Page 19 of Wicked Player

He knew her? My fucking luck. I stepped to the side and dipped my head to Brandon. “You know her?”

“Yeah…she taught me a lot about the elephants!” His dry lips cracked as he smiled and proceeded to ignore me.

“Hi Brandon,” the sexy little minx said. Her cheeks were hot pink. Hands trembled at her sides. She gave me a wide berth as she stepped closer to the bed.

The mere nearness of her sent my blood boiling and not solely from anger.

This woman did it for me in a thousand different ways. My hands curled into fists. Somehow I had to resist the urge currently pummeling me to wrap my hand around her arm and yank her out to the hallway, demanding answers.

Avoiding my furious glare, one I saved for my most hated opponents on the field, she stepped lightly to the side and held out her shaking hand to Brandon. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

He didn’t shake her hand. Brandon adjusted his pillows, sat up straighter and without warning, he flung his arms around Beth’s neck, pulling her close and almost off her feet. “Hi! I think you’re the greatest. We watch youallthe time on the TV because mom always says there’s nothing on but trash and news in the afternoon. And I loved when you went to the zoo.”

He relaxed his hold on her and patted the bed. “Sit with me. Tell me everything about the giraffes and the elephants and the penguins, too!”

It was a miracle. He might have laughed at the ferret story, but it’d been weeks, if not months since I’d seen Brandon light up with so much enthusiasm.

Beth…Elizabeth…Miss Hayes…what in the hell should I call her? I hadn’t given her enough space to sit on the bed without bumping into me and as she shifted to do as Brandon commanded with fervent glee, her eyes slid anxiously to me, nibbling her lip. “Um. Excuse me,” she said, so quiet like a mouse.

Funny.

Twenty-four hours ago, I’d walked into a room with her only wearing white lace panties and a blindfold and she hadn’t shown an ounce of hesitancy. Yet there she was, barely able to meet my gaze.

She hadnoidea I was the man who’d fucked her into oblivion last night.

Which worked for me.

“I’ll give you two a moment,” I said, my voice was gruff. Angry and relieved.

Damn it. I didn’t want her to know who I was. That was the whole fucking point of the blindfold and the private membership at Velvet. So why was I relieved and pissed the hell off she was acting like she didn’t actually remember me?

Talk about a blow to the ego.

I spun around and nodded to Penny. “Can I get you a coffee? Lunch?”

“I’m good, but a little walk might be nice.” She grinned at Brandon. “You two going to be okay here?”

“Yeah, Mom. Miss Hayes will hang out with me, won’t you?” His head whipped to hers so fast it was amazing it didn’t cause vertigo. If it did, he hid it well.

She was dressed in a tight black skirt that was currently riding high on her thighs from her perch on the hospital bed. It took serious effort to pull my eyes off her legs to her face. I could have looked my fill though since she didn’t notice. Her gaze was fixed on Penny, studiously avoiding me.

Huh. Did she or did she not remember? I had to find out.

“Sure, Penny. I can stay for a few minutes.” Slowly, Miss Hayes’s gaze moved and rose, met mine. “I’m assuming I have some time? Or will you finish the conference?”

I’d completely forgotten. As soon as the nurse hurried into the room where I was speaking, all I could think of was getting to Brandon.

Thankfully, he was still awake when I got here and now he was looking more energetic than I’d seen him in a long time. “I’ll reschedule that time. Penny?”

She pressed her hand to Brandon’s leg. “Have a good time. We’ll be close okay though, honey?”

“I’m good, Mom,” Brandon said it through a yawn and that lump in my throat grew.

Incredible how his energy levels could drop so suddenly.

“Come on,” Penny said. Her hand pressed to my arm and grabbed my attention. “Let’s give them a few minutes.”

“We’ll be back, bud, okay?”

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