Turned Innocence

by Mara Lee

  Since meeting Sheridan, Xethre longed to try the more human approach to … life—he almost choked over that last thought. For Sheridan, he was using this ridiculously outdated piece of machinery, feeling overwhelmingly inept and stupid.

  “Woo her?” he repeated stupidly.

  Sophie’s laughter was rich sounding even through the connection of the phone line. “Oh, don’t scowl, Xethre. Yes, I know you’re scowling. Stop it. I just find it amusing that you, Mr. always-in-control-you, don’t know how to woo a woman.”

  Xethre frowned. “I know how to woo a woman,” he muttered.

  “Just not your woman,” Sophie shot back.

  Xethre growled. Damn Sophie and her incredible sense of perception. He had been more than a little perturbed when he had woken, only to find Sheridan gone from his bed. It was only when he had left his bedroom and made himself comfortable in his sitting room that he had realized what an idiot he had been.

  Had he expected Sheridan to sleep all day? He was vampire, she was not. Of course she would have woken before him. And he wouldn’t have been surprised if she had been scared as hell to find herself stuck in a tomb with a dead man. He hadn’t thought of the dark, or of how she would feel to wake in the dark, when he had placed her in his bed. He had only wanted to see her laid out on his sheets. He had only wanted to feel her body close to his. He had only wanted to breathe in the scent of her hair and let her sweet breaths lull him to sleep.

  He was an insensitive cad.

  “Yoo hoo, darling, are you still with me?” Sophie asked.

  “Yes,” he muttered.

  “Remember how upset Ethenia was when she found out she was Lothos’ amouratesh? I believe it would have gone easier on Lothos if he had wooed her before revealing to her the nature of their relationship. Of course, he didn’t have the luxury of time … you do. You know what Sheridan is to you. You have the time to court her properly.”

  “Sometimes I wonder if you were not meant to be born in an earlier time, Sophie,” Xethre said.

  Sophie laughed. “All women want to be courted, Xethre, it doesn’t matter what time, or what woman. All women want to feel special. All women want to feel honored.” Sophie’s voice lowered and grew deeper. “If you show her what she means to you … you will capture her completely.”

  Capture Sheridan? Xethre stilled. Did he wish to capture her? No, no, that wasn’t right, he didn’t wish to capture her—he wished to love her. Oh God. He loved her.

  “Oh, Xethre,” Sophie cried.

  He could hear the tears in the voice.

  “Oh … I am so happy for you. You love her. You love this girl.”

  Xethre felt a continent size lump in his throat. When had it happened? When had he fallen in love?

  “Does it matter when?” Sophie’s question rang in his head.

  Xethre dropped the phone. He answered Sophie’s question telepathically. “I fear, Sophie…”

  “What do you fear?”

  “I fear … love.”

  Sophie’s presence in his mind was soothing, comforting. She was ever the best of friend. “Love is fear, Xethre. But it is also acceptance.”

  Xethre swallowed. “I have no practice with it.”

  “I know, I know. But who does?”

  “The living.” Xethre said.

  Sophie sighed. Her presence in his mind grew sharper. She was chastising him—mentally. “Don’t be an ass, Roistkauff.”

  Xethre smiled. His Sophie was annoyed. She NEVER called him by his last name.

  “Life is not a prerequisite to love. We have been created to love, Xethre. All things are, in their bounty, love.”

  “You are magii, you are intrinsically bound to the earth. Sophie, you would think that.”

  Sophie sighed. “Xethre, to love is to err; we are all vulnerable, even more so when we are in love. But vulnerability is wonderful. We are never more alive than when we allow ourselves to be open to the possibility of pain. If you let yourself feel, you will not be led astray. That heart you dismissed so long ago … it may not beat … but it can feel.”

  “How is it that I have lived so much longer and yet you are so much wiser?” As always, he was in awe of Sophie’s ability to gauge, perceive and solve almost anything that came her way. She was truly a wonder.

  Sophie’s laughter was a fine musical instrument. It played in his head like chiming bells. “The magii have been gifted with the knowledge of Mother Earth. We are born to perceive, it is only natural, Xethre.”

  “But I am not. Natural, that is.”

