Playing Hard to Get (The Players)

“I HAVE something I need to tell you.”

I glance up from where I’m sitting at the desk in the office that’s in the back of the bookstore, frowning at Leon who’s standing in the doorway. I come back here and do homework before I start my shift because it’s nice and quiet and no one bothers me.

Usually.

“What do you need to tell me?” I note the distressed expression on Leon’s normally sunny face, my frown deepening, dread coating my stomach.

Uh oh. It can’t be good.

“Your baby daddy Knox Maguire is here—with another girl.”

The dread is gone, just like that, replaced with a faint hint of irritation. “Like I care. And my baby daddy? Come on.” I drop my gaze to my textbook, concentrating hard—or at least attempting to. I can feel Leon watching me, his intense gaze practically burning holes into the top of my head until I finally hear him growl in irritation.

“You’re hopeless.”

My head whips up, my gaze locking with his. “I don’t care about him.”

“You should.” He takes a step inside, cupping his hand around the side of his mouth like he’s going to tell me a secret. “You sat on his lap.”

He somehow whisper-yells that particular fact.

God, I wish I hadn’t told him about that.

“For like three seconds.”

“The best three seconds of your life.”

I think about Knox’s hard, muscular thighs beneath my butt. The way his hands settled on my waist, his palms burning through the fabric of my shirt.

“I don’t know about that.” I slam my textbook shut, making the flimsy desk rattle. Like how Knox rattles me. Ugh. “I have to clock in.”

“Your timing is impeccable.” Leon sniffs, watching as I rise to my feet.

“Please tell me he’s not in the calculator section.” I walk toward him, my steps slow. I kind of don’t want to go out there and see Knox.

And then again, I kind of do.

“Nope. He’s over on the Apple side, looking at laptops with the pretty girl with brownish-blonde hair.” Leon smiles pettily, if that’s a thing. “She’s beautiful.”

“If you think she’s so beautiful, why don’t you go for her then?” I lift my brows, secretly hating how catty I sound.

“I have a girlfriend.” He rests his hand on his chest, offended. “You adore her.”

It’s true. I do. I’m just being a jerk.

“I’m sure she’s nothing to him,” Leon continues as we walk down the short hallway that leads to the actual store. I come to a stop at the time clock and enter my info, clocking in for my shift.

“I don’t care who she is to him.” That’s what I’m trying to convince myself at least. Seriously, what does it matter? I don’t even think Knox knows my name. Not that he wants to know it either. I’m just the girl who helped him find a calculator. Who mistakenly sat on his lap. I’m sure this sort of thing happens to him on a daily basis.

Besides, I’m still in “mourning” over my previous relationship. Despite him cheating on me and all the bullshit he put me through. God, that sucked and even after everything he did, I still miss Bryan sometimes.

The breakup was the right move for us—for me. I’m enjoying learning how to be my own person, and not worrying what my boyfriend thinks when I feel like I’m having too much fun without him.

We stop and glance around the mostly empty store, the hairs on my arms sticking straight up when I spot him.

Knox.

He is so freaking tall, it’s easy to find his golden-brown head, and he’s wearing a white T-shirt that clings to his chest and shoulders in an almost…loving way. Showcasing the width of him, defining all of those muscles hidden beneath.

Bryan had a decent body, but I know just from seeing Knox in that T-shirt that the boy is ripped.

Wonder what he looks like na—

“He’s looking at you,” Leon says out of the side of his mouth. “He’s staring right at us while we stare at him.”

We both launch into action, me scooting over to the cashier counter while Leon goes to the display table in the front and starts folding sweatshirts. A task he absolutely hates and usually leaves to me, since the sweatshirts never, ever stay folded.

In fact, I can hear Leon grumbling right now, under his breath, probably cursing the sweatshirts for existing, which makes me giggle.

“What’s so funny?”

Startling at the loud, masculine voice, I glance to my right to see Knox approaching, coming to a stop a few feet away from me. He’s alone. No cute girl in sight.

