Player's Challenge by Koko Brown Read Free Book Online Page A

then placed a cotton pad underneath her eyebrow and tipped the bottle of peroxide.
    Possessing a low tolerance for pain, Gemma’s hand shot out to stop him. “It’s going to sting, isn’t it?”
    His eyes gravitated to the open wound. “Most definitely.”
    Gemma let his wrist go. “Okay…” She squeezed her eyes shut, “I’m ready.”
    The cold peroxide trickled onto her skin and quickly turned into liquid fire.
    “Owowow—”
    A warm pair of lips suddenly cut off her yelp of pain. Gemma’s eyes shot open, meeting his. The pain had nothing on the shock of re-discovering how soft his lips were and how much she wanted to feel his tongue entwine with hers.
    All too abruptly, he pulled away.
    “W-why did you kiss me?” Panting, Gemma licked her lips, savoring the taste.
    “Get your mind off the pain. Did it work?” Cool as a cucumber, Devin tore into a clean bandage.
    More than worked. Her head wound barely registered and her job was beginning to look more and more like an inconvenience. Bothered by her reaction, she ducked her head. “It still stings,” she lied.
    “Then I should do it again.”
    He leaned in again. Afraid she might want more, Gemma held up her hands. “I’m good, really.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Finish what you’re doing, Devin.”
    “You’re no bloody fun.” The sides of his mouth twitching, Devin applied the fresh bandage then stepped back, admiring his handiwork. “I’m heading to the gym, but I’ll be back in an hour. Be ready so we can go eat breakfast.”
    Gemma’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you didn’t like eating in public places.”
    “Normally, no.” Devin averted his gaze, taking particular interest in the bed’s white duvet cover.
    Smelling a rat, Gemma pressed, “Last night, when you were so adamant about ordering in, that was a set up wasn’t it?”
    “Is this a trick question?”
    “Devin…”
    He ran a finger along his jawline. “The freaks come out at night?”
    “ Devin …”
    “I haven’t seen you in eight years. I didn’t want to share you with the public.”
    He stalked to the door, and Gemma remained on the bed, stewing in pheromones. “I’m your agent, Devin, not your girlfriend.”
    Pausing on the threshold, he turned around. “Agent…girlfriend. Either way you’re screwing.” He even had the audacity to wink before he closed the door behind him.
    ***
    Devin flashed his gym pass. The blonde handed him two warm towels and wished him a good workout. Devin grunted. He would’ve preferred a workout of a different kind. One involving crawling in bed with Gemma and making love to her ’til her eyes crossed. Since she wasn’t quite ready for that, he’d pulled himself away and headed to the club.
    After stopping to stretch, he jumped on one of the open treadmills. Three times a week, he alternated between HIITS and plyometric exercises to increase his endurance. Eschewing weights, so as not to become too bulky, he maintained muscle with full body workouts two days a week.
    Today more than ever Devin needed the monotony the treadmill afforded him, and he prayed the forty-five minute drill would cool his ardor. Several times, he’d been so close to slamming Gemma onto her back and ripping her clothes off, he’d gone to bed and jerked off to an image of her in his head. Awaking with another raging hard-on, he’d dressed and gone straight to her room to check on her.
    Devin ran his hand through his hair.
    Shit! He had it bad.
    “What’s new,” he muttered under his breath. He’d been in love with Gemma for so long, he couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t. His love for her was one of the reasons he’d left Birmingham without saying goodbye. If he’d stayed, he would’ve ruined both their lives. Of course, after a couple months he knew he’d made the biggest mistake of his life. With his tail between his legs, he’d tried to reconnect. Each time led to a dead end with him sitting on the phone talking with Gemma’s mother,