Page 28 of Masked in Deception
Happy New Year’s Eve Eve, Princess.
What are you and Blanche up to tonight?
Me:
Well, well, look who finally resurfaces and deigns to give attention to us mere mortals.
Jack:
…
Me:
You’re no fun. Mom is gone on a trip with her pickleball team, so I’m just going to order food and binge-watch something new, I think.
Jack:
She left knowing you’d be there alone?
Me:
I’m a big girl now, Jack. I can handle staying in big houses at night alone now, no problems.
Jack:
That’s bullshit. I know it, and you know it.
Jack:
Order my usual pad Thai, and I want double spring rolls.
I’ll be there at 8.
It’s the house settling, Margot.That’s all it is. It’s a big historic home, and they always settle at night. Or maybe it’s just thewind. Either way, the creaking is perfectly natural and for sure normal and notsome terrifying murderer coming in here to get you and kidnap you and torture you.There are fences and cameras and alarms and codes.And one good hacker like in your books could override all that in one second and slowly creep in here to…*creak*
That’s it. That’s the creak that does it. Before I can even question myself, I’m out of my room like a shot and frantically scrambling across the hall into Jack’s. I’m so glad he stayed tonight. Even if he was a gentleman and kept to his side of the couch despite me making it clear I was ready to take advantage of the fact that Mom was gone, we had a great night eating too much and talking about nothing.
And now, as I throw open his door and launch myself at him, practically shaking from the way I’ve managed to work myself up over an intruder, I’mreallyglad he’s here.
“Oof…wha…” he mumbles, and I realize I’ve knocked the wind out of him by landing on him like an overexcited puppy. Oops.
I burrow myself all the way under his covers until his arms are around me and my face is pressed against his chest before I let myself breathe and feel safe again. Oh God, he’s shirtless. My face is pressed against a warm, muscled chest that’s covered in the perfect amount of soft hair, and he smells so damn good. A little like his soap, a little like his cologne, and a little bit that’s just his natural Jack smell because he hasn’t showered since this morning. I feel something against my cheek and realize it’s a chain he has on with a small charm, but before I can reach for it to see what it is, his arms tighten around me, and he buries his face in my neck.
“Fuck, Princess, next time warn a man before you launch yourself into his gut while he’s sleeping,” he rasps in a sleepy voice that sounds like pure sin. Immediately, I forget all aboutmy fears, feeling safe and warm in his arms. I’m also more than a little turned on.
I sigh as he pulls back from my neck to look at me in the soft moonlight filtering through the window. “Did you have a nightmare? I thought they mostly stopped when you got older?”
Smiling, I shake my head. “Not a nightmare, just me freaking myself out being in this big old house at night. I kept hearing little creaks and psyched myself out. I don't know why my parents couldn't have gotten a new build when they decided to move closer to the city.”
“Well, I’m glad you remembered you can always come to me,” he says as he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “You were always so damn cute when you would scamper into my room at night, scared of whatever horrors had befallen Sprinkles in your dreams.”
“Hey! Some of those were extremely traumatizing, I’ll have you know!”
Laughing at me, he leans a little farther back, giving me some space which I really don’t want. “I’m sure they were. Now, if you’re staying, get comfy so we can go to sleep. It’ll be a long day tomorrow with the party at the club.”
I huff, but roll over onto my preferred side, basically making me Jack’s little spoon. Except, he leaves the space between us. Screw that. I shimmy my way backward until I meet his hard body and tuck myself exactly where I want to be. I give a little extra shake of my hips just to fuck with him, when…oh.Oh God. It’s his dick. I’ve only let myself daydream about it alittle bitlately, because my obsession was getting out of hand. But fuck me. It’s huge, hard, and tucked up against my ass. I give another experimental roll of my hips, and the added pressure causes Jack to let out a low, pained groan behind me.
“Margot, we need to sleep, baby. It really is a long, important day tomorrow.”
