Page 72 of Not Another Dark Romance

“And finally, I’d like to raise a glass to our other business partner and my best friend, Zane. None of this would be as cool without you. You’ve always had the only eye for design and marketing out of the three of us. Oh, and to Mason”—my heart stops because I surely was not expecting this—“thanks for making this asshole smile more than I’ve ever known him to. It’ll be good for business. Welcome to the family.”

He says the word so casually, as if it isn’t even a big deal. But it’s the first time someone has ever really said that to me. Family has never felt easy for me. The sense of belonging and total acceptance that I’ve read about in countless books felt just as foreign to me as my fantasies of falling in love with my own morally gray antihero. Except now I have Zane, so maybe I could have that too? My own found family after all these years of being mostly alone.

It came so easily too. All it took was one successful stalking attempt.

Sure, it’s a lot to hope for after one comment, especially since I barely know Grant, but he considers Zane to be a part of his family, and by extension me. I really hope he means it, and I hope I get to hang out with Zane’s friends more.

Everyone cheers and drinks, and I’m pretty sure my face is the same color as my hair right now. Zane leans down and whispers in my ear. “Told you they’d love you.”

“Shut up,” I murmur, but I’m grinning at the acceptance.

“Come on,” he grabs my hand as a dark smile takes over his face, and I eagerly follow him back to his car.

We start driving away from the city in silence. My excitement and nerves grow as anticipation builds inside of me as I wait to see where we end up. Zane somehow keeps his focus on the road, but he’s drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as though he’s impatient for us to get there too. When we pull up to a red light, he turns to face me. “Do you have your phone? Just in case we get separated or something happens.”

I nod. As much as I’m looking forward to what we’re about to do, I also appreciate that he’s always looking out for me and considering my safety. In the beginning, I was so overwhelmed and optimistic about the possibility of participating in my dark book fantasies that there was so much I hadn’t considered. I was also very lonely and clinging to the hope that everything would work out. It was way easier than accepting the reality of the danger I was in. Or maybe I just had a concussion, who knows.

Now though, I’ve come to realize the reason these fantasies of mine work so well for us is likely because it’s so easy to trust Zane when he continues to prove to me how much he actually cares. I can easily give in to the fear and excitement when I know deep down that he’ll keep me safe. I trust that he’d never intentionally hurt me, and if I ever say my safe word, he will stop whatever it is we’re doing.

“We’re going to a pretty remote area that doesn’t have any paths, so we shouldn’t be interrupted,” he explains as he continues to drive. “If you’re up for it, I’d like to try something a little different tonight.”

“What is it?” I ask eagerly. I have way too many ideas to try to guess.

“Well, I was thinking we could role-play. The couple of times I’ve chased you before, you were my Pet, and I was your Master. You knew exactly who was chasing you, and I was stalking what was already mine.”

Heat pools in my gut hearing him describe us that way, and I try to focus on what he’s suggesting we could do differently.

“Tonight, I was thinking that we could pretend like we’re strangers,” he suggests in a wicked tone. “Maybe I’ve been stalking you, but you had no idea. Maybe your bright pink hair caught my attention around town, and I’ve been waiting to make my move. Maybe I even tricked you, made it seem like a friend had invited you out here to the dark woods, but now you’ve realized they aren’t coming and you’re all alone.”

Holy shit. “Yes, please,” I eagerly agree. “And don’t hold back. I want it rough. I want a fight.” Every word out of his mouth turns me on even more. It’s like I’m back to when we first met, and I was imagining all the scenarios that could end up with us being together.

Except now I actually know him, trust him. I care about Zane in a way that I’ve never cared about anyone before. And the fact that he’s suggesting all this makes me feel somehow even more seen and accepted by him than ever before. He knows all my deepest, darkest desires and doesn’t shy away from them, doesn’t suggest I tone myself down or attempt to fit in or act more appropriately. Zane knows I want to be chased through the woods by a masked man, and he doesn’t look at me like I’m a freak. He’s ready with the mask and researching the right woods to take me to.

If that’s not true love, then I don’t know what is.

Well, damn. I was not expecting to feel so emotional while preparing for this fantasy. I can’t help it though, as soon as I have the thought, I know it’s true. This has to be what love feels like. Holy shit. Should I tell him that I love him? Is now a bad time?

I have no idea how long we’ve been driving, and I suddenly realize we’ve stopped moving and are parked on the side of a remote dirt road. Zane turns to me with a serious expression before I can say anything.

“Your safe word remains the same. Run.”

32

“Run.” The word leaves my lips, and Mason immediately throws the door of my truck open and takes off sprinting. The woods go on for miles, but the trees aren’t too close together, and their leaves have mostly fallen. The light from the full moon illuminates the forest floor well enough. We didn’t pass any cars recently, and I pulled over at a random spot, so I think we’re as alone as we can be. I’m not worried about anyone interrupting us this time.

I give Mason a thirty-second head start before I turn off the truck and casually open my door. I walk around to the passenger side, facing the direction he ran, and try to focus on what I can hear. It doesn’t take long to pick up on the sounds of leaves crunching and sticks snapping ahead.

This is nothing like the last time I chased him. I was terrified then that he’d left me, that it had all been a lie to earn my trust, and he’d escaped to turn me in.

Now, I get to fully enjoy this. I’m faster than Mason, so I know I’ll find him. Besides, he wants to be caught, so I try to embrace the fantasy he has of this and pull my mask down to cover my face.

I’m not his Master tonight. He’s not my Pet.

He’s the object of my obsession.

And I’m going to hunt him down and make him mine.

“You think you can run away? Hide from me?” I call out in challenge as I start to jog after him. My voice is distorted by the mask, and it adds to the idea that I’m not really me. “Where do you even think you’re going, Sweetness? There’s no one else out here. Just you and me.”