The Game (19 page)

Chapter Twenty

A horrible blaring noise dragged me from a deep sleep.

I groaned and buried my face deeper into my pillow, inhaling deeply.

Something wasn���t right. As I blinked awake, I remembered where I was. Riley’s house.
Not my pillow. Not my alarm.

“Cheyenne…” Still spooned at my back, he stroked his hand down my shoulder and then
cupped my breast.

“What time is it?”

“Early. I was afraid you’d be pissed if I didn’t wake you up early enough to get home
and get ready for work.”

I dragged myself to sitting and stared at the clock. Six. Yep. That was early. But
I would barely have time to get home, shower, dress, and haul my tired ass to the
office before that cranky ex-fiancée of Riley’s beat me there.

I didn’t intend for that to happen, so I leaned over, kissed Riley on the lips, and
then eased from the bed.

He followed me, not one bit concerned about his nudity as we headed down the hall.
My clothes were strewn around the living room and dining area. Riley helped me gather
them up and put them on. And then he took my shoulders and forced me to look at him.
“Be careful driving. And call me when you have a chance.”

I nodded and took a step back, but he held me tighter. “I’m not kidding, Cheyenne.
I don’t trust her. Keep me informed.”

“I will.” I forced a smile as he released me, grabbed my purse, and headed for the
front door.

Just as I was about to open it, he stopped me, holding out my jump drive. “Don’t forget
this.”

“Thanks.” I tucked it in my purse and stepped out into the darkness. I sure didn’t
want to do this often. If I was going to stay at his place, I would need some clothes,
makeup, and toiletries. Getting up before dawn to take a walk of shame to my car was
not my idea of fun.

I rushed home on deserted streets and got ready for work in record time. With a travel
mug of coffee in my hand, I headed back out the door.

At eight fifteen, I was in my seat, booting up my computer, and fighting a smug smile
that formed when I realized I’d beaten Miss Annoying to the office.

Game on.

****

To my surprise, Christine ignored me the entire day, never walking by my desk or making
any eye contact at all.

I spent the day stressed and shaking, barely managing to pay close enough attention
to my computer screen to get my next worthless project underway. Worthless because
no matter what I did, it wouldn’t be good enough for Christine. At lunch, I left the
building alone and spent forty-five minutes surfing marketing job opportunities in
the area.

It was clear I would need to find another job, though I hated the idea of letting
Christine believe she’d somehow won. I could picture her smug face when I gave notice.

Nope. It wasn’t an option. I worked too hard to get where I was. I needed to stay
in the game and figure out a way to get noticed in spite of Christine and her nasty
need to poke and prod me.

By the end of the day, I was still trying to figure out what to do next when I got
a text from Riley.

So sorry. I’m going to have to cancel on you for the weekend. Emergency in Charlotte.
I’m heading up to help Parker out at Edgewater. Call me when you have a chance. I’ll
be in my car for the next several hours
.

I stared at the phone for long moments. Emergency?

This would have been our first “normal” weekend together as a couple since declaring
we were going to label ourselves as such last night. And now he was suddenly leaving
town.

Get a grip… He’s a business owner. He has responsibilities. Obligations
.

I popped him a quick response.

No worries. Be safe
. What else could I say?

And then I dialed Meagan. I hadn’t seen her for weeks.

“Hey, stranger. How’s the marketing world?”

“Kinda sucks, actually.” I shut down my computer and grabbed my purse while I spoke
quietly. As I headed for the elevator, I continued. “Can you meet for drinks?”

“Sure. Sky?”

I hesitated. On the one hand, Sky was the last place I wanted to go. On the other
hand, it was the one place I knew I wouldn’t run into Christine. Not after the way
I’d heard Riley speak on the phone about her being banned. “Sounds good. Half an hour?”

“See you then.”

I hung up as the elevator opened, glancing both ways and finding myself blissfully
alone.

Weird.

Christine left me in peace all day
and
she intended to allow me to waltz out the door at five without waylaying me?

I clutched the steering wheel as I drove and handed my car off to the valet when I
arrived. The good thing about arriving at five thirty was beating the crowd. Later
in the evening, there would be a long line outside.

“Ma’am.” The bouncer at the door tipped his head and held it open for me.

When I entered, I lifted onto my tiptoes and scanned the room. Meagan was already
at a table, and she waved me over. I smiled at her as I wove through the patrons getting
a jump on happy hour, and then I took the seat across from her.

“You look tired,” she commented.

“Been a long week.”

A waitress stepped up immediately. “What can I get you?”

I noticed Meagan was already enjoying a fruity martini. Green. Apple? “I’ll have one
of those. Thanks.”

Meagan leaned her chin on her palm. “I spoke to Amy.” Her eyes danced as she grinned.

“Really? What did she have to say?” I smiled back.

“She might have mentioned that she took you to some sort of party last weekend, and
you left with Cade’s friend Riley.”

“That might have happened.”

“She might have been vague and insinuated I should get the deets from you. I’m kinda
shocked you called me on a Friday night if you’re in a new relationship with Riley
Moreno. That man is so hot, he could melt chocolate.”

I laughed. “He is.” I lowered my gaze to the table and drew an imaginary picture with
one finger, wondering how much to tell her. I’d been the one to call this meeting.
Why hadn’t I considered how much to tell her? And would Amy care?

“I get the feeling you two are keeping something from me. What is it? Two smokin’
hot guys and all this mysterious secrecy. Are they vampires? Or wait. Werewolves?”
She giggled.

