Page 75 of Secrets

“The illusion.”

“Sorry, love, but I need you to spell it out for me. Most of the blood in my body is moving towards the part buried deep inside you.”

Swallowing, she sighs. “This thing we have, it’s fun. It’s exciting, and if we go to your place, it’ll feel like something real. It’ll take away from what we have going on.”

Something real. This isn’t real. For her, this is just sex, and he wishes he was strong enough to pull out of her, tear off the condom, and storm out to leave her lying naked and alone. But he’s not. He’ll never leave her like this because he knew what he was getting into when this started. He was a fool to believe she could see him as something other than a plaything.

Maybe if I keep showing her what I’m willing to do for her, how I want to make her feel, she’ll come around. See me as more than a cock to bounce on.

Venom knows it’s a pipe dream, but he has no other option. It’s the only hope he has.

Sliding out of her, he circles his finger in the air, directing her to turn onto her stomach.

“Oh, this is different,” she pants and gets onto all fours. “I’ve heard good things about this one.”

His hands grip her hips as he slams into her from behind, and she arches her back, her stomach dipping as low as her spine will allow while her head tilts back.

“Like that, love?”

“Fucking love that,” she moans. “I’ve never felt anything so deep inside me. It feels… amazing!”

While he’s not emotionally strong when it comes to Marnie, Venom does have a sliver of pride. He moves his body quickly to bring them both to orgasm, his mind pretending they’re in his house like a real couple as he finds his release while her muscles coil around him almost painfully.

A real couple who will cuddle and sleep next to each other afterwards. A couple who walk out into the room with others with their hands clasped. A couple not afraid of what anyone else thinks.

Marnie smirks as he slides out of her, tugging the full condom off. He falls onto the bed next to her, but rather than lie down next to him, she climbs off the bed. Her naked body looks heavenly, and he’s momentarily distracted from the pain in his chest as she dresses to leave.

“I’m leaving my panties for you,” she says and bends down to kiss him chastely on the lips. “Thanks, Venom.”

She opens the door, her eyes looking out to make sure no one sees her, and she hurries out through the back of the building, the door slamming behind her. The only thing he ever has after being inside her is her panties, and it’s slowly losing its appeal. How much longer will he let her treat him like this?

As long as I can pretend she’ll fall in love with me one day. That’s how long.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Summerville

Sutton

"She turned me down," Nelson slurs on the barstool next to Sutton.

"You're kind of shitfaced, dude," Sutton says with a laugh. "I'm not sure you can actually do what you promised her even if she did go home with you at this point."

"I can always do what I said I was going to do!"

Laughing, she signals to the bartender, Jed, who she took home a couple weeks before, and mouths the wordwater. The encounter can best be described as lackluster, and he had no additional information on the owner of the bar's disappearance. It also feels weird being here, especially without Marnie working, because Jed thinks the two of them had a connection.

"Planning to stay until closing tonight?" Jed asks as he leans forward and rests his elbows on the bar top after handing Nelson the water.

Nelson takes it and holds it up with a suspicious look. "What's this?"

"Vodka," Jed lies.

"Okay, cool." He downs the entire glass and sets it on the bar like a shot. "That shit's smooth."

"Top shelf, buddy," Jed says. "So, Sutton, what do you say?"

How does she tell this guy that their night together meant nothing to her? Worse, that it was nothing short of lame. "Sorry, Jed, but I'm going to have to bring Nelson back to his condo. Again. He can't drive like this."

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