Then, as the piece de resistance, I gazed deeply into his beautiful eyes as I finished my tongue flourish. I was rewarded by that unmistakable glow of arousal deep in those shining black eyes.
Thank God. I was beginning to think I was getting rusty in the art of stealth seduction.
Jenna was full-on laughing her ass off across the table. As I pulled Adam's finger free, I kicked her under the table.
"Hey!" she whined.
William just watched the scene while enthusiastically spooning his vanilla mousse into his mouth as if it might disappear if he didn't move fast enough.
Fifteen minutes later, Adam drove the pair in the golf cart back to the bridge, where the limo was waiting to take them to William's house. When Adam reentered the house, I was at the sink rinsing off the dishes while mulling over my next plan of attack.
My hands were sopping wet, the sink water running, when he came up behind me and grabbed my hips, pulling my butt flush against his obvious erection. "Shameless vixen," he muttered against my neck as I shivered.
"Mmm. Is that a lightsaber in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"
He devoured me with his lips, teeth and tongue. Tingles shot all the way down to my toes. At this rate, he was going to get me to give in without spilling the info, the fucker. I couldn't let him get away with that--irresistibly sexy as hell or not.
I leaned my head back to rest on his shoulder at the same time I felt his hands slip under my skirt and skate up the back of my thighs. "No fair. You're too good at this," I choked out.
"You've never complained about me being 'too good' before. I'll take it."
I turned off the faucet, but couldn't reach the dishtowel to dry my hands, and there was no way I was moving out of his reach. Giving one last halfhearted attempt to get my way before conceding defeat, I wiggled my ass right against his crotch. He rewarded me with a husky groan while his maddening mouth wrapped around my earlobe. His hands slipped around to my front, holding me against him.
I licked his neck. "Do you want me enough to tell me when we're getting married?"
"I might. But you ought to know by now, I never, ever like to lose."
His fingers slipped lower and my breath stuttered. I arched against his solid chest. "Oh, I guarantee you, Mr. Drake, this is definitely a win-win for both of us."
"Mmm," he breathed against my ear, one hand pulling away for few seconds. The next thing I heard was his zipper and the crackle of a condom wrapper. I bit my lip. He'd come prepared.
"Brace yourself, Ms. Strong--or should I say, the future Mrs. Drake?"
A jolt of elation instead of what normally was fear. "I like the sound of that. If only I knew when." I turned my head to kiss him, and his mouth claimed mine with strong, possessive lips, followed by fierce strokes of his tongue.
God, I loved this man.
Even when he was driving me bonkers. And not just with his maddening tongue.
"So when will that be? Tomorrow? Next week? I need a dress, at least."
"You could wear rags and still be the most beautiful bride on the planet. Because you'll be my bride."
"Mmm. You're getting better at that flattery thing." His hands were rubbing now, in all the right places. I shifted against him. "And you're still pretty damn good at the hands thing."
"So, let's call this a draw, then?" I could feel him pressing at my entrance, and my grip tightened on the edge of the counter.
"I think I could do that."
Just before he entered me, he leaned forward and whispered a date in my ear. After that, it was a mad, passionate blur of ferocious kitchen sex. We hadn't done that in a while. And by the end, I wasn't quite sure I remembered the date right, so I had to ask him again.
Meh, so I'd had to seduce it out of him, but damned if hadn't been fun.
That was just how Mr. Drake and I rolled. Win-win.
But, of course, being a man--and being Adam--he had to ruin the moment just as I was gloating that I'd gotten the intel from him.
"Sure, you know when...but I didn't tell you where, now did I?"
Men.
The Gaming The System series continues in Worth Any Cost, featuring Adam and Mia's wedding, coming later in 2016 (click for details).
Afterword
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed For The One. I am writing the next book in the series, Worth Any Cost, featuring Adam and Mia's wedding.
Please consider leaving a review of For The Win at the site where you purchased it. I welcome all honest reviews, as reviews really do help authors. While you are at it, why not sign up for my newsletter? Subscribers will be the first to receive news about For The One and any other Gaming The System projects..
Click here to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews are the best way for other readers to discover new books, and I'd appreciate your help in letting others know your thoughts about For The One.
Post about For The One on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest
Join the newsletter and learn about upcoming releases from Brenna Aubrey. You will only receive notifications of new titles available and when her books go on sale. You may also occasionally receive teasers, excerpts and extras from upcoming books.
Did you know you can lend this book? Please consider lending it to a friend or colleague.
Follow Brenna on Twitter at @BrennaAubrey
Find Brenna on Facebook at BrennaAubreyAuthor
On the web www.BrennaAubrey.net
The Gaming The System series
At Any Price (Adam and Mia part 1) (click to download)
At Any Turn (Adam and Mia part 2) (click to purchase)
At Any Moment (Adam and Mia part 3) (click to purchase)
For The Win (Jordan and April) (click to purchase)
For The One (William and Jenna) (this book)
Worth Any Cost (Adam and Mia part 4) (forthcoming in 2016)
For The Taking (Katya and ?)(forthcoming)
The Gaming The System series continues in Worth Any Cost, Adam and Mia's wedding, later in 2016. Details forthcoming on my website and newsletter.
