Page 9 of Carnival
Rose
J ames takes another step forward, crouching down to my level. He doesn’t say anything, and that gives me a moment to inspect the mask. It’s still as creepy as it was two years ago — because last night I had better things to focus on than his mask.
The crack is still there, and although I remember it being covered in blood, now it’s clean.
Well, cleaner — it still has bloodstains.
It only proves my theory that the blood was real, and I’m not sure how I’m feeling about that.
I should be absolutely disgusted and terrified to the bone, yet I’m surprisingly calm.
I’m curious about the crack and why he is wearing the same mask. It’s the most identifiable thing about him, the biggest thing that separates him from the crowd. Realization dawns on me, hitting me like a ton of bricks, and I can’t help the scoff of disbelief that comes from my mouth.
This motherfucker is so arrogant that he isn’t hiding from the cops that are within the house. No, he’s taunting them, challenging them, thinking that he’s some sort of a god. Jesus, did I really get myself involved with such a narcissist?
“What do you want from me?” I ask, trying to wiggle my hands free, though I stop pretty quickly, realizing how useless my struggles are.
“Oh, there are plenty of things I want from you,’’ he murmurs, reaching with his index finger to brush a stray hair out of my face, his touch surprisingly gentle, a stark contrast to his entire demeanor. “And I think you know just how much I want to show them to you.’’
I try my best not to show how much effect his whispering, his tender touches, and that intense gaze are having on me. Instead, I look at him, suppressing the shivering of my body and slightly narrowing my eyes.
“You want to fuck me again.’’
“Well, of course,’’ he says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “But there’s so much more that I want from you than just your body, pretty girl.’’
“Like what?”
He puts his index finger under my jaw, tilting my head upward. I can practically feel him smirking behind the mask, and as he inches closer, I try holding onto the thin thread of sanity, though it seems to be close to snapping entirely.
“Owning your soul,’’ he murmurs, dragging his finger all over my cheek and chin, then brushing his thumb against my lips.
I stay still, unable to move, unable to do anything except stare at the mask.
His eyes are glued to my lips, and I love the way his thumb presses into my soft skin.
“Owning your mind, until all you can think of is me.’’
My mind goes blank, and as if it’s some sort of a twisted cosmic joke, he is all I think about. The way the pad of his thumb pulls my bottom lip down and the way he’s staring so intently cause the pit of my stomach to clench, my body already at his mercy.
“James,’’ I whisper, and his eyes snap to mine. They’re widened a little, pupils dilated as if I’d just given him a daily dose of his fix. His hand moves to the back of my head, grabbing a handful of my hair and pulling it back.
“Say my name again.’’
My throat goes dry, and his name rolls off my tongue sweetly, like the most desperate plea. “James.’’
He groans, getting on his knees in front of me. He covers my eyes with his hand, and darkness is all I can see. Then, I can hear some shuffling before he buries his face in the crook of my neck. He moves his hand from my eyes, slowly pushing the turtleneck away, inhaling the scent of my neck.
From this perspective, I can only see his cheek and a little of his eyebrow, but his face remains a mystery.
The scent of peppermint and musk hits my nose, my fingers twitching, itching to touch him, to run them through his hair, and to feel if it’s as soft as it looks.
Yet, the restraints don’t move, and I’m left caged, his hands coming to my waist, gripping tightly.
“You don’t know what you’re doing to me, hellion,’’ his muffled voice is soft against my skin, his breath tickling and causing goosebumps to appear. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to have you like this. All to myself. All mine.’’
Under normal circumstances, if a man were to say this to me, I’d cuss him out, kick him where the sun doesn’t shine, and probably get a restraining order.
So why is it different with him? We’ve met three times in total, tonight being the third.
Realistically, I’m a fool for allowing this, a fool for seeking him out, and a fool for enjoying his touch.
I shouldn’t do this; I shouldn’t let myself get greedy and addicted to his touch.
“James,’’ I whisper. “This is insane. You’re a killer.’’
His body freezes, and he distances himself from me, allowing me to get a good look at his face, and wind gets blown out of my lungs.
His eyelashes are thick, dark, and curled to perfection. His nose is on the bigger side, reminding me of Greek sculptures in the best possible way. His plump lips are in the prettiest shade of pink, and my eyes are instantly glued to them.
