Play Me

By Diane Alberts

A sexy category romance novella from Entangled's Brazen imprint...

Scoring is only part of the game...

Today, I was supposed to get married, but thanks to my dick of an ex, there's no happily-ever-after in sight. So tonight, I'm aiming for a happy ending, one that involves a whole lot of champagne, and the hottest sex of all—revenge sex. Garrett Kelly is just the man to satisfy my needs, both in and out of the bedroom. All I need to do is to make the first move...

For one night, he's everything I wanted and needed. Of course, now I've gone and crossed the line between friendship and…something else. Getting involved with an unreliable guy is always a bad idea, and falling in love? Even worse. Now my little game of hot-sex-and-revenge has taken a hell of a turn—and this time, there are consequences.

Previously released on the Ever After imprint in July 2013.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jul 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781622661923

Book preview

Scoring is only part of the game...

Today, I was supposed to get married, but thanks to my dick of an ex, there’s no happily-ever-after in sight. So tonight, I’m aiming for a happy ending, one that involves a whole lot of champagne, and the hottest sex of all—revenge sex. Garrett Kelly is just the man to satisfy my needs, both in and out of the bedroom. All I need to do is to make the first move...

For one night, he’s everything I wanted and needed. Of course, now I’ve gone and crossed the line between friendship and…something else. Getting involved with an unreliable guy is always a bad idea, and falling in love? Even worse. Now my little game of hot-sex-and-revenge has taken a hell of a turn—and this time, there are consequences.

Previously released on the Ever After imprint in July 2013.

Table of Contents

Dedication

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

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Don’t miss the rest of the Take a Chance series!

Try Me

Love Me

Take Me

Shillings Agency series

Temporarily Yours

Stealing His Heart

Seducing the Princess

Faking It

Falling for the Groomsman

Kiss Me at Midnight

Divinely Ruined

On One Condition

If you love sexy romance, one-click these steamy Brazen releases…

His to Keep

Hold Me Down Hard

Tempting the Player

Seducing Cinderella

Down for the Count

Game for Marriage

Taming His Tutor

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by Diane Alberts. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

Brazen is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC. For more information on our titles, visit www.brazenbooks.com.

Edited by Shannon Godwin

Cover design by Heather Howland

Photography by iStock

ISBN 978-1-62266-192-3

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition July 2013

This one goes out to my readers. Without you, I wouldn’t be here. Without you, I’d still just be a girl with a dream…

Chapter One

Garrett Kelly might have been a laid-back middle school math teacher by day, but at night he was a basketball coach who yelled and cussed and fought for his team. And right now? He was yelling. And in his head? He was cursing up a storm. Mainly because his star player, Chris Worth, stood frozen mid-court of the middle school gymnasium.

What the hell was going on out there? Chris never choked. Never missed a chance to win a game. But he was just standing there. Not moving.

Dribble the ball, Chris! Garrett screamed down the court, his entire body tense. The damn score was tied at fifty-six with thirty seconds left and he still wasn’t moving. Garrett looked up in the bleachers at Kiersten Worth, Chris’s aunt and legal guardian…as well as acting mother, who shrugged back and scrunched up her nose. Move!

Chris finally launched into action, dribbling in between the opposing team’s defense as if they merely stood still, and banked another two points. The crowd went wild, both with moans and shouts, depending on which side they were rooting for.

There you go. You got this down, boys, he called out, rubbing the back of his neck. Now, they just needed to figure out how to prevent the other team from scoring in the next twenty seconds, and they would be able to maintain their undefeated record. And if they failed? He might have to give them all double homework duty on Monday.

His assistant coach, and best friend, paced behind him. If they let this kid score, I’m gonna lose it, Mike whispered. Then he raised his voice and shouted, Arms up, defense!

You’re preaching to the choir.

