Play With Me

dropped
his gaze from the sky and said, “Some of the guys are going to watch The
Avengers this weekend. Wanna come?”
    I wondered who some
of the guys was. I knew from Susan that Tony wasn’t talking to Cloey
anymore. But if she was with the group, I sure wouldn’t go. “Maybe. Who’s
coming?”
    “Andy, Sasha,
Alex. He’s with Simone now, by the way. Frederickson will come if he doesn’t
have to sit his baby brother. And then of course…him.” He nodded his chin in
the direction behind me.
    That definitely gave
me an electric bolt. I jerked my head around, spine straightening.
    Ryan Hunter
strolled toward us, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, the sleeves of
a black shirt rolled up to the elbows. My mouth hung open at the unexpected
sight of him. The pounding of my heart was so loud I was sure he could hear it.
He greeted me with the tiniest tilt of his head and a slight half-smile.
    “Am I disrupting
something?” he asked, his eyes set on me.
    “Nope. I was
just about to leave.”
    Huh, what? My gaze snapped to Tony who’d risen from the trunk and stood next
to me.
    “What have you
done?” I whispered, horrified, only now realizing who he’d sent the text to.
    He leaned down
to speak into my ear. “Correcting a shitload of mistakes.” As he drew back, he
winked. “See you later.”
    Oh, I should
have strangled him with my bare hands. Only, I was in shock and couldn’t move.
Not even when Tony was gone and Ryan Hunter settled down behind me, straddling
the trunk and looping his arms around my middle from behind.
    His breath feathered
against my neck, his muscled chest pressing against my back. “I’m sorry for what
happened, but I never meant to hurt you. And I certainly didn’t have any bad intentions.
I swear.”
    “Yeah, I guess I
know that. Susan told me a few interesting things today.”
    “Did she?” I
could clearly hear how this made him a little uncomfortable, but an edge of
relief filled his voice nonetheless. “So, what are we going to make of this
situation?”
    “Situation?” I
swallowed to get rid of the dryness in my throat. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean you…me…”
Suddenly his lips were on my bare shoulder, brushing toward the crook of my
neck. “Alone…in this place…”
    His tongue
trailing up my throat sent shivers along my skin. Everywhere. Down my arms, my
legs. Even the hair at the back of my neck stood on end.
    “With only the
frogs to watch us…” He placed the softest kiss to the spot behind my ear.
    My breath
hitched. My mind searched for an escape from this situation. But there was
none. And even if there had been, Ryan wouldn’t have let me go. His hand moved
up to my neck and shaped against my cheek, tilting my face slowly until I gazed
into his gorgeous tiger eyes.
    “What do you
say, Matthews? Should we two give it a try?”
    I searched his
face for a reason not to believe in his sincerity. The tiniest lie even. But
nothing. He seemed to mean what he said. A reluctant smile tugged on my lips.
“Only if you start using my first name, Hunter.”
    He laughed at
that, softly, melodiously. Beautifully. His nose skimmed across my cheekbone,
and he pressed his lips gently to mine. A volcano erupted in my stomach with thousands
of butterflies set free. But he wouldn’t kiss me just yet. Instead he drew back,
a spark lighting up his eyes. “While we’re at it, Liza …I have a
condition, too.”
    “You do? What is
it?”
    “For the time
being—” He emphasized each word. “I’ll be the only one climbing through your
window.”
    Now he made me
laugh. “I think I can agree to that.”
    “You think?” Ryan nipped my bottom lip.
    The tiny,
playful sting had me surrendering completely. “Okay, you win. You’ll be the
only one.”
    He thrust his
hand in my hair, holding me tight against him with his other placed flat on my
stomach. “See, baby, that sounds a damn lot better.” He bent his head and
captured my lips. My heart nearly exploded out of my chest. Soft, tender, he
kissed me, but deep down the fire inside me burned hotter. His tongue traced
the seam of my lips, demanding entrance. I melted and let him, savoring the
game he started as we sat there for hours and hours.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Get
a sneak peek into Piper Shelly’s
    paranormal
romance,
    Her Game, His Rules
    A Black Opal Books Publishing

 
     
     
    She’s
seventeen. She’s snarky. She’s trouble…
     
    It
wasn't nicking an expensive watch or