Page 111 of Masked Sins
My hands begin to shake when I reach the edge of the desk, and when he looks up at me, I see it in the way he carries himself. I’d know Orion from a mile away—the tapered waist, the thighs, the boots, the hands with perfectly manicured fingernails despite never going to a salon…
The man behind the mask…
It’s Orion.
The realization slams into me, and my breathing hitches in my throat. Once the surprise flows over me, everything begins to click into place.
Mark saying Orion was here tonight.
The fact that Orion never answered my text earlier.
Disguising his voice by doing sign language.
Not telling me his first name—Orion is a unique name, just like he explained.
He’d read my favorite book. He’d listened to me explain my deepest, darkest fantasies. I’d trusted him, and he knew who I was all along.
Just doing a little research for someone special.
You’re beautiful. I hope someone tells you that often.
If I knew you in real life, I’d ask you to be my submissive. Full stop. I’m holding back. So let me do this. For you, but also for me.
The picture Starboy sent me… it was Orion.
Orionmaking a mess over a raunchy picture ofme.
A white-hot bolt of arousal works through me, but a wave of uncertainty quickly follows it.
How could he do this? How could he hide this from me?My thoughts spiral, tugging at the threads of my trust in him. He knew it was me the whole time and didn’t say anything. The hurt swells within me, battling against the relief that’s beginning to form.
I could back away and call him a bastard, a liar. I could tell him that what he did was screwed up. That he took advantage of the situation, of my vulnerability.
But then again, haven’t I always been drawn to him? Haven’t I always felt a connection, even before I knew?
Is this betrayal, or is it fate?
The truth is, I’m relieved—relieved that they’re the same person, and I no longer have to make an impossible choice. It’s why I felt so connected to Starboy—why I was drawn to him right off the bat.
It was Orion the entire time.
But should I accept this so easily? Should I trust him after everything?
The question lingers, heavy and unresolved.
Trust your gut. Use common sense.
Zoe’s words from earlier flit through my mind, and when I really dig down and listen, my intuition is screaming at me.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
I school my face into neutrality. “It’s nice to meet you, Master.”
And then I drop to my knees.
