The Cunning (18+)

45

A sea of heads swam around at the bottom of the stairs. Madison stood on the landing, staring down at the daunting amount of people. Any other time, the bra and vest Janine had picked out for her would have made Madison self-conscious, leading to her spending the night with her arms across her chest. This wasn't the case this evening. The determination to survive was resuscitated, camping in the cleavage of her breasts. Jase was leaning on the small table by the coat hooks opposite the stairs, a tumbler glass full of golden liquid in his hand. He was talking to a man Madison only vaguely recognised.

Lifting her chin, a wave of confidence rushed through her. This was not an environment for the weak to thrive in, and she would be in her grave before she was considered weak. Daddy raised a soldier, not a little bitch.

Jase's friend caught a glimpse of her when she was halfway down the stairs and Jase's eyes followed. His attention started at her chest. Refraining from rolling her eyes, Madison stopped half a foot in front of the men and folded her arms. Her goal was no longer to outsmart Jase directly, it was a tactic she didn't have the time to execute effectively. The strategy had been simplified. She was going to seduce him, by giving him everything he asked for and then some.

"Nice enough for you?" she questioned, a measured clip in her attitude. Jase raised his glass to his curved lips, with his other hand he tugged Madison closer by the sleeves around her waist. The yank caught her off guard. She wobbled on the heels, instinctively putting her hands up to break the fall, planting them on Jase's chest. He was solid beneath her fingers, reminding her how much stronger he was, and how much damage he could do if she fucked up. But she was testing his mental capacity, not his physical strength.

"Kieran, you haven't met Madison yet, have you?" he said, his eyes locked on her. "She's a special request." Madison swallowed her pride, willing herself to remain calm. His knuckles grazed the sliver of skin above her belt buckle. His cologne overpowered the liquor on his lips, those smoky notes that accompanied him at parties, and it seemed he had found somewhere to catch up on sleep because the bloodshot eyes were no more. He was switched on this evening, with no tell-tale signs that he'd been caning coke for the past 72 hours.

She pushed away from him, taking a step back.

Jase smiled devilishly. "She's a pain in my arse but look at this little money maker." He cupped her chin. It was an attempt to belittle her, let her know exactly what kind of mood he was in and where she stood with it. Madison thought of everything Janine had said and played along.

"Bite me," she purred with only a hint of sharpness. There was a visible glimmer in Jase's eyes, a twitch at her response. The most minute of silent confessions that once again, Janine was right. Jase got his kicks from Madison being unapologetically Madison. If she didn't know any better, she would even say he liked it.

The tip of his tongue flicked out, moistening his lips as he leaned in, hot breath tickling her ear, "I would love to." He let his hand fall from her face, relishing in her glare. Madison, finding it hard to play pet sober, reached behind him, picking up the half-full bottle of Courvoisier before turning on her heel. Her heart was going to burst through her ribcage, she was sure of it. It was one thing being defiant in the privacy of the bedroom, it was ludicrous to do so in front of someone. Yet, beneath all the fear, there was exhilaration. It was no longer him being nice because she hadn't thrown him under the bus. They were aware of one another's capabilities, and that made things a lot more interesting.

It made sense to her now why people committed crimes and played with fire even when they knew the consequences. There was something unquenchable about pushing boundaries. She felt alive. And dangerous.

Jase and Kieran watched as she sashayed into the living room.

"Since when the fuck did you let the girls talk to you like that?" Kieran asked. The exchange baffled him. Kieran held his breath when Janine spoke without being spoken to, the thirty-second encounter with Madison had almost made him pass out. Jase chuckled, taking a sip of brandy.