Page 14 of Little Horrors & Deceptions

“No problem, I’ve got you,” Liam murmured. His fingers were warm against the cool fabric of my shirt. They sat where he had guided my hip on the way down, pressing just enough to remind me of their presence. My gaze lifted to meet his, and in the poolsof his eyes, I saw something flicker—a question, a challenge, maybe both.

The air felt heavy, thick with unspoken words. He finally stepped away, his hands falling from my waist as if he’d been burned. But the lingering warmth said otherwise.

“I should… I should get back to work,” I stammered, breaking the moment’s spell. My voice sounded foreign to my own ears—shaky, uncertain, not at all like the composed, controlled front I aimed to present. I turned away, desperate for distance, for the coolness of empty space to wash over me and dull the edge of whatever this was pulsing deep in my gut.

As I moved to gather the discarded decorations, my hands trembled slightly, betraying the calm exterior I tried to maintain. Sweat beaded at the nape of my neck, despite the chill in the grand ballroom. A shiver ran down my spine—not from cold, but from the unsettling realization of how easily Liam O’Connor could unravel me.

“Right,” he said, his voice a rough whisper. He cleared his throat, as if dislodging the shared moment from his vocal cords. “I’ll finish up in here. Could you go start on the mess hall?”

“Of course.” The words tumbled out. I couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. I needed out of here. I turned away, feeling my cheeks burn with an unfamiliar heat. My footsteps padded lightly on the old floors as I left the room.

Chapter 9

Liam O'Connor

Ihad no choice. I sent Jade to clean the mess hall because her nearness was a fuse, and I was a keg of fucking dynamite ready to explode. She left, her ponytail swishing as she turned away, leaving me with thoughts of her piercing gaze as she’d looked down at me from the ladder.

All I could think about was the day she’d spilled the contents of her purse on the floor and had been on her knees in front of me in my office, gazing up at me with her eyes of blue-fire. Now, as I watched her retreat, the memory taunted me.

“Fuck,” I muttered. Since when had I become so easily distracted? Not since clawing my way up from the tragedy of my past to build this twisted sanctuary of horror and revenge. I ruled here. This was my domain. I never got distracted, yet Jade… She was an anomaly, a glitch in my meticulously controlled universe that I couldn’t shake.

The hours slipped by unnoticed as I lost myself in thoughts of her and finished cleaning the grand ballroom, until dusk settledits dark cloak over the world outside. I had worked methodically, every detail scrutinized, every figure adjusted to its rightful place of terror.

When I was finally finished, I retreated upstairs to my apartment. I peeled off my shirt, my movements automatic. The shower called to me. I desperately wanted to wash away the day, and maybe even get the thoughts of Jade out of my head. I made my way down the hall to the bathroom. Turning on the water, I stripped off the rest of my clothes before climbing in. Water cascaded over me, hot and relentless. I scrubbed away the sweat and grime from a long day, but as the steam rose around me, so did the image of Jade—etched in my head like a fucking brand.

Her on her knees before me in my office that day. Perched precariously on that ladder, her ass, perfectly shaped, taunting me from above. I cursed under my breath as I wrapped my hand around my hard cock.

The water wasn’t enough to drown the thoughts. Those piercing blue orbs, seemed to see right through me. There was something about her. It was as if she held a darkness that mirrored my own. It was unsettling. It was arousing. It was fucking everything.

I stroked in rhythm with the drumming of the water. The touch sparked a fire that no cold shower could extinguish. I let my mind linger on the curve of her lips, the intensity of her stare when she challenged me. My breath hitched and I quickened my movements.

“Jade,” I breathed into the humid air, a mixture of frustration and desire lacing my voice. The heat built in my core, images of Jade flashing behind closed eyelids. She was a force to be reckoned with, I just knew it. I admired it. Craved it. Needed it. Wanted it.

I groaned as I came. The release washed over me, and momentary peace settled in my chest. The tension that hadbeen coiled tight since our last encounter ebbed away, leaving a hollow satisfaction in its wake. I stayed under the spray until the water started to cool, my heartbeat slowing to a steady pace. The silence in the bathroom rang louder than the thoughts that had gnawed at me moments before. With a final splash of water to my face, I turned off the tap and stepped out onto the damp tile.

I toweled off briskly, muscles still thrumming faintly from the memory of pleasure. I dressed quickly and headed back down the hall. But the woman that plagued me was right outside.

Fuck.

I glimpsed through the window and there she was at her car, a silhouette of frustration against the fading light. Bent over, examining something.

“Damn it,” I growled. She was capable, independent. She didn’t need me to help her.

Don’t do it. She doesn’t need you.

The decision made itself.

I snatched up my shoes, pulling them on roughly without a thought. The front door shut with a soft click behind me as I moved down the hall and descended the stairs.

I quickly made it through the house and out the back exit, the night air striking my face, cooling against my still damp hair. I approached quietly, the grit of the asphalt beneath my steps the only sound.

“Shit,” she muttered to herself. Her silhouette was a stark contrast against the faint glow of the streetlamp. The air was cool, the night quiet, the kind of stillness that amplified every sound.

Up close, I could see the tension in her jaw, the slight furrow between her brows. She was a woman accustomed to control, and this… This was an unwelcome curveball. I knew then what kept me rooted to the spot—it wasn’t just attraction. It was respect for the way she faced life head-on, even when it threwobstacles in her path. It was something I had noted observing her work since she had started here a few weeks ago. I hadn’t stopped watching her since.

“You planning on staring or offering a hand?” Jade’s voice cut through the silence. She knew I was there, had probably sensed me the moment I’d come through the back door.

I smirked, though she couldn’t see it in the shadows. “Didn’t want to insult your independence.”

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