Page 44 of Offsides

Distracted by my thoughts, I don’t react fast enough to her attack, and she knocks me out again. With a whoop of triumph, she stands up and does a little victory dance, her ass shaking right next to my face before she turns and points at me. “Ha! I won! You lost! Eat that!”

Standing, I wrap my arms around her and pull her in for a kiss. “I wouldn’t want to lose to anyone else.”

There’s a collective, “Awww” from the people close enough to hear me, and Dani pushes away, her cheeks pink again.

I let her lead me away from the couch so the next duo can take our place. We end up by the snacks, and Dani snags a small bunch of grapes, her eyes sparkling as she pops one in her mouth. “You want me to forfeit my next fight?” she asks before popping a second one in.

Arching an eyebrow, I shrug, crossing my arms and leaning one shoulder against the wall next to her. “That’s up to you, babe. I wouldn’t dream of trying to boss you around.”

“Oooh, smart man.” She grins at me.

“Sometimes.”

That provokes a bark of laughter. “No, but seriously. Do you want me to so we can go?”

Straightening, I wrap an arm around her and pull her close, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face. She looks up at me, her expression open, her eyes soft. Expectant.

I let out a low grunt. “Do you want to forfeit? Or would you rather keep playing?”

Her eyes drop to my chest, and she raises a hand to trace circles around one of the buttons on my shirt. She tilts her head back-and-forth in a gesture of ambivalence. “Part of me wants to stay,” she says slowly, “but part of me really likes the idea of going back to my place.” Her eyes lift to mine. “You make a good point about knowing that my roommates will be here and that we’ll have the place to ourselves. When else are we guaranteed that kind of privacy?”

I carefully keep my expression neutral, not wanting to pressure her. If she wants to spend time alone with me, I want her to reach the conclusion on her own. “Well, we can weigh the pros and cons of each option if you like.”

The grin that takes over her face is breathtaking. But then again, I’ve always thought she was especially beautiful when she smiles. “A pro-con list, huh? I can see how that might be useful.”

Rubbing my hand up and down her back, I dip my head and nip at her earlobe before trailing a line of kisses down her neck. She makes a loud sound of pleasure in her throat, and her hands grip my head as though she doesn’t want me to stop. But I do anyway.

I lift my head, a wicked smile playing over my lips. “What are the pros of staying?”

She blinks at me as though my words make no sense. Then she clears her throat once, twice, then, “I’m sorry, what was the question?”

Laughing, I shake my head. “I think that might be the answer to our question. Are there any pros to staying?”

She pulls away. Not completely, but enough to put space between our bodies. I can’t say I’m not disappointed. Raising one hand to her mouth, she drums her fingers on her lips. “Hmmm. Well … normally I would say that staying means I can spend more time with my friends.” She glances at me. “But I have a feeling that I’ll be spending all my time with you either way.”

“I have no objection to that.”

That earns me a grin. Serious again, she looks out over the crowd in the living room, her eyes focusing briefly on the game on the television. “If I stay and win, I get bragging rights.”

“Are bragging rights that important to you?”

She tilts her head to one side, her eyes narrowed as she hums in thought. “I mean, itisfun to brag.”

With a laugh, I pull her close to me again, unwilling to allow the space between us to continue for so long for no reason. She melts against me, laying her head on my shoulder. I can’t help thinking that’s maybe a point in my favor. “Any other pros you can think of?”

She hums again, but eventually shakes her head.

“And what are the pros of leaving with me?”

Her eyes find mine. A smile blooms on her face. “Hmm. Well, let me think.” She taps her lips with one finger.

I roll my eyes. “You have to think that hard about it, huh?”

With a laugh, she presses herself against me, going up on her tiptoes to brush a kiss across my mouth. “The most obvious answer is that we’d get to be alone.”

I tilt my chin up, a minor gesture of challenge. “And what would we do if we were alone?”

Smirking, she gives me apuh-leaselook. “I’m sure we could find ways to entertain ourselves.”

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