Playing By The Rules (The Players)

I WAKE up with a sweet little bundle wrapped up in my arms.

Blair.

It’s still dark out. Quiet. I can hear the steady rhythm of her breathing, slow and deep. Her face is pressed against my chest, one long leg thrown over mine, her arm draped around my waist. Mine is around her, holding her lightly, my hand on her ass.

She has a nice one. I’ve always had a thing for it. And it feels perfect against my palm. Even through the fabric of her dress she wouldn’t remove before she dove under the comforter.

This fucking dress.

No, this fucking girl. Woman.

She drives me out of my damn mind.

Kissing her felt like coming home, and if that isn’t some sappy shit, I don’t know what is. But it’s true. The moment my lips touched hers, it felt good. More than that, it felt right. Like kissing Blair Maguire is what I was made to do. That and football.

And that’s fucked up. I can’t go around continuing to kiss my best friend’s sister. Kissing will lead to other things and I can’t do any of those other things with her. Unless I want to get my ass kicked and lose my best friend forever.

Despite everything, I don’t regret what happened last night. Does that mean I’m willing to take the chance on possibly losing my friendship with Knox?

A little murmur sounds, Blair’s lips moving against my chest as she snuggles even closer, and I close my eyes, bracing myself. She’s practically lying on top of me, her hand sliding up my rib cage, lightly tickling my skin.

I give her ass a light tap as a warning and she does it again. Tickles me.

This time on purpose.

So I tap her ass again. Harder this time.

“Pull my hair and call me baby, and I’ll be yours forever,” she whispers.

The fuck?

Without hesitation, I grab her hair at the base of her neck, wrapping my fingers around it like they’re a frickin’ scrunchie and tug on it slightly. She tips her head back at the same time I look down at her, her eyes cracking open, a sly smile curling her lips.

“I wondered when you’d finally get around to it,” she murmurs.

“You want me to slap your ass and pull your hair?” I am incredulous. She seems like such a sweet little thing.

“I want you to do whatever you want to me.”

That is an open invitation I don’t think she’s aware she’s giving me.

I still have a handful of her ass in my palm and I give it a squeeze, which makes her snuggle even closer. My dick—which has been in a perpetual erect state since I started kissing her in my car last night—surges against the front of my boxer briefs, letting me know he’s perfectly open to being sprung free.

“You can’t say shit like that,” I croak, clearing my throat. “I still need to figure out how to get you home.”

“You throw on some sweats and you drive me home like a gentleman,” she suggests, her voice prim.

Prim, while she’s got herself wrapped all around me like a clingy koala bear.

“I can do that.” I release my hold on her hair and stroke it instead, my fingers getting tangled in the soft strands. “Just let me…hold you for a few minutes longer.”

The moment the words are out, I wish I could snatch them back. Shove them down my throat and forget I even said them. I can’t admit things like that to Blair. Leaving myself open and vulnerable for this girl. Worse, I feel like I’m giving her hope.

When I’m absolutely hopeless.

“I don’t mind.” She sounds so pleased with herself. Pleased with me. She scoots up and somehow presses her face into my neck, her mouth soft and damp against my skin when she speaks. “This feels nice.”

It feels better than nice. And she was right. Naked cuddling wasn’t the move. Once I got her naked, there would’ve been no cuddling. It would’ve been on. So, yeah.

This is much better.

For now.

We lie together for at least another hour, Blair drifting back to sleep while I lie there and savor holding her in my arms. Until the grayish light of early dawn starts to filter through the edges of my blinds, slowly illuminating the room. Allowing me to study her lying on top of me. How good she looks there.

How right.

Clearly, I’ve lost my damn mind.

Finally, she pulls out of my embrace and rolls over the side of the bed, her head dangling over the floor as she reaches for something. What, I’m not quite sure. When I see the screen light up her face, I realize she’s checking her phone.

“It’s past five,” she says, practically falling out of bed before she stands. “I should go.”

Reluctantly, I crawl out of bed and find a pair of sweats, slipping them on before I pull a T-shirt over my head. I shove my feet into some old Adidas slides as she puts her sandals back on and then we’re sneaking out of my apartment, quietly creeping past Knox’s closed bedroom door.

By the time we’re in my car and I’m starting the engine, I’m fully awake and aware of what we just did. It wasn’t much in the scheme of things, but I still feel guilty.

I even feel a little remorse.

“Are you regretting it?” she asks when I pull into the parking lot of her apartment.

I send her a quick look, surprised at her perceptiveness. “No.”

A little laugh escapes her, but it sounds sad. “Yeah, right.”

She’s exiting my car before I can barely put it in park, and I call out her name to keep her from slamming the door and walking away completely.

“I’ll see you later?” I send her a pointed look, wanting her to know this isn’t it. I’ll see her again. I want to do this again. Maybe?

Probably shouldn’t, but I know myself. When it comes to this girl…

I’m weak.

“Sure, Cam. Bye.” She shuts the door and turns, walking toward her building, never once looking back.

I watch her go, my gaze dropping to her ass, the way it shifts and moves beneath the dress. We barely did anything. Some simple kissing that turned into some heavy making out that transformed into cuddling and sleeping together in my bed, wrapped up in each other. Big deal.

