Exploring the Rules: An Enemies-to-Lovers Sports Romance Standalone

by Mariah Dietz

  “Maybe just one. On the ceiling. And that wall. We can have pieces of art over them. No one will know how freaky things get.”

  She shakes her head again, laughter quaking her shoulders, but she doesn’t say no. I can tell she’s considering it.

  “We just have to decide if we want our glass shower in the bedroom or the master shower.”

  She looks around again and then back at me. “Are you serious?”

  “Dead serious. I wanted to talk to you about the idea of having you and Cooper and Vanessa all move in. I mean, this place is huge. They could have their own floor. And you won’t keep forgetting your knickers or toothbrush because they’ll already be here.”

  “You steal my underwear. I don’t forget them.”

  I grin. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  She licks her lips. “Are you sure?”

  “Fucking positive. I hate not having you here. I hate when I wake up, and you’re gone. I hate going to bed without you. I want you here, and our trip was fab. The four of us have a good vibe, and this place allows us to just continue that, and when you get tired of me, you can go hang out with Vanessa.”

  “I never get tired of you.” She threads her arms around my shoulders. “I never will.”

  I kiss her, my tongue tracing the seam of her lips.

  “Truth or dare?” she says, pulling away from me.

  “Both.”

  Her eyes flash with that same glint of love and adoration that makes me feel bigger than a man. “What would have happened if I’d have asked you to stay?”

  “I would have stayed,” I tell her without a second of hesitation. “It wasn’t fair of me to put that weight on your shoulders. You did what you thought was best, and I love you for your sacrifice, but there’s no way I would have got onto that plane had you asked me to stay. I spent that flight to London feeling absolutely gutted because leaving was the last thing I wanted to do. It was an impossible situation with no right answer.”

  “But you found one.”

  I nod.

  “Because we make the rules,” she says, leaning her hips against mine.

  “That’s right.”

  “I dare you to fuck me in our new bedroom.”

  I grin, reaching for the hem of her shirt. “That might be the best dare ever.” I move my hands up to her ribs.

  She smiles outright. “I love you, Ty.”

  I lean my forehead against hers, brushing my fingers along her impossibly soft skin, feeling her words in every part of me as she holds my soul in her hands. “I love you. I love you more than anything. More than everything.”

  Not Ready to Say Good-Bye to the football team of Brighton University?

  Did you know that Lincoln and Arlo have their own books?

  Start with Bending the Rules:

  Download Bending the Rules

  Pre-Order Forgetting the Rules, Rose’s book which will be releasing early January 28, 2021!

  Pre-Order Forgetting the Rules

  If you love New Adult Romance, please check out The Weight of Rain, a new adult sports Romance.

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  Also by Mariah Dietz

  The Dating Playbook Series

  Bending the Rules

  Breaking the Rules

  Defining the Rules

  His Series:

  Becoming His

  Losing Her

  Finding Me

  The Weight of Rain Duet

  The Weight of Rain

  The Effects of Falling

  The Haven Point Series

  Curveball

  Exception

  The Fallback

  Tangled in Tinsel, A Christmas Novella

  A Glimpse of Bending the Rules

  Chapter 1

  I never considered myself much of a rule breaker. I wasn’t a follower. I wasn’t a leader. I was just me, Raegan, queen of naps, lover of sweatpants, and obsessive reader, working to acquire my dream job as a cetologist so I can study whales and dolphins outside of college. And volleying between pretending the man of my dreams will one day realize how perfect we are together and trying to convince myself I’m over him—that is, until I hear his name again.

  Everyone has one. A name that makes them pause when heard. A combination of vowels and consonants strung together to create an entire web of memories and thoughts. For me, those letters spelled Lincoln Beckett. And like trying to convince myself that the three-year crush I’ve been harboring for him is over, I try to pretend the name doesn’t cast a spell over me. That I can hear his name and not work to listen to what news follows. After all, thinking about Lincoln is the very worst of bad ideas.

