Page 113 of The Game

“I’d die if I had any alcohol.” She makes a face. “I bet there’ll be a lot flowing tonight, though.”

She’s got me hard by sitting on me, so I flex my hips forward and she gasps,hooking a leg over my hip and rolling me over. Then she sits up and tosses her ponytail over her shoulder. She’s out of her sweaty tennis gear and in some soft-looking post-game pants and a top, no doubt provided by her sponsors.

“Do I have to wear anything particular this evening?” I say.

Her agent, Barb, has persuaded me to be involved in some of Anna’s deals, and we now have an agreement about how that works and how much money I’m paid from it. I told Anna it didn’t matter, but she was very insistent that I was treated fairly, which amused me greatly given that no one would be at all interested in me if I wasn’t with her. Barb’s chomping at the bit to sign me up to all manner of people who want to provide sponsorship, particularly in fashion, but honestly, the way I look most of the time, no one should want me as a style icon. Anna got Rolex to give me some super-fancy wristwatch after that first event we attended, and it’s beautiful, but it’s so unimportant compared to everything else. Barb has also been whispering about some big deal that’s in the works. If it’s good for Anna, I’ll do it.

“Damian and June are turning up in about an hour to do some behind-the-scenes stuff.”

“We’re not doing pictures of me in my boxers!”

Anna snapped a picture of me in the bathroom yesterday and told me she lived with the hottest man alive. Which, given all the amazing male models she could be with, is patently ridiculous. Okay, I’m wiry from all the jujitsu, but I’m not built, and my body hair doesn’t fit the mold for male hotness currently in vogue. But she studied the photo and a small secret smile curled over her lips. When she waltzed out of the bathroom saying it was the best picture to have on her phone, I shouted after her, “No posting!”

I’m looking a little thin. I lost weight in the hospital and afterward because I didn’t want to eat, and if it wasn’t for Anna, I don’t know where I’d be now. She had to leave to play in the Australian Open, but she bullied me into going to live with Janus and Jo and gave me Pepper to look after for three months. She got her nutritionist to make me food and FaceTimed with me every night, no matter where she was. Janus got me up each day, cooked me breakfast, and walked Pepper with me. And after a couple of weeks of working with him athis apartment, I went back to the office. Between the pair of them, it stopped me brooding. Jujitsu always made me feel strong, but someone got to me so easily and I started to get this creeping sensation on the back of my neck if I was outside. Not something I’ve ever felt in New York. And the best thing was? Anna understood all of it. She’s had people tracking her and exploiting her all her life. Having her talk me through the mentality and fear was everything.

Anna pushes her hips into me, and I’m fully hard now just from having her sitting over me. She leans forward and rubs her nose against mine.

“I’d like some naked pictures for my phone,” she whispers into my skin.

“So would I. But imagine if someone hacked into it,” I say.

She sits back. “Yes, Fabian has given me a whole new perspective on that.”

“There’s not many people who can do what he does, though.”

“Not many isn’t zero.”

I squeeze her thigh. “No nude photographs then,” I whisper back, my hands coming up to unzip her sports jacket, and she shrugs out of it, revealing a vest and bra. So, I whip the vest over her head and her hands go back, unhooking the bra.

When she’s naked from the waist up, I slide my palms up her torso to cup her breasts, rubbing my thumb across her smooth skin and watching her face as her eyes drift closed.

“You’re my reward,” she says, eyes popping open. “Better than any title I could win.”

My throat closes up. “What? No, Anna.”

She nods, cupping my face. “Of course, Adam! All my history, how could you not be? I’m so glad you’re okay now. I was so worried for a while.”

“Thank you for everything you did,” I say.

I’ve thanked her every time we’ve talked about it, but I can’t help saying it over and over because it means so much having someone in my corner. In totally different ways, Fabian and I never had that kind of unflinching support. His father expressed himself with his fists and ended up killing his mother. My mother is just condemning, and my father never managed to offset that, despite his soft, dry humor.

“I don’t think you felt like thanking me at the time.”

I laugh. Sometimes when we FaceTimed, I was a grumpy old bear and as miserable as sin.

She pushes at my T-shirt with questing fingers, and I sit up so she can drag it over my head as she runs greedy hands over the curls on my chest. My mouth finds hers, her hips shifting over my erection. Sliding my fingers inside her tracksuit pants, I find the edge of her panties and snug her pelvis up to mine. Shivers run through my crotch and up my body as the friction against my length starts to register.

She tilts down to kiss me, and I bring one hand up into her hair, pulling it out of the tight ponytail and combing through its softness. I spin her over again, and I’d swear my cock has a mind of its own because before I know what I’m doing I’m grinding all over her. Her hands roam down my back and around my sides to the waistband of my jeans, trying to get between us to undo them, so I lift my hips to give her access as I tangle my tongue with hers. I swear every time I try and take it easy with her, something sets me on fire and I lose my head.

Then her hand grasps me, she runs a thumb over my tip, and it makes my breath wheeze out.

“Oh yes,” she mumbles against my lips. “That’s the sound I wanted.”

“Slow down. Slow down.”

“No, Adam, I …”

“Can’t we savor this, just for once?” I gasp as she slides long fingers down to my base, feeling me, exploring me, and making me shake with need. My hand on her torso maps the curve of her breast, and I get a shiver in return.

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