23

Ryan

A Bet Needs Something To Bet With

Out front, I hauled in ice chests from one of my teammate's trucks, bringing them inside while I waited on Kassie. It was a classic weekend at June's place. Plenty of the guys were thrown over the sofas, watching the Saturday night football game with wisecracks and sore shoulders. Last year, that was me too, but now there were obligations to satisfy.

A few of the guys got up for the tournament outside, the last round of Headbanded . At least I had a good excuse to escape that.

"Ryan."

I stepped around her to get to the kitchen. Good. Kassie was ready to go. She stood at the kitchen archway, in a pair of overalls cut off at the shorts that showed off her legs. I went back to focusing on placing the ice chest down—I was fixating too much on my fake girlfriend's thighs—and I nodded to her, a clear sign that she could head off to the car.

"Wait, Ryan ."

I didn't break my stride and we finished up with the ice chests. "What?"

Kassie pushed the front door closed when I tried to open it. I frowned, turning back to her. She had a look on her face I didn't recognize. Her dark eyes, usually rolling at something I said, were too wide, too friendly. Not Kassie. I tried to open the door again but she didn't move an inch.

"Ryan, I need your help."

"What do you need?" I frowned.

" Headbanded ."

That didn't clear up the questions. The two of us had thrown in the towel. And as irritated as I was with Adam, he'd been right. The only reason June kept the long-running tradition going was for pictures of their fake relationship. And they were great at the game. They couldn't cut through the cards better with an axe.

"We're tied for ninth place, still on the docket," Kassie explained, her voice low. One of the guys tried to walk outside but Kassie shooed him away. He looked with surprise at me, but I motioned for him to get going too. The moment he stepped away, Kassie continued. "We didn't lose."

"That's pretty close to losing," I replied.

"We're still in the running," Kassie insisted. "Ninth-and-a-half place."

I took a long look at her. What was up with the sudden interest in Headbanded? Did Kassie find out why June and King played it? Shit. What did Kassie know?

Secrets only stay secrets for so long.

Did June drop something about their fake relationship?

I had to protect King. None of the other teammates knew that he and June weren't actually together, and without knowing what Kassie did, or didn't, know. I had to tread carefully.

I rubbed my jaw. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"What happened with June?"

My question hit a sour note. A blush touched Kassie's cheeks, a pretty one, but it didn't give me a clue what happened.

"The game doesn't mean anything," I informed her.

"Last time, you asked the questions and that's where we fucked up. I'm asking the questions this time." She held up her hand, talking more to herself than me. "You have this real straightforward way of thinking and you memorize shit at the drop of a hat. Better believe I'm using that."

Uh-huh. Sure.

"We're going to lose."

"Want a bet?"

Behind me, something happened in the game on the screen and the living room erupted into shouts. Something about the play being dirty. I should've taken the time to check it out but I placed my hand on the door, taking a look at my girlfriend.

A bet?

Kassie batted her eyelashes. It would've irritated me if it wasn't so nice to look at.

"You're competitive," I said. "I didn't know that."

"And you're telling me you're going to take this lying down?" Kassie tilted her head back. "Team captain?"

A grin lifted on my lips. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Don't do that bullshit I know you're doing." I wasn't born yesterday. I knew how much trouble I could find myself in with a beautiful woman, cocking her head to the side. Fluttering those eyelashes. "Playing a game means you're playing to win. Otherwise, it's wasted time. It's that simple."

"We're doing it." Kassie tried to walk past me, but I snagged her arm and brought her back to the door.

"I'm not doing this for free, art girl. A bet has something you bet with . What do you have to give me?"

Kassie's eyes flickered down to my hand. She was warm beneath me. Soft. I released her just as quickly and she took a deep breath.

"What do you want?"

That was a damn good question. What did I want?

"If I'm right, and we lose…" I mulled over the possibilities, gazing down at those pretty pink lips of hers. There was one thing that'd been constantly on my mind. "Kassie, you're wearing my jersey to every practice. Every game. Even the away games you can't fly out to." I grinned. " And every Friday. Why not add that in?"

The fluttering eyelashes routine stopped. " What? "

"That's it. That's what I want."

For a brief moment, we could hear June reiterating the rules outside. Seconds counted down. We only had a small window to play. It was like Kassie and I were on a field, and I had all my players lined up on the twenty-yard line, waiting for my call.

She jutted her chin. "That's not fair."

"I don't give a damn."

"Three Fridays," she tried to amend, like this was something I would've compromised for.

"All the Fridays," I pushed.

"How do I know you won't throw the game? You could do that on purpose."

We shared one long glance between us. I dipped down close. "Do you really think I'd do that, art girl?"

A cheerleader eased in the screen door. "We're starting Headbanded! "

"Do you?" I repeated.

Kassie let out a slow breath. "No. I don't."

My grin wasn't a grin anymore. I smirked. "That's right."

"But when we win, you have to do something for me," Kassie whispered, a new edge to her voice. "You have to take a little trip to the art building."

"I already modeled."

"No…I need your car."

"Why the hell do you need my car?" I frowned. "For what? Contraband?"

Where Kassie had been so ready to meet me head-on, she ducked her head, and I knew the answer the moment she did. Of all the girls to get into a fake dating contract with, I couldn't believe I'd managed to get the one who loved breaking and entering.

Kassie held up a hand. "Look—"

"You've got to be fucking with me. No. "

"Do you want me to wear the jersey?" she challenged.

I was about to say that I could've put something together in a new contract that demanded her to wear it every goddamn day if I wanted her to. But the truth was, I didn't want that. I didn't want Kassie to wear it out of obligation to the job. I wanted her to wear it for me .

It had nothing to do with the cameras. It had nothing to do with the contracts. Kassie, with my last name and jersey number, was better than seeing her in those short shorts at the frat party. It was fucking hot.

Slowly, I nodded. "It's a bet."

"It's a bet," she confirmed.