The way he says that sends a shiver down my spine.
"You still have the advantage," I say.
He considers this for a moment, and I can't help but notice the way his pulse beats in his throat. He's thrilled by our little game, and the knowledge of this sends an echoing response through my own body.
"How about this," he says. "I'll give you a ten minute head start. After that, we'll set a definitive time limit—say, an hour. You said yourself that it will probably take thirty minutes to walk from one side of this place to the other. I may have a more thorough knowledge of this house than you do, but I certainly can't search every room in an hour. That should make things even."
It's a start, at least.
"Who will keep the time?" I ask.
"We'll set the alarms on our phones." He whips his phone out of his pocket and pulls up the clock function. I fish my own cell out of my bag of muddy clothes and follow his lead.
But when I look at him again, he’s frowning.
“I didn’t realize what time it was,” he says. He glances up. “I’m sorry, Lily, but I have to make a few calls.”
“Oh. Okay.” I tell myself the little dip in my belly isn’t disappointment.
He raises his hand to my cheek.
“After that,” he says, brushing his thumb across my lips, “then you bet your sweet little ass that I mean to hunt you down and claim my prize.”
“Your prize?”
"We did say double or nothing," he says, a dark gleam in his eye. “I think it's only fair with stakes this high that I get something for catching you."
I’m almost afraid to ask the question. "What do you want?"
He leans toward me, and for a breathless moment I think he's going to kiss me, but he stops just shy of my lips.
"If I win," he murmurs, "then you're mine. All night."
My heart stutters in my chest. "Yours?"
"At my mercy," he breathes. He runs a single finger down my neck.
"Should I be afraid?" I ask him.
An eager smile stretches across his lips. "Very."
Before I can respond, he steps away from me.
“Meet me back here in two hours,” he says. “I’ll have Martin send some lunch up to you.”
I can only nod as he walks away.
* * *
At the designated time, I return to the foyer. I wish I could say I spent our hour apart doing something productive, but all I managed to do was change into dry clothes—jeans and a tank top, which seem a little more practical for hide and seek than another sundress—and fret about our impending game. Even now, I’m not sure I should have agreed to this. There’s still time to back out, to run back to my room and lock the door and end this madness before it begins.
But refusing to play means giving up on the Center—or so I tell myself.
I stand against the wall as I wait. Calder is late. I wonder a little about the business that took him away so urgently, but maybe it’s better that I don’t know. I suspect anything I learn about the way he handles his affairs will only make me angry, and right now I want to forget how much I hate him.
I glance down at my phone. It’s ten minutes past the time we were supposed to meet. What if he changed his mind? What if he decided this was a stupid idea after all?
The message icon is flashing in the corner of my phone’s screen. Garrett called again about an hour ago, and this time he left a voicemail. I considered calling him and reminding him to consult my dad with any questions or concerns, but I’m afraid that even that much of a response will only encourage him. I knew I was opening a big fat can of worms when I dialed his number, but I won’t fall into the trap of allowing open communication between us again.
“Is something wrong?”
I nearly drop my phone at the sound of Calder’s voice. He’s managed to sneak up on me while I’m standing here fretting about Garrett.
“I’m fine,” I say, smiling up at him. No need to bother him over my crazy ex. “But you’re late.”
“A terrible crime.” He takes my hand and brings it up to his lips. “Tell me, how do you plan on punishing me?”
I disentangle myself before he gets me too worked up. I have a game to win.
“We can worry about punishment later,” I say. “Right now, we have more important business.”
His eyes darken. “Indeed.”
I look down at my phone. “We should go ahead and set our alarms for an hour from now.”
He pulls out his own cell and follows suit.
“Set another for ten minutes from now,” he says. “So you’ll know when your head start is up.”
“Just to be clear,” I say, determined to avoid any miscommunication this time around, “the game is over when the final alarm goes off, or when you catch me. Whichever happens first.”
He nods. “Correct.”
“I think we should define what constitutes a capture,” I say. “It’s not enough to spot me across a room or a hallway right before the alarm goes off.”
He smiles. “You mean that I’m required to have you in my possession.”
The way he says that final word sends a tiny thrill through me.
“You at least have to touch me,” I say.
“I’ll touch you any way you like,” he says, a gleam of amusement in his eye. “But yes, I think it’s a fair rule.”
I nod. That’s settled, at least.
“Anything else we should go over?” I ask. “Anywhere in the house that’s off limits?”
“I know better than to answer that,” he says, “or you’ll head straight there.” He glances down at his phone, then back at me. “And I’m willing to discuss whatever else you want, but I think it’s only fair to point out that your ten minutes are ticking away very quickly.”
Shit. I twist away from him, but not before catching the devilish anticipation that sweeps across his face. The asshole thinks he’s won already.
I run to the nearest door. I have no idea where it leads, but there isn’t time to stop and consider. This is my final shot to win back our money. I need to win.
“Don’t worry,” he calls after me. “You’ll enjoy the night I have planned for you.”
That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I have seven minutes left and absolutely no plan.
This house is huge, and Calder's tour did little more than make it clear that it would take me a year to learn my way around this place. I have no idea where I'm going, let alone where I might find a suitable place to hide.