Page 84 of Such a Good Girl

“I’m happy to hear that, Kaylee. I have a surprise for you tonight.”

I knew what he wanted.

I knew I couldn’t say no.

Without a word, I took off my clothes and put the robe on, smeared the paint on my face, then placed the mask over my eyes.

“Good girl,” he growled, watching me intently. My pulse roared with excitement and fear,as he grabbed my hand and led to the entrance of the temple downstairs.

The place was hushed, but as soon as we passed through the doors and were bathed in the flickering flames of the torches, I sensed the excitement in the air.

Again, we weren’t alone.

The low hum of chanting echoed through the chambers. Ahead of us, a group of three dozen people or so were circled around the bed. Each of them held a candle- the eerie glow washed over their faces, casting shadows that danced like ghosts in the room.

“They’ve been waiting for us,” West said, as he led me straight to the middle of the room. The chanting rose louder as West faced me.

My eyes widened, my heart racing violently. I’d only watched last time, but my senses told me West had something else in mind tonight.

“West?” I hissed, frantically looking around at the others, their masked eyes focused intensely on us.

“Kaylee, look at me.”

His voice was low, demanding. My eyes snapped to him. They were mesmerizing by the candlelight. The sternness I found there startled me.

A man stepped forward and held his candle high in the air.

“A sacrifice to Achelon will be made tonight,” the man declared loudly. “A sacrifice of sex. A sacrifice of souls. A sacrifice to the gods that make us whole.”

Sacrifice? What the fuck? My head spun and I really wished that West had prepared me better for this instead of just marching me right into this weird sacrifice circle.

“Kaylee, trust me,” West whispered, grabbing my hands and holding them as he spoke. “I’ve offered us up as tribute tonight. You’re safe, I promise. We want nothing but to give you pleasure, Little Rose.”

“West, I’m terrified, what is this?”

“You said you trusted me. You meant it. Now, it’s time to prove it.”

“How?” My stomach flipped with nervousness.

“By allowing me to give you pleasure, darling,” he said, reaching a hand up to my face. His gaze held mine, hot and hungry and demanding. A shiver went up my spine.

“Breathe, Little Rose,” he commanded.

I shook my head, trying to shake away the fear that threatened to overwhelm me. Every cell in my body told me to run. I raked my gaze over the others, looking for any sign of danger.

West put a hand on the small of my back, leading me over to the bed.

Slowly, he pushed my hood down over my head, then gently pushed the robe from my shoulders. With a swoosh of fabric, it fell to my feet, completely exposing me to the room. I swallowed hard, trying to control the fear and anxiety that coursed through my veins. Standing in front of West, in front of all of these people like this, I’d never felt more vulnerable.

I’d never felt more seen.

West dropped his robe next, then gathered me in his arms, kissing me passionately. The others began chanting louder, their voices echoing up into the dark chamber like a dirge.

I was terrified. Self-conscious. Disarmed and unsure.

Every muscle in my body was tensed. West sensed this,and kissed me through it. His kiss was warm and soft at first, his tongue sliding in and finding mine, searching and prodding until I began to respond.

He seemed to be able to coax the fear to the surface, find it and make love to it until it dissipated completely. Once he had me, once he sensed my relaxation, once he sensed that I’d fully opened to him, he knew what to do then.

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