Busted Play: The Series (Players, Books 1-6)

by Stella Marie Alden

  A guy jumps out of his chair and I follow him out the door.

  It can’t be her. No way. Shit.

  Cars honk while bloody blond hair rests against the pavement, a body crumpled under a dark coat.

  Is it her? I can’t be sure.

  “Someone, let me through.” I push a few pedestrians aside and drop to my knees.

  “Step back.” The guy who’d rushed out of the coffee shop checks her neck for a pulse.

  I can’t see her face, dammit. I need to see.

  I reach to turn the bloodied face toward me but at the tap on my shoulder, I turn. My heart nearly explodes with relief as I stand and wrap my arms around Isabella, my face in her hair.

  “I thought she was you.” After a bit, I loosen my grip and she looks up at me, eyes all wide, face pale.

  “The car never stopped. It was if he was aiming right for me. I jumped back but that poor girl got hit.”

  I pick up my phone and text Slate my address while the sirens in the distance get louder. Soon, a couple cruisers park on the curb along with three ambulances.

  A big cop gets out and waves his hands at the gathering crowd. “You people should move along.”

  However, Isabella steps forward and juts out that heart-shaped chin. “Excuse me, officer. I saw the whole thing. I got a partial plate.”

  While she gives him all the details, I write down the number and my fears grow worse. Three near misses in one week is no coincidence.

  The asshat from Money Talks Blog talks in front of his phone, no doubt hoping to make the eleven o’clock news.

  Then, he points the phone at me, “Something you want to say?”

  “You post anything and I’ll shut you down tighter than a clam’s ass.”

  “Can I quote you?” He starts working his thumbs on the keys.

  “Try it.” I walk Isabella away from him with my arm around her shoulder. “You need to come home with me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Something similar happened to me last week. Until I’m sure it’s unrelated, you should stay close, in case they try again.”

  She looks down at the blood that splattered on her wool coat and takes it off despite the wind chill of twenty-degrees. “I’m fine. I just need to drop this off at the cleaners.”

  “We’ll do that. Get in the car, okay?” I don’t like the blank look on her face and by the time I get her home, I’m glad I insisted because she’s sobbing unconsolably.

  I turn on the gas fireplace in the living room and pour her a drink.

  After taking a sip, she makes a face and asks, “Can I have ice? It’s too strong.”

  “Better?” It pains me but I put a couple of cubes in my twenty-five-year-old bourbon.

  She nods, her face still pale. “That poor girl. Do you think she’ll be okay?”

  “She’s getting the best care money can buy.” I made sure of that as we made our way uptown. Whatever the reason, some asshole is after me and an innocent got caught in the crosshairs.

  What if he had accomplished his goal? What if it was Isabella in the hospital or worse?

  “Hold me, okay? I’m so cold.” She stands, puts her silky blond head on my chest, and wraps her arms around my waist.

  Ah hell, up to now, I was doing fine. In fact, I’d just convinced myself not to take advantage despite what I’d overheard in the hotel in Houston. If Isabella doesn’t kiss me back, I’ll lock her in the spare bedroom. After that, I’ll take a cold shower.

  Lifting her chin, I catch her heated gaze, and wait for her to close the few millimeters between us.

  Her silky lips touch mine, she closes her eyes, and moans.

  I break apart so I can apologize. “I’m sorry. For everything. What I did in the airplane was unforgiveable.”

  “It wasn’t all that bad. All you did was squeeze my knee and kiss me back.” Her cold fingertips dig to the back of my neck making chills run up and down my spine.

  I nip at her lower lip, feeling bad about how I tried to seduce her. I’ve never done anything like that before. Something about Isabella makes my brain turn to mush.

  Shutting down my self-talk filled with doubts, my tongue spars with hers and I reach under her shirt to feel more of her skin. She slips her hands up my back, and it’s so right, I fucking shiver. When her knees go weak, I pull her butt up and her long legs wrap around me.

  Then, she stops, takes a deep breath, and stares.

  “What?”

