Powerplay by Cher Carson Page B

pried a hand away from her face, covering it with her own. “You’re having second thoughts about marrying him, aren’t you?”
    Trace rolled her eyes. “Can you blame her? He cheated on her with a stripper.”
    “Sssh.” Jenna looked around quickly, hoping no one had overheard the comment. Telling her best friends had been humiliating enough; she didn’t relish the idea of sharing the information with a roomful of strangers.  
    “Why don’t you start by telling us what happened with Mark?” Callie said quietly. She tucked a strand of curly red hair behind her ear as she propped her chin in her hand. “Don’t leave anything out.”
    Trace hit her on the shoulder, grinning. “You just want the dirty details.”
    Callie shook her head, trying to wipe the smile off her face. “No, I don’t. I’m trying to help my friend.”
    Jenna decided the only way she was going to find resolution to her problem was if she faced it head on. “Mark said he’s in love with me.”
    Callie and Trace gaped at her, speechless.
    “Well, say something,” she said, shifting uneasily in her seat. “Come on, you two are never at a loss for words.”
    Tracey shook her head, as though she were waking from a trance. “Hold on, did he say it in the heat of the moment or…” 
    “Not during sex, if that’s what you’re asking. He told me this morning, after he found out I was engaged to Kevin.”
    “Ah,” Callie said, shaking her head. “That makes sense. He wasn’t ready to let you go, so he was trying to pull out all the stops.”
    Jen had considered the possibility that it was a ploy on his part, but she knew Mark well enough to sense when he was being sincere. She would be willing to bet next month’s commission check on the fact that he believed he was in love with her. However, the question remained: how would he feel a year from now when the novelty had worn off and their relationship had become comfortable? That was a gamble she wasn’t willing to take.
    “I believe his feelings for me are real…”
    “But?” Trace asked, sliding her water glass aside.
    “But I don’t trust him. He’s the kind of guy who wants something until he has it. When he does…”
    “He doesn’t want it anymore.” Callie rolled her eyes. “We’ve all known guys like that, haven’t we?”
    “Yeah, that’s just it,” Jenna said, pulling her hands through her hair. “I can’t build a future with a guy who may not be there tomorrow.” 
    “You’re worried about other women?” Trace asked, looking her in the eye.
    Her friends knew that during her relationship with Mark, the ever-present puck bunnies were a constant source of conflict. She wanted to be the only one, not one of many. When she met Kevin, he made her feel special, as though no other woman could compare. He was a client, looking for commercial space for his family’s newest restaurant. He was charming, attractive, and attentive. He courted her with flowers, gourmet dinners, and theater tickets, and within weeks, she began to see him as someone she could imagine herself with for the duration. 
    “The women are always going to be an issue with Mark.” She rubbed her temples, trying to ward off the mounting pressure in her head. “He’s a professional athlete.”
    “Who happens to be gorgeous, not to mention a born womanizer,” Trace said, raising her finger. “Let’s not forget that.”
    There was no denying the fact that Mark loved women almost as much as they loved him. She would have to be delusional to believe that he would be satisfied with her for the rest of his days. “You’re right,” Jen said quietly. “There’s no way Mark is going to change, regardless of what he said last night.”
    “How did he seem last night?” Callie asked. “Different?”
    Jen shrugged. “Yeah, but that’s not to say he wouldn’t revert back to his old ways in no time.”
    The waitress approached with a tray containing their order. They waited for her to