Oh wait. She’s still in the Apple section, locked in intense conversation with the sales rep as he shows her a laptop. We’re not the ones who sell Apple products—that’s why there’s a couple of sales representatives who work at the store.

The laughter fades, and I shake my head. “Nothing. You wouldn’t get it.”

“Try me.” He stops, his face falling a bit. “Unless you were laughing at me.”

Say what? Why would I laugh at him? Is he self-conscious? I never got that vibe from him, ever. “Definitely wasn’t about you.”

“Oh. All right.” He scratches the side of his head, wincing. “Wait a sec. Did I just make that all about me?”

“Kind of,” I admit.

He shakes his head, clearly annoyed with himself. “I’m a dick.”

Now I do laugh at him. “You’re really not.”

“You don’t think so?” Knox seems surprised.

It’s my turn to shake my head. “No.”

And I mean it. He’s been nothing but nice to me. Well, maybe he was a little indifferent toward me during our first encounter, but he wasn’t out and out rude.

“Okay, good.” He seems relieved, then quickly glances over his shoulder before he returns his attention to me. “My sister is buying a new laptop. Her old one died on her last night, so she dragged me in here.”

The relief that courses through me is stronger than I imagined it would be. Why does it matter that the cute girl he’s with is his sister? “Hate when that happens.”

“When you have to go shopping with your sister? Yeah, it sucks.” He smothers a chuckle with his hand, but I see the grin on his face.

And my body responds to it, lighting right up like a complete traitor.

“I don’t have a sister,” I admit. “Just an older brother.”

“I have two sisters. Blair just started school here. Our sister Ruby is a freshman, but she goes to a different college.” He clamps his lips shut. “Random facts. Sorry.”

“I don’t mind.” I watch as he slowly starts to approach the counter once more, drawing closer. Close enough that I can practically feel the heat emanating from him and I wonder what his chest feels like.

Rock hard like his thighs, I bet.

“Can I ask you a question?” The words leave my mouth before I can second-guess them.

Knox stops at the counter, propping his forearms on top of the battered wooden surface. My gaze drops to his arms, lingering. They’re thick and corded with muscle and dusted with golden brown hair that matches the hair on his head.

“Whatcha wanna know?” he asks, his smooth voice causing my gaze to jerk up to his. What a mistake. His eyes are such a beautiful shade of green, and I get lost in them for a moment.

He must realize he has this effect on females because his smile is slow and confident.

Ugh.

“Why are you suddenly coming in here all the time?”

“Define all the time.”

“The last three days,” is my automatic answer.

“You’re keeping count?”

Well, that’s embarrassing. “You didn’t answer my question.”

He lifts a single brow, glancing around the cavernous space loaded with books before his gaze returns to mine. “I like to read?”

He says it like a question, which is kind of funny. But I stifle any laughter because I’m being serious.

Why does he keep coming back in here and talking to me? I don’t get it.

“You do not. I’ve never seen you buy one single book.” I turn to my computer and enter his name into the database. It comes up empty, no surprise. Odd though, considering he’s a senior. There are other ways to get textbooks, but the campus store is so convenient. “We don’t even have your info on file.”

“I always pay with cash.”

No one pays with cash. He has to be teasing me.

“Even if you pay cash, we end up getting everyone’s info eventually. We have a great rewards program. You could earn a free coffee or muffin from the café with only a few purchases.”

He steps away from the counter, waving a hand at himself. “Do I look like I eat muffins?”

I roll my eyes. He just shifted back into obnoxious mode.

And no, he doesn’t look like he eats muffins, while I probably do.

I tuck my cardigan tighter around my body. “I don’t understand you.”

“What I don’t understand…” He’s leaning against the counter again, so close I can smell him. His scent is like a crisp fall day. Autumn leaves and sharp apple and woodsy smoke, all mixed together. “Is how you know my name.”

Oh crap. Now I look like a stalker, but come on. Everyone on campus knows his name.

