Page 44 of The Rule Breaker (Colton U Playbook #1)

RYAN

I never thought I’d be taking a bath with a girl, but here we are.

I snuck her in while the guys were out, and we fucked the minute she walked into my bedroom. I made her come three times after she kicked my ass at Mario Kart, and then we finally got in the tub to clean up.

Washing her hair took way longer than I expected—guess I had the wrong shampoo for her curls—but I didn’t mind being there.

I love taking care of my girl. There’s something about making her feel good that makes everything else seem unimportant.

And I did just that, with a special toy I bought to use on her whenever she stays over.

I made her come again in the bathtub until she pushed my hand and the toy away, telling me she was too sensitive to have another orgasm.

I press a kiss to her shoulder, water beading off her skin as she sits between her legs, with her bare back pressed against my chest.

It should feel awkward. Uncomfortable. But it doesn’t. It just feels… right.

And the craziest part?

I’m her boyfriend .

That word still feels foreign. I’ve never been someone’s boyfriend before. Never wanted to be. Never thought I could be. But the night Isabella looked at me, and told me she wanted to end things, all I could think was…

Losing her is scarier than staying.

So, I stayed.

Her fingers trace idle shapes on my knee beneath the water. Lazy little loops and lines that vanish before I can figure out what they’re supposed to be. She’s quiet. Comfortable. Happy.

Which makes the guilt hit harder.

Because sneaking around with Nathan’s sister—my best friend’s little sister—was one thing when this was just casual. When it was late nights and locked doors and pretending it didn’t mean anything. Though it always meant something. I was just too stubborn, too stupid, to admit it.

But she’s not some secret hook-up anymore.

She’s mine.

My girlfriend.

And I don’t want to hide her. I don’t want to keep ducking glances and sneaking kisses behind closed doors. I want to kiss her in the middle of campus. I want to show her off. Let the whole damn world know she’s taken, and that I’m off the market. Fully, completely, and absolutely hers.

“You’re quiet,” she says, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I lower my chin to the crown of her head. Her hair smells like my shampoo, and I inhale it, my chest lighting up. “Thinking.”

She tilts her head up just enough that her cheek brushes my collarbone. “About what?”

About how I have no fucking clue what I’m doing. About how this— us —should feel like a trap, like a countdown to when I mess it all up. But instead, it feels like the safest place I’ve ever been. Like maybe I haven’t wrecked everything I’ve touched.

I don’t say any of that.

“Dunno.”

She chuckles, shaking her head. “You know, for someone who’s really good with his mouth, you’re terrible at using it sometimes.”

My lips twitch. “Is that a compliment or an insult?”

“Both.”

I smirk, dragging my hands up her arms, my thumbs brushing across her shoulders. Her skin’s slick and warm, like silk under water.

I’ve never been so happy in my life.

Her fingers keep tracing shapes on my knee as we sit in silence. “Do you think I could still work in sports if it wasn’t for my dad?”

I frown, twisting my head to look down at her. “Where is this coming from?”

She shrugs, like it’s no big deal, but I can tell by the look on her face that something is eating at her. “One of the guys in my class said the only reason Westbrook lost was because they got distracted by my boobs.”

I tense behind her, arms tightening just slightly. “What the fuck?”

She shrugs. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t be,” I cut in, my brows drawing together. “What the fuck, Bels? Who the hell said that?”

She glances back at me, shaking her head. “I just want to know if you really think I could have a future in sports… or if I’m just kidding myself.”

“Yes,” I say, no hesitation. “Of course you can.”

“Really?” she asks, eyebrows lifting.

“You’re amazing as hell, Curls. You don’t need my opinion, but you already know where I stand.

” My jaw tightens. “Don’t let those idiots make you question your skills.

You shouldn’t have to prove yourself to a bunch of insecure assholes who couldn’t run a fantasy league if their lives depended on it. ”

That makes her laugh, and I feel some of the tension in her shoulders ease.

“You’re smarter than all of them,” I continue. “Never met the idiots, but I have no doubt that you work harder than any of them. You belong in that room just as much, hell, more than they do.”

