The Playboy's Dangerous Bet

I

t actual psychologic

r, listening to soft jazz, while the name of your boyfri

Roxy

open my mouth and as

e air. Because if I ask him, I'm admitting that some

garage of my apartment building, shaking his head slightly. "I know you guys have been best fr

al. A man who gets uncomfortable around a lace bralette is

ted me this morning. Said he's coming to town this weekend. The way your brother le

as we step into the ele

s the bag of Thai food on the entryway table,

Roxy is a cu

t week! If Roxy is the jeweler designing my ring, of course his jaw locked when she cal

on the brass hook, turns around

s into my personal space, settling his hands on my wai

that, Liv, you're going to make

the safety of it as his fingers move to the top button of my blouse, unfastening it

ath ca

ime, it isn

my brain-the cold blue stare, the scarred knuckles, the way he dragge

I plant my palms flat aga

or look frustrated; he just takes half a

m sorry. You just look so beautiful tonight. But I promised I'd w

kitchen to plate the food. He is the most patient, respect

n from the cabinet, Ben's phone vibrat

s out a loud groan, and drags

sk, my stomach givi

. "He's threatening to walk over his royalty split again. If I don't drive over to his ho

clock. 9:15 PM. "Right now

ack into his navy coat. He presses a quick kiss to my cheek. "Eat without me. I'

or clicks sh

r my apartment li

ome to Velvet Tears at 1

time to drive acros

café napkin out of my pocket, three

Knock

yway, expecting to see B

sn't

black courier uniform holding a lon

es with my foot braced against

the cour

ot my friends, not my readers, not even my la

" I c

without asking for a signature and str

deadbolt, carry the black garme

g neckline, open back, and a thigh-high slit that borders on illeg

. I pop open the

d keycard engraved with a sin

hick square of black cardstock written in the sam

e? He's not coming back tonight. Put the

ll my phone out of my pocket and fire off a text to

ing bubbles ap

d I have to rework the numbers with his agent. I'm not go

lowing screen wi

d our Friday night tradition. Not when he had t

shop knew my boyfriend was going

ng to my face after two years-I am not sitting in this q

blouse Ben touched, yank a plain black turtleneck over my head, and shove t

d black town car is idling right w

near the river outside a brick warehouse guarded by two men in bespoke suits buil

p to the unmarked steel door,

down my bulky winter coat and jeans. "P

er thr

ts straight through the dark

breath catching

acket from the coffee shop. Tonight, he's wearing a black dress shirt with the top two buttons undone

ying to be intimidating. He l

his piercing blue eyes raking sl

wasn't to your liki

myself to wear a gift from a

e replies smoothly. "

put the VIP card in the box?" I scoff, thrust

hen lifts slowly back to my face. The faintest, most inf

ess wasn't for me. It was camouflage for the people inside. Walk in there dressed

step back. "I showed up. Whatever game you're

oing this on

we a

in a single stride. He's so tall I have to tilt my chin all the way back just t

shairs. "You are walking through that door, Olivia. Or you are getting back in that car, going home to an emp

his tongue sends a violent s

es past my shoulder and shove

air slams into my face as I step over the thres

hire Barbie as his

r booths, bartenders pouring pink champagne into crystal coupes, and women da

sensible wool winter coat makes me

the pounding bass, glancing over his shoulder

ely my first time in one that loo

o my shoulder, his bloodshot eyes dropping hungrily down my

a hand out toward the lapel of my coat. "There's a

-long fingers digging hard through the wool of my coat and jerkin

he tattooed guy laughs, eyeing the p

monster fina

smoothly around me, planting his body between the man and me with a lethal stillness that makes my

d. The tattooed guy throws up a tense two-

n't let go

a flight of curved glass stairs and down a

nal step. "It's impossible to move you through a room

lk on the sidewalk!" I snap, trying and

shoving the black door open, "y

ps in right behind me, an

vanish into thin air. Instant, s

the air leaves my l

VIP lounge. I

k mahogany, lined with leather harnesses, coile

clicks into place behind Klaus's back. They lured me into a BDSM suite

d straight into