A Game of Secrets: A Forbidden One Night Romance


 
 
 
 “Did you attend a party last night?”
 “A party,” Sasha repeated.
 “Yeah, one of those things where people get together and music is played. There’s usually food and—”
 “Jake, I know the definition of a party.”
 “Were you there, last night, wearing a reddish-blond curly wig, dressed like a tiger?” He thought he might be imagining discomfort where there was none. “Well, were you?”
 “I know Lincoln and TJ asked you to look out for me. But seriously, you inquiring about my every move is not only unnecessary, it’s becoming downright irritating.”
 “Does that mean you don’t want to tell me where you were last night?”
 “I was preparing to come here, to Point du Sable. Want to see my plane ticket?”
 He raised a brow. “Do you have it on you?”
 Sasha’s expression made him laugh out loud.
 She looked beyond him and waved. “Bye, Jake.”
 * * *
 A Game of Secrets by Zuri Day is part of the The Eddington Heirs series.
 
 
 Dear Reader,
 Do you have a secret? Have you ever been sworn to keep one for somebody else? An unexpected, clandestine meeting leading to such a secret is the premise to Jake and Sasha’s story. Sasha McDowell comes to Point du Sable from Washington, DC, to assist her godmother with a holiday event. She’s excited at the prospect of seeing Jake Eddington, a childhood crush. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on who’s asked—their first time together in a decade doesn’t go the way either of them would have expected. What happens is a complete surprise, something that definitely shouldn’t go public. That information getting out could have huge personal and professional ramifications. Not just for Jake and Sasha, but for their high-profile, influential families and the communities where each resides.
 What do you think about having and keeping secrets? My family, especially the older members, pride themselves on being able to maintain privileged information. Those unable to do so are described as people who “can’t hold water.” I think that phrase has Southern origins but I don’t know for sure. Just for the record, I can “hold water.” Lots of it. So, feel free to tell me all your secrets, DayDreamers, at ZuriDay.com!
 Zuri
 
 
 Zuri Day
 A Game of Secrets
 
 
 
 Zuri Day is the award-winning, nationally bestselling author of a slew of novels translated into almost a dozen languages. When not writing or enjoying the adventures of international travel, she can be found in the weeds—literally—engaged in gardening, her latest passion, or in the kitchen whipping up tasty vegan and vegetarian dishes while being a chef in her own mind! Check out her bookshelf and become a part of her beautiful day by signing up for her newsletter at ZuriDay.com.
 Books by Zuri Day
 Harlequin Desire
 The Eddington Heirs
 Inconvenient AttractionThe Nanny GameTwo Rivals, One BedA Game of Secrets
 Sin City Secrets
 Sin City VowsReady for the RancherSin City Seduction
 The Last Little Secret
 Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
 You can also find Zuri Day on Facebook, along with other Harlequin Desire authors, at Facebook.com/HarlequinDesireAuthors!
 
 
 Keeping big secrets can lead to huge lies
 Creative fabrications and false alibis
 The truth being revealed is the price one must pay
 While love sometimes justifies the games people play.
 
 
 Contents
 Chapter One
 Chapter Two
 Chapter Three
 Chapter Four
 Chapter Five
 Chapter Six
 Chapter Seven
 Chapter Eight
 Chapter Nine
 Chapter Ten
 Chapter Eleven
 Chapter Twelve
 Chapter Thirteen
 Chapter Fourteen
 Chapter Fifteen
 Chapter Sixteen
 Chapter Seventeen
 Chapter Eighteen
 Chapter Nineteen
 Chapter Twenty
 Chapter Twenty-One
 Excerpt from One Night Rancher by Maisey Yates
 
 
 One
 “Lone Ranger, or Zorro?”
 Jake Eddington’s body, clad in all black, physically responded to the intoxicating scent and sultry sound of a woman’s voice so close that her damp breath tickled his earlobe. Jake loved the sound of women’s voices. He loved their warm, damp spaces too. He was a connoisseur of all things female, voices in particular. That, along with natural butts and breasts and pretty eyes, like the pair that locked on him as he turned, immediately snaring him in their clutches. Brown with flecks of gold, they matched the woman’s tiger costume, a tight mini and matching thigh-high boots that showed off delicate curves and came complete with ears, tail and a long, golden mane.
 And a mask, of course.
 “What do you think?” While asking the question, he tried to identify what little of the face he could see behind a mask that showed little more than lips and eyes. He’d grown up in nearby Point du Sable, the uberupscale community where many of the partygoers lived or had also grown up, and had been a regular on Chicago’s elite party scene. In other words, he knew almost everybody. But what he could see of this femme fatale didn’t look familiar at all.
 Jake immediately made himself a promise to rectify that.
 The woman tossed her curls to one side, her expression thoughtful. “Definitely Zorro,” she concluded. “You don’t strike me as the type of guy to spend much time alone.”
 A couple steps was all it took for Jake to invade the tigress’s personal space. He took full advantage.
 “And you are?”
 He was close enough to catch another whiff of her perfume, a spicy, floral confection that beckoned him closer still. Another step placed his mouth close to her ear.
 “Besides, of course, the most gorgeous feline I’ve ever encountered.”
 Her response as she leaned in and squeezed his forearm? A prolonged purrrrr.
 Jake’s mouth split into a smile. At the same time, his manhood jumped. He didn’t recognize the voice or what he could see of the face. But so far, he liked her. A lot.
 He repeated his attempt for personal info. “What’s your name?”
 “It’s a masquerade party, so why would you ask?”
 “Because it might be considered inappropriate to place a tantalizing kiss on the lips of