“Fuck, Belle, I don’t think I want to do that just because your mother… Oh, shit…” His lips came to my shoulder and I felt him suck on the skin.
Fuck, he was sexy.
My body went hot and cold, need pooling in the pit of my stomach.
But no matter what, I wouldn’t give in to him.
Not after he’d slept with my mother.
Then again, it didn’t stop me from stroking him off and feeling incredibly powerful over it. I didn’t doubt he was leaving a love bite, a claim on me that I should probably mind, but actually didn’t.
I’d take that with me, even if it most likely was going to fade by the time of the masquerade.
Tugging on his hair I brought his lips back to mine and kissed him, making it obvious I wanted him to dominate the kiss the way I was currently dominating his pleasure.
I felt him grow harder, his thrusts into my hand getting shaky, uncoordinated as he tried to chase his orgasm.
And that moment I wanted to feel it against my stomach, on my skin, although he’d never get me the way he probably wanted to.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispered over and over again and I watched him come. He was beautiful, so much so, especially undone, and I had a feeling it could get addicting.
“You are such a handsome devil,” I admitted, not wanting to, but my lips didn’t listen to me.
“Don’t charm me right now. You just made me come. I’m ready to give you all you ask of me because holy shit…”
I didn’t think it was the first time someone stroked him off, but I almost believed he was impressed. However, that moment I realized maybe I could get something from him. “Who is paying you?”
Because I knew there was someone behind him. It had taken me a few days to catch on, but then I’d realized he couldn’t have gotten the job at the country club if he didn’t know the right people.
His eyes were sleepy, soft, and he shrugged. “Someone who cares.”
He didn’t deny it, and yet didn’t say more, but I had a feeling I knew.
After all, there were not many people who’d care enough to finance something like that, and I swallowed.
“I sure hope he’s paying up well,” I muttered and he drew me in, planting a light kiss on my lips although I was sure my mother was no longer there.
“I found you, and that’s an incredible thing in itself.”
I nodded, waiting for more, but he just gave me a lazy smile. “We should get cleaned up,” I announced, tugging him along—and hating the fact that the days to the masquerade were counting down even as I hoped we’d be there already.
Chapter Six
Belle
I felt Kip’s eyes on me even though we were wearing masks. I could feel the lust and themes in the air; the corruption and the depravation.
Silvercrest was a Mecca for everything dark and forbidden, and up until today I hadn’t been one who could say she belonged to the deceiving crowd, to the people who would do everything to get out of a situation what would be to their biggest gain.
Today I was one of those. I might as well take Kip and jerk him off once more just for the fun of it. The City Hall had probably not one single spot that hadn’t been covered in body fluids, and I figured that right that moment at least three couples were having sex in one of the nooks and crannies.
But that wasn’t why we were here.
Instead, I turned and found Kip’s eyes across the room. Mom and Corey had already left the main event to meet with their favorite people, those they admired the most, in a small room where they would have a private ceremony, would talk about the auction pieces before anyone else would ever get a chance to even look at them.
And that was what Kip and I would use.
I pulled my cell from my clutch, finding two messages there. The first was from a contact I had at the station and it read that the police was on their way.
The second was from someone in here, telling me he had the special music ready and would start the moment I’d walk through the doors of the Marble Hall.
Kip joined my side, and as he held out his hand for me, I realized he was trembling slightly. I nearly snorted almost un-lady-like, but kept it in. I should be the one who was nervous. After all, I was helping to bring my mother down, to ruin her life for something that had impacted me.
While I was sure Kip thought I was helping him because of the deceit and the kidnapping, I knew that wasn’t why.
No, I just wanted to be free of her and leave.
In fact, I also wanted to be free of the name she’d given me.
I wanted to be as far away as I could be.
Entwining our fingers, I glanced up. “Are you ready?”
He chuckled, but it sounded shaky. “You know, we don’t have to do this, I mean…” He licked his lips. “This could change your life forever.”
And now he was growing a conscience?
“Come on,” I muttered, tugging him along, but in the almost empty hall he pulled me to a stop.
I turned to him, annoyed, but found he had pushed his mask up and then took mine off as well. I felt naked, exposed, but his expression was serious. “When this is over, Belle, I want us to be a thing. I want to take you out, prove to you that I’m not the guy you think I am. Promise me that we can walk out of here together, that you and I have a chance.”
I licked my lips. “Kip…”
He framed my face and I swore no one had ever touched me as tenderly has he touched me. “No sex, no skin-on-skin, but real dates, real talks,
