Girl Gear 5: Wicked Games by Alison Kent

latte to change the subject. "Are you going to be in town next Sunday?"
    He frowned. "Yeah, why?"
    "You know that football game you wanted to make that wager on?" she asked, casting a glance from beneath lowered lashes as she drained the rest of the coffee from her mug.
    He nodded, his expression intrigued.
    "Well, Izzy gave me two tickets." Kinsey didn't add that the other woman had slipped them into her hand earlier tonight along with a whispered reminder of the male animal's innate love of sport. Step two in her man-trapping plan.
    His eyes lightened, the tiny laugh lines at the corners deepening as he grinned. "Oh, yeah?"
    "Yeah. With the fire and all, her mother doesn't have time to use the tickets, and Izzy thought we might like them."
    Nodding with enthusiasm, Doug sat forward, moving to the edge of his chair. "I'd love to go. I haven't made a Texans game yet this year, so this'll be great. It's a date. Thanks."
    "You're welcome." Their mugs empty and the hour late, Kinsey got to her feet, definitely feeling more hopeful than she had five minutes ago. A false hope? Maybe, but at least she'd been proactive in her campaign.
    And that, to her, was the most important distinction, because she was still not ready to give up her pursuit of this man. Which brought her to the next subject on the agenda. "Well, maybe you wouldn't mind doing me a small favor in return?"
    Doug pushed up out of his chair. "Shoot."
    "If it works with your schedule for Halloween weekend, maybe you could put in a bid for me at the gIRL-gEAR bachelorette auction?" That had to be one of the strangest requests she'd ever made of a ma, and the question's shock value seemed to have had the desired effect.
    Slack-jawed, Doug stood there, holding both mugs. " Bachelorette auction?"
    Nodding, Kinsey went on. "It's a fund-raiser for the family who lost their home in the fire. I have absolutely no details. We're getting together during next week's Monday meeting to work them out." She followed Doug toward the service bar. "But I'll feel like such a big loser if no one wants to buy me for the night."
    "Trust me, darlin'. That won't happen." Doug left the mugs on the counter before ushering her toward the door with a hand at the small of her back. "Wow. A bachelorette auction. I guess it's a good thing I've already gotten past feeling jealous, huh?"
    "Yes. And so quickly, too," Kinsey said, her sarcasm evident. He didn't have to take her completely at her word that he had no need to worry. He didn't, but it would appease her ego in a big way if he did.
    "Yep." His had moved to her shoulder, and he didn't let her get more than a step from his side. "I've decided to work on more of a Zen-like attitude. Job stress is wicked enough. I'll be doing my blood pressure a favor this way."
    "Sure. Don't want you stroking out or anything," she said, and mentally rolled her eyes.
    They'd reached their vehicles, parked side by side in a lot that was small and deserted and edged by a high privacy fence. Kinsey appreciated that fact when Doug, under the guise of seeing her safely to her car, backed her into the side of her SUV.
    He pressed his body along the length of hers, imprisoning her hands at her sides. She opened her mouth to tease him about Zen and the cosmos and serendipitous karma, but he gave her time to do nothing but gasp before his mouth covered hers and settled in to devour and feast.
    Even when she struggled to touch him, he held her wrists still, almost as if he wanted to be the one who decided the extent of their contact. Fine, whatever. He could have his way as long as he didn't stop what he was doing, because the contact he was making stole her ability to breathe.
    He touched her from knee to nose, his leg wedged between hers and pressing upward to stir coals of last night's flame. She widened her stance as far as her skinny-legged pants allowed, giving him better access and waiting on a sharp cutting edge for him to take it all.
    He did, his tongue slipping