Playing to Win (The Players)

New Year’s Eve

“Ooh, who’s that?” My gaze lands on the tall, built guy standing dead center in the living room, surrounded by girls, all of them watching him with adoring eyes and wide smiles. He grabs hold of two of them, inserting one under each of his thick with muscle arms, that grin on his face telling me he’s enjoying every minute of their attention.

His confidence practically resonates throughout the room and it doesn’t hurt that he’s gorgeous. His best feature is his beautiful smile—it’s broad and friendly and slightly mischievous. From where I’m standing, he appears to have a beautiful everything.

I’m in Colorado for the holidays to both visit my family and spend time with my brother and sister along with their friends and significant others. They all came back to campus early, specifically to attend this party, and I tagged along. I’ve had the time of my life in the span of only a few days, which is more than enough confirmation that I need to come back here to finish my degree. I went to the East Coast to college my freshman year thinking I needed something different. An escape from my supposed mundane life. I was craving a new adventure, and when I got into a university on the East Coast, I believed I would party my life away and have a great time. I firmly believed a different environment meant my life would change for the best.

None of that happened. Classes are boring. The campus life—boring. I haven’t made any solid connections with fellow students. Definitely not with my roommate freshman year, who bailed out and wasn’t in our room for the entire second semester. This year, I’m sharing an on-campus apartment with another girl, and while we’re friendly and I think she’s okay, I definitely don’t feel…connected to her. And that’s all I’m looking for.

A connection.

Someone who gets me.

Right now, that feels like an impossible feat.

“That, my friend, is Ace Townsend. Second-string quarterback on the football team and hopefully our starting quarterback next season,” my new friend Natalie informs me. She’s my brother’s new girlfriend’s best friend—whew, that was complicated—and guess what?

The moment we met, we instantly connected. We’ve been having fun hanging out together ever since. Natalie is down for anything. She likes to party and she’s blessedly single. Everyone else that currently surrounds me while I’m here is attached to someone else, with the exception of Natalie.

Which makes her the perfect friend to crash holiday parties with.

Not that we’re crashing this particular one. We were both invited, thank you very much.

“Ace? That’s his actual name?” I blatantly stare at him, not that he notices. He’s too busy putting on the charm and chatting up his fan club. “Not a nickname?”

I’ve never heard of him. Knox has never mentioned him to me before, and neither has Blair, but that doesn’t mean anything.

“Maybe it’s a nickname? I’m not sure.” When I glance over at Natalie, she’s already shrugging. “I don’t know him that well.”

“He’s hot.” I can’t help but smile when he laughs, the pleasant rumbling sound drifting over to where we stand, and I’m suddenly compelled to walk over to him and introduce myself.

But would he care? Maybe not. He seems preoccupied enough. What’s one more girl in the mix?

“He is, huh?” Natalie grabs my arm and hooks it around hers, dragging me over to where my sister Blair is with her boyfriend, Camden. He’s the current quarterback for their college football team, though can I call him current? He’s basically finished with his college football career and hopefully about to embark on an NFL career next. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?”

“We need to talk to Cam. He can give us the scoop on Ace,” Natalie says as we head toward them.

We stop in front of the newly, publicly launched couple, a pang in my heart when I see the way Cam looks at my sister. As if the sun rises and sets on her head. Like she’s the only person he sees.

That’s another thing I want…eventually. Maybe sooner than later, though I guess it depends on who I meet. But yeah.

I want a man who’s totally into me. All the guys I manage to try to get to know either lose interest fast, or they’re not serious. That’s the biggest issue. They are never serious. Though am I ever serious? Not really. But also, when it comes to men…

I always pick the wrong one.

I like the good-time guy. The fun guy. The one all the ladies love, which always ends up being a giant problem. From what I see happening around Ace, I’d guess he’s the same type, so it makes sense that I’m drawn to him.

