The Off Limits Rule Novels & Stories

he continued, ignoring the edge in my voice like it entertained him more than anything else. “Alright, that’s fine,” I shot back quickly, almost cutting him off, because if I slowed down, if I thought too hard about what I had just agreed to, I might start backing out. “And I’ll have my rules too.” There was a brief silence, then, softer this time, curious, “What rules?” I stopped pacing, my lips pressing together for a second before I said it, clear and firm. “One—no intimacy.” His chuckle came again, deeper now, like he’d been waiting for that. “You’re sure you can handle that? Huh?”

But the way Mark said it, soft and deliberate, like he was tasting it on his tongue, made something shift uncomfortably inside my chest. I ignored it. "Before we start," I said, crossing my arms, "we need to set some ground rules." He raised an eyebrow. "Rules?" "Non-negotiable ones." He tilted his head slightly, amused. "I'm listening." I held up one finger. "Rule one. No flirting. Not during sessions. Not after sessions. Not ever." His grin didn't fade. I held up a second finger. "Rule two. No touching outside of training corrections. If I need to adjust your form, I will. But that's it. Understood?"

I nod, a smile coming to my face as a plan forms in my head. "Did Demitri give you any instructions on changes tonight?" She nods laughing seeing I have a plan. "Specifically, us, did he tell you tonight was not a free play for us? We have their agreement we can play as and when we wish, did he tell you, not tonight?" She laughs looking around her, that is a no, he forgot to add that bit. "We wouldn't be breaking any rules." We won't be, neither of them said tonight we are off limits.

“Fine. Let’s get this over with. Ground rules first.” “Ground rules,” Orion repeated with a grin. “Sounds serious.” “It is.” I jabbed a finger at him. “Rule number one, no touching unless it’s absolutely necessary and when I say necessary, I mean when someone’s watching. Otherwise, hands to yourself.” His eyebrows shot up. “You surprise me, River, I wasn’t planning on throwing myself at you at seven a.m.” “Rule number two,” I continued, ignoring him, “don’t show up at my place unannounced, ever again.”

“Of course not. But certain limitations have been lifted. Limitations regarding apprehension, use of force, due process. If we adhere strictly to Helios protocol, we’ll get shot down and killed instantly. Out in the wastes, we gotta be smarter, more flexible. You get me?”

Sure enough, footsteps echoed in the distance as Omari's team marched toward T3 in full force. Steve got ready to lead our team. "We can't let them get there first!" "Wait." I grabbed his arm. "The crate is in the employee break room. Do you know what that means?" I paused. "The first supply crate is definitely a trap. Anyone who reaches it first will get eliminated." The system had shut down the drinking fountains and posted guards at the trash cans, reinforcing one rule again and again: NPC rules could never be violated. The employee area was off-limits, and regular players were not allowed to enter at all. If anyone tried to force their way in, the system would immediately mark them as tr

I had no clue what any of this meant besides the ridiculous amount of money they are offering and that it was a five-year contract. My agent asked for a few minutes with me, and they got up and left. He turned to me, "Colt, this is a good contract. There is one thing that you need to be aware of. They have first opportunity at promotional deals. Meaning if they want you to do something to promote the team you have to. They added a hefty amount to do so, but it also means that you might have to turn down other deals if it conflicts with other offers you get." "I don't care about that. I just want to play ball."

It could be him for all I care. *Bakersfield’s High* We pull in and it’s different. Cops, Rent-a-cop security and two guys with wands are by the doors. Morton gathers us in the parking lot before we go in. His face is hard. “Listen up,” he says. “Because of what happened to Trevor, Bakersfield and our league agreed to a new protocol. Both teams, both staffs. Everyone gets checked before they hit the ice. Bags, bottles, gear. No outside food or drink in the locker rooms. Period.”

"No one can know at work. Complete professionalism when we're in the office." "Agreed." "And if this starts affecting my job or your relationship with Anthony, we stop." I do not like that rule, but I understand it. "Agreed." "And Richard? I won't be your dirty secret. If this becomes something real, something serious, eventually we go public. I won't hide forever." "Deal." She smiles, and it transforms her entire face. "Then we have an agreement, Mister Westwood." I pull her against me, feeling her body melt into mine. "We do, Miss Hart."

"It's necessary. You have to call a spade a spade or she'll keep coming for you, and I've got your back. Let's go." I nodded, my heart hammering, and we walked over together. I swallowed hard, looked at Sasha, and said, "so we're actually about to clear this spot for you, since it's no secret around here that big Corbin switches girls every twenty four hours, so enjoy the ride while it lasts. Bye." Marcus squeezed my shoulder, letting me know I had done well. I turned back once more. "Oh, and Sasha, don't get too comfortable, you can hold onto that reserved seat for whenever the next one shows up, big Corbin doesn't exactly slow down."