Page 39 of High Stakes

“I was . . . erm, I know that guy,” she says, frowning in confusion.Great. What are the rules if she discovers Jake, even though I didn’t tell her. “He used to come in the bakery,” she continues. “And he’d always make me laugh, I used to look forward to it . . .” she trails off. “When he stopped coming in, I thought maybe he’d moved away.”

“Well, he didn’t. He died,” I say bluntly, and she flinches at my words. “Why were you on my laptop?”

“I wanted to find a place to live,” she explains. I head into the living room, and she rushes after me. “We shared stories about our disastrous dates,” she tells me. I turn to see her eyes are full of sadness, “And he wouldn’t tell me his name. I would ask him every time he came in, and he refused, telling me to guess, yet even when I did, he’d say I was wrong. I don’t remember if I ever said Jake,”she almost whispers with a faraway look in her eye. A tear rolls down her cheek and I resist the urge to hold her. “It became a game, and I secretly hoped I never guessed it, so we could carry on.”

I place the laptop back on the side. “He liked games,” I mutter. “And he was a complete fuck up at dating.”

She gives another sad smile, sitting on the couch. “We’d play top trumps on worst dates. And no matter how much I tried, he’d never tell me anything about himself. He said it was more fun that way.”

“I’m sorry you found out like this,” I mutter, sitting beside her and twisting to face her. “It sounds like you liked him.” And the worst part about that statement is the fucking jealousy I feel. She liked Jake and now he’s forcing me to play some sick, twisted game with her.Did he know how she felt? If he hadn’t have died, would they be together?My heart aches.

“I’m sorry you lost him,” she sniffles, wrapping her arms around my neck and holding me. “He was a great guy; I can see why you miss him so much.”

“Don’t waste your tears, Bella,” I mutter, “He wouldn’t have wanted you to be sad.”

She nods against my chest. “I want you to be my first,” she whispers. It’s so low, I struggle to hear her. She tips her head back, looking me in the eye. “Will you?”

My throat tightens, threatening to choke me. “Bella, you’re upset. Don’t make rash decisions.”

“The reason I’m still a virgin is because I’ve been waiting to feel this spark. I feel it with you, Aiden.”

I shake my head, standing. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Bella. I don’t want to take something so important when I can’t be certain you’re thinking straight. Plus, you’ve had a lot to drink.”

She wipes her wet, tear-stained cheeks. “You don’t want me,” she whispers.

I grab her hands and tug her to stand. “Don’t be stupid,” I say firmly. “Of course I do. You’re consuming me right now, and it scares the shit out of me. But I want your first time to be special. So, let’s wait until you’re truly ready . . . and sober.” It was another stipulation in the contract. Bella couldn’t be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. But there is some truth in my words. If I’m going to take her virginity, I want her to want it so badly, that she convinces me.

I take her dressing gown cord and unfasten it, letting it fall open. “Luckily for you,” I say with a smirk, as I wrap the soft cord around her wrists and secure it. “I’m also good at playing games.”

“Oh yeah?” she asks, smiling.

“It runs in the genes,” I say, opening her dressing gown wider and admiring her naked body. I take her nipple, watching the flush spread up her cheeks when I tease it. “And I want to spend the entire night playing games with you.” I lean down, throwing her over my shoulder. She laughs loud and I swat her backside. “Silence,” I hiss, pushing my hand between her legs. She’s wet and I smirk as I carry her through to the bedroom. I don’t need to fuck her to enjoy her.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Bella

It’s not possible, I can’t orgasm anymore. I’m breathless and sweating as I squirm, gripping Aiden’s head between my legs as his tongue works its magic. He hasn’t given me a break since my last orgasm not five minutes ago. I’m not sure where I start, and he ends. “No more,” I groan, “I can’t take anymore.”

“Remember what happened last time you said that?”

I shudder, and he grips my thighs, holding me still as another orgasm rolls through me. He waits for me to still before dropping beside me and turning on to his side. Hethrows a leg over me and drags me closer. “Sleep, you’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” I whisper, sleepily.

“We’re spending the day doing that all again.” I groan and he sniggers. “But this time, you’re gonna let me fuck your mouth.”

Aiden’s true to his word. We spend Saturday hardly leaving the bedroom. When we’re not wrapped in one another watching movies, we’re exploring each other with our mouths. And around mid-afternoon, we order food and sit in bed naked, eating. It’s nice to have him to myself and I can’t help but picture us having a future.

I drop the last piece of chicken into the box and wipe my mouth with a napkin. “I’ve enjoyed today,” I say, and he eyes me warily.

“Yeah, it’s been fun,” he says, gathering the leftovers and stuffing it into a bag.

“Fun,” I repeat, feeling like a bucket of ice has been thrown at me.

He forces a smile, “Yeah. That’s what this is, right? Fun.” He must read the disappointment on my face, and he sighs, grabbing my hand. “Bella, I like you, and right nowI’m enjoying this. But if you’re asking me to hand out the girlfriend title, I can’t.”

I nod stiffly, withdrawing my hand. He hasn’t made any promises, this is all on me. He turns away, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. I can feel him slipping away so I say, “For the record, I’m glad I’m not your girlfriend.”

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