Chapter 4
Willow
Isit in the Beckford U library on Monday afternoon trying to focus on my music assignment, but all I can think about is my night with my masked man at Euphoria three weeks ago. My body still shivers at his whispered promise, “I’ll wait for you.”
“Hey.” Leni pulls me from my thoughts as she drops her books onto the table and takes the seat next to me. “Why are your cheeks so flushed?”
“They’re not,” I say, ducking my head.
She smirks. “Are you thinking about a certain sexy phantom?”
I shake my head, desperately needing to change the subject. “Have you heard from your mystery man?”
Leni pouts. “No.”
“Aww, I’m sorry.”
She waves off my apology. “It’s his loss. Plenty more dicks in the sea.”
A commotion at the front desk drags my gaze up to where my stepbrother and his arrogant jock mates have walked in with their gang of groupie skanks flanking them.
I scowl as the librarian smiles and shakes her head indulgently at them instead of telling them off.
Never mind the fact that everyone in here is trying to study for upcoming exams, those arseholes have free rein of the school and can do whatever they want.
I slam my book shut, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose.
“Ugh! I came here to get away from the jerk. It’s so nice when he has away games and I get a reprieve from the silent treatment at home.
Do you have any idea what it’s like to be treated like an invisible ghost in your own home?
I can’t wait to graduate in a couple of months and finally get away from him and his father. ”
“Just ignore him, babe,” Leni says, squeezing my arm. “Don’t give him the power.”
Easier said than done.
My infuriatingly good-looking stepbrother has this aura about him that just drags everyone into his orbit, whether they’re willing or not.
I can’t control my quickening pulse as his group draws closer, but his eyes don’t even sweep over me when they pass right by the table.
Luca doesn’t even pause or look back when his best friend stops and winks at mine.
“Red,” Theo Walters nods his head at Leni. “You ready to let me show you a good time?”
She rolls her eyes. “Dream on, arsehole. I’m not interested in STDs, thank you very much.”
He clutches his chest. “Ouch, you wound me.”
“I’m sure you’ll live.”
“Aww, come on, Leni. We all know how much you gag for cock.”
“Fuck off, Theo,” I snap.
Theo smirks and blows her a kiss before hurrying off to catch up with the rest of my stepbrother’s minions.
“Forget about him,” I tell Leni. “He’s an arsehole.”
She shoots me a fake smile, but I can see the pain in her eyes. “Whatever. This is why I don’t bother slumming it with the stupid, immature Beckford U boys. I need a real man to satisfy me.”
“Like a certain mystery man?” I tease with a small laugh.
“Exactly.” She narrows her eyes at me. “Now, don’t change the subject. Tell me more about this ‘fine’ night you had with the Phantom.”
My face heats, but I don’t call her out for changing the subject. I know how much reminders of Dylan hurt her. “There’s nothing to tell. I don’t think I’m going to see him again.”
Leni’s eyes widen. “Why? What did he do? Are you okay?”
We both knew the dangers of being taken advantage of in a sex club, but we were reassured by the amount of security and the fact that Leni’s cousin owned the club, that we would be safe.
“Nothing,” I say with a sigh, packing my books into my bag. “I think it’s run its course, that’s all.”
She purses her lips. “Are you sure he didn’t—”
I put my hand up to stop her. “Promise. He did nothing wrong. I just think I need to take a break from the club this month.”
“A break?” She doesn’t look convinced. “Girl, you finally found someone who’s into the same kink as you and you’re going to take a break? If he hurt you, we can tell Jeremy and get him kicked out.”
I shake my head as I stand and swing my bag over my shoulder. “He didn’t hurt me. Can we please drop it for now?”
“Fine,” Leni says with a huff, following me out of the library. “But you don’t have to decide right now. We still have a week before you need to make any drastic decisions.”
“Do you want to come over?” I ask, changing the subject. “Luca has training this afternoon, so he won’t be home for a couple of hours. We can binge Milo ice cream and true crime docos.”
“As tempting as that is,” she says as she falls into step beside me. “I have to pick up my sisters from dance practice. Raincheck?”
“Sure, later.” I give her a quick hug before I turn and head home.
