Gaming for Love
Authors: Crystal Perkins
| Gaming for Love |
| Crystal Perkins |
| Crystal Perkins (2014) |
A young woman carrying the weight of her world on her shoulders.
A man struggling with a devastating betrayal.
Love is a game they’re determined to win…
Yasmin just wants to keep her family’s Las Vegas bookstore afloat. She doesn’t have time for anything other than trying to figure out how to pay the bills. When an incredibly hot guy with tattoos and piercings walks into her store, she’s relieved to discover what a jerk he is once he opens his mouth. His bad behavior makes it easier to try and ignore the way her body responds to him. Trying is all she can do once he sets his sights on her, determined to win her over.
Computer genius Scott Griffin thought he was in love once, until he found out that it was all a lie. The crazy, pen loving bookworm he encounters sets him on fire like no one else ever has. When she stands up to him, he realizes that it’s more than just her body that he’s intrigued by. But, he can’t have her, can’t have anyone after what happened in Chicago. Or, can he? When she challenges him to woo her, he pulls out all the stops.
They embark on a romance filled with sweet gestures and steamy nights. Until a shocking revelation causes Scott to feel the sting of betrayal again while Yasmin loses everything, including the man she loves. A loving family and a loyal group of friends will try to help them find a way back to each other, but will it be too late to save them both?
Please note: This book is intended for mature readers 18+ due to sexy scenes.
Gaming for Love
Book
#1 of The Griffin Brothers
by Crystal Perkins
Copyright © 2014 by Crystal Perkins
Cover
Design by Helen Williams
Ebook
formatting by
Jesse
Gordon
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Table of Contents
Sneak
Peek of Building Our Love
A
young woman carrying the
weight of her world on her shoulders.
A
man struggling with a devastating betrayal.
Love
is a game they’re determined to win…
Yasmin just wants
to keep her family’s Las Vegas bookstore afloat. She doesn’t have
time for anything other than trying to figure out how to pay the
bills. When an incredibly hot guy with tattoos and piercings walks
into her store, she’s relieved to discover what a jerk he is once
he opens his mouth. His bad behavior makes it easier to try and
ignore the way her body responds to him. Trying is all she can do
once he sets his sights on her, determined to win her over.
Computer genius
Scott Griffin thought he was in love once, until he found out that it
was all a lie. The crazy, pen loving bookworm he encounters sets him
on fire like no one else ever has. When she stands up to him, he
realizes that it’s more than just her body that he’s intrigued
by. But, he can’t have her, can’t have anyone after what happened
in Chicago. Or, can he? When she challenges him to woo her, he pulls
out all the stops.
They embark on a
romance filled with sweet gestures and steamy nights. Until a
shocking revelation causes Scott to feel the sting of betrayal again
while Yasmin loses everything, including the man she loves. A loving
family and a loyal group of friends will try to help them find a way
back to each other, but will it be too late to save them both?
For Niquey and Gabi…
The
best daughters a mother could
ever hope for. I love you!
Yasmin
The pile of bills in
front of me is not getting any smaller. Especially with the new ones
that arrived today. I’m not sure how I’m going to make this work.
The money just isn’t there. When my parents died 2 years ago, I was
so caught up in my grief that I didn’t think about how hard it
would be to keep a bookstore open in this economy. Yes, I had the
life insurance settlement and the loyal customers who had been
shopping at I Heart Books for years, but soon it won’t be enough.
We can maybe stay open another six months if things don’t change.
As for me, I am not at the point where ramen is my only meal, but I
am afraid that I will be soon.
Samantha, Danny and
Erika have been there for me when I needed to cry or yell or just
throw some books around. They listen to me, offer ideas and when all
else fails, get me drunk. No one could ask for better employees
or
friends. I don’t want to let anyone go but I am afraid it will come
to that soon. I am also afraid that I won’t be able to go back to
college for my junior year. School starts in a couple of months, but
can I really afford it? I have scholarships and I know that my
parents wanted me to go, but I need to be here to keep their dream,
this store, alive.
It gets to be too much
to think about sometimes. Most 20 year olds are just thinking about
their classes or what guy they want to get with. Wouldn’t that be
nice? To have nothing to worry about except living my life? A guy
would be nice, too. I have been on a few dates in the last two years,
but no one who I felt a special connection to. I want special. I
deserve
special.
