Page 139 of Forcing Fate

I took a moment to catch my breath, and the reality of this position hit me. For once I had bettered him. I sat back on his hips, grinning down at him.

“Look what happens when you get riled up.” Dark amusement colored his voice.

“Tell me I don’t have to cut my hair,” I demanded.

“No.”

“Take it back–” I started, but was cut off as he bucked his hips, lurched out from beneath me, and pinned me again.

“No. That’s not part of the game.”

I rocked my hips as I struggled to flip him again, and failed. I couldn’t roll him when he expected it. He kept my elbows tucked in, protecting himself from my attempts to grab him.

I stilled and studied him. He was partially keeping his weight off me by putting it on his arms, but his legs were free to fight me as I tried to roll. Looking up at him, something flared to life inside me. A dark side of my mind whispered a terrible idea, and I felt a thrill run through me.

I sighed in mock defeat, watching him, not missing a thing. When I sighed, his gaze traveled to my lips for a split second.

The dark part of me whispered with more urgency. Butterflies wreaked havoc in my stomach. I reached up, slow enough for him to take notice. As soon as I touched his jaw, his eye flashed. I had just crossed some invisible line. His eye twitched. My hands crept up to cup his cheeks, rough with stubble too fine to see.

“What are you–” His voice was darker, raspier.

My thumb traced over his lips, cutting him off, and he relaxed a fraction. For once, being a woman was a glorious thing. I felt powerful, silencing my General with a mere finger against his lips. I moved my touch higher, caressing his face and his eye sought mine, questioning. His gaze was intense, as it always was, but now it was almost as if he warred with himself.

I snatched the cloth over his eye and threw it.

There was a moment when time seemed to move faster than I could comprehend.

A flash of gray.

A bit out curse.

He dropped his forehead onto my chest. I used the distraction to roll him again and drew my bandit breaker, placing it at his neck. He clenched his bad eye shut and glared with the other.

“It seems I’m not the only one with a weakness.”

He reached for the hand holding the bandit breaker, but I pressed in, drawing a drop of blood.

“Open your eye.”

“No.” His tone took on a lethal pitch.

I walked a dangerous path. “That’s not how the game works, Rafe.” Smiling down at him sweetly, I dared the use of his name, taunting him.

“What would someone think to find you in such a position?” he rumbled, not taking his angry gaze off me.

I gave his chest a pat like a mother would a child. “You’re grasping at straws, darling. Open your eye.”

He stared at me and I wondered how long this would go on. Would the sun fall, and the moon rise to find me still sitting on my General with a blade to his throat? Would someone else find us?

He lay there under me, glaring for all he was worth. I flashed him a grin and settled on his hips. I would wait all day. My curiosity was insatiable, and I likely wouldn’t get another chance. What could be so horrible he refused to show me for the simple sake of scaring me?

What was so awful that he would hide it?

He lurched up, ignoring the press of my knife to his throat. Blood trickled down as I jerked the blade back, shocked. He propped himself up on his elbows and glowered, putting every ounce of hatred he could muster into his gaze.

“If you so much as think of telling another soul, I will rip out your tongue.” His tone was deathly calm.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, all traces of playing gone.

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