Page List

Font Size:

The mere thought of him inside me was both satisfying and frustrating at the same time. I loved how those illicit thoughts made me feel, but I despised myself for even enjoying it in the first place. Hence the frustration.

On several occasions, I’d come so close to touching myself—like right now.

I bit my lower lip, my legs slightly spreading apart as my heart raced in my chest.

Don’t do it,a voice warned me.

It’s no big deal,said another.No one has to know.

An argument sprang up in my head, one voice warning me against the idea of touching myself, and another feeding my lust.

I slid one hand down, my palm slipping underneath my panties. I closed my eyes, my chest rising and falling with slow breaths as a heatwave spread across my body. A moan fell off my lips the second my finger slid up my slippery entrance.

Fuck. I was wet already.

My free hand flew into my hair, my thighs closing in on each other as if to douse the sensation coursing through my blood. My body was trembling, my heart swelling with ecstasy. By now, I’d already silenced the voices in my head, and all I could think about was how to satisfy my desire.

My back arched in response to my fingers parting my folds. And just when I was about giving in fully, that voice returned louder than ever.

Stop!

I froze instantly, struggling to catch my breath. I rubbed my eyes and withdrew my hand from my tunnel. In my heaving chest, my heart was pounding like a drum, my body shaking—not from satisfaction but from this insatiable hunger threatening to drive me crazy.

Deep breaths, I thought to myself.

In through my nose. Out through my mouth.

“50…49…48…47…” I murmured to myself, in and exhaling on each pause.

This technique always worked for me whenever I felt overwhelmed. It didn’t quench the sexual hunger, but it helped me regain control of my thoughts and imagination. I massaged my temples, rose from the bed, and sat on the edge with my head bowed.

“...36…35…34…” I continued counting down.

The closer I drew to finishing, the more relaxed I became, the tension oozed out of me. By the time I was done counting down to zero, I was already feeling much better. I drew a deep breath, raised my head, and caught a reflection of myself in the full-length mirror across from me.

The left strap of my nightgown slipped off my shoulder, exposing the skin above my breast. The gown’s hem barely grazed my mid-thigh, revealing more skin than it should. I stood up, adjusted the fallen strap, and let out a sigh as I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

“I need a drink,” I murmured to myself, combing my fingers through my hair.

Without wasting time, I headed out of my room with the intention of fixing myself a cup of coffee. The marble floor wascool beneath my bare feet as I strolled through the hallway in the dead of night. The mansion was quiet, and although I didn’t run into any of the guards, I knew those ninjas were lurking somewhere in the dark.

I was starting to feel comfortable behind these walls, safe even—and I hated it. I hated how, without realizing it, I was beginning to accept my fate. My plans to escape this place would have to wait for now. All of my attempts to track the security patterns of the mansion had failed. And even the blueprint I dug up in the library didn’t seem to match the structure in real life.

So, it looks like I might be stuck here for a while—probably even longer than I expected.

I headed down the steps like I owned the place—confident and unafraid. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted into my nostrils as I approached the kitchen.

Weird. Someone had already beaten me there at this time of night? Who? Maybe one of the guards or a maid, who just like me, couldn’t get some sleep. Regardless, I wasn’t turning back now; I came down to get a cup of coffee, and I was leaving without it.

Wait a minute. I paused at the doorway, suddenly catching a familiar scent beneath coffee’s aroma. The second I raised my head, my gaze fell on the one person I least expected to find here tonight.

Valerian.

Fuck.

My breath hitched, my heart sinking into my stomach as I stood there frozen in place. I’d just finished fighting to dispel the thoughts of him from my head, only for me to run into him barely five minutes later. How the hell was that fair?

And to make matters even worse, the man was fuckin’ shirtless. He wore a pair of jet-black baggy joggers that complemented his slightly tousled hair. He was busy fixinghimself a cup of coffee with his back to the door when a flash of lightning outside the window caught my eye.