Free Changing His Game (Gamers #1) by Megan Erickson Page B

of her hands on him was like a limb had been cut off. How had she gotten so far under his skin in such a short amount of time?
    She stood in front of him now, beautiful, vibrant, and so damn ambitious. He needed to get away from her before he ruined her life.
    He licked his lips and took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders, feeling his armor slip over his skin. Except now it was ill-fitting and he could feel every chink—each one caused by Marley.
    He ignored the sensation and focused on her. “You’re right. This was risky, and I’m sorry for putting you in this position.” God, it hurt, every word leaving his mouth left cuts along the way. He expected to taste the blood any minute. “I won’t bother you again.”
    He didn’t look at her face, just in case she was as weak for him as he was for her. He walked past her, opened the door to the supply closet, and then slipped down the hallway to the back door.
    The soles of his dress shoes clacked on the pavement in the parking lot, each footstep echoing off the brick wall as he made his way to his car.
    When he reached his car, he did taste the blood, that iron tang. He realized he’d been biting his cheek that hard, the pain not even registering through his foggy brain.
    He wanted to sleep for about five years. But he knew he’d dream of Marley.
    He slipped behind the wheel of his Jag and slammed his head on the headrest, closing his eyes. He saw Marley behind his lids, her flushed face, wet nipples, aroused pussy.
    Well, fuck.
    He turned on the ignition and placed his hands on the steering wheel. Then he pulled out of the parking lot, preparing himself for a sleepless night in his lonely, empty house.

Chapter Seven
    Marley kept her gaze on her computer screen, but she could see the hallway leading to the supply closet out of the corner of her eye.
    And it was driving her crazy.
    Two days ago, she’d had the best sex of her life, and then she’d turned it all down for her job. Why had she done that again? Oh, right, because it was a distraction.
    As if she wasn’t still distracted. Stupid hallway.
    She blew out a breath and took another sip of her coffee.
    The office had been in a dither all day. Grant Osprey, the owner of Gamers , had dropped in, which wasn’t necessarily rare, but it was cause for office chatter. He often worked from home, but with the news that Bradley was leaving, any hint of his presence started the rumor mill.
    She’d already expressed her interest in the position to the editor in chief, James Mathers. But Grant would sign off on any new hire. She’d never talked to him much, but he’d sat in on her initial interview and asked a few questions.
    Her phone rang at her desk.
    “Gamers, this is Marley Lake.”
    “Marley,” James’s craggy voice said in the line. The man smoked too much. “Do you have a minute to come in to my office?”
    “Yep, I’ll be right there.”
    She hung up the phone and glanced down the hallway for the fiftieth time that day. Okay, that hour.
    Dammit.
    She stood up and smoothed her skirt, checking for any runs in her nylons. She slipped her feet into her heels and walked in the direction of James’s office.
    She knocked on the door and then turned the knob after she heard a curt, “Come in.”
    She smiled at James, but that smile faltered when she caught sight of Grant in the room, sitting across from James’s desk, his posture sprawled, one hand propped on the arm of his chair.
    He straightened as she walked in, and then stood up with his hand out. “How’s it going, Marley?”
    She shook his hand and sat down when he gestured to the seat beside him. They both sat as James watched from behind his desk. “Good, Grant, and you?”
    He shrugged. “Can’t complain.”
    She’d always found Grant attractive. He was kind of like a Ken doll, tall and fit, with golden hair and blue eyes. He was usually smiling, but he seemed a little unfocused to her, like he existed with his head in the clouds. Being