Sunlight filtered through the half-drawn blinds of Lila Voss's private dorm room on the top floor of Horizon Tower, painting golden stripes across the rumpled navy sheets.
The air smelled faintly of vanilla and jasmine—her signature body lotion—mingled with the warm, sleepy scent of two bodies that had spent the night tangled together.
Ethan Hale blinked awake first, his cheek pressed against the pillow that still carried the faint imprint of her head. He lay still for a moment, heart doing that stupid little flip it always did when he remembered where he was.
This is real, he thought. She's actually here. With me. Lila Voss. Campus idol. Student council president.
The girl whose face was on half the university's event posters and whose name made guys in the cafeteria stop mid-bite. Long, silky black hair spilled across the pillow like spilled ink, catching the light in soft blue-black ripples. Her lashes—thick, dark, perfect—rested against porcelain cheeks. And when she finally stirred, those emerald-green eyes fluttered open, catching the morning sun and turning the color of deep forest pools after rain.
"Morning, sleepyhead," she murmured, voice husky with sleep but already laced with that gentle, melodic warmth that made every guy on campus wish he were in Ethan's shoes.
She stretched like a cat, the thin strap of her white camisole slipping off one shoulder, revealing the smooth curve of her collarbone.Ethan's breath caught.
Even first thing in the morning, with bed hair and no makeup, she looked like she'd stepped out of a dream. He was… well, average. Medium brown hair that never quite did what he wanted, plain hazel eyes, a build that was neither athletic nor scrawny—just there. Five-foot-ten on a good day, with grades that hovered at B-minus and a face that blended into every lecture hall. Yet here she was, smiling at him like he was the only person in the world.He reached out, fingers brushing a strand of that midnight hair behind her ear.
"God, you're beautiful," he whispered, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. "I still can't believe you're mine."Lila's smile deepened, soft and radiant. She shifted closer, the warmth of her body pressing against his through the thin fabric separating them.
Her skin was silk under his palm—warm, impossibly smooth. "And I still can't believe you're the only one who sees me like this," she replied, voice low and teasing. "Everyone else just sees the president. You see… me."She leaned in. Their lips met in a slow, lazy kiss that tasted faintly of mint from last night's toothpaste and the strawberry lip balm she always kept on her nightstand. Ethan's hand slid to her waist, pulling her flush against him.
She was soft everywhere—hips curving gently under his fingers, breasts pressing warmly against his chest through the camisole. A tiny sigh escaped her as he deepened the kiss, tongues brushing in that familiar, gentle rhythm they'd perfected over the last six months.
But inside Lila's mind, the thoughts were anything but gentle.More, her body screamed even as she kept the kiss sweet and loving. Harder. Rougher. Make it hurt so good I forget my own name. The memory of last night's secret visit from her father flashed unbidden—his rough hands pinning her wrists, the brutal slap of skin on skin, the way he'd growled "my little cum dump" while flooding her until she couldn't think straight. She shoved the image down, locking it behind the emerald-eyed mask she wore for the daylight world. Not now. Not with Ethan. He's safe. He's good.She broke the kiss with a soft laugh that sounded perfectly carefree. "You're going to make us late for your nine o'clock if you keep looking at me like that."Ethan grinned, cheeks flushing. "Worth it. Totally worth it." His hand lingered on her hip, thumb tracing lazy circles over the hem of her shorts. "Hey… can we just stay here a little longer? Five minutes?"Lila's emerald eyes sparkled with playful affection. "Five minutes, huh?" She rolled on top of him in one fluid motion, straddling his waist. The weight of her was perfect—light but present, her thighs warm against his sides. She leaned down, black hair cascading around them like a curtain, shutting out the rest of the world. "Only if you promise to kiss me like you mean it."Their mouths met again, hotter this time. Ethan's hands roamed up her back, fingers slipping under the camisole to trace the delicate line of her spine.
She arched into the touch with a soft, breathy moan that sounded genuine—because she was good at this. So good. Her hips rocked once, slow and teasing, feeling the growing hardness beneath her. The friction sent a spark through her, but it wasn't enough. It never was.He's so gentle, she thought, even as she smiled against his lips. So careful. Like I'm made of glass. Her body craved the opposite—calloused hands bruising her hips, a thick cock stretching her until she cried out, the wet slap of bodies and filthy words whispered in her ear. She ground down a little harder, letting him feel the heat between her legs through the thin layers of fabric.
Ethan groaned low in his throat, hands tightening on her waist."Lila…" he breathed, voice rough with want. "You feel so good."She kissed the corner of his mouth, then his jaw, nipping lightly. "You always make me feel wanted," she whispered back, the words sincere even if the hunger behind them wasn't for him. "That's why I love you, Ethan. Just you."The lie tasted like sugar on her tongue. She sat up, hair tumbling over one shoulder, and looked down at him with those luminous emerald eyes. Sunlight caught the tiny flecks of gold in them, making them shimmer. Her cheeks were flushed a delicate pink—part arousal, part the effort of holding back the other Lila. The one with sapphire eyes and golden-blonde hair who lived for the dark.Ethan's hands slid up her thighs, thumbs brushing the edge of her shorts. "I love you too," he said simply, eyes wide and honest. "More than anything. Sometimes I wake up and think I dreamed all of this."Lila laughed softly, the sound like wind chimes. She leaned down again, pressing a lingering kiss to his forehead. "It's real. I'm real. And I'm not going anywhere." Her fingers traced his cheek, gentle and reassuring. Inside, her pulse raced with the familiar ache—the need to slip away tonight, let the blonde wig and sapphire contacts free the monster her father had created when she was sixteen.
But for now, she was the perfect girlfriend. The one who made average Ethan Hale feel like the luckiest guy on campus.She rolled off him with a reluctant sigh, the sheets whispering against her skin. "Come on, handsome. Shower with me? We'll make it quick."Ethan's face lit up like she'd offered him the moon. "Yeah. Yeah, definitely."As she padded toward the en-suite bathroom, bare feet silent on the cool hardwood, Lila glanced back over her shoulder. The black hair swayed like a curtain, emerald eyes bright with love. But deep inside, where no one could see, sapphire hunger stirred—waiting for the sun to set, for the mask to drop, for the night when she could finally stop pretending.
Ethan followed, heart full, completely unaware that the girl he adored was already counting the hours until she could become someone else entirely.