Page 523 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

“Shh, baby…” His hands massage the insides of my thighs as they lie open, limp, my pussy raw, and he licks soft through my slit, open-mouthed, lazy…

His soft, thick hair between my fingers.

He kisses me there after.

Then the dream dips in and out again⁠—

the silhouette of him dressing in the dark, his shoulders cutting through shadows, his damp hair from the shower, his tight stomach before he tucks his shirt, the click of his watch.

He leaves the room…

Leaves.

He’s left me.

Then the mattress dips.

He’s come back.

Crawls over me.

His soft kiss lays on my temple,

lingers right there as he murmurs,

“Takin’ your heart with me today.

“Keepin’ it safe. Just in case.”

In case of what? I should ask.

But I hum and say “Okay.”

I sink back into sleep with his kiss haunting my temple, his voice ghosting through my hair, the cold curling up where his body used to be.

Just in case.

Just in case.

Then I’m dreaming of him.

// DEC 31, 9:22 PM - THE ROOFTOP AT EROS HALL - DUMBO, BROOKLYN //

A matte-black Escalade purrs to a stop outside a nameless, brick industrial building.

Outside the truck’s windows, the neighborhood of DUMBO is alive, high-end crowds heading to midnight countdowns.

It’s three hours until midnight, New Year’s Eve. And right now, my life is close to being obnoxiously perfect.

Which means something horrible is about to happen tonight.

Paranoia’s clawing at my bones. That giant glass ball shivering on its track in Times Square, waiting to plummet? Yeah, the same thing’s going on in my stomach—a sickening wave of dread.

Andrew steps out of the truck first, then reaches back to grab my hand, helping me slide off the leather seat. His eyes drag up my body⁠—

my black knee-high leather boots,

my black velvet micro dress,