A Game of Secrets, page 1
“Did you attend a party last night?”
“A party,” Sasha repeated.
“Yeah, one of those things where people get together and music is played. There’s usually food and—”
“Jake, I know the definition of a party.”
“Were you there, last night, wearing a reddish-blond curly wig, dressed like a tiger?” He thought he might be imagining discomfort where there was none. “Well, were you?”
“I know Lincoln and TJ asked you to look out for me. But seriously, you inquiring about my every move is not only unnecessary, it’s becoming downright irritating.”
“Does that mean you don’t want to tell me where you were last night?”
“I was preparing to come here, to Point du Sable. Want to see my plane ticket?”
He raised a brow. “Do you have it on you?”
Sasha’s expression made him laugh out loud.
She looked beyond him and waved. “Bye, Jake.”
* * *
A Game of Secrets by Zuri Day is part of the
The Eddington Heirs series.
Dear Reader,
Do you have a secret? Have you ever been sworn to keep one for somebody else? An unexpected, clandestine meeting leading to such a secret is the premise to Jake and Sasha’s story. Sasha McDowell comes to Point du Sable from Washington, DC, to assist her godmother with a holiday event. She’s excited at the prospect of seeing Jake Eddington, a childhood crush. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on who’s asked—their first time together in a decade doesn’t go the way either of them would have expected. What happens is a complete surprise, something that definitely shouldn’t go public. That information getting out could have huge personal and professional ramifications. Not just for Jake and Sasha, but for their high-profile, influential families and the communities where each resides.
What do you think about having and keeping secrets? My family, especially the older members, pride themselves on being able to maintain privileged information. Those unable to do so are described as people who “can’t hold water.” I think that phrase has Southern origins but I don’t know for sure. Just for the record, I can “hold water.” Lots of it. So, feel free to tell me all your secrets, DayDreamers, at ZuriDay.com!
Zuri
Zuri Day
A Game of Secrets
Zuri Day is the award-winning, nationally bestselling author of a slew of novels translated into almost a dozen languages. When not writing or enjoying the adventures of international travel, she can be found in the weeds—literally—engaged in gardening, her latest passion, or in the kitchen whipping up tasty vegan and vegetarian dishes while being a chef in her own mind! Check out her bookshelf and become a part of her beautiful day by signing up for her newsletter at ZuriDay.com.
Books by Zuri Day
Harlequin Desire
The Eddington Heirs
Inconvenient Attraction
The Nanny Game
Two Rivals, One Bed
A Game of Secrets
Sin City Secrets
Sin City Vows
Ready for the Rancher
Sin City Seduction
The Last Little Secret
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
You can also find Zuri Day on Facebook, along with other Harlequin Desire authors, at Facebook.com/HarlequinDesireAuthors!
Keeping big secrets can lead to huge lies
Creative fabrications and false alibis
The truth being revealed is the
price one must pay
While love sometimes justifies
the games people play.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Excerpt from One Night Rancher by Maisey Yates
One
“Lone Ranger, or Zorro?”
Jake Eddington’s body, clad in all black, physically responded to the intoxicating scent and sultry sound of a woman’s voice so close that her damp breath tickled his earlobe. Jake loved the sound of women’s voices. He loved their warm, damp spaces too. He was a connoisseur of all things female, voices in particular. That, along with natural butts and breasts and pretty eyes, like the pair that locked on him as he turned, immediately snaring him in their clutches. Brown with flecks of gold, they matched the woman’s tiger costume, a tight mini and matching thigh-high boots that showed off delicate curves and came complete with ears, tail and a long, golden mane.
And a mask, of course.
“What do you think?” While asking the question, he tried to identify what little of the face he could see behind a mask that showed little more than lips and eyes. He’d grown up in nearby Point du Sable, the uberupscale community where many of the partygoers lived or had also grown up, and had been a regular on Chicago’s elite party scene. In other words, he knew almost everybody. But what he could see of this femme fatale didn’t look familiar at all.
Jake immediately made himself a promise to rectify that.
The woman tossed her curls to one side, her expression thoughtful. “Definitely Zorro,” she concluded. “You don’t strike me as the type of guy to spend much time alone.”
A couple steps was all it took for Jake to invade the tigress’s personal space. He took full advantage.
“And you are?”
He was close enough to catch another whiff of her perfume, a spicy, floral confection that beckoned him closer still. Another step placed his mouth close to her ear.
“Besides, of course, the most gorgeous feline I’ve ever encountered.”
Her response as she leaned in and squeezed his forearm? A prolonged purrrrr.
Jake’s mouth split into a smile. At the same time, his manhood jumped. He didn’t recognize the voice or what he could see of the face. But so far, he liked her. A lot.
He repeated his attempt for personal info. “What’s your name?”
“It’s a masquerade party, so why would you ask?”
