Play with the Phantom: Chapter 26

Maddox

The knock on my door later that night is soft. Like she’s not sure she should be here.Hesitant. Like perhaps… if she crosses this threshold, there’s no going back. Because there isn’t. Not really, anyway.I don’t answer right away. I savor the heat of the moment. The way she came this time, like she knew she’d have to make the first move.to meClimbing out of bed in only black sweatpants, I pull the door open slowly.Ari stands in the dim glow of the hallway light, fresh from the shower, her damp, long hair curling slightly at the ends. She’s wearing nothing but that loose t-shirt my mom washes for her every day, the hem brushing mid-thigh, her bare legs smooth and tan from the days spent under the Malibu sun.Her gaze flickers up to mine, and fuck, it’s different now. It’s open, and vulnerable, and… something that makes my whole body prick with longing. And not just physically, but with everything I have. Everything I’m willing to give her, which is every piece of my soul.There’s no more defiance, no more pushing back, no more pretending. She’s already made her decision. I can see it written all over her face.But still, she hesitates. There’s a small part of her that’s still unsure.“I—I just wanted to talk,” she says, voice barely above a whisper.I lean against the doorframe, crossing my arms over my chest, letting my gaze trail over her, slow and deliberate. “Yeah?”She nods, her fingers twisting together like she’s bracing for something. “I need to say this before anything else happens.”Before anything else .happensMy smirk is lazy, amused, but beneath it, my pulse is already hammering. “Go on.”Her throat works as she swallows. “I need time, Maddox. This thing between us—it’s huge. It’s more intense than anything I’ve ever experienced. And I just—” She exhales sharply, looking away. “I need to figure myself out first.”My chest burns.But I don’t argue. I this was coming. I knew it wouldn’t be simple, that she’d need to reconcile the heaviness of what we are, especially now that Asher is out of the picture.knewBecause of course I asked my brother what they talked about at the bonfire earlier. And while I know we’ll never be close again, I think he appreciated the fact that I asked if he was okay.And now Ari is trying to do the right thing.The problem is, I don’t fucking care about the right thing.I care about .herI watch her for a long beat, letting the silence settle between us, thick and heavy. Then, I step back, opening the door wider.“Come in, angel.”She hesitates.I arch a brow. “Unless you think standing out here is going to make this easier.”Her lips part, something flashing in her gaze, and then she steps inside. I close the door behind her, locking it. The room is dark, only the faint light from the moon spilling through the balcony doors, casting long shadows across the floor. She moves toward the center of the room, arms crossed, as if physically trying to hold herself together.“You want time,” I say, stepping closer. “I get that.” She turns, her eyes meeting mine. My voice drops lower, rougher. “But I’m not a patient man, little warrior.”She sucks in a breath, eyes widening.I continue. “And I know you,” I murmur, my fingers trailing up her arm, light, teasing, but possessive. “I know the way your body responds to me. I know you’re still feeling me inside you right now, no matter how hard you try to fight it.”A shaky exhale leaves her lips.I tilt my head. “And I know that you didn’t come here just to talk.”Ari clenches her jaw, but I can see her resolve cracking.So I push. “Tell me,” I murmur, stepping even closer, our bodies nearly flush. “Tell me that you don’t want me, right here, right now, and I’ll step back and watch you walk away.”Her breath hitches. I reach up, brushing my knuckles along the side of her throat, feeling her pulse jackrabbit. She’s responsive to my touch. Always has been. It’s addictive, watching the way she reacts under my scrutiny. I’ll never get enough of it.so “Tell me, Ari,” I whisper. “I’ll give you as much time as you need. I’ll stop the letters, the texts. I’ll wait. Because while it’s fun to toy with you, I want you to be I need you to be. Because I am. I want this, and you, forever. I decided before I even met you. So…” I arch a brow, waiting.all in. “That’s not fair,” she whispers, eyes flicking between mine. “You, standing here, looking like…” She swallows, her delicate throat bobbing.