Page 72 of Play the Game

This is a terrible fucking idea.

I know it down to my core.

But…

But her pussy is picture perfect. I’ve never seen a prettier one.

And her skin? It’s soft in all the right places and smoother than the ice after a Zamboni machine.

“I do want you to touch me…” Her voice is addicting, and if I’m being honest, I feel that way even when she’s sassing me. “But…”

But?

She has a ‘but’?

“I can’t let you because this will never work if we start crossing lines, and I need this marriage to work more than you know.”

For a second, desperation fills my every thought. I’m coming up with excuses and even considering telling her that I’ll pay her more, which stops me right in my tracks.

She’s not a fucking prostitute. What the hell am I doing?

Her shaky sigh pulls me away long enough to where I can force out an agreement. “You’re right.”

I stand quickly and turn my back to her. After tucking my dick into the waistband of my sweats, I walk over to the light and flip it off.

We’re blanketed in darkness, which is a relief. I’m not in the right state of mind to continue looking at her sitting on the edge of my bed in nothing but a T-shirt. I’ve always thought she was attractive and alluring in the most agonizing way, but it’s the way she just gazed up at me that pulled on every last restraint I thought I had honed.

She didn’t resemble the woman that attempted to blackmail me or the tough, independent one who loves to mouth off to me. The more time I spend observing her, the more I realize my perception may be slightly incorrect.

I’ve witnessed sides of her that she doesn’t know about, but after seeing her hidden desire and learning how tempting she is, I realize that I need to get my shit together and focus more on my goal and less on my dick.

As soon as I land on the bed, Scottie moves to stand. Thankful for my height and long arms, I grab onto the fabric of her shirt and drag her back.

“I won’t touch you. But you’re sleeping in here tonight.”

“That’s not necessary,” she says quietly. “I’ll be fine downstairs.”

A sarcastic noise leaves me. “I didn’t ask.”

She matches the noise, but I cut her off before she can say anything else. “Get in the bed and go to sleep, or I’ll just follow you downstairs and sleep on the couch beside you.”

Don’t fucking tempt me, Scottie.

“There isn’t room on the couch for both of us.”

“Exactly.” My response is a warning, and it’s one I know she’ll heed.

Her sigh is loud on purpose, and I can feel her eyes roll from across the bed. After a few minutes of her moving all around, I finally turn toward her and see a mound in front of me.

“What are you doing?”

Her shadow appears from the top of some sort of barrier. “Building a pillow wall.”

Amusement flies to my lips, and I’m thankful she can’t see my face through the dark.

“Wow, you trust yourself so little beside me that you have to create a barrier?”

“This isn’t for me. It’s for you.” Her laugh is snarky as hell, and I know we’re past the hot-and-heavy moment between us.

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