Garrett tensed as the opposing team headed down the court. Sending a prayer above—God had to like basketball…He was a man after all—Garrett clenched his hands tight. The other team’s tiny point guard dodged between two players, only to be caught off-guard by Chris. Chris snatched the ball out of his hands and dribbled down the court. He squared off and took a shot just as the buzzer sounded.

Swoosh.

Yes! Garrett said, turning to give Mike a high five. And the streak continues.

Thank God, Mike grinned.

They lined up all of the kids in the most unorganized row ever, slapped hands and huddled for an after-game pep talk. After they finished, Mike and Garrett headed toward the waiting moms, who hovered like vultures waiting for their meal.

Oh, God, Susan is eyeing me again, Mike groaned, rubbing his forehead. Help me.

Well, you shouldn’t have slept with her, dumbass, Garrett replied, smiling at the woman in question as they approached the crowd. "I warned you to avoid her like the plague. Her ex-husband had to get a restraining order against her. If that doesn’t scream caution, I don’t know what does. You have no one to blame but yourself."

Yeah, Mike shrugged. But she’s hot. That throws the crazy scale askew.

Garrett rolled his eyes. He scanned the crowd for the woman who wouldn’t be chasing him. Kiersten stood in the back of the well-wishers, waving at Chris and beaming with pride. Her straight blond hair looked silky smooth today and Garrett’s fingers twitched with the desire to see if it was as soft as it looked. But friends didn’t fondle other friends’ hair.

Or so he kept telling himself.

Chris held his index finger up to Kiersten, obviously needing a minute to collect his stuff and say his good-byes. Though Chris’s mom had died in a car crash when Chris was an infant, the boy had never lacked for a mother. Kiersten, though barely more than a child herself at the time, had stepped into her sister’s role without hesitation. She had even refused to let her older sister take on the responsibility, since Brianna had just had a baby with her husband. That was just one of the many things Garrett admired about her so much.

Don’t even think about abandoning me for her, Mike said between clenched teeth, following the line of his gaze. You don’t stand a chance and you know it. Besides, she’s still depressed over Pete leaving her. Fucking asshole.

Agreed. Garrett shrugged. We’re friends, is all. Stop trying to make it more than what it is.

Are you so sure about that? Need I remind you of high school? Mike called out. Move on and leave her alone.

Mike, of course, referred to the huge crush Garrett had held on to all throughout his teen years. But he was over it. He’d grown up and moved on, as people did. You have no clue what you’re talking about, he said before walking away.

Yeah, I do. She’s my sister, Mike retorted. And you’re an as— Mike broke off and looked at the kids surrounding them. "Uh, an astounding fool."

Garrett rolled his eyes at his friend’s quick recovery, waved over his shoulder—with one finger conspicuously higher than the others—and stalked to Kiersten’s side. All of the other moms let out a sigh and zeroed in on Mike. The poor sucker stood no chance, and deserved every second of it.

The closer Garrett got to Kiersten, the faster his heart thumped in his ears. It felt more like he was sprinting down the court for a winning shot instead of walking up to his longtime friend. She saw his approach and straightened, cheeks rosy. Her green gaze latched onto his, pushing him away without saying a word. Coach Garrett, how are you doing tonight?

Her voice washed over him like a soothing balm. He shook his head and grinned at her. Kiersten, you can call me Garrett.

Not here, she murmured. Her gaze flitted over his shoulder to where Chris probably approached. Don’t want to give anyone anything to gossip about.

He pasted his generic playboy-smile on and ran his fingers through his hair. No one would get the wrong idea. It’s quite obvious we’re just friends. Speaking of which…are we still getting together for drinks tonight?

Yes, she said quickly. Now be quiet. Chris is coming, and I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.

The wrong idea being that she was actually interested in more than friendship from him. Garrett knew all too well that wasn’t the case, even if he occasionally wished it weren’t. Right.

Hey, coach, Chris said. He walked over to Kiersten’s side and looked at Garrett with eyes far too wise for a thirteen year old. What’s up?

Garrett cleared his throat. Nothing much. I’m just letting your mom know about practice on Monday at five.

