The Game

BECCA JAMESON

THE

GAME

The Game Copyright © 2016 by Becca Jameson.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book
may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except
in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places,
events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales
is entirely coincidental.

Book and Cover design by Vanessa North

Print ISBN: 978-0-9863360-8-9

eBook ISBN: 978-0-9863360-7-2

BECCA JAMESON

THE

GAME

Chapter One

“Oh my
God
, Cheyenne. Did you hear who’s speaking at the fundraiser this afternoon?”

I twisted my neck around to peer over my shoulder at Stacy. “No. I’m guessing it’s
someone important?” I’d been swamped all week preparing a new marketing campaign.
The last thing I’d paid any attention to was the rundown of who was going to be at
the afternoon’s event.

It wasn’t that I was indifferent. I was as enthusiastic as anyone about raising money
to provide better computers in the local schools. I was simply drowning in work. It
was only Monday morning, and already I felt like the week was getting away from me.

Stacy’s face lit up, her eyes wide and her smile huge. “David Moreno,” she finally
declared as if he were the president of the United States.

I froze, my head seemingly stuck in its cocked position as I continued to stare at
Stacy, unblinking.

“You know, David Moreno, the CEO of Alexander Technologies. Surely you’ve heard of
him.”

Oh I’d heard of him all right. I knew him far better than I was willing to admit.

Riley.

David Riley Moreno. His close friends knew him as Riley.

I finally licked my lips and nodded. “Yeah. I know who he is.”

Stacy giggled. “Judging from your expression, I’m gonna assume you aren’t immune to
his good looks. He is smokin’ hot.” She fanned herself with one hand. “I think I’d
die if I got close to him. Do you suppose he’s an asshole? I mean, he’s so freakin’
rich.” Her voice faded as she swung around to face her computer screen.

I eased myself back to face my own desk, unseeing.

Great. Just what I needed. Riley in my personal space. Hell, the last thing I wanted
was for that man to take up space in my
head
for the next six hours before the fundraiser. I had a shit ton of work to get done
between now and then.

I lifted my fingers to the keyboard but continued to stare distractedly at the screen.

Dammit.

Finally, I slumped in my seat and closed my eyes. My fingers shook as I yanked them
to my lap. I took a deep breath.

Stacy wasn’t kidding. Riley was sex on wheels. So were his best friends, Cade and
Parker. Any one of the three could turn heads by themselves. When they were together,
the world seemed to freeze on its axis.

Considering my best friend Amy was about to marry Riley’s friend Cade, there was no
way I would be able to avoid the man forever.

I’d met Riley only one time, but it was memorable. The man had been at Cade and Amy’s
engagement party six months ago. I nearly drooled when I met him, and we had several
beers together before he disappeared into thin air.

I never spoke to him again.

The thought of seeing him today made my stomach roil. I shouldn’t have made a big
deal out of it. I mean, who the hell cared that we shared some laughs and a few dances
at a mutual friend’s party?

I did.

I had liked him. A lot.

We had fun.

Granted, he’d also come out of an engagement himself only a few months before the
party, and I could totally understand him having cold feet after the way his ex-fiancée
treated him. From what Amy had told me, Christine was a real bitch. Shocking really,
considering how down-to-earth and kind I found Riley to be.

And then he vanished without a word.

Amy had been so involved with Cade that night I doubted she realized how much time
I spent with Riley. And I never mentioned it to her.

I knew I wasn’t in his circles. Hell, he was ten years older than me, owned his own
fucking technology company, and ran in wealthy circles. Technically, he owned three
companies. Alexander Technologies in Atlanta was just one. He and his friends, Cade
and Parker, also owned two others—one in Nashville and one in Charlotte.

In contrast, I was a recent college graduate with a master’s degree in marketing,
a pile of student loans, and a sparsely furnished apartment.

But that had been six months ago.

I’d now been working for Talent Marketing Group in downtown Atlanta for over a year.
I loved my job, and I made good enough money to chip away at the loans and invest
in enough furniture to at least entertain my friends. Compared to other recent college
graduates, I considered myself lucky.

