Page 44 of Pretty Little Game

Giddy bubbles work their way up my chest as I think about all the possibilities.

“Yeah, so you two canrun linestogether for hours and hours and hours…” she teases me with a dreamy voice. “But seriously, you think tonight’s the night?”

I smudge my mascara as the heavy-handed hint in her tone makes me think of all the things wemightbe doing. Cassio’s coming over to my place, which means no prying eyes to ensure we’re keeping it strictly business.

“Ugh, I don’tknow,” I groan, snagging a Kleenex to wipe away the smudge and try again.

“Come on, Bianka. You have to give me more thanthat,” she presses. “You two have been dating, like, what, a month? Don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about him popping your cherry.”

“Ellie!” I scold, jamming my mascara brush back into its bottle. “Okay, you know what? We’re not talking about this now. I have to get ready, and you’re distracting me.”

“Mm-hmm, just make sure you wear your sexy undies!” she reminds me just before I end the call with a violent jab.

Releasing a growl of frustration, I try to collect myself before donning my cream-colored Cult Gaia Edna off-the-shoulder mini dress for the occasion. The knit sweater dress is just revealing enough to ensure Cassio won’t be able to keep his hands off me. At the same time, it’s warm and casual–perfect for a cool fall day sitting by the fire.

Under it, I wear a strapless black lace balconette bra and matching panties–just in case. Though since our official date nearly a month ago now, Cassio has proven to be more than a gentleman, never pushing me past my comfort zone or even suggesting sex.

I don’t know if he’s waiting for something or if he expects me to make the first move after I freaked out the first time, and wondering about it has just about driven me insane. Iwantto have sex with him.

I’m ready now–I’m sure of it. But I can’t bring myself to ask for it, to make it happen. So instead, I’ve resolved to dropping heavy-handed hints in the hopes that he’ll take the next step.

The light tap on my front door has me racing to answer it, and I pull it wide, my heart skipping a beat at the sight of Cassio’s tall frame filling the doorway. Dressed in a dark-green cable-knit sweater and jeans, he’s more casual than usual and somehow dressed perfectly to match me.

Why his fashion sense has such an impact on me, I can’t say, but I love that he’s always at his best, his clothes fitting his lean, muscular body and reminding me just how good he looks beneath the quality layers.

“Hi,” I say, my smile breaking across my face and mirroring his brilliant grin.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

I giggle, rolling my eyes at his cheesy line. “Come on in.”

Cassio does, his long stride carrying him through the entryway and into my living room with confident ease. His eyes land on the coffee table, where I’ve set out my script because we reallydoneed to run lines at some point.

While it hasn’t been our main priority when we get these private hours, I have still been helping Cassio with his lines and what they mean so the play will be a true success at the end of the semester.

“Tell me, Sensei, what’s the plan for today?” Cassio asks lightly as I follow him to the couch. “Will you be grilling me for optimal memory retention or translating the sacred text so I might understand what the hell I’m trying to say?”

I giggle as I settle onto the couch beside him, my knee grazing his leg. “We’ll get to that part. But you know the rule. Payment upfront. Then your acting lesson.”

“Hmm,” Cassio hums enticingly, turning to face me as his warm hand finds my thigh. “As the lady wishes.”

Giddy excitement flutters to life in my stomach at his touch. Even after a month of stolen kisses and secret makeout sessions, I still find my physical response to him overwhelming. I just can’t seem to get enough.

Leaning in, he closes the distance between us to find my lips and a burst of electric energy jolts through me. Our lips part simultaneously, and our tongues tangle in a familiar and tantalizing dance that makes my pulse quicken.

His strong, elegant fingers slowly slide up my leg, finding the hem of my sweater dress, sending tingling pleasure up the insides of my thighs. Emboldened by my fresh surge of anticipation, I rise up off the couch to straddle him.

Cassio’s responding groan vibrates through my core, quickening my pulse as his hands grip my hips, pulling me close. Clinging to the back of the couch, I lean into him, feeling his strong chest against my own as we breathe together. The feel of his soft lips moving with mine fills me with a deep sense of satisfaction.

I could get lost in Cassio’s kiss. Screw running lines. This is all I want to do today.

“Kakogo khrena?”

I nearly leap out of my skin at the dark Russian curse words that burst from my entryway. Wrenching my lips from Cassio’s, I gasp as my eyes snap to meet my brother’s and grow wide with fear.

“Ilya!” I’m off the couch before I consciously know what I’m doing, my body tense with anxiety at the look of murder in his eyes.

“What the fuck is he doing here? Are you mad?” he growls, his Russian accent making his deep voice sound that much more threatening.

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