Treachery

Barely able to drag in a breath due to the tight corset I wore, I had to stop, my mouth gaping to drag in air as I planted a hand against the trunk of a large tree. The bark was rough against my palm, the sensation somehow snapping me out of my flight instinct.

For a brief second, I could think again, anger at myself for how I’d run without standing my ground.

Steeling myself to turn around and find my way back to the party, I grit my teeth and decided I wouldn’t let Ta

But then I heard a twig snap in the distance, followed by the deep rumble of laughter and the bellow of a blowing horn.

I was ru

“Gotcha.”

Before I could react, I was lifted off my feet, spun left, my back slamming against the wide trunk of an ancient tree.

Ta

Staring into his gaze felt like falling down a bottomless well, the darkness consuming me while my heart fluttered with panicked, hopeless spurts.

“I’m sorry.”

The words tumbled from my throat before I understood I was speaking them, the instant apology doing nothing to loosen his hold on me.

“You will be.”

Ta

Heart in my throat, I watched Ta

“Let me go,” I barely squeaked, hating how incredibly weak and pathetic my soft voice sounded.

Slowly, his gaze wandered back to my face, a sardonic grin stretching a set of lips that had explored mine several hours before. I remembered how hard they were, how punishing and demanding.

“Or what?”

“Or...”

I couldn’t quiet my thoughts enough to answer his question. The words were there, teasing me with a response my throat didn’t have the ability to release.

A bead of sweat trickled down between my breasts and I was hyperaware of the path it took, the trail of slick moisture left in its path.

Ta

“Why are you here?”

His chest was a brick wall against my body, his breath pouring along my neck, hot and tempting.

Trembling, I fought to convince myself I didn’t like the way it felt to be pressed against him. I wasn’t that girl, wasn’t the type to enjoy the mixture of desire and fear. My mind fought to convince my body of that, yet my body disagreed.

Fucking traitor.

Plastering my hands against his chest, I attempted to push him away, but instead I drew in an unsteady, shallow breath to feel warm steel beneath my fingers, wet from sweat, and radiating the type of heat that could keep a girl warm on the coldest of days.

I shouldn’t have touched him, yet there I was with my fingertip tracing along the ridge of his hard pec.

Yanking my hands away, I argued, “I was invited. Gabriel-“

“I keep finding you in my space. It’s almost like you want to play.”

“Nope,” I whispered, willing my voice louder to keep speaking. “I don’t want to play anything, I was just-“

His laughter cut me off.

“It’s fine. I like games. I happen to be very good at them.”

In the distance, a voice called my name. Deep and concerned. Clayton must have come into the woods after us, worried that Ta

Stilling at the sound, Ta

“Just remember not to start games you can’t finish. I’m the type of guy who will keep playing them until you beg me to stop.”

With that he pushed away, stalking off in one direction while Clayton appeared from another.

“Luca?”

Dry leaves crunched under his feet as he ran my direction, his hands gripping my shoulders while I slowly peeled my body away from the tree.

“Are you okay?”

Willing my heart rate to drop back to normal, I nodded my head, my gaze tracking the direction Ta

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just out of breath.”

He gri

“Why did you take off like that? It looked like you were scared out of your mind. I was worried.”

Allowing Clayton to wrap his arm through mine to lead me out of the woods, I didn’t want to admit I’d run because Ta

Apparently, I didn’t need to say a word for him to know.

“Hey.” He nudged my shoulder with his. “Ta

Entertainment. Sure. Good choice of words for him to use. Except the problem was a game should be enjoyable for all the players, and this one wasn’t fun.

It wasn’t fair. I didn’t ask to play it. And what I didn’t know as Clayton and I emerged from the woods to walk out into a party that was still going strong despite the late hour was that Ta

Ta

Unfortunately for me, he’d end up being a worthy opponent, the type of man who would do whatever it took to ensure he won.

And the last thing I would learn was that Ta

He wouldn’t stop playing the game, even after I begged.