Authors: Evie Knight
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Short Stories
A Wicked Game
An Elite Classified Novel:
A Wicked Game
Evie Knight
An Elite Classified Novel: A Wicked Game
Copyright © 2014, Evie Knight
All rights reserved. Ebooks are not transferable. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage system without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Edited by Tricia Kristufek
Cover Art by
www.arterismos.com
Publisher’s Note:
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
First In Love with Romance Publishing, electronic publication: 2014
In Love with Romance Publishing
To my husband for being a good sport and keeping me company during the Fashion Show.
Thanks to Trish Kristufek for all her guidance and helping me polish my story.
Dear Vivienne,
Your girl’s night out is on the house this time.
Please accept this complementary invitation for an unforgettable night. Should you decide to accept it, use the following code to log in to our site to complete the process. It is important that you key in the code as given. Otherwise, we are not responsible for the outcome.
User name: OneNightOnly4Me
Password: DareMe2AHEA
Elite Classified
P.S. Do not pass this on to a friend like you did last time.
I stared at the small black sheet of paper with silver lettering and reread the message countless times. Why had I received this note?
Again
. Last time, a mysterious email appeared in my inbox. Too scared to accept the invitation, I talked my friend Ariana into using it instead.
Thank goodness things worked out for her. She found her happily ever after with none other than the man of her dreams. I am happy for her, as are our other friends. Though for a moment I thought I was an idiot for missing the opportunity to find my happily ever after. Come on—I declined an invitation, designed for
me
, to an exclusive online dating service. But after taking a closer look at my list of things to do before settling down, I figured it was for the best that I didn’t use the invitation, because truth be told, I’m not ready to give up my freedom and tie myself down to start a family. No. Not yet. The thought alone scares me.
So, here comes my beautiful friend Tori.
I mean, why waste such an invite if I’m not going to use it? Will Elite find out again if I don’t use it? No. I doubt it. It’s not like they have detectives or anyone checking out the real identity of those using their specially crafted invitations.
Or do they?
Talking Tori into accepting the invite was a bit of hard work, but I succeeded nonetheless. It’s been a while since she completed her application, and I’ve wondered if she’d be as lucky as Ariana. Patience is a virtue I’ve never had, and waiting to see how things work out for Tori has been torture. An absolute torture.
The sound of the ocean waves breaking on the rocky shore echoed through the terrace. A warm breeze slipped through the open glass doors into the house, making her aware of the little bit of clothes she wore. A soft laugh escaped her lips.
Tori watched her reflection in the standing mirror, running her hands down the length of the seductive black-lace-and-mesh short slip she wore. She cupped her breasts. Her thumb and forefinger massaged her nipples until the tense tips poke through the thin material.
There. Much better.
She walked to the nightstand next to the bed and pulled open the drawer. She smiled when she saw the pair of handcuffs sitting in the middle. Tori removed them and placed them on the nightstand. She planned to use them tonight—not on herself; on her date.
Oh yes, she had plans. Elite Classified had followed her special instructions to the letter. Tori didn’t have any lingering thoughts about using Vivienne’s invitation anymore¸ and she wasn’t worried that the exclusive dating service would find out she wasn’t her friend. Her heart pounded just imagining who Elite set her up with and what he looked like. Butterflies danced in her stomach.
Tori hoped he wasn’t only good looking, but also an excellent lover. After all, seeing him again would depend on how skilled a lover he was. Didn’t Elite say sexual compatibility was the way to a happily ever after? A total backward approach in her opinion. Though, she had to admit, it was the way to go. Why spend time going on dates before finding out the guy sucked at sex? This way she’d know from the get-go if she wanted to see him again.
She stared out the glass wall, admiring the view of the Pacific Ocean, and imagined how wonderful it’d be to walk along the shore. Tori took a deep breath, looking around the exquisite master bedroom, decorated in shades of white. Who would’ve known such a place existed? If it hadn’t been for the detailed instructions, she would’ve never found the secret tunnel entryway. Elite had outdone her request, she’d give them that.
The sound of a door closing brought her out of her thoughts.
Oh my God. He’s here.
Her pulse raced. Tori took one last look at the bedroom, running a hand over her head, smoothing down her hair. A wave of heat rushed through her body, making it tingle all over in anticipation of what was to come.
She moved toward the door and stopped in her tracks when a familiar pair of the most beautiful smoky-blue eyes she’d ever seen locked on hers. Her breath quickened. Tori slid her gaze down his tall frame, taking in the commanding way Jack filled the doorway.