Oh, okay. Chris looked up at Kiersten expectantly. Ready to go to Friendly’s?

"I’m always ready to go to Friendly’s, she replied. When she slung his gym bag over her shoulder, her gaze met Garrett’s for one brief second. Good bye, Coach Garrett."

See ya, he murmured.

He watched her walk away, the swing of her hips teasing him. Over the past three months, they had been getting together at her place to have a few drinks on the weekends, but not as lovers. Just as friends. Very platonic friends. It’s all they could ever, and would ever, be. He was her kid’s teacher and coach. Though the school didn’t frown upon such things… other parents did.

All it would take was one game where he played Chris longer than another kid and all hell would break loose. So no matter how much he might like to discover how those swinging hips felt in his hands…he needed to keep his head on straight.

And his hands at his sides.

Rolling his shoulders, he headed back to Mike. Upon seeing his return, Mike flashed him a dirty look. About time, he muttered under his breath. Done drooling over my sister?

Garrett ignored him. Okay, everyone. Listen up. Practice is Monday at five. We’ll see you all then. Coach Mike and I have to go over some end-of-game plays, so we’re gonna head out now.

The women dispersed, leaving him and Mike alone. Mike scowled at him and punched his shoulder. Look, fuck-wad, stop chasing her.

Garrett ground his teeth together. I’m not chasing her.

And he wasn’t. They were friends. If there were a moment or two where he wished they could be more, then so be it. That’s life. It didn’t mean he had to act on the desire. Making a move, especially an unrequited move, certainly wouldn’t do at all for his image—the image he’d worked very hard to build. He was the perfect picture of the content bachelor with no intention of ever changing his ways.

Looked to me like you were chasing her, Mike said.

Garrett gritted his teeth. "Then you weren’t looking close enough. I’m over her. I’ve been over her since college. You’re the one who needs to move on, man."

"I did." Mike eyed Garrett in a way that all too clearly conveyed that he doubted Garrett had.

Yeah? Garrett grabbed the clipboard. So did I.

Good. Now, I need to drink a few beers and find a woman with a lot of daddy issues and no attachment issues whatsoever, Mike said, gathering up his jacket and clipboard. You in?

Garrett hesitated. After all of the ribbing Mike had been giving him, the last thing he

Reviews for Play Me

[msromanticreads · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When I read the blurb, I couldn't resist what is one of my favorite tropes - friends to lovers. Kiersten has known a lot of tragedy in her life. First, she lost her parents, then her sister and brother-in-law in a car accident, then Pete, her fiancé, cheated on her. As her nephew's legal guardian, she's also a single mom. She doesn't trust men or relationships anymore, mostly to guard her heart, but also because it's best for her nephew, Chris. Garrett has had a crush on Kiersten since high-school. That crush never waned, but since Kiersten's ended engagement, he's been put firmly in the friend's corner. On the one year anniversary of what would have been her wedding day, she has a moment of weakness fueled by anger and resentment towards her ex. She knows Garrett is interested and he's the best candidate to help her scratch her itch. She didn't count on him wanting much more than she was prepared to ever give. He's tenacious and becomes even more determined when she tells him they're about to become parents.

I really wanted to like this story because the plot was good, the obstacles were somewhat believable, but the characters didn't really carry this story very well. I understood the heroine's feelings over the losses she's experienced in her life. When Pete cheated, he not only broke her, but he had also hurt Chris. It was no wonder she preferred to be alone. I just didn't approve of how she went about dealing with it and her treatment of the men in her life. Garrett was sweet and loving, kind of the perfect guy. But I couldn't understand why he was attracted to Kiersten in the first place. She used him and kept pushing him away, even during the pregnancy, and she had no friends (I am not counting the neighbor that popped by once to bring her some food as a friend). Why did he let her jerk him around for so long? I felt like I spent so much time in Kiersten's head that it didn't help me like her despite coming around at the end. I thought her wavering emotions dragged on far too long with her trying to hold to her mantra. And I don't think it was the pregnancy hormones.