“Like I said, I’m not a patient man,” I tell her, my voice a dark purr. “But I don’t do halfway,” I finish, my voice low, steady. “If you want safety, if you want easy—you already had that. With me? It’s every ugly and real thing. It’s chaos and passion. It’s heavy, but it’s . I want all of you, and not just the polite or palatable parts. I want every breath, every bruise, every broken piece you try to hide. I want it all.”realI pause, my thumb brushing her pulse again, savoring the frantic beat beneath her skin. Just knowing my words are having an effect on her…“I’ll wait,” I murmur, softer now, but no less certain. “But when you come to me, Ari… it has to be with your whole fucking heart. Because once you’re mine, that’s it. No going back. No pretending this didn’t happen. No pretending I don’t own every part of you.”Her lips part like she wants to argue, like she to. But she doesn’t. Because she knows I’m right. The silence is thick and charged. For a second, something unsure flickers behind her beautiful brown eyes, and something cracks in my chest.needsI’m not an insecure man. I know my worth. But Ari? She makes me feel like I’m constantly walking a tightrope with no net beneath me.Because no matter how confident I am—how —I know one word from her could level me. She’s the one thing I didn’t plan for, not really. Not . She’s the chaos I didn’t see coming, the storm I thought I could tame, but now? I don’t want to. I just want to stand in the middle of it and .certainlike thisburnShe swallows again, her gaze flicking to my mouth like she’s thinking about kissing me. Like she’s remembering how I taste.exactly And maybe, just maybe, she’s finally realizing what I’ve known all along.We don’t get peace, she and I.We get . We get .fireruinWe get each other.I step closer, my voice dropping into something unraveled, barely human. “Say the word. Tell me to back off, and I will. But if you don’t? I’m going to kiss you like it’s the last thing I’ll ever do.”She breathes in, shaky. Lips parting, and then she stands on her tiptoes as her mouth crashes into mine.It’s not soft. It’s not hesitant. It’s everything we’ve been holding back, everything we’ve fought against, everything we’ve denied ourselves for far too fucking long.I groan into her mouth, my hands finding her hips, yanking her against me so hard she gasps.And fuck, .thisThis is what I’ve been waiting for.No more games. No more pretending.Just .usI spin her, pressing her back against the edge of the bed, my lips dragging along her jaw, down her throat, nipping, tasting, .claimingHer hands tangle in my hair, nails scraping against my scalp as she tilts her head back, baring her neck for me.“That’s what I thought,” I murmur against her skin, my voice dark and strained.Ari shudders. I grab the hem of her t-shirt, yanking it over her head, exposing smooth, bare skin and the tight peaks of her nipples. I groan, running my palms over her ribs, her waist, every fucking inch of her I can get my hands on.“You’re mine now,” I growl, pushing her onto the bed, crawling over her. “Do you hear me?”Her breath stutters, but she nods. I fucking love how submissive she becomes with me—fiery during the day, and soft as silk beneath me when she lets go. It’s fucking , watching that fire in her dim just enough to flicker into something else entirely. Something raw. Vulnerable. .beautifulMineBecause that’s what this is. Her surrender isn’t weakness, it’s trust. It’s her knowing, deep in her bones, that I’ll never take more than she’s willing to give. That I’ll wreck her only in the ways she wants to be wrecked. That I’ll give her she didn’t even know she needed.everythingI lean down, kissing her collarbone, biting softly as I murmur against her skin, “I’ve got you now, angel. And I’m never letting go.” My fingers slide down her stomach, slipping between her thighs. My cock throbs as I delicately run my middle finger down her seam before inserting it inside of her. “Say it, Ari.”Fuck, she’s so wet. She whimpers, her hips lifting, her body desperate for my touch as she cants her hips against my hand.And then, so fucking soft I almost miss it⁠—“I’m yours.”My heart fucking stops.I press my forehead to hers, my fingers flexing against her cunt. She it. And for the first time in twenty years, I realize—I finally fucking .meanswonBut before I can respond, she cups my face, her touch gentle. And the words slip out before I can stop them.