“Sounds like you’re just looking for a free ticket to the first home game,” I said, leaning over the bar.
His eyes flashed down to my cleavage that I’d not-so-subtly pushed up with that movement, and when they flicked back to me, they were heated — darker, dusted with a lust-filled promise I somehow knew he could keep.
“Maybe.” He shrugged again. “Or maybe I want to be the first one to have the privilege of fulfilling your friend’s promise.”
“Her promise?” I asked, just as Belle slid into the bar seat next to me.
“What did I miss?”
The bartender tore his gaze from mine, smiling at Belle, instead. And that’s when I realized what her promise had been.
Getting me railed into next year.
I swallowed.
“Your friend here is nervous talking to guys she doesn’t know on the app,” the bartender said to Belle as I fought another blush. “So, she’s taking me to the first game, as a sort of practice run.”
“Oh!” Belle’s eyes lit up as she assessed me first, and then dragged her eyes over the bartender. A tinge of possessiveness touched my chest when she clearly liked what she saw. She chewed her thumbnail, nodding. “Oh, yes. I like this idea.”
“I didn’t agree yet,” I reminded him.
“Okay,” he challenged. “Then go ahead and respond to…” he peered over my phone screen. “Brad, there.”
He and Belle both watched me, Belle fighting a smile as one eyebrow rose on her perfectly symmetrical face. The bartender watched me with a satisfied smirk when my fingers didn’t move for the keys, and my jaw popped open, a laugh slipping through.
“Wow. You two just met and you’re already ganging up on me.”
“I like him,” Belle said easily. “And I like this plan.”
“You don’t even know him. Actually,” I said. “I don’t even know his name yet.”
“Zach Bowen,” he said, extending his hand for mine. “Pleasure to meet you.”
I let him take my hand in his, trying to ignore the warm, buzzing energy that transferred when our skin touched.
“She’s Gemma,” Belle answered for me, since apparently my sticky tongue was glued to the roof of my mouth. “Gemma Mancini.”
“So, Gemma Mancini,” he said, his hand still wrapped around mine, eyes hooded and sure. “What do you say? Let me be your practice round.”
“Say yes, stupid,” Belle whispered.
I nudged her with my elbow.
Zach held my gaze confidently, his dark eyes watching me like I really had no other choice. And in that moment, I couldn’t think of a reason not to say yes. He seemed fun. He was hot.
And it would save me from this stupid app for at least one more week.
“Fine,” I conceded, and Zach’s smirk turned into a full-blown smile, one that had a slight dimple popping under that delicious stubble.
He reached for my phone, the screen still on the unanswered message from Brad. He clicked out of it, typing his phone number into a new text message, instead, and sending himself an emoji.
“There. My number. And I have yours. See you for the game next weekend?”
“Looks like it.”
His eyes roamed over me once more, the corner of his mouth pulling up just slightly. “Can’t wait.”
Belle nudged me under the bar with her knee, her eyes wide in an oh my God fashion.
“For now, I should get back to work. I’ll check on you ladies in a bit.”
“Thank you, Zach,” Belle said, waving her fingers daintily as he made his way over to the other side of the bar.
She didn’t stop staring once he was gone, though.
“Damn,” she breathed, resting her chin on the hand she’d just used to wave him farewell. “Now I really hope you get railed into next year.”
I laughed, trying not to panic at the thought of another man touching me.
A man who wasn’t Carlo.
Shaking my head, I pulled the app back up on my phone, showing Belle the messages that had come through and letting her swipe through the pictures of guys for a while. As we talked, I reminded myself of the one thing I always needed to hear.
I am in control.
It’s just a football game. It’s just a night of sports and beer and hot dogs. If I want to have sex with him, I can. If I don’t, I can just go home alone. No harm, no foul. These are my tickets, and this is my plan, even if it was Belle’s idea.
There are eight home games this season. That’s eight different guys, eight new friends to make, and — only if I want — eight potential orgasms that don’t come from my trusty vibrator.
I am in control.
Maybe this will actually be fun, I thought, laughing as Belle swiped a hard left on a guy who stated in his bio that he was a “sex machine.” She seemed to be having more fun than I was going through the app, so I let her swipe away, content to just sip on my vodka and listen to her commentary.
Every now and then, I’d feel Zach watching me from wherever he was working behind the bar. And when our eyes met, my chest would squeeze, along with my thighs. There was something about his eyes, about the kind of heat that swept over me with that gaze. The way he looked at me, it was as if he already had me in his bed, between his sheets, one hand on my hip and the other hiking my leg up as he settled between my thighs.
