Page 7 of Captivated

I look back to Nico and see he’s watching everything I do, and the corner of his mouth tilts up in a devilish little smirk that has my stomach knotting further.

What is he doing?

The music cuts off, and as the club slowly empties, a few of the customers put up a drunken fuss, but security has no problem pushing them out the door.

Four men are beside Nico now, and they look over to me before quickly looking away when Nico says something harsh in reply. I can see it in the set of his mouth.

Oh, that mouth of his. I know it has the capability of saying and doing the dirtiest things, and right now, seeing him use it to command people to do what he wants… It has my pussy throbbing at the memory of him commanding me to get on my knees, to get on my stomach, my back, on the counter, against the windows, the tiles of the shower, and everywhere in between.

Fuck.

My knees shake and my elbows buckle as I lean forward so I don’t collapse to the floor in a puddle of need.

I don’t let men affect me like this. I use them for what I need and then I’m done. I don’t get attached unless I want to. Before that weekend I spent with Nico, of course.

I followed the rules we made.

I kept it at three days of fun.

I knew he was going back to his life in New York City and I was staying here in Atlantic City to finish my last semester of college.

He’s made studying quite difficult, though. Every time I had to focus on what the professor was saying or what I was reading, I’d hear or see a word that had my mind connecting it to Nico, and then I’d be lost in my head for a while until I realized what I was doing and snapped out of it.

One weekend with him, learning every inch of each other’s bodies and what drives the other absolutely crazy, and I’ve been ruined. That was all it was meant to be, though. That’s all it was – carnal fucking lust.

At least, I thought so.

The music is turned off and the club empties, allowing me to hear my heart pounding wildly in my chest.

He’s going to hear it. He’s going to know.

The manager comes back and says something else to Nico, who nods and replies, which has the manager quickly ushering out all the employees, too.

Before I can think of what I should do, and before I can get my legs to work properly to find my way out too, we’re alone in the club.

Just Nico and I.

Just us in this big empty club.

Alone.

“Were you hoping no one would recognize you with that mask?” he asks, taking the three steps down into the VIP pit area. I nod, and he pulls a chair from one of the tables and turns it so it’s directly in front of the main stage. “You want to dance? Come and dance for me, Cassandra.”

His tone leaves no room for argument, and apparently all my body needed was for him to say my name and command me to do something in order for me to be able to finally move.

I step down from the stage and walk over to the set of stairs across from him. His eyes follow my every move. They’re like two dark flames burning every inch of my skin exposed to him – making his mark.

He’s tattooing me with his gaze.

I still remember the feeling of him tracing my tattoos. With his fingers first, and then his tongue. He loved them. And now he’s giving me his own tattoo that’s adorning me in invisible ink of his own pattern.

With it being just us here, my usual confidence steadily comes back to me with every step until I’m the girl I was with him that weekend. The girl who saw what she wanted and took it without shame.

It was the most intense experience of my life.

I knew with his brother dating my best friend, I’d maybe eventually see him again. I didn’t think it’d be so soon, and especially not here, like this.

Nico pulls out his phone and dials a number. “Is everyone gone? Did you leave yet? … Turn the music back on and then leave. Lock the door behind you.”

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