Master Of Games Read online

  “She kept my son from me and let another man raise him.”

  “She had her reasons. Give her a chance to come clean.”

  “She had over ten years.”

  “So seducing her is going to be payback? Then what? You break her heart like she broke yours? If you want any sort of relationship with your son, I’d take a step back.”

  At that moment, Amelia turned in my direction and our eyes locked. There was no alcohol haze in her gaze, only heat. She had never been able to hide her response to my presence.

  My body instantly reacted, craving her touch, her mouth, her body.

  “There’s no going back. This morning, it took me less than ten seconds to know we still wanted each other. She knows as well as I do that it’s inevitable we’ll end up in bed.”

  “I doubt she’s into your forms of proclivity.”

  “You don’t know her at all.” I smirked. “She wasn’t only my first lay. She was my first submissive. I knew I liked kink from the very beginning. Amelia was the one who helped me explore it.”

  “The world she’s lived in for the past ten years is pretty conservative. She could have changed.”

  “No, she hasn’t. She may have turned down the need for it over the last ten years, but it never died. I plan to give her what she secretly craves and get what I want in the end.”

  “You’re digging your own grave. I only hope you don’t take us down in the process.”

  “I know what I’m doing.” I moved toward Amelia.

  Well, I hoped I did.

  She watched me until I was almost a foot away from her. I held out a hand.

  “Dance with me, Amelia.”

  Amelia

  * * *

  My pulse accelerated as I stared at Pierce’s outstretched hand. The single Firewater shot I’d downed had loosened my inhibitions enough to dance, but it hadn’t dulled my wits. And I knew his request wasn’t a question but a polite order.

  I’d felt his presence the second he’d moved into the lounge. It had always been that way. Then when I’d turned, I’d nearly swallowed my tongue.

  His wore a fitted black T-shirt, displaying the broad definition of his muscular shoulders, and a pair of dark denim jeans. Even after all these years, he had the physique of a swimmer. The only jewelry he wore was the Patek Philippe watch on his left hand. The one waiting for me to accept his offer.

  “It’s not a good idea.” I licked my lips and saw his blue eyes move to them.

  A tingle went up my spine, and my core spasmed.

  Shit. I was in deep trouble.

  “Of course, it is. It’s not like I’m asking you to have sex with me. Besides—” He paused as he grasped my hand and led me to the dance floor.

  Then, he pulled me against him, laying a firm but gentle hand on my back, reminding me of the past. In the way he’d calm me when I was uncertain or needed reassurance, or after intense sex.

  “Besides what?” My voice was breathy.

  God, he smelled good.

  He leaned in and whispered, “Besides, when I fuck you, it won’t be because I asked you to but because you begged me to.”

  Everything in me trembled, and I was confident he felt it. He’d always had this uncanny ability to rattle me.

  As the music changed, his palms slid to my hips, gripping them in the way that made everything inside me awaken. My nipples pebbled and my cleft grew slick.

  His cock hardened, long and thick against my abdomen, adding to the desire burning in my body. The fact he wasn’t shy about pressing it against me told me he wanted me to react.

  We danced as we’d done so many times when we were younger—our movements in sync.

  He released his hold on one hip to slide his hand upward until he held my rib cage, applying slight pressure.

  My breath hitched as visions filled my mind of my arms bound behind my back and him fucking me in the same position he held me now.

  “Are you okay?” He rubbed his stubble-covered cheek along mine.

  He had to know what he was doing to my body.

  When we were younger, I had no comprehension of the type of relationship we’d had. All I knew was that I had complete trust in Pierce knowing what I needed and giving it to me. He liked to control, and for some reason, I’d loved giving it to him.

  It had taken me years to forget the freedom and pleasure I’d experienced in his arms. When I’d married Stavros, it took me so long not to feel like I was trapped in a cage of etiquette and old-world rules.

  A pang of guilt hit me for even thinking that way about my life with Stavros.

  He’d saved me when I had no idea where to go, and here I was comparing my life with him to another man.

  I tried to step out of Pierce’s hold, but he held me firm. “Pierce, please. This can’t happen.”

  “I know you feel it. The urge to sink to your knees, the urge to bow your head and wait for my command.”

  I shook my head to deny his statement, but he cupped my jaw so I was looking into his lust-glazed eyes.

  “You can lie to yourself.” He ran a thumb over my lower lip. “But you can’t lie to me. You may have suppressed your desires in your super-conservative life with your rich, older husband, but they’re still there. The need to be owned. The need to submit. The need to be fucked hard.”

  A whimper escaped my mouth. He was right. I wanted it, needed it, but if I opened that door again, it could leave me in shambles when Pierce learned the truth.

  At that moment, the flash of a camera had me pulling back and breaking free of Pierce’s spell.

  I glanced in the direction of the light to see Vivian James and Xander Caro taking selfies.

  Without thinking, I went to grab my purse from the nearby sofa. I had to get out of here.

  How could I be so stupid? I couldn’t go down the rabbit hole again. Panic began to fill my chest.

