Page 20 of A Midnight Romance

Lux

A fter River leaves me in the gardens, I spend the rest of the night writing in my bedroom.

River was right, this laptop is better than mine.

After countless emails back and forth with my editor over the last week, she’s kind enough to grant me an extension on my current work in progress.

Diving back into this fictional world, where I can guarantee a happy ending, feels good.

I haven’t been able to write since the night Andrew abducted me.

I’m not sure what has freed my mind now, but I’m feeling more relief.

With my notes and boards at home, I have to spend the time inserting my own rage and violation into my current female main character, which proves to be helpful since the words simply fly out of me.

Slipping into the writing zone gives me a glimpse of the old Lux again—and I miss her. It feels good. Refreshing.

Around five in the morning, after writing ten thousand words, I put my laptop aside and fall asleep, waking up several hours later around dusk.

After taking a quick shower, I step onto the heated tile floor in the bathroom and stand in front of the sink.

With a quick wipe of the condensation from the mirror, my reflection is revealed.

Leaning over the counter, I catch the bags under my eyes.

Shocked by my appearance, I draw back. I hope there’s some makeup in all those buckets the personal shopper dropped off .

Wrapped in a plush robe, I walk into the bedroom and straight for the items in the corner.

It only takes me a second to find a bag filled with high-end beauty products.

But then a quick buzz of my phone on the nightstand distracts me.

I grab my phone and the bag, then swipe up on my phone while walking into the bathroom.

River: I’ll be in your room in an hour. Pack an overnight bag too.

My palms sweat. He’s coming to my room?

Dumping the bag onto the counter, I grab for anything I can find to make myself not look like I’ve been hit by a truck.

Me: I’ll be ready.

I finish getting myself dressed, then pack a few items off the clothing racks.

Unsure of how long we’ll be gone, I throw as many things in the bag as I can.

With only a few minutes to spare, I sit at the edge of the bed and wait for him—which I’m not the biggest fan of, but him sharing the plans with me last night makes me feel a little more included.

Exactly an hour later, I hear a soft knock on the bedroom door. My stomach flips with the anticipation of seeing River.

Climbing to my feet, I let out a heavy sigh from every nerve in my body.

“Hi,” River says, leaning against the door frame.

“H-hello,” I stammer, feeling all sorts of emotions.

“Ready?”

I nod, turning to grab my stuff, but he stops me, placing his hand over mine. “My assistant will grab that for you.”

“Oh, okay.”

“The jet is waiting for us outside.”

I’m not expecting that. “Like, outside of your house? ”

“Yes.”

With my hand in his, he leads me down the hall and into the elevator, where we stand in silence until the metal doors slide open, exposing the damp, cool night air. We continue onto the short runway and approach the private plane.

The pilot stands at the base of the steps. “Hello, Mr. Thompson.”

“Captain Scott,” River greets him with a smile.

He leads us into the cabin. “We’ll land in Portland in under an hour,” he informs us before heading to his post.

“Wonderful.” River’s hand is resting on my lower back making the skin underneath my shirt tingle as he leads me further inside.

There are six spacious reclining leather seats, three on each side of the aisle, with a four-seater light blonde wooden table behind the chairs on the left.

A door at the back of the plane catches my eye, and I can only assume it’s private sleeping quarters.

It’s overwhelming to think River owns this, even though I shouldn’t be surprised, based on the size of Thompson Manor.

Sebastian’s already aboard, sitting in one of the white reclining seat with headphones over his ears. He gives us a curt nod as we walk down the aisle to the seats toward the back.

“Have dinner with me?”

“Sure.” I smile, trying to act like none of this is out of the ordinary. I’ve never been on a private plane and have nothing to compare it to, but this is beautiful.

River gets settled across from me. “I ordered for you, I hope you don’t mind.”

I swallow a chuckle. He has no clue how picky I am about my food. “You did?”

“Yes, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. ”

River glances behind me, lifting his hand up. Before I can ask what he’s doing, Ben appears at my side with a rolling a metal cart.

“Miss Lux.” He places a plate with a tin lid in front of me. “Lovely to see you again.”

“Lovely to see you too.”

“I have made a grilled chicken salad, my signature vegetable soup, and a coconut cake for dessert.”

“Coconut cake?” I ask, shocked by the choice since it’s not as common as chocolate or cheesecake.

“River said it’s your favorite,” he explains, placing River’s meal on the table.

When I glance over at him, River’s rubbing the back of his neck, trying to hide a smile.

“How did you know?”

“I have my ways.”

I giggle, because I’m not surprised he found a way to learn my favorite dessert.

During dinner, River shares with me details about how the kill is planned to go down.

The more we talk about taking Nolen’s life, the more I get visions of my blood-soaked dream.

And as time goes on, the more I realize it isn’t only rage fueling me because this feels natural in some small parts of my mind.

Although I didn’t kill Rich myself, I was in the room and that makes me part of what happened.

Before that night, I could barely eat, I wasn’t sleeping, and my thoughts were clouded.

I was a shell of the person I was before.

Although short lived, I slept for short bursts throughout the day.

But now I find myself itching for another one of those men to see their demise.

I need my story to keep moving .

When we’re almost done eating, River’s eyes meet mine from across the table. It’s silent except for the dull echo of Sebastian headphones in the background.

“How are you feeling?” he asks, picking up on my change in demeanor.

“I’m doing all right,” I say. I should thank him for opening up to me more. These few little things he’s sharing are helping me feel included, but also giving me a glimpse into who he is. “Thank you for sharing things with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“In the garden and now during dinner. You’re letting me in to the details of what we’re doing.

” I exhale a heavy sigh. “It’s difficult to explain what was taken from me that night or how something inside of me changed, but it did.

