Master Of Games Read online

  I set the phone on the coffee table. “It can’t happen, Penny. I have Christopher to think about.”

  My gaze went to the night sky outside Penny and Hagen’s penthouse. The Strip glowed from below, making it seem like we were in another world.

  “What better scenario than his parents getting back together?”

  I moved to the glass doors of the balcony, setting my hand on the window.

  “It wouldn’t be like that, and you know it. There’s no future for us. Christopher is Stavros’s son to the world, and it will stay that way. All I can hope for is an arrangement that will allow Pierce into our lives without diminishing Stavros’s legacy.”

  “Does it matter that you never got over Pierce and the fact you’re still in love with each other?” Penny came up behind me.

  I shook my head. “He’s not in love with me. I killed whatever he felt the day I left him for Stavros.”

  I could still see the look of utter devastation on his face when I’d told him I was moving and we had no future. He’d listened to my bullshit explanation and hadn’t given any response, except the haze of pain that had filled his eyes as he’d turned his back on me and walked away.

  I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to ward off the chill that crept through my body.

  “I don’t believe that for a second. With one touch, you caged the beast Pierce was about to unleash on Henna the other night for suggesting she take you home instead of him. The man hasn’t gotten over you.”

  “Nothing can come of it.”

  “Well, at least you didn’t deny how you felt.” Penny laid her head on my shoulder.

  “It doesn’t matter what I feel. I made decisions that changed the course of our lives. The fact that I forgave Collin doesn’t change what I did.”

  “Are you ever going to forgive yourself for the decision you had to make as a barely eighteen-year-old?”

  Before I could respond, the elevator opened and Hagen appeared. “Ready, ladies?”

  He offered us his arms, and we left their penthouse.

  An hour after arriving at the Cypress, I sipped expensive champagne and watched Apollo charm every reporter and potential sponsor around him. His unique charisma had everyone eating out of his hand.

  Apollo caught me watching him and lifted his glass with a grin, and then scowled as he scanned the room before returning to his conversation.

  I knew who he was searching for. Neya.

  I hadn’t figured out what was up with the two of them, since both denied any relationship outside the gym. They had a chemistry that was obvious to everyone around them. If there was a couple who could understand the sacrifice and time needed for an MMA career, it was them. Maybe one day they’d figure it out and…

  My thoughts trailed off as I caught sight of Pierce walking in with Hugo and four other fighters of his.

  God, he was breathtaking.

  He wore a custom-made suit from his go-to designer, Ermenegildo Zegna. Years ago, I learned during a tour of the Zegna studios with Stavros that Pierce, Hagen, and Zack exclusively wore the brand when it came to suits, jackets, and formalwear. One of the designers had said it was rumored the exclusivity clause was due to the fact Zack had lost a hand of poker to one of the heirs of the company. I wasn’t sure how much merit there was to the story, but it looked like all of the men with Pierce were wearing the brand, and it was well-placed marketing for the company.

  I grabbed another champagne glass from a passing tray and studied Pierce.

  He tugged at the knot of his tie, telling me he hated wearing it.

  Some things never changed. Even when we were younger, he would avoid a tie if at all possible. He lifted his hand from the silk to shake the hand of a well-known liquor distributor.

  I should have looked away, but an image flashed in my mind of him sliding the tie through his fingers and wrapping it around my wrists as he bound me to the headboard of a bed. My blood heated, and arousal hummed deep inside my being.

  God, I wanted him, not just for sex but for the edge he would bring me to that bordered on the cusp of pleasure and pain before he would send me over the abyss of ecstasy.

  At that moment, he looked up, his heated gaze locked with mine as if he’d read my thoughts, and it took all my strength not to look away.

  My pulse thudded in my chest, and desire flooded my core.

  What was happening to me? His presence alone had my body responding, and then add in a heated gaze, and I was ready and willing to drop to my knees to suck his cock.

