Offside: Rules of the Game Book 1

Several trips up and down the elevator later, I was moved into our new place. Not even remotely unpacked, but all my boxes were stowed away in my room, along with my bed, dresser, and desk. Siobhan had, thankfully, already purchased furniture for the shared areas with her rental insurance payout. It was a good thing too, because I didn’t have any other furniture. Or money.

Everything Shiv purchased coordinated perfectly. A sleek navy blue sectional, modern light-colored wood kitchen table set, plus a few accent pieces. The pieces were stylish and looked distinctly grown-up; a definite improvement over the second-hand furnishing situation at my old place, complete with battered coffee table and worn, dirt-brown couch oozing stuffing at the seams.

Factoring in the much nicer roommate, significantly newer building, and the ability to finally have Chase over, the move was an upgrade in every sense of the word.

Including the monthly rent. But who needs groceries?

After we brought up the last set of boxes, Chase followed me into the kitchen to get a glass of water. I filled my cup under the fridge dispenser while he leaned against the counter, reading a text.

“Dallas and Shiv are going to Penner’s for drinks.” He locked his phone and slid it back into his pocket. “He’s a guy on our team. Ty and a few other people will be there too. Do you want to go?”

“Sure. What time?” I set my empty glass on the black granite countertop, glancing up at him.

“Whenever. They’re heading there now. But if you want to chill for a bit, we can leave in half an hour or something.”

“I wonder what we should do till then.” I tilted my head and smirked. “There’s a game on. Chicago versus Boston?”

“Fuck the game. Let’s circle back to my list.” Chase pivoted to face me and took a step forward, eyes darkening. Warmth radiated from his body as he fenced me in against the cupboard with his arms, gripping the edge of the counter behind my back.

“Sadly, all my skirts are packed. And I don’t think your truck will fit inside this apartment. Guess you’re out of luck.”

His smoldering expression cracked, his mouth tugging. “Watch it, or I’ll make a point to tease you even longer.”

“You already teased me once today.”

“Oh, I was just getting started.” He nudged my legs apart with his knee. I drew in a soft gasp as he pressed against me, igniting a flicker of desire within my core.

“Really?” I wasn’t sure how much of that my brain could take. Or other parts of me.

“I’ve got all kinds of plans for you.” He leisurely traced a finger along my collarbone, dipping over top of my dark green T-shirt between my breasts. A tingle ran down my spine. His tone softened, losing its edge. “But you can always tell me to stop if it’s too much.”

“I know.” Never needed to, but I knew he would in a heartbeat.

“How about this? Say red if you want me to stop…” Chase ducked his head, and his soft lips met mine. I gripped his upper arms as his tongue pushed inside my mouth. One hand nimbly unbuttoned my jeans, and he pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss. “Yellow for wait or slow down,” he murmured against my lips, tugging at my zipper. “And green for keep going.”

“Mmm…” I ran a hand through his silky hair. “Green.”

One rough palm skimmed down the side of my ribcage, then paused.

“You are so fucking gorgeous.” He ran the pad of his thumb along my cheek, tilting my chin up. His voice turned stern. “But you’re still in trouble.”

My breath caught. “For what?”

“Not calling me.”

I should have known he wouldn’t let it go so easily.

“I didn’t want you to worry.”

“I was worried anyway.”

“Er…red?”

He shook his head, jaw tight. “Doesn’t work for that, James.” His deep brown eyes scanned my face. “You downplay things. Why?”

“I don’t know.” It was an instinct. I didn’t know how not to. If I dug deep enough, I could probably come up with a few theories—but none that I particularly wanted to discuss.

“Turns out,” he said, “I was right to worry.”

“Guess so.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Strong, broad hands spanned my hips, thumbs stroking the bare skin above my waistband.

“It won’t.”

He raised his dark eyebrows. “Sounds like it almost did.”

It was hard to say. Did Luke actually pose a threat? He would never have bothered to show up and behave like he did when we were dating, so it made even less sense now that we weren’t.

Chase watched me, waiting for a response. My tongue darted out, licking my lip, and his gaze fell to my mouth, his pupils dilating.

“Lucky for you,” he said, eyes snapping back up to meet mine, “I’m way too worked up to get into this right now. But we’re not done.”

“Okay.”

He pressed his body against me again and murmured in my ear. “You’re wet for me already, aren’t you, baby?”

“Maybe.”

“Let’s see.” He slipped his hand beneath the waistband of my underwear and stroked me, setting off an explosion of pleasure. “Knew it. You’re soaked.”

I drew in a shuddering breath as he continued to touch me, pushing every button in exactly the right way.

“Do you like it when I touch you like this?”

“Mm-hmm.” My eyelids drifted shut, and I whimpered again, hips tilting against his hand. I could barely stay upright, let alone dirty talk back to him.

Pressure built between my legs as he continued to tease me in the most exquisite form of torture. I leaned back against the counter, letting out another moan.

“Fuck. I love when you make sounds for me.”

