A Game Of Temptation

“Pass me the pepper.”

I picked the can of pepper sitting on the counter and handed it over to Balery. She was cooking and I was just… helping her reach the things she couldn’t.

Nevertheless, it was honest work-a very important one-and deserved to be treated as such.

“Thanks,” she poured an amount into the pot on the stove, covered it, then leaned against the counter, bracing her hands on it. “So what did you say happened?”

I glared at her. “I already told you what happened.”

She blinked, pulled her lips into her mouth, then let them out with a pop. “Wait, yes, that’s true. What I meant to ask was, what are you going to do now?”

“Nothing.” I shrugged, hopping onto the island before tearing the pack of gummy bears I was holding open, and shoving some into my mouth.

We were talking about-you guessed it-Alex. Actually, to be precise, we were talking about the fact that we had both stopped talking to each other completely, apart from the forced ‘good mornings’ and ‘excuse mes’ of course. It wasn’t easy, I had to admit.

Ever since that day in the kitchen when I’d told him to stop calling me ‘love’, he’d stopped talking to me altogether and since he was going to act like an ass and pretend like he didn’t see me-like I didn’t live in the same house with him-then I was going to pretend like I didn’t see him either and that was how the both of us had embarked on this journey of ignoring each other.

Petty, I know. But naturally, I took pettiness to a whole other level so it was nothing new. Can’t shame the shameless.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Balery lifted a brow. “By nothing you mean staring at him all day when he’s not looking at you?”

Honestly, I would rather not talk about it with Balery because I knew that she would only end up telling me what I didn’t want to hear-even though it was what I really should hear-and then I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it and me not being able to stop thinking about something only meant one thing-action. I would end up doing it.

And, that, was precisely what I wanted to avoid.

Well, tried to. Because Balery had blackmailed me with the best friend’s code or something like that and I’d literally had no other choice but to tell her.

She thought that we were cute-Alex and I-and that I was being a bitch. Which isn’t news at all.

“Must have me confused with someone else because I sure as hell don’t stare at him.” I did.

I stared at him a whole lot. The only lie in Balery’s statement, was her saying ‘when he isn’t looking at you’ because he sure as hell didn’t look at me. I would know, I’d checked.

Countless times, I wore skimpier clothes than I usually wore and since we didn’t really go out alot, I didn’t have to worry about flashing anyone, but he never looked.

I hadn’t even caught him once. He really was taking our pretend game seriously. Too seriously, if I might add. It wasn’t like there was a prize for the winner.

Worse thing was, I was horny. As hell. Bringing myself off with my hand constantly was starting to get depressing and the severely underwhelming orgasms made me want to cry.

When had it gotten this bad?

I just needed a man to fuck me, was that too much to ask?

What made it hurt even more was the fact that the one man that I wanted-actually wanted-to fuck me six ways to Sunday, was making it his life’s mission to ignore me.

Seriously, Laura, is this your life?

I’d thought this vacation was going to be fun. I mean, if you excluded the part where I wasn’t getting some, then it was a pretty enjoyable vacation. But that part was important and, well, it made me surly and grumpy as hell all day, everyday.

Too bad that Balery had to be on the receiving end of my bad mood.

“You do,” she rolled her eyes. “You’re even thinking about him right now, I can tell.”

My “ew” did not sound convincing enough, but I wasn’t going to force it. I simply shoved more gummy bears into my mouth and chewed away.

I slid my phone closer to me on the counter and unlocked it, going through my mails, while Balery sighed and went back to the stove.

A frown settled on my face when I saw that I had not one, but three new emails from the stalker and this time, he hadn’t bothered to use different email addresses. He’d used one he used before and sent a fuck-ton of threats and very stomach-turning vile words.

His emails usually didn’t get to me, but then again, he’d never really brought up rape. And that was what he’d done now.

Deleting the messages-because I wouldn’t like to come back to my spam folder next time and see something like that-I sent a quick text to xxxxx telling her to fix a time and day for a video call, then dropped my phone facedown next to me.

“But he’s such a really great guy,” Balery announced out of nowhere, and with my mouth full with gummy bears, I lifted my head, the look in my eyes, one of both confusion and warning. “I don’t understand why you just can’t be nice to him.”

