Page 11 of Forbidden Empire (Sinful Gods #1)

“Are you surprised to see me, little mouse?” I taunted. “You’ve made me a very happy cat."

The dealer slapped one card down in front of me, and I barely contained the triumphant grin threatening to spread across my face.

With a dramatic sweep, I shoved all my remaining chips into the center of the table, the clatter echoing like a battle cry.

The other players crumbled, folding under the pressure, leaving just us locked in this high-stakes duel.

Esme's jaw tightened, her beautiful features a battlefield of tension as she weighed her next move. My eyes drank in her face, each glance a punch to my gut, stealing the breath from my lungs. How could I ever articulate the seething fury she deserved?

She was worthy only of my unbridled wrath. Yet, a primal part of me yearned to offer her something entirely different. Every fiber of my being screamed to devour this woman whole.

The emotions tearing through me were maddening. I had come here with a singular purpose: vengeance. Not for carnal satisfaction, Not for the fleeting thrill of desire or lust. But my resolve was being challenged, and the turmoil was more than I had bargained for.

I forced myself to concentrate on the seething anger boiling inside me, trying to ignore the relentless pressure of my throbbing cock straining against the confines of my slacks.

Esme laid down another card, her lips curling into a sly smile that vanished as fast as it appeared.

Her jaw twitched when she glanced at her new card, a telltale sign of her confidence.

She thought she had me cornered, thought she could manipulate me like a puppet on her strings.

She was so wrong. The anticipation of proving her mistaken, of shattering her illusion, sent a thrill coursing through my veins.

If my instincts were right, Esme Theodorus was rarely confronted with her own errors.

The prospect of being the one to enlighten her was an exquisite pleasure I could hardly contain.

With a defiant flair, she pushed her pile of chips to the center, matching my bet, exuding an arrogance that bordered on recklessness.

A stray lock of hair fell across her face, and I fought the overwhelming urge to brush it aside.

I kept my cards close, leaning in closer to her, whispering with a dangerous proximity, my lips grazing her ear. She remained still, unfazed, her lack of retreat fueling my intrigue further.

Perhaps she wasn't afraid of me at all. Maybe she was just naive, teetering on the edge of a game she didn't yet understand.

"You've been running for too long, Esme," I snarled, grateful that my voice carried the fury I needed while sitting this close to her. "You knew I'd hunt you down, didn't you?"

Her gaze avoided mine, but the frustration blazing in her captivating emerald eyes was unmistakable.

I was struck by her beauty, those lips, those eyes, that defiant tilt of her chin. It was a sight capable of unraveling even the most stalwart of men.

I prayed she couldn't see how she robbed me of breath. I needed to keep my emotions locked away, hidden from her perceptive gaze.

If she detected even a hint of weakness, she'd wield it like a weapon against me. With an air of defiance, she laid down her cards, revealing four of a kind. "Impressive," I murmured, my smile betraying none of the storm within as I showed my hand.

I couldn't suppress the triumphant grin that spread across my face, my royal flush gleaming back at her.

Her eyes widened, but she nodded with resolve, surrendering to her defeat.

I reached for the pile of winnings in the center of the table just as she stood and glided away, her movements a graceful taunt.

I smirked, shaking my head as I watched her sashay away with casual indifference.

"Thank you." I nodded to the dealer, abandoning the mound of chips on the table and slipping into the shadows of the casino, hot on the trail of my elusive prey.

Her hips swayed like a pendulum, counting down the seconds of my restraint. My jaw clenched so tight I tasted metal. Three strides and I'd have her.

Two. One. She veered down a hallway, dark and secluded.

Perfect.

The casino noise faded with each footfall until all I could hear was my ragged breathing and the click of her heels against marble.

Jasmine and something darker, her scent filled my lungs as I lunged forward, fingers digging into the soft flesh of her shoulder.

She spun, a flash of emerald eyes widening before her back slammed against the wall. The impact knocked a small gasp from her lips.

She didn't cower. Didn't beg.

Instead, her palm pressed against my chest, the heat of it burning through my shirt like a brand. I felt her push, a butterfly trying to move a mountain.

The corner of my mouth twitched with an electric thrill as I leaned in, obliterating her resistance between us.

With a sardonic grin, I seized her wrist, yanking her arm up and pinning it above her head.

She fought back with her other hand, trying to push me away, but I mirrored my actions, trapping her until she was forced to gaze up at me, both hands secured, her back arching, and her breasts pressing against my chest.

Being this close to her was like standing on the edge of a precipice; every nerve in my body screamed with urgency.

It was overwhelming, suffocating, an inferno of proximity. I struggled to draw breath as I held her captive. She squirmed against me, a defiant motion that sent shockwaves through my nervous system, igniting my fury, and stoking the inferno of desire roaring within me.

Yet, it was sheer astonishment that dominated my thoughts. How dare she challenge me now?

“Stop struggling,” I ordered. “You’re mine now. I’ve captured you. Time’s up, Esme.”

“Fine,” she muttered defiantly, locking eyes with me, her gaze shimmering like stars in the dim light. “Now what?”

