Even with Minnie submissive and in his control, Gage doesn’t lead the emotional dance between them. He waits a heartbeat behind each imaginary step she takes. When Minnie doesn’t make it clear where she intends for this to go, he breakscharacter for a split second, voice wavering in a hushed tone when he asks, “Minnie. What do you want me todo?”
She blinks up at that horrifying mask from her worst memory, momentarily pulled out of the scene. Gage doesn’t want to do anything that might trigger her, considering the sensitive situation they’ve maneuvered into. He’s looking out for her, even now.
He cares about you, even if he omitted this one ugly truth.
Throat tight, Minnie struggles to find the proper words to string together.
Gage slips back into his more domineering tone, saying persuasively, “You can speak now, pretty baby. I wanna hear your voice.”
Her jaw unlocks. “Y-yes, Sir.” She sounds so small, so weak. So fragile next to him, the way he’s always said she is.
Before she can decide if she feels the urge to flinch away from the mask, Gage leans down and nuzzles her throat. “Tell me, princess.”
Minnie shivers; the fabric of the mask brushes against her. It’s a maddening feeling to know that she once wore this mask herself, all those years ago in that cockroach-infested motel. She remembers how he put it backwards over her face, so she couldn’t see their identities.
Be brave, she tells herself.You know what you want him to do. You know what you planned.
“Take me to my bedroom,” she says with a nervous crack. Minnie leans back so that she can gaze at the Skull Mask, straining to see Gage’s eyes in those dark sockets. She runs a shaking hand down his masked face, feeling it. “I’ll be good for you there. I promise.”
He chokes on his own spit. “Yourbedr-”
Clearly, that was the last thing he was expecting from her.
When Minnie doesn’t give him an out, Gage splutters behind the mask, almost comical. He seems to be battling himself, probably thinking she’s absolutely demented for this mad plot. What, did he think they were going to sit down and have a therapy session? Minnie has paid for plenty of those; it’s time for somethingcrazy.
After a moment, Gage stills, resolutely becoming the ominous figure of her nightmares.
Then-
Slowly,painfully slow, the Skull Mask leans down and huffs in her ear, placing his big hands on her hips tightly. “Listen. Are you listening?”
She nods, a thrill sliding down her spine.
“You’re going to give me everything I want. Whatever I ask. You better not be lying about being a good girl. That would be disappointing. I’d hate to have to treat you like a bad girl. I like girls whobehave.”
Oh, God. She shivers, hearing him say those words. A trickle of wet seeps into her panties, and she clenches her thighs together. Seeing the clench of her thighs seems to snap something within Gage. Before Minnie can even think ofbreathing, he sweeps her off her feet, picking her up like a stolen princess, throwing her over his broad shoulder.
Minnie squawks in surprise; alright, she wasn’t expectingthatmove. He carries her in this fashion to her bedroom while she clutches at his back, feeling out of control once more. The world spins as he manages to set her on the bed, leaving her vulnerable to his dark gaze.
With deliberate movements, Gage shrugs off his leather jacket, leaving him in his black hoodie. He’s breathing heavier, shoulders heaving with each breath. It’s almost as though he’s struggling with himself. Minnie wonders if lust coils under hisflesh. When she glances at the crotch of his jeans, she sees the familiar strain there.
Her heart leaps, seeing his desire. Her tongue dips out to wet her lower lip. Her reality is a dark Wonderland; maybe she’s a crazy Alice, and he’s a menace from her past who’s come to make her belong to him again. He’s going to go so deep under her flesh that she will never be free of him-
-and she’s not sure that she wants to be.
Skull Mask runs a gloved hand over his erection, gripping it through his clothes aggressively. “Like what you see? It’s gonna be yours soon enough.”
Minnie swallows thickly, feeling saliva build in her mouth. The juxtaposition of wanting Gage and fearing what the mask represents pushes and pulls her in a darkly delicious way. Adrenaline marries hunger, fear hides within desire.
“How…how do you want me?” She sits on the edge of the bed, looking up at him with her glasses askew and her hair already mussed. She must look debauched to his gaze.
Skull Mask stares down at her, not a word from his hidden mouth. He’s taking it all in, and maybe he’s as off-kilter and unsure as Minnie is. “Your clothes can go,” he finally manages to say hoarsely. “Take your shirt off.Yeah. Like that.” His breathing grows ragged as Minnie hesitantly takes off her soft t-shirt, leaving her in the pretty bra she selected for his viewing. “You listen so well, baby.”
Her face heats, and Minnie can feel the way her nipples harden beneath the fabric of her bra. His voice and the way he praises her has her mind spinning.
“Keep going,” the Skull Mask utters, taking a step closer to the bed, standing between her spread thighs. “You think that’s all I want to see?”
His thinly veiled cockiness is soothing to hear; the better he feels about it, the better Minniefeels. While the whole reason forthis mad scheme is for her, it’s not as if she wants to torment him. Well, maybe he can be tormented a bit. He deserves that.
