Page 22 of He Sees You When You’re Sleeping

Chapter Nine

Jack

Iblame Tyler for the fact that I am once again standing outside her window in the fucking cold. I swore to myself the stalking would stop but old habits die hard.

My jaw clenches involuntarily. My fingers are numb inside my pockets, but I barely notice.

I had to make sure she was safe. Something about seeing Tyler in the coffee shop touching Chloe didn’t sit well with me. Could it be because I wanted to tie him to coffee shop chair and slowly chop his hand off with a butter knife? Maybe. But regardless, I couldn’t resist the urge to return to her house to see she got home okay.

So here I am again, breath coming out in puffs, watching her once again.

The soft glow from her bedroom window casts a faint halo on the frost-covered lawn. I can see her moving around, probably getting ready for bed. My heart races as I imagine her slipping out of her clothes, her smooth skin bathed in the warm lamplight. It’s later than I normally come to watch her, so late that I had to unplug her Christmas lights so I’m not lit up. I hope she doesn’t notice. I hope that I can simply watch her in peace. Watch her slide into bed and—

I shake my head, trying to clear those thoughts. I’m here to protect her, not... whatever this is. But deep down, I know it’s more than that. It always has been.

A car door slams nearby, startling me. I duck behind a hedge, my pulse vibrating in my ears. Footsteps crunch on the icy sidewalk, coming closer. I peer through the branches as I wait for everyone to settle for the night. Settle so I can watch Chloe.

Chloe appears in my view again, and I hold my breath as I notice something different about her. She’s not in pajamas as I expected. Quite the opposite. She’s wearing a raven-black wig, bright red lipstick and a tight, revealing black dress I’ve never seen before. What the fuck?

Where is she going at this hour?

I watch as she applies more makeup, her movements hurried and nervous. She keeps glancing at her phone, as if waiting for a message. My stomach churns with a mix of jealousy and concern. Is she meeting someone?

She applies jewelry I’ve never seen before either. It’s a choker... no... it’s a collar. It’s gothic in style, with a small silver ring dangling from the front.

She then stands in front of her mirror in all her mysterious beauty, and I barely recognize her. In fact, if I didn’t know it was Chloe, I’m not sure I’d be able to pick her in a lineup.

She’s fucking stunning.

My fingers twitch with the urge to grab my phone and snap a picture, but I resist.

She then moves to her computer and sits down. With a couple of clicks, a website is pulled up. I squint to get a better look, and I instantly recognize it.

Holy fucking hell . . .

My heart nearly stops.

I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Chloe, my sweet, innocent Chloe, is logging into a Dark Secrets account.

I have a Dark Secrets account. But Chloe? My sweet, angel Chloe?

I watch in stunned silence as she adjusts her webcam and begins to type something. A chat window pops up, filling with messages from eager viewers.

Unlike when she does her influencer jewelry videos, she doesn’t turn on her ring light. She’s shadowed by a flickering candle nearby.

Chloe takes a deep breath, visibly steeling herself. She applies a lace mask over her thick eyelashes to hide her identity even more. Then she smiles at the camera—a sultry, confident smile I’ve never seen before. It’s like she’s transformed into a different person entirely.

She starts to move sensuously, running her hands over her body, cupping her breasts, caressing her pussy, and spreading her legs as she speaks to her audience. I can’t hear what she’s saying as she has put sexy music on in the background, but I can see her lips moving, forming words I never thought I’d see coming from her mouth.

I’m frozen in place, unable to look away as she slowly starts to unzip her dress. Part of me wants to rush in there and stop this, to protect her from the prying eyes of strangers. But another part, a darker part I try to ignore, is utterly captivated.

How have I missed this? Years of sitting outside her window, and this is the first time I’ve seen this? It’s obvious this is not her first time on this site. Clearly, she does so much more once I leave her for the night.

As I watch, transfixed, a flurry of emotions courses through me. Shock, arousal, jealousy, and a twisted sense of pride all war for dominance. My sweet Chloe, the object of my obsession for so long, has depths I never imagined.

The chat window explodes with activity as Chloe—no, her alter ego—begins her performance. I can almost feel the heat of the laptop against her skin, the hungry eyes of faceless strangers drinking in every curve and gesture. My fists clench in my pockets, nails digging into my palms.

She moves with practiced grace, each motion calculated to tease and entice. The dress slips lower, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of lace underneath. I’m torn between averting my eyes and drinking in every detail, committing it to memory.