The Devil's Game Read Online Free PDF

with red wine and took a large gulp.
    “From time to time. Truth is, I’m not home that often. How do you like the wine?” he asked.
    “It’s really good, actually,” she answered honestly and took another, slightly smaller drink.
    “It’s a Bordeaux blend,” he said, swirling his glass. “One of my favorites.”
    “Good choice.” Another sip.
    “Do you like the room?” he asked as he dug into the salad before him. “If there’s anything you’d like changed—”
    “It’s fine,” she said, taking a small bite. The appetite she’d had on the plane had disappeared again. “How did you know my size?” she asked suddenly.
    “I’m good at sizing people up,” he said, refilling her already almost empty glass.
    “But my shoe size—how could you possibly guess that?”
    “I saw your feet when I came to your apartment. Though I admit I wasn’t sure I had that one right. Have you tried any of them on?”
    “I’m wearing a pair now,” she said. “They’re a perfect fit.”
    “Good.”
    Karina drank from her glass again, finally feeling the warmth start to spread through her.
    “Are you not hungry?” Damien asked.
    “I have a confession to make.”
    “Yes?”
    “I find this all unnerving,” she said.
    “I don’t blame you.”
    “Do you do this often?” she asked, feeling more brazen.
    “You’re the first,” he said quietly.
    She was about to ask why her, but a woman walked into the dining room carrying a tray. She took the salad plates and replaced them with dinner plates of salmon and colorful veggies. Karina went to take another drink only to find that her glass was mysteriously empty already. She waited a moment to see if Damien would refill it again, finally deciding to refill it herself when he didn’t.
    “You should really try this salmon,” he said, gesturing to her untouched dinner. “It’s Alaskan salmon. So much more flavor than the stuff from our ocean.”
    Karina forced a bite down. It did taste better than any fish she’d ever had, but she just couldn’t stomach it right now, so she reached for the wine glass again only to have Damien stop her by placing his hand over the top of it.
    “You might want to slow down,” he said.
    “I’m fine,” she said, pulling the glass out from under his hand. Wine sloshed against the side but managed to stay in its container. He frowned but said nothing.
    Soon the dinner plates were taken away and a ramekin of dessert was placed before her.
    “It’s lava cake,” he said.
    She took a bite before pouring the last of the wine bottle into her glass.
    “Do you normally drink like this?” Damien asked in what sounded like a scolding tone.
    “You mean you don’t already know?” Karina was aware that her words were slightly slurred.
    “I told you—”
    “Yes, yes, I know. Only enough info to ‘help’ me.” She punctuated it by chugging the rest of the glass, and as she set down the glass, she knew she had overdone it.
    “Will you excuse me?” she asked as she stood and nearly fell over.
    Damien was on his feet in an instant, trying to help her.
    “I’ve got this,” she said. “Just give me a minute. Please.”
    Damien let go of her and Karina made her way to the stairs, focusing all her energy on staying upright. The journey to her room took entirely too long, and she barely made it to the toilet in time. It was nothing but red, and she vaguely wondered if she would notice if her insides came up with it, because by the time she was done, she felt hollow. She stood over the toilet a few more minutes, gripping the ceramic bowl, before remembering that Damien was still downstairs waiting for her. She just needed to clean up a bit first.
    The shower stall was right next to her, and Karina reached in shakily to turn the water on. Once it was warmed up, she stepped in. It wasn’t until she was in a ball on the floor that she realized she was still fully clothed. What had possessed her to drink that much wine, and so quickly?