Read Online Playing the Game by Stephanie Queen - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephanie Queen
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quick.”
“Then you won’t be going with me to the tournament?” He stopped to face her as they reached his car.
“No. I can’t. I have a business lunch with someone from out of town. I have to pick him up from the airport soon.” She looked at her watch.
The idea of a man from out of town triggered an automatic gut clench. What was wrong with him?
They stood and looked at each other. The sudden end of their time together hit him. He wrapped one arm around her waist and caressed her cheek with his other hand. Her eyes looked sad for an instant before she closed them. He kissed her. Her mouth was hot and the kiss deep. He pulled her closer so that her hips molded to his. His pulse picked up pace. He didn’t want the kiss to end. He didn’t want to let her go. But he did.
He gently pushed her back from him, all too aware of time now. Her face glowed. Roxanne smiled up at him now, carefree as ever. The sun glistened on her dark hair giving her an almost surreal glow. His stomach tightened and he took a deep breath.
“We’ll have to pick up where we left off next time we meet,” he said. He chided himself for making this promise, but he felt the need to.
“I’ll call your agent about the interview,” she said.
He’d almost forgotten about that. He opened the car door to let her in. He’d need to give her a ride since they had never gone back to the country club to retrieve her car.
“You can just drop me at the train station. I’ll get my car later. I don’t want to make you any later than you already are.”
“Are you sure? I hate to let you go so soon,” he admitted. He started the car.
She laughed and slunk back in her seat. “C’est la vie,” she declared in a sexy French accent.
She sounded as if there was a giggle harbored just beneath the surface. Her carefree attitude was refreshing and too contagious for him to do anything but laugh.
They arrived at the station before he had time to think anymore about it. There was a train ready to pull out so Roxanne had to hurry. She leaned over and kissed him one last time as she opened her door to leave.
“Au revoir—as you French say,” he said.
“Yes. Until we meet again.” She flung the words over her shoulder as she ran toward the train, dressed in her silver heels and slinky black evening dress with the mink-trimmed hemline.
He smiled at that picture of her and concentrated to make it stay permanently in his memory. He was reluctant to turn away from her and only did so when she disappeared onto the train. Then he drove off—fast.
It was like changing gears in a rusty old car, trying to get his mind off Roxanne and onto the day that lay ahead of him. This was one weekend Barry knew he’d never forget, but he had to put the memory on a back burner. It was time to get serious.
Time to face the crowd waiting at the golf tournament.
Chapter 3
“BARRY MUST be having car trouble.” Dave told a group of people after he got off the phone.
“That hardly seems likely. The man has four cars. What is it you’re trying to cover up? Is he sick? Or hurt?” one of the young reporters demanded.
No one was buying it. So much for his creativity when it came to making excuses, Dave thought. All he did was make people suspicious, especially the reporters who knew Barry.
For over an hour Dave was hounded by reporters, tournament officials and people from the hospital. Even his teammates were asking him for the real reason why Barry was late. He could think of nothing more to tell them than that Barry overslept. This revelation, though true as far as Dave was concerned, was met with more skepticism. After listening to his speech for the third time, one of the hospital public relations people approached him.
“Mr. McCall, I’m Laura Howard with Children’s Mercy Hospital. Perhaps you remember me. We met at the cocktail party the other night?”
“Yes I remember. Hello.” He gave her his customary friendly grin.
“Do
“Then you won’t be going with me to the tournament?” He stopped to face her as they reached his car.
“No. I can’t. I have a business lunch with someone from out of town. I have to pick him up from the airport soon.” She looked at her watch.
The idea of a man from out of town triggered an automatic gut clench. What was wrong with him?
They stood and looked at each other. The sudden end of their time together hit him. He wrapped one arm around her waist and caressed her cheek with his other hand. Her eyes looked sad for an instant before she closed them. He kissed her. Her mouth was hot and the kiss deep. He pulled her closer so that her hips molded to his. His pulse picked up pace. He didn’t want the kiss to end. He didn’t want to let her go. But he did.
He gently pushed her back from him, all too aware of time now. Her face glowed. Roxanne smiled up at him now, carefree as ever. The sun glistened on her dark hair giving her an almost surreal glow. His stomach tightened and he took a deep breath.
“We’ll have to pick up where we left off next time we meet,” he said. He chided himself for making this promise, but he felt the need to.
“I’ll call your agent about the interview,” she said.
He’d almost forgotten about that. He opened the car door to let her in. He’d need to give her a ride since they had never gone back to the country club to retrieve her car.
“You can just drop me at the train station. I’ll get my car later. I don’t want to make you any later than you already are.”
“Are you sure? I hate to let you go so soon,” he admitted. He started the car.
She laughed and slunk back in her seat. “C’est la vie,” she declared in a sexy French accent.
She sounded as if there was a giggle harbored just beneath the surface. Her carefree attitude was refreshing and too contagious for him to do anything but laugh.
They arrived at the station before he had time to think anymore about it. There was a train ready to pull out so Roxanne had to hurry. She leaned over and kissed him one last time as she opened her door to leave.
“Au revoir—as you French say,” he said.
“Yes. Until we meet again.” She flung the words over her shoulder as she ran toward the train, dressed in her silver heels and slinky black evening dress with the mink-trimmed hemline.
He smiled at that picture of her and concentrated to make it stay permanently in his memory. He was reluctant to turn away from her and only did so when she disappeared onto the train. Then he drove off—fast.
It was like changing gears in a rusty old car, trying to get his mind off Roxanne and onto the day that lay ahead of him. This was one weekend Barry knew he’d never forget, but he had to put the memory on a back burner. It was time to get serious.
Time to face the crowd waiting at the golf tournament.
Chapter 3
“BARRY MUST be having car trouble.” Dave told a group of people after he got off the phone.
“That hardly seems likely. The man has four cars. What is it you’re trying to cover up? Is he sick? Or hurt?” one of the young reporters demanded.
No one was buying it. So much for his creativity when it came to making excuses, Dave thought. All he did was make people suspicious, especially the reporters who knew Barry.
For over an hour Dave was hounded by reporters, tournament officials and people from the hospital. Even his teammates were asking him for the real reason why Barry was late. He could think of nothing more to tell them than that Barry overslept. This revelation, though true as far as Dave was concerned, was met with more skepticism. After listening to his speech for the third time, one of the hospital public relations people approached him.
“Mr. McCall, I’m Laura Howard with Children’s Mercy Hospital. Perhaps you remember me. We met at the cocktail party the other night?”
“Yes I remember. Hello.” He gave her his customary friendly grin.
“Do
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