Page 52 of Worth Every Game

Images of her opening her eyes, staring right at me as she came, burst across my mental screen like fireworks.

My dick stirs at the memory, and I’m mildly surprised, given I’ve already jerked off thinking about it twice this morning and it’s only 11 am. If I wasn’t in the office, I’d beat another one out, because these thoughts are distracting. I can’t focus.

I haven’t seen her today. She didn’t come down for breakfast. We didn’t even pass one another in the hall before I left for work. Perhaps she’s embarrassed. There’s no reason to be. I’m not judging her. As far as I’m concerned, the whole thing was bloody brilliant, until the end, which was confusing as fuck.

Have we taken this game too far? Did I push too hard? Do we need to talk about it?

I sit back in my chair, strumming my fingers on the desk. I’m itching to call her. Send a text. Check she’s all right. But we haven’t had that sort of contact since we agreed to play the game. Feels like a boundary I’m not sure I should cross.

But I want to because I’m pretty sure we could have a really good time together for the next couple of months. And—fuck—seeing her let loose on me, hearing those noises she made as she came, feeling the way her body twitched with pleasure… I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t want to see her do that again. Preferably naked and sitting on my dick.

A knock on my office door rips me from my thoughts. “Come in,” I call.

Seb Hawkston blasts into my office, a massive grin on his face. “Great night last night. Thanks so much. I feel a bit rotten today though.” He taps his head, letting me know he’s got a hangover.

“Glad you enjoyed it.”

“Listen, about Elly,” Seb begins, and I immediately tense up. “Can I get her number?”

Images of Elly, arms latched around my neck, moaning in my ear, assault my brain again. “Err, no.”

Seb’s mouth twitches, eyes alert. “Why not?”

I mentally fumble for a reason but come up short.

Seb laughs, and the sound makes me grit my teeth. I’m not sure there’s ever been a more annoying noise. “I’ve never seen you so distracted by a woman before,” he says.

I push my chair back from my desk and stare at him. “You came in here to laugh at me?”

Seb slides both hands into his trouser pockets. “Not exactly. I wanted to double-check. I can normally get a good read on a room and the people in it. I offered her my card last night and told her to call, but she didn’t take it.”

A traitorous heat simmers through me. If she had taken his card, I would have been crushed. Completely flattened. “She didn’t?”

“Nah. She’s into you.”

I drop my forehead into my hand. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing with Elly. The game is fun, but it has put limits on what we can be. What she thinks I can offer her. And clearly, after her reaction last night, it's more complicated than it should be. Maybe it was a mistake, but I can hardly back out now, can I?

I don’t fucking know what I want from her, but Seb’s right. Sheisdistracting. She fills my thoughts like no one else ever has.

“But if I’m wrong, and you aren’t keen, let me know,” Seb continues, his words tearing me from my thoughts. “I’d still like to take her out.”

I respond without thinking. “Don’t fucking touch her. Don’t even try, and if you do, I’ll—”

Seb laughs again, cutting me off, but when I glare at him, he compresses a smile as though he finds my sudden protectiveness amusing. “You are keen, then. That’s all I needed to know.” Hepauses to observe me, then shakes his head. “Fuck. I’ve never seen you like this.”

He doesn’t say another word and saunters out of my office. For a few minutes, I sit staring into space.Am I really that different this time?

A montage of Elly begins playing in my mind. Damn Seb, coming in here and making me think of her.Fuck it, who am I kidding?All I’ve done is think about her. Might as well plunge right in.Indulge myself. I pull my phone out of my pocket and, without pausing to question it, I bring up TikTok and search Elly’s name.

A bunch of Ellies come up, but none of them are right.

I do the same with Instagram. Facebook. I even try X, but there is nothing anywhere. She has no social media presence at all.

An unexpected annoyance flares. How does she expect anyone to find her music if she’s not putting it out there? I send Kate a message.

Me: Is Elly on social media? For her music?

Kate: Nope. You still trying to work out if she’s good enough for Nico’s party? Because she is.