Bex

I met my idol and didn’t pass out. Coach was everything I thought she would be and more. Her strong personality, the one I’d heard about online, shined through. When she hugged me, I almost died. Like I could have died at that exact moment and been truly happy. One of my bucket list goals came true, all because of Preston.

But what I loved most was seeing her with Preston—as a mom. Preston and Coach are so cute together I was a little jealous. It made me miss not having a mother. It also made me wish I were part of their family, which is a major problem. Because I shouldn’t want things I can’t have, and Preston is one of them.

“They made it,” Preston says, pointing at his teammate, Jamie, and a middle-aged man who could pass as his older twin. This must be Uncle Jameson. The resemblance is uncanny. The same short, brown hair, straight nose, high cheekbones, and long lashes that would make any girl jealous.

It’s the end of the third quarter when they stroll down the sidelines toward our bench. They stop in front of us, and Preston stands, towering over everyone, filling out every inch of the space around him.

“Before you start…” Preston says to Jameson, “… this is Bex. She’s my friend. Nothing more. So, don’t act all weird like Mom did. Okay?”

He studies Preston’s face for a second to see if he’s joking and then laughs. “Good one.” Jameson slaps Preston on the back. “You had me going, buddy. For a second there, I thought you were serious about having a friend who’s a girl.”

“I am,” Preston challenges.

“It’s not in the Parker nature,” he says under his breath, but still low enough I can hear him.

This family is weird. Almost none of them are related by blood. All of them are good-looking. Like what the fuck? They clearly won the genre lottery. Even with a touch of gray in his hair, Jameson is one fine ass man. A super-hot DILF. I’m surprised Preston’s mom was able to just be friends with this man without jumping him.

Jameson introduces himself to me, minus the hug I got from Coach.

I wave to Jamie, who clutches his cell phone, half looking at me. He types out a quick reply, and then smiles as if he’s up to no good. “Any chance you know how to dance?”

I cock an eyebrow at him. “Huh? Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah. Who else would I be talking to?”

“I guess so. Why?”

“This girl I’m seeing, Shannon, she’s in this dance contest tonight. Two of the girls in her sorority are puking their guts out. She thinks they have food poisoning. And now they’re two girls short for tonight.”

“That sucks.”

He shrugs. “Yeah. Would you help her out?”

“I don’t know anything about dancing professionally.”

“All you have to do is shake your ass for one song. It’s for charity. All of the sorority houses are doing it to raise money for CHOP, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.”

“I would love to but dancing isn’t really my thing. Can’t they find someone else to do it?”

“I’ll be there,” Preston says. “Just pretend you’re on the bar dancing for me.”

I laugh. “You’re having a hard time accepting the friends part of our relationship, huh?”

“Nah, I get it.” He presses his palms to his thighs, drawing my attention to his legs. “But that doesn’t mean I have to accept it.”

Oh. My. God.

His legs are so damn muscular I want to give them a squeeze, you know, to test out their… durability? But I stop myself, even though it’s tempting.

“How about a little wager?”

I perk up at the mention of a bet. “What did you have in mind?”

“Play me in H-O-R-S-E,” Preston says. “If I win, you have to come tonight and dance in this contest with Jamie’s girl.”

“Okay.” I’ve got this in the bag. “And if I win, you have to wear a Spider-Man costume on campus for a day.”

Jamie laughs so hard he shakes the bench. “Aww, man, this is priceless.” He turns to Preston. “Sorry, bro, but I’m hoping your girl wins. What I wouldn’t do or pay to see you walk around in that costume.” Jamie glances at me. “I like how you think, Bex. You know, we should team up sometime. Teach Parker a lesson for being such a dick to me.”

“He’s joking,” Preston says. “I give him a hard time about being a nerd, but that’s about it.”

“You do it in front of Shannon.”

“It got you laid, did it not?” Preston challenges.

They share an intense moment that ends with them laughing.

Preston extends his hand to me. “What do you say, Bryant? Do we have a deal?”

I shake his hand. “You’re on, Parker.”

He gives me one of his boyish smirks.

I can’t decide whether I want to slap it from his face or kiss it from his lips.

Kiss, definitely kiss him.

After the youth league games end, Jamie sticks around to judge the outcome of my bet with Preston.

Jamie hands the ball to me after I win the coin toss. “You’re up, Bex.”

I take the ball from him, palming it in my hand.

“You ready to do this?” I ask Preston.

Preston moves his hands to his narrow hips, pushing up his T-shirt enough for me to see the ridges of his well-defined abs, distracting me. Damn him. Did he do that on purpose? He licks his lips, following my line of sight. He knows what he’s doing. Jerk.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” he says with a defiant smirk.