“Elaine would have loved you.”Ari stills beneath me. I don’t know why I say it. Maybe because she should know. Maybe because she deserves to understand the depth of what she’s just given me.I don’t expect her to respond. But then her fingers trace along my jaw, so light, so fucking .careful“I’m sorry,” she whispers.And it fucking wrecks me. Because she means that too.I kiss her slowly… deeply. And this time, it’s not about claiming or taking or proving anything.And fuck if that isn’t the scariest thing of all.Ari’s fingers curl into my jaw, holding me there, her lips parting with a soft sigh that’s equal parts surrender and need. She tastes like trust, like fire and sweetness tangled together. My free hand sweeps down her side, relearning the map of her body now that everything has changed—now that she’s mine in more than just the ways I’ve taken.She arches into me, gasping softly as I press my palm to her chest, right over her heart.“Feel that?” I whisper. “That’s mine now.”Her eyes flutter open, wide and shining. “You already had it.”The words knock the breath from my lungs, but I chuckle. “Is that so?”She huffs a laugh. “You didn’t really give me any choice in the matter.”Smiling, I lower my forehead to hers, breathing her in, trying to make sense of what the fuck she’s doing to me. And maybe that’s the point—there is no logic in the room with us.I slide my free hand down, slow and reverent, until I’m spreading her legs and pressing her further onto the bed. She scoots up my mattress and I knock her knees apart as I slide down her body. Without another word, I lean down and smell her, moaning at the sweet smell of Before she can protest, I lean forward and flatten my tongue against her clit, pressing down slightly and reveling in the way it makes her twitch.her. “Fuck, Maddox⁠—”A second later, I add a second finger inside her heat and curl them as I flick my tongue against her swollen bud. I’m not gentle—I nibble, pinch, and suck. I didn’t shave this morning so I’m sure my scruff burns as I feast on her. But she doesn’t seem to mind. She arches her back as I continue, and when she lets out three shaky, quick breaths, grabbing for my hair, I thrust my fingers into her harder.God, the fucking sounds…I can feel my cock leaking as I work her to her climax. Watching her come undone beneath my touch is addicting, and I have to keep my hips still so that I don’t come in my pants again.Ari’s thighs tense around my head, her mouth falling open in a soft, shuddering moan as I fuck her with my fingers rhythmically, reading her body like scripture. Thankfully my room is in the back of the house, far away from everyone else—otherwise I might have to tell her to be quiet. Her breath stutters every time I circle her clit with my tongue, hips chasing me, trying to pull me closer.Her fingers rake down the back of my neck, nails scoring skin. “Maddox,” she whispers, desperate. “Please. I’m so close.”I stand up and brace myself above her, gaze locked on hers. “I know,” I murmur. “You don’t have to ask.”I remove my fingers and quickly suck on them. She watches me with half-hooded eyes, her pupils nearly black as I stare down at her wet seam. The dark curls look so pretty against her golden skin, and I know her cunt will look even prettier with my cum leaking out of it soon.Stepping out of my pants, I fist my cock a couple of times before climbing on top of her. She’s so small compared to me, and I feel massive on top of her. Lining my cock up, my brow furrows.“Ari—”“Take it, Maddox. You know you want to.”I let out an uneven breath as I press the head of my cock against her entrance. She gasps when I push into her, and I begin to shake with all the reverence of a man finding home. She pants, her legs wrapping around my hips instinctively. Slowly, I push in inch by inch, her mouth dropping open when I’m fully seated.“, little warrior.”Fuuuck“Told you,” she snarks, smirking as I pull out, admiring the way my cock is slick with her arousal.We move together, slow at first, letting it build, letting it burn. I kiss every part of her I can reach—her neck, her jaw, her lips, her shoulder—as if my mouth can make up for all the months I spent dreaming of this moment.I’m going to have to build up a tolerance to fucking her, because right now, I’m seconds from coming. She feels too good, like she was made for me. The way her cunt grips me, the warm, tight heat, the feel of her body beneath mine, the feel of her light brown nipples as I play with them, the look on her face when I slam into her⁠—Yeah.She’s my own personal drug, and I will never be able to get enough.Especially when I can smell her perfume, knowing she’s always wearing a small part of me…I’ll tell her about that.One day.She digs her heels into my back, gasping as I thrust deeper. Her body trembles, fluttering around me, so fucking perfect I think I might lose my mind.