Marked (Playing Games Book 1)

by Rebecca Barber

  Staring at the mug, Gerard took a sip of his before starting again. “I think I know what happened and it’s my fault.”

  “Your fault? How do you figure that?”

  “I didn’t explain what I wanted properly.”

  “O-okay.”

  For the next half an hour Gerard and I sat and talked. It wasn’t a lecture like I was expecting, and I didn’t get fired. Instead, he gave me a whole bunch of ideas and more freedom than I could’ve dreamt of. He didn’t want me to write the same cookie-cutter dribble as everyone else. If he did, he’d have hired someone with experience who’d already finished their degree. The reason I’d been chosen was because I was different. I just had to keep being me, keep writing like I had, and everything would be okay.

  By the time I was back out on the street, I was relieved beyond belief. With the flood of relief coursing through my body, came the need to eat. Heading along the street, I was swallowed up amongst the foot traffic as I crossed through Federation Square on my way to my favourite hole in the wall café.

  “Tasha!” Sven screeched as I stepped inside.

  Sven and I had known each other for a couple of years now. He was the sort of guy that every girl needed in her life. He was fun, flirty and fabulous. His fashion sense was outrageous and even though I’d never be caught dead wearing anything like it, I couldn’t help but admire his balls to step out of the house dressed in his best.

  “Got a table for me?” I asked sassily, cocking my hip.

  “For you, darling, always.”

  Lifting the counter between us, he stepped out and I saw his purple shoes for the first time. “What the hell are they?” I asked as he wrapped me in the type of bear hug only Sven could give.

  “Fuck you, Princess. My shoes are awesome. You’re just jealous. Now, do you want inside or outside?”

  Stifling my laugh against his shoulder, I answered. “Inside please.”

  “In the corner?”

  “You know me too well.”

  “Well, I don’t know what you’ve been up to. So, you better be saving a seat for me to have a coffee with you so we can fix that.” Even if I didn’t want company, there was no avoiding it.

  He led me to the corner and set me up with a glass of water. “You know what you want, baby?”

  “Baby?” I was used to Sven calling me all sorts of weird endearments, but baby was a new one.

  “Yeah, baby.”

  “Why?”

  “Because no one puts baby in a corner.”

  I lost it. I completely lost my shit. I laughed so hard I snorted, causing other customers to glare at me like I was a complete nut job. Right now, I couldn’t blame them. I was.

  “Been perving on Patrick Swayze again?”

  With a mischievous wink, he started to walk away before sassily throwing one final response, “You know it.”

  Finding my phone, I logged onto my social media accounts and lost myself in the mindless memes and jokes. When I looked up again, a waitress in a black apron was standing there with a huge mug in one hand and a pancake stack in the other.

  “I didn’t order anything.”

  “Sven…”

  “Got it! No worries. So, what am I eating?”

  She let go of the breath she’d been holding. I think she was expecting me to have a go at her for interrupting or giving me the wrong order. “You’ve got ricotta pancakes with lemon curd, meringue and vanilla bean ice cream.”

  “Yum! Thanks so much.”

  Offering me a small smile, she headed back to the kitchen. Watching her go, behind her I saw Sven watching me. Giving him a thumbs up, I dug into the fluffy stack.

  With my mouth full, I moaned around the pancakes. They were so delicious. The perfect combination of sweet and savoury.

  “I’ve heard that moan before.”

  My mouth fell open without even caring it was full of pancake. I knew that voice and I hoped like hell I was wrong. The last thing I needed was to be caught shovelling food into my mouth like a pig.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  LOGAN

  I knew that moan anywhere.

  I’d been standing at the counter waiting for my order on the way home from the early-morning recovery session. Whoever the moron was who came up with the idea of taking a dip in the ocean, early morning in July in Melbourne, needed their arse kicked. Even an hour and a hot shower later my toes were still cold.

  When I heard her moan, my head snapped around almost knocking the woman in line behind me. There she was. Hiding in the corner, eyes closed, obviously enjoying her breakfast.

