Play to Win

In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author's intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author's rights.

This book was particularly difficult to write, as some can be, and I have several people to thank for their relentless encouragement and endless patience:

To my editor, Leah Hultenschmidt, for whom this book is dedicated. I've been very lucky as a new author in this business to be surrounded by some of the kindest, hardworking, most knowledgeable people who've been as determined as I am to take my career to higher levels. You are one of these people. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you on this series. Thank you for the brainstorming sessions, the critiques that made this book better, the patience with deadlines and life in general. You're an amazing editor and a lovely person, through and through.

To my agent, Kevan Lyon, for making this deal happen. I don't know how you remember all that you do, but I'm in constant amazement. You're an amazing agent and I feel incredibly fortunate to have you. I still recall sitting in a hotel room in Seattle, dumbstruck at your absolute confidence in the sale of this series. Thank you.

To my author friends who encouraged me and kept me going when even five hundred more words felt insurmountable: Tracy Brogan, Catherine Bybee, Jill Shalvis, Marina Adair, Melinda Leigh, Paige Weaver, and Kele Moon. It's such a huge relief to realize I'm not alone.

To Janeen Solberg and the wonderful ladies who staff Turn the Page Bookstore in Boonsboro. Your enthusiasm and support for my work is truly awe-inspiring and humbling to me. Thank you so very much not only for that, but for all the recommending and hand-selling you do of my books to your patrons.

To my family—my wonderful daughters and patient husband—who dealt with a very stressed-out mom and still managed to love me when at times I was quite unlovable. I treasure you.

And lastly, to the people who've made this series so great with their many talents and skills in marketing, graphics, PR, and branding: Jodi Rosoff, Fareeda Bullert, Dana Hamilton, Danielle Egnozzi, and the entire Forever team. Thank you!

P
arker and I slept together.”

The words fell with the force of a bomb. Ryker stared at the woman he loved in disbelief. With his best friend? Really? Shock froze him in place and he couldn't move, could barely breathe.

This couldn't be happening. He couldn't possibly have understood her correctly. She was lying, or this was a really bad joke—

“I'm in love with him,” she continued, as though completely unaware of the pain each word was driving into him. “And he loves me, too. We were going to tell you before, but…” Her words trailed away and she shrugged.

“But what?” he asked, his voice like a rake on gravel.

“But it's hard to hurt someone you love.”

She moved closer until she stood within a hairbreadth of her abdomen touching his. Lifting her hands, she placed her palms on the bare skin of his chest. Ryker squeezed his eyes shut, his senses assaulted with her—the heat of her touch, the smell of her skin, the brush of her hair against him as it stirred in the breeze. The ceiling fan in the bedroom was a bare whir of sound.

“Parker put you up to this, didn't he?” Ryker said. That was the only explanation. Natalie was too sweet and trusting. She'd believe anything Parker told her. God only knew what he'd said to seduce her and make her think he loved her.

Grasping her upper arms so tightly she gasped, he pushed her back so he could see her eyes.

“Tell me the truth,” he growled, trying to keep his temper in check. “He said whatever he had to in order to get you into bed. You love
me
. You want to be with
me
. Right?” He shook her slightly before he stopped himself. “Tell me!”

“N-no,” Natalie stammered, her eyes wide. “I just can't keep up pretending with you, pretending that I don't have feelings for Parker—”

“He wants you for himself,” Ryker interrupted, abruptly releasing her. Turning away, he shoved a hand through his hair. “I can't believe it.”

It was unreal. Incomprehensible. Parker and he went back—way back—and had looked out for each other through street gangs, schoolyard bullies, drill sergeants, and enemy fire. Parker knew how much Ryker loved Natalie. He'd even talked to Parker about maybe proposing to her.

And he'd thought she was there, too—or at least, almost. She'd told him she loved him. They'd made love. She was like him—they came from the wrong side of the tracks, had a rough upbringing, and done what they could to help the ones they loved. Natalie had been the first woman to work her way past his wall of defenses to the man he was inside. He'd opened up to her, trusted her, fallen in love with her…

Then Parker had seduced her. That had to have been what had happened. He'd made her believe he loved her so she'd have sex with him. For Parker to have done something like that to someone as trusting and vulnerable as Natalie made Ryker's blood boil. Parker had finally shown his true colors. It had just taken a woman to bring out what Ryker had always suspected was there—a narcissistic asshole blinded by his own wealth and privilege. It must've amused him, all these years, playing the savior for the charity case kid from the shitty side of town.

A little voice in the back of his head said,
You know Parker's not like that
.
He's saved your life. He wouldn't steal your girlfriend.

But the alternative to believing in Parker's loyalty…was believing in Natalie's
dis
loyalty, and he couldn't handle that.

He felt Natalie's hands on his back, lightly stroking his skin, gentling him.

“I'm sorry,” she said. “You must hate me. I understand if you never want to see me again—”

“Don't be ridiculous,” he interrupted her. The searing pain inside needed an outlet, but it couldn't be Natalie. It was Parker. He was the one to blame. He'd betrayed their friendship. The thought of Parker with Natalie—

No. He couldn't think about it,
wouldn't
think about it. It didn't matter what she'd done or been coerced into doing; Ryker couldn't live without her. His every breath was for her. If she left him…he'd have nothing and no one. He needed her more than he cared about his broken pride or wounded psyche.

