Page 148 of The Games We Play
“You’re lucky I was in such a rush… I forgot to put on panties.”
Mac groaned, low and guttural, and closed the space between us in two strides. His hands gripped my hips, fingers flexing as if he needed to feel me—to make sure I was really there.
His palms slid upward, teasing along my sides, fingers brushing the strap of my dress. The light stroke against my skin made my breath catch.
He noticed.
He always noticed.
“It’s about trust,” Mac murmured, his voice rough and sincere. “I want you to know you can trust me, Pen. I’m here. I’m yours.Forever.”
Even through the heavy tension between us, his words landed softly in my chest, like a vow whispered into the soul. My heart fluttered at the confession, mixing with the storm of want brewing inside me.
“I do trust you,” I said, and I meant it.
He lifted me in one seamless motion. My legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, arms falling around his neck.
“Let me continue to prove it to you. I’ll never stop. Never again.”
He carried me toward the bar, my body flush against his. I placed my lips to his, leaving a feather-light kiss, just one, before he set me down gently atop the bar.
I was nearly eye level with him. Still a little taller from my perch. Still held entirely in his control.
Our eyes locked.
Mac reached for the straps of my dress, sliding his fingers beneath the fabric and drawing it down, slow and deliberate. My skin burned in the best way as cool air hit me, and my nipples peaked instantly, tightening in response.
Still, he didn’t look away.
He undressed me like I was sacred—something to be revealed, not just taken. The dress slipped down to my waist, the fabric dragging goosebumps in its wake. I arched my hips slightly, lifting just enough for him to slide the rest off, his hands ghosting down my thighs as the fabric fell.
For a second, Mac glanced lower, confirming what I’d told him.
No panties.
A smirk tugged the corner of his mouth. One nod. One look of approval.
The dress hit the floor, forgotten, because now his attention was solely onme.
“Close your eyes, Trouble,” Mac said, voice low and thick with promise.
Trust.
That’s what this was. A test—for both of us. A leap I needed to take. My heart and my body wanted Mac. But now… now was when I’d see if my soul trusted him too.
Carefully, I closed my eyes.
Soft fabric brushed against my skin. A blindfold. He tied it snugly around my head, blocking out everything but the sound of his breath, the heat of his hands, the thundering beat of my own heart.
He placed his palms on my shoulders and gently guided me down until my back hit the cool surface of the bar. I followed his silent command.
Trust, I reminded myself again.
With my vision gone, everything was heightened. My skin buzzed. Each soft breath against my cheek, every shift of his weight, each brush of his fingertips—it all set my nerve endings ablaze.
One finger trailed slowly between my breasts, then down the center of my stomach to my navel. My body arched slightly beneath his touch, a soft whimper escaping my lips as I exhaled a shaky breath.
Then… nothing.
