Page 3 of Haunted By the Highwayman (Halloween Temptation #9)

W e’re both laughing nervously as we come back into the flat, Rick clutching the “discreet” paper bag in his hand.

Buying the collar wasn’t as embarrassing as I expected.

The woman behind the counter barely glanced at us; we might as well have been buying a loaf of bread.

But this is where it’s going to get weird. Now that it’s just me and Rick.

He closes the door behind us, carefully puts on the chain, turns to face me.

He reaches into the bag and reveals a thin, delicate pink collar studded with diamantes.

A tiny heart charm hangs from the center.

The style was his choice. I was expecting him to go for something joky.

Black, studded, cliché, something to make it obvious that this is a prank.

I didn’t expect him to choose something so pretty.

Romantic. He unbuckles it. Looks at me. We’re both breathing shallowly.

The air feels too hot all of a sudden. We’re suspended halfway between a joke and something else.

Both of us can feel it. Neither of us has acknowledged it.

I don’t even know how to acknowledge it.

We’re not supposed to be doing this. I’m his best friend’s little brother.

When I moved here to take a postgraduate place at Newcastle University, my family was thrilled at the idea that I’d be living with Rick.

Someone they know well and trust looking out for me.

And now he’s about to put me in a collar and control my every move for the next forty-eight hours.

And I want it.

Ricks looks at me, the collar between his thumb and forefinger.

The hairs on my forearms stand on end. My mind rifles quickly through all the things he could make me do once I’m in that collar.

My mouth gets very dry. My dick starts to get very interested and I yell at it to stand down.

Silently, of course—I’m not totally crazy.

“Last chance to back out,” Rick says.

“Do I need to? Are you going to make me do anything really bad?”

“I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Rick says. Once again, his dimple mocks me. “Or you could just give up right now. Admit you don’t have what it takes.”

Unthinkable. No way will I be the first to surrender.

He might be bigger and blessed with god-like muscles, but I’m just as strong-willed as him.

I’ll get through the next forty-eight hours somehow, no matter how humiliating.

No matter how arousing. And when we play the game again and the next card falls, it’ll be my turn to torment him.

“I can handle it,” I say.

A full smile claims his face. It’s like sun breaking the clouds. “Okay then. Here goes.”

He unlocks the buckle. The little heart charm dangles, sparkling and pretty.

I can’t take my eyes off it, like I’m being hypnotized.

I’m so turned on it hurts, so desperate not to show Rick, and ever so slightly humiliated already.

It’s a confusing cocktail of emotions that I can only imagine one man in the world being able to inspire. Rick.

I close my eyes and wait.

Rick’s fingers are gentle, brushing my neck softly as he fastens the leather around my neck. He buckles it snugly against my skin. I swallow, eyes shut tight, feeling the collar move against my Adam’s apple. He actually did it. And I let him.

“How does it feel?” he murmurs.

“It feels like a fucking collar,” I snap, opening my eyes fast.

That crooked grin again, the dimple. “So you’ve done this before?”

“I... I didn’t say that.”

Heat rushes to my cheeks, even though that was the truth. I can’t help running a finger underneath the collar, feeling its tightness. Taking the heart charm between my thumb and forefinger.

“How does it look?” I say. “Stupid?”

His gaze softens. “Not stupid at all.” His voice is breathier than usual. He looks surprised at himself. When he speaks again, his voice is more normal. “You can still back out at any time. All you have to do is say I give up.”

I don’t want to say that. I don’t want to admit how much I like this.

“I’m game if you are,” I say.

He smirks. “Oh, I can see that.”

He glances down at the bulge in my sweatpants.

I’ve been struggling to keep mind over matter.

It was a bitter war, but matter made a break for it and has now taken a comprehensive victory.

Which is a fancy way of saying that my boner is obvious.

I’m annoyed at my own stupid body for having such a response to being collared by my tormentor.

“It’s an involuntary physical reaction,” I say. “Maybe I have a neck thing.”

Maybe I have a Rick thing. I’d die before I say it out loud to him.

He snorts. “Trust you to think of that. Science Boy.”

“Don’t call me Science Boy!”

“What should I call you then?” He clicks his fingers. “I know, just boy . Now that you’re in that collar. Down, boy.” He pats my head like I’m a literal dog.

“Quit that,” I say.

He wags a finger at me, giving me a sudden, bizarre urge to bite it. He’s got me acting like a dog already.

“You don’t get to tell me to quit anything ,” he says. “Not for the next forty-eight hours. Remember?”

Rick’s eyes are hooded. I catch my breath. I can’t help noticing his erection straining against his thin shorts. He isn’t even trying to hide it. Even if we started off joking, this is getting very real.

“So what do you want me to do first?” I say.

“Go to bed. And no touching yourself all night.”

My jaw hits the floor. I can’t believe he just said that, straight to my face.

“Excuse me?” I say. “Is that really any of your business?”

“It is for the next forty-eight hours.”

He grabs at my collar, his eyes laughing at me.

I force myself not to bat his hand away.

According to the dare, he has the right to manhandle me and tease me and treat me like this.

Unless I give up. Fuck . How am I going to survive without throwing a punch or, even worse, trying to kiss him and showing my hand?

Who knew he’d be so harsh? He’s making no attempt to hide his own arousal as he bosses me around.

“Right now?” I whine.

He crosses his arms. “Right now. I’ll have more tasks for you in the morning. Good night, Arden.”

I lapse into a sulk and head for the bathroom.

As I wash my hands, I glance in the mirror. There's the collar, pink and solid and real around my neck, reminding me I’m Rick’s temporary pet. The little heart hanging from it makes my real heart leap with happiness.

Stop that right now. I don’t know how Rick feels about me. Surprisingly, I can get him going physically, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything deeper…

A flicker of movement in the mirror catches my eye.

Breaks off my thoughts. I whip around to look behind me.

Nothing. Heart pounding, I look in the mirror again.

Clear as day, a masked man stares back at me.

My heart jolts so hard it hurts. I throw up my hands in defensive shock.

He doesn’t move. Just stares at me, standing like a statue.

I blink and look closer, trying to make sense of it.

His clothes are weird, like something from a previous century: a long coat and a tricorne hat.

The black mask is like something a highwayman would wear, making him look dashing and dangerous.

His icy blue eye shine with an arrogant kind of humor.

He looks so real, down to the wisps of dark hair escaping his hat. What the fuck ?

I turn again. The bathroom is still empty.

Am I seeing things? Some kind of arousal-based hallucination, if that exists?

Hand on my hammering heart, I’m about to call for Rick to find out if he can see the man in the mirror.

And then I realize: this is probably down to him.

He knows I wouldn’t expect another prank so soon after the spider.

Clever. Very clever. I look back in the mirror.

The man is gone. All I see is my own terrified face staring back at me.

Impressive. I wonder how Rick pulled it off.