Page 16 of Hollow House
“That was—” I stopped; no words could properly describe it. “Thanks,” I managed instead.
“No need to thank me, love,” he answered. “We are just getting started.”
That felt like both a threat and a promise. My toes curled in response, my cheeks still red with desire.
“I’m going to grab you a drink,” the Wraith offered, and before I could accept, he wandered into the crowd.
The feeling of heat throughout my body became overwhelming. Usually, after an orgasm, it subsided quickly, but not now. No, I was far too aware of how dizzy I felt, the sweatbeading on my forehead. The bodies packed into the room didn’t help, contributing to how hot it was.
My vision danced with little black dots, and I knew I had to move quickly.
Chapter 9
I needed air.
The heat of my orgasm coursed through my body. My cheeks reddened, and I remained frozen long after the Wraith slipped away into the crowd. A waitress passed by with a tray of drinks in the little skull hand glasses, and I snatched one.I drank it quickly, the faint taste of wine washing down the back of my throat. It did little to settle the heat inside me.
Nearby, I spotted a sliding door leading out back, and I pushed through the crowd toward it. Sweaty bodies pressed against me, swaying and dancing to the music.
A body pressed up against my back, the muscular figure so close, I could sense their breathing. Had he come back for me?
Strong arms wrapped around my waist, and the figure bent down to whisper in my ear over the sound of the music.“Do you have a desire you’d like fulfilled?”
I didn’t recognize the voice. It was higher and different from the Wraith’s.
I turned to find a different handsome man staring down at me. He was the type I usually went after the few times I allowed myself a break.
“I’m just heading outside,” I said politely.
“Would you like me to join?” he asked with a questioning glance.
The question seemed good-natured, but for some reason, everything inside me screamed no. I still couldn’t get the other man out of my head.
Maybe Felix was right. Maybe I did need to get laid if a single orgasm had me this focused on a random man I just met.
Beyond the man, I caught sight of movement in the crowd. The familiar dark eyes caught mine, and I blinked a few times, wondering if I imagined them. A second later, the Wraith was gone. Maybe it was just a trick of my mind, or maybe the wine was going straight to my head.
Shit.
The guy still stared at me, now like I head two heads.
“Sorry, I’m okay. I just need some air. Too much wine,” I said with a weak smile.
I slipped away before he could say anything else.
Crisp autumn air slammed into me the second I stepped outside. An extensive garden greeted me, and I followed a small stone path into it.
This far into the season, many plants from summer had died off, but some clung to life still. Leaves crunched beneath my black heels, littering the ground around me.
The Wraith had not followed.
Had part of me hoped he would?
This was a house of pleasures, I reminded myself. He was here for that. He teased me and took pleasure from me, and now, he’d moved on.
My skin crawled with the feeling of eyes on me, even outside alone. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was always being watched.
I stopped in front of a group of dahlias, their orange and red colors deeply vibrant.