  A sly smile crosses her face. “I’m supposed to think before I act.”

  “And?” My heart races. “Do I need to let you go?”

  She shakes her head back and forth, blond locks flying. “No. I’m done.”

  “Good.” I walk her down the hall with her heels locked behind my back. Then I release her onto the bed and gape at her beauty.

  “You sure, Isabella? You had a pretty close call. Maybe this is a reaction to it.”

  “That’s just it. When that car was coming for me, all I could think about was how life is too short. We should go for this, I mean, if you want to.” Her shy look is so damn sweet, it’s hard to believe she’s the same woman who stormed into my office threatening to sue me.

  My t-shirt goes up and over my head and I climb onto the bed next to her. We share kisses, our desire growing as we slowly explore the newness of each other.

  Before long, she tosses her t-shirt over her head, exposing a lacy black bra and my fingers are drawn to her lush curves.

  “You’re so damn beautiful,” is the best I can manage.

  For the longest time I caress her and kiss her, finding out what makes her sigh. My mouth clamps around her breast, sucking the lace until its soaked and her nipples hard.

  When her nails dig into my back, I feel for a clasp at the back of the bra. Frustrated, I stop, about to rip the sexy thing off her body.

  “Hold on.” Laughing, she twists a tiny plastic tab in the front which magically frees her bountiful D cups.

  Damn, she’s so fine. I straddle her, sit on my heels, and caress that playground of flesh until she moans, and arches. That’s when I unbutton her jeans and reach between her legs.

  “Fuck, Izzy. You’re so wet.”

  As a kind of answer, she slides out of her jeans, leaving only a tiny black thong.

  She’s the sexiest thing ever with blond hair mussed up all over the place and her thick lashes half closed. When a pink tongue comes out, some kind of animal noise comes out from deep within me.

  I climb up to find her mouth, she rubs her mound against my cock, and slides a hand in to release the top button of my jeans. Then, her fingers wrap around me.

  Ah fuck.

  I grab both her wrists in one hand and pull them over her head. With her locked in place, I slide a finger down to her soaking pussy while I kiss her into oblivion.

  She moans when I let go to kick off my shoes and struggle out of my pants. Then, I ease onto my knees and open her legs. Her raised-up pearl glistens and I circle around it with my tongue, watching it grow while Isabella shivers.

  She pulls my hair, and opens her legs wider.

  My cock thickens at her begging and I place one finger into her and curl it toward her G-spot.

  “Oh, oh…” The sound of her panting drives me wild.

  With a lick over her clit, she screams and comes hard. Then, I scramble up her body, place my cock at her slickness and thrust up, filling her fully, balls to her core.

  “Oh my God.” She digs her heels into my back and holds on tight while I slowly start to increase my pace.

  Each time I rock in, I think I may go mad with the intenseness of it all but hold back because of the ecstasy on her face.

  “Grayson. Oh yeah.”

  I stop moving as her inner muscles tighten once again and nibble a breast until I know it might hurt but she arches up for more.

  When I pull out fully, she squirms and cries out.

  With one hand I hold myself at her entrance, sliding against her clit
.

  “Ah, ah…” Her breath sucks in, she gets all frozen-like, and I plunge to the bone.

  She goes wild, rocking and bucking so I roll her on top. She rides me like I’m a fucking stallion and we go at it like this until she screams out with a second orgasm. It’s so damn hot I spurt my hot juices into her.

  Then she falls onto my chest, panting, soaked in sweat and my cum.

  “Damn, Isabella. You are so, so hell, I don’t know. So out of this fucking world.”

  Her chin rests on my chest as she flashes me a big smile. “Right back atcha.”

  Then, I sleep soundly for the first time in ages.

  Chapter 10

  Isabella

  I wake as the first rays of sun pour in through the window of Grayson’s apartment. He looks more boy than man as his chest rises and falls. His face is soft, his kissable mouth missing the lines around it, and his brows relaxed.

  My heart just about bursts. I’ve only had sex with a few guys and none came close to how my body responded last night. Not even Jared made me scream in passion.

