“Three!”
A high-pitched squeal broke through the thumping of the music inside.
“Four!”
“Five! Run faster, kitty. I will punish you dearly if you make this too easy for me! I want a challenge. Make me work for my meal!”
Something about how he spoke, the way it dripped with control and possessive hunger, made me believe every word. His mask, black with a white skull over it, along with his basic black hoodie and dark jeans, didn’t give a single hint about him, certainly contributing to the ominousness.
My heels clicked as I ran, giving away every single step. I only had a minute to get as far as I could into this maze, away from Michael, enough to make the scene last.
I huffed and stopped briefly as he continued counting to take my shoes off, deciding to ditch them.
Before he reached thirty, I’d gotten far enough away that the walls muffled his voice. Without his counting, I quickly lost track of how long it had been. My brain was distracted, focused on the pounding of my heart and the slick heat between my thighs.
Had he reached sixty seconds?
Was he in the maze yet?
Would he run after me, or would he stalk me like a predator playing with its food?
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” his taunting voice called, sounding close yet far at the same time.
I couldn’t tell if he was talking or yelling. My ears were filled with the sound of rushing blood and deep breaths as I tucked myself into a corner for a break.
I should have taken up jogging before signing up for a primal play session.
My entire body jumped, my soul nearly leaving my body, when a loud bang sounded, as though Michael had slammed against a wall of the maze.
“I’m going to find you, Jess, and then I’m going to fuck you so hard, you’ll forget your own name. They’ll have to drag your limp body out of here because it’ll be so thoroughly wrecked. You’ll feel me for weeks. Every goddamn step you take will be a reminder of me.”
Holy motherfucking shit.
This was so much more than I bargained for. My body was convinced I was in danger, ready to panic or fight, maybe both. Thankfully, the thrill remained, reminding me this was what I wanted.
And Iwantedthis masked stranger to catch me, to fuck me.
Eventually.
I pushed off the wall, running and darting around corners, having no plan except to get as far away from him as possible.
Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared at the end of the long hall I’d been headed down. My heels dug into the ground. I stood, frozen, as I awaited his next move.
“Boo,” he said in a deep voice that seemed to vibrate the walls around us. The way he tilted his head at me was creepy and disturbing, especially since his mask covered everything, including his eyes. I had no idea what he looked like, what expression he wore when he chased down a screaming woman.
Amusement? Hunger? Danger?
His body jerked forward, and I took off in the other direction, rounding several corners to get far away from him.
The adrenaline coursing through my veins settled in the pit of my stomach, sending jolts of pleasure and anticipation between my thighs. When breathing became a struggle, I slowed down and backed myself against another wall, my hand coming up to rest on my chest.
I wanted him to catch me—Ireallydid—but I was also fucking terrified of the moment he did, and it only made the situation that much hotter to think about.
The way he’d handled me so roughly once he got ahold of me, use my body as a sex toy, claim my innocence, and shove his cock into any hole he wanted. The way I’d fight once he caught me, making him earn my submission—if I decided to give it to him.
I looked behind me, but the hall was empty. I moved forward, rounding another corner.
“There you are,” he growled when I bumped right into his chest.