  I’d been debating calling or messaging since Bryce had shared her details, but so far, I hadn’t summoned the courage. I figured it must’ve been fate or something that put us in the same coffee shop this morning. It wasn’t like there was any lack of them around here.

  “I’ve heard that moan before,” I said, startling her.

  Her eyes burst open and before she could reply she started coughing and clutching her chest.

  “Shit, Tash! Breathe.” When her eyes watered, I worried I’d killed her.

  “Where the hell did you come from?” she spluttered, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin.

  “I was just grabbing my coffee and saw you sitting here. Thought I’d stop by and say hi.” It sounded innocent when I put it that way, even if it wasn’t one hundred percent true. The truth was much dirtier and something the whole café didn’t need to hear.

  “Oh.”

  “Mind if I join you?” I asked, already pulling out the chair opposite.

  “No…not at all,” she replied automatically, staring at something over my shoulder. I wasn’t sure if she wanted me here or not.

  A moment later, a guy in the most outrageous outfit I’d ever seen, delivered my takeaway cup to the table. I had a feeling it wasn’t a coincidence that he was delivering it instead of the black-and-white dressed waitresses.

  “Need anything else, Tash?” he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

  Fascinated, I stayed quiet and watched the silent conversation happen between them. It was intriguing. There was worry there but it was laced heavily with curiosity. I didn’t know if he knew who I was or was just worried about her. I hoped the latter. Having people who cared about Tasha mattered, as long as that was all it was. I didn’t need to be competing. Not that I thought for even a second she was the type of girl to climb into my bed while she was seeing anyone else.

  Setting her knife and fork down, she pushed away her pancakes and looked up at him with a tenderness that triggered my jealously. “I’m fine, Sven. Thank you.”

  “Just sing out if you want anything, baby.”

  “Will do,” she promised.

  “And finish your pancakes. Just because there’s a gorgeous hunk of man meat joining you, you’re still eating.”

  Her cheeks burned red at his words. I couldn’t help myself. I nudged her plate back towards her. “Am I able to order something?” I asked.

  “Sure, what are you after?” the guy, Sven, asked eyeing me warily.

  “Can I get the egg white, feta and spinach omelette, please?”

  “Sure.”

  He disappeared, and I turned my attention back to the woman in front of me. “Hi.” It was dumb. A stupid way to start a conversation but it was all I had.

  “Hi,” she replied.

  Sticking to safe subjects, I asked, “How’s your mum?”

  “She’s fine. At home again, driving Dad crazy. I don’t think she’s used to having to ask for help. She’s not good at it.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “How are you doing?”

  “I’m okay. Just got out of a recovery session. They’re not much fun.”

  “No?”

  “Imagine walking into the freezing cold water in a pair of budgie smugglers at seven in the morning.”

  “Yeah, no thanks.”

  “Exactly. Anyway, what are you doing in this part of town so early on a Monday morning?”
<
br />   “My boss called me in to the office.”

  “That doesn’t sound good.”

  “That’s what I thought too. Being summoned to see the boss at eight thirty on Monday morning kinda ruined my weekend. Turns out though, it actually wasn’t so bad.”

  “That’s good then.”

  “Yeah. I didn’t get fired like I was expecting so I’m pretty relieved. Thus, the celebration,” she said pointing to the half-eaten breakfast in front of her.

  “Please, Tash. Eat. I didn’t want to interrupt…”

  “It’s fine.” She waved me off.

  Before I could say anything, Sven reappeared with my omelette, and I had a feeling we’d be getting special attention this morning. Taking a huge bite, I held back my own moan. The food here was good.

  “This is amazing,” I said around my mouthful.

  “So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” I asked hopefully. I hadn’t planned on spending the day with her, in fact, I planned on heading home, grabbing some books and heading to the library to get some study done before I met up with Jack and Nick later for a gym session, but maybe I could be persuaded to change my plans.

