Phantom (Tattered Curtain, #1)

by Greer Rivers

“If I am the phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so. If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.”

When she laughs, I imagine shoving my cock down her throat, sparkling tears glistening down her gorgeous face until I come. But when she sings… fuck, when she sings… now that is true ecstasy.

“No, my brother Laurent agreed to the truce,” Rand corrects. “And then he killed him right after.” He thrusts his thumb in my direction and I cheers my empty rocks glass. “It was a pleasure, Chatelain.”

“She’s mine.”

The left side of my lips lifts up with my arrogance. “We’ll see about that.”

“My muse… Your demon of music.”

“You’ll see me soon.”

“What’s going on?” Madam G asks loudly over the new commotion. Ben scowls at his brother, whose hand slowly moves to cover his mouth, hiding what I swear is a smirk.

My little angel is more savage than she looks. I love her innocence, but her darkness is what calls to me.

My little muse is my addiction, and her voice is my drug. If there is a cure to my madness, I don’t want it. I’d rather welcome blissful oblivion.

“You’re my pretty little muse, Scarlett. I worship your voice. Your body, mind, and soul are no different.” “Even the darkness in my mind?” I ask, not sure why it matters if my phantom accepts my madness. “Especially your darkness.”

“Close the door, Dominguez.” My fingers clutch the rug until a familiar deep bass croons to me. Strong hands curve around my shoulders. “It’s me, ma petite muse. Listen to my voice, it’s just me.”

“She took these, Phantom. Is that why she’s acting like this?” Phantom.

“Jamais, mon amour. I will take care of you.”

“There’s a woman in my bedroom—” “Well that’s a first,” Ben huffs.

“She’s mine,” I growl.

“Okay, but why do you know so much about me?” “Because you are everything,” he answers simply.

He spins on his heel and half smiles underneath his skull mask again before walking backward out of the room. “The Phantom has his ways.”

“Your voice is ethereal, Scarlett. I needed more of you.”

“Tell me, my pretty little muse. Tell me how I’m supposed to deny you when you beg me to make you come?”

“I’m not good, little muse. My obsession with you is the only pure thing about me. Never forget that I’m your demon of music, Scarlett. You can’t expect me to behave like a gentleman when you beg like my whore.”

“Sol! What the hell?”

“I won’t have you accusing me of giving you another orgasm without your consent.” His mischievous smile tells me he knows exactly how close I was and my mouth falls open.

I’m being a brat.

I pull again while Sol leans his shoulder against the wall in what must be his signature not-a-care-in-the-world posture.

“Ah! I broke your bed!” “Just the canopy and curtains. They can always be fixed.” He bends down to kiss me again and laughs against my lips. “Besides, there’s not much higher achievement for a man than breaking his bed while making a woman come in his arms.”

“Yes, sing for me, my sweet angel. Sing.”

“You are my moonlight,” I whisper against her shoulder in a kiss. “And you are my midnight,” she murmurs back,

“It’s up to you to decide which story is ours,” I finally reply. “If you stay, I promise to give you the best love story ever told, every day, for the rest of our lives. I was forced into the shadows, and I’ve made my home here. But I’ve only ever wanted to share a life with someone. Like my parents shared. The kind of love that consumes you in life and leaves you a shell when the other goes too soon. I used to feel sorry for my mother, but some days she gets to escape to a world where the love of her life still exists. He’s not just a phantom, he is her everything. I want to be that for you, with you. I want one love that survives this lifetime.”

My breath heaves in my chest as he lifts my chin to turn my face toward the light before growling. “Who the fuck hurt you, little muse?”