Love and Other Games (11 page)

"Oh, my god, Cole Campbell?"

He turned to find a petite, semi-attractive, very young woman gawking at him. She couldn't be a day over fourteen. "Yes." Cole smiled. "And you would be … ?"

"Rochelle Jones." She cupped her hands over her mouth and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm actually standing here talking to the real Colton Campbell. I'm such a huge fan. Oh, will you sign this for me?" She dug a picture of him from her purse.

"Of course." He took the picture and signed his name to it. As he did, the flash of a camera momentarily distracted him. Brenna. He could see her from the corner of his eye, but refused to look at her. She'd been photographing him a lot tonight. "So, are you an athlete?"

"Oh, no, no, no, I wish," she said, shaking her head again. "My brother is, though. He's a skier."

Cole handed the picture back to her. "Well, I wish him the best of luck. And enjoy the games." He winked, and the girl blushed before running away, giggling.

He noticed Brenna was still nearby, snapping away with her camera. Every time he'd turn away, she'd point the camera in his direction. Well, that was interesting. When her back was turned, he snuck up behind her and said, "Are you stalking me?"

She gasped and turned around, her hazel eyes blazing with anger and annoyance. "Didn't anyone ever teach you not to sneak up on a woman?"

Yeah, okay, so maybe he shouldn't have snuck up on her, but he had a feeling if she'd seen him coming, she would've run in the opposite direction. "Why is it every time I'm not looking you take my picture?"

"Because it's my job," she snapped, and then cracked a faint smile. "Oh, you don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" Cole furrowed his brows. He didn't like the way she was looking at him. It was almost like she was gloating.

"I'm the official photographer for the U.S. Olympic hockey team. I've been given very strict instructions to take a few extra photos of you." Brenna eased the camera back down to her side, the strap draped over her shoulder.

He grinned. Well hell, things just got a whole lot more interesting. Cole nodded. "Just as long as you're not going all
Basic Instinct
on me."

Brenna almost laughed. Almost. But she stopped. "Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Campbell. I told you, I'm not interested."

Cole leaned closer to her, his mouth near her ear, and he whispered, "Liar." He didn't wait for a response. He didn't have to. The feel of her breath huffing in disbelief against his cheek was enough. Cole straightened and walked away, leaving her staring after him, a smile of satisfaction on his face.

Liar.
That one little word was like a bullhorn in her ear. Who the hell did Cole Campbell think he was? So what if he had a voice that could melt steel? Or that he had a body that made Adonis look like a fat, hairy, toothless ape? Who cared that his green eyes had the ability, with one look in her direction, to set her libido into a fiery rage? And so what if she hadn't been able to stop fantasizing about how his lips would feel as they explored her naked body? That didn't change anything. Cole was still an arrogant, self-indulged player.

Liar.
The way he'd whispered that word, the way his breath had felt on her ear, the way his body had been so closer to hers—it still had the power to make her shiver. The effect he was having on her was infuriating. But what was worse was that he was right. She was a big, fat, bold-faced liar. Brenna
was
interested in Cole. And that was the worst possible thing that could've happened to her. Well, she'd just have to remember that she was here in a strictly professional capacity,` and that meant absolutely no funny business with Cole or anyone else.

Brenna stomped the snow from her boots as she pulled on the heavy, glass door to the building that was her temporary residence. Then she stopped. "Shit," she mumbled, releasing the door. She'd left her camera at the community center. Now she had to walk all the back across the village to go get it. God, how could she have been so careless? It was Cole's fault, she decided. If he hadn't rattled her, she wouldn't have forgotten to grab it from the corner table she'd set it on.

Pulling her coat tighter around her neck, she put her head down, and trudged through the frigid air toward the community center. By the time she arrived, her nose felt like an ice cube, and her toes were frozen. It would be a small miracle if she didn't have frostbite. This is why she lived in the California. She hated snow! Thankfully, the center was empty save for some volunteers, vendors, and some janitors. She walked toward the corner where she'd left her camera only to find it empty.

