Read Online Game For Love: Devil of the Gridiron (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Melissa Blue - Free Book Online

will be handed to me. Along with other things. I like today.”
    She gasped, shocked at his accuracy, though she shouldn't have been surprised. He was probably better than Macy's—no measuring tape required. “Well, I'm starving and there is a well-stocked fridge.” She thought about Adam…really thought about him. “As for the clothes, make sure they cover everything. Not just lingerie you want to see me in.”
    The way he grinned pretty much confirmed she'd been right.
    “Adam.”
    “What?” he widened his eyes and tried to look innocent.
    She shook her head and passed him to go back into the house. He let her by with only an ass smack.
    It didn't take her long to get the lay of the land in his kitchen. There was an order to the spices, pans, and pots. She believed his brag about cooking, many things were out of her reach, though just right for his. She worked around it, pulling out the parsley, spinach, mushrooms, and leftover wine from the night before as his voice drifted from the living room.
    He must have trusted whoever he gave the task to. Wouldn't buying her clothes pretty much confirm he'd broken his no women rule? Despite their talk, that fact still left her with a greasy knot in her stomach. Silence filled the living room for another minute then his phone rang.
    She could almost feel the stillness in the air before he answered. “Kent?” His tone wasn't cold but cautious.
    She turned down the heat on the stove, feeling wrong for eavesdropping but unable to do anything else. This was a sneak peek into his every day life. Of course , she was curious.
    “Sure,” he said. “No. Problem. When?” Pause. “If today is good for you. No. No. It's not an inconvenience. Anything for you.”
    The olive oil sizzled, and she turned the fire down more. Seconds later, Adam came into the kitchen. His shoulders were high as though tension had decided to hitch a ride on his back.
    She threw in the spinach first as he stood brooding out the nook's windows. If this had been a real relationship, she wouldn't have hesitated to ask what was bothering him. Nothing seemed to waylay him to put his hands on her in the most delicious ways, but opening up to show her his insecurities, his deeper problems? Different story.
    Charlotte stayed in that should-I-or-shouldn't-I space until she prepped the portobello mushrooms. She put together a tray of cheese and crackers and took them over to him.
    “Want to talk about it?” she asked.
    He glanced at her, his jawline hard. “About?”
    She inhaled, took hold of her newfound courage and asked, “You seem tense.”
    He stalked over to the small plate she'd put out and popped food into his mouth. It took another five seconds for him to answer. “An old college friend would like to meet me later to talk about a business investment.”
    She frowned, confused. “And that's bad?”
    “The fact he even has to ask? Yes. I'd give it to him without question. He—uh—saved my ass back in college, and it cost him his career.”
    And that's when she understood. He'd talked about not feeling like he deserved any of the fame or the wealth. It made no sense. What little Charlotte knew of his profession, he spent most of his year on the road, staying in shape and making the PR rounds. She'd just caught him in his down time.
    “No matter how you got where you are, you still wouldn't be there if you didn't work your butt off, Adam.”
    He tilted his head, but his expression remained blank. “And you know that?”
    “You haven't done anything halfway since I met you. A short time, yes, but you didn't have to keep your word and come to the Williamson Center.”
    He shrugged. “That wasn't asking for much.”
    A lesser man would have demanded something else in exchange. He hadn't, probably never would.
    “Exactly.” She pushed the plate closer. “Sit and watch me cook. I'm amazing when I'm cooking.”
    A smile whipped over his face. “Now this I find interesting.”
    “What?”
    “This