Game of Love by Melissa Foster Read Free Book Online

would seek it out, just as a forum full of negative reviews could sink sales. The next three weeks would be stressful as hell, but the benefit of Thrive was that it was no longer all on Dex’s shoulders to design, develop, and market the games. He’d had no life when it was just him shouldering the process every step of the way. Every waking moment was spent working on the games, modifying, coding, fixing glitches, and trying to hype the product at the same time. Looking back, he had no idea how any indie developer remained sane. His issues were different now, and the risks much greater, but at least he was no longer solely responsible. He had a competent staff, some of the best in the business—who had jumped on board of his rising stardom and had remained with him ever since.
    Regina looked at her watch. “It’s two thirty. Let’s hammer out the backup plans again and go over the testing schedule one more time, and we’ll be out of here by four.”
    Dex pinched his brows together. “We?” he teased.
    “Well, by we , I mean Mitch. I’m staying here tonight.” Regina had long ago claimed the guest bedroom for the evenings when she was too tired to go home or didn’t want to brave the streets alone at night. Dex didn’t mind. After living in a house with five siblings, having Ellie sneak into his room and share his bed as a teenager, and never having a moment of silence at college, he’d never gotten used to an empty apartment. Knowing Regina was in the other room was comforting. And if he was honest with himself, it made him miss Ellie a little bit less.
    Ellie .
    What the hell was he going to do about Ellie?
    His mind ran in circles as he and Regina hashed out the issues while Mitch played devil’s advocate, pointing out each of the worst-case scenarios. At four o’clock in the morning, Mitch pulled on his sweatshirt and headed for the door.
    “Tomorrow, dude. Office?” Mitch asked.
    “I’ll be there at some point.” He had an unsettling feeling in his stomach. Would Ellie be gone by morning? He had to stop worrying about that shit. She was in the city interviewing for jobs. She was a twenty-five-year-old woman who wasn’t there to see him.
    Regina stretched her arms over her head and turned toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms. “Good night, Dex.”
    “Night, Reg.”
    She hesitated. “Listen, if you want to talk about the girl, I'm a good listener.” Her bony shoulders lifted in a shrug.
    “I know. I’m good. She’s a friend. Nothing more.”
    Regina nodded. “Okay. I’ve just never seen you go all…focused on a woman before.”
    Dex walked past her toward his bedroom, ignoring her comment. What was he going to do? Lie to Regina? He’d never had a woman steal his focus before. And why he was focused on a woman as frustrating as Ellie was beyond him.
    “Good night, Reg,” he said before closing his bedroom door.
    He opened the window a crack, as he’d done since the very first time Ellie had come to his bedroom in the middle of the night, allowing the night air to clear his mind. He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed, trying like hell not to think of Ellie, just a few long blocks away, on some stranger’s couch.

Chapter Seven
    ELLIE AWOKE TO hot, rancid breath on her face. Her eyes sprang open, and she pushed the man hovering over her away and jumped to her feet.
    “What the hell?” she yelled. Her eyes darted to the open bedroom door. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and every muscle tensed. Memories of when she was a teenager came rushing back to her. She snagged her phone from the couch and shoved it into the pocket of her sweats with one thing on her mind. Getting the hell out of there.
    “Chill out.” The guy from the bar stood before her wearing nothing but a T-shirt, and he was clearly aroused.
    “Dina?” she called out.
    “Shh.” He stumbled backward. “She’s asleep,” the guy said. He stretched, and his erection bounced against