Her Trick His Treat (Cherry On Top Tales #5)

Chapter Seven-Camryn

CHAPTER SEVEN-CAMRYN

H appy Halloween…Oh My GOD.

I mean, holy fucking shit. I never had a Halloween like this. Tommy, or Shadow Man , was downright scary focused as he drove through the dark streets towards his lair.

Okay, lair was the word I used. A sort of fantasy sex cave that I had built up in my head.

On the drive over, I’d conjured an image of what tonight might entail. The thrill of it all. My first secret rendezvous with a man. A dark place where I could explore the uncharted territory that was carnal pleasure with him.

Lair felt like the perfect word. Full of fantasy and intrigue. I imagined dim lighting, rich textures, the air thick with unspoken possibilities—some place anything could happen.

But when he finally pulled to a stop in the driveway of a sprawling mansion in Montclair, I was momentarily taken aback.

The house loomed before us, an elegant structure illuminated by soft porch lights that cast gentle shadows on the manicured lawn and beautifully sculpted shrubbery and trees.

It was beautiful. Classy. Rich.

“This is your place?” I asked, cheeks hitting at the way it came out.

“No talking yet, Vixen.”

I squeezed my legs shut at his command, hoping to ease the ache. I really hoped Shadow Man was going to keep the instructions coming because once he found out how new I was to this, he was likely going to pitch a fit.

Please don’t find out.

This behavior was so unlike me. But wasn’t that part of why I’d moved. To not be like me anymore?

I mean, I liked myself fine. But I was too closed off. Jan was right about that. I needed more than books and movies in my life. I needed people.

A person.

A connection.

Sex. I needed sex.

Maybe it was the alcohol I’d consumed. Or the fact I was too old to still technically be a virgin. Or perhaps it was because it was the one night a year when magic supposedly ran wild and the veil between worlds lifted.

Maybe it was all three.

All I knew was by the time Shadow Man rounded the front of the vehicle again, those endless black eyes staring out at me, I was more than ready to let him take the lead.

“Come with me,” he said in that deep, gravelly voice of his.

I took his proffered hand, swallowed my nerves, and allowed him to pull me out of the car.

Was this safe?

I should have probably thought about that before I got in his car. But he knew Jan’s husband, right?

For some reason, none of the usual warning bells were going off. The ones you got when you met someone who was creepy. Maybe his intentions were noble.

My pulse quickened as I took in the surroundings.

Was this really about to happen?

The thought both thrilled and intimidated me. The cool night air enveloped me, grounding me in the moment.

It was eerily quiet. A contrast to the constant buzz of attraction whispering in my veins.

In the distance, I heard leaves rustling with the breeze, but it only heightened my awareness, whetting my curiosity about what lay ahead.

Still in his Shadow Man mask, Tommy moved to my side, and the proximity sent a shiver down my spine.

There was an undeniable chemistry between us, a magnetic pull that made every moment feel charged with potential.

“Ready to explore?” he asked, his tone playful yet eager.

I nodded, excitement bubbling within me.

He approached the front door, using a code and a thumbprint to open the complicated-looking system.

Once inside, he did something similar to the alarm. He didn’t speak, and I wondered if maybe he was regretting his decision to bring me here.

My nerves were on edge, and I was so amped, I felt like a ticking time bomb

I had little time to take in my surroundings, eager as we both were to get to his bedroom. I barely glanced at the matte gray walls and wood trim. Framed photography lined the walls of the large sitting room I spied as he guided me down a hallway and up the stairs to the next level.

I wasn’t sure, but I thought I recognized a few recent album covers among them.

Interesting.

His taste was minimalist, which considering my clutter could be problematic if I were moving in.

But I wasn’t.

I was there for one thing.

For sex.

To trick Shadow Man into taking my virginity.

Guilt threatened to overwhelm me. The fear of being found out. To be outed as a fraud had me almost halting my steps, but he tugged on my hand, and I moved quickly to catch up.

Even if he wasn’t Jan’s husband’s friend, I’d still be there, I realized. Nothing could have stopped this.

The moment I saw him across the bar, headed towards me, I’d felt as if I’d boarded a bullet train right to his bedroom.

He kept the light off, and after closing the door behind us, he hit a few buttons, which seemed to change the opacity of the glass and closed the exterior shutters.

Last, black shades lowered inconspicuously from the ceiling to cover the entire, now frosted , window wall that looked out into the backyard.

Whoa.

Shivers danced down my spine. This was clearly a man who thought of everything.

His place was amazing. But I wasn’t there to appreciate his taste in décor.

The sounds of the shades clicking into place echoed in the otherwise silent room. My heart was pounding, and my hands felt damp with nervousness.

Anticipation made my mouth dry. I gasped when I heard movement, followed by something else. Like material swooshing to the ground.

Then I really started to sweat.

Was he getting naked?

“I can’t see,” I murmured.

“I know. You want it that way, don’t you, Vixen?”

“What do you mean?”

“You want it in the dark. Want to keep your fire a secret. Want me masked when I fuck you,” he growled.

Oh God.

Moisture dripped down my thighs, and breathing was harder. My lungs burned as I tried to suck in oxygen faster. My chest rose and dropped with the force of it, and I felt like I was running a marathon. Not something I’d ever done.

But neither is this , I reminded myself.

“Tell me I’m right, Vixen. Tell me you want everything I’m going to give you,” he said, and ooh, he was close.

So close, if I reached out, I could probably touch him.

He was right.

I wanted all of that.

But how did he know me so well?

“I-I do want that,” I confessed.

“Good Girl. Do what I say, and I’ll make you feel good. Disobey me, and this stops and the lights come on. Understand?”

“Y-yes,” I whimpered, squeezing my thighs together.

I heard him more clearly than before. I guessed that he’d lifted the mask.

And my guess was confirmed when he slammed his lips against mine, claiming me in the darkness with a kiss designed to ruin me for anyone else.

Not that there was anyone else. But still. However this little Halloween fantasy played out, it was better for me to remind myself he wasn’t playing for keeps. This was just a moment out of time.

The thought filled me with sudden and stark sadness, and I gasped. Shadow Man growled against my lips, swallowing the sound, and when he pressed his body against mine, every other thought I had left my brain.

He walked me backwards, and the backs of my thighs hit the couch. I was shivering uncontrollably now. Even more so when his rough hands found the fastenings of my clothes, tearing when he couldn’t persuade them to open gently.

The sound echoed inside the room, or maybe that was just the sounds inside my head. Either way, it only increased my desire for him.

This stranger.

My Shadow Man.

There was zero light in the bedroom, and I couldn’t even make out his shape but the skin under my hands was smooth and taut over hard, curved muscle.

My top fell and Shadow Man grabbed my waist, pulling me against his chest. I hissed as my sensitized nipples came into contact with the smattering of har across his pecs.

“Oh God, that feels so,” I murmured, head dropping back as he licked his way from my neck to my aching breasts, sucking the tips and squeezing them hard.

“Feels so what? Tell me.”

I moaned, incapable of speech, and he dropped his hands, stepping back. Immediately, I felt bereft without him. Like my body missed his touch, craved it, even though it was so new.

Shit.

I remembered his instructions. And I could have cursed myself, but I didn’t want to waste time.

“It feels good. Do it again, Shadow Man, please.”