Page 16 of Fright Night (Twisted Holidays #3)

FIFTEEN

KNOX

Oakley runs around the tent Blaze made his appearance by and heads my way by the maze. The grand finale.

I send a text, dismissing the couple guys scattered around to freak her out—mission accomplished, I believe.

Now, it’s my turn, and once I click send on the message, the phone gets slid into my back pocket right as the little fairy princess streaks towards me, wings in her grip and tiny blue dress flapping in the wind.

Can’t wait to tear it off her.

I’m hiding against one wall of the maze, so as she approaches, she won’t notice me. With a well-timed lunge, I come up behind her as she’s passing the maze’s entrance and loop my arm around her waist to yank her to a stop.

Her squeal makes me hard, and as she kicks my shins and scratches the arm locked around her, I grin and grip her tighter, my free arm banding her chest to keep her immobile against me.

“Found you. Had a bit of Halloween fun?”

Her chest heaves with all the effort running around the park cost her, but she stops fighting, slumping into my hold. “You’re a dick.”

My cheek slides against her neck as I lower my head to her skin, thankful my mask has been removed; it’s resting atop my head. She smells like everything I can’t wait to have. A sweet little treat, if only there wasn’t another trick to experience.

My hands clench her waist, walking us to the entrance of the maze. A maze I’ve been studying since yesterday.

“Say the word and I’ll let you go.”

By the entrance, she hesitantly says exactly what I expect her to. “Let me go.”

I release her, positioning myself at the mouth of the maze with her inside it, ensuring my body blocks the only exit. Her eyes flick to me and the few inches of space on either side, and she chews her bottom lip, realizing exactly what I’ve done.

“Beat me to the centre of the maze and you get to choose your treat. Whatever you want.”

Anger flashes across her expression and she opens her mouth to presumably argue what she doesn’t have a choice in, but then slowly shuts it. Her breathing slows and her hands rub against her bare thighs.

Then something else crosses her face.

Wonder. Debate. Curiosity.

Oakley wants what’s being offered. She’s simply in denial about her desires.

“Or? I know you, Knox. There’s more to this.”

“If I beat you, the treat is mine.”

She exhales audibly. “So you’re going to race me to the centre?”

“In theory.”

A brow hikes and that cocky smirk of hers I love appears. “I’ve watched them build this thing. I studied the layout in case a kid got lost. Hope you realize there’s no way I’ll lose.”

Except she’s unaware of the alterations Blaze, Cody, and I made to it late last night after everyone left.

Past when the “final checks” were completed, when we had a bitch of a time sliding the damn hay bales—smaller than average farm ones—aside to form an extra path for me to cheat with. A path she’s ignorant of.

“So there’s no risk in playing. Get going, little fairy.”

She bites her lip but remains. Anticipating. The energy rolling from her is heady enough to possess me. If she was aware of this, she’d win easily.

I take a step, which snaps her from her daze, and she streaks down the maze’s corridor. Her little skirt flips up, baring an ass my hands will be on soon enough.

Minutes from now, in fact.

She disappears around the corner and I wait.

This won’t be a lengthy game. As she stated, she knows the maze well and will undoubtedly reach the centre soon.

Just in case she’s quicker than anticipated, I start, ensuring to be the winner because no fucking way will I miss this opportunity.

I follow her route, down the stretch, around the corner, and down another.

When the maze splits into a Y—the right side being correct and the left being a dead-end—I take the left because at that dead-end is a slight gap me and the boys created.

Too small to notice unless searching, which I doubt anyone has.

Or we made some kid very happy. Either way, Oakley not knowing about it is the purpose.

Squeezing between the bales, the hay scratching at my face, I make it to the other side: the very centre of the maze.

Within a moment, Oakley turns the corner, her victorious expression falling to shambles. A gaping mouth, making her pouty lips look sexier, and an appalled expression I’ll relive for months to come.

“How? That’s impossible! There’s only one path and I was on it. You didn’t pass me.”

“Rules are rules, Trickster. I won.”

“You cheated!” Red flashes across her cheeks and she stomps towards me, the costume doing her no favours in her attempt to appear menacing. “Don’t lie to me.”

“Alright, I cheated. So what?”

“It’s not fair, that’s what.”

“And was life fair when you got me in shit for dealing drugs that I wasn’t?”

That gaping mouth slams shut and her skin darkens. Yeah, I’m an ass for mentioning it, but she opened a door that couldn’t be shut.

“Life isn’t always fair,” I continue. “You know that as well as I do. Doesn’t change the outcome, which makes the prize mine.”

She stares at me warily, her back straightening with tension. Her knuckles turn white around her tight fists. “Which is?”

“You.”

Air is sucked from the area with how deep she inhales.

“You can’t be surprised. Not after last night.”

I want so much more, but we’ll work up to everything, her and I. She needs to get used to the idea of us first, of me craving her this way. Of what the last couple of years could have been.

I reach for her, pulling her closer and tipping her face up. Her body shudders when my thumb brushes along her bottom lip before pressing harder. She opens her mouth, letting me inside, but fear clouds her gaze.

“You’re the treat I’ve been craving for a long time.”

My thumb presses down harder, deeper, doing everything else possible to rein myself in. As much as intimidating her is the goal—a longing more than anything else—I also want her submission. To witness the realization that her natural instincts isn’t to push me away, but to tumble deeper.

Her eyes flicker to mine and her lips close around my thumb. I swear she’s sucking my cock with the way my body responds.

It all ends too soon. The second she realizes how she’s betraying her own sense of worth, she releases me with a jerk, a snarl—but none of which meet her eyes.

“Last night?—”

“Wasn’t enough.”

She hesitates but never, not once, looks away. Bold eyes remain open, and it’s in her silence she’s officially signed herself over to me.

“Then what exactly do you want?”

“Last night was about your fear. Tonight’s about something else.

” When she doesn’t bolt, even though she has all the space to, it becomes my green light and I collar her throat with my hand, using her body to haul her forward.

“You,” I reply to her question about what it is I want.

“All of you. I want your screams, your moans, your fear; and the moment it shifts into desire. I want to see what you look like when you come for me and I want my name on your lips when you do.”

That’s when I kiss her.

And do the one thing I’ve dreamed of for so long.

Consume her.