Wicked Games Read Online Free

too. 
    He k new that she was ambitious. She didn’t get the good stories by sitting on the sidelines, or being afraid to ask the tough questions. She had never backed down from a good debate, especially with him.  But for the last several weeks, there had been a different air between them. 
    “I don’t think now’s the time , Bri.” He couldn’t look her in the eye, so he continued studying the paper in front of him. He didn’t really see one damn thing on the page. He chastised himself for being such a coward.
    Clearing her throat , she replied, “OK. I don’t mean to bother you at work. I know you’re busy.”
    “Yeah, lots to do. We can talk later, k?” He still couldn’t look her in the eye. 
    In his head, he heard, “Pussy – man up and look at her!”
    She lingered in front of his desk for a few seconds longer and inhaled, as if she was about to say something else, but then turned and slowly walked away. He looked up then and watched her leave. He noticed how her toned, athletic body moved. She had the muscle-toned body of the true Yoga fanatic and long distance runner he knew she was. He noticed how her long, straight, blond hair glittered under the lights, even under the unforgiving fluorescent office lights. 
    But one thing was definitely different in her stance. She had always held her head high, shoulders back, as if she were ready to take on anything and anyone. Now, as she left his office, he noticed she looked at the ground, and her shoulders almost slumped, as if she had the weight of the world on them. 
    “If only I’d known that would be the last time I ever saw you.” Noah shook the memory from his mind as he drove on.
    He regretted how poorly he handled the last conversation he had with Brianna. He still didn’t know why things had changed between them those last few weeks. His feelings for her hadn’t changed, and he realized he should’ve fought harder for her, and for them. I realized too late, he thought.
    Brianna received a call about a major break on a big story she was working on, shortly after leaving his office. She had to leave immediately for the briefing and to board a flight to the Middle East on a military plane later that day. She had left him a voicemail to let him know.  Though he regretted not answering the call at the time, he was glad he still had the voicemail to replay, and hear her voice from time to time.
    Noah drove to his office at Steele Security. It was Saturday afternoon, so he could’ve gone home instead of to work. His men were fully capable of planning and coordinating security for the foreign dignitary reception, at the Miami Premiere Banquet Hall later that night, but he really didn’t want to go home, yet.  
    Noah didn’t date for a full year after Brianna’s death. He just couldn’t bring himself to even remotely care about another woman. He had occasional dates over the past two years, but nothing serious. 
    The reception tonight was both a blessing and a curse. On the good side, his firm was hired to provide additional security for the major international event.  His firm worked with the local Miami police department , and with various other federal organizations to coordinate coverage. His business was doing very well and had gained significant accolades from influential people in the world. Tonight would only further that, and then he could think about opening more security firms in other major cities, employing more ex-military men in a position that suited their training and discipline.
    The down side was he wouldn’t actually be working tonight. While he always considered himself to be on duty, his date for the evening didn’t. And he wasn’t looking forward to spending the evening with this particular….acquaintance. Alexa Bishop was part of the Miami elite club, and her wealthy family made significant contributions to political campaigns. 
    The woman was absolutely ruthless when it came to business, but her elegant good