Page 24 of Deadmen's Captive

His hand strayed up to tangle into my hair at the nape of my neck as he continued to kiss me. His touch was strong yet gentle, sending shivers down my spine. When he finally broke away, he looked at me with eyes filled with affection and desire that made my heart flutter.

“Come to the ball with me, Paige,” he said.

“The ball?” I asked, still reeling from the feel of his mouth on mine.

“The Halloween Ball. It’s in a couple of weeks and I want you to be my date. Will you Paige?”

I nodded. “I’d love to.”

His smile widened and he bent down to kiss me again. This time I felt his tongue brush lightly against my lips and I opened my mouth just a bit, letting him deepen the kiss. My whole body warmed in his arms, and I sighed as he pulled away. He pressed his lips to my forehead before sliding his hand down my arm to interlace our fingers together.

"Come on," he said, opening the defaced door for me. "I'll drive you home."

Chapter Eleven

UNKNOWN

Iam so disappointed in you Paige. You've hurt me deeply today.

I saw it all, Paige, standing there just across the street as you laughed with him. He had that easy way about him, leaning against his shiny car, making you smile like that. It got to me, really got to me. I watched you two walk into the coffee shop together, all cosy and close. It felt like a punch to the gut.

While you were inside, I couldn’t just stand there doing nothing. I looked at his car, all polished and gleaming, waiting there like it owned the place. Something snapped in me then. I walked over, my keys in my hand, and I did it—I dragged my keys along the side of his car. The sound of metal scraping, it was harsh, but right then, it felt like the only thing I could do. It seemed fair somehow.

When you came back out, he was all smiles, opening the door for you like some kind of hero. That's when he saw the scratch, his smile faltering for a moment before he shook it off, pretending it was nothing. Still, he played it cool, I'll give him that. Most guys would have lost it seeing scratches on their eight hundred thousand pound sports car. I almost felt sorry for him.

And then he kissed you, Paige. He kissed you, and you let him. Right there in broad daylight, as if he had every right. It should have been me, Paige. Not him. He doesn’t deserve you.

Yet, somehow, I couldn't bring myself to hate you, Paige. In fact, I found myself wanting you even more.

That jerk with his shiny car and flawless façade. He was playing his role well, making you believe his lies. I waited until you got into his car before walking away. I needed to think and plan my next move carefully. If he's going to get in my way, then he needs to be removed. There’s a fire in me now, a burning desire that won't be snuffed out until I have you. Until you're mine and only mine.

Chapter Twelve

PAIGE

Ishuffled behind Kate through the narrow aisles of the costume shop, my trainers squeaking against the old wooden floor. The musty scent of aged fabric drifted through the racks of old costumes, and I ran my fingers gently over the different fabrics.

"Come on, Paige," Kate said for the fourth time, her voice a mix of excitement and exasperation as she rifled through a rack of vampire capes and sequined gowns. "It'll be fun."

"Maybe for you," I muttered, my fingers trailing over a row of masks, the smooth plastic cold to the touch. "I'd rather curl up with a good rom com. Something... normal."

"Normal is boring," she shot back, wedging a witch's hat onto her head. Her eyes sparkled mischievously under the brim. "You need some excitement."

"Excitement isn't really my thing." A shiver ran down my spine at the thought of being surrounded by masked strangers, the anonymity of it all unsettling. I’d definitely had enough of masks lately, and a masquerade ball was the last thing I wanted to go to. I already saw skull masks in the shadows everywhere I turned, and I wasn’t sure they were all my imagination. But the idea of seeing Tristan again, well, that was definitely enticing.

Kate sighed as she replaced the hat. “Paige, you haven’t been out in two weeks. All you do is paint and then sit at home doing nothing every single night. What’s going on with you? What are you so afraid of?”

"Watching TV is not fear, it's relaxation."

"Relaxation, my ass. You're hiding." She skewered me with a pointed look. "From life, from people, from—"

"From what?" I snapped.

"From everything. But that's not living, Paige. It's existing. We’ve got one year left of university before we have to go and act like real grownups. Don’t you want to explore a little? To really push your boundaries and see what you’re capable of?"

I pushed my irritation away. I hadn’t been sleeping well and I wasn’t about to take it out on Kate. She did mean well, I knew that. And she was kind of right.

“I already am,” I admitted. “I spent my whole life being groomed by my mother to be some rich man’s trophy wife. Taken to every exercise class, workout schedules, my diet controlled, the way I dressed or wore my hair, who I was allowed to be friends with. I was like a doll in a box, Kate. Now I’m finally here, out of her clutches and I can actually live the way I want to, dress how I want to. But it’s still new to me and I’m still learning how to be free.”

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