Fair Play Read online

  Aaron gives me a sickly smile that says: why did you bring up that sore subject again. Then I move in close to his ear and whisper just for his benefit, “Maybe I’ll join you in the fall.”

  I can see Aaron gulp and I know I’ve hit a nerve. It sends a wave of excitement through me to think about seeing Aaron on a regular basis although the thought of actually going back to school after I just graduated repulses me.

  Even though the words came out of my mouth just to get a rise out of Aaron, the idea of attending graduate school with him suddenly forms as an actual plan of action in my devious little mind.

  I don’t know much about graduate school but I assume there’s an admissions process just like there was for undergrad. I wonder what the process entails and how I can most easily bypass it.

  Evan steps to my side and shakes Mr. Donovan’s hand then he gives Mrs. Donovan an awkward A-frame hug. After all of the formalities are finally exhausted, he places his hand on the small of my back and I’m a little startled by the gesture. It seems too intimate and too protective a gesture. That’s something you do to your girlfriend not your fuck buddy.

  As nervous as the gesture makes me, I don’t step away. I actually kind of like it. As many guys as I’ve dated over the years, I’ve never had a full-on relationship. One: because I never found anyone worth going out with more than a few times and two: because none of them were Aaron Donovan. It’s tough for any guy to be compared to Aaron because chances are nearly 100 percent that he’ll never live up to Aaron in any way. That’s because Aaron is perfect in every way. And it’s not just his looks, which are amazing. It’s everything about him. The way he looks at you with his smoldering brown eyes and his sexy smile. And the way he makes you feel when you are around him, like you are the most important person in the world. Not only is Aaron one of God’s true gifts to women, he is the epitome of charm, class and charisma in a breath-taking package.

  I’ve only seen one guy, who has even come close to Aaron in both looks and charm and that guy currently has his hand on the small of my back. “I’ll walk you back to your car,” Evan whispers in my ear. His gruff voice makes me a little hungry for an Evan appetizer before dinner.

  “Where are you staying?” Evan asks as we head towards my SL550 Mercedes convertible in the visitor’s lot. He still has his large hand pressed firmly on my back and the contact starts to make me a little tingly. Evan’s never been the slightest bit possessive about any woman, especially me. Not that he would have any reason to be. We end up messing around a lot but we’re certainly not monogamous and have never placed any expectations on each other.

  As we stand next to my convertible, Evan places his other hand on my back and pulls me close. His emerald green eyes dance with a little bit of mischief and he gives me a sly grin. “You look completely and totally fuckable in that dress.”

  I’m wearing a sexy red dress from Tom Ford’s Spring Collection and an amazing pair of Christian Louboutin sling back red pumps. Normally 5-feet 7-inches, the heels give me another two inches but I’m still not close to Evan’s ample height. Not to mention that he’s nearly double my weight in solid muscle. As stunning as the man holding me is, the dress was not worn for his benefit. I wore the outfit to get a reaction from Aaron.

  Unfortunately, Aaron was too wrapped up in Little Miss Middle Class and her J.C. Penney dress to even notice the designer number that I bought just for him.

  Evan’s clearly going to benefit from Aaron’s loss. Evan looks at me with so much lust and desire in his eyes, I feel like he’s been starving and I’m a steak dinner. It’s so out of character for Evan to be hungry for anyone that it takes me off guard. Evan usually satiates his carnal desires as quickly as they come. He generally has no problem finding a vast array of willing partners. Women flock to Evan like little birds on a newly filled bird feeder. And he never has any trouble replenishing the feeder to satisfy every little bird he manages to attract. The only time I’ve ever seen him close the feeder down is when a little bird gets too attached. Evan doesn’t do attachments. The feeder is open for business as long as you know you’ve got to go right after you’ve been fed.

  When Evan grabs my ass and pulls me even closer, I can feel his ample erection under his dress pants as it presses against my body. He leans his head close to my ear and nips on my earlobe, which sends electricity shooting through my body. I’ve told him about a few of my most sensitive spots, my earlobes being one of them, but I’m a little surprised he remembers. Or it could just be part of his standard repertoire with all of the little birds he satisfies on a regular basis.

  “You’re mine tonight,” he whispers and his words are like little alarm bells going off in my ear.

  He’s never staked claim on me, even for a night. The words both completely turn me on and totally terrify me. I’m not sure whether to take him back to my hotel room and fuck him all night or run in the other direction. I decide to do what I do best and mess a little with his mind instead.

  “I saw the way you were looking at Rainy,” I say as I look up into his stunning green eyes.

  The moment I say Rainy, I can see a slight flicker of something on his face. But whatever the reaction is, it’s gone just as quickly. Like the good politician I know he’s destined to be, he hides whatever he’s feeling with a well-rehearsed mask of pure charisma and charm.

  “Right now, I’m looking at you and that’s all that matters,” he replies seductively.

  It’s been two months since I’ve seen Evan. We were together for Spring Break. I’m not sure what happened in those two months but somehow, this boy has managed to completely perfect the Mr. Smooth persona that he’s been practicing since he was sixteen, the first time we fucked each other.

