The Boyfriend Zone by Jillian Quinn

Ilook like an ass. No amount of liquid courage will get me through tonight. Staring in the mirror at the ridiculous outfit Taylor threw in my direction, I cringe.

Taylor comes up from behind me and cups my shoulders. “You look hot, babe. We will own this dance contest.”

I look in the mirror and roll my eyes at her. “Remind me never to make deals with hot hockey players. I don’t know shit about dancing at a club. This will be so embarrassing. Why are you not upset I roped you into this?”

She shrugs, lining her lips with a light pink gloss. “I like dancing and money. I don’t see the problem. It’s not like we have to take off our clothes.”

I let out a breath of air. “I guess so. But look at what we have to wear. It’s ridiculous.”

She steps back from my chair to fix her short tank top in the mirror. The shirt rides up her stomach, exposing some of her flesh.

Taylor shrugs. “They’re not so bad.”

I frown, unable to hide my disappointment. “Whoever ordered our outfits must have sized them for children. Black spandex shorts that barely cover my underwear are not okay around Preston. Neither is this top that scoops so low my nipples are practically hanging out.”

She chuckles, staring at me. “But you look smoking. Preston will pop wood so fast you won’t be able to keep him away from you.”

“Ugh. That’s the problem. I can’t have Preston see me like this.” Wrapping my arms around myself, I cover my stomach. “He’s so touchy-feely. Being around him makes me want to break all of my dad’s rules. I would do it, too. If he wanted to.”

“You bet your ass Preston would. He wants you. Anyone within a ten-mile radius of you two can feel the sexual tension. Your dad’s last rule applies to dating, but he never said you couldn’t have sex with his players.”

“No, not you, too. You’re just as bad as Preston. Look what happened the last time I had sex with one of his players. It almost ruined my life.”

“This time is different.”

“How so?”

“Because Preston is different. And girl, he’s like a five-alarm fire hot. I don’t know how you can stand to be around him without keeping a change of panties in your pocket.”

I lift a pillow from the bed and throw it at her. “You’re so gross.”

Taylor catches it and then chucks it back at me. “You know I’m right. Admit it, Bex. You want him, too.”

I lean to the right, allowing the pillow to miss my head and hit the wall behind me. “I can’t.”

“Hey, it’s just an idea. If you want to touch his man meat, there’s nothing stopping you.”

“Ew, did you just say man meat?” I cringe outwardly at the thought.

She shrugs, nonchalantly. “I hear he’s big.” Taylor holds out her hands as if she’s measuring Preston’s dick.

“Oh, my God. Stop it. And how would you know how big Preston is? It’s not like you’ve seen it.”

“I asked around for you. Figured we should get as much dirt on him as we can… in case you change your mind about him.”

I shake my head at her and sigh. “I can’t think of him like that. Ugh. He’s my dad’s favorite player. And his mom invited me to learn from her. I mean, how cool is that?”

“Yeah, that’s awesome. Coach is like your spirit animal.”

“I know. She’s so incredible. I would kill to have a mom like Preston’s. Mine was a complete embarrassment to all women. A nasty home-wrecking whore.”

She laughs, checking herself out in the mirror once more. “How do I look?”

I wink at her. “Hot.”

She flicks her dark hair over her shoulder and smiles.

Taylor hands me the bottle of vodka from the counter, and I gladly take my fair share.

“Everyone on campus is coming to see the dance-off… and I don’t know how to dance.”

Taylor snorts and takes the bottle from my hand, raising it to her lips. “You’ve got moves, Bex. They come out when you’re drunk. All you have to do is get on that bar, shake your ass, and push out your tits.”

I laugh. “I hate you.”

She blows me a kiss. “You love me.”

* * *

Preston and his teammates wait for us in the parking lot at The Sixth Floor. A group of girls, dressed in the same outfit as Taylor and me, crowd around them. I sift through the throng until I reach Preston. He stops talking to Drake, his eyes now fixed on me. His mouth falls open slightly as he takes in the sight of me.

