Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I shot him a look. “Why would not I? Are you scared you will lose?”

The game started. A few rounds in, I was winning more than I lost. Chase, on the other hand, had the worst luck. He kept getting picked.

“Ha! Chase, you really are off your game tonight!”

“What is the matter, bro? Lose your edge?”

“Or is it because your girl is right there, and you cannot focus?”

The teasing lit a fire under Chase. He was already drunk, and his pride was hurt. “Again! One more time, I swear I will get it right!”

The bottle spun fast, and my heart jumped into my throat. If Chase got picked again, he would drink himself into a coma tonight.

But fate loves a good joke. The bottle slowed, and the mouth pointed right at Chase. “Ha! Bro, you lost again!”

“Who's the King? Come on, do not go easy this time!”

I followed their eyes, and my stomach dropped.

The King was Giselle.

Giselle smiled sweetly, the look in her eyes pure victory. She pretended to think for a moment, then said, slowly, “Hmm, let me think. What is a good punishment?”

A bad feeling crawled up my spine. This woman was up to something.

Sure enough, Giselle said in that syrupy voice of hers, “Here's an idea, Chase. How about you kiss me?”

“What?” I jumped to my feet, staring at her. “You―”

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Chase actually pulled his hand out of mine and mumbled, “Vera, do not make a scene. We are all just playing. Do not be a buzzkill.”

Then, right in front of me, he walked over to Giselle and kissed her on the cheek.

I was shaking with rage. That bastard had just kissed another woman in front of me.

I was about to blow up when Giselle suddenly threw her arms around Chase's neck and pulled him in. Their lips locked without warning.

Chase's hand found her waist, and the two of them kissed like they were in love. Giselle even leaned back to let him kiss her deeper.

Boom.

My brain went blank.

The room erupted, whistles, cheers, screams, but I could not hear any of it.

I could not hold it in. I lunged forward, shoved Chase away, and pointed at Giselle. “Giselle, you have gone too far!”

Giselle's eyes filled with fake hurt as she looked at Chase. “Chase, look at her, she―”

Chase was drunk and losing patience. He grabbed his hair and roared at me, “Vera, are you done?”

I stared at him in disbelief. He was yelling at me? For her? I wanted to die.

I forced myself to breathe. I had to win this round.

Then the bottle landed on me. I was the new King.

I scanned the room lazily, and my eyes landed on Ivan.

“Ivan,” I said in the sexiest voice I could manage, “would you accept my challenge?”

Ivan blinked, not sure what was happening. I stood, walked over to him, and took a banana from the fruit tray.

“Ivan.” I lowered my voice and swung my leg over his lap. I peeled the banana slowly, held the soft fruit up to him, and purred, “My dare is, feed me.”

Ivan's eyes lit up. His gaze swept over me with a kind of hungry heat, and he took the banana, lips brushing the fruit with a knowing smile.

The room exploded. Whistles and cheers rained down. Eyes flicked between me and Ivan, then down to the banana in my hand like it was a loaded weapon.

I was not about to be shy. Tonight, I was going big. I giggled and, just like Ivan, ran my tongue along the soft fruit, making a show of every little sound.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Chase jumping to his feet. A teammate pulled him back down. “Bro, it is just a game, just a game!” Chase sat back down, but his eyes still burned into me like he wanted to tear me apart.

“Baby, you are making me want to eat you up,” Ivan whispered in clumsy English against my ear. His warm breath tickled my neck, and a small shiver ran down my spine.

He grabbed my hand and pressed the rest of the banana to my lips, pulling it back slowly so I had no choice but to follow. My mouth closed around the soft fruit, and a little thrill shot through me.

The lights in the room had gone low and warm. Ivan's hand rested on my thigh, the rough skin a strange new sensation. My pulse was racing.

His hand grew bolder, sliding higher, and I forgot how to think.