“Don’t you want to find something out, Sav?” he asked, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
I nodded cautiously, “Yes.”
“Then let’s play a game… like old times,” Roman suggested, his voice low and enticing as he adjusted the belt binding my wrists above my head. “Remember that game you used to hustle me with, Sav?”
The air crackled with tension, and I could feel the weight of his challenge hanging between us, a game I wasn’t sure I was ready to play.
My breath caught in my throat, a mix of surprise and disbelief coursing through me. “You want to play Truth or Transfer now?”
He flashed a smirk, the corners of his mouth turning up in that infuriatingly charming way. “You remember the name.”
“How could I ever forget?” I narrowed my eyes, trying to project a confidence I didn’t fully feel. “I came up with that when I was a broke girl, desperate for a way to swindle money from some unsuspecting rich guy.”
“You weren’t really broke, Sav,” he drawled, settling down next to me on the bed, his presence both comforting and unsettling. “You just enjoyed the aesthetic of it. And I relished calling your bluff.”
“I was broke!” I shot back, my voice rising slightly in indignation. “Not all of us can have Blackwood money, you know.”
For a fleeting moment, surprise flickered across his face, but he quickly masked it with a playful smile, as if my words hadn’t struck a nerve.
His fingers trailed lightly down my bare arm, sending shivers racing through my skin. “This time, the currency has changed.”
“Oh?” I arched an eyebrow, curiosity piqued despite myself.
“No more money,” he said, his mouth tantalizingly close to mine. “This time, I want kisses in exchange.”
“Kisses?” I echoed, my eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. “So now the game becomes what? Truths or Kisses?”
“Yes. I’ll take my payment in kisses… wherever I want them.” He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear. “Each time you fail to answer, I get a kiss.”
“That’s not fair,” I protested, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.
“Then answer correctly.”
A rush of heat spread through me, pooling in places I was trying to ignore. I knew this was a dangerous game we were playing, and yet, the overwhelming desire to uncover what Dean had on Roman pushed my better judgment aside.
“And what do I get if you lose?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, a thrill of excitement lacing my words.
“You know how the old game goes, Sav. You lie or dodge a question, I give you a kiss. If you guess correctly, I hand over twenty bucks.” He explained, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“I know the rules,” I replied, fixing my gaze on his, determination etched into my features. “But this time, I want something more than money.”
He tilted his head, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “What do you want?”
I studied him intently, taking in the rumpled shirt, the belt casually tossed aside, and that cocky smirk that made my heart race. Yet, beneath the bravado, I sensed a deeper intensity in his eyes that hinted at something more serious.
“I want leverage.”
His brow arched in disbelief. “Kisses aren’t leverage, love.”
“No,” I said slowly, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “but secrets are.”
His expression darkened, the playful excitement draining from his features.
“If you lose,” I continued, leaning in closer, my heart pounding in my chest, “I want a truth. Something real. Something no one else knows. And don’t you dare lie to me.”
The smirk faded from his lips, replaced by a serious demeanor that sent a shiver down my spine.
“And sometimes,” I added, my voice dropping even lower as I leaned in, “I might want to touch you. Anywhere.”
His jaw tightened, a flicker of tension sparking in the air between us. “That’s double dangerous.”
“You tied me up, Roman. That’s double. And I’d say the game is already dangerous,” I challenged him, my heart racing at the thrill of the moment. “So we’re even.”
He stared at me for what felt like an eternity, his eyes searching mine as if gauging the sincerity of my words. Finally, he nodded, a reluctant acceptance in his gaze.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“Alright, Sav. Let’s begin. But fair warning-” his hand glided down to my thigh, fingers brushing teasingly against the edge of my panties, igniting a fire within me.
“I intend to win.”
“Ask your first question, hotshot.”
He wiggled a finger playfully. “Not questions. Clues.”
“Huh?”
“I’m dropping clues. Little hints. You’re a smart girl, Sav. You’ll piece it together.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You want to know more about the weasel? I’ll let you in. But just a little. I’ll ask the questions. Just enough for you to figure it out-the thing you want to know.”
“Why won’t you just tell me what he has on you, Roman?” My frustration bubbled to the surface, threatening to boil over.
“On me? Oh no, love. He’s not blackmailing me. I’m just trying to protect you…” His voice dropped, sincerity lacing his words. “That’s all.”
I hissed, unable to contain my irritation. “I don’t need your protection, Roman. Just spit it out already.”
“We’re still playing a game, love. No cheating,” he teased, a playful glimmer returning to his eyes.
I let out an exasperated groan, feeling the weight of the moment press down on me.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.