Even me.

My gaze locks with his and I wonder if I look as nervous as I feel. “Please. You’re a celebrity here. Plus, you’ve made two purchases on your credit card, which has your name on it.”

His smile grows, if that’s possible. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone who acts so happy all the time. As if he doesn’t have any problems. I guess when you’re Knox Maguire, you wouldn’t have any problems.

Your life is perfect.

“I figured girls like you wouldn’t know who the hell I was.”

“What do you mean, girls like me?” I’m offended.

“I’m thinking you don’t go to football games, right?”

Oh please. Like he’s looked for me in the past. He doesn’t even know who I am.

“Sometimes.” I shrug. I’m lying. In all of my years going to this college, I’ve never attended a single football game. “Most of the time I have to work.”

“You should take a Saturday off and come watch me play before you lose your chance. If you want, I could get you free tickets for the best seats in the house at our next home game.” He smirks.

I glance over my shoulder to make sure he’s not saying that to someone else. “Are you offering me tickets to your game?” I ask when my gaze returns to his.

His nod is slow. “Yes.”

“Oh.” This has to be some sort of joke. “Well. Thank you, but I’m not interested.”

His mouth falls open for a brief moment, as if I’ve completely disappointed him. “Are you for real right now?”

“I just don’t have the time. Though I appreciate the offer.” I focus on the computer in front of me and start tapping keys. He doesn’t need to know I’m not actually doing anything. “I really should get back to work.”

Knox watches me for a long, quiet moment. “All right, Jo Jo. I’ll see you around.”

I frown, my gaze finding his yet again. It’s like I can’t stop looking into those beautiful green eyes of his. “How do you know my name?”

“This.” Reaching out, his fingers brush the nametag that’s attached to my lanyard, which is lying to the side of my right breast.

I feel that touch all the way to my flipping soul.

“Um.” I glance down, noting the way his fingers linger for a second too long before he finally drops them from my chest. “That’s my nickname.”

Why did I tell him that?

“What’s your actual name then? Wait, let me guess,” he says before I can answer. He starts walking backward, snapping his fingers before he points at me with both hands. “Joseph.”

The giggle that escapes me sounds foreign. “That’s a guy’s name.”

“Josephine then.” He’s still walking backward, heading for the store entrance, despite his sister still being in the Apple section. Though she’s at the counter and it looks like the guy is ringing her up.

A couple of customers get out of Knox’s way, so he doesn’t run into them, and he doesn’t even realize it.

“No.” I shake my head.

“Jolene? Like the country song?” He starts singing the chorus and oh my God, it’s so bad. The few customers in the store turn to look at who’s making the awful racket, their eyes going wide when they see who it is, but that doesn’t deter him. He doesn’t stop singing until he finishes the chorus completely.

I’m laughing when I shouldn’t be. “That’s not it.”

He stops right at the double doors, shifting out of the way for someone trying to enter the store. “Jody.”

“Uh uh.”

Knox reaches behind him, pressing against the push bar that opens the door and he pauses. “I’m going to figure it out, Jo Jo. Just watch me.”

The moment he turns and leaves the store, Leon materializes, a knowing smile on his face. When our eyes lock, I start shaking my head repeatedly. “Don’t say it.”

“That is the third day in a row he’s come in here and talked to you.” He says it anyway.

“It’s nothing. He came in with his sister, not because of me.”

“Uh huh. Mister Tight End with the nice tight end is flirting with you, Joanna.”

“No, he is not.” There is just…no way he’s purposely seeking me out. Like he said, he came into the store with his sister. There’s no ulterior motive here.

Plus, I refuse to get my hopes up. He’s not my type. And even if he is flirting, he doesn’t mean anything by it. He probably flirts with every girl he encounters. It’s just part of his personality.

But Leon is right. Knox Maguire has come in here the past three days, and I’ve never seen him in our store before.

Like ever.

So why now? And why me?

Who knows.

I’m sure I’m making something out of nothing.