I take the ball through my legs, switching between hands, dribbling as I pass Preston on my way to the basket to make a layup. The ball goes into the basket with ease, and I hold up my hands, victorious.

“She scores,” I say, passing the ball to Preston. “Think you can match it?”

H-O-R-S-E requires the second player to match the shot. If I had missed the layup, Preston could have taken any shot he wanted.

He waves me off, a smirk touching his lips. “Please, girl, I got this. I learned how to make a layup when I was still in diapers.”

“You have to do a crossover, too,” I remind him. “That’s part of the shot.”

He snickers. “You forget who you’re talking to.”

His mom made the Coachman Crossover popular when she played basketball for Villanova. I should have known better. He’s skilled with a ball, his talents apparent when he buzzes by me in a blur. Both of his parents have rubbed off on him. Preston is naturally athletic, as if each fluid movement is programmed into his muscle memory, gifted to him at birth.

The ball hits the backboard and drops into the basket.

Jamie grabs it from beneath the net. “You two are both showoffs. At this rate, we’ll be here all day.”

“This will probably be the longest game of H-O-R-S-E in history,” I deadpan.

“Not if I can help it.” Preston grins at me like an idiot. “You’re going down, sweetheart. I never lose.”

I nudge him in the side with my elbow. “I wouldn’t speak so soon.”

“Would you guys kiss and get it over with already?”

I stare at Jamie, horrified. A silence passes between Preston and me.

Preston ignores him, pushing his hands out in front of him. “My turn. Pass the ball, Jamie.”

Preston starts at the top of the key, his eyes full of determination. He’s not used to losing. Neither am I.

In an unexpected turn of events, Preston dribbles, stopping two feet from the basket, and raises the ball to attempt a Skyhook. And the fucker actually sinks it.

“Oh, so now you think you’re Kareem?” I shake my head, annoyed. “You’re one dirty ass player, Parker. Technically, trick shots are not allowed in H-O-R-S-E.”

“Are you punking out of our bet already?” He wiggles his eyebrows. “Or are you too intimidated to play me fair and square?”

I let out a puff of air. “No. Fancy shots like that are questionable.”

“It’s a hook shot. There’s nothing fancy about it,” he challenges.

“Fine, you win, Parker.”

He smiles. “I always win. Get used to it.”

The chances of me making this shot are slim. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made this uncomfortable hook shot famous. It’s one of the hardest shots to make with any precision. Any time I’ve ever attempted to make one, my shoulder felt like it was coming out of its socket.

I follow Preston’s lead, hopeful when the ball hits the rim.

“The first H of the game,” Jamie says.

I growl in frustration, turning to look at Preston. “How did you make that?”

He shrugs, a playful smile on his lips. “Skill.”

“I’m learning more about you every second we spend together,” I admit. “I never expected you to be good at basketball, too.”

“I’m good at everything I do.” He licks his lips. “You’ll find that out soon enough.”

My breath catches in my throat. There are no words to convey what I’m thinking. Only actions. And I don’t want to act upon how I feel right now. At least I shouldn’t leap into his arms and kiss him until I run out of air. Nope, that’s not going to happen.

Focus, Bex.

He stares me down as if I’m his last meal. I kind of wish he would devour me. Because every nerve ending in my body comes alive from the sexy look on his handsome face.

We continue our game, which never seems to end. Over an hour later, I’m about to lose to Preston. He has H-O-R, and I have H-O-R-S. One more missed shot and I have to go through with the bet. I don’t even know how to dance, at least not well enough to win a contest.

Preston chooses a three-pointer, sinking it with equal ease and grace as the others. I hate that he’s so good at basketball. Isn’t hockey enough? I’m annoyed because I should be beating him—not the other way around.

I set up at the three-point line, gripping the ball in my hands. The gym is eerily quiet. I can hear myself breathing. Jamie and Preston stare at me, the game on the line. My stomach churns, and I want to puke. I can’t lose at my own sport to Preston.

The ball sails out of my hands, and I can tell by the way I released it that it’s going to hit the backboard. And it does. There’s still hope as it rolls around the rim of the basket for a split second, before hitting the court.

“You lose.” Preston points at me, a goofy expression crossing his face. “I can’t wait for you to dance for me.”

I throw my hands on my hips and stare him down. “I’m not dancing for you.”

His blue eyes flicker, but he doesn’t say anything. The wide grin stretching across his handsome face says it all. I’m his for the night. And after spending the day with him, I’m okay with this lost. I want more time with him.

