Still, he couldn't deny that he was more intrigued than by any other woman before. This girl really knew how to make a date exciting. And he had never been a man to shy away from a challenge.
"This is ridiculous," he finally murmured, stuffing the letter into the pocket of his bathing robe and stomping upstairs to get dressed in his bedroom. It was the most luxurious room of the house. He loved to spend time here - with a variety of beautiful women, of course, but alone, too; reading books in front of his massive fireplace or just thinking.
This mysterious woman was just a crazy fan who wanted to make herself interesting to him, he decided. Maybe she had deliberately placed herself in that park, knowing he drove by every day on his way home. She surely knew how to look irresistible in that thin summer dress that showed off her lush body ...
Now you are ridiculous, Luke, he told himself. It was impossible to plan such a coincidental meeting. No, it was he who had spotted her and left his car to talk to her. Looking into the mirror, he stood for a while, not knowing what to do about this matter. Then, instead of turning to his dressing room to choose some clothes to wear, he walked up to the huge water bed and looked at it, contemplatively. He felt quite tired now. Maybe he should lie down for a while, just to take a little nap.
He sank comfortably into the black silken cushions and closed his eyes, sighing. Oh yes, he would forget all about her and sleep for a while. Surely he would feel better afterwards.
"Ten, nine, eight," he murmured suddenly. "What the hell am I doing?" he wondered, opening one eye to see if anything had happened, but his bedroom hadn't changed a bit. He shrugged and closed his eyes again. "Seven, six, five ... " Nothing seemed to happen. Only when he counted "Four, three, two," he started to feel very dizzy, so tired that he could not open his eyes even if he wanted.
"One," he whispered finally.
And his world vanished.
*****
Chapter Three
Luke didn't know if he had slept or not, but he felt wide awake when he opened his eyes.
This wasn't his bedroom anymore. He was lying on a royal blue chaise lounge, finding himself in a paneled room with high, arched windows overlooking a beautiful garden. It seemed to be cluttered with roses in every color imaginable. An open pavilion was barely visible through the trees in the distance. When he looked down at himself, he wasn't wearing his bathing robe anymore, but some kind of historical costume, a soft white shirt with an artfully folded cravat beneath his chin, a long black waistcoat, buckled shoes and ... damn, knee breeches and silk stockings! This was outrageous! Someone had drugged and abducted him, taking him to this place, this elegant parlor. Was it some kind of Regency movie set? And he looked like damn Mr Darcy! What would be expected of him next, doing a wet shirt scene in the pool?
"There you are, Luke," a cynical, very familiar female voice said. "You look dashing today. But you are quite late." Luke turned his head and saw the goddess from the beach, sitting at an elegant Louis XIV table with a china tea service in front of her, clad in a Regency-style empire dress. Its high waist showed off her ample bosom which was half visible in her low-cut bodice. She was pouring steaming hot tea into two delicate bone china teacups.
"Would you like to join me at the table?" she asked, eying him from head to toe in an outrageous manner, one fine dark brow lifted. "I fear your tea is getting cold."
Slowly he stood up, still wavering on his legs. No matter how much this seductress tempted him, he was starting to get really angry.
"Tell me, Jane," he said, his tone leaving no doubt that he didn't believe her name to be real, "where is the fucking hidden camera? Why am I wearing this?" He gestured to his breeches, making a face.
Instead of an answer, she raised her fine arched eyebrows and looked at him, her expression unfathomable.
"I have absolutely no idea what you mean", she said after a few moments. "There is no camera here, I can assure you. And you are wearing this because I've chosen to spend some time in the Regency. I happen to like this period. Haven't you ever read Jane Austen?"
"Of course I have. But what, Miss Eden, were you thinking when you decided to drug me, drag me to your house and dress me up like your costume doll? Aren't you aware that kidnapping is a federal crime? Now let me go this instant, or my lawyer will …"
"Don't be ridiculous, Luke. You can go whenever you want," Jane said softly, delicately raising her teacup to her lips and taking a sip. Just leave the salon and turn right, then go downstairs and leave. The front door is open. The only problem is that you don't want to leave, do you?"
