Page 35 of The Billionaire Gamemaker

Their hand never left my skin as they trailed a line up my arm, across my shoulder, up my neck—where I inclined my head to the side to give them more access—and stopped at my jaw, where they traced their knuckles along the line of my face.

“You don’t have to tease me,” I say. “I already belong to everyone in the next room over.” I sound defeated, surrendering to the reality of not just being owned by an Advocate, but the Echelon Society as a whole.

The stranger inhaled a slow breath of their own through their nose. They didn’t respond, being careful to keep their identity a secret, but I had a feeling.

When they finally inclined their lips to meet mine, a low hum rumbled in their chest. The sound filled me with warmth. “No, Blue,” he whispered against my lips. “You’remine.”

And then Laurence kissed me for the first time with all the tender certainty I would expect from the only man I allowed to own me.

Chapter Fifteen: Lily

The Commandeering of Lily

If this game is supposed to be a guessing game, they’ve made it too easy. I could pick out Heathe in a room full of people talking. It was a strange bond him and I had. There was no romance, no love, but a mutual agreement as to why we were here—and for that, I appreciated him.

I lucked out with my Advocate. A part of me wanted to always play my best to thank him. He would say that makes me a “good girl”, and I can’t deny the feeling the endearment gives me when he whispers it into my ear when he’s pleasuring me.

The door opens again. I’ve already kissed four people, Heathe included. He was number three. The kiss is engrained in my memory, and so is he. I wonder who this fifth person is, how they’ll taste, how they’ll feel. Heathe isn’t the best kisser. He’s more comfortable than passionate, filled with more assuredness than heat. I can’t deny a part of me hopes for more of that someday, even in this game. I’ve had a couple good kisses, but none of them are too notable.

Footsteps approach me, confidence in their movements. They take me by surprise by sitting next to me instead of stopping in front of me.

“Hello, Lilly,” they say, and I’m surprised to hear the voice of a woman. I wonder if Heathe is watching in the audience. It feels naughty, like a betrayal, to blush at the way this contestant says my name.

“Hello,” I say softly back.

“Have you enjoyed the men who have come through here today?” Their voice is mellow and self-assured. I can’t help but be intrigued. Within her proximity, I can smell her perfume. It’sfloral, but not too strong, something more delicate with notes of something earthy. They smell like they’ve been in the jungle among the tropical flowers. I want to lean in and inhale.

“They’ve all been wonderful,” I say in my usual sweet, innocent tone that both draws men’s attention and deters it from me. Eve gave me the best possible advice when the games started: keep them on a string.

I can hear a smile in her voice when she asks, “Do you mind if I have a turn?”

“That’s why we’re here.”

Her laugh in response to my words is smooth and wonderful. It brings the blush back to my cheeks. “I appreciate the sportsmanship,” she says, and her hand brushes my hair off my shoulder. “You’ve been quite the admirable player.”

“Thank you.” My hands remain resting on my thighs, and I feel her run her fingers through my hair. I wish I could see her, but the blindfold I’m wearing blocks out all light, making this woman’s presence feel all the more dominant.

She leans in slowly, her lips coming close to my ear. I can feel her breath on my neck, and I don’t hate how it makes me feel…tinglyin all the right places. “You’re welcome, Lily,” she says in a voice so low I’m sure anyone in the audience missed it. “I want you to know that I’ll ensure you stay in these games. You’re a worthy investment, but Heathe’s a smart man. He knows what he has. I hope he keeps remembering that.”

There’s not much I can say to her words. I’m not only speechless, but confused. I wasn’t aware I would be able to have different Advocates—if that’s what she’s insinuating. But then again, Eve is proof that it can happen. These games are far more lawless than I give them credit for. Power and money, when entangled, are a force to be reckoned with, especially when sex is thrown in.

But whatever helps me win.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I tell her.

“Good. Now,” her hand finds my thigh furthest from her, and she pulls gently, “will you turn toward me?”

Turning on the bed, I bend my leg to perch myself on the edge to face her. The smell of her perfume hits me full force and I can’t help but inhale, leaning slightly in. Fingers trail across my exposed collarbone, the lingerie Heathe picked out for me today a low-cut, cream-colored teddy. He likes to keep me looking innocent.

I wonder if this contestant is into innocent women, or if she’d accept something darker…

My thought catches me off guard. I shouldn’t be wondering what this woman wants. Heathe has already convinced me he’ll help me win, and I shouldn’t betray his trust for some woman I haven’t even seen.

“You’re very beautiful, Lily.” But when she talks to me like that, with a voice like velvet, enticing me to lean in further, betrayal doesn’t sound all that bad. “I look forward to kissing you.”

She tilts my chin upward and I feel her lean in, lips lingering just above mine. I feel them curve into a smile. The moment just before the kiss draws out painfully. The tease only makes me want her more. When her lips meet mine, they move slowly and sensually. I can’t help but match her pace. She tastes as sweet as she smells, like mango. When her tongue grazes my bottom lip, I open myself to her, and she invites herself in, our tongues meeting and the taste of her exploding in my mouth. My hands move of their own accord, finding her legs, which are adorned in linen, and I move them to her waist. I grip her harder, wanting her closer.

She moans, and the sound urges me to continue. When her fingers entangle in the hair at the nape of my neck, I moan too, and she inches closer, pulling me in. I could stay lost in this kissforever. My thoughts are empty, and all I can see is the scent of her, the taste of her, and I’m left so overwhelmed by the feeling that when a voice comes over the intercom, I barely register its existence, let alone hear the words.

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