  I turned my face to keep myself from acting out my crazy desires.

  He was too potent for me to resist him. I was a moth being drawn toward a flame.

  Fuck. I wasn’t the naive virgin who’d fallen for the bad boy of swimming anymore. I was the promoter who had a thriving business and a son to protect.

  “He still wants you,” came a heavily Greek-accented voice from behind me.

  I froze for a split second.

  Why the hell was he here?

  I turned to see Astros Dukas, Stavros’s best friend, standing before me. He was like an overbearing uncle, the kind who didn’t necessarily care about you but cared more about what you could do for him. And the fact he was here in the US had my back up. I never liked him or his wife. I only tolerated them for Stavros’s sake, and I knew the feeling was mutual.

  “What are you doing here, Astros?”

  He set a hand on my back, and I instinctively shifted to the side. His presence always made my skin crawl. It was as if my senses could detect something was off behind the polished, handsome exterior.

  “I worried about you and wanted to give you my support.”

  Everything in me wanted to call bullshit, but I plastered on a smile. Astros thought I hadn’t known that he expected Stavros to leave the voting interest in Thanos International to him.

  Stavros had told me he’d made the agreement after his first wife, Sara, died from complications during her pregnancy. He’d never expected to marry again or have children, especially after malaria had left him sterile, and most of his other family members were happy living a hands-off life as long as the money came in, so he’d promised Astros his shares in his family’s company as an inheritance for Astros’s sons.

  When he met and married me, he’d assumed Astros understood that our son would inherit the company instead.

  I hadn’t realized Astros had actually expected Stavros to gift him some of the shares, until the details of Stavros’s will and trust were made public. Nothing could make me forget the rage on Astros’s face when he learned Christopher would inherit everything with me as the overseer until he came of age.

  Astros had always treated me with a distant tolerance, something I assumed had to do with me marrying a man fifteen years older than me and coming from a non-aristocratic background. But until that day, I hadn’t noticed the animosity he’d had toward Christopher.

  It was as if Astros was angry at Christopher’s existence. When he’d looked at my boy, there was pure hatred.

  “As you can see, I’m fine. Where’s Naomi?” I searched the room for his wife. “I wouldn’t think she’d let you leave Europe without her.”

  Everyone assumed I was a gold-digger when in fact she was. I’d never met a person that enjoyed the finer things in life more than her. Astros was her meal ticket. Which meant she had to do everything to keep him interested, from having lots of children and keeping her figure perfect, to turning the other way when Astros flaunted his many affairs.

  It still boggled my mind how Stavros and Astros were so completely different.

  “She is on a trip with her friends. In Fiji, I believe.”

  I folded my arms. “Why are you really here?”

  “I had business in California and decided to stop by to see you.”

  It took all my strength not to roll my eyes and mutter, “Or maybe you wanted to get my position on the sale of the Singapore shipyard.”

  Instead, I plastered on a fake
smile and said, “George has my vote in a sealed envelope. He’ll announce it at the board meeting.”

  After Stavros’s death, I knew I had no clue what it was like to run a shipping conglomerate, so I’d let Stavros’s executive vice president and nephew, Lucas Thanos, take the reins as President and CEO of Thanos International. I remained Chairman of the Board and made the final decisions on major acquisitions and changes. But the day-to-day workings of the company were Lucas’s to handle. This also gave me time to run my own management and promotion company.

  “I see.” He gave me a disingenuous smile. “You know what’s best for Christopher’s future.”

  “I try. I need to make the rounds. I’ll see you back home in a few months.”

  He caught my arm. “Why don’t you introduce me to everyone. We could make it a fun evening.”

  I gently but firmly pulled free of Astros’s hold. “Tonight is business, Astros. That means making sure everything is ready for the fight while helping Apollo further his career. I’m not here for a social event.”

  “Well, Lykaios definitely pulled out the red carpet for you tonight.”

