Page 39 of Silent Snowfall

Something in the way he watched me made a burst of warmth spread through my chest.

“Don’t be scared of this,” he murmured. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”

I wanted him. Saints above! I wanted this man. I could tell myself that it wasn’t a good time or that being with someone had tons of risks. I could argue until my brain was rubbed raw from logic, but at the end of the day, my body wanted him. Plus, he made my heart beat faster. He paid attention to details. Was his stalking creepy? Maybe a little, but he cared enough to find out what was good for my family. And for me? He searched until he found what I liked and disliked.

Then, he gave it to me.

“Okay,” I breathed.

He gave me a clipped nod. “Up.”

He didn’t give me time to protest but tugged me off the armchair. My Kindle tumbled to the ground, skating under the bed. I dove to catch it only to be pushed gently to the side.

I cut a look to the masked man. Those eyes, dark with hunger, slapped the scowl straight off my face.

“Strip.”

I barked a rough laugh. “Excuse me?”

Leaning down, I felt the hot breath from his words. “I said, take your clothes off.”

I arched a brow. “Or else—?”

His hand grazed my backside suggestively. “If you make me tear them off, I’ll show you just how kinky I can be.”

My pussy clenched at the thought. “You’ll spank me?”

“Yes.” He squeezed. “Then I’ll fuck this tight little ass until you scream yourself hoarse into a pillow.”

While that sounded fun, I didn’t feel that adventurous at the moment. I opted for whatever plan A was, and slowly, I began to remove my sweatshirt.

The masked man brushed his knuckles down my cheek. “Smart girl.”

Warmth spread through my veins, but he turned away and began straightening the sheets and duvet.

In the middle of sliding off my sleeper shorts, the sound of the dresser drawer stopped me cold. “What are you doing?”

He didn’t answer. He simply took out the monster dildo.

“What? No!” I squeaked, grabbing the blanket from the armchair and holding it as a red and white striped shield against my naked body. “Nico, or whatever your name is, please! That was a joke.”

He shifted it back and forth. The top drawer snapped closed with finality. “This? This isn’t a joke. This is what you get for reading that pirate romance over Thanksgiving weekend.”

Dio sopra! He’d tracked my Kindle history. Which meant he’d digitally discovered that I’d opened that godforsaken book and highlighted the portions with tentacles.

“Stalker!” I hissed.

He simply placed the toy on the bed. The deliberate weight of the action was a challenge. The kraken dildo was a deep purple silicone, ridged and textured with suckers that spiraled along its length. It was thick at the base and tapered to a blunt head. I stared at it. The thing looked alive. As if the man standing across the bed from me had pulled from the depths of the ocean and brought it to this warm, lamp-lit bedroom as an offering.

“Show me,” he demanded.

My refusal came out as a horrified whisper. “Absolutely not!” I clenched the candy cane throw tightly.

Had I tried it that first night? Well…yeah. Who wouldn’t? What kind of monster smut lover would I be not to test it out? But now, this masked fiend was asking me to put on a show!

Vertebrae in my neck cracked audibly as my head snapped back in and forth.

“Ride it, my little flower,” he commanded. His voice didn’t change. He spoke with the confidence of a man who knew I would eventually cave, because he knew me better than I wanted to admit.