Chapter 1

That night in the private room, a foreign hottie fed me a banana, and my boyfriend lost it right there in front of everyone. I never thought the night would spiral the way it did.

Chapter 1

Steam drifted through the bathroom as I leaned into the mirror, lining my lips with care.

The red painted my already striking face into something impossible to ignore.

I tugged at the short black dress clinging to my body. Tiny waist, pale skin, legs for days, curves in all the right places. I blew a kiss at my reflection. Damn, this body was a weapon. Even I could not look away.

I am Vera Cross, the unquestioned beauty of the film department. My looks are not the innocent flower type. I am more like a red rose, loud, sharp, and impossible to miss.

Honestly, my boyfriend Chase Tanner is one of my trophies.

He plays striker for the city's top football club, pulling in serious money. Tall, sharp-jawed, the kind of handsome that makes heads turn. Girls used to line up outside our school just to get a glimpse. And in the end, every single one of them ended up jealous of me.

But hey, a girl can never have too many handsome men in her life, right? Especially when I heard tonight's team party would be packed with golden-haired, blue-eyed foreigners.

I heard the team had just signed a new Russian forward, plus a pair of American twin brothers. Just thinking about it made me giddy. Do not get me wrong, I am not trying to hook anyone. I just like being admired.

Chase warned me on the phone. “Baby, do not dress too hot tonight. Those foreigners are like starving wolves.”

I waved him off with a bored smile. Honey, I am dressing up for you, remember? Besides, I was born to turn heads. Let the basic girls choke on their jealousy.

I hung up and pulled a black high-waist mini dress from the closet. It sat high on my thigh and swayed just right when I walked.

On top, I slipped into a champagne-colored sequin halter that hugged every curve. Then I stepped into a pair of stilettos that clicked like a promise.

I smiled at my reflection. Tonight, I would show these men what a real beauty looked like.

The second I stepped into the private room, a wave of cologne and liquor hit me. I wrinkled my nose. One look around told me everything, wall-to-wall muscle, every single one built like a tank. Pro athletes, what can I say.

My eyes found Giselle Yu first, planted in the middle of the crowd in a pure white dress, her makeup done up like the girl next door. She planted herself in the most obvious spot, fishing for attention.

Ugh, a goody-goody.

Chase spotted me and pulled me to his side, announcing to the room, “This is my girlfriend, Vera Cross.”

“Hi, sister-in-law!” The greeting almost blew out my eardrums. I laughed behind my hand, pitched my voice low, and gave them a sweet little smile. “Hi, everyone. Please take care of me from now on.”

I will not lie, getting men to fall for me is a talent I was born with. Before I even finished my sentence, I could feel several pairs of eyes locked on me. The boldest pair belonged to a foreigner in the corner.

Blond hair, blue eyes, deep-set features. A simple T-shirt and shorts, but underneath, god, those muscles. Even at rest, the man looked like a beast. I could only imagine what he looked like fully awake.

I could not help picturing what was hiding under that shirt. I met his gaze without flinching, the corner of my mouth curving up just a little. A challenge.

“Vera, this is Ivan. He is our goalie, just arrived from Russia. His English is not great yet.”

Chase's voice pulled me back, breaking the little current between me and Ivan.

“Hi, Ivan.” I bent slightly, deliberately letting the neckline of my dress drop a little further. “Nice to meet you.”

Ivan looked startled by my warmth, but recovered after a second. In clumsy English, he said, “Hello, pretty.”

“Ha! Ivan says you are pretty!” Chase laughed, missing the pause in Ivan's words.

“Really?” I giggled behind my hand. “Thanks for the compliment.”

The party heated up fast. I was soon surrounded by a wall of muscle, and the toasts and flattery came at me from every angle.

These guys could really drink. After a few rounds, my head started to swim.

Then Giselle, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, suddenly piped up in that sugary voice. “We are just sitting here getting bored. How about we play a game?”

She produced an empty bottle from the corner of the room and swept her eyes across the crowd. “How about the classic King's Game? The loser has to do whatever the King says.”

I smirked. So that is the play, huh? She thinks I cannot see through her little act? Fine, let her play. I will show her who the queen around here is.

“Sounds fun!” a few red-faced players shouted. Chase nodded along. “Let's do it! Vera, you in?”