Games Girls Play. Deanna Lee

Not at all.” I stretched and smiled in an effort to put him at ease. “We should probably shower and get dressed. I’m more than sure Kristen will be calling me any minute now asking if we should meet to discuss your latest little thing.”

      He sighed. “Am I that much of a hassle?”

      “Hassle?” I glanced him over, taking in his leanly muscled body and still nearly erect cock while trying not to appear as if I were inspecting him. “No, not normally. Other than the skinny-dipping, the parties where the women outnumber the men three to one that last all night long, the bar fights…”

      “Oh, come on. I haven’t had a fight in a bar in literally two years.”

      “It’s still something we battle against. Your reputation preceded you into Atlanta and that’s not necessarily a bad thing considering recent events.” I rolled out of the bed and stretched. “And as you said, you’ve been a very good boy this year.”

      He raised one eyebrow. “Boy? I don’t remember calling myself a boy.”

      The word hardly did him justice, but seeing his eyes harden in challenge was fun. “Principle is the same.”

      “Woman, I thought you said you wanted to shower and get dressed.”

      “That’s my plan.”

      “Keep talking shit to me and you’ll find yourself all tied up and unavailable when your friend calls.” He disappeared into the bathroom. “You’ll be lucky if I play with you after I tie you up.”

      I figured my luck was pretty good but I kept my expression cool and innocent as I followed along behind him. “We actually do have work to do.”

      “Yeah, yeah.”

      3

      I filled my coffee cup and took a sip as Kristen arranged her laptop on my kitchen table. Joshua was leaning against one of the counters with a bottle of water looking fresh and all sparkly as if he hadn’t just fucked me for two hours. I’m sure I looked like a dog in need of a good grooming. I grabbed a mug for Kristen, filled it, and set it on the table as the doorbell rang.

      I waved Joshua off and went to answer it myself, just in case it wasn’t Sonya. The last thing I needed was some too-eager-for-their-own-good reporter finding Joshua at my apartment. I threw open the door and motioned Sonya inside. She hauled in her computer without a word and went into the kitchen.

      My small kitchen had served as our war room more times than I could count, long before we could afford really nice office space and sometimes even now, since it offered comfort in times of extreme stress. Sonya offered Joshua a friendly salute as she sat down at the table and pulled out her computer.

      As I walked by, she confiscated my coffee. Her lack of germ fear really freaked me out, but since I knew I wouldn’t ask for the cup back, I went and found another.

      “Okay, most of the major news networks have picked it up because it hit the AP like a hurricane an hour after it showed up on the Internet.” Kristen glanced at Joshua and then focused on him. With a small frown, she continued. “I’ve got a friend at Fox who indicated that the two women have already agreed to interview for a tabloid show. An exclusive—which means no legitimate reporter is going to get near them any time soon.”

      I glared at him. “Great.”

      “I can’t control what they say.” He shrugged. “I’ve told you what they’ll probably say but you and I both know they can make up all kinds of crap and insinuate that I’m the reincarnation of the Marquis de Sade. People will either believe them or not.” He fisted his hands and then shoved them into the pockets of his slacks in frustration.

      I figured he had a whole lot to say but didn’t want to continue in front of Sonya and Kristen. His cell phone started to ring and, after a brief check of the caller ID, he answered it and walked out of the room. I looked toward Kristen. “Anything else?”

      Sonya and Kristen shared a glance and then focused on me as if they were one person. Kristen picked up her coffee and sat back in the chair. “You tell us.”

      “What?”

      “You both look fresh from the shower and I figured he’d be gone when I got here. He’s been here for about three hours.”

      “Yeah, he’s hiding from the press.”

      “In your shower?” Sonya asked and just grinned when I glared at her. “Just askin’.”

      “Business, please.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Statements?”

      Kristen went back to her laptop. “I’m fond of ‘no comment’ and ‘Mr. Keller prefers not to answer questions regarding his sexuality.’”

      “No.” Sonya shook her head. “That last one will bring us right back to that metrosexual thing, which still stuns me what with all the women that have paraded in and out of his life in the past six or so years.”

      “Yeah.” Now I was among them. I sucked in my bottom lip. The thought was a little unnerving to say the least.

      “What about that woman he was dating? The one who practically gnawed my head off last month on the set of that shoe commercial?” Kristen grimaced as she said it. “The frigid-looking blonde.”

      “I dumped her.” Joshua leaned against the doorway and frowned. “I’m sorry she was rude to you.”

      Kristen waved it off. “The day I let a bony little witch like her get the best of me is the day I quit this business and go teach kindergarten.”

      “Was that Gary?”

      “Yes, he’s unhappy since he’s yet to grab Snow White’s ass but he’s on his way back.” He tossed his cell phone onto the counter. “His wife will never bake me cookies again. I heard her shouting it in the background—which sucks because her cookies are excellent.”

      “As much money as you make her husband I’m sure she’ll make you some more cookies.” I pulled out a chair and sat down across from Sonya, and blinked just once at the feel of the wood against my thighs and back. I glanced his way and he gave me a quick grin. He knew exactly how my skin was tingling and warming against the pressure of the chair. “Now, the twin thing has totally solved the metrosexual issue.”

      “Oh, Christ, no one is allowed to say that word around me again.” He tipped back the water bottle, drank deeply, and then encompassed all three of us in a glare. “If I have to spend the next bloody year in strip joints I will.”

      “No need.” Sonya grinned. “As she said, the twins totally fixed that for you.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “So what are our chances of a sex tape?”

      I lowered my head to the table without a word while Joshua laughed. “Pretty slim. I’ve never taped myself and I keep all of my windows covered at home. While I was a regular patron of the Playground when I first moved here, I’ve never used one of their voyeur rooms and I’ve never engaged in a sex act on the club’s premises, not even in one of the private rooms.”

      Kristen flushed, her pretty, pale complexion going pink. “What happens in voyeur rooms?”

      I lifted my head and nearly laughed at his slack-jawed expression. “Yeah, Mr. Keller, what happens in those voyeur rooms?”

      He cleared his throat, offering me a quick glare. “Well, voyeur rooms normally have a window or sometimes an entire wall made out of glass so that others may watch anyone in the room engage in sex or play.”

      “Oh.” Her mouth formed a perfect O and then she focused her attention on her computer. “That’s…wow…I mean…but you’ve never done that?”

      “No. I find exhibitionism somewhat disturbing. I rarely watch others either. It’s not my thing.”

      “So the ex-girlfriend?” Sonya cleared her throat. “What might she say about you if