Page 75 of Lured By Shadows

His eyes darted briefly over his shoulder like he expected someone else to interrupt us.

“I’ll, uh… there should be a room somewhere,” he muttered.

“C’mon,” I said smoothly, beer and bravado softening every word. “Lead the way.”

We slipped through the house like ghosts, weaving through sweat, perfume, laughter, and flashing lights while the music rattled through the walls around us. I could still feel Breeanna’s stare lingering somewhere behind me like static clinging to skin, but I ignored it.

Carter climbed the stairs ahead of me confidently enough, though the ache in my chest tightened again the higher we went. Because no matter how badly I wanted distraction, some part of me already understood this wasn’t the way to fix it.

I stood there for a beat, absorbing the absurdity of it. My body still reacted despite myself, desire settling low and heavy beneath my skin. These parties really were exactly what everyone warned about: people colliding for one reckless night before turning into stories traded around over drinks later.

And somehow, I was already slipping into the middle of it.

“C’mon,” Carter murmured behind me, his voice rough with need. “You were doin’ somethin’ real nice, love.”

I clicked the door shut behind us, the sound final enough to send another pulse of heat through me, hardening my nipples all over again. The room sat dim and overheated, sheets tangled carelessly across the bed. Something about it felt less like privacy and more like giving in.

“So,” I murmured, arching a brow as I moved farther inside, “is this where you show me a good time? Fuck me until I scream?”

His gaze dragged over me slowly, confidence settling back over him like armor slipping into place. The corner of his mouth curled.

“This is where I show off,” he said, his voice low and rough.

“Someone’s cocky,” I replied, letting one strap slide lazily from my shoulder until more skin bared beneath the dim light. The air seemed to thicken with every inch exposed. “So I just follow your lead, then?”

“Oi, don’t make me do all the graft,” he smirked, already tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it aside. Muscle flexed easily beneath warm skin as he closed the distance between us. His fingers hooked beneath my straps, slowly dragging the fabric down my arms until it dropped to the floor and left my breasts bare.

“Don’t tell me you were expectin’ this,” he murmured, eyes fixed on my chest while his thumbs rolled slowly over my nipples.

I threaded my fingers through his hair, tugging just enough to pull a hitch from his breathing.

“Now, why would I do that?” I whispered against his neck, my lips brushing warm skin while my teeth grazed lightly over him.

He groaned instantly, hands cupping my breasts fully now, squeezing and pinching hard enough to drag a gasp from my throat.

His grip slid lower, rough and possessive against my ass as he spread me slightly beneath his hands before turning me back toward the bed. The mattress dipped beneath me as I landed against it, breath catching sharply. He dragged me toward the edge, shoving my skirt higher with impatient urgency before hooking my thong aside to expose the slick heat between my thighs.

I didn’t stop him. I opened wider for him instead.

“Go on then,” he growled, fingers digging into my thighs while the other hand rubbed over my clit. “Tell me what ya want.”

His touch carried eagerness but no patience. Like he’d memorized reactions instead of learning people. I’d known guys like him before, the sort who treated sex like muscle memory rather than something intimate. But intimacy wasn’t what I came here looking for.

The thought of Culver slipped into my head anyway, sudden and sharp enough to steal my breath. Emerald eyes. Quiet restraint. The stillness he carried everywhere. I shoved the thought away viciously as Carter crowded closer between my legs, his cock jerking against my folds while pre-cum smeared hot between us. He lined himself up like claiming me tonight had always been inevitable.

He stroked himself once slowly, his gaze fixed on me. “Wanna watch you.”

The words landed differently than I expected. Rough and honest enough to pull me briefly out of my own head.

“Yeah,” I whispered. “Then watch.”

I spread myself wider for him, letting my head fall back as I gave him exactly what he wanted. His eyes burned over me, greedy and hungry, and for one reckless moment, I let myself pretend this might actually be enough to drown everything else out.

20

That was why I looked up at him then, my pussy aching for something real, my cheeks warming even though there was nothing in the room I genuinely craved. It wasn’t Carter I wanted. It was the feeling of being wanted plainly, without conditions attached. Not tolerated or analyzed, just wanted.

Culver’s kindness still felt tangled up in circumstance, timing, and manipulation no matter how many times he tried to convince me otherwise. I refused to let myself fall into it.