Page 16 of Thorns of Silence

I inhaled a deep breath, feeling the silence of the night. I didn’t move, watching her until she fell asleep.

SEVEN

PHOENIX

I’d sensed him stalking me ever since that night at his club.

Just when I started to wonder if it was all in my head, I spotted him in the shadows outside my balcony door when I entered my bedroom. He was getting sloppy. So, I decided to teach him a lesson.

At least that was what I told myself.

I feared examining the reasoning for why I did what I did any deeper. I blamed it on a temporary bout of insanity. Or maybe I just longed to feelalive. And I did, for a moment. My skin lit up knowinghewas watching me.

Orgasms were always difficult to reach for me, but with his eyes on me, it didn’t take me long to get there. I felt his presence as if he were actually touching me. I moaned with each brush of my fingers against my skin, teasing my swollen folds. I writhed in bed, my heart drumming so loud I was sure he could hear it.

At some point, it stopped being a show for him and started being a raw need for me.

I should have known I was only fueling the fire. Yet, I continued, teasing my clit and thrusting a finger into my pussy until I was completely spent.

I wasn’t surprised he stayed. After all, he’d always been up for a challenge. I could almost picture his sharp features and dark presence, making him appear like a devil ready to pounce.

Ignoring my instinct to cower, I turned to the side, ensuring my breathing evened out. I waited. Let the fucker think I was asleep. Hopefully the creep wouldn’t watch me sleep all night, because I really wanted to fuck with him.

Watching him through my lashes, I saw the dark shadow move, turning his back toward me. Without wasting any time, I reached for the handgun I had tucked in my nightstand and jumped to my feet, hoping I was as silent as my sister always claimed. I was at my balcony door in a heartbeat, yanking it open.

His hand was on the rail and he was ready to jump off. Too late. I had my gun pointed at his temple.

“What the fuck?” I watched him mouth as he slowly turned his head to me.

I grinned viciously, cocking my eyebrow. “Ready to fly?” I signed, struggling a bit since I only had one free hand. But there was nothing in this goddamn world that would make me put my gun down. “Or want to die?”

He watched me intently, his hand stroking the balcony in a slow rhythm. He let go of the rail and turned to fully face me, and suddenly, it felt like I was the prey. It didn’t matter that I held the gun, there was no doubt I was the vulnerable one here.

“That was a nice show you gave me,” he signed, a smirk lifting his lip. “How did you know I was watching?”

I ignored his question. “Why are you following me?”

He raised a brow. “Who says I am?”

His ASL was fucking good. Too good. Probably another trick. I pressed the barrel of the gun harder against his temple. “Stop fucking with me.”

His lips spread into a lazy smile, the one that I used to love. The one that I now hated.

“I wasn’t, but if this is an invitation, dandelion, I’m game.”

It was the stupidest nickname on this goddamn earth. Of course somehow it’d be given to me.Damn him.It reminded me of his grunts, of his body pressed against mine, the way his presence would fill my veins with enough heat and tension to set off fireworks.Hewas the reason I struggled to orgasm.

“I’d rather be tortured than touch you.”

He snatched my free hand and lifted it to his face, my gun still pressed to his temple. He sucked my fingers, still soaked with my arousal, into his mouth. His tongue swirled between them, licking, sucking, and I was ready to explode all over again.

I felt the vibration of his grunt or groan, I wasn’t sure. His teeth scraped against my skin as he pulled them out of his mouth abruptly.

“I think you’d quite enjoy me touching you, Nix.” I swallowed, reading his lips, my brain sending off so many conflicting signals.Feel his hands on your skin. Back away. Let him fuck you. Push him off the balcony.

I had to remove myself from his vicinity before I did something stupid.

Click.He never came back.Click.He left us.Click.He broke my heart.