She spun around, looking and hoping that maybe she'd checked the wrong corner. Panic slowly crept up her spine. This could not be happening. That was her favorite camera. And it was her personal camera, not property of the studio. It was an expensive camera, too. She'd saved for months for it, and now she'd gone and lost it. "Excuse me. Did you see a camera over there?" Brenna pointed to the table in the corner, and then mimicked taking a picture.

"
Nein, ich will nicht mein Bild gemacht
."

Oh, great! Of course she'd try to talk to a non-English speaking volunteer. "
Danke
," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Brenna plopped down into one of the oversized arm chairs and dropped her head into her hands. What the hell was she going to do now? Yeah, she'd packed another camera, but it wasn't as good as the one she'd lost, and it wouldn't capture the action shots she was going to have to take during the game.

She groaned, and then stood. The chances of her finding anywhere around here that would sell a camera of that magnitude were slim. She had no choice but to make do with the equipment she had. With some fancy lighting and the right angle, it might just work. Taking a deep breath, Brenna prepared herself to once again make the long, cold trek back to her room. The gravity of the situation weighed on her. If she fucked this up, if she didn't deliver pictures that were of the highest quality, not only would she lose her job, but Frank's reputation would be ruined beyond repair.

Brenna's fingers were like icicles by the time she reached her room, and she fumbled with her key. Just as she managed to get it in the lock, the door swung open. What the … ? She knew she had locked this door before she left. Cautiously, she pushed it open and peered inside. There, lying on her bed was Cole. His back was against the headboard, ankles crossed, one arm tucked behind his head, the other resting on his stomach, and her camera on the bed next to him.

She slammed the door. He didn't even flinch. Instead, he simply turned his head, looked at her, and smiled. "What the hell are you doing here?" Brenna was so not in the mood to deal with him tonight; although she was beyond thrilled to see her camera. She wanted to grab it and hug it. "And how did you get in my room?"

"I came to return your camera," Cole said, ignoring her other question.

Brenna took off her coat and tossed it over the back of the chair, which she then sat in to remove her boots. She rubbed her feet in a feeble attempt to get the blood circulating. "Thank you," she said with a genuine smile. "I thought I'd lost it for good."

Cole stood and picked up her camera. "So, what's it worth to you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Your camera, what's it worth to you?" He stood in front of her; her camera gripped tight in his hands.

She looked up at him under her lashes, a scowl on her face. "About three grand," she said through clenched teeth.

He whistled. "Damn!" Then he laughed. "But that's not what I meant, darlin', and you know it."

Brenna suppressed a groan. Why oh why did he have to go using that southern accent on her like that? She sighed. "It's been a very long day, Cole. I'm exhausted, so please, I'm asking you nicely to knock it off with the games."

Cole hesitated as if he were contemplating what she said. He held up the camera, admiring it, inspecting it. "Want to know what it’s worth to me?"

"Not really." She should get up and demand that he leave, but she was frozen in the chair. From exhaustion or morbid curiosity, she had no idea. Maybe it was a little of both.

He gently set the camera on the desk, and then, before she had a chance to react, he grabbed the arms of the chair making any chance of escape impossible. Cole lowered his head so that his mouth was near her ear. "A kiss," he whispered.

His lips tickled her ear when he spoke, and she couldn't stop the shudder that worked through her body. Damn him! She swallowed the dryness from her throat, unable to think of anything to say to him. The scent of his cologne tickled her nostrils. Her hand twitched, it actually friggin' twitched with the need to reach up and run her fingers down the length of his torso. "Cole." Her voice cracked.

"It's just one kiss. Surely you can handle that."

Her eyes closed of their own volition at the feel of his mouth closing around her earlobe. A soft moan pushed past her lips, and she felt him smile against her skin.

"C'mon, Brenna, you can't sit there and tell me you don't want to kiss me." He lifted his head and looked at her, his green eyes dark and hungry.

Her heart thundered in her chest.
Think, damn it, think!
She took a deep breath and met his gaze. "I don't."

He leaned down a little further so that their lips were a breath’s width apart. "Liar."

