Playing the Game

by L. M. Reid

  I shake the way too romantic sounding thought out of my head and instead take him up on his suggestion. I meander through the lobby getting lost in its opulence as I make my way toward the patio. The exquisite furniture, the beautiful décor. It’s beyond extravagant and while that typically doesn’t appeal to me, here it does. Somehow, they managed to take that opulence and make it welcoming at the same time. I feel at peace, at home, and I find myself in awe of all of it.

  Stepping out of the resort onto the patio I look out at the expansive grounds before me, the beach filled with the cleanest, whitest sand I’ve ever seen beyond that the ocean, an endless blanket of pure aqua. The sun above shines down on me, a few white fluffy clouds sprinkled around it. The smell of the ocean wafts over me from the slight warm breeze. My eyes close and I revel in the moment afraid that when I open them this will all be nothing more than a dream. It’s more beautiful, more serene than anything I have ever experienced. And when I open my eyes and see that it’s still there, I’m blown away. I’m really here and this is really happening. I glance back to find Hunter, to make sure that he’s real too. Because if anyone would have asked me a month ago if I thought that Hunter and I would be on a vacation together, let alone pretending to be lovers, I would have thought they were crazy.

  But here we are.

  My eyes find Hunter and I smile until I see who he’s standing with. Layla and Maddox stand before him. He’s holding it together but there is a faint deer in headlights look to him.

  Shit.

  I pull myself together and rush toward Hunter.

  “There you are,” Hunter says when he sees me. His words sound more relieved than anything.

  “Sorry, baby,” I say as I loop my arm through his and give it a squeeze. My body tingles from the touch and his must to if the way he’s looking at me right now is any indication. His eyes are open with that shocked look and the corner of his mouth is curled up in a smile. “This place is just so amazing, I got lost in how gorgeous it is. I cannot wait to get into the water with you. Are we all set?”

  “We are,” Hunter says smiling down at me. The smile almost looks genuine and makes me smile back at him.

  “Oh good, I cannot wait to get to our room and get out of these clothes,” I say. I leave it at that allowing for Layla infer whatever she wants from my words.

  From the corner of my eye I see Layla squirm. I keep my gaze on Hunter though. It’s not just for show either. I can’t help but look and try to figure out who in the hell this guy really is.

  Layla clears her throat clearly not happy that Hunter’s attention is on me and not her.

  “Sorry about that,” Hunter says. “Where are my manners? Quinn, this is Layla.”

  The woman standing before us is like a picture of perfection. It’s no wonder Hunter was in love with her. Her body, her hair, her smile, everything about the woman is amazing. Except for the fact that she’s a cheater.

  “Hi Layla, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” The sugary sweet dripping from my voice is sickening. But she needs to know that she doesn’t intimidate me, that she doesn’t matter. The only thing that does matter is me and Hunter.

  Ugh… I never thought I would utter those words. Even worse, I never thought that they would sound so good. So right.

  “Is this a joke?” Layla asks, her eyes darting between me and Hunter.

  “Why do you say that?” Hunter asks.

  “What can you possibly see in her?”

  Hunter scrubs his hand over his jaw. “It’s funny you say that. Quinn and I were just having a conversation the other day about what in the hell I ever saw in you. Neither of us could think of a thing.”

  I feel a twinge of pride in Hunter. Mr. Nice Guy sure can pull out the daggers when he needs to. I snuggle in closer to Hunter. My hand coming to rest on his stomach, the feel of the six pack beneath his cotton shirt and how my tongue ran over each of the lines of it the night we spent in the hotel. I move my hand slightly wanting to continue touching him. Christ, he feels good.

  “I have to say, Layla, I really am so grateful to you,” I say.

  “For what?” she asks with a scowl on her perfect little face.

  I smile. “Because if it weren’t for you, Hunter and I wouldn’t be together.”