“Sweet,” Jamie says. “I’ll call Shannon and let her know Bex is coming tonight.”

“You said she needs two girls,” I say to Jamie. “Right?”

He nods.

“I’m not doing this alone. My friend, Taylor, has to come with me. She won’t mind getting up on a bar and making an ass of herself.”

Jamie removes his phone from his pocket to text Shannon. “Even better.”

Preston grabs my shoulder and spins me around. “Good game.”

I force a smile. “You, too.”

His eyes cut through me, his gaze so intense. I want to look away, but I can’t. He weakens me with his firm grip. His hand feels good on my bare skin. I should push him away, create the space I need.

“C’mon.” He offers his hand to me. “Let’s get something to eat on our way back to campus. You have a big night ahead of you. You’ll need your strength.” He says the last part with an arrogant smirk that hardens my nipples.

How am I going to make it through the night with him? My willpower is already fleeting.

Rule number two is out the window.

How long until we break the last rule? The one that crushed me the last time I broke it.

Bex

I look like an ass. No amount of liquid courage will get me through this night. Staring in the mirror at the ridiculous outfit Taylor threw in my direction, I cringe.

Taylor comes up from behind me and cups my shoulders. “You look hot, babe. We’re going to own this dance contest.”

I look in the mirror and roll my eyes at her. “Remind me to never make deals with hot hockey players. I don’t know shit about dancing at a club. This is going to be so embarrassing. Why are you not upset I roped you into this?”

She shrugs, lining her lips with a light pink gloss. “I like dancing and money. I don’t see the problem. It’s not like we have to take off our clothes.”

I let out a breath of air. “I guess so. But look at what we have to wear. It’s ridiculous.”

She steps back from my chair to fix her short, tight tank top in the mirror. The shirt rides up her stomach, exposing some of her flesh. So does mine.

Taylor shrugs. “They’re not so bad.”

I frown, unable to hide my disappointment. “Whoever ordered our outfits must have sized them for children. Black spandex shorts that barely cover my underwear are not okay around Preston. Either is this top that scoops down so low my nipples are practically hanging out. This shirt was not designed for D cups.”

She chuckles, staring at me. “But you look smoking. Preston is going to pop wood so fast you won’t be able to keep him away from you.”

“Ugh. That’s the problem. I can’t have Preston see me like this.” Wrapping my arms around myself, I cover my stomach. “He’s so touchy-feely. Being around him makes me want to break all of my dad’s rules. I would do it, too. If he wanted to.”

“You bet your ass Preston would. He obviously wants you. Anyone within a ten-mile radius of you two can feel the sexual tension. Your dad’s last rule applies to dating, but he never said you couldn’t have sex with his players.”

“No, not you, too. You’re just as bad as Preston. Look what happened the last time I had sex with one of his players. It almost ruined my life.”

“This time is different.”

“How so?”

“Because Preston is different. And girl, he’s like five-alarm fire hot. I don’t know how you can stand to be around him without keeping a change of panties in your pocket.”

I lift a pillow from the bed and throw it at her. “You’re so gross.”

Taylor catches it, and then chucks it back at me. “You know I’m right. Admit it, Bex. You want him, too.”

I lean to the right, allowing the pillow to miss my head and hit the wall behind me. “I can’t.”

“Hey, it’s just an idea. If you want to touch his man meat, there’s nothing stopping you.”

“Eww, did you just say man meat?” I cringe outwardly at the thought.

She shrugs, nonchalant. “I hear he’s pretty big.” Taylor holds out her hands, as if she’s measuring Preston’s dick.

“Oh, my God. Stop it. And how would you know how big Preston is? It’s not like you’ve seen it.”

“I asked around for you. Figured we should get as much dirt on him as we can… in case you change your mind about him.”

I shake my head at her and sigh. “I can’t think of him like that. Ugh. He’s my dad’s favorite player. And his mom invited me to learn from her. I mean, how cool is that?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty awesome. Coach is like your spirit animal.”

“I know. She’s so incredible. I would kill to have a mom like Preston’s. Mine was a complete embarrassment to all women. A nasty home wrecking whore.”

She laughs, checking herself out in the mirror once more. “How do I look?”

I wink at her. “Hot.”

She flicks her dark hair over her shoulder and smiles.

Taylor hands me the bottle of vodka from the counter, and I gladly take my fair share.

“Everyone on campus is coming here to see the dance-off, when I don’t even know how to dance.”

Taylor snorts and takes the bottle from my hand, raising it to her lips. “You’ve got moves, Bex. They come out when you’re drunk. All you have to do is get on that bar, shake your ass, and push out your tits.”

