Fiendish Play

by Angela Richardson

  “Well now that I’m a president, I made it a condition of my presidency that I not give up any of my sculpting work. At the moment I’m doing a set of sculptures for some rich socialite here in London. I’m pretty sure she’s connected to our group, but it’s become the perfect excuse to fly here a couple times a month. Should take me quite a long time to finish my work. I’ll need to take lots and lots of trips to London I believe.”

  “Oh...is that so?” I straddled Liam and began playing with the buttons on his shirt. He eyed me hungrily as I pretended to undo them one by one. I could feel him grow hard in his pants underneath me. “I think it might take more time than that to complete such complicated and detailed sculptures...maybe years and years.”

  Liam pulled me down so my breasts grazed his face. He kissed my chest now, and I moaned into his ears. “Yes, years and years and years. That sounds about right.” He breathed hard. It was going to be torturous to wait until tonight.

  His hand smoothed up my thigh, brushing over my white stockings. “You...look...gorgeous in this Delia...really. You always manage to take my breath away. With...and without clothes.”

  “Well, thank you good sir. I kind of like what you’ve got going on under this shirt.” I smoothed my hands under his shirt, running my fingers over his abs one by one. Liam was a sculptor but lifting all those heavy materials and using those machines had given him one hell of a builder’s body.

  Liam’s eyes rolled back, relishing in my touch and then they darted to the door. “You know...that was quite the performance you put on when we came in...Very convincing.”

  Now that Liam had accepted his chapter’s presidency, he was allowed to choose his pleasure. He even staked a claim on me, making sure no other leaders had access. Like he had picked his favorite toy to own and play with. Technically none of us could be claimed, but if presidents did a good job, the higher ups allowed certain exceptions. Liam had made sure he had done enough bowing down to their commands to secure me as his own. He had just told them that he liked the way I did things. How I never complained, no matter how rough he got.

  I bit my lip mischievously. “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.” I sat up on the bed, and started screaming out loud, “OH YEAH! THAT’S IT! HARDER! OH MY GOD! IT’S HURTING! THAT’S RIGHT, I WANT IT — HURT ME!”

  Liam pulled me down and against his chest, trying not to laugh. “Nice touch throwing in the hurting part. You know they love it when we get all aggressive.”

  “I’d like to thank the academy,” I said proudly, pushing up from his chest. He quickly slipped his hands under my arms and began tickling me. I rolled onto his chest again, this time squealing and squirming in fits of laughter. “Liam! Stop...” I tried desperately to push his hands away, “Stop!”

  Liam suddenly went quiet, his face turning serious. He flipped me onto my back taking me by complete surprise. I pushed the laughter down my throat, a weird feeling that something was wrong as he gazed hard at my face. “What’s wrong?” I whispered, feeling way too exposed. I had become such a different person since meeting Liam. I used to be so disconnected to all kinds of emotions before he was escorted into my world. Now, I experienced certain emotions like it was the very first time. Each one more heightened than the next. I had become sensitive to feelings of the heart. I even found myself tearing up the other day while I watched an old couple holding hands in the park. Who the fuck was I now?

  I swallowed seeing the fear in his eyes, like what he was about to say would hurt the both of us. My heart was dangling on a thread in front of Liam’s face. With one swift snip, he could easily snap it off. I didn’t realize until that moment how much power I had already given to him. How easy it was for him to have that kind of control. I knew why of course. And there was nothing I could do about it, no matter my inner strength and resolve. Some things, once opened, can’t be closed.

  He swallowed too. “This is going to be painful,” I thought. He’s going to break my heart. Tell me that we can’t continue like this. That he had been promised to another. I knew what we had was too good to be true. I knew it wouldn’t last. Because nothing is real. Nothing is as it seems. It’s just lies, covered in layers and layers of storybook dreams. Then in the second that I thought Liam was about to end my heart and destroy my soul, a tiny little grin formed, and I found myself choking out a relieved sound as my insane insecurity subdued. There is only one reason a man looks at you like that. Like you are his reason for breathing, and I knew then, what was about to follow.