Then there was her overly protective brother and Garrett's best friend, Matt. He kept warning Garrett away from acting on his crush, but I would have thought Matt would be happy that a man like Garrett would be there for her. Especially after the Pete fiasco. Having her repeat how all of it was Pete's fault was also a little annoying. I think that was well established in the beginning of the story, and the point didn't need to be driven home throughout the story.

There was also one small inconsistency:

He used to have a crush on her back in high school and probably still wondered what it would be like between them, so less likely to reject her. - (Kiersten is outlining why she's about to make a move on Garrett, Chapter Two)

Then ...

Garrett squinted through his good eye, trying to focus on Mike. "I'm sorry, man, but you know how I've felt about her since high school. This can't be much of a surprise."

"What?" Kiersten looked at Garrett in surprise. "What do you mean?" - (Chapter Six)

Why was she surprised? She knew about the crush in chapter two.

Overall, I felt that the characters were a little bland and immature. I didn't believe the chemistry; I didn't believe the budding relationship. The painful journey of waiting for her character to peak was fraught with one too many "I don't want to" and "I can't". This story wasn't what I expected, but I may try something else by this author at another time.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.

[lisa.hines · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You can find this review at My Favorite Things (heffroberts.com)So this Take a Chance series has been making it's way through a connection of people. Try Me focused on Jeremy and Erica, Love Me focused on Erica's brother Thomas and Brianna, and now Play Me focuses on Brianna's sister Kiersten and Garrett. I like when stories in a series can link without depending on the other stories. It's like a happy little community of romance.This story had my emotions in a vice grip almost the entire time. Kiersten REALLY rakes Garrett over the coals. But what a lovely story. I'm not sure if there will be more book released in this series, but I hope so.

[tanat-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Play Me (Take a Chance #3) by Diane Albert’s

I’ve read the first book in this series Try Me and it was quite enjoyable, so of course when I seen the blog tour for Play Me I signed up immediately. Play me is a short, sexy, enjoyable read. The cover is fantastic.

Diane Albert’s writing is great, her words flow well, and the characters are relatable and realistic. It’s a great book when you have an hour or two to lose yourself in a story.

Play Me is a story about two people Garrett and Kiersten who have been friends for years, Garrett actually had a crush on Kiersten all through high school. Garrett’s best friend is Kiersten brother and he sees right through Garrett every time he denies he still has a crush on his sister.

Kiersten loves having Garrett as one of her close friends, but she has been hurt and won’t ever trust a man again. Knowing she has to protect her heart and her son’s this time around she is sure she will never want a relationship with a man any time soon.

On the day she was supposed to getting married Kiersten makes a play on Garrett thinking he doesn’t want a relationship and probably be game for a little fun for one night. Boy was she wrong.

Things from here get bad to worse, and then through in a surprize, will Garrett every be able to see Kiersten as a friend again and will Kiersten realize that she is made a huge mistake? You just have to pick up a copy of Play Me and find out what happens for yourself.

Diane Albert’s has written another fantastic story and I cannot wait to read more from her.

I have rated Play Me a 4 star rating and recommend to everyone and anyone who loves the adult romance genre.

[mybookaddiction_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a cute short romance about Kiersten and Garrett. They have known each other for years and Garrett has had a crush on her since high school. Garrett teaches middle school math and coaches the basketball team that her son, Chris was on. Kiersten recently broke up with her cheating fiance’ and she decided to have a night of wild sex with Garrett. He was hoping for more but she didn’t want a relationship. I liked Kiersten because she showed her independence by raising her nephew as her own son. However, I was also very frustrated with her because she wouldn’t give Garrett a chance. She was afraid to open up her heart because of her ex-boyfriend. Garrett was definitely a catch and he was so patient with her. He told her want he wanted out of the relationship and would give her time but they could not go back to being just friends.Then they found out she was pregnant and Garrett stepped up to the plate and moved into her house so that they can become a family and raise the baby along with Chris. They think they can keep it platonic and stay in separate rooms but I knew that wasn’t going to last. Even Chris was asking why they couldn’t be a real couple.Finally Kiersten came to her senses and realized that she loved him but was it too late? Had she pushed him away already? I enjoyed this romance because the author invested time in us getting to know the characters and their romance. I was rooting for Garrett not to give up and for Kiersten to come to her senses! I have not read this author before and found out that this is part of a series and will go back to read the prior stories.Rating-4Heat Rating-HotReviewed by: Donna McClaugherty