He simply stared at her, still not realizing what was happening here.
"I didn't kidnap you. I invited you to my house, and you willingly came here when you followed the instructions in my letter. You can stay with me for as long as you like. If not, you can go. The house will take you back if you wish to return to L.A. It's that simple."
"But this isn't possible," he said. After a few moments he added, "Even if I … wanted to stay, I couldn't. I'm due to start shooting a new movie in New Zealand next month, and I need to prepare for my role." Maybe he could play her little game for a while, just to find out what really had happened here. Slowly he strode over to her and sat down at the luxuriously set English tea table.
Jane handed him a steaming cup of tea. He felt like a damn fool, but he had to admit that the tea was the best he'd ever tasted.
"Yes, I've read all about it," she said. "It's a fantasy role again, isn't it?" She blushed a little when she lowered her gaze, her long lashes throwing shadows on the pale perfection of her cheeks. "I must admit that I … particularly liked you in your last movie. I can't think of anyone who'd played the role of the elven prince better."
Now it was his turn to blush - of course he didn't, but he felt a heat rise up from his chest, and his heart pounded faster. Damn, this wasn't the first time a woman had praised him for his acting skills! How could he allow himself to become so affected? But strangely enough, he felt that he cared. He cared what this woman he hardly knew thought of him.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Thank you. It was hard work to prepare for that role. They flew in this stuntman from England who taught me all about fighting with medieval weaponry …"
Before he knew it, she had wrapped him around her little finger, this strange, alluring woman. Quickly he stopped himself from just chatting away about his role. "Who are you, really?" he asked, glowering at her. Where are we? I'm still not sure how you've managed to abduct me. But now that I'm here, what are you intending to do with me, if I may ask?"
To his surprise, she blushed again.
"I brought you here because I saw you in this movie, and … I wanted to get to know you. There's nothing more. I guess the house must have felt my wish and decided to bring us together. I was surprised myself when I was taken to this park.
To your other questions, you already know the answer. My name is Jane Eden, and we are in my home. It's the same place you've been to before," she added, her eyes piercing him with their intensity. "Just look out of the window, if you don't believe me. You thought it was only a dream, didn't you?"
Aghast, Luke stood up from the table, walked over to one of the windows, and looked out. She was right. There, just past the well-kept garden was a beach that looked very familiar to him. After a few moments, he turned around and said, "But I still can't figure out how I got here. Physically, you are obviously not strong enough to have dragged me here all by yourself. Someone must have helped you. How much will you demand in ransom, by the way? This estate doesn't look as if you need money. So maybe you are just a crazy fan who wants to be with me. I guess the men with the guns are waiting right behind this door?" He gestured to the parlor entrance.
Jane chuckled. "So dramatic. Luke, you've played in too many action movies. I didn't touch you, and I certainly paid nobody to do it. You were the one who chose to count backwards, transporting yourself to this place. And you were the one who tried to talk to me in the p
ark. You couldn't resist when I ignored you, Luke. But I understand. You must be used to women approaching you, not the other way round."
Inwardly he cringed. She was right. Being a famous actor had spoiled him when it came to women. It had been an irresistible challenge to flirt with a woman who was so obviously not interested in him. His ego just couldn't take it. But even now that he knew she had brought him here for some reason, that she was the predator … he still wanted her. It didn't matter to him who had made the first move. Just looking at her drove him crazy. He wanted her, needed her.
