Page 39 of Offsides

“Hey, D. I’m so glad you’re here. You look great.”

Stepping back, I grin up at him, taking in his fitted dark gray henley and jeans. “Thanks. You look good too.”

He glances at Piper and gives her a quick nod.” Hey, Pipes. How you been?”

“Pretty good. Busy schedule as usual. You know how it goes.” She glances around the kitchen. “What’s on the drink menu tonight?”

Eli steps away from me, though the small footprint of his kitchen doesn’t allow him to move far, and he shows Piper the available options. I can’t help noticing the way his jeans fit over his round ass, and my cheeks heat up when I realize I’m checking him out.

We’re pretending the kiss never happened. Whether I like it or not at this point, that’s what’s happening. That means I have no business checking out my best friend’s ass.

Jerking my gaze away, I look all around, hoping to find something—anything—to hold my attention.

One of the defensive ends catches my eye, his smile going wider when he realizes I’m looking at him. He lifts his drink, then jerks his head in a clear invitation to join him.

I shake my head in a quick negative and look away. That’s weird. What is with these guys tonight? They usually say hey or give me a nod or whatever. It’s not like they ignore me. But they don’t offer to get me drinks or invite me to join them.

“What do you want to drink?” Eli’s voice startles me out of my reverie, and I jerk my head around to face him.

“Umm.”

He grins at my uncertainty. “Are we watching our calories tonight? Or can you afford to splurge?”

I can’t help smiling at his questions. If I didn’t know any better, from the way he’s smiling at me, I might think he’s trying to flirt with me. But I definitely know better. Tapping one finger against my lips, I look over the selection of cans and bottles on the counter. “I think I can splurge tonight. What about you? Is tonight a cheat night? Or are you sticking to your meal plan?”

Leaning in close, he places his mouth right next to my ear. “Tonight I plan to splurge.”

His words send a shiver down my spine. The way he says them sounds almost seductive. Like the splurge in question is more than just a few extra calories.

But I ignore all that and give him a friendly smile when he pulls away. “I’ll just have what you’re having.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Eli

So far this is the best game night of the semester. I realize it’s a bit early to make any such proclamation, but the last two have sucked.

The reason this one’s so much better is simple.

Dani’s here.

Her presence is further proof that our relationship is back on solid footing. Now I just need to figure out how to take it from this—game nights and study sessions and shopping trips—to what I want—date nights and make out sessions and, okay, still shopping trips. Shopping with Dani is surprisingly fun. Actually everything with Dani is fun. I just like hanging out with her. And having her along for boring chores like grocery shopping makes them much more enjoyable.

The only thing that could ruin this night is if she realizes that half my teammates are trying to get in her pants. So far she seems more confused by their attention than anything, which is both a relief and also really sad. How can she not realize that they’re flirting with her?

For that matter, how can she not know when I’m flirting with her?

Although I suppose she can be forgiven for not realizing that I’m trying to flirt. It’s not like she expects that from me. We’re supposed to be just friends. And to be fair, I’ve always been kind of flirty with her. She’s probably used to it as part of our normal friendship.

But the other guys? How does she not see it?

The only reason I can think of is that she doesn’t thinkanyonewould want to flirt with her. Like … maybe she doesn’t think she’s pretty enough?

Which is absolutely ridiculous. And if anyone tried to insult her looks in front of me, I’d break their face.

Not that anyone would. I mean look at her. She’s fucking gorgeous. And that sweater? It makes me want to pet her. It looks so soft, just like the one she had on when we were studying the other night. I’m not sure when she got them, but I really like them. They cling to her curves in the most delicious way. And they make me want to peel them off and discover what’s beneath.

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