Playing to Win (The Players)

I walk across campus the next morning, feeling like a new woman. A completely transformed human. All of my senses are heightened, like I’m ultra-aware of everything going on around me. The scents, the sounds, the color of the sky, the tinkling of someone’s laughter, the annoying blare of a car alarm in the parking lot—it’s all intensified.

I want to throw my arms out and do slow circles in the middle of the quad, while staring at the bright blue sky. I want to shout to the world that I just had the most transformative sexual experience of my entire life last night…

And we haven’t even had actual sex yet.

A secret smile plays upon my lips when I remember how he came all over my chest. One of my secret fantasies come to life. I’ve seen this sort of thing on porn, but never really thought I could ask a guy, hey would you mind coming on me instead of inside me?

Yeah, that doesn’t feel like a normal conversation for me. And it’s not like I have lots of guys literally coming inside me. The men I’ve been with—all three of them—they always wore a condom. I’m a big supporter of safe sex because I’m not stupid. One, I don’t want a sexually transmitted disease, and two, I don’t want to get pregnant.

God no.

When Ace said he wanted to come on my tits, I agreed immediately because oh my God, that’s like the hottest thing alive. The look on his face when that first spurt hit me. The way he smeared it all over my skin afterward. It felt like he was branding me for real. Claiming me… Rubbing his scent all over me so no one else will make a move.

A shiver steals through me at the memory.

My day is normal. I go to class. I eat lunch with Natalie, who digs me for details about what happened with Ace last night. I told her as little about it as I possibly could, still holding on to the moment myself, wanting to savor it. The things he said, how he looked at me, how he let me rub my pussy all over his face. Hot. All of it.

Every single moment.

Reality crashes down upon me when I walk into the social media office, remembering that one part of our conversation from last night that I purposely pushed from my memory.

How I signed the contract that states I can’t date anyone from the football team.

Figures that I’d get my dream job on campus and meet my dream guy at the same time, and he’s on the football team. Always told myself I should avoid football players and I should’ve listened to my own warning.

Even crazier? It hasn’t been that long since I’ve reconnected with him. How do I really know he’s my dream guy anyway? Because he doesn’t hesitate to wrap his big hand around my throat and come all over my chest? That’s just surface stuff.

Hot, sexual surface stuff, but there’s not much depth in my reasons for liking him.

Is there?

Oh God, I don’t even know what to think anymore.

Within minutes of my arriving at the office, we’re out on the football field, Eric filming from the sidelines, while Gwyneth and I have a quick brainstorming sesh. My gaze strays to Ace every few seconds, like I can’t help myself, my entire body going warm when our gazes meet, which is often.

Too often.

“What is going on with you two?” Gwen asks after about the twentieth time Ace and me look at each other.

“What?” I turn to her, flustered.

“You and Ace.” She shifts closer and her voice lowers. “You two aren’t…seeing each other, are you?”

If seeing each other means we got naked with each other less than twenty-four hours ago, then yes. We are definitely seeing each other. Allllll of each other.

God, his body is unreal.

“No way,” I lie, my voice scratchy. I clear my throat. Shake my head and shrug at the same time, hoping I’m playing it off. “I mean, he’s gorgeous but—”

“But you can’t see him,” she finishes for me, her expression serious. Her expression is always serious, though it’s a little extra right now. “I warned you about this.”

“Chill. I have no interest in Ace Townsend,” I say with as much sincerity as I can muster.

Since when did I become such a skilled liar?

“Good. Because it always ends up getting weird,” Gwyneth says with the authority of a woman who’s never been interested in an athlete in her life. I’ve sounded just like that over the years, firmly convinced I didn’t want another football player in my life.

Don’t I have enough? God, all of that competitive alpha male testosterone in my family tree is positively overwhelming sometimes.

“Did something happen beyond the girl you had on the team last season who would always chase after the players?” I ask, curious. I can’t imagine she’s the only reason they instilled that clause in the agreement.

“Oh yeah,” Gwyneth says, her eyes going wide. “You don’t know the story?”

Unease creeps over me. “What story?”

Gwen glances around like she’s making sure no one is paying attention to us before she leans in closer, her voice going low. “A few years ago, there was a woman on the baseball social media team—this was before TikTok and Reels really took off—anyway, she got involved with a star player. They were in this super serious relationship and she followed the team to all of their games. For her job and because he was her boyfriend, but no big deal, right? They were in love. Well, she caught him cheating on her, like literally caught him and took photos and everything.”

My stomach cramps. “Oh God.”

“Yeah, it was awful. But it’s what she did with those photos that sent the athletic department over the edge.”

“What happened?”

“She posted everything on the baseball team’s social media channels. Like, photos of him in bed with the girl. Videos. Then she posted naked selfies he sent her. His gargantuan penis was all over the baseball team’s Facebook page for almost twenty-four hours. No one had the log in but her because she changed it. It was awful.”

“Whoa.” The humiliation that guy must’ve felt. I can’t even imagine.

“Yeah, whoa.” Gwen nods, her gaze shifting to the team. “I know they’re all attractive and confident. I get the allure, I really do. I find them intimidating so that’s why I avoid them, but you? You fit right in with those guys.”