She bit her lip, her eyes flashing, her breasts pressing harder into me. A derisive laugh escaped me, sharp and mocking. Did she think her charade would deceive me?

“Now what?” I echoed, my eyes blazing with intensity. “What do you think?”

“I think,” she purred, her words dripping from her lips like honey, “that you should let me go, Aidon.”

"Is that so?" I snarled as I tightened my grip on her wrists with a force that could leave bruises. I forced myself to ignore the infuriating distraction of her breasts, her hardened nipples scraping against my chest sending a jolt of electricity through my spine.

She dared to bring her mouth close to mine, her breath a tantalizing whisper against my lips. My heart thundered in my chest, a wild drumbeat of rage and desire. She was playing with fire, toying with a predator without the slightest comprehension of the danger she was in.

Could she not see the destruction I was capable of? Did she not understand the peril of her reckless flirtation? With just a twist of my hands, I held the power to snuff out her life. Surely, she had to be aware of that.

I planned to obliterate this woman, and yet she treated this like some trivial game, a jest between us to laugh about. Very well; I could play along with her reckless charade.

I leaned in, my lips a hairsbreadth from hers. "You pretty little mouse, do you believe I'll release you now that I've ensnared you in my trap?"

She lifted her chin, her lips brushing mine with a feather-light touch, a slow, provoking smile curving her lips. "Have you caught me, Aidon? Or have I caught you?"

She arched one perfect eyebrow, her silence stretching between us like a tripwire.

"Maybe I let you find me, Aidon." Her tongue caressed each syllable of my name. "Did you even consider that?"

My pulse hammered against my throat. The casino's neon lights caught in her hair as realization sliced through me. Las Vegas. She'd been here all along, moving through crowds I'd walked through, breathing air I'd breathed, watching me hunt for her while hiding in plain fucking sight.

"You're playing a very dangerous game, Esme." My fingers tightened around her wrists until I felt the delicate bones beneath her skin. Her pulse raced against my thumb, not from fear, but excitement.

She could have stopped me, but she chose not to. Her lifted chin was a response: a decision rather than a surrender.

She tilted her head, studying me like a scientist observing a particularly fascinating specimen. Those emerald eyes dissected me, cataloging every micro expression, every twitch of muscle. I'd seen her do this to others—strip them bare, with nothing but a glance before she went for the kill.

"A dangerous game?" She leaned forward until her lips brushed the shell of my ear. "How fun." Her whisper sent electricity down my spine. "Doesn't the thrill of it all turn you on, Aidon?"

She licked her bottom lip, driving me out of my mind. Her hands were still pinned above her head, and I knew that if I reached down just a bit, I could be under her skirt in seconds.

The thought of her thighs wrapping around me while I plunged deep into her pussy flashed in my head, tempting me, tantalizing me, driving me out of my fucking mind.

She knew what she was doing, too.

She fluttered her lashes with calculated precision, her tongue flicking over her lips before catching the bottom one between her teeth.

She appeared every bit the damsel in distress, but beneath the facade lay a sinister villainess, poised to strike and obliterate her foe at the slightest opportunity. I would never yield to her.

This cunning vixen dared to toy with me, flaunting her audacity when she should have been quaking in terror. Her nerve was infuriating. Was she truly devoid of remorse? Did she not grasp the peril she faced? Not only from me but from countless others who sought her demise.

Esme had committed the ultimate betrayal by pilfering Zeno’s cache of secrets. She ought to count herself fortunate that I found her first. Zeno would have shown no such restraint, no such mercy.

Still, despite my fury, her beauty was a relentless siren call. In the dimly lit corridor, she was a masterpiece in chiaroscuro, the hall's kaleidoscope of blues, greens, and reds painting her in a mesmerizing dance of shadows.

The compulsion to kiss her was overpowering. Her breasts pressed against my chest, igniting a primal hunger within me.

Sensing my vulnerability, the dizziness in my mind, the involuntary twitch of my desire, she seized the fleeting moment of my hesitation.

In a blur, she twisted free, slipping from my grasp with agile speed.

She ducked beneath my arm and vanished down the hallway, dissolving into the throng of tourists like a phantom.

"You wicked little witch.” My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached as I stalked after her through the casino's labyrinth.

She moved forward with grace, each purposeful step a challenge. Not running and not even rushing.

My pulse hammered in my throat as she weaved through the crowd, the distance between us stretching and contracting like a living thing. The casino lights caught in her hair, turning each strand into a flame that beckoned me forward.

She glanced over her shoulder, her emerald eyes finding mine instantly in the crowd. The corner of her mouth curved upward before she tossed her hair, the scent of her perfume hitting me seconds later. Her laughter floated back, crystalline and mocking, piercing straight through my chest.

My fists clenched at my sides, nails digging half-moons into my palms. Blood roared in my ears.

Every muscle in my body strained toward her, a compass needle finding true north. I'd tear this fucking city apart brick by brick to reach her.

Each step I took burned with self-loathing, yet my feet kept moving, slave to her invisible leash.