Page 87 of Game Over

Tears well in her eyes as she scrolls through the messages. “They’ve been so worried.”

“Tell them…” I stand up, creating the distance she needs to make this choice freely. “Tell them whatever you want.”

Her fingers hover over the keyboard. “What should I say?”

“The truth. Part of it, anyway, or all of it if you choose. That you met me at GamerCon. That you’re safe.”

She types, deletes, types again. Finally, she hits send, and the weight in my chest shifts. Not lighter, just different. Pensive.

“I told them I met you at the convention, that I got caught up in a whirlwind, and I’m sorry I worried them.” She looks up. “I told them I’m safe with you. Am I?”

Her question cuts deeper than she could know. After everything, she still isn’t sure.

“Safe?” The word tastes bitter on my tongue. “You’re asking if you’re safe with me?”

I step closer, my body rigid with hurt and frustration. “Kira, you’re the safest you could ever be. I would tear apart anyone who tried to harm you.” I kneel before her, taking her hands in mine. “I promise I will never hurt you again. The games, the levels—that’s over. I was wrong. I see that now.”

My voice drops to a whisper. “I’d rather die than cause you pain again. And I hate that your first memories of us together are marked with fear and pain.”

A darkness and hunger flares to life in her eyes—one I recognize from our time in the forest. Without warning, she grabs my shirt and yanks me forward, pulling me onto the bed with surprising strength. I land over her, bracing myself on my forearms to avoid crushing her.

“Fuck me,” she demands, her voice husky, almost commanding.

The sudden role reversal sends blood rushing south, but I hesitate, brushing hair from her face with gentle fingers. “Kira, we don’t have to?—”

“Now.” She arches against me, nails digging into my shoulders.

I groan, lowering my mouth to hers. My kisses are soft, measured, my touch gentler than she’s used to as I slide my hand along her side.

She breaks away, frustration evident in her flushed face. “No. Not like this.” Her gaze burns me. “Like before. In the game.”

I freeze, trying to understand. “What do you mean?”

“I want you to be you,” she says, voice dropping to a growl. “Primal. Twisted. The way you were in the forest when you hunted me.” Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling hard enough to sting. “I need that Ryker right now.”

I narrow my eyes, searching her face for any hint of fear. “Do you like rough games, Kira?” I ask, voice dropping an octave as I pin her wrists above her head with one hand.

“I’ve never been more turned on than when you hunted me,” Kira admits, her cheeks flushing. “When you caught me, when you made me submit. You knew exactly where I’d go, how you’d find me. It would’ve been my favorite level if I felt safe enough to trust you.”

I’d thought she’d been traumatized, that she needed gentle handling. But the darkness I saw in her in the forest wasn’t forced—it was awakened.

I cup her face. “Do you want to play level seven, then? But this time, willingly?”

Her quick nod makes my cock throb against her thigh. “Yes. Please.”

I lean close, breathing against her ear. “Level seven requires full submission out in the open where anyone might see you.”

I pull back to gauge her reaction, finding her pupils wide with arousal.

“I own an exclusive resort property—private beach, secluded cove. I’ll have you naked except for a collar, bound to a Saint Andrew’s cross I’ve erected in the sand when the tide is out.” My voice drops lower. “I’ll leave you there as the tide slowly comes in. Not enough to drown you—I’ve calculated the tides exactly—but enough to let you feel the danger.”

Her breathing quickens as I continue.

“I’ll watch from the cliffs above as the water rises around you, as you pull against your restraints. And I’ll come for you when the fear is at its peak. I’ll make you come, tied up, half-submerged, where any passing boat might spot us.”

“When?” she whispers, already squirming beneath me.

“We can go now as high tide is in an hour and a half. I can hear you through an earpiece if you say your safe word.”

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