As this next week trickles by and you’re undoubtedly growing more and more impatient for the release of Play Me to Infinity, I figured you could use a heftier dose than a simple teaser. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

 

I sat at Fairfax, checking out the flavors of the evening while unwinding from a grueling day at the office.  It was slim pickings in the crowd, but the night was still young.

Sitting in the back corner at a table by herself, I spotted her.  Nicole.  I might have turned her unsavory attitude around where my brother-in-law, Jake, was concerned, but the woman now had a gun out for me.

Okay, so you’ve surmised that I’m single, perhaps even a player, and I’ll admit that you’re somewhat right.

I enjoy my bachelorhood… well, sort of.  I wouldn’t say that it’s the lifestyle I’d have chosen for myself, more like one chosen for me, thanks to my ex-fiancée.

Loving Tracey with everything I had hadn’t been good enough.  Despite the numerous warnings from friends, I had been living by the ‘denial is bliss’ adage until one day, the flip of her hair, the wiggle of her tight ass, and the batting of her lashes no longer clouded my perception.

After six months of dealing with her deceit, I shredded my devoted fiancé card and moved on.  I’ve been playing the field for a year and a half since.

Truth be told, I don’t have time for a relationship, as much as I’d prefer one.  I’m the CEO of Withers International, a multi-million-dollar company that specializes in public and government relations.  Need I say more?

Ben knocked me back into the present as he dropped himself in the seat across from me.  “Rough day?”

“Rough few months is more like it.”  I huffed out a breath.  “I need a new assistant.”

The man’s brows furrowed.  “You still haven’t gotten rid of Karen?”

A dry laugh escaped.  “You mean Tania.”  I didn’t have the gall to look at my friend, knowing I’d be met with his disapproving look, and rightly so.  As of late, there was quite the revolving door where my PA’s were concerned.

“Why do you do this to yourself?”

Okay, so I may have overstepped the boundaries on employer-employee relations.  In my defense, they were the ones who approached me, not the other way around.

Ben shook his head at me.  “Tracey really did fuck you up.  This is ridiculous.”

I took a swig from my beer and let out a loud tension-filled sigh while leaning my bottle in my best friend’s direction.  “You don’t know the half of it.”

 

It was late, and despite the fact that I’d made it out tonight, my interest in entertaining a possible suitor to cap off my day was lost once Ben returned to his bartending duties.

What about Nikki?  As soon as the thought occurred, I almost choked on my last sip of beer.  I would have to be desperate – no, insane – to even approach that man-eater.

Despite my intent on ignoring the woman who had eyed daggers at me all night, I turned my gaze toward the table she had been occupying to find that she was no longer there.

Nicole was a beautiful woman, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t remember much about her from our childhood.  Hell, she’d practically been a sister; and harassing her and my sister had been one of mine and Ben’s favorite pastimes.  In our later years however, she became skittish, always quick to leave the room as soon as I entered it.  The teenager I’d been had always wondered about the possibility of her having a school-girl crush.  I have to say that I enjoyed cornering her to see that blush, especially that last summer before Mom and Dad picked up and moved us all to Austin.

Shaking the memories from my mind, I left my empty bottle on the table.  As I turned to leave, I plowed into a tiny body.  Bracing my hands on the soft skin of slim shoulders to prevent the person from toppling over, I found myself staring down into bright green pools laced with flames that were Nicole’s eyes.

What color do they turn when…?  I groaned at the imagery that flashed through my mind.  Forget it, bud, there’s no way in hell that you want to go there.

“Watch where you’re going.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled, my voice a few octaves lower than normal.

“D-do you mind moving?”

Her unsettled demeanor had me smirking.  “Do I make you nervous, Little Nikki?”

As I let go of her shoulders, she stepped back.

“No.”  She gave me a saccharine smile, but her eyes showed mischievousness.  “You make me nauseous.  Now, get out of my way.”

As she made to pass me, I grasped her elbow.  “You know,” I leaned toward her ear, the subtlety of her scent clouding my thoughts momentarily, “if you’re ever looking for someone to help you get that stick out of your ass, I’d be more than-”

The claws came out.  “Bite me!”

“I’d love to, sugar.”  I grinned, pulling away just in time to see her face turn a delightful shade of pink.  Yes, that blush was still as much fun to bring about now as it was back in the day.

As quick as our interaction occurred, it ended when she turned and trotted off.

My gaze turned to follow her exiting the bar.  I let out a low whistle as I watched those hips sway in that skirt of hers.  Her rounded ass filled the material to perfection and images of that luscious derrière, bent over as I took her from behind began playing in my head.

Damn!  It’s too bad she’s as cold as ice.

And that was my cue to head home.

 

I came to a stop in front of my large four-bedroom house and sighed.  Purchased to avoid the cramped lofts and high-rise condos, it was a constant reminder of the dream I once had of a home filled with children and a woman to worship.  Nowadays, all I had to look forward to was the cold beer in my fridge, my comfortable furniture, and a house filled with silence.

Silence.  It was always there when you didn’t want it, and never there when you needed it.

Over the last eighteen months, I kept my new façade intact, my machismo held close to the vest in an effort to mask that I was a family man to the core.  Being honest, I was miserable.  Lonely.

Maybe it’s time to take a chance?  It had been two years since I’d left Tracey, a year and a half since I chose to have absolutely nothing to do with my ex.

Danica, Jake, and so many others disagree with the casualness with which I treated my suitors, but they understood why I did it.  Well, most of them, with the exception of my sister’s judgmental best friend, Nicole that is.

So why wasn’t I going for it after two years?

The answer was simple: I was scared.

As I settled into bed, I came to realize that maybe it was time I let go of my pessimism where relationships were concerned.

Want more where that came from? Pre-order your ebook copy of Play Me to Infinity right now and be one of the first to discover how Mike’s journey turns out!

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