Off Limits Book 1: The One I Wasn’t Supposed to Love
Author
Anne Laura van Rooij
Reads
406K
Chapters
35
Lena Carter has one rule she refuses to break—Jaxon Walker is off limits. He’s her best friend’s older brother, the school’s star point guard, and the last person she should ever want. But rules have a funny way of bending when Jaxon decides he’s not going anywhere. What starts as teasing banter and sharp-tongued exchanges slowly shifts into something heavier, charged with stolen glances and moments that linger too long. Lena keeps telling herself to stay away, to stay loyal, to stay safe. Yet every interaction pulls her closer to the one person she swore she wouldn’t fall for. And when lines finally blur, she has to decide if protecting the truth is worth losing the only connection that feels real.
Chapter 1
LENA
The first rule of being best friends with Ethan Walker? Never fall for his older brother.
It was an unspoken rule, one that might as well have been printed in bold, underlined, and laminated in their friendship contract. Ethan had made it painfully clear over the years that his brother, Jaxon, was off-limits. And honestly? That had never been a problem for Lena.
Jaxon Walker was the most insufferably arrogant, cocky, and basketball-obsessed human being to ever exist. He strutted through school like he owned it, flashing that infuriating smirk at every girl who crossed his path.
Unfortunately, none of that changed the fact that Lena was currently stuck in a supply closet with him.
And not just any supply closet. The worst one. The one in the gym that smelled like sweaty socks, desperation, and bad decisions. There was an actual dead spider in the corner, and if she got out of there alive, she was sending a formal complaint to the janitorial staff.
She pressed her back against the wall, arms crossed. “This is your fault, Walker.”
Jaxon leaned lazily against a shelf, completely unbothered—as if they weren’t trapped in a closet like some terrible rom-com setup. His stupidly perfect hair was still annoyingly in place, and his smirk was entirely too self-satisfied for someone who had just gotten them locked in a space smaller than her childhood playhouse.
“Carter, if you think I planned this, I’m flattered.” Jaxon’s smirk deepened as he leaned in slightly, voice dropping just enough to make it infuriating. “But if I wanted you all to myself, trust me, I wouldn’t have to trap you in a supply closet to make it happen.”
She groaned and dragged a hand down her face. “Oh, please. If this school’s entire fundraising budget wasn’t on the line, I’d be anywhere but here. With anyone but you. Doing anything but dealing with this ridiculous bachelor auction.”
Ah, yes. The reason she was currently in this nightmare scenario. The school’s biggest fundraiser of the year was a bachelor auction, where the basketball players were auctioned off for charity.
Lucky her, she had gotten stuck on the planning committee. And since their entire school thought Jaxon Walker was some kind of high school basketball god, he was the main attraction. Which meant she had to coordinate everything with him.
Which meant he’d been ruining her life.
Jaxon shifted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Relax, Carter. I’m sure someone will come looking for us eventually. It’s not like I want to be locked in here with you either.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You literally just called this ‘the best part of your day’ five minutes ago.”
“Yeah, because watching you suffer is my favorite pastime.”
She scowled. “When we get out of here, I’m auctioning you off for five dollars.”
Jaxon smirked, placing a hand over his heart like her words deeply moved him. “You’d bid on me for five dollars? I’m honored.”
She was going to murder him.
***
By the time they finally got out of the closet, thanks to a very confused janitor who found them mid-argument, she was still fuming.
But the worst part? Jaxon wouldn’t let it go.
“Trapped in a closet with me and already dreaming about spending money on me?” He flashed that infuriating grin. “Carter, I didn’t know you felt that way.”
She groaned, shoving her notes into her bag. “Oh, don’t flatter yourself. I’d rather set five dollars on fire.”
“Harsh.” He clutched his chest in mock devastation before recovering way too quickly. “You sure about that? Because I think you’re starting to like me.”
She whipped around, narrowing her eyes. “I would rather kiss a—”
“Careful,” Jaxon interrupted, tilting his head. “If you say ‘rock,’ I’ll be personally offended.”
She glared at him. “A cactus.”
He burst out laughing—genuine, full-bodied laughter—and she hated that for half a second, she actually liked the sound of it.
This bachelor auction was going to be the death of her.
***
Later that day, she headed to the gym to finalize the auction setup, praying that Jaxon would leave her alone for at least five minutes. But, of course, that was too much to ask.
“Hey, Carter.” His voice rang out as he jogged up beside her, flipping a basketball in his hands. “Miss me?”
“Like I’d miss food poisoning,” she muttered, focusing on her clipboard.
“Wow,” he chuckled. “The insults just keep getting better. You sure you don’t secretly love spending time with me?”
She stopped walking and turned to him. “Jaxon, the only thing I love about you is the moment you walk away.”
His smirk deepened. “You wound me.”
Before Lena could shoot back a response, Ethan appeared, completely oblivious to the ongoing war between his best friend and his older brother. “Hey, Lena,” Ethan greeted with his usual easygoing grin. “How’s the auction stuff going?”
“Great!” she said, forcing a smile. “Except for the part where I have to deal with him.”
Ethan laughed. “Yeah, welcome to my life.”
Jaxon placed a hand over his chest, feigning devastation. “Wow. Two betrayals in one minute. A new record.”
Before she could shoot back a response, the gym doors swung open, and in walked Ryan Porter. The moment his eyes landed on her, her stomach dropped.
Ryan Porter—Jaxon’s teammate and a star on her school’s basketball team. Also, her ex-boyfriend who had turned out to be the worst kind of guy. And now, he was walking straight toward her, wearing that smug expression she had once mistaken for charming.
Her breath caught, but she forced herself to look away. Not worth her time. Not worth her energy.
But Jaxon’s gaze sharpened instantly. The smirk? Gone. The usual teasing glint in his eyes? Replaced with something unreadable.
“Great,” she muttered under her breath. “Just what I needed today.”
Ryan’s gaze landed on her, his smirk so effortless and confident that once upon a time, she had fallen for it.
Jaxon, to her surprise, didn’t move. He just watched. Studying. Calculating. Then, in a voice low enough that only she could hear, he murmured, “Don’t worry, Carter. I’ve got your back.”
She blinked. “What?”
But before he could answer, Ryan reached them, his smirk firmly in place as he said, “Lena, long time no see.”
