Page 70 of Darkest Kiss

No. Is it safe? Hell no.

But it's secure for now. I call that as good as it gets. After carefully putting on one sock, painfully aware that I might cut myself and bleed out, I sit on the bed and work the second sock on.

My awkwardness is interrupted by my door slamming open. I look up, my lips parting. Readying myself to tell whoever it is that I have... shit, twenty-six minutes and forty-three seconds left until the Initiation starts. But I'm not prepared for Ransom King himself, owner of this place, the Candy Club, and half a dozen other gang-owned nightclubs. He’s tall, dark, well-muscled but lean, wearing a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark slacks.

My mouth instantly dries. Ransom is pretty in a way that says that he'd grind your heart to a pulp beneath his four-thousand-dollar shoes and not think twice about it. His baby blue eyes flash as he steps in and closes the door, prowling toward me.

"I thought I made myself perfectly clear, Corinne."

My chin lifts, my hands gather into fists. I was expecting to see him when the game began. But now he's here, in my dressing room, challenging me.

“Ransom! Nice of you to stop in.” My cheeks heat even as I tease the boss who, as far as I can see, has zero sense of humor. What can I say? My whole life, I’ve barely been able to resist kicking hornets’ nests when I stumble across them.

And Ransom is alive with anger, fury stamped on his handsome face. It’s impossible not to want to fuck with him.

“What are you doing here? You’re not even supposed to know that this place exists.” His jaw tics, his entire body is tense. He almost makes it too easy.

I cock my head as if I’m puzzled. "I heard you before. But I need the prize money." Not exactly a lie. Who couldn't use the million dollars that he and his gang are dangling as tempting bait for the Initiation?

Ransom's eyes narrow to slits. He stalks forward as I step back until I run out of space, my ass bumping into the vanity. I peer up at him. His shirt is unbuttoned at the collar and I can see the dark swirls of ink peeking out. His muscular forearms are densely packed with tattoos too. Yum.

His whole body screams I'm a very bad boy. I suck in my bottom lip and tilt my head as I think about how he could probably fuck me until I screamed if we weren't angling for the opposite things in this game.

Isn't that always the way?

"What could you need the money for? You willingly signed a contract that specifies that we can do anything to you? That’s insane." He darts out a hand, stepping closer and brushing his fingertips up my jaw.

He smells like cedar and a hint of mint. Clenching my jaw, I jerk my head, shaking off his touch. "Maybe it's for a really expensive purse. You don't know."

One of his brows rises. "Somehow, I think not."

"Wouldn't matter to you if that's what I wanted it for, though. You don’t even like me."

“Oh, Corinne.” His eyes burn into mine. "Is this your way of trying to get a raise out of me?"

I huff out a laugh. I've only worked at the Candy Club for a month, but every night I leave with two grand in tips. This job pays better than I could have ever expected.

"Would you give me a raise if I asked?" I flutter my eyelashes.

"No." A faint trace of amusement clings to his lips. "Maybe I would promote you, though." He skims his fingers along my shoulder, his eyes dipping down to take in my dress. My nipples are tiny diamonds poking through the shimmery pink garment. "I've never taken a mistress, but that would be an interesting discussion."

Shivering, I focus on those eyes of his. They're dreamy, baby blue with a ring of yellow around his irises. Focus!!

"I'd never say yes," I counter.

Amusement flashes in his face again. "No. You like to make things hard."

"Mhm." My breath hitches. This conversation is making me want things. Things that I can't afford to want. If only he wasn't looking at me so intensely, like I'm both a fascinating puzzle and a bomb he's got to disarm.

I look him up and down. I’m pint-sized; if I had it my way, I’d be a ten-foot-tall ogre ready to smash anybody that came after me. He's tall, my head only coming to below his shoulder.

And noticing that is putting all kinds of ideas in my head. Images of the two of us, pressed together and moaning, of me riding his face, of him fucking me from behind.

My thoughts cause my face to heat. He notices and wonders, "Am I making you blush, Corrinne?"

Ransom is so full of himself. I swear, the guy must really be packing. I've never met anyone as cocky as him. "Dream on."

"If you don't pull out of the Initiation, I won't have to dream." His hand snakes out quickly, grabbing me by the throat and squeezing gently. My body convulses, my pussy instantly soaked.