  I turned to leave but collided with Pierce’s chest, clutching his shoulder to steady myself.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have to go back to my hotel.”

  “Why?”

  It took me a second to think of an excuse. “I want to call Christopher before he goes to school. If I leave now I can catch him.” I glanced at Penny, who stopped dancing with Hagen to come over to me.

  “Can you call our driver to take me back?”

  There was a worried look on her face as her gaze went between Pierce and me.

  Before she could respond, Pierce said, “I’ll take her back.”

  “We all should go.” Neya approached us and slung an arm over my shoulders. “It’s late, and my manager is a stickler for me getting to my training sessions on time.”

  Pierce clenched his jaw, and I felt a sense of relief.

  “Yes, I know her personally, and she is a taskmaster.” I tried to make light of the situation, but the tightness in my stance gave away my true feelings. “Neya, stay. Tomorrow is your day off.”

  “Are you sure?” Henna came up now. “We don’t mind calling it a night.”

  I felt Pierce’s agitation rising and knew it was better to deal with him than cause a scene.

  Back in the day, Pierce had a reputation as the bad boy of swimming, always mouthing off or being confrontational. It had taken a near disqualification from the US team to get his act in gear. He’d made a complete one-eighty and gone from out-of-control rich-kid star athlete to an ultra-focused, goal-oriented, and always-in-control champion.

  That was around the time we’d met. The only time he’d ever slipped into his old ways was when he had confrontations with Collin or when his trainers would keep us apart so we could prepare for the Olympic trials.

  “I said, I’d take…” Pierce trailed off as I set a hand on his chest, and immediately, his stance calmed and his focus moved to where I pressed against his shirt.

  Dear God, it still worked.

  He lifted his gaze to mine, making me realize he was as shocked as I was.

  Quickly, I turn
ed to the group. “It’s okay. Pierce will drop me off at the Cypress. You guys have a good time. Let’s go, Pierce.”

  No one argued as I walked toward the exit with Pierce close on my heels.

  Chapter Six

  Pierce

  * * *

  I watched Amelia as she led the way through the back hallways of the club. The energy between us had shifted in a way I hadn’t expected. When I’d strong-armed her into dancing, I’d felt lust mixed with the underlying anger of everything between us. Then, when she’d stepped between me and her friends, placing her delicate hand on my chest, I had a rush of calmness I hadn’t experienced in over a decade.

  One touch and the irritation eased.

  Dammit. She wasn’t supposed to affect me like this.

  She remained quiet while my car pulled up, and then I helped her in.

  The second the doors shut, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back, all but putting up a wall between us.

  As I got behind the wheel, I noticed her face was ashen with a hard edge, as if she was braced for a confrontation.

  We drove in silence for a few minutes before I couldn’t take it anymore. I knew I was an asshole, and despite what my anger wanted me to do, I couldn’t hurt her.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She opened her eyes and stared at me. “For what, exactly?”

  “For pushing you. For coming on to you so strong. I didn’t expect it to feel so intense to be around you.”

  I hadn’t expected one simple graze of her fingers to remind me of what she’d meant to me.

  “Nothing can come of this, no matter how strong this attraction is between us. After the fight, I plan to return to Greece.”

  “I know.”

  She looked out the window at a group of partiers in a stretch limo dancing through the moonroof and then back at me. “Isn’t it inconvenient to drive me to the Cypress?”

  “Actually, the Cypress is on the way to my place.”

  “Your place?” she questioned.

  “Yes. The Aegean is mine and it’s down the street from the Cypress.”

  Her eyes grew big.

  The Aegean was the casino-hotel known throughout the world for its fountains. Everything was designed around the theme of water. It was a mix of modern and classical architecture. It was also the most award-winning property in the HPZ arsenal, much to Hagen’s chagrin.

  “Why do you have a hotel? I thought you were the sports god of the group? Don’t they call you Master of Games?”

  I nearly rolled my eyes. That name was so stupid. A few years ago, Rolling Stone did an article about Hagen, Zack, and me. They latched on to our Greek heritage and dubbed us the Gods of Vegas since we were three Greek brothers who’d estranged ourselves from our father. And then another magazine had done a piece on me, dubbing me the Master of Games because of my former athlete status and my sports promotion company.

  “Each of us has a casino-hotel we run in addition to our other endeavors. Hagen has the Ida, Zack has the Aegis, and I’m in charge of the Aegean. The other properties are managed by trusted groups of men and women.”

  “I guess they are sub-deities.” She smirked, and the shadows clouding her eyes disappeared.

  “Very funny.”

  “You do realize that with all the names you three picked for your properties, it’s no wonder they refer to you as the Greek gods. If you didn’t want comparisons, I’d have decided on something less Greek.”

  “We like our Greek heritage. We’re the first generation outside of Greece, so what better way than to name things that we own after Greek places.”

  “Aegis isn’t a place. It’s the name of Zeus’s shield.”

  “That’s all Zack. It is a tribute to our Mama. She gave him an antique pendant of Zeus’s shield right before she passed away. It was nearly a thousand years old and one of her prized possessions.”

