Sam entered the room and the atmosphere changed immediately. It was as if he filled the whole room with his presence - every step he took, every movement he made drew attention to himself without any real effort. Ella jumped up to greet him with a "Sammy!", her joy obvious. I could feel a tension building within me as she threw herself at him, almost too close.
Her familiarity was not only palpable but almost tangible. Sam was unfazed, holding her with an almost casual smile and then turning his attention to Levi, who then excused himself briefly to attend to another guest, and I stood there, a strange uncertainty rising within me.
What's going on here?
Sam turned to me, and at that moment I felt my body tighten unexpectedly. He took a step closer, and his eyes had that piercing, almost unfathomable stare. "Claire, right?" he said as if he had just remembered me. His eyes moved openly from my eyes to my lips, and it was as if he was deliberately creating that distance.
"You're the one that's causing so much excitement in the social media world. I've seen some of your posts." What the hell was the point of that tour now? "Yeah, you could say that," I replied coolly, trying to maintain control. "Little effort, lots of attention," I said with a sharp undertone that was probably meant for him as much as my look - challenging but forbidding. Suddenly it occurred to me that it wasn't too bad that no one knew we knew each other. That I was spreading my legs for him, a means to an end. He laughed quietly, presciently, but it was this charming, almost condescending tone that only encouraged me more.
"It's nice to finally meet you in person," he said, coming even closer. It was as if he wanted to take my breath away. But behind that polite smile, I knew he wanted more - more from me. And that was where I couldn't stand him. "You know, Claire," he continued, "I have to admit, I was hoping we would meet under different circumstances." I could feel it - that hint of something he'd never said before. "Oh, yeah?" I asked, not hiding my curiosity, tilting my head slightly to the side as I offered him an answer that was as challenging as it was restrained. "What circumstances would that have been?"
"Who knows? I didn't realize you were so outrageously beautiful in person, Claire," he sang, his voice almost sweet.
I felt my cheeks flush slightly and my breath seemed to catch in my chest. Damn, he knew how to get me excited. But he wouldn't win. Not that easy. "Well, you know what they say," I said sharply, almost with a smile, but it wasn't really a smile. "The Lord works in mysterious ways." "Oh, I'm sure they can be very mysterious," he replied, his eyes twinkling as if trying to tease out more. "But I wonder what goes on in such pretty minds."
This indirect question pounded in my head. Charming, my dear. I could feel the spark between us. This closeness - it burned. And as he spoke, I felt him slowly erode the control I had worked so hard to maintain.
"Tell me, Claire," he began, his voice now almost a whisper as he pulled me even closer. "How are things with relationships? I imagine you're busy, aren't you?" I wanted to give him a sharp retort, but my words stalled.
These thoughts raced through my mind. "Sure," I replied with a forced grin. "Busy." He didn't seem impressed by my answer but leaned in a little closer. "I hear you know how to take matters into your own hands, Claire." The way he emphasized my name made me swallow. I could see him trying to lure me into his trap.
But he had underestimated how used I was to deal with such manipulation. "I'll take what I want," I said sharply, my eyes boring into his. But there was that smug look in his eyes that tested me. "I hope you always get what you want," he said with a smile that made me feel like I was already in his clutches. Damn. But I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me affected.
Sam's words are like a cold breath as he comes closer. "You need to relax," he whispers as if telling me a secret I don't want to hear. "It's all under control. You'll lure Levi in eventually. He's slow sometimes." It was as if the room tightened around me as Sam came closer as if he wanted to encapsulate me in his world.
But he'd look at you differently if he knew how horny you were before. You enjoyed it, didn't you?" It's like he flipped a switch. The alcohol tingling in my veins made me stagger now, but the control was still there, even if it felt thin and fragile.
Just a thin line between impulse and restraint, between my anger and the excitement I hated so much it almost consumed me. "What would he do? If he saw me pleasuring you. Do you think he'd like how wet the thought makes you? Do you think he'd go along with it?" I felt the heat rise inside me.
