Page 63 of Tempting the Player
“Of course, you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
Of course not.
“I’ll stay on to make sure you maintain your image,” she continued. “If we play our cards right, we’ll get the public’s sympathy after your split from Miss Rodgers.”
His eyes narrowed. “Oh, so we’re going to make her the villain in all of this?”
“Better than you coming out the bad guy, right?” Miss Gore frowned. “What? Does that bother you?”
Chad didn’t say anything, because honestly, what did this woman think of him if she thought he’d be okay with that? There’d be nothing she could say that would get him to let Bridget take the blame. Contract or no.
After a while, Miss Gore left, passing his older brother Chandler on the way out. The two came to a complete standstill in the foyer. Neither would move out of the way for the other. There couldn’t be two more obstinate people in the world, he realized. Chad left them to figure how to enter and exit at the same time.
Later, it turned out Bridget did love the Little Boutique on 27th Avenue. She floated from one rack of sparkly dresses to another while he sat in one of those chairs that reminded him of a throne—a pink throne that someone’s grandmother took a Bedazzler to.
Through narrowed eyes, he watched her look over the accessories first. She had her eye on a necklace that appeared to be a real emerald dangling from a silver chain. She kept running her fingers over it, and he thought the stone would match her eyes—
What the hell was he thinking? A necklace would match her eyes? God, he sounded like Chase.
She finally moved over to the dresses, going straight for a deep-green one that looked like it would hug her curves. He hoped she picked that one. His gaze dropped to her sweet, round ass, and he had to look away before things got real awkward up in here.
At the counter, two clerks were giggling and whispering as they stared at him.
Taking a deep breath, he went back to staring at Bridget as he slid farther down in his pink throne, spreading his thighs wide to get a little more comfortable. He saw her pick up the tag and then frown. She dropped the dress.
“Bridget?”
She looked over her shoulder at him. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and a bright red and purple silk scarf was intricately tied around her neck. “What?”
“I liked that dress.” He nodded at the green one she’d held.
Walking over to him, she straightened the edges on the scarf. “I do, too.”
“Then try it on.”
She bit down on her plump lip, and he was jealous. He wanted to bite it—lick it. “It’s too expensive.”
He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a lollipop he’d stolen from the counter when they’d come in. “How much is it?”
“You don’t even want to know.”
Tearing off the wrapper, he popped the lolli in his mouth. “How much?”
“Too much,” she replied.
“How much, Bridget?”
She sighed and her eyes narrowed. “It’s a little shy of fifteen hundred.”
Chad didn’t even blink. “Try it on.”
“But—”
“Try it on.” When she didn’t budge, he arched a brow. “Or I will.”
Her stern expression slipped away as she giggled. “Is that supposed to convince me? I’d die to see you in that dress.”
Chad swirled the lolli around, eyes narrowing. “I’ll try it on right here, in front of the two nice ladies up front. You know, by the counter and the glass windows.”
