Page 94 of Play the Game

“There are plenty of customers roaming around. Not to mention, the dress seller who has walked past multiple times.”

Emory’s hand grazes the bare skin of my leg, and the room spins. My eyes shut, and my legs grow unsteady. I lean against his chest, ignoring the little voice in the back of my head that’s telling me to escape the trap.

“Emory.” His name is more of a whine than a whisper. “Last night was a mistake, and you know it.”

“I’ll stop if you want me to.” He grips my thigh, running a finger to the inside of my knee and up again. “But I think this is the only way to get you to understand that you’re fucking irresistible, Scottie, despite how mouthy you are when it comes to me.”

“So you’re touching me because you want me to believe you?” My hips betray me and tilt forward in an attempt to pull his hand up higher.

Scottie, focus.

“What if I were to tell you I’m only touching you because everyone outside this dressing room needs convincing that we’re a happily married couple that can’t keep our hands to ourselves?”

I open my eyes, and when I see the desire etched into his steely features, I give in.

“Then I say you better keep it up because, after all, this is my job, right?”

Forty

EMORY

I don’t carewhat she calls it.

With her looking at me like I can hang the moon, I’d do just about anything she asked of me.

“You wouldn’t want to get fired,” I say, creeping my fingers up her thigh. Scottie relaxes even more against my chest. I stare at her lips and have the urge to kiss the shit out of her.

I would be willing to do all sorts of things to stick my tongue in her mouth for another taste.

This wasn’t what I was planning to do when I followed her in here, but there is no way I’m leaving this dressing room with her not having the confidence she deserves while in that dress.

If I asked her outright, she’d deny it.

But her little pelvic movements and sky-high pulse give her away. She’s beyond turned on, and to hell with the fact that she doesn’t want to cross the line again. If I have to use the excuse that the customers in this dress shop are paying close attention to us, then so be it.

My parents are at my house, waiting—something Scottie doesn’t know—but the world could be ending, and I wouldn’t be able to pull myself away until the job was done.

A job.

That’s what this is.

“Tell me what you want.” My nose skims her neck, and I breathe her in like she’s my lifeline.

She smells so sweet, and I suddenly feel calm for the first time today.

The smell of fresh ice is usually my comfort, but lately, I’m starting to worry that it’s her.

“Uh…” the word is more of a breath coming from her lips.

My hand disappears between her legs, hidden by the silk of the dress I’m buying for her one way or another. Heat pools there, and as much as I want to drag this out, there’s been one too many sets of footsteps outside the dressing room. With my luck, I’ll get arrested for public indecency.

“Right here?” I slip my fingers under her wet panties.

She looks like an angel, but the noise she just made came right from the devil. I clench my eyes because watching her in the mirror is going to make me lose sight of where we are.

“I could ravish you right here.” I press my mouth to her neck, and her pulse pounds against my lips. Before I can stop myself, I nip her delicate skin and suck. Scottie curves her hips to meet me halfway, and I slip another finger in, moving slowly and deliberately.

She feels so good against my fingers that Iwantto make her mine. I’ll play make-believe every single day of my life if this is how good it is.

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