Read Online Game, Set, Match (A Humorous Contemporary Romance) (Love Match) by Nana Malone - Free Book Online Page B

minute to realize it wasn’t a call coming in but a text message. Once through the door, she used her foot to kick it closed and placed both bags on the floor. Her phone continued to incessantly sing  Buffy  at her until she tapped the message icon. She really had to figure out all the features on the blasted iPhone.
    Izzy didn’t recognize the number, but she instantly knew who sent the message.   It’s rude to hang up on someone, you know. Didn’t your mother teach you better?
    She absently wondered if she needed to change her number as she typed out a message.   What are you going to do, spank me?
    It wasn’t until after she hit send and mumbled to herself, “That’ll teach him,” that she realized the suggestive nature of her message. Or rather, how he might interpret it.
    As if on cue, the sounds of   Buffy  once again filled the hallway, and Izzy half expected vampires to waltz around the corner. She angrily pushed on the text icon.  Is that an invitation?
    The rush of liquid heat to her core as she stared at his message didn’t bode well for her vow to ignore him. Playing games with Jason Cartwright would only get her hurt.
    ****
    Izzy Connors was dangerous to Jason’s focus and recovery. He had to stop thinking about her and stay on track. He’d already nearly severed a finger fiddling with one of the ball machines and almost dislocated his shoulder when lifting too much weight. He squeezed his eyes shut as he completed the last rep of leg lifts. Izzy’s last message to him played over and over in his head. Had she been flirting? Did she have a secret spanking fetish? If it was anyone else, he’d know the answer, but she was different.
    Not paying attention, he let the weights slam down too quickly. His knee shot bursts of pain up and down his leg at the shock. He let out a curse as he rubbed the throb until it abated. It hurt, but still felt better than the disaster match the day before. The aches in his muscles and the throbbing in his knee were his body’s way of telling him he’d overdone it the past few days. But after seeing Izzy again, he’d needed to work off some of the tension. It wasn’t everyday he ran into the one woman he’d let himself love.
    The Izzy he remembered had been inquisitive and sweet. But the woman he’d seen the other day was neither of those. More like closed off and cautious. And dating that robot boyfriend of hers—Jason couldn’t believe she was happy with him.  Maybe she is.  He quelled the burst of envy in his heart. He didn’t have any right to it. She wasn’t his.
    He moved over to the treadmill and entered in the appropriate workout selection. All the while he tried to ignore the guilt he felt about the last time he’d seen Izzy. He should have called her. Had the opportunity to more than once. He should have gone back to see her. He should never have gone anywhere near Sabrina Reems. Should should should. He couldn’t change any of that now.
    He could have insisted on seeing her when he went back to campus, but he’d taken the easy route, Sabrina. He hadn’t even thought about Sabrina in years, but seeing Izzy brought back those memories. Whatever had possessed him to choose Sabrina over Izzy all those years ago was long gone. He prayed he’d exorcised the desperate need for self - destruction.
    For an hour, as he ran, the steady  whir whir whir  of the treadmill soothed his mind. One step in front of the other. He could do that.
    “Anything you want to tell me?” His manager’s steady voice came from behind him, startling him into tripping.
    Not sure how to respond, he kept it simple. “Hi, Aaron.”  Does he know?  Adrenaline poured through his body, urging him to run and release some of it. But he didn’t. He kept his pace and schooled his expression. Aaron either wanted to discuss Michaels or Jason’s poor showing in practice. Either way, he wasn’t in the mood to rehash.
    Too bad, because his manager wasn’t in the mood to stay