But his eyes, oh God — his eyes.
Now that I can see them fully, without the mask, I’m left speechless. The irises are in the deepest, richest shade of dark brown, with some lighter specks dancing near his pupils. Almost like a shade of gold.
Something flashes behind his eyes, but it’s gone before I can figure out what it is. The expression shifts to a stoic one, though there’s intensity; if anything, it seems to be growing with each passing second.
“That makes you a hypocrite.’’ His voice is low. “Your best friend and the people you call family are also killers. What’s so different about me?”
He’s right. Looking from a logical standpoint, there’s no difference. This only confirms that he is, in fact, the killer that the cops have been chasing for two years. Just like Noah and Hudson, he also kills for someone, and there’s no difference between the two, except the methods used.
When I first discovered what Noelle and Hudson did for a living, as well as Aria and Arlo, I was scared shitless. I isolated myself from Aria, always looking over my shoulder, trying to see if she’d come and kill me if I dared to look at her the wrong way.
She didn’t give me a reason to fear her, but I was young, and I didn’t know what to make of it all.
Eventually, I came around, and Aria filled me in.
They’re doing many illegal things, but then again, so do I.
The moment I accepted to stay with them, under the very same roof where all of the illegal activities were being conducted, I became an accomplice, oftentimes helping them from the sidelines in the arms-dealing business.
My eyes flicker up to meet his, and I should be scared.
The way his eyes narrow to slits, the way he’s waiting for me to speak, impatiently tapping the armrest near my wrist. I take in a sharp intake of breath, the fluttering in my chest only speeding up when he tilts his head to the side, silently challenging me.
“It’s not different,’’ I admit. “It’s just…’’
“Just what?” He demands. “You’re scared of me, aren’t you? You’re scared of what I could do to your soul, just how much I could taint you, and how much I could corrupt you. Is that what you’re scared of? Of allowing yourself to belong to me?”
I fucking hate this bastard.
My jaw clenches, and I can’t put into words what I’m feeling. My mind is a brewing storm, and somehow, his words anger me. I clamp my mouth shut, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of answering and not wanting to admit that he is fucking right.
When I don’t respond, a wide grin splits on his face. Chills run down my spine — his eyes remaining as emotionless as the moment before, and the sadistic smile causes something in my body to churn.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” He leans in, his lips mere inches from mine, his breath fanning my face. “It’s alright,’’ he chuckles. “You don’t need to admit it. I can tell by your body language, hellion. You want all of this, but you’re scared of what might happen.’’
“No,’’ I grit my teeth, stubbornly looking away.
He grips my chin between his fingers, forcing me to look at him. “Don’t you dare look away from me, Rose,’’ his voice is barely above a whisper, but the command is indisputable.
A loud gasp slips from my lips when he pulls my bottom lip between his, sucking on it. My eyes widen in shock, my body reacting to the contact. It’s pathetic how little it takes me to get aroused, how little effort he has to put in to have me all putty and needy in his hands.
He licks the inside of my lip before releasing it, a hum of pleasure leaving his lips. “Fucking delicious.’’
For a while, I seem to forget where we are and that I’m supposed to be trying to get out of this place. Aria slips my mind, and my main focus is James; the way he’s looking at me, the way his hands go inside my turtleneck, and his hands against my skin causing me to shiver.
“So sensitive,’’ he murmurs. “So breakable.’’
“I’m not breakable,’’ I hiss.
He lifts a brow, and his free hand goes down to his pants, unbuckling his belt with ease. My eyes follow his every move, like I’m hypnotized and can’t force myself to look away. He pulls the belt off and wraps it around my throat, securing it tightly.
“Let’s put it to the test, shall we?” He muses, amusement dancing in his eyes. Defiance doesn’t falter from my expression, and I’m more than willing to take on his challenge.
He double-wraps the leather around his palm, pulling me forward as he rises to his feet, staring down at me with hunger in his eyes. Like a starved man, and I’m his last meal.
“Unzip my pants,’’ he commands. “With your teeth.’’
