Page 82 of Forbidden Game

“Ugh, I must still be wired from the tournament.”

She sighs, padding back to the bed. Her knees barely land on the mattress when the voice outside becomes clearer.

“Parker, you lazy fuck, wake up.”

Sydney’s body freezes, head whipping to mine. She stares at me like a deer in headlights. Then her eyes dip down my body and widen even farther before a look of absolute panic takes over.

“Why are you naked?” she whisper-shouts.

“That’s what you’re focused on right now?” I whisper-shout back.

Granted, my dick is currently at half-mast after being plastered against her bum all night. But it’s not the first time she’s seen it.

She lets out a strangled moan before shuffling quietly to the door. She perches on her tiptoes to stare out the peephole. Her raised shoulders drop slightly at whatever she sees across the hall. She spins back around and opens her mouth to say something before the knocking resumes, a lot louder this time.

Almost like…

“Sydney!”

…It’s now directly outside her door.

Syd’s face blanches at Aleks’ voice. She raises her index finger to her lips and mimes a “shh” motion. I zip my lips and throw away the key before raising my hands innocently and walking farther back into the room.

She cracks the door open slightly and the glow of the hallway leaks in as she peeks her head out.

“Aleksander, someone better be dying, otherwise I have no idea why you thought it was a good idea to assault my door this early in the morning.”

“What are you talking about? You said we had to meet in the lobby for breakfast at eight a.m. It’s half past.”

“What?” Syd’s knuckles tighten on the doorframe.

“Yeah. We tried calling you, but it went straight to voice—” his words cut off as Syd slams the door shut. She sprints to the bed and starts flinging the covers around.

“What are you doing?”

“My phone. Where’s my phone?” She’s frantically running around the room now.

“Sydney?” Aleks calls out.

“Oh my God.” Panic starts to take over, and I see her hands begin to shake.

I grab hold of her, trying to steady the nerves coursing through her body. She attempts to wiggle out of my grasp, but it just makes me tighten. I run a hand over her head, smoothing down her hair in slow repeated movements. “Stop. Take a deep breath.”

She lets out a shuddering breath, but her chest continues to rise and fall in short puffs.

“Sydney?” Aleks starts knocking on the door again.

If she wouldn’t hate me for it, I would rip the door open and tell him go suck a dick.

Instead, I cup her face in my hands. “Hey, it’s going to be fine.”

Her worry-filled eyes stare back at me. “I forgot to charge my phone. We slept in. I never do that. Aleks is at the door, you’re naked, and we’re going to be late. The flight—”

“Is literally my private jet. They aren’t going to leave me behind, Syd.”

“But everyone’s downstairs.”

“So?”

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