Page 1 of Pursued by the Player

Chapter 1

Melody Lerner hatedit when things didn’t work out as planned. While she didn’t expect a promotion after showing her boss the fashion designs that morning, she at least expected a thank you, or a good job. Instead, she got a long list of things that were wrong with the spring styles and veiled threats on how she needed to step up her game. After months of hard work, she had to start over.

The only bright spot in her day was her afternoon break with her best friend, Liv. Three months ago, they had met on an assignment and had become instant friends. Bonding over egotistical bosses and fruit smoothies, they had talked about how their idealistic views of corporate life had been smashed by mid-level management mere weeks after college graduation. When they had exhausted that topic, they talked about relationships, and how each of them found it incredibly difficult to find anyone worth their time in the city. For some reason, they both managed to attract losers without jobs and who expected them to be their mother rather than their partner.

But all that had changed for Liv. Recently she was part of a scandal that threw her in the path of a gorgeous sheikh. Not only was he handsome, but smart and funny too. At first, Mel thought he was too good to be true, but time had proven her wrong. When Nayo rearranged his life just so he could be with her and Liv started learning Middle Eastern dress and customs, Mel had to admit that their love was the real deal. It was as if her friend had stepped out of reality and into her very own fairy tale.

Which was both good and bad. Mel was happy for Liv—Lord knew she deserved some happiness in her life—but Mel was jealous too. Who wouldn’t be? She managed to hide her feelings most of the time, but in those dark moments when she looked in the mirror and saw nothing but flab and freckles, she found it a little difficult to listen to Liv drone on and on about her perfect boyfriend.

Take their last get-together, for example. Mel knew that Liv would understand her troubles at Fresh Fashions that morning, so as soon as she had bought her energy drink and slipped into her chair, she had started venting. Within minutes Liv had managed to steer the conversation to the awesomeness of Nayo and how he was planning some big thing for their one-year anniversary. She had even insisted that Mel come up to her cubicle to see the two dozen pink roses he had sent her at work. Mel faked a smile and tried to muster up some happiness for her friend, but it was difficult. She couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

The problem was that Mel couldn’t relate to Liv’s situation. She had never had a guy so enthralled with her that he’d uproot his life and move half-way around the world for her. For Liv, dating was rather sporadic and done more out of loneliness than any real affection for the other person. The only exception to the rule was Marc, who she had thought was ‘the one,’ but last month Marc ditched her to go ‘find himself.’ It was only later that Mel learned that “finding himself” was code for running off and marrying a Las Vegas showgirl he met at a bachelor party the week before.

It was just as well. Marc was just another man in a long line of self-centered assholes with mommy issues and video game addictions. At least he had a job if you called playing football for half the year and traveling around the country a job.

If she never saw another self-centered sports player, it would be too soon.

The bell signaled that the elevator doors were about to open, pulling Mel from her thoughts. After a last glance over her shoulder at the Elite! magazine offices where Liv worked, Mel slipped inside. Hopefully, her afternoon will go a little bit better than her morning.

As soon as she stepped into the elevator, her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out only to find that her boss had been looking for her for over an hour.

“Fuck,” she mumbled. Now she was going to have to listen to a lecture on top of everything else. What a shitty day. At least she got some gorgeous new shoes out of it, she thought as she slipped off the plain, black flats she was wearing and replaced them with the most stunning pair of heels she’d ever laid eyes on – sky high heels covered in various shades of pink and rose gold sequins. The only bit of good luck she’d had all day was the fact that they didn’t fit Liv, but they were just the right size for Mel. Liv was always getting gifts and freebies from the photo shoot sets she worked on for Elite! And now and then they would trickle down to Mel. Shoving the flats into her bag, she admired her new footwear, amazed at how much some fabulous shoes could uplift her mood.

“Did you just sit in a pile of sugar?” The low, sexy voice rumbled behind her, causing tingles to spread out over her skin.

Mel glanced over her shoulder at the tall, handsome man leaning against the corner wall of the elevator. He wore tight-fitting jeans that hugged his hips and left nothing to the imagination. He had stuffed his large, rough-looking hands into his pockets, and his stance was so casual, so self-assured, that it reminded her of her former boyfriend. That was where the similarities ended, however. While her boyfriend had been thin and pasty, this guy was broad and tanned. His blue and white T-shirt stretched over the large muscles of his chest and biceps almost to the point of tearing. Bits of black ink peeked out from both the bottom of his sleeve and the neck of his t-shirt, and despite her best efforts, Mel’s curiosity peaked, wondering what he had tattooed over his chest and shoulder. Gorgeous blue eyes peeked out from under a “Los Angeles Lions” baseball cap. When he caught her staring, he winked at her.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“I said, did you just sit in a pile of sugar?”

“No, why?”

He dropped his gaze to her backside. “Because honey, you have a real sweet ass.”

She made a face of disgust and turned to face him. “You have got to be kidding me.”

He flashed her a seductive smile. “No, I’m not. That’s one of the finest asses I’ve ever seen.”

She crossed her arms. “Did you honestly expect that crappy pickup line to work?”

“You’re talking to me, aren’t you?” He pushed himself off the wall, closing the space between them.

She took a small step back and lifted her chin. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

He twisted his lips into a half-smile. “But it will.” He reached out to touch her hair, and she took a step to the side.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Bad day, eh?” He slid his gaze over her body as he dropped his hand to the side. “I sense a lot of . . . pent-up frustration.”

“Yes, because of you.” She tightened her grip on her purse, hugging it closer to her torso. “Leave me alone.”

“You should know, I strive never to leave a lady pent up and frustrated; I’ve got a reputation to uphold. Give me your number, and I can remedy that tonight… before word gets out.”

“I said leave. Me. Alone.” Mel rolled her eyes, who did this guy think he was?

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Suit yourself.” Leaning against the wall, he slipped his phone out of his jeans pocket and began texting someone. Silence filled the elevator as Mel watched him focus on his phone.

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