Play Me Hard (Play Me 3)

“Did they say where they were going? Maybe I could—”

“You need to go, Aria.”

The hair on the back of my neck stands up at her warning, at the solemn, nervous look on her face as she glances back over her shoulder.

Suddenly everything clicks into place and I turn around, ready to flee.

But it’s too late. I know it as soon as I hear the sound of a newspaper crinkling.

The sound of his polished wingtips slapping across his prized marble floors.

The sound of a throat being cleared.

“Aria.”

My name sounds foreign on his lips, in his voice—it’s been so long since I’ve heard him say it.

I want to run, want to get as far away from here—from him—as I possibly can. But running away isn’t an option now. Not when I can feel the weight of his expectations, feel him biding his time as he waits for me to answer.

So, in the end, I do the only thing I can. I draw a deep breath into my lungs and turn to face him, fake smile firmly in place. “Hi, Daddy. How are you?”

Chapter Four

Sebastian

“Sebastian? Is that you?”

I hear the familiar voice as I I’m walking through the hotel reception area after stopping by my father’s suite to check on the old man. He’s doing as well as can be expected, which means not very well at all. But he was alert and as responsive as possible when I was talking to him, so that’s something. And if I took advantage of the fact that he can’t speak well enough to tell me how much I’m fucking up his legacy, well then, that’s a karmic black mark that I’m more than willing to pay for later.

I almost don’t stop to check who’s calling to me, because all in all it’s been a shit day so far and I’m exhausted. Plus, I’m worried about Aria. I haven’t heard from her since she hung up on me this morning and I’m not happy.

Not happy that she hasn’t called back.

Even less happy that she hasn’t answered any of the three texts I’ve sent her since then.

And I’m definitely not happy about the fact that I’m still thinking about her two hours later, when a million other things need my attention. The fact that she has that much control over me already…it’s not a good feeling.

But the voice is familiar enough—though out of place—that I turn around to see who it is. And nearly lose my shit when I realize Ethan Frost is standing in the middle of my lobby, holding a room key in one hand and a beautiful woman’s hand in the other.

“Ethan! What are you doing here?” I’m smiling hugely now as he leans in, gives me a one-armed hug.

“I should be asking you the same thing. The last I heard you were doing a three-month stint in Haiti.”

“Yeah, well, I had to cut the trip short. Thanks for your donation, by the way.”

“Always, man. It’s a good cause.” He pulls his woman in closer, wraps an arm around her waist. She’s got strawberry blond hair and an infectious smile that I can’t help returning. “This is my fiancée, Chloe Girard. Chloe, this is Sebastian Caine. We’ve been friends since college and are currently on the boards of a couple of charitable foundations together.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Her handshake is as firm as her smile is soft and it impresses me. She impresses me, actually, largely because of the way Ethan can’t stop grinning like an idiot. She’s obviously good for him.

“It’s great to meet you, too. Any fiancée of Ethan’s is a friend of mine.” I turn to the man whom I’ve considered one of my closest friends for the better part of a decade. “How come this is the first I’m hearing about your engagement?”

“It just happened. This is kind of a celebration trip, actually.”

“And you’re staying in my hotel?”

He laughs. “I was pretty sure you’d kick my ass if you found out I’d stayed somewhere else.”

“Damn straight. Your trip is on me, obviously.”