“Nope. Doms.” I blurted.

“Doms?”

I nodded.

“As in BDSM? Whips and chains and ropes and bondage and stuff?”

“That’s the kind.”

Her eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t know you were into that sort of thing. Hell, I didn’t know Amy was either.”

“I didn’t know it myself. It just sort of happened.”

“When?”

“Well, I met him at Amy and Cade’s engagement party.”

She scrunched up her face and glanced up and to the left as if filtering through her
mind for details she might remember about that party. “I don’t think I saw much of
you at that party. I’m not sure I even met Riley.”

“Yeah. That’s because we spent almost the entire time talking and getting to know
each other.”

“So, you’ve been seeing him for six months and I didn’t know?”

“Nope. I didn’t see him again until a few weeks ago. In fact, he left me high and
dry that night when he realized he was into me and didn’t think I was the sort of
woman who would be able to submit to him like he craved.”

“Shit.” Her voice rose. “My God.” Did Meagan squirm? “That’s fucking hot.”

The waitress arrived with my drink and set it carefully in front of me.

I took a long sip from the skinny straw. “So, the next time I saw him was at a fundraiser
my office was sponsoring. He was a speaker.”

“Didn’t you slap him across the face?”

I chuckled. “Thought about it. Instead, he hounded me for a date.”

“And the rest is history? You’re dating him now?”

“Well, there are a lot of holes in there, but essentially.”

“What’s it like?”

“What’s what like?”

She waved a hand through the air as if indicating I should know what she meant. “You
know… The whole…submissive thing.”

“It’s different. But I’m enjoying myself.” I wiggled my eyebrows.

“God. Isn’t it intense?”

“Yes. Sometimes.”

“And where is he now?”

“He went to Charlotte for the weekend. Some sort of emergency at Edgewater.”

“Oh right. Amy called earlier and said Cade was heading to Charlotte also. Must be
bad.”

At least I had confirmation it was real. I had been trying to ignore the niggling
thought that he made it up to avoid me, perhaps having changed his mind about us being
an “us.” I blew out a breath, relieved.

“I’m sure everything with those three guys is intense. It must be stressful riding
the success train,” she teased. “Have you met Parker?”

I nodded. “Only briefly at the engagement party. He arrived late. I was all googly-eyed
over Riley by then.”

Meagan sipped her drink. “He’s just as hot as Riley and Cade. That I remember, but
I had a date that night. I only met him in passing.”

“Right. I forgot about that guy. Jeff? Did you ever go out with him again?”

“No.” She shook her head. “He was so boring I almost plucked my hair out.”

“Are you dating anyone now?” I asked, taking another drink through my straw.

“Nope. And I’m so busy at work, it would be difficult.”

“It’s September. What urgency does an accountant have in September?”

“Ha ha. We do work all year round, contrary to popular belief. And right now we’re
short-handed. Two people left the firm, dumping their load on the rest of us.”

“And this is keeping you from dating?”

“Does Riley have a brother?”

I giggled. “No. But he has a friend.”

“Parker?” She shivered. “Is he into BDSM too? I don’t think I could handle that lifestyle,
but thanks.”

“I have no idea if he is actually.”

“Well, if the three of them go all the way back to college and they’re still this
tight, I’m going to error on the side of caution and say that after sixteen years,
he’s probably into the same lifestyle.”

“Seems reasonable.”

Meagan sat up straighter. “Amy wants us to come stay with her for a weekend before
the wedding.”

“Sounds like fun. Bachelorette party?”

“Yes. I think her coworkers are throwing a shower in a few weeks. We could go and
then stay for the weekend. She wants us to try on our dresses again too.”

“Again?”

“I know. Crazy, right? She was the most disorganized person we knew before she met
Cade. Now? She probably has her spices labeled.” Meagan laughed.

“We can snoop around and check when we’re there.”

“Do you suppose it’s Cade? You think she got all organized and tidy because of him?”

I shrugged. “No idea, but she seems happy, so whatever it is, it agrees with her.”

“How’s
your
job? Didn’t you have a big presentation this week?”

I rolled my eyes. “Disaster. Riley’s ex-fiancée moved to town and guess where she
got a job?”

“
No
.”

“Yes. And worse. We ran into her, here at Sky in fact, and she’s spent every second
since she became my boss giving me grief.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah. Know anyone with a marketing opening?” I slumped in my seat, hating the reminder
that I had issues much bigger than becoming someone’s submissive.

“I’ll keep my ears open. God, I’m sorry. That sucks. You love that job. Do you think
she moved here on purpose and took that job to harass you?”

I fiddled with the corner of the napkin under my drink. “It would seem that way. It’s
too much of a coincidence otherwise. But I can’t imagine how she landed the job so
quickly just to antagonize me.”

“What did she do with your proposal?”

“Tore it to shreds and sent me back to my desk like a child.”

“Shit. Amy said she was a real bitch.”

“I’m not sure bitch is a harsh enough term.” I took the last sip of my drink as the
waitress walked up, and we ordered two more.

My liquid dinner went down too smoothly. I had enough crap going on in my life that
I needed to forget.

After the third, we were like two giggling teenagers. I glanced at my watch. “I should
get going. I’m exhausted. I need sleep.”

“You need food.”

“Not as badly as I need sleep.” I hopped down from my bar stool alongside Meagan,
and we made our way to the entrance.

The cool night air felt good against my heated skin.