Wicked Player

by Lynn, Stacey

  He grabbed them out of the air and skewered Gage with a poisonous glare that would have most men melting to ash. Fortunately for Gage, he wasn’t most men. “Swear to God, you make this right for her. And expect I’ll be calling Jaxon as soon as you leave.”

  “Wouldn’t expect anything less,” Gage said. He held out his hand and Blake only hesitated for a split second before gripping it. “I’ve got this. Promise.”

  “Good.” Blake let go and turned to me. “Take care, sis. And call me if you need anything.”

  “Um.” I scratched the back of my neck and flinched. “Well, can you tell mom and dad?”

  “You want me to tell mom and dad you met your guy at a sex club? You fucking insane?”

  Haley slapped him on the chest. Fortunately she was closer or I would have. “You can leave that part out dumbass,” she said.

  “Crazy. You’re all fucking crazy,” I said. Gage was next to me, grinning down at my mutterings and when our eyes met, his lips lifted at the edges. “Ready?”

  “Yeah.” I gave Haley and Blake a quick hug and followed Gage out to his SUV. It wasn’t until we were buckled in and out of his neighborhood that two thoughts came to mind.

  “How’d you find Blake’s house?” I asked.

  “Public addresses online. Looked up all your family’s and drove by. By the way, the house you grew up in is really cute.”

  “You did… you know what?” I waved a hand in the air. “It doesn’t even surprise me.”

  “Went to your apartment and you weren’t there so I tried to figure out where you’d go. I’ve been driving around for hours looking for you. I’ve been worried.”

  I hadn’t meant to make him worry, but at hearing he did, my heart skipped a beat.

  I slid my hand to his thigh and he covered it with his, squeezing tight. “Thank you. I didn’t mean to make you worry, I just wanted some time before I called you back. Also, before you send Jaxon to rip off Connor’s balls, you should probably know he texted me.”

  “The fucker did what?”

  “Yeah.” I unlocked my phone and pulled up his texts. I’d had dozens of notifications on my phone and it took awhile to find them. “Basically he said it wasn’t him. He can explain and he was sorry. I was thinking of calling him right before you showed up.”

  Gage’s hand on mine squeezed tight. “Do it once we get to my house. I want to hear what he has to say.”

  Funny. I figured he’d say that.

  The rest of the drive to Gage’s was quiet, and long since it was Friday afternoon and we were headed out of the city like so many others. But it gave me time to settle my thoughts too.

  I loved being with Gage. The fact he’d driven all over Raleigh and Durham looking for me spoke volumes. So did the way he took over to try to fix everything.

  But could I risk my job over him?

  There were hundreds of jobs in the world. But only one man who made me feel the way Gage did.

  Which meant, when it came down to it, the answer wasn’t all that hard.

  * * *

  “Have you eaten anything today?”

  “No,” I answered Gage. We barely got into his house before he was pushing me down the front entryway straight to the kitchen. “I don’t really feel like anything though.”

  “Tough.” He took me to a stool and set me on it. I’d grumble if it wasn’t sort of cute. “I’ll make some sandwiches and I want to hear what your boss said. Then we’re calling Connor.”

  “Bossy, bossy,” I muttered and propped my chin into my hand, elbow on the counter. He was digging in his fridge and when I spoke, pulled out and slid his eyes to me. Narrowed and a bit wicked. I felt that look down to my toes. “I’m just sayin’.”

  “You like me bossy.”

  Yeah. I really did.

  “So. Your boss.” He changed the subject quickly and it took me a minute to get off the visions where his bossiness took me. “And do you like ham, turkey, or salami sandwiches?”

  “Yes. All of it.”

  “Thought you weren’t hungry.”

  “Well, I wasn’t. But I’m hoping I’ll need energy later.”

  He slid packages of meat and other sandwich fixins onto the counter. “Didn’t bring you here expecting anything, Elizabeth. You need time to figure things out, I get it.”

  I opened the package of salami and took a bite. “So does that mean it’s off the table later?”

