“Good.” I drop the serious tone as I stand, trying to lighten the mood. “Now, let’s celebrate.”
He smiles, a predatory glint in his eyes. Something about this partnership feels promising, different from the ones before. There’s a spark here—a sense that we’re about to step into something big. Something that will change everything.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this world, it’s that change is inevitable. I’ve embraced it, used it to work for me rather than against me.
CHAPTER 4
DOMINIK
Staring blankly at the screen, I scan the questions, torn between answering them and getting out of here. The nature of this establishment remains unclear, and I'm not sure I want to find out.
What the hell has Aaron gotten himself involved with?
I shouldn’t have come tonight. What was I thinking?
That’s just it. I wasn’t fucking thinking.
All I cared about was acting normal around my best friend and new roommate, making sure nothing felt off about me since the last time I saw Aaron.
When he found my mask and suggested we go out tonight, what was I supposed to say?
You could have told him you wanted a night in. That you were jet lagged. Wanted to catch up on sleep and prep for next week. You could have thought of something.
I could have.
But I also miss Aaron. Miss our wild nights together. He’s like a brother to me, and some part of me hates disappointing him. That’s why I’ve always catered to his needs and stayed away from his sister. Per his request.
Aaron has always been mysterious. We got into trouble when we were younger, and I knew he was involved in some devious activities, but maybe I don't know him at all. Perhaps he’s been hiding from me too, showing me a cleaner version of himself rather than who he truly is. Maybe some part of him is ashamed too.
Tonight could be the night we push past all the bullshit.
Maybe that’s why I didn’t think twice about following him out his apartment door.
But no part of me wants to engage in whatever is about to happen here.
I haven’t been with another woman since Zoe.
Since the night of the masquerade ball.
Boston happened long ago, but it feels like yesterday to me. It sounds crazy, but I can still feel her against my skin, taste her, wrap myself in the scent of her. I think about that night every day, replaying every detail, turning over every second just to relive it in my head.
Then the dreams began, and I became obsessed with finding something to force me into deep sleep just so I could see her again. To be with her.
She’s in every corner of my mind, a consuming presence that leaves no part of me untouched.
This need I have for her devours me day and night, an ache that refuses to be ignored.
Forgetting her is impossible. Escaping her? A losing game.
We’re forbidden, an intoxicating vision just beyond my reach, yet she’s all I ever think about.
Each moment I’m awake is simply a countdown to the next dream where she’ll return, where I can hold her, if only in the shadows of my mind.
In another world, we’d be here together, exploring those dark fantasies. I’d watch her shed her defenses and surrendercompletely, free and vulnerable with me. Maybe, in that place, we’re finding the happy ending we both deserve.
But in this reality, I’m just a ghost, haunted by her memory. We can’t be together, so I should try to forget, shouldn’t I? Now that I’m here, starting a new chapter and living with Aaron, it’s time to let go of Zoe for good. It’s time to move on and realize we’re never going to be together. I’m always going to be watching her from a distance, dreaming of a life that can never be. She has no idea it was me behind the masks that night, and she never will. That night is a part of her only I get to keep.
I pace the length of the room, my eyes drifting back to the questions on the screen. Each one is unmistakable, burned into my memory from past exploits. A more intrusive take on the standard BDSM questionnaire. Does everyone have to complete this test to get in? The thought gnaws at me, heightening my unease. What the fuck is this place?