“Because it might be considered inappropriate to place a tantalizing kiss on the lips of a stranger.”
“It might also be deemed wrong for me to slap an anonymous face, but that’s what such an intrusion would cost you.”
Spunky. I like that! He also decided those delicious-looking kissers were worth a punch. He thought it best not to tell her that.
Jake placed two big strong hands over his heart in mock wounded pride. “Ah, come on now. One of the reasons we wear masks at these things is for the freedom to give in to our...carnal desires. If you’d attended these before, you’d know that, so it must be your first time.”
It was a clear attempt to find out more about her. She didn’t take the bait. For Jake, that made her even more intriguing. He wouldn’t exactly call himself promiscuous, but when not in a committed relationship, like now, he made the most of opportunities that presented themselves. In years past, these annual Halloween parties had gotten pretty wild. The later the hour and the more the alcohol flowed, it wasn’t unusual to see partygoers in various states of undress, performing get-to-knows right on the dance floor. More than once, he’d opened one of the ten bedroom doors the mansion boasted to find it occupied. The only reason it hadn’t happened to him was because of the lesson he’d learned—lock the door. Recent events had somewhat tempered the formerly carefree social scene, but he’d attended enough of his pro athlete clients’ private parties to know that grown folk still liked to do what grown folk liked to do. Jake was cautious but he wasn’t celibate. He wasn’t stupid either. Less than ten minutes or ten feet into the party and he knew he was conversing with one of the most beautiful women in the house.
“Since your name is off-limits, what can I know about you?” His eyes swept over her costume, noting breasts that looked natural, a flat stomach and small waist. “That outfit alone tells me you’re dangerous. Or at the very least up for adventure.”
“Maybe.”
“How can maybe become definitely? A couple turns on the dance floor? Sharing a plate of delicious hors d’oeuvres? There’s an awesome game room on the third floor. What do you like to play?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
She was right. Jake was asking a lot of questions. Not his normal behavior at all. In Jake’s rarefied world it wasn’t uncommon for women to do the chasing. Then again, it wasn’t every day he chatted with a beautiful tigress. Jake decided to cut himself some slack and focus on the tender morsel in front of him, the one that if he played his cards right he might get to nibble on before the night was over.
“I get the feeling this might be your first HalloMask party. I’d be more than happy to show you around.”
“Thanks, but I’m a big girl who can take care of herself.”
“Then I’ll dispense with the pleasantries of how beautiful you are and how I’ve waited all my life for someone like you to walk into it and go straight to the chase. I’d like nothing more than to peel that costume off of you stripe by stripe and see if the caramel on the inside tastes as sweet as it looks on the outside.”
“Oh, so it’s like that, huh?”
Her expression was neutral, showing neither desire nor disdain. Yet Jake swore the temperature rose ten degrees. “It’s exactly like that.”
A second passed. Two. Five.
“Take it easy, Zorro.” The woman’s mouth curved into a gorgeous smile, revealing sparkling white teeth.
Who was this woman? After a steady diet of drama queens, gold diggers and debutantes, her devil-may-care attitude was as refreshing as rain. Definitely not from the Windy City. Local women didn’t emit that type of breeze. Jake wasn’t looking for commitment, or even a constant. He was, however, open to a one-night stand, the entire weekend if the lovemaking was good enough. Especially since after this weekend his freedom would be limited, thanks to one of his friends and potential future business partner, Lincoln Trotter. Lincoln, who along with making moves to become one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in DC was also working as a political consultant for next year’s election, had asked Jake to serve as the unofficial local escort for his fiancée, Sasha McDowell. The socialite daughter of the powerfully influential, Washington, DC–based McDowell family, Sasha was coming to Chicago to work with her godmother on a holiday event. Lincoln had entrusted his friend and possible business partner to keep sure-to-come-sniffing Chicagoan alpha wolves at bay. It was a tall order and not the type of responsibility he’d normally shoulder, but Jake had reluctantly agreed. If this was going to be his last totally free weekend until the New Year, a nice, casual sex romp would be the perfect way to spend it. But that was it. Nothing more. No attachments. No strings. Casual dating was his modus operandi. His best friend and older siblings had all settled into married life. But a trip to the altar wasn’t in his near future. Jake was sure about that.
The tigress turned to leave. Jake didn’t want her to go. Just then, a hit R & B song began to play.
“How about a dance?”
“Maybe later,” she threw over her shoulder.
Her graceful retreat gave him an unobstructed view of her juicy booty, an anatomy strong point. Her tail swished slowly back and forth. He stood mesmerized, almost hypnotized, as if a therapist had waved a wand before his eyes and begun a countdown from ten to one. He’d been hungry upon arrival and had planned to head straight for the always bountiful buffet. But a certain feline had awakened a different kind of appetite, one he was determined to assuage.
“She’s fine, isn’t she?”
