Page 14 of Play for Power (Central Sparks #3)

“Please. You…you’re hurting me.” Her eyes water and I finally hit my limit. She is far too good at this. She wins, and I’ll happily admit defeat. Her eyes turn urgent when she sees me start to drop the act, but thankfully that shit show was enough for our victim to make a move.

“Get your hands off her.” He pushes my chest back and I take the opportunity to let go of Rosie, needing to squeeze my hands and rub them on my pants to erase the gross feeling of gripping her to tears.

“Stay out of this, man.” I level him with a snarl, not all that fake; I only have to dredge up the image of him touching her in ways I can’t.

“I think you need to leave.” He steps in front of Rosie and levels me with a menacing look. I sneak a look at Rosie over his shoulder, relaxing a little when she lets out a little smile and a wink, letting me know we were good.

“Whatever, man. The bitch is all yours.” With added flare, I spin dramatically toward the bathroom.

I wait until I’m almost through the bathroom door before I turn to look over my shoulder.

Hulk runs soothing hands down Rosie’s arms, peering down at her with a look of concern.

I hate the way I can’t take my eyes off her, hate the way I helped follow through on a plan for another man to touch her when it should be me caressing her smooth skin and searching her eyes to gauge her level of comfort.

Comfort I know I’d bring…along with a fuck load of orgasms. If she would just let me.

I bristle at their closeness, knowing our little display worked.

Big man wants to save, protect, and also get his dick wet.

Judging by the intensity of the fuck-me eyes Rosie gives him, I’d say he wins.

I hate knowing what it feels like to be on the receiving end of those eyes, hate knowing that I’ll probably never see that look again, and loathing the fact I feel this way at all, that I can’t seem to switch off the desire like she can so easily.

A humbling experience really, solidifying what I already know about myself. Not enough.

When I’m finally in the empty bathroom I look myself in the eyes and have to physically shake off all those stupid thoughts.

This isn’t me. I’m not this guy. What the hell am I doing?

Talking like a possessive, one-woman guy?

I’ve tasted Rosie—incredible by the way.

But I don’t get hung up on women, and I certainly don’t beg.

Obviously, it was the early wake-up call.

I’m just tired. Irritable. I just need a good sleep.

And you know what? If she can play, then I can too.

That’s our thing anyway. We play games—with each other, with other people—and we always ensure we win.

I know the one thing Rosie and I have in common is that, save for the few people we allow ourselves to care for, there’s little room to worry about things as pesky as someone else’s feelings.

Yeah, I don’t care about Hulk. I straighten my shoulders, maybe puff up my chest a little.

I am the player. We play. We are playing. Now I need to go get my prize.

I leave the stupid pep talk from the bathroom and head to the bar, in search of the girl from earlier, and find a spot not too far from her, ignoring the fact it has a perfect view of Rosie and her hulk.

Far enough away that he won’t notice me, close enough that maybe I can just get my fix of her by watching from a distance.

“Whiskey, neat,” I order as I take my seat at the bar, keeping my head down and sorrow in my voice. It comes with surprising lack of effort. The look on Rosie’s face is still plastered in my mind, my stomach turning at the memory, and I make a note to apologize, even if it was pretend.

“Oh great,” I say as I look up with a front-row seat to Rosie flirting her little heart out.

I watch his hands on her hip, the way she reaches up and links her arms around his neck, the smile she shines up at him.

His hands trail down her back, finding her ass for a gentle squeeze.

I feel my chest tighten slightly but don’t allow myself to entertain the feeling.

Thankfully, I’m interrupted by the bartender placing my drink in front of me.

I grip it and sip for something to do as I hand him my card.

“Keep it open for me, will you?” He jerks his head in confirmation and disappears.

My focus remains on Rosie. On how she presses her body up against him and it reminds me of that night, of how her smooth skin had felt as I lay above her, her legs locked behind my back, the way her husky voice moaned in my ear, and the way her nails dug into my ass cheek on orgasm number three.

The taste of her tongue, her skin, her sweet pussy. Fuck. She tasted like sin, and now I am fighting a fucking semi.

“Ex-girlfriend?”

