Love and Other Games

by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, Kara Leigh Miller

  Chapter Eight

  Cole released her fingers and slid his hands down the length of her arms, letting them settle on the pillow by her head. He buried his face in her neck, breathing in deeply, memorizing her scent and every curve of her body that melded so perfectly with his. Brenna stroked his sweat dampened hair and neck, bringing a sense of calm over him. He could stay here like this, with her, forever. The thought was terrifying. Sure, he was all for a little bit of cuddling after sex, but no woman had ever made him long for that seven letter F word like Brenna did.

  “Mmm, that feels good,” he said in response to her fingers tracing lazy circles on his shoulder blade. He made no attempt to move, and she gave no indication that she wanted him to, either. He kept his face buried, though, because knowing how he felt; he couldn’t bring himself to look at her, to see the lack of any emotion in her eyes except that of sexual gratification, of course. No, he had to get his shit together before he did or said anything stupid.

  “That was incredible,” she said.

  “Yes it was.” He smiled into her neck, and then gave her a few lingering kisses just below her ear. What he really wanted to say was that she was incredible, the most incredible woman he’d ever met, but he refrained. “So tell me,” he said, adjusting his body so that he could look at her. “Do you still think Olympic athletes are a bunch of spoiled rotten, self-obsessed, over-indulged rich kids who do whatever the hell they please without any regard for anyone else?”

  Brenna laughed. “Yes, but my opinion of you is starting to change.”

  Well, that was something at least. “For the better, I hope.”

  “Definitely for the better,” she said, lifting her head and capturing his lips.

  He kissed her with an easy laziness, his tongue rolling over hers like a slow-moving river. “Who was he?” he blurted out before he could stop himself. He mentally cringed. Post coital cuddling was one thing. Pillow talk was another. The first he was happy to do. The latter he avoided like the plague.

  “What?” she asked, giving him a quizzical look.

  Too late to take it back now. “The man who hurt you. I’m guessing he was an athlete based on your strong hatred of them.”

  She shook her head. “Do you want to know about the man who broke my heart or the man who biased me against all athletes?”

  His eyes widened with shock. There were two different men? That shouldn’t surprise him. Brenna was a smart, beautiful woman with a lot to offer. Of course she’d been with more than one man. That shouldn’t bother him nearly as much as it did. “Both,” he said after a moment.

  “It was my brother, Brendan. He was a swimmer, a damn good one, too. My father was obsessed with getting my brother to the Olympics, and he succeeded. But in the process, everyone and everything fell by the wayside, including me and my mother. The world revolved around Brendan. My father didn’t know I existed except for when he required us to go to the Olympics with Brendan. We had to pretend to be the perfect, all American family for the press.” She sighed; then laughed. “Talk about a ruse.”

  “Brendan Jessup is your brother?” Why hadn’t he made the connection sooner? “The press had dubbed him as the next Michael Phelps.”

  “Yup, they sure did. And that only fueled my father’s obsession. I hated being forced to go to the Olympics that year. Everywhere I went I saw spoiled athletes acting like drunken college kids, doing whatever they wanted, not caring how it affected anyone else. They all reminded me too much of my father and my brother. I swore never again.”

  “Yet, here you are.” He eased out of her and adjusted his body so that all of his weight wasn’t on her, but he didn’t move off her, either.

  “Here I am.”

  “Why?”

  “My boss didn’t give me a choice.”

  “Remind me to thank him for that.” She rolled her eyes and smiled. Cole laughed. He loved her smile and her snarky attitude and her sense of humor and her … whoa! Did he just … loved? Holy fuck, he was in some serious trouble. Shaking the thought from his mind, he said, “And the man who broke your heart?”

  “His name was Dave.” Her voice took on a sad tone; one that he could tell was deep and painful. “Not much to tell, really. It’s your typical story. I loved him with all of my heart, and he loved to sleep around. I came home from a shoot one day and caught him in bed with our neighbor.” She frowned. “I knew how he was when I met him, and I thought I could change him. It was stupid. People don’t change.”

  No wonder she was the way she was. And no wonder she’d fought this attraction between them. Cole sighed, rested his forehead on hers, and closed his eyes. His heart constricted, and then broke as the truth of the situation settled over him. He was everything she hated. “People can change,” he said, opening his eyes and lifting his head. He wasn’t sure if he’d said it for his own benefit or hers. But he knew he had to make her believe that. He just had to. Otherwise, he didn’t have a chance in hell of winning her heart. And he wanted that more than anything because her body alone wasn’t enough.

  “Would you?” she asked.

  “Would I what?”

  “Change. If you met the right woman, would you change for her? Would you give up all your philandering ways?” Her tone was mocking and playful.

  “Absolutely,” he said without hesitation.

  Brenna stared at him with a strange look, as if she didn’t believe him. “She’d have to be one hell of a woman to tame the likes of you.”

  Cole grinned. “I agree.” One hell of a woman—that’s exactly what Brenna was. She was smart and funny and sexy and she frustrated him to the point of driving him insane. He’d never taken the time to imagine what the perfect woman would be like, but if he had, it would be everything that Brenna was.