Jake turned to find Claude, a former PDS resident and high school classmate, wearing a Rick James styled wig, dark sunglasses and outlandish rocker garb.
“Damn right. Who is it?”
“That’s what almost every man in here has been trying to figure out. So far, no one can place her.”
“It’s rare to see a stranger here,” Jake said, continuing to look in the direction she’d gone even though she’d become lost in the crowd. “Especially tonight.”
Claude nodded, knowing Jake spoke the truth. It was one of the reasons the partygoers felt comfortable letting their hair down, getting wild and crazy and for at least twenty-four hours, casting good home training and social mores to the wind. Those attending felt safe, knew their reputations were protected. Aside from the occasional pro athlete, model or A-list celebrity, outsiders weren’t normally allowed at the masquerade party. Most of the attendees had known each other since childhood. Trying to keep one’s identity from those who knew it best, while sometimes sharing in casual intimacies, was always part of the fun. The attendees, rarely numbering more than a hundred fifty or so, were wealthy, well educated and socially connected, and knew that what happened at the mansion would never be known outside their tight-knit circle. Still, because of the stringent rules regarding who got invited, the men knew she was somebody who knew somebody.
“I see you finally got with protocol.” Claude nodded toward Jake’s mask.
“A little bit.”
Jake adjusted the slightly uncomfortable contraption, one of the reasons that in the past couple years the party had happened, he never bothered putting one on. When arriving at these parties in the past, it was usually straight from work. Tonight, he’d had a couple hours to actually unwind before heading over. His clothing was still business casual sans suit coat, but the simple addition of a black mask had changed how he moved around the room. It had definitely increased his boldness when speaking to the tiger, leading him to believe that maybe the masks were not that bad after all.
“Being mysterious does add to the fun, I guess, though most of us can still guess each other’s identities.” He looked in the direction of where the temptress had gone. “Except for a certain feline. She’s still a stranger.”
“If I have my way, she won’t be a stranger for long.”
Claude’s comment rankled. An irrational reaction but one that couldn’t be helped. There was something about the woman that took Jake beyond his usual attraction for beautiful females. There was something about his feelings that felt intimate, almost familiar, even though that made no sense. The thought of her being with someone else was one he didn’t want to entertain. Neither did he want to consider the possibility that she might not entertain him either.
“Where’s the food?” he asked, for a diversion. “The same setup?”
Claude shook his head. “Grub is on the second floor tonight. The different flow is probably to accommodate the new game on tonight’s agenda.”
Jake raised a brow. He’d attended this party for the past four years and hadn’t bothered to read the invitation past date and time.
“Midnight scavenger hunt.”
“That’s different. Sounds cool.” With his previous ravenousness returning, Jake headed toward the stairs. As he mounted them, a plan began to form. He’d go on a hunt alright, but it would be a specific tigress, not random scavenging, that would be on his mind.
* * *
Walking as calmly and naturally as her suddenly noodle-like legs and hammering heart would allow, Sasha made her way through a throng of partygoers. She crossed a smartly appointed living room boasting a twenty-foot Christmas tree, down a hall lined with collectible art and into one of the ostentatious home’s fourteen bathrooms. Only then did she release the breath she’d been holding, slumping down on a nearby fur-covered stool. Not at the party ten minutes and already she’d found her target, the man who’d help her implement a daring, slightly lascivious and completely uncharacteristic plan she’d cooked up only days before. Sasha wanted to experience what it was like to be free. Incognito. How it felt to move in a place where no one knew her name, or her family. No one knew her dad. No one knew the weight that rested on the shoulder of any child bearing the McDowell name. Having secretly broken an engagement the month before leaving DC, Sasha also wanted to live out a fantasy, to experience a no holds barred, no strings attached sexual encounter with a man whom she was drawn to on physical energy alone.
That was not the type of intimacy she’d had since dating Lincoln. Sex with him had been average, predictable, with her almost always left wanting. Lincoln’s bedroom antics were as conservative as his political beliefs. The one time she’d suggested oral sex, he’d been so aghast one would have thought she’d asked permission to bite off his penis. Doggy style was about as naughty as he’d get. What would it be like to feel the way those women in the Harlequin Blaze novels she and her friends used to read at school felt? To be sexed into orgasm, left shivering and weak, delirious with pleasure? Did that really only happen in books and movies?
Sasha wanted to know, and she felt that a party like the one she was now attending may be one of the only ways she could ever safely find out. Reign, a sister of Lincoln’s good friend, Jake Eddington, had told her about HalloMask during a recent phone call. She’d laughed conspiratorially as she’d shared some of the shenanigans that went on there. As soon as the call ended, Sasha devised a plan and set it in motion. She worked quickly, before rationality took over and she changed her mind. The plan worked. Now here she was, with weak knees and a wet vagina, fantasizing about how to get Zorro into bed.