I laugh. “I hate you.”

She blows me a kiss. “You love me.”

Preston, Tucker, Drake, Trent, and Jamie wait for us in the parking lot at The Sixth Floor. A group of girls, who I assume we are dancing with, crowd around them. I sift through them until I reach Preston. He stops talking to Drake, his eyes now fixed on me. His mouth falls open slightly as he takes in the sight of me.

I never wear clothes like this—at least not in public. Tight spandex shorts and tops are reserved for working out or practices. Never for weekends. And definitely not around guys like Preston.

“Damn, Bex.” Preston steps forward, his right hand falling to my waist. He closes the distance between us, the air between us thick with tension. He studies each of my curves, his gaze falling over every inch of my body. “You look… hot.”

I smile, and it’s not even the slightest bit forced. “Thanks, Parker. You’re not so bad yourself.”

Spending the day with Preston has lowered my walls. He’s not as much of an ass as I had thought.

“Shannon,” Jamie says to a girl with long blonde hair. “This is Bex.” He points to me. “And her friend, Taylor. They’re the girls I was telling you about.”

“Oh, hey.” Shannon strolls over to us. “You two are such lifesavers. We were ready to bail on the contest until Jamie told me you could fill in for our friends.”

“I don’t know how to dance,” I admit.

“Yes, you do.” Taylor smacks my arm. “Bex is being modest.”

“Okay, fine.” I hold up my hands. “But if we lose, don’t blame me.”

Taylor invades Shannon’s personal space, already acting as if they’re best friends. “So, what do you need us to do?”

“It’s nothing special. Just have fun. We have a few moves we were planning to do. But we don’t have to do anything choreographed. Move your hips to the beat and do whatever feels natural to you.”

Preston comes up from behind me, placing both of his big hands on my hips. My entire body hums from his energy. He dips his head down, until his lips are so close, his breath on my earlobe. He sways my hips, rocking me from side to side. “Nothing to it, Bex.”

Do that again.

I don’t want him to stop touching me, and now that he’s all over me, I know tonight is going to end me with me in his bed. I want him so bad my pussy clenches from the promise of his hands on me, his cock filling me up. I haven’t wanted a guy this much since Kellan. And that was a long time ago.

I look up at him, haunted by his beautiful blue eyes. “Easy for you to say. Maybe you should get up on the bar and shake your ass for money.”

He laughs. “For five hundred bucks, I would.”

“I think I need a drink,” I admit. “I had some vodka before we left the dorm, but it wasn’t enough for me to do this.”

His hands on my bare skin send shivers down my spine. A blaze of heat licks my stomach as his fingers graze my navel. Without my permission, a soft whimper escapes my lips. Is he doing this to get me to focus on him, instead of the dance competition? Well, it’s working.

“I’ll be right there… watching you. Look at me and no one else.”

“Okay.” I suck in a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with.”

When we step inside the club, the bass is thumping, the music vibrating beneath my four-inch heels. I look like a giant in these. I’m well over six feet tall with them on, which makes me stick out even more. The other girls in our group are on the petite side, with the exception of Taylor. She’s almost as tall as me and built like an athlete.

“We have to check in,” Shannon informs us.

Preston slips his fingers between mine as we move through the mass of people. A prick of electricity stings my fingers. His calloused skin is so rough against mine, and I can’t stop myself from wondering how his hands would feel on other parts of my body.

After Shannon confirms our spot in the competition, I untangle my fingers from Preston’s, already missing his warmth.

I smile. “Wish me luck.”

He gives me a crooked smile that sets my insides on fire. “Good luck. Remember what I said. If you get nervous, look at me. And no one else. It’s no different than playing in a game or a tournament. You’ve had thousands of people watch you over the course of your college basketball career.”

“True. But I’m good at basketball. That comes natural to me. Dancing doesn’t.”

“It’s one dance. No one will even know you were up there after tonight. The money is for charity. That should give you more incentive to win.”

I flash a reassuring grin at him. “Thanks, Parker.”

He winks. “Anytime.”

I turn away from Preston, now following Shannon and her friends to the back of the club. A bouncer ushers us into a large open room with vanities on one wall, where a few girls are seated. Others stand behind them, fixing their hair or makeup in the mirror.

I recognize some of the girls, and I have no idea why.

“Do they look familiar to you?” I ask Taylor, motioning to the girls in the right-hand corner of the room.

She tilts her head to the side, taking her time to look them over. “Yeah, I know them. Those are the girls from Kappa something or other. I can’t remember the full name of their sorority.” Taylor glances around the room, her eyes landing on another team of girls in the center of the room.