  That part is most definitely true. Not only wouldn’t I be here with him right now, but we never would have had sex. Out of this world, mind blowing sex. The kind of sex that you wish you didn’t know existed because nothing, and no one, else will ever compare to it. How am I supposed to settle for second best when I know exactly what I’m missing?

  “And how is that?”

  “Well, what happened was, that night you cheated on Hunter, or most likely the night he caught you cheating on him since I doubt this was a one-time thing,” I begin eying her boyfriend Maddox, the star baseball player who is standing next to Layla silently through her whole jealous tirade. “Anyway, we ran into each other and started talking. We realized that we never really knew each other after all and once we did, we couldn’t remember why it was we didn’t get along. And the rest, is history. Isn’t that right, baby?”

  “Sure is.”

  “And I can only imagine that you jumped at the chance to eagerly lick his wounds,” Layla taunts.

  “No. I didn’t lick his wounds, or for that matter, anything else either,” I say. Though, thinking about it now, part of me wishes I had. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, thank you.”

  I press a kiss to Hunter’s cheek. When I do I feel a flutter in my stomach, damn butterflies rearing their ugly heads, and I momentarily wonder if I’m coming down with something. Because having the flu would make a hell of a lot more sense than me having feelings of any kind for Hunter. But I’ll be damned if when I look up at him again, the flutter doesn’t reappear. Shit. This is more than some bad food or the flu. This is something crazy that I don’t understand or want.

  “What exactly are you thanking me for?” Layla asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  “For being a bitch and screwing up the best thing that will ever happen to you so I could have it instead.” I smile at her as I take Hunter’s hand. “Speaking of having it, why don’t we head to our room?” With nothing more than a wink, I lead Hunter toward the elevator.

  As we stand waiting for the doors to open, Hunter leans down and whispers in my ear. “That was amazing.”

  “Yeah? I was worried you might be pissed.”

  “Pissed? Why would I be pissed?”

  “I ripped into her a little and…”

  “And she deserved every bit of it.”

  His words shock me. I know I’m here to make her jealous, but I really never pictured him to be the vindictive type. I have to admit, seeing this side of him gives me a whole new respect for him.

  Her eyes must still be on us because I feel his lips press against the top of my head. The moment they do, that stupid feeling in my stomach reemerges. Obviously, I’m on some sort of under-sexed hormone overload. I need to figure out some way to sate it without compromising my fake relationship with Hunter. God knows if I’m feeling like this, my vibrator alone isn’t going to satisfy this itch.

  He holds the door open allowing me to step into the elevator first. We’re both silent as we make our way up to our floor. Through the silence my eyes can’t seem to help but drift in his direction. How have I never realized how attractive he is before now? Or, more accurately, before that night at the hotel.

  “You coming?” his deep voice breaks through my thoughts.

  When I snap out of it, I realize the elevator door is open, and he’s already stepped into the hallway. His hand is pressed against the door holding his open as he looks at me.

  “Yeah, sorry.” Slightly embarrassed that he might have caught me staring at him, I quickly move past him and in the direction where the sign says our room will be.

  “Here we are,” he says.

  Hunter opens the door to the hotel room allowing me to enter first. “Wo
w.”

  “Nice, huh?”

  “It’s more than nice,” I say as I pull open the curtains. Floor to ceiling windows lead to a gorgeous balcony. The view before us takes my breath away. The water meets the sky in what almost looks like a haze. The sand like a white glitter sparking below. “Thank you.”

  “What are you thanking me for?” he laughs.

  “For this, for the trip, the room.” I put my arms out, “The view.”

  “You’re doing me a favor, remember? Besides, after what you did in the lobby? I should be the one thanking you.”

  He steps onto the balcony, his hands gripping the railing as he looks out at the ocean.

  I follow him out. “For what it’s worth, I really am sorry. I know what it’s like and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

  “Not even me, your mortal enemy?”

  “Not even you.” I rest against the railing, my back to the view so I can get another look at him. “I don’t get why people cheat. Honestly, I would rather have someone tell me they don’t want to be with me than have them screwing around behind my back.”

