“Holy Goddess,” he breathed reverently. “You are so beautiful.” He stood staring. “Is that it? Nothing under it?”
She nodded. “Is it too much? All the succubi will be wearing something sheer. Rebecca’s gown is see-through, almost topless. But Alice made some panties in case I decided not to go through with it.”
She twirled, letting him see how it looked when the fabric moved. She turned and walked away from him, then back toward him.
He smiled, “I like it.”
“We have about half an hour,” she said. “Do you want me before we go?”
“Oh hell yes.” He unzipped his pants and pulled out his hard erection. Pulling her to her feet, he kissed her as she kicked her Glam to high. He spun her around, putting his hands under her dress and pressing against her bare back and bottom. Bending her down a bit, he fitted himself to her wet opening and pushed into her. She gasped as he filled her, and then he pulled her upright. Wrapping his arms around her, one hand held her breast and the other pressed between her legs. His lips nibbled on her neck as he began to move inside her. She covered his hands with her own, letting him know they were in exactly the right places.
“I missed you so much,” she purred, closing her eyes and opening her mind to him. Their souls merged and the warm comfort of having him in her body and her mind was the best thing in the world. She cried out at their climax, rejoicing at the energy and pleasure they shared.
She fixed her clothes afterward, and twirled in front of the mirror once again to see how she looked. Then she took his arm and they went to the ball.
~~~
Carlos had been amused when Rebecca told him to go dress with Collin. That was three hours ago, and he had been dressed for two hours. He’d never known her to take so long. Unlike many women, Rebecca usually threw on her clothes quickly, did her makeup in five minutes, and was ready to go. Collin had explained the symbolism and traditions of the ball to him, and asked him if he had any issues seeing his lover with other men. Carlos assured him it would be fine.
Fifteen minutes after Collin had answered Brenna’s call, Rebecca finally called him. It was about time. He was starving.
When she opened the door, his knees went weak and he had to reach out to the wall. He had always thought she was beautiful. Tonight she was transcendent.
“Is it too much?” She asked in a tiny voice.
“Yes, it is,” he answered. “I don’t deserve the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“Oh, quit teasing me. Seriously, should I put on a bra?”
He took several deep breaths, trying to clear his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He didn’t know what to say. Finally, he just shook his head and offered her his arm. She took it and closed the door behind her.
“Do you like it?” She prompted.
“Rebecca, you take my breath away. It’s gorgeous. I …” he gave up, spun her into his arms and kissed her, opening his mind so she could see herself through his eyes.
When they broke the kiss, he found she was looking at him with wonder in her eyes. “That’s how I look? That’s what you see?”
He nodded.
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled. “Well, that’s a good thing.” He could feel her confidence skyrocket. “Collin explained how things work?”
“Yes, he gave me a lesson in the proper decorum.”
“And you’re all right with it?”
“Yes, my love. It sounds like a lot of fun. Collin said it’s usual to finish the night with your lover.”
“Uh huh. Whichever of us goes back to our room first should wait on the other. But I’m going to take you first as well.”
“That is permitted?”
“It’s permitted,” she said, her eyes as bright as her smile.
A smile spread across Carlos’ face.
~~~
The succubi and their escorts gathered in the hall at the top of the grand staircase on the second floor. Soon women would be leading men to the rooms lining the hall. Seamus looked around him, hardly crediting his eyes.
“Was there a discussion about what to wear, or did you all manage to, well, match by accident?”
“We had a theme,” Cindy said. “Then each of us designed a gown around that theme.”
“Which was?”
“Sheer.”
“Well, I see that everyone bought into the program. Whose idea was this theme?”
“Mine.”
He glanced down at his fiancée. Her breasts were clearly visible beneath the sheer fabric of her dress.
“Quite lovely.”
“Thank you,” she smiled at him and winked.
