The Player's Game by Alice Gaines
Series: A Players' Pact #2
Publication date: July 13th, 2020
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
I've got to admit, life is sweet these days. As a starting NFL quarterback, I do okay, and I haven't been lacking for female companionship. But I'd give it all up in a heartbeat if I could get back the woman I loved and lost--my ex-wife, Katy.
Now I'm at a wedding, watching one of my best friends tie the knot. I'm happy for him--really. I just wish things had turned out better when I'd taken that walk down the aisle. Still, those days are over.
I'm on my way to my room when I run into my ex in the elevator. It's like karma. Has to be. Only she's with some random guy, who's getting a little too handsy for my liking. I can't help myself--I have to say something. Something that ruins her night... and mine, too.
Now, I'm sitting alone in my hotel room, when suddenly, Katy's at my door, complaining that I ruined her 30th birthday. Her solution--that I give her the night of sexual adventure I'd derailed in the elevator.
I never was very good at saying no to her...
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Excerpt
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Grant and Sandy stepped apart.
The scent hit Grant first. A perfume he'd never get out of his mind. He turned to see who was getting on, and someone might have punched him in the gut. Katy.
Katy recoiled at the sight of him, too. She was obviously as surprised... and horrified... as he was. Oh, no. This was not happening. Worse, she wasn't alone. She was holding the hand of some guy. As if she was on her way to do exactly what he and Sandy were planning. To hell with that.
He stared straight ahead of him at the elevator controls. And he did his best to keep breathing. This was Katy--his first love and the woman he'd never truly gotten over. They'd been so happy for so long, and then he'd gone and ruined everything with his big mouth. She deserved to enjoy herself as much as he did. Seeing her with this dude might be torture, but it wouldn't last long. He could do it... for her.
But then, the guy touched Katy. He put his hand at the small of her back and let it roam lower to her butt. Grab-ass with Katy in a public elevator? Who did the bastard think he was?
"Take your hands off her," Grant said.
The guy looked at Grant. "What's it to you?"
"She's my wife."
"Wife?" Sandy said. She and the guy with Katy exchanged horrified glances.
Katy was his ex-wife, actually. But she still shouldn't have some asshole pawing her in an elevator.
Katy came up to him and got in his face. She had to rise up on her toes to do it. "We're divorced Grant. Have you forgotten?"
Yeah, they were divorced, but that didn't mean he didn't have feelings for her--didn't miss waking up in their bedroom with her. Even after not seeing Katy for months, he found himself staring into the glow of her deep, dark eyes. He could remember what they looked like when she laughed and when she cried. Feelings, for Heaven's sake. Exactly what he was supposed to avoid.
He and Sandy would only share the kind of feelings that turned off the higher centers of your brain and made you cry out the Lord's name. Or they would if his little outburst hadn't ruined things all around.
Both Sandy and Katy's date were avoiding eye contact right now. Katy hadn't backed off an inch.
"How could you?" she said. "I'm only doing what you do all the time."
"Yeah, but..." He gestured. "Him?"
Her date glared at him for a second and then gave Sandy a glance that said Grant had lost his marbles. Maybe he had, but no one wrote etiquette books about how to deal with your ex- having a quickie.
Sandy put her hand on his arm. "This isn't the right time."
"It's fine." He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "We'll all calm down."
The words flew out of his mouth before he could pull them back. No man in his right mind ever told an angry woman to calm down. You might as well throw gasoline on a fire.
Katy got even closer, if that was possible. "I swear to God if you say one more word..."
"Well, hey," her "date" said as he blindly pushed a button for the next floor. "I think I have... that is... I left..."
"Stephen, don't," Katy said.
Too late. The elevator doors opened, and both Stephen and Sandy got out.
For a second, Stephen held the door open and stared at Grant. "Say, aren't you..."
Fine, the creep had recognized him. Grant didn't have to recognize him back. Instead, he gave the guy what Katy used to call "The Hazel-Eyed Stare of Death," until the guy released the door.
