“There’s so much,” he practically moaned. His eyes closed as he savored my energy, readying to take what should have been mine.
“You don’t mind sharing, do you?” His eyes had closed, but he cracked one open as he asked. Fixed his gaze on me. Waited for an answer.
In my mind, I wasn’t replying to him at all. I was making a statement. Telling him what I wished I could have every day for the past eight weeks.
“No, Mazzy,” I gritted out.
And he took.
He finished in seconds and left me dizzy. Aching. Empty.
Nobody said a word.
I balled my fingers into fists when what I wanted to do was stick them in my mouth. To take them down my throat and suck and try to find the comfort only Beck provided.Hishands gave me relief.Hisdesire dulled the gnaw of hunger. And I had nothing that compared.
The wraith tugged on his cummerbund, adjusting it to accommodate the ever-growing bulge in his gut. “It’s gonna be a good day, boys,” he crowed. “I’ve got a feeling.”
Quiet persisted as he walked down the hall, then descended the stairs with the bouncers in tow. Beside me, Elliot rubbed a gloved hand across his neck as Oz came over to investigate. The twins were engrossed in each other; Callum leaned against Colt’s shoulder, looking readier to return to bed than to start the workday.
In the pause, the bathroom door swung inward and Darby strode out, wearing a string bikini and a floppy straw sunhat.Fishing a towel from his tote, he wound it around his waist and secured it with a loose knot.
He didn’t need to say anything; the sight alone was enough to command the attention of everyone in the hall.
“Everybody, get your shit,” he said. “We’re going to the pool.”
Elliot groaned and shuffled toward his room, while Oz cracked a grin before darting off. The twins exchanged a quick high five, then slipped away. I stood there, baffled, because unless Darby had flooded the bathroom, there was no pool on the premises, and everyone knew we weren’t allowed to leave the club.
When I continued to linger, Darby came over with his tote pinned under one arm. “What’s eating you, Cherry?”
“We don’t have anywhere to swim.”
Darby smirked. “Wemay not have anywhere to swim, but Vaughn Ashford does.”
I recognized the name as one signed on the cards and flower deliveries that showed up at the club weekly. He was one of Darby’s sugar daddies, and a regular in VIP. I met him once, a handsome middle-aged Black man who’d boasted about owning the Crowndell Casino Hotel, which he had informed me was about a mile down the Strip.
“I have a standing invitation,” Darby continued. “And I’m bringing you boys along. Call it a morale booster.”
A smile found its way onto my lips. My ventures into the Dollhouse parking lot had left me wanting more. More freedom. More distance. More… fun. And I trusted Darby to provide.
“What should I wear?” I looked down at my leggings and tank top. “I don’t have?—”
“Stop right there.” Darby raised his hand. “You’ve got me, my extensive wardrobe, and my impeccable sense offashion. You have been blessed, child.” Grabbing me by the shoulders, he wheeled me toward his bedroom. “Let’s go try some things on.”
Ten minutes later, someone had knocked on Darby’s door three times, and I had lost myself in a pile of bikini tops and bottoms. I couldn’t imagine how the stretchy strings and triangles would cover my cock, which was the problem I arrived at while standing with my hand cupped over myself behind the privacy curtain Darby had hung.
“I don’t think it fits!” I called out.
There was no mirror, but I could feel well enough to know I was exposed. And uncomfortable. And wondering if I should have checked with Elliot or the twins instead for clothing options.
“Nonsense,” Darby replied. “They’re super adjustable. Elastic is the closest humans have come to real magic. Let me have a look.”
My face burned as I stepped into view, still shielding my genitals.
Darby rose from his seat on the bed. He wore no more than me, but he made it look flawless. Everything was smooth and taut over his rich brown skin, and he moved like he owned his body. Maybe that was my issue, because I’d been told from the start that the wraith owned me. Mind, soul,andbody.
“It’s criminal how hot you are,” Darby said, and my cheeks flamed again. “If I didn’t like you, I’d hate you on principle.” He lifted one of the strings running over my shoulder and snapped it against my collarbone. “And you should keep the suit. We both know green is your color.”
He walked around me, examining everything on display and my shy, unmoving hands.
