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CHAPTER7
Sariah
Ihave no idea what I’m doing here. This is playing with fire. Getting out of the house once was a miracle on its own, but doing it again is reckless. If my father finds out what I’m doing, he will beat me bloody. There will be no talking my way out of it. He will never understand my need for freedom, even if it is an illusion.
As I step through the doors of Tease, my heart starts to race. This is a mistake. I’m not even sure that I believe Luke will be here, despite his assurances he wanted me to meet him again. In my experience people make promises they don’t keep, and I don’t expect Luke will be any different.
He had been gentle when he had taken me to bed, which was more than I’d anticipated from a man who looks like him. My first time had been nothing like what I expected, but I don’t have any regrets. He had taken care of me as best he could, and I can never thank him enough for that. I know Jeremiah would not have afforded me the same privilege or courtesy.
I’m glad he wanted to see me. The thought of never seeing Luke again made my belly swirl unpleasantly. He left his mark on me, and not just from the way I could feel him inside me for days after he fucked me, but because he was the first man who treated me like a human being and not a bartering chip.
There is something heady about that—something that makes me feel alive. Like there’s something worth fighting for.
As the crowd parts, I see him standing near the bar. There’s no denying Luke is a handsome man. I know he’s dangerous though. I’ve been around men like him my entire life. My father is one of them.
In this moment Declan Easton is the last thing on my mind. All I’m focused on is the handsome man in front of me. He hasn’t yet noticed me weaving through the crowd. I could disappear, leave as if I was never here, but my feet keep pushing forward. I don’t understand how to explain it, and I don’t want to, either. For the first time in my life, I’m doing something for me, and that feels good.
His eyes suddenly lock onto mine and I feel drenched in heat as his gaze roams over me. I know I’m dressed differently from the girls here. I don’t have the tight miniskirts and the barely-there tops that reveal far too much midriff. I look like a Sunday school teacher, because this outfit is the type of thing my father’s assistant buys for me. I’m not allowed to get my own wardrobe. It’s just one of the many ways in which I’m controlled.
As I move closer to Luke, my legs start to feel jellied. This is a bad idea, but my heart screams at me to keep going. I’m about to be pushed into a lifetime of servitude to a man I don’t love. I want something that’s mine, even if it’s only for a short time.
I stop in front of him, and he dips his head without warning, claiming my mouth. I freeze, shocked at his audacity, and then I melt against him. His mouth feels good against mine, and as he slips his tongue inside, I can’t stop from meeting it. His fingers press against my back, pulling me closer, and I allow it because I want it too.
I didn’t know it could be like this or feel like this. He makes my stomach flip in a way it’s never done before. Luke makes me want things I can’t have, like the ability to choose my own partner.
My legs feel weak as he continues to take my mouth. I don’t want this moment to end, but it has to. I wish I could say clinched with him, wrapped up in him, but in a few weeks’ time my life will change for the worse.
And there’s nothing I can do about it.
He pulls back, a little breathless, and skims his knuckles down my cheek. “I wasn’t sure you were going to show.”
He has no idea how close I came to staying away.
“I wasn’t sure I was coming either,” I admit.
He rubs his fingers over my arms, his touch eliciting a blast of heat through me. I can’t help but to lean into his touch. I feel safe in a way I never have.
“I’m glad you did.” He takes my hand and leads me into the VIP area. Memories assault me as we walk through the corridor where he pinned me against the wall and claimed my mouth for the first time.
Heat rises in my cheeks as I think about where his hands had gone and about how much I liked it.
He pulls me into the bar area. It’s different back here to the main floor. Everything is plush and velvet, the dark-purple painted walls offset with gold finishings. I let him guide me into a booth where I sit next to him. His hand instantly goes to my thigh and his touch is reassuring as he signals a waitress over.
“Scotch for me,” Luke says in his dark gravelly voice that goes straight to the apex between my thighs. “What will you have?”
“Oh, um, I’ll just have a glass of wine.”
It feels like a safe order, but I don’t know what else I would like. My father doesn’t let me drink at home, and it’s not like I’m out to galas every night.
Luke rubs my thigh and I pulse with need between my legs. I wish he would stroke just a little bit higher to that sensitive bundle of nerves that needs attention. I urge him mentally to do it, but he doesn’t.
Neither of us speaks until the waitress returns with our drinks. As soon as the wine glass is placed in front of me, I take a long sip, needing the courage of the alcohol. I shouldn’t feel nervous. This man has been inside me, has seen my most intimate parts, but I do. I feel the need to please him.
He cups my face, bringing my attention to his eyes, which are pinning me. “I’m glad you came.”
I am too, despite the risk. I don’t expect him to want to make small talk, but that’s precisely what he does.
“Tell me about yourself, Alice.”
