Page 63 of Carnal Wagers

A sly smile lined her lips. “Touché. Well then, come on, let’s move the bodies.”

“That’s my line, doll.” And not at all what my dick wanted.

“Go ahead, claim it. It doesn’t change what needs to be done.”

“You like having the last word, don’t you?”

“If not, what do you think my line should be?”

I swept a few strands of hair out of her face, the teasing glint in her eyes captivating under the clouded moonlight. “Help me. Save me.”

She chuckled. “Not even close. It seems you haven’t learned much about me at all.”

“No?”

“No.” Her voice turned sultry as she leaned closer. Her nails scratched a path down my face and neck. “You wouldn’t want me meek either. You want a strong woman, someone who pushes back. Someone who challenges you and keeps you on your toes.”

“What makes you think you’re her?”

“The way you came for me. The way you kissed me, mari chéri. The way you’re holding me now.” Her hand cupped my groin, my cock straining against my pants, and gave a playful squeeze. “And this. You want me, even though you don’t think you should. You’re fighting yourself. And here’s the secret. You’re going to lose…because I won’t let you win. Because what my line is and the only thing I want is simple. ‘Pay attention to me. See me. Want me.’ I bet I’m willing to go further to get that than you are to stop it.”

“You’re wrong.” The lie tasted bitter, and we both knew it.

“Keep telling yourself that.”

She shoved me away and sashayed to the first body and bent over to grab its arms. I swore she did it on purpose to test my control. Her body made a perfect ‘L’, ass in the air, hair cascading off her shoulders, and I swallowed back a groan.

“Are you going to stand there or help?”

“You truly are something else.”

Chapter 19

Erel was going to kill me. I kind of stranded him twenty miles from Maeve’s place at four in the morning after packing bodies into his rental and handing the keys off to O’Leary cleaners to dispose of.

While he probably scrambled for a ride at this hour, shoes soggy from dew and chilled in his light jacket, I rode cozy in Cillian’s car while he cruised down side streets instead of the interstate. The heated front passenger seat cocooned my body and warmed me inside out.

Alizé

Sorry.

Erel

You owe me a car.

Fucking thieving delinquents. The little bastards.

Want to explain how Endgame’s finest got jumped?

His responding vulgar GIF made me chortle. The fact that the sound drew a flicker of Cillian’s attention off the road made a burst of satisfaction burn in my chest. Jealousy meant I was getting somewhere. That was something I could play on. So far, this had gone much more smoothly than expected. It made his years of avoidance and neglect burn all the worse.

You going to be fine getting back?

I’m already home. I called a cab the instant he helped you load the first one into the car.

You left me?

No more than you did.