Page 59 of Pleasure Games

Damn.

She shouldn’t be breathing so hard after running such a short distance but she could barely catch her breath. Talk about fantasy and reality merging. There was no reason to be frightened. It was only Luca out there, and they were merely playing a game—her game—this wasn’t real.

But it felt real.

Maybe because she didn’t know what he would do to her once he caught her. The one thing Jasmine had no doubt about was the fact that Luca would catch her. Particularly given he was on the motorcycle. Pressing her body against the wall, she maneuvered around to the back of the structure. Only once she was on the far side did she hazard a quick glance around the corner of the wall to see if there was any sign of Luca.

Nothing.

However, the sound of the bike was louder.

Where the hell was he?

She needed a plan.

The dovecote was about fifty yards away to the east. In the opposite direction was a meadow of wild flowers and beyond that was the overgrown vineyard. That’s where he would expect her to go.

So, where should she go? Should she be predictable or should she play for real, attempting to evade him?

She leaned against the wooden wall and listened. The sound of the bike changed. He was on the move. She pressed a hand against her churning stomach and shut her eyes.

“Okay, Jazz. This is your fantasy. If you’re going to play, you’re playing for real, got it?”

She took a deep breath and peeped around the corner again. The sound of the engine was definitely moving in the direction of the vineyard. Dovecote it was, then. She slid along the wall toward the eastern corner and then, when she was positive the coast was clear, she dashed out into the open, heading for the cylindrical structure. It was shaded by large walnut trees, and soon Jasmine felt protected by the cover of foliage. There was no door on the crumbling building, just a rectangular opening, and she ducked inside.

Light filtered in through openings in the conical roof and Jasmine stared up in wonder. There must have been at least two or three hundred nesting sites honeycombed into the walls, all empty now. She’d never seen anything like it.

What would it have looked like filled with birds?

Suddenly the sound of the bike grew closer and Jasmine realized she’d chosen a hiding place with only one entrance. Her heart pounded against her rib cage as if trapped and desperate to get out.

The bike drew closer, driving slowly. He was in the garden now.

Shit!

It was difficult to breathe.

Jasmine searched the interior of the structure. There was a small ledge halfway up the wall. Maybe if she climbed the nests she could hide on the ledge. She tested a stone pocket that had served as a nesting site. It seemed solid enough.

The sound of the bike came closer and Jasmine held her breath.

Shit. He was right outside!

Without another thought, she began to climb. It was easier than it looked, the little ledges for the nests made the perfect hand-and footholds. It would have been even easier if her palms weren’t so damp from sweat. She could see the ledge up above almost within reach. A couple more feet.

Then Jasmine realized something. At first she hadn’t noticed because of the blood pounding between her ears, but now, suddenly, she did.

Silence.

Luca had turned off his bike.

She glanced down to find him standing there, wearing nothing but his jeans and boots, a triumphant smile on his face. “Hi, Jasmine.” He stepped closer to the wall and peered up at her. “The view from here is fucking spectacular.”

She gasped.

A crack of thunder from outside startled her and her leg trembled, her toe slipping on the ledge just as the stone she’d been clutching crumbled beneath her fingertips.

From there, everything happened in slow motion, her body barn-doored—one hand, one foot still holding on as she swung out into thin air—and then she fell.

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