“Is everyone ready?” Seamus led the way out of the hallway to the balcony at the top of the stairs. The ballroom was full of his friends and his family, looking up at him expectantly. His heart filled as it always did at this event. His long life had been good. He waited until the crowd stilled and looked up at him expectantly.
“On this, the Longest Night, we call on our Mother to bless us, to embody the women of the Clan with Her will and Her desire, that they may take into their bodies our offerings to Her and that She shall let the sun rise on the morrow.”
Cindy stepped forward, her Glam on full, glowing like a goddess, and took Seamus’ arm. He escorted her down the stairs. Halfway down, she released a burst of pheromones that made him falter. He was tempted to pick her up and carry her back up the stairs to the nearest bedroom. “If you do that again, we won’t make it to the bottom,” he muttered. She giggled. Goddess, he loved to hear young women giggle.
A murmur started as she descended the stairs and people were able to see her gown clearly. When the couple was halfway down, Brenna and Collin emerged. The murmur on the floor increased as people got a good look at her dress. The murmur grew even more when Antonia appeared. When the last succubus, Morrighan, was halfway down and no one else appeared, a cheer and applause erupted.
Seamus led Cindy to the center of the floor, and the orchestra began to play. He swept her into his arms and initiated the first dance.
After the first dance ended, Collin bowed, kissed Brenna’s hand, and wished her good hunting. Brenna looked around. The nine succubi had drenched the room with pheromones during the dance, and the crowd was lively, laughing and flirting.
Rebecca led Carlos to the bar to get drinks, then toasted him and asked him the traditional question, “Sir, would you do me the honor of conducting me to a more comfortable place?”
“The honor would be mine,” he answered. They took their drinks and went upstairs. It had been three weeks since she’d seen him, so they spent a bit more time than she normally did with a gentleman at Solstice.
When they returned to the ball, it was in full swing. Taking her leave from Carlos, Rebecca got another drink and something to eat. A man asked her to dance, and she abandoned herself to the evening.
Brenna ran into Aislinn at the bar. The two women hadn’t had an opportunity to talk as yet. The Australian regional director had been at her party last night, but Brenna knew she would be here until New Year so they would have plenty of time.
“Thank you for the dress. It’s lovely,” Aislinn said. The gown Alice had made for her was a dark, shimmering green satin. It hugged her curves and set off her hair and complexion nicely. “How much do I owe you?”
“Consider it an early Christmas present,” Brenna smiled.
“Well, that makes me feel guilty. I didn’t spend anywhere near this much on your present.”
“Are you having a good time?”
Aislinn looked down into her drink. “It’s not as easy for some of us as it is for you.”
Brenna studied her, noting the deep blush on Aislinn’s face. “Do you want an introduction? I know someone who will make you feel marvelous.”
Aislinn’s head jerked up and she looked into Brenna’s eyes. “You’re sure? I’m always so worried that I’ll ask someone and they’ll agree just to be polite.”
&nb
sp; Brenna chuckled. “He’ll agree because he thinks you’re hot.” Aislinn blushed. “Aislinn, you’re beautiful. The reason men are reluctant to approach you is they think you’re out of their league. Come on.”
She led the redhead over to where Carlos was nibbling on the buffet. “General Carlos Martin de Vargas y Saenz, I would like you to meet a close friend of mine, Aislinn O’Rourke. General de Vargas is from Ecuador. Miss O’Rourke is our Oceana regional director stationed in Melbourne.”
Brenna shot him a sly smile. “Don Carlos, I was just telling Aislinn what a marvelous dancer you are, but she didn’t believe me. She said Latin men don’t have any rhythm. What do you say to that?”
“That you’re a terrible liar and a shameless matchmaker,” he laughed. “But a dance with a beautiful woman does sound like a good idea. Senorita O’Rourke, would you do me the honor?”
Blushing, Aislinn allowed him to lead her out on the floor.
“How are you doing, cousin?” Morrighan asked, handing Brenna a fresh drink.
