Playing to Win

by Shelley Munro

  PLAYING TO WIN

  Shelley Munro

  Table of Contents

  Blurb

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Excerpt – One Night of Misbehavior

  About Shelley

  Other Books by Shelley

  Copyright Page

  Blurb

  The truth has many layers…

  Professional rugby player Lane Gerrard is used to women throwing themselves at him, but a scurrilous tabloid article naming him as father of a child sends his temper soaring. The woman he confronts doesn’t fit the blackmailer profile. Kate Alexander is attractive with an enchanting innocence. Enticing. A total stranger. Her feistiness draws his unwilling admiration, but the child…he is the image of Lane.

  Kate can’t deny her son’s similarity to the sexy man at her door but no way will she hand him over without a fight. Kate doesn’t possess money but she can shower her son with love. With public speculation rife, Kate reluctantly works with Lane to discover the truth. They grow closer as distrust slowly turns to mutual fascination, but the tabloid articles bring out a stalker. Mild pranks escalate into danger, and suddenly Lane realizes Kate is a woman he could love. With Kate and her son, he could have a family. Now, with his heart on the line, this is one game he’s playing to win…

  Chapter One

  The Sanctuary

  “Damn, that feels soooo good.”

  Kate Alexander grinned and worked steadily, competent hands gliding over her client’s powerful body, massaging knots from tight muscles until each breath the man took was deep and even and relaxed.

  Forest birdsong and the bubble of flowing water poured through concealed speakers in the corner of the dimly lit room. A tea candle flickered under a bowl of scented water, steam rising to release floral notes of lavender and exotic sandalwood.

  Without warning, the strident demand of a doorbell shattered the calm oasis. Pried from her deep concentration, Kate dug her fingernails into the muscle of her client’s right calf.

  He jerked awake with a grunt, wincing. “Ow! Whaz’s wrong?”

  “Sorry, Adam.” Kate made a soothing sound and continued with feather-soft stroking until he relaxed again, but her attention had fractured and she glared in the direction of her front door. The sign in the middle of her door was clear enough for even a child to understand.

  Aromatherapist at work. Do not interrupt.

  The bell rang again with three staccato bursts. A brief interval later, deafening thumps echoed through her inner sanctum. Kate cursed under her breath and eased the massage to an end. She wiped her hands on a towel to remove the last traces of oil and shrugged off her pale green protective coverall. “I’m sorry. I don’t think my caller can read.”

  Adam glanced over his shoulder, flashing a grin as he pushed up and secured a towel around his waist. He checked the clock hanging on the far wall. “No problem. It’s time for me to leave anyway. They’re filming my last scenes tonight and the makeup artists need plenty of time to make me look pretty.” He chuckled, enjoying the joke at his own expense.

  Kate smiled at the well-known Auckland actor. If anything, they used the makeup to downplay his boyish blond looks. At least that’s what his wife and her best friend Danielle said. “Thanks. Tell Danielle I’ll call her later in the week.”

  “Sure thing, sweet pea.”

  She left Adam to dress, closing the door between her sanctum and the hallway. The impatient hammering continued unabated. For the love of Pete! Her white runners slapped against the tiled floor as she rushed to answer. Probably Jamie and he’d forgotten his key again…

  Kate jerked the door open. “Jamie, what…?” Her words trailed off when she came face-to-face with a stranger. Tall, he loomed over her, his dark hair and tetchy expression reminding her of a thundercloud. Admittedly a very sexy one. She gaped at the enigmatic man trying to read him, for some unknown reason fascinated with learning what had ruffled his day. “Can I help you?”

  The impassive mask slipped momentarily and she read the flush of displeasure high on his cheekbones, in his glittering eyes. Tightly leashed emotion radiated from him in waves and alarm seeped through her. Kate shifted uneasily before common sense told her to stop being stupid. Help was a call away. Still, as his broad shoulders angled closer, she inched backward, pleased Adam was still here. Her slow retreat didn’t go unnoticed. The hard planes of the man’s face tightened and he observed her closely like a predator stalking prey. Pewter-gray eyes fixed her with cool speculation then, just like a light switching off, his face blanked.

