Page 27 of Stick Handled

He doesn’t move back. Instead, he leans in a fraction, his lips curving into that maddening smirk.

“You sure about that? Because I can always tell Rowan about your little secret.”

“What?” I blink, caught off-guard.

“I’m sure Rowan would love to know how you’ve been sneaking around, getting lessons behind his back.” Damien’s smirk deepens, his eyes gleaming with wicked delight at the horror on my face.

My breath catches in my throat. He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t tell Rowan, would he?

But the glint in Damien’s eyes tells me he’s not bluffing. He’s playing dirty, and he knows it.

“You wouldn’t,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

“Oh, I would.” He tilts his head, eyes still locked on mine.

My pulse races, my hands trembling slightly as I try to process the situation. Damien has me cornered, and the worst part is he knows it. The tension between us is suffocating, thick and heavy, wrapping around me like a vice. I’m trapped in this game he’s playing, and the more I fight it, the tighter it becomes.

“Damien, this is…” I pause, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Blackmail?” He lets out a soft laugh, his breath warm against my skin as he leans in even closer. “Call it what you want. A drink with me and you get your book. Or I tell Rowan. Your choice, little liar.” His voice is so low and so smooth that it sends a tremor through me. My breath catches in my throat, and I force myself to stand my ground, even as every part of me screams to move back, to get away from the overwhelming heat of his body, the way his eyes burn into mine with that relentless intensity.

I bite my lip, hating how easily he can get under my skin. My mind is racing, trying to figure out how to regain control, but every option leads me back to the same conclusion.

“And what if I say no?” I ask, my voice trembling.

“You won’t.” Damien chuckles. It’s a soft, dark sound that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“How can you be so certain?” My heart stutters.

He leans down again, his lips brushing my ear as he whispers, “Because you don’t want to stop.”

I shiver, every nerve in my body on high alert. He’s right. He’s so maddeningly right, and I hate him for it. I hate how easily he can read me, how he can see right through every defense I try to put up.

Damien’s in control, and I hate it.

I meet his gaze, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Fine,” I say, my heart pounding in my chest. “One drink.”

His smile widens, satisfaction gleaming in his hazel eyes. He steps back, giving me space to breathe again, but the tension between us lingers, thick and suffocating.

“Good choice,” he says with a nod.

I watch as he casually tosses the book onto the counter, my eyes flicking between it and him, feeling like I’ve just stepped deeper into some kind of trap. But there’s no backing out now.

“After you,” he says, his voice dripping with challenge as he motions for the door.

And just like that, I’m pulled back into the game, knowing full well that I’m in over my head. The only problem…I think I want to be.

Chapter ten

~DAMIEN~

Leading her toward the rooftop, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve royally fucked up. Not just a little misstep. No, this was a leap into disaster. Blackmailing her to get her here? That’s a move I can’t undo, a line crossed that even I know shouldn’t have been. The way she looked at me when I mentioned Rowan, her eyes flashing between shock and betrayal, had nearly made me second-guess the whole thing.

But I didn’t.

I open the door to the pool area, the crisp night air brushing against our skin as we step out into the open. Ares had been here a few hours prior, warning me to stop. And I’m doing the exact opposite.

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