Jane finished her tea and stood up, extending her hand to him. "Maybe we should take a walk around the property and get to know each other better." Luke rose from his chair to take her hand. When their fingers entwined, it almost felt like an electric shock that raced along his nerves. Jane seemed to feel it too, for her breath had quickened. Instinctively he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. He found himself staring into her lovely green eyes, darkened with desire. Oh yes, she couldn't deny what happened between them whenever they touched. She tried to act indifferent, but he felt her body shiver, saw the frantic beat of her pulse at her exposed neck. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, and she sighed. The soft, sensual sound drove him over the edge.
Not able to hold back any longer, he cupped her neck and drew her to him, claiming her mouth with his. It wasn't a gentle, playful kiss, but an expression of a raw, primal hunger, possessive, demanding. He felt encouraged when she moaned into his mouth and started to kiss him back, pressing her soft curves against his hard body.
Luke had never been so aroused in all his life. Bowing her back over the table, he lifted up her skirt and began to explore what lay beneath, caressing her long, bare leg. He noticed that she didn't wear any kind of panties but soft silk stockings that reached up to the middle of her upper thighs, held in place by lace garters.
"Enough," he murmured under his breath. A man could only be pushed so far. He would have her right here, right now. He started to kiss her so fiercely that she moaned with protest or desire, he wasn't sure which. He wanted to punish her just a little bit, for the seductive little game she had played with him. Well, if she liked to tease and torture him until he felt he'd explode at any moment, he could be reckless, too. He would give her what she craved as much as he did, loving her sweet, warm body until she came for him.
While he sucked her sensuous lower lip deep between his teeth, he reached under her dress with both hands, grabbing her soft, bare butt. Her flesh felt incredibly lush and smooth beneath his palms, and he hardened even more. Then he lifted her up in his strong arms and sat her down in the middle of the tea table, not caring about the exquisite china. A filled cup went down; the delicious blend of Earl Grey was spilled all over the spotlessly white table linen and filled the air with its wonderful aroma. Luke pushed the dishes aside to make place for them on the table; plates, cups and saucers fell over the edge and smashed into pieces on the floor.
His goddess broke the kiss with a weak protest. "My antique china," she gasped.
"I'll buy you a new set," he growled before he claimed her lips again, ravishing her with his tongue as she trembled with need. Luke couldn't help himself and let his fingers slide down her bodice. Finally he freed those beautiful breasts, pushing them up. He cupped them, enjoying how they filled his hands. She was a tall woman, just the right size for him, and he wasn't a small man to handle. When he started to tease her pert rosy nipples between his thumb and forefinger, she started to moan into his mouth, arching her back and pressing herself up against him.
He didn't need another invitation. He released her lips, kissing his way down along her swanlike neck, down over her throat and breast, covering the alluring mounds with hot kisses. But this time he did not linger there for long. As he pushed up her skirts high over her hips, exposing her to his eyes in full daylight, he paused to enjoy the erotic sight for a few moments, just staring at her magnificent beauty.
Spreading her thighs with his hands, he kissed her upper thigh, starting right over her white silk stocking. He pulled at the delicate garter with his teeth, tearing it from her leg. Then he kissed and licked his way up along the inside of her thigh, higher and higher, loving the way her sensitive flesh trembled under his touch, anticipating more. When he reached the hotness of her sex, he found her already wet for him. He opened her with his long fingers and let his tongue delve deep between her moist folds, licking and teasing her until she wriggled her hips and cried out, begging him to take her. The sound was like the sweetest music to his ears.
Suddenly a female voice cried out with shock, and there was a loud clattering noise at the door. Gasping, Jane covered herself with her skirt, trying to hide him underneath. It was not a very successful move, considering that he was a 6'4'' giant of a man. A housemaid entering the room had dropped the whole tray of cucumber sandwiches she had just brought in. "My Lady," she breathed, aghast. "I heard something falling down and came to see if you needed my help." She had a distinctive French accent.
"Tell her to go away," Luke murmured between Jane's thighs, only stopping for a short moment before he continued licking.