Rage. Uncontrollable rage. But there was also this other feeling that settled in my stomach as his words hit me. A part of me wanted to scream at him, to put him in his place, but the other part couldn't deny the spark flickering inside of me - a damn good feeling I'd never admit to.
"If you're good and play along, you'll get a sequel later," he said, almost casually, as if he wanted to expose me to every last detail. I had the feeling he was trying to get me into a game, and I could practically feel the tension. "Oh really,"
I hissed back, my eyes sharp. "You don't have anything I'm interested in right now." He just shrugged, as if my words had no effect on him, and there it was again - that rising feeling, spreading further and further inside me.
"Don't be such a baby, Claire," he whispered now, and I felt his eyes run over my skin like hot fingers. His voice was soft, almost dangerous. "You've done this before. And it won't be the last time I show you how much control I have over you."
I wanted to argue with him, but the words stuck in my throat as an unwanted excitement began to build within me. I knew he was trying to lure me into his trap. Probably trying to get something out of me. A hint of something I couldn't control. Something that would make me vulnerable without me wanting to be.
"Believe me," I said, my voice noticeably harder now. "You have no idea how quickly you could lose that control."
He made a mocking sound and stepped even closer, so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. "Come on, Claire. You can relax a little, you'll see how it all works out." I looked at him with flashing eyes, but let myself get back into the game, so I whispered, "I can help you out next door for a bit if you want. But knowing you, you'll want to fuck me right away, won't you?"
Sam winced, but there was also that glint in his eyes. He wanted me - that much was clear. And something was raging inside of me that wanted to tear me down as much as anything he'd ever done to me.
But I wouldn't let him see it. "But then we'll have a problem," I added with an innocent smile, "because I might get loud. So loud that we'll disturb everyone here. Do you want that?" I could see the sparkle in his eyes, the realization that I was serious and that he was trying to pull himself together. And that was all that mattered.
The fizz of the next sip of champagne on my tongue, mixed with the simmering restlessness, grows within me. Levi is here, but not where he should be. Too far away, too inattentive. I hate this. If I want something, I want it now. Sam is here, ready, available, so why not?
I move closer, my fingers sliding along his hip, my breath brushing his ear, the words I speak not a wish, but a command. "Come with me. I'm horny." He laughs deeply, smugly: "I knew it." A laugh that would normally have infuriated me, but now it ignites within me, awakening a wave of anticipation that overshadows everything else.
I pull him with me, past the completely stunned Ella, without a second thought. Through the back door, into the darkness where no one can see us. The cold night air hits my skin, but it only takes a moment before I feel the heat again.
I push Sam against the wall, grabbing his face, my lips finding his, demanding, relentless. No holding back. I take what I want. He grabs me as if to show me that he's the one now. That he wants me now because Levi doesn't want me. But I'm the one in charge. I scratch at his neck, nails digging deep into his back, and I hear the growl in his throat. He's going to take me. Now. And here. Because I need him. And because I'm in control. Slowly, I pull my panties off my legs, let them slide carelessly to the floor, and look him in the eye. My smile isn't a promise, it's a challenge.
In my mind, he's not the one I'm thinking about. His hands, his lips, and his eyes are what I want. I unbuckle his belt, pull down his pants in one swift movement, and embrace him the way I want him now. "You know what I want," I say, my voice a command, not a whisper. "Take me." Sam grabs me, lifts me, and presses me against the cold wall.
A harsh gasp escapes me as he doesn't give me a moment to prepare. But I'm already ready. He enters me, hard, deep, slow. Each thrust pushes me further, pulls me further into the madness. Pleasure explodes in me. "Harder," I demand, my voice almost breaking. I can't hold it back. It's greed. It's hunger. "Take me harder." He obeys. Each thrust becomes more merciless, more chaotic, and deeper. His hands claw into my ass.