She leans her head back against my shoulder, eyes flicking to mine. “You think so?”

I nod. “I know so. You’re amazing, Isabella. Don’t let them make you forget that.” A smirk curls on my lips. “And for the record, your boobs weren’t the distraction. I mean… they are for me, but?—”

She rolls her eyes, and I chuckle.

“We beat them because of your plays,” I tell her honestly. “Because you stepped in and showed us where we were screwing up. We beat them because they suck. Nothing to do with you being a woman, baby.”

She laughs, the sound soft and so beautiful, and leans fully into me again. Her head rests on my shoulder, and I press a kiss to her damp curls.

This feels so right. Fuck. Why did it have to be with the one person I can’t have?

“We should probably tell your brother about us soon,” I say, though neither of wants to think of her brother when she’s in my arms, naked.

She lets out a groan and flops her head back against my chest. “Do we have to?”

“I feel like it’d be worse if he walked in on us and got the shock of his life.”

She sighs, knowing I’m right. “Fine,” she says. “I guess we’ll have to tell him eventually… but not tonight.”

My hands slide down from her arms to her waist, my fingers drifting over soft, bare skin beneath the water. “So, what I’m hearing is… we’ve got the whole night to do whatever we want?”

She tilts her head to the side, her eyes gleaming. “That depends.”

“On?”

Her fingers skate along my thigh beneath the water, featherlight and maddening. “What exactly do you want?”

A deep hum rumbles in my chest as I lean in a little closer. “Where do I start?”

I push her hair aside, my fingers trailing down the curve of her shoulder, and press my lips to her damp skin. I kiss a line up her neck, stopping just below her ear.

Her breath catches. “Ryan…”

I grin against her skin. “Hmm?”

She lets out a little huff. “You’re annoying.”

“You know I love teasing you, baby.” I bite down, gently, enough to make her gasp, enough to make her hips shift against mine.

Fuck.

My hands slide down beneath the water, gripping her hips, anchoring her in place. Or maybe anchoring me. Because she moves again—slow, on purpose—and it’s like she wants me to lose control.

“You need to stop if you don’t want my cock inside you again.”

Her next movement is even slower. Torture. Absolute torture. I groan and grip her tighter, fingers digging into her skin. My hand slips up, wrapping around her throat to tilt her chin back.

I kiss her because I need it. I need her.

She moans into my mouth, and I pull away just long enough to kiss down her throat, across her collarbone, down to her perfect tits.

“You really like torturing me, huh?”

She hums. “Oh, absolutely.”

I laugh, rough and low. “You’re gonna be the death of me.” And I’ll die a happy man if it means I get to be with her.

Her gorgeous face breaks out into a grin as she threads her fingers through my hair, tugging just enough to make me groan. I nip at her shoulder, my hand sliding down to her?—

Knock, knock .

We both freeze.

Her eyes widen, and mine imitate hers.

What the fuck? The guys were supposed to be out all day, so I didn’t even think to lock the door.

I open my mouth, no idea what I’m about to say—but before a single word can come out, she vanishes beneath the water with barely a splash.

The door creaks open.

“Oh—shit.” Nathan stands there, his eyes wide. “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was—wait… are you taking a bath?”

I blink. “Yes.”

He looks around. “…Alone?”

My brain short-circuits. Fuck, if he glances down at the bathtub, there’s no doubt he’d see another figure in there under the bubbles. “I’ve had a really long, hard day.”

Nathan frowns. His gaze drifts to the edge of the tub… and stops.

Sitting there—clear as day—is the purple silicone suction toy I bought for Isabella.

His brows lift slowly. “What the hell is that?”

I stare at it.

Then at him.

Back at it.

Back at him.

I consider death as a viable option.

“I uh, use it… for sore muscles.”

His face scrunches. “ Where ?”

I open my mouth.

Nothing comes out.

Nathan takes a slow step backward, holding his hands up. “You know what? I didn’t see anything. Not a damn thing.”

And just like that, he’s gone, the door shutting behind him.

Isabella bursts up from under the water a few seconds later, coughing from holding in her breath.

“Oh my God,” she gasps, clutching her stomach. “Who was it?”

