“Come for me,” I urge him, my voice barely above a whisper. “Let me see what I do to you.”
His breathing grows ragged, his hands gripping my shoulders. I can tell he’s fighting to stay quiet, to maintain some semblance of control. I want none of that.
“That’s it,” I tell him, looking up into his mask as I work his cock in my hand. “I want to hear you.”
That seems to break something in him. His hips buck forward, his breath catching on a whimper that turns into a guttural groan as he comes, spilling over my hand and onto the floor between us. The sound, so vulnerable, so raw, sends a thrill through me unlike anything I’ve ever felt.
I stroke, gentling my touch as he shudders with aftershocks. When he finally stills, I step back, looking for something to clean my hand with, not caring about the floor. He pulls a handkerchief from his discarded jacket, offering it to me with a slightly sheepish smile.
“Always prepared,” I comment as I wipe my hand clean.
“Not for you,” he admits, tucking himself away and fixing his clothes. “You keep surprising me.”
I smooth down my dress, suddenly aware of the passage of time. “My friends will be coming to check on me soon. Will I see you again?” I ask, hating how exposed the question makes me feel.
He pauses, buttoning his shirt, looking at me with an intensity I can feel even through the mask. “You know you will.”
“And if I asked you to stay away?”
“Then I would,” he says simply. “Whatever you want, Lila.”
I laugh, the sound sharp and disbelieving. “You’ve been watching me for months without my permission.”
“Yes,” he acknowledges. “And I’ll apologize for that every day if you want me to. But from here, from this moment, it’s your decision. I can disappear from your life tonight if that’s what you truly want.”
The thought makes my chest tight, panic fluttering beneath my ribs. I shake my head. “No. That’s not what I want.”
Relief flashes across his face, visible even with half of it covered. “Good.”
We stand there looking at each other, the air between us charged with something I can’t quite name. Then there’s a knock at the door, and the moment breaks.
“Lila?” Valerie’s voice calls. “You okay in there?”
“I’m fine,” I call back, not taking my eyes off him. “Be right out.”
He steps closer, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head. “Go. Be with your friends. Enjoy the rest ofyour night.” Then he leans down, picking my panties up from the floor and shoving them in his pocket.
“And then?”
He smiles, the expression transforming his face even behind the mask. “And then we’ll see each other again. Soon.”
21
Anthony
Istep out ofthe VIP room into the pulsing hallway, my body still humming with electricity from Lila’s touch. Her taste lingers on my lips, sweet and intoxicating. I take a deep breath, steadying myself against the wall for a moment as the bass from the club pounds through my chest. What just happened in there was, it was pure instinct, pure need. And now that I’ve had a taste of her, I know I won’t be able to stop. I’m in too deep. Ruined, completely ruined for anyone else.
Behind me, I hear the door open again. Lila emerges with Valerie, their masks glittering under the dim hallway lights. Lila’s cheeks are flushed pink, her lips slightly swollen from our kisses. Our eyes lock briefly before she quickly looks away, but not before I catch the small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. It takes everything in me not to reach for her again.
Instead, I nod politely to Valerie, whose suspicious glare burns through her red mask. She doesn’t trust me. Why should she?
“We should get back to Mia,” Valerie says to Lila, her voice cool but not hostile. She’s being careful, measuring her response because she saw something in Lila’s face that told her to tread lightly. I’m grateful for that, at least.
“Yeah,” Lila responds, her voice a little breathless. “Let’s go.”
I wait until they’re a few steps ahead before following them down the stairs. I need distance, not for my sake, but for hers. The club is packed, bodies pressed together in a writhing mass under flashing lights. I hang back, watching as Lila and Valerie weave through the crowd toward Mia, who stands near one of the bars with an expression of anxious curiosity.
Lila leans in to say something to Mia, who immediately looks up, scanning the crowd until her eyes land on me. For a moment, I think I’ve miscalculated, that Lila has told them everything and now they’re plotting my demise. But then I see the shift in Mia’s expression, the slight widening of her eyes as they fix on my mask.