  She laughed. “And there’s that arrogance you’re so famous for. I thought you’d lost it for a moment.”

  “Never.” He smoothed the hair from her face and kissed her softly on the mouth.

  “Good.” She smiled against his lips, and then parted them for him, welcoming his tongue and his kiss.

  “What about you?” he asked in between kisses. “Would you change your stubborn ways if you found the right man?”

  “Despite my stubborn ways, I’m a hopeless romantic, Cole. I want a man to sweep me off my feet. I want a man who will love me, and only me, unconditionally. I’m just smart enough to know that will probably never happen.”

  It would happen, and he would be the one to make it happen. He’d never been surer of anything in his entire life. Cole would sweep her off her feet so hard and so fast she wouldn’t know what hit her. And then there’d be no way she could deny him. But first, he had plans to spend the rest of the night exploring and enjoying every inch of her body.

  ***

  Brenna hated to admit it, but she was excited by all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the start of the game the following day. The crowd was alive with anticipation; the press circled the rink like dogs chasing a bone, hoping and waiting to get a good shot or an interview with one of the athletes. Personally, she was having trouble standing still, too. Cole and his team had worked so hard to get here. It was the final game—the game that could win them the gold. And they all deserved it so much. She wanted them to win.

  The announcer introduced the USA Olympic hockey team, and Brenna raised her camera, poised and ready to get some pictures of the team entering the rink. Cole was the last one onto the ice—he always was, but instead of following his team to the bench, he skated toward her. She slowly lowered her camera and stared at him with disbelief. He removed his mask and smiled at her—the same smile he’d given her on the plane. It was sexy as hell and just as mischievous. Her heart raced and her insides were on fire.

  “Cole, what are you doing?” she whispered, her eyes darting from him to the rest of his team and back to him.

  “This,” he said leaning over and capturing her lips.

  He had such sway over her and her body; she was h
elpless to stop him. All around them, cameras flashed, forever memorializing the moment that Cole Campbell chose to kiss a woman instead of showing off for the crowd. Brenna was suited to be behind the camera, not in front of it. She groaned at the thought of what kind of headlines would be in the papers after this.

  When he finally released her lips, he winked and said, “Wait for me after the game. There’s something I need to talk to you about. It’s important.”

  Before she could respond, Cole skated away. Brenna stared after him, stunned and speechless. So many things were going through her mind. What could Cole possibly want to talk to her about that was so important? No doubt he was going to let her down gently, tell her that even though it’s been fun there was no future for them. She knew all of that already. It had been forefront in her mind since she’d let her guard down and let him into her heart. Yes, she knew where they stood, and she didn’t need him to tell her. She didn’t need to stare into his gorgeous face and his dazzling green eyes and hear him say the words. Just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes.

  Brenna brought her camera up, thankful she could hide behind it, and she refocused all of her thoughts and energy on doing her job. Too bad for her, the press had other ideas. They descended on her like a swarm of locusts, snapping pictures of her and shouting questions. “No comment,” she repeated over and over again until the buzzer sounded, indicating the start of the game.

  That little episode only drove home what she already knew: she and Cole weren’t a good match. No matter how well they clicked in the bedroom, that’s where things ended. Cole was reckless. He had no problems throwing caution to the wind if it meant he could have a good time. He thrived on attention. Brenna, on the other hand, preferred to fade into the background, to live a safe, careful life.

  As the game progressed, Brenna’s thoughts quieted. There were mere seconds left on the clock, and the game was tied. Cole had control of the puck, and he was skating toward the goal. He drew back to line up for the winning shot when someone from the opposing team skated by, winging his arm, causing him to swing the puck to the right. He missed the shot. The clock ran down to zero and the buzzer sounded.

  Cole’s team had lost the gold.

  She couldn’t imagine what he must be feeling. Her heart broke for him. So much for that stupid lucky torch they’d found. With a deep sigh, Brenna followed the crowd outside so that she could get some shots of the team as they did the obligatory interviews and received their silver medal. She watched and listened. Most of the team seemed really upset about losing the gold, yet they were congratulatory of the other team. Cole didn’t seem to be bothered by it as much as she thought he would be. It wasn’t lost on her how the members of the press and female fans surrounded him. Women attempted to get his attention by reaching out to touch his arms, shoulders, and back. From the size of the smile on his face, it was evident he enjoyed it. A fiery ball of jealousy landed hard in her chest. She had to get out there.

  Cole continued to smile despite his annoyance. For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to be bothered with taking pictures, answering questions, and signing autographs. All he wanted to do was get to Brenna and talk to her. He scanned the crowd and saw her in the back. At least she was still here. That calmed him a little. He averted his gaze back to the fans who were clamoring for an autograph. He smiled and made small talk with them. Several moments passed before he was able to once again look for Brenna. He saw her turn and walk away. She was leaving! He couldn’t let her leave. Something in the pit of his gut told him that if he let her get away, he would lose her for good.

