Page 8 of High Roller

For a moment, she’s still, her eyes glued to her lap.

“Lili.” My tone is enough to raise her gaze back to mine.

“I’ll only do what you consent to,” I say, as I unbutton my shirt at the wrists and begin rolling up my sleeves.

Her eyes shine with unshed tears, and I wonder if I’ve pushed too far by revealing I’m a sadist. I don’t have to explore that side of myself with her tonight.

“Take off your shirt,” she demands.

I laugh and nod in her direction. “You first.”

“I told you, give and take.”

“I’ve taken off my tie and jacket already.”

She laughs and reaches under her dress when I realize she’s rolling down a thigh-high stocking, I hold up a hand. “Stop. I want to see you in nothing but those and your heels.”

“Then take your shirt off.”

I arch an eyebrow, her confidence having piqued my interest. I admit to a certain fascination with her defiance. Most women wouldn’t dare challenge me and yet she does it so effortlessly.

“Keep your eyes on me,” I demand. “If you stop watching, I stop listening.” Her gaze locks on mine as I reach for the top button of my black silk dress shirt. I stare at her intently and watch her chest rise and fall with each button that I undo. Lili swallows hard, and her gaze drops. My hands drop to my side.

“Keep going,” she whispers as she raises her eyes to my face again. I finish unbuttoning the shirt and shrug it off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor at my feet.

I stalk toward her and tuck a finger under her chin. “Lose the dress.” Her expression is defiant. She stands and shoves me back with a firm hand on my chest. I give her space, and she reaches for the hem of her dress.

My cock hardens as she lifts it over her head. My gaze drifts from the lacy top of her bra down to her thighs.

The sight of her thighs stops my gaze and I almost gasp. Suddenly, I’m filled with rage. Lili is being abused, or she’s a lot kinkier than she lets on. The insides of her thighs are covered in dark bite marks. There are scars, old bruises underneath new ones. I clench my fists as I step towards her. I put a hand gently on her hip.

“Is that consensual?” I ask. She looks down, but I force her chin upward again, so that she’s meeting my gaze.

“Answer me, Lili, right now,” I demand.

She sighs. “Finn is... Let’s say enthusiastic.”

“Bullshit,” I bite out. “I like pain, sweetheart. That’s not what this is.”

Her gaze turns stormy, and she glares. “Don’t pity me. I already told you I’m not a damsel in distress. I can handle myself.”

“You were willing to stay with him when he was doing this to you. It took him cheating on you with your best friend for you to leave?”

She scoffs. “I haven’t left yet, have I? If you don’t want to do this, just say so. I can go back downstairs.”

A better man would have walked out the door, but I’m not a good man.

I am changing my plans, though.

I’m not convinced I can hurt Lili, that I can cause her pain when I don’t know what might trigger her, when I don’t know what her piece of shit husband is doing to her. We’ll have to take this slowly.

I slide a hand into her hair, feeling for the pins that are holding the clean knot into place. Pulling them out, I free the bun and let her long dark tresses fall down her back.

“I want to do this,” she whispers as I trail kisses down her jaw.

Lili whimpers, and that sound is my undoing. I have to have her even if it’s only a taste. I continue trailing kisses until I reach her lips, and I capture them with mine. God, she tastes so fucking good. The expensive scotch and her essence mixed together make a heady cocktail.

“Oh, precious girl,” I whisper as I pull away. “Lose the bra. Let me have my fantasy picture. Those thigh-high stockings and expensive heels are doing things to me.”

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