Page 3 of Masters of the Game: Colton

It didn’t take long for him to get a hold of himself.

If he was only going to have one night, he’d make sure it was a night she’d never forget.

And so he made all the arrangements and texted the information to Kelly.

Just in case she arrived before he did, he gave her the code to get into the room, so she could bypass the reservation desk.

He couldn’t get the kiss they’d shared out of his mind, and he had the uncomfortable feeling that she wouldn’t be an easy woman to walk away from.

In fact, he was pretty sure she was already embedded beneath his skin… and after just one kiss!

“You’re quiet, Colt.”

He glanced at his brother Cobra, sitting beside him at the hotel bar. Did his brother expect to have a conversation with him now, when he’d had his phone plastered to his ear for the past ten minutes?

“You were on the phone. Besides, I don’t have much to say.” He looked around the room, going over the bits and pieces of his brother’s telephone conversation he’d overheard. Cobra had been talking to yet another woman. He was nothing at all like Colton. Then again…

“Actually, I do have a question for you. How can you do it?”

Cobra, the youngest of the triplets, raised a brow. “Do what?”

“Meet a woman, sleep with her, and not care if your paths ever cross again.”

Cobra grinned. “It’s called seeking pleasure and not a lifetime commitment. I have plenty of time for that later. Right now, all I want to do is get laid with no strings attached.”

“Don’t you think you might miss out on finding a woman who could be your perfect mate?”

His brother stared at him for a moment and then shook his head. “First of all, Colt, I’m not trying to find my perfect anything. I don’t want to get serious about any woman. I’m not like you. Then again…I couldn’t help noticing that you haven’t been dating much lately.”

At that moment, an image flashed through his mind--a gorgeous woman with dark brown eyes who could make his body stand at attention with just a look.

Kelly Perkins. Ever since he’d set eyes on her, he’d had no desire to get involved with anyone else.

But there was no way he would admit to his brother that he was hoping his non-relationship status would soon change. So instead, he said, “I’ve been busy.”

Cobra chuckled. “A man should never be too busy to get laid, Colt. Getting sex regularly keeps the mind sharp.”

He’d heard Cobra say that plenty of times. Deciding not to hold back anything, he admitted, “I’ve met someone.” Colton figured his brother had an idea who the person was, so there was no need to provide a name. “In fact,” he added, “I’m meeting her later. However, we disagree on one main thing.”

Cobra nodded. “Let me guess. You want more than a hookup for the night.”

“Yes, but that’s all she wants.”

“If it were me, I’d give her what she wants, no questions asked, and then count my lucky stars we’re on the same page. You won’t believe the times I’ve had to convince a woman that a one-night stand is the best way to go. And it’s the only way to go if they want some of me.”

“I’m not you, Cobra.”

“I know. You and Tez are more alike in that regard. The two of you need more from an affair, for some reason. However, you need to realize and accept that some women aren’t into lasting relationships. Not all of them want a house with a picket fence, a good man, and babies.”

“It won’t be that easy for me, Cobra. I’ve been thinking of her constantly since we met last year. If I share a bed with her, I know I won’t want to give her up. She’s a woman who could get into a man’s system and stay there.”

“And it sounds like she’s already gotten into yours.”

When Colton didn’t deny it, Cobra added, “You’ve always prided yourself on your decision-making abilities.

I suggest you use them to think things through with this one.

If you’re serious about wanting more with her than just one night, use your power of persuasion.

It’s likely what’s gotten you so far in business.

Time to use it for better purposes,” Cobra said with a wink.

Then he glanced at his watch, stood, and said, “I have an appointment on the twentieth floor. Good luck with your dilemma. Let me know how it goes.”

Colton shook his head as he watched Cobra hurriedly walk off. An appointment was his way of saying he was going to get laid.

“Where’s he running off to?”

Colton glanced up at his older brother--Cortez, the attorney. The Masters family had never reached a consensus as to what Cortez’s nickname would be. The older generation--parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles--called him Cort. His brothers and cousins referred to him as Tez.

