STORY EXCERPT

Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic. 

A loud creak echoed through the hallway. Shoot!

I froze, holding my breath as I waited for the sound of my father’s footsteps. But there was nothing. Had he not heard the creak, or had he simply dismissed it as the old house settling? I didn’t dare move, didn’t dare breathe. I stood rigid, straining to listen for any sign of movement. But the only sound was the ticktock of the pendulum on the antique clock downstairs. 

Slowly, I began to inch forward again, every muscle in my body tensed and ready to bolt. The landing was so close now, yet it felt like it might as well have been on the other side of the planet. 

“You and I both know what you saw, Noam. It was very naughty of you to spy on me.” 

The air seemed heavier, pressing down on me like I was sinking into quicksand. I clenched my jaw so tight my teeth ached, but it was the only way to stay quiet. He was taunting me, trying to terrify me, and it was working spectacularly. 

Just move, just move, just move. 

I’d lost count of how many times I’d recited those words over the years but always ended up getting caught. 

Stop sabotaging yourself. It’s just a game, remember? If only I could convince myself of the lie. 

Sweat dripped down my forehead, stinging my eyes and blurring my vision. Using the hem of my shirt, I wiped it away. Although it was mid-July, my sweat wasn’t from the oppressive heat.

Finally, I made it to the top of the stairs. My hand, shaking like crazy, gripped the banister as I began my descent.

Twenty steps to navigate.

Twenty steps closer to freedom.

I could almost taste the fresh air that awaited me outside, sweet and liberating. But I wasn’t there yet. As I made my way down to the living room, I counted each step. The antique clock did as well, as if marking time alongside me.

No sooner had my foot touched the floor than Martin’s attention-deprived cat ran toward me and started meowing. Despicable was like a siren during a prison break.

Shut up, shut up, shut up! I made a shooing motion with my hands and even kicked my foot out toward his orange, furry body. Not to hurt him but to try and scare him enough to run away.

That only made Despicable meow louder, like my sneaker had actually made contact. Heart thumping, I sprinted toward the door. Just as my hand grazed the warm metal handle, a searing pain shot through my leg as the belt came down hard. Crack!

I cried out in pain, but I didn’t stop. Refused to stop. If I did, there was no telling what he would do to me. 

He grabbed for my shirt, but I managed to dodge his fingers, stumbling out of the front door in a dizzying rush of limbs and fear. 

I wasn’t safe yet, though. The labored breathing I heard behind me was a clear sign he hadn’t stopped chasing me. But I refused to look back. 

The only thing that mattered was putting as much distance between us as possible.

The pain in my leg caused me to limp while I ran. If I didn’t find somewhere to hide, my out-of-shape father would catch me, because he had a demon inside of him, helping him to run even though I had no doubt Martin wanted to collapse.

His lungs probably wanted to. 

When I hit a cluster of trees, I shot left, hoping he hadn’t spotted me. Idiotically, I glanced back, crying out in shock when I saw that he was not only still chasing me but gaining speed. 

What the freak? It was like the demon was giving him superpowers, making him run like he’d been jogging every day of his life. 

I shot out of the woods and into someone’s backyard, sprinting to the front of the farmhouse.

“Fuck, I feel alive!” Martin’s excited voice rang through the night air, causing fireflies to scatter from a nearby bush and a bird to take flight from a tire swing. I didn’t think, just ran up the steps leading to a porch and slammed into the door, frantically twisting the knob in hopes, by some miracle, it was unlocked. 

Come on, come on, come on. Please, open for me! 

The knob turned, but the door wouldn’t budge! The sound of the ominous crack made me throw my one hundred and ten pounds against the wood, despite knowing how useless my efforts were. 

The door barely rattled, but my wounded leg screamed in pain. 

Another crack caused instant tears, and I hated how easily he’d made them fall, like he’d conditioned my tears to obey the sound of that godawful belt. 

His slow footsteps in the grass reached my ears. No wheezing. No struggle, just a man enjoying the stillness of the night. Not a guy hunting his own son. 

He was getting closer, and I was almost resigned to my fate. But I had to try one last time. When I rammed into the door, it popped open, making me stumble. I didn’t hesitate, rushing inside and quietly closing it behind me. I leaned against it, my eyes closed, my breathing ragged. 

You’re not safe. Find the owners, beg them to protect you, plead with them to call the cops. All I wanted was a moment, just one lousy moment, but I couldn’t rest. Any second Martin would pound on the door… or break it down since a demon was now his puppet master. 

After a deep exhale, I opened my eyes.

