“Normally, in a situation such as this, I’d simply tell you that the why doesn’t matter,” Gaven said, his voice low and deep. “The fact is, you are my fiancée, and you will be my wife.” His hand shifted as he stood, leaning more fully across the tiny table.Why is the table so fucking small?He practically dwarfed it, hovering over both it and me. His hand clenched briefly before grasping my throat and pulling me forward until my face was tilted to meet his impenetrable gaze. My heart thudded rapidly, my pulse speeding up under his palm.
“It doesn’t matter to me if you’re inexperienced,” he said, his voice dropping another octave. Whatever frequency he was speaking seemed to have a direct link to my core. The lower his voice went, the more I couldn’t help but feel a wetness forming inside my panties. When I’d told him I was inexperienced, I meant that I was a virgin. I’d touched myself before, and I’d watched porn, sure. About as much as I’d read it, however I’d never even been this close to a man who was looking at me as though he wanted to eat me alive. Their focus had always been on my sister. I blended into the background, forgettable. Exactly where I’d hoped to stay until my wishes came crashing down. “In fact,” he continued, “that makes this easier.”
“E-easier?” I repeated.
“Yes,” he said as his thumb stroked over my thumping pulse. “Because it means I can teach you, shape you, mold you to my specifications and my desires.”
That rankled. “What aboutmydesires?”
His close-lipped smile widened, parting his lips as he leaned even closer until I could smell the mint on his breath. “Oh, I promise you, my soon-to-be wife, your desires will be well cared for, but if you’re worried, perhaps a demonstration is in order.”
Demonstration?“No.” I shook my head, pulling my face away from his grasp.
“No?” Gaven chuckled. “Then perhaps a bet?”
I froze at that. “A bet?” I repeated. “What kind of bet?”
“If you can resist me, then perhaps I’ll free you from our deal.” Gaven’s words were all I wanted to hear, although the underlying reality warned me that this was too good to be true and he was, after all, a criminal. Could he really be trusted?
Even as I acknowledged that, I couldn’t help but respond. “What are the terms?”
Picking up the chair, Gaven set it next to me so that our thighs would be touching when he sat down again. “The terms are simple,” he replied. “I ask a question, you answer. You ask a question, I answer. If we can’t or won’t answer, then we’ll receive a penalty chosen by the other person.”
My chest ached. I pressed my thighs together even harder. Glaring up at the crystal blue eyes that looked down on me, I had to think that this man wasn’t even bothering to disguise the devil inside. He was as wicked as they came. If I agreed to this little bet of his, would I even have a chance of winning? But if I didn’t do anything … then, would I just give in and agree to be his wife and broodmare?
It was a simple enough decision. No. I wouldn’t give in. Not that easily.
“Fine,” I said, my voice sounding odd even to myself, breathless, uneven. “Are there any other rules?”
Gaven took his seat again, his knee brushing mine beneath the table. “Rule number one.” He picked up the glass of wine and held it out to me. “You can’t refuse anything I give you for thenext hour.” I took the wine and tipped it back, draining half the glass before setting it down. “Rule two,” he continued. “You’ll answer every question I ask truthfully.”
“Only if you’ll do the same,” I replied.
He tipped his head to the side. “Of course,” he acquiesced after a beat of silence. “Then, onto the game.” Heat stole over my body as his hand slid to my thigh, the warmth of his palm burning past the fabric of my dress. “Answer my questions, and I’ll answer yours. Each of us gets one per turn. If you take too long to answer, then a penalty is in order.”
“Penalty?” My body was winding tighter and tighter with each word he spoke. “What kind of penalty?”
Those full, masculine lips of his twitched again. One corner tipped up, making him seem more boyish than before. “I’ll leave that up to each party. You choose your penalties, and I’ll choose mine.”
I gritted my teeth. “Fine.” Reaching down, I gripped his hand and removed it from my thigh.
He didn’t respond save for the soft raise of his brow and that twitch of his lips again. Gaven reached for the wine once more and took a sip. “Let’s begin then.”
Chapter 5
Angel
Hewasfamiliar. Something about him pricked at the back of my mind. Every time I tried to uncover the memory, though, it would flit away and I was left with the unanswered question:Who was Gaven Belmonte?
“Why are you so against this marriage?” he began.
“I want to go to college,” I tell him. “I don’t want to be a wife … not now.”
“So, it’s not the choice of groom, then?” Gaven asked.
I shook my head. “No, also, that was two questions.” I smirked. “This was your idea, and already you’re breaking the rules.”
Gaven blinked and then sat back with a grin. “You’re right. What’s your penalty?”
