Tied to Trouble (Gamers)

by Megan Erickson

  Between love and hate, there’s a whole lot of trouble…

  Chad Lake only showed up at his sister’s party for the free food, but when he spots an uptight nerd at the edge of the crowd, he can’t resist trying to ruffle the guy’s perfect bow tie and impeccable hair. The hottie’s ready for him, though, and in the end, it’s Chad who’s left wide-eyed, his ears still ringing with the filthy things Bow Tie whispered in his ear. No one gets the upper hand on Chad. Ever.

  Owen Hawkins has heard all about the cocky Adonis from Chad’s sister—the same sister who holds Owen’s career advancement in her hands. He has every intention of steering clear of the other man…until Chad’s sexy taunts push him too far. There’s something intriguing about Chad, and even though Owen knows that getting tangled up with the infuriating man is trouble, he can’t seem to stay away…

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  The Dapper Dick

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Discover the Gamers series… Changing His Game

  Playing for Her Heart

  If you love sexy romance, one-click these steamy Brazen releases… Compromising Her Position

  Taking What’s His

  Hold Me Until Forever

  Unravel Me

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by Megan Erickson. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

  Entangled Publishing, LLC

  2614 South Timberline Road

  Suite 109

  Fort Collins, CO 80525

  Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

  Brazen is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC. For more information on our titles, visit www.brazenbooks.com.

  Edited by Heather Howland

  Cover design by Heather Howland

  Cover art from iStock

  ISBN 978-1-63375-530-7

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Edition January 2016

  This book was written for and because of all the readers who wanted a happy ending for Chad! I made this extra nerdy for you!

  Chapter One

  Chad leaned over the candy apple–red fuel tank of his Honda Interceptor and prepared to gun the engine. The Toyota in front of him had been going exactly one mile over the speed limit for the last five miles, and if Chad didn’t blow this Popsicle stand soon, he’d explode into a mass of impatient flames.

  His sister had said there’d be food at this party where he was heading, and he’d be damned if he passed up that—or the chance to see his sister’s smiling face—because of some lame-ass driver he’d already dubbed Turtle Toyota.

  He flicked his wrist, building up speed, relishing the wind on his face and in his hair. The weather in Willow Park, Pennsylvania, was finally warming up and there was no better way to celebrate than flying down the highway with a huge hunk of powerful, vibrating machine between his legs.

  When there was a break in traffic on the two-lane road, Chad took his shot, crossing the double yellow lines into the lane of oncoming traffic and screaming past the slow-ass turtle of a Toyota, making a point to shoot a daredevil grin at the driver of the slow sedan. He caught a glimpse of big blue eyes and then he was back over on the correct side of the road, in front of the Toyota. And ahh, the open road.

  In a matter of five minutes, he slowed to a stop in front of Austin Rivers’s house. Well, it was Marley’s house, too, now that she’d moved in with her boyfriend. They were sickeningly perfect in a way that stirred a longing in Chad’s gut. But instead of dwelling on that bit of suckage, he spent his time lobbing tech puns at the two nerdy lovebirds.

  It felt a hell of a lot better than focusing on everything he didn’t have.

  Yet, he told himself. Everything he didn’t have yet.

  Unless he chickened out. Again.

  Not thinking about it.

  He parked his bike, checked to make sure his wallet was tucked into the back pocket of his jeans, and straightened his black leather jacket. His sister and her boyfriend were throwing a party for the employees and associates of Gamers magazine, a company Austin used to co-own and where Marley still worked. Apparently the guy wanted to thank them for all they’d done the years he’d been a part of the company. Chad guessed that was pretty cool—he’d never held a job where his boss wanted to spend extra time with his employees, let alone thank them.

  He slipped through the door and headed straight for the kitchen. He probably should’ve found Marley first and given her shit for inviting him to a stuffy work event, but he really was hungry. And as his sister liked to say, a hungry Chad was an obnoxious Chad. He’d just grab a few things and find her when he was fit for human company. Honestly, he was doing everyone a favor.

  When he walked into the room, angels sang and the heavens shined down from above. Food. Glorious food. Meat and cheese platters, fruits and vegetables, and some little pastry things that looked Greek and delicious.

  Chad didn’t bother with a plate, just began to dig in. He was shoving a huge strawberry in his mouth when a throat cleared and his turned his head to see his sister with her arms over her chest, eyebrows raised.

  Busted. He tried to say, “Hey,” but because of the strawberry, it came out more like a grunt.

  “Really?” Marley asked.

  He chewed and swallowed, which took some effort. “Where’d they get these strawberries? They’re mutant.”

  Marley rolled her eyes and popped a cube of cheddar in her mouth. “Who knows where Austin gets anything? But seriously. You couldn’t come out and socialize before stuffing your gullet?”

  He surveyed the strawberries for another massive one and spotted his prize. He grabbed it before his sister could steal it. “I’m a growing boy who has to leave for work in a couple of hours. Let me fill my poor starving belly, and I’ll be out in a little bit.”

  Marley snatched the strawberry out of his hand. “Speaking of you finally having a job, you can afford your own food.”

