CHANGING THE PLAYER: Charleston Pirates #1 by Chance, Jacob (digital e reader TXT) 📕

the person I’m meant to be with the key to making me finally grow up and take responsibility for my actions?

I don’t want to place expectations on whatever is developing between Nadia and me in case it doesn’t work out. One thing’s for certain, though, she’s helping me to be a better man, and that’s something I’ll always be grateful for, no matter what happens with us. At the least we’ll walk away from our deal as better friends than we were when we started. I’ve come to realize that Nadia is important to me and I need her in my life.

My text alert goes off and I shoot up to a sitting position once again. Plucking my phone from the bed, I pull up her text.

Nadia: Stop thanking me. That’s what friends are for.

Reading her message makes me snicker. She’s already trying to reclaim the boundaries we blew to pieces. Not gonna happen.

I type out another message, smiling the entire time.

Me: Can I thank you for the mind-blowing kiss? That was the best part of my night.

I doubt she’s going to answer me, but I let her know that I’m not about to forget it happened.

I finish getting ready for bed, brushing my teeth and shutting off the lights. When I slip under the covers, I pick up my phone and see an unread message.

Nadia: If you want to thank me, just forget it happened. We need to keep our business relationship strong. That’s what matters most. Good night.

I shake my head. She’s so stubborn and predictable. It’s going to be fun getting her to break all the rules she clings to.

Me: It’s impossible to forget, as it’s engraved in my mind forever. Night.

I know she was hoping I’d accept defeat gracefully and pretend like nothing changed between us, but that’s not me. I don’t ever accept defeat. I might learn to deal with it, but I never sit back and take it like it’s okay. Losing is never good. When it comes to love and war, the stakes are always highest. You get back what you give, and I always give my all and then some. I’m hoping that bodes well for getting Nadia to admit she’s falling for me like I’m falling for her.

16

Nadia

Groaning, I drop my head to rest on my arms. The cold wood is a welcome relief on my bare skin. I’ve been overheated since the kiss I shared with Flynn last night. I don’t know if it’s from embarrassment or from how freaking combustible we were together. Maybe it’s a combination of both, because in the light of a new day, I’m horrified by my behavior. But if I had the chance to do it over, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Can you really be ashamed if you want to do something again that you know is wrong?

Once I got to work, I turned the central air conditioning on. I’ve seen my employees walking around in sweaters and sport coats, but I can’t seem to rid myself of this flush. Maybe that’s what being intimate with Flynn is like. His orgasms make you permanently hot. If that’s the case, I’m fucked and I might as well indulge in more indecent behavior.

Now I’m just being silly. Flynn’s like any other guy. Except he’s packing a dry humping dream in his pants. I can’t even imagine what sex with him would be like. I might never walk normally again. Walking is overrated anyway.

Stop it. Stop thinking about him.

My phone rings, interrupting my spiraling thoughts, and this queen of texting has never been so happy to take a call.

“Hello.”

“Nadia, my favorite person.”

I smile. “Hey, Sadie. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to check in on you and see if your no sex status had changed since the game yesterday.”

“Seriously? You think one night could make that much of a difference? This is me we’re talking about.”

“I know Flynn’s type, and he works fast.”

“Well, the sexual status, or should I say no sexual status, to report still remains in place.”

Does a kiss and an orgasm count?

“Why does it seem like you’re not telling me something?” Sadie asks.

I glance around my office. Does she have a camera in here somewhere? “Ugh, I kissed him.”

“Yes,” she shrieks with happiness.

I lean back in my leather chair. “Why are you so excited about me kissing Flynn?”

“Because you deserve someone who’ll appreciate you.”

“And you think Flynn is that guy? Are you sure about that? You know his history.”

“He could be. Don’t judge him by his past.”

“If his last indiscretion happened less than two weeks ago, can it even be considered his past? I mean, that’s practically the present.”

“Past is anything that’s already happened. You can’t change the definition to suit your circumstances. And why are you even trying to talk yourself out of this so much?”

I groan with frustration. “I don’t know. I think he scares me.”

“How so?”

“Not like he’d physically hurt me. I’m talking about how he might break my heart and walk away completely unscathed.”

“There are no guarantees with any relationship. Even friendships end sometimes. Not everyone is meant to stay in your life long term, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enrich your life while they’re there.”

“Yeah, I guess. It doesn’t sound scary when you explain it, but as soon as we get off the phone, my head will be spinning from thinking about him. Why is it so difficult to get him out of my thoughts? Am I blowing this all up because I hadn’t been given an orgasm by someone else in years?”

“What?” she shouts. “You said you kissed him. You didn’t mention any orgasms.”

“Orgasm as in single and mine,” I correct.

“At least he’s a giver.” She laughs.

“He is, and let’s just say he has a lot to give, if you catch my drift.”

She titters. “Hell yeah. So let me get this straight. You kissed him first?”

“Yeah, but it was meant to be a friendly peck, as a thank you.”

“What happened then?”

“Our lips touched and