Besides... it’s just a game.
Just a fucking game.
The atmosphere shifts to the other end of the spectrum when Thalia moves away, and Nico gets in character.
From sublime delicacy to crude control.
He closes his fingers around the column of her throat, backing her against the wall, and cuffs her wrists, holding them far above her head. His other hand digs into her hip, knuckles white with the effort for a second before he traces the curve of her waist, and stops on her ribcage, thumb under her breast.
He dips his head, mouth below her ear, teeth grazing the soft skin. “On. Your.Knees.” He orders, each word quieter but more powerful than the last. His hold on her wrists loosens as if he expects her to obey.
And when she sinks, I don’t know if I want to kill Nico orbeNico. I want his confidence because I sure as shit wouldn’t be able to pull this off.
He curls his fingers under her chin before her knees touch the floor. “Good girl,” he says quietly, caressing the line of her jaw, then breaks the spell by cupping her shoulders to help her up. “You’re not submissive. You like to control as much as you like being controlled, right?”
She nods, elbowing his ribs. “You’re not a Dom, per se. At least not in the traditional sense. Nothing kinky, but you want to be in control in and out of bed.”
He doesn’t respond. I’m sure it’s because he has no fucking idea. Thalia showed him a part of his character even he didn’t know existed. Nico will need a long time to mull it over.
We down the shots. Then, we drink two more. First one because Logan’s card saysYou choose who drinks, andhe chooses everyone, and the second when Lucy’s card readsEveryone drinks if you flash them,and she is so drunk that she doesn’t hesitate.
She and Logan leave a moment later. Considering they didn’t call a cab; they’re probably fucking in his car. I wouldn’t put it past him to use my bathroom for a quickie, but Thalia’s presence must’ve tamed his obnoxiousness.
Good to know. I might use that to my advantage.
Within the next half an hour, the chauffeur for the night, Conor, arrives to take Shawn, Jack, and Nico home. Thalia clears the table of shot glasses and empty beer bottles when we’re left alone.
“There are still a few shots in there.” She points at the bottle of Ouzo. She’s right. There are about four fingers left. “You want to play until we finish?”
According to my half-assed, tipsy calculations, she drank the most, but she’s as chirpy and sober as a bluebird on a Sunday morning.
“Yeah, sounds good. You want another beer?”
“I’ll grab it. Are you hungry?”
“No, I’m full.” Now that Thalia’s moving about, Ares hops on the couch, curling beside me, his head on my lap. “Look who remembered who he belongs to,” I smirk, patting his head.
“He sees more of me than you.” Thalia hands me a bottle of Budweiser and a shot glass, an identical set in her hands.
“He’s a dude, and he likes women. Simple as that.” I gesture to the cards. “You start.”
She grabs a card, reads it, then grabs another one, and then one more before she pushes them aside with a huff. “Thiswon’t be much fun when it’s just the two of us. Most tasks are meant for group play. Let’s just go with the truth. Why did you stop me from stripping out of my jeans?”
Because I would’ve needed to knock out four guys, and I’m not that tough. “If I knew what you were about to do before you took your top off, I would’ve stopped you sooner.”
“That doesn’t answer the question, Theo.” She leans over to pour me a shot. “I hope I haven’t embarrassed you in front of your family.”
“Embarrassed? You’d be picking your jaw up off the floor if you heard what we’ve done over the years. There’snothingembarrassing about your girls, trust me.” I sip from the bottle, a question about her past on the tip of my tongue. It stays there, unasked. She shuts me out whenever I start prodding, and I’m not ready for the evening to end. “How did you know Nico would fall for tenderness?”
“I had no idea. Don’t laugh, but he scares me a bit. I was worried about his reaction if I did something he didn’t like.” She pulls her eyebrows together. “I’m not even sure what happened. He comes off like a man who likes confident, sexy women, and I expected him to laugh.”
“So did I. You don’t have to be afraid of him, you know? He’s intense, careful, and arrogant half the time, but he’s a good guy once you get to know him. That mind-trick you pulled on him? Do that on me. I want to know how you seeme.”
I drew a thin line in the sand where Thalia and I are concerned. I make sure to stay on the right side of it, the safe side, but this request... it sure is on the other side, out in the danger zone. I’m pushing my fucking luck here, but I’m defenseless against my own curiosity.
“Back to dares?” She chuckles, setting her beer aside. Amusement fades from her features when she draws her lower lip between her perfectly straight, white teeth. “Sex is an adventure for you.” She flips the mass of curly locks over one shoulder, the air around us laden with sexual tension as she crawls across to where I sit until our faces are level, mere inches apart. “You like your girls wild,” she utters, fisting my t-shirt.
In a slow, sensual move, she flings one leg over mine, knees digging into the couch on both sides of my hips, back arched, lips grazing my ear. She moves my hands onto her hips, and I can’t help but hold on tight.