"Happy birthday, babygirl…"
.
.
.
.
Then, as if he had never been there, the warmth vanished. My limbs released. The blindfold gone. The sheets stilled. Silence.
I jolted upright, a sudden, violent awakening. My heart was a frantic drum, hammering against my ribs, each beat echoing in my ears. My breath came in ragged gasps, short, shallow, desperate. My body was slick with sweat, cold and clinging, despite the cool air in the room. My hair was plastered to my forehead, damp and heavy. I was panting, my lungs burning, as if I’d just run a marathon.
My eyes snapped open, wide and wild, scanning the room frantically. The familiar decor of my hotel suite slowly coalesced from the shadows. The plush carpet, the elegant curtains, the imposing armchair in the corner. Everything was exactl
