the chimera tattoo from Rebecca’s wall, was so powerful, so compelling, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” he said. “I need to leave now, Lydia, let’s call it a day.”
My heart pounded. “You don’t understand!”
“What’s there to understand? You saw a freak in a club, it was me. End of story.”
“I didn’t see a freak,” I wheezed. “I saw a God, James. I wanted to be her. I haven’t stopped thinking about that man, not for one single second. Ask Rebecca, I’ve been driving her mad.” I looked up at him, desperate for his reaction. “Please don’t leave. Not yet.”
He came to the bed, got down on his knees, placed hot hands over mine. “I hurt people, Lydia, but I wouldn’t have done that with you, not here, not tonight. This was just about you and me, two people in a hotel room. I wouldn’t have hurt you, Cat, I promise.”
I smiled at him, at the absurdity of the whole situation. “You’re not listening to me, James. I want you to. I want Masque. I want James Clarke too, but I’m crazy about Masque, I can’t get him out of my head.”
He squeezed my knuckles. “You don’t want either, trust me.”
“Don’t tell me what I want, ok? Don’t treat me like an idiot who doesn’t know anything.”
He sighed. “I’m not treating you like an idiot, I’m telling you the truth.”
I hated the way he looked at me, like some cute little dolly who doesn’t know shit. Not like the proper women from Explicit, not like Rebecca and Cara and all the other perfect minxes he hung with every bloody weekend. I pushed him away, got to my feet. “You think I don’t know what I’m talking about? I’ll show you. It’s why I was going for the light, James, I didn’t think you’d like it.”
I unbuttoned my blouse, shaky but resolute, slipping it from my shoulders and unclasping my bra, revealing my bruised tits. His eyes widened as I jiggled out of my skirt, presenting myself in just a small pair of lace panties, nervous but unrepentant. I twirled slowly and I caught him swallow, soaking in every wheal and bruise.
“Rebecca’s work,” he said calmly, a smile twitching at his mouth. “I should have guessed.”
“I asked her to,” I insisted. “I wanted it.”
“Why?”
I felt my cheeks flush, and folded my arms over my breasts. “Practice,” I mumbled.
“Practice?”
I looked at the floor, anywhere but at him. “For Masque, I was practicing for Masque.”
“And good old James Clarke, was he practice for Masque too?”
My mouth clammed up. “No... yes... I don’t know. I wanted you, I wanted you before I even saw Masque.”
“Tut tut, Lydia, that’s a dangerous game, playing one man’s lust for the sake of another’s.” He got up, took the TV remote from the dresser and flicked through the stations until he found a late night comedy show. I watched in silence as he turned the volume up loud, wondering what the hell he was doing. He took a seat on the edge of the bed. “You’re a bad girl, Lydia Marsh. Do you know what happens to bad girls?” A whirlwind of tiny butterflies fluttered around my stomach. “Come here.”
His hands reached out, pulling me forwards by the waist. I sucked in my stomach, trying to cut a better picture, but he shook his head. “Don’t ever do that again, Lydia. I want to see you exactly as you are. You have a beautiful body.”
His fingers travelled up my ribs, to my breasts. He gripped tight, rolling tender flesh in heavy palms. “You’ve been a disgustingly bad girl, Miss Marsh. Take your panties off.”
I did as he asked, sliding the flimsy lace down over my hips to drop to the floor. I gripped my legs together, blushing under his gaze, but he shot me a look of disapproval. “Don’t hide from me, Lydia.”
I shuffled my feet apart and he placed his hands on my thighs to guide them wider still, studying me so intently I flushed with embarrassment. I suddenly wished I was shaved like Rebecca, but he didn’t seem to care. “You have a gorgeous pussy, Lydia, I can’t wait to stretch you open.”
I pictured the woman on stage, her animal groans as his fist pumped all the way inside her. “Will it hurt?”
“I could make it hurt... if that’s what you need.” He took my arm, twisting it in the light. I could have died on the spot, pulling away from