Page 16

My fingers slid over the buttons as I slipped back into bed. The buzzing increased.

No one has to know….

***

The glass of red wine shook in my fingers as I took another sip. The bottle was empty, and it was well past my bedtime. I scooted my heel onto the chair, swinging my other leg to keep the blood flowing. At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to walk upstairs without tripping. I always felt a buzz in my legs when I drank. Tonight, it indicated I was pretty damn good.

The front door finally clicked, and I sat up straighter.

Thank goodness!

I did not want to open another bottle, but there were only a few swallows left. I could tell the masked man he was out of line, make him understand that he had no business leaving me naughty gifts, and then go to bed.

But the moment he stopped under the kitchen arch, the rehearsed speech flew out of my head.

“Good evening, Rose,” he murmured and kicked one leg over the other as he leaned against the aperture. “What a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure I’d see you this late.”

I ground my molars and glared at him through the dim light. Why hadn’t I thought to turn on the chandelier over the kitchen table? The single bulb over the sink did nothing but cast shadows on his face.

His masked face.

“Something bothering you, my pretty Rose?”

“Yes!” I snapped. “You!”

Without thinking, I picked up the dildo box and chucked it at him. The soft grunt when it made impact could have been a laugh, but there was too much blood and wine buzzing in my ears to tell.

“How dare you leave me something so inappropriate!”

There was that soft sound again, and it was definitely a laugh. He proceeded to flip the lid up and draw out the hideous toy. He pulled the face covering down just slightly. To my horror, he ran the length of the peen under his nose.

“Ah, so you did use it,” he said with a smile.

I gasped and sat forward…and lied through my teeth. “I did not!”

He pulled the mask back over his nose. “It smells like soap.”

Stammered protests croaked from my lips. None of them were words.

“It’s okay, carina. Your secret’s safe with me,” he chuckled and put the toy back in its box.

Pushing off the wall, he prowled forward.

I scrambled back in my chair, wishing I trusted my feet to carry me out of here. But the copious amount of wine promised they wouldn’t work well enough, and I would probably trip.

Crouching before me, the masked man held out the box. “So…how was it?”

“I’m not talking about this!” I shoved the gift away.

His grip was iron. It didn’t budge. “Rose, my darling, you’re stressed. And while I could tell you that we can sit and have cocoa, and you can vent, you and I both know that isn’t what you really want.”

I opened my mouth, thought about what he’d said, and clapped it shut.

I wasn’t venting to a stranger. That was for damn sure! It didn’t matter that he was spot on with his assessment. And I sure as hell wasn’t doing anything else!

“I’m here to give you what you need,” he coaxed.

The box inched forward.