He’d only just learned my name, but the way he looked at me? It was as if he knew everything — maybe even more than I knew, myself.
A practice round…
Yeah. This could be fun.
Thank you for reading the first chapter of The Wrong Game! Continue reading here (available in Kindle Unlimited)
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Gemma’s plan is simple: invite a new guy to each home game using her season tickets for the Chicago Bears. It’s the perfect way to avoid getting emotionally attached and also get some action. But after Zach gets his chance to be her practice round, he decides one game just isn’t enough. A sexy, fun sports romance.
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This is my sixteenth novel.
Saying that out loud makes me laugh, and makes me tear up, and makes me sigh with happy butterflies in my heart. It also makes me realize that no book – EVER – will come without the help and support of my amazing team.
Staci Brillhart. You’re almost always first in my acknowledgements, and that’s because you truly are a part of EVERY single piece of my writing process. From the time the idea pops into my head until the final word of the acknowledgements are written, you’re there. With this one, you were absolutely instrumental in providing crucial feedback that took this from a book that would have been great to a book that I’m more proud of than I ever have been before. You loved these characters the same way I loved them, and together, we really hammered them down and created something magical. Thank you. I love you MTT.
Momma, as always, I could never do this without you. Not only did you raise me to embrace creativity and believe I could do anything I set my mind to, but you’ve also shown me throughout your entire life – even more so in this past year – just how strong the women in our family are. Whenever I hit the hard days, I hear your voice in my head. One step at a time, baby girl. And I know it’s because of you that I’m able to write “the end” on yet another book. I love you.
To my amazing team of beta readers: Kellee Fabre, Trish QUEEN MINTNESS, Kathryn Andrews, Sarah Green, Danielle Lagasse, Ashlei Davison, and Jess Vogel — thank you for reading along the way and for doing such a comprehensive read at the end of it all. We had a lot of loose ends to tie up, a lot of problems to think through and figure out solutions for, and you all were AMAZING. I don’t know how I would do this without y’all. Please don’t ever leave me! Love you all.
There is an angel walking on Earth with us. I’m convinced, because that’s the only explanation for everything that is my personal assistant/close friend/beta reader/all-hat-wearer – Christina Stokes. You are the most thoughtful and most hard-working individual I know. You are also the kindest, and I am so thankful to have you in my life. Thank you for thinking of me, of how to make my life easier, and for doing so with that dazzling smile on your face. I am more thankful for you than I could ever put into words, and I want you to know that you bring a special light to my life and to this community. I love you.
Shout out to Sasha Erramouspe for being my final eyes on this one. I cannot believe it earned the title of YOUR FAVORITE BOOK OF MINE YET. *sobs* That’s like winning the gold medal in the Olympics in my eyes. Thank you for always making time for me and for your crucial feedback. I love you!
Elaine York of Allusion, THANK YOU for always working with my ever-changing deadlines and for always polishing my manuscripts up to sparkle pretty. I’m so happy to have you on my team.
Shout out to my PR team – Social Butterfly PR. Nina, Hilary, Brooke and the rest of the team, I am always so thankful for your help and attention to detail.
To Flavia Viotti and the rest of the crew at Book Case Agency, I can’t thank you enough for all you do for my books. From foreign rights to audio and more, you get my words into the hands (and ears) of readers I couldn’t otherwise reach. Thank you!
A huge shout out to Lauren Perry of Perrywinkle Photography and to the incredible models who helped bring my vision of Ruby Grace and Noah to life. This cover is absolutely beautiful and it wouldn’t have been possible without y’all!
Thank you to all the bloggers, authors, and readers who make our book community go round. Special shout out to Angie Doyle McKeon for being the best bumble bee in all the land. I swear, I fill half my Kindle because of books you recommend, and I will never be ungrateful for when you recommend MY books. Thank you!
KANDILAND! Oh, Kandiland. You are my special little corner of the internet world, and every time I write, it’s YOU who I think about. I think about your excitement, about your love and passion for reading, and it lights me up inside. Let’s do this forever. Thank you!
And, as always, thank YOU, wonderful reader. You decided to pick up a romance book. Not just that, but an INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED romance book. And I’m so lucky (and happy and thankful) that it was mine. Thanks for coming on this journey with me, and I hope you will join me for more in the future.
Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.
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➜ WEBSITE: www.kandisteiner.com
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
➜ www.kandisteiner.com/events
On the Rocks Page 30