I never wear clothes like this—at least not in public. I reserve tight spandex shorts and tops for workouts and practices. Never for weekends. And definitely not around guys like Preston.

“Damn, Bex.” Preston steps forward, his right hand falling to my waist. He closes the distance between us, the air between us thick with tension. He studies each of my curves, his gaze falling over every inch of my body. “You look… hot.”

I smile, and it’s not even the slightest bit forced. “Thanks, Parker. You’re not so bad yourself.”

Spending the day with Preston has lowered my walls. He’s not as much of an ass as I had thought.

“Shannon,” Jamie says to a girl with long, black hair. “This is Bex.” He points to me. “And her friend, Taylor.”

“Oh, hey.” Shannon strolls over to us. “You two are such lifesavers.”

“I don’t know how to dance,” I admit.

“Yes, you do.” Taylor smacks my arm. “Bex is being modest.”

“Okay, fine.” I hold up my hands. “But if we lose, don’t blame me.”

Taylor invades Shannon’s personal space, already acting as if they’re best friends. “What do you need us to do?”

“It’s nothing special. Just have fun. Move your hips to the beat and do whatever feels natural to you.”

Preston comes up from behind me, placing both of his hands on my hips. My entire body hums from his energy. He dips his head until his lips are so close, his breath on my earlobe. He sways my hips, rocking me from side to side.

“Nothing to it, Bex.”

Do that again.

I don’t want him to stop touching me, and now that he’s all over me, I know tonight will end with me in his bed. I want him so badly my pussy clenches from the promise of his hands on me, his cock filling me up. I haven’t wanted a guy this much since Kellan. And that was a long time ago.

I look up at him, haunted by his beautiful blue eyes. “Easy for you to say. Maybe you should get up on the bar and shake your ass for money.”

He laughs. “For five hundred bucks, I would.”

“I need a drink,” I admit.

His hands on my bare skin send shivers down my spine. A blaze of heat licks my stomach as his fingers graze my navel. Without my permission, a soft whimper escapes my lips. Is he doing this to get me to focus on him instead of the dance competition? Well, it’s working.

“I’ll be right there… watching you. Look at me and no one else.”

“Okay.” I suck in a deep breath. “Let’s get this over with.”

When we step inside the club, the bass is thumping beneath my four-inch heels. I look like a giant in these. I’m well over six feet tall with them on, which makes me stick out even more. The other girls in our group are on the petite side except for Taylor. She’s almost as tall as me and built like an athlete.

“We have to check in,” Shannon informs us.

Preston slips his fingers between mine as we move through the mass of people. A prick of electricity stings my fingers. His calloused skin is so rough against mine, and I can’t stop myself from wondering how his hands would feel on other parts of my body.

After Shannon confirms our spot in the competition, I untangle my fingers from Preston’s, already missing his warmth.

I smile. “Wish me luck.”

He gives me a crooked smile that sets my insides on fire. “Good luck. Remember what I said. If you get nervous, look at me. And no one else. It’s no different from playing in a game or a tournament. You’ve had thousands of people watch you over the course of your college basketball career.”

“True. But I’m good at basketball. That comes natural to me. Dancing doesn’t.”

“It’s one dance. The money is for charity. That should give you more incentive to win.”

I flash a reassuring grin at him. “Thanks, Preston.”

He winks. “Anytime.”

I turn away from him now, following Shannon and her friends to the back of the club. A bouncer ushers us into a large open room where girls sit in front of vanities, while others stand behind them, fixing their hair or makeup in the mirror.

“Do they look familiar to you?” I ask Taylor, motioning to the girls in the right-hand corner of the room.

She tilts her head to the side, taking her time to look them over. “Yeah, I know them. Those are the girls from Kappa something or other. I can’t remember the full name of their sorority.” Taylor glances around the room, her eyes landing on another team of girls in the center of the room.

