Page 3 of Hate the Game (Playing Dirty #1)

***Jax***

“How the fuck did no one mention that S. Lane is a woman?” I paced back and forth in front of Ryder and Cole in the player’s lounge. “Jesus. If Dad finds out we fucking sexually harassed the woman writing the biggest article of the year on us he’d murder us.”

“Sexually harassed? Really? She didn’t seem harassed.” Cole smirked. “Matter of fact, she seemed downright thrilled to have found us the way she did.”

I ignored that comment because the last thing I needed was to think about the way her eyes had traveled down my bare chest, right along with her fucking finger. “Is she really going to write an article about us? She seems kind of…”

“Dumb?” Ryder, pretty much known as a mute around campus, grunted and rolled his eyes.

“Yeah.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried not to panic about what would happen if she told anyone we greeted her with our bare asses. “Dumb. That’s it.”

“Honestly, I’m not going to worry about her.

I don’t know how she was chosen to do anything more than fluff her hair or some shit but she’s not a threat.

I could practically see a hamster trying to get his wheel going in her head.

” Cole scoffed. “Should we be offended that they sent us her for the article?”

“Feels like it, huh? It’s the Varsity Ledger.

I thought they’d send someone solid who could write an impressive article.

One that would get us on every pro coach’s radar.

Instead we got journalist barbie with a plastic notepad and plastic for brains.

” I sat between them on the deep leather couch.

“Fine. We don’t worry about her. We just act like she isn’t there when she does show up. ”

We were silent for a few seconds and then Cole ruined it by snorting. “I’m pretty sure the likelihood of us being able to act like she isn’t there is somewhere around not likely at all. I don’t know where she’s from but they don’t build ‘em like that here.”

“Texas.” Ryder shrugged when we both looked at him. “The accent.”

“They do say everything is bigger in Texas…” Cole laughed at the look I sent him. “What? She’s stacked. She seems like the type to be down for a good time.”

“Hands off the journalist, man.”

“And if she wants me to be hands on?” He stood up and stretched out his back. “You can’t tell me that you didn’t think she was fucking hot. I bet she’d be a wildcat in the sack. I’d suffer through her personality if it meant I got to see those tits bounce as she rides me.”

I opened my mouth to tell him to shut the fuck up but the image he’d painted went straight to my dick. “That little dress didn’t do much to hide her body.”

“I’d want her to keep the boots on.” Cole tilted his head back and groaned. “You think she has a cowboy hat?”

Ryder swore as he stood up. “Going to take a shower.”

I laughed with Cole. “You’ll grow hair on your palms if you keep playing with yourself, Ryder.”

“Didn’t you ever hear that god kills a kitten every time you slap the salami?” Cole barely dodged Ryder’s massive fist. “You know what? Kill that kitten, brother. You seem to need it.”

Our conversation pretty much disintegrated after that. Ryder disappeared and Cole and I stuck around to wait on him before going back to our room. We had a new neighbor that we hadn’t met yet but judging by the constantly shut door, it seemed they needed some help leaving their room.

“You really think I should keep my dick to myself? She’s so hot, Jax. Just one little dip?” Cole put his hands together and pretended to beg.

I shoved him away without any real force. “Honestly? She seems dumb enough to let you get away with it. I don’t think we have to take her seriously as a journalist so maybe it’d be fine to dip the company pen.”

One of the other guys from the team walked by. “You’re talking about that Savannah? A bunch of the guys already have a bet going about who gets her first. Second, third, and fourth are all up for grabs. After that, she’ll just be considered team equipment so no bets then.”

I scowled at him and nodded to the door like we hadn’t just been having the same shitty conversation about Savannah Lane. “This is the junior and senior lounge. Out.”

When he didn’t move fast enough Cole stood up and cracked his knuckles. “Give me a reason.”

That hurried him along.

I turned my mind away from Savannah and counted her out. She’d just be another warm body clinging to the sidelines. If I noticed her at all, it’d only be in passing. If I had to answer a few stupid questions to keep her happy, that was fine, too. Just as long as she stayed out of my way.