  What is it about Mr. Grayson J. Patten the third?

  But now what? Obviously, I can’t work for him anymore. And my heart?

  I’m fucking head over heels crazy for my boss, the CEO, a fucking billionaire. I know it’s stupid but I always fall in love after sex but he can’t possibly be serious about me. Billionaires marry famous actresses or models. People like me are for one-night-stands.

  Oh my God, and what will the stockholders say? He can’t be found sleeping with an employee. Monty-the-Malevolent will have a field day.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  My therapist and I have discussed screwing-up at length because I do stupid stuff all the time. Well, not exactly like this but pretty bad. She says I need to learn to deal with my fuckups like an adult. Yada, yada, yada…

  Instead, I do the other thing she says, the think-then-act thing, except I drop the think, pick up my phone, and text Mel.

  Me: I need a huge favor. Can I use CJ’s cabin for a few days?

  Mel: Sure. What’s wrong?

  Me: I slept with my boss. OMG. Can I ask you to send Jack to drive me? I swear I’ll pay you back.

  My clothes are strewn all over the place, so it takes some searching before I can tip-toe with them down the hall. Grayson doesn’t even stir. He must’ve been exhausted what with jet lag and all.

  I dress in the bathroom, exit, and when another door suddenly opens, I jump a mile. “Slate? What are you doing here? You scared the shit out of me.”

  The fact that he may have heard my passionate screams makes my face heat all the way to the tips of my ears.

  He glances down the hall where Grayson is asleep, frowns, then shouts out, “Boss? We have a situation. Wake up.”

  I rush through the living room, cross the kitchen, and grab my coat while Slate follows.

  “Just stop for second. Please.” He holds the door shut while my hands frantically work the multiple locks.

  Then, Grayson curses in the hall.

  Ah shit.

  He looks so hot dressed in only a sheet wrapped around his waist. His hair’s all sex-mussed and his lips are all swollen from where I nibbled on them all night.

  He eyes me with brows furrowed in hurt. “You were leaving? Without saying goodbye? What the fuck?”

  This was just the kind of scene I was trying to avoid. “Listen, it was great. You were great. Everything is fucking great.”

  “Then why go?”

  “Because you’re my boss. Your company is going public.”

  Because I may have fallen in love with you and my heart won’t bear it when you leave me.

  “Just sit down and we’ll talk it through, okay?” He rubs his hand over his face. “God, I need coffee.”

  I sit and make like I’m staying but I’m really just biding my time. Mel’s driver, Jack will be here any minute and then I have to go.

  I had no business sleeping with my boss. God, I am such an idiot.

  Finally, an intercom buzzes, Slate lets Jack in, and the two shake hands like they know each other.

  “C’mon Izzy.” Jack looks up at the other two men with brows raised, “Anyone got a problem with this?”

  “Hell yeah. I do. Someone’s trying to kill her. She needs to stay here, with me.” Grayson’s fists are clenched but Jack isn’t fazed. Mel says he’s some kind of ex-military and right now I believe it.

  He puts a fatherly arm over my shoulder and says, “Seems to me she’s got the right idea. I’ll get her out of the city, take her to CJ’s cabin until you figure out what’s going on. By the way? She was doing fine until she hooked up with the likes of you.”

  He glares at Grayson and testosterone oozes in the air.

  “Fine. Just text me when you get there. I’ll find someone to keep her protected.” Grayson shakes his head sadly and turns on his heel.

  He never looks back to see my tears.

  Chapter 11

  Grayson

  Dammit. I should never have let her go but what the fuck? If she doesn’t want to be with me, so be it. Then, why the hell does it hurt so? Maybe I was too rough and scared her off? I was pretty sure I took good care of her.

  For me, the sex was mind blowing.

  This totally sucks.

  My phone rings and it’s the nurse I hired for my dad. “Mr. Grayson? The doctors think your dad may have pneumonia. You should come.”

  “Be right there.” Could this day get any worse?