“Cobra has an appointment that he’s eager to keep,” he said.

“Oh.”

Colton knew there was no need to elaborate. “Where’s Victoria?” he asked.

Cortez slid onto the stool that their brother had just vacated. “My wife and a couple of her girl cousins decided to watch a chick-flick in one of their rooms. I thought I’d come grab a drink before retiring. It’s been a long day.”

“You can say that again.”

Cortez met his gaze. “So, what do you have planned for the evening? Any chance you have one of those appointments like Cobra?”

“One-night stands aren’t my thing. You know that, Tez.”

“Yes, I do. They weren’t mine either. But that day I met Victoria in Paris, I did what I had to do to be with her.”

“Still, you thought there would be more, right?” Colton asked, after taking a sip of his beer.

“That was definitely my intent. Although her plans for that weekend were different from mine. One night was all she wanted. She intended to disappear after that.”

Colton nodded, glad that Cortez and Victoria had eventually found their happy ending. “In a way, I’m in the same situation you were in. I want more, and the lady wants less.”

Their conversation was interrupted when a bartender came to take Cortez’s order.

After he walked away, his brother glanced at him and said, “Sounds to me like you have a decision to make, Colt. Can you simply enjoy this woman who is fun-loving, daring, and adventurous, even if it won’t last?

Or will you ruin something before it has a chance to start? ”

It was clear that Cortez had figured things out about him and Kelly.

He’d probably done so before Cobra had. As the oldest--even if only by seven minutes with Colton, and fifteen with Cobra--Cortez had always taken that “I was born first” role seriously.

When it came to him and Cobra, Cortez rarely missed anything.

Besides, he was sure that others had noticed the chemistry between him and Kelly—it was almost tangible.

“I guess I do have a decision to make,” he admitted. “I want more than a night with Kelly, Tez.”

After the bartender slid his drink in front of him, Cortez took a sip, then asked, “Maybe she wants more than one night as well. What makes you think she doesn’t?”

Colton sighed deeply. “Kelly told me that’s all she wants. She’s starting up her business this week and will be too busy for anything else.”

“Good for her, but bad for you. It’s not good timing, obviously. But I’m sure you can understand what she’s going through. You’ve gone on hiatus a few times while building a career with Masters Unlimited.”

Yes, he had, but it was because he’d chosen to do that, not because he felt he’d had to. “I know that, Tez. But I’m not sure one taste of her will be enough for me.”

After taking another sip of his drink, his brother said, “Then I suggest you use those decision-making skills you’re blessed with. If you want more, let her know. Maybe the two of you will be able to work something out.”

If only, he thought…

An hour later, Colton was on his way to meet Kelly at the hotel.

She had already texted him that she had arrived and loved the suite.

He had thought things through and had decided to take his older brother’s advice, using the decision-making skills he had acquired over the years.

And if those failed, he could always go with what his younger brother had suggested, using his powers of persuasion to change the game.

Regardless of what approach he took, he and Kelly needed to talk. And he’d make sure they did before they moved forward with tonight.

**

Kelly glanced around the hotel room. If Colton’s goal had been to impress her, he certainly had outdone himself.

The Saxon Hotel was gorgeous and on a luxury scale of its own.

Granted, the St. Laurent had style, and the architecture was stunning.

However, the Saxon had stepped it up a few notches.

She couldn’t wait to try out that walk-in shower that was almost the size of her entire bathroom at her apartment.

She got flutters in the pit of her stomach at the thought of her and Colton trying it out together.

He hadn’t just reserved a hotel room, this was a mega-suite, an atmosphere fit for royalty.

She glanced at her watch. He had texted her a few minutes ago that he was on his way, and anticipation had her hormones sizzling.

She had never done anything like this before, sharing only a night with a man.

Granted, she’d dated Derrick in high school, and he’d been the first guy she’d ever slept with.

While in her sophomore year of college, she’d dated Archer and had gone all the way with him, too.

Sex, although enjoyable, didn’t rank high on her list of important things.

She’d been too focused on getting her degrees.

The only reason it was on her mind now was because of Colton.