Fair Game (The Rules Book 1)

by Monica Murphy

  “There’s plenty to see in you,” I tell him sincerely. “You have a lot to offer, you know.”

  His gaze dims and he shrugs. “Financially, yeah.”

  I’m taken aback. We never talk about his financial situation. I could care less if he’s rich or not, though I did take advantage of that amazing kitchen at his house a few nights ago and made a huge batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies for the boys. I think I now have Gabe and Tristan firmly in my back pocket.

  “I don’t care about your money,” I tell him almost fiercely. “You know this.” It’s never been about that between us. I tried my best to avoid him from the very start and he chased after me like a man possessed. He wore me down. And not with a bunch of expensive gifts either.

  “I do. And I appreciate it.” He touches my nose with the tip of his finger. “But that’s all anyone has ever really seen when it comes to me. That’s all I can offer. That or a quick lay.”

  I’m about to tell him that’s totally not true but then he’s turning away from me, an almost pained expression crossing his face. I turn in the direction he’s looking to see an elegant, perfectly dressed couple approach us, the both of them smiling though they don’t necessarily look happy.

  “Shepard.” The woman embraces him first, clad in a powder blue skirt suit that I think might be Chanel and a cloud of expensive perfume. Her hair is this color I can only describe as rich butter blonde and it’s cut into a perfectly symmetrical bob. She’s absolutely flawless. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

  “Mother.” He gives her an awkward hug and then turns to the man who looks shockingly just like Shep, only an older version. And he’s a little shorter. Shep shakes his father’s hand, who offers him a clipped hello in greeting, barely looking him in the eye. The familial love is just overflowing.

  Oh, boy. What am I getting myself into?

  “This is Jade.” Shep is suddenly by my side, his arm curled around mine as he presents me to his parents like I’m some sort of prize. “Jade, these are my parents.”

  He doesn’t offer up their first names so I’m figuring it’s not proper for me to use them. “Hello, Mrs. Prescott.” I smile, my cheeks hurting from the frozen position they’re in. “Mr. Prescott.” I’m about to offer my hand but I can tell they’re not going to offer theirs in return so I don’t.

  “Well, aren’t you lovely,” Mrs. Prescott says, her assessing gaze roaming all over me. I think I just got thoroughly checked out by Shep’s mom. “All that red hair…I didn’t figure you one with a penchant for redheads, Shepard.” She flashes a smile at him.

  I want to roll my eyes. Or sock her in the face. But I refrain from doing either. I hate that my hair is always the first thing anyone sees.

  He slips his arm around my waist and smiles down at me before turning to face his mom. “There’s more to Jade than meets the eye, Mom. She’s not just cute freckles and red hair.”

  Okay. I sort of want to melt at his words. He’s the only guy who’s ever fully embraced the freckled redhead look I’ve got going on.

  “Mmm, hmm.” She studies me with a critical eye, judging me on sight, I’m sure. “Well, it’s wonderful to meet you. I’m very interested in getting to know the girl who’s finally tamed my boy.”

  I stiffen at her words. Did she really just say that?

  “Oh, I’m not tamed yet,” Shep says as he starts to laugh, as does his father.

  His mother just scowls at him. “You’re getting too old for the antics, you know. You must settle down sometime, darling.”

  “I’m not a kid anymore. And there are no antics,” he protests and I think of all the many antics he’s up to on a daily basis. Hello, illegal gambling house. “I’m freaking twenty-one years old. Not ready to throw in the towel and settle down just yet.”

  Of course, I know this. But it still sort of hurts, to hear him say it. Ridiculous, considering we’ve been seeing each other for all of a month, and I’m definitely not expecting wedding bells and engagement rings already. I’m still a teenager for the love of God.

  The tension is palpable between them—between all of us—and I smile politely, my brain searching to come up with something neutral to say. “How long are you here for?” I ask, wincing at the lameness of my question.

  “We’re only here for dinner. We’ll drive back down to Los Angeles tonight. Our plane leaves first thing in the morning,” Mrs. Prescott explains, her gaze flicking to mine before she resumes her stare down of Shep.