  Why?

  Simply put, there are at least ten rules against dating your brother’s best friend, beginning with the very fact that he’s your brother’s best friend. Secondly, he’s guaranteed to know way too much about your life, your family, and your brother’s illustrious decisions. The only thing that might be worse would be dating your best friend’s brother—thankfully for me, my best friend’s brother is eleven.

  Therefore, universal laws, fate, karma, sibling code, and every other fictional or otherwise belief ought to ensure my brother’s best friend look okay-ish at worst and troll-ish at best. This was my experience for the first sixteen years of my life. My brother, Paxton, is three years older than me, and his childhood best friend, Caleb, has a red Brillo Pad for hair, two-million freckles, and is so painfully awkward it’s endearing. I have no problem wearing a bikini or a facial mask in front of him. If I burp or trip over my own feet, it’s not a problem. If I pig out on ice cream, I simply ask him if he’d like a bowl.

  Then, Paxton started at Brighton University in Seattle, Washington, where our dad is the Dean of Business, and he was quickly deemed a God because of his skills on the football field as the quarterback.

  And my world went to hell.

  Fate stuck her big, ugly middle finger up and has been saluting me with it since. Maybe it’s because I lied to my mom about the dent in the back of her car that actually did happen when I’d borrowed it and illegally drove my best friend, Poppy, to the mall. Maybe it was because I'd pierced my naval when I was thirteen after paying a stranger twenty bucks to sign the release form. Or, maybe it was because fate had taken it easy on me for the first sixteen years of my life and decided I hadn’t shown enough appreciation. And the day Paxton brought Lincoln over for dinner, fate waved her ‘fuck you, Raegan’ flag so high you could see it across the Pacific.

  Lincoln Beckett, AKA the President, was not a scrawny gamer like Caleb. Rather, he was tall, and his broad shoulders only enunciated this fact. His biceps were corded, and his dark hair was mussed and perfectly imperfect in the sexiest way possible. And to make matters worse, he was smart, armed with a quick smile and sharp wit that made his brown eyes shine with humor. Seeing him had me forgetting I’d been crushing on senior Michael Porter for three months—hell, it had me forgetting my own name.

  I was screwed.

  To add injury to insult, the day Pax brought Lincoln over, I’d begun my period, and my skin was breaking out. I’d already switched my contacts for glasses, my face was scrubbed clean, and I was wearing baggy sweats to complete my homeless appearance. Had it been Caleb, I wouldn’t have even blinked, but the sight of Lincoln standing in the kitchen where I was helping mom finish dinner had me wishing I had an invisibility cloak or at least an excuse to leave.

  Paxton moved out a month later, and though he returned home frequently for hot meals and laundry, Lincoln only came by a few times, leaving me to lust after him mostly by memory and occasionally seeing him when I’d stop by the house the two of them rented along with Caleb and Arlo, another teammate who I’d also be fine by Pax being best friends with.

 
This year, I’m a freshman at Brighton and gone are the days of me fantasizing about Lincoln Beckett, the starting wide receiver and highly acclaimed football player with a killer smile. The man who’s so frequently on the news that he’s amassed zillions of fans and admirers, my parents included.

  Nope.

  No.

  Not happening.

  “Maybe I should have worn the pink shirt.” Poppy tugs on her pale blue blouse for the tenth time.

  “This is awkward,” I say, ignoring her comment because I’ve already assured my best friend that she looks great a hundred times to no avail. It's obviously not my validation she’s seeking. “We’re so early. We're going to look like idiots just hanging around and waiting.” She’s my number one reason for attending Brighton, a University known for football and its legal program. It’s prestigious and expensive and thankfully has a strong marine biology program.

  “People hang out all the time.” Poppy looks around as though to prove her point.

  “Yeah, when they have a reason to.”

  “We do. You have a class in twenty minutes.” She looks away, her gaze sweeping across the corridor. “Do you think any of the rugby team will be in our classes?”

