Page 72 of Wicked Player

The screen wasn’t even grainy from the darkness in the club. How he’d taken such a clear photo was beyond me. But there was no mistaking the girl in the photo.

Me. Staring at the room where a man naked from the waist up had his back to a woman. My lips parted.

And behind me? Gage. He’d been wearing that mask that covered most of his face, but it wouldn’t take an idiot to figure out it really was him.

I reached for Connor’s phone, but he pulled it out of my reach and swiped another photo. More of them, with Gage’s hand beneath my breast in a room full of dozens as we watched the scene.

Oh. Fucking. Shit.

“What’s your point?” I snapped at him. “You share those and Tristan will rip your membership away.”

“My point is I’m concerned. This is Gage Bryant, Lizzie.”

God. I hated that fucking name. “You know nothing about him.”

He was pissed at me about something, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t ready to defend him. To the death of everything else if I had to.

“I know he doesn’t see women more than a handful of times before he ditches them. I know that not a single woman he’s ever been with at Velvet has meant a damn thing to him. He’s no good for you.”

“And you are?” My gaze did a quick scan of the room. No one was paying us attention and we were separated enough we couldn’t be overheard, but that’d soon change if I didn’t get my shit under control.

Oh God. Was this what had Gage so pissed off?

“Have you shown those pictures to anyone?”

Connor tucked his phone into his pocket and smiled. I’d never wanted to slap his pretty smile before, but my palm itched at my sides to do it. “Not yet. But I don’t think your boss would like this. Shane’s a pretty stand-up guy, but even he wouldn’t allow some sex deviant on the nightly news and you’re being considered for that promotion, right?”

“You…” I stumbled back. My God. How had I ever thought I loved this man? “You would try to ruin my career because I won’t sleep with you again? And you say Gage isn’t good for me?”

“I’m saying if this gets out, your career is ruined anyway. I’m just looking out for you.”

“Bullshit.” I was sweating. My hands shook. My chin trembled. From anger. Fear. Worry that everything he was saying was true.

Oh God. All I’d ever wanted in my life was to be on the nightly news, behind the desk during the prime time slot. And Connor wasn’t altogether wrong and for some reason, I hadn’t considered any of the risks involved with Gage, or the potential for photos leaking like Connor took.

My eyes landed on Gage. His back was to me but like he felt me gaping at him, he turned.

The blood drained from my face at the fury in his eyes. He took it in and in that split second his fury changed to confusion. Eyes slid to Connor next to me.

My entire body turned to ice.

I shook my head as Gage’s brows arched. He stepped toward me and I put up my hand.

I needed some fucking fresh air before I passed out.

“Go to hell, Connor,” I mumbled. “And delete the damn photos immediately.”

He called my name as I skirted around the stand of bowling balls. I dodged cheap plastic chairs, piles of shoes strewn about. The rattle of pins falling and bells dinging for strikes drummed in my ears like I was in a tunnel.

I hurried outside, ignored the burst of cooler, wet air outside and hugged my stomach.

It wasn’t until I was around the corner that I slumped against the brick wall and dropped my head.

Oh God. I was going to pass out. I couldn’t slow my racing heart.

Connor wasn’t altogether wrong. If anyone ever found I got my kicks by going to a kinky sex club, my reputation could be ruined. Being with Gage would put a spotlight on me and make me much more recognizable than I already was, which wasn’t much at all. But if I were on the prime time news slot? That’d change.

Throw in Gage Bryant? It could change everything.

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