Page 38 of Sinful Games

"Don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal," I said with a wink,pressing another kiss to her hand. “I tend to have that effect on women.”

She laughed softly, giving me a playful shove before gliding around me, her ponytail swaying with each step as she returned to the dinner table. Her fragrance lingered in the air, dangerously seductive.

I shut my eyes, drawing in a deep breath to savor her scent.

Fuck, she smells too fucking good.

I ran a hand through my hair, gripping the ends to steady myself.

This game’s turning out to be a lot more interesting than I’d fucking expected.

Chapter

Twelve

“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.”

?C.S. Lewis

Caia

I braced myself, that nasty taste of dread creeping up as my dad’s name flashed on the screen. Just the thought of his snarky comments or his inevitable disappointment was enough to make my stomach knot up.

I stared at the phone, wishing I could avoid his voice and the barrage of judgment he always seemed to deliver. After a beat of hesitation, I tapped decline for the third time, hoping he’d finally take the hint and leave me the hell alone.

But my hope was in vain. The damn phone kept ringing, like he was determined to chip away at the last shred ofpeace I had. My muscles tensed, a knot of frustration twisting in my chest as I finally answered.

“What?” I snapped, letting the irritation drip from every word.

“Is that how you greet your old man, Caia? I raised you better than that.”

I took a slow, deep breath, my grip tightening around the phone. “I’m busy.”

“How’s Romaniev?”

Of course. Typical.

I almost laughed out loud. It was like he was more interested in Romaniev than I was. Maybe he’d like to have him in his bed. Hell, I should tell him to go ahead and do it, let him get his fix by screwing him—maybe then he’d finally stop obsessing over my life and leave me alone.

“I saw him last night. He prepared dinner and even kissed me goodnight like some cliché rom-com hero. Is that enough to satisfy your curiosity?”

“Only kissed you? I don’t have much time, Caia,” my father grumbled. “I want thisdoneby the end of the week.”

Of course, he doesn't. His royal schedule of being an ass must beverydemanding.

He hung up abruptly, leaving me with the usual bitter taste of his demands and that lovely trapped feeling only his stupid rules could inspire.

Four days.

I had four days to seduce Lucifer and somehow get leverage over the Silas. No big deal, right?

I set my phone down, closed my eyes, and let the chilly breeze smack me in the face. Part of me wanted this mess over so I could move on. Another part wanted to run—maybe start fresh as a waitress in Spain, scrub floors in Poland,or just blend into the chaos of New York. Hell, flipping burgers sounded better than staying here.

I hadn’t figured it all out yet. But all I knew was that the person I most wanted to escape from wasn’t Romaniev, the Silas, or even this insane plan.

It was my biggest bully—my freaking father.

Only four days left.

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