Hollow Hearts (The Harkwright Trilogy)

He isn’t saying anything as he gets a beer but I can feel his eyes on me as he takes a large pull from the bottle, I have no idea who he is but I’m starting to feel a little uneasy. Especially as his hand reaches out for me and I can’t help but take a step back and slam into a hard chest. The man in gold snatches his hand back and takes one last look before walking away, but even his mask can’t hide the tick in his jaw.

A pair of hands glide down my arms, across my hands and settle on my hips. I can’t move away and I guess that’s exactly what he wants. He isn’t saying anything and I don’t dare turn around, what if it’s Shane? Although I’m fairly confident if it’s him then he would have said or done something by now. In all honesty, this guy isn’t doing anything, other than holding onto my hips and keeping me pressed against him.

“D-d-do I k-k-know you?”

He isn’t saying anything, what the fuck is going on? He grips my hips a little tighter before stepping forward, and either I do the same or he’ll literally walk all over me.

“Where are you t-t-taking m-me?”

Still no answer, but he keeps moving forward, guiding me to the dance floor and I don’t miss the way people are moving out of our way and giving us a wide berth. This is only making my heart beat harder and I swear I can feel it hitting my ribcage. My chest is heaving and I’m starting to regret choosing this dress, because it isn’t something that can be hidden.

We end up in the center of the dance floor, my back to his front and the music changes instantly, half way through whatever song was on before. One of his hands spreads out against my stomach, his other arm spreads across my chest and ends with his hand caressing my bare shoulder. He slides one of his legs between mine and as What’s Your Fantasy by Ludacris starts up, I don’t even have to worry about how to move. This guy takes full control, moving his body against mine and in turn making mine do whatever he wants. I may as well be a puppet dancing with my puppet master as he teases my strings and makes my body come alive.

I’m entirely at his mercy and I have no idea how I feel about it. How has my mind gone so blank? Maybe it’s the way his skin feels against mine as his fingers stroke against my collar bone. The way his knee moves between my legs, rubbing against my sweet spot, slowly making me come undone. How his hand presses against my stomach holding me as close as I can get, feeling as he starts to get hard and how that hardness brushes against me with every roll of his hips. Forget what I said about Aeron, this is fucking, there is no way we wouldn’t be kicked out if we did this in a club. We may be fully dressed but we are far from decent. The weird thing is, I don’t think I want it to end and I certainly don’t want to know who my dance partner is.

I would never choose a guy over his looks or anything on an outer level, I’m all about the deep and personal. The kindness they show, not whether someone claims they’re selfish or a bastard or any of that crap. Rumors are called that for a reason. No, I go for the person they are, which is why I don’t want to know. Because right now, I feel so connected to this man and I know it will all be ruined if I turn around and find out who it is.

His hand leaves my shoulder and traces circles across my collarbone, moving slowly and it feels as though electricity is shooting throughout my body and soul straight down into my core. I barely even noticed the way my body reacted to men and now it’s all I can focus on. He moves across the tops of my breasts that are pushed up by the dress and I can’t seem to stop my hand from rising up and threading behind his head. Bringing him closer, all I need to do is tilt my head ever so slightly and I can get a peek. Instead, my eyes are slipping closed as my head drops back and rests against his shoulder.

I feel his breath skating across my neck and shoulder but his lips never connect, even as his hand on my stomach starts to move lower and then the song ends and his hands return to my hips but he doesn’t move away. I keep my eyes closed, even as he spins me around so we’re now facing.

“Look at me Star,” strange nickname, especially as… no not going to go there, it doesn’t matter that it was my surname at birth. It’s just a coincidence.

Although the illusion has shattered, hearing that voice that both begs me to run away and to never be anywhere else but near him. It’s Emmet and if I open my eyes, I’m going to see him for the first time since I became a Harkwright girl.

“Look at me.”

I open my eyes and come face to face with a man dressed all in black but his waistcoat has stars embroiled within the material, and his mask is beyond all others. It barely leaves any of his face uncovered. Black with silver and white patterns scrawling across it. The left side stops at the eyes but the right travels down to his chin. The top rises and comes together like a crown against his forehead. I can’t make out a lot about him other than he has stubble across the left side of his jaw and over his lower cheek, green eyes that capture me fully and tanned skin that has seen many sunny days. There’s something screaming at me that I already know him, my inner voice is an utter bitch right now telling me to put it all together because I’m going to be in for a shock when I do. Because of that, I’m pretending that there is nothing about him that screams out to me, that his eyes don’t feel like I’ve looked into them before or that I don’t want to drag my nails across his stubble and see how he reacts.

“I was disappointed to hear you chose this dress over the one I picked out for you, but I must admit that you look incredible. I like how well black suits you My Star.”

His star, is he for real? Shit hang on, he doesn’t actually see me as his, does he? I mean I should have seen it coming but he doesn’t even know me and I’m begging to anyone or anything that may be listening that he doesn’t decide to pull a Bradley and claim me.

“I like wearing black, it’s my go to color,” I mumble and I don’t know if I should recoil or lean into his touch when he cups my cheek.

“Oh Luna, I am going to enjoy unravelling you. Once you’re ready of course,” his eyes sparkle but his words are confusing me. Ready, ready for what?

“Ready for what?”

“For me of course, it’s not important right now,” he cups the back of my head and leads me to his chest, where he proceeds to wrap his arms around me and we just stand here, swaying to the soft music that is now coursing through the room.

Everything fades away and I can’t help but lose myself in the way his arms fit around me and how I feel so at peace, in the arms of the prince of the devils. What does that say about me? I’m not sure I even want that question to get answered.

It isn’t until this moment, after countless songs have played and Tucker approaches to get Emmet that I feel as if I can breathe again. Moving away from Emmet, I slip out of the ballroom doors before he can claim anymore of my time this evening. I know what I need to do right now is go outside and get some fresh air. Although more than that, I really need some time alone without any man or girl looking at me or making me feel things that I can’t explain.

The air is cool against my flushed skin, although there isn’t anywhere near enough breeze to settle me completely. I hate these balmy nights but it’s still preferable to being inside right now. I gather my dress around me before descending the stone steps and walk ac

ross the patio, until I come across one of the benches surrounded by the pretty smelling flowers and topiaries of animals and things from around the world. I lower myself down onto the wood and just listen to the owls in the distance, the sound of tiny wings fluttering around and the glow of the fireflies adding their light to the beauty that is already filling the sky.

My shoulders tighten and I brace my hands beside me as stones get kicked by whoever is approaching and I’m hoping it isn’t the Prince. Maybe it will be Tucker or Aeron, although I’m not sure they’re a great alternative either.

“There she is, and here I am without my wallet.”

I don’t dare squeeze my eyes shut, even as my hand trembles. Of course it would be Shane and even though I know he can’t touch me, it is doing very little to ease my fear.

“Come on whore, get on your knees. It’s about time you started earning your keep,” he comes around to stand before me and I can barely hold my cry in as he grips my hair and pulls me from the bench, sending me onto the ground. The stones cutting into my hands and knees.

I look up at him and he can’t keep the smile from his face, he has me exactly where he wants me and I don’t know how to act. Although I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t speak.