Chapter 12: War

**Lena**

“Ready to lose?” he teases, a rapturous spark glowing in his emerald eyes. I roll my own back at him dramatically but can’t hide the smirk that follows. “In your dreams, Chase… Remember, best of three!” He beams that charming grin of his at me, and I can’t resist admiring his lips, the strong line of his jaw, his perfect teeth. It's the first time tonight I've been able to look at him for longer than a few seconds without distraction. He catches me watching, and my stomach jumps into my throat! With a small cough, I pour a glass of champagne, the golden bubbles dancing as I lift my glass in his direction.“Care for a toast?” he chuckles, pouring himself a whiskey on the rocks. He raises his glass to clink against my cup, then he leans in with a sinful grin. “May the best player win,” he says, his voice oozing with competitive sensuality. This intensity heightens the stakes of our little game, and I'm not entirely sure what outcome I'm hoping for. We nod at each other and on a silent count of three, we both flip our cards onto the table. Starting off strong, I reveal an eight and he’s got a six! He hisses, bringing his hand to his face, “not bad but, we’re only getting started.” The first score is sweet, but we’ve got a long way to go before I can call it a victory!

As the game progresses, Chase wins a few of my cards but his shuffling seems to have betrayed him, I have all the high rollers. I giggle everytime I lay down another winner, enjoying the frisky frustration growing on his relaxed face. Fifteen minutes pass before I finally earn the crown for the first match! With a triumphant simper, I goofily aim my finger guns at him. Chase doesn't falter or hesitate, his eyes never leave mine either. He lifts his shirt over his head and tosses it on the counter next to him, giving way to his toned torso. I try to compose myself by gulping down the rest of my champagne, but as I glance at him, I can't help but notice his once neat hair now hangs tousled and a bit shaggy over his forehead. I savor the muscles rippling across his chest and arms, his broad shoulders, his chiseled abs. Holy shit, he is something else! As if he can read my mind, he flashes a self assured smile and gestures for me to continue. “Looks like you’ll have to try a harder if you want to win,” I joke, and he scoffs before taking a sip of his whiskey. “Careful Lena,” he hums, his voice low, “my plan is to steal your heart, not your crown.” He meets my gaze with a longing look, totally consumed with mischief and desire.

And you know, I should of kept my mouth shut because Chase wins the next round, leaning back in his chair with an air of subtle nonchalance on his face. “Guess you’re not as good as you thought,” he pokes, the deep sound of his voice creating a flurry of goosebumps on my skin. “Don’t get too cocky!” I snap loftily as I pull off my shirt, revealing my black, lace trimmed bikini top. As I gather our cards into a neat pile and start shuffling the deck for the last time, I can feel his eyes tracking my every movement. “Maybe you should focus on the game, Chase. Or… are you too distracted?” I say, flipping my curls over my shoulder in attempt to hide my skin. As I slide the cards effortlessly back and forth between us, he scans my face, my breasts, my belly button, his eyes lingering on each with an inaudible hunger. He carefully organizes his stack, then tosses his card down on the table with a satisfying slap! I fumble with my own cards as I watch his fingers explore the contours of his chair, tracing the stitch lines on the armrests gently. I wish his fingers were doing that to me. “Distracted?" he laughs, snapping me out of my trance. "Nah, I’m just appreciating my competition.”

This game is more drawn out, fluctuating between him taking the lead, then me, but before I know it, we trigger War. Our eyes meet at the realization, the energy between us crackling at what the outcome of the next few cards will mean. "This is it." Chase murmurs, his voice low and steady as I nervously set three cards face down. He follows in my footsteps, and we both hesitate on the last one- the draw that will seal the deal! I shut my eyes and flip my card onto the table, the tension is absolutely eating me from the inside out! "Interesting," I hear Chase mumble quiety, and I decide now is the time to peek through tightly squinted eyes. My winning card is a… Five? A FIVE? No, no, no! I quickly glance at Chase to find him mulling over his card, and my heart races as I brace myself for defeat. Finally, he lays it down but not as dramatically as he has been all night. I’m too nervous to look. It’s… it's... a… two! A two? I won by three? “It seems you beat me,” Chase says in disappointed tone before standing. It takes a moment for me to fully grasp that he’s serious about following through with our bet, and all that’s left is his bathing suit! “You really don’t have to Chase!” I squeak in protest, waving my arms but he only smiles devilishly. “We made a bet Lena. I always follow through on my bets,” he swaggers, relishing completely in this moment- fully aware of the effect he has on me. It’s all part of the game, his game, the one I agreed to play when I engaged with him at the pool bar.

His hands make their way to his hips, right to the edges of his checkered swim trunks. His fingers tug and play at the waistband while he watches me, a smirk playing on his lips as he waits for my reaction. I can only assume that my face is in utter shock! Slowly, he slides his swim trunks down his muscular thighs, letting them drop to the floor before he calmly sits back down in the arm chair behind him. I inhale deeply; my stupid, useless heart yet again pounding erratically, pulsing in my cheeks, throbbing in my earlobes! I bet my face looks like it's going to pop like a balloon under pressure! A strained sigh escapes my lips as I allow my eyes to shift below his waist line, afraid of what I will find. Oh, my, GOD! His arrogant yet humble attitude all makes sense now because his cock is enormous! I try to shift in my seat, but my palms slip from all the sweat leaking out thanks to my nerves! I feel insane, wild, borderlining feral enclosed in this small space with him. Every moment we've spent together up to this point is creating an intoxicating need to close the distance between us. “Well…” he says softly, running his fingers through his messy hair. “I guess that’s it, huh?” He smirks, but his eyes reveal a different story… a story that hints he isn’t ready for this night to end, and honestly, neither am I.