They wouldn’t have introduced me to the owner of the restaurant as their girlfriend; they wouldn’t have spent the entire meal talking about me. And they definitely wouldn’t have kissed me before I headed upstairs.
From what I could tell, Cameron was trying to conquer my past by recreating it and giving it a much different ending.
Even with all the mystery that had surrounded us tonight, and in spite of the comparisons I had made to the mansion—and the mask that rested in my hand—it had been one of the best evenings of my life. And it wasn’t over yet.
I grabbed all the items off the bed and took them into the adjoining bathroom. I didn’t close the door behind me. Cameron didn’t like closed doors; they reminded him of the time he had spent in foster homes. Though he’d never described those moments in too much detail, I knew his horrific punishments had all occurred behind a locked door. He always said he could handle whatever had happened to him directly during those episodes. What he couldn’t handle was when his little brother Ryder was on the opposite side, receiving a punishment of his own. Cameron wasn’t able to get to him, to help him. Those restrictions had caused such painful memories for him. We had an unspoken rule in our apartment: closed, locked doors were prohibited.
I set the boxes on the counter and scanned the large bathroom space. It had been supplied with all the amenities, stocked with fresh cosmetics and towels. Holding onto the counter, I carefully stripped off my shoes and the dress that I had spent so much of the evening trying to stay in. I removed the three-piece set from the tissue paper and placed my arms through the straps of the bra, clasping it behind my back. It was entirely sheer and lace, with swirls of piping similar to those on the mask. There was a matching shrug that only covered the very top of my shoulders and wrapped around my breasts, tying directly between them in my cleavage. It wasn’t meant to hide me; it was another accessorizing layer…and just one more thing Cameron would get to take off during the tease. The last piece was a pair of all-lace boy short panties; they were cut high in the back, sat low on my hips. There were no garter belts or thigh-high stockings. The boots were black suede with a basket weave patter similar to the shoes I had worn earlier. But the heels on these were well over four inches. They stopped mid-thigh, fastened with ribbon lacing in the back that tied in a satin bow.
Using the brush that was placed by the sink, I fluffed up my hair a little and swiped my lips with some gloss from my clutch. Before I left the bathroom, I leaned into the mirror to get a closer look. I remembered doing the same thing my first night at the mansion after Sandy had finished my hair and makeup. With the way she had decorated my face with elaborate false lashes and shaped my hair into soft, smooth waves, it was hard to fathom that it had been me staring back from that glass. But tonight, in this bathroom, everything gazing back at me was familiar.
This was raw, pure Charlie.
You’re beautiful, my friend. Just the way I remember you to be.
Emma’s voice made me smile.
I was giving Cameron everything I had. All I could do was hope that he accepted it.
I brought the mask up to my face, rested it against the bridge of my nose and tied it under my hair. Once it was secure, I peeked into the bedroom. Cameron was standing in the doorway that separated the bedroom from the hallway. He had loosened his tie and unfastened the first two buttons of his shirt. He leaned into the frame, one of his arms above him, gripping the top of the door. He didn’t stare at me directly; he was like one of my paintings, with his face tilted a little to the side, showing me the delicious scruff that ran along his square jaw and the fullness of his lips. And above all that was a white mask, with fabric and designs that matched mine.
I flicked off the bathroom light,
From what I could tell, Cameron was trying to conquer my past by recreating it and giving it a much different ending.
Even with all the mystery that had surrounded us tonight, and in spite of the comparisons I had made to the mansion—and the mask that rested in my hand—it had been one of the best evenings of my life. And it wasn’t over yet.
I grabbed all the items off the bed and took them into the adjoining bathroom. I didn’t close the door behind me. Cameron didn’t like closed doors; they reminded him of the time he had spent in foster homes. Though he’d never described those moments in too much detail, I knew his horrific punishments had all occurred behind a locked door. He always said he could handle whatever had happened to him directly during those episodes. What he couldn’t handle was when his little brother Ryder was on the opposite side, receiving a punishment of his own. Cameron wasn’t able to get to him, to help him. Those restrictions had caused such painful memories for him. We had an unspoken rule in our apartment: closed, locked doors were prohibited.
I set the boxes on the counter and scanned the large bathroom space. It had been supplied with all the amenities, stocked with fresh cosmetics and towels. Holding onto the counter, I carefully stripped off my shoes and the dress that I had spent so much of the evening trying to stay in. I removed the three-piece set from the tissue paper and placed my arms through the straps of the bra, clasping it behind my back. It was entirely sheer and lace, with swirls of piping similar to those on the mask. There was a matching shrug that only covered the very top of my shoulders and wrapped around my breasts, tying directly between them in my cleavage. It wasn’t meant to hide me; it was another accessorizing layer…and just one more thing Cameron would get to take off during the tease. The last piece was a pair of all-lace boy short panties; they were cut high in the back, sat low on my hips. There were no garter belts or thigh-high stockings. The boots were black suede with a basket weave patter similar to the shoes I had worn earlier. But the heels on these were well over four inches. They stopped mid-thigh, fastened with ribbon lacing in the back that tied in a satin bow.
Using the brush that was placed by the sink, I fluffed up my hair a little and swiped my lips with some gloss from my clutch. Before I left the bathroom, I leaned into the mirror to get a closer look. I remembered doing the same thing my first night at the mansion after Sandy had finished my hair and makeup. With the way she had decorated my face with elaborate false lashes and shaped my hair into soft, smooth waves, it was hard to fathom that it had been me staring back from that glass. But tonight, in this bathroom, everything gazing back at me was familiar.
This was raw, pure Charlie.
You’re beautiful, my friend. Just the way I remember you to be.
Emma’s voice made me smile.
I was giving Cameron everything I had. All I could do was hope that he accepted it.
I brought the mask up to my face, rested it against the bridge of my nose and tied it under my hair. Once it was secure, I peeked into the bedroom. Cameron was standing in the doorway that separated the bedroom from the hallway. He had loosened his tie and unfastened the first two buttons of his shirt. He leaned into the frame, one of his arms above him, gripping the top of the door. He didn’t stare at me directly; he was like one of my paintings, with his face tilted a little to the side, showing me the delicious scruff that ran along his square jaw and the fullness of his lips. And above all that was a white mask, with fabric and designs that matched mine.
I flicked off the bathroom light,
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