Playing for Keeps (The Game #2)(21)
Author: Emma Hart

“He’s got a point,” Aston mutters.

I turn, looking at him blankly. “I meant what I said about a knee in the balls.”

“You’re really f**king hot when you’re mad.”

I swallow the bubble of laughter inside my chest and fight the smile my lips are twitching into. “I’m not mad. I can always get mad though, and when I do I’ll be so hot I’ll burn your damn ass.”

He grins slowly – that sexy grin he does – and lowers his eyelids slightly. My heart pounds a little harder when I recognize that look as his bed look.

“Is that an offer?” he says in a low voice.

I can feel Braden’s eyes on us. “Even if it was, it wouldn’t be much of an offer because you wouldn’t be able to pay the price.”

“Try me,” he offers, his smile turning cocky as we both put on the charade. As we both play for the silence of the secret we have. As we play for keeps.

For keeps of each other. For keeps of the secret that binds us together. For keeps of the lie we’re now committed to telling.

The lie that breaks my heart a little every time I play this game.

I flick my blonde hair over my shoulder and smile, resting my chin on my hand, and cross my legs. “How about the price would be so high that you’d be ruined for all other girls – and you’d never have an opportunity to put it back in your pants?” My stomach twists with my own words.

He runs his teeth across his bottom lip, his gray eyes darkening a shade as they flick down my body and back up. When he looks at me the way he is right now, I feel naked. Like he can strip away the layers of clothing I’m wearing to my body beneath with a mere glance.

“I don’t think that would be such a bad price,” he mutters, stretching his arms out in front of him and tapping his fingers against the edge of the table. “In fact,” he says even quieter as the class finally starts. “I think I’ve paid that damn price.”

I almost choke as I breathe in sharply. Only I could choke on air. Aston raises an eyebrow, and I do the only thing I can do. I spin abruptly in my seat, focusing on the front of the room. It’s not what I want to do … but that’s an “if only”. If only. If only.

I keep getting caught up in games. First, Maddie and Braden’s – and now my own, however voluntarily. Both a game for love, but each with their own set of complex yet easily broken rules. Both with the ability to make or break the players. And both with the same prize.

The one thing coveted above all else, for however long it lasts. The one thing we all want regardless of who gets broken along the way. The one thing that no matter the cost, no amount of money could ever buy it.

The grand prize we play for.

Love.

~

“I went to the supermarket and I bought an apple.”

My lips curl to one side and I look behind me at Braden. “What?”

“I went to the supermarket and I bought an apple,” he repeats, sitting opposite me on the picnic bench.

I know this. We used to play it all the time when we were kids – usually when we were hiding from our parents because we’d done something wrong. By the time we’d finished it, they’d forgotten we were in trouble because they were so worried.

We were the biggest little shits ever.

I close my book and resign myself to the fact he won’t let it go until I play. “Okay. I went to the supermarket and I bought an apple and a beer.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I went to the supermarket and bought an apple, a beer, and a crotchless thong.”

“What?” I cover my face with my hands and shake my head. “I cannot believe you just said that.”

I guess this game has evolved a little over the last ten years.

“You know the rules.” He kicks me under the table.

“Fine. I went to the supermarket and I bought an apple, a beer, a crotchless thong, and a dildo.”

He pauses before bursting into laughter. I grin at him, propping my head on my hands.

“I really wasn’t expecting that,” he admits.

I shrug. “Bit of a change from bananas, carrots and donuts, right?”

“Just a f**king bit.” He laughs again. “For once I’m going to quit. I’m a little worried about what we could come up with.”

“You and I both, Carter.”

“So, Harper.” He leans forward, studying me. “What’s up?”

You’re kidding me. I appreciate the concern, but sheesh.

“Mom set you on my case, didn’t she?” I raise my eyebrows again. “She was going on about me getting pregnant this weekend.”

“What the f**k?”

If the twitching of my lips didn’t give me away, I so would have followed through with that.

“I’m not pregnant. She’s worried about me getting pregnant.”

“No. Well, yes. She did call me.” He rubs his hand down his face. “For what it’s worth, I reminded her you have to have sex to get pregnant, so you’re definitely safe there.”

This is becoming a common theme for my conversations.

“Gee, thanks,” I reply sarcastically. “Was that all?”

“No. Y’know, sometimes I think about when we were kids and think we were right little f**kers.”

“We were. It’s a wonder our parents hadn’t killed us by age ten.”

“Shaving the cat … Climbing trees … Flushing your cousin’s diaper down the toilet …”

“That was you!” I poke his arm across the table. “I had nothing to do with that.”

“It absolutely f**king stunk, Meggy!”

I’ll give him that. Ever smelt a diaper done by a ten month old? They’re not pretty.

“Thinking back I don’t think Mom was as bothered about the toilet being blocked as she was about the mess on the sofa.” I look at him pointedly.

“Damn,” he mutters. “I was eight. How was I supposed to know the kid would pee everywhere? I could control that shit. I thought I always could – I didn’t realize it was like a specialized skill.”

The worst thing here is he’s telling the truth. He genuinely didn’t know my cousin would pee everywhere without a diaper on.

“I’m surprised she let you in the house again after.”

“I didn’t pee on the sofa.” He grins. “I’m house trained.”

“Oh, gee, I’ll be sure to let Maddie know.”