A mystery.
That’s what you were to me.
Maybe I’d pegged you wrong—you weren’t a shy little doe. You were keeping secrets.
And you know how much I hate secrets.
“Can I have your name?” I asked, and when you looked startled, I softly added, “For the room.”
“Oh, right.” You laughed breathily again. “Lily Greene.”
I rolled your name around my mouth, letting each letter slide against my tongue like honey.
“I’m Aaron,” I told you, so you wouldn’t feel so exposed. “I own the place.”
Your brows lifted like you were surprised. You looked at me differently then, like you were seeing me for the first time.
“It’s nice to meet you, Aaron.”
I nearly fell to my knees when you said my name like that.
We did the awkward dance of getting you checked in, and then you reached across the desk to hand me your money. Your fingers lingered against mine, a soft caress against my palm. We stayed like that for a moment; our gazes suspended in eternity.
But then you pulled away, and air filled my lungs again. You were such a tease that night. You left me speechless and dazed as I watched you walk across the room, the key for room four dangling from your fingertips like the leash to my collar.
“Will you be here all night?” you asked, and it took my mind a moment to catch up to your words.
I nodded. It was all I could do. My heart was racing too fast for me to speak.
A not-real smile curled your lips. “Could I come back…if I can’t sleep?”
“Of course,” I said, nearly tripping over my words—that was what you did to me. The effect you had on me. You made me stupid. “I’ll be here.”
You bit your lip again, and it took all I had not to leap across the desk and suck it from between your teeth.
To taste you.
You didn’t say anything else; you just dipped your chin and disappeared into the night.
For the next half hour, I just stood there, waiting. I never took my eyes off the door, never let myself breathe too deeply, never moved an inch.
I waited for you.
I waited and waited and waited for you to fulfill your promise of coming back to me.
TWO
When I lived hereas a child, I made holes in all the rooms so I could spy on the guests. It started out totally innocent—I was just curious about what people did when they thought no one was watching.
But eventually…things changed.
I started feeling things, and fantasies plagued my mind, and soon I had to act on them. But I restrained myself for a long time. I forced myself to put aside all those feelings, all those thoughts, all those needs, and just watched.
And then my aunt died, and I was finally all alone, and I had the freedom to choose what to do with our guests. At first, I was too scared to actually act on it. I was too worried about getting caught.
So I just watched.
And then…one night…
