Page 6

I hate parties.

Have I mentioned that already?

Well, I fucking do. I hate them. Too many people. Too much noise. Way too much phony shit. Overstimulating as hell. I always end up on the cusp of slashing everyone’s throat and calling it a night.

Another thing I hate? Fucking LA.

It’s the worst. This whole celebrity wannabe scene in all its hollow, plastic glory—empty shells of people wrapped in designer fabric, faking friendships for clout.

But then Dev started dating some B-list actress, and we all got invited to the biggest party of the year in Hollywood Hills.

Including Bunny.

A freshly single Bunny.

She’d finally kicked Aiden’s ass to the curb a week before Thanksgiving.

November 21 st . I remember precisely because it was the day of my birthday.

Not sure if that was a coincidence or not, but I could assume they fought non-stop after Halloween—that bitch-ass boy was too insecure.

She called me in tears on my big three-O.

And despite having some plans, I stayed on the line the whole night, comforting her while we got wasted over FaceTime.

So, naturally, I was the first one to book a flight to LA, stoked as fuck to spend New Years Eve with her, even if it meant fighting off my inner rage the whole damn time being there. And that’s where it all began.

Free from that useless fuck she used to call a boyfriend, Bunny was reckless as hell that night.

She was drinking too much, laughing too loudly, dancing carelessly like she hadn’t yet realized she was the kind of prey men like me obsess over.

But she loved the attention, constantly seeking approval.

I feasted on the view of her body in that short, tight dress, her flushed cheeks, her luscious hair curled in loose waves bouncing with her every move.

And Nate—poor, pathetic Nate-pushover-Baker—thought he had a chance.

He hovered too close, lingering, angling himself in every conversation, his eyes devouring her behind his glasses.

I let him have his little moment for my own entertainment, honestly.

Some friend zones were inescapable. She would never look at him that way, no matter how good of a guy he was.

She was attracted to danger, thrilled by fear. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together—girls like her weren’t into ghosts and murder unless they had a kink. She also had serious daddy issues, and I wouldn’t mind spoiling her like a princess.

The only contender I’d have taken seriously was Dev, as he had been hitting on her in the beginning before I stepped into the picture. But now with him in a relationship, and Bunny and I already having a thing, that wasn’t a problem.

I slid in then, cutting the space between her and Nate, wrapping a possessive arm around her waist with the kind of ownership that made lesser men understand their place.

Bunny leaned into me without even thinking. Instinct.

Nate got the message. His smile faltered, and he mumbled something about getting another drink before disappearing.

Like I said, pathetic.

“Where have you been? You missed the fireworks!” she accused in a cute, whiny tone, slurring the words a bit. “I thought you’d be my midnight kiss.”

“It’s not midnight yet.”

“Oh…” She raised her brows high in disbelief. “But I saw the ball drop.”

“Kendra called you, right?”

“Right…”

“From New York, silly. We’re in different time zones now.”

She frowned, looking confused but adorable as she tried to do the math through the liquor haze. “I think I’m a little tipsy.” She giggled, swaying slightly.

I caught her before she could stumble, my hands firm on her waist, keeping her steady. “Yeah, no shit.”

She nuzzled into my chest, inhaling deeply. “You smell so good,” she complimented, craning her neck to look up at me, her small hand caressing my pec over the fabric of my hoodie.

Fuck me.

She smelled like sugar and poison, a heady mix of vanilla perfume and tequila. I wanted to sink my teeth into her skin, leave marks and bruises no one else could claim. But I knew better. She was sloppy drunk, and I couldn’t touch her. Not like this.

“Okay, you had enough,” I said, shaking my head.

She pouted, wobbling on her heels. “One more—”

I tightened my grip, already guiding her toward the front door. “Bunny.”

She shivered against me. Obedient. Or perhaps too intoxicated to sass me. Either way, I needed to get her out of there before her night would end up with her face above the toilet bowl.

Outside, I tried to order an Uber, but it was taking forever because of how busy the night was. Eventually, I managed to grab us a cab after a group of people that just arrived at the party.

I hauled Bunny inside before she could argue. “Where are you staying?” I asked, squeezing myself next to her on the backseat.

“I dunno.” She hiccupped, lolling her head back, her eyes fluttering open with a sleepy little smirk. “With you?” She tossed her arms around my neck, nuzzling against my jaw over the balaclava.

Fucking hell.

