Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
MERRI
T rue to his word, Malice had left a laptop on my bed for me. The sleek, modern device felt completely out of place in a room that looked like it belonged in a museum or maybe a period piece like Bridgerton . Part of me wanted to flounce around in a fluffy dress and wig and say Let them eat cake , even if that was historically inaccurate.
I shook my head as my gaze wandered back over to the crackling fireplace and what I was pretty sure was an honest-to-God Degas. Like a real one, not a print. I had never been anywhere this sumptuous in my life. I was a little afraid I might break something irreplaceable. Even the bed was gilt and opulent. Four-poster, king-sized, and like sleeping on a fucking cloud. With the rain beating against the window and the wind howling, I had half a mind to burrow beneath these covers and stay here. Hell, I was pretty sure the apocalypse could take out everything but this island, and I’d be fine as long as I could stay on this bed.
A ping pulled me back to my laptop, the incoming notification alerting me that Andi was online and had sent me a message.
PrettyPenny:
Baby girl! Tell me your presence online means you’re all up and running again.
Oh, God, where to begin? And how much could I even share?
Merri-go-round:
Finally looks that way. It was touch and go there for a while.
PrettyPenny:
Was it the quake? I lost my internet connection for a hot fucking minute over here too.
Even though it was Andi, I decided to keep my response vague. Mostly because of the numerous warnings from Sin and Malice that I could not share any personal—or potentially personal—details while online. It wasn’t Andi I was worried about, but if people decided to go after her in an attempt to get to me, I didn’t want her to know anything that could put her at risk.
Merri-go-round:
It did a lot of damage to the place I was staying.
PrettyPenny:
Did you have to find somewhere else to stay?
Fuck.
Merri-go-round:
You could say that. I’m sort of doing the digital nomad thing for now.
I winced at the lie but figured if it kept us both safe, she’d ultimately understand and forgive me for it.
PrettyPenny:
You can always come stay with me if you need to. My couch is your couch.
Merri-go-round:
You’re sweet. I think I’m all set for now, but I will let you know if that changes.
PrettyPenny:
Still shacking up with the hot brute squad? I don’t blame you for choosing them over me. In times like these, it helps to have someone watching your back.
A wave of hunger made my vision blur, and I had to close my eyes against the accompanying dizzy spell.
Merri-go-round:
I hate to cut our chat short, but I need to get set up for my live.
PrettyPenny:
Can I make a suggestion?
Merri-go-round:
For my live? Sure.
It wasn’t unusual for Andi to offer advice on what kind of content I might want to consider for my site, but it had been a while since she’d offered.
PrettyPenny:
Check in on ShyGuy. I’ve seen the comments on your feed wondering about you and when you were coming back. He’s one of your regulars, right? It seems like he might really be missing out on the “girlfriend experience,” and I’d hate for you to lose the steady income stream if he has to find it somewhere else.
Guilt twisted in my gut. Cole probably thought I’d abandoned him. The rest of them were regulars on lots of profiles. They didn’t have strong attachments, just a strong urge to get off. Cole wanted the companionship his severe agoraphobia wouldn’t allow him to go out and find.
Merri-go-round:
I’ll send him a video message free of charge.
PrettyPenny:
Perfect. Exactly what I would have done. Ah, they grow up so fast.
Merri-go-round:
Thanks, Mom.
PrettyPenny:
I prefer Mommy, thank you.
Merri-go-round:
Of course you do, you skank.
PrettyPenny:
You know it! But also, is that any way to talk to your mother?!? Don’t make me ground you! Now go do your chores, or you can’t have any dessert. And by dessert, I mean your hot brute squad.
Why did my cheeks burn with embarrassment?
Merri-go-round:
It’s not even like that . . .
PrettyPenny:
Suuuuuuuure.
Rolling my eyes, I closed out of our chat and clicked on Cole’s username. He’d been so happy after I’d sent my last message and had resumed his regular check-ins, even though I hadn’t been able to reply to most of them.
Deciding that Andi was right and I needed to amp up the “girlfriend experience” a.k.a. making sure he felt valued and like this wasn’t just transactional, I rearranged myself on the bed. Instead of lying back on the pillows, I twisted my body around and laid on my stomach, giving my shirt a tug so my cleavage was practically spilling out of the soft gray V-neck. Then I fluffed up my hair so it looked like we’d just been rolling around the bed together. Checking my appearance in my webcam, I pinched my cheeks and bit my lower lip a little so I was flushed and pouty.
There we go.
One girlfriend coming up in three . . .
Two . . .
One.
“Hey, handsome. I’ve been missing my favorite guy, so I wanted to check in with you.” Did I make my voice a little breathless? Yes. Did I bat my lashes at the camera and amp up the sweet and tender expression on my face? You betcha. Could you see the tops of my nipples because my neckline was so low? Damn straight.
“Are you around for a chat? I’d love to hear how you’re doing. It’s been way too long, and I really miss your voice. Let me know when you can, okay, handsome?” I blew a kiss into the camera. “Hope to talk soon.”
I barely hit send before a reply came in. I laughed, mentally making a note to do something similar for 1N3V1T@BL3. I definitely owed my newest subscriber some personalized content.
ShyGuy25:
Yes.
ShyGuy25:
Hell yes.
