Page 14 of Room Twenty-Seven: Theirs to Punish

I guess that’s good enough for now.

7

Lilly

Glancingup at the Club Sin neon sign above the entrance, I frown. I didn’t think I’d ever be back here and especially not so soon. It’s been less than twenty-four hours since I stormed out those doors.

I had no plans to return, and I’m still not sure I want to go back inside now.

My steps slow, and before I know it, I’m standing still. What am I doing? I can’t go in there. No matter what they offer or how guilty I feel, I can’t do it.

Before I can change my mind again, I spin around. Walking double the speed in which I came here, I leave Club Sin behind and head back to my apartment. The more space I put between me and the club, the easier I can breathe. Clutching onto my purse, I turn the corner.

My legs stop moving mid stride, almost failing to hold me up.

Nik casually leans against the wall. His arms folded across his broad chest, his head tilted slightly.

He isn’t wearing a suit today. Instead, he sports a pair of fitted dark jeans with a dark-gray shirt. He looks much more like the Niklas I used to know.

“I figured you’d bail.”

I suppress an eye roll. “Sorry I’m not running toward the opportunity to have sex with three guys, two of whom are my stepbrothers, and one of whom hates me.”

“I don’t hate you.” His admission knocks all the vigor out of me. I always assumed he did. He has every right to hate me, and if I wasn’t looking straight into his eyes now, I wouldn't believe otherwise.

“You don’t?”

He shakes his head to confirm. “Do you remember what we used to talk about? What I told you I would do to you if you were old enough?”

My core tightens, and my mouth goes dry. Of course I remember the things he used to whisper to me as he kissed me good night. It was our secret, one of many.

He pushed off the wall, stalking toward me like a predator. My feet remain cemented to the ground.

“Do you remember, Lillian?”

“I do,” I whisper as a shiver works its way up my spine.

“Do you remember how you begged me to kiss you? How you begged me to make you come?” He stops only inches away from me, close enough for me to feel the warmth of his body and see the flecks of green in his eyes.

For a moment, I’m teleported back to when Niklas loved me, and I loved him.

“I remember.” My breathing quickens, and my pulse races. He would always talk dirty to me, telling me how he would stretch me, how it would hurt just a little and then feel so good. I suddenly feel like I betrayed him this morning by letting Luke make me come like he wanted to.

“Do you really want someone else to take your virginity? After all that time you made me wait.”

“No. I’m just…”Scared shitless.

“You’re what?” He lifts his hand, almost like he’s about to touch my face, but his arm falls away before he does.

“Scared,” I whisper so softly, I’m surprised he catches it.

I expect him to laugh, to put me down even more. I’m shocked to hear him actually sound a bit concerned. “What are you scared about?”

“About the after,” I admit.

He takes a step back, and his eyebrows draw together in surprise. He didn’t see that answer coming. “The after?” he asks like he’s genuinely confused.

“I don’t know how to explain.” I do, but I don’t want him to know I still love him. I don’t want him to know how it would break my heart to spend the night with him just to lose him all over again.

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