Page 23 of Grotesque
Stay focused.
“Two out of three,” I said.
I felt the hair on the right side of my face stir. “You’re not really in a position to bargain.” He hummed quietly. “I suppose it is only fair to agree. It is your body, but with three tastes of you I might not be able to stop.”
“Prick,” I snapped. It should go without saying that you should never antagonize someone willing to hurt you.
His breath ghosted my lips. “The game starts now.”
I lunged forward, my hands diving through empty air as my momentum carried me forward into the wall. Something heavy and sharp-cornered dug into the side of my hip as I slammed to a stop.
I swallowed hard as I lifted trembling hands, turning away from the wall. I couldn’t hear anything over the sound of blood rushing in my ears, waves crashing against the shore. Every rustle of my t-shirt as I moved my arms, or scuff of my foot on the ground sounded too loud. Too loud! I couldn’t hear him.
I could feel him, though. That terrible feeling of being circled, of him pressing right behind me–
“You agreed to play,” he murmured, his breath whispering against the back of my head. The touch of his fingers slid up the inside of my thigh.
I whirled, fingers clawing into nothing. “I am playing!” I bit my lip. “Fuck, this isn’t fair,” I whispered.
He laughed, a deep, menacing sound that clenched my heart. “It’s not supposed to be fair.”
I followed the hum of his laughter, staggering forward into another impenetrable object. My fingers brushed over something soft– the bed! I ran my hand along its edge, my other still waving in front of me.
“Thirty seconds.”
Fuckfuckfuck!
I wasn’t going to find him in time. I spun, turning back in the direction I had just come from. Aching cold brushed against my side, a finger across my back. I spun around, reaching for him. He was right there!
I stilled, listening, my blood raging. There wasn’t time, but I had two more rounds to win. Two more and then…and then what? I hadn’t thought to ask what I would win.
“Times up,” he whispered against the shell of my ear.
I wanted to punch him. I was so angry I could scream. He was like a shadow, swirling around me, as uncatchable as smoke.
“Each round gets a prize,” he said against my neck.
My knees buckled. If his hands hadn’t grasped me beneath my elbows I might have dropped to the floor. I flinched whenhis nose brushed against mine. The gesture only caused me to tremble more, my breath coming out in ragged bursts.
His nose trailed over the top of my cheek. Even though I knew what he was about to do, I still tensed. Cold lips ghosted against mine. His fingers curled into my arms, holding me steady.He kissed me. My mouth parted as I jolted back. He followed, kissing me softly until I was backed against a wall, where his mouth grew more insistent.
I don’t know if it was his kiss or the rush of the game, but my head felt foggy. Everything else was heightened, and the taste of him, the feel of his tongue against mine shot a heated line to my core.
“Just as delicious as I imagined you would be,” he said. The pad of his thumb ran over my lower lip and dragged down to my chin. “I could eat you right up.”
Warmth seeped into my lips and a heady rush of desire flooded my system. A defense mechanism. There was nothing sensual about the way he was toying with me, and yet I found my tongue flicking against his as he withdrew.
“Are you ready for the next round?” A hiss of anticipation filled the air.
I swiped a hand over my mouth. I hadn’t meant to kiss him back. This was some side effect of the game or his vampire powers. Was he a vampire? He moved like one, his form spilling across the floor with the grace of water.
“Fuck you,” I whispered.
He chuckled. “You keep losing and I just might.”
This time I was more confident. Not that I had a choice; I couldn’t lose again. I stayed stock still, cocking my head and listening for any sign of movement. I breathed slowly, calming my racing blood.
Creak.
