The Dating Games Series Volume One

by T. K. Leigh

  “Yes.” He doesn’t embellish any further, but he doesn’t need to. It makes sense. Jessie was a business major, a natural salesman. He could charm the squirrels out of the trees in the dead of winter, even though they knew it was their only means of protection against the elements. Not to mention, right after college, Jessie worked as a client specialist for a talent agency in Boston. He understands the business side of the music industry. There’s no one else Asher would trust with his career. It was always their plan.

  I shake off his touch, shrinking into myself. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It didn’t seem like it mattered.”

  “Didn’t seem like it mattered?” I repeat, my voice rising in pitch. I quickly lower it, unsure where Jessie is. For all I know, he could be eavesdropping outside the door. “It matters. It matters a lot. So… What? You let Jessie in and then came up to fuck me one last time before dropping this bomb?” My disbelief at this situation growing, I grab the first pair of pants I find in my disheveled suitcase and yank them on, not caring I’m not wearing any underwear.

  “It’s not like that, Iz. I’m as surprised as you are. I bought us a little time and have him in the studio, listening to some demos I’ve written for a solo album I have in the works.”

  I slow my motions, finding solace in the fact that Jessie’s locked away in the opposite end of the house. Then memories from last night float back and my eyes widen.

  “Asher! My pants and tank top are in there! They have my perfume all over them. The same perfume I wore back in college. The same perfume he bought me repeatedly. If he picks them up and—”

  “Relax,” he soothes, running his hands down my arms. “I grabbed them and brought them back up here before letting him in.” He nods at the pants I just tugged on. “You’re wearing them.”

  “That still doesn’t make this okay.” I push out of his hold, grabbing a bra and slipping it on, facing away from Asher. After tugging on a shirt, I add, “You should have told me.”

  “Would that have changed anything?”

  I whirl around to face him, my mouth agape, about to insist it would, but stop myself. Would it have changed anything? Would I have wanted Asher any less than I did last night?

  When he reaches for my face and brushes his fingers against my skin, I can’t help but melt into the contact. One touch is all I need to reassure me that his intentions were noble, even if the outcome was less than desirable.

  “I understand I should have mentioned it. But I didn’t want to burst our bubble. Wanted to prevent you from enduring any heartache.” He brings his lips toward mine, and I sigh at the promise of his kiss. “Just like I hoped to do all those years ago.”

  I melt into him, digging my hands into his hair, his words wrapping around me like a blanket. But as the meaning in his statement sank in, I stiffen, pushing against him.

  “What did you say?”

  Disoriented, he blinks repeatedly. This time, he’s at a loss for words. “I—”

  “What heartache did you want to prevent all those years ago?” I step back, eyeing him with suspicion, a knot tightening in my stomach.

  “I…,” he stammers, his breathing quickening.

  “What heartache did you want to prevent?” I ask again through clenched teeth, my temper flaming.

  He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to. The answer is etched in the worry lines on his face. In his pleading eyes. In the hard bob of his Adam’s apple.

  “Oh, my god. You knew. That’s what you mean, right? When you said you hoped to prevent my heartache, you’re talking about that night, aren’t you?”

  Again, he remains silent. What is there to say?

  “How could you keep that from me? You knew what I was walking into, yet—”

  “No.” He darts his eyes to mine, that vein in his neck throbbing. His fists clench, every muscle in his body vibrating with a passion I’ve yet to see in another person. Even him. “I had no idea what you were walking into.”

  “But—”

  “Maybe you’ve forgotten, because the story you told last night left out quite a few things.”

  “I didn’t think it was necessary to go into all the gory details.”

  “Really?” Defensive, he folds his arms across his chest. “Is that why Chloe didn’t even seem to know what happened? Why she appeared just as interested in the story as someone who’d never heard it? Because you didn’t think it was necessary to go into ‘all the gory details’ with one of your dearest friends when it happened? Don’t you always say that keeping the truth is as bad as lying?”

  “That’s not the same, and you know it. The details didn’t involve Chloe.”

  What can I say to him? That the reason I left out so many details was because of what I feared it would finally reveal. That the real reason I ran out on Jessie wasn’t because he sought comfort in another woman’s embrace. After all, I did play a part in pushing him there. It was because, as I sat waiting for him, I found myself staring at a photo of Asher and me together, my mother’s words ringing around me.

  “How will I know if he owns my heart?”

