Page 25 of How to Play the Player

“Quinn Marie Sanders.” The use of my full name makes me wince. “Have you completely lost your mind?”

I stand and resume pacing, the movement helping me channel my nervous energy. “It was dumb, I know. The idea fell out of my mouth before I even thought it through. But you should’ve seen him, Lyla. So smug, so certain that I still want him.”

“And do you?”

The question stops me mid-stride. “Of course not!”

“Quinn.” The word weighted with knowing.

“My body might…remember things. Forgetting my first love hasn’t been easy. But that doesn’t mean I’ll act on it.” I resume pacing. “Besides, the stakes are too high for me to lose.”

“What exactly are the stakes?” Her voice turns cautious.

I explain quickly—Nathan’s promise to publicly clear my name versus my agreement to walk away from the contract.

“Holy shit,” she breathes. “You’re betting your entire business on your ability to resist a man you were once ready to marry? The same man who, according to you, still makes your heart race when he walks into a room?”

“I know how it sounds.”

“Insane? Reckless? Career suicide? This is jumping without a parachute. This is asinine.” Lyla sighs heavily. “You realize Nathan won’t play fair, right? He’ll do everything possible to make you break.”

The thought sends an unwelcome thrill through me that I quickly suppress. “I know. Because I’ll be doing the same. I assure you; I will not break. This is my chance to prove him wrong—about me, about what happened, about everything.”

“At what cost, though?” Her voice softens. “What if you lose?”

One problem at a time.

I shake my head. My new office, my fresh start, all hanging in the balance because I let my emotions get the better of me and couldn’t resist challenging Nathan Knight.

“I won’t,” I say with more conviction than I feel. “Besides, have you seen his track record? The man hasn’t gone twelve hours without a new woman on his arm since…since us. I know he’ll break first. I know it. I’ll make sure of it.”

“I hope you’re right.” Lyla doesn’t sound convinced. “Just be careful you don’t go down with him. Nathan with something to prove is dangerous enough. But Nathan with something to proveanda personal vendetta? That’s like playing with knives in traffic.”

After we hang up, I take a deep breath and start mentally cataloging strategies. This isn’t just about defense—It’s about winning.

Professional distance to protect myself, definitely. Limited eye contact, yes. No situations where we’re alone or where he could have an advantage over me.

I tap my fingers on my desk, considering my options. Nathan’s always been physically attracted to me. That much was clear when we first started dating and even now from the way his eyes darkened when he stood too close today.

Maybe I can use that to my advantage.

Nothing too obvious to others, of course. Just some “strategic” outfit choices, occasional “accidental” touches…the kind of subtle provocations that would get under any man’s skin without crossing too many lines.

And if he starts playing dirty?

I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

It’s a dangerous game, but I know Nathan’s weaknesses. His competitive streak. His pride. His impatience. If I can strategically target those while maintaining my own composure, I might just be able to accelerate his inevitable breaking point.

The full weight of what I've done settles over me—two weeks of walking a near-to-impossible tightrope between tempting Nathan into losing without losing myself.

My phone chimes with a calendar notification from Lyla.Wedding Venue Tour with J. Knight & K. Young - Friday, 6 p.m.

That’s tomorrow. And Nathan will be there. Of course he’ll be there. A perfect opportunity to implement phase one of my strategy. I have no doubt he’s thought the same thing.

I just have to be ready for anything he throws at me.

Chapter Eleven

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