The Player's Club: Scott Read Online Free PDF Page B

chagrin she realized she probably looked even more disappointed than she thought. “I really did want to go. Do, I mean.”
    “Maybe we could reschedule,” she muttered, feeling masochistic.
    He sighed. “I would like that, I really would,” he said. “But…”
    “But.” She cut him off. “Trust me, that’s explanation enough. Okay! Enjoy the brownies, I’ll see you around.”
    She turned to flee, to bury her mortification in hot chocolate…heavily doctored with Godiva liquor, or maybe some Bacardi. But before she could get two steps away, his hand was on her arm, catching her. Stopping her.
    “I mean it,” he said, and she could hear the sincerity, see the heat and truth in his eyes. He stroked her arm as he spoke, and she shivered. “I can’t remember the last time I had an invitation I’d like more than a slice of your pie.”
    His voice was so deep, the words so warm that she reveled in it. That is, until her mind put together the double entendre, and her eyes widened to the size of teacups.
    He apparently did the verbal math at about the same time. “Whoa. I didn’t mean it that way,” he quickly clarified. “I mean, I sort of… Oh, crap. I am screwing this up.”
    She laughed. “Actually, it was pretty smooth, all things considered. Sort of crept up on me.”
    “Well, normally I take a woman to dinner first, before moving up to the nudge-nudge-wink-wink stuff,” he said, and she couldn’t help but giggle. “The bottom line is, I like you, and I’d love to spend time with you.”
    She nodded, waiting.
    “But this week is turning out to be sort of crazy,” he said, dropping his hand from her arm. “I’m sort of mixed up in this…” He paused. “I’ve got a…” He stopped, looking frustrated. “My life has gotten a little complicated recently.”
    “Ohh-kay,” she said slowly. What the heck does that mean?
    “So my schedule sort of got filled up,” he completed, looking miserable. “For…er, the foreseeable future.”
    “Oh.” She stiffened. “Okay.”
    “But I really do like you.”
    “Sure.” Can I just slink away now?
    He ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
    She shrugged. “I…”
    He leaned down and kissed her.
    She froze in shock. Then after a few seconds, her body reacted instinctively, ignoring her paralyzed mind. She kissed him back.
    Not surprisingly, he tasted like chocolate and caramel and macadamia toffee. He held her tightly, and she smoothed her palms along his bare chest, loving the feel of all that heated skin beneath her fingertips.
    The kiss was meant to prove a point, she felt sure. She wasn’t sure what point exactly, nor did she care. As long as this chocolate kiss continued, he could be proving the theory of relativity and she’d just go ahead and let him.
    His fingers dug into her hips, pulling her flush against him, and she let out the tiniest moan of pleasure.
    Just like that, he released her, looking dazed. “Whoa. Sorry.”
    “Don’t be,” she said, her voice breathless.
    “I just… I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
    “Oh?” She had no idea what the right idea was at this point.
    “So, I guess I’ll see you.” He blinked, then shook his head. “Later. I mean, around.”
    With that, he retreated into his apartment and shut the door, leaving her standing there, completely confused.
    He’s into something, she thought. Something mysterious. Maybe even something dangerous. She wondered, abruptly, if it had anything to do with those weird nocturnal guys in the alley.
    She started to walk to his door, to knock, to ask…no, to demand to know what the heck was going on. Any man who took her brownies and kissed her really ought to have the decency to say why he was turning down what she was so obviously offering. If she were Jackie, she’d probably be taking the door down with an ax.
    But I’m not Jackie.
    She stepped back, then frowned, picking up a small white business card. Probably