Which means he’s probably all wrong for me. I need to be a little choosier in my man crushes and not fall for the hot guy with the lazy smile and buzzing sexual energy.

Blair finally glances over at me, a faint smile on her face. “What’s going on?”

“I want to talk to that one.” I incline my head in Ace’s direction, who isn’t paying us the least bit of attention.

All thoughts in regards to being pickier fly right out the window.

What can I say? Attractive, confident men must be a weakness.

Cam groans. My sister grins. I can’t help but frown.

“I think you two might be cute together,” my sister singsongs.

My brows shoot up, curiosity coursing through my blood. Oh really? Hmm. Maybe I like the way my sister is thinking.

“No fucking way. Look at him. He’s currently sitting with two girls,” Cam grumbles, waving his hand toward Ace. I quickly glance over my shoulder to see most of the women have left, leaving him with…yep. Two girls.

Rolling my eyes, I bump my hip into Natalie’s. “Duh, Cam. He’ll take one look at me and forget all about them.”

“Yeah, girl!” Natalie holds up her hand and I give her a high five, Cam muttering curse words under his breath.

“I wish I had an ounce of your confidence,” Blair tells me, her voice sincere.

I’ve never understood why Blair isn’t more confident. She’s beautiful and smart and always so composed. While I’m over here acting like a hot mess most of the time. If I could learn anything from my older sister, it’s how to better control myself.

“You were pretty confident in your pursuit of me,” Cam tells my sister.

Blair glances over at Cam, her eyes wide with surprise. “You think so?”

“Oh yeah. You wore me down.” He leans down to kiss her and she reaches out, pinching his lips together. “Ow.”

“Wore you down,” Blair mumbles, shaking her head. “More like you couldn’t resist me.”

“Same difference.” He grins, reaching for her, and I realize I need to break this up fast or I’m going to get nowhere with these two.

“Hey.” They both turn their heads to find me staring at them. “Introduce me, future brother-in-law. I want to meet that guy.”

“Ruby.” Blair’s eyes are wide, like she hates that I just said that, but I couldn’t resist.

Cam doesn’t appear to mind though. The smile on his face is soft, like he might even enjoy the idea of being part of the Maguire family, and that’s when it hits me.

This is serious. They’re madly in love and he didn’t even bat an eyelash at being called my future brother-in-law. He might even envision marrying Blair himself, and if that’s the case?

Wow.

An unfamiliar feeling flows through my blood, leaving me uneasy. I’m not…jealous. Am I?

No way. I don’t want to get married yet. I’m too young. I don’t even think I’m ready for a serious relationship. Or am I? I just want to have fun. With a guy. Who isn’t afraid to give me what I want when I ask for it. Or when he just…takes it.

Takes me.

Whoa. My feelings are taking a turn for the slightly dirty tonight and I don’t get why.

“Come on,” Cam tells me, releasing his hold on Blair.

I follow him, Natalie and Blair trailing behind us as we walk over to where Ace is currently sprawled out on the couch. One of the girls has disappeared, so he only has a cute redhead under his left arm, a red Solo cup clutched in his right hand. When he spots Cam, he grins, lifting the cup up in a toast.

“Number one QB! Who’s the hottie?” Ace’s attention shifts to me, his gaze slowly running up and down my body, checking me out. Making me tingle with just a look. I stand a little taller, thrusting my chest out and his gaze falls to my breasts, lingering there for a moment too long.

Well, well, well. Looks like I might be catching his attention after all.

“This is Ruby Maguire. Ruby, I’d like you to meet Ace Townsend.” Cam pauses, his lips curling in the faintest smile. “The number two QB.”

“And about to become number one.” Ace rises to his feet, forgetting all about the redhead, his focus one hundred percent on me, those beautiful blue eyes leaving me frozen. Even a little breathless. “Nice to meet you, beautiful.”

He thrusts his hand out and I automatically shake it, a jolt passing between our palms the moment they touch. I can’t let go of his hand, and he can’t seem to either. An uncomfortable giggle escapes me, which is just—weird. I don’t giggle like that. Not really.

