“Jesus,” Zeke mumbles under his breath.
I turn to follow his gaze as chills creep up on my arms.
At first, all I see is a glimmer as her dress sparkles under the moonlight. Then my entire body adapts to Liesel being in the same space as me. She dominates everything—my attention, my breath, my heartbeat, it’s all hers.
I’ve never seen a more sexy woman. Liesel may not care for makeup and dresses and all the foo-fooey things some girls like, but damn does she know how to wear it well. The dress is the perfect mix of skin, silk, and lace. I can see the outline of her body through the thin material—her nipples are already hard.
I finally force my eyes off her body to her face. She’s wearing a glittery mask, like everyone else here. The shine of the mask makes it difficult to get a good glimpse of her eyes. That, combined with the jet black wig she’s wearing, would make her almost unrecognizable to anyone else who knows her.
But she could be wearing a head to toe Mickey Mouse costume and I’d still know it was her underneath. She can’t hide from me.
“Wait, I thought Kai was wearing a green dress, and what is she doing with that guy?” Zeke asks.
I snort. “That’s not Kai, that’s Liesel.”
“Wow, she looks deadly,” Zeke says.
My lips thin. “You have no idea.”
I turn my attention to the man at her side—Maxwell. He’s dressed like us in a sharp suit that shows off how many muscles he has beneath his jacket, and a plain black mask covers half his face. His jaw is tight, his lips showing no emotion, and his eyes scanning everyone in the room. He seems as unsettled as I feel.
It hits me all at once that he doesn’t know why we’re here any more than I do. I know it’s about Liesel getting money to fight me, but I don’t know this game we will be playing.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming,” a man in a suit says. He’s the only one not wearing a mask as he makes his way to the center of the deck.
The stars are sparkling overhead, making it feel like this is meant to be a romantic night with some rich fuckers. But I have a feeling that’s part of the lure, to get us to relax and let our guard down before this game starts.
“Does everyone have a drink?” he asks, scanning the crowd of people.
Most people are nodding their heads, yes. For the few that don’t have drinks, bartenders are quickly bringing around glasses to fill their hands.
Once the man in the center is assured that everyone has a drink, he continues.
“My name is Mr. Reyes. I’m here to oversee this weekend’s games. I recognize a couple of familiar faces, but for the majority of you, this is your first time. I want to assure you that you will be well taken care of for as long as your stay lasts.”
Enzo gives me a tight glare as we both try to figure out what’s happening.
“The game is simple. The last one remaining wins the twenty million-dollar prize.”
Fuck—Liesel could do a lot with twenty million. No wonder we are here. She would instantly regain everything I took from her in one weekend if she won.
“As you know, there is no buy-in. No money is required to enter. The winnings are generously provided by the ship’s owner. The owner enjoys watching people get pushed to their limits. The owner and a very select group of people are the only ones watching the games along with the game’s remaining participants.”
So someone is watching, which means there are cameras. I just need to find them.
“What is the game exactly? I’m sure you’re all eager to know.”
Yes, spill, old man.
“The game is simple. Each round, you will be drawing names to be paired with. Sometimes it will be a one on one competition. Other rounds might be a group of four competing. The goal is to push your competitor to their sexual limits until they withdraw from the competition.”
Fuck.
My eyes find Liesel. She’s standing casually in the same spot she was before. Her heart isn’t thumping wildly, her lips are relaxed, and she takes a quick sip of champagne.
I frown. She knew exactly what she was walking into and did it anyway. These are sex games. Liesel can’t give up control when it comes to sex, so I don’t know how she expects to win.
“The game lasts two days. Most of you won’t make it past tonight’s rounds. You can withdraw at any time for any reason. But if you withdraw tonight, you will be leaving us. You will not get to stay to watch tomorrow’s events. If you make it to tomorrow, even if you withdraw, you can remain and watch the final rounds if you so choose.”