Page 50 of Playing to Win

“Okay, we’re done for today, anyway. Let’s make sure we stretch you out good.”

She follows me to the mats. We do a few standing stretches; then I tell her to lie on her back on the mat. “Keep your base leg straight and lift the right for me.” I take hold of her leg and raise it straight up, flexing her toes toward her body. “How does that feel?”

“Good but I can go much further than that.”

“All right, I’ll push you but take it steady. Tell me if you feel anything.”

I start to lean on her leg, moving it toward her body. It comes so close to her face she’s almost doing a split, and I’m hovering above her, looking down at her with my crotch pressed to her thigh. I’ll be damned if I’m not completely turned on.

There’s a sexy, knowing glint about her eyes. Jesus, I want her. I have to fuck this woman or lose my mind. I have to do this for the sake of mankind.

“Let’s give them a show,” she whispers.

I waste no time moving my body closer to hers, bringing my mouth just inches from her inviting lips. “There’s nothing fake about this.”

Her face creeps toward mine. Then I remember where the hell I am. I’m in my gym. I’m not some fucking performing puppet. I’m a businessman. I’m a father.

“Let’s stretch out your core and arms.” I reach out my hand. She takes it and I help her to stand, but the look on her face is as bewildered as mine. What the hell kind of spell does this woman put me under?

My cell phone rings and I’m so freakin’ thankful for the distraction, I answer without even looking at the screen. “Brooks Adams.”

Izzy plants her hands on her hips and waits for me to get back to her cooldown. “Dad, it’s me.”

“Hey, baby. What’s up?”

“I’m in the city and have half an hour to spare if you want to see me. But it has to be like right now.”

“I would love to but I’m busy.”

“Is it her? Are you with the dancer woman?”

I hear in her tone that what she’s really asking is whether she’s being pushed aside by her other parent too. “Hey, it’s just work. You know that. You have nothing to worry about. Any other time and I would have been there. This will be over soon and we’ll be back to normal.”

“Sure. It’s no big deal.”

“Speak soon.”

I hang up and drop the phone into my back pocket. “Right, where were we? Arms?”

“Oh, you can see me now?”

Wow. Where did this new hormone burst come from?

“What? I took a call.”

She shakes her head. “Whatever, let’s just get on with it so you can get to your booty call.”

My booty call? I just turned down a chance to see my daughter. “You know something, Izzy, you can go to hell. I’m done with you and this whole damn thing.”

“Because I got in the way of your sex life?”

“Are you serious? Are you on your period or something? Or is it that you’re so used to getting everything your own way, a fifteen-second phone call makes you act like a spoiled kid.”

She steps toward me and gets in my face. “Spoiled. There it is again. You and this obsession with money.”

“It’s not an obsession with money, Izzy. It’s the realization that you act like you think everything should just be given to you. Some people work their asses off to make their own luck. Even then, they don’t get what they want.”

“At least I have a goal, Brooks. As far as I can see, you just plod through life, with your gym at max capacity but doing nothing to expand, with your apartment and its shitty view when you must be able to afford better. Maybe you should work out what you want; then you might have a shot at getting it.”

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