7. Tristan
CHAPTER 7
TRISTAN
“ W e’re listening.”
She’s been watching us, observing our masks with a certain curiosity since she mentioned the proposal. She’s making us wait, or maybe she wants one of us to beg for it. Well, sweetheart, that’s not going to happen.
Aaron shifts in his seat, his body tensing every time I lean closer to her.
He wants her. Bad.
I knew he’d be drawn to her the moment I saw her.
This is too easy.
“Maybe I like making you wait,” she fires back, holding her ground.
She’s feisty, likely a brat too. She’d be my type if I had a type.
Taming brats is a specialty of mine. The harder they are, the greater the satisfaction when they break. When they finally beg for release.
“I don’t think Julian here,” Dominik emphasizes my chosen alias, glaring at me from behind his mask, “enjoys waiting all that much.”
He lifts the bottom of his mask to take a sip of his drink, securing it back in place just as I catch Selene’s eyes tracking the movement of his lips and throat.
Dom doesn’t even notice. He’s got it bad for someone else.
Poor fucker.
Any other man would turn predatory, perhaps feel a stab of jealousy. Not me. To me, this is all a game. Everything in life is. The thrill of friendly competition over one woman is a turn-on. I’ve shared before and enjoyed it. If Selene wants all of us, I’m open to exploring that. Aaron and Dom? That’s another story. Not sure if they’re into that type of teamwork.
“Time is money, and I don’t waste either,” I say. I would wink, but this mask conceals it—a disadvantage for someone who wields facial expressions like a weapon. Not to mention, breathing is a chore with this thing on.
Her gaze shifts from Dom back to me as I lean in, tracing the curve of her bare shoulder. She shudders, and I can’t help but smile. “But you’re worth the wait,” I murmur.
She smells divine, a mix of sweet honey.
Selene’s eyes drop as a slow breath escapes her lips. “I’m not so sure about that, Julian.”
With deliberate fingers, she reaches up and unfastens her glittering mask. The crystals whisper as they clink together when she sets it down on the table.
For a heartbeat, I’m distracted by her beauty until I notice her glancing around. I follow her gaze—the room is empty. The dancers have disappeared, the couches sit abandoned. The girl being devoured earlier? Gone.
Irrelevant.
The four of us are alone now.
Selene squares her shoulders, confidence radiating from her. “Let’s play truth or dare,” she suggests. “With a twist. If someone refuses a dare or a truth, they must complete a task agreed upon by the group.”
I like her.
She has depth I intend to explore.
“And if someone with more strength decides to refuse anyway?” Dominik, who’d seemed detached until now, finally chimes in.
“Then the consequences will be more severe,” she says, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Silence stretches between us, tension thick enough to taste.
If I had a superpower, it would be mind reading. I’d kill to slip into each of their thoughts right now. Then again, that would be a bore.
Aaron breaks the silence. “Will you go first, Selene? Since it was your idea?”
Before she can answer, I cut in. “No, I will.”
The thrill of taking control fuels me. To set the tone, I pull off my mask. The walls are secure, and I’m not afraid of her seeing my face. I rake a hand through my hair and take a drink. When I look back, Selene’s eyes are slightly hooded and her cheeks are pink.
“I was going to ask you to do that if you picked dare.”
I give her a crooked smile. “Consider it a freebie.”
Her lips part. “Truth or dare?”
“Truth.” I don’t blink.
“Have you ever shared a woman?”
“Yes.” No hesitation.
Selene arches a brow, but the game’s rules prevent further questioning. Her gaze shifts to Aaron, who clenches his fist on the table. She touches his hand, tracing patterns on his palm until he relents.
His chest heaves as her touch lingers.
“May I?” she asks, and he nods.
Selene rises, every move soaked in confidence as she drags out the tension. She slowly lifts his mask, taking in his face, eyes completely drinking him in.
Aaron’s a good looking guy, I don’t blame her for being a little stumped.
“Truth or dare?” She inhales.
“Dare,” he says, breath shallow.
A sly smile curves her lips. “I dare you to lean in and whisper your wildest fantasy to me.”
Aaron pauses for a second before leaning forward. I can’t see his lips move, but I watch Selene closely.
Her eyes widen, but she quickly hides her reaction with a composed smile. Whatever Aaron is whispering in her ear seems to be having a physical reaction on her. She grips the back of his head, running her fingers through his short hair. Selene pulls Aaron closer, while crossing her ankles and squeezing her thighs tightly.
I bet our little huntress is dripping.
When Aaron leans back, his expression is unreadable. Selene’s fingers grip the edge of the table as she takes in a deep breath. As if she doesn’t know how to handle herself right now.
That’s two out of three.
But she unknowingly saved the hardest for last.
When she collects herself, she faces Dom and approaches him as cautiously as she did Aaron. She reaches out to remove his mask but he grips her wrist, stopping her.
“Not yet.” He sounds cold, closed off.
"You're playing with fire," I whisper, my voice barely audible. She disregards my warning, showing no signs of concern even if his refusal to comply might be bothering her.
“Truth or dare?”
“Truth,” Dom answers.
Selene looks at him for what seems like forever, as if she’s trying to pick him apart, see into his soul through the mask. But little does she know that his shields run so much deeper.
“Tell me a dark secret.”
I know too much about Dominik, more than he’ll ever know. But I’m genuinely curious as to what he’ll say because he shouldn’t even be here tonight.
And he knows it.
Will he choose his past or let go and live in the moment?