Page 55 of A Game So Reckless

“Shit,” he suddenly says. “Guess I probably should have asked how old you are.”

“Old enough,” I say, suspicion in my voice. I don’t know if he wants to make sure he isn’t serving alcohol to someone under nineteen…

Or if he wants to relieve himself of any guilt that he might have been lusting after an underage girl this entire time.

“Haha, I’ll take it,” he chuckles, running a hand through his tousled blond hair. He’s a good-looking guy. Clean cut. Fit. A nose that looks like no one’s ever punched it.

And I couldn’t be less attracted to him.

“Where’s the rest of your group?” I ask, gesturing over my shoulder towards the quiet cottage behind us.

“They had to go back to work. I’ve got a few days of vacation left. I’m in finance,” he adds suddenly, even though I didn’t ask.

I wonder if he thinks that’s supposed to impress me. Maybe it does impress some girls. Girls whose fathers aren’talsoin finance. The kind of finance that means you cut off a person’s hands when they don’t pay.

“How about you?” he asks. His gaze dips to my tits. “Are you in university? Off for the summer?”

I shake my head. “Family business.” I take another sip of the beer, even though it’s terrible, because even drinking this stuff is more interesting than talking to Connor the finance bro with the wandering eyes.

“Damn. Business must be good. Your place is insane.”

“Thanks.”

Silence descends, and I decide that I just don’t have the energy for this. Despite the way he’s currently eye-fucking me through my clothes, maybe Connor is a nice enough, if boring, guy. But the thought of spending any longer trying to make small talk with him while nursing this godawful beer makes me want to groan out loud.

I’m a little worried that the reason I’m so bored with him already is because he isn’t Darragh. If that isn’t a scary fucking thought I don’t know what is.

“I’m actually really tired,” I say, putting my beer down on the grass beside me. “Thanks for the drink. Have a good one.”

I rise from the chair, but before I can take a single step, Connor grabs my hand and pulls me back down. My ass hits the wood. Pain and irritation swell, driving me to rise from the chair again. But I can’t, because Connor is there, his hands on the armrests, his broad frame blocking me.

“Come on,” he wheedles. He leans in so close that I can smell the beer on his breath. “Don’t go before we’ve had a chance to have a little fun.”

“Fun?” I ask flatly.

His grin vanishes, and with it goes the nice guy act.

“I want to fuck you.”

“Tempting,” I say with a roll of my eyes. “Move.”

“Have another drink with me.”

“I’m not having another drink,” I say between clenched teeth. “And I’m not having sex with you. Besides, I have my period. Back the fuck off.”

“Period? Ew. Is that why you’re so bitchy?” He pulls a face of disgust, and it’s so hilariously immature that I almost laugh out loud. My God. He’s got to be at least five years older than me, but he sounds like some idiot still in high school.

It’s a stark contrast to Darragh last night. No flinching, not even a hint of being grossed out by the mention of a period.

Instead, he bought me tampons.

And even put one inside me…

I try to rise again, but Connor still hasn’t moved. I’m starting to get really pissed now. This is different than the way I feel when Darragh pushes me. I get pissed at Darragh, too, of course, but there’s also an answering darkness, a need, a part of me that I’m starting to think only he can access.

“You can still suck me off,” Connor says, his eyes half-lidded. “Or we can do it from the back. I’ve been going crazy watching that juicy ass all week.”

I’m so angry I can’t even speak. My hands are shaking. I wish, like I’ve wished so many times in my life, I had the kind of power that my cousins and my papà have. I try to imagine someone threatening Elio or Curse the way Connor seems to be trying to, and know that they’d have likely pulled a gun before the conversation even got this far.

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