Love Game

“Is it serious?”

“None of your business.”

“What can we expect at the Open? More of your trademark antics?”

“If you’re lucky.”

Soon, the press was thoroughly fed up with my boring, curt answers and went back to find Brad who loved talking to them almost as much as he loved looking in a mirror.

I wandered the room, a half-empty beer bottle in my hand, in search of Daisy. I found Jason first, huddled in a group with some other agents and suits.

“Hey, Kai, we were just talking about you,” Jason said. “This is Herb Walker from Nike and he’d like to—”

“Yeah, hi, you seen Daisy?”

Jason’s smile froze. “Not in the last few minutes,” he said tightly. He leaned into me. “Did I mention Herb is a rep for Nike?”

I flashed the men a short smile, my eyes scanning the crowd. “Yeah, good to meet you,” I muttered absently and then wandered away.

I made a circuit of the room. No Daisy. No Brad, either. An ugly feeling coiled in my gut.

And then I found Brad in the hallway off the main room, his back to me, intent on whoever he was talking to. It looked like he had a woman in the corner, against the wall. One hand above her head, the other holding a beer.

Daisy. He has Daisy up against the wall…

I moved to the side to get a better angle. She was staring up at him, wide-eyed and unmoving. Listening raptly to whatever he was saying. Tilting her chin up. To be kissed?

My blood turned to ice to see them together. They were just talking, except that he was practically pressed against her and she didn’t move. She didn’t shove him away or kick him in the balls or curse him out.

Surprised? An acid voice said in my head. This is what caring about someone will get you.

I turned on my heel and strode away, toward the nearest exit. The country club was suddenly airless and hot, and I could hardly breathe. I shoved a door open that led to a patio overlooking the ocean. A few seconds later, I heard footsteps behind me.

“Kai,” Daisy called from behind me. “Kai.” She caught up to me outside and grabbed my arm, pulling me to stop as I started for the stairs that led down to the beach. “Kai, wait…”

I pulled out of her grip. “I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t. I’m not that guy.”

She stopped, staring, breathing hard. Her pulse jumped in the hollow of her throat. “What are you talking about?”

“You. Brad. I’m not the guy that gets fucking jealous, and I don’t want to be.”

She stared at me for a second, incredulous, and the pain that flooded her bronze eyes told me I’d made a huge mistake.

“Of course, you don’t,” she spat, her breath tremulous. “You don’t want to feel anything so that when you think you see me with another guy, you can tell yourself it’s not a big deal. I get it. You were hurt once—yes, badly—so now you want to go for the rest of your life without feeling anything at all, right?”

I rubbed my chin, frustration and the old anger polluting my thoughts. “You can do what you want. But you had to pick him? Brad fucking Finn?”

“God, you are such a jackass,” Daisy said. She held up her hands that were trembling as if it were fifty below and I realized her face was pale with fear. “Do you see this? I can’t stop shaking. He cornered me in that hallway, and it reminded me of the break-in. I freaked out and froze up, just like I did then. You honestly think I want something with him when I—? Where are you going?”

Rage had flooded me, burning up the ice, and I started past her, back inside to kick Finn’s arse. Daisy pulled me back, then braced herself against me with both hands on my chest to barricade me.

“No,” she said. “You are not going in there to beat him up. That’s exactly what he wants. To provoke you into an incident in front of all the press and get you banned before the Open.”

“So what?” I stared down at her. “He cornered you.”

“Oh, now you care?” she said, and tears suddenly filled her eyes. “Or is it just plain old ego? You don’t want me, but he can’t have me either.”

“Daisy…”