The Heart's Game (The Kelly Brothers, Book 4) Read online

  Six.

  “I can handle that.” He stowed the red die in his pocket and went back to the game, but every so often, he reached for his phone to make sure there wasn’t a text message from his family giving him an update on Ethan.

  Chapter Five

  Jenny added a new line of code to the firmware she was working on and crossed the lab to see if it fixed the bug. She tapped her fingers on a drawing of piano keys, playing the melody of “Für Elise.” In the plastic case in front of her, a robotic hand copied her movement on the synthesizer with the same precision, filling lab with beautiful music.

  Someone applauded behind her.

  Jenny whirled around to find Paul leaning in the doorway. “Tell me what you really think,” she teased.

  “Fine.” He came over and played the Star Wars theme using the visual input robotic device. “Now that’s fine music.”

  She laughed. “Maybe for Jedis in training like you.”

  “Who said anything about me being a padawan?” He waved his hand in front of her face like a Jedi master. “You will accept me as your Sith Lord and join the Dark Side.”

  “Only when you pull me out of Star Fleet Academy.”

  “Damn you, Trekkies,” he mocked, Shatner-style. “Speaking of eternal geek debates, what’s going on between you and Dan?”

  Her shoulder blades drew back as through he’d poked the spine between them. Did Dan tell him about Comic-Con? “What makes you think there’s something going on between us?”

  “Oh, please! Dinner Saturday night was like watching a documentary on flirting. We were all taking bets on whether or not you two would leave together or separately.”

  “Well, as you saw, we left separately.” She hit save and started cleaning up her work area, hoping Paul would take a hint and drop the subject. The last month had been an exercise in self-control. She knew better than to get involved with Dan, especially since she was already in the middle of week ten of her pregnancy and wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret much longer. Once he learned of her surrogacy, he’d take off running just like Duong.

  But that still didn’t stop her from wanting him.

  Only now, she wanted him for reasons outside the bedroom. He was fun to be around. He got her jokes and didn’t seem to look down on her for being a geek like him. And he’d never once tried to press for anything more than friendship on her since that first game four weeks ago.

  “Yeah, I was kind of disappointed by that. Your debate with Dan was epic.”

  “I think I proved my point that the technological advancements of the Star Trek universe made it a far superior series over the likes of Jar-Jar and Jedis.” She made a show of straightening the few pieces of paper on her desk. “Besides, to quote Han Solo, ‘Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.’ ”

  Paul grinned and shook his head as though to say he had nothing left to add. Instead, he sat down in her chair and rocked from side to side. “But seriously, why are you turning Dan down?”

  The papers slipped from her fingers, and panic crept into her throat. “He told you that?”

  “Yeah. I nudged him to ask you out, and he said he already had, and you said no.”

  “What else did he tell you?”

  “That your excuse was bad timing.” He stilled and nodded to the robotic hand. “I know it’s not due to work because you’re already ahead of schedule on this project.”

  “Paul, please, don’t get involved—”

  “I’m not trying to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong, but I will vouch for Dan. I’ve known him for over ten years. He’s a great guy, one of my best friends, and I’m glad to actually see him serious about someone after his years of playing the field.”

  “What makes you think he’s serious about me?”

  “He hasn’t lost interest in you.” Paul pretended to pick a piece of lint off of his immaculate button-down shirt. “He normally stays away from girl gamers after what Cait did to him in college, but from what I’ve seen, he seems to want to make an exception to the rule when it comes to you.”

  A sinking feeling settled into the pit of her stomach, and possibly for the hundredth time since Comic-Con, she cursed her luck. Of course she would meet the perfect guy when she was knocked up with her brother-in-law’s kid. But that still didn’t stop her curiosity. “What happened in college?”

  “He and Cait dated all through college. He was even getting ready to propose to her. Then I happened to catch her with someone else and told him.” He shrugged like he’d caught her at the grocery store instead of in another man’s arms. “Since then, he’s never dated a girl longer than a month, and even then, they were more fling material, if you know what I mean.”

  Sort of what I was like at Comic-Con.

  Of course, she’d been after the same thing. Just a fling. Nothing more.

  “Paul, I really appreciate you trying to play matchmaker, but I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Dan. This is just not a good time for me to be getting involved with anyone.”

  “Fine. I’ll back off. But if you change your mind, here’s Dan’s number.” He pulled a slip of paper from his shirt pocket and placed it on her desk. “In the meantime, get out of here. It’s Friday night. You should be having fun, not sitting around in a lab. See you tomorrow afternoon for the game.”

  After Paul left, Jenny stared at the paper with Dan’s number like it was a viper poised to strike. And for all she knew, it could be just as dangerous. The physical longing for him roared to life just like it had four weeks ago. She’d been so good about keeping it under wraps, so good at confining it and pretending it didn’t exist. But now that she had the means to discreetly satisfy her hunger, it overwhelmed her.

  She picked up the paper and read the number. It would be all too easy to call him up and invite him over to her place. If what Paul was telling her was true, then maybe he’d be open to a purely physical relationship. And when she could no longer hide her pregnancy, she could end it. She doubted it would be hard to do. After all, her encounter with Duong proved to her that no man wanted to be involved with a woman who was pregnant with someone else’s child.

