“Pull over here,” says Lorena. The car moves to a spot under the balcony. “Are you ready?” says Lorena.

I grip the transmitter tightly and tap the earpiece. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Vargas gets out of the car and opens the passenger door. I get out. He gets back in and drives off with Lorena, leaving me standing all alone naked in the middle of the street.

I glance up at the people on the second floor wraparound deck of the Bahamian house. Everybody is looking at me.

Everybody except for Lukas Thorn, that is. He’s too busy talking to a dark-skinned Latina girl, his nose in her hair as he whispers into her ear.

Bitch.

Oh yeah? Well, watch this!

I start to dance.

Lorena brought in a dance coach to teach me some sexy moves. I remember seeing Karissa making some of them at T’s. I do not have the luxury of a pole in the middle of this street, though.

A gasp of giggles and “Oh my Gods” hits the second floor of the house as all the girls stare at me.

I gotta admit, it’s incredibly exciting to be dancing naked in the middle of a crowded street, even if it’s not readily obvious that I’m naked. Not to mention the fact that so many people are looking at me.

But not Lukas Thorn!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

The music is loud and everywhere, so it’s not hard to gyrate to a beat. I kick it up a notch, running my hands all up and down my body.

“Is she naked?” says one girl. “Oh my God, she is!”

At that moment, a taxi comes down the street, lighting me up with its headlights. Perfect. I freeze in a dance pose with one arm up.

That does it.

Lukas Thorn looks down at me.

But does he recognize me?

The taxi honks its horn, but I don’t move.

Our eyes lock. It’s like before. We connect through that strand of ethereal matter that exists only between us.

Yep, there it is. I feel it. It’s like an electrical charge from another galaxy. Sorry, Trevor. I love you and all, but no man on earth besides this living breathing beast does this to me. I have no idea what it is. All I know is that I love it.

I smile up at him, knowing my eyes look like a creature rising from the depths of the planet Neptune.

As usual, his expression is blank, with that damned little half-smile like he’s mildly amused. He takes a gulp of his drink without breaking the stare. The girls around him are trying to recapture his attention. Some are making faces at me.

Do you recognize me, Lukas? Do you?

Lorena coached me on what to do next. It goes against my instinct, because I have to fight the urge to run into the house, up the stairs, and throw myself onto him.

But I do exactly the opposite. I put a big seductive smile on my face, then bend over while bringing my finger up to my mouth while facing him. Just as it nears my chin, I give him the “come here” wiggle with my index finger.

Then I slowly turn and walk away from him across the street.

God, that was hot! Oh my God, did I really just do that?

I feel so goddamned sexy. All the people looking at me. The taxi honking its horn. Guys drooling. Girls drooling. Lukas Thorn in shock.

I’m giggling inside as I sway my hips slowly through the crowd.

Slow down, Abigail! Slow down! You want him to be able to catch up with you!

This is the hardest part. What if he doesn’t follow me?

Lorena told me not to look back. Just keep going, knowing he would follow. Why? Why is she so sure that I am something special to him?

I have to keep forcing that thought out of my mind. I cannot allow myself to really believe that I could truly be something that special to Lukas Thorn . . . well, not yet anyway. I need to keep my cool.

I’m almost out of sight of the house now. I can see the ocean straight ahead. The ancient houses leading down to the next intersection are lit up like a thousand Christmas trees. Revelers everywhere gawk at me.

For the first time in my life, I’m completely comfortable with people staring at me. So powerful. So energizing. I feel like I can do anything.

I’m laughing inside at how even the people walking along the street part for me. It’s like I’m placing a trance on everyone. What are they thinking? Do they think I’m hot? Or are they frightened at the surreal beast girl?

Or can they really tell I’m naked? Some can, I’m sure . . . those who know what to look for.

I’m almost at the post on the street corner. I see it ahead at the intersection up ahead. Lorena said to turn and lean on it.

Shit, I’m frightened. What if he’s not following me?

Then everything is lost. I’m a complete failure. All of this planning and plotting. For nothing.

My heart beats out of my chest as I near the post.

“Slut!” says a girl to me as she walks past me.

I laugh.

Funny, if I was called a slut before my experience at the submission school, I would have gotten all hot and bothered.

Now it’s a compliment, sending me back to the cold cell underneath the submission school, with a thrill and a surge of raw power from within.

Almost there.

I reach the post, take a deep breath, turn around, and put one leg up behind me onto it. Just like in rehearsal.

I close my eyes, say a small quick prayer, and then open them.

No Lukas Thorn.

Fuck.

Shit. Fuck. Shit.

Rabidly, I scan the faces of the crowd. He’s got to be here! Lorena assured me he couldn’t resist the challenge!

But nothing.

Fuck.

Shit. Fuck. Shit.

Okay, what do I do now?

Nothing. I’m going to wait this out. I’m just going to lean seductively on this post for as long as it takes. I know he’s coming. He’s got to be coming. I just need to give it time for the challenge to sink in, right?

Right? Answer me! Oh fuck, who am I talking to?

I close my eyes, take a deep breath, count to ten slowly, and open them again.

And there he is.

Oh God, it worked! It fucking worked!

I try not to leap out of my skin with absolute joy at the sight of the most gorgeous man on Earth. Like the crowd on the very same street just parted for me, the entire world seems to clear out of his way as he slowly saunters toward me.

Then he stops, shrugs his shoulders with a look that says WTF, and then glances back at his house party.

Come on, buddy! You’re not here yet! Come on! Don’t give up now! You don’t want those girls! You want me!

He shakes his head again like he can’t believe what he’s doing, or like he just figured out it’s me. Yeah, that’s it.

He puts his arm up to his neck and scratches while lowering his head.

Gahhhhhhhhhh, I love it when he does that. He can put his arm up to his neck and scratch while lowering his head all day, I’ll just watch, and I’ll be fine.

What is it about this man? What is the incredible power he has?

I mean, I used to turn my head at guys all the time, thought I might have given myself whiplash a few times. But ever since I laid eyes on this one, in that goddamned aluminum tube in the sky, I’ve barely noticed another man.

Well, no, there was Cock Toy. You couldn’t help but notice him. And the black boy with the endless dong. And, of course, Trevor.

He turns like he’s going to walk back.

Shit.

Lorena told me what to do here, forcing me to practice it in the mirror a hundred times. I lower my face, close my eyes while facing downward, and then slowly open my eyes fully while smiling.

She called it an “underlook.” Apparently, it’s something Lord Byron used to do when seducing ladies. I fell asleep in my Victorian poetry class back at Wellesley, so I didn’t pay much attention to Lord Byron but apparently he did this thing that made women swoon. It’s used mostly by guys, but girls can adapt it for much the same effect.

Damn, if I don’t see him melt.