  I place my index finger on his chest and tap his incredibly ample abs. “You’re good. That was very smooth. But I’m not letting you off the hook that easily. I want to know what the deal is between you and Miss Thing.”

  Evan eyes turn cold for a brief moment then he’s back to business just as quickly. I can see some little cracks in his near perfect façade and it’s clearly killing him. His lips tighten as he seems to think about how to respond. “She’s Aaron’s fiancé,” he says finally. “There’s no deal between us.”

  “Just because she’s engaged to Aaron doesn’t mean you still can’t want her,” I suggest.

  “Yeah, it kind of does.”

  I shake my head. “You never could think creatively, Evan. Outside the box I mean. Everything is always black and white with you. You never see all the wonderful shades of gray. That’s where all the possibilities lie.”

  He sighs. “And just what possibilities are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about a plan to break up Aaron and Rainy.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “And why would you want to do that?”

  “You know Aaron and I belong together,” I snap.

  Evan releases his hold on me and takes a step back, examining me. Then he crosses his arms over his broad chest and gives me a defiant look. The look is so strong and willful, it sends a little wave of lust through me. I have to remind myself of my mission: to get Aaron Donovan.

  “Even if you could find some way to break up the lovebirds, which I think is a big if, what makes you think Aaron would suddenly decide that you’re the one for him? We’ve known the guy since we were kids and he’s never shown any interest in you other than friendship, despite the pressure that both his parents and your parents placed on him to get the two of you together.”

  “Rainy has him all twisted around. Once she’s out of the picture, I’ll make him see that he wants me.”

  “You do realize you can’t always get what you want just because you want it. There’s even a classic Rolling Stones song that echoes that sentiment.”

  “Don’t underestimate me, Evan. I always get what I want.”

  “One thing I would never do is underestimate you. I just don’t want you to underestimate Aaron’s feelings for Rainy. He is not
going to let you or anyone else come between them. I think Aaron would rather die than live without Rainy. It’s that deep.”

  I can feel myself starting to seethe. I don’t want to hear about Aaron’s undying love for Rainy. I want to hear Evan agree to help me break them up. I decide I need to do whatever it takes to recruit Evan as an ally in my plan.

  When I move in closer to Evan and place my hands on his chest, I can feel him suck in a breath. His eyes are filled with lust. I bite my bottom lip and look up at Evan with every bit of seduction I have in me.

  “Do you want me?” I say as I bat my long lashes at him.

  I can see him swallow hard and I know I’ve got him where I want him. If I give him everything he wants, maybe I can convince him to do what I want. It’s worth a shot and I already know I’ll have a lot of fun in the process.

  “Baby, I’ve wanted you since Spring Break,” he admits.

  And for the second time since we’ve been standing next to my car, I’m floored by something Evan says. Spring Break was two months ago. He couldn’t possibly have been thinking about me since then. Could he? Surely, he’s had a lot of diversions since then.

  “Come back to my hotel room with me,” I suggest.

  “I thought maybe we’d wait until after dinner. My parents want to get drinks before dinner and we have early reservations.”

  I sigh and give him a little pout.

  “Fine,” he concedes. “How about I give you a little taste so you have something to look forward to?”

  I nod slowly and deliberately and the desire in his eyes catches fire. He pushes me against my car and closes the distance between us. His erection is even harder than before and I let out a stifled moan as he pushes it against my body.

  As he leans his head in and nips at my earlobe, waves of heat surge through my body. Then Evan presses his lips on mine and assaults my mouth with his skilled tongue.

  The best thing about Evan’s vast experience with women is that he’s developed tremendous seduction skills. I can feel the desire building between my legs as Evan devours me with his lips and tongue.

  When it’s almost too much to bear, I stop to take a breath and Evan leans close to my ear and whispers, “Baby, we’re so good together. We’re like pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together.”

  I’m in such as state of pure lust the words almost don’t register. Did he just hint that the two of us should be together?

  I push Evan away from me. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  He looks confused, like I just slapped him. “It means I want to be with you.”

  I eye him suspiciously. “We’re just talking about sex, right? Nothing else.”

  “Yeah, that’s right, Keira. We’re just talking about sex. That’s all I want from you. Just to get laid.” There’s anger and bitterness in his voice that confuses me.

  “As long as we’re clear about that.”

  “Very,” he snaps.

  I try to fluff my hair and straighten my dress in the back where it was pressed against the car.

  When I look back at Evan, he’s staring at me and a dark expression has overtaken his face. “Don’t you ever want more, Keira?”

  “More? What do you mean?”

  “More than just sex?”

  I look at him like he’s completely dense. I want to ask him if he’s heard a word I said. “Of course I want more. That’s why my new mission is to break up Aaron and Rainy. So I can finally be with Aaron. He and I belong together. We always have and always will.”

  He actually lets out a bitter laugh. “You can keep telling yourself that, Sweetheart, but that isn’t going to make it true.”

  I cross my arms across my chest in defiance. “We’ll just see about that.”

  “You know the world doesn’t revolve around Aaron Donovan.”

  “Maybe mine does.”

  “Well maybe it shouldn’t.”