“Pretty good. Last year, I hardly knew anyone and hardly got to meet anyone. I spent most of the time upstairs. This year, I’m spending all my time socializing and spending hardly any time upstairs.”
“Would it bother you if I borrow your fiancé for a while?”
“Collin? Of course not.” Brenna looked Morrighan over. The blue dress with its areas of sheer charmeuse and skin-revealing cutouts left little to the imagination. Her Irish cousin was seventeen years older than she was, but they looked enough alike to be sisters. “You know, it would be fun to take you to bed with us sometime. I think it would confuse the hell out of him in dim light.”
Morrighan laughed gaily. “Oh, that would be fun. Well, I’ll let you know if I’m interested after I taste test the goods.” She headed across the floor toward Collin.
Brenna ran into Maggie Townsend getting a drink at the bar and joined her.
“What do you think of our sedate, nineteenth century ball?” Brenna laughed.
Maggie blushed. “It’s … very entertaining,” she managed.
“And you thought Congress was a licentious bunch.”
“Maybe licentious, but the people here are honest about it. That is the most incredible dress I’ve ever seen.”
“Well, it’s an experiment.”
“What are you trying to prove? That you can be covered from head to toe and still be sexier than if you were nude?”
“Something like that,” Brenna laughed. “Are you okay with this? You don’t have to attend, you know. No one would be offended or think less of you. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.”
“Oh, I’m having a good time.” Maggie leaned close, “I took two men upstairs.”
Brenna clinked her glass in a toast. “Two? You must have liked it the first time.”
“Brenna, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. We thought we believed in free love when I was in college. We were amateurs. I was frozen, but Jeremy introduced me to some of his friends, and one of them asked me to dance. Well, I worked up my courage, and I asked him. And I have to admit, it was fun. So after a while I ... well, you know how the TV and everything is always talking about ‘cougars’? I decided to try it, channeling my inner cougar. I asked this handsome young man, and he took me upstairs. My God, Brenna, he was huge. Like a porn star. He was gentle, though, and a perfect gentleman. And it turns out he’s not as young as he looks, so I don’t feel so guilty.”
A suspicion crossed Brenna’s mind, “About six foot two, unruly brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, body like Adonis?”
“Yes. Do you know him? He said his name is Collin Doyle.”
Brenna laughed and hugged Maggie with her free arm. “I know him quite well. He’s my lover.”
“Oh, God, I’m sorry.”
“I’m sure he’s not. It’s okay, Maggie. Has Jeremy explained what I am?”
“Yes, at least he tried. It’s rather difficult to believe.”
“We’ll get some time to talk. For right now, I’m going to go find another man. I think I’m behind my quota.”
~~~
CHAPTER 17
Love is everything it’s cracked up to be. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. – Erica Jong
The period between Solstice and Christmas was busy. Many of the guests were packed off as soon as possible, and Brenna made a mental list of those she hoped she would never see again. Comparing her list with Cindy’s, they discovered a significant overlap. She wondered if Callie had a similar list.
Cleaning up after Solstice was replaced with wrapping presents and getting ready for Christmas. The previous year, Brenna had gone crazy buying presents for everyone she knew. And not just inconsequential presents, but individualized, truly appreciated presents, some of them quite expensive.
Callie worried that her niece had set a dangerous precedent, setting people’s expectations too high. A few discreet inquiries with long-time employees and Brenna’s friends gave her some sense of relief.
“Callie,” Mrs. Doyle, the head chef and Collin’s mother, told her, “everyone understands that she was new last year and had money for the first time in her life. The thoughtfulness was deeply appreciated, but no one expects her to do that every year.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the head housekeeper, Donna McCarthy, brushed off the issue. “She’s a sweet girl and she went a bit overboard. Everyone knows that.”
“Oh, hell, Callie,” Rebecca laughed, “no one can do that every year, and no one expects it. I know she has a tendency to get carried away, but she hasn’t had time to go crazy like that this year.”
