Prologue
Los Angeles, eight years ago…
It was past ten in the evening, and the party was just getting merrier. Seri was in a clubhouse located in a recreation area with her maternal aunt, who was currently visiting them in the US. It was supposedly a birthday party for a friend of hers, the wife of a senator in the Philippines.
She was used to social gatherings, but sometimes she felt suffocated when there were too many people, especially if she hadn’t prepared beforehand. She was literally just dragged by her Aunt Nadia when she arrived at their house earlier. She was only wearing skinny jeans and flats that she had worn straight from the university; good thing she at least managed to change her top. She had quickly thrown on an off-shoulder top while Nadia rushed her. She had to apply her lipstick in the car while they were stuck in traffic. Nadia told her it wasn’t a formal party they were going to; she was just always overdressed. As a result, Seri looked like a mere assistant next to her aunt’s getup—a black midi dress, full makeup, and an updo. Her aunt just laughed when she pointed that out. Nadia insisted she looked beautiful even without makeup. Of course, she knew that. She just wished she had had the time to put on a party dress at least. Her mother had taught her always to dress to kill.
Seri stepped out of the clubhouse and into the expansive garden, illuminated by lamp posts. There were many trees, shrubs, and vines all around. There was also a man-made pond with a bridge and a gazebo in the middle and a hedge maze that served as the centerpiece of the garden.
She strolled around, breathing in the fresh air, occasionally glancing at her phone. She had been texting Nellie, her younger sister, earlier; she was badgering her to post a picture or video on her semi-active Facebook account. She teased that she fit right in at the party because everyone there was elderly or middle-aged. She said she was acting like an old maid. But what was wrong with not being as rowdy as the people her age? She had her ways of amusing herself. Besides, she wasn’t a kid anymore.
Seri was walking around the pond when she caught the sound of voices and rustling near the trees. Instead of walking away, the noises acted like a magnet, pulling her feet toward them. She heard a man’s and a woman’s voice, though the latter was more prominent.
Carefully, she hid behind a tree. Only then did she realize what those two people were likely doing. The girl was moaning, and the guy was grunting like a wild beast.
Oh. My. God. They were having sex!
Seri covered her mouth. She commanded herself to leave, but the pull of her curiosity was stronger.
In the country she was in, it was completely normal for someone her age to have sexual experience. But she was still a virgin. She never dated, either. She simply couldn’t find the right man for her and she didn’t want to waste time getting into relationships with someone she wasn’t really interested in. And she was not the type to go for hookups or one-night stands either.
“Oh, my gosh. I think I’m going to come again—Ooooh!”
Seri peeked at the source of the noise. Under a palm tree, there was a large rock, and a woman was sitting there—a slender and blonde woman with enormous breasts. Her legs were wrapped around a tall man who was standing and thrusting into her. She saw her body buck and tremble as she orgasmed. The man kept on banging her. He looked magnificent in the night, by the way.
Instead of being scandalized, a dirty part of her personality that she didn’t even know existed took over. She carefully concealed herself behind a lush bush, getting closer to what she was watching.
The couple was fully clothed while having sex. The woman’s breasts were exposed from her dress, which was bunched up around her waist. The man’s long-sleeved shirt was unbuttoned, and the moonlight and lamp posts illuminated his gorgeous physique. She just wished she could see his cock clearly. The man was wearing pants, and his member was simply out through his open zipper.
Oh, good Lord. Did she just think of that? She wanted to see a penis!
The woman’s boobs were shaking as the man pounded on her more vigorously. Seri couldn’t quite make out the man’s face, but she had a feeling he was handsome. And very hot.
The way he moved and groaned was sending delicious shivers down her spine, making her knees wobble and her tummy ache. She felt incredibly hot. Suddenly, she felt envious of that woman who was about to climax again.
“More, harder! Oh, my—… Yeees. Fuck me, fuck me, oooh, fuck me!”
The woman let out a long shriek as she orgasmed again, her body going limp after the release. Would she even be able to walk? Or, a better question: would she even survive?
“I want to come in your mouth,” the man suddenly said.
The voice was strikingly manly, deep, and authoritative. Seri swallowed dryly and blinked countlessly. She was mesmerized.
The next thing she saw, the woman was on her knees, taking in a good-sized penis in her mouth. More than just a good size, Seri thought. It looked genuinely huge.
The man grabbed the hair at the back of the woman’s head and watched as his partner’s mouth pleasured him. It didn’t take long before he came. The woman swallowed it all.
Panting, Seri clutched her chest. She had just witnessed live porn! Now she felt so dirty and ashamed. Or was that really what she was feeling? She was breaking into a heavy sweat and could feel that her panties were wet. She was actually getting wet down there!
What she watched had genuinely turned her on. She couldn’t believe this. Watching porn (women-friendly porn, by the way) was one thing, but watching it live like this?
When she looked back at the couple, they were already standing. The woman was fixing her dress, and the man was buttoning up his shirt.
