Finally, we pull up to a house. It’sbeautiful. The house is hidden deep within the dense evergreen forest, on the outskirts of Hollowcrest. The house itself is nearly swallowed by the trees that enclose it. I’d describe it as a modern cabin, with angular, sharp edges and matte black wood siding. The windows are expansive, all floor-to-ceiling.
Van climbs out of the car as I’m unbuckling my seat belt. Before I can grab my handle, he opens my door. I fight the urge to roll my eyes straight to the back of my head. Now he wants to be a gentleman? He looks down at me and nods his head for me to get out. I have half a mind to remain sitting here. All of this tension has me feeling a biton edge.
I climb out, huff out a laugh, and take off walking toward the front door. I faintly hear a low chuckle as he follows behind. He quickly catches up to me, and I can feel his gaze burning into the side of my face. I don’t dare look his way.
“Oh, give it a rest, will you? The guy had a hard night.”The one with the halo, I presume.
“No, no. He needs someone who will challenge him. Keep it up,darling.”That’s the one with the pitchfork.
A wicked grin spreads across my face. Luckily for the latter, I suddenly feel like dancing with the devil.
23
Riven
I’m not sure why Sloane came back into the venue, but now we’re at my fuckinghouse. This is the last place I needed to bring her, yet here we are. Something shifted on the way here. At first, she seemed nervous and unsure, maybe even a little frustrated. Now, though, my little nightmare seems to have developed an attitude. What did I do to deserve it, I wonder? I don’t know whether I should be pissed off or turned on, honestly. Maybe she realizes that I’d hurt anyone who dares to touch her. Maybe it was my silence on the drive here. Either way, I’m fine with it. Bring it on, darling. Two can play, and Idolove a good game.
“Follow me,” I order, stepping in front of her to unlock and open my front door.
“Or what?” she teases back, a devilish grin appearing on her beautiful fucking face.
I chuckle. “You don’t want to find out.” I keep walking, not turning back to make sure she’s following. Somehow, I’m sure that she will. I hear her short steps picking up speed and can’t help the grin that forms beneath my mask.
“Wait! Your legs aresolong. Can you slow down?” she whines.
“No. I’m gonna need you to keep up, little nightmare,” I say back.
“Ugh. You stupid …” She mumbles something unintelligible under her breath that I don’t bother asking her to repeat.
“Where are we even goi—” I interrupt her by turning around and grabbing her wrist, pulling her into the room to my right. My office. I drag her over to a sofa and sit her down.
“What is your problem?!” she huffs out, looking down at her wrist. A faint blush spreads across her face. My girl seems to have a restraint kink. I recall seeing the same look when Professor Riven grabbed her wrist in the parking lot. The wrist cuff bracelets she’s always wearing are making a lot of sense now.Interesting. I make a mental note of that, in case I need it later.
“Mine? I don’t have one,” I say, taking a seat in a lounge chair across from her. I lean back and assume an unbothered posture. She lets out a sigh, and when I think she’s given up on the whole attitude thing, she stands up and starts sprinting toward the door.
What the fuck?
I sit stunned for a few seconds before standing and following after her. I don’t run, I don’t need to. Instead, I walk toward my front door, which she ran out of. Once I clear the door frame, I see her running toward the trees. Oh my, what fun this is going to be. She glances over her shoulder to see that I’m following, and I notice the fear in her eyes. I also noticesomethingelse. I choose this moment to tell that voice in my head that I’m notmyself right now. All of the blood rushes straight from my brain to my cock.Now, I run.
I catch up to Sloane in about thirty seconds as she’s running past one of the large redwood trees to her right. I grab her around the waist from behind, circling my arms around her. I lift her to start carrying her back to the house. I’m in the process of spinning her around and tossing her over my shoulder, but she keeps kicking her legs like an insolent child.
“Let me go!” she screams, spit flying from her mouth.
“Not a chance,” I say directly into her ear that’s closest to my mouth. She continues kicking and screaming, and I decide that I’ve had enough of her little tantrum. I put her down, and she goes to run. I expect as much, so I have both of her wrists in my hands behind her before she can make it more than two steps. I pull her hands together, walking forward until her chest is pressed up against a tree. I press myself into her back, bringing my mouth down to her left ear.
“Are you done?” I whisper. She’s breathing deeply. I watch as a constellation of goosebumps ripples across the bare skin of her upper back, exposing her desires.
“Y-yes,” she replies. I release her wrists and spin her around, pressing her back into the tree. My hands go to the tree bark on either side of her head, caging her in. She looks into my mask, eyes wild, chest moving up and down in sync with her rapid breathing. Her skin glistens with a sheen of sweat, and her eyes are alight with a fire that I’ve seen a time or two.
“Why did you come back in, Sloane?” I snarl.
“W-what?” she asks, breathless. Her eyes cut through my mask like it’s nothing, like she already knows what’s underneath. I don’t like how exposed I suddenly feel.
“Why did you come back into the venue?” I repeat, more specifically.
“Oh. I had to see you. After what happened, I …” She averts her gaze, looking toward the ground. My right hand seems to have taken on a mind of its own as it moves from the tree to her chin, tilting her face back up to mine.
“Look at me. Talk to me,” I say, without thought.