My mind goes blank, and before I can think about what I’m doing, I’m inching closer to his pants, licking my lips before taking the metal zipper between my teeth. I look up at him, pulling it down slowly.
His eyes are dark, filled with unspoken desire, and follow my every move carefully. The tension around us thickens, the air shifts, and I swear I can hear his heart beating rapidly. Or maybe it’s mine? Regardless, it’s pounding wildly, and I can’t think straight.
James cups my chin, pulling my bottom lip down again. “Stick your tongue out.’’
Without a thought, I obey, my tongue sticking out. He presses his thumb on it, tilting my head upward a bit more, then chuckles. “Even your mouth is perfect.’’
He releases my chin and takes the smallest step back, looking at me while pulling his cock out. I try my best not to look, but my curiosity gets the best of me, and my eyes dart forward, right in front of me.
It’s fucking thick, and I’m wondering how the hell I was able to take it in me twice without it being painful. He wraps his hand around the base, stroking it slowly a couple of times, precum dripping down. His tip is slightly curved, the veins on his cock making my mouth water a little.
“Open your mouth and stick your tongue out,’’ he commands again, and I open my mouth as much as possible, tongue out.
He doesn’t give me a warning before shoving his entire length down my throat, yanking me by the belt forward. My eyes widen at the sudden impact, gurgling noises coming from the depth of my throat.
James just holds me there, groaning in a lower tone, his precum dripping right down my throat. His cock pulsates, heat spreading through my body. It’s vastly different from the time he took my virginity and from last night.
This time, I’m watching him, looking at his face, seeing the pleasure on his features.
“Fuck,’’ he hisses. “So fucking warm.’’
One of his hands grips the back of my head, and he looks down at me. “Now, be a good girl for me and let me use your throat.’’
Immediately, he starts thrusting in my mouth. I’m careful not to use my teeth, as I’ve heard it could be quite painful — and this is the first time I’m sucking someone’s cock.
The intensity of his thrusting doesn’t cease as the time goes on. If anything, it’s as if he manages to find more vigor and more greed and continues to fuck my mouth as if it were my pussy.
My lips tighten around his length, and as he moves, I try my best to suck, using my tongue to lick every inch I possibly can. James’ groans fill the room, his grip on my hair tightening. He yanks the belt tighter, cutting off my oxygen for a few moments.
I gag around his cock, choking on it as he rams it down my throat, keeping my head buried in his crotch.
“That’s it, hellion,’’ he groans. “Choke on my cock.’’
He pulls out of my mouth enough to let me breathe in before pushing back in. My eyes close, tears streaming down my cheeks. By now, I look like a mess — smudged mascara, saliva mixed with his salty precum dripping down my chin, and hair in a messy state from his constant gripping and pulling.
“I’m going to come in your pretty mouth, and you’ll swallow every single drop, am I clear?” He asks, and I manage a small nod.
He smirks. “Good girl.’’
James picks up the pace, fucking my mouth mercilessly, my jaw starting to hurt.
Yet, I can’t deny the heat that spreads between my legs, my underwear wet beyond repair.
My pussy throbs with need, and this whole experience makes me want more of him.
To feel him inside me again — to taste every inch of his body.
James grunts, ropes of his thick cum filling my mouth. I start swallowing, making sure not a single drop is wasted. It tastes different from what I’ve imagined, though it’s not a bad thing. It’s salty, thick, and creamy, and I wouldn’t mind tasting it again.
I suck his cock, and James strokes my hair, breathing heavily as he watches me clean up his mess, with an almost loving expression in his eyes. He pulls out, tucks himself back in his pants, and with his thumb wipes the corner of my mouth, a small drop of his cum.
He stares at me as he pushes it back into my waiting mouth, and I suck his thumb, just like I did with his cock a moment ago.
“You did well,’’ he praises, and something in my chest bursts. “And… I hope you can forgive me for this.’’
My mouth turns into a frown. “What?”
James pulls his mask back on his face, then takes a syringe out of his pocket.
Panic starts setting in me, my body immediately trying to get myself out of this small, stupid chair.
He approaches me and before I can protest, a small pang flashes through my body, the needle pushed into the side of my neck.
It doesn’t take long for darkness to fill my line of vision, and James is there to catch my head before it slumps back.