  “No.” He leaned forward, palms pressed to the edge of his gray and white marble counter. Muscles popped on his arms and took my attention from the heat in his eye. Dang. He was so yummy. “You gotta know, I’m at the point where I’d give you anything and everything you want. All you have to do is ask.”

  There was a weight to his words. An implication I didn’t dare read too much into. “Okay then. Food first.”

  “And your boss.”

  “Right.” Somehow, knowing we were on the same page made things easier. “I have the excuse that I didn’t know who you were, but honestly, I’m not defending myself if it comes down to it in front of a board of men with that answer. Plus, I eventually did. Professionally and ethically, once I even suspected I should have walked away. I was just…I was hypnotized by your dick and I didn’t think straight.”

  He barked out a laugh and paused slicing a tomato. “My dick hypnotized you?”

  “Well, I mean. Yeah.”

  “Jesus.” He went back to cutting the tomato. “If you’re ever asked for a comment by a reporter, please, for the love of God, keep your mouth shut.”

  “I’m the queen of no comments.” I grinned and reached for a piece of bread. Tearing off a chunk of the twelve-grain cardboard looking healthy crap, I chewed slowly. “So really it is all your fault.”

  “I’ll shoulder the blame of hypnotizing you through my cock. Don’t worry.”

  Had I guessed this morning I’d have anything to laugh at I wouldn have called myself nuts. But there I was. Eating Gage’s food, watching him make me a meal, in his house and somehow, I knew—

  Everything was going to work out just fine, even if it wasn’t how I originally pictured.

  “In all honesty, me getting suspended is on me. That’s not your fault. We both could have done things differently and while at least for now I’ve totally blown my shot at getting the promotion to the prime time news desk, it’ll be okay.”

  He was tossing our sandwiches together and looked up. “Yeah?”

  “I mean it sucks, but if I can somehow keep my job, I’ll be okay. Another promotion will come at some point.”

  “You’re not just making light of this for my sake, are you? Because right now, you seem okay, but you didn’t when I stepped into your brother’s house.” He sliced my sandwich in two and slid the plate in my direction. “Drink?”

  “Water please.” I took a bite, moaning over the taste of it. Apparently I was starving because as soon as food hit my mouth, I couldn’t get enough of it. “This is good. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Now answer my question.”

  “It’s life, Gage. I made a bad decision. One I knew was reckless and I can’t fault you or my boss or the higher-ups at the station if that has consequences I don’t like. From what Hayley said, the gossip isn’t that bad—”

  “Except for the fact thousands of fans thought I was gay.”

  “Well, okay, but still, that’s not all that bad, either. And if I lose my job, it’s my fault. I’m a big girl. That’s life. Sometimes it sucks, sometimes you do stupid shit, and you have to fight through it.”

  I wasn’t one hundred percent behind my pulling up my big girl panties and facing my consequences plan, but it was all true. Maybe after a weekend of wallowing, I’d get there. But I’d made my decision in the car ride there and that I wasn’t going back on.

  “You’re impressively mature,” Gage said and took a large chomp out of his sandwich. When he was done chewing, his eyes gleamed. “I love that about you.”

  I loved everything about him
.

  “Thanks,” I said, blushing at the word love. It wasn’t the time to talk or make declarations and I wasn’t jumping the gun to admit I’d realized I’d totally fallen for him. Instead, I chewed my sandwich, we ate lunch, avoided all talk about work or the hospital and focused mostly on me telling him how crazy Blake was and about his parents coming in on Saturday.

  “Speaking of,” he said, dumping our plates into the sink. “I’d like them to meet you. Any chance we can see you Sunday?”

  “Well, my day is free,” I quipped. It wasn’t funny and the reminder I wouldn’t be at the opening stung. “But yeah. Sunday night. But oh…I might have to be at my family’s.”

  Once my parents heard what happened, they’d insist. And Blake and Tanner would follow. They’d want to interrogate me to the high heavens and while I was an adult and didn’t have to do what they said, being around family while I couldn’t be doing my job would help.

