Playing With Fire

“Oh?” Zienna glanced around curiously.

“I told him to show up for eight, but he called about twenty minutes ago, said he’d be about ten minutes late. Which means any second now he should be walking through the door.”

“Way to spoil a girl’s anticipation.” She again pouted playfully as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I was kind of hoping for round two.” Their coupling in the kitchen had been out of the ordinary, and highly exciting for Zienna, who wished that Nicholas would be a little more spontaneous when it came to sex.

“Rain check?”

“Of course.” A beat passed. “At least I have time to do this.” Zienna tipped up on her toes, and Nicholas immediately encircled her waist with his strong hands and lowered his lips to meet hers.

Warmth spread through her entire body as they kissed, the only sound being their heavy breathing.

And then the door chimes sang, and Zienna quickly pulled her lips from her man’s. Meeting Nicholas’s eyes, she suppressed a giggle.

“I can come back,” said a deep voice from behind her.

“My man,” Nicholas said, another grin exploding on his face. He released Zienna and stepped past her.

She surreptitiously dabbed at her mouth to remove any moisture. Then, smiling sheepishly, she turned to meet Nicholas’s friend.

And as her eyes landed on the familiar face, her smile went flat a moment before her stomach bottomed out.

2

“Nick.”

“Wendell!”

Zienna watched in shock as her new lover and old lover embraced. In four years she hadn’t seen this man, and now here he was, like an apparition come to life.

When the friends separated, Nicholas walked back over to her and slipped an arm around her waist. He pulled her close. “Wendell, this is Zienna. Zienna, this is one of my best buddies. At least he was—until he followed some girl to Texas and didn’t come back.”

Nicholas chuckled, but Zienna could hardly breathe. She glanced up at Wendell, saw that he was staring at her with an amiable expression. Damn, he looked even better than she’d remembered.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Nicholas said. “Say hello.”

Wendell extended a hand. “Hello, Zienna.” He paused. “Again.”

Oh, lord, Zienna thought, her heart thundering. Wendell had done what she hadn’t expected and certainly didn’t want—made it clear that the two of them had a past. What was he thinking?

Nicholas looked from Wendell to her with a curious expression. “Again?”

“Zienna and I used to know each other,” Wendell explained, his gaze locked on hers.

She widened her eyes at him slightly, the only way she could think of to tell him not to spill the beans on just how well they’d once been acquainted.

“Remember when I tore my rotator cuff?” Finally, Wendell turned his attention to Nicholas. “Zienna was the kinesiologist who helped me get back to optimum performance.”

“You’re kidding!” Nicholas chuckled.

“She was one of the team’s athletic therapists,” Wendell went on.

Nicholas looked at her. “You never told me you worked with the Bears.”

“It was a long time ago,” Zienna said. She still felt regret over how she’d left a cushy job with Chicago’s pro football team because she hadn’t wanted the conflict of interest once she’d started seeing Wendell. Only for him to ultimately leave her. That was the reason she’d never mentioned her previous job to Nicholas or anyone else.

“You weren’t with our team long before you left and joined the group of physiotherapists at—what was it called? Back in Motion?” Wendell said.

Because of you! Zienna didn’t say it out loud.

“You certainly remember a lot about her,” Nicholas commented.

Zienna threw a glance at him, and saw what she feared—suspicion in his eyes.

“That’s because I continued to work with her at the clinic,” Wendell explained smoothly. “I’d become accustomed to her technique, and liked the way she challenged me.”

“Her technique? Is that all?” Nicholas sounded skeptical.

Zienna opened her mouth to speak, but Wendell did before she could. “It was four and a half years ago, man.”

Though he had evaded the question, his comment seemed enough for Nicholas, who nodded, saying, “Ahh. Right. That’s when you were crazy over Pam.”

Zienna’s stomach clenched. Pam? Who the hell was Pam? Four and a half years ago, Wendell had been giving her the best sex of her life.

“Pam?” Zienna all but croaked.

“His girlfriend,” Nicholas said.

Zienna’s head swam. How could this be true? Wendell had told her he was single when they’d gotten involved. And she could still remember his final words to her.

I’m not ready to settle down. I’m sorry.

And then he’d left town.

“Is Pam the one who went to Texas?” Zienna asked, trying her best to keep her voice neutral. It was one thing to see your ex again under these circumstances, but to learn that he’d lied to you years ago, and not be able to react accordingly...well, this was excruciating.

“Yeah,” Nicholas answered. “Pam. The swimsuit model.” He clamped a hand on Wendell’s shoulder. “My man Wendell. Always chasing the hottest women. I’m surprised he didn’t come on to you.”

“A real playboy, I bet,” Zienna said, an edge to her voice. “The type of man who never settles down.”

Wendell met her gaze, and Zienna couldn’t help narrowing her eyes in a little glare...the most emotion she could allow herself under the circumstances. Besides, the fact that he had lied to her in the past didn’t matter now. He was firmly in her rearview mirror. Nicholas was her future.

To emphasize that point, she ensnared Nicholas’s waist with both hands and rested her head against his shoulder.

“He was the consummate playboy—until he got involved with Pam,” Nicholas clarified. “I’ve never seen this guy get all nuts for a woman until he met her.”

“Stop exaggerating,” Wendell said, but his eyes were still on Zienna’s. “It wasn’t like that.”

“You follow a woman to Texas, it’s got to be serious,” Zienna commented. “You put a ring on her finger, too? Of course, you must have.” She quickly assessed his left hand, saw that it was ring-free. “But it appears you’re already divorced—unless you don’t believe in wearing a wedding band. Or perhaps you never stopped your playboy ways, even after saying I Do.”