I drop my head back against the tub, already imagining my inevitable death. “Your brother. He saw the toy I bought for you. Thought it was mine.”

Her eyes widen, and then she bursts into laughter.

I sigh, bracing for the worst, rubbing a hand down my face. “He’s gonna kill me.”

She chuckles. “I’ll miss you,” she says with a teasing smirk.

I look down at her, my eyes narrowing. Before she can react, I pull her toward me, lifting her so she’s straddling me—completely naked, water dripping down her chest, her breath hitching in surprise.

“Yeah, fuck that. If he kills me, I’m haunting the fuck out of you. I’ll be with you forever.”

Her smirk widens and she leans closer, her hair falling over her bare shoulder. “You’ll haunt me?”

My hands slide to her waist, gripping her damp skin and nod. “If you think you can get away from me, think again, baby. You’re stuck with me.”

Her eyes darken just a little, her hands resting on my chest. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” I pull her closer, my lips brushing against hers.

I brush her hair back from her face, and when we pull apart, her smile falters for a split second, like she’s nervous. “We need to tell him.”

I let out a long breath, nodding. “Yeah, I know.”

She’s quiet for a moment, her eyes flicking to mine. “You know he’s gonna lose his shit over this, right?”

I nod, pressing my lips together. I know I’m about to get my ass handed to me—by Nathan and Coach—and honestly, I probably deserve it. I knew the risks, and I still jumped in, headfirst.

“I don’t wanna hide you anymore,” I say, brushing a wet strand of her hair off her shoulder. “I don’t want this to be a secret, not from him, not from anyone.” Her eyes soften, that glint in them making my heart skip a beat. “Let me take you out on a date.”

She raises an eyebrow, smirking. “What?”

“That’s what boyfriends do, right?”

She shrugs, shaking her head. “I don’t know. My ex didn’t take me on dates. Just quickies in his car.”

I groan, grip tightening on her hips as I pull her closer. “Don’t talk about another man when your tits are in my face.”

She chuckles. “Jealous?”

“Yes,” I say with no hesitation. Her eyes widen at my admission, and I clear my throat, shaking my head. “I’ve never done this before. I’ve never gone on a real date. But I want to go on one with you. What do you say?”

She goes quiet for a second, her brows lifting. “You really wanna go on a date?”

A soft lazy smile pulls at my lips at how shocked she is to hear that. “Of course I do, baby. I love spending time with you.”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s just because I blow you.”

I let out a laugh. “That’s definitely a perk. But no. I like hanging out with you, clothes or no clothes. I wanna do it somewhere other than a bedroom.”

My eyes drift to her, unable to look away.

Her wet, curly hair clings to her skin, droplets of water trickling down the slope of her nose, catching the light before they fall onto her lips—those lips, red and full, like she’s just eaten cherries.

They look so sweet. And I know they taste just as sweet.

I swallow hard, trying to focus. But I don’t want to focus.

I just want to look at her for the rest of my days.

“You’re my best friend, Bels,” I admit, feeling something fluttering in my stomach.

Never thought I’d say that about a girl.

Never thought a girl would be my best friend.

But this girl right in front of me is just that.

We may do some… very non-friendly things, but when it comes down to it?

She’s my person. I tell her shit I’ve never told anyone.

She’s the first one I want to talk to when anything happens—good, bad, or in between.

She smiles at me, soft and sweet. But then her eyes glint, that little smirk creeping back onto her face. “You’re so obsessed with me,” she teases.

I roll my eyes, but my stomach flips a little because, honestly? She has no idea how much. “Just say yes, Curls. You know you want to.”

She sighs like she’s debating it, but then she wraps her arms around my neck, pulling herself closer. “Fine. Yes.”

I break out into a grin, because she just said yes. To me. To this. And I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything more.

I pull her in and kiss her, trying to tell her everything I don’t know how to say. That I’m all in. That I’m hers. That this is real. And I’m so fucking lucky she chose me.

When I finally pull back, my forehead rests against hers, and I breathe her in, and I think—how was I ever scared to be someone’s boyfriend?

Because this?

This doesn’t feel like pressure.

This feels like home.