Page 60 of Carnal Games

“You’ve been our pillar of strength whenever we’ve been stuck in desperate situations. The kick we’ve needed to stop acting like a damsel and save ourselves.”

“Our cute wisdom fairy,” adds Rosalie sweetly.

“I’m lost,” I mutter.

“If it weren’t for you all those years ago, I never would’ve had the courage to ask Dash to be my fake husband. I’ll probably be stuck in an arranged marriage set up by my parents today.”

“And I wouldn’t have fought Nova tooth and nail had you not reminded me I’m a strong woman who doesn’t let anyone kick her down.”

My throat closes up at their confessions.

Placing a palm on my hand, Bianca says, “Tonight, it’s our turn to remind you that so are you. You can’t give up after one setback. You’re going to make one hell of a journalist, Iris.”

“Kian isn’t an untouchable god.” Rosalie smirks. “Keep hounding him until you get the damn interview, and submit afantastic article to your editor. You’ve come too far to back down now.”

I badly want to tell them the interview is just the tip of the iceberg. I need the entire thing, from the tip to the root.

“You guys really believe I can make it happen?”

“Heck yeah!” Rosalie pumps her fist.

“Say the word and I’ll ask Dash to set up another meeting.”

I decline Bianca’s offer with a shake of my head. “I’ve already tried using my connections. It won’t work. I’ll look entitled. That’s the last impression I want to give him.”

Kian needs to be impressed. He must see me as someone worthy of an interview. Someone that’ll entice him to bend his rules. The only way to do so is by showing my skills and intelligence. The damn researching jibe he threw at me.

I’m so going to make him eat his words.

“I say you knock on his door every morning until he says yes,” comes from Rosalie.

Totally unsurprising.

“Be an annoying rooster?” I roll my eyes. “That’ll have me kicked out of the damn building.”

“Do you have a better idea?” she retorts.

The three of us slump with our backs to the couch and sigh while looking up at the ceiling. With the headquarters and his home out of the question, where else can I meet him?

Where?

Where?

Wher— Oh yes!

“The Mirage,” I blurt out the name of the elite gentlemen’s club that Kian owns. Tilting my head at Rosalie, I grin and ask, “Do you think you can sneak me into the club?”

Chapter Sixteen

Iris

The daring little number my friends coerced me into wearing makes heads turn as I enter the brightly lit lobby. Or it can be the smoky eyes and scarlet lipstick that’s drawing the greedy eyes of the men.

Whatever the reason, the conclusion is that they think I’m an escort.

While Rosalie and Bianca reassured me there will be other women, they also warned me they’re either high-class escorts or the daring ones who come to partake on games night. They didn’t elaborate on the games, letting my imagination run wild.

My best friends were ready to come with me, their excuses for their husbands prepared. But the last time we lied to them and flew to Vegas, the men found out and crashed our girls’ trip the same night.