BEHIND HER MASK

MOONPIE

~Mackenzie~

She stepped out of the dressing room, the bass rumbling through the floor like a second heartbeat. The air reeked of alcohol, smoke, and clashing perfumes.

Her heels clicked in steady rhythm, her stride confident, deliberate. Heads turned, men and women alike eyes widening as though she carried a gravity that pulled them in, silencing some while exciting others.

“Hey sweetheart, give us a spin!” a drunk at the bar called out, his buddies laughing, beer spilling from raised glasses. Another leaned forward, hand twitching as if he could snatch a piece of her as she passed.

Mackenzie’s gaze cut to him, cold and sharp.

“Touch me,” she said, steady and low, “and I’ll slice your hand off before you blink.”

The laughter died halfway. A few whistles, half admiring, half mocking, but no one dared test her again. She adjusted her bra strap with a flick and kept moving. Her hips swayed because that’s how she walked, not for their amusement.

At the end of the hallway, the bouncers straightened. One unhooked the velvet rope, the other pushed the door open to the VIP lounge.

Inside, the noise cut off. The air shifted. cleaner, heavier with masculine cologne and expensive whiskey. A man sat in the dim light, broad-shouldered, jet-black hair. Familiar. Too familiar.

She raised her chin, inhaled deeply, unbother, and walked across the room to him. He looked up, and their gazes locked. What on earth?

Alexander? Why was he here? Her eyes widened in shock. The charming smile she once had vanished immediately.

“Miss me already?” he smirked, enjoying the disbelief written all over her face. “Didn’t think you’d keep me waiting.”

“Wh… what the hell are you doing here?” she stammered. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Not after yesterday. Not after the warning she’d given him.

He sipped his drink, biting his lip in that infuriatingly seductive way.

“It’s my money. I’ll spend it where I please. Besides…” his eyes lingered on her like bees on honey, “…I was bored. Thought I’d chat with someone.”

She hated how his gaze clung to her. She couldn’t shake it off.

He poured another glass and pushed it toward her. “Care for one?”

She snatched it. “Plenty of kittens out there who’d die to entertain you. I’m busy.” She downed it in one shot. The burn clawed her throat, stinging, making her cough.

“Easy, moonpie,” he said, feigning concern. His brow arched. “Wonder what Diego would say about this?”

“Diego doesn’t get to decide,” she lied, bold but shaky. They both knew Diego owned her in ways she couldn’t deny.

“And for the record, it’s Ramona. Not moonpie.” She turned on her heel.

“I like moonpie better,” he chuckled, loud enough for her to hear.

“moonpie,” he softly said, reclining on the couch.

-----

In Diego’s office, the man barely looked up from the piles of bills he was sorting.

“Why are you here? I thought you had a guest to entertain,” he remarked when he spotted her.

“I can’t handle him. Send someone else,” she muttered.

Diego’s laugh was cold. “The rest are busy. And this one asked for you. Guess you got him hooked.”

Hooked? Alexander? What kind of game was this bastard playing?

“Well, I won’t do it. Find someone else.”

Diego’s eyes lifted, hard and dangerous. “This isn’t a request, Mona. Don’t make me remind you who holds the leash.”

She stared at him. His eyes revealed he was completely serious. He truly had her on his fingers.

A lump of salivate traveled down her throat as she choked back the tears that were gathering at the back of her throat.

Her throat tightened. She swallowed the lump threatening to choke her. “How much did he pay you?”

Diego smirked. “More than you can imagine. Now get moving, slut.” He shoved her out.

“f**k,” She cursed under her breath.

-----

Back in the lounge, Alexander’s smirk waited. “Told you, moonpie. You don’t get a choice.”

She clench her hands together. She swallow back the scorn at back of her throat. She cleans the tears on her eyelid. Thank God she was at the dark, so he can't see her crying. She won't let this punk ass charlatan see how frail she's.

He sat back against the couch, his pose unshaken, in spite of the fact that his look never cleared out her. She seem feel the weight of those eyes as she ventured closer, hips influencing in time with the bass.

