Just when I thought this series could not get any better, we are given another delectable instalment in this witty, sexy, flawlessly written series about opposites attracting. We saw the cocky team captain fall for a sassy geek in The Deal, the star defenseman fight for a second chance in The Mistake, and now we get to properly meet another star of the Briar hockey team—the team’s resident party animal and the biggest player on the planet—and the spirited blonde who ends up rocking his world. These stories are such guilty pleasures of mine, a fun and utterly addictive reading experience beginning to end, and Dean and Allie’s story did not disappoint in the slightest.
“So I’m…what, your relationship sponsor? I’m the one who makes sure you don’t fall off the wagon?”
“Yep. Congratulations, you finally get to do something worthwhile with your time,” I say sarcastically.
He tips his head. “What do I get in return?”
“The satisfaction of knowing you’re helping someone other than yourself?”
“Naah. How about a BJ? I’ll do it for a BJ.”
I give him the finger. “You wish.”
“Fine, an HJ.”
An incorrigible ladies’ man who always gets whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, Dean Hayward-Di Laurentis’ lighthearted attitude gives the impression that he doesn’t have a worry in the world, but behind the team’s star defenseman’s confident swagger lies a man who has not found his true direction in life. Born to privilege and expected to follow in his parents’ footsteps, Dean passes his college days focusing on hockey, random hook-ups, and spending time with his friends, his innate intelligence hidden behind a careless, live-in-the-moment stance on life. But when an unexpected one-night stand turns into the greatest sexual experience of his life, Dean finds himself in uncharted territory, unable to stop thinking about the first woman in his life who’s left him craving for more.
“The memories come crashing back in vivid Technicolor. The terrible movie. The tequila shots. The…rest. I slept with Dean last night. Twice. My heart beats faster as I stare up at the ceiling. I’m in Dean’s room. There’s an empty condom wrapper on the end table. And…yep, I’m naked. Maybe it was a bad dream, a voice in my head tries to assure me. I draw another deep breath and find the courage to turn my head. What I encounter seizes my lungs again. A very naked Dean is stretched out on his stomach. His bare ass taunts me, not just with its sheer perfection, but because of the red scratches on his tight butt cheeks. My nails had left those scratches. I lift a weak hand and notice the fingernail on my index finger is broken. I broke a nail while clawing at Dean’s ass.”
Allie Hayes cannot believe she let the biggest flirt on the planet seduce her, but a night of wild, drunken monkey sex is exactly what her heart needed to get over a painful breakup. She might feel disgusted with herself the morning after, and determined to never let it happen again, but Allie is not a woman who lingers on regrets, and moving on is exactly what she plans on doing from the moment she flees the ‘scene of the crime’. Unfortunately, the man in question does not happen to be on the same page.
“Hey. What’s up?”
I let out a ragged breath. “I want to f*ck you again.”
“Is this a thing now? You’re going to call me every night and say that?”
“Maybe?” Shit. I’m cranky and horny and as confused as she is. “Say yes, baby doll. Just say yes and put me out of my misery.”
So a tantalising game of cat-and-mouse begins between two people who have very little in common at first, but the more they get to know about one another, the more they realise that appearances can be deceiving. Allie’s feisty personality and blind ambition are no match for her selfless heart, and she soon discovers that Dean’s confident, well-adjusted façade hides a vulnerable young man whose unconditional love can also become his greatest downfall.
As always, this story was the perfect blend of heart-warming romance and amusing, engaging dialogues, woven through a well-balanced plotline that entertains and touches our hearts in equal measure. I loved these characters, I loved how multi-layered they got as their story unfolded, and I never wanted to part with them. The premise of a notorious womanizer falling for the first woman to resist his charms might appear cliché at first, but there is nothing cliché about this story, there is nothing cliché about the way these characters are brought to life, and there is nothing cliché about this author’s extraordinary ability to deliver a story that always feels fresh, unique, and exciting. A great addition to the series and a top recommendation from me.
A blond Adonis with his golden chest and sculpted muscles and perfectly chiseled face. If the hockey thing doesn’t work out for him, he ought to consider going into modeling. Dean Di Laurentis oozes sexuality. He could slap his face on a laxative label and every woman in the world would be praying for constipation just to have an excuse to buy it.
Excerpt
“This movie blows!” He groans. Loudly. “There. I said it. This movie blows.”
“I think it’s good.” I’m lying. Enduring this film is the equivalent of watching paint dry. Not even the pot we just smoked can make this experience even the slightest bit enjoyable, but I don’t want to admit that I’d made the wrong choice.
You can’t give a guy like Dean the win.
Ever. He’ll lord it over me until the end of time.
“There’s no way you like this movie,” he challenges.
“I do,” I insist.
He stares me down for several seconds, but my acting skills come in handy, allowing me to convey pure innocence.
“Well, I don’t. This is a whole new level of brutal.”
I offer a helpful suggestion. “Why don’t you go upstairs and jerk off again?”
Shit. Wrong thing to say. His green eyes instantly take on a seductive glint.
With a lazy grin, he leans toward me and drawls, “How about you do it for me?”
This guy is incorrigible. “Are we back to this? Do you ever take no for an answer?”
“I’m not familiar with that word. Nobody’s ever said it to me before.” He moves closer again, resting his palm on the cushion between us and giving the fabric a slow stroke. “Come on, let’s make this party more interesting. We’re home alone…we’re both good-looking…”
I snicker.
“It’ll be fun. Sex is always fun.”
“Pass.”
“Okay, no sex. How about just oral?”
I pretend to think it over. “Am I giving or receiving?”
“Receiving. And then giving. Because that’s how it goes.” He smiles broadly. “You know, the circle of life and all that.”
I can’t help but laugh. Say what you want about this guy, but at least he’s entertaining.
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Off-Campus - Recommended Reading Order
(standalone stories with interconnected characters)
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I love this series sooo much! I honestly can’t get enough of it, I wish I could get them signed, but until then I will settle for getting them in paperback. This book though, when Dean broke down, I was upset and I was *this* close to having tears in my eyes. Talking about it, gives me the urge to reread it again! :D