  We both glare at each other and the heat between us is so powerful, I feel like I could melt. My heart is racing and my mind is spinning out of control. I’m not sure whether I’m mad as hell or completely turned on.

  Evan Warner is one of the most totally frustrating, completely confusing and incredibly sexy men on the planet. I’m not sure if I should slap his face or kiss him.

  “I’ll pick you up in an hour,” Evan states. “Don’t change.”

  “What if I want to wear something else?” I taunt.

  He shakes his head. “This is my graduation party. I make the rules. I want that dress on you and I want to take it off of you later. Got it?”

  “Yes, Sir,” I say and give him a mock military salute.

  He eyes me again and I wish I knew what was going through that brain of his. He looks like he might say something more but he shakes his head instead. “One hour,” he reminds me before he turns to walk towards his car.

  Once he’s out of my line of vision I take a long awaited deep breath. My mind is still reeling as I try to replay everything that just happened.

  Aaron Donovan, the boy I’ve wanted since I was twelve years old, is engaged to someone else.

  And it seems like Evan, who has been my fuck buddy since I was sixteen, is now hinting about wanting something more between us. Evan the Conqueror wants more? It doesn’t seem possible. Evan doesn’t do more with anyone. Evan is a screw-and-bolt kind of guy. That’s what I like about him. There are never any strings or any attachments.

  My world seems to have turned completely upside down and I’m trying my best to remain upright.

  Two

  In jealousy there is more of self-love than love.

  Francois de la Rochefoucauld

  When I get back to my hotel, I decide to have at drink in the bar. Maybe it will calm my nerves and it never hurts to get the party started a bit early.

  It’s still early so the dark lounge is empty except for two middle-aged business men, who stare up at me from the other end of the bar as I enter. I sit opposite the two businessmen, whose eyes are now glued on me. In a few seconds, the bartender will have to give them dinner napkins to catch all the drool that’s running down their chins.

  Not that I have anything against older men. I just have a thing against guys, who aren’t wealthy and well-connected. And these guys scream of middle-management. From their Hagger suits to their Supercuts haircuts. I bet they’re even wearing Old Spice cologne.

  I order a Maker’s Mark neat and the bartender looks a little surprised.

  “Haven’t you ever served a girl a whiskey before?” I ask.

  He shakes his head. “Not someone who looks like you.”

  “Really, and just what do I look like?” I probe.

  He crosses his ample arms over his broad chest and looks me up and down. “You look like that new Princess they’ve got in England. What’s her name?”

  “Are you talking about Kate Middleton?”

  He snaps then points at me. “That’s the one. You look just like her. And you kind of have that princess vibe. Like you’re too good to even be sitting here.”

  I’m not sure if he’s given me a compliment or a slam, maybe a little of both. But I’m not in the mood to analyze it. “Just give me the drink.”

  He nods, pours the Maker’s Mark then places it on the bar in front of me.

  I take a sip of the whiskey and it burns my throat a little on the way down. But it’s strong and I immediately feel the effects.

  When I glance down at the end of the bar, the business men are both still eyeing me as they engage in what seems to be small talk. I take another sip of my drink and this time it feels smooth going down my throat. I’m definitely starting to feel comfortably numb.

  “So,” the bartender says. “Here alone?”

  “Not for long,” I reply as I glance at my Parmigiani watch. “Evan should be here soon.”

  “Your husband?” the bartender asks although I’m not sure why he cares. Maybe he’s bored since the place is dead.

  “Not that it’s any
of your business but I’m not married.”

  He nods as if he’s not surprised by my response. “I was right. You are a princess.”

  “And what is that supposed to mean?” I’m now a little angry with the guy because that was clearly not meant to be a compliment.

  He leans in close to me and stares into my eyes. He’s a good looking guy in a brutish sort of way. He looks like he fights in his spare time. Or maybe he’s a bartender to support his boxing.

  His big blue eyes blaze into me, as if he’s looking right through me. It’s unsettling but also has my curiosity piqued. And I have to admit, it’s pretty hot.

  “It means that no guy is ever going to be good enough for you.”

  I laugh. “That’s not true.” He’s obviously never seen Aaron Donovan.

  His eyes are now filled with amusement as he continues to size me up. “And just how long have you been stringing poor Evan along?”

  “You don’t know anything about me and Evan,” I snap back.

  “Hit a nerve, did I?” he says playfully and it pisses me off that he’s now grinning.

  “You’re a real asshole, you know that?”

  “I can be,” he says. “I’m just having a little fun with you.”

  “Evan’s not my boyfriend,” I say and I’m not even sure why.

  “Does he know that?” The bartender’s expression is now a bit more serious and I don’t like it.

  “I don’t think he has any illusions that we’re a couple if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “Is Evan a massive guy with short blond hair?” the bartender asks. His attention is now focused on the entrance of the bar, which is behind me.

  “Yeah, why?”

  The bartender shakes his head. “Princess, you’re in trouble. That guy just looked at you like he owns you and he gave me a look like he wanted to kill me for talking to you. You may not know it yet but that guy thinks you’re his.”

  Before I can say anything else, the bartender walks to the other end of the bar, where the businessmen are getting ready to pay their tab.