I grabbed his hand, hips arching against his touch. I was so close to an orgasm I could practically see it. Could almost reach out and touch it. Chase slowed down, keeping me on the verge, and a growl of frustration escaped the back of my throat in response.

“Not yet.” His warm breath fanned across my neck.

I peeked up at him. “But I’m right there.”

“I know.” Chase grinned. “You have a tell.”

I do?

“What is it?”

He shook his head, deep brown eyes gleaming. “Can’t give away all my secrets. I just know.”

I sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers slid against me again, holding me on the edge without release. Another growl of frustration followed.

“You’re cute when you’re frustrated.”

“Oh my god.” I whimpered. “You’re mean.” I wasn’t used to being bothered in this way, either. Before Chase, it had been the frustration of trying to capture the ever-elusive orgasm. Now he was purposely keeping it away?

“You can say red and I’ll stop teasing you. I’ll let you have what you want right now. Otherwise, I’m not letting you come until I say so.”

“When’s that going to be?”

“When I fuck you. Later.” He kissed me on the cheek. “But we should probably get going. I want to stop by my house to change.”

I blew out a breath. How was it possible to be turned on and annoyed at the same time?

“I think I might hate you right now.”

Chase smirked. “No, you don’t.”

“Let’s swing by the liquor store,” Chase said, signaling and making a left turn as we pulled away from his place.

“But you’re driving.”

“Not planning on drinking much. Just have a policy against showing up places empty-handed.”

Minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot and scanned the rows of parking spaces with a frown. They were all occupied, probably because of the movie theater in the same commercial complex. Finally, he found a vacant spot nearly a block away.

The radio cut away from the sports talk show we were listening to.

“Breaking news on the sex tape scandal for NHL player Matthew Stevens,” the announcer said. “Stevens allegedly recorded a second unidentified woman without her consent while they were engaged in sexual activity. Criminal charges are now pending.”

Matthew Stevens was an up-and-coming hockey prodigy one year older than Chase. He was on track to be the next Sidney Crosby in terms of his skill and style of gameplay. Now it looked like his career might be over before it started.

“Yikes.” I turned down the volume quickly. Definitely didn’t need to think about that right now. Or ever.

“No kidding.” Chase grimaced as he pulled into the lone vacant spot. “Something like that could end his career.”

And hers too—whoever she was. The news was keeping her identity anonymous for now, but if criminal charges went ahead, it would be revealed eventually. Then his lawyers would probably drag her name and reputation through the mud any way possible.

Not to mention that everyone she knew could go to PornPlace—or whatever it was called—and watch her most intimate moments. Horrifying.

A prickle of anxiety crept back into the corner of my brain. I’d pushed the sex tape blind item to the back of my mind until now, but I was getting paranoid again.

There was no way that had anything to do with me.

Couldn’t.

I hoped.

Fifteen minutes later, Chase pulled up in front of a blue two-story house in a newer development. It wasn’t as impressive as the one he lived in with Dallas and Ty, but it was still nicer than the average college student accommodations.

He parked against the curb and killed the ignition. Unbuckling my seat belt, I shifted in my seat, moving closer to him and placing a hand on his thigh.

Payback time.

“Before we go in,” I said, “tell me more about your truck sex fantasy.”

His gaze fell to my hand, then lifted up to my face. He gave me a devilish smile. “What about it?”

“Where would this take place?” I slid my palm higher up his jean-clad leg. “I mean, in theory.”

“Lots of quiet areas out where my mom lives. Maybe around Thanksgiving, we could take a little detour…”

“Mmm,” I hummed, moving higher. “We should definitely do that.”

Chase shifted his weight, drawing in a breath; now I had him going.

“Dammit.” He shook his head.

“What?”

“You know what. You’re making me horny before we have to go inside.”

“Call it payback, Carter.” I gave him a look. “Besides, you’re always horny.”

“Of course I am,” he said. “Look at you.”

Everyone was bombed by the time we showed up. Dallas and Siobhan had gotten drunk on expensive wine at dinner with his parents—Shiv in particular, and she was talking so loudly I could hear her from the next room. And reportedly, the majority of the guests had been playing beer pong for a good portion of the night. Based on the noise level, it showed.

Chase steered me into the kitchen and quickly introduced me to Kyle Penner. He had wavy, reddish-blond hair and didn’t look familiar to me, but a lot of the guys looked different off the ice.

But the girl with him did look familiar. Dark hair, very pretty, petite. She was the girl hanging off Chase at the rink after the game against Callingwood. Kristen. I wasn’t her biggest fan, and there was definitely history between her and Chase.

After an awkward exchange, we headed into the living room where a group of people was playing a drinking game with cards. Tyler and the girl he’d brought were making out on a couch in the corner while his hand crept dangerously high underneath her short skirt. I had to avert my eyes to avoid seeing straight up it.

“Bailey!” Shiv squealed, waving us over. We squeezed onto the couch beside her and Dallas. “Are we still going shopping for the gala this weekend?”

