The Game He Started

ELENA

The unfamiliar room was the first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes. The solid body beneath my head was the second.

For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming, until I slowly lifted my head and came face to face with the man lying beside me.

Cole Maddox.

My boyfriend's brother.

I clapped a hand over my mouth to stop the gasp escaping my lips, my eyes widening as I took in our naked bodies beneath the sheets.

What the hell had I done?

The erotic dream I'd thought I had, the one where I was making out with Cole, hadn't been a dream after all.

I stared at his annoyingly handsome face, unable to understand how I'd let things go this far. I'd spent five years with Xander, waiting for him to finally take the next step with me, and somehow, I'd ended up in bed with his brother.

I wanted to beat myself up for what I'd done, but first, I needed to get out of there before Cole opened his eyes and made an already embarrassing situation worse.

Carefully, I slipped out of bed, wincing when a dull ache between my thighs reminded me of the night before.

I'd arrived last night believing Xander was finally ready to move our relationship forward. After five years of waiting, I'd allowed myself to hope that the surprise he'd promised me would be a ring, that I'd finally hear him say he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.

Instead, I'd ended up in his brother's bed.

Of all the men in the world, why did it have to be Cole?

I gathered my clothes from the floor and hurried into them, then searched for my shoes. My purse was nowhere in sight, and I suddenly remembered leaving it in Xander's room before he hurried me into Cole's and told me to wait for him.

Just great.

I'd slept with his brother, and now I couldn't even face him.

I picked up my shoes and headed for the door, determined to leave before Cole woke up. My hand had barely reached the handle when his voice stopped me.

“Running away?”

I froze.

No. No, no, no.

He wasn't supposed to wake up yet.

I turned slowly and found him watching me with a serious expression I couldn't quite read. Was he angry? Disgusted? I had no idea, but embarrassment swallowed every other thought in my head.

“I'm sorry about last night,” I blurted out.

The moment the words left my mouth, I bit my lip. Of all the things I could have said, that was what came out.

“Sorry for what?” He gave me a sly smile. “Two consenting adults having a night of passion?”

My gaze dropped immediately as fragments of the previous night flashed through my mind, especially the way he'd looked at me with those emerald green eyes, as though he wanted to devour me.

“I'm sorry,” I repeated, hating how helpless I sounded.

“Come on, beautiful. Stop apologizing. You're making me feel like I took advantage of you.”

He threw back the covers and climbed out of bed, completely naked.

I immediately looked away, clutching the sides of my gown as he walked to his closet and pulled out a pair of boxers.

I'd heard enough about Cole from Xander to know he was the kind of man I should stay away from. He was arrogant, shamelessly flirtatious, and apparently incapable of taking anything seriously.

And yet, here I was.

“I have a secret to tell you,” he said, turning back with that same infuriating smile.

My heart skipped as he stepped closer. He bent towards my ear, his breath brushing my skin.

“I've been with a lot of women,” he whispered. “But you're special. Do you know why?”

I said nothing.

“Because you're the first virgin I've ever slept with.”

Heat rushed to my face so quickly that I wished the floor would open up and swallow me.

“I should go,” I muttered, turning towards the door before he could say anything else.

“Hey, beauty.”

I kept walking, refusing to flatter myself by assuming he was still talking to me.

“We should do this again sometime. I really enjoyed your company.”

I stopped for half a second, anger rising beneath my embarrassment. I wanted to turn around and remind him that I was his brother's girlfriend, not some woman he'd picked up for a night of pleasure.

But what right did I have to lecture him when I'd been the one to cross that line?

I continued towards the door, only to be startled by a loud knock.

“Cole, are you in?”

Xander's voice.

My heart nearly stopped.

I spun around, searching desperately for somewhere to hide, but Cole merely watched me as though my panic was the most entertaining thing he'd seen all morning.

The knock came again.

I hurried behind the sofa, crouching low and pressing a hand over my mouth just as Cole called, “Come in.”

The door opened, and I heard footsteps enter the room.

“When did you return?” Xander asked.

“Just this morning. Why?”

“Never mind.”

I heard his footsteps move towards the door, and relief had barely begun to settle over me when he stopped.

“Have you seen Elena around since you came back?”

My stomach twisted. Guilt flooded through me, and I pressed my hand harder against my mouth.

“You mean your ex-girlfriend?” Cole asked casually. “Are you sure you two aren't still together?”

“Yeah, well...” Xander hesitated. “You know what? Never mind.”

Ex-girlfriend?

Had I heard him correctly?

Was Xander really denying our relationship?

Before I could make sense of it, Xander spoke again.

“Hope you haven't forgotten about today.”

“Do I really have to attend?” Cole asked. “I'll be at your wedding, so why do I need to attend the meeting too?”

My entire body went rigid.

Wedding?

Xander was getting married?

“I bet Dad will be here soon to drag you out himself,” Xander replied.

A moment later, the door slammed shut.

I remained crouched behind the sofa, unable to move as his words replayed in my head.

Five years.

I'd spent five years loving Xander, defending him, and believing that one day he would finally choose me. I'd even spent last night hoping he was about to ask me to marry him.

Yet this morning, I'd woken up beside his brother, and now I was hearing that Xander was preparing to marry someone else.

I had barely begun to understand the mistake I'd made when I discovered that the man I'd thought I was betraying might have already thrown me away.

What the hell was going on?