Page 44 of Player
I punctuate my remark with a small mocking laugh, even though I'm far from feeling that confident.
"So the great Player isn't as skilled as he claims to be," I say ironically.
A savage gleam passes over his face, and I understand that he's going to snap any moment now.
"Stop provoking me, Alabama."
We're back to my nickname.
"You lost," he adds, "so you do what I ask."
"But I can't! That's the thing."
He frowns, skeptical. "You mean you don'twantto."
Suddenly, I decide to drop the bomb I've been holding in for so long, certain that it will put an end to the madness that's playing out in our apartment's living room. Because I know what Player's reaction will be, and even though I dread it, I can no longer stay silent:
"I've never slept with a man, so I couldn't do what you're asking even if I wanted to."
18
PLAYER
I stare at her coldly.She is out of breath, her cheeks are flushed, and I am as hard as a rock.
"I don't believe you,” I finally manage to say, my jaw so clenched that the words come out with difficulty."
She slowly shakes her head. “Why would I lie about that?"
"To throw me off balance, to play with me and turn the tables. To win the game."
She gives a small, bitter laugh. “Would the great Player be thrown off by an untouched virgin?"
Frustration and desire boil in my veins, and without thinking, I step towards Dixie. She returns my gaze without flinching. “You're lying", I state, towering over her.
"No."
That’s her only response. I furrow my brows as the idea sinks in. Dixie has never slept with a man.
No, that just doesn’t make any sense!
I stare at her through slitted eyelids. "You're trying to play with me, Alabama, but I’m not a kid anymore. You won’t make me believe you’ve never been fucked."
She purses her lips without responding, and I continue, "And frankly, even if that were the case, it wouldn’t make me hesitate for a single second."
I place my hand around her neck, not squeezing, just to show her that I now am in charge, controlling her. My attention drifts to her mouth, which I’ve just tasted and want to possess again.
Suddenly, the realization hits me. Alabama has managed to make me waver, because now I am seriously considering fucking her. Bitterness sets in, nobody has ever beaten me, and Alabama won’t be the first!
She wants to push me to the limit and play this little game? I’m her man!
"You’re a virgin?" I confront her.
She looks me straight in the eyes before affirming, "Yes."
"And you want us to fuck?"
I feel the pulsations of her heart against the tips of my fingers that still encircle her throat; the rhythm is rapid. Is it because she’s bluffing? I don’t need to think about it to understand that she’s doing everything she can to win the game.