Then gasped.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Jesus,” I rasped.

A quiet laugh vibrated against my skin. “That a good Jesus or a bad one?”

I exhaled, pressing my forehead to his shoulder. “Pretty sure it’s a holy crap kind of Jesus.”

His arms circled me, warm and solid, holding me without trapping me. I stayed there, head against his chest, his hand trailing slow over my back.

“I want to go further, chaton.” His fingers drifted downward then he cupped my backside, giving my flesh a gentle squeeze. 

Richard’s touch lingered, warm palms mapping the curve of my backside, thumbs tracing slow circles over my skin. Not pushing. Not urging. Just waiting for me to decide what came next.

Everything inside me buzzed like static against my ribs, nerves stretched tight as I felt his cock pulse against my stomach. 

Need burned low in my groin, coiling deep as Richard’s fingers flexed against me. That single movement spoke volumes. It was a silent invitation, wrapped in a gentle promise. 

Whatever I was comfortable with. I had control. I knew that.

But I was too nervous to make the first move. So far, it had been Richard on his knees, making my brain cells explode. He wanted more, though, to take things further, which meant laying myself bare and not just my body. That kind of intimacy required the deepest trust. 

My breath hitched, my heartbeat stumbling as I shifted against him, feeling the solid press of his cock against my gut. Heat spread through me, stronger than hesitation, louder than doubt, cutting through years of conditioning that told me intimacy came with risk.

Because this was Richard.

And Richard was safe.

I wanted this force of nature, this quiet strength, buried deep inside of me, taking pleasure from my body as I took it from his.

“Whatever you chose.” The deep timbre of his voice rolled over me, intoxicating and impossible to resist. 

“I want to take this further, too.” Was that my breathy voice? I didn’t even recognize it.

His hands skimmed up my back, fingers threading through my hair, guiding me into another mind-blowing kiss. A slow, lazy drag of lips against mine, unhurried, stretching time between us. 

I pulled back from his lips, looking up at him, breathing heavily as my cock stirred back to life. My palms slid over his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath my fingers. It was in his eyes, understanding that he had to take control. 

A wicked grin pulled at the side of his mouth. “With pleasure, mon chaton.” 

To my surprise—and his, if the lift of his brows was anything to go by—I shoved him backward. Richard let me, a deep, beautiful laugh escaping him. “Does my little kitten have claws?”

“Is that what you’ve been calling me?” I’d heard him every time he’d said that word, but I hadn’t asked him what it meant. I… liked it. 

Warm palms smoothed up my thighs, settling lightly at my hips. “Yes.” 

The weight of his gaze devoured me, making me shiver. As I crawled onto the bed, Richard backed up until he was settled at the top of the bed. Before he could reach for me, I slid a leg over his waist, afraid of how I might react if he pinned me under him. 

“Fuck, gorgeous,” he said in a low, playful growl. 

A laugh nearly slipped out. Not because his praise was funny, but because my chest was so full, so tight I didn’t know what else to do with the feeling. 

“I’ll follow your lead, kitten,” he murmured, his head resting against the pillows. 

Those words undid me more than any touch could.

A shaky exhale left me as I shifted, bracing a hand against his chest. A small shift of my hips, I felt him, throbbing and hard against me, his cock pulsing as I moved. I bit my lip, adjusted my position, the thick head of his cock pressing against my entrance, sending heat surging through my core.

Then a thought struck me. “We need lube.” 

I wasn’t sure if I liked the smirk he gave me. “Let me show you why that statement is irrelevant.” 

His hand on my back, Richard coaxed me forward, my backside rising inches into the air. “Richard…” I said nervously.

Then I felt something wet against my ring of muscle. My brows furrowed, my brain trying desperately to figure out what it was. I hadn't seen anything on the bed besides the covers. “Is-Is that you?”

“If you’re asking if that’s my dick touching your hole, then, yes, it’s me.” He winked. 

My brows hiked. “You come with built-in lube?”

Heat creeped over my face when I realized what I’d just said.

His deep, masculine chuckle filled the space between us. “Trust me. I’ll come, chaton.” 

Another spurt against my hole, but this time I felt tingling. 

“Kiss me, beautiful.” 

The world narrowed to the press of his lips, pulling me into something deeper, something I never wanted to end. Inch by slow inch, Richard’s cock eased inside my ass. I met him halfway, sinking down on his hard shaft. The stretch burned as I bottomed out. 

A gasp caught in my throat, my muscles clenching, my thighs quivering as I adjusted. Richard didn’t move, but I saw how he clenched his jaw.