Seduced by the Game (21 page)

Shaking his head in
frustration, Ethan walked away from the table of players and struck up a
conversation with his head coach.

“She’s heading your way.”
Cedric jerked his head, and Cooper forgot all about the team owner. Isabella
walked toward him with the loose-hipped stride of a runway model. This time he
was ready for her games. In fact, he’d play a few of his own, and he played to
win.

Chapter 3—Change on the Fly

Okay, this party wasn’t
going as intended. Isabella caught the eye of the team majority owner, Ethan
Parker, who’d hired Party Crashers to do this job. He jerked his head toward
the players clumped at tables and looking miserable, not mingling, not enjoying
themselves. They’d turned down every advance by her sisters to dance. No
results, no money. That was the deal she’d struck with Parker, and they needed
this money, not just to pay bills, but to take this business to the next level
and move a step closer to quitting their day jobs.

She’d need to step up her
game. And that game began with the guy who called the shots, the team captain,
Cooper Black. She strolled toward Cooper, as if she had all the time in the
world, even though inside her stomach was tied in knots. Cooper glowered at her
while his buddy wore the biggest grin, obviously willing to play along with her
ruse. Thank God, she could use an ally in this place. Cedric abandoned the
chair next to Cooper, despite his buddy’s warning scowl, and Izzy sank down
into the seat, not as gracefully as she’d like because her feet were killing
her in those shoes. What she’d give right now to soak them in a warm bucket of
water.

“You're back? Haven't you
tortured me enough?” Something in his tone caught Isabella off guard. He
sounded almost conspiratorial.

She recovered quickly and
wrapped an arm around his waist. “Seriously? Not even close. Let's dance, big
boy.”

He watched her for a long
moment, and she could almost see the wheels turning. His expression made her
uneasy. “I know your game.”

“Excuse me?” She gazed up
at him, an adoring smile plastered on her face, but she could tell he saw
through it, maybe even caught her moment of uncertainty.

“Your game. I know what
your deal is.” His smug smile indicated he thought he had one up on her.

Izzy went all cold and
still inside, her smile frozen in place. “My deal?”

“Yeah.” He crossed his
arms over his ample chest and leaned back in his chair. “You’re party crashers.
Do you go around to parties just to get free meals and free alcohol, or is
there more to it than that?”

“What are you
insinuating?” Anger replaced her fear. She leaned forward, a hand on his arm
and gave him her patented bitch glare. Bad idea. Touching him was like touching
an inferno. The heat from his body set fire to the heat inside hers, and she
barely knew the guy.
Get a grip, Izzy.
Obviously, she’d concentrated on
her business too long and neglected her sex life, so now her sex life wanted a
front row seat on this hunk’s lap. 

“That you do this pretty
frequently.” His smug smile slid off his face as he watched her warily. His
gaze kept flicking to her hand, as if he felt the heat, too.

“Hey, money’s tight. We do
what we can.” She shrugged and sat back in her chair, taking her hand off him
and feeling as if she should dunk it in a glass of ice water.

“You are sisters then?” He
almost seemed interested and way too cool and calm.

“That’s right. Besides,
the twins are huge hockey fans. We couldn’t pass up this chance to party with
the players and take advantage of the food and drink.”

“Opportunists?”

“A little. What about you?
What’s your story? It’s obvious you don’t want to be here. Your attitude is
ruining the party.” She stared into the most piercing set of blue eyes she’d
ever seen anywhere, so piercing they sliced right through her tough armor, down
to her deepest secrets. Her knees would’ve given out if she’d been standing, so
powerful was his steady, unwavering gaze.

“What do you care?” He
studied her, as if reading every line in her heart’s history.

“I hate seeing a good
party go bad.”

“It was never a good
party. You and I could have our own party somewhere away from this place.” 

Panic must have crossed
her face because he chuckled.

“Well, you are my
girlfriend.” He almost smiled.

“I think it’s time to
eat.”

“If there’s anything left,
the way your sisters have been shoving food in their purses.”

“I don’t know what you’re
talking about.” In response, her stomach, which hadn’t been satisfied in hours,
growled like an angry lion. “By the way, I’m Izzy.”

“Wouldn’t I know that as
your boyfriend?” Another smile tugged at the corners of his generous, very
kissable mouth. This man was all kinds of sexy, and she’d bet her grandmother’s
support hose his body looked as good as his face.

“You would think.”

Together they stood, and
he escorted her to the buffet table, hand on her elbow, like the gentleman she
bet he really wasn’t. Especially not in bed.

They loaded their plates
and returned to their table.

He eyed her heaping plate
of food, equal to his. “Are you really going to eat all that?”

She nodded as she dug in.
Being horny always made her hungry when she couldn’t satisfy the horny—not that
she’d tell him that.

“Where do you put it all?”
He stared at her plate in amazement then slid his gaze up and down her slender
body.

“I’m active.”

“Obviously.”

“So, Izzy.” Cedric grinned
at her as he sat down opposite Cooper. “What are you doing dating this clown?”

“She’s not—”

“I like projects, and he’s
a project. Besides, he has a soft side.”

Cooper’s teammates at the
table elbowed each other and laughed at his expense. Cooper frowned and shot
her a warning glare, but she’d never been the type of girl to be silenced by a
single glance, despite the dangerous glint in his eyes. 

“He does. Really. He
writes love songs.” Izzy stroked his stubbled cheek, and he sucked in a breath.

“No fucking way? This
guy?” The teammate sitting next to Cooper slapped him on the back, causing him
to choke on his food.

Cooper swallowed and rose
to defend himself and his manhood. “I don’t—”

“They’re beautiful. He’s
very poetic, says my eyes are like diamonds in the sky and my hair is like
chocolate silk.” Izzy gazed adoringly at Cooper. He didn’t return the favor.

