Page 24 of Illicit Games

“The army cadets,” I say, remembering the time I visited a friend with whom I served during my time in the army. “You saw me training them.”

“Yeah,” she murmurs. “You used to come at six p.m. sharp, park your black SUV down the street, remove your suit jacket, and roll down your sleeves before joining the young soldiers. You always kept your shades on, so there was no way to see your eyes. It wasn’t until we met in your childhood bedroom that I learned their color.”

I’m momentarily speechless.

She utters my routine as if it were just yesterday that she saw me here.

“Where were you?” I ask, feeling her pulse rise in her wrist.

The slight breeze ruffles her hair as she points in the distance toward a tall and thick tree. “I used to sit under there and watch until you left.”

I tug her in that direction, wanting to see the spot up close while picturing what an eighteen-year-old Iris must’ve looked like sitting there. What she wore. The expression on her face.Never have I wished for a time machine more than I do this second.

I do the next best thing.

“What are you doing, Kian?” Iris exclaims.

The grass is soft when I bend down and sit with my back against the trunk of the tree. I pat my thigh, pulling her to me. “Come here.”

Shaking her head with a cute smile, she lowers herself sideways onto my lap as I curl one arm around her small waist.

“The guard is going to think we’re making out and kick us out,” she teases.

“He can try.”

“Poor guy won’t be a match against you.”

“Damn right.” Pushing a stray lock that comes free from her high ponytail behind her ear, I softly coax, “Tell me everything.”

“Didn’t Nathan tell you?” There’s a nervous rasp in her voice.

“I didn’t stick around past him sharing that you’ve crushed on me for years and was vying for my attention. Even if he had said more, I don’t care about his version. Only yours matters to me.”

“You trust me that much?”

“More than God himself.”

“I was walking past the park when I laid eyes on you for the first time. I always took a different route, but for an unknown reason, I took this street that day. As I was passing by, I saw you and my feet came to a halt. The world ceased to exist, that’s how hard you struck me. I thought you were the most handsome man I’d ever seen.” A mischievous grin tilts the corners of her mouth, which makes my chest squeeze tight. “Your aura reminded me of a scary and sinful reaper who came down to earth to stealsouls. I was right because you stole mine. It was also one of my nicknames for you, since I didn’t know your real name.”

“Plural?”

“Yes.”

“What else did you call me?”

“It’s silly.”

“Tell me.”

Staring at my chest, she blurts out, “Mr. Severe. Because you were so intimidating and I never saw you smile.”

Mr. Severe and Scary Reaper.

My lips tug up. She’s too darn cute.

With a fingertip, I tilt her chin up. “Keep going.”

“When I finally remembered how to walk, I came into the park and found this spot. It was the perfect place to watch you without getting caught. Except you didn’t stick around for too long. In those few minutes, you left your mark and hooked me. When I went home that night, I…” She bites her mouth, a blush covering her cheeks. “I made myself come with thoughts of you… for the first time.”