“Hello, have you not seen all the lights out there?” a girl says from behind us, talking loudly to her friend. “They’re filming this for the senior project. It’s in high def.” She tugs on the girl’s arm, helping her to an open chair. “C’mon, I need your expert blending skills. This concealer is being a real bitch. I don’t want to go out there looking like a pumpkin.”

I shudder at the mention of the senior project.

I feel so out of place around these girls. I spent my childhood at either an ice rink or on a basketball court—not at Neiman Marcus. They are the girls Preston would date—beautiful and made up like Barbie dolls.

Shannon introduces us to the girls in our dance group, seven in total. I can’t remember any of their names. Mostly because I know I won’t need to after this dance is over. We will go our separate ways after tonight.

Once it’s our turn, a bouncer leads us out of the room and down the creepy back hallway. He pushes open a door that leads to a long bar, the one we’re expected to dance on.

Why did I agree to this?

I squint when the bright lights hit me in the face, now realizing why the girl in the dressing room was so concerned about her makeup. Poles line the bar, each of us stepping forward to grab hold of one. I glance over at Taylor, my body shaking from fear. No amount of alcohol could have prepared me for the throng of drunken idiots staring up at me.

Recalling Preston’s encouraging words, I scan the crowd for him. He’s three rows back from the edge of the bar when his eyes find mine. I bite my bottom lip, trying to contain my nerves. He must notice my reaction because he taps Jamie on the shoulder and tells him to move forward.

Preston’s friends follow his lead, and I can’t take my eyes off him. Because of Preston, I don’t care about the people in the audience. The only person who matters is staring back at me, keeping me grounded.

I smile, and this time I feel more confident, like I can handle this.

One dance. One song.

And it’s for a good cause.

An announcer, with a microphone in hand, stands at the center of the bar and introduces us. Once the song starts, the girls next to me sway to the beat. And I freeze up. Staring at them in horror, I tell myself to move, but I can’t budge. Then it hits me. I look worse standing up here, frozen in place, so I find Preston again.

His eyes burn a hole through me. He licks his lips as if he likes what he sees. I’m dancing for him—and only him. Moving my hips to the beat, I go with the flow, allowing the rhythm to take over. Preston inches through the crowd until he’s standing below me. I drop to the bar, shaking my ass along with the rest of the girls.

I laugh, and once I do, I can’t stop. This is fun, way more fun than I had realized. All I had to do was lighten up and lower my guard. But everything comes to a screeching halt when someone drops a glass. My shoe collides with a puddle of spilled liquid, and I lose my balance. The sudden disruption causes me to fall forward.

Except my body never hits the floor. Preston’s muscular arms wrap around me, his muscles tightening as he holds me. The scent of sweat, musk, and laundry detergent fill my nostrils. He smells so manly I want to stick my tongue out and lick him.

“You okay, Bex?” he whispers into my ear, his voice deep and sensual.

“No, I think I might die from humiliation. I told you this was a bad idea.”

He brushes a strand of hair away from my face, inspecting me. “You were killing it up there. What happened?”

“Someone spilled their drink. I slid on it and couldn’t grab the pole in time to steady myself.” I run my hand through my hair, frustrated with the turn of events. “They will lose because of me.”

He sets me on the floor, keeping his hand on my hip. “Don’t worry about winning. No matter which team wins, the money will help fund a good cause.”

“Yeah, but I feel like I let everyone down.”

“Nah. They’ll get over it. You held up your end of the deal. Now, I know you’ll follow through with any future bets we make.”

“This is the last one,” I say, not sure if I mean it. Because I don’t want this to be the last time I hang out with Preston. “No more dares.”

“You’re no fun, Bex Bryant.” He tilts a bottle of beer to his lips and takes a sip.

I grab it from his hand and gulp down the rest of its contents. “I’m tons of fun.”

“Prove it,” he challenges.

“How do you expect me to do that?”

“For starters, you can dance with me.”

“How about a drink first?”

He nods. “Deal. What are you having?”

“Whatever you’re ordering.”

“And then you’re mine,” he growls.