  Her skin tingled under the scrutiny and, to her chagrin, the sensation wasn’t entirely nerves. The sexy thundercloud thing. She shuffled her feet again, barely resisting the urge to check the buttons on her cream blouse were correctly fastened.

  Adam would make an appearance soon.

  She hoped.

  Heck, if she reacted to a grumpy stranger like this, celibacy was definitely doing something weird to her hormones. Dark, rich chocolate had worked as a sexual substitute in the past. She’d grab a chocolate bar from the pantry the minute the man left.

  Kate conducted a quick, edgy survey of her own. He appeared well groomed, wearing an expensive suit that probably cost more than she earned in a month. She was positive she’d never seen him before. The man would make a lasting impression with most people. He bore an innate charisma, not traditionally handsome or striking like Adam, but intensely masculine. His powerful build coupled with strong, dark features demanded attention, but it was the mesmerizing gray eyes surrounded by lush lashes that would make a woman take a second look. And long to run her fingers through his silky hair. Her survey swept his body from top to bottom and back again.

  Oops. Her mouth dropped open when her gaze collided with a cool gray one. Piercing eyes shot salvos of exasperation at her, as if he were impatient to complete an unpleasant chore.

  Kate racked her brain trying to work out why he was here demanding entrance, wrinkling her brow in concentration. Maybe he had the wrong house?

  “Katherine Alexander?” he drawled.

  Her heart sank. Not the wrong house after all. And why would it be? Everything about him radiated self-assurance. For a brief moment, she considered shutting the door in his arrogant face, but a speculative glance at the muscled shoulders filling out his charcoal-colored designer suit changed her mind. Not a viable option. Kate sensed he didn’t intend to leave until he’d gained exactly what he wanted. Whatever that was.

  “I’m Kate Alexander,” she admitted with a touch of caution.

  His brows rose and she could have sworn she’d surprised him, but of course, he recovered quickly. “Can I come in?” he asked, moving toward her as he made his request.

  Kate planted her size six feet in the middle of her doorway and stood her ground. She wanted information first, before she let him inside. A name would make a good start. Men who used their superior strength to pummel whatever they wanted from life didn’t win points with her. With Steve, her ex-fiancé, she had accepted it as normal, but no longer.

  No one pushed her around.

  “Will I be able to stop you?” she asked in pointed reference to his muscular bulk bearing down on her. He pulled up short. A br
ief spurt of puzzlement sprinted over his tanned face, his dark brows drawing together in a frown. She watched with fascination as a faint wash of embarrassment appeared high on his cheekbones. Not so uncivilized after all.

  “Sorry,” he muttered, stepping back.

  Kate exhaled in satisfaction, feeling she’d wrested back control. “Your name?”

  Discomfort faded from his face, his eyes narrowed into a withering glare. “So that’s how you’re going to play it? Deny you know me and protest your innocence?”

  “But I don’t know you.”

  His mouth opened as if he intended to fire a further volley, but the shriek of car brakes at the end of Kate’s driveway drew their attention. A dark blue sedan fishtailed to a stop at the curb, the stench of rubber heavy in the air.

  The man standing beside her stiffened noticeably. He dragged a hand through his short dark hair and spat out a pithy curse. “Hell, I thought I’d beat the vultures.”

  Kate didn’t need to pretend confusion. She darted a glance at the stranger and decided from the ominous look on his face he knew exactly what was happening. She wished he’d enlighten her. Like a film extra caught in the wrong movie scene, she felt utterly bewildered.

  An electric window wound down with a distinctive whine. Goodness! Was that a camera pointing at her? She blinked and focused again. It was.

  “Inside,” the man snapped. “Before they get a photo.”

