Page 13 of Shattered By Grace

Instead, she tilted her head, smirking. “And what exactly do you think you’re going to win?”

He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. “That depends… what are you willing to lose?”

A shiver ran down her spine, but she fought to keep her composure. She couldn’t let herself slip, couldn’t let him get under her skin.The fucking audacity.It made her blood boil.

“Not much of a gambler, Tristan. I only bet when the odds are stacked in my favor.”

His smirk deepened, and she wanted to slap it right off his face. “Well, sweetheart, you’re looking at one.”

God, why does he have to be so fucking confident?She clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to respond, to give him the satisfaction of seeing her rattled.

Taylor clapped her hands, cutting through the tension. “Alright, enough of the flirting. Let's see if either of you can actually back up all that talk.” She handed Victoria a cue stick and tossed one to Tristan. “Game on.”

Tristan didn’t take his eyes off her as he grabbed his stick, and it made her insides twist in that familiar way, like a knot tightening.

“Ladies first,” he drawled, a wicked glint in his eyes, like he knew exactly the fight happening inside her.

Victoria stepped up to the table, deliberately bending over a little more than necessary as she lined up her shot, trying to block out the weight of his gaze.Don’t miss, don’t miss.She sank the first ball with a sharp crack, her confidence unwavering. Tristan chuckled, stepping closer. “Nice form. But I’ve got a few moves of my own.”

But when she turned, their faces were inches apart, and she had to force herself to stay calm.

“I’m sure you do, but I doubt they’re anything I haven’t seen before.”

His eyes darkened, and his voice thickened with challenge. “You’d be surprised, Grace. I’m full of firsts.”

God, I hate him.

Taylor broke in, amused. “Are you two going to play, or just eye-fuck each other all night?”

Victoria looked back at Taylor with daggers in her eyes before turning back with a dry laugh. “Eye-fuck all night? Please. Game on, Tristan. Let’s see if you can keep up.”

Taylor laughed in the background before choking on her drink.

“Serves you right,” Victoria said, looking at Taylor and slowly turning her gaze to Tristan.

Tristan took his turn, brushing past her as he lined up his shot. His arm brushed hers, lingering just enough for her to feel the heat from his body.

He sank the ball effortlessly, smooth, like everything he did was calculated to make her lose her cool. But his eyes never left hers, and she couldn’t escape the weight of his stare.

When he straightened, his lips curled into a slow, confident grin. “You’ve got a lot of fire, Grace. I like that.”

Her posture remained casual, but inside, her nerves were rattling.No. You don’t get to like me like that.She leaned back, meeting his gaze with a challenge of her own. “Careful, Tristan. You might get burned.”

His grin deepened as he moved closer, just enough to close the space between them.No. Not now.His breath was warm against her ear, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “Maybe I like playing with fire.”

FUCK.

Her stomach twisted, fury rising in her chest.He can’t have this hold on you. He’s not worth it. Stay strong.But as much as she wanted to throw herself at him or push him away, she stayed frozen, caught between desire and anger.

From the sidelines, Tyson watched, his face unreadable. But when Victoria glanced his way, there was something in his eyes, something that made her stomach flip.Nope. Nope Victoria. You need to call Detective Adams.

Taylor leaned closer to him, whispering, “They’re either going to end up killing each other or… something else.”

Tyson gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. “Or both.”

The air between them crackled with tension. And even though Victoria knew she was playing a dangerous game, a part of her was thrilled at the challenge and the tension in the air. She hated him. She needed to hate him.

But as she watched Tristan’s intense, focused gaze, she realized…I’m over my head.

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