Sandy waved at Grant. "Catch you later."
But she wouldn't. The doors closed on the opportunity for a really good night. Even if he did find her again, by now she had to be convinced he was a raving lunatic. Oh hell, maybe he was.
"I hope you're satisfied," Katy said.
The scent hit Grant first. A perfume he'd never get out of his mind. He turned to see who was getting on, and someone might have punched him in the gut. Katy.
Katy recoiled at the sight of him, too. She was obviously as surprised... and horrified... as he was. Oh, no. This was not happening. Worse, she wasn't alone. She was holding the hand of some guy. As if she was on her way to do exactly what he and Sandy were planning. To hell with that.
He stared straight ahead of him at the elevator controls. And he did his best to keep breathing. This was Katy--his first love and the woman he'd never truly gotten over. They'd been so happy for so long, and then he'd gone and ruined everything with his big mouth. She deserved to enjoy herself as much as he did. Seeing her with this dude might be torture, but it wouldn't last long. He could do it... for her.
But then, the guy touched Katy. He put his hand at the small of her back and let it roam lower to her butt. Grab-ass with Katy in a public elevator? Who did the bastard think he was?
"Take your hands off her," Grant said.
The guy looked at Grant. "What's it to you?"
"She's my wife."
"Wife?" Sandy said. She and the guy with Katy exchanged horrified glances.
Katy was his ex-wife, actually. But she still shouldn't have some asshole pawing her in an elevator.
Katy came up to him and got in his face. She had to rise up on her toes to do it. "We're divorced Grant. Have you forgotten?"
Yeah, they were divorced, but that didn't mean he didn't have feelings for her--didn't miss waking up in their bedroom with her. Even after not seeing Katy for months, he found himself staring into the glow of her deep, dark eyes. He could remember what they looked like when she laughed and when she cried. Feelings, for Heaven's sake. Exactly what he was supposed to avoid.
He and Sandy would only share the kind of feelings that turned off the higher centers of your brain and made you cry out the Lord's name. Or they would if his little outburst hadn't ruined things all around.
Both Sandy and Katy's date were avoiding eye contact right now. Katy hadn't backed off an inch.
"How could you?" she said. "I'm only doing what you do all the time."
"Yeah, but..." He gestured. "Him?"
Her date glared at him for a second and then gave Sandy a glance that said Grant had lost his marbles. Maybe he had, but no one wrote etiquette books about how to deal with your ex- having a quickie.
Sandy put her hand on his arm. "This isn't the right time."
"It's fine." He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "We'll all calm down."
The words flew out of his mouth before he could pull them back. No man in his right mind ever told an angry woman to calm down. You might as well throw gasoline on a fire.
Katy got even closer, if that was possible. "I swear to God if you say one more word..."
"Well, hey," her "date" said as he blindly pushed a button for the next floor. "I think I have... that is... I left..."
"Stephen, don't," Katy said.
Too late. The elevator doors opened, and both Stephen and Sandy got out.
For a second, Stephen held the door open and stared at Grant. "Say, aren't you..."
Fine, the creep had recognized him. Grant didn't have to recognize him back. Instead, he gave the guy what Katy used to call "The Hazel-Eyed Stare of Death," until the guy released the door.
Sandy waved at Grant. "Catch you later."
But she wouldn't. The doors closed on the opportunity for a really good night. Even if he did find her again, by now she had to be convinced he was a raving lunatic. Oh hell, maybe he was.
"I hope you're satisfied," Katy said.
About the Author:
USA Today bestselling author, Alice Gaines, writes about nice people having outrageous sex. Her trio of books, The Players' Pact novels from Entangled Indulgence, deliver exactly that. When Alice isn't writing steamy romance, you'll find her in her yard or in the kitchen cooking something yummy from her garden. She lives with her pet corn snake, Casper, and one affectionate feral cat. She's passionate about funky soul band, Tower of Power, and her church--not necessarily in that order. She loves to hear from readers.
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