Page 7 of In The Dark
“Fuck,” I whisper. I whirl around, trying to figure out which way I should go, but I’m disoriented. I’m clueless about where I am in proximity to where I was before, and I wring my hands together. “Fuck.”
“What the hell are you doing back here?” a deep voice asks from behind me, and I freeze.
Everything moves in slow motion as I turn, staring right into the eyes of a man wearing a mask that covers most of his face. He’s tall, easily over six-feet and towering above me, with broad shoulders that tell me he absolutely works out. There’s a tattoo of a dragon on the back of his hand. Dark hair sneaks out from behind the mask, and when he turns his head to the side, I notice a smaller tattoo on his neck, right near his collar.
I swallow, throat dry and voice gone. I shuffle back, moving until my shoulders collide with a wall behind me. I tilt my chin to look up at him, and when I do, I notice his long fingers curled around a knife.
Fake knife, I try to tell myself.
None of this is real.
He’s just a man.Someone you’d see at the grocery store.
“This area is off-limits to park guests,” he continues, his tone like gravel as he steps toward me.
“I’m lost.” I try to control my racing heart. My eyes shift to the knife he’s holding. The twist of a warm, unexplained sensation settles in my stomach when he tosses the prop in the air and catches it with ease. He tucks it in his pocket, and I squeeze my thighs together. “I’ve never been here and–”
“Are you okay?”
“Do Ilookokay?”
“Silly question.” His laugh is soft, humored. His voice shifts to sweet and steady. Something I can trust. “I’ll get you back to where you need to be.”
I don’t have the chance to argue with him about being a proud independent woman who doesn’t need help because he’s lifting his mask, revealing an alarmingly gorgeous man with brown eyes and a thin gold necklace resting against his throat. His gaze meets mine and I almost whimper, attraction pulsing through me when he tosses me the hint of a smirk.
“Turn around,” he says, and I move without thinking. My body doesn’t belong to me anymore. I pivot in place while he stands behind me. He rests a hand on my hip, his palm heavy and warm on the sliver of exposed skin sneaking out from under my shirt, and I stop breathing altogether. “Why are you so jumpy?”
“Because this is my idea of hell, and I’m being man-handled by a person I don’t know who has a knife in his pocket.”
“There’s probably a joke in there about being happy to see you.” My elbow inadvertently—or maybe purposely—lands in his stomach, and he laughs again, the exhale warm on my neck. “Not in a joking mood. Got it. Serious business only. The knife isn’t real, which means it’s not nearly as fun.” His voice turnsto velvety smooth and rich, and it takes everything in me to not squirm in his hold. “You’ve never done Fright Nights?”
“No.” I turn my chin to look up at him, caught off guard when I find him looking down at me. Full attention, flecks of green around his pupils. Devastatingly beautiful in such a mysterious way. He blinks, and I want to know his name. I want to know what other tattoos he has, and if he’d let me touch them. “I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, and I’ve successfully avoided this hellhole. I won’t be back.”
“That’s a shame.” A new smile pulls at his mouth, and his thumb drags along the waistband of my skirt. My nipples get hard, and I wonder if he can tell I’m blushing. “I was hoping I’d see you again.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, Michael, but I’m a one and done girl.” As fearful as I am, intuition tells me this man is safe, so I lean back half an inch. My back connects with his chest, taut, hard muscles hiding under his navy-blue jumpsuit. He lets out a low hum, and it’s embarrassing how easily the sound turns me on. “This is where our story ends.”
“Too bad. We would’ve had something fun to tell the kids.” Fingers brush against my bare skin again, and another shiver racks my body. I’ve never been drawn to someone like I’m drawn to him, and I feel dizzy. Faint from the heat and the alcohol. “My name is Hunter, by the way. And you are?”
“Maxine, but everyone calls me Max.”
“It’s been a pleasure, Maxine. If you ever feel like getting lost in my line again, you know where I am.”
“Thanks, but–” I lick my lips. His eyes bounce to my mouth and hold there. “The exit would be great.”
“With pleasure,” he muses, and it’s obvious this man gets whatever and whoever he wants. He breathes, and women throw themselves at him. Someone so far out of my league, I’msurprised he hasn’t left me to fend for myself. “I’ll miss you greatly. This has been the highlight of my night.”
“It’s been the worst part of mine,” I say, and his laugh is a caress. Liquid heat I want to feel everywhere on my body.
“Really?” Hunter leads me to a place that looks vaguely familiar. The screams are getting louder and the lighting is turning dark again. “I’m flattered.”
“How do I get out of here?”
“Straight ahead. There’s an attendant who will show you an emergency exit that will lead you where you need to go.”
“Great. Thanks.” I spin in his hold, stepping back to put distance between us. Looking at him again was a mistake. “Hope you don’t have to rescue anyone else tonight.”
“Happy to help.” He reaches out, tucking a small piece of hair behind my ear. His thumb grazes down the line of my cheek, and my eyes flutter closed for the heartbeat of a second. “Good luck out there. If you get bored, I’m here the rest of the night.”
