Page 45 of Vicious Little Games

“Who said anything about her leaving the property?” he huffs.

“Fine, they can stay here and get to know each other in Cass's bedroom,” Vanessa replies with a grin.

“Out of the penthouse it is,” Daddy quickly amends. “I'll...think about it.”

“Thank you.”

“Is there any particular criteria you’re looking for?” Vanessa asks, seeming very excited about the prospect of playing matchmaker. I guess she doesn’t have much to do now that the wedding planning is all over.

“Rich with damn good security,” my father supplies for me.

“Sure,” I agree since I know he won’t budge on the security issue, and that’s not something broke men have. I do add, “And attractive, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Vanessa agrees with a roll of her eyes. “But what is your type, Cass?”

“Oh, um, I don’t really have a type.”

Cole snorts and tries to cover it up as a cough. I know exactly what he’s thinking—that I’m a slut so I’m not picky. Or that I’m into guards.

I decide to continue ignoring him, like I plan to do from now on. Eventually he’ll hopefully get the hint.

Cole doesn’t get the hint.

In fact, he breaks into my room late that night. I’m propped up against the headboard still awake and doing a little research on my phone in the private browser when he barges in.

“What the hell was that about, Cassie?” he asks when he’s standing at the foot of the bed.

“What was what about?” I ask innocently while closing out my search tabs, not even letting myself glance in his direction.

“Why did you ask your father to choose men for you to date?”

“Because you convinced my guards to quit,” I remind him. “Besides, I've never had a chance to go out for dinner or do whatever else it is that people do on dates.”

“They fuck, Cassie, that's what people do on dates.”

“Oh, well, that sounds perfect,” I tell him with a smirk. “And I don’t want to just date and fuck them. I want a husband.” Finally, I look up at the cocky bastard standing in my bedroom shirtless in a pair of thin cotton shorts that leave little to the imagination.

“A husband? Are you fucking high?” he exclaims. “Come on, Cassie…”

He climbs up and kneels on the foot of the mattress, but I shake my head. “Don't, Cole. I meant what I said before. We're enemies. I'm not fucking you again. It's over. And my name is Cass. Cassie makes me feel like a dog.”

“That doesn't make any sense,” he says, refusing to budge. He needs to leave and soon. The blond jackass is too tempting kneeling on my bed mostly naked.

“It does to me. Cassie sounds like Lassie.”

“You know what I meant! I wasn’t talking about your damn name. I meant why do you all of a sudden want a husband?”

“I don’t owe you any explanations,” I tell him. “Now, get out of my room.”

“Fine,” he says as he slips off the bed, getting to his feet. “But don't forget that if you're dating men, then I can do the same with any woman I want. And thankfully, I don't need my mother to set up dates for me.”

Asshole. He’s such a fucking asshole.

“My father doesn't let me near any men other than the guards and my instructor!” I yell at him, louder than I should have. At least Sophie doesn’t live here anymore to overhear. A tiny bit of my outburst may have been caused by the thought of Cole fucking a bunch of random women.

“Yeah, and look how well that turned out with the guards.”

“Fuck you, Cole. Get out.”

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