“I forgive you,” he rasped. “It's you and me. Together. Nothing will come between us. Especially not Parker.”

Taking a deep breath, he turned around and took her in his arms, his lips finding hers in a searing kiss that melted his anger and turned his guts into a molten river of want.

She let him make love to her, their joining more desperate on his side than it had been before. As though his soul knew he was losing her, inch by inch.

Only a week later, his worst fears were realized.

Ryker didn't announce his presence when he walked into Parker's place. He hadn't been able to reach Natalie for the past hour, though they were supposed to meet for dinner after he got off work. On a suspicion he didn't want to dwell on, Ryker had come here.

He hadn't spoken to Parker since Natalie had confessed. Unable to know for certain what he'd do if he saw Parker, Ryker had avoided him all week.

Now he stood, frozen in Parker's bedroom doorway, aghast at the tableau in front of him.

Natalie, naked, her limbs entwined around Parker's hips. The sounds of her gasps and moans filled the air, pouring into his ears like acid. The sheets were tangled around their legs and the sight of Parker pumping between her thighs sent fury raging through him.

With a roar, he attacked, grabbing Parker and hauling him off Natalie. Parker hit the wall with a thud and a grunt before falling to the floor.

Parker's gaze met Ryker's, and shock and confusion were followed quickly by horror.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Parker asked.

“Besides watching you fuck my girlfriend,” Ryker spat, “I'm here to kill you, asshole.”

He went for him, but Parker fought back, blocking Ryker's right hook and retreating.

“She said it's over between you two,” Parker said. “You've got to accept that.”

“Fuck you,” Ryker growled, going after him again. This time he landed a good hit to Parker's jaw and gut before Parker was able to retaliate with several blows to Ryker's solar plexus, forcing him to pause to regain his breath.

“You've gotta stop,” Parker said, breathing hard. “It's not worth this.”

Nothing Parker said could have enraged Ryker more, and he yelled as he attacked again, this time his fury such that Parker's blows didn't stop him. Blood flowed and his knuckles ached, but all he saw through the haze of red in his vision was Natalie's body being desecrated by Parker's.

“Stop! You're going to kill him! Stop!”

Natalie's words broke through the rage at last and Ryker went still, his chest heaving from exertion. Parker lay on the floor, blood staining the skin around his mouth and nose. His eyes were closed and he didn't move.

“Oh God oh God oh God…” Natalie was murmuring over and over. She'd dropped to her knees and tenderly brushed back the hair from Parker's face. “I think he's just unconscious,” she said at last.

She lifted her gaze to Ryker's, and he was stunned to see tears streaking her face.

“I can't do this. I can't watch you two tear each other apart,” she said.

“You have to choose,” Ryker said, his voice flat. “Him or me. You can't have both.” Because now he knew. He knew by the look in her eyes that she hadn't told him the truth.

“Why do you even want me?” she asked. “I slept with your best friend. You should hate me.” Her gaze was unflinching.

“I can't hate you. I love you.”

Slowly, she got to her feet. “You shouldn't,” she said. “For your own sake. I don't understand how you could possibly still love me.”

“It doesn't matter what you've done. I love you no matter what.”

“How can you expect me to believe that, Ryker?” she asked, incredulous. “I'm just supposed to trust you?”

She shoved her hands through her hair in exasperation, then crossed her arms over her breasts, making her petite frame look even smaller.

“Nothing you say or do is going to make me not love you,” he said. “You just have to accept that.”

She didn't answer, just silently gathered her clothes and dressed. When she was done, she stood in front of him.

“Kiss me,” she said, and the look of despair in her eyes was heartbreaking.

He couldn't resist her. Hope was too strong of a pull and he leaned down, sealing her lips with his.

At last, he lifted his head, his eyes lazy to open. When they did, he stumbled back in shock.

For it wasn't Natalie in his arms, staring at him with a look of utter satisfaction on her face. It was Sage.

Ryker woke up with a start, sitting straight up in bed. He was covered in a sheen of cold sweat but he didn't notice. All he could see inside his head was Natalie and Sage, the thin, sharp blade of betrayal cutting him deep.

He got up and went into the kitchen, forgoing any lights. He knew his way in the dark.

Ryker absently filled a glass with water and took a deep swallow, letting the night air cool his sweat-slicked skin. Even now, years later, he remembered the horror of that night and the morning that had followed. The police had called with news that Natalie's car had been found in the river and they had sent in a recovery team to find the body.

The hole in his soul that Natalie had temporarily filled had been empty from that night on. Guilt, loss, regret…all of it overlaid with things he would've done differently if he'd had the chance. Natalie had been just like him—afraid to trust anyone, afraid to let anyone too close. He'd been so sure that fate had led them to each other…that he'd found the ethereal
true love
that he'd never before believed in.

Then she was gone.

He hadn't spoken to Parker since that night until four months ago, when he'd walked into Parker's office…and laid eyes on Sage.

Now he was on the brink of losing the woman he loved, again, to the same man who'd betrayed him all those years ago.

Ryker wasn't going to let that happen. He wouldn't lose Sage to Parker, and he'd do anything to keep history from repeating itself.