My fingers flexed against my knee as I exhaled through my nose. Not the way I wanted. Not how I pictured our first night.

I clenched my jaw, gave the driver my hotel address, and leaned back, watching her curl up against me. I was positive she took a little power nap. And she missed the fireworks going off in the distance as we got stuck in traffic.

It took an eternity, but the second we were inside my room, she was fully energized. And she didn’t hesitate. She turned into something wild, clawing at my hoodie, yanking at my mask before ripping it off.

I let her.

She didn’t even see me, not really. The lights were off. She was chasing pleasure, chasing something—anything—to drown out whatever heartbreak she’d been drinking away.

As her hands ran through my hair, she froze. “Um, you’re not bald.”

“What?” I laughed, taken off guard. “Did you really expect me to be?”

“Maybe? The mask and the hood… I didn’t expect a head full of hair, that’s for sure,” she mumbled, her fists tightening on my thick locks. “I love it.”

Her fingertips danced across my face like she was trying to learn it by heart in the dark, tracing my brows, gliding over my eyes and nose, brushing my ears as she discovered my gauges, then drifting across my cheeks and down the stubbled line of my jaw.

Her touch stopped on my lips, and I swore I could feel her racing heartbeat.

I leaned my head instinctively, and she pressed her mouth against mine, kissing me for the first time—hot, desperate, messy. And I kissed her back, unable to resist. She tasted like liquor mixed with bubble gum and heat, soft and willing as she shoved me onto the bed, straddling my waist.

She stopped for a second. “You have a tongue piercing?”

“Yeah.” I smirked. “Wanna find the rest?”

“You’re so fucking sexy!” She hiccupped, nails scraping up my abs, pulling my hoodie over my head. Her dainty little hands roamed all over my chest, and she quickly detected my nipple piercings. “Oh—” her lips meshed with mine again “—don’t ever stop kissing me.”

As we continued to make out, the straps of her dress slid down her arms, her breast spilling out.

No bra, as usual. She didn’t need one. She had great tits.

I’d seen them before, in one of the raunchiest pictures she had sent me after accepting a private request on OnlyFans—of course, she hadn’t had a clue it was me.

But it person? Fuck . Even in the dim spill of streetlight through the window, they were flawless. Full, perky, just begging to be touched. My mouth fucking watered. I wanted to mark them. Bruise them. Leave my claim on every inch.

I could barely fucking breathe. It was a goddam war to keep restraint once she started grinding against me like she had no clue what she was doing to me.

And I could’ve taken her.

I could’ve had her just like this, dazed and needy, letting me ruin her.

But I was nothing if not strategic.

Bunny was a long game. And I wasn’t about to let her wake up hating me for taking advantage.

I grabbed her wrists, pinning them down against my chest. “Baby, just relax.”

She giggled, thinking I was joking. Her hips rocked more confidently against mine. Her dress hiked up, bunching over her waist, and I could feel her through the layers of clothing between us—how hot and wet and primed for me she was. My head was spinning.

“Touch me, Daddy.”

That was it.

Kissing her neck, my hands slid down her waist onto her perfect bubble butt. I slapped one of her ass cheeks playfully while my other hand dropped lower.

“Fuck,” I growled, slowly trailing my fingers against the soft, damp fabric of her lace thong. She was perfect. “What do you have over here?”

“You like?” she asked innocently.

God, she was such a tease.

I cupped her entire pussy with my hand, making her gasp. “Yes,” I rasped, crashing my lips against hers once more.

“Take them off.”

She didn’t have to say it twice. I fisted the delicate material, tearing it off her hips with one jerk. I then brought it to my face, inhaling her sweet, heady scent.

Fuck my life.

I groaned loudly into the fabric and my cock flexed. All I needed was to dive between her thighs and taste her. Pleasure her until she’d forget anyone else had ever touched her before me.

“Mmmm, you smell delicious,” I complimented, breathing hard, and I was ready to risk it all.

But our eyes locked in the dark. I don’t know exactly what I saw in hers, but it sobered me up. Maybe I didn’t have a moral compass, but I knew the difference between what society deemed as right and wrong. And I was trying to do the right thing by her.

“I can’t.”

She whined in protest, but I gripped her hips and flipped her beside me, untangling myself from her legs. She blinked up at me, confused, then her lips wobbled. “You don’t want me?” Her voice was small, broken. I couldn’t quite see her tears, but I knew they were there.