I chewed quickly and swallowed, opening my mouth to tell her exactly why I couldn’t be nice to Alex when a voice piped in.

“Who are we talking about right now?”

Balery’s eyes widened and she turned around to look at the person that just spoke. Drew.

“I’ll keep saying this; there is nothing on my body I love more than ladies’ eyes on me.” He wiggled his brows to punctuate his statement as he came over to lean on the island next to me.

A snicker escaped my lips and I shook my head, shoving my hand into the pack and throwing more gummy bears into my mouth.

“Hi, Drew.”

“Hi, Bales.” Drew gave a small cheeky wave. “Now, back to the question. Who were you guys talking about?”

“Just a guy from work,” Balery said at the same time I said, “Alex.”

She turned to me with a shocked expression. Wide eyes, gaping mouth and the rest. The look on her face was so comical, I considered telling her to stay just like that so that I could take a picture.

“Relax,” I calmed her, because even though surprised Balery is funny, I also didn’t want my best friend to get a heart attack. “He knows.”

Her eyes grew even wider, if that was possible. “He does?”

“Yeah, I told him.”

She looked between me and Drew for a bit, before crossing her arms across her chest and cocking a hip. “Really, Laura? You could tell him but you wouldn’t talk to me about it?”

I gasped, plastering a hand to my chest in mock hurt. “It’s only stuff you already know, I swear. Plus,” I added. “I didn’t tell him. He just kind of like knew. I’m guessing guy instinct or whatever. But, I swear, it’s only stuff you already know.”

That’s the truth. One time when Drew and I were making coffee in the kitchen-we woke earlier than the others-Alex came in, greeted us in no more than four words, and left the kitchen as silently as he’d entered.

Then Drew had casually asked me, “There’s something going on between the both of you, isn’t there?”

And coffee must really loosen my lips a lot because I hadn’t bothered to lie. I’d simply told him the truth.

XXX scoffed from beside me. “Stop the lies, Laura.” Then he threw his arm across my shoulder and smooched his face against mine. “Laura and I are bff’s now.”

I shoved him away with a hand on his face, laughing, while Balery threw a dishrag at him, which he dodged before slinking away from me-but not before stealing some of my gummy bears, which earns him a pinch from me.

“Ow,” He rubbed at the spot, then fished a phone out of his back pocket and dropped it next to me. “Hey, could you help me give this back to Alex? He accidentally left it in my room and it’s been blowing up ever since. I think whoever’s trying to reach him had an important message.”

Nice try.

“You came from upstairs,” I rolled my eyes. “You could have just given it to him before you came down here.”

He sighed dramatically, eyes anywhere but on me because he’s a lying shit. “I know. I totally forgot.”

“Now you remember.” I lifted a shoulder. “Go back upstairs and give it to him.”

Drew rocked on his heels and shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I would, but I have to be out and I’m running late already.” Then he hurried out of the kitchen, yelling, “Love you.” But I didn’t miss the grin on his face.

What the fuck just happened?

I turned panicked eyes on Balery. “Bales, what the hell was that?”

“That,” she started. “Was XXX telling you to return Alex’s phone.”

“Bitch,” I muttered, but she caught it because she grinned a little, stirring the pot. “Please, Bales, help me?”

“Can’t, Laura.” She sighed like she really wanted to help which I knew was all an act. “I’m cooking.”

I stared at the phone like it was a ticking time bomb. I still hadn’t touched it, as though if I did, it would go off.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

How could Drew do me so dirty?

But wait, why was I freaking out?

I was simply going to give a man-albeit a very annoying and sexy one-his phone right? I was helping him. He should be thankful.

He would be thankful.

“Fuck this shit,” I muttered and hopped down from the island, grabbed the phone, before stomping up the stairs, marching to his room.

When I stood in front of the door, I blew out a breath and knocked, ignoring the way my heart was racing in my chest as though I’d just completed a marathon.

“Come in.”

That sexy voice, oh my God. I swear, my knees buckled and threatened to give out under me, but I stood strong.

I’m Laura.

I have an excellent poker face. I can do this.

Holding my breath, I turned the knob and pushed the door open.