The Perfect Play

Table of Contents

 

 

PRAISE FOR

BOUND, BRANDED, & BRAZEN

“Burton is a master at sexual tension.”—
Romantic Times

 

“As always, Jaci Burton delivers a hot read.”—
Fresh Fiction

“Spy the name Jaci Burton on the spine of a novel, and you’re guaranteed not just a sexy, get-the-body-humming read, but also one that melds the sensual with the all-important building of intimacy and relational dynamics between partners.
Romance: B(u)y the Book

 

RIDING ON INSTINCT

“Kudos and beyond for Ms. Burton’s best book yet! I cannot wait to see what comes next!”—
Fallen Angels Reviews

 

“Everything about
Riding on Instinct
is picture-perfect and I stayed up half the night, unable to put it down until finishing the very last word.”—
Romance Junkies

“Another smokin’-hot Wild Riders story you will love reading.”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

“Jaci Burton’s
Riding on Instinct
took me on the ride of my life.”

—
Wild on Books

 

“Thank you for giving us a love story where there is room for compromise and the good guys not only win, they take down the bad guys with a minimum of bloodshed and loss of innocent life.”

—
Night Owl Romance

RIDING TEMPTATION

“Full of intrigue, sexual tension, and exhilarating release. Definitely a must-read.”—
Fresh Fiction

 

“
Riding Temptation
has it all—action, suspense, romance, and sensuality all wrapped up in a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you clamoring for the next story in the Wild Riders series!”—
Wild on Books

“Kudos to Ms. Burton for creating this exciting new series!”

—
Romance Junkies

 

 

RIDING WILD

“A wild ride is exactly what you will get with this steamy romantic caper. This sexy and sizzling-hot story will leave you breathless and wanting more.”—
Fresh Fiction

 

“A nonstop thrill ride from the first page to the last! Grab a copy of
Riding Wild
and take your own ride on the wild side of life!”

—
Romance Junkies

 

“What an exciting and wonderful book!”—
The Romance Studio

 

“
Riding Wild
is a must-read for anyone who loves sexy romances filled with plenty of action and suspense.”—
Kwips and Kritiques

WILD, WICKED, & WANTON

“
Wild, Wicked, & Wanton
starts off with a bang and never lets up!”

—
Just Erotic Reviews

 

“This is the best erotic novel I have ever read! I absolutely loved it!”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

“Jaci Burton’s
Wild, Wicked, & Wanton
is an invitation to every woman’s wildest fantasies. And it’s an invitation that can’t be ignored.”

—
Romance Junkies

 

FURTHER PRAISE FOR THE WORK OF JACI BURTON

“Burton delivers it all in this hot story—strong characters, an exhilarating plot, and scorching sex—and it all moves at a breakneck pace. Forget about a cool glass of water; break out the ice! You’ll be drawn so fully into her characters’ world that you won’t want to return to your own.”—
Romantic Times

 

“Realistic dialogue, spicy bedroom scenes, and a spitfire heroine make this one to pick up and savor.”—
Publishers Weekly

“Jaci Burton delivers.”

—Cherry Adair,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“Lively and funny ... The sex is both intense and loving; you can feel the connection that both the hero and heroine want to deny in every word and touch between them. I cannot say enough good things about this book.”—
The Road to Romance

RIDING WILD
RIDING TEMPTATION
RIDING ON INSTINCT
RIDING THE NIGHT

WILD, WICKED, & WANTON
BOUND, BRANDED, & BRAZEN

THE PERFECT PLAY

 

 

 

UNLACED
(with Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, and Denise Rossetti)

EXCLUSIVE
(with Eden Bradley and Lisa Renee Jones)

LACED WITH DESIRE
(with Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, and Denise Rossetti)

NAUTI AND WILD
(with Lora Leigh)

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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South Africa

 

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Copyright © 2011 by Jaci Burton

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

HEAT and the HEAT design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

PRINTING HISTORY
Heat trade paperback edition / February 2011

 

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Burton, Jaci.
The perfect play / Jaci Burton.—Heat trade paperback ed.
p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-101-47865-3

1. Football players—Fiction. 2. Single mothers—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3602.U776P47 2011
813’.6—dc22
2010036294

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A big thank-you to Azteclady and Renée for all your help.

To Shannon Stacey: Thank you for reading the book, and for your awesome suggestions—especially the first chapter. Have I told you lately how brilliant you are?

To Maya Banks, first for your friendship, which I find so valuable, and second for your idea for this series. I owe you big-time.

And as always, a big thank-you to my husband, Charlie, who has to give up many weekends while I’m working away on deadline. Thank you for the sacrifices and for your patience. They’re noted and always appreciated.

ONE

SWEAT DRIPPED DOWN MICK RILEY’S FACE AND ARMS. The field workout he’d just endured had kicked his ever-lovin’ ass. He leaned against the wall of the locker room, the cool brick and ice-cold water in his hands not helping at all to lower his temperature. He was hot and sweaty, and he’d been knocked on the ground so many times he’d probably eaten half the dirt on the field.

He was exhausted and not in the damn mood for a party tonight. What he’d really like to do is take a cold shower, go home, and order a pizza. Instead, he had to put on a tux and a smile, and hang out in a ballroom with the rest of his team, the San Francisco Sabers of the National Football League. There’d be photographers, television cameras, and probably a horde of women who wanted to hang on him.

Years ago that would have been the highlight of his night.

Not anymore.

When had he gotten so tired of it all? Hell, when had he gotten old?

He stripped off his practice jersey and tossed it to the ground, pulled off his pads and breathed a sigh of relief, then grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat from his face. He unlaced his pants, drained the water from his jug, and went to the fountain to refill it.

That’s when he heard a voice outside the locker room. A woman’s voice.

What was a woman doing down here? He popped the door open and saw a gorgeous blonde standing a few feet down the hall, twirling around in circles and mumbling to herself. Man, she was a sight with her business skirt that skimmed her knees, her high heels showcasing her gorgeous legs, and her crisp white blouse and pulled-up hair. All prim and proper, and she made him think dirty thoughts about getting her crisp white shirt all mussed up.

“I should have taken a left. I know it was a left. You dummy, now you’re going to be lost in this cavern forever, and you’re going to get fired.”

He leaned against the doorway as she stared down the long hall, tapped her high-heeled shoe, and mumbled some more.

“Where the hell is the office, anyway? It can’t be in the friggin’ basement of this place.”

“No, it’s not down here.”

She whirled, seemingly embarrassed to be caught talking to herself. Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then she headed in his direction. “Oh. Thank God. A living human being. Can you help me? I’m so lost.”

“Sure. You need the office?”