This isn’t happening. Please someone tell me this isn’t happening.
He leaned on the doorframe and crossed his arms. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Victoria Michaels.” His lips twitched into a lopsided grin.
“Tori,” she corrected. His hot gaze seared through her, making her aware of the clothes she didn’t have on. The see-through slip and the thong she wore left little to the imagination. She stood in the middle of the room pretty much naked, while her college crush—and nemesis—finished undressing her with his stare.
“Victoria,” he said.
Shit. All her reservations about using Vivienne’s invitation crashed into her mind. Of course this would happen. She should’ve known better when everything seemed too good to be true. What could she do now? A cold breeze gushed through the room, spreading goose bumps up her body. She cast her gaze down, realizing her taut nipples stabbed through the lace. She lifted her gaze to him, crossing her arms.
Jack quirked a brow, a wicked grin on his face.
Why was he smiling? “Jack, what are you doing here?”
Without removing his gaze from her, he said, “I should ask you the same thing, but we both know why we’re here.” He straightened to his full height and stripped off his jacket. He placed it on the accent chair by the door.
What was Jack doing? Was he trying to get comfortable? This was the nightmare Tori wished she never had. What had she ever done to deserve this? She’d wanted a night of hot sex, maybe a second date. But this?
“Right,” Tori said. This conversation wouldn’t go anywhere. She needed to get out here fast, get some fresh air. When she got home, she planned to crawl in her bed and stay in it all weekend long. Come Monday, she’d have forgotten this ever happened. Well, she hoped so.
“Give me a moment and I’ll be on my way.” Tori turned on her heel and headed for the bathroom. A strong arm snaked around her waist and twirled her back around, pulling her body flush against a warm wall of steel.
“Come on, Tori. We’re not in college anymore. It’s been years.”
She lifted her eyes at him, meeting his fiery gaze. “If you want an apology, fine. I truly am sorry for what I did to you.” Tori grasped his upper arms, fighting the need to feel their strength. She’d been in his arms once before and never forgot what it felt to be held by him.
Jack leaned down, closing the short distance between their faces. “I don’t want an apology. I forgot all about it, as I’m sure you did too.” His other hand slid down to her ass.
She sucked in her breath, his scent driving her wild. Oh, how she’d missed it—
him
. “No, I haven’t,” Tori murmured. This man wasn’t her college crush, the nerd, or the nemesis she remembered. He looked hotter now, and she still wanted him just as much now as she did back then.
Jack chuckled. “Well, you should. We were kids then, doing stupid stuff.”
Her gaze lingered on his mouth. This was surreal. How was it possible that she was being held by the man she’d never forgotten? Every cell in her treacherous body screamed in alarm as one by one they melted into him. “Right. I… I really should go.”
“Why waste such a perfect evening?” He touched the tip of his nose to hers. “We can go our separate ways later tonight or tomorrow morning. I’ll leave it up to you.”
Had Jack really forgotten, really forgiven her? Did she hear him right? “With our history I-I don’t think it’s such a good idea.” Tori licked her lips.
“And it’s precisely why I vote for us seeing this night through. There’s no use dwelling on the past.” He brushed his lips over hers, not giving her a chance to think or say anything back.
Tori hesitated for a moment before returning his kiss. His scorching tongue broke through the barrier of her lips, and she sucked it into her mouth.
Jack lifted her leg to his waist and stroked her thigh until he reached her ass. His fingers slid down, finding her already-drenched pussy, and he moved the thong aside to slip a finger in her channel.
She moaned in his mouth.
“You like this?” he said against her lips, driving his finger in and out.
Tori tightened her grasp on his nape, pulling him closer, sucking his tongue harder, devouring his mouth. She could stop—except stopping was out of the question because she wanted him. She always had. Life was giving her a second opportunity and she wouldn’t waste it. Jack was right; they were both adults. If he’d gotten past what she’d done to him, which hadn’t been
that
bad, she could too. Maybe this was the way to set things right, to finish what they’d started long ago. It wasn’t as if she’d go on a second date with him.
That
was definitely out of the question. Tonight, she’d just live in the moment while bringing closure—at least for her—to the worst thing she’d ever done, so she could move on.
“Sweetheart, you’re so wet.” He lifted her of her feet and carried her to the bed.