  Kate blocked the doorway. Was he mad? She didn’t intend to let him inside. “No. Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

  The photographer zoomed his lens in on them. Below the camera that covered most of his face, a slick smile bloomed as he feverishly clicked the shutter button.

  Kate’s gaze snapped to the grim-faced man at her side. “Who are they? What are they doing?”

  The stranger took two menacing steps toward the parked car. His sheer size was enough to strike fear, but Kate decided his scowling face set the seal on the photographer’s decision to retreat. He pulled his camera to safety and leaned forward to speak to the driver. His panicked words were loud enough to reach Kate.

  “Got the shot. Hit it, man!”

  Wheels spun and gravel sprayed when the sedan shot off, but once the vehicle was at a safe distance, the driver braked to a screeching halt. He stuck his blond head out the window, an insolent sneer distorting his mouth. “Thanks, Lane. Look for it tomorrow.”

  The photographer gave a jaunty wave, a leer on his weasel-like face, and then the car sped away.

  Kate stared after the departing vehicle, tongue-tied in astonishment. Hands clamped on her shoulders and propelled her into the coolness of the foyer. The door slammed behind them, making her realize they were alone.

  A pregnant silence hummed between them, highlighting several things, including the fact she hadn’t been out on a date for ages.

  Kate gulped, averted her gaze before peeking at him again. Oh yeah. She needed that chocolate. The mystery man’s tanned face remained expressionless apart from his eyes. They smoldered with suppressed tension.

  “We need to talk,” he snapped. “Which way?”

  His curt tone jerked Kate from her trance. “Since you’re inside already,” she said in frigid voice, although she acknowledged silently she no longer felt threatened, simply because he seemed so much in control. “This way.”

  She strode down the passage, but turned away from the door to her working sanctum. She frowned. Adam was taking a long time.

  Kate paused, indicating with a hand that the man should precede her. “Have a seat.” She sank into the comfort of her favorite recliner chair and clasped her hands in her lap, attempting to appear unconcerned. Nothing could be further from the truth. The stranger’s intense masculinity unsettled Kate and made her aware of long-suppressed needs while his sheer determination brought apprehension. She wished he’d hurry up and spit out his business.

  Now that they were indoors, the stranger appeared in no hurry to speak. He paced the length of her room, pausing to finger a carved wooden elephant before staring out the large picture window overlooking the garden and street.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Well?” No mistaking her impatience this time.

  He ignored her questions, instead pulling a newspaper page from an inner pocket in his suit jacket. “Read this,” he ordered with a trace of irony in his husky voice. “Refresh your memory.”

  Mystified, Kate took the paper he handed her. It was from the current edition of The Mirror, a tabloid newspaper that operated in the Auckland area. Lane’s Love Child, the headline screamed. She glanced at the silent man.

  “Go on,” he prodded, his voice taut and intense.

  Kate read the article, scanning it first to humor him then reading more slowly in an effort to comprehend. This man…Lane Gerrard… Shock bombarded her, leaving a sick sensation lying in her stomach.

  It wasn’t true!

  Her head jerked up. She opened her mouth to refute the garbage written by the journalist, but he didn’t give her a chance.

  “How much did they pay you?” he asked, his quiet-tempered voice somehow more frightening than if he had shouted.

  Kate leapt from her chair, agitation thrumming through her body. “I didn’t sell this story, Mr. Gerrard!” She shook the loose page in his direction before slapping it on the top of her coffee table. Unbelievable. The man really thought she’d done it. Blood pulsed through her veins as she watched him with infuriated disbelief. He knew nothing about her. How dare he question her integrity?

  “You’re the Katherine Alexander mentioned in the article? You’re the Katherine Alexander who had sex with me? Oh yeah. You were tempting. I couldn’t keep my hands off you. We saw no one—hardly left our hotel room. A short affair that ended when I left to play league in Britain. I left you with a child on the way. Alone with our child, you struggled. Financially. Emotionally.”

  “No!”

