Page 97 of Hateful Games

After tonight, I probably wouldn’t even want to for a very long time.

Pia and the others are cleaning the room and packing their stuff when I come inside. Ria looks up and smiles. “Did you forget something?”

“Can I have one of you pin the pallu over my shoulder?”

“And show that sexy-as-fuck piercing?” says Mia, the flirt, with a lascivious grin. “Makes me want to take a bite.”

“Do you ever stop?” I tease.

She winks. “Never.”

“And here I thought I was special,” says Bianca in mock hurt, entering the room behind me with Iris alongside her.

“I told you my magic fingers are all yours.”

“Don’t say that in front of her soon-to-be husband.”

Mia frowns. “I thought you were married to Dash?”

“That was a fake one to fool my parents.”

I meet Ria halfway, who is the quiet leader among them, and she begins redoing my sari. Over my shoulder, I tell Mia, “Then he broke her heart and they were separated for months.”

“The idiot,” curses Mia, and I love her even more.

“I know, right.”

Iris, the romantic, jumps in, “But he groveled and won her back.”

“How?” asks Pia, riveted by the story.

Mia jumps in and says, “Pretty please tell me you made him walk on hot coals or something.”

Damn. Why didn’t I think of that?

Reading my mind, Bianca warns with a stern expression, “Don’t you dare. How about we save it for Nova? He’s bound to fuck up at some point.”

“Worse than what he’s been doing all these years?”

“You’re not in love?” Pia gasps, dumbfounded. Even Ria pauses and waits for my answer. “But you both look so happy in the pictures.”

“Which arranged marriage has ever been about love?” Before their expression can switch to pity, I say, “Back to Bee. She made Dash her assistant, aka her bitch, for months before giving him a second chance.”

“Ro!” snaps Bianca with a stunned expression.

“Bee, you had the billionaire quit his job and run your errands for six freaking months. Honestly, I didn’t think you had it in you. Kudos to you.”

The others hoot in agreement.

“You’re all a crazy bunch.”

“All done,” informs Ria, stepping back and giving me a once-over. “You look hotter like this.”

Turning, I stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror. My hair is perfectly curled, wavy and bouncy. My makeup dark and sultry with long diamond earrings. With the pallu cinched and over my shoulder, it falls down my back and shy of touching the floor. The thin lace material accentuates my slim figure, displaying my stomach and my back enticingly.

“You look stunning and we have pictures to take downstairs,” announces Bianca impatiently. “Can we please hurry now, your highness?”

“Just say you’re having Dash withdrawal.”

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