  Fuck. I pick up my phone and text Slate.

  Me: I need to go to the hospital

  Slate: Give me five. Meet you downstairs.

  While we ride uptown, I’m so worried about Isabella that I badger Slate. “Did she say anything? Why she had to go?”

  “Not a thing.” He eyes me in the rearview, a concerned look on his face and I glower back.

  “So, tell me. Why do you think she left?”

  He snorts out a laugh. “You’re asking me? A confirmed bachelor?” Then he gets serious. “Jack has shared some stuff about Melanie Quinn.”

  “She’s the wife of that famous quarterback, CJ, right?”

  “Yeah. Apparently, Mel had a tough time of it as a kid and made this group therapy thing that you found out about. These women, they’ve got issues. If you’re not serious about Isabella, you should let her go, Gray. She’s had enough grief in her life.”

  Damn. That sure as hell is not what I expected to hear. “How do I even know if I’m serious? I just met her.”

  Slate shrugs and we ride the rest of the way in silence. Then, I leave him with the limo, head up to intensive care, and sit with my dad for a couple hours while he sleeps.

  While I wait, it dawns on me that I may be just like him, or maybe worse. At least my father was married and had me. I got no one. Never have.

  There’s no one to blame but myself and up until Isabella I was fine with being alone. It takes a hell of a lot of time to make sure my businesses stay healthy. If you add on being CEO for my dad, I practically live for my job.

  I try to recall my last vacation and come up blank. I’d spent some time in the Bahamas last year but was researching offshore accounts for tax purposes. The woman I’d taken with me… Was it, Bambi? Oh man, she was pissed.

  I leave the hospital after making sure my dad is getting the best care possible. They ask about morphine and I give my consent. I’ll do what it takes to make him comfortable for his last days.

  I just wish I could feel something for him but is it surprising? I don’t know him at all. He wasn’t around when I was growing up and later, was always on my case, someone to be avoided at all costs.

  Is this my legacy? A preview of what I am to become?

  Maybe that’s what Isabella sees when she looks at me and maybe that’s why she left. Damn her for awakening feelings better left dead.

  Later, back at my office, I check my emails. My lawyers have Monty tied up in court and I have a meeting with the accountan
ts in an hour. No doubt I’ll have some good news for my dad before he passes.

  Then, Xavier walks into my office, looking like shit.

  “We need to talk.” His clothes look like he’s slept in them and there’s dark circles under his eyes.

  “Okay. Let’s hear it.” I put another pod into my coffee maker and place my mug under the spout.

  “Isabella? She’s taking us to court.” He flops into my guest chair.

  There’s no way she’d sleep with me and then sue me but he doesn’t know that. “I’ll call my dad’s lawyers and put them on it. Is there anything else I should know?”

  He shakes his head, no. “Do you know where she went? She didn’t come in today.”

  “No. Why?” An uncomfortable vibe fills the room as I eye my friend across the small desk that used to belong to Jeanette.

  Suddenly, his perfected mask breaks into an ugly sneer. “Women. So fucking unreliable. That’s why I never hire them, except the pretty ones.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” I think back to what Isabella said about the company’s attitude coming from the top. I thought she meant my dad but now it’s clear that she meant Xavier.

  “I’m sure she has a good reason.” I eye him over my mug as his color returns to normal and he raises an eyebrow.

  “I’m sure she does, like being up all night, fucking a certain CEO?”

  How would he know unless he had us followed?

  A feeling like someone walked over my grave hits me and my eyes narrow. “Just what are you trying to say?”

  “Nothing. We wouldn’t want it to go public, that’s all I’m saying. Christ. You need to chill.” He rises slowly out of his chair and strides to the door.

  Then, almost as an afterthought, turns his head and adds, “The accountants are waiting for you in the conference room. I got to hit the head, then I’ll join you.”

  I walk down the hall and take a deep breath before entering the room. Three men with grim faces sit in the corner of a table meant to seat twenty. On the far wall, the projector beams the beginning of a Power Point Presentation.