The Devil's Game (4 page)

As they climbed down the steps, Karina couldn’t but help feel a twinge of excitement.

“Let’s get in the car before we melt,” Damien said, and he let Tom and one of the bodyguards climb in the back before having Karina crawl into the middle row, where he slid in next to her.

The air conditioned interior felt much better for Karina, who had chosen a sweater and jeans that rainy morning back at home. She knew Damien must have felt the same in his dark suit.

Again the car ride was quiet—except this time for the sound of Damien typing on his phone—but Karina was content to watch the landscape go by. Even the people were so different. They had plenty of variety back home, but everyone there seemed to dress the same. It was easy, especially this time of year, to get lost in a sea of bland jackets and knitted scarves and hats. Not here, though. Karina couldn’t remember ever seeing so many different colors on so many bodies. And there was so much skin, especially as they drove along the beaches. The two-pieces she’d packed were starting to feel prudish compared to what many of the women were wearing. Even some of the men weren’t leaving much to the imagination.

The landscape soon changed to quieter, more subdued tree-lined streets. The ocean became obscured by large homes barely visible behind overbearing gates and walls. The driveways were so intermittent that at first she thought they led to apartment complexes. It finally occurred to her that it was testament to the size of the private properties.

And then they were pulling into one those driveways. A gate opened, allowing them access. The car continued up a long driveway, and Karina gasped as the most breath-taking house came into view.

“Do you like it?” Damien asked. She had almost forgotten he was in the car with her.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered. It was simple in its design—white stucco with straight lines and metallic elements. But the rest of the property seemed to curve around it, from the steps leading up to the front door to the shrubbery and walkways, creating sleek, sensual lines around the expansive two-story structure.

The car stopped, and the bodyguard who had been riding in the front seat opened the door on Damien’s side. He climbed out and then offered a hand to help Karina, who had almost forgotten her nervousness. If only Ginny could see her now.

They walked into a grand foyer with its vaulted ceilings and a sweeping staircase leading up to the second floor. To her right was a formal sitting room complete with a grand piano.

“Let me give you the tour,” Damien said, and he led her through the house.

It was hard to remember why she was here as he showed her the elegant dining room, the gourmet kitchen, and even an entertainment room. At the back of the house was a sunroom, and next to that was a personal gym with sliding walls that opened to the outside. Behind the house was a full-sized swimming pool, a guest house, and beyond that, the ocean. A small canal cut into the property, a sailing boat docked on the pier.

They moved upstairs, and Karina’s nervousness started to return as he showed her the bedrooms.

“And this room is yours,” he said, opening a door.

“Mine?” she asked, confused.

“Yes. My bedroom is right next door.” He looked at his watch. “Dinner will be served in the dining room at seven. I’ll leave you to get settled and freshen up.”

He strode off down the hall to his room and Karina stepped into her own, closing the door behind her as she took in the space. It was almost as big as the apartment she shared with Ginny and was decorated in powder blue and white trim with pewter accents. There was a pair of French doors leading to a balcony overlooking the pool, a door for the closet, and one that opened to her very own bathroom. Now
that
she was looking forward to.

Her bags were already at the foot of the king-sized bed, waiting to be unpacked, and she walked over to them and sank onto the silver satin comforter. She had tried not to think about where she would be sleeping, but Karina never imagined she would have her own bedroom. Perhaps sleeping was all she was meant to do in this room. Was it to be that kind of arrangement? On the plus side, she wasn’t tied up in a dungeon yet. Speaking of which, Karina decided she should check in with Ginny to let her know so far, so good.

The call went to voicemail, and Karina left a message letting her know she had arrived safely. The time shown there was a little less than an hour until dinner, so she started to unpack. She rolled the suitcase to the closet and found it to be almost as big as her bedroom back home and already filled with amazing clothes. Wondering who they could belong to, she perused the labels. Many designers she recognized, quite a few she didn’t. It didn’t take long for Karina to realize that every single one was in her size. Were these meant for her? And how did he know her size? She found a shelf of shoes and tried one on. It was a beautiful nude pump with a red sole. She didn’t have to read the name on it to know it was a Christian Louboutin. Or that the pair of them were probably worth more than all the shoes she had in her closet back home. Again, the perfect size. But
how
?

A knock at the bedroom door made her jump, and she dropped the shoe, slipping her flat back on. She opened the door to find Tom on the other side, holding a garment bag and a laptop.

“This just arrived,” he said, handing her the Mac notebook. “Sorry it wasn’t here sooner.”

“Um, thank you?” Karina said, not really sure what she was supposed to say.

“And Damien has suggested that you wear this for dinner tonight.”

“Oh,” Karina said, taking the bag from him. “Okay.”

“Is the room to your liking?” he asked. “Do you need anything else?”

“No, it’s perfect. Thank you.” She started to close the door. “Wait,” she said, opening it again. She looked around to make sure Damien wasn’t within ear-shot. “Whose clothes are those in the closet?”

Tom frowned. “They’re yours, of course. I tried to get a selection of current items, though a couple were directly requested by Damien. Are they not what you were expecting?”

“No, it’s just that…how did you know what size to buy?”

“Damien told me, of course.” As if that explained everything.

“Well, thank you,” she told him again.