"Ah, I don't need you right now, Jeanette," Jane moaned, trying to keep her countenance while she felt his tongue starting to circle her soft nub of sensitive flesh. "You can clean up this mess later."
The shocked servant had just closed the door behind her when Jane reached the highest peak, her whole body shivering violently under Luke's tongue. He couldn't wait until her flesh stopped quaking but just ripped open his breeches, shoving them down over his hips. Instantly he placed himself between her thighs, bringing his manhood to the place where he belonged. Gently cupping her chin, he made her open her eyes and look up into his.
"Do you want me to love you, Jane?" he asked huskily, inwardly hoping she wouldn't say no.
"Shush," she whispered, placing a finger on his lips. "You are the first real man I ever brought here, I've ever been with since I moved here two years ago. I told you that this house is a special place. We'll be safe, whatever we do. There's no need for regrets, or to be afraid of anything. Just love me, Luke."
Giving in for the moment, he closed his eyes and slowly guided himself into her slick channel, entering her deeper and deeper until he was buried to the hilt. He felt her strong inner muscles contracting around him, massaging his throbbing shaft.
They both moaned out loud, so exquisite was the feeling of having joined. The goddess wrapped her legs around his waist, and he grabbed her thighs to hold her there, starting to thrust into her harder and faster, pushing himself into this wonderful place he craved so much. She cried out with lust, urging him to go deeper and deeper. Oh yes, she needed it as much as he did. She was hungry, his beautiful goddess. "You are so hot … so tight," he groaned at her neck, savoring the pressure of those tight walls of flesh that surrounded him, pulling him inside.
"Take me harder, Luke. Yes, yes, don't stop. I need to feel all of you," she whispered as she moved against him. The sound of his name on her lips in such an erotic context made his cock grow even larger inside her, and he went for the kill, thrusting her deeper, going faster and faster until she climaxed again, convulsing around his shaft while he came with a soul-shattering explosion, pouring himself into her depths with a sound of sheer male pleasure.
After the wave of ecstasy subsided, they lay on the table, their exhausted, sweaty bodies still joined while they both savored the wonderful feeling of their aftermath. At last, Luke lifted his head and looked into the emerald eyes of his goddess for a long while.
"Who are you really, Jane Eden?" he whispered. He wasn't really expecting a clear answer from her. Right now he didn't care anyway, he was too mesmerized by the sight of her beautiful face. Her cheeks were still flushed from their passionate encounter, her lips red and swollen from his kisses.
Her low female laughter made him harden again, and she noticed it with a catlike smile. "You know who I am," sh
e said. "Your goddess. Didn't you give me that name yourself?"
Luke's eyes widened. How could she know that? He had named her goddess in his thoughts, indeed, but he was quite sure that he never had spoken it out loud. Could she read minds, too?
"We have to go now," Jane said, her expression suddenly cold and reserved. She pushed him away from her so she could stand up and rearrange her dress to cover her half-naked body. Luke pulled his trousers up, struggling with the strings to close his breeches. He muttered curses under his breath. Why did he feel like a total jerk right now? After all, he had given her complete satisfaction, and he had felt that it was much more than just a physical experience. He wasn't sure what he felt for her, but there was something special about her, something that made her different from all the other women he'd known.
But Jane, if she had told him her real name - she had managed to get under his skin. Right now he had experienced the most incredible sex of his life - to be honest, he had so much of it that it often bored him -, and she didn't seem to be impressed at all.
"I have planned a costume ball for tonight," she said coolly. "My guests will be arriving soon, so I have to get dressed. I suggest that you go to the room I have had prepared for you. You will find Sean, my manservant, right outside that door. I am sure he has been listening for quite a while, the naughty boy. He will take you to your chamber. I have told him to get a hearty meal and a hot bath ready for you, I thought you would need it after you and I ... met again. Now hurry on, darling. I will see you at the ball tonight." With that, she gave him a little pat on his backside and dismissed him like one of her servants.
House of Pleasure Page 3