Players (Lessons by Loki) (7 page)

The
first song ended, the lights dimmed, and Chase pulled her into his arms. Katie still held her clutch and it ended up lodged between them. He chuckled then leaned down and whispered, “You can’t avoid me that easily.” Shifting her arm to his shoulder allowed her to press closer to his warm body. His hand moved up and down her back, fingertips exploring the bare expanse. “This dress is cruel.” He lightly nipped the side of her neck. “Makes me want to find out if the rest of you is this soft.”

He suddenly tensed and Katie followed the direction of his stare. Vanessa stood near the edge of the dance floor not bothering to conceal her stare. Her dark hair had been swept up into an elegant twist and her column dress showcased her long, lithe body.
With classical features and flawless skin, she wasn’t just beautiful, she was supermodel beautiful.

“Are you still in love with her?”

His expression twisted as if she’d just accused him of murder. “It was never love with Vanessa.”

She didn’t believe him. Nothing less than love could have cut so deeply. “
I understand that she hurt you but that doesn’t mean—”

Without warning his mouth covered hers in an achingly desperate kiss. His arms tightened, pressing her firmly against his body. He urged her lips apart and plundered her mouth with his tongue. She forced herself to remain soft and pliant, but she felt invaded,
used
. This wasn’t an impassioned plea for comfort. It was a “fuck you” to Vanessa.

He broke away with a whispered, “Sorry,” then led her from the dance floor by the hand.

“Was the kiss for my benefit?” He’d exited several tables away from where Vanessa stood but she hurried over to them. Apparently Chase wasn’t the only one not ready to let go.

“Not everything is about you, Vanessa. Maybe someday you’ll figure that out.”

One of her brows arched in silent challenge as her dark gaze shifted to Katie. “Where did you get this little trollop? I hope you didn’t pay much for her.”

She tried to remember that this was jealousy talking, but the snide comment still hurt.

Rather than give in to the insults, she stepped forward and held out her hand. “Katie Mayfield. My rates are extremely reasonable. Would you like me to email you a list?”

Vanessa gasped then her eyes widened. “You’re that little girl from across the street.”

Little girl? Was that more or less of an insult than trollop? “Guilty as charged.” She plastered on her sweetest smile. “Thanks for breaking Chase’s heart. If you hadn’t, I couldn’t have been there to pick up the pieces.”

“You’re welcome to him.” Vanessa huffed. “He’s
way more trouble than he’s worth.” She turned on the ball of her foot and stalked off as fast as her stilettos would tolerate.

“Was she always that bitchy?” She looked up at Chase and found his gaze fixed on Vanessa’s back.

“No.” Then he shook away the spell and said, “Yes. It was always there. It was just aimed at others until three weeks ago. Or maybe I was just too blinded by her beauty to see what she was really like.”

They’d been together for
almost a year. If lust was all he’d felt for her, it was more than likely the attraction wouldn’t have lasted so long. He’d cared for Vanessa deeply, cared for her still. The real question was did he truly want to move on or should Katie be helping him win Vanessa back?

Help him?
Why the hell would she help him do anything? He was trying to seduce her as part of a bet with his best friend! For a minute there she’d been so immersed in her role, she’d forgotten the true purpose for this outing.

“Do you play pool?” He nodded toward the pool tables lining the back wall of the club.

“Badly.”

“Good.” He grinned. “It will give me plenty of reasons to instruct you.”

And instruct her, he did. He pressed against her back and wrapped his arms around her as he helped her position the cue. They frequently paused for leisurely kisses and daring touches that left them both breathless. But each time they broke apart, Katie firmly reminded herself that she was playing a part. This wasn’t real. She couldn’t allow her insides to melt or her pulse to race with anticipation.

Michael, the birthday boy, stopped by with his fiancée.
She was all smiles and giggles, and spoke of nothing but wedding plans. Katie pretended to listen as she rambled on and on. The men huddled at one end of the pool table, speaking in hushed tones, which stranded her with the effusive bride-to-be.

By the time Michael motioned his fiancée onward, Katie was ready to pull her hair out. “Oh my
God, that woman has a one-track mind.”

“Michael’s not much better. We’re hoping
their personalities will return once the wedding is over.” He looked around, obviously searching for Vanessa. “I guess I’ve tortured you enough for one night. It’s been almost two hours.”

They handed the cues to the couple waiting for the table and picked their way through the crowd. Katie was torn by her discovery. She liked Chase, had always found him physically attractive, but he was obviously still hung up on his old flame. Even pretending to want his attention was going to be hard. Inwardly she cringed. It hadn’t been hard to let him kiss her. She’d enjoyed the feel of his strong body and the firm
, skilled slide of his lips. But it hadn’t stirred the same instinctual hunger that she’d felt when Josiah kissed her. It was all very confusing.

They stepped out into the cool spring night and Katie shivered. The air was mild, but it felt cold after the packed nightclub.

Chase could see the Porsche in the adjacent parking lot, so he asked the valet to just give him the keys. After receiving a generous tip, the valet agreed. They walked across the street, his arm resting across her shoulders. “Thanks for this.” He looked down at her as he squeezed her shoulder. “I had fun.”

A feminine laugh drew Katie’s head around and she spotted Vanessa and three friends huddled on the opposite corner. Katie couldn’t see who held the cigarette, but a conspicuous haze surrounded them. Vanessa made a bland motion toward
Katie, and the companions tittered. God, she hated gossipy females.

They reached the Porsche and she acted on instinct. She turned Chase around and shoved his back against the side of the car. Thank heaven the alarm didn’t go off or her impulsive act would have been humiliating
rather than daring.

