Page 83 of Forever Touched

Struggling to remain calm, I replied,I’m on my way to Dreamscape with Mistress.

You’re WHAT?he shouted, so loudly that I almost flinched.

I’m sorry, but she was really upset about your invitation. She thinks I told you something, and if I refuse to perform tonight, she’ll get even more suspicious. I really am sorry, Everett. I was hoping she’d keep me in the house until the ball so we could avoid all this.

Anger dripped from every word as he replied,If you’re going there tonight, then so am I.

Everett, please don’t. You’ll only be torturing yourself.

I don’t care. If you’re being forced to degrade yourself, then I won’t let you do it alone.

Blinking back tears, I let silence settle between us, even more sick to my stomach now. I knew he was just trying to show his support, but I didn’t want him to be there while hungry males watched me dance. While they encouraged me to reveal more skin and lusted after my body.

I especially didn’t want him to be there when the clock struck midnight and the lights went out, signaling me that it was time to perform my duties as a blood whore.

He couldn’t be there for that. Even if he somehow survived it,Iwouldn’t. I couldn’t bear the humiliation, shame, andpain. Not anymore. Not when those feelings were no longer just mine. They were his now too.

We pulled into the Dreamscape parking lot an hour earlier than I usually arrived. Mistress marched me up to the third floor, slowing only when Heath hurried down the hallway toward us.

“Her new room is all ready,” he said, wrinkling his nose when he came within sniffing distance. “She still stinks.”

“I know,” Mistress replied with a huff. “We’ll have her soak in a heavily perfumed bath for the next two hours. That should help. See to it that the bath is set up properly, then meet me in the hallway.There’s been a new development.”

“But of course, Madame Faircroft,” he smoothly replied, taking my arm as she handed me off.

His fingers tightened possessively, and I almost begged Mistress not to leave me alone with him. But he was already whisking me away at a fast clip, forcing me to lightly jog so I wouldn’t be dragged. We passed by my usual room in a blur and stopped at the very last one. Heath slid the keycard in, and the door unlocked, allowing us entrance.

The room was identical to my old one, and Heath quickly marched me past the kitchen and living room to enter the bedroom.

Once there, he let go of me and ordered, “Strip. I’ll fill up your bath.”

As he headed for the bathroom, I blurted, “I can do it myself.”

He froze in his tracks, then slowly turned to face me. “I don’t think you realize how stressed we’ve been this past week, Star. Howclosewe came to having all of our hard work ruined. You’ve been attacked, stolen, and now you’re drenched in the crown prince’s scent, making it nearly impossible for us to use you. I have the right to ensure nothing like this ever happens again, so get undressed and meet me in the bathroom. Defy me, and I’ll have no choice but to use force.”

He smiled a little, as if the thought of stripping me bare and bathing me excited him.

I quickly started to undress, relieved when he turned and disappeared into the bathroom. The bath started to run, and I waited as long as I could before joining him. At the sound of my arrival, Heath stopped pouring lavender-scented oil into the water to glance over his shoulder. Seeing me naked, lust immediately dilated his pupils. He set the oil on the cart and slowly approached me, boldlyraking his eyes down my body.

“You really are an exquisite creature, Star,” he purred, reaching out to touch my hair. I held perfectly still while he slid his fingers through the strands. As his knuckles bumped my left breast, a growl of need rumbled from him. Quick as an adder, he gripped my neck and jerked me against him. “What I wouldn’t give to spend an hour alone with you. To taste you, to feel your hands on me, to seek pleasure in your gorgeous body. Maybe after we’ve fulfilled our mission, you and I can come to an arrangement.”

Disgust roiled in my gut, but instead of shoving him away like my instincts screamed at me to do, I gave him one of my secretive little smirks and cooed, “Maybe we can.”

His face split into a pleased grin. I almost gagged as his groin brushed against my thigh, revealing how hard he was. Years of pretending kept me from fighting tooth and nail to get away.

“Go ahead and wash up,” he said, his voice creepily soft as he released my neck. “I’ll be in the bedroom to give you a little privacy.”

And probably so he could jerk off to the image of my naked body.

When I stepped around him, his hand came down and smacked my butt. I almost whirled and clawed his eyes out. Instead, I threw him a sultry wink and sauntered toward the tub, pretending for all the world like I enjoyed his attention.

But inside, I was tightly curled in the fetal position, praying that Everett couldn’t feel how miserable I was.

Two hours later, I was primped to perfection and sliding onto my aerial hoop for another night of dancing. As I waited to be lowered, I searched the undulating crowd below for Everett. He hadn’t contacted me again, but I knew, justknewthat he was here somewhere. I touched my mask, reminding myself that I was no longer Adalyn. No longer Everett’ssoulmate. But the more I reminded myself, the loudermy mind shouted that it was a lie.

You’re not Star, you’re not Star, you’re not Star.

The shouts were so loud that I couldn’t hear anything else. Not the pounding sensual music. Not the crowd’s raucous laughter. Not their moans and cries of pleasure. I was deaf to it all, drowning in my mind’s frantic insistence that I was no longer Star.

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