The filthy, sexual sounds bounce off the glass walls. My breathing hitches in my throat, and my heart is drumming wildly in my chest. The ache that starts low in my stomach twists tighter with every second that passes. The pulse between my legs is erratic, and I want nothing more than to touch myself.
“That’s good,” he growls, keeping his eyes on me, and it’s almost as if he’s talking to me, but I know he’s not. “Keep going,” he tells her but doesn’t stray his gaze from mine. “I’m going to fill your pretty mouth with cum.” His voice is low, gravelly, dripping with lust and desire.
My nerves are shot; they spark with electric energy that has my feet slowly moving backward, but I never leave. I don’t look away from his beautiful, luminous eyes. I can’t tell what color they are from here, but all I know is they’re fucking flawless.
He grunts, his head tipping to the side, as he regards me now. His hand is still in her hair, but his eyes are burning me from the inside out.
“That’s what you like. Isn’t it?” he says, but this time, I’m not sure which of us he’s speaking to. Another grin from his mouth and she’s standing up, which sets me in motion, as I run back to the house. By the time I’m indoors, with a glass of champagne in my hand, I’m still shaking. I’m not sure who that was, or why they were using my mother’s greenhouse for something like that, but I know I never want to see that man again.
“Here you are,” my mother snips when she finds me standing close to the corner of the room, where I can’t see the patio doors. The thought of laying eyes on him again has my body both shaking and thrumming.
“I told you and Bradford I needed some fresh air,” I tell her.
“Your aunt is here,” Mom whispers, leaning in closer to me. “She wants to see you.” Mallory is a godsend, and I can’t help but smile when I think about her. The younger sister, the harlot. That’s what Mom used to call her. They never got along, and I know it’s because something happened between them after my mother got married. I never learned what, but one day, I know I’ll find out.
“I didn’t think she was invited.”
“Well, you know your aunt.” Mother shakes her head, as if her sister is a disappointment, just like me. It’s almost as if I’m not allowed to have other family besides my mother and the people she approves. But I know it’s more than that. “Come, say hello to her.”
I follow my mother through the crowd, but my gaze continually flits over to the doors that lead out to the garden. I realize I’m waiting for him to come inside. I want to see what he looks like in the light, without pleasure written all over his face. But, of course, he’d now have satisfaction all over his expression instead.
My cheeks burn, and I almost stumble into my mother’s petite frame, when I don’t realize she’s stopped.
“There she is.” My aunt, Mallory, grins playfully as she pulls me into a hug. Her body is warm, calming, not like my mother’s who is cold and unaffectionate. I’ve gotten so used to it, that when Mallory holds me, I actually hug her back.
“I’ve missed you,” I tell her with a genuine smile, knowing she’ll understand the underlying pain in my words. Mallory is younger than mom by a few years and, at times, I wonder if that’s why I get along with her better than my own mother. My mother trying to be the older, more grown-up levelheaded of the two, whereas my aunt is more frivolous, younger in personality and immature in her choices in life.
“I just heard you’re moving up north to the cold and rain.” She glances at her sister, and I can tell there’s animosity because the tension between us is so thick, so heavy, it feels as if a fight is about to break out.
“I am, for a month, until mom gets back from her honeymoon, and then we’ll see what happens,” I tell her.
“Well, if you need to ever get away, you’re always welcome at my house,” she offers, but my mother’s hand lands heavily on my shoulder in warning. She doesn’t like the idea.
“Or she could focus on choosing her major and making sure she’s chosen the college she wants to attend. Bradford is generously offering to pay for her studies. I think it’s nice of him.” My mother’s tone is filled with fury, as she hisses the words.
My aunt’s gaze sizzles as she regards her sister.
If I didn’t feel halfway comfortable spending time with Finn and Cassian, I would’ve asked my mother if I could stay with Mallory; but with tensions running high, I think I’ll just let it go for now.