His Wicked Games (His Wicked Games #1) by Ember Casey

My only consolation is that there's
only one way back, so it's unlikely I'll get too lost.
    As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I begin to
notice other details. At regular intervals along the walls, for
example, I start spotting small, nondescript door handles. Some
have even been brushed with pale paint, making them easier to spot
among the shadows. I stop at one and give it a wiggle. The door
creaks open, revealing the dark room beyond.
    Part of me wants to venture out into the
room, but another part feels weird poking around without Calder. I
step back into the passage and pull the door closed behind me. I
tell myself I should turn around and go back to my bedroom, but
something drives me onward. I want to see where this secret
corridor leads.
    It’s only a few minutes later that I discover
the first set of spy holes.
    At first, I think I'm imagining things, but
it's hard to miss the slivers of light that fall across my path.
There's a pair of narrow slits in the wall, right at eye level, and
they’re too perfectly round to be cracks. I step closer and look
through them. On the other side, I can see a long, dimly lit
hallway. It appears to be empty.
    Were these passages really just to hide the
servants? Geez, I feel like I'm suddenly in the middle of a murder
mystery or something. Is someone suddenly going to spring from the
shadows and bop me over the head with a candlestick?
    I continue along the passage, but now I'm on
the lookout for more spy holes. They're harder to spot when they're
looking onto a dark room, but I find a set that offers me a view of
an unlit office, then a couple of pairs revealing bedrooms. There's
not much to see, really, but still the entire thing feels
deliciously wicked. I can only imagine a couple of reasons for why
people would want spy holes looking into bedrooms.
    And that's when I find Calder's room.
    His lights are still on, so I spot the holes
long before I even hear the hum of the television or his own
movements around the room. I know it's wrong, but I can't resist
taking a peek. My heart thumps in my ears as I press my hands
against the wall and bring my eyes to the small openings in the
paneling.
    I'm struck immediately by the sleek modernity
of his room. The walls are a pale steely blue, the furniture sleek
and black. The flat screen television mounted on the far wall is
flashing the local news.
    Calder moves across the room, a towel around
his waist.
    Damn.
    His dark hair is wet, and it curls
deliciously against his neck. I try not to ogle his bare chest, but
it's hard to ignore. He's pure muscle, from his broad shoulders to
his chiseled waist. I've seen pictures in the tabloids, of course,
but a grainy photograph is nothing compared to Calder in the
flesh.
    And just a couple of hours ago, he hinted
he wanted to take you to bed , I remind myself. I could be in
there with him right now, if I wanted, with my fingers running
across those smooth muscles. I could—
    I jerk back from the spy holes. What am I
even thinking? I hate this guy. Okay, so he’s moderately
attractive. I've already acknowledged that to myself. But I made
the right decision. I don't regret turning him down.
    Still, I can't keep myself from moving my
eyes to the spy holes again, nor can I ignore the heat that rushes
up my neck.
    He's a selfish bastard , I remind
myself.
    He turns, and I have a clear view of his
perfectly sculpted back.
    Damn . I'm in trouble.
    He wanders over to a cabinet at the side of
the room and pulls out a bottle of amber liquid. I watch his every
movement, breathless, as he pours himself a glass. He takes it down
in one swig and slams the glass down against the table. Then he
lets out a long sigh and runs his hand through his hair. My own
fingers tingle as I imagine wrapping them around those dark, wet
strands, then sliding down his—
    NO . What the hell am I doing? I have
more self-control than this.
    But I’m drawn back to the spy holes like a
magnet. Try as I might to deny it, I can no