  Gage licked his lip over his top teeth. “We could come there later?”

  “Meet my parents? My whole family?” Was he nuts? Combining the parents when we hadn’t even finalized what we were to each other.

  My breathing went erratic.

  “I mean, I figure they’ll have to meet and get to know each other sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.”

  Later? Families? Get to know each other?

  My hand slid through my hair. Wow. I’d hoped…but this was fast. And weird. It was weird, right? I couldn’t even think straight. I gulped down the rest of my water, pausing only when Gage started laughing.

  “What?”

  “You’re freaking out. Am I off base here?” He walked around his island until he was in front of me. He cupped my cheek and tilted my head up. “Tell me I’m not off the mark in what’s happening between us, Elizabeth.”

  “No. No. You’re pretty spot on. At least with where I’m at.”

  “Good.” He grinned and it was so beautiful he took my breath away. He leaned down, ran his nose over mine and pressed his lips to mine. His fingers pressed into the flesh at my neck, as he kissed me slowly, effortlessly….so damn sweetly my heart wanted to leap right out of my chest and into his hands. “Then I’ll talk to my parents and we can come after the opening. Be there for dinner and watch the game with your brothers. Have them see I’m not the asshole Blake’s most likely telling them I am right now.”

  My hand went to his wrist. “Blake loves me.”

  His lips were still brushing against mine as he replied, “He’s not the only one.” He gave me a quick kiss and pulled out, leaving me dizzy and spinning on my stool. “Now, let’s call Connor and get this shit out of the way so I can report in to Jaxon.”

  Well, that was a bucket of ice on a suddenly good turn of events.

  Thirty-One

  Gage

  High on the top of my priority list was finding the right time to tell her I loved her in a much better, and clear way. Still, I think I got my point across, and that meant talking to Connor was the last thing I wanted to do.

  But it was important and as she slid her phone out of her purse and sat on the couch, I sat next to her.

  “Speakerphone. I want to hear what he has to say.”

  She knew better than to argue.

  As she pulled up her contacts, I fought down a growl. It still came across in my tone when I said, “And after you’re done, you’re fucking deleting his number from your contact list.”

  “Jealous?” she asked, and it wasn’t exactly a tease.

  Things she’d learn about me. Other men who had been inside her weren’t going to be her buddies. Not that Connor had that hope. “Would you like me to have numbers of women I’ve fucked in my phone?”

  Her lips pushed to the side. “Point taken.”

  “Good.” I kissed her because I didn’t mean to be a dick, it just happened. I’d work on it like she’d learn to get used to it. “Thank you.”

  “Anything,” she said and that promise went straight to my dick. “Okay. Here goes.”

  She hit the call button and her hand curled around my thigh while it rang. On the second ring, Connor picked up. “Thank God you called me, Lizzie. I swear to you, I didn’t do this, and I’m so damn sorry. I fucked everything up.”

  Her brows jumped and if I wasn’t mistaken, she was biting back a laugh at Connor’s rambling.

  Pussy. How did he ever think he’d be able to handle this woman next to me?

  “Explain then,” she said, and pride burned in my chest. She was a woman who knew what she wanted, took responsibility for her actions, fought for what she deserved. She impressed the hell out of me every day I’d known her and I knew with the glimpse of her I’d gotten, there were only more surprises to come.

  “Okay. Listen. I deleted the pics of you and that fucker—”

  “That fucker is listening,” I said. “So fucking watch it. My threat still stands.”

  Silence hit the phone for a minute and if the timer wasn’t running, I would have thought he hung up. “Okay. Right. Anyway. I deleted the pics from my camera roll, but I didn’t get a chance to do it before you destroyed my phone. But after I got the new one, I had Mel set up.”

  Elizabeth leaned forward. “You told me you broke up.”

  Another beat of silence. This guy was wearing out my patience and quick. “Actually, I think I said I was going to break up with her, but since you made it clear you didn’t want …”

  “Oh my God,” she said. Her forehead dropped to her palm and she rubbed it. “You’re a giant piece of scum, Connor. You know that right?”

