Page 51 of Tempting the Player
Each time he passed his phone, he looked at it. Each time it rang, there was a stupid feeling in his stomach. By the time he got done cleaning the guest bathroom downstairs and taking a shower, he found himself holding his cell. It was past ten, probably too late to call, not that he was planning to call Bridget. Miss Gore had already set plans for the movie date. He was to pick her up at her place and blah blah.
Once in bed, his fingers got the best of him. He texted: Good night, Bridget.
Two minutes later he got the same kind of response, and then he put the phone on the farthest corner of the bedside table. Having an early morning with his off-season trainer, he needed to sleep.
An hour later, he was still staring at the ceiling, tired, but his mind started messing with him, bringing forth images of Bridget against that very wall of his bedroom, her head thrown back, breasts jutted out as he watched her from his knees. He breathed in deeply and swore he could still taste her sharp arousal.
He threw the sheet off and moved his hand down his stomach. Palming his heavy erection, his back bowed clear off the mattress. Jesus. He hadn’t been strung this tight since college.
His hand stroked down his throbbing shaft and his eyes fell shut. Immediately, the image of Bridget formed in his mind, except he was standing against the wall and she was on her knees. Her mouth replaced his hand and yep, that was all it took. His release pounded down his spine and his hips punched up at his own hand.
It was much later when his heart slowed down, and he was hard again, Bridget’s face firmly planted in his thoughts. This was going to be a long, long night.
…
Come Thursday night, Bridget stared at her reflection in the mirror. A movie date…
She laughed out loud.
Pepsi meowed in response.
Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled. “I can’t believe I’m going to the movies with Chad Gamble.”
The cat cocked its head. Shell had the same response during lunch when Bridget had told her that going to the movies with Chad wasn’t that big of a deal. Apparently everything with the ball player was a big deal.
Bridget turned back to the mirror and tucked her hair behind her ears. The distressed blue jeans and red sweater seemed casual enough for a movie date. Sticking her leg out, she turned her ankle. Her heels were red, blue, black, and yellow. Striped. Awesome.
Straightening the hem on her sweater, she turned. The roses sat beside her bed. She hadn’t planned on bringing them home yesterday, but she couldn’t leave them in the office. Her ex had sent her flowers once, and they’d been the kind that came in a box. Somewhere between the card, the text messages, and tonight, Bridget decided she should at least enjoy some of the advantages of having a pretend boyfriend, especially the three Fs.
Flowers. Fine dining. Fine-looking man.
And threw in an N: No expectations.
The whole blackmail aspect was terrible and still irked the hell out of Bridget, but she wasn’t the type of person to continuously dwell on the negative. She had her bitchy moments that lasted a couple of days. She had a right to be ticked off, but this was the hand she was dealt. Though spending the next month mouthing off to Chad might be entertaining for the masses, it wasn’t particularly fun for her.
So she might as well enjoy it because a part of her did like hanging out with him. When they’d been in the club, they’d really clicked. All she had to do was keep her head in the game. Don’t read into anything and most of all do not fall for him. And to keep that from happening, all she had to do was remember the three girls in the paper he’d slept with a few days after they met at the club.
And when was the last time she went to the movies with a guy? Too long.
On the way out, she stopped by Pepsi and scratched him under the chin and then placed a quick kiss on his furry little head. She grabbed her bag and rushed down her apartment steps before he got there. She didn’t want him to be in her apartment. The place was her sanctuary and that was entirely too intimate for them.
Chad in her place was a line she wasn’t going to cross.
As she hit the front lobby door, she saw Todd Newton. It was strange seeing him wearing more than boxers.
He smiled when he saw her and caught the door, holding it open. “Hey, Miss Rodgers…”
Bridget grinned. “Hi, Todd.”
His gaze dipped. “You’re looking good.”
Considering their conversations had always been limited to seeing each other across the hall, this was the first time they were within breathing distance. Up close, she noticed Todd’s hazel eyes were more green than brown.
He’s really good-looking, she realized. “Thanks. Same goes for you.”
Todd’s smile spread. He didn’t have dimples like Chad, but it was still a great smile. “You heading out?” he asked.
Before Bridget could respond, a deep male voice cut in. “Yes. She’s going out with me.”