ShyGuy25:
Always yes for you.
Merri-go-round:
Video?
ShyGuy25:
Is that even a question?
My smile was genuine as I sent him a video chat request. I wondered fleetingly if today would be the day he finally let me see him, but when the black screen appeared next to my video feed, my question was answered. One day. I was sure of it.
“You look so beautiful, Merri,” he said, his voice soft and earnest. “I was worried about you.”
“I’m sorry. It’s been...” I shook my head as I trailed off.
“I get it. Same here. I can’t believe that earthquake. Things are getting really intense out there.”
“Are you staying safe? Do you have everything you need?” I asked, suddenly worried about my little shut-in, locked away all by himself.
“Not gonna lie, knowing you care makes me feel good.”
“Of course I care. You’re special to me, Cole.”
“Am I?” The way he asked, like it meant the world to him to hear that, warmed my heart, but it also reminded me why I pulled away in the first place. Feelings were involved on his side, and I was not in a place where I could reciprocate them even if I wanted to. Even assuming the connection between us was genuine, Cole had no idea I was a succubus, and I had no intention of ever having a Jimmy 2.0.
“What’s that look on your face, Merri? Are you okay?” Concern laced Cole’s voice, which prompted me to take a glance at myself in the camera.
He was right. My expression had gone vacant. Fuck, I was hungry.
I got on my knees and pouted into the camera. “I just missed you. I miss what we share together. The way you make me feel.”
“God, I’ve missed you too. I’ve been out of my mind with worry that something terrible happened to you. Not knowing where you were, that you were safe, it was awful. I just wanted to take care of you.”
“That’s because you are a good man, Cole.”
I pulled my T-shirt over my head, wanting to redirect this conversation to something a lot sexier. I needed his mind—more specifically, his lust—in the game. If I didn’t feed soon, I would be right back where I was when Grim found me in the wine cellar.
“D-do you want me to request a session?”
“What?” I rasped, reaching behind my back and unhooking my bra.
“I’m not paying for this right now. Shouldn’t we?—”
“Consider this my gift to you. For being so good to me.”
My bra fell free, baring my breasts to the cool air in the room. Even with the fire burning in the hearth, this old home was drafty, and one glance outside told me the storm was still raging. Wind, rain, and now lightning flashing in the sky made this moment somehow even more intimate.
His soft hitched breath carried over the speakers of my computer and practically caressed my needy skin. “Fuck, baby. Touch yourself for me.”
Replicating the feeling, I trailed my fingers down my chest, eyes falling closed as I pretended they belonged to someone else. But when the image came to mind, it wasn’t Cole I was thinking of. It was Sin. Maybe that’s because I didn’t know what Cole looked like. Or maybe it was because I’d just learned that Sin had tricked me, and we’d been in a very similar situation to this one with explosively satisfying results.
It was because I was hungry and needed relief.
That was all it was.
It definitely wasn’t because I was already addicted to one of the four men sharing this castle with me.
One. Ha.
I was such a fucking liar.
A thin tendril of lust curled through the room, all of it coming from Cole, but it wasn’t enough by a long shot.
“Are you touching yourself, Cole? Make yourself feel good. Please? I need it.”
“Merri,” he whispered, his voice laced with desire.
Another little shiver of his lust raced across my skin, but it only seemed to ramp up my appetite. I was pretty sure this was what it felt like to be starving in a restaurant but stuck waiting for your table. I could smell how delicious and satisfying the meal was about to be, but I wasn’t actually able to eat any of it yet.
“Ungh.” His groan was drawn out and sexier than it had any right to be. “I bet you taste as sweet as you look, baby.”
I let my hand travel down between my thighs, knowing he’d need a little more inspiration to help him get there. This didn’t need to be a lengthy session; I just needed him to come.
“Oh, Cole. I’m so wet for you.”
He groaned again, his panted breaths coming closer together as he worked himself over. “Yeah, you are. Fuck. It’s been too long. I’m close.”
“How close?” I breathed, desperate to feed.
“Too close. Goddamn, baby. I’m . . .”
“Come on, Cole. Give it to me.”
“Yes, I’ll give y—” His pleasure-filled words cut off as a wall-rattling clap of thunder exploded overhead, and the power went out and with it, the Wi-Fi.
“No!” I shouted, slamming the laptop lid down. “Motherfucker!”
Malice had better fix this right fucking now. A girl could only take so much deprivation. I got to my feet and instantly regretted it as my head swam and the floor tilted.
“Merri?” Sin asked, pushing my door open and inviting himself inside just in time to watch my graceless fall to the floor. “Fuck!”
He scooped me into his lap, brushing my hair away from my face and looking down into my eyes.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” I asked, my voice weak as the starvation got the better of me.
He shrugged. “I was sort of holed up outside your door waiting to see if you’d have any leftovers.”
Of fucking course he had. I couldn’t even be mad at the guy. He needed to feed just as much as I did. Although he was not in nearly as bad of shape as I was.
“Come on, kitten. Let’s go find the others.”
A weak moan of protest was all I could manage.
“Power’s out, and you’re starving. It’s us or...”
There was no “or.” I wasn’t going to make it without feeding.
He ran a soothing hand down my spine. “It’ll be okay, kitten. We’re going to take care of you.”