Page 31 of Tempting the Player
It seemed like forever before he lifted his head, breathing just as heavily as she was. Staring down at her, he swallowed hard and slowly removed his hands from her cheeks. “Like I said, you’re still very, very interested.”
…
Bridget didn’t remember walking back to the Smithsonian. Her legs felt like jelly, and she was in a daze. Had Chad kissed her just to prove she wanted him? If so, he’d gotten what he wanted, because the moment his lips touched hers she had turned to goo.
And then he had left her, turned around and left her on the side of the street.
Not like she didn’t sort of deserve it, considering she had left him without a backward glance last time.
Never in a million years would she have thought she’d ever run into Chase and be kissed by him again.
Once she shut the office door behind her, she turned and found Maddie at her desk, hands cupping her chin.
“Bridget?”
She sighed. “Madison?”
Her friend tilted her head to the side as she tapped long, manicured fingers off her cheek. “So, you and Chad…?”
Shuffling to her desk, she plopped down in her seat and toed her way toward the cart. She dropped her purse on it before she answered. “What about it?”
Silence.
Bridget dared a peek at her boss. “What?”
“You two met at a bar?”
At least that part was true. Bridget nodded.
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Maddie’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not like you wouldn’t know who he was or who he was related to.”
“It really wasn’t a big deal,” she said, glaring at the mass of pens in their holder. Someone had placed a black pen in with the colored ones. Bastard. “I honestly forgot about it.”
Madison snorted. “I don’t believe you.”
Snatching the black pen, she placed it with the blue ones. “We just talked. It was nothing.”
“Nothing… Yeah, okay.” Maddie sat up, crossing her arms, giving Bridget her best bullshit-detector stare. “I’ve known Chad my whole life.”
“I know.” She mirrored her friend’s posture, except the stupid flower poked her in the breast.
Madison smiled a little too brightly. “Chad has always been the…outgoing one. Usually up to no good, but very…playful. When he was younger, he used to always play pranks, and even now he’s really friendly.”
Ah, yes, Chad was really friendly. Bridget schooled her expression.
The look on Madison’s face said she wasn’t fooled. “But I’ve never seen him act like he did with you today.”
Bridget struggled to keep her face impassive while internally she was as curious as Pepsi strung out on catnip. “What do you mean?”
“Well, like I said, Chad has always been a friendly person, but he was so in your personal space I was pretty sure he was going to shove his tongue down your throat at some point.”
Her face flushed.
Madison’s eyes narrowed. “And did he grab your thigh at some point?”
“Uh, I…I think so.” She cleared her throat as she swiveled back to her desk. Pens. Pens needed places for order. “He doesn’t normally do that?”
“Only with women he’s slept with,” she quipped.
