Page 300 of Phobia
Then I’ll hound you all night.
I ignore him.
Two seconds later:Naomi…
Nope.
Earth to Naomi.
Best cousin in the world!
Not giving up on you.
Growling, I neck my wine and grab my phone.You have me for two hours only. You pay for everything, including my taxi home.
Done.x
Chapter 17
Stepping out of the taxi, I wrap my jacket around myself. For some reason, the little black dress I wore on my last outing was calling to me. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I’ve been picturing Dom and calling his name every time I’ve got my vibrator out, which, I’ll admit, has been an almost nightly occurrence.
Nobody has ever ripped me apart or pushed me the way Dom did, and he did it all whilst making me feel safer than ever before. My night with him was the best sex I’ve ever had, and as hard as I’ve tried, my vibrator can’t compete.
It doesn’t matter. I’ll buy a new one.
Besides, I barely got to wear this dress the last time, and it deserved another outing. However, given how long the queue is, I wish I’d gone with jeans.
“Miss Mitchell?” a voice calls, and I turn to spot a bouncer walking towards me.
“Erm… yes.”
Shit.That’s my first thought. Followed quickly by dread: what’s Ant done now?
Noticing my hesitance, the bouncer smiles—a rare sight in London—making the giant seem boyish. “Your cousin didn’t want you queuing.”
“Since when does Ant get VIP treatment?”
“No idea, love. Guess tonight’s his lucky night.” He maintains his smile and gestures to the queue. “You can wait if you want?”
Glancing at the line that’s at least fifty bodies long, I remind myself that when my cousin isn’t playing with fire—or cards—he is charming. It’s not entirely ridiculous to think he could blag the VIP treatment.
Shaking off my unease, I follow the bouncer towards the doors and step inside. The bass is heavy, and I fight to ignore the memories it invokes in my body. It’s just music. It’s not the same as last time.
The mass of people step aside, and I stay close to the bouncer, nodding when he turns to check that I’m still there. Then he reaches for my arm, guiding me to the side and through a door, which he closes behind me—leaving me alone in a corridor with nothing but a narrow staircase.
The hairs on my arms rise, but I push back the panic so I can figure out what the hell is going on. This is one of those moments where things could go either way. It’s not what I was expecting, but it doesn’t mean it’s bad. Being ushered into a corridor that feels way too quiet, given the music on the other side of the wall, may seem strange—but this could just be some super-secretive VIP space.Couldn’t it?
Yet, internally, I’m screaming, my body urging me to turn and run, but I can’t because there’s Ant. Where is he, and why would he bring me here if it’s not OK?
He wouldn’t, but still, I reach for my phone.
“Hello, Naomi.”
The unfamiliar voice makes me jump. My nerves hanging on by a thread as my eyes track the owner walking down the stairs. The lights are just bright enough to illuminate a face I’ve seen once before. “Frank?”
“Well remembered,” he smiles, impressed.
Taking a deep breath, I plaster on my mask, hiding my fear.Why would Ant be with Frank?“I think the bouncer made a mistake… I’m supposed to be meeting my cousin.” Turning, I reach for the door only to be blocked by another familiar and unwelcome body: like I could forget breakfast time with Billy.