  “You’ll just…know.”

  “How?”

  “You’ll see it in his eyes. You’ll see a piece of yourself staring back at you.”

  That was when I realized I’d allowed myself to fall in love with two men.

  “You kept something from me that affected me directly,” I continue.

  “According to what both you and Jessie told me about the fight you had before Christmas break, it seemed you’d written him off, even if you claimed you weren’t sure about what your plan was. Hell, he said you tried to give back the ring, but he begged you to keep it.”

  “All the more reason he shouldn’t have sought out his ex,” I snipped back.

  “Agreed, but you also can’t stand there and blame me for this.”

  “I’m not. But you still should have told me what you knew about Jessie.”

  “Goddammit, Izzy!” He slams his hand into the wall, frustration radiating from his fist, spreading up his tense arm and through the rest of his body. “I’m not saying what Jessie did was right, but he was in a really bad place. I wanted to tell you Candace had started circling like a hawk again.” His head hangs as he expels a breath.

  “Then why didn’t you?”

  It’s not the fact that he kept this from me that has betrayal flowing through my body. Once I’d realized my feelings for Asher, I knew I could never be with Jessie again. It’s the realization of the truth that’s been screaming at me ever since I first felt myself falling victim to Asher’s hypnotic spell.

  He will always choose Jessie.

  “Jessie’s my brother.” His voice is choked as he brings his eyes back to mine. “I couldn’t betray him like that.”

  All I can do is nod at his confirmation of my suspicion, the lump in my throat bordering on painful, cutting off my oxygen. This is the reason I walked away all those years ago. And the reason I should have walked away the other night at the bar. There is no possible way for us to have a happy ending. Not when it means hurting someone we both love. And despite it all, I do still love Jessie. At least the Jessie he was when we dated.

  A loud chiming cuts through the tension, causing Asher to flinch. I have no reason to believe it, other than a feeling in my gut, but I know the alert is a text from Jessie. I don’t say a word, just glance at the outline of a cellphone in Asher’s pocket. I can tell he’s struggling between staying in the moment with me and seeing what his brother wants. When it chimes again, he groans, yanking it out.

  “You should go,” I say softly, turning from him. “Distract him. I’ll finish packing and be out of your way so you don’t have to keep him hidden.”

  “Please, Izzy. I don’t want to leave you like this. What can I do to make up for it? I’ll do anything.”

  I glance over my shoulder as I’m about to disappear into the bathroom. “We both know there’s nothing you can do. Jessie will
always come between us. We were fooling ourselves to hope otherwise.”

  “He doesn’t have to. We don’t have to let him.”

  I force a smile, although my heart is breaking. I step toward him, a breath away. “I think you already have.”

  He parts his lips, but I place a finger over his mouth, silencing him. Then I hoist myself onto my toes, kissing him one last time. A lone tear slides down my cheek at the finality of it all.

  “Goodbye, Asher.” Lowering myself to my heels, I walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. It’s silent for a moment, not so much as the rustling of his clothes or shuffling of his feet across the carpet.

  Then his phone chimes again, the sound striking against the stillness.

  “Fuck,” he groans, his footsteps loud as he storms out of the room, slamming the door. I remain still for several long moments, unsure if Asher’s frustration is aimed at me or Jessie. I get the feeling it’s the latter.

  Just when I’m about to head back into the bedroom to finish packing, I hear the door open once more. I freeze, barely breathing. Soft footsteps pad into the room and stop for a moment. Maybe two. Then they retreat, the door opening and closing again.

  I wait a few minutes to see if he returns. When he doesn’t, I peek into the room. Confirming I’m alone, I hurry to the bedroom door and lock it before heading to my suitcase to finish packing. As I approach, I stop in my tracks. On top of my haphazardly packed clothes sits an origami dove.

  A soft smile pulls on my lips as I pick it up, examining it. It’s something we did whenever we got into an argument, which usually revolved around Jessie. It was our way of apologizing to each other. Our way of reconciling.

  I don’t think that’s in the cards anymore.

  Once I’m dressed and all my things are shoved into my suitcase, I request an Uber, praying the service isn’t down as an aftereffect of the blackout. Thankfully, it goes through. I fire off a quick text to Chloe to let her know.

  Requested an Uber. Will be here in ten. Meet me by the front gate.

  All I can do is hope she’s awake. Worst-case scenario, she can find her own way to the airport.