  “Um… I was going to head home and get out of these clothes…”

  “Would it be wrong for me to offer to help with that?”

  I must have shocked her. Her eyes widened and her fork froze halfway to her mouth. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I was going to go home and change into something more comfortable and then I need to get some work done.”

  “What work?”

  “I’ve got an assignment I need to get done.”

  “Me too. When is yours due?”

  “Three weeks. Yours?”

  “Next week,” I shrugged. Usually I was more organised than this, but it’d been a rough couple of weeks, and everything seemed to have been knocked off track. “Let me guess, you’re one of those overachievers who panics if their pre-reading isn’t done before the semester starts, aren’t you?”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Not at all. So, any chance you want to study with me?”

  Dropping her voice dangerously low and sexy, she said, “And by study you mean?”

  Swallowing the lump in my throat, my dick twitched at the idea which surprised me. After this morning’s icy dip, I was pretty positive my balls had shrivelled up and wouldn’t be seen again until summer.

  “Well, I did mean with books and notes and laptops, but I’m willing to negotiate,” I offered, lifting my eyebrows at her. Two could play at this game, and the sooner she learnt I was better at it than she was, the more fun we could have.

  “All my stuff is at my place.”

  She said it like it was a showstopper. Like it was going to derail all the plans. And there was no way I was about to let that happen. Not on my watch anyway. “Are you finished?” I asked, noticing she’d scraped her plate clean.

  “Yeah?”

  Grabbing her hand, I half dragged her over to the counter. When Sven appeared at the register, I knew the exact second he noticed my hand wrapped around Tasha’s. “Can I pay please?”

  “Sure. Just the omelette, wasn’t it?” he asked and for some reason it felt like more of a test than an actual question.

  “No. My omelette and whatever Tash ordered,” I confirmed, pulling out my credit card.

  “Hey! I can pay for my own breakfast,” Tasha protested, dropping her own card on top of mine.

  “I know you can. But you’re not going to,” I explained, not leaving room for her to argue. And as if to prove my point, I kissed the top of her head, not giving two shits if Sven saw or not. Which he definitely did.

  After paying, I led her out to my car and opened the door. “Get in.”

  “Get in?”

  “Get in please?”

  With a wriggle of her hips, she climbed into the front seat but not before throwing in one final taunt. It was like she couldn’t help herself. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Her question was aimed directly at my groin.

  As I rounded the back of the car, I adjusted myself in my pants. Saying the word please wasn’t hard but watching her wriggle in front of me was making something hard. Very, very hard. But as much as I wanted her, every which way I could take her, today I was determined to keep my dick in my pants.

  Starting the car, I pulled out into the traffic and headed home. “So now you’ve kidnapped me, wanna tell me where you’re taking me?”

  “Isn’t it only kidnapping when you don’t come willingly?”

  “I always come willingly.”

  I almost ran my car straight up the arse of another one. Thankfully I had both hands on the wheel as I swerved to the side almost taking out a cyclist. “Shit!”

  “Sorry,” she offered sheepishly.

  For a few minutes we drove in silence. When I found a park right in front, I pulled to a stop, unclicked my belt and turned to Tash who was picking at her nails anxiously.

  “I really am sorry,” she murmured.

  “I’m not upset. Did you think I was?”

  “Why aren’t you? I almost made you crash the car.”

  “Yeah and if I had, it would’ve been my fault. But we didn’t. Everyone is okay so let’s just forget it.”

  “You sure?” She certainly wasn’t.

  “Come on.”

  “I told you. I need to study.”

  “And you will.”

  “Then why are we at your place, Logan? My books are at home.”

  “Well, you’re coming upstairs with me. I’m going to get changed and grab my crap then we will head to your place and smash out these assignments.”

  “Really? You want to come to my place?”

  “Is that a problem?” I realised I probably should’ve asked first before deciding, but the truth was, I didn’t want to give her a chance to wriggle out of it. I’d already learnt she could squirm with the best of them.