Oh, that’s right, that’s why I’m here.

“Ahh…no. Current girlfriend,” I reply, remembering my lines.

I look down at my glass, going for a look of faux heartbreak.

Although, surprisingly, the feeling of disappointment isn’t a feeling I have to fight too hard to pretend to have.

When I turn to look at the brunette I had planned to go home with tonight, I can’t help but feel a sliver of disappointment. That she isn’t Rosie.

“Oh, I’m sorry. That’s rough.” Her voice is gentle as I smile down at her. I note the contrast of her olive skin and brown hair but bright blue eyes. There’s no denying that she is stunning. She is just…

My heart rate doesn’t spike. I don’t feel the buzz of excitement coat my skin. The way I can’t help but fight a smile the moment I’m around Rosie feels like a distant memory.

What the fuck am I even saying right now.

This woman in front of me is gorgeous. Sure, she isn’t Rosie, but that doesn’t matter because Rosie and I are friends, and she has made it exceptionally clear that we’ll never be anything more. This woman here is just for tonight. And that is what I wanted anyway. Right?

“At least I know now, right?” I give her a defeated look, throwing back the rest of the whiskey. Then I settle right into my role.

“How long were you together for?”

“Ten years. College sweethearts.”

“Awh.” She sighs and leans onto the bar. I look up like I’m finding a distant memory.

“I thought she was the love of my life, you know? She made me laugh and smile like no one else.” I wipe a hand down my face and look down at the pretty brunette.

“I imagined my future kids with her fierce attitude and eyes, her perfect skin and curly hair.” I watch the way her features soften and eyes widen with yearning.

Glad my acting skills are good enough to fool her, because I haven’t a clue how any of this is meant to sound, I am simply reciting the lines Rosie fed me.

“I just want a big family and a woman to love. To care for. I just want to be wanted back, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.” She sighs and then steps closer, smoothing a hand over my arm and looking up at me through her long lashes. I can’t work out the lump that forms in my throat at the words being exchanged and her responding touch; it’s making me uneasy.

I reach a hand up and tuck her hair behind her ear to bring myself back to the moment. I need to get a better handle on these stupid fucking thoughts.

“Sorry…I…I am a mess.” I cover my face with my hands, frustrated at the fact it isn’t even a lie. I am a fucking mess, over a woman who barely knows I exist, no less.

“I’m Nadia,” she provides. Pure lust radiates from her, and I allow myself a sparse moment to admire her, taking in her beauty.

“I’m Caleb,” I say back gently, letting her step closer into my space.

“Maybe I can help take away your pain? Remind you what it’s like to be touched by a woman?” she whispers, and her fingers trace a path up my forearm to my jawline.

“You don’t have to do that,” I whisper back and let my hand find its way to her waist, pulling her gently toward me, and she lets me. Falling into my chest, she rests her hands on my pecs and I encircle her lower back with my hands, trying to clear my head of that annoying little voice.

Not Rosie.

She isn’t Rosie.

“It feels wrong. I haven’t…with anyone else.” I look at her lips, which part in a pretty smile.

“Let me help you,” she says quietly and then rises on the tips of her toes, sealing her lips on mine, tentatively, testing, and I let her, falling into her softness and letting myself kiss her back.

It’s a nice kiss, it makes me think the sex might be a bit vanilla, but the feel of her is nice under my hands.

I try to let myself fall into her kiss, the way her tongue darts out and tests the seam of my lips, but as I open and deepen the kiss, I feel the hair on the back of my neck rise.

I feel the burn of her stare from across the bar, and when I open my eyes, they land on Rosie.

She and her hulk are seated at a booth, his head is buried in her neck, and she combs her fingers through his hair as she lets him kiss her delicate skin.

That’s not what has my regard completely locked on her, though.

It’s that Rosie’s attention isn’t on her hulk of a date…

it’s on me. Burning fires in those whiskey-brown eyes, no hint of shyness at being caught.

A scorching heat races through my veins at her boldness, at the challenge of it. I keep my sight locked with hers, letting my tongue deepen this kiss with Nadia. My hands move to grip her tighter, teasing her curves until I feel her relax against me, melting into my arms.