Playing For Keeps: A Steamy Standalone Instalove Romance

CONTENTS Playing For Keeps NEWSLETTER Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Epilogue Extended Epilogue Extended Epilogue Top Reads NEWSLETTER A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS BRATVA BEAR SHIFTERS LAIRDS & LADIES RUSSIAN UNDERWORLD IRISH WOLF SHIFTERS INKED BY LOVE TEXT ME YOU LOVE ME Collaborations About the Author PLAYING FOR KEEPS AN AGE GAP, CURVY GIRL ROMANCE _______________________ A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS, 319 FLORA FERRARI Copyright © 2023 by Flora Ferrari All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The following story contains mature themes, strong language and sexual situations. It is intended for mature readers. PLAYING FOR KEEPS Zak isn’t just a gaming programmer. He’s the gaming programmer. One single glance at him, and I know I’m in deep. But how exactly did I end up here? Babysitting my neighbor’s kid isn’t exactly the career path I planned after college. But then again, Joey’s not just any kid. He’s my best friend and longtime gaming buddy. But something is up. Unsurprisingly, he’s played hooky from school to stay home gaming. The surprise is who he is playing online with… The Zak Templeton. I’m in deep trouble, because apart from Joey skipping school, I’ve gone and got myself obsessed with an older, more mature guy. A real man. But would a guy like Zak, a man with the world at his feet, really have any interest in a younger, thick-set, nerdy girl like me? I doubt it. Can I win the game of love or will I play my last life and lose the guy and my best friend in the process? It’s game on. And I play to win. * Playing For Keeps is an insta-everything standalone instalove romance with a HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger. NEWSLETTER Get a free, new, original story NOW by joining my mailing list and staying subscribed. CLICK HERE >> Get a FREE book now CHAPTER ONE Jade Joey, my neighbor’s son? He’s a great kid. A little bit nerdy. A little bit quiet. But I think that’s why we get along. He’s only ten, but he does have this adult habit of telling little stories. White lies, if you will, to get his way. I’ve babysat him since he was a baby growing up, and even during semester breaks, he was still my meal ticket in a strange kind of way. Earning extra money from babysitting is something I know I took for granted as soon as I went to college. It gave me some sorely needed cash for the important things. Like gaming. Something little Joey takes almost as seriously as I do. Almost. Studying computer science as well as being a lifelong gamer kind of saw those lines blur for a while. But here I am again, fresh out of college, unemployed, and still telling myself to be grateful for any work. Even if it is just a few hours here and there, watching Joey while his mom and my mom work or sometimes just have some time out on their own. So, when Joey calls me up and says I have to come over to watch him right now, I take a calm breath before reminding him that I’m not supposed to watch him until tomorrow. At least, that’s what I thought. “I know. I know,” Joey whines, lowering his voice while he talks over the phone. “I just…. Look. Can you just come over?” he says hotly, sounding more frustrated than annoyed. I really have nothing else going on except some gaming of my own right now. And Joey does have a mean computer set up. Latest games and console too. Plus, a screen rig that makes mine look embarrassing. I agree with a sigh, and hanging up after I pause my own game, I slip out back and ease myself over the low wall separating his yard from ours. The back door’s open, but I know his mom and mine are both at work. I figured Joe would be at school today. I rap my knuckles on the doorframe before I feel my chest tighten. Almost like I can’t breathe. The sound of a voice. A man’s voice makes me freeze on the spot. It makes me forget all about whether or not Joey’s playing hooky. It actually sounds like there’s a man in the house. And there’s never a man in Joey’s house. Not since his dad left, anyway. But like I said, Joey has a cool set-up, and once I hear his voice joining in, even laughing, which is rare for Joey, I realize he’s on speaker with someone. And playing a game, too, if the background noise is anything to go by. But the deep, sonorous voice isn’t just anyone. And it’s certainly not another kid. It’s a man’s voice, but a very deep one. So sexy that I feel myself shiver and even bite my lip. I linger for a moment before going into Joey’s computer room. My instincts as his babysitter, neighbor, and Joey’s friend are at odds with the face I can immediately put to the voice. Zak Templeton. Anyone who follows behind the scenes in the gaming world has heard of him. Not a household name. Not yet. But Zak Templeton did make headlines a while back. He was being sued by his then employer,