a crazed look.

I pull away, peeling my lips off his unmoving ones, feeling the greatest embarrassment I’ve felt in my entire life.

What the hell did I just do?

I look up at him, my lips less than an inch away from his. He’s looking down at me, brows furrowed, jaw locked, and expression almost pained.

No, no, no.I didnotjust do that.

I open my mouth to speak and I try to take a step back, hoping there’s a hole there and the ground swallows me.

“Oh my God, I am so sorry. I don’t know what came ov—”

My breath is cut short by strong arm wrapping around my waist, tight and unyielding, stopping me from pulling back. I look up at him, wide-eyed, my chest rising and falling with each breath.

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