Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

Vyk

T he thrill of my win pumped through my body like adrenaline, the same way it always did when I defeated an opponent. There was the buzz in my fingers as I laid out my cards, the flutter in my chest as I watched them clock my winning hand and realize that their cards hadn’t been enough to beat me. Then there was the flush of heat that warmed my cheeks and told me that I was still the best.

But this time, that initial thrill didn’t last for more than a heartbeat. I drew in a breath as I savored the win but instead of exhaling and congratulating my opponent—Fiona—on playing a good game, I was watching her push back her chair so fast and hard that it flipped over. The scraping sound was a jolt to my burst of euphoria and jerked me back to reality .

There would be no collegial handshake or displays of polite sportsmanship. The woman was livid. Her eyes flashed as she glared at me, and for the first time I realized that she was not someone to be underestimated. At that moment, I would not have been surprised if she’d leapt across the table and attempted to choke me. My triumph deflated, and my pride withered as she stormed from the room.

Grekking hell, that hadn’t gone the way I’d expected. At least, her stomping out had not been what I’d imagined. But what had I imagined? Had I pictured the military officer batting her eyelashes at me and falling into my arms? Had I thought she would calmly accept her defeat? Or had I hoped she would be secretly thrilled to be forced into my bed?

I choked back a gruff laugh. I was delusional if I thought it would go any way but badly. Then why had I made the bet? It hadn’t been something I’d planned. I’d intended to win, but I hadn’t decided to make such a wager until the words were spilling from my mouth. Or had I? Was this what I’d been subconsciously desiring every time Fiona had glared at me, yelled at me, challenged me? Had I been biding my time until the moment I could entice her into a web she couldn’t twist out of, a deal she wouldn’t dare break?

I steadied my breath as I gathered my cards from the table and then scooped her cards into the deck. My hands trembled, a result of my spiked adrenaline and my fired arousal. My hands didn’t tremble in battle, but this was not the first time Fiona had made my body pulse with nervous energy. It was unsettling to know that the female could trigger a response in me that even the most terrifying alien beasts could not. It meant that she was more of a danger to me than our worst enemy .

“And you just invited her into your bed,” I muttered darkly, to no one but myself.

But invited wasn’t the right word, was it? I twitched as I thought of Fiona’s pupils darkening as she’d understood the wager, and then my own face flamed as I remembered her cheeks paling when it had hit her that she lost the wager and what that meant.

Before I could consider waiving the bet, Fiona swept back into the room with her golden hair bouncing around her shoulders. Her chest heaved as she leveled a finger at me.

“You might have won, but this means nothing.”

I was too startled by her reappearance to speak, but her wild expression and her barely contained rage made her look even more beautiful. All thought of telling her to forget about the bet fled my mind. As much as I hated myself for it, as much as I despised being drawn to a human, as much as I wanted to be strong enough to resist her fiery temper and barbed tongue, I wanted her so desperately that I was willing to do anything to get her.

Fiona spun on her heel to leave again, but then continued pivoting and faced off against me again. She braced her hands on her hips and squared her shoulders. “Was this all about humiliating me? You want to force me into your bed to prove that you can? Is that it? Is that your twisted game? Well, you can’t force me to like any of it. I don’t care how big or hot or ripped you are.”

Her words slammed into me like body blows. She was right. I had been so bent on winning and getting her into my orbit by any means that I had forgotten that there was no pleasure in taking something that wasn’t freely given. I had no desire to force her to do anything.

“I never said I would force you to do anything.”

Her narrowed eyes held on mine. “The bet was I have to spend one night with you for every point you took.”

I stood and pushed the bench back. “Spending the night with me does not mean I expect you to spread your legs for me.”

Not that I would say no to that, but not if I had to tie her up and muffle her screams. There was no Drexian honor in that. Besides, I was a Drexian warrior who’d had females all across the galaxy more than willing to submit to my desires. I had never needed to force anyone.

But none of them were Fiona. None of them had been females who’d despised me. It was obvious that Fiona would rather slap me than fuck me, and the way things were going, I was heading for the slap sooner rather than later.

“What?” She blinked rapidly as if the words hadn’t quite reached her brain. “I thought…”

“The bet is for you to spend the night with me. That is all. What happens during the night is up to you.”

She barked out a laugh as she took a step back, still eyeing me like I was a rabid creature about to attack. “Then I can tell you now what will happen. Absolutely fucking nothing.”

I gave a lazy shrug, even though the hostility in her voice hurt. I’d wanted the game to be a reason for me to get closer to her. I’d wanted to win so I could show her that I was not so bad. But it seemed I’d done the opposite. Her opinion of me, which already hadn’t been good, was now abysmal .

For now, I reminded myself.

Fiona cocked her head to one side. “All right, Commander. You won. You have three nights, but that’s all you have.” Then her eyes became slits. “And if you tell a soul, I will cut your throat while you sleep.”

Then she flounced from the room, leaving me hitching in my breath and unconsciously touching a hand to my throat.

Three nights. I still had three nights to prove to her that I had changed. Three nights where she would not be my captive, but she would be my captive audience. Three nights to be in the same room with her and keep my desires at bay. Three nights to worry she might slit my throat.

I groaned. What had I been thinking?