  “No. No problem at all.”

  I had a choice. I could believe what she was saying, or I could listen to everything she wasn’t. She’d gone completely stiff in her seat. Hating the look, I sprung out, raced around the car, yanked open her door and kissed the shit out of her. My plan of keeping my hands to myself went out the window the moment I felt her tongue touch mine.

  By the time I managed to pull back, I was panting and horny as fuck. One look at Tasha’s swollen lips and dark eyes and I knew I wasn’t the only one. The issue I had was trying to do the right thing. We couldn’t sit out here making out like teenagers in the street. That was just asking for trouble. But I wasn’t sure I could trust myself if I took her upstairs. I couldn’t be trusted not to strip her against the door and fuck her until we both passed out.

  “Come on. Let’s not give the neighbours a show,” I grumbled, my voice thick and gravelly, betraying the truth.

  As I helped her out of the car, she slid down my body, not missing every hard, throbbing inch of me. Her cute kissable lips fell open in a perfect ‘O’ and I knew I was in trouble. Actually, it was more than that. I was completely and utterly fucked.

  Without a word, I led her inside, fumbling like an idiot with the keys in the lock as I tried to get the door open. While I stuffed around, I felt a warm body press against me. Heavy boobs in the centre of my back. Wandering hands trailing down my sides and sneaking under the edge of my shirt. Fingernails scratching my skin. As goosepimples broke out across my skin, I reached down and stopped her exploring.

  “You’re playing with fire,” I warned, as the key finally slipped in the lock and I heard the familiar click.

  I opened the door and turned back to look at Tasha. Fuck she was beautiful. She was certainly like no other girl I’d met before. Her eyes were half closed with lust and her lips glistened like she’d been licking them desperately.

  Lifting her hand, she pushed me through the door following closely. “Maybe I like it hot.”

  Before my brain could register what was going on, t
he door slammed and I was shoved up against it. My pants were tugged down and Natasha was sinking to her knees as she stared up at me hungrily.

  When her hand wrapped around me, I was done. There was no way I was stopping her now. Even if I wanted to, there was no way I could. Her perfect pink tongue darted out and licked the bead of moisture from my tip before she swallowed me.

  She was a dream come true. Looking like every librarian fantasy come to life, with her tight black skirt and soft white shirt. From here, I could see straight down her top to the lacy white bra hidden beneath. The only thing that would’ve made this any better, not that I needed anything to change, was if her lips were stained with bright red lipstick leaving a mark around my cock as she worked her magic.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  TASHA

  My panties were ruined.

  I could feel the cotton sticking to me. My clit throbbed as I bobbed up and down, my lips stretched wide around him. When Logan’s fingers wove their way through my hair, I looked up at a man whose head was tipped back in ecstasy. Digging my fingernails into his taut arse, I held him where I wanted him. There was only one way this was going to end. Logan Oliver was coming down my throat or he wasn’t coming at all.

  Pulling off with a pop, I squeezed his balls and licked his shaft like it was the most delicious popsicle I’d ever tasted.

  “Tasha…” His voice was deep and raspy and full of need. I felt so fucking powerful right now. Logan Oliver might be a god on the football field but right now, with his dick in my mouth, I could bring him to his knees.

  Drunk on the power, I sucked him back in, tormenting him with my teeth and tongue. His hips moved back and forth gently as he pushed the stray strands of hair from my eyes. “Oh my God…” he murmured.

  When his dick hit the back of my throat, my eyes watered, I murmured, and Logan swore. Feeling him swell in my mouth pushed me even harder. Working overtime, I sucked and licked and teased all the while squeezing his arse. Damn it was a nice arse.

  “Tash…Tash…Oh. My. God. Tash…I’m gonna…gonna…” He tried to pull me off but there was no way I was letting go. I could feel my own arousal dripping down my thighs, my knees were aching from the hard floor and the spikes on my heels were digging into my arse but there was no way I was stopping.