  His dad says nothing, just stands next to us and checks his phone. Something I wish I was doing. Anything to not have to deal with whatever’s happening between Shep and his mom.

  “So Shepard. When did we last see you, hmm?” It feels like his mom is trying to bait him. Or irritate him. And by the annoyance I see flickering in his gaze, it’s working. “You didn’t come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas.”

  “Because you weren’t home,” he adds.

  She waves a hand. “You didn’t come home last summer either.”

  “Again, because you were on vacation.”

  She rolls her eyes. “You never, ever make an effort to see us anymore, Shepard. Are you coming home this summer? You never really did answer that question and I’ve been hounding you for months.”

  He sends me a look, one full of nervous apprehension and I wish I knew what he was thinking. He seems worried about…me? But why?

  Pressing his lips together, he turns to face his mother once more. “I don’t think so, Mother. I’m going to stick around here again for the summer. Play on the soccer league and hopefully hang out with…Jade.”

  Wait a minute. What?

  Shep

  I didn’t mean to spring it on her like that. Hell, I haven’t even asked Jade if she wanted to stay with me for the summer and that’s been my plan all week. But like a gutless wonder I kept losing my nerve every time I opened my mouth. I just…I couldn’t ask her. Too afraid she might say no.

  And fuck, that would hurt more than I care to admit.

  Jade’s looking at me right now like I’ve lost my mind and I part my lips, ready to say something, anything to take away that shocked look on her face.

  “Prescott, party of four!” screams the hostess, and I’m saved from having to say anything at all.

  “Let’s go grab our table,” Dad says as he strides toward the hostess who’s waiting for us, clutching four giant menus in her hand. “I’m starving.”

  I follow after him and Mom, taking Jade’s hand. She’s still looking at me, I can feel her gaze on my face but I refuse to look in her direction. I’m trying to come up with the proper way to ask her to stay with me for the summer.

  Though I sort of blew that plan all to hell.

  “What do you mean exactly, by spending the summer with me?” she finally asks.

  My stomach sinks, and my appetite disappears. I didn’t want to have this conversation now. “We’ll talk about it later,” I whisper, squeezing her hand.

  She pulls her hand out of my grasp and the sudden distance between us feels as large as the Pacific.

  Damn it, I should’ve done this sooner. I’d planned to. I wanted to ask her while we were in bed, just drifting off to sleep, when she’s usually draped over me and I have my arm around her shoulders, drawing circles on her skin with my fingers. It’s that time between wakefulness and sleep, when we’re both mellow after multiple orgasms.

  I could’ve been all romantic and shit, explaining to her how I couldn’t stand the thought of spending the entire summer away from her and I know it’s last minute, but hey instead of going home, you should stay with me, Jade. The house is huge and Tristan won’t be around, so that would give us plenty of privacy. I could even give you your own room if you want. We could have fun, just me and you. Lots and lots of fun.

  But instead, I hit her with it in front of my freaking parents. So stupid.

  We’re seated at a table with a gorgeous ocean view and I think of my favorite restaurant, the little
shack near the beach. The place I took Jade on our first date. The food is way better and cheaper and the atmosphere can’t be beat. This place is pretentious as hell. I feel underdressed for not wearing a tie and I can’t remember the last time I wore one.

  One of the many perks of not living at home anymore, I guess.

  I pick up the menu and scan it, as does everyone else at the table. It’s an uneasy quiet and I peek over the top of the menu to see everyone’s head bent, hiding behind the giant pages of their menu. I’m tempted to laugh.

  But I don’t.

  Instead, I try to figure out what the hell I want to eat and pray for the server to come soon so I can order a fucking drink. It’s about the only thing that’s going to get me through tonight, I swear.

  Within minutes the server is at our table, ready to take our drink order. Mom orders a bottle of wine—surprise—and dad and I both order a beer.

