Page 73 of Wicked Player

Gravel crunched and he was there. I wasn’t even surprised he followed me. I was less surprised I knew him by his long strides and presence alone. Gage had that effect on me from the very beginning. That very first night at Velvet.

Somehow I recognized him from the very beginning before I ever saw his face. Like his soul called to mine.

God. I was losing my mind.

What a ridiculous thought.

“What’d he say to you? And while we’re on the subject of Connor, why don’t you tell me why every time I see him with you, you’re pissed and hurt and he won’t get a clue.”

Freaking Connor. I’d allowed him to ruin my life for far too long.

My hands were on my knees and I pushed up. Every sharp edge and crack of brick scraped at my back as I stood. My shoulders ached from stress. My knuckles stung. My eyes were still watering as the chilly fall air whipped around us.

“He has pictures of us on his phone.”

Gage stepped toward me, stopping far enough away so I couldn’t even reach for him. Not that I had any intention of it with the stern and distrustful look on his face. “At Velvet?”

“In the social room when we were watching that couple and then the other night when we were leaving. I don’t know how many.” I re-did my ponytail and wrapped it up into a messy bun to keep strands from whipping me in the face.

Gage’s hands went to his hips and his head dipped. His jaw jutted forward as he lifted it. “How do you know Shannon?”

“What?”

“Shannon. How do you know her? And Paige while we’re on it.”

He tossed questions at me like accusations. I shook my head to clear it. “I don’t understand.”

“See, I’m trying to figure out, how every time you’re around Connor it always sends you running off, but maybe that was the plan and now I’m seeing things aren’t adding up. You and Connor. Your history at Velvet and yet acting like you had no idea who I was at the first press conference. The fact you haven’t said anything to me about knowing Shannon or Paige, even though your brother was the guy who helped them last fall when Beaux had a crazed stalker fan. And then there’s your request for the exclusive even though in the contract it’s stated one wouldn’t be given. So what I’m trying to figure out is what your real story is?”

I stepped back to get away from him. My head hit the brick, but even the sting from cement on my skull was minor in comparison to Gage’s accusations and implications. But I knew one thing.

I was just as dumb and idiotic with him as I’d been with Connor because apparently, fantastic mind-blowing sex didn’t equal love. Trusting someone was futile.

And men? I gave my heart to all the wrong ones.

I skirted off to the side to put space between us. I was shaking my head. My whole body trembled.

A good cry and a package of Oreos was going to be how I spent the rest of my evening.

“Wow.” I finally managed to say. “I don’t know if you’re just that paranoid or are just that big of a dick, but either way, I have nothing to say to you.”

“Why? Can’t explain any of it?”

Had he slapped me he couldn’t have hurt me more.

And whatever. I had nothing to lose, but I was really fucking tired of men thinking they could walk all over me. “First of all, I met Shannon, Paige, and both their husbands in the elevator on the way to your gala. They talked and laughed. I promised I’d keep my mouth shut about anything because I was there to do a job. Second.” I paused, inhaled, and lifted two fingers in the air as I punctuated the word. “My brother’s work is private and I don’t know shit about what he does and yeah, I knew what he did after it became public because he told me what he could, but again…that was personal and family shit he came to me with. And third, we’ve been straight with each other for less than a fucking day, Gage. One day. I don’t owe you shit but the fact you’d even think I’d be trying to pull one over on you simply because my job reportsnewsis a slap in the face.

“Last night, with you on my couch, and in my bed, I had all I needed from you because I thought I hadyou. I’m just glad to know you aren’t even close to the man I’d built up in my head and thought you were.” I stepped away, lifting my hands and then dropping them to my thighs. Walking backward, I glared into his narrowed dark eyes. “You can take your blindfolds and your kink and your accusations, and you can shove it all up your ass. I’m done with you and all of this bullshit. I have a job to do, a promotion to earn, and Connor in there is probably right…being with you, that could ruin all of it. So I’m out. Have a nice life.”

I spun and hurried back into the bowling alley before I burst into tears.

Two minutes. Just two minutes. Change your shoes. Grab your purse. Get in your car and get home. Then you can lose it.

It took a dozen tries to unknot the bowling shoes and I kicked them into my bag, grabbed the bowling ball from the ball return. I grabbed Jason’s attention and waved him over. The night had at some point dissolved into a night of fun. Cameras had been put away. Reporters no longer had their phones or tablets out. Parents bowled next to players and everyone laughed.

Not me. It was chaos in my ears, overtaking my senses.

I stood, purse and bags draped over my arm and met Jason halfway. “I’m heading out,” I said. I’d met him at the bowling alley while he’d driven with equipment from the station. “Can we get together tomorrow morning to splice all of the stuff from tonight.”

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