  “Oh, do get over your hang-ups, we don’t have time for such nonsense.”

  He laughed. “Thank you, Sophie.”

  “No, thank you.”

  “What for?”

  “If you can find your soul-mate, there is hope for me.” Sophie disconnected her mental path and was gone from his head.

  Xethre sighed. Soul mate. Love. Such things were foreign to him. But so death had been, long ago, and he had learned—learned death. He could learn about love.

  * * * *

  Sheridan wrinkled her nose and slapped the offending hand away. God, this was a disaster. She had accepted a gig at Sharkey’s, a small restaurant-slash-bar in a less than upstanding part of town, in a fit of desperation. Oh, she knew she could have found something better, but could she have found it this fast? She was nearly broke. So she had taken the first job she could find. Bad move Duskul. She chided herself.

  “It gets better.” Angela said, handing Sheridan a cool drink. Angela was a pretty cocktail waitress, the first to befriend Sheridan when she started on the job.

  Sheridan gave Angela a grateful smile and accepted the drink. “Does it?”

  “Yeah. You get used to it.”

  Sheridan eyed the rowdy crowd. “I don’t know.”

  Angela laughed. “They’re harmless. Annoying, but harmless. I think of them as octopi,” she waved her hands, “You know, eight arms and all.” She grinned. “When one tries to latch onto me, I spear him.” She demonstrated her point by bringing up her knee.

  Sheridan laughed. “Go for the crotch, right?”

  Angela winked. “Exactly.”

  “Ugh, I don’t want to go back up.”

  “Only a couple more hours left.” Angela smiled. “You’re the brightest thing in this dingy place, Sheridan. I’m so glad that moron finally took our advice and hired a singer.”

  The moron that Angela referred to was Jerry Young, their idiot boss. Okay, maybe she was being ungenerous. Jerry wasn’t an idiot … just a little dense. She was amazed he was able to run a bar. She would have thought a hot dog stand was more his speed.

  “Thanks, Angela. You’re sweet.” Sheridan sighed. “Okay, back to hell I go.”

  * * * *

  Sheridan exited the stage and wiped her brow. Yuck. She was hot and sweaty and probably smelly to boot.

  “Hey, baby.” This came from a drunken patron who grabbed her ass as she passed by. Since he was sitting, Sheridan couldn’t get to his crotch. She opted instead to smack him across his face with the palm of her hand. Perhaps it was less painful, but it had the desired affect. The man let her go and reeled back.

  “Touch me again and I’ll cut off your fingers, asshole.” Sheridan said with a smile on her face. “I know where the kitchen is and I’m handy with a knife.” She strode briskly away.

  “Saw that.” Angela came to sit by Sheridan.

  Sheridan rubbed her weary eyes.

  “Maybe this’ll help.” Angela thrust a huge bouquet of fragrant flowers out at Sheridan.

  Sheridan groaned. “Please, if they’re from Mr. Smells like a dumpster…”

  Angela laughed. “Who’s Xethre?”

  Sheridan snatched the bouquet from Angela. She read the card. Not nearly as sweet as you. Always your admirer, Xethre.

  She frowned. Always your admirer? That wasn’t exactly a declaration of undying love. Of course, did she really want a declaration of undying love? Sheridan smelled the swe
et blooms and couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. They were beautiful.

  “Okay, so spill. Who is Xethre?” Angela’s face sparkled with interest.

  “A guy,” Sheridan answered slyly.

  Angela rolled her eyes. “Obviously. Details, I want details.”

  Sheridan laughed. She hadn’t known Angela more than a couple of days and yet it felt like forever. She hadn’t made many friends in the city. Work and stress kept her social life pretty limited. She was glad she had opened herself up enough to make friends with Angela.

  “I met him at my last gig.”

  “Musician?” Angela grimaced. It was obvious that she shared Sheridan’s opinion of musicians.

  Sheridan laughed. “No, definitely not a musician.”

  “What does he do?”

  Sheridan opened her mouth to answer and stopped abruptly. What did Xethre do? She really had no idea. Okay, so he was a vampire. That didn’t tell her what he did. Was he a professional vampire? Was there even such a thing as a professional vampire? Yipes. “Actually, I don’t know what he does.”