“Oh, geez, I’m such a mess. I need to pee and clean myself,” the woman said.
“Go ahead,” the man replied.
He stayed behind while the woman made her way down the path toward the clubhouse.
And just like that, the show was over.
But hey, who would have thought that at the supposedly boring party she attended, she would experience something so crazy?
She wanted to leave, but she wanted to get a better look at the man even more. She was intrigued by him.
She remained hidden in the bushes when he suddenly spoke.
“You can come out now.”
Seri flinched. Shoot. He knew all along?
Overcome with intense embarrassment, she sprinted away.
“Wait!” the man shouted at her and gave chase.
He actually chased her?
Seri ran faster. And without thinking, she dashed into the hedge maze.
The maze. What was she thinking? She had a terrible sense of direction. Even at the university she attended, she still got lost. Once, she was late for a class because she got lost on her way back from the library.
It was too late for her to turn back and exit because the man was entering the maze as well. She just kept running. Now she was thankful she wasn’t wearing a party dress and high heels.
The man was persistent; he was still chasing her through the maze, although she could no longer see him. It seemed they had taken different paths. Panting heavily, she reached the center of the maze where there was a large fountain. She hadn’t even caught her breath when the man suddenly appeared.
She was about to run away again when he bellowed at her.
“Wait! Stop.”
His voice was loud, radiating absolute authority. She automatically obeyed his command. It was the kind of moment where her feet wanted to take a step, but her brain stopped them. Like an enemy, she was target-locked.
“Show yourself,” he ordered, and she could feel him approaching her. His voice sounded even more powerful now, threatening. “Now.”
Trembling slightly, she slowly turned to face him. Holding her breath, she looked at him.
The man was taller than she thought. He was standing away from the light, and although she could see his face, his image was a bit dim. Based on what she could make out, he didn’t look Caucasian, but he had aristocratic features with a sharp, prominent nose and a broad forehead. Was that a mole on his lower right cheek? It was very prominent.
“Shit,” the man cursed softly when he finally got a clear look at her. “How old are you?”
“I-I’m not a kid,” Seri stammered. Damn her outfit! “I’m eighteen, a-almost nineteen.”
“Filipino?”
“Yes— Yeah.”
Was he Filipino, too? He had a standard American accent like hers.
How old was this man? He didn’t look that much older than her. And his eyes... Even in the dark, she could tell they looked deep and piercing.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Why were you peeping earlier?” he asked.
She could answer that she didn’t intentionally mean to walk in on such a lewd scene, but what would she say if he followed up by asking why she didn’t leave immediately? She finished watching the whole show, for crying out loud. And not content with that, she even stayed for the after-credits scene!
“Well, how was it then? Did you like what you saw?” he then asked, drying out her throat. His voice became sultry and low.
“I’m sorry, I have to go.” Seri quickly excused herself and bolted away before he could stop her.
It wasn’t out of embarrassment that she quickly got away from the man. She was freaking out that he had that... that strange power over her. The power to make her feel hot and bothered. And submissive.
Being surrounded by men was no longer new to her. A lot of them had tried dating her since high school, but no one really caught her interest. Not like this.
In a panic, she ran back toward what she remembered was the right path, but she seemed to be heading in the wrong direction. She kept running into dead ends.
She was lost!
Oh, no. Oh, no!
Seri stopped, catching her breath. She was starting to panic when suddenly she felt someone grab her arm. She shrieked and jumped in shock.
“You’re going the wrong way, young lady.” It was the man.
He gently pulled her toward another path. She couldn’t speak because of the intense shock and anxiety brought on by getting lost. But oh, his touch. It was... electric.
Until she suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her shoulder bag.
“You can let me g-go now,” she told the guy, looking at his large hand that was perfectly wrapped around her wrist.
When he let her go, only then did she realize that she actually liked his grip. A grip that felt possessive.
While taking her phone out of her bag, she walked quickly away from the man, who was slowly following behind her. He was probably making sure she was on the right path back. Wow. Did he know the ins and outs of the maze?
“Aunt Nadia,” Seri answered breathlessly to the caller.
“Seri, where are you? I’m ready to go, honey. My stomach suddenly started acting up. Must be the oysters.”
“I’m outside; I’ll meet you on the patio.” She looked over her shoulder; the man was still there.
She quickened her pace when she estimated she was on the right path, running out of the maze as soon as she spotted the exit. She looked behind her and saw that the man had also exited the maze; he gave her a slight wave before heading in a different direction.
Until she saw her aunt coming out of the clubhouse. She ran toward her again.
“Serena! What the hell happened to you?” Nadia scolded her as she approached. She must have panicked seeing her so sweaty and out of breath.
She wiped her wet forehead. “I’m fine. I just got lost in the stupid maze.”
She looked back toward the maze. The stranger was no longer in sight, disappearing into thin air. For some reason, she felt she was losing something at that moment.