  “Rugby team?”

  Poppy grins, tucking her copper-red hair behind one ear. “They're seriously hot. One look at Blaine Campbell or Nick Carrol, and you're going to be like Lincoln who?”

  I laugh. “You've already memorized their names?”

  “Oh, Raegan, after you see these guys you won’t even blink when you hear Lincoln’s name.”

  I stare at her for a moment, waiting for sense to catch up to my best friend. “You do realize the hottest guy on campus is Lincoln, right?”

  “The hottest guy on the football team, yes, but now we have the entire University at our fingertips.” She flexes her fingers, her hot pink polish shining in the bright morning sunlight. “Trust me, in a month, you won't even remember who Lincoln is.”

  I don't voice my doubts. I don’t want to have them. I want to believe my best friend is right, and that this crush will soon be filed away as an embarrassing memory.

  We pass a couple of guys who turn as we walk by. One whistles. The other asks for our phone numbers.

  “Gross,” I say.

  An arm slides around my shoulders, and I look up, ready to pull away, but stop when I see my brother's friend and roommate, Arlo. “What's up, ladies?”

  “Are all guys creeps?” I ask, ducking out from under the weight of his arm.

  “Us? Creeps?” Arlo laughs. “Hold up, Pax and the Pres are behind me. They're just chasing a skirt. Fresh meat on campus.” He whoops.

  My heart stutters—a standard reaction to hearing his name. I turn, trying to catch sight of them, working to remain calm. Then, I straighten my back, replaying Arlo’s words. “You really are all creeps.” I shove Arlo’s arm off again when he drapes it over my shoulders.

  “Don’t make me kill you, Kostas.” Pax appears with Lincoln at his side, pulling my attention like a magnet.

  “My hands remained out of the end zone at all times.” Arlo raises them as though to prove a point.

  “Paws off,” Paxton declares. “Otherwise, you're going to be trying to catch the ball with your teeth this season.”

  “Man, you're going to have your work cut out for you,” Arlo says, smiling. “Freshmen are the flames we’re moths. You know how it works.”

  Pax shakes his head, looking at Lincoln. “Poppy and Raegan are off-limits. You guys hear anyone on the team or anyone else saying something you kick their ass.” Pax’s blue eyes that match mine in both shape and color peer around us.

  “Easy, caveman. Remember you've evolved a few hundred centuries. Come out of your cave, lower your stick, and realize times have changed. Women now have rights. We can vote, wear pants, rule countries. And these women…” I point between Poppy and myself, “…will kick your ass if you meddle with who we date.”

  Pax throws his arm over my shoulder, folding his arm so he has me in what likely looks like a loose headlock. It’s something he's done since we were young. “Don't get all huffy. Trust me, us looking out for you guys is way better. These guys are all just looking to get laid.”

  I shrug. “Maybe we are, too?”

  Arlo cheers again to push Pax off the thin ledge his hopes were stacked upon.

  Pax sputters, tightening his grip around my neck. “I did not just hear my little sister talk about having sex!”

  “No shaming!” Arlo says. “How many girls did you sleep with your freshman year?” he poses the question to Paxton.

  I raise my hands, covering my ears. “La, la, la, la, la. I don’t want to know. La. La. La. La.”

  Paxton pulls my hands free. “Probably less than half the number of girls The President banged.”

  I cringe at the reminder of the third rule I have for dating—never date a player.

  Lincoln makes no attempt to disagree, his full lips pulled into a delicious smile that makes my stomach tingle. Good God, I love his smile. Everyone does. And to make matters worse, he knows it and uses it to his advantage, wielding it like a weapon.

  “You guys are pigs,” I say, shoving Pax away.

  Poppy grins. “Don't worry, we won't bother with the football team. You guys can stick to your little cleat chasers. We're introducing ourselves to the rugby team. Did you know they don't wear any pads?” She raises her eyebrows to let the insinuation sink in. “Talk about real men.”