She stared at him, wanting to be angry with him, but all she felt was overwhelming desire. Would one kiss really hurt? He did find her camera and return it, saving her ass from getting fired and her boss from having his reputation destroyed. That warranted some sort of thank you, didn't it?
No! I absolutely cannot give in to him.
Forcing her racing heart to slow down, she said, "Since when do you have to beg a woman to kiss you?"

Cole's smile was slow and deliberate. "I'm not begging," he said, inching even closer. "I'm simply waiting."

God damn it, why did he have to be so smooth all the time? So in control and confident? Well, she'd be damned if she was going to let him think he was in control this time. He'd rattled her to the point of confusion. It was time to return the favor. Brenna leaned forward, closing the non-existent distance between them, and pressed her lips to his. Her eyes fluttered closed and she moaned as if his kiss was some decadent dessert she'd been depriving herself from enjoying.

Without hesitation, Cole's hands left the arms of the chair and cupped her face, holding her in place, holding her where
he
wanted her. There was no fight left in her. She succumbed to his kiss; the feel of his soft lips, the taste of his tongue, it was sinful, and she hated how much she liked it. But oh, how she liked it. Cole's tongue delved into her mouth, expertly exploring it like he'd spent his whole life kissing only her. No wonder women threw themselves at this man. If he kept up like he was, she'd be easily convinced to strip naked and drag him to her bed.

Brenna lifted her hands from her lap and allowed herself one small indulgence: running her fingers down his chest and back up again. His body was solid muscle, and she briefly wondered what he'd look like naked.

Cole trembled beneath her caress. "You really shouldn't have done that," he whispered against her lips before claiming them once more, deepening the kiss until he stole the breath from her body, making her weak and dizzy. It was a damn good thing she was sitting because if she'd been standing, she would've collapsed.

She mentally smiled at her little victory. Apparently she had the ability to get to him like he got to her. Brenna nipped erotically at his bottom lip, and then broke the kiss. "I think we're even now," she said, trying to catch her breath without letting him know that's what she was doing.

He straightened and smiled. His tongue darted out to lick over his kiss swollen bottom lip, and Brenna found herself wishing she hadn't ended the kiss so soon. "We're not even close to being even yet. Trust me," he said with a wink before turning on his heel and leaving her room.

Brenna shook her hands in an attempt to rid the feel of Cole from them. Then she stood; her knees were like Jell-O. "Get a grip," she muttered as she paced the small room. "It was just a stupid kiss." Yeah, a kiss that had aroused her beyond comprehension, a kiss that would undoubtedly keep her awake all night fantasizing about him.

Work! That always helped calm her and take her mind off things. She'd taken hundreds of pictures tonight at the welcome party. The camera's memory card was close to being full. She could empty it onto her laptop, clear it out so that it was ready to go for tomorrow. But first, a shower and a pair of warm, comfortable pajamas were in order.

***

Brenna emerged half an hour later feeling a little bit better, but she was still frazzled as she sat at the desk and turned on her laptop. Cole's last words to her bounced around in her mind.
We're not even close to being even yet. Trust me.
What the hell did he mean by that? Logging into her email, she quickly scanned through them. There were several from her friends, one from her brother, and one from Frank—which is the only one she bothered to answer. The day was catching up to her, and she was having trouble keeping her eyes open.

Taking the memory card from the camera, she put it in the laptop and yawned as she waited for the pictures to download. Her thoughts wandered to Cole and that kiss. Instinctively, she put her fingers to her lips, which still tingled, and closed her eyes, losing herself in the memory. Her laptop dinged, indicating the pictures were done downloading. She contemplated just leaving them until tomorrow, but she had to photograph the team's practice tomorrow morning, which meant she'd have twice the number of pictures to go through.

She clicked on the first picture and studied it. It was her policy to delete any pictures that were blurry, unidentifiable, or destroyed by someone walking in front of the shot. Unfortunately, there were a lot she had to delete. But that was to be expected at a party when she was just snapping away as opposed to looking for good shots. The photo of Cole signing an autograph for that girl came out beautifully, though, and Brenna saved it in a separate folder.