A Playboy's Love Affair by Emily Quinn

her time and again. But denial was making him the bigger fool. Every night as his eyes closed the memory of her warm soft lips crushing his reappeared, reminding him he’d enjoyed their kisses more than he should have. No. This was pure hallucination. He’d never, ever fall prey to a woman’s charm. Not with emotions and shit like that.
    Alex had left her after the tee ball game and met up with old friends at a club in the hopes a different scene would order his thoughts. He’d even gotten reacquainted with an old girlfriend only to realize his body and mind weren’t in it. Alex had excused himself and cruised for hours before heading home. This was all Carly’s fault, and until he had her, it’d be impossible to go back to his normal state.
    What was normal anyway?
    “Snap out of it, Alex.” Dominic whacked him on the back and handed him a beer bottle.
    “What the f—” Alex snatched the bottle from Dominic.
    “Leave the man alone.” Paul stood a few feet away and took a drink from his beer as his eyes searched his studio.
    “Hmmm…I smell girl trouble.” Dominic glanced up from his beer at Paul and Alex.
    Alex ambled in the opposite direction, setting some distance between them. “What, I didn’t know Dominic Delvecchio had girl problems.”
    “Dominic Delvecchio has many problems, but never let it be said he has girl problems,” Dominic replied.
    Taking a long swig from his beer bottle, Alex studied his friends. “Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”
    Paul cleared his throat. “What’s the latest with Carly? Will she stick to the contract?”
    Alex choked. “How do you know about the contract?” Paul’s silence and the knowing look on his face spoke aloud how he’d found out about it. “Kiera,” Alex said under his breath in what sounded almost like a curse.
    Dominic’s gaze danced from one friend to the other. “Can one of you tell me what am I missing?”
    Alex turned to Paul. “I don’t know if she will but she signed accepting my terms.”
    “I wouldn’t be too sure about that last.” Paul shoved a hand in his pants’ pocket.
    Alex held up his beer. “She signed. It’s a binding contract. Of course if…”
    “Oh but this is rich,” Dominic interjected as he propped a leg on Paul’s desk. “You had Carly sign a one-sided contract, that if I’m not mistaken it’s totally beneficial to you, not her. If she didn’t sign, you threatened to prosecute her except…” His leg dangled from the desk. “All three of us know you wouldn’t have gone through with it but she didn’t, and now Kiera is involved.” He upstretched his beer bottle in Alex’s direction. “Cheers my dear friend. Brace yourself because you’re about to get punked.” Dominic downed the rest of his beer in one swallow.
    “Where did we find this alien and why is he our friend?” With a crease in his brow Paul directed his attention to their new visitor.
    “Hi guys,” Kiera said, standing motionless by the door. “Dinner will be ready in ten, meet you at the terrace?”
    Paul nodded in response.
    The warm gentle breeze carried a familiar laughter, Alex had been so busy evading answers and defending his actions he hadn’t realized other company had arrived. Alex hadn’t heard Carly laugh a lot since she argued with him most of the time, yet he’d know that harmonious sound anywhere. Why was he not surprised she was here?
    He already knew the answer. Carly was close friends with Kiera, how he’d never met her before now was a complete mystery to him. Alex was suddenly in good spirits and excited to see her until he set foot on the terrace and caught her in an enthusiastic conversation with Kiera’s brother.
    “Jay! Come on, you can’t be serious…”A hearty laugh escaped her throat.
    Jay’s toned arms encircled her waist in a playful way, bridging the gap between her body and his. “Oh baby girl, but I’m dead serious.” Jay inclined his head whispering something in her ear that