  “Hey!” he protested. The finally dig bothered him, but as always, he didn’t let it show. It was his own fault, in a way. He’d always played in to the part of the job-hopping, fun-loving guy. He couldn’t expect to be treated differently than how he treated himself.

  Marley took a dainty bite off the tip. “How is the job by the way?”

  He shrugged. He’d been to Blue Moon Bar enough that it made sense he should get paid to be there, plus he made a mean Screaming Orgasm. Sure, the work uniform was a little weird—tuxedo pants, a bow tie, and a pair of white cuffs, no shirt—but his nipple rings were tip magnets, so whatever. “It’s fun.”

  “How about this one lasts, yeah?” Her voice was softer now, kinder.

  Chad resisted the urge to bristle. He knew his sister was just trying to be nice and watch out for him. It wasn’t like he didn’t know that hopping from job to job was ridiculous. He’d been d
oing it for so many years at this point, it was almost second nature. He hated being tied down, doing the same thing, talking to the same people. Hell, he hated wearing the same clothes. So what if he had a new job every couple of months? He paid his bills.

  He ignored the voice in his head telling him that wasn’t quite enough for him anymore, and said, “Sure, Mars.”

  She smiled at him and he felt a swell of warmth and love and mushy feelings. Marley was his best friend, and the only one who seemed to see him as anything other than a throwaway. He’d thought so many times of talking to her about his recent discontent, of his desire for more—a challenge, something to be proud of, just more. But it was never the right time (like now), or he chickened out (like now). He leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Go make out with your boyfriend. I’m going to grab a beer and I’ll be outside.”

  She gave him a quick hug and walked out the back door with a, “You better not eat and leave!”

  He’d been contemplating it, so maybe it was a good thing she’d given that order. There was really no reason for him to be here other than his sister had invited him and, well, food. So he popped some sort of pecan tart in his mouth, grabbed a beer out of the fridge, and followed Marley out back.

  The backyard was full of people. Other than Marley and Austin, he knew two of them—Grant Osprey, the owner of Gamers, and Grant’s girlfriend, Chloe.

  He tilted his head with the bottle of beer up to his lips. The familiar tang of liquid hit his tongue and the comforting glug sounded in his ears. Ah, yes, beer. Nectar of the gods, really. No fancy wine or scotch in a highball glass for him.

  A fidgeting man standing on the outer fringes of the crowd drew Chad’s attention. Then the man turned, and big, round blue eyes behind horn-rimmed glasses met his. He tipped his bottle toward the guy in a cheers gesture. He meant to look away, he really did, except those blue eyes blinked at him, and Chad couldn’t tear his gaze away. Everything about the guy screamed geek, from his perfectly parted and slicked-back blond hair to his button-down shirt and pressed slacks. He even wore a bow tie, for God’s sake—and not in the tacky Chippendales homage way like Chad sported at Blue Moon Bar.

  But there was something about his eyes, those perfectly pouted lips, that had Chad wondering what the guy would look like on his knees at Chad’s feet.

  Oh, shit, his sister would laugh her ass off if she found out he was perving on Bow Tie.

  Chad watched as the guy’s eyes did the exact same thing to him. He braced his feet apart, let his arms fall loosely to the side and cocked his head, like, yeah, you know you want this, Bow Tie. Except when Bow Tie’s gaze returned to Chad’s face, there was…nothing. Blank slate. No blush staining his cheeks or lust burning in his eyes.

  Nope, Bow Tie—who was clearly into guys, because no straight man checked out another guy like Bow Tie had just done—had rated Chad and found him lacking.

  Chad frowned. No one found him lacking. At least not physically. He was a solid eight and a half, maybe a nine and a quarter on a good day. He could use a haircut. But Bow Tie was…was… Chad growled. He didn’t know, but Bow Tie was something. And just when he was about to open his mouth and figure it out, Bow Tie lifted an uninterested eyebrow and turned around.

  Which only succeeded in making sure Chad’s gaze dropped right to the guy’s ass, and even encased in uptight khaki pants, said ass looked spectacular.

  Damn it, why couldn’t Bow Tie have a flat ass? Chad huffed out a breath. It was like karma hated him.

  He took a sip of his beer. Forget it. Forget that bow tie he wanted to unravel with his teeth and that hair he wanted to mess up with his fingers.

  And anyway, those mini sandwiches he’d passed over earlier in the kitchen were calling his name. Unlike the stuffy bow tie–wearing hottie across the yard.

  Damn it.

  …

  What were the odds Crazy Illegal Motorcycle Man was in fact his boss’s wild child brother, Chad Lake?

  Or that a guy like that would ever check out a guy like him?

  Owen Hawkins carefully schooled his face, pretending to listen as his coworker went on and on about…something. He wasn’t even sure how he’d gotten roped into this conversation with five of his peers—two of whom he bet didn’t even know his name—but there he was, trapped in that awkward position where he couldn’t walk away without excusing himself.

  Although, maybe he should so his coworkers actually noticed he was there.

