Page 7 of Wicked Games

Having never been this close to him before, I couldn’t help but stare into his dark eyes. It was probably the low lighting but they appeared almost black to me. I tried to lower my head again, frightened by the intense steadiness of his gaze, but his hand on my jaw prevented it.

“You may call me Richard.”

Not on your life.

There was no freaking way I would ever be comfortable enough around this man to call him Richard.

The tip of my tongue nervously swiped over my slightly open lips. Stunned, I watched his eyes shift and focus on my mouth.

Oh, God.

My breath caught for a moment. It wasn’t until he returned his eyes to my own that I felt I could breathe in a shaky gasp.

“I’ve enjoyed your performance as Lady Elizabeth Smythe.”

“Thank you,” I choked out.

Dropping his grip on my chin, he began to slowly walk around me. I couldn’t help but feel like a little mouse being sized up by a predatory cat.

The mirrored security screen was down on the stage. So we both stood in front of a three-story high curtain of fractured mirrors. I tried to read his expression in the thousand smaller images that shimmered and danced before me.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I felt his breath. He was standing close behind me. There was only the faintest rustle of clothing as he leaned in to whisper into my ear from behind.

“Tell me, Miss Larkin. Did you like playing a Victorian woman?”

“Yes, very much.” I wasn’t even sure he heard my softly murmured response.

My body stiffened when I felt his hand slide between my shoulder blades down to the curve of my lower back. “And the tight corset that came with your costume didn’t bother you?”

The thousand images of him reflected in the mirror curtain swayed and moved, making me feel disoriented.

Closing my eyes, I willed myself to breathe. Feeling off-balance and lightheaded, it took me a moment to think of a believable response, since I wasn’t going to tell him the truth about how the whalebone bit into my skin every night. It would make me look ungrateful for the part and opportunity. “No, sir. I was fine.” I’m not sure where the “sir” came from but it seemed better than butchering his title again or trying to call him Richard.

His hand retraced its path up my back, causing what I was sure was a visible shiver to run along my spine. “It didn’t… hurt you?”

What was I supposed to say? Should I pretend as if the tight corset didn’t dig into my sides and ribs each night since he was the executive producer and I didn’t want him to think I was criticizing the costumes he provided? Or be honest?

There was something about this man that told me honesty was the only option, as if something dark and scary waited for the person who tried to deceive him.

“A little but I didn’t mind.”

My answer seemed to please him. He continued his predatory circle around me, once more standing directly in front of me. Flustered, I again lowered my gaze.

“May I?”

I looked up to see what he was asking.

His handsome face was looking down at me with one eyebrow arched and his hand raised. I looked from his sharp jawline, to his lips, to the way his cheeks were slightly sunken in, giving the rest of his face a chiseled, hard appearance.

I had no idea what he wanted so I could only nod. A gasp escaped my lips as he reached over my shoulder to pull out the clip keeping my hair up in a messy bun. Heavy waves of chestnut brown hair tumbled over my shoulders to land halfway down my back.

The backs of his knuckles briefly touched my warm cheek as he reached for one thick curl. Watching in almost fascinated horror, I felt the tug on my hair as he ran his hand down the smooth length. When he got to the end, he gave it a slight tug.

The sting caught me by surprise. Shocked, I looked up at his face. His eyes were staring down at me with an expression of anticipation, as if he were studying my reaction.

“It was a pleasure to learn your hair each evening was your own and not a wig. Few women keep it this long anymore.”

“I like long ponytails.” Seriously, what the hell was wrong with me? I like long ponytails?

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