  “Delia Weston...” he paused, “I’m in love with you.”

  I blinked rapidly, taking in what he said, knowing now why he needed a minute to say those words. Why he struggled to get them out. I knew that to fall in love in our world meant you had a lot more to lose. It was no wonder he feared saying it. But I didn’t care, because for the first time in my life, I was happy in my heart — even if it would never be free.

  “Liam...” I paused too, taking a second to find my own courage. “I’m very much in love with you too.”

  He softened his gaze and let out air he must have been holding in. He knew the same thing about what our love meant. Our thoughts were in sync. To be with him, to have a future together, would mean that I would have to give up my role here in London. I would have to abandon my quest to bring them down from the inside where I had access to information and secrets. Liam knew what I wanted to do. How I had sought out others like us wanting to put together a new group that wanted to break down these walls and fight against this way of life. How I had seen files of members who fit the profile of would-be traitors and could possibly become allies to our cause. I had scanned profiles of members all the way in New York who, on paper, looked like they were doing the same thing. People who secretly wanted to go against the Lappell. Working against them. Hiding important information. They just needed a leader, and support to do it. The time was coming...I could feel it. I owed it to my family, my brothers and myself to not let it go.

  But then there was Liam. He represented a life that I could fill with love. A life I never thought was a possibility for me. Hell, I might even be happy with him, but how long would that happiness last in the Lappell? Years? Months? Days? Seconds? I would never know. It would be borrowed time.

  So where do we go from here?

  {13}

  JAMES

  After the night of the race, two notable changes occurred. One, Anais gave me her cell number and told me I could call her whenever I wanted. She also appeared on my doorstep sporadically throughout the week, leading to some hot and heavy make-out sessions on my work desk in the third bedroom.

  And two, the offers from secret societies continued to roll in. Apparently I was some kind of celebrity in those circles. But in my opinion, it seemed a little too much — this type of attention I mean, but I suppose sending back the Viper and not trying to finish initiation with the Lappell was some kind of kick in the balls for them. I was known as the rebel from France who had won a race for the Lappell and basically told them to go “fuck themselves”. But for the record, that’s not exactly how it went down. Byron had requested I meet him on campus to give me my next task for initiation. He was holding a blow torch and ten meters of rope when I arrived. When he handed them to me with a piece of paper noted with instructions, I dropped them at his feet, along with the key to the car, said “whoops,” shrugged my shoulders and walked away. I guess that’s as good as a ‘fuck you,’ especially since there were people watching it all go down at the time. What can I say? I’m a man of few words, and when I do have something to say, I make it count.

  But my rejection of the Lappell was like adding fuel to the fire for the other secret societies. They all wanted to throw it in their face by trying to coax me into their own fold. I guess it was for their amusement. The only problem for all of them, including the Lappell, was that I was not for sale. I couldn’t be convinced. Couldn’t be told what to do. And the fact I showed so much resistance just seemed to turn Anais on even
more. It was like an aphrodisiac the more she saw me say no to every society that gave me an offer. I wasn’t complaining about her reaction, that’s for damn sure. And on top of that, she had finally agreed to let me take her out on my motorbike. I even bought Anais her own helmet for the momentous event.

  “Who are you James Riley?” Anais said shaking her head as I turned off my motorbike’s engine. I leaned back onto the seat of the bike admiring her tight fitted jeans and pale blue blouse. The blue made her big brown eyes look even darker in the late afternoon glow. She was the picture of natural beauty as she stood out the front of her mansion’s double doors. I was slowly, slowly, getting closer to being invited inside. And yes, the double meaning was not lost to me.

  “I don’t understand your question Anais. I thought we had already established our identities. Because I’ve spent all week snuggled up to a very hot brunette who keeps appearing on my doorstep late at night...”

  She punched me playfully on the shoulder while I sat on my bike.

