Author's note: This story happened before Mike's interview with Craig Ferguson.

mmary: Abby's friend and co-worker Dianne Ward, a reputed matchmaker when they're still in college, wanted to throw an engagement party. Abby didn't know that she's going to be engaged in a game where her heart's at stake. And she dare not gamble with a ruthless gamer like Mike Chadway.

Disclaimer: I owe nothing.

CHAPTER ONE :

Truths In Between

It was awful.

Dreadful.

Horrible.

And exciting as hell..

Mike Chadway raised his glass of champagne and drained it quickly, not taking his eyes away from the maddening woman on the dance floor. Her blonde hair swirling around her as she swayed to the music.

Abby Richter was an awful dancer.

No doubt she's infamous for being the queen of propriety. Ice queen. She simply doesn't know how to loose control. And she was doing an awful job of it dancing like.. like- damned if he know what to call that dance. However, as appalled as he was his body seems to have a different opinion.

He shouldn't have challenged her into going. But he could not help it, as if he wanted to have an arguement with her. And to say the truth, he did. The look on her face whenever she stood up to him was refreshing. She mocked, dared, and scolded him. It was nothing like what he was used to. Women played, seduced, and fawned over him. But she fought him head on.

And he knew she was trouble..

Abby knew she should not enjoy this so much.

She should show that scroundrel Mike Chadway that he was wrong. That she was not a control freak who doesn't enjoy the pleasures of life. Oh she did enjoy them. But the only kind of pleasure Mike knows were the sinful ones. And she won't let him know how terribly thrilled she was at the prospect of fulfilling a few of them tonight.

Lord, it must be that damned tequila. For she was having the wrong thoughts about a certain man. A man who was not her boyfriend. Well wait, Colin was not her boyfriend yet. But they had a nice progressing relationship. He was the man of her dreams. But her reaction towards him was not like what the harlequin books in her bookshelf say about a woman in love.

Abby let the loud music rock her senses and mind away. She should stop worrying and just enjoy. And how often Mike told her that.

She should stop thinking about the arrogant man. But how could she not? He infuriates her. He shocked her with his straight forwardness and frank boldness. And turned her into tight knots. Very, very tight knots.

Most of the time she hated him and that big guts he was so famous of. But sometimes she admired him for his skeptical perception of human nature. There were times that she found herself watching him talk with the people around him and could not help but wonder how he could make everyone open and trusting at such a short time. They told him everything he wanted to know and even things he didn't ask for. People turned to him for advice about everything from what to wear to serious matters like personal relationships. Even the women who knew he'll only break their hearts could not stop fawning over his much valued charms.

He told her that she was a big fish in a small pond, and infuriating as it was she positively glowed at his compliment. But he.. he was a different kind of fish, ten times bigger and very predatory. And he could devour her in one bite.

She shivered. It's that damned tequilla, turning her hot then cold. And the dress she was wearing was not helping at all. She shouldn't have worn the dress he gave her. Aside from the kinky black dress that they bought. He gave her a dress so red and sexy she practicaly threw it at the back of her closet. It was not lost on her that such a gesture was intimate. On her part. He must have given everyone with breasts and above adolescence such things.

Abby scowled. Yeah, and how utterly foolish she turned out to be for wanting something she should not.

"Hear me, hear me!" Dianne shouted as she stood or rather wobbled on the DJ's platform. The music stopped and everyone turned towards her. "Since this night is almost ending and two days from now I'll be married. I want to commemorate my last day of freedom.." Everyone laughed and some gave a toast to her with a few funny remarks.

"Then marry me, honey! And we'll party for better and for worse!"

"Thank you, Jason. But I love my fiance very much." That earned an applause and whistles from the crowd. Jason who was the best friend of Dianne's fiance laughed and smacked the man beside him on the back, whether out of humor or frutration she couldn't tell.

"Ladies, gents.." She grinned a very wide grin. Oh, no. Abby knew that grin. She'd seen her grin like that when she played pranks when they were still in college. And that didn't bode well for her. Something always happen to her when she played the cunning bitch.

She turned around, intending to leave, but before she could take a step she stepped on someone, making her jerk on her legs, she stumbled forward and into the arms of no other than Mike Chadway.

"Lets play a game!"

Abby cursed.

...

Author's note: I'm almost finished with the next chapter. It's a lot longer.. with lots of sparks flying in between our favorite couple.