It feels like I’ve been chasing that old version of myself since then. And thank you for including me.”

River rests a comforting palm on my hand from across the table and gives a soft smile.

“My parents were murdered when I was young, so I don’t know if I would have been the same person I am today if I hadn’t witnessed it, but I do know something changed in me too.

We all process trauma differently—some healthy, other unhealthy. ”

Are River and I not as different as I believe us to be?

Did the taste for vengeance unlock something in him too?

A tightness in my chest forms as tears prick the back of my eyelids from both him losing his parents and having someone to relate to. Before they can fall, I rise from my seat. I want to release these emotions, but we’re not alone at this moment because Sebastian is right behind us.

I clamp my eyes shut. “Is that a private room?”

“Yes, it’s all yours.” A worried expression sweeps across River’s face. “Are you all right, Lux? ”

I briskly walk past him, without acknowledging his questions.

“Lux.” He grabs my hand. “What’s wrong?”

“I need a minute.” I sprint toward the small room in the back, stopping short of falling onto the bed.

River is hot on my heels, slipping into the room behind me. “What’s going on?”

“I think I’m still processing it all.”

He locks the door behind us, then bends to cup his hands on my cheeks. “I’m here.”

My eyes lock on his as he holds my head in place. Taking in a breath, I try to slow my breath while tears roll down my cheeks.

“We’re going to get all of these men, Lux. I promise.”

“It’s hard to see the finish line at this point.”

“I know. Because we’ve only just begun.” His thumb glides across my skin and over my bottom lip. “You will hear every one of them take their last breath.”

My heart flutters and my mind blurs with how close our bodies are. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Squeezing my eyes shut, I let myself feel the emotions. Then a gentle pressure is on my forehead, and before I can open my eyes a light breeze floats across my lips. River’s forehead is pressing against mine, and in that moment I let a waterfall of tears fall.

“I’m right here with you, Lux. I have been since the moment I brought you home from that cabin. You’re not alone.”

His admission and raw attempt to comfort me melts and something in me leans into his touch. “I think I need a distraction,” I whisper.

My eyes slowly flutter open afraid of what his reaction will be.

River’s eyes bore into mine. “What type of distraction? ”

“I brought my lap. Maybe writing will help,” I lie to avoid telling him what I truly want. I suck in my bottom lip, biting until I taste copper nervous and almost regretting what I said.

His finger slides across my bottom lip, pulling it open slightly, before his tongue darts out to lick his lip. “Let me distract you.”

“Wh-what do you have in mind?” I stammer, my legs squeezing together, arousal pooling in my panties.

“It’s imperative we are both thinking straight when we land.

” River’s hand drops to the waistband of my pants before dipping his finger under the elastic and gliding it across my skin.

I let out a small gasp as his delicate but commanding touch causes my skin to break out with goose bumps.

“I can't have anything impede our plans. And I gave you my word I’d help you in any way I could.”

My heart pounds. “I wouldn’t want to ruin this for either of us.”

“I hate seeing you upset, Lux.” River grips my thigh with his hand and, in one smooth motion, he spreads my legs apart, sliding himself between them. “Let me give you some temporary relief until I can bring you the revenge you crave.”

“Okay,” I breathe out.

A devilish grin appears on his face, making my legs weak. River removes his hand from my thigh, grabbing both of my arms and swinging them over his shoulders. “Lean on me.”

Am I going to let this happen? Yes. Hell yes, I am.

I bend forward, our bodies are flush with one another. The clean, leathery scent of him liquefies my organs.

“Such a greedy girl.”

With one arm bracing me, the other slips between us and inside my pants, and then brings his lips to the sensitive skin on my neck .

River glides his other hand across my stomach and into the heat between my legs. “Is this what you need?” he groans into the sensitive skin on my neck.

With two curled fingers, he moves in slow, steady motion. My eyes flutter closed. “Oh, River.”

“That’s right. I’m the one taking care of you,” he growls. “It will be me meeting all of your needs.”

With my forehead resting on River’s shoulder, he braces my weight.

Moving back and forth, he slides his fingers in and out of my pussy, rubbing the arousal over top of my clit, before slipping them back inside.

Picking up the pace with his two curled fingers, he urges me into him as he commands my hips to roll forward.

My pussy throbs while my insides clench around his fingers. Bucking against him, my body craves the relief, chasing a precious orgasm before it finally breaks. Tense and locked in place, my breath halts.

“That’s right, Lux, you’re doing so well coming for me.” River’s lips are at my collarbone.

I do as he says, sucking in a gulp of air right when my legs tremble and tingles shoot up my spine.

“Oh my god,” I moan. My limbs weaken, falling forward into his firm embrace.

Once my orgasm subsides, he gently pulls his hand from out of my panties. Our eyes locked in a deep stare, and then he does something I’m not expecting. He slips his two fingers into his mouth, and with a slow roll of his eyes, he sucks them clean.

My mouth drops, but I close it right away.

“You taste so fucking good.”

River’s hooded eyes are mesmerizing, and I can’t help but think what he looks like when fully turned on .

“Feel a little better?”

“Amazing.” I’m feeling groggy from my climax.

“I love seeing that smile on your face.” River tucks a loose hair behind my ears, then drags his fingers along my heated cheeks. “And I’m glad I’m the one who was able to bring it back.”

Speechless, I lower to the couch with my palms flat on the cushions. “Me too.”

River’s is gaze lands on my unbuttoned pants. “You have no idea how deep my need to give you what you want goes.”

He rests his hand on the doorknob. “I’ll give you a minute. And when you feel comfortable, come out and join us.”

I can’t believe I just let that happen.