Page 66 of Guarded By the Phantom

Phantom smiled and ruffled my hair. “Nah. Don’t worry about it. We should get you in the shower, though. You smell like me.”

“I like the way you smell,” I said dreamily, remembering the list I wrote out yesterday. “And I like how you move, and your face…”

I pressed my hand to his cheek, exploring the panes of his skull carefully while he watched me, his eyes glowing pink, their vertical pupils clearly visible now that I was so close.

“And I like everything about you,” I said, biting the inside of my cheek with faint embarrassment, though it felt safe to say it after everything we just did.

“Yeah?” he asked after a beat, his expression sharpening. “Everything? Even when I peep at you, steal your books, and eat your pie?”

I hit his arm lightly, conscious of his lack of armor.

“Yeah,” I said, smiling until my cheeks hurt, only not like when I smiled for the cameras. This time, I couldn’t control my expression because happiness poured out of me in waves. “I like you even when you’re annoying. You’re amazing.”

Phantom stared at me, his hands holding me a tad too tightly, like he was determined not to let me go. I wasn’t leaving, though. I wanted to stay here forever and just be near him.

“Okay. Rewind,” he said after a moment, his voice hoarse until he cleared his throat. “You like me. Like, ‘like me’ like me.”

I smiled. “Uh, yes. I just said that. I like you a lot.”

And I did. I was also pretty sure I had a huge crush on him, and maybe… Maybe even more. But that I wasn’t ready to say.

There was a moment of tense silence.

“I can’t handle it,” he said, standing abruptly.

I landed on the floor with an outraged gasp. Phantom groaned, shook his head, and pulled me up to my feet with a mumbled apology. He turned away, zipped up his pants, and made a call.

“Please, pick up. Please.”

I gaped at him, completely taken aback. I wasn’t even angry at his rude behavior, becausehell, it was rude. Wasn’t he supposed to say it back or something?‘Oh, I’m so glad you like me, I like you, too!’Was that so hard?

But he was evidently distressed, and I didn’t understand why. What did I do wrong?

“Finally!” Phantom snarled into the phone. “Nat, she said she likes me. What do I do?”

Wow.

I huffed softly, picking up the chair to put it away by the wall. I took off the remains of my leotard and grabbed a robe from a hook by the door.

“What do you mean, I should be happy? Nat, I’m in agony! This hasneverhappened to me. Help me, you stupid snake!”

I couldn’t hear the reply, but Phantom was completely frozen, listening to every word like it was his salvation. Moving slowly so as not to distract him, I crouched and used my torn up clothes to wipe the floor. From up close, I saw his cum glittered delicately, as if it contained tiny golden particles.

“Okay. I’m breathing. Yeah. No, I mean… Oh. Oh, fu—heck. Yeah, she’s still here. No, she hasn’t run away, you idiot! She knows I’m seeing you. And she knows I’m a psycho.”

He was silent again, his eyes trained on me as he stood motionless, holding the knife he’d used to cut up my clothes. I gave him an uncertain smile, and he shivered.

“But I have never ki—okay. Yeah. You’re right.”

Ki—what?I wondered what he meant, a shiver going down my spine. I reminded myself I trusted him no matter what as I moved further to wipe down another streak. I didn’t know if it was normal for men to ejaculate with so much force, but it definitely made for interesting results.

“No, I don’t need pointers from you! I’m pretty sure you’re a slimy kisser. Bye.”

He put his phone and knife away and strode to me, his long steps swallowing the distance between us. Unsure yet not afraid, I got up from my crouch, waiting.

Phantom said nothing. He took my face in both palms and leaned in, his bony outer teeth pressing to my lips. My breath hitched. His mouth opened, something akin to lips touching mine. I kissed him back at once, clumsily, because his outer teeth were in the way and I wasn’t sure how to make it work.

But he didn’t seem to care. Phantom groaned, one hand sliding to the back of my head to hold me, the other gripping my ass. I gasped, flicking my tongue out to see if it would help. As I gently licked into his mouth, he froze entirely.

---