  “That’s not what I meant. C’mon James. You...I mean you...just you...” she said pointing, “...saved me from those two big guys. You won our annual society race. You impressed every group from here to the next county…and you’re probably going to become a world famous sculptor. And on top of all that, you look like…” her hand waved up and down, “like…like this.” She walked forward and nudged my jacket, hungrily staring at the tight black shirt hugging my chest underneath. “I mean seriously...are you too good to be true? Are you some kind of perfect hot-guy-cyborg?”

  “God, you make me sound like some kind of super hero Anais…now…” I said playfully reaching into my jacket pocket, putting on my sunglasses and holding out my hand. “Come with me if you want to live.” I used my best Terminator voice. I’m pretty sure I pulled it off, even with the slight Australian slash French accent. Anais almost fell over laughing. She swiped my hand away.

  “I’m being serious James. What don’t I know?”

  “Anais look…” I said in my best ‘serious’ voice. “I’m just a boy…standing in front of a girl…telling her I…OWWW!” She punched me hard in the shoulder this time, more in frustration because she still had a big smile on her face. Damn — that smile got me every time.

  “Quit it with the movie lines!” Anais demanded. The girl even stomped her foot. I smirked at her trying to get angry, but she looked frustrated, happy…sweet. She couldn’t get angry at me even if she tried.

  “What do you want me to say Anais? I am who I am. Is it unusual for someone to be so confident and sure about themselves? To want to look out for others. To not want to sacrifice who I am and what I want to do...for anything? Is it really that unusual not to be seduced by these people? These groups?”

  “Yeah James…it is.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “Well then...I guess you have a thing for an unusual kind of guy.”

  Anais tilted her head, and then picked up her messenger bag that was leaning against her foot. She hung the strap so it crossed her body and then walked up behind my back and climbed onto my bike. “Yeah…I guess I suppose I do, don’t I?” She gave me a quick peck on the cheek like it was nothing but meant everything.

  I handed her the spare helmet I had brought for our date and helped adjust it on her head. She shifted herself behind me until she felt comfortable and then put her hands firmly around my waist. I don’t know if it was just the moment…here, now…or if it was because her hands were on my body…but it all felt so…right. Perfect even. I never knew that you could connect with someone like this. Like their touch was all you needed to make everything fall into place. I wanted our stories to combine now, for as long as the pages of time would turn, and even then, I was sure it wouldn’t be enough. I was finally starting to feel that I belonged somewhere, because I had found someone who made the background fade away. The place didn’t matter anymore; it was the person who changed the game.

  I took her to the outskirts of the town, getting lost on some of the winding roads near the lake and the woods. I didn’t think feeling this free and lost to the world around me could be any better…until now. We kept driving until dusk set in, finding ourselves far from Cloverley and the watchful eyes of the Lappell. In the twilight, we took the blanket I had packed, and set it out on a field so we could both lay down and watch the stars bring the night to life. There was no better feeling than Anais lying on my chest, with nothing but the sounds of the insects and the beating of our hearts.

  “You look so beautiful in the moonlight,” I said in admiration as I played with the edge of her blouse that was like a gateway to her jeans. My eyes skimming the flashes of skin from her stomach as I lifted the edge of the shirt even more. The field in which we had laid was not far from the woods. The trees rustling in the breeze sounding like some scratchy symphony playing just for us. I loved that we were its audience under the full moon and starry sky.

  Anais pushed up so she was leaning back on the palms of her hands. Her face changed again. She was letting her fear seep through. More doubt. More insecurity. I could tell she wasn’t used to being happy. Wasn’t used to letting her mind and body go. Her brain fought with her heart because it always had to.

  “James, I know in the moonlight I might look pretty…I might look innocent. But do you see what’s around me?…I’m still surrounded by the dark. And you need to understand that is my life. The darkness. That represents the world of the Lappell and who I am. Don’t let the moonlight fool you into thinking I belong in its radiance…because there is a part of me that has been damaged because of them. I still don’t know who I really am and what I’m capable of. I know I’m not a saint…and I’m not a sinner. I’m just a lone virgin philosopher who’s lost somewhere in between.”

