Hateful Games: (An arranged marriage billionaire romance) (Arranged Games Book 2)

Chapter Nine

Tonight, the high I get post-fight is missing. Probably because I didn’t get a chance to toy with my opponent and make the most of my last fight. The second I return home after my graduation, my life will become all about future responsibilities and being groomed to take over Dad’s legacy. There will be no more shenanigans and late drunken nights at parties or raising hell. The surprising truth is, I’m actually all over it anyway. I have been for quite some time.

Meanwhile, Nathan, who actually enjoys it all, is stuck with his own dad.

Life is ironic. It never truly gives a person what they desire.

At least, not so easily.

Scheming to force us to covet others.

Angry footsteps stomp after me to the last stall before Rosa yells, “Don’t you walk away from me. I wasn’t done talking.”

I turn to face her. She stands mere feet from me with her hands on her hips.

“Communication is a two-way street, Rose. You weren’t willing to answer my questions. So, I walked away,” I reply with a shrug.

She goes to retort something insulting, only for her to eyes widen into saucers when I unashamedly drop my shorts. Her round eyes travel over my body, as if she’s never seen a naked man before. The apples of her cheeks turning a shade of pink. She snaps out of her reverie before her perusal can move even lower and she gulps.

She covers her gaze as she demands, “What the hell are you doing?”

Fuck. She’s too fucking innocent.

“Taking a shower.”

“Then give a bloody warning before going buck naked,” she grumbles. “Now I’ll have to bleach my eyes to avoid nightmares.”

“You missed the goods,” I tease, unable to resist. “And you’re confusing nightmares with wet dreams. Ever had one of those, Rose?”

“You’re a shameless piece of shit.”

“I don’t remember asking you to follow me in here,” I say over my shoulder as I step under the shower, not bothering to close the door.

“Never mind, I’m leaving.”

“Stay where you are,” I tell her firmly, more for her sake than mine. She’ll be swarmed by gossipmongers the moment she steps back out. I think we’ve fed enough fuel for the night. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are already videos of us floating around.

“I’m not into voyeurism, thank you very much,” she sasses as I hear her shuffling. “Get your pervert rocks off somewhere else.”

I look back to see her twist around, a flash of red curls bouncing and her round ass swaying as she tries to skip away. Bridging the gap with quick steps, I grab her around the waist and pick her up in the air.

“Stop manhandling me!” she slaps at my arm.

“Stop trying to get away.”

I ignore the protest and carry her into the stall. Twisting her around with my fist in her curls, I push her against the wall. Shoving her wrists above her head, I trap her. She’s breathing fast while glaring up at me. The rise and fall of her tits brushing her hard nipples against my chest. The small contact making my dick harden even more, aching to feel them naked against my skin.

“Don’t push me, Rose.”

“God. You’re insufferable,” she huffs out, trying to act unbothered by my nakedness. Although the slight hitch in her voice and the way she keeps her gaze averted above my chest betrays her. “You act like you can’t stand me. Yet, you won’t let me leave. What the hell do you want?”

“For you to shut up and listen.”

“Your hot and cold attitude will give me whiplash, Nova.”

“Why do you have to make everything difficult?”

A humorless laugh slips from her lips. “Because the moment you stepped into my life two years ago, you’ve disrupted and ruined my peace. Nothing has been easy ever since. So, sue me if I’m not the obedient pet you were looking for.”

“Enlighten me on how I have ruined your peace.”

“Every time you boss me around.” Her angry voice echoes. “Every date I’m forced to have with you. Every time I’m coerced to play your lovesick fiancée in public. Especially when everyone around us reminds me that I’m less important than you.”

The blatant hurt in her voice and vehemence in her outburst takes me aback. Though I visibly don’t react as I let her words hover between us, sink into the tense and charged air around us.

I selfishly want to be the only one to be the cause of her misery, not anyone else.

“I wouldn’t be as ruthless with you if I thought you were less than my equal, Rose.” The words tumble out before I can think them over, shocking her into silence. “And I undoubtedly wouldn’t marry someone who wasn’t my match.”

“Then tell me… did you come home when I graduated?”

“I’m not going to bend over backward to make you get over your insecurities,” I reply. “Besides, it’s not my validation you’re looking for.”

Her lips press into a thin line because we both know I’m stating the truth. It’s her family expecting her to be subservient to the relationship.

“So don’t let their, or anyone else’s, treatment of you dull your shine,” I advise her before pointing between us. “Otherwise, this will stop being fun.”

