The Player's Club: Finn by Cathy Yardley Read Free Book Online

smell his aftershave, something clean and male and vaguely outdoorsy. She could see the muscles that pulled his T-shirt taut against his chiseled chest. He seemed to sense her new appreciation, and moved forward.
    “I take a few things very, very seriously,” he replied, reaching out, touching her cheek, stroking gently. “I wouldn’t mind showing you sometime.”
    “D-does that actually work on women?” she asked, trying for disdain and failing miserably.
    “You tell me.” His lips were just above hers, his voice caressing her. “Just tell me to stop, Diana, and I’ll stop cold. But I have to say, I haven’t met anyone who’s intrigued me half as much as you.”
    “I’m not trying to intrigue you.”
    “Maybe that’s why.” His mouth…damn, she could all but feel it against hers.
    She forced herself to pull away, breathing deeply. “Well, that’s flattering. You’re attracted because I’m not.” She quirked up one of her eyebrows. “Don’t they have a term for that sort of fixation? Like stalker? ”
    “I didn’t say you weren’t attracted.” His eyes shone with amusement, and admiration. “I said you weren’t trying to intrigue me, which is great, by the way. Most women I know figure out I have money and then do everything they can to hook me.”
    “I’m not trying to hook you,” she said, insulted. “And I am not attracted to you.”
    “Liar.” He drawled the word. If honey had a sound, his voice would be it.
    She crossed her arms. “Okay. You’ve got me. I’m sooo attracted to you. Take me, take me now. Oh, baby.” She rolled her eyes when he laughed. Damn. He had a great laugh.
    “Now you’re really hurting me.” He backed off to her relief. “All I’m saying is, we’re stuck in this situation. I know you’re only doing your job, trying to get me out of the Club, and I’m not taking it personally. I hate it that my parents are spying on me and want to control my life. That said, at least this time they’ve put a gorgeous, intelligent woman on my case. I might as well make the best of a bad situation.”
    “When life gives you lemons?”
    “Something like that.” He winked at her. She didn’t know anyone else who could wink and have it actually look rakish. “I guess it’s a good thing you’re not attracted to me, though. You do take things too seriously.”
    “Do I, now?” She frowned, feeling the same irritation she’d felt with Travis.
    Finn shrugged. “I have a good time with women. We have fun. But I get the feeling that you’re not the type to just have fun.” He shot her a quick, devilish grin. “I’d hate for you to kiss me, fall madly in love with me, then decide you couldn’t live without me.”
    “And there’s a danger of that?” she said, laughing at the sheer audacity of his tongue-in-cheek pronouncement.
    “Unfortunately, yes,” he said, and she noticed there was a glint in his eyes…something that suggested that, perhaps, there was a kernel of truth in his joke. “I’m a pretty good kisser.”
    “Thank God I’m made of sterner stuff,” she countered. “Trust me, Finn. I’m not going to fall in love with you.”
    “You say that now,” he muttered. “Heck, they all do.”
    That’s when she knew that he meant it. “You honestly think that if I kissed you, I’d fall in love with you?”
    “No. If you had sex with me, though, you probably would.” He started to leave. “A kiss would probably mean you wouldn’t stop calling me. I’ll see you on the playing field, Diana. Or at least, I’ll see you. Don’t think your P.I.s will be…”
    Before he could finish the sentence, before she could think the better of it, she’d grabbed him, turned him and kissed him hard on the mouth.
    When she released him, he let out a chuckle. She barely registered it, just as she barely registered her shock at having done something so stupid. Something that, in a split second, seemed like a good idea…but really, really wasn’t .
    Then his