Page 42 of The Player

‘But I’m no tease.’ She pushed his pants down. Slid a hand inside his black boxers. Cupped his cock.

His groan filled the air and, empowered, she went for broke.

He let her undress him until he was standing before her, gloriously naked, incredibly beautiful.

Bronze skin, rippling muscles, hard for her.

‘One of us is way overdressed,’ he said, taking a step toward her.

‘Wait.’ She braced a hand on his chest. ‘I’m admiring the view.’

‘Later,’ he said, bundling her into his arms. ‘Much later.’

Chapter Nineteen

Lucky for Wade, he’d never had much of an ego.

If he did, it would be smarting.

Liza had done it again. Indulged in a wild, passionate, no-holds-barred night of mind-blowing sex. And then…nothing.

The next day at the office, four weeks ago, she’d reverted to the cool, dedicated woman who’d wowed him with her business ethic that first day she’d presented her marketing ideas. She acted like nothing had changed so he followed her lead, and they’d been nothing beyond courteous colleagues for the last month.

Admittedly, they’d been incredibly busy, with her biography having the fastest turnaround he’d ever seen in all his years in publishing. To have a book written, copy-edited, line-edited, final proofed, and in ARC format within a month? Unheard of, but he’d made it happen. He owed his dad that much. Preserving a family legacy might be the reason everyone assumed was behind his drive to save the company.

Only he knew the truth. Guilt was a powerful motivator.

Despite Liza’s encouraging insights that his dad had loved him and that’s why Quentin hadn’t shared the truth about his heart condition, Wade knew better.

His dad had known how much he despised Babs, but he’d been too much of a gentleman to bring it up or let it effect their relationship initially. But with Wade’s continued withdrawal, both physically and emotionally, he’d irrevocably damaged the one relationship he’d ever relied on.

His dad not trusting him enough to divulge the truth about his heart condition before it was too late hurt, deeper than he’d ever imagined.

He regretted every moment he’d lost with his dad. Regretted all the time they could’ve spent together if he’d known the truth. Regretted how he’d let his superiority, judgement, and distaste for Babs ruin a friendship that surpassed a simple father-son bond. Most of all, he regretted not having the opportunity to say a proper goodbye.

He’d regret it all and the rift he’d caused until his dying day, but for now he’d do everything in his power to ensure Qu thrived as a token of respect for the man who had given him everything.

He had the woman who’d sold her story to him to thank too.

Wade had done as she suggested over the last few weeks. Remembered the good times with his dad: authors they’d signed together, books they’d published that had gone on to hit bestseller lists, a patient Quentin teaching him golf as a teenager and the many hack games that had followed over the years, the beers they’d share while watching the motor sport.

So many precious memories he’d deliberately locked away because of the hurt. But Liza had been right. Holding onto guilt only made it fester and remembering the good times had gone some way to easing his pain.

She’d given him a wake-up call he needed and had a surprise as a thank you.

He knocked on Liza’s door, holding the Advanced Reader Copy behind his back. He hoped she’d be as thrilled with how her story had turned out as he was.

He’d stayed up all night, devouring Liza’s biography from cover to cover. When he’d speed read the first draft in e-format he’d done so with an editor’s eye and hadn’t really had time to absorb the facts beyond she’d delivered the juicy tell-all he’d demanded.

After reading the ARC last night, holding her life in tree format, he’d felt closer to her somehow, as if learning snippets from her childhood revealed her to him in a way she’d never do in person.

Of course, he’d hated her dating tales, insanely jealous of the soccer and basketball stars that had wooed her and whisked her to parties and elite functions, living the high life. Irrational, because he had no reason to be jealous; those guys were her past.

But was he her future?

Damned if he knew. It wasn’t as if they were looking for anything long term. He’d spelled it out at the start and Liza had done her best to maintain her distance when they weren’t burning up the sheets those two times.

So why the intense disappointment she’d been willing to share part of her life with him, but only for the money?

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