MasukI roll my eyes and hang up. What did Damon mean? Zayn didn’t pick the beach house for our honeymoon—Amanda did. But then again, whose house is it? If it were Amanda’s, would the red room be there in the first place? Those torturously sweet devices that showed me a part of myself I never knew existed.I doubt the house belongs to Amanda. Damon’s right. Zayn chose that house so he could be alone with me on purpose. I should be mad about it, but I don’t see a reason to be. If anything, the thought makes my core ache. I’m glad we went there. I wish we’d stayed longer than just a week.A knock startles me. Zayn’s back. I run to the door happily and open it, but it’s Dave who’s standing there, holding a black zipper garment bag.“Dave? What are you doing here?” He smiles. “I work here. Remember?”“I remember. But you're not to resume until tomorrow. We just got back.”He hands me the bag. “Zayn asked me to resume immediately. He said to stay with you while he’s at the office for an impromp
The last few days at the beach house are just me and Zayn, a feverish daze of salt air and red light. We barely leave the house. We hardly leave the red room. It’s as if Zayn is trying to weave himself into my very DNA, replacing every traumatic memory with the weight of his body and the cold, diamond-encrusted reality of the necklace I’ve chosen never to take off.He is an unbreakable storm. We are all over each other, a collision of teeth and skin, and for the first time in two lifetimes, I don't feel like I’m drowning. I feel like I'm learning how to breathe underwater.Zayn doesn’t talk much. Sometimes, neither do I. It’s not always sex. There are times when it’s quiet. His hand at my waist while I cook. His fingers brushing mine when he passes something. The way he looks at me like he’s already decided something about me I haven’t figured out yet.And most of the time, it’s not quiet at all. He consumes me. My thoughts tangle and my body aches in ways that are new to me. I want
I wake, yawn, and flex my shoulders. Oh, my heavens! Every muscle aches so terribly. It feels like I was hit by a truck. The bed is warm in a way that makes my body register him before my mind does. There’s weight beside me. My lashes flutter open slowly. Zayn is here. In my bed. My throat constricts immediately.Last night comes back in explicit fragments. His voice, his control, my surrender. My breath catches, my body feeling like a map that has been thoroughly redrawn. I shift against the high-thread-count sheets, feeling the raw sensitivity of my skin. “You’re awake,” he says quietly, opening his eyes.I shift slightly. “Did you stay here all night?”“Yes.”That one word does something strange to my chest. I sit up, pulling the sheet with me, suddenly aware of myself in a way I wasn’t before.“I didn’t—” I start, then stop.He watches me cautiously. “You didn’t what?” “I didn’t think you would actually stay.”There's a faint change in his expression. “You’re learning,” he says.
The sudden silence of sensation makes my breath stutter. I let out a broken, frustrated cry, my hips bucking against the air. I feel like I'm falling from a great height.“You don't get to find release yet,” Zayn growls. I hear him stand, the leather of his gear creaking. “You haven't been punished enough for the way you ran. You haven't been punished for making me chase you.”A moment passes where nothing happens. And yet everything changes. Because now I’m aware of him in ways I can’t explain: the heat of his presence behind me, the control in his silence, the way my body responds before I understand why. He moves.My chest rises unevenly when the silence screams at me. The thrill that courses through my veins is more than I can contain, knowing he’s here but not knowing where exactly he’s at, or when he’ll do the nasty things he’s planning to still do to me—it’s killing me. I can stop him. But stopping isn’t what my body wants. And that realization scares me more than the darkness.
His fingers caress the blindfold over my eyes before the warmth of his hands disappears. The fabric isn't too tight or too loose, it feels just right. All I see is darkness. But the air is heavy with the scent of him.I feel like I'm suspended in a void. Without my sight, the room feels twice as large, and the scent of leather and dread thickens.“Zayn?”No answer.“Are you there?”The silence of the room presses against my bare skin. “Zayn!”“Don't move,” his voice drifts from my left, appearing like a ghost in the dark.I obey. I’m exposed and shivering—not from cold—but from the thought of having his eyes rake over me without my own sight telling me if he likes what he sees or not. Metal cuffs slide onto my wrist and the sound of its lock echoes. “You’re thinking of the past,” he whispers, his voice now directly behind me. I feel the heat of his body radiating against my back, though he isn't touching me yet. “I can hear your heart racing, bunny. It’s trying to tell a story I’m a
It isn't a utility closet. It’s a dungeon designed with the precision of a surgical suite. In the center sits a long, leather-bound bench, bolted to the floor with heavy steel brackets. At the end is a master bed.I stand frozen in the doorway, my eyes sweeping around, as a cold shiver runs down my spine. My eyes adjust to the red lighting. Ropes are coiled on the walls like sleeping snakes. Chains hang from the ceiling, their links glinting wickedly.And on the wall, arranged with the precision of a gallery, are tools I don't have names for—leather straps, delicate chains, and a set of cuffs.“I... I’ve never seen anything like this,” I whisper, my voice sounding thin and small against the soundproofed walls. “I’ve never done this, Zayn. None of it.”Zayn steps into the red haze, his presence expanding until he seems to own every inch of the air. He doesn't look shocked by my confession. He looks hungry.“I know,” he says, his voice low. “That’s the beauty of it. You don't have to kn
I’m starting to regret coming here. The smell of expensive lilies and perfume fills the air. Underneath it is the pleasant aroma of different dishes. Victoria sees us. She then wears a toothless smile that seems genuine. “Zayn, darling! You’re finally here,” she calls out. “Victoria,” Zayn acknow
If looks could kill, I’d be dead, buried, and haunting this building. Victoria’s trembling, her designer handbag clutched so tightly her knuckles are white.“Morning, Ms. Victoria.”She says nothing. Her eyes refuse to leave Zayn. “Have a great day, babe,” he says before turning to her. “Hello, Vi
I can’t even lie. My mind is shaking as it is. Zayn looks over at me and notices the creases on my forehead. He turns to Dave and says, “Stall them.”Dave nods once and leaves the room.“I can stay here,” I say. “I’ll just hide until they're gone.”Zayn arches a brow. “Hide? Why would I hide you fr
The gates slide open before us. I don't ask how. The place looks magical. It isn't a New York high-rise. It’s a sprawling, modern estate tucked away behind high walls. The mansion is in the middle of green lawns. The glass windows reflect the moonlight. “You live here with your family?” I whisper