  “Not for me. It’s for Apollo,” I corrected. “This is a way for the press to get to know the fighters better before they go into seclusion for their training.”

  “Right. And it has nothing to do with Collin Lykaios adopting you into his fold as he’s done with the Anthony girls.” There was a hint of distaste in his words that had my temper rising. “He should be careful with the people linked to his name.”

  “Henna and Anaya had nothing to do with their father’s deeds. Lay off them. They’re my friends.” I couldn’t hide the irritation in my voice.

  Astros lifted his hands in surrender. “I’m only watching out for you and Christopher, as Stavros would expect me to. I don’t want anything negative to touch either of you.”

  His words only annoyed me further.

  “I’m a smart woman and know who to trust.”

  “You know Naomi and I will always be there for you.” He leaned down to kiss my cheek, lingering longer than necessary.

  “Goodbye, Astros.”

  He nodded and moved out of the ballroom area. When I turned to find Apollo, I saw Pierce scowling at me with anger in his gaze.

  Chapter Eight

  Pierce

  * * *

  Who the fuck was she talking to? Another older lover? Of course with that thing she called a dress on, every man in the room had fantasies of getting between her legs.

  I ran a hand through my hair, squeezing my nape.

  Dammit. She wasn’t mine. I hadn’t felt this sense of jealousy since we were kids. Then she was my safe place, the one person who was mine. I had no say in what she did today.

  Collin saw my reaction and smirked, making me want to strangle the man who’d provided my DNA. I couldn’t reconcile everything Hagen told me and what Collin had written in the letter with the man who’d thrown my brothers and me out of his home as children.

  Hagen had given me the background of the whole Draco-Collin saga, but that meant shit to my world as it existed. Because of him, my last memories of my mother were of her ravaged by cancer in the hospital. Because of him, I lost the woman I loved and a chance to be a father. It would take a whole lot more than a letter and apology.

  Collin turned as Amelia approached him. He hugged her as if she were his long-lost daughter before she moved into the crowd with Apollo. What had he said to earn her forgiveness?

  I clenched my fists and then adjusted my tie. I needed to burn off this frustration with Collin, Amelia, the whole damn situation. After this shindig, I planned to head to my place and hit the pool.

  Hagen would probably bitch, but I was miserable company, and it was better for me to swim than brood while sitting in one of his clubs.

  Amelia glanced in my direction for a brief moment, and immediately I felt the deep pull we’d barely touched on the other night. I craved her, not just physically but the bond we’d shared, a bond that could never be rekindled.

  “Looks like you’re staking a claim.” Hugo came up next to me and clasped a palm on my back, jostling me a fraction.

  Man, the fucker had a powerful hand. Hopefully, he’d remember to use it in the ring.

  “So what’s the deal with the two of you? Rumor has it she left you for some billionaire.”

  “You could say that.”

  I watched her move fluidly between the various media representatives. She gave them smiles and flirted while keeping Apollo the center of the conversation. Anyone who encountered her would never doubt that she knew her job.

  She’d grown into a honed businesswoman. Gone was the innocent, shy girl who’d turned my world upside down with a glance. Gone was the girl who had a hard time speaking in public. And most definitely, gone was the girl who needed me as much as I’d needed her.

  “So want to tell me if something is going on with you two?”

  I frowned. “Why is that any of your business?”

  “Because I need to know that whatever it is, it won’t affect my career. Remember we talked about me taking on some matches in Europe and Asia. If you have a falling out, it’ll make it harder to get prime spots.”

  “I hear you.” I continued to watch Amelia. “We have some things from the past to resolve. It’ll be done in private. Neither Amelia nor I would do anything to hurt our people.”

  “Good to hear. Now I have another prospect to discuss.”

  I smiled. Hugo was young but had a good head on his shoulders, especially when it came to his future.

  As he began to go into details, Amelia glanced around the room, focusing on a door in the back. She moved toward it, stopping to greet people and engage in small talk. It took her about ten minutes to work her way back and slip out.