Right. The gala. In the chaos of the move, I had forgotten. It was a big charity event that the hockey community put on for the Children’s Hospital Foundation. We were sharing a table with Dallas and Shiv, Ty and his date, and another couple.

It sounded nice—and fancy, which was a slight issue for me in terms of the dress code. But I would figure it out. Maybe via Zara or Noelle’s closet.

“Yup.”

By we, I meant I would accompany her and watch while spending zero dollars.

“I can’t wait,” she said. “I love dress shopping.”

Dallas chortled. “You love shopping, period. Even grocery shopping with you is an event.”

Shiv rolled her eyes, taking a sip of beer. “You have more shoes than I do, Dal.”

Chase nudged me. “Are you going to buy something sexy for me?”

Yeah, with my negative-balance bank account.

“Uh, no.” I cleared my throat. “I’m sure I have something. Just going for Shiv.”

We joined in their drinking game, playing together and sharing a beer because I didn’t understand the rules and didn’t want to get drunk. A few rounds later, I excused myself to use the bathroom. The one on the main floor was occupied by someone throwing up, so Kyle directed me upstairs to the other bathroom.

After drying my hands, I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. A wall of solid muscle with mischievous dark eyes stopped me.

Chase gave me a crooked smile. “Hi.”

“Hi.” My breath caught as he placed his hands on my hips and took a step forward, steering me into the bathroom. “What are you doing?”

“Getting you alone.”

“Why?”

“Why do you think?” He closed the door behind him and locked it, then flipped on one set of lights, bathing the bathroom in a dim glow.

“But there are people downstairs.”

“Not sure if you noticed, but they’re all too plastered to even realize we’re gone.” His eyes danced. “Besides, that’s what makes it hot.”

I drew in a breath. “I—”

“Unless you don’t want me to make good on all that teasing.” Warm hands slid under my shirt, fingers digging into my skin. Liquid heat pooled between my legs. “But teasing you gets me worked up too, so between that and the truck, I really need to fuck you. And I’m pretty sure you feel the same way.”

I bit my bottom lip and nodded.

Chase backed me up against the counter. “Can you be quiet for me, baby?”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Guess you’re going to have to try.”

With his lips on mine, he leveled me with a demanding kiss. Time sped up, our mouths and hands moving in a blur. Desire crashed over me as I fumbled with his belt, unfastening it and his jeans. His hands slid down the curve of my hips, taking my pants and underwear with them.

Grabbing the backs of my thighs, he set me on the counter and spread my legs. I splayed my hands across his lower back, trying to pull him closer to me, but he stopped short.

He dipped his head, mouth beside my ear. “Say it.”

“Say what?”

“Say fuck me, please. Or maybe I want your cock buried deep inside my pussy. I need specific instructions about what you want me to do.”

The throb between my legs verged on painful. I wanted those things. Very badly. Verbalizing them was another story.

“I can’t say that,” I breathed.

“Oh, I think you can.” He palmed my breasts and squeezed. “Otherwise, we’ll both be left hanging. And I don’t think either of us wants that.”

“I…want you.”

His gaze held mine, predatory and expectant. “Want me to what?”

Breath coming out in tiny pants, I watched him for a beat. He placed his hands on my bare upper thighs, waiting. My heart pounded against my ribcage. I was too turned on to be self-conscious. I needed him.

“I want you to fuck me.”

“Good girl.” He gripped my hips roughly and pulled me closer to the edge of the counter, simultaneously pushing inside me. Pleasure instantly surged through my body, going from zero to sixty for the third time today.

“Oh god,” I whispered, arching my back against him.

One hand spanned my lower back, holding me in place, while the other slid up the back of my neck and grabbed a fistful of hair at the roots. I tried to stifle a moan as he moved against me, staying deep and hitting the perfect spot.

“Can I pull your hair a little harder?” he asked, voice low.

“Mm-hmm.”

His grip tightened, tugging in a way that pulled me deeper into him, into the ecstasy he created. At my ear, he murmured, “You take it so well for me.”

Chase thrust harder, changing the angle and sending the pleasure past the limits of what I could tolerate. My vision turned fuzzy, and I buried my face in his shoulder to quiet myself.

As I hit the peak, he angled my face up to his and planted a scorching kiss on my lips, muffling my cries. My nails dug into his skin as pleasure spilled over in a wave. It was bright, blinding, all-consuming. I lost awareness of everything but what he was doing to my body.

Just as it was starting to recede, he thrust into me harder. Both of his hands flew to my waist, and he pulled me against him. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Then he stilled, dropping his forehead against mine. Drawing in a shaky breath, I placed my palms on his chest, feeling his heart pound against his ribcage. While not all that risqué, it was the most public thing I’d done—ever. And I’d liked it.

Pulling back, he studied me, biting his knuckle with a grin. “You look freshly fucked, baby.”

“You might want to look in the mirror before you get too cocky there, Carter.”

He glanced at his reflection and laughed. “Good point.”