I hook up with women pretty often with zero regrets. Always looking to get off and nothing else. Relationships are complicated. Feelings make things difficult. Maybe that’s my problem. I actually have feelings for Blair and that’s why I’m having a hard time watching her walk away without a backward glance. Like I just pissed her off when I really didn’t do anything.

Did I? I don’t think so.

Shit. I probably did.

I toss and turn for the next couple of hours before I finally give up and roll out of bed, taking a shower while jerking off yet again to thoughts of Blair. At least I have more to work with now, like how it feels to lie in bed with her in my arms. Her soft body pressing into mine, her breasts resting against my chest. My imagination goes into overdrive with what she might look like naked. I have a decent visual, but damn, I wish I could see the real thing in the flesh.

I could be so lucky.

Once I’m out of the shower and dressed, I go to the kitchen, a little surprised to see Knox’s bedroom door is still shut tight. I go about my business, brewing a cup of coffee with the Keurig, while popping a couple of slices of whole wheat bread into the toaster. I fry up a couple of eggs and settle them on top of the toast, then drench them in hot sauce before I settle into my spot at the kitchen counter when I hear a ringing sound coming from nearby.

Knox’s iPad, which is plugged into the charger at the counter. He’s getting a FaceTime call from his other sister, Ruby. Her smiling face flashes on the screen, Knox’s arm hooked around her neck.

Glancing around, the words fuck it drift through my head as I lean over and answer the call. Ruby’s eyes about pop out of her head when she discovers who’s waiting for her on the screen.

“Camden Fields in the flesh,” she murmurs, her lips curving into a smile.

I smile at her in return. “Hey, Ruby.”

She’s pretty, I can’t deny that fact. Both of the Maguire sisters are, but there’s something about Blair that just gets me going every time I see her, and Ruby doesn’t have it. At least with me, she doesn’t.

“Where’s my brother?” she asks.

I look over my shoulder at Knox’s closed door before I return my attention to her. “Still sleeping.”

“What a bum.”

“You are a few hours ahead of us,” I remind her.

“Only two. Doesn’t he have an early class? Did I wake you up?”

“I’m eating breakfast.” I hold up my plate to show her.

“I don’t want to disturb you, Cam. I’ll let you go. Tell Knox to call me when he can if you see him.” She’s about to disconnect when I stop her.

“I don’t mind talking to you for a few minutes,” I say, sounding completely lame because why am I wanting to talk to her?

Right, I might want to drill her for info about her sister.

“Oh. Well, what’s up? How’s school? How’s football?”

I fill her in on the usual stuff, telling her what I tell everyone else. School is good, football is great, my life is perfect, blah blah blah. Even though that last part is a lie. My life is far from perfect, but I can guess Ruby Maguire doesn’t want to hear about my troubles. Why should she care?

“Dating anyone special?” she asks once I’m done.

“No.” I sound defensive, muttering that one word, even to my own ears. “Not really.”

“Not really?” Her brows shoot up. “Tell me. Is there someone you’re interested in?”

“It’s complicated.”

Her smile grows. “Oh, now you have to tell me, Camden. I need all the details.”

“There are no details to share.” I backpedal, needing to change the subject. “What about you? How’s school going there? Are you seeing anyone?”

“School is a shitshow. I hate it out here, and no, I’m seeing absolutely no one because all of the prospects here on this godforsaken campus are terrible,” she says almost bitterly. “Knox suggested I should move back home and enroll where you guys are at, and I’m thinking about it. That’s why I called him. I wanted his input, but you’re like Knox, so I’ll ask your opinion instead. Do you think I should come out there and go to school? Do you like it there?”

“If you really hate it where you’re at, then yes. Life’s too short to be miserable.”

“Right? I totally agree. Blair, on the other hand, acts like she doesn’t want me around.” Ruby shakes her head, faintly irritated.

Really? That’s surprising.

“Why do you say that?”

“I don’t know. She acts kind of weird whenever I bring it up.” Ruby shrugs.

“Your sister loves you. I know you guys are close.”

“Maybe not that close.” Ruby pouts, the look on her face reminding me of Blair.

“Oh, come on. I think Blair would love to have you around again. She misses you,” I say, defending Blair because, of course, I am.

“Has she told you that? Do you guys talk? Hang out?” Ruby’s brows shoot up and I wonder what Blair has told her.

Shit. I never even thought about that. Girls talk. Sisters share secrets. Maybe Blair has told her she…likes me or whatever. Am I worthy of that kind of conversation?

Probably not.

“We don’t hang out.” I am lying through my teeth. We did exactly that last night and well into this morning. “And, as a matter of fact, Knox and Blair talked about you a few nights ago when she came over to make us dinner.”

“She made you dinner?” Ruby sounds surprised.

“Me and Knox,” I clarify.

“Isn’t that sweet of her?”

“Isn’t it, though?” I see the gleam in Ruby’s eye. She’s eating this shit up.

“Well, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. But I’ll finish out the semester here at least,” she says. “I’m no quitter.”

Said like a true Maguire. None of them are quitters, that’s for damn sure. “You should come out here in January then.”

“I might,” she says. “Though you and Knox leave pretty much after that.”

“Yeah, we do.”

“Are you excited?” Her face brightens. “You’ll probably get picked up in the draft.”

“Maybe,” I hedge, not about to get all giddy over it. What’s the point? “We’ll see.”

“Playing it cool?”

“Always.”