Page 31 of Used

“She moved to California. I thought her looks would fade, but I have to admit, they didn’t. Still so beautiful. She would look good on a movie poster. So would you, actually.”

“There may be a poster in my future. FBI’s got that Most Wanted one.”

Laughing, I shake my head. “When you walked by the car and winked, I didn’t know what to think. What was that?”

“I don’t know. It’s a Trick thing.”

“Were you worried I’d talk about what happened?”

“From a legal standpoint? No. A federal prosecutor would know from the jump that this kind of case against me would be a mess, especially with a former girlfriend as the star witness. The C Crue lawyers would tear you apart if I let them.”

My brows pinch together, recalling how effective Rudy Talbot was against the federal agents. Having to be interrogated by him in open court about what happened between Trick and me would be an embarrassing nightmare.

“But I wouldn’t let them.” His finger twists a strand of my hair around it.

“Why not?”

“A lot of reasons. One of them is I made you a promise that I wouldn’t run my mouth and let word get around about the stuff we do in private.”

My lips curve up. “I remember you made that promise in exchange for something that never happened.” My heart beats harder, and things deep inside me clench at the memory of playing online video games with him and where that might have led. “Nerissa was supposed to get captured. In real life.”

He smirks. “She was a cute avatar, but you’re a lot more beautiful in real life.”

“Remember how uninhibited the game flirting got?” While we were in our respective houses playing characters, wild flirting was safe. Sort of.

“I remember.”

“And I was so naive. You kept getting ‘called away’ right when things got seriously sexy.” Laughing, I cover my eyes with my hand and shake my head. “And I was like ‘it’s such bad timing. I wish people would leave him alone when he’s playing with me.’”

Trick’s laughter is low and sexy.

“I was eighteen. It’s crazy that I didn’t realize, especially considering how I replayed that flirting in my head when I was alone in bed.” Dropping my hand, my eyes study his. “I’m surprised you didn’t clue me in. You were pretty forthcoming about what might happen to Nerissa if she got shipwrecked on a slave planet.” Rubbing my thighs together at the ache between my legs, I brush my lips over his. “What a tease that turned out to be. For so long after we broke up, I’d see the game icon on my computer and regret that I’d never find out what would’ve happened to Nerissa if she’d crashed.”

“You hedged. I figured you weren’t really ready.”

“Hedged how?”

“I’d say something and you’d counter. You’d tell me she might escape using a pod before she actually got captured. Or she might find an ally to help her repair the ship before it wrecked.”

“Oh…” Exhaling, I close my eyes, consumed by nostalgia and regret. “I was nervous and trying to leave myself an out, I guess.”

He nods. “Not quite ready.”

“Then you gave me the ultimate out.”

“Revisionist history.”

Smiling sheepishly, I shrug. He’s right. I was the one who broke up with him and in a very public way because I’d been jealous. Why had I had such a big reaction to his past flings? It’s not like I didn’t know about his dirty reputation or epic flirtations. Looking back, I think my real problem was that I was insecure. I wasn’t convinced I was pretty enough or sexy enough compared to the other girls he’d been with. I knew I could have him for a while, but I wasn’t convinced I could be enough of what he wanted to hold on to him. The feeling apparently has staying power, because I feel it even now.

* * *

Trick

When she curls close to me in the middle of the night and wakes me, it also awakens the darker side of my lust. I pull her head back by the hair as I kiss her, and she presses those incredible breasts against my chest.

My voice is a husky whisper. “I wanna play. Be good for me.”

“Yes, Sir.”