“Is that a compliment?” I’m half joking, but sometimes it’s hard to tell with Gwen.

“It is. You’re used to those types of guys, thanks to your family. I can see why you’re drawn to Ace. He’s also incredibly charming.”

My skin warms as I study him. Charming in the best way. The twinkling eyes and the easy smiles and the growly words in my ear…

“But untouchable to us. If anyone in the athletic department found out you were dating a football player? You’d lose your job, no question,” Gwen says.

I don’t want to lose my job. I love it. I like Ace a lot, but in this very moment, I think I like my job more. It will help my future, guaranteed.

Messing around with Ace? There are no guarantees in that. He might forget all about me next week. Hell, it could happen tomorrow. He already knows I can’t see him, thanks to the work agreement I have with the athletic department.

I can’t risk it.

“But you have to avoid him like the plague,” Gwen finishes, making me laugh.

My laughter dies quick when I see the way he’s watching me. His blue eyes are heated and I can tell he’s looking at me like he can see right through my clothing, remembering the way I look naked with vivid detail.

I return his stare, thinking the same exact thing and I realize…

This is going to be really difficult, avoiding Ace Townsend. Worse?

I don’t want to avoid him.

Not even a little bit.

“I’ve made a decision,” I announce when I walk into the apartment and see Natalie lounging on the couch, a pillow in her lap and her laptop sitting on top of it.

She glances up from her screen for a moment, her fingers still moving across the keyboard. “What’s your decision?”

“I’m going on a man ban.”

Her fingers stop typing and she’s staring hard at me, her head tilted to the side. “Excuse me?”

I shut the door behind me and lock it, leaning against it with a sigh. “A man ban.”

“An Ace Townsend ban?” she corrects.

“That too,” I agree, pushing away from the door, dropping my backpack on the floor before I flop onto the couch next to her. “I can’t see him anymore.”

“Says who?”

“The entire athletic department at Colorado University.” I go on to explain the story Gwen told me earlier, Natalie nodding again and again the deeper I get into it.

“I remember hearing about this,” she finally says, interrupting me. “My sister went here when it happened. She knew that girl. Her name is Annette and she’s positively unhinged.”

I’m frowning. “What do you mean?”

“She was already one of those crazy types, you know what I mean? Oh, I hate saying that. I don’t want to slot her in the ‘she was the typical psycho girlfriend’ category, but she kind of was.” Nat winces. “He’d been trying to break it off with her for a while and he realized quickly she wasn’t getting it. So he…hooked up with another girl on purpose to send the message loud and clear that he was done with her.”

“That’s horrible.” I can’t fathom the idea of a guy doing that to me. I imagine walking in on Ace hooking up with another girl. Naked with another girl.

I’d probably want to rip his balls off.

“Uh huh. Well, it worked too much in his favor. She went completely overboard in her revenge toward him. The naked posts on Facebook, oh my God. What a nightmare. Not just for the guy being exposed, but the entire university took a hit. It was a bad take for a lot of people, and administration has worked hard ever since to make everyone forget it happened. Plus, they put all sorts of new rules into place, which makes sense.”

“What happened to her?” I ask, curious.

“Oh, she was expelled, and that never happens,” Natalie answers. “She tried to sue the school, but it didn’t work. They threatened her with a countersuit and she backed off.”

“What about the guy?”

Natalie sighs. “He’s still playing in the MLB.”

“WHAT?” I pull my phone out of my pocket and thrust it toward her. “He’s a professional now? So his life continued on unscathed?”

Nat nods. “Of course, it did.”

That’s always the way, I swear. “Find his profile for me.”

She does within seconds and we check out his photos. He’s hot. Not lose your mind and post naked photos on the internet so you can ruin your life forever hot, but hot enough. And he’s married. With a baby.

“They’re a cute family.” I glance up at Natalie. “What about her?”

“What about her? You mean Annette?”

I nod.

“Oh. Well, last I heard from my sister, she’s working at the Walmart on the other side of town.”

“No freaking way.”

“It’s true! She kind of went through a rough patch, obviously. She had a hard time coming back from this.”

“I can only assume.”

“Right? Anyway. It was tough. I’m guessing it’s still tough. All because she dated a baseball player.”

“That would never happen to me,” I say firmly.

“Of course, it won’t,” Natalie says. “You’re not allowed to date athletes. You’ll never get the chance to let it happen to you.”

Ugh. She has a point.

“Why are you on a man ban anyway?”

Another sigh leaves me and I lean back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling. “If I can’t have Ace Townsend, I don’t want anyone else. At least through the football season, you know?”

“That could go on until the end of the year,” Nat points out.

A groan escapes. “Don’t remind me.”

“Is he that good?”

I turn my head in her direction, staring her down for a moment. “He is that good, Nat.”

“I want deets.”

“No way.”

“Come on. You’re holding out on me.”

“And I will continue to hold out on you because I want to keep it to myself for just a little while longer.”

Natalie studies me, slowly shaking her head. “He must have a magical dick.”

I burst out laughing. “He does.”

He’s my every freaking dream come true.

Too bad he’s off limits.