  But for now, she could satisfy her physical craving for him.

  Once she got her nerve up to call him.

  She grabbed her phone, her thumb hovering over the digital keypad.

  And then she chickened out.

  I have no clue how to initiate this. It’s not like I’m an expert on booty calls.

  And yet, the few times she had told him what she wanted, he was more than happy to oblige.

  Texting will be safe. Less pressure. Less awkwardness if he turns me down.

  She switched over to her messaging screen and typed in his number, followed by:

  Dan, this is Jenny. Do you want to come over to my place tonight?

  Her heart fluttered in sync with the nauseating butterflies in her stomach. She read the message one more time to make sure it didn’t reek of desperation. Then she hit send.

  Less than a minute later, her phone buzzed.

  Her hands shook as she opened the message.

  When?

  She covered her mouth to smother a yelp of joy. He wasn’t going to turn her down. Her fingers flew over the screen.

  How about in an hour?

  His reply was almost instantaneous.

  What’s your address?

  Her mind reeled. Holy crap! She’d just propositioned a guy, and he accepted. She’d never done anything like this. Well, except for Comic-Con.

  She sat down before her knees gave out from under her. Condoms. She needed to pick up condoms on her way home from work. But after that…

  Her nipples hardened, and the place between her legs began to tingle with anticipation. She was going to get laid, and by a man who knew how to make her come.

  She glanced down at the message and typed in her address. Then she grabbed her backpack and ran out the door. She had just enough time t
o grab a box of condoms and clean up her place before he arrived. And then, with any luck, she wouldn’t be leaving her bed for the rest of the night.

  ***

  Dan parked his car in one of the guest parking spots at Jenny’s condominium complex and took a deep breath. He’d been half hard since he’d gotten her text an hour ago, and he needed to get a better grip on himself before he crossed the line. An invitation to come by her place could mean a number of things from “Hey, let’s get naked” to “Hey, let’s watch Star Trek all night.” Not that there was a problem with either one. Jenny was cool enough that he’d have fun with the latter, but his evening would be infinitely better if it was the former.

  Still, after weeks of her pushing him away, it was good to actually have her wanting to see him outside the game.

  Just don’t assume too much.

  He grabbed the takeout he’d gotten on the way over. Dinner would help soften the blow if she was only looking to hang out and maybe make this feel like more of a real date. He checked his appearance in the mirror, noting the dark circles under his eyes from being on call the night before. Thank God he’d managed to get a nap this afternoon, or he might risk falling asleep as soon as he got to her place. He found her door and knocked.

  Jenny opened it a few seconds later and grabbed him by the shirt, hauling him in and slamming the door before locking her lips with his.

  His dick sprang to life. Oh, yeah!

  The bag of pho slipped from his fingers, and he threaded one hand through her hair while cupping a breast with the other. The passion of her kiss, the hungry moans, and the way her body melted against his left no doubt in his mind why she’d invited him over. But despite the burning desire rushing through his veins and heading straight to his cock, a little voice in the back of his mind was shouting “Danger!” like that annoying robot from Lost in Space.

  It took a Herculean effort to pry his lips from hers and ask, “I thought you wanted to be just friends.”

  “I changed my mind.” She tugged his shirt over his head and ran the flat of her tongue over his nipple.

  The ache in his cock doubled, but somehow, he managed to keep his head on straight. “About not getting involved with me?”

  She froze, then took a step back. Her lips were red and full, her cheeks flushed. Her unbound breasts rose and fell with each quick breath, and her pebbled nipples underneath her thin tank top practically begged him to take them into his mouth. By God, she was tempting. The perfect portrait of a woman consumed by lust. But her eyes remained guarded, and she shook her head. “No, that hasn’t changed. But I was hoping you’d consider a friends with benefits arrangement.”

  “So just sex?”

  She nodded. “Nothing more.”

  “And what if I want more?”

  “That’s all I can give you right now.”

  No strings attached sex. That has been his MO for years. One fling after another. Always losing interest and going after the next thrill. But now the tables were being turned on him. And while any red-blooded guy in the world would be thrilled with what Jenny was offering him, there was a small part of him that wanted more.

  Shit. I’m turning into a woman.

  He ran his fingers through his hair, at an unusual loss for words. And he could only imagine what her response would be if he pulled out his lucky die and asked it if he should take her up on her offer. This time, he was forced to trust his gut.

  Jenny took another step back. “While you’re making up your mind, I’ll be getting naked in the bedroom.”

  She whipped off her tank top, giving him an eyeful of her luscious breasts, before turning around and disappearing into the next room.

  The throbbing in his cock intensified to the point where all he could think was, I’d be a fool to turn this down.

  He unzipped his jeans and followed her. And who knew? Maybe after a few nights like this, he’d be able to convince her that they could be more than just friends with benefits.

  Chapter Six

  The sound of the front door opening pulled Jenny from her sex-induced coma. Her heart jumped into her throat, and panic drove away all the lovely sensations that lingered from the sinfully hot naked man sleeping next to her.

