Envy (Criminal Sins 1)

A door finally presents itself to me at the far end of this new hallway. It’s the only door I’ve come across yet, and it’s shut. My heart pounds as I reach for the gold doorknob. I can’t tell if I’m more afraid of what might be behind it, or that it might be locked. If this is the last place to explore in this apartment, and it turns out to be shut off to me, then I might go crazy with restless boredom and unsatisfied curiosity.

Click.

The heavy oakwood door pushes open against my cautious effort.

I take a tender step inside, and my barefoot is greeted with the thickest most luxurious rug I’ve ever had the pleasure of sinking my skin into.

I nearly collapse onto the floor, it’s so comfortable. And to think, I could have slept on this instead of that squeaky leather couch in the living room.

When I look up, though, I’m glad I didn’t sleep here. Angel’s four poster bed rises at the far side of the room, sturdy and royal. Sure, the carpet is comfy, but there’s no way in hell I would ever sleep at the foot of my captor’s bed. I have more pride than that.

I wander over to the huge mattress and lay a hand on the soft satin sheets. I nearly fall asleep on contact. The whole set-up is so plush that I have to rip my hand away before I collapse.

Despite my gluttonous fit of slumber last night, I’m still exhausted. I guess getting kidnapped wi

ll do that to a girl.

Instead of getting some extra shut-eye, though, I explore more of the mysterious bedroom. But the bedside table is locked shut; so is the closet, and the drawers beside the closet, too. Only one door is open, and when I push through it, I’m greeted by a long, lily white bathroom that looks like heaven descended down to earth.

I step inside and the heated tiles sooth my worried soul. The huge flat surface of a rain forest shower head near the back pulls me in like a tractor beam.

God, I could so go for a shower right about now...

I sniff my armpits and recoil at the stench.

Fuck it, I might as well get something nice out of this mess.

I’m stripped naked and fiddling with the shower knobs before I can even consider that there might actually be security cameras in here, too. Whatever, I don’t care. Angel can see me naked from one of his grainy screens if it means I get a hot shower.

I turn the biggest knob and a steady stream of water sputters alive, cascading over my sticky hair like heavenly rainfall. A deep satisfied sigh escapes my lips as I’m wrapped in the warmth.

This is the kind of luxury I’ve been chasing for all this time; it’s the reason I dressed myself up in that stuffy dress and pulled myself to that gala in the first place; it’s what’s been missing from my life ever since my family was taken from me all those years ago.

Dark memories threaten to invade my mind, but the growing steam helps to keep them at bay.

Under the sizzling water, I can hardly think about all the hard times, all the pain and suffering and loneliness. My mind empties and I let myself enjoy something for once.

Warmth bubbles up inside of me and before I know it, my fingers are between my legs. My mind is blank, but my belly is filled with fire. When’s the last time I had the privacy to properly stoke that fire?

The tip of my steaming finger starts in slow circles, almost like it’s being led by an invisible hand. I let the heat build inside of me with every stroke, speeding up only when I’ve reached the proper plateau at every level. The mud and the dust on my skin evaporites and a dirty cleanliness washes over me. I relish the emptiness in my head, the freedom of the pleasure...

Steadily, though, an image starts to take shape behind my shut eyelids. It’s blurry at first, but the harder I rub, the clearer it becomes. Carnal glee jumps around my pelvis as the figure hardens, tall and handsome and...

Fuck, it’s Angel.

My eyes rip open and my fingers fall from between my legs. I’m heaving from the exertion, but also from the surprise. It’s no secret that Angel’s hot, but I didn’t think I was that hot for him.

For a split-second, I’m almost disgusted with myself. This is the man who brushed me off, then rudely stole me from an underground garage, then locked me in a room at his palace, chained me to a dungeon wall, and nearly fed me to his python of a brother. He doesn’t deserve to be the reason I feel so good.

... But this isn’t for him. This is for me.

I spot a detachable shower head just off to the side of the steamy glass door. It comes out of its socket easily enough. Angel the man can go fuck himself, but Angel the vision is going to help me get off right now. It’s the least he can do after all he’s put me through.

If he’s going to use me, then I’m going to use him right back.

I shut my eyes again and lower the shower head between my legs. The hot water tickles for a second before plunging me into nirvana. The sounds of my whimpering echo through the hazy bathroom.

Slowly but surely, Angel reappears behind my eyelids. His crisp white dress shirt is unbuttoned, exposing his hard, chiselled chest. His big rough hands pull at the sleeves, before wandering over to me. The heat from his imagined touch quivers like a bolt of electricity up from between my trembling legs. His intense gaze slithers into my soul, imprisoning me in that sultry glint of tropical green he has mixed in with the mischievous hazel of his eyes.