Chapter 17 His Punishment
Katniss noticed Tristan's shoulders go all stiff, and he yanked his hand out of his pocket to grab the room key card Nicholas handed over.
"Hey, we got here early and snagged the room keys for you and Bella. But the front desk only gave us one card, saying you only booked one room. What's the deal? Why drag Michael and me along if you just wanted to flaunt your love?"
Nicholas's teasing didn't do much to chill Katniss out. She'd totally spaced on this detail.
Sure, it made sense for Tristan and Bella to share a room since they were a thing, but something felt off. She could tell Tristan was pissed just by the way he stood.
Katniss figured Tristan was mad because she booked the room without asking him, not 'cause he had to share with Bella.
Bella saw Tristan staring at the room key, not saying a word. She bit her lip and mumbled, "Isn't this good for saving the cost of another suite?"
Michael, standing nearby, had already pieced together that Bella did this behind Tristan's back. He frowned.
But Nicholas was clueless. "Bella, quit making excuses for him. The guy booked the whole resort; does he really need to save on one suite?"
The other employees, sensing the awkward vibes, quietly took their luggage inside, leaving Katniss standing there.
Tristan finally cracked a small smile, turned to Katniss, and said, "Katniss, take our luggage to our room and then sort out lunch. Everyone's starving. Bella likes light food, so make sure she gets a separate meal."
With that, Tristan took the room key and headed inside, with Nicholas trailing behind, still teasing.
Bella, though, stopped Michael from leaving. "Michael, look at Tristan. He's making Katniss carry our luggage. Go find some staff to help."
Michael, ever the obedient one, went into the hotel to find staff. Bella pulled Katniss inside, and Katniss grabbed her room key and joined Bella in the elevator.
"Katniss, don't stress. If Tristan gives you a hard time, just tell me. I'll back you up," Bella said with a bright smile.
Katniss smiled politely and said, "Thanks, Miss Astor."
After they got off the elevator, Katniss watched Bella go into Tristan's room next door before swiping her card to enter her own room.
She quickly unpacked her stuff and headed out to get lunch ready for everyone. Once it was all set, she pinged the staff group to come to the restaurant and had someone call Tristan and the others' suite to let them know.
Katniss wasn't feeling it and had this tightness in her chest. She nibbled on a few bites and decided to head upstairs to chill.
As soon as she swiped her card and kicked off her shoes, she caught a whiff of smoke. She turned and saw a figure by the window—it was Tristan.
He was leaning against the wall, holding a half-smoked cigarette in one hand and a small box in the other.
Katniss squinted and realized it was the travel-sized cosmetics set Bella had given her. She'd brought it for convenience, but the box had Bella's handwritten thank-you note on it, which Tristan would totally recognize.
Tristan stubbed out the cigarette, placed the cosmetics on the TV cabinet, and walked toward her. She backed up until she was pressed against the wall.
He raised his arm and leaned it against the wall above her head, his intense gaze seemingly calm as he stared at her. "Katniss, you're pretty good at playing both sides, huh?"
Katniss let her hands drop naturally against the wall and looked at him calmly. "Mr. Forbes, you're kidding, right? I can't afford to piss off either of you, so yeah, I gotta play the spy. If you're really mad, maybe make it clear to Miss Astor next time so she won't use me."
Tristan raised an eyebrow and pinched her chin. "Feeling wronged? How much is this cosmetics set worth?"
"A few thousand bucks," Katniss replied honestly.
Tristan sneered, his chiseled face full of sarcasm. It was nothing compared to the cash he gave her, yet she agreed to book one room for him and Bella.
Tristan couldn't explain why, but he felt really uncomfortable inside.
"Aren't you scared I won't need you anymore and you won't make any money?" He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
Katniss admitted openly, "I'm scared, but I'm more scared of pissing off Miss Astor. If I do, my good days would be over."
If Bella wanted to mess with her, it would be easy. If she upset Bella, there would be consequences. And at that time, Tristan wouldn't be able to protect her either, as he wouldn't risk offending the Astor family for Katniss. Besides, Bella was his first love.
So she said, "Mr. Forbes, you better go downstairs and eat. Otherwise, if Miss Astor can't find you later, she might come looking for... uh!"