  “Do you want something, Jade?” Mother asks, flashing her that barracuda smile. The one that says she’d love nothing more but to tear my new girlfriend—yeah fine I’m claiming it—to shreds.

  “I’ll just have a glass of water, thank you.” Jade smiles up at the server.

  “You don’t want any wine?” Mother continues.

  Jade shakes her head. “I’m not of legal age to drink yet, I’m afraid.”

  The server makes his escape and my mom turns on Jade like she smells blood in the water. “Exactly how old are you?”

  “Nineteen. I’m just finishing my freshman year,” Jade admits, then sinks her teeth into her lower lip. She looks…petrified.

  Fuck. I just want to wrap her up in my arms and protect her from the barrage of questions Mother is going to throw at her. Poor Jade. Poor me.

  Poor all of us.

  “Only nineteen?” Mother’s lip curls as she swivels her head to aim her gaze right at me. “Awfully young, don’t you think, Shepard? This can’t be a serious thing. She’s a baby.”

  “We’re only two years apart,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “Two years can be an awfully long time, especially now, at such a crucial point in your lives.” Mother returns her gaze to Jade, the smile on her face more like a baring of teeth. “I’m sure you’re enjoying yourself with my son. You’ve probably never been with a boy like him before. Shepard is loads of fun. Very charming. And he has a ton of money. But you know this sort of thing won’t last.”

  Jade’s jaw drops open. Her lips move as if she’s trying to say something but no sound comes out. I think my mother’s words just stole her ability to speak.

  Me? I’m stunned. I can’t even fucking move. Why the hell is she being so awful?

  Oh, I know. Because she’s my mom. And she’s always been awful. I haven’t been around her for a long time so I sort of forgot.

  “This is really none of your business,” I start but Mother cuts me off with a look.

  “This is very much my business, considering you are my only son and heir to an absolute fortune. She may look sweet and demure in her cheap little white dress but I’ve seen girls like her before. She’s only with you because of your money.” Mother leans across the table, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper. “She’s harboring all the signs of a gold digger.”

  My blood is fucking boiling. So no girl would really want to be with me, it’s only because of my money? No wonder I said almost that exact same thing earlier to Jade. I’ve been hearing it my entire life. “What did you just say?”

  Mother rolls her eyes. “A gold digger. I’ve already told you numerous times, you need to be like your father. When we started dating, I knew how much he was worth, but I also knew how much I was worth. It was a match. A perfect match.” She sends the still silent Jade a withering stare. “This girl is obviously not a good financial match. Very middle class. Possibly even lower middle class.”

  Her insulting words make me flinch and they’re not even directed at me. I’m tempted to tell Mother to shut the fuck up but I hold it in. No need to make a scene at the restaurant. I don’t want to embarrass Jade.

  “I could care less about any of that shit,” I tell her, my voice raising. “And Jade doesn’t care either. That you have the nerve to call you and dad a perfect match is fucking laughable. You two despise each other.”

  “Watch your language,” Dad threatens, surprising me that he even has something to say. He usually prefers to loom in the background, only interacting when good shit is going down.

  And this is definitely not good shit.

  “I’m not going to sit here and let you insult my girlfriend,” I continue. “You either apologize to her or we’re out of here.”

  Mother lifts her chin and looks down her nose. That expression used to scare the shit out of me when I was a kid but not anymore. She’s all bark and no bite. She always has been. It’s why I’ve gotten away with pretty much everything my entire life.

  “Apologize to your mother for using such foul language,” Dad says but I ignore him.

  “I refuse to apologize for stating the truth.” Mother lowers her voice. “This girl isn’t the one for you, Shepard. Can’t you see that?”

  I turn to look at Jade, how her skin is so pale her freckles stand out, her eyes full of a multitude of emotions, none of them good. She’s mad, upset, disappointed, nervous…yet all I can see is that she is definitely the girl for me.

  “I can’t.” Reaching out, I take Jade’s hand that’s lying in a fist on the table and clasp it in mine firmly. She lifts her gaze to mine and I offer her a reassuring smile. “I’m wondering why you can’t see that she is the girl for me,” I say, my eyes never leaving Jade’s.