  “A lone virgin philosopher,” I mused, thinking about the label she gave herself. “I like that. But you should know Anais that ‘lone virgin philosophers’ are my favorite kind of girls.”

  She laughed once more, staring off into the distance, trying her best to remain remote.

  “And you know what else I think?” Her eyes met mine. “I think you are the moonlight…because even the moonlight needs darkness to shine.”

  A small sound came out of her mouth. I kept going, doing my best to convince her of my feelings and how special she was to me. “You know, there’s something about you that feels likes it’s untouched, and I’m not just talking about your virginity. Perhaps it’s just the way you make me feel, or that when you speak to me and look into my eyes, everything seems to have more clarity in how I see my life. You’re the kind of girl that makes my soul feel exposed…vulnerable. And it’s disarming the effect you have on me. I don’t understand it and honestly I don’t want to. I don’t think anyone is supposed to understand it. But I’ve never felt more happy about being scared and knowing that you are the reason for it. I just want to cherish it wholeheartedly and see where it goes. Don’t you?”

  “You really do have an artist’s soul James. The way you see the world...and me.” She leaned forward and kissed my lips. “But that’s it. I’ve found it.”

  I started to trail kisses up her arm to the nape of her neck. “What, pray tell, have you found?” I whispered into her soft skin.

  “What’s wrong with you? Your weakness...your imperfection.”

  “Oh really? My imperfection? Alright, please tell me oh-wise-lone-virgin-philosopher-who-speaks-the-truth...what’s wrong with me?”

  She giggled at my choice of words. “You trust too quickly. You see what you want to see. I mean what if I’m just like Byron and Deacon? And you just don’t know it. What if you’re only allowing yourself to see the best of me and not the worst? What if I’m playing you? Manipulating you? Using you? How can you be so sure of me...when...when I’m not even sure of myself?”

  Damn the Lappell for making her see herself this way. Damn the fear they’ve instilled inside her and damn the insecurity they’ve forced her to feel. I cupped her cheek, wanting to touch her skin,
and to reassure her that what I was saying was true. “No one is perfect Anais. But I see you, inside and out. And these bad sides you hint at...this dark mysterious untrustworthy girl that you’re warning me about...I think she’s just a defense mechanism...a big ol’ scare tactic you’re trying to use to push me away. I know you are scared to get really close to me because if I do, I get close to the dangerous world you’re in. So you’re purposely putting up walls to push me far, far away.”

  “Is it working?”

  “No...Why? Do you really want it to work?”

  She tilted her head considering my question only for a second. “No...I don’t. I don’t ever want to push you away.” Anais got to her feet so she was looking down at my face as I lay on the blanket. “But James, if you say you can really see me…then you should see all of me.” Then slowly, very slowly, she began to remove her blouse. And just like that, her walls began to come down. Wait, I’m sorry, I’ll be more specific. It wasn’t just her walls, but her clothes too. First her blouse, then her jeans, then her bra. I looked up to see perfect small round breasts saying hello to me from above. Her nipples hard from the chilly night air. She held her gaze, looking down to me to watch my reaction. I moved in slow motion, getting to my knees. My hand around her waist. My thumb resting in the thin waist band of her white cotton panties.

  “Like what you see so far?” she asked softly. Her hands went into my hair, tugging at my scalp.

  “Get down on your knees,” I instructed her, a deep primal voice coming from my throat. I was suddenly every bit a man with needs. She lowered her body so her knees went to the ground. Her soft white breasts brushing against my face. I caught her body before she could get to her knees and she shuddered in surprise as I held her mid-kneel, and took one of her nipples in my mouth. Her head fell backwards as I sucked sensually and played with her nipple with my tongue. Her breath became fast and warm against my head. Her panting changed into a moan as I continued my assault on her chest.