As I walk, I let my mind wander back to the night I met my phantom at the club, standing in the voyeur hall.
“It’s so … powerful,” a low, husky voice says near my ear, setting every nerve in my body alight.
I swallow around the lump in my throat before shifting my gaze from the scene in front of me to the literal god standing next to me.
I actually have to crane my neck to take in his full, broad shoulders and the maroon and silver phantom mask that covers half of his face.
Beckford U’s school colours … Interesting.
He’s tall, towering well above my five-foot-four frame.
His eyes never move from the window, watching as the dominatrix inside whips her submissive with a riding crop. “Pleasure and pain is such a turn-on, no?”
Only if I’m the one inflicting the pain, I think, but I don’t voice it out loud.
Instead, I turn back to the scene in front of me.
The large and very naked burly man covered in tattoos remains on his knees, his huge, veiny cock jutting out in front of him and leaking precum as he counts the petite woman’s whips.
My mouth waters as I imagine what it would be like having a giant on his knees in front of me.
We both watch on in silence as the man grunts out, “Ten.” After the final lash against his skin, the tiny brunette runs the tip of her finger over his glistening crown, gathering his moisture before sucking it into her mouth.
I bite down on my bottom lip, suppress a moan, and clench my thighs, but the friction does nothing to relieve the throbbing in my core.
“Would you be interested in perhaps getting a room?”
My cheeks heat as my eyes snap up to meet the intense golden gaze of the mysterious phantom next to me. “M-me?” I somehow squeak out.
“Yes, you, Angel,” he says with a low chuckle.
He steps in behind me, cupping my chin between his thumb and forefinger as he directs my gaze back to where the woman is now sitting on a throne-like chair in front of the man, his head buried between her thighs.
“I have to say, this little show has excited me.” He rubs his erection against my arse and leans down to murmur in my ear.
“I’d be interested in seeing what kind of pleasure and pain a little poppet like you might be able to inflict on me. What do you say?”
I shiver from his warm breath brushing over my flushed skin.
With his hands still on my chin, I can’t tear my gaze away from the look of gratification on the woman’s face as she’s devoured by the man in front of her.
The thought of losing the opportunity to explore my sexual fantasies with this guy chases all of my nerves away.
I straighten my spine and turn to face him.
“Okay, pet,” I say in a steady tone as I press my body against his.
“Let’s get this room and see if you can be a good boy for your new mistress, hmm?
” The impressive bulge in his pants hardens further against my stomach and I smirk up at him.
“Let’s see just how much pain it takes to bring you pleasure. ”
My cheeks flush as I let myself into the house.
Thankfully, no one is home, and I head to the kitchen for a tub of Milo ice cream and a spoon. Armed with my ultimate comfort food, I settle onto the couch in the media room upstairs, and flick through to the latest true crime doco that I’ve been watching.
“I’ll wait for you.”
Fuck. I can’t get the memories of my phantom off my mind. The way he submits to me. The eager look on his face as he waits to see what method of pain I’m going to inflict on him next. The animalistic way his body takes over when I give him permission to finally ravish my body.
We’ll lose all of that the moment we discover each other’s true identities. There’s no way we can ever meet up outside of the club. Once a month is all we’re destined to have with one another. It’s all it can ever be.
One week later, I sit sandwiched between Leni and my mother in the bleachers of Beckford U. Luca is playing in a match against our rivals, Blue Haven University, and my mother blackmailed me into coming along.
“If you want us to support you financially when you leave for Los Angeles next year, you’ll come along and support your brother’s game,” she told me when she came into my bedroom earlier this evening.
Thankfully, Leni agreed to join us and save me from an insufferable night with Mum and George, but in return I had to promise to go to the club with her afterwards.
Turns out I have no control in my life whatsoever, but I can’t hold her blackmail against her, as I know it’s difficult for her to sit through the game with her arsehole ex-boyfriend playing for the opposition.
The crowd cheers as our team runs out onto the pitch, led by Luca wearing number thirteen.
Even from here, I can see the rippling muscles that fill out his shirt.
He exudes power as his teammate passes him a ball and he deftly juggles it—once, twice, three times—before he flicks it into the air and sends it soaring into the net. Show off.