  “I see that I’m boring you.” Hugo smacked my back again. “I may be young, but I’m not blind. You have it bad for her.”

  “You need your eyes checked.”

  “Says the man who’s itching to go after her.”

  Amelia

  * * *

  I stepped into the lounge Collin said he used for his VIPs. He’d kept it closed for me, and I was eternally grateful. I’d escaped to this room countless times over the past few days. I was a shy person by nature, but my lifestyle and business had made it necessary to pretend I was an extrovert. Sometimes I wondered how people hadn’t caught on to my anxiety. Collin knew my stage-fright issues from the time my father had worked for him, so I found it sweet that he cared enough to give me a space to collect my thoughts, whenever I needed it.

  I moved to the stocked bar near the doors leading to the lounge’s balcony and poured a large helping of Firewater, downing it almost immediately. I winced as the whiskey burned down my throat and then warmed my belly.

  How did Penny go shot for shot with this stuff and still have her wits? Another one of these and I’d be out for the night, in dreamland.

  Once the sting eased, I set my glass down and gazed out of the large windows that looked out toward a slew of dancing water fountains.

  I pressed my palm to the glass and sighed. I was playing a dangerous game with Pierce. One that guaranteed I’d be the one who came out the loser. We had a child we hadn’t yet discussed and an attraction that I couldn’t act upon.

  Then there was the added worry I felt at seeing Astros here. If he learned that Stavros wasn’t Christopher’s father, he’d do everything in his power to embarrass the Thanos family and put a taint on me and Christopher. He was dangerous, and I had to keep an eye on him.

  The years I’d spent by Stavros’s side had taught me more than I ever expected. He’d shown me how to gauge people, their motives especially. I learned what was shown wasn’t truth. Countless times, people had smiled to my face but treated me as less than an equal when the press or the public wasn’t watching. Astros and his wife were the biggest culprits of this.

  There was only one reason Astros was here. He had to have seen the pi
ctures of Pierce and me. From what I saw at Penny and Hagen’s place, those pictures would leave no doubt our attraction was as strong today as it had been.

  I pushed the thought back as a door opened behind me. Immediately, the energy changed in the room, and I knew it was Pierce before I turned.

  “What are you doing in—” My words were lost as I took in the feral lust in his gaze. He stalked toward me and jerked me into his arms a second before his mouth descended on mine.

  Need I’d tried so hard to push back erupted in every pore of my body. He tasted of champagne and his unique rich flavor that I could never forget.

  I gripped his shoulders, knowing I should push him away. Instead I pulled him closer.

  “Do you know how hard it is to see men want you and not have any claim to stop them? This fucking dress is indecent.” He bit my lower lip, leaving a delicious sting.

  “I wear what I want. I’m a grown woman,” I said between kisses.

  He cupped my ass, grinding my pelvis along his. His hold was hard and possessive as if he owned me.

  “Believe me, I know.”

  His tongue pushed into my mouth as his grip on my bottom grew more intense. His fingers branded my skin under the dress. I nearly came.

  God, it had been so long. I thought this need for domination was dead.

  I was wrong. So wrong.

  My hands slid into his hair, gripping it tight as he deepened the kiss.

  He pushed aside the thigh slit of my gown and gripped my hips, lifting me against him. Instinctively I wrapped my legs around his waist while continuing to feast on his lips.

  I let out a surprised gasp as my back hit the sofa.

  “Pierce, what are you doing?” I asked against his mouth, a little too breathlessly.

  “I thought it was obvious.” He stared down at me. “All I’ve wanted since we danced at the club was to touch every inch of your body. With my lips, my hands, my cock.”

  There was a lingering thought in the back of my mind someone could walk in, but I pushed it away. My breasts were heavy and achy, feeling constricted by my dress. Pierce cupped them as if he’d read my mind. He kneaded them with firm, demanding squeezes.