Acknowledgements
It takes a village to write a book. It truly does. And my village is full of super smart, helpful and caring people whom I am fortunate enough to know or make the acquaintance of during the process of writing it.
Huge thanks to my earliest readers, Kate McKinley and Sabrina Darby who kick my butt daily (because I ask them to!) and make the book so much better.
This book required more research than any other that I've written. Aside from reading and viewing lots of material, I've also had the benefit of consulting experts. Thank you hugely to: Peter McGonigle, Olivia Devon, Elizabeth Varlet (and her mister), Aleksandra Adamovic, Adnan Nurkanovic, Carey Baldwin, Laney Jordan, Lyra Marlowe, Cindy Kinnard, Sabyna Aydon, and Temple Grandin (who is definitely an expert deserving of thanks even though I didn't directly consult her!).
To my production team, who take the lump of clay and make it into a shiny, pretty story: S.G. Thomas, Eliza Dee, Sarah Hansen, Lindee Robinson.
The invaluable moral support department: Tessa Dare, Kate McKinley, Sabrina Darby, Natasha Boyd, Bria Quinlan, Cora Seton, Julia Kent, Bev Kendall, Zoe York. The Novel Spot Lounge on Facebook. Members of my own reader group, Brenna Aubrey Books on Facebook. The Selfpub Warriors, the Chatzy authors, Romance Divas forum and Romance Writers of America.
Major gratitude for all of you who blog, review, post, share and chat about my books. You make it possible for me to bring you these stories. To all my amazing readers: thank you for your reviews, your messages, your posts, your tweets, your shares and your squees. Thanks for loving these characters and stories so much.
That brings us to the last but most: Those dear sweet people who share my daily life. I love you more than words can say (and I'm an author, so that's saying a lot!), to the moon and back again, to the second star to the right, to infinity and beyond. I know it's not easy living with a writer--not by a long shot. But thank you for ma
king it possible for me to do what I do and live with the insanity and love me anyway. xoxo
Copyright (c)2016 by Brenna Aubrey
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Trademarked names appear throughout this book. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, names are used in an editorial fashion, with no intention of infringement of the respective owner's trademark.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Design:(c) Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations Cover Photography: (c) Lindee Robinson Photography Cover Models: Madison Wayne and Chad Feyrer
Content professionally edited by Eliza Dee, Clio Editing.
Line and copy professionally edited by S.G. Thomas
20160505
ISBN 978-1-940951-11-9
Silver Griffon Associates
P.O. Box 7383
Orange, CA 92863
www.BrennaAubrey.net
Brenna Aubrey's Newsletter
Table of Contents
Title
1. Sometimes there was no other word to describe my life besides absurd.
2. I'm winding my way between tents and encampments.
3. I was so going to kill Alex when I got her alone.
4. Monday is my favorite day of the week.
5. Thanks to Alex's kind offer of a ride on the way to her mom's house...
6. "Now," she says, and I try to not look at the way her lips...
7. I wasn't quite sure what was happening.
8. It's Monday morning again and I'm at my desk...
9. Early on Saturday morning I made it to the cemetery...
10. I'd come over to spend time alone with Jenna...
11. William's tongue breached my lips, slipping in effortlessly...
12. I shake my head as I grip the steering wheel tighter.
13. "What is it you wish from Mistress Jenna?"
14. During the ride back to her house, Jenna doesn't say a word.
15. William picked me up right on time...
16. Jenna is sitting in the middle of a support circle...
17. We opted out of taking the crowded tram from the parking structure.
18. "High five!" she says, holding up her hand and I slap it.
19. "Jenna..." Even with his mouth pressed to my ear...
20. She really has no idea how close she is.
21. I sat up, concerned.
22. A few days later, my workday is interrupted...
23. It was finally the weekend, and I was excited to attend Medieval Times...
24. I'm feeling sad as I drive her home tonight...
25. I had no idea what to say or if he even needed comforting.
26. It's been one week since I said goodbye to Jenna...
27. "Did you do anything fun this week?"
28. After leaving Jenna, I dress quickly...
29. I grasped William's upper arm to stop him...
30. Jenna is making sounds--small sighs...
31. It didn't take long to discover that William was a quick learner.
32. So it all comes down to this.
33. The whole crowd gasped as we watched William go down.
34. "Call her again," I say to Mia.
35. It was just past lunchtime when we got home...
36. Walking away from her apartment...
37. My stomach churned as the bus made its way...
38. Los Angeles International Airport
Afterword
Acknowledgements
Copyright
For The One Page 36