Page 31 of Scarred Sacrifice
“So, what do you want? Some of my gold. If it would make you fuck off, I will happily give you the entire bag,” I state.
He arches his brow. “You would give me one hundred thousand dollars worth of gold just to make me leave?” he asks.
My eyes go wide. “Woah, I thought it was like ten thousand,” I mutter, lifting up the bag and feeling the weight of it.
“I need to know what your plan is,” he states quietly.
I stare at him with an expression that simply says fuck off, while wondering why he is even asking me this. “Why would I tell you anything? We have both made it very clear that we are enemies with an understanding. You stay out of my way, I will stay out of yours,” I state, repeating our agreement.
“I saw the way you looked at Lance. He’s a part of your plan, isn’t he?” he presses.
I frown and step back out of his touch. “Maybe I just want to fuck him,” I quip.
His jaw tightens. “This isn’t the time for fucking games, Valentina.”
“I wasn’t playing,” I retort. “Look, I have something I need to do. Leave me alone to do it. You interfere, and I will blow your cover to Henry,” I warn, turning away.
He grabs my arm and yanks me back to him, my body colliding with his. “I don’t respond well to threats.”
I look down at his hold on my arm. “And I don’t respond well to being forcibly grabbed,” I snap back. We glare at each other a moment longer, a battle of wills on who will back down first before he finally releases his hold.
I begin to walk back over to Edna. “Valentina,” he calls. I stop and turn back around to face him.
“There are games for the rest of today and tomorrow,” he states, his expression unreadable.
“What games, and how do you know that?” I ask, frowning.
“I just do.” He swallows, as if internally battling something. He runs his fingers through his hair. “How about a wager?” he suggests.
I fold my arms across my chest. “I’m listening.” I nod.
“I win, you step aside. Let me do what I came to do,” he proposes.
“I wasn’t planning on stopping you,” I cut in.
He shakes his head. “Something tells me if we both continue what we are doing, it’s going to fuck up one of our plans, and I would rather that not be mine.” He pauses, running his fingers through his short dark hair again. I’m starting to realise he does this when he’s restless. “Now, the same goes for you. If you win, I will step back,” he adds, his vibrant eyes searing through mine. No hint of a lie to be seen.
“That doesn’t leave me or you a lot of time,” I point out.
“It’s enough. The final day is Monday, when everyone leaves. We stop after the final games on Sunday afternoon, meaning the ball Sunday night is off limits.”
“We already made a deal, and then less than twenty four hours you’re already backtracking and changing. What is to say you won’t do it again? I don’t have time to waste, as I’m sure you don’t, either,” I argue.
“This is exactly why I’m changing the terms of our agreement. Neither of us will get anywhere. I’m not about to let you win, and I know you aren’t, either. You’re too scrappy to back down from a challenge.” He smirks.
I shrug. “Okay, fine. As I don’t have a lot of other options, I guess I’m in. So, what are the games?” I ask.
He gives me a tight grin. “First one is about to be announced, but first, we need to seal the deal,” he states, stepping closer into my personal space.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I whisper hiss at him, ignoring how good he smells or feels pressed against me.
“We are being watched, and we have gone from the couple caught fucking in Henry’s library, to barely touching. So, you’re going to have to kiss me,” he says softly, leaning in, his breath dancing across my lips.
“Absolutely not,” I refuse.
“Just one kiss, to keep the ruse believable,” he murmurs, brushing his lips against mine. My breaths turn shallow. I run my tongue along his bottom lip, the tip just slightly grazing his bottom lip. His fingertips slowly glide up my arm, dancing along my collarbone and up my neck, where he cups my cheek, his thumb caressing my cheek. “One kiss,” he rasps.
I don’t answer. I close the final distance, pressing my mouth to his, caving in. His lips meet mine slowly, cautiously, as if he’s waiting for me to strike him at any moment. I nip his bottom lip between my teeth before releasing it. I break the kiss,looking into his eyes, silently challenging him. He lets out a low growl as his fingers move and thread through the hair at the nape of my neck, gripping tightly. He yanks my head back and crashes his mouth to mine. The tenderness is gone, and now it’s a battle. Our mouths and tongue duel, fighting, demanding. It’s infuriating and exhilarating, igniting a fire within me. He suddenly breaks the kiss, resting his temple on mine as both of us try to catch our breath.