  He cleared his throat, ignored the name calling and attitude thickened his tone when he replied, “Anyway. She set up my phone. Saw the pictures. Threw a fit and left.”

  “You also said she was fine with you and me being together.” Elizabeth laughed then and her forehead fell to my shoulder. Shoulders shaking, she couldn’t help herself and damn I loved a woman who stood up for herself. “Good Lord you’re a dick. I hope someone does come along and crushes your balls.”

  “She left me,” Connor said. If I hadn’t been on the phone, he’d have a slew of names to toss her way and I knew it was only knowing I was there keeping him in check. His tone was biting. He was a fool if he didn’t think Elizabeth was smart enough to not be fooled by him any longer. “And she threw my phone at me when she left. I didn’t think anything of it and I deleted them right after. She must have sent them to herself.”

  “That’s it?” I asked. “You’re just passing the fucking buck to an ex who also learned you’re trash?”

  “It’s the truth.”

  Damn. The man didn’t have the right to keep his balls. Pity for the next girl who fell for his decent All-American looks and public persona.

  “I’ll take care of it,” I said. “But you come near what’s mine again, anytime soon and we’ll have problems and until then, stay the fuck away from me whenever you see me. Got it?”

  If I was facing him, fire would dart from his eyes. I knew his type. All talk and bluster. No strength to back it up. Which was probably why he called Elizabeth so many times to explain.

  “I got it,” he finally said. “But I swear it wasn’t me.”

  “We don’t give a shit,” I said. And before either Elizabeth or he could respond, I ended the call.

  “Mel?” Elizabeth asked. Her voice was thin and she ran her hands down her thighs. “How fucking stupid. All of this because, what? She was pissed he still wanted to have sex with me? God!” She threw her hands to her hair and pulled them back, piling her hair in a messy pile on top of her head before letting it all fall. “I can’t believe this. She’d risk ruining my career? What a selfish…stupid…” She stood and paced, hands flung wildly in the air.

  I was the asshole enjoying her freak out. I leaned back in the couch, kicked my feet up on the coffee table and spread my arms wide on the couch. Tiny Elizabeth was sexy as sin pacing my living room, flipping her hand in the air, muttering more to herself than me.
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  “I mean, who does that?” she shouted and slapped her hands to her hips.

  “Crazy people.”

  “Yes.” She shoved a finger in my direction and nodded. “Yes. Crazy people. That’s who.” She turned and before she could take another step toward her goal of wearing out my wood floor, I grabbed her hips and yanked her into my lap.

  “Gage!”

  “Quiet,” I muttered against her throat. She smelled like sweet flowers and had the attitude of a sassy little vixen. This woman was made for me. “I’m going to call Jaxon and fill him in. If we let him know where to start looking for the email origin, he can dig into servers and delete everything. At least then we’ll know if there was more coming. And I have a feeling if Mel comes face to face with anyone Jaxon works with, she’ll back down.”

  “Ugh. I want to kick her in the face with my heels.”

  And I’d like to see that. I had no idea who this Mel chick was, but I’d put my money down on Elizabeth winning any day of the week.

  “Hold all that anger in, little one.” At that, she shivered, my intent clear. “Because after I get off the phone with Jaxon, I’m taking you to my room and you can get all that anger out on me.”

  Her fingernails dug into my arm, but her legs stopped flailing. “Oh. That sounds like a better use of energy.”

  “Fuck yeah it is.”

  * * *

  I was on the couch at my parents’ house. After I spent Friday night at Gage’s, I spent the rest of the weekend stress-cleaning my apartment. His parents were coming and they had plans to go see Penny. I was invited to join them but begged off. Gage’s mom and Penny deserved some time together and with my emotions going through the spin cycle over the week, I wasn’t certain I could be a helpful addition. I hadn’t seen Gage since he dropped me off at my car early Saturday morning and since he’d been busy all day, I’d only briefly texted him last night after he sent me one.

  You sure your parents are okay with us coming by?

  I think mine would be offended if you didn’t.