  “I know, I don’t get it either.”

  “I promise, Hunter, we will make this look believable. We will make her jealous and wish that she never cheated on you.”

  He chuckles. “I’m not trying to make her jealous.”

  “Then what am I doing here?”

  He turns to face me, his eyes locking on mine. There’s a draw, some sort of magnetic force field pulling us together. Then, just as our lips are no more than a whisper away, there is an incessant pounding on the door.

  Hunter curses under his breath before exiting the balcony.

  He opens the door and shakes his head at a man that is his replica. “Impeccable timing, Hud,” Hunter says.

  Hudson however completely ignores the disdain in his brother’s voice and instead pull him in for a hug. “You’re here!” Hudson shouts.

  “You’re drunk,” Hunter laughs.

  Hudson’s eyes fall on me, then roam back to Hunter. “I thought I heard wrong.”

  “Depends on what you heard,” Hunter says. He slides his hands into his pockets as Hudson makes his way over to me.

  “Hey, Quinn,” Hudson greets. Hayley, his soon to be wife and good friend of Layla, is standing behind him in shock. “So, you two are here together?”

  “I’m standing here, aren’t I?” I reply.

  “I thought you two didn’t get along?” Hayley interjects. Her eyes are laser focused on me, looking for any sign that Hunter and I aren’t real.

  I shrug. “We don’t. Not always. But that just makes the whole making up thing more fun, don’t you think?”

  Hunter’s arm comes around me. “We get along just fine. Quinn, has been an amazing friend since Layla and I broke up and well, one thing led to another.”

  “I bet it did,” Hudson says. His smile matches Hunter’s except for one small detail – mischief. Where Hunter is more reserved and collected, Hudson is, well, let’s just say he’s a little more carefree and wilder. A little more like me. “Promise me one thing, Quinn.”

  “What’s that?” I ask.

  “Get him to loosen up a little bit. Have a little fun.”

  Hunter sighs.

  “Believe me… I make him plenty loose.”

  Hudson puts his arms around our shoulders. “This is great. This is exactly the kind of woman Hunt needs in his life. Someone fun, outgoing. Not that stick in the…” Hayley is glaring at Hudson with her arms folded across her chest. Hudson snaps his mouth shut but quickly recovers. He hands Hunter a folded piece of paper. “That’s the itinerary for the trip. Enjoy your last free night. Tomorrow, the party begins.”

  Hudson moves toward the door wraps his arm around Hayley whose glare leaves her face for the first time since they walked in the room. They make their way down the hallway and my stomach is suddenly in knots. I definitely need to do something if I’m going to make this believable because if they’re not buying it, no one else will either.

  Hunter unfolds the paper that Hudson handed him and studies it for a moment. “It’s going to be an interesting week,” he says.

  I turn to look out the floor to ceiling windows. “That’s an understatement.”

  Chapter 11

  Hunter

  At first, I was pissed that Hudson interrupted the kiss I was about to share with Quinn. Now? I’m relieved.

  Kissing Quinn again won’t lead anywhere good. We were a one-time deal. No need to muddy the waters with some silly kiss. One that I’m certain would send a jolt straight to my dick and make him beg for her.

  No, kissing Quinn is definitely a bad idea.

  So, why is it that I can’t take my eyes off her lips?

  Quinn yanks the itinerary out of my hand pulling me from my thoughts. She scours the paper, her face falling a little more as each moment passes. I had only given it a mere glance when Hudson handed it to me, but it sure as hell looked like a full calendar to me. That means that Quinn and I are going to have to be “on” more than we expected.

  “We are going to be inseparable. We won’t have so much as a minute to break character.”

  “It’ll be fine. We’ll figure it out,” I say.

  She throws me a look before looking back down at the paper. “Tonight. That’s it. All we have is tonight.”

  “Well, then, what do you want to do?” I ask.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, if you’re going to be stuck with me having to do all this,” I say as I wave the itinerary in the air. “Then tonight is all about you. Your wish, is my command.”