Compared to Riley Moreno, I was inept.

I did
not
need to run into the man who had taken up residence in my dreamworld for weeks on
end. All that could possibly come from such an encounter would be more dreams of what
had become an imaginary romance with the elusive sexy Riley.

I pressed two fingers into each of my temples and squeezed my eyes tight. Closing
them didn’t block out images of that man leaning over my naked body with the ever-present
smoldering look in his eyes—visions I’d conjured in my head that had no basis in reality.

We hadn’t even kissed. All we’d done was drink a few beers and hang together. It had
never made any sense to me. Riley knew other people at the party. And yet he spent
the evening with me as if I were the only woman in the room. His attention had focused
solely on me. Even his gaze hadn’t strayed. I was the center of his universe for several
hours.

And then he left to use the restroom and never returned.

Chapter Two

It was after four in the afternoon when I made my way to the first floor, hoping to
duck into the fundraiser and keep myself as inconspicuous as possible. I knew my presence
was expected, and I didn’t want people to question my absence, but if there had been
any way for me to slink out of that building and drop a check in the mail, I’d have
leaped at the opportunity.

The last thing I wanted was to run into Riley ever again in this lifetime. I was mortified
by his departure from the engagement party and had no desire to face him and deal
with the awkwardness that would forever define our first encounter.

Of course I knew I’d have to see him again. After all, he was Amy’s fiancé’s best
friend. Their wedding at the very least would bring the two of us together.

But that was still a few months away.

I wasn’t prepared to face Riley today.

The moment I slipped into the enormous event room, Stacy spotted me from the stage.
She waved me toward her, undoubtedly thinking any woman in her right mind would jump
at the opportunity to get as close to Riley as possible.

I was not a woman in my right mind.

And furthermore, the man himself was currently speaking to the audience from the podium.
When I heard his voice, my gaze shot from Stacy to the stage.

The first time I’d seen him, he’d been dressed casually in khaki pants and a deep
blue shirt that drew attention to the intensity of his blue eyes. Today he was in
a suit—charcoal gray—and he looked even more breathtaking. His shoulders appeared
even broader in the suit jacket, and the perfectly starched white shirt made him look
incredibly tan. Even his tie, the same blue as his eyes, was hypnotic. No wonder everyone
in the room was focused on him.

I flattened myself to the wall just inside the door, wishing I hadn’t worn heels.
Anything to keep me as invisible as possible would have been appreciated.

I was mesmerized.

His blond hair looked exactly the same—slightly long. I suspected it was intentional.
It curled at the ends, making him look younger than his thirty-four years, begging
a woman to run her fingers through it. Playful.

I didn’t hear a word he spoke. Instead, I concentrated on the cadence of his voice,
the way he leaned into the podium passionately, the broadness of his shoulders…

Lord, I needed to get a grip.

I was supposed to be hurt, angry, pissed. Instead, I was aroused.

I gripped my thighs together as the tone of his voice made my panties wet with no
effort on his part, wondering if everyone in the room was as aroused by his voice
as I was.

I didn’t even glance around the room. To do so would deny myself of even one moment
of his magnetic personality. And if this was all I ever had of David Riley Moreno,
I intended to suck the moment for all it was worth to store the semi-encounter in
the back of my head for later.

And who was I kidding? I would have wet dreams over this man more times than I could
count over the next several months.

This was a disaster.

Finally, Riley pushed off the podium, thanked the audience for their participation
in a community service that was dear to his heart, and walked off the stage.

Instead of leaving the room through a side door as I expected, he turned to skirt
the edge of the audience, heading toward the back—toward
me
.

Stacy must have nearly wet herself when he went by, but I didn’t look in her direction
to confirm. My eyes were glued to Riley, and I pondered an exit strategy that wouldn’t
draw attention to myself and would allow me to avoid the encounter that would occur
in about ten seconds.

An earthquake would’ve been more than welcome.

