Page 55 of Always Watching
He plants one more kiss on my lips and breezes out the door, leaving me cold from where his body was pressed against mine.
I climb into the shower, hoping the hot water hitting my skin will warm me up, but no such luck. It’s a deep, internal warmth he brings out of me without effort. It makes me realize how cold I’ve been since my grandfather died. How cut off I’ve been from having any real feelings since the person I was closest to was taken from me.
North is everything I thought I’d never have. He’s so fucking perfect that it’s mind boggling he chose me. Whydidhe choose me? I’m just an ordinary guy, nothing really special about me. I’m tiny and thin and my face turns bright red with literally any emotion. What could North possibly want with a man like me?
As I drag the cloth over my body, soaking myself with his body wash, I don’t want to dwell on those questions. I want to focus on what North and I have. It’s weird that I love him… like, really love him. Not infatuation. It’s almost like an obsession. I want to be with North all the time, no matter where. I would live in his skin if I could. Even now, being away from him makes me feel anxious.
God, I’m in way deep with North.
I rinse the soap from my skin, smiling as I breathe in the scent of him. I love smelling like North, just like he loves having my scent on his skin.
My stomach growls as I put on my underwear and pajama pants. Since I’ll be staying in the apartment, I decide to forgoa shirt. I still have heat radiating off me from our fucking scorching cam session.
Like me, I’m sure North is hungry, since he worked up an appetite fucking me the way he did. My hole clenches as I remember how he slid into me. He fucking owned me. He took me apart so beautifully and put me back together even better. I’ll never be the same after what he’s done to my body and my heart.
I toss my clothes in the hamper and exit the bathroom, eager to feed North for once. I don’t see him in the apartment, so I figure he needed some privacy and stepped out to make his call.
Since he’s calling Atlas, I figure it has to do with work. North hasn’t gone to work in weeks. I told him he could, that he doesn’t need to feel obligated to stay with me nearly every hour. My chest got a warm, tingly feeling when he told me he didn’t mind and that he planned to stick around until the threat against me was neutralized. He actually used the wordneutralized.
I don’t care how long he stays. He can move in officially for all I care, as long as I have him.
Going to the cupboards, I pull out bread and grab cheese from the fridge. Then I grab the big can of tomato soup from the pantry. It’s cooler outside, so comfort food would be great right now.
I’m bending over to grab a saucepan and frying pan when the door opens behind me. I smile, glad that North is back. I want to cuddle before we talk about a plan to find my attacker.
“Hey, I’m making soup and sandwiches. You know I’m not the best cook, but—”
When I turn around, my breath catches in my chest and the pans fall to the floor with a clatter. Mr. Barlowe stands just by my kitchen island, his eyes greedily taking in the contours of my chest. “I like soup and sandwiches,” he says lecherously.
I press my back against the counter, trying to get as far away from him as I can. “Wha-what are you doing here? Get out.”
He tips his head to the side. “You invited me here, Pooh Bear. Don’t you remember?”
Bile rises in my throat, fear clawing at me as I try to process what he just said.Pooh Bear. No one calls me that. No one except the vile person who’s after me. The person who’s been sending me gifts and hate-filled messages.
It makes sense. I’m not sure why I didn’t see it. Mr. Barlowe has a key to my place, so he was able to enter my apartment without forced entry to attack me. I figured he was a sub of mine, from how he always makes me feel naked when he looks at me, but this is proof. He watched in 4K as I was being fucked by North. And the gifts. Of course he dropped the gifts off. He watched me set up the camera and knew how to avoid being seen. And he knew when I took it down so he could ramp up the delivery of said gifts.
I don’t know how North and I didn’t realize it was him when we caught him leaving that gift earlier. It was just too easy. I thought the person who was after me was a big mystery person, someone who was sly and sneaky. But it’s just my creepy fucking landlord.
My fear is replaced with anger as I look into his brown eyes—unfamiliar, but familiar all the same. His gaze roams down my body, freezing on my crotch. “I’ve been waiting for this,” he says, licking his lips.
Where is North? Did he not see Mr. Barlowe walk in?
My eyes bounce around discreetly as I try to find a way to defend myself. Mr. Barlowe is fucking unhinged, saying he was going to gut me and gift me North’s head on a platter. He’s fucking dangerous.
My gaze snags on the butcher’s block to my left, the knives facing out. Slowly, I inch my way over to it, hoping I can grab a knife before he sees me.
“Waiting for what?”
“For you,Cas.” This is the first time my cam name feels dirty. It feels gross and slimy coming out of his mouth. “You’ve been teasing me for far too long.” I’m almost to the block, my fingers dancing on the counter. “Flaunting your hot little ass in front of me, not giving me the time of day, but showing anyone with a dollar your hole. You could have been with me. I could have been good to you. Kept you safe. But instead, you get that muscled up asshole who—”
With a shout, I reach for the butcher’s block and pull out the large knife. Turning, I try to bring it down on whatever part of his body it will reach, but I’m barely facing him before his hand lashes out, connecting with my cheek, making the knife tumble from my hands as I fall on my ass.
“Look what you made me do!” he shouts. He picks up the knife and steps closer to me, waving it in my direction. I slide back against the cabinets, pressing myself against them. “I don’t want to hurt you, Ranen. I want to take care of you. Keep you safe. When that—” He stops and shakes his head, anger brightening his gaze. “You need someone who will protect you, Ranen. And that man is me. You’re my Pooh Bear. I’ll guard you with my life.” He crowds into my space, dragging the knife softly down my face.
“Mr. Barlowe, please,” I murmur, trying to talk my way out of this. How do I stop him? Where’s North?
He smiles at me widely, like he’s won. “Are you ready for me to take care of you, Ranen? I can treat you better than that guy ever could. He’s not right for you. I am. You’re mine, Pooh Bear.”