The cold of the satin sheets sent a shiver through her body. Jack hovered over her, then captured her mouth in another blistering kiss. His hands closed on her breasts, his fingers played with her nipples through the lace. “I’ve dreamed of this too many times to count,” he whispered against her mouth.
He had? Hope filled her. Was it possible he’d also wished things had turned out different? “Kiss me.” It was all she managed to say, wishing his mouth was back on hers, on her, everywhere on her body. Jack pulled her hands up and pinned them above her head, kissing her, stealing her breath.
Tori drowned in his kiss, the swipe of his tongue in her mouth sending thrills straight to her core. She enjoyed every second of it, giving herself to the moment, because tonight was a one-time affair. She was lost in his warmth, in his caresses, in his kiss, when something smooth and cool closed around her wrists and jarred her out of her reverie. “Wh-What are you doing?” Tori tugged her arms down, realizing he’d just handcuffed her to the headboard.
“Nothing you’ve never done before.” Jack moved back on the bed, his hands sliding down her body. He crunched up the negligee and peeled off her thong. His finger flicked at her clit, and he knelt between her legs and glanced at her. “You haven’t changed. You’re still gorgeous.” Jack leaned forward and closed his mouth on her pussy. His tongue traced her folds, then lapped at her clit.
She moaned, swaying her hips, wanting more of him, of his scalding mouth on her. Her blood boiled, the heat consuming her inside out. Tori hadn’t been with a guy in a very long time. It wouldn’t take her long to become undone in Jack’s mouth.
She yanked her arms down, and the edge of the handcuffs bit into her skin. She was at his mercy. Tori clenched her hands into fists, fighting the urge to tangle her fingers in his ash-blond hair. She closed her legs, but Jack spread them apart again, increasing his pace on her clit. He sucked her into his mouth, his fingers plunging in her channel. Tori arched her back; sweet release was near. She could feel the heat building, creeping up her legs. Oh, she was coming, she was coming. One more lick and she’d shudder.
Then, his mouth left her. What the hell? Where did he go? “Don’t stop, please,” Tori pleaded, expecting his mouth or his cock any second now.
Instead, a hard slap landed on her core, the burning sting getting her out of her sex-daze. “Payback’s a bitch, Victoria.” Jack moved from the bed and walked out of the room.
* * * *
“Jack, you don’t mean to do this, right?”
Yes, he did. Nothing would stop him.
“Jack? Jack!”
His back stiffened as he heard the desperation in her voice.
“You can’t go.”
He made his way down the stairs. The banging of the headboard filled his ears. Tori had better stop pulling on the handcuffs. Or else she’d have to live with the memory of tonight for a few days, because the steel would leave an ugly red mark on her wrists.
“Damn you. I hate you. You’ll be sorry you did this!”
Jack was sorry all right. He never thought he’d ever get a chance at getting back at her the same way she’d done to him in college. Now she knew how he’d felt when she walked out on him. Tori left him naked, handcuffed, with his cock ready to burst for everyone to see. He lived with the embarrassment of that night all throughout his senior year. He bet she no longer saw the humor in her prank.
“If I ever come across you, you better hide!” she shrieked.
Jack reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Jack, please. You can’t do this.”
He glanced at the glass door, pulling his car keys out of his pocket. He dawdled for a moment, then willed away his second thoughts. Had she hesitated when she’d done the same thing to him? No, she hadn’t. Not to his recollection. He’d call 911 so someone could come help her. He had to get out of here now before he changed his mind.
Jack strode to the door and pulled it open, finding a man and a woman on the other side. “Who the hell are you?” he asked.
“There’s been a mistake,” the woman replied.
“Jack!” Tori screamed.
“We’re here for her,” the man said.
Jack looked from one to the other. “Thanks, you saved me a call. She’s all yours.” Not waiting for a response, he walked past the two strangers. He’d never planned on doing this. Fantasizing about getting even with Tori had been one thing. Actually doing it was something else altogether.
He should be thrilled. Fuck. He’d gotten even, fair and square. Wasn’t revenge supposed to be sweet? If so, why did he have a bitter aftertaste in his mouth? Jack felt like an asshole. Right, because he’d been a first-class asshole. No doubt.
He got in his car and drove away from the secluded home. If he’d known Elite Classified would set him up with his worst nightmare, Jack would have never gone through with their online application. He didn’t list any names or special instructions. Yet they had handed Tori to him on a silver platter. That was just too bad, because there was no way he wouldn’t seize the opportunity they’d given him. He saw it and he took it.