Page 2 of Hunted for Halloween
“I'm going to go talk to him.” Lydia announces and my eyes widen.
“Lydia!”
“Don't wander off too far,” she smirks at me as she sashays towards the guy and his friends.
I groan, downing the rest off my beer and tossing the bottle somewhere. I'm not going to laze around and watch my best friend get her face eaten off by some guy. The thought of it makes me gag as much as it makes me blush.
The music grows louder as I weasel my way deeper through the maze. I hear some breathy moans behind a bunch of cornflowers, causing me to scrunch my face in disgust.
That's when I feel it.
An icy sensation that causes the hair on my nape to stand erect. It feels like I'm being watched. I want to shrug it off and chalk it up to my imagination, but it grows more intense.
My breathing catches. I look over my shoulder sharply and the entire maze shrinks into oblivion when I see a large, masked, muscular figure standing at the entrance of one of the turns in the maze.
There's no ounce of subtlety and shyness in his rigid, imposing posture. It's like he wants me to see him, to know that he's been watching me. I should find it creepy, but it makes my ears and cheeks burn hot.
Suddenly, he turns around, stalking off.
I don't know whether it's curiosity or fascination but I find my feet moving in his direction. My heart thumps loudly in my chest as I follow the trail, tuning out the rest of the maze.
Aside from the twinkling golden lights that seem to have run dim, this side of the maze has no one in sight. I whirl around,hoping to catch a glimpse of anyone but there's none. The only lingering sound is the music that has now grown distant.
It feels like my mind is playing tricks on me because I was certain I saw him around here.
“Are you lost, Pumpkin?”
I tense, my nerves tingling with a mix of fear and anticipation. The voice of whiskey and sin travels through the air, deep, husky and melts against my skin like a forbidden desire.
My heart thunders in my chest, almost as though it wants to crack my chest wide open. I don't stop to weigh my options because I turn around instantly.
His costume is indiscernible, save for the edgy, black and gold rimmed mask on his face. The dim golden light hits the skin of his face, allowing me to take in the stubble beard that runs through the side of his strong face, down to his perfectly squared jawline that looks like it's carved from a rock. Even with the mask, his features are harsh, dark and intimidating.
It makes my toes curl.
His dark crew neck tee stretches against the hard ridges of his broad muscular chest. The sleeves are hardly staying in place because of his bulging biceps. The man looks sinfully ripped and his outfit is doing nothing to hide it. The back of his large veiny palms are inked with dark tattoos that form the shape of licks of flames, some of his fingers adorned with rings.
The little distance between us feels like it's quenched by the heat that engulfs me under his gaze. His whiskey eyes caress every inch of my body. It makes me clench my thighs together to satiate the tingling sensation in my core. My buds pebble against the cotton material of my dress, my mouth running dry.
What the fuck is this?
His stance shifts, and that should alert me to move my legs and get out of this place. But, it doesn't. I stand rooted to a spotlike a statue. My heart pounds wildly in my chest as he prowls forward like a lazy large black cat accessing its prey.
“You were watching me.” I manage to force the words out.
“Yet, you sought me out.” There's a dry undertone in his voice but he also can’t take his eyes off me.
My throat thins out, my eyes widening a fraction when he closes in on me. A shudder snakes down my spine, making my legs wobbly but his heated stare pins me to the spot.
“Do you know what happens to curious little pumpkins like you?” his scent, cedarwood and musk coils around my nostrils and I inhale greedily. I shake my head like a little girl, my mouth running dry when my gaze drops to his thick, sensual lips.
“They become prey for predators like me.” The dark edge in his sinful voice licks my skin with flames that shoot straight to my core, ruining my lace panties.
His aura is dark and stormy. It wraps around my neck like an invisible noose and it should scare me. But, it doesn't. Instead, it piques my excitement.
My chest rises and falls with harsh breaths when he brings his fingers to my face. His long, veiny fingers hover over my face. My eyes flutter shut, my lips parting when he brushes them against my skin. The heat that coils in my abdomen rapidly makes me dizzy, and I almost stagger backwards.
A rough, large palm cups the small of my back to keep me in place. A tiny moan rips through the air, causing my eyes to open. It dawns on me that the sound comes from me. His hold on me is coarse and unapologetic, searing through the fabric of my dress.