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“I know, Wyatt.” I was rapidly losing command of myself. “It’s all a matter of acting. I…play along. With the game, you know? Fool the people in this game and get through the games to get the prize.”

He moved his face across mine, brushing his lips against me in the barest touch, almost like a breath of wind, so close to a kiss yet so far. I gritted my teeth to prevent myself from leaning forward and taking what he’d almost given me.

Wyatt pinned me with those intense eyes of his. “This show isn’t a game. It’s more like torture right now. And are you sure you can act around me? Can you control yourself?”

He made it sound like a challenge. I wrinkled my nose. “I can. I haven’t met a challenge I couldn’t overcome yet. Especially not one from you. You haven’t left me a choice.”

With a dark laugh, Wyatt pressed his lips to mine. I wanted to shove him away, to knee him in the balls, then wipe my face and tell him how disgusting he was. Instead, warmth radiated through my pussy, and I opened my lips to allow his tongue entry, imagining what it would be like to allow another part of him inside me.

Too soon, he pulled away and shook his head. “You’ve gotten us both into this dumb situation. I’m going to enjoy tormenting you on camera.”

I’d be damned if I’d let him do this to me without some reciprocation, a little tit-for-tat for making me squirm like this. I leaned forward and gently bit his neck. He sucked in a breath, and I caught the scent of his own carnal excitement. I grinned to myself.

“Looks like that counts for both of us. You mess with me, I mess with you right back. How about that? You need to remember I can handle myself.”

As much as I hated to admit it, I was seconds away from doing something stupid, like dropping to my knees and yanking his cock out of his pants or dragging him into a room to jump his bones. My reprieve was the yellow flashing light on my bracelet. I stared at it wide-eyed and saw that his was also flashing.

“Shit.” I shoved him backward.

Our old training locked into place in a millisecond. Wyatt leaned against a wall and crossed his arms, putting a calm but amused look on his face. I adjusted my robe, stuffed my hands in my pockets, and tried to look interested and bemused. Less than a second after we had gotten into position, a small camera drone hummed around the corner.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t there to film me and Wyatt. Our absence hadn’t been noticed. We were simply in the way of what it was really filming. Two other contestants were out of bed, walking the halls.

Chapter 18

Wyatt

Kira’s scent, the feel of her skin, and the way she looked in that robe almost sent me over the edge. I was pretty sure she’d been close to dragging me to the floor and having her way with me. The look in her eyes had been unmistakable, making my cock throb. So, when I saw Leif and Ryan come around the corner, I was beyond irritated.

Professionals that we were, Kira and I assumed simple conversational stances once we realized the cameras were coming. The calm and gentle smile on my lips hid my sexually frustrated rage.

Ryan and Leif were having a whispered conversation that I couldn’t hear. They were deep in discussion and didn’t see Kira and me until they were almost right on top of us. They nearly tripped over themselves as they stopped short.

“Hello, boys,” Kira said, a charming and innocent smile on her face.

Ryan frowned and glanced between the two of us. “What’s going on here?”

Kira shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. Too wound up from the day, you know? I decided to wander the halls and see what the place was like.” She tilted her head toward me. “And then I found this stud doing the same. We’ve been talking. Getting to know each other.”

Ryan’s brow smoothed, and he smiled, almost like he was relieved. “Got it. Yeah, it’s been a pretty crazy night.”

Leif didn’t look convinced. He continued to look from Kira and back to me. When I met his eyes, I could see the wheels turning in his head. I hoped he’d accept the simple explanation. It was easier to believe I was trying to seduce Kira to help myself win the show than the idea that we already knew each other and had already done the dirty deed before the show started. That’s what I told myself, anyway. The look in Leif’s eyes, however, told me he was smarter than I’d given him credit for. It made me nervous.

Leif smiled, letting go of whatever internal investigation he’d been working on. Blessedly, he even changed the subject. “Have you guys heard those noises outside? It’s weird as hell.”

“Yeah,” Kira said. “That’s part of why I couldn’t sleep.”

Ryan stared out the window. “I swear to Heline herself that some of those roaring sounds don’t even sound real.”

As if in response to that, a screeching howl pierced the night. The double-paned glass of the window muffled the sound slightly.

“Manticore,” Kira murmured under her breath.

“What?” Ryan asked, his eyes going wide. “Those are real?”

Kira quickly turned from the window, realizing she’d spoken aloud. “Um…uh…yeah, pretty sure. They usually reside in Middle Eastern countries, but some have been known to make their way across the ocean.”

“I’m sorry,” Leif said. “What’s a manticore?”

“Mystical creature. Body and head of a lion, massive wings of a bat, and a big thick tail of a scorpion,” I said. “The scorpion tail looks scary, but the venom only disorients you so the jaws and claws can do the rest. Pretty terrifying if they catch you unaware, but their bones are hollow like a bird’s so they can fly, which means they’re pretty easy to fight off if you know what you’re doing.”