Page 3 of Unveiled

My phone lights up seconds later, her name appearing on the screen for the first time in months.

Ainsley: Leave. I don’t want you here.

Her eyes dart around the room again, hoping to find me this time, but she’s again unsuccessful.

Me: Are you planning to take him home with you, little one?

She laughs at something the man says before reading over the text. I watch a wicked sneer cross her features as her fingers fly across the screen.

Ainsley: Why not? He’s funny, cute, and he’s never kidnapped me. Compared to previous men I’ve been with, he sounds perfect.

Oh, the things I’ll do to punish her for this.

Me: Do it. I dare you.

She shoves her phone back in her pocket without responding and drags him back to the dance floor. Ethan stays away from her, not wanting any part of her acting out, while Cassie cheers her on from the sidelines.

She dances through the night like her life depends on it, getting more bold with the stranger the longer they’re together. As it gets late, she stands up on her tiptoes and whispers something in his ears. He smiles and nods enthusiastically while she smiles back sheepishly. That’s my cue.

I stand up from my table and exit out the back door without being seen. Since she started dancing with that man, I’ve been thinking of ways to punish her. Hours of thinking have made me very creative.

Chapter 2

Ainsley

“Let’s get out of here,” I whisper seductively in Owen’s ear. When I pull away, I see him smiling widely, excitement written all over his face.

Owen is attractive, the sort of guy I would have gone for just a few months ago. His tousled blonde hair is begging me to run my fingers through it, and his dark blue eyes remind me of someone I shouldn’t be thinking about right now. On top of all that, his hands fit perfectly on my hips and I’ve had a blast dancing with him. I can only imagine how good he would be with those movements, minus the clothing.

I can feel the monster watching me from somewhere in the room, waiting to see if I’ll really do this, but I ignore the creepy sensation. I told him three months ago that this was over. His constant texts and having Ethan check on me need to stop.

If taking another man home is what it will take to make that happen, then Owen isn’t a terrible choice.

I leave Owen to find Cassie, and tell her my plans, withholding the part about proving a point to the monster. She tells me she’ll go to her boyfriend’s apartment when she’s all danced out, to give me some privacy. Violet went on a trip with her boyfriend for Spring break, so the apartment will be empty for the night.

I find Owen again and drag him out of the bar by his hand. Glancing back every once in a while, I throw him shy smiles as we push through sweaty, dancing bodies.

“Your place or mine?” he asks once we’re outside and don’t have to be in each other’s ears to have a conversation.

“Mine,” I answer quickly. The monster won’t get the message if he doesn’t see what’s happening.

Will he be watching us? The thought does something funny to my insides, but I don’t have time to analyze that right now. I’m on a mission.

After dragging Owen down a few blocks, we reach the apartment building I missed when I was taken away from it. I never thought a place like this could feel like home to me until I spent months not being able to return to it.

Owen laughs; a deep, throaty sound as I fight with the lock on the apartment door. When it’s finally open, I pull him in and close the door behind him, making sure to lock it. Not that the one person I’m trying to keep out can’t get in other ways.

When the door is locked, I turn back to Owen with plans to get this started, but his eyes are glued to something on the floor. I follow his gaze, finding tiger lily petals trailing through the living room.

“What is this?” Owen asks, wariness in his voice.

“I have no idea,” I answer, lying through my teeth. Tiger lilies are my favorite flower, and with the monster being at the bar earlier, it’s easy to assume he made a quick stop here first. “I have two roommates, one of their boyfriends might have done this as a surprise for them.”

He accepts my explanation, ignoring the flowers and turning back to me. I take the chance to run my hand up his chest, teasing him to get back into the mood.

He doesn’t hesitate for a second longer. His hands cup my jaw as he drags me to him, crashing his lips to mine in a sloppy kiss. His lips are soft and pillowy, moving against mine like water, but they’re not right.

Stop thinking about him, I chastise myself. There’s a perfectly good man here with me, helping me prove a point, even if he doesn’t know it.

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