I held my breath, flattening my palms to the cold surface behind me as Riley wove
through the crowd of spectators who hadn’t managed to procure a seat. He smiled at
several people, shook hands with a few, and spoke to a handful.

I wanted to glance away, dig for something in my purse, or pretend to drop something
at the exact perfect moment to avoid all contact, but I stood like a statue instead,
not breathing, my eyes pinned to the man who’d taken my heart out of my chest in mere
hours and then stomped on it, leaving the smashed bits on the floor all those months
ago.

The second his gaze found mine, I knew it immediately—he hadn’t seen me until that
moment. He faltered as he inched through the crowd, and then he smiled.

I pursed my lips, determined to be as cordial as possible and to keep our encounter
brief and pleasant.

At the last second, a woman stepped in front of me and wrapped her long, thin fingers
around Riley’s bicep. “Riley. So nice to see you. I didn’t realize you’d be speaking
at this event.” Her voice was syrupy sweet, and her face held a mask of fake happiness.

I would never understand people like her, but my mind told me she was Riley’s type.
If I had been told to point out someone in the room to match him up with, I would
have chosen her. She was willowy and tall with her dark hair pulled back in a tight
professional bun. Her designer suit cost more than my rent. And the jewelry dangling
from her ears, neck, and wrists was undoubtedly real diamonds and gold.

Riley looked shocked. Uncomfortable. He glanced at me and licked his lips before returning
his attention to the wealthy woman leaning into his space. “What are you doing here?”

She smiled. “I should ask the same question. I just moved here. I’ve got several interviews
lined up.”

“To Atlanta. You moved to Atlanta,” he deadpanned. “You expect me to believe you just
happened to have moved to Georgia and ran into me purely by coincidence.”

I wanted to flee. This was my opportunity. But I couldn’t resist listening in on this
conversation. Whoever this woman was, she obviously didn’t have Riley’s stamp of approval.

Interesting.

Her skin tightened around her eyes as they widened, and she flattened her free hand
on her chest. “Riley. I can’t believe you would think so ill of me. Atlanta’s plenty
big enough for both of us. And besides, we should bury the hatchet, get together for
drinks, remember old times.”

Whoever this was, she had known Riley well in the past. She even called him by his
nickname. Most people in the room knew him as David Moreno.

Riley reached with his opposite hand and peeled her hand off his arm. “Not going to
happen. Make sure we don’t cross paths again. I’m not interested in whatever web of
deceit you’re selling.” With deliberate intent, he eased her to one side and stepped
between her body and mine.

Too close. I inhaled his scent, a combination of the same aftershave from six months
ago and Riley. It shocked me that even blindfolded I would know that scent.

Riley.

As if to save face, the rich woman muttered something about it being so nice to see
him and that she’d be in touch soon. Her gaze penetrated me for several seconds before
she strode away, her head held high as though she’d won that round.

Judging by Riley’s dismissal and the fact that he completely ignored her final words,
she had won nothing.

“Cheyenne.” He stepped closer into my personal space and reached out to stroke his
fingers from my shoulder to my elbow. The touch was so intimate, I wished I hadn’t
left my jacket upstairs. My sleeveless blouse left my bare skin exposed.

The warmth from his fingers melted a piece of me, forcing me to smile while at the
same time I wanted to reach out and slap him. This wasn’t the place for such a scene.
I intended to be the bigger woman in this game.

On the heels of the woman he just summarily dissed, I intended to come out ahead.

So I smiled. “Mr. Moreno. Nice to see you. Your speech was inspiring.”

He flinched, his shoulders slumping at my formal approach. And then he winced. “Yeah,
I deserve that.”

Shit. I would have preferred no mention of the past. I shrugged. And then I tugged
my elbow free and stepped to one side. “I’m sure you have places to be.” I nodded
toward the door.

He cringed this time, but ignored my gesture. “Do you work here?”

“Yes.” I stepped closer to the door myself, determined to put an end to this awkward
meeting. If I could manage to keep the syllables to a minimum…

“I knew you were in marketing, but you never mentioned what firm you worked for.”