“Look at me,” I rasp, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “Come with me, angel.”Her mouth drops open as I roughly thrust into her. My grip bruises her hips, my rhythm relentless, filthy. The air is thick with sweat and skin and need. The bed groans underneath us, and despite being far away from the others, some sick, primal part of me someone hears how roughly I’m taking her, wants them to hear the wet slap of flesh and how wild I get with her clenched tight around me.hopes I’m losing the thread of who I am. Right now, I’m nothing but raw nerve and need, seconds from breaking apart inside her.Aliens could descend from the ceiling and I wouldn’t give a shit. All I can think about is the feeling of being inside her, tight and warm and impossibly wet. Every time I thrust, her walls clench around me, dragging me closer to the edge, milking me like her body already knows I belong there.It’s heaven and hell, the way she wraps around me. Hot silk and slick heat, the kind of pleasure that scrapes down my spine and makes my vision go black at the edges. My balls are tight, drawn up painfully, my whole body coiled like a fucking live wire. I feel every tremor of her, every gasp and whimper and desperate hitch of breath as she clenches again—so fucking close.I grit my teeth, hips snapping harder now, chasing the rush building low in my gut like an explosion waiting to detonate.“Fuck, Ari,” I growl, my voice shattered. “You feel so goddamn good, so fucking tight, I⁠—”She moans, trembling beneath me, her fingers clawing at my shoulders as I drive into her again and again, deeper, rougher, every thrust a promise that I’ll never leave her wanting again.Her hands slide into my hair, tugging, grounding. Her body arches beneath me, hips rising to meet every thrust like she’s just as desperate—just as wrecked.I drop my forehead to hers, breaths mingling, bodies locked together, skin slick with sweat. I’m right there, so close to losing my mind again.“Touch yourself,” I rasp, my voice nothing but gravel. “I want you to come with me.”Her eyes flutter, lips parted, and she obeys without question, her fingers sliding between us, finding her clit. The sight alone nearly undoes me.“Good girl,” I breathe, teeth clenching as her inner walls start to flutter, pulling me deeper. “That’s it, angel. Let me feel you.”Her back bows.Her mouth drops open in a silent cry.And then she breaks.She comes hard, her body convulsing around me, crying out my name like it’s a prayer and a curse all in one. Sudden, rhythmic, wet heat drags a raw sound from my throat. It feels like I’m being swallowed whole, tightening with every pulse until I can barely hold on. My muscles lock, every inch of me straining, burning with the pressure, the need. It’s blinding—that split second before I come, when I’m caught between agony and bliss, and all I know is her.It sends me over the fucking edge.I slam into her one final time, groaning her name as I come—hot, deep, raw—every drop spilling into her as my body locks up, pleasure crashing through me like a fucking tidal wave. My cock pulses inside of her, hard and fast, filling her with everything I have. I ride it out slowly, thrusting once, twice more, like I never want to leave her warmth. Like I could stay buried inside her forever.And maybe I will.When I finally still, my chest heaving, I press a kiss to her lips.Brushing a sweaty strand of hair off her cheek, I cup her face in my palm. “You okay?”She nods, dazed. Spent. Glowing. “Yeah,” she whispers, and there’s a shaky smile on her lips now.“Did I hurt you?” I ask, almost afraid of the answer. I didn’t hold back, and physically it’s so easy to overpower her.“No, you didn’t hurt me, big guy.” She smiles and holds a hand against my cheek. “Are you okay?”I laugh under my breath, dropping one last kiss to her temple. “Ask me again when I can feel my legs.”She laughs too—quiet, breathy, real.And I know without a doubt that I’ll spend the rest of my life chasing that sound.