Page 76 of Liars and Liaisons

But itcouldsolve several of my problems right now. In fact, I can’t even think of any way it would exacerbate them.

Sweat beads across my forehead, and I struggle to even out my breathing. The moon overhead casts a white glow, enough light to see directly in front of me and not much else.

Leaves whisper somewhere in the field, distant but close, all at the same time. It’s likely the sound catches on a breeze and carries to me, but my heartbeat skyrockets anyway. My fingers curl tight around the handle of the knife, holding the blade out and away from me.

I pull my knees back, trying to shrink into myself even though I know it won’t work. The field is massive, but if my assailant gets even remotely close, he’ll hear my staccato breaths. Smell the sweat coating my skin. See me sitting here, waiting. Hoping.

I’m even tempted to send up a little prayer. Just to see if it works this time.

I don’t, instead rotating my gaze so I’m aware of all the possible angles they might come from.

Another shifting of leaves, this time accompanied by shuffling from a different direction. My throat constricts, fear blurring the corners of my vision. I blink rapidly, trying to clear it enough to see, but the tunnel only grows.

My grip on the knife slips, and I sit forward, redoubling my hold until my fingers ache.

It grows eerily quiet. So quiet that all I can hear are my harsh breaths and the erratic beat of my heart.Thump-thump-thump, thump-thump-thump, thump-thump-thu—

A startled squeal twists from my windpipe as a figure suddenly appears before me. My arm whips out almost blindly, slashing with a savagery I didn’t think I was capable of.

Fight-or-flight instinct takes over. The blade slices through the air, and I don’t stop to see where it hits the target. I just wave it, registering the hiss of pain once, twice, then a third time before the blade is knocked away.

All I see before they grab my shoulder and shove me face-first into the ground is a dark cloak and the leather mask.

My grunt is muffled when my mouth smacks into the earth. The taste of copper floods my tongue as my tooth bites into my bottom lip, a sting spreading quickly across the surface. I struggle, thrashing, even as the attacker mounts me, bending one of my arms so it’s crooked behind me, pinned to my ass.

Something—sweat maybe—drips down my neck.

The dress has risen up, exposing the entire length of my right thigh. Right up to the lacy black panties I have on. Cool air brushes my skin, tasting what’s been newly revealed to the night air, and I shiver in spite of everything.

When they don’t let up their hold on me, the fight flees my body, and I sag into the ground like a limp noodle. Saliva glazes my chin, picking up loose dirt as I turn my head and try to get a look at the person above me.

A large, almost-familiar hand clamps down on the back of my skull, preventing me from looking further. I kick my legs, but to no avail. It’s impossible to move with their massive weight straddling me.

Another hand falls to my thigh, gliding slowly between the slit. The tips of their fingers slip beneath the fabric, teasing, their calluses rough against my smooth skin.

I suck my lip into my mouth, running my tongue over the little cut there. It doesn’t stop the bleeding immediately, but it gives me something to cling to. Especially when they skim the hem of my panties, just barely applying enough pressure to let me know their intentions.

Flashes of Nate doing similar things rush back to me, and my panic renews itself. I squirm, digging my elbows into the dirt in an attempt to gain traction. Nothing happens, and instead, the person leans down, driving their pelvis into my ass and dragging their tongue up the center of my neck.

When they shift, I feel it. The evidence of their arousal and the proof that this situation will only end in one way.

I press my hand into the ground, trying to hide the weapon as they—hebegins grinding.

He paws at my hip, lifting my thigh slightly to shove his fingers into my panties, and then he’s toying with me. We both hear it—the proof ofmyarousal—and shame washes over me at the same time.

I’ve felt this shame before though. I’m no stranger to it. So, instead of pushing him off like I would have with Nate or feeling disgusted, I give myself over to it. Let it wash over me until shame morphs into something a little closer to excitement. Adrenaline.

God, I’m wet. He swirls two fingers against my clit, the friction of those calluses making my arms tingle, and the lewd noises fill the air alongside his heavy breathing.

When he bites down on the soft spot between my shoulder and neck, he pulls his hand from me, and it’s a loss I feel down to my toes. It doesn’t last though because in the next second, he’s lifting off and rolling me onto my back.

The mask looms close. My chest heaves, still struggling to catch up with the insanity around me.

He grips my dress in both hands. A tearing sound rips through the air, and I glance down to see he’s torn the slit, revealing my stomach and the panties and the undersides of my breasts. Another tug, and the fabric shreds completely in half.

My arms are still cocked to the side when he grips my thighs, prying them apart to fit himself between them. One hand plants itself by my head, and the other unbuttons his dress pants, fishing his dick from the fly.

I can’t get a good look at it, but I know from what I felt before that it’s big. Fear and exhilaration mix in my stomach, pooling in the form of moisture between my legs. The night air nips at my skin, raising goose bumps like the dead, and I use my free arm to cover my breasts.

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