The Devil's Game Read Online Free Page A

expo go?” Karina finally asked, not sure what else to talk about.
    “Not as well as I’d hoped, but I found a couple of promising candidates I’d like to look into more.”
    Just then, Tom appeared.
    “Thank you,” Damien said as Tom handed him a glass of something gold.
    “Are you two hungry?” Tom asked. “Should I bring out lunch?”
    Damien looked at her. “Are you ready to eat?”
    The mention of food reminded Karina how long it had been since her last meal, and she nodded.
    “Then yes please,” Damien said. “And bring a bottle of Viognier with it.”
    Karina waited for Tom to disappear before she leaned forward and asked, “What is vee-oh-nee-a?”
    Damien leaned forward until he was only inches from her face, and she could smell his subtle yet intoxicating aftershave. “It’s a white wine,” he whispered.
    She sat back in her chair feeling embarrassed.
    “Are you a wine drinker?” he asked. “I could request something else.”
    “No, it’s fine,” she said. “Yes, I drink wine. It’s just—it’s just that my exposure is generally limited to whatever my roommate brings home.”
    “I see,” he said. “Well, perhaps we can remedy that during your time with me.”
    Karina looked at him, so many questions running through her head. What exactly were his expectations of her during that time? She was afraid to know the answer.
    A phone started ringing, and Damien fished it out of his suit pocket. He frowned as he looked at it.
    “I apologize,” he said, standing, “but I have to take this.” He moved to a seat at the back of the cabin, taking his scotch with him, and Karina turned her attention to the clouds outside her window. When did they get this high? She had been so distracted with Damien she hadn’t noticed anything beyond the take-off.
    Tom arrived to pull a tabletop from the panel beneath the window and brought a tray of salads and the wine shortly after. Karina glanced back at Damien as Tom filled her glass.
    “It might be a while,” Tom said with a small frown. “I wouldn’t wait. Just in case.”
    “Thank you,” she said and Tom left.
    Karina waited a couple minutes and then started on her spicy Thai salad. She was just about to take the last bite when Tom delivered a thin slice of cheesecake topped with dark cherries. She wondered if he was always this efficient.
    The plates were cleared, including Damien’s, and Tom refilled her glass and set it on the side before putting the table away, but Damien was still on the phone. Karina found the button to pull the footrest out and enjoyed the wine in silence. With a little bit of alcohol and some food in her, the last few nights were finally catching up to her. She didn’t know she had fallen asleep until a harsh jolt woke her up. Damien was sitting across from her again, and she was wrapped up in a blanket.
    “We’re here,” he said.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    The First Night
     
     
    Karina looked out the window to see them speeding along the runway, but the plane was slowing quickly. Just the bright sunshine would have been enough to let Karina know she wasn’t home anymore, but the palm trees and vividly colored buildings felt like an entirely different world.
    The plane came to a complete stop at the end of the runway, where a black SUV was parked, and Damien stood and waited for Karina. She pushed the blanket to one side and followed him to the exit. The door opened, and Karina was hit by a blast of warm, humid air.
    “ Bienvenido a Miami ,” Damien said from her side.
    The Spanish from his lips only made his voice that much more seductive, and she resisted the urge to look at his mouth.
    As they climbed down the steps, Karina couldn’t but help feel a twinge of excitement.
    “Let’s get in the car before we melt,” Damien said, and he let Tom and one of the bodyguards climb in the back before having Karina crawl into the middle row, where he slid in next to her.
    The air conditioned interior felt