Page 20 of Masked Sins
Layla
You are such an asshole.
I know.
Layla
Why are you doing this?
He didn’t order you dessert.
Three dots appear and disappear several times, but she doesn’t respond.
I’m still smiling by the time I get on my bike.
Sometimes I miss drinking, but other times, like now, it’s much more fun to be sober.
CHAPTER THREE
THE MESSAGE
Layla
Kitty, the makeup artist, finishes my face with setting spray and uses a small comb to control my flyaway hairs. I thank her, sit back in my chair, and grab my phone. I’ve already spent an hour warming up and have a few minutes before I have to change into my costume. Kitty rummages around in her bag as the other dancers get their stage makeup put on by other artists. I scroll social media as she does. My feed refreshes, and suddenly, I’m watching a video from a masked creator named Starboy1997.
He’s not speaking—just standing in what looks like some sort of dungeon. There’s text laid over his video, along with music.
Rachmaninoff’s “Isle of the Dead.”
Huh.Classical music is an interesting choice for a masked thirst trap.
It instantly piques my interest because I love all things Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart.
He’s wearing a black hoodie and jeans, and his mask is a black balaclava with a white skull image on the front. I’m no stranger to masked creators. They’ve taken the internet bystorm recently, and being a dark romance bookworm, I’ve had certain fantasies about these masked men. However, this one is different somehow.
For one, he’s fully clothed. Most of the others are shirtless or wearing clothes that leave little to the imagination. Starboy1997 is wearing a black hoodie. Something about his stance is so … commanding. And “Isle of the Dead” is a beautiful piece. It’s not my favorite Rachmaninoff work, but it’s close. It’s haunting and ethereal. Third, he seems to be teaching something, and when my eyes skim over the text, my heart pounds.
Three examples of rules I’ve given my submissives before:
They will address me with respect.
They will kneel until they are told to get up.
They will communicate with me if they are unhappy in any way.
Remember, the rules exist for two reasons: for my submissive’s benefit and for my pleasure.
The video ends a second later and loops back to the beginning.
I watch it seven times.
“He’s so hot,” Kitty says from behind me, and I jump, locking my phone.
“Who?”
“Starboy. He’s everywhere. His videos are really good, too. He’s not just a hot guy account, either. He’s informative.”
I take in the information as Kitty helps me out of my makeup chair. “Why the mask, then?”