A dance isn't what he want, she will provide it to him. She will be his rival in this amusement. Let see who win within the end.

She didn’t rush. Her every movement was deliberate—heels clicking softly against the floor as she circled him like a predator sizing up its prey. A sly smile tugged at her lips when she saw the faint flicker of amusement in his calm expression.

“Relax,” she whispered, her voice brushing his ear as she leaned over him, her hair tickling his jaw.

“I'm relax. but are you relax? Because I can feel you heartbeat thumping on your chest” he whispered

Then she swung herself gracefully onto his lap, straddling him with the fluid confidence of someone who knew exactly what effect she had.

Her body moved with the rhythm, slow at first, teasing—her hips rolling against him, her hands braced lightly against his shoulders. He didn’t touch her, not yet. He only watched, eyes darkening as she leaned back, arching, giving him a view meant to taunt and tempt.

The music swelled, and she leaned in again, lips grazing the edge of his jawline, just enough for him to feel her warmth without granting him a kiss. “Still so composed,” she murmured with a soft laugh, her breath hot against his skin. “How long do you think you can keep that up?”

His lips curved, almost a smirk, but he didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The tension between them was already thick enough to be its own language.

She smiling wickedly, sank deeper into the dance, determined to unravel every bit of his control.

He reclining on the couch, a moan slipping from his lips. She realizes she had him completely under her influence.

His hands gripped her ass, giving it a slight squeeze. She caught his wrists, halting his movement.

“No touching, Mister,” she smiled in a flirty way. She wrapped her hands around his neck while her hips kept moving against him

“Oh, f**k…” he groaned. “What if I tip you extra?”

“Against company policy.” Her smirk widened.

company policy? Really ?He want to feel her. He wants to feel her heat too. He wants to get closer and take in that sweet smell of her.

“It’s just us here.” his voice was alluring with the music.

His fingers slid up her arm, dangerously close to her bra strap. He tugged it down, exposing her shoulder.

“Don't think anything ever happened between us. Your touch means nothing to me,”

“Really? Let me see about that,” He leaned closer, his eyes intense as he looked at her.

He kissed her shoulder without looking away. His hands went back to her ass and squeezed roughly.

“Oh my God,” she found herself moaning on top of him.

Her moan felt like sweet music to his ears.It pushed him to do more. He started kissing her from her shoulder up to her neck, teasing her gently.

She pulled away from his touch, but her body betrayed her will.She wanted more of him. She pressed her body hard against his. Her breasts pressed against his chest.

Her body betrayed her, a moan slipping as his lips grazed her skin. His eyes—always locked on hers—made it worse.

She bit her lip, trembling, hating herself for responding.

“f**k,”

“You still think you’re not under my touch?” he mocked softly.

She snapped back to her senses.She pulled away from his grip, hurriedly standing up from on top of him.

“What the hell are you doing?” Her face was burning with embarrassment. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

“I was just doing a little experiment to prove something,” he said, his lips bitten in a seductive way.

She felt so embarrassed.

How could she have fallen for his little game?

He leaned back on the couch, calm and composed.

His gaze was still fixed on her, steady and unwavering. She followed his eyes and saw them settle on her chest. She touched her shoulder and realized her strap had slipped down, exposing her breast.

“What the hell, pervert,” she muttered, quickly pulling her strap back up.

“I wonder how they would feel in my hands,” he said, making a squeezing motion as if he were holding them.

“Pervert,” she called him.

“You'll enjoy it too,”

She felt a tingling sensation between her thighs when he said those words.

Enough was enough. She needed to get out of there. She couldn't spend another second breathing the same air as this man.

“Our little session is over. You can file a complaint at the front desk if you're not happy with the service,” she said. She was really upset and couldn't stand being around this man for even a second.

“No, I loved every moment, every second, and every inch of it,” he grinned from ear to ear, as if he was having the time of his life.

She heard him say that as she reached for the door.

She gripped the doorknob tightly out of anger. Whatever game he was playing, he was having fun, and she was losing.