His gaze seems to darken, his fingers curling tighter around mine and when I glance over at the couch, I see the redhead scowling at me, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“You did hear me say her last name, right?” Cam asks Ace.

“I caught it. Maguire. You a cousin?” he asks me. His gaze is hopeful and my heart starts to sink.

Ugh. This has everything to do with Knox. He’s so overprotective of me and my sister, though I’ve rarely had to deal with it. We’re a little farther apart in age, so Blair is the one who’s had Knox standing guard over her with his friends.

“She’s my sister,” Blair pipes up from behind us.

Ace lets go of my hand immediately. “I forgot Knox had two sisters.”

“Is that a deterrent?” I ask, my heart racing a little faster than normal. “That Knox is my brother?”

Is Knox really that much of a threat? What does he say to these guys to keep them away from us?

“It makes you off limits,” Ace says, sending a smile in the redhead’s direction, whose entire demeanor relaxes when he looks at her.

Okay, that’s freaking annoying. Forget the redhead. Forget my brother.

Forget everyone.

My gaze goes to Natalie, her eyebrows shooting up in question, and I sort of love how she’s always encouraging me. If we were to hang out much longer, I’m sure the two of us could get into some serious trouble, and have fun while doing it too.

“Ooh, I love a challenge,” I proclaim, making Natalie laugh.

Ace returns his attention to me, his interest obviously piqued. “You do, huh?”

I nod, not letting the redhead’s moody stare bring me down. “And my brother is not my keeper.”

“Tell that to Knox,” Ace says with a chuckle that he immediately smothers with his hand.

My gaze zeroes in on that hand. It’s large, with a wide palm and long fingers I wonder if he knows how to use.

I have a thing about hands. A man’s hands. I don’t know what it is. I love a smile and a handsome face and a hard body but what really gets me?

Ace’s hands are…perfect. I bet he knows just how to touch a woman. Hands cupped around my cheeks, holding me in place, or even better? A hand around my throat. Gentle yet firm. With just enough pressure to show his strength, though I know deep down he would never harm a single hair on my head.

Heat coats my skin and I part my lips, my tongue touching the corner of my mouth just thinking of Ace’s hands on me.

“Damn, girl, don’t look at me like that,” he murmurs.

I jerk my gaze to his, surprised at the rough sound of his voice. “What do you mean?”

Okay, I let my imagination get out of control and unfortunately, he caught me.

“You’re looking at me like I’m a tasty snack and you’re dying to eat me.” His blunt statement makes my skin burn.

Or maybe that’s the image that’s now floating in my head thanks to what he said.

“I just looked at you like that?” I blink at him, knowing exactly how I looked at him.

Busted.

His laughter is deep. A pleasant sound that makes me smile. “Yeah, you sure did. And don’t play like you don’t know.”

“This is some bullshit,” the redhead mutters as she leaps to her feet and stalks off with a huff.

We both turn to watch her go, eventually facing each other once more, and he scrubs a hand along his jaw, contemplating me. “Guess it’s just you and me now.”

I look over my shoulder to see that he’s right. Everyone has abandoned us. Cam and Blair are leaning against the wall once again, completely wrapped up in each other, Cam’s hand on her waist and their gazes locked. Natalie is nowhere to be found.

“I guess so,” I say when I meet his gaze once more.

Ace settles his big body on the couch, his arms stretched out across the back of it, his legs spread wide. The man sprawl is strong with this one. “You should join me.” He taps his fingers against the back of the couch.

“It’s probably safer if I stand,” I say. I get the feeling if I snuggled up close to him on the couch, I might end up doing something I’ll regret.

Oh, who am I kidding? I wouldn’t regret spending a little time with this man.

“For who? Me or you?” He seems amused, but not at my expense. I think he’s just happy to be talking to me and not afraid to show it? Hmm.

How refreshing.