Playing Dirty by Ce Ricci (Paperback)

Their rivalry started long before they ever became family.

Madden Hastings has always been the enemy. As the captain of Blackmore’s baseball team, he represents everything on the other side of a long-standing university rivalry. But this year, things take a turn neither of them saw coming—because now, he’s not just the competition. He’s also a step brother.

Forced into the same space, the tension only grows. Years of resentment and clashing loyalties make it impossible to get along, no matter how hard others try to bring them together. Every interaction sparks conflict, pushing them further into a rivalry that feels impossible to escape.

But beneath the anger, something shifts. What begins as frustration starts to blur into something far more complicated. An attraction neither of them expected, and one that only intensifies the more time they’re forced to spend together.

Giving in would be reckless. Crossing that line would risk everything—their families, their teams, and the lives they’ve built.

Because a forbidden connection is one thing. Falling for your step brother—and your biggest rival—is something else entirely.