  He ignored her outburst, continuing to paraphrase the article. “When you learned I was due back in New Zealand, you decided to go for the money. Even the odds. After all, you knew I had money. Enough to keep you in comfort so you sold the story to the papers.”

  “No!” Kate exclaimed, horrified at the accusations and appalled anyone would think she’d stoop to selling gossip. “I don’t know you. I’ve never met you before.”

  “At last…the truth,” he drawled, satisfaction coating each word. “How old are you? Twenty-two? Twenty-three? You would have been about thirteen when you had your son? That’s good,” he said, dropping into the battered leather chair opposite where she stood, his face relaxing a fraction. “I might have a reputation with women, but everyone knows I’d never bed a thirteen-year-old child.”

  “I’m twenty-eight. But that story…I didn’t…” Kate edged back until her legs hit the front of a recliner chair. She sat, glad to take the weight off her shaky legs.

  “I’m pleased you’re being so reasonable. We’ll get a retraction printed.”

  Kate shook her head. “A retraction? I had nothing to do with the article.” Her mind groped for an explanation. Lane Gerrard’s irritation at finding his private life splashed over the front page of the paper was understandable but he should have checked his facts first. “Did you talk to the reporter and ask who supplied the information for the article?”

  The old brown chair creaked as he leaned forward. Kate noticed his hands flexing on the arms of the chair although his expression remained calm. “I did that first thing. They weren’t very cooperative.”

  Kate scowled. “So you came to confront me.”

  “It seemed the logical thing to do.” His mouth twisted in parody of a grin and it didn’t reach his eyes. His hands moved again then abruptly stilled. “Look, I’m trying to be reasonable but it’s damned difficult given the circumstances. My parents have rung, upset at being hounded by reporters in Rotorua. The rugby club management is annoyed at the adverse publ
icity. I’ve had my agent ranting down the phone, not to mention the reaction from my teammates and the public. Everyone, including me, wants to know what’s going on.”

  Time to defend herself. Kate strove to emulate his cool composure but it was difficult given the way her stomach jumped about. “I can’t help you. I didn’t sell the story to the papers. You’ll have to look for the culprit elsewhere.”

  “Your house requires a lot of repairs.” Lane tossed the comment into the conversation and for a moment, Kate thought she’d misheard, but the sardonic glint flashing in his eyes assured her she wasn’t mistaken. The mask had slipped.

  Kate leapt to her feet again, unable to remain still for an instant longer. “What are you saying?”

  His dark brows rose while he pointedly scanned the well-used furnishings, the thinning woolen carpet. “You appear to need money.”

  She was going to kill him. Her fists opened and closed while she battled rage. Kate sucked in several deep breaths and stalked closer, ready to commit murder. “I may not be well off but that doesn’t give you the right to accuse me of…of scandalous muck-raking to pay my bills,” she snapped, emphasizing each word with a finger jab at his chest.

  “Look, I’m sorry,” he apologized in an about-face.

  Kate stared, her mouth gaping. He didn’t mean it. If ever a look shrieked insincere, it was that one—the set face, the muscle ticking at his jaw gave away his true feelings.

  “Maybe my comments were uncalled for.” To her frustration, he stood and turned to stare out the window so she couldn’t see his face. “You realize this is only the start. They’ll publish another story tomorrow. Those reporters have taken pictures of us together, giving credence to their original story.”

  More stories? Of the same scurrilous nature?

  One shock piled on top of another. Her shoulders slumped as she silently acknowledged he was right. A story with a photograph of them together would be as good as admitting to the whole of Auckland that the story was true. “We could stop them. Sue them maybe?”

  Lane suppressed a snort as he turned from the window to look at her. He studied her earnest face with the sprinkling of freckles across her nose and bit back a curse. “Too late. The damage is done. All that will achieve is further publicity. They’ll sell more papers and I’ll have a bigger set of problems. I don’t want that.” Renewed frustration simmered inside him.