[readyourwrites · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reviewed by Kimfor Read Your Writes Book ReviewsI’ve FINALLY read a book by Diane Alberts!!!!!Play Me is a sweet and incredibly hot book. It’s short, so you get to the steamy action quickly. Kiersten has been so messed up from the horrible marriage of her parents, a broken heart and failed engagement due to her cheating ex-fiance that she doesn't trust men or believe in relationships and marriage. She is fine raising her late sister’s son all by herself. Garrett is a really great guy. He’s had a crush on Kiersten, his best friend’s younger sister, since high school. After spending several weekends hanging out alone together, Kiersten convinces Garrett to sleep with her.In the beginning, I felt sorry for Kiersten. The way that she treats Garett after she finds out that she's pregnant made me dislike her. Oh, I understand her situation, but still. Kiersten has SERIOUS trust issues. Garrett works overtime to prove to her that he is someone she can trust, depend on, and love. He’s a family guy through and through. What happens in this book will make you go “wow” and leave you smiling.Source: Publisher

[beckymmoe_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Frustrating. I really wanted to like this--friends to lovers can be such fun--but the heroine especially just didn't work for me here. She flip flopped back and forth between wanting Garrett for sex, wanting to be just friends, wanting to give a "real" relationship a try, to knowing they could never be more than friendly roommates so fast it was hard to keep track. One minute she could never trust anyone again, and then the next she was in tears because she'd lost her chance with him forever. Ugh. Craziness, even for pregnancy hormones. She was inconsistent in other ways too--at the beginning of the story, when she's planning on seducing him as part of her great "get the cheating ex out of her head" plan, she knew that Garrett had a thing for her in high school. She was counting on it. But later on when Garrett mentions the same to her brother/his best friend Mike, she acts amazed. Why? It made no sense. Garrett was a more steady character on the whole, but even he did the lightning-fast emotion change thing a time or two. Did I mention it was frustrating?I was given an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[snarkymom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Play Me”, by Diane Alberts, is the third in a series themed “Take A Chance”. It’s reasonably priced ($1.99) at 120 pages, and is SUCH a sweet read! While it is the third in the series, it is easily read as a stand-alone. I received this copy in exchange for an HONEST review, so I have to admit I’d not yet run across this author & hadn’t read the first two books. I don’t feel that I missed out on anything (I don’t know how the first one relates to the second, but it appears the female in the second one is a sister to the main character in “Play Me”) or that anything was confusing due to not having read them. If you’re looking for a good beach read or a feel-good romance, this is the book for you!Kiersten is a single Mom (she took over raising her nephew when her sister died), and she & her son were jilted by her fiance when she caught him in an, um, indelicate situation with his secretary. On the day that she was to be married, she throws caution to the wind & comes on to Garrett, a childhood friend who is also her son’s teacher & basketball coach. He’s always been in love with her and feels this is the start of something… and she closes down on him faster than he can blink. She’s afraid of risking her & her sons’ hearts yet again to a man… and he just wants her to take a chance on love. He walks out… she realizes there has been a condom failure… and…. now you need to go read the book! [LOL!]It’s a good one. Well worth the read. Releases at the end of July so go pre-order or put it on your TBR (to-be-read) list!By the way – here are links to the first two books. (Book #1 seems overpriced though – $2.99 for 65 pages?!!???) And what about those COVERS??!!???? YUMMMMMM!!!!!