“What are you—
”

“We have an audience. Just go with it.” She dropped to her knees and pain sliced up one leg. Shit. She’d forgotten she was in a dress. Ignoring the pain, she pretended to fumble with the front of his pants.

It took Chase a moment to recover from the shock then he played along wonderfully. He tangled his fingers in her hair, gasping and moaning just loud enough to be convincing. Katie rocked back and forth, bobbing her head, all the while fighting not to laugh.

“Oh my
God,” someone cried.

“Get a room!” That had definitely been Vanessa.

A few seconds later Chase pulled Katie to her feet and hugged her, laughing uproariously. “That was so damn perfect. I could—in fact I think I will kiss you.” The kiss started out light and playful, but it quickly took on a life of its own. For the first time he wasn’t kissing her to make his old girlfriend jealous. They were alone in the parking lot and he was finally focused entirely on her. One of his hands pressed against the side of her face while his other arm banded her waist. He moved his head from one position to another, searching for the perfect angle.

Suddenly she found herself pressed up against the Porsche
and Chase was rubbing against her, grinding his obvious erection into the softness of her belly. Surprised and a little confused, she turned her face away, panting as she waited for her head to clear.

“Th
is isn’t part of our deal,” he whispered, his breath teasing her ear. “This is just you and me.”

“And the three valets
.” She pointed.

He looked over his shoulder at their new audience and began to laugh again.

Hurrying around to the passenger side, she impatiently waited for him to trigger the locks. She didn’t take a deep breath again until she was safely inside the relative privacy of the car. “That was insane.” She cried with a helpless laugh. “I don’t know what made me do that.”

“It was brilliant.”
After starting the car, he maneuvered out of the parking lot then took a right on Blake. He flew down the car-lined street, obviously lost in the moment.

“
Slow down. There are pedestrians everywhere.”

“Sorry.” He downshifted and backed off the accelerator. “I know she’s back inside telling everyone what she saw.”

“Perfect,” she muttered sarcastically.

“No. It is perfect. Vanessa would barely let me hold her hand in public.”

“And I’ll go down on you in a parking lot.” She sighed. The only consolation was she was unlikely to ever see any of Vanessa’s friends again. “I’m rather fond of oral sex, but I prefer it in the privacy of my own home.”

“Really?”

She looked at him, confused by the challenge in his tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“How are you enjoying oral sex if you never bring anyone home with you?”

She glanced out the window, feeling exposed beneath his penetrating stare. “I enjoy it in the privacy of his home.”

“Sure you do.” The gentle mocking in his tone made her clench her teeth. “When’s the last time you had sex, oral or otherwise?”

It had been almost six years. The realization shocked her. She was about to admit the embarrassing truth when a current of air drifted across her knee and intensified the burning. Looking down, she gasped. “Shit. I’m bleeding all over the car.”

“What?” He quickly
pulled to the side of the road and turned on the hazard lights. “What happened?”

“Rough
pavement. Bare knees.”

“This happened
in the parking lot? Why didn’t you say something?”

She dug a
small package of tissues out of her purse, but half her leg was covered in blood. “Turn on the overhead. I can’t figure out where this is coming from.”

The overhead light came on and she straightened her knee as far as the dashboard would let her. The entire surface was abraded, but there was one deep laceration to the right of
her patella. “I must have landed on a piece of glass.”

“Is it still in there?”

She carefully pushed on the outside of the wound, but didn’t feel a solid object. “I don’t think so. But it needs to be flushed out good before I encourage the blood to coagulate.”

“Will it need sutures?”

“No. I can patch this up at home.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Take me home.”

He ignored her repeated requests for a reasonable speed until he pulled off the highway.
“It’s a skinned knee, Chase. All I need is some water and a Band-Aid.”

Her assurance had zero effect on her escort. He pulled into the driveway of
his
house and flew around the car as if she were bleeding to death. He threw open the door and unfastened her seat belt before she could do more than chuckle at his ridiculous overreaction. Scooping her up with athletic ease, he lifted her out of the car and kicked the door closed.

“My purse,” she cried. “It’s on the floor.”

“I’ll get it for you later.”

“My house is that way.” She pointed behind him as he carried her toward his front door. “Just put me down. My leg isn’t broken.”

She dipped precariously as he twisted to open the door. Then he kicked it shut behind them.

“What the hell happened to her?” Josiah came up off the couch as Chase carried her into their massive living room.

“Long story,” Chase muttered as he set her down on the cream-colored leather sofa.

She quickly scooted to the edge and picked up her foot before her bloody
sandal smeared the carpet. “Grab a newspaper or something. I’m a mess.”

They rushed off in opposite directions and Katie took a moment to absorb the luxury surrounding her. She’d tried to picture the inside of this house ever since the
developer broke ground. She’d even taken advantage of the realtor’s open house to snoop around, but that had been before Josiah and Chase made some significant changes and personalized the interior. The floor plan was open, somehow welcoming despite its size. And what she could see of the house was shockingly clean, considering that two bachelors were the only inhabitants. They had to have a maid.

Josiah returned first with what looked like a bathmat. “I couldn’t find a newspaper.
Haven’t bought one in years.” He spread the bathmat under her foot and unbuckled her sandals, slipping them both off before she could ask what he was doing. Okay, one was covered in blood, but there had been no reason for him to remove the other. Awareness pulsed between them, easily eclipsing the throb in her knee.

“What happened?” He was on his knees in front of her, so why did he sound so damn commanding?