I steeled myself, letting him walk away, but the air pouring out of my nose was damn near steam.
The song ended, the crowd cheered, and I saw Crane approach my side again as I watched Winter smile on the dance floor and soak up all that love at my expense.
“She needs to be disciplined,” I said.
“Did you have fun?” I asked, hearing the front door close.
Headlights shone through the drapes, and I pushed my chair back and rose from the dining room table, Winter’s dog popping his head up from my lap to let me up.
I knew she’d come home. Good girl.
And at one a.m., no less.
The headlights outside died, and I stalked into the dark foyer, seeing Winter still dressed in her costume from the party. I put my hand on her abdomen and walked into her, forcing her back against the door.
She sucked in a breath, planting her hands on my chest.
“Four hours,” I scolded. “When I think of all the trouble you could’ve gotten up to in four hours…”
After her dance, she disappeared, and it only took Crane a few minutes to find out she’d left with Ethan Belmont, escaping while she could. I sent someone to his house, but no one was home.
Hopefully that was him who just dropped her off, too.
“I’m an adult,” she shot back. “You have no power.”
But just then protests and struggles rang out loud and clear as people entered the house.
“Get your hands off me!” Ethan shouted as Crane dragged him into the room from the side door in the dining room.
I kept my eyes on Winter, though, a smirk curling my lips.
Perfect timing.
A puzzled look crossed her face when she heard his voice. “Wha—what are you doing? Leave him alone.”
I moved my hand to her jaw, holding it in one hand. “I think he touched you,” I told her. “He kept you out after curfew.”
She clutched my hand with both of hers, breathing hard.
“He’s been dying to get you into bed. Judging from the naked pictures of you all over his bedroom wall, anyway.”
“What?” she blurted out. “Stop it, Damon.”
Belmont struggled against Crane’s hold to my right.
“He’s been photographing you,” I told her, reporting what Crane found when he went to Belmont’s house earlier. “I really hope you didn’t know.”
“It wasn’t like that!” he yelled. “I just… Winter, they’re not bad pictures. I promise.”
I kept my stare on her. “They’re bad to me,” I bit out. “She’s in her bathing suit, her shorts, bending over… All without her knowledge from the looks of it, am I right?”
“Spare me your concern about what happens without her knowledge!” he fired back. “You only care when it’s not you taking advantage!”
I ground my teeth together. He wasn’t lying exactly. But still…
“Winter?” he pleaded when she didn’t say anything. “Winter, I just… It’s not as bad as it sounds, okay?”
She shook, still trying to pry my hand off, but not trying as hard as she could. She didn’t know who to trust, and she was struggling to figure out what to do or who to turn to. I just took away one of her only friends.
“They were candids,” he explained. “You were so beautiful, I…” He stopped and then shouted at me, “You broke into my house?”
“Did you mess with her?” I demanded.
When he didn’t answer, I shot in, whispering against Winter’s lips. “If he touched you, I’ll know,” I told her. “Your skin will be red and flushed. Your lips will be swollen. His stink will be all over you.”
She panted against me, and for a moment, I was reminded of our times together back in the day. When I whispered to hide my voice, but she was mine and I was hers, and she was in my lap, driving my car. Did she ever think about that?
I jerked my chin at Crane, and he spun Belmont around and landed a punch right into his stomach. The pipsqueak dropped like a ton of bricks, crumbling to his knees, coughing, and gasping.
“Again,” I said.
But Winter piped up. “No!” she answered quickly. “He didn’t touch me!”
“I didn’t touch her,” he said, wheezing and still coughing. “I would never hurt her.”
I released Winter but kept my body on her, so she didn’t move.
“Get him out of here,” I said.
Crane picked up the kid on the floor, and after a moment, they were gone through the side door again. Headlights streamed through the window, there were shouts, and eventually doors slammed, and two engines drove off. He was probably worried about leaving Winter here with me, but Crane would make sure he got home, even if he had to give his car a little push with the SUV.
“You thought you were so fucking cute tonight with that little performance, didn’t you?” I taunted. “Now, I like it when you misbehave, just do it in private where we both can take some pleasure in your punishment. You make me wait, it gets less fun for you.”
“I hate you.”
I pressed her back into the door again, and she sucked in a breath as my body molded to hers. She wouldn’t look at me as I leaned down, smelling the remnants of her lip gloss still on her mouth. Where had the rest gone? Did he taste it tonight?
Or maybe she wore it because she knew I liked it.
Her little face turned away, so defiant. But she wasn’t moving, either.
“Are you sure you hate me?” I asked in a low voice.
And I slipped a hand between her legs, swiping my fingers over the fabric of her leotard, and feeling what I knew would be there. She was seeping through. She was wet.
I brought my fingers up. “If he didn’t touch you, then is this for me?”
She slammed me in the chest, and I stumbled back, letting her out.
“You’re a monster. You’re no better than him,” she growled. “You played with me. You took advantage of me not being able to see, just like he did, and got exactly what you wanted. You abused me.”
“Yeah.” I nodded, getting back up in her face. “Yeah, I did. I got you any way I could. I…”
I stopped, finding myself losing control. I couldn’t say too much.
“You wanted to be powerful,” she said. “You wanted to win. You wanted revenge on my family and to cause pain, and you did. You humiliated me. You wanted to humiliate me. You wanted what you wanted, and you didn’t care about me!”
I stared at her, knowing I would never explain myself.
She thought she knew everything. She thought it was black and white.
She thought I’d wanted to hurt her. She thought I’d meant for people to see that video. She thought I wanted to trick her.
The only motive I had was to be around her, and if I had to lie to get it…
I wasn’t taking responsibility for everything. She liked it.
“’I think I love you,” I said, repeating her words to me all those years ago. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop. I want you to be my first. It’s okay. Touch me.” I stepped up to her, invading her space and throwing all of her shame back at her. “You’ll be the first to kiss me here.” I flicked her ear. “And here.” I touched her neck. “And here.” I brushed her nipple with my thumb. “I want to feel your body on mine. Am I okay? Am I doing it right? It feels good. Don’t stop. Oh, God. Oh, God. Don’t walk away. Please, I want this. You don’t have to protect me. You want it, too. I’m okay. I want it. I want to feel you so bad.”
I threaded my hand through the back of her hair and fisted it, holding her still. “And then you spread those pretty legs for me.”
“I thought you were someone else!”
“I was,” I challenged. “I was someone you kinda liked.”
She shook her head, more denying herself than me as tears welled in her eyes. “You were a lie,” she said. “And all you are now is pathetic. You didn’t earn a cent of the money you throw around, and those men don’t guard you because you’re Damon Torrance. They guard you because you’re Gabriel’s son. You’re nothing!”
I shook her. Bitch.
“I was proof that people change,” I told her.
“The only thing you’re proof of is that not all males grow up to be men.”
I released her, slamming my hand into the wall behind her. She shoved me away and darted around me, holding out her hands to find the bannister and scurrying up the stairs.