  Angela clucked her tongue. “Naughty, naughty, you didn’t bother to ask, before you hopped in the sack with him?” Angela grinned slyly. “You did sleep with him, didn’t you?”

  Sheridan’s face turned bright red.

  Angela laughed. “Question answered. So, where does he live?”

  Sheridan gave Angela Xethre’s address.

  Angela whistled. “Nice neighborhood.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, he’s obviously not broke.”

  “I wouldn’t care if he was,” Sheridan said. The moment the words were out she knew they were true. She wouldn’t care if Xethre were broke. He was Xethre. Xethre with the amazing eyes, and cool and classic face. Xethre with his voice so soft, lulling and caressing. Xethre who made her laugh, and shiver and moan in ecstasy. Xethre that she—

  Whoa. She had to stop the direction of those thoughts. Sheridan smiled down at the bouquet. It was nice of him.

  “Hello, little one.” Xethre’s voice caressed the back of Sheridan’s ear.

  Sheridan gasped. She turned her head and found Xethre was standing directly behind her.

  Angela’s eyes were wide and her mouth was gaping open.

  Sheridan swallowed. She hadn’t even heard him come up behind her. Then again, the bar was so loud a herd of stampeding elephant could run through and she probably wouldn’t hear them.

  “Hi, Xethre.”

  Xethre’s brilliant blue eyes swept the recesses of the bar. The scowl on his face told her more than anything how little he approved of her choice of jobs. “This place is not suitable.”

  Sheridan’s eyebrows rose. “Excuse me?”

  “This place is not suitable. It is worse than that last place you worked at.”

  “It’s not bad.” Sheridan said stiffly.

  “No, it’s worse.”

  Sheridan narrowed her eyes. She opened her mouth to give Xethre a piece of her mind when Angela hopped between them, holding out her hand.

  “Hi, I’m Angela.”

  The scowl melted off of Xethre’s face to be replaced by a gracious, beatific smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Angela. I am Xethre. Your name is lovely, almost as lovely as you are.” Xethre brought Angela’s hand to his lips and kissed it.

  Angela, cool, composed Angela, blushed like a schoolgirl. “Oh, well, I … it’s lovely, I mean…” she broke off in nervous giggles.

  Sheridan rolled her eyes. Oh pu-leeze. “You’ve never kissed my hand,” Sheridan muttered under her breath.

  Xethre leaned over to whisper in Sheridan’s ear. “But I’ve kissed other such delectable places, little one.”

  Sheridan swallowed. Oh boy.

  “Now, I believe we should leave this place,” Xethre said sternly.

  Sheridan nodded. “Well, yeah, my set is done, so I’m through for the night. But I have to come back tomorrow evening.”

  Xethre’s mouth tightened. “We’ll see,” he said softly.

  Sheridan scowled at Xethre. “There’s nothing to ‘see’ about. But if you want to duke it out, we can do that. I could use a good argument. Helps me let off steam.” She turned to Angela. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Angela nodded. Her eyes were still bright and filled with pleasure. Her face was still flushed from meeting and being in Xethre’s oh-so-charming presence. “Uh, yeah, see you tomorrow.”

  Sheridan tried not to gag. Could anyone keep their cool around Alexethre Roistkauff? She saw the goofy grins gracing every female face in the bar and sighed heavily—obviously not.

  * * * *

  “This is not comfortable,” Sheridan muttered—face staring squarely at Xethre’s wall. She pulled at the manacles that held her hands so fiercely. Her hands were manacled to the wall in front of her. Her legs were free but she had to hunch over to accommodate her hands.

  “It is not meant to be comfortable, little one.” Xethre came to stand behind her. “It is meant to be disquieting…”

  “Yeah, well it is that.” Sheridan scowled. She had accepted this position—actually she had been rather eager to try it. But now, now she wasn’t so certain if it had been a good idea. She was feeling rather discombobulated.

  Sheridan and Xethre had made their way back to his home. He had opened the trap door in his floor and beckoned Sheridan in. After a moment of hesitation she had followed him. She was pleased to see that the room was now illuminated in mellow candlelight.