He gave a nod and walked away. She shut the door and laid the laptop on a bedside table before moving back to the closet with the garment bag. There was a hook just inside the door that she hung the bag on and unzipped it. Inside was a simple navy silk dress. She tore off her clothes and tried it on. The thin material caressed her skin as it slipped on with ease. With a turn of her stomach, Karina realized it probably slipped off just as easily. She bent over and braced her hands on her knees, taking several deep breaths. She could do this. It was just like any other date she had been on. He wouldn’t be the first man she had slept with—far from it. He would, however, be the first to have bribed her for sex, though. A couple more deep breaths. Hopefully alcohol was served with dinner, because she was going to need all the liquid courage she could get.

Karina walked into the dining room promptly at seven, a familiar pounding in her chest, to find Damien standing at the head of the table waiting for her. It was the first time she had seen him without his suit on, but he looked just as polished in slate-colored slacks and a crisp white shirt that looked that much brighter against his dark complexion.

“You look amazing,” he whispered as she approached, and Karina caught the same hungry look in his eyes.

“I suppose I have you to thank for that,” she said tartly. “You did request the dress, after all.”

“I figured you might not know what to wear for the first night,” he said, holding out a chair for her. “I wanted to make it easier for you.”

“Do you always get dressed up for dinner in your own home?” she asked as she sat down and let him push the chair in.

“Only when I have guests,” he said, sitting in his own chair.

“Do you have guests often?” Karina immediately reached for the glass already filled with red wine and took a large gulp.

“From time to time. Truth is, I’m not home that often. How do you like the wine?” he asked.

“It’s really good, actually,” she answered honestly and took another, slightly smaller drink.

“It’s a Bordeaux blend,” he said, swirling his glass. “One of my favorites.”

“Good choice.” Another sip.

“Do you like the room?” he asked as he dug into the salad before him. “If there’s anything you’d like changed—”

“It’s fine,” she said, taking a small bite. The appetite she’d had on the plane had disappeared again. “How did you know my size?” she asked suddenly.

“I’m good at sizing people up,” he said, refilling her already almost empty glass.

“But my shoe size—how could you possibly guess that?”

“I saw your feet when I came to your apartment. Though I admit I wasn’t sure I had that one right. Have you tried any of them on?”

“I’m wearing a pair now,” she said. “They’re a perfect fit.”

“Good.”

Karina drank from her glass again, finally feeling the warmth start to spread through her.

“Are you not hungry?” Damien asked.

“I have a confession to make.”

“Yes?”

“I find this all unnerving,” she said.

“I don’t blame you.”

“Do you do this often?” she asked, feeling more brazen.

“You’re the first,” he said quietly.

She was about to ask why her, but a woman walked into the dining room carrying a tray. She took the salad plates and replaced them with dinner plates of salmon and colorful veggies. Karina went to take another drink only to find that her glass was mysteriously empty already. She waited a moment to see if Damien would refill it again, finally deciding to refill it herself when he didn’t.

“You should really try this salmon,” he said, gesturing to her untouched dinner. “It’s Alaskan salmon. So much more flavor than the stuff from our ocean.”

Karina forced a bite down. It did taste better than any fish she’d ever had, but she just couldn’t stomach it right now, so she reached for the wine glass again only to have Damien stop her by placing his hand over the top of it.

“You might want to slow down,” he said.

“I’m fine,” she said, pulling the glass out from under his hand. Wine sloshed against the side but managed to stay in its container. He frowned but said nothing.

Soon the dinner plates were taken away and a ramekin of dessert was placed before her.

“It’s lava cake,” he said.

She took a bite before pouring the last of the wine bottle into her glass.

“Do you normally drink like this?” Damien asked in what sounded like a scolding tone.

“You mean you don’t already know?” Karina was aware that her words were slightly slurred.

“I told you—”

“Yes, yes, I know. Only enough info to ‘help’ me.” She punctuated it by chugging the rest of the glass, and as she set down the glass, she knew she had overdone it.

“Will you excuse me?” she asked as she stood and nearly fell over.

Damien was on his feet in an instant, trying to help her.

“I’ve got this,” she said. “Just give me a minute. Please.”

Damien let go of her and Karina made her way to the stairs, focusing all her energy on staying upright. The journey to her room took entirely too long, and she barely made it to the toilet in time. It was nothing but red, and she vaguely wondered if she would notice if her insides came up with it, because by the time she was done, she felt hollow. She stood over the toilet a few more minutes, gripping the ceramic bowl, before remembering that Damien was still downstairs waiting for her. She just needed to clean up a bit first.

The shower stall was right next to her, and Karina reached in shakily to turn the water on. Once it was warmed up, she stepped in. It wasn’t until she was in a ball on the floor that she realized she was still fully clothed. What had possessed her to drink that much wine, and so quickly? Now she just wanted to sleep, but when she closed her eyes the room started to spin. She tried to ignore it but just ended up vomiting right there in the shower. It was official—the dress was ruined.

There was a tapping on the door, but Karina was sure she was imagining it.

“Karina?”

“Go away,” she called out. Or at least she thought she did. Her voice sounded so far away.

“You need to get of here before you drown.”

“I’m fine,” she mumbled. “I just need a few minutes.” She thought she might be crying, but it was hard to tell in the shower.

The water stopped falling on her and the dress was pulled—ripped, maybe—off of her. Here it comes, she thought. Time to pay up. But then something warm and plush was wrapped around her and she felt herself being lifted off the floor and soon after, lowered onto a cloud. A warm, fluffy cloud. What felt like a gentle hand brushed her face, pushing the wet hair from her cheek as her mind went utterly and blissfully black.

Expectations