I feel him burying himself inside me as if he wants to destroy me - and I do. His moans vibrate against my neck, the sound of our bodies echoing off the wall. I dig my fingers into the mortar, trying to find purchase as the pleasure nearly tears me apart.
"Yes," I moan, and then it comes - an orgasm, wild, uncontrolled. I shake, my legs clinging to him. Heat flows down my thighs, and Sam curses before slowly setting me down. He kneels in front of me and licks my thighs as if he wants to remember this moment forever. My breathing is heavy, my body is still in a frenzy.
When he stands up, he kisses me almost tenderly, but I push him away, determined, without looking back. I reach for my panties, pull them over my hips, and turn away. "Not today, Sammy." I let him stand, turn around, and go home.
🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️
A sound jolted me awake. At first a faint scratching, little more than a shadow at the edge of my consciousness. Then deeper, sharper. Like a fingernail on glass. My heart stumbled. I lay still, shrouded in darkness. The warmth of sleep clung to me, but my mind was cold, sharp as a shard of glass. Something was here. I felt it. The noise came again. Slowly I turned my head.
The mirror is across from my bed. My heart stopped. I was still in bed - but my reflection was still. Unmoving. My eyes are black as ink, empty and bottomless. Not a blink. Not a breath. Nothing. Then it opened its mouth. "You forgot me, Claire." Icy air brushed against my skin, shifting the sheets. I should have left the window open.
My body was numb, my limbs heavy as lead. I wanted to blink, move, do anything - but my reflection wouldn't. A tingling sensation spread through my stomach. Something was behind me. I turned around. My sister was standing at the edge of my bed, pale, her skin tight over her cheekbones as if she hadn't slept in days. Her eyes were too big, too dark. "Why are you doing this to me?"
Her voice was a whisper, cutting into my bones. "I-" My throat was dry. I hadn't done anything. Helen's mouth twisted. "You're lying."
Her hand rose, reaching for me. I wanted to back away, but with the first step, the world shattered beneath me. The impact was hard. Cold. Something wet clung to my fingers and crawled into my skin.
The smell of iron filled my nostrils, heavy, and sweet. My breath caught.
The room was small. A kitchen. A familiar kitchen. Theo sat at the table, his back to me, his head bowed slightly. "Theo?" No response. I took a step forward onto the cold tiles.
Helen stood next to Theo. Her hands were steady. In one - a knife. I sucked in a breath. No. Helen moved. The blade flashed, and then - a dull, wet sound. Theo jerked, a rattling gasp coming from his throat.
His fingers dug into the table, then he slowly tipped forward. My body froze. Helen pulled the knife out of his skin. The sound was crunching, viscous, a wet ripping. Blood dripped heavily onto the floor. She turned to me.
Her eyes were bottomless, deep enough to swallow me whole. "Why did you make me do this?" Her voice was flat. I shook my head. "You did it, Claire." "No." Helen took a step closer. "Yes." The knife in her hand shone, the tip red. "You did."
She raised the blade. I wanted to back away, defend myself, do something - but then the stabbing pain came. I gasped for air, but my lungs were empty. Something warm ran over my skin, dripping onto the floor. Helen slowly pulled the knife back.
"You're safe now." My head felt heavy, and my knees buckled. Theo was still lying there, his face in the shadows. Darkness swallowed me. I shot up.
My body was drenched in sweat. My breath came in ragged gasps, my heart was racing, beating so fast it hurt and threatened to stop. Darkness. No blood. No knife. Just my bedroom, the silence, the heat under the sheets, and an open window.
But the smell was still in the air: sandalwood. I breathed it in, deeply, trying to hold on to it. Reality. This was real. No blood, no stabbing, no Helen. I closed my eyes and pressed my hand to my stomach as if to convince myself that I was unharmed. But the trembling in my fingers gave me away.
Helen, Kira, and I were no longer safe.