  I hated thinking back on those days. We hadn’t learned of Mama’s cancer until she’d entered hospice. Hagen and I had been on our own for years by that time and were used to having limited contact with our mother. But Zack had been in his second year of college, barely twenty, and hadn’t handled the situation well.

  Mama had given Zack the pendant to remind him he was protected and loved.

  Amelia sniffed as tears clouded her eyes and then asked, “Did you know she stayed in touch with me after we broke up? She’d come to see me every time she visited her family in Greece. She would bring presents for Christopher and a giant box for me containing my favorite American treats.”

  Now that was news. Mama had visited her sisters at least three times each year. But I never thought she’d visited the girl who’d destroyed my heart.

  Why would she keep this from me?

  I’d never know the answer to that question and a million others that I had for her. Mama was gone, and the only person who could possibly give me any resolution was Collin, and I was no way near ready to talk to him.

  “One time she brought Christopher these little custom carved statues, telling me every Greek boy should know his mythology. At the time, I thought she was crazy. At barely a year, all Christopher would do with them was use the pieces as teething toys. It wasn’t until a few years after she passed away that he truly played with them. Now, he’s obsessed, never letting them out of his sight, especially this one of Poseidon with a chip on…”

  “…the left arm,” I finished, startling her. “They were mine. I accidentally broke a chunk off the wood when I tried to attach a sword to the piece.”

  We stared at each other, feeling the raw emotions before I turned my attention back to the road.

  Pain shot into my heart. Mama had to have known or at least suspected Christopher was mine—that would be the only reason why she’d give him something I’d specifically saved to give to my own child one day.

  “Pierce. There’s something I have to tell you.”

  I held my breath, knowing what she would say. “What?”

  She wrung her hands and took a deep breath.

  “It’s about…” Her words died as we reached the private entrance for the residential area of the resort.

  The valet opened the door, and I nearly cursed.

  Placing a hand over her arm, I stayed her before she could move.

  “Keep going.”

  A flash of panic came over her face, and her breath grew uneven.

  My heartbeat was drumming a marching beat as I waited for her to respond.

  She released a sigh of resignation, and I felt a stab in my heart.

  God, what was I doing? Was this how I wanted to hear that I was a father? In a fucking car, of all places.

  Before I could tell her to wait to talk, she shook her head. “No. This needs to happen when I have a clear head, not when I’ve spent the night out.”

  I studied her. Her face was pale and dark circles rimmed her eyes. After a few seconds, I said, “When?”

  “Soon. I promise soon.” She stepped out of the car and hurried into the hotel.

  Amelia

  * * *

  “Good morning, sunshine,” I said into the phone with my most cheery voice as I entered my suite and kicked off my heels.

  “Mama!” Christopher’s exuberant voice came over the line. “Three more weeks and we’ll be there with you.”

  “I can’t wait to see you, my sweet boy. But it’s five more weeks.”

  “I forgot. Why can’t we fly to America as soon as school finishes?”

  I walked into the living room and dropped onto the couch, immediately pulling the blanket I’d thrown on the end over my feet.

  “Because Yia Yia and Pappous have to close up the house and pack for the whole summer. That’s a lot of work to get done. Plus, it will give you nearly two weeks to do nothing except play with your friends.”

  “Yia Yia says I can bring my Greek carvings. She said if I behave and don’t talk back, she’ll let me bring the whole collection.”

  “Wow, the whole collec
tion. Isn’t that nearly fifty pieces?”

  “Yep. I have to put them in storage with our luggage, but she’ll let me take three of my favorite pieces onto the plane.”

  I rubbed my chest, feeling the ache of the conversation I’d had with Pierce and the way I’d left things.

  It was as if Pierce had known what I’d say. That meant he had to have seen the pictures from the photo shoot and recognized the toy Christopher held.

  I was sent advance copies of all the editions of the spread. Each had a slightly different pose, some with Christopher on my lap or sitting beside me. The one that would hit the stands in the USA had me leaning on the back of the chaise with my legs outstretched to show off my gown. Christopher was positioned against my shoulder, with his hand resting on my left arm and the figurine of Poseidon in the palm of the other. Only if someone inspected the picture could they have made out what Christopher was holding.

  Christopher’s chatter broke into my brooding. “Yia Yia said I can swim every day if I want to when we’re in Las Vegas.”

  “That you can. The hotel we’re staying at has twelve pools.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  “You know what that means?”

  “What?”

  “You can watch me practice and give me pointers like you do your athletes. I can be one of them. And one day you can be my manager.”

  I smiled. This boy held my heart tight in the palms of his hands.

  “I would love that.”

  “Did you know that Pappous Collin’s son is Pierce Lykaios? Did you know he swam in the Olympic Games and won six gold medals? Pappous Collin promised to introduce us when I get to Las Vegas.”

  “Pappous? When did you start calling Mr. Lykaios that?”

  I was not going to touch the subject of Collin’s son.

  “When we were in Ireland. Remember when I went to the park? He was there. He looked so sad as he stared at the ducks. I decided to say hi and make him smile by talking to him.”