Matt, a guy she recognized
as one of the best defensemen in the league, snorted so loud he could be heard
several tables away. “Never knew you had it in you, buddy.”

“She’s making that up.”
Cooper looked ready to commit a mass murder and leave no witnesses.

“He’s shy about his
talents.” Izzy patted his arm in a loving gesture and got another deadly glare
in response. She was having a helluva good time, even if it was at his expense.
“He’s such a romantic soul, always leaving me little cards everywhere declaring
his love for me. He calls me his little chicken coop. I think it’s so cute.”

The guys were laughing so
hard they were wiping their eyes.

Cooper looked like he was
going to throw up, and Izzy was just getting warmed up. If he wanted her to
stop he’d have to dance with her. He buried his dark head in his food,
shoveling it in so fast she got the distinct impression he wished he was
cramming her mouth full of food to shut her up.

“What do you call him?”
Matt wiped his mouth with his sleeve; obviously manners weren’t his forte.

“Super Cooper or Supe
because his ego isn’t the only thing that’s super-sized.” She smiled sweetly at
all of them, playing the naïve, innocent thing to the hilt.

Another round of hilarity
ensued while Cooper’s face turned redder than her cherry bomb lipstick.
Finally, as if accepting his fate, he buried his face in his hands and groaned.

She leaned over and
whispered in his ear, bringing on another round of hoots from the cheap seats.
“You want me to stop then dance with me.”

“Not a chance in hell.” He
lifted his head, his blue eyes burning right through her, and it wasn’t just
from anger. In fact, that heat zinged right down to her crotch and wet her
panties.

“I won’t stop until you
do.”

He studied her for a
moment, as if assessing the conviction behind her words. “I don’t know you.” He
turned to his buddies. “Hear me out, guys. I don’t know this woman. She latched
on to me to crash this party.”

“Oh, Coop, don’t be an
ass.” Cedric grinned. “You’re just pissed ’cause she’s got your dick on a leash
and you fucking don’t want to admit it.”

Several heads around the
table nodded in unison. Cedric turned to Izzy. “We love you, honey, even if
he’s too much of a dick to admit to his weakness.”

“Oh fuck.” Cooper slammed
his fist on the table, drawing another set of head-turning around the room. He
jumped to his feet and stalked across the ballroom and out the double doors.
Izzy gave the boys a “so sorry” look and ran after him as fast as her heels
would carry her, off to do damage control.

Maybe she’d pushed him too
far. She desperately needed the man to dance with her. Just a dance or two.
Once he hit the dance floor, all his buddies would follow, and the party would
be on its way, as would her new business, the very business way too far in debt
after her sisters and she purchased clothes and accessories in keeping with
their image.

Cooper’s broad back
disappeared into the men’s room, the door slamming in her face. She stood
outside, wringing her hands. And they said women took forever in the bathroom?
This guy must be reading an entire newspaper in there or something.

Or jacking off. Her brain
did a deviant detour to a little fantasy in which she walked in, found him
jerking on an impressively large dick and said, “Here, let me help you with
that.” She had to admit, the man was hot, really hot, and she wanted some of
that action in the worst, unprofessional way. She wasn’t opposed to
recreational sex, and she’d been too busy to indulge, what with getting her
fledgling business off the ground, along with her day job as a barista.

Only there was that pact
with her sisters, a tiny little roadblock on a highway already riddled with
potholes. When they started this business, Rule Number One pertained to never
sleeping with the party guests, no matter how delectable.

Cooper wasn’t just
delectable, he was the definition of sexy. And desperate times often called for
bending or obliterating rules. Oh, yeah, she was trying every which way to
justify an action which had no justification.

Or did it?

This night would be a
disaster if she didn’t find a way to rescue it and fast. Despite her efforts,
the stubborn man held strong. Too strong. Izzy racked her brain for a different
plan, and that plan kept involving naked skin, sweaty bodies, and a lot of
groaning, panting, and sweating.

Holy crap.

Izzy fanned herself and
stared at her watch. Bolstering her courage, she pushed the door open and went
inside, not certain what she’d find or even what she wanted to find.

Cooper glanced up from
washing his hands, shock crossing his handsome features momentarily, followed
by a slow, predatory smile. She liked him as a predator, didn’t even mind being
the prey because that particular role would have its perks and then some.

“Well, honey, this takes
party crashing to a whole new level.” He propped his fine ass on the counter,
crossed a pair of strong arms over his equally impressive chest, and grinned a
sexy, lopsided smile that pushed her off balance, but her years of pretending
everything was fine when it wasn’t came into play.

She smiled right back, refusing
to let him see her sweat. “You have to dance with me.”

“I don’t have to do
anything.” His sensuous lips turned down and his square jaw set in that
stubborn line she’d come to realize meant she wasn’t getting her way tonight or
in the next decade or two.

Unless she called in the
big guns. 

Izzy’s breath caught in
her throat as she put her hands on his belt buckle. She’d never done anything
like this before. Never solicited a guest at a party. Never been this bold. But
caution escaped her as the full power of his lustful gaze slammed into her.
Party be damned, she wanted this man and that insane wanting trumped every
other argument her practical side produced.

“Dance with me,” she spoke
again, this time her voice sounded husky and low.

A muscle ticked in his
jaw. “It’ll cost you.”

Of that she had no doubt,
but right now, she was willing to pay the price.

* * * *

Cooper had to have her.
Hell, he’d gone almost three months without a woman, a virtual record for him,
and his dick throbbed harder than it had that night in the VIP room of a New
York City nightclub while three stunning and very naked women had their way
with him and his dick.