I smiled, offering nothing else.

Riley blew out a breath. “Listen, Cheyenne, is there someplace we could talk?”

I shook my head. “That isn’t necessary.”

He narrowed his gaze on me and stepped closer. His proximity chipped away at my resolve.
As if he put off some sort of pheromone that drew me in closer.

The room buzzed around us as everyone clapped and cheered for the next speaker. I
didn’t even know who it was. That’s how tuned in I was to one channel—Riley. “It’s
water under the bridge. No worries.” Why did he have to smell so damn good?

Riley frowned. “I know you don’t mean that.”

“I do.” I straightened my spine and met his gaze, dragging up every ounce of willpower
I had to end this fast. I even held my breath to avoid breathing in his aftershave,
his brand of soap, his personal musk…

“I was an ass.”

I tucked my lower lip between my teeth and bit down to avoid responding.

Why wouldn’t he just leave? I didn’t need this. I didn’t need his apology. And I certainly
didn’t need him in my space, filling my nose with his scent and my vision with his
unbelievably broad chest, smooth face, and blue eyes.

Riley glanced around finally, taking in the audience behind him. “Do you need to stay?
Could we leave?”

My eyes widened. Leave? With him? Hell no. “That’s not a good idea.” I pasted on a
broader smile. “I’m fine, Riley. Really. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m a grown
woman. I’m over it.”

That was so far from the truth, it was a wonder I was able to utter those words. Sure,
I was over it, if by “over it” one meant that I had stopped masturbating by hand to
visions of this sexy man and had switched to using a vibrator to speed up the process.
If “over it” entailed me not dating anyone since I met him because any man who approached
me didn’t measure up.

Yep. I was so “over it.”

What I knew was that if I gave him a chance, I would fall under his spell in a heartbeat.
It unnerved me. This man who already infiltrated my dreams—both during the night and
during the day.

Riley held my gaze, scrutinizing me with an intensity that made me fidget. With only
a few inches between us, his eyes shot back and forth between mine. “Right.” He chuckled.
“I wasn’t born yesterday. No woman wants to be treated the way I treated you. I’m
not an idiot. You’ll hold that grudge for the rest of your life. And I don’t blame
you. But I’m asking for a chance to explain myself. An explanation I should have had
the balls to offer that night instead of leaving you there without a word.”

He was right. I simply stared at him, a little stunned. Did I want to allow Riley
to explain himself?

I blew out a breath.

Did he really have an explanation that went beyond jackass? Maybe he’d had cold feet?
Maybe he’d still been hung up on his ex that night? Maybe he’d had another girlfriend
at the time?

Lord. I shouldn’t cave. He was lethal.

“So again, is there someplace we can talk?”

I stuck to my previous resolve. “I’m not having this discussion with you in my office.
No. And I’m telling you it isn’t necessary. You’ve apologized. I accept your apology.
Can we just leave it at that?” A chill ran down my arms. I needed to get rid of this
man before I started shaking and embarrassed myself.

“I’m making you nervous.”

“No shit.” Those two words fell out of my mouth unbidden.

Riley smiled again. Damn but he looked like a god when he smiled. I had loved watching
his face light up the first time I met him, and it was no different today. “Okay,
I’ll respect your wishes inside your workplace and under the circumstances. I’ve blindsided
you. But we aren’t done. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

I bit my lower lip again. No way in hell did I want him to call me tomorrow or any
other day of the year.

I had to be honest with myself. It wasn’t so much that I was afraid he couldn’t possibly
have a legitimate excuse for his behavior.

Nope.

What I feared was that he
did
. And if that was the case, what would keep me from caving and going out with him
again?

What would keep me from having my heart broken when he walked away a second time?

I knew my vulnerabilities when it came to Riley Moreno. He had the power to destroy
me.

Riley reached to cup my face with his palm, tugging my lip from between my teeth with
his thumb. He inhaled deeply, his eyes shutting for a moment. And then he released
me, turned, and strode from the room as fast as he could manage to get through the
last few people and out the door.