Page 33 of The Wrong Game

We steered clear of the heavy stuff. I didn’t have to tell him about Carlo, and he didn’t ask. He didn’t divulge his entire life story, and I didn’t feel the need to fill the silence by askinghimanything.

We watched the game. We drank a few beers. He came back to my place. We hooked up. He left.

Perfect.

I took a sip of coffee, nodding when Belle asked me about a guy who’d messaged. She took the reins as I let myself be happy about a night well spent. My eyes flashed to my couch, and I smiled, heat creeping up my neck.

I could still feel his hands on my hips, my breasts, his tongue sweeping over my inner thighs. I could feel his fingers inside me, curling, pumping, his mouth sucking me hard in sync with his hand.

I was so nervous, and he knew exactly what he needed to do to kill my anxiety.

He took the lead.

He blew mymind.

And then, he stopped me when I tried to do the same.

I felt a little bad for that, for Zach leaving before he let me repay the favor he’d so graciously gifted me. He said he wanted last night to be for me, that I should be selfish — and I listened.

Because when was the last time anyone had told me that that was okay?

When was the last time — or hell, thefirsttime — I’d ever thought of me? Ofonlyme?

It was like without asking a single question, without hearing a single story about my life, Zach understood me. All he had to do was look at me, and he got it.

I’d never known that level of understanding.

Andthat, right there, was the danger in what I was doing.

My coffee grew bitter when the realization hit me, how close I’d been to going against the number-one rule I’d set after Carlo passed away.

Zach made me feel good. He made me laugh, made me happy — and I wanted more. I wanted to see him again, to go on a real date, to take him to the next game, to ask him about his past and his future and see if we could maybe fit together. When he’d asked to see me again last night, I almost said yes — without hesitation. He said he wanted to see me again and I knew without a doubt that I felt the same.

Which, again, was why I needed rules.

He was the first guy I’d taken to a game, mypracticeround, and already, I felt myself slipping into those forbidden feelings.

It was easy to fall in love. It was harder to climb out of it.

And I didn’t want to have to dig my way out of that hole again.

So, as much as I wanted to see him again, I said no when he asked. I held onto that first, hard and fast rule.

Last night was it for us. It was fun, it was surface-level, and it was feelings-free.

Like I said before — perfect.

Still, there was a flutter in my chest as that last thought passed through, almost as if my heart was laughing at me. Because even though we hadn’t talked about Carlo, Zach had seen right threw me. He’d knownwithoutwords that I was nervous, and he’d taken control. He’d given me what I needed.

I was already in too far, after just one night.

That’show stupid my heart was.

“Alright, I think this guy is in,” Belle said. She handed me my phone, tapping the screen to show me the guy’s profile again. “He’s checking his schedule now to see if he has to volunteer, because of course he’s perfect and gives his free time to the kids down at the Boys & Girls Club.”

I laughed as Belle visibly swooned.

“I bet he’ll want you to call him Daddy when he’s banging you.”