  “Brenna!” he shouted, pushing his way through the crowd that seemed determined to block his path. “Brenna!” His heart was in his throat as he watched her walk farther and farther away from him. Either she didn’t hear him, or she was ignoring him. He prayed to God it wasn’t the latter.

  “Mr. Campbell … Mr. Campbell … who is Brenna? Is she the woman you were kissing before the game?” asked a male reporter.

  “Is she your girlfriend?” asked another.

  “No comment,” he said absently as he kept his eyes on Brenna’s retreating form. He took off on a run after her, motivated by pure fear and desperation. Then she turned the corner and he lost sight of her. He stopped in his tracks and swallowed the dread that threatened to choke him. Why hadn’t she waited? He’d asked her to wait.

  “Hey, Cole!” Jason jogged up behind him. “Where are you in such a hurry to go? Coach wants us to meet him back in the rink in five.”

  Cole hung his head and sighed. He couldn’t go find Brenna and make it to the rink in time. Glancing one last time in the direction she’d gone, he turned and followed Jason back to the rink.

  Chapter Nine

  Cole was out of breath by the time he reached Brenna’s room. He stood outside of her door and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm his racing heart. Dear God, please let her be here. Please don’t let me be too late. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but it swung open before he had the chance. Brenna stood in the doorway with her luggage in tow. Her eyes were red and puffy. She’d been crying.

  “Cole.” She sounded and looked surprised to see him.

  “Going somewhere?” he asked, blocking the door so she couldn’t get past him.

  “Yeah, I’m going home. The games are over. My job is done.”

  He drew a controlled breath to keep his anger in check. Is that all this ever was to her? A job? Did everything they’d shared mean nothing to her? Christ, he knew she was cold, but damn this was just plain heartless. “Were you going to bother saying goodbye?”

  She shrugged. “Nobody likes an awkward goodbye. I figured I’d save both of us from that.”

  Cole gritted his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest. There was no way in hell he was going to let her leave until he had a chance to speak his mind. “I asked you to wait for me. I told you there was something important I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “We both knew what this was, Cole, and I knew what you wanted to tell me. Just like I know why you’re standing here right now being more obnoxious than normal.”

  “Oh yeah?” He cocked a brow and frowned. “And what exactly do you think you know, Brenna?”

  In a sarcastic tone that was clearly supposed to be a mimic of him, she said, “It’s been fun, but things could never possibly work out between us. We live in different states. We have different lives. I’m not the settling down type. Blah, blah, blah.” She rolled her eyes. “I know all of that, Cole. I don’t need to hear you say it.”

  “Really?” He nodded his head. “Well, I hate to tell ya, darlin’, but you’re wrong.” Cole took a few steps toward her, causing her to take an equal number of steps backward into the room, which is exactly where he wanted her. He slammed the door hard enough to make her jump. Good. At least he had her attention now. The look in her hazel eyes was one of pure defiance. She was obviously ready for a confrontation and he was more than ready to give her one.

  Brenna released her hold on her rolling suitcase and dropped the bag hanging over her shoulder to the floor. “What part am I wrong about?” she asked, tapping her finger to her lips. “Hmm, well, everything I’ve said is a fact, except for the part about it being fun. Is that it, Cole? It was no fun for you? Well, I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

  “Wrong again.” He took two more steps toward her. She didn’t step back this time, and they were now face to face, inches apart. His gaze lowered to her lips, lingering there for a moment before shifting back to her eyes. “In fact, the only thing you’re right about is that we live in different states.”

  “Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and reached for her suitcase. “I have a plane to catch. Good luck with everything, Cole.” Brenna pushed past him and headed for the door.

  “You owe me.”

  “Excuse me?” She laughed sardonically, and then turned serious, angry. “I don’t owe you a damn thing.”

  “You owe me
an explanation. Why didn’t you wait for me like I asked you to?” He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was hiding something from him, and he wanted to know what it was.

  “I already told you why. There was no reason to put either of us through an awkward goodbye.” She once again released her luggage and glared at him, her arms crossed over her chest.

  “Liar!”

  “Don’t make this into something it’s not.”

  “And don’t you go minimizing it, either,” he shouted, pointing at her.

  She sighed. “Let’s just part ways as friends, okay? Personally, I’d like to leave here with some good memories of you.”

  “Is that why you’re crying? Because your memories are so good?”

  “I’m not crying.” Her breath hitched.

  He gently took her face into his hands and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “Liar,” his voice was low, regretful for shouting at her a moment ago. It broke his heart to see her cry, especially knowing he was the cause of her tears.

  “Why are you doing this?” Her lips trembled. “Is this some sort of ego boost for you? Do you get off on knowing that you got me to trust you? Is it a turn on to know I let my guard down, that I let you into my bed, that I actually felt something for you?” She pounded her fists on his chest. “Let me go, damn it!”

  Brenna shoved at him, but he didn’t budge. He did drop his hands from her face, though. And then he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him. This is what he’d been fighting so hard for—to get some sort of emotion from her. Now that he’d gotten it, he wasn’t going to let it go. Hell no! He was going to push her until he heard what he knew she didn’t want him to hear. “What do you feel for me, Brenna?”