Lost in my thoughts, I
almost don’t hear the door open. I look up into a pair of the most
beautiful green eyes that I have ever seen. They are lighter than
emerald but just as intense. As I tear my eyes away, I notice that
there are actually three people in front of me. Mr. Green Eyes, an
older woman in her late forties or early fifties and a teenage girl
who looks around 16. The woman speaks first.
“Hello. We are new to
Las Vegas and heard that your store is the place to go for books. My
granddaughter loves to read and needs something new,” the woman
says with a friendly smile. She is petite with brown hair streaked
with gray and welcoming blue eyes.
“Welcome to town. I’m
Yasmin. I would love to introduce you to some new books and authors,”
I tell the girl. She looks up at me from where she was staring at the
ground. I notice that she has the same green eyes as the man, but
hers are tinged with sadness. A sadness that I recognize in myself.
She is taller than her grandmother with long brown hair and a thin
but curvy body. Even with the sadness in her eyes, she is
breathtakingly beautiful.
“Can we move this
along? I need to get back to work.” The husky male voice belongs to
Mr. Green Eyes and it makes my stomach flip.
I look up and am again
momentarily captivated by those eyes. When I blink to clear my head,
I take in the rest of him and nearly lose my mind at what I see. He
is over six feet tall with jet black hair styled in a faux hawk. Both
of his ears, his right eyebrow and his lip are pierced. His jaw is
chiseled and currently hard set with a hint of stubble. And sweet
Jesus, that mouth. Lush, sexy lips that seem set in a permanent smirk
meant to drive a woman wild. Just thinking about what he could do
with that mouth causes me to lick my own lips. As I run my eyes
further down, I see his light blue t-shirt straining against the lean
muscles of his biceps and chest. He isn’t over muscled, just
perfectly formed…at least from what I can see. He also has sleeves
of colorful tattoos down both arms. Jeans and combat boots complete
the bad boy look. I know I will embarrass myself if I don’t stop
looking, but I am not sure if I can make myself stop. Thankfully the
girl saves me.
“You didn’t have to
come with us, Uncle Scott. I know how important your work is.”
He reaches forward and
cups her cheek, “Baby Girl, nothing is more important to me than
you and the rest of our family. Never forget that.”
There is a moment of
uncomfortable silence while the three of them take each other in. It
passes when the woman - his mother - speaks again.
“I can’t wait to
see what you suggest for Alex. I have to admit that I sometimes read
her books!” she says with a sly smile. ”Oh and I have somehow
forgotten my manners. I’m Maggie and I think you have already heard
that this is Alex and Scott.” She reaches out her hand, nodding to
her son and the sad, beautiful girl. I shake it, feeling a sense of
calm and somehow knowing that I will like this woman already.
“It’s great to meet
all of you. What kind of books do you like to read, Alex? Our YA
section is the largest in the store and I read many of them myself so
I am pretty sure I can find something for you.” I smile at her and
wait for her answer.
Before she can respond,
Mr. Green Eyes – Scott - says with a smirk, “You read those
books? Trying to relive your own high school years, huh?”
“YA books are some of
the most well written books around. Your
mother
just said she read them, yet you are making fun of me? And you don’t
look much older than me!” I spit out through clenched teeth.
“Scott Nathaniel
Griffin, you apologize right now!” his mother says with fury in her
eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he
mumbles. “I’m heading to the café next door for a coffee while
you two shop.”
I watch him walk out
the door and notice how well he fills out those jeans. “Let’s get
started,” I tell Maggie and Alex, walking toward the YA section of
my store.
* * *
Scott
I had to get out of
that store. I know I promised Alex and my mom that I would spend the
morning with them. And I really wanted to see Alex happy, like she
always is with a new book. Her smile has been hard to find since her
parents, my sister and brother-in-law, were murdered in a robbery
gone wrong. My parents and my brothers have been holding it together
for her, but it is hard for me. If it wasn’t for me, they would
still be alive. Everyone says that they don’t blame me. That I was
tricked and a victim in the whole thing too, but I blame myself.
I also had to get out
of the store because that woman, Yasmin, was making me feel something
that was more intense than I have ever felt for anyone. When we
walked into the shop, I noticed the funky, cool vibe of the store
first. Handwritten signs, book posters, literary t-shirts and some
cool pieces of art lined the walls. I was thinking my niece would
love this place, when I looked over and our eyes met. Warm brown eyes
met mine and sent an immediate shock to my system. What the fuck? I
don’t make connections anymore, I just don’t.