Page 3 of The Game We Played

He bows. “Thank you. I do try.”

Two can play at his game. I snatch a bottle of moonshine and set it in front of him. “You’re the kind of man who deserves the best moonshine this bar has to offer.”

His eyes light up. “Moonshine?”

He has no idea. Moonshine on Smuggler’s Hideaway is not the moonshine you can buy in the rest of the country. It’s distilled on the island atBuccaneer’s Whiskey & Distilleryusing a recipe from Prohibition. Drinking it won’t cause you to go blind, but it will make you wish for heated flooring in your bathroom.

I set the bottle and six shot glasses on a tray. “Have fun.”

He picks up the tray but doesn’t move. “You forgot to give me your telephone number.”

“I didn’t forget.” I wink.

His eyes fill with confusion. Someone’s not used to being rejected. He blinks and the twinkle returns to his eyes. “Not a problem. I know where you work.”

He swaggers away and I don’t bother to pretend I’m not staring at his perfect ass. Just because I’m smart enough not to get involved with a player doesn’t mean I can’t look.

“Sorry I’m late.” My friend, Addy, says as she barrels into the bar. She’s a singer whose talents are wasted atMermaid Karaoke.But, unlike me, Addy isn’t interested in leaving the island. She’s here to stay.

And, apparently, so am I. I thought convincing Mike to let me write an article that isn’t a puff piece was my biggest problem. I didn’t realize theGazettemight close by the end of the summer.

I need a plan. Some way to ensure theGazettestays open. My gaze catches on Tanner sitting with his teammates. I could write a sports piece. With as much trouble as Tanner usually gets into, there must be a story there I could sell.

I perk up. Good plan. Maybe I should give him my phone number after all.

Chapter 2

Tanner – a man who has no desire to be taken seriously

Tanner

I make my way to the table where my teammates, Gage, Nolan, Brock, and Corbin, are sitting with the offensive coordinator for theSeals, Coach Knox.

I wave the bottle at them. “It’s moonshine. The bartender insisted we try it.”

Brock snorts. “Insisted? Or gave you the bottle to get you out of her hair?”

I feign flipping my hair over my shoulder. “She was smitten.”

Coach Knox barks out a laugh. “Smitten?”

“It means to be strongly attracted to someone.” I waggle my eyebrows. “Usually me.”

Nolan chuckles. “Attracted to your money is more like it.”

“Don’t get snippy with me because you got turned down last night.”

He narrows his eyes at me, but before he has a chance to respond, the lights flash and the bartender jumps onto the stage.I forget all about the quarterback and his pathetic love life as I study her.

I thought she was cute with her long brown hair and light blue eyes before. But now that she’s standing on the stage, I can drink in her lean, long body. She’s tall, which I appreciate since I’m over six-foot-three. And she’s lean with slight curves. My mouth waters at her perky breasts.

Her light blue eyes I want to drown in sparkle. “Are you ready for someMermaid Karaoke?”

The crowd cheers.

“Single ladies! It’s time to don your fins and sparkles. Can you catch a smuggler? You’ll need some serious chops.” She motions to the woman at the side of the stage. “To start us off, our very own Smuggler’s Hideaway native, Addy.”

She hands the microphone to Addy and jumps off the stage. I wave her over. “This is the bartender...”