Page 6 of The Rule Breaker (Colton U Playbook #1)

RYAN

“ N ailed it!”

I skid to a stop as Austin lands a shitty ass spin, lifting his stick in the air as he lets out heavy breaths. Guess he’s pretending to be a figure skater today.

Seeing as we lost the game last week—no fucking surprise there—he’d be better off focusing on drills, not spins.

Logan skates circles around him, arching a brow. “Is this hockey practice or a circus, because you look like a clown, my guy.”

Nathan chuckles. “I’ve seen more coordination from a toddler with a sugar high.”

Austin lets out a scoff, crossing his arms, his stick lodged under his armpit. “This shit’s harder than it looks. You’ll all be jealous when I’m famous.”

Cole shakes his head, his mouth moving as he chews gum. “Famous for taking out half the team with your wild turns?” he replies. “You scared the rookie away.”

“I’m not scared,” Logan replies with a roll of his eyes. “Just didn’t want to lose a tooth. I’m still young. I’ve got a lot going for me.”

Nathan scoffs. “I’m sure. Like being a fuckboy for once.”

Logan clicks his tongue, giving him a grin. “I prefer the term, part time lover.”

Coach’s sharp whistle cuts through the rink. “Alright. Rhodes, stop spinning and get your ass to those cones. Ellis, take that fucking gum out of your mouth. Rest of you, stop fucking around and get to warmups. Now.”

Austin lets out a low groan as he turns around and skates around the cones, doing some tricks, because he just can’t help himself.

“Stop fucking around before coach rips you a new one.”

He glances over his shoulder, shooting me a wink. “You know you’re secretly jealous of my moves.”

I let out a snicker, tapping his back. “It’s good to have dreams, buddy.”

I hear a laugh in the distance—a sweet, light sound I instantly recognize. My gaze snaps up, drawn to the entrance where Isabella is smiling up at her dad, his arms wrapped around her.

Haven’t seen her since the party, and goddamn, she looks good. Too fucking good to be at an ice rink with a bunch of sweaty hockey players. What the hell is she doing here?

My eyes drift to her lips as she talks to her dad. I’m so caught up in watching them that, before I know it, my foot catches, and I stumble—crashing into Cole. “Woah, watch it!” Cole grunts as I land half on him, my knee jamming into his back.

“Fuck, sorry,” I mutter, pushing myself up. I hold out my hand to help him to his feet.

He just stares back at me, shaking his head, his dark eyes hardened. “The hell was that?”

“I… slipped.” I glance up again, and Isabella’s still there, laughing with Coach. Her dimples make her smile even more infectious, and I can’t help but look for just a second longer.

“Damn, Coach,” Austin whistles from behind me, skating to a stop. “I thought you were some hard ass, not a teddy bear. Where’s my hug?”

Coach turns, narrowing his eyes at Austin. “Still a hard ass. Get your ass in gear, or I’ll have you running laps until your legs give out.”

“Fuck that,” Austin groans, rolling his eyes as he turns back to his drills. “Reed. You coming?”

“No, I’m… gonna do some stretches,” I mutter, my eyes drifting back to Isabella.

Austin shrugs. “Suit yourself.”

I watch Isabella for a little longer, the noise of the guys behind me fading as I focus on her talking with Coach.

Before I even realize what I’m doing, I’m gliding across the ice toward her.

Coach’s expression hardens when he spots me. “Reed. What are you doing out here? I thought I told you to warm up.”

Kinda wanna talk to your daughter instead .

“Just getting some water, Coach,” I reply.

He grunts, glancing down at his daughter. “First order of business, keep an eye on that one.” He points at me before spinning on his heels and walking away.

I turn my head and lock eyes with Isabella. She smiles the second I do, and I can’t help but grin as I raise an eyebrow. “You’re here to keep me in line?”

She scoffs, shaking her head. “That’s my dad’s job.”

I pull off my helmet, grab a water bottle, and squirt some into my mouth. “Ah. Came to stalk me, then?”

She chuckles. “You wish.”

My lips twitch. Yeah, I do . “So, what are you doing here?” I cock my head, my gaze drifting over her jeans and cropped flowery top, lingering a second too long on the curve of her cleavage before I drag it back up.

She lets out a sigh. “My dad thought it’d be a good idea for me to work under him for a while.”

My brows shoot up, intrigued. “Yeah?”

She nods, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I want to work in sports. Maybe as a manager or an analyst.” She lets out a breathy laugh, half-exhale, half-chuckle. “I know people think it’s a stupid, unrealistic idea, but?—”

My eyes widen, genuinely impressed. “Hell no, that’s cool as fuck. You sure you want to spend your life dealing with a bunch of idiots, though?”

