Page 15
Worthless.
He’s always treated me this way; I was just foolish enough to think he would change.
The thought is like a gut punch straight to my abdomen. I take a deep breath and sit down on the vintage couch in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Are you hurt?” White Mask asks. Before I have a chance to say anything, he rushes over to me and gets down on one knee. Taking off his gloves, he lets his hands rove my body respectfully, searching for any sign of injury. I should stop him, but the roughness of his calloused skin on my collarbones feels so good.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
He doesn’t say anything for a moment, and I have a feeling he’s trying to make something up.
When he finally answers, his voice is husky. “Gavin.”
“Gavin,” I whisper, enjoying the way his name sounds on my tongue. He must like it, too, because he closes his eyes and groans.
I watch him silently as he runs his hands down my arms to my exposed thighs. He hesitates, but when he locks eyes with me, I nod. Then I lean back and continue watching him as he caresses my thighs.
His fingers skate over my heated skin, raising goosebumps in their wake. My core warms deliciously as liquid heat gathers between my legs. I try to squeeze them shut out of embarrassment, but he pushes them apart, this time farther than they were before.
“Don’t hide from me, little one,” he says darkly. It almost sounds like a warning, one I’m more than willing to heed. “Let me see all of you.”
“Okay,” I say breathlessly, nodding.
Gavin brings both hands up to the insides of my thighs, massaging the sensitive skin there. My clit throbs with the need for a release and I swear I could cry from how good this feels.
I can’t remember the last time Jamal and I had sex. Now that I think about it, we haven’t been very intimate with each other since we started dating. It never really bothered me too much, but there would be times when I just wanted to be close to him and he’d push me away claiming exhaustion or that he simply wasn’t in the mood. Which was fine, and I never pressured him or made him feel bad about it, but after the revelations tonight has brought to light, every aspect of our relationship all makes so much more sense.
“Stop thinking about him, Aliyah,” Gavin says sternly.
I clear my throat and run a hand tiredly over my face. “How did you know what I was thinking about?”
“Because the look on your face right now is the same one you had down in the foyer when he and that bitch went off without you.” His voice has a murderous undertone to it that makes something in my stomach flutter.
“What kind of look?”
“Sadness. Longing.”
My finger toys with a string at the hem of my dress. “You’re very observant.”
Gavin’s hands roam higher up my thighs, teasing and torturing me at the same time.
“I’ve noticed everything about you since you walked in here.”
“Hm.” I chew on my bottom lip thoughtfully. “What else have you noticed about me?”
He leans in so close that the tip of his mask’s nose grazes mine. Even though he’s on his knees, he still towers over me.
“You’re sad, whether it’s from Jamal’s treatment of you or something else, but I can see it in your eyes.” He brushes his thumb softly across the bruise on my cheek. “And those friends of yours? They were so quick to leave you alone, but you still tried to find a way for all of you to get out of here safely. You’re soft and kind, Aliyah. You have a big heart and the people closest to you treat you horribly. You don’t deserve that.”
His statement floors me.
“A man who pays attention is sexy,” I murmur, chest heaving as my breathing quickens.
His eyes are on my parted lips when he says, “My attention to you is more than just observation, little one.”
Gavin rests his forehead against mine as his hand disappears between us again. He groans as he strokes himself through his cloak.
This is insane. I can’t believe I’m letting things get this far between myself and a complete stranger.