  “Hue,” her mom called out, “where are you?”

  Fuckin’ hell!

  Jenny bolted from the bed, rousing Dan in the process, and grabbed her bathrobe.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, his eyes still groggy.

  Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Leave it to her mother to ruin a perfectly beautiful morning.

  “Hue, are you still sleeping?” her mother shouted.

  “Who’s that?” Dan asked.

  “My mom. Just stay here, and I’ll deal with her.”

  She ran out the door before her mother barged in and found Dan in her bed. It was bad enough Vietnamese people didn’t bother calling ahead of time before coming over. But if her mother caught Dan, she’d never hear the end of it.

  She slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her, and tried smoothing out her snarled hair. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

  Then she noticed Jason standing behind her mother and the amused glint in his eye.

  God, I must look like a nymphomaniac. Not that it was far from the truth. Dan made ample use of the condoms she’d bought last night.

  “I was going to Chinatown with your brother and wanted to invite you to come along.”

  Which meant she’d gone out of her way to come by her place. It was the first time her mother had said something halfway nice to her since she’d ruined the matchmaking efforts. “Gee, Mom, you could’ve just called.”

  “Why do I need to call? You’re not doing anything this morning.” Her mom stopped and pointed to Dan’s shirt on the floor. “You are too messy. No wonder you’re not married.”

  This morning couldn’t get any more humiliating. She swiped it up before her mom realized it wasn’t hers. “It must have fallen out of the laundry basket.”

  “And there’s perfectly good pho by the door. I put in the kitchen for you to eat later.”

  Her stomach rolled. If the pho had been sitting out all night, she wasn’t going to take a chance on getting food poisoning by eating it. She was already puking enough from the morning sickness. “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Let me pick out something for you to wear.”

  Jenny’s pulse went into overdrive as her mom reached for the doorknob, and she plastered herself to the bedroom door. “Really, that’s not necessary. I’m a big girl, and I can dress myself.”

  “But I want you to look nice in case we meet a good Vietnamese boy for you in Chinatown.”

  I wonder what would happen if I told her I spent the entire night fucking a white boy.

  “Mom, if that’s the reason you want me to go to Chinatown with you—”

  “Why are you not letting me into your room?” Her mother tried to grab the knob again, but Jenny continued to block her. “How messy is it?”

  “Very messy.” Rumpled sheets, tossed clothes, naked man…

  “Then I will clean it for you while you get ready.”

  “No, Mom, please, I—”

  Her words died in her mouth as the door gave way behind her, and she stumbled back into a hard, warm bare chest.

  If ever there was a need for a wormhole to swallow her up, it was now. Or maybe a Tardis…

  Her mother’s eyes bugged out, and her jaw dropped. Jason coughed to cover his snicker.

  “There’s my shirt.” Dan took it from her and bent to place a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for finding it.”

  “Who is that?” her mother whispered in Vietnamese.

  Time for the most embarrassing introductions in my life. “Mom, Jason, this is Dan. Dan, this is my mother and brother.”

  Unlike her family, Dan seemed to remember his manners. “Nice to meet you.”

  When they still didn’t respond, he tilted her chin up and placed a quick peck on the tip of her nose. “I’ll see
you later this afternoon.”

  “Okay.” If my mother doesn’t kill me first.

  Her mother and brother parted to let him pass, still trapped in stunned silence.

  But as soon the door closed behind him, the spell was broken, and her mother started screeching in Vietnamese, “What was that man doing in your room?”

  A sting of irritation formed at the base of her neck. A few weeks ago, she would’ve respectfully lowered her eyes and pleaded for forgiveness from her mother, but since she was already on a crash course for being disowned, she might as well say what was on her mind. “He was sleeping before you barged in and woke us up.”

  “He was sleeping with you.” Her mother pointed a single finger at her, but it was full of censure. “First, you sleep with your brother’s husband, then you sleep with a white boy?”

  “Just to clarify, she never slept with Mike,” Jason interjected, but their mother drowned him out with a string of Vietnamese curses.

  After hearing her mother call her a slut and a disgrace, Jenny stopped listening. She crossed her arms and sank onto the sofa while her mother circled the room, vocalizing her anger and distress to the walls.

  Jason plopped down next to her. “He has a cute butt.”

  “You would notice that.”

  “I’m an ass man,” he said with an unapologetic grin. “So, tell me a little more about him.”

  Jenny couldn’t help but notice her mother’s rants began to quiet, her ear turned toward them so she could pick up any details.

  “He’s Paul’s old college roommate.”

  “And?”

  “And he just moved up here and joined our game.” She didn’t dare tell them about Comic-Con. Her mother had never understood her fascination with cosplay, and she didn’t want to give her the wrong impression that cons were little more than orgies.

  “What else?”

  “He’s a doctor.”

  That shut her mother up. She came to the sofa, the sly smile on her lips complementing the scheming light in her eyes. “What kind of doctor?”

  “A surgeon.”

  Her mother nodded. “A surgeon is good.”