With the camera around her neck, Brenna’s gift from the previous year, Callie sipped her coffee and surveyed the pile of presents under the tree. It had taken her an hour the previous evening to count the presents Brenna had placed there. All shapes, all sizes, each hand wrapped and labeled … it certainly didn’t look like the girl had slacked off any. Hopefully, she hadn’t spent as much money on each present as she had the previous year.
When eight o’clock hit, the mad scramble ensued and chaos reigned for the next hour. Callie wandered around taking pictures, wearing the yellow-diamond bracelet that was her new present from Brenna. She understood how much it probably cost. It was a close match to a necklace she already owned and did not indicate a scaling back of her niece’s generosity.
Uneasily, Brenna realized that Rebecca had helpfully retrieved one of Brenna’s presents for Collin from her room and put it with the others. Of course, Collin chose that one first.
“Collin, honey, why don’t you leave that one for later?” Brenna pleaded.
“Oh, it won’t take a minute,” he told her, ripping the paper off and staring at the electronic picture frame. “Uh … thanks, Brenna.”
She understood his confusion. It wasn’t much of a present. “That’s just more wrapping. The present’s inside.”
It took him a moment to get it, but she saw understanding dawn in his eyes. Not so Rebecca, who leaned over and turned it on.
“We can do this later, Rebecca,” Brenna said in annoyance, but it was too late. The frame displayed the first picture, then began cycling every five seconds.
Brenna’s face flamed as everyone watched her in a black bustier and garter belt strut across her bedroom, turn to face the camera and start a very seductive striptease. Her aunt Callie had taken the photographs and she was an excellent photographer. Brenna leaned over and turned the frame off.
“Like I said, you can enjoy your present later.” She shot a disapproving look at Rebecca. Everyone in the room looked a little uncomfortable.
There had been a very large present from Brenna to Rebecca. Callie saw Rebecca sitting in the midst of a huge pile of wrapping paper and boxes, holding a small white card.
“What’s that?” Callie asked.
“Do you see that big box?” Rebecca pointed. “All the other boxes were in it, and in the smallest one was this card
.”
“What does it say?”
“Go outside.”
“Huh?”
“It just says ‘Go outside’.”
She got up, and the two women made their way from the ballroom to the foyer. Callie noticed that Irina and Brenna were following them, with Carlos curiously trailing behind. Peeking out the front door, they didn’t see anything. Gathering their robes around them, they walked out onto the porch.
The red sports car had a huge green ribbon tied in a bow wrapped around it. Rebecca shrieked, her hands covering her mouth, staring at the car with her eyes bulging.
Seamus walked out on the porch, took one look and turned back into the house. “I guess you were right. She’s really scaled back on the presents this year,” he said to Callie as he passed her. He nodded at her new bracelet. “Nice bauble.”
Callie turned to Brenna, “How? You two are never apart.”
“It’s amazing what you can order online nowadays,” Brenna said with a bright smile.
~~~
Rebecca took Brenna out for a drive after breakfast. She couldn’t even imagine what the car had cost, but she knew protestations were useless. The only acceptable answer when Brenna had one of her spasms of generosity was “Thank you.”
“It’s not brand new,” Brenna apologized, “they quit making them two years ago. The professor I dated for a while in college had one, and I loved it.”
The odometer showed seven thousand five hundred miles, and the car was in spotless condition. “I’m glad it’s not new. I don’t feel as guilty,” Rebecca said.
“I knew you’d kill me if I got you a super expensive car. But this one is rated as highly as some costing two or three times as much, and it’s a Honda, so it’ll be reliable.” Rebecca noticed that Brenna was practically drooling as they pulled out of the driveway and down the lane, heading out of the estate. “You can drive a clutch, right?” Brenna asked.
“Oh, yeah. I’ve never driven a six-speed before, though.”
They drove north toward Morgantown. After about half an hour, Brenna turned in her seat, “Let me drive.”
Succubus Rising, An Urban Fantasy (The Telepathic Clans Saga) Page 17