The hotel was crawling with surveillance cameras. Bella already had her suspicions about Tristan keeping someone on the side. If she couldn't find him and checked the cameras, spotting Tristan in Katniss's room, she'd definitely get suspicious.
Tristan's kiss was fierce and punishing, like he wanted to devour her.
With one arm around her waist, he easily lifted her, making her cling to him like an accessory.
The hotel bed was super soft. When they both fell onto it, she didn't feel any pain, except for the weight of Tristan pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe. Her body gradually melted under his touch.
She couldn't resist the temptation, especially since she'd been infatuated with Tristan for so long. Her body always reacted before her mind, and she couldn't help but wrap her arms around his strong waist.
Her clothes hit the floor one by one, but he didn't go any further. When her eyes were filled with a dazed look, he whispered in her ear, "Last time, I didn't pay you. Consider this your punishment."
He lifted his head slightly, looking at the already aroused Katniss with a wicked smile that was bad to the bone, making Katniss love him to the core.
He teased, "This time, we won't go all the way. I need to save my energy for tonight so I don't waste the room you set up for me. Don't you think?"
Katniss felt a slight pain in her chest but still managed to pull out a smile. "Yeah, then I hope you have a fun night."
Her blessing successfully darkened Tristan's expression. He bent down and bit her chest. "Katniss, how could you be so heartless?"
Katniss winced in pain, her body curling up. She had to use her hands to push against his chest, afraid he would bite her again. It hurt!
"Oh, I forgot. You found a boyfriend?" Tristan's smile was bloodthirsty and sarcastic. "Am I not satisfying you? Is it in bed or financially?"
The color drained from Katniss's lips, and even the flush on her cheeks faded. Her eyes trembled as she looked at his serious expression. She didn't even know how those words slipped out of her mouth. She replied, "You have Bella. Is it wrong for me to find a boyfriend? You can do it, but I can't? Isn't that unfair?"
Tristan's smile gradually disappeared. "I'm here to sleep with you, not to reason with you. Come clean! How far have you two gone?"
His words easily made Katniss's heart race, making her mistakenly think he cared about her. She raised an eyebrow and deliberately said something he wouldn't like to hear. "Everything that should have happened has happened!"
Tristan frowned and bent down to kiss her hard. She was already exhausted and could only endure his dominance. She knew he wouldn't go all the way today, but his lips still elicited a response from her body wherever they touched.
Suddenly, Tristan's light laugh brought her back to reality. She opened her eyes to see her phone in Tristan's hand.
He was looking through George's messages and the newly added Facebook contact. The conversation was minimal.
"You haven't even met. What could have happened?" He didn't hide the amusement in his eyes. "There's no need to meet this kid. He'll just waste your time."
Before Katniss could react, he had already blocked George's Facebook and phone number.
Katniss was furious. "What right do you have to interfere in my personal life?"
"Ask yourself that," Tristan said, leaning in to kiss her collarbone. Her breathing became more rapid, but she knew it was her fault for arranging for Tristan and Bella to share a room without his consent.
The room was dimly lit with the curtains drawn. Their breathing was heavy, and Katniss's thoughts were scattered by his actions, but he didn't make any substantial moves.
He ran his hand through her hair, bringing her back to her senses, and asked, "Do you want it? Beg me, and I'll stay."
He was fully clothed, only slightly disheveled, while Katniss was completely exposed. She was both embarrassed and angry, pulling the blanket to cover herself.
Unable to hold back, she looked up and cursed at Tristan, "Get out! I'm afraid you won't have any energy left for tonight!"
Tristan responded with a low laugh. He walked to the door but turned back to say, "Think long and hard about what you did wrong, and then get back to me when you’ve figured it out."
Katniss watched him leave, her head falling back onto the pillow as soon as the door closed. She closed her eyes, filled with mixed emotions, wishing she could strangle Tristan.
Her breathing was still uneven, her brows furrowed, and the flush on her cheeks hadn't faded. How could she think about what she did wrong?
All she could think about was the unfinished business and his words: saving energy for tonight.
Her chest ached faintly, and a sarcastic smile tugged at her lips. She quickly composed herself, got up, and took a shower, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't wash away Tristan's lingering scent. Her mind was filled with thoughts of him.
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