Page 12 of Vicious Little Games

Dammit, I don’t like any of these thoughts swirling around in my head. But I can’t seem to make them stop.

3

Cass

Istand stock-still outside of the bastard’s new bedroom a few minutes to seven, waiting for him to emerge. My father prefers that we dress up for family meals, so I accommodated that request tonight. When I’m sitting down at the table, the long-sleeve, electric blue dress will look rather modest other than the surplice neckline that accentuates my breasts in the push-up bra. It’s when I stand up that it gets sexy. Because of my above-average height, and my open-toed, leather mule sandals covered in silver glitter, the mid-thigh, diagonal hem is a little scandalous where it’s highest on my right leg. But I plan to be sitting before my father arrives late to dinner like usual. No, this dress is just a tease meant for the bastard I’m going to threaten.

As soon as his bedroom door opens, he steps into the hallway, and I pounce on him. Slamming my palms into his broad chest, I push his back against the wall.

Rather than look alarmed or concerned in any way, Cole smirks down at me. “Ready for round two already, cocktease? Too bad there’s not enough time to even tongue fuck you again before dinner.”

Oh my god. He’s insane for even saying shit like that aloud in my father’s house. There may not be any cameras in sight but I’m not entirely certain that my father hasn’t planted bugs in the walls to record every word whispered.

“The only thing I want from you is for you to keep your fucking mouth shut so I don’t run mine.”

Cole runs his tongue over his lips. “Keep my mouth shut about what? You’re going to have to be a little more specific.”

The asshole is taunting me, trying to make me talk about what we did earlier, which I refuse to do. Ever.

I lift my right leg to slam my knee up between the cocky bastard’s legs to humble him fast, but he’s expecting it. Cole’s hand shoots out, grabbing my raised leg. His fingers dig in hard enough to leave bruises there too. It also causes my short dress to rise several inches, especially when he turns my knee out, revealing, well, all of me to him.

“Where the hell are your panties?” he murmurs before I jerk back out of his grip and tug the hem of my dress back down. When I look back up at his face, his golden jaw is clenched tight. His green eyes darken as if he’s more pissed about my lack of underwear than he was about me trying to drown him.

“Thongs are the most uncomfortable article of clothing in this world.”

“Panties come in all different shapes and styles, you know. And you were just wearing a thong earlier.”

Ah, so he did watch my ass when I walked away. “Only because my father won’t let me swim naked.”

“Jesus,” Cole says as he rubs his hand over his scruff while blatantly looking me up and down. “You’re not a cocktease. You’re a fucking walking, talking Venus Cocktrap. That pretty red fuzz covering your hot, wet pussy is just begging for a dick to poke around and get snared inside, isn’t it?” His long index finger traces along his top and bottom lip making me wonder how it would feel to have that same finger running around the lips between my legs.

“You’re an idiot.” I hate that my cheeks are warming in embarrassment by how casually he talks about that part of my body right to my face. Not to mention the thoughts in my head.

“That’s the best insult you could come up with?” he asks. “You’re not flustered are you, Cassie?”

“It’s just Cass, never Cassie. And stop trying to change the subject,” I tell him. “If you talk, I’ll talk.”

“Oh, right,” he snorts. “You came to warn me to keep my mouth shut about how you’re screwing your father’s guards. And if I don’t, I’m guessing you’ll tell him what we did at the pool?”

“What you did.” I glance back toward the dining room and kitchen to make sure nobody is around to have heard his loud mouth.

“What we did,” he repeats, drawing my attention back to his arrogant face. “There were two tongues in my mouth after you tried to kill me. And I’m not the one who climbed you and humped you like a horny little monkey, am I?”

I swallow my annoyance at the vivid reminder, and tell him, “Next time, I’ll hold you under the water until you stop fighting.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Cole leans his back against the wall, his full lips spread in a shit-eating grin. “Right, well, until then, you seem to be under the assumption that I’m scared of Dante.”

“You should be,” I warn him.

“I don’t give a shit what you tell Daddy, cocktease. I can handle anything he dishes out. Dante may string me up in the basement and slice up my skin while Eli watches and jerks off, but he won’t ever kill me. All your tattling will do is cause my mother pain and put a strain on their happily-ever-after mafia marriage.” His army green eyes roam slowly up and down my body again. “Is that your goal here? To get rid of my mother? Because she probably wouldn’t leave him for giving me a beating. She may even say I deserved it. Do you think your guards will get off that easy? I don’t. And it is more than one, isn’t it?”

Before I can answer him, the sound of footsteps on the stairs have us both glancing over to the kitchen. Two sets apparently.

“I missed you today, butterfly,” I hear my father’s deep, rumbly voice say to Vanessa.

“You could’ve joined me in the spa. The mudroom has this bench that I think you would like…”

Shit! I should’ve gone to the dining room and sat down already. Now, my father and Vanessa will wonder why I’m outside Cole’s bedroom wearing the shortest dress I own.

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