“Playing with my life is fun to you?”

Addictive. Thrilling. Reckless.

Like free falling off a cliff, knowing it could end up being your demise.

Yet you run to the edge for the view anyway.

“No, ruining you is.” Dropping my voice an octave, I rasp, “I did give you an out, remember? Now you’re mine to toy with. And I would hate if you broke so easily.”

The fire returns in her black irises. Her lips quirk as she teases, “Now you’re sounding like a boy who has a crush.”

“No.” I drag my finger down her ruby cheek. “It just reminds me of my endgame.”

“Which is?”

Destroy your family until it’s nothing but ashes in the ground.

“None of your business.”

Letting her wrists go, I turn the shower on full blast until we’re drenched in seconds. Rosa sputters and blinks, rubbing the water away from her eyes, and shouts, “You jerk.”

Tiny balled-up fists attack me again while I tilt the showerhead a little to the side so it isn’t hitting us directly in the face. I push my slick hair back while watching Rosa exert herself, mesmerized by the sight of her wet T-shirt sticking to her skin. Her toned curves on display and the second my gaze zeroes in on her belly ring, I’m riveted.

Just then I feel her hit dangerously close to my dick.

A vision of taming her with a hard fuck filling my head.

“Stop,” I grunt. I can’t be trusted not to do something we’ll both regret if she accidently touches my cock. So, I grab her throat and roughly growl, “Rose.”

She instantly stills, realizing our precarious position and the fact the only thing separating her skin from mine is her flimsy clothes.

Frozen, her dilated pupils collide with mine. She sucks in a shaky breath upon seeing my expression. I can’t resist pressing myself against her denim-covered pussy. My vision darkens when I inhale her intoxicating scent, mixed with her arousal. She licks her lips instead of shoving me away.

Does my fiery fiancée have a choking kink?

Oh, how badly I want to explore it. Ever so slowly as I watch every reaction on her face, I press on the side of her delicate neck. I suppress a groan when I feel her swallow beneath my fingers.

Dangerous. Too fucking dangerous.

Her body is like a landmine.

One wrong move and it’ll be the end of us both.

I come to my senses, much to my dick’s dismay. Letting her go as if she burned me, I lean back and shut off the shower. Leaving her stunned, I exit the stall. She doesn’t immediately walk out as my locker slams against the wall when I fling it open aggressively.

Nothing about tonight happened as I hoped. And it’s only been a day in her presence. I can only imagine the rest of the week.

I quickly dry myself off with the towel and put on my jeans. By the time I’m ready, she finally appears in my peripheral. Throwing my hoodie on the bench without looking at her, I command, “Get changed.”

“You expecting me to walk out commando?” she grumbles like a diva. “I’m not leaving my clothes here.”

Yanking out a clean pair of briefs, I turn and cross over to her. “Here you go, your highness.” Rolling her eyes, she grabs it and tugs but I don’t let go. “Don’t ruin them.”

“What am I? A toddler?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Heat fills her already flushed cheeks. “Unless you want me to spell it out for your virgin ears.”

“Shut up.” When I smirk, she lifts her chin and arrogantly retorts, “It’ll never happen.”

“Just like it didn’t happen when I had you pinned a few minutes ago?”

“You’re delusional if you believe so.”

“You’re confusing delusion with confidence.”

“More like arrogance.”

Catching her wrist, I pull her flush against my front. “Don’t lie to me and say having my hand wrapped around your throat as I dominated your air didn’t make your pussy wet, Rose. Don’t dare me to prove you wrong, because I will.”

“You don’t seem like a man who touches women without her consent.”

“No. But I’m the man who will pin you against the wall, circle your delicate neck, and tighten his fingers until he can smell your arousal from being choked.” Lowering my mouth to her ear, I brush it lightly with lips before whispering, “Because you, my little kinkster, secretly want me, too, but is too afraid to beg.”

I feel her tremble as a shiver runs down her spine. Only then do I step back and hide my smile when she sways.

Speechless, she runs toward an empty stall with my clothes but pauses at the last second. Twisting, she breathlessly asks, “What happened to calling me little Rose?”

“Why? Do you miss it?” I arch one eyebrow.

“Just curious.”

“You’re not little now, are you? You’re all grown up.”

“Noticed, did you?”

“I’ve been patient. I haven’t forgotten about your little stunt with my car, hellion. Everything I do to you from this point onward, it’s all fair in our hate and war.”