  It was a large room—a large, stone room. It looked like a tomb. Okay, a nicely furnished tomb. In the center of the room Xethre’s massive bed dominated. It was round, the bed was round, and it was elevated high off of the ground by a platform. There was a large full-length mirror near the bed and a beautiful oak dresser. But what caught Sheridan’s attention was the far wall of the tomb.

  There were manacles on the wall. And hooks that held some very interesting … objects. Objects that made Sheridan’s stomach quiver.

  Xethre had looked at her questioningly, obviously surprised by her interest in his ‘toys’.

  But to Sheridan, who had never seen such things, his ‘toys’ were supremely intriguing.

  So, here she was, chained to the wall, feeling, as Xethre said—disquieted.

  “Now, you need only tell me, if there is something that you do not like … little one.” Xethre smoothed his hand down her hair. He rubbed the silken threads and wrapped them around his hands. She had the most incredible hair, so long, so lush … so unbelievably soft to the touch.

  Xethre moved her hair and kissed the side of her neck. He ran his hand lovingly down the plane of her ass and squeezed.

  “What … what are you going to do?” Sheridan’s voice quivered only so slightly.

  Xethre smiled against her skin. “I’m going to prime you, my dear.”

  “Prime me?”

  Xethre nodded. He moved his fingers between her thighs and urged her without words to open. She did. “Yes, you must be prepared for what I’m going to do, little one. When your body is so tight you feel pleasure will seep from every pore … then I will bring you to a plane you never knew existed.”

  Sheridan swallowed. Well, that sounded … intense.

  Xethre began to rub the lips of her pussy. She grew moist almost immediately. He slipped one thick finger into her tight, wet, passage and began to rotate it.

  She moaned.

  Xethre grinned. “So ready, so soon. Well, we are not nearly there yet.” He dropped to his knees, parted Sheridan’s legs, and blew gently against her. He smiled when she shivered. She was beautiful, her pussy was beautiful. It was plump and pink and shiny with her dew. He parted her pussy lips with his fingers and licked her slit from top to bottom. Juice dripped on his tongue and he rolled it around his mouth, savoring it. She was so receptive, so incredibly hot.

  Xethre stiffened his tongue and speared it within her hot, wet, tunnel. He learned her, lapping at her soft, silky, fl
esh and sucking her in. When she began to squirm and pant he quickened the thrusts of his tongue, pushing it as far as he could. He consumed her. Her pussy began to tighten around his tongue and she cried out. He removed his tongue from her needy flesh, ignoring her pleas.

  “Yessss…” he hissed. Xethre picked up the candle he had placed earlier by his side and blew out the flame. He rolled the wax around once before tilting the candle and dripping the hot liquid down her back.

  Sheridan screamed in pleasure. Her skin was alive with sensation, all of it intense. Each spark went straight to her pussy, making her burn inside. She was on fire. She gasped as another bit of hot wax hit her back. Her body began to shake and she let out a ragged moan. “Oh my God!” Sheridan ground her teeth together.

  Suddenly she felt pressure against the puckered ring of her ass. She stiffened.

  Xethre’s voice was soothing against her ear. He dripped more wax down her back and when she arched in pleasure he inserted an inch of his thick finger into her anus.

  They moaned in unison.

  “Ohhhhh … ohhhhhhh…” Sheridan dropped her head back.

  Xethre pushed deeper, and when she relaxed he added the tip of a second finger. She was tight. She was so damned tight. He nipped the flesh below her ear and ran his tongue across the sweaty skin. She was writhing against his fingers now. Begging him, begging him with her body to take more. Xethre was delighted to comply with the needs of her body, the needs of both their bodies.

  Xethre took a small item down from a low hanging hook and rolled it lovingly around in his hand. It was a small ball. Attached to the ball was a string of tiny pearls. He smiled. “Are you ready, my love?” He didn’t wait for a response. He dipped the ball between her legs—her pussy took it in immediately. He rolled the ball around delicately within her eager flesh. She was gasping and arching her hips desperately.

  “It feels…” Sheridan couldn’t finish.

  Xethre smiled. “I know how it feels, my love … but there is more…” He pulled at the string of pearls and the ball slid out of her pussy. Within seconds the ball was at her anus—pushing, begging entrance.