  The three of them automatically reply, throwing insults and jabs at the sport and the players.

  “Real men, “Arlo scoffs and grabs himself through his jeans. “I'll show you—”

  Lincoln smacks the bill of Arlo’s baseball hat, sending it flying.

  “You guys are better than asshole jocks,” Pax adds.

  “Wait. So, you do know you're all a bunch of assholes?” I ask, feigning surprise.

  Pax grins. “You should find a nice guy. Maybe a tech geek or a book nerd like you?”

  “Watch it. I know where you sleep, and I still have your spare key,” I warn him.

  “Want to use it tonight?” Arlo waggles his eyebrows.

  “Don’t push me, Kostas,” Pax warns. “Your ass will be doing lines today for practice.”

  Arlo only laughs, undeterred. I'm fairly certain he only flirts with me to irritate my brother.

  Poppy giggles. I duck out from under Pax and veer to the left in the direction of the math buildings. “I have to get to class.”

  “We still have twenty minutes!” Poppy protests.

  “I know, but I want to get a good seat.”

  She frowns, her shoulders sagging. “Soak it up while you can because, after this week, you’re going to be a normal college student, slipping into class with five seconds to spare.”

  I don’t even attempt to remind her that won’t ever happen. She already knows my aspiration to become a cetologist can’t be rivaled with.

  “My fingers are crossed that you have a rugby player in your class!” Poppy yells.

  I laugh. “You, too!”

  Paxton shakes his head. “At least spare me the details.”

  “Done,” I agree.

  “Where are you headed?” he asks.

  I scrunch my nose. “Math.”

  Pax grins. “I'm heading over to the math buildings, too, hang on. Pop, if you need anything, just let one of us know.” He pauses, his gaze moving between her and me. “I’m serious, though. You guys don’t want to get mixed up with any athletes. All they care about is the game and what happens on the field. None of them are looking for anything serious because they’re all hoping to either be drafted or possibly transfer to a new school for a better position.”

  Rule number four feels like a lead weight in my stomach: don’t get attached to someone who’s going to leave soon. Poppy’s ex-boyfriend, Mike, taught me this lesson, and I already know Lincoln will be moving on to bigger and better things—possibly as soon as the end of this ye
ar, next year at the latest.

  “We’re not looking for engagement rings,” Poppy tells him. “I don’t know why guys always assume girls want to get serious? Have you ever stopped to consider maybe we just want to casually date?”

  Paxton’s eyes narrow in thought, then he looks at Arlo and Lincoln. “Pretty sure we’ve seen enough crying girls to prove otherwise.”

  “Tears of joy,” I say.

  Pax smirks. “This isn’t high school. Here, athletes are practically celebrities. People ask for our autographs and our pictures. Follow us on and off campus. They randomly show up at the house. I’ve had girls sneak into my bed. I get sexts every damn day, and I’ve been proposed to at least a dozen times. Trust me when I say there are a lot of girls looking for more than a good time. They want money and fame, and they know that’s a possibility if they find the right dude.”

  “That’s pathetic,” I say.

  His smirk grows as he shrugs. “Is it? Do you know how much a first draft athlete makes?”

  “If a girl is only trying to sleep with you because she’s hoping to date a famous athlete, then she deserves to shed a few tears,” Poppy says before I can consider girls looking at my brother in the light he’s painting.

  I look at my best friend, and she’s cool and calm, her shoulders pulled back, likely because this news isn’t sending her reeling, realizing that even without the obvious ten rules for me not to date Lincoln, there’s an entire campus vying for his attention.

  “Trust me, you guys don’t want to get mixed up in all that drama,” Paxton says again.

  Poppy smiles widely. “We already know to avoid the football team. Our attention is set on rugby. We also have the swimming team. Water polo. Wrestling.” She ticks them off on her fingers. “Lacrosse…”