  Gamers was a quarterly magazine specializing in all things gaming. They posted reviews and news and all things gamer geek. Which fit Owen, and was why this job was just about his dream job.

  And yet, dream job or not, and despite the fact he was the lead copy editor at Gamers, no one outside his small copy-editing team knew he existed. He needed to somehow find a way to change that if he was going to move up in the company. Except he didn’t know how, and the thought of stepping into the spotlight terrified him. Being invisible in high school and college—especially as a gay man in a conservative area—had been perfectly fine. But as a professional adult? Not so much.

  His gaze drifted to the door that led to the kitchen. The same door through which Chad had disappeared—right after undressing Owen with his eyes.

  He had immediately recognized Marley’s brother from the photos on her desk. What he hadn’t gleaned from the pictures was that Chad was downright hot. There was a presence to Chad that hadn’t come through in pictures. This effortless swagger, this posture of confidence. Which was just about the opposite of Owen. He could never pull off the tight jeans, the motorcycle boots, and the leather jacket. Those big gaudy earrings and dyed black hair that was a tad too long, brushing along the guy’s infuriatingly long eyelashes.

  Marley had told him plenty of stories about her brother—stories that left Owen intrigued but wary. He hadn’t even met the man yet, and he was living up to those stories. When Chad had driven past Owen (illegally!), he’d shot him that sexy grin, all teeth and charm and sex. And no helmet. Which made Owen fucking crazy. What if Chad had gotten in an accident? Sure, it wasn’t illegal in Pennsylvania to ride without a helmet, but it was a damn good idea to wear one. He certainly didn’t want Chad’s head cracked open on the road.

  The man in question breezed back into the yard, beer in hand.

  Chad was trouble and drama and everything Owen definitely didn’t need in his life.

  And now he was staring at Owen like he was formulating a plan.

  Owen quickly turned away, heat crawling up his cheeks. Why did Chad have to be the hottest guy he’d ever laid eyes on? And why, when he was practically invisible to everyone, did he have to somehow be visible to him?

  He sucked it up and mumbled some awkward excuse to his coworkers, who barely even looked in his direction, then made his way inside the house. He needed to escape the crowd, be by himself, and buy some time before he had to come up with an excuse for why he needed to leave early.

  A hand grabbed his arm as he moved through the kitchen. Marley, thankfully. She held a half-full wineglass, which he promptly snatched out of her hands and drained.

  “Hey!” She frowned at the empty glass. “Actually, knowing you and social situations, you probably needed that more than me.”

  “I would say so.” He set the glass on the counter.

  She pointed a finger at him. “Still, I’m writing that up and putting it in your file at work.”

  That made him grin. “Oh, yeah? Is that a check box on the employee disciplinary action form? ‘Underling stole my beverage’?”

  She huffed. “There’s a write-in option.”

  He might be invisible to many of his coworkers, but not Marley. Never Marley. When she was lead copy editor, she had considered him her second in command. Their partnership had always been smooth, probably because their friendship was easy, although ripe with banter. Marley said it kept them sharp.

  Owen gestured vaguely to the crowd outside the door. “So, uh, nice party.”

&nb
sp; She chuckled. “Wow, that took a lot of effort for you to say, huh?”

  “Nice and party don’t really go together in my world.”

  Marley’s face brightened, and she held up a finger. “Hey, did you meet my brother yet?”

  He didn’t dare say too much, lest he blurt out that her brother was hot as hell. “Um…”

  She frowned and glanced outside. “Hmm. He must have left. He came for the beer and free food.” She rolled her eyes, but Owen had to agree with her brother. Free food and beer were really the only reasons to attend parties. Marley shrugged. “Another time, maybe.”

  It was time to bail before Marley pushed this whole meeting-her-brother thing. Owen wasn’t in the mood to stammer and fidget in front of the insanely hot Chad Lake, who would probably steamroll him with his leather-and-smirk pheromones. “Yeah, I’m probably going to, uh, head out soon.”

  She smiled and kissed his cheek. “I’m just happy you lasted this long. See you on Monday.”

  He blew out a breath. As soon as he used the bathroom, he was out of there. Straightening his bow tie, he made his way through the living room and down the hallway. About five feet from the bathroom door, though, he stopped abruptly, because something was blocking his way.

  Or actually, someone.

  Chad leaned against the doorframe, preventing Owen’s entry to the bathroom. He was even hotter close up—all wild hair and hazel eyes and full, sensual lips. The T-shirt under his jacket was stretched across his broad chest. Those long legs were encased in worn denim and his ankles crossed casually. His gaze slowly worked its way down Owen’s body, then back up to his face. Chad tilted his head and stuck his tongue out to wet his bottom lip.

  Owen had a fleeting thought that this was an act, probably a whole series of seductive gestures Marley’s brother had down to a science, but it didn’t matter. Owen’s body heated, his cock beginning to perk up in his pressed khakis.

  He needed to get away from this guy before he did something stupid. Like kiss him. Or fuck him. He should turn around, find another bathroom. There must be a bathroom upstairs, but that wasn’t polite, was it? To traipse around the second floor of someone’s house without permission?