  “Really?” she looks at me suspiciously.

  “Really. I’ll call Mason, we’ll do a group thing, so we don’t have to look so “on.” How does that sound?”

  She smiles and for a second, I think she might hug me. Instead, she moves toward her suitcase, searching through it for something and babbling about some outdoor bar she saw when we got here and how she wanted to try it and… then she pulls her shirt over her head. She has her back turned to me but, Christ. The sight of her still affects me.

  I stare unapologetically as she slides a red satin material over her head before shimmying out of her shorts. She turns around, her arms outstretched. “What do you think?”

  I’m thinking a lot of things. None of which I should vocalize if I want to keep things between us platonic. “I think I should change.”

  Twenty minutes later Quinn is off and running at the club with Ivy, a friend of Hudson’s bride to be.

  “Shouldn’t you be cuddled up with Quinn somewhere for all the world to see?” Mason asks as he slides onto the open stool next to me.

  “Nope,” I reply. “That’s why I invited your sorry ass here. I’m giving her the night off, but still have to make it look good. She earned it. We ran into Layla earlier and…” I scrub my hand over my jaw. “She almost had me believing that it’s real.”

  “Maybe it is,” Mason says

  “There is nothing going on between Quinn and I,” I say. I feel like a damn broken record trying to convince him.

  “You sure about that?” Mason points out as he takes a sip of his beer.

  “Us hooking up was a mistake. We were both in a bad place. Besides, even if I were into her…” Mason opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off, “which I’m not. There is no way in hell she’s interested in me. The woman hates me. Always has.”

  “She doesn’t even know you,” Mason argues. While his point is valid, the thing is, she never wanted to. Get to know me that is. She was more than happy to tag along with Mason, eat my food, play with my toys – as long as I wasn’t anywhere near her. “Besides, I’m pretty sure her having sex with you says otherwise.” Mason raises an eyebrow. A moment later I watch as his face contorts into a look of disgust. “I can’t believe I just said that. Or thought that. This is creeping me out.”

  I laugh. “And you wonder why I didn’t tell you?”

  “All I’m
saying is that I think you and Quinn could be good together.”

  “How many of those have you had?” I ask, referencing the beer in his hand.

  “I’m serious.”

  “So am I. Quinn and I…”

  I hate the way that the sound of that makes me feel. Like it’s a possibility. One that I want to entertain. The woman who hates me suddenly owning a piece of me.

  I rest my head on the bar in front of me.

  “I knew it. You do like her.” The slap of Mason’s hand against my back isn’t what causes me to wince. It’s the realization that I do in fact like Quinn. It’s the only explanation for why my damn brain has been so consumed by her. “Just promise me something.”

  “What?” I groan.

  “No matter what happens between you two…”

  I glance up at him. I can see it in his eyes without him having to say another word. There are three people in this world that Mason trusts. And two of them, recently had sex and have an unspoken, unfathomable… thing. “Me and you, we are brothers, man. Nothing is going to change that.”

  I think back to the first time I met Mason. The tattered clothing that he wore, the paper lunch sack with nothing more than a piece of bread and an apple in it. We were ten when we met. Even then I knew that he only wanted to be my friend for one reason – he needed me to survive. From that moment on, my mom accidentally packed two sandwiches every day. Maybe threw in an extra juice box. And when he came over to play, she always sent the leftovers home with him because “Hunter won’t eat them.”

  Quinn, well she was in just as bad of shape as Mason was, if not worse. She was thin and scrawny, her clothes torn or too small. Unlike Mason though, Quinn hated me. Regardless of what I tried to offer her or do for her, she refused to accept it. She refused to be my friend. I would toss a ball in her direction, tag her, or do anything I could think to include her. But she didn’t want any part of it.

  “Seriously, if you’re into Quinn, I think you should make a go for it. I think you’d be good for her. And I think that she…”