She chuckles, tucking a curl behind her ear. “If I can handle my dad and my brother, I can handle anything.”

“Not so sure about that,” I tut, shaking my head. “Especially when it comes to Cole. Your dad has a fucking field day with him.”

She laughs, her eyes glimmering. “He doesn’t have any trouble with you?”

I press a hand to my chest in mock offense. “I’m a saint.”

“Right. Sure you are.” She smirks, glancing at my jersey. “Reed,” she murmurs quietly as her gaze catches the name. “Wait… Reed? ” Her eyes widen. Ah, fuck . “Ryan Reed? As in Connor Reed, the hockey legend?”

Shit. Really hoped she wouldn’t put that together. I’ve got enough people losing their minds and drooling over my brother—don’t need her doing it too.

I sigh, dragging a hand through my hair and shooting her a sheepish look. “Would you believe me if I said it’s just a coincidence?”

She squints, confusion flickering across her pretty face. Fuck. Stop looking at her like that. Off limits, Ryan. Off fucking limits . “Do you want it to be a coincidence?”

I shrug, shaking my head. “I don’t know,” I admit, letting out a groan. “I love my brother, I’m proud of everything he’s done, but I feel like he’s all anyone sees when they look at me.”

She studies me for a moment, those big brown eyes softening before she shakes her head. “I don’t think that.”

I arch a brow. “No?”

“For one, he’s taller,” she says with a grin.

I scoff. “Thanks for that.”

“And hotter, obviously.”

I narrow my eyes. “Well, that’s just not true.”

“And way better at picking up girls.”

I smile, loving how she’s teasing me, turning the awkward as fuck situation into something lighter, though part of me wants to remind her that I had her lips an inch from mine not long ago, her body arching into mine, practically begging me to kiss her.

Fuck it, why not.

I reach out, twirling a brown curl around my gloved finger, my voice dropping a hint as I lean in, the scent of fresh strawberries filling my nose.

“Not how I remember it, Curls.”

She stumbles back, her breath hitching in a way that makes my pulse race. God, I want to hear that sound again… and again.

“Well, then we’ll need to cure your bad memory.” She smirks, her voice hotter than hell, sending a shiver straight down my spine.

I let out a laugh, feeling my chest jump. I haven’t had this much fun with a girl in… fuck. Ever.

I like how she can tease me and still flash me a smile that makes me want to thread my fingers through her curls and bring her lips to mine.

And that’s when it hits me like a bucket of ice-cold water.

I can’t fucking do that.

Her brother. My best friend .

Her dad. My coach .

Christ. There are so many rules when it comes to her, so many ‘do not enter’ signs flashing in my face, blaring red alarms, and yet here I am, a fucking dumbass ignoring them left, right, and center.

I pull away from her, my smile faltering the second I see that same damn look in her eyes.

“I’ll, uh… see you.” I shift awkwardly, trying—and failing—to ignore the sudden tension between us.

“Yeah.” She presses her lips together, a soft chuckle slipping out that makes my brain short-circuit. Goddamn, I love that sound. “See you.”

Like a complete moron, I give her a two-finger salute.

And then immediately want to disappear off the face of the Earth.

Did I just… salute her?

Someone fucking shoot me.

I spin on my skates, shaking my head as I shove my helmet back on, but it doesn’t do shit to clear my head. Her scent is still clinging to me, and I can still picture those pretty lips parting when I leaned in close and twirled her hair around my finger.

Jesus. I need to get laid. Bad.

Austin’s already waiting for me on the ice, eyebrows raised, amusement dripping from his smirk.

“Fucking dangerous, Cap.”

Shit. My skin prickles, but I force a lazy shrug. “No idea what you’re talking about.”

Austin lets out a low laugh, shaking his head. “Come on. You’re not that dumb. Pick literally anyone else. Hell, if you’re that hard up, I’ll kiss you.”

Before I can react, he lunges, hands grabbing my helmet like he’s actually about to do it.

I shove him away, laughing. “Get the fuck off me, you idiot.”

He chuckles. “I’m serious, though. Nathan will beat you into next week if you even think about touching his sister.”

Yeah. No shit.

I shrug again, keeping my face neutral. “You’re dreaming. Nothing’s going on.”

But then, like a dumbass, I glance back at her.

Just one last look.

Nathan’s got an arm wrapped around her, messing up her hair. She glares at him, shoving him off before fixing those brown curls, and I can’t help but smile.

Austin lets out a laugh, and I snap my gaze back to him. His grin has only gotten bigger, like he already knows exactly how this is gonna end.

“I tried to warn you.”