Chapter 5 Watching Him

• Ghost POV
• Boredom is a dangerous thing for me. It creeps in like a shadow, curling around my mind, whispering temptations I’m too eager to entertain. And when I get bored, I do stupid, reckless shit—shit that usually comes back to bite me the next day.
• I should probably reign it in tonight. Probably.
• If only probably was a year, it's not which means tonight is going to be as wild as the other nights when I'm bored out of my damn mind.
• But as I sit here, nursing a drink I’m not even enjoying, a thought slips in—one I can’t shake. I’ve got a guy lined up for the night, sure, but that’s predictable, isn’t it? I’ve already fucked him twice—Jake, Josh, John… something with a J. And predictable is boring. He's here, already giving me the eye, so I at least have something to do tonight, or should I say someone?
• No, I need something different. Something thrilling. And then it hits me.
• The Prince. Lorenzo.
• Did he think I’d forget? He once told me about a secret entrance to the De Luca estate, hidden behind a cluster of ivy at the back of the gardens. At the time, it meant nothing. We were just two people talking, strangers playing at something normal. But now? Now that I know exactly who he is, that sweet little escape route has become my favorite playground.
• I’ve been there. Slipping through the dark, finding the weak points in their supposed fortress. Sometimes I watch him as he works, his jaw tight with concentration, his body stiff with purpose. Other times, I throw shit at his window, just to watch the irritation ripple across his perfect, composed face.
• The best part? He can’t do a damn thing about it. If he tries, he’d have to explain how I know about the entrance in the first place. And admitting he told me? That would be admitting to a mistake. Lorenzo De Luca doesn’t make mistakes.
• So he grits his teeth, sucks it up, and lets me torment him.
• And tonight, I think that’s exactly what I’ll do. I've got nothing better to do, I mean there's Jace, hes' okay, but he's not my Princess.
• The guy sitting across from me—Jace, I think—drags me out of my thoughts. Or is it Jake? Whatever his name began with a J. He’s nice enough. Decent-looking. But he’s not the reason my pulse has picked up. It's picked up because I want to do something different tonight and I am going to.
• “Come on,” I say abruptly, standing and motioning for him to follow.
• He grins, standing as well, clearly oblivious to the fact that he’s just a pawn in tonight’s game. He's a pawn in every night, this shit, won't ever become anything real. There's only one guy for me and that is The Prince. I need to wait though, breaking through his walls isn't easy. He doesn't even accept that he kissed me now. No, if I mention it to him, he plays dumb. He's not fucking dumb, and he remembers how fucking amazing that kiss was aswell.
• I hope, as it's all I can think about. Over and over, even if I'm with another guy, all I can think about is that kiss.
• Sal, my driver, waits by the car, his usual blank expression in place. He doesn’t ask questions—he knows better. Sal’s one of the only people who knows about this side of me, the part of me that fucks men in secret. And Sal? He knows how to keep his mouth shut. I’ve made sure of that.
• “Usual spot?” Sal asks as I slide into the car.
• I shake my head, a grin tugging at my lips. “Not tonight. I’ve got something new in mind.”
• Sal raises an eyebrow but doesn’t press further.
• “Jake,” I say, glancing at the guy beside me.
• “It’s Chase,” he corrects with a smirk, rubbing the back of his neck. “C-H-A—”
• “Yeah, Chase,” I interrupt, waving him off. Like it matters. “We’re going somewhere different tonight.”
• His grin widens, and he leans back in his seat. “Good. I’m bored of the same old spots.”
• I chuckle darkly, my mind already spinning with possibilities. The De Luca estate. Their precious estate with its sprawling grounds, perfectly manicured lawns, and that pool house I’ve seen mentioned in the papers. Newly renovated, unused, and utterly vulnerable.
• Perfect.
• When the car stops in the trees behind the estate, we step out into the cool night air. The familiar thrill begins to hum in my veins as we make our way toward the estate. The hidden path Lorenzo once spoke of is just where I remember, nestled behind the thick tangle of ivy. I brush the leaves aside, revealing the small opening.
• “Follow me,” I say, my voice low and laced with anticipation.
• Chase laughs softly, oblivious to the significance of what we’re about to do.
• We slip through the entrance, the dense foliage swallowing us into the shadows of the De Luca grounds. The estate sprawls before us, dark and quiet, every inch of it oozing wealth and control. Lorenzo’s fortress. His kingdom. And tonight, I’m walking right into it.
• The pool house looms ahead, its modern glass panels glinting faintly in the moonlight. My grin widens. This is going to be good.
• Chase tugs at my sleeve, his voice low. “Are you sure about this?”
• “Relax,” I murmur, my eyes never leaving the pool house. “No one’s going to catch us.”
• But if they did?
• The thought makes my pulse race. If Lorenzo found me here… if he saw me, with Chase, in his space…
• A thrill shoots through me, and I realize, I want him to.
• There’s a sick thrill in what I’m doing, a rush that buzzes under my skin and twists in my gut. I want to know what he’ll do if he sees me—if he sees me fucking someone else, someone who isn’t him.
• My feet halt mid-step as my eyes lock onto a window in the main house. And there he is, Lorenzo, my Princess, oblivious to my presence. He’s in front of the glass, his body moving with purpose, her wrapped around him like a fucking ribbon. Serena Castelli, his perfect little fiancée.
• Fuck the pool house. I have a better idea.