  When my phone buzzes, I glance at the screen.

  Okay. Just packing up.

  Shoving it into my purse, I do one last check of the room. Apart from the mussed-up sheets, it looks exactly as it did yesterday when I first stepped over the threshold, blown away by the posh surroundings. Longing fills me at everything I lost in the past twenty-four hours. Then again, two days ago, I never expected to see Asher York. I’ll just forget I saw him. Leave whatever happened in this godforsaken city.

  My bags in hand, I open the door and step into the hallway, pausing to listen for any indication that Jessie may be in one of the common areas. Thankfully, I don’t hear him. I don’t hear anything.

  With quick steps, I make my way to the lower level as quietly as possible, keeping my eyes forward as I dash toward the front door. The second I’m outside, I exhale, my muscles relaxing. This scenario reminds me of having to sneak out of my high school boyfriend’s house when his parents unexpectedly returned from a weekend trip before either of us anticipated. But this is worse. I knew who I was running from then. Now, I’m not sure.

  I head down the walkway, slipping out of the open gate, and peer down the street for our car. Within moments, I sense Chloe approach.

  “Hey, Iz.”

  “Hey, Chloe.” I shift my eyes to hers, smiling a small smile. She doesn’t have to say a word. I can tell things between Lincoln and her ended as spectacularly as between Asher and me. And she can probably sense there were quite a few fireworks on our end this morning.

  We both shrug at the same time and say, “Vegas.”

  Our laughter surrounds us as we hug each other. This is what I need right now. To laugh with one of my oldest friends. To feel her understanding. To give her the comfort she needs, too.

  “So you’re not going to see him again,” I state.

  She pulls away. “What choice do I have?”

  I nod, more than aware of her reasoning for not wanting to see Lincoln again, even if they do live in the same city. She’s so used to people disappointing her, she assumes no one would want to be with her if they knew about her mother.

  “You’re not going to see him again?” she asks after a beat.

  I face her, my eyes brimming with tears. I could finally tell her the truth of what really happened all those years ago and get her opinion. But would any of that matter? Regardless of whether Jessie actually did cheat on me, as I led everyone to believe, nothing could ever come from this thing with Asher. I’ll always be his brother’s ex-fiancée. As he just demonstrated, he will always choose Jessie over me. As he should. After all, I’m just someone he knew once upon a time.

  “What choice do I have?”

  Thank you for reading MIND GAMES! I hope you enjoyed what happened between Izzy and Asher during that blackout. As you can tell, their story isn’t over yet. Grab your copy of Dangerous Games today.

  Asher York.

  Talented musician.

  The voice of an angel.

  The body of an Adonis.

  And the man I happened to have a one-night stand with in Vegas.

  Buy now!

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  Dangerous Games

  Asher York.

  Talented musician.

  The voice of an angel.

  The body of an Adonis.

  And the man I happened to have a one-night stand with in Vegas.

  * * *

  No big deal, right? What happens in Vegas… Well, you know how the saying goes.

  * * *

  Did I mention I was once engaged to Asher’s brother?

  * * *

  I walked away, hoping my momentary lack of judgment would stay in the past.

  * * *

  I should have known it wouldn’t. Not with my luck.

  * * *

  Now Asher York is back in my life, and that flame I hoped would flicker and die still burns brightly.

  * * *

  But can I put my heart on the line, knowing this man has the power to obliterate it?

  Can I allow myself to come between two brothers?

  * * *

  There’s only one way to find out.

  * * *

  Let the games begin…

  * * *

  Dangerous Games is a standalone forbidden relationship, second chance romance, with a rockstar twist. Grab your copy today.

  Grab Dangerous Games today!

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  * * *

  Commitment

  * * *

  She's my sister's best friend.

  She thinks I've never noticed her.

  She couldn't be more wrong.

  Now I just need to prove it to her...

  Before she says "I do."

  * * *

  You know that phrase "the one who got away"?<
br />
  * * *

  Well, Brooklyn Tanner is mine.

  * * *

  My worst mistake.

  * * *

  My biggest regret.

  * * *

  My one true love.

  * * *

  But as much as I wish I could take back everything I've done to hurt her, the truth remains...

  * * *

  I don't deserve her.

  * * *

  That doesn't make our situation any easier, though. After all, she's my sister's best friend. Not to mention, she buried any animosity she held toward me and helped raise my two little girls when my ex split without a single glance back.