  “You can’t be serious,” Mother starts but I ignore her.

  “Let’s go baby,” I whisper to Jade and she leaps to her feet so fast I’m surprised she didn’t knock her chair backwards.

  Mother sputters in protest. Dad is yelling my name. The server is approaching our table, carrying a tray laden with our drinks and Jade and I push past him, though I offer him up an apologetic smile.

  No way am I staying through a torturous meal while my mom slings insults at Jade. No fucking way. I’m standing my ground. If I let her get away with this shit now, what will happen the next time I bring Jade around them? Mother will never let up.

  And there will be a next time. I can guarantee it. I’ve been fighting it all week but tonight, right at this very moment, I know without a doubt that I’m falling. Falling in love with her.

  So I’m taking care of what’s mine.

  Jade.

  Twenty-Six

  Jade

  I think I’m in a total state of shock.

  I have no idea what happened back there at the restaurant but holy shit, it was weird. I felt like I was in a movie. One of those cheesy made for television movies that they show on Lifetime, with all the overblown drama and exaggerated bad guys—or mom, in this case. The way she looked at me, spoke to me, how she called me a freaking gold digger right there at the table, in front of Shep and his dad.

  Unbelievable.

  Shep defended me the entire time. He never caved. Not once. He was on my side and oh my God, it felt so good, knowing that he was defending me with an unwavering intensity I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed before.

  It was awesome.

  Though we haven’t spoken since we left the restaurant and that was five minutes ago. I think he’s still too mad. Not that I can blame him. I’m mortified over what happened too. His mom is a nightmare. He warned me but he didn’t offer up much detail as to how truly awful she was.

  And she is definitely awful.

  “Jade, I’m so fucking sorry,” Shep finally says and I chance a glance at him, the way his long fingers are curled around the steering wheel, his knuckles white. His expression is grim, his mouth drawn thin and his jaw looking like it’s going to crack, it’s so tight.

  “It’s not your fault,” I start but he cuts me off.

  “I should’ve never brought you there. I thought she�
��d be cool. I thought she’d accept you and see just how great you are. Instead, she was a total bitch.” He stops at a red light and turns to look at me, his eyes full of sorrow. “I’m sorry.”

  I lean over the center console and reach out, placing my hand on his smooth cheek. “Hey. It’s not your fault,” I repeat.

  He blows out a harsh breath and turns his head so he kisses the palm of my hand. “I hate what she said to you,” he murmurs against my skin.

  A shiver moves through me. I hate it too, but what’s done is done. “I think she’s just trying to defend you. Protect you.”

  “In the rudest way possible.” The light turns green and I drop my hand from his face so he can continue driving distraction free. “Don’t make excuses for her. She called you a gold digger, Jade.”

  “We don’t need to relive it,” I say with a wince.

  He sends me an apologetic look. “Sorry. You’re right. What the fuck is wrong with me? What the fuck is wrong with her? Jesus.” He punches the steering wheel and I place my hand on his thigh, surprised at how rigid the muscle is. He’s so tense he feels like he could shatter.

  “Calm down. It’s over. We survived,” I reassure him as I run my hand up and down his thigh. “Let’s just go back to your place and relax. Order takeout.” Because yeah, I’m still hungry since we never ate dinner.

  He frowns. “Damn it, I can’t. I have to go to the house and help Tristan and Gabe. The last night it’s open, remember?”

  How could I forget? Great. Now I’ll have to spend tonight alone.

  “You could go with me,” he continues and I shake my head.

  “No.” Hell, no. I don’t like that place. Last time I went I got drunk and almost snorted a line of coke with the Em and Ems. That was so unlike me. First time I go, I get thrown into a bet and Shep wins me.

  That you can’t protest.

  Yeah, maybe I can.

  Sort of.

  Okay, fine not really.

  “You can stay at my place,” he suggests and again, I shake my head. I don’t want to be the lonely so-called girlfriend waiting for her man to come home. How pathetic is that?