chapter sixteen

I dripped a drop of lime essential oil on a card where I already had a drop of spearmint. Letting the scents mix for a second, I shook the card to blend them even further before bringing it up to my face and taking a deep inhale.

Exhaling, I let out a loud moan at the mojito-like scent I had just created. This would be a perfect addition to my collection. As I made a note of the measurements I would need for my next batch, my phone vibrated in my pocket, letting me know a text message came through.

 

The text was from an unknown number, but the area code was the next town over. Today just got a bit more interesting.

 

I didn’t even have to wait as I watched the little bubbles pop up to let me know they were typing, obviously giving me their full attention.

 

I felt the heat building in my lower stomach, and I squeezed my thighs together. This person always played cat and mouse with me, even though I was the mouse that had already been caught. A normal person would be petrified right now, scared to be caught, terrified to be watched as closely as I was, especially by someone as dangerous as him. It was clear that he was dangerous, given his connections and his impressive ability to find me.

But it felt good to be desired. To be seen. Of course, others wanted me for my looks, and I bet whoever my biggest fan was, was just as attracted to me as the creeps I hunted, but unlike the creeps, he saw through the beauty. He didn’t underestimate me because I took care of my appearance and put my body on display. I was unsure how dangerous he was, but we felt more or less equal in a way, and I liked how he treated me as such. Not only did he treat me like an equal, but he took care of me like I was a treasure, which made him, whoever he was, much more attractive than anyone I could have ever imagined.

I didn’t even bother texting back. I flipped to TapChat, put a filter on that created little hearts around my face, winked at the camera, and blew a kiss just as I snapped the photo. I chose a cute sticker that said good morning, saved it to my photos, and then sent it to him. The response was immediate.

 

Heat rose to my cheeks at the thought of meeting him in person. Had I met him in person and didn’t even know who he was? Would I recognize him instantly in person, or would he hide behind a mask like I did?

 

“Oh…” I mumbled under my breath as I clenched my thighs hard against each other to put pressure on my throbbing clit. I could feel my nipples pebble under my shirt as I took a deep breath in through my nose and held it, enjoying the burn of holding my breath for longer than I should before letting it go out of my mouth. “I need a drink.”

I slid my phone into the pocket of my jeans as I took off my lab coat and placed it on the hook by the door before I climbed up the stairs and entered the kitchen. I didn’t have any gin, but I had a new bottle of vodka, and I had juice. Pineapple juice, to be exact. Taking a beer glass, I filled it with ice, poured two ounces of vodka, and then topped it off with pineapple juice. I put a metal straw with a bright pink rubber tip at the end, sat on my couch, and took a long sip of the cocktail.

Samwise joined me by sitting on my feet. I gave him a chin scratch as my phone vibrated again.

I snapped a picture of my drink in my hand, showcasing my black painted nails holding the glass, and sent him the photo.

 

“Oh fuck, baby girl,” I groaned. Her hair was in a tight bun with pieces gracefully curled against her cheeks as she stared at her phone, waiting for my response. The urge to play with those curls and wrap them around my finger consumed me. I wasn’t expecting this kind of fire from her so soon. I thought she might resist, but it seemed like she was willing to play along in a way that we would both enjoy.

 

I watched her stare at her phone as she took another sip of her drink. She crossed her ankles daintily as her teeth worried her lip. I drew my eyes away from the screen as I looked back at my phone, then tapped her name at the top of the screen to bring it to her contact information. I didn’t even hesitate as I hit the call button. My eyes drew back to her on the screen of my laptop as I watched in gleeful anticipation at her expression as she recognized that the call coming through her phone was me.

This decision to call her was completely unplanned, and even if it had been, I was certain I would not have used a voice manipulator. Even though I knew I should protect my identity for the time being until we were both ready to meet each other without a screen between us, I could never hide myself from her. It seemed wrong to hide anything from her, given the fact I knew everything about her. It made everything seem one-dimensional, which was different from what I was trying to accomplish between us.

Plus, I didn’t truly want to hide from her. Lying wasn’t even an option in my mind. I wanted her to see me how I saw her. I did not worry that she wouldn’t accept me as I was as long as I gave her the space and time she needed to understand that I was not just a friend or a future lover but her forever. For now, I would just have to be content with the direction and speed in which she took our relationship. I didn’t know how much patience I had to let her direct the pace, but I would do my best to help nudge her along.

I let my hand trail down into my sweatpants and gripped my hard cock as she answered the phone. I stroked myself in time with her breathing as she calmly, despite me seeing everything but calm on her actual face, gave a sweet, “Hello?”

“Hi, sweetheart.”