The Playboy's Dirty Games (completed)

altered. If he wasn't upset now, it me

needed to ke

picions, I'd have to wait until he was prepared to move int

ugged again before catching th

, "I know that guy.

was from his past crazy illegal dealings or from his current wild sexual d

ause I was stuck at the table with Donovan and what

brilliant schemes, I started a conversation of my

e's handling Japan for now. Meanwhile, you've been com

up, we were practically siblings. My only sister was a decade younger, so Donovan had been the one I'd bonded with most. Only four years older than me, he was the one

ould've told me sooner.

loan," he said,

ld make my jaw drop. The offer tha

humping in my chest now, and I co

le thing

it. Whoosh. J

ng relief th

. After nearly draining my inheritance from my grandmother, I'd borrowed the rest of the seed money from him,

wed him a

ount to just write

times that in my trust fund. I could've wiped

e who knew why I chose not to

nd since we had pledged the most start-up money-whe

the company always felt like i

ften bent to his will,

. It wasn't like Donovan held the loan over me all the time. It wasn't like he wasn'

he understood that I wanted to be a

d him for

I really needed to be listening. Because I

pen five years, and it would take a long time to get that title any other way. It's

as competitive, but thi

fake marriage t

believe I was actua

gagement. Have the whole thing done in four, five months tops. But the ben

on the tabletop. "Thi

ing in close, knowing exactly wh

the strings of all the puppets, controlling everyone, getting them to d

something in my lif

but maybe the chance to contribute could ma

ovan after all the things he'd given me-well

hat loan. To be m

my life. Let's be number one in Europe." Actua

d into his pocket, where he'd deposited the ring back into its velvet box e

The small square shape felt lik

nts were going to feel when it

w

mother's condo and headed inside, searching for her. Since it was July and the sun wa

dropped the printout from my computer in her lap. Then I headed over to the table where Ma

her. She sat stretched out on her lounge chair, her fingers bright w