“Hello, have you not seen all the lights out there?” A girl says from behind us, talking loudly to her friend. “They’re filming this for the senior project. It’s in high def.” She tugs on the girl’s arm, helping her to an open chair. “C’mon, I need your expert blending skills. This concealer is being a real bitch. I don’t want to go out there looking like a pumpkin.”

I shudder at the mention of the senior project. Will I be included in this footage? For my sake, I hope not. How would I explain this to my dad?

I feel so out of place around these girls. My childhood was spent at either an ice rink or on a basketball court—not at Neiman Marcus. They are the kind of girls Preston would date. Beautiful and made up like Barbie dolls.

Shannon introduces us to the girls in our dance group, seven in total. I can’t remember any of their names. Mostly because I know I won’t need to after this dance is over. We will go our separate ways after tonight.

Once it’s our turn, a bouncer leads us out of the room and down the creepy back hallway. He pushes open a door that leads to a long bar, the one we’re expected to dance on. He helps each of us onto the bar. There are so many people in the crowd.

Why did I agree to this?

I shouldn’t have bet Preston. But why not? I should have won. H-O-R-S-E is my jam. It should have been a slam dunk. But Preston had other plans, and with a mom like his, the game was probably already in the bag for him before I even knew it.

I squint when the bright lights hit me in the face, now realizing why the girl in the dressing room was so concerned about her makeup. Poles line the bar, each of us stepping forward to grab hold of one. I glance over at Taylor, my body shaking from fear. No amount of drinks could have prepared me for the throng of drunken idiots staring up at me.

Recalling Preston’s encouraging words, I scan the crowd for him. He’s three rows back from the edge of the bar when his eyes find mine. I bite my bottom lip, trying to contain my nerves. He must notice my reaction, because he taps Jamie on the shoulder, telling him to move forward.

Preston’s friends follow his lead, and I can’t take my eyes off him. Because of Preston, I don’t care about the people in the audience. The only person that matters is staring back at me, keeping me grounded.

I smile, and this time, I feel more confident, like I can handle this. One dance. One song. And it’s for a good cause.

An announcer, with a microphone in hand, stands at the center of the bar. He introduces us as House Theta. Once the song starts, the girls next to me sway to the beat. And I freeze up. Staring at them in horror, I tell myself to move, but I can’t budge. Then, it hits me. I look worse standing up here, frozen in place. So, I find Preston again.

His eyes burn a hole through me. He licks his lips, as if he likes what he sees. I’m dancing for him—and only him. Moving my hips to the beat, I go with the flow, allowing the rhythm to take over. Preston inches through the crowd, until he’s standing below me. I drop to the bar, shaking my ass along with the rest of the girls.

I laugh, and once I do, I can’t stop. This is fun, way more fun than I had realized. All I had to do was lighten up, lower my guard. But everything comes to a screeching halt when someone drops a glass. My shoe collides with a puddle of spilled liquid, and I lose my balance. The sudden disruption causes me to fall forward.

Except my body never hits the floor. Preston’s strong arms wrap around me, his muscles tightening as he holds me. The scent of sweat, musk, and laundry detergent fill my nostrils. He smells so manly I want to stick my tongue out and lick him.

“You okay, Bex?” he whispers into my ear, his voice deep and sensual.

“No, I think I might die from humiliation. I told you this was a bad idea.”

He brushes a strand of hair away from my face, inspecting me. “You were killing it up there before. What happened?”

“Someone spilled their drink. I slid on it and couldn’t grab the pole in time to steady myself.” I run my hand through my hair, frustrated with the turn of events. “They’re going to lose, all because of me.”

He sets me on the floor, keeping his hand on my hip. “Don’t worry about winning. No matter which team wins, the money will help fund a good cause.”

“Yeah, but I feel like I let everyone down.”

“Nah. They’ll get over it. Shannon’s pretty chill. And at least you held up your end of the deal. Now, I know you’ll follow through with any future bets we make.”

“This is the last one,” I say, not sure if I mean it. Because I don’t want this to be the last time I hang out with Preston. “No more dares.”

“You’re no fun, Bex Bryant.” He tilts a bottle of beer to his lips and takes a sip.

I grab it from his hand and gulp down the remainder of its contents. “I’m tons of fun.”

“Prove it,” he challenges.

“How do you expect me to do that?”

“For starters, you can dance with me.”

“How about a drink first?”

He nods. “Deal. What are you having?”

“Whatever you’re ordering.”

“And then you’re mine,” he growls.

A ripple of pleasure shoots through my body.

I’m his.