Disguised Enchantment

by S. Quinn McAfee

  It was mid-morning when Shannon finally awoke with a start to a terrible clatter. Bolting upright on the couch, a name automatically came to mind as her bemused eyes darted around the unfamiliar room. "Mattie?" she called out in an anxious voice.

  Ben peered at her through a row of wooden spindles dividing the living room from the small kitchen. "Sorry, it's only me," he announced and quickly retrieved a fallen skillet from the floor. "You were expecting someone else?"

  Shannon stared at his inquiring face as a flush of crimson flooded into hers. Her dream about the Marquis had been so realistic that it was only natural for her to think she had spent the night in his bed. Now, realizing the consequence of her outburst, she earnestly hoped she hadn't aroused his curiosity to the extent that he began asking questions. "No ... no, of course not," she laughed nervously. "I just forgot where I was for a moment, that's all. What are you doing out there any way?"

  "Why, fixing breakfast!" he huffed defensively. "Scrambled eggs all right with you?"

  "Yes, certainly," she replied shyly. "I-I never expected you to make breakfast for me though..."

  "Now that's just one of my many talents you don't know about yet. Stick around." He threw her a wink. "You might just find out some more. Coffee's ready now. Come on out and have some."

  Shannon meandered into the kitchen and seated herself on a stool at the counter while he poured the steaming liquid into mugs. The truth was she didn't care to learn about any of his talents. Last night's storm made it necessary for her to spend the night in his home, and even though it felt right partaking of his charming hospitality at the time, she knew she didn't belong here. Ben watched with increasing perplexity as she picked at the food on her plate in preoccupied silence.

  "Something wrong with the eggs?" he inquired jovially.

  "Oh-oh, no! They're fine! I guess I'm just not very hungry this morning."

  "Are you sure that's all?" he peered at her suspiciously. "You seem to be a million miles away, lost in thought somewhere."

  Shannon blushed at his astute perception. Yet lost in thought hardly described what was really going on inside her head. Her dream about the Marquis was more than just an adjunct of sleep. It was a sign. Sure evidence that their relationship was more than simple physical pleasure. She was truly meant to be in his life! An invisible, yet powerful bond existed between them, and she could not ignore destiny. Now, all she wanted to do was put an end to this meaningless date, go home, and figure out what to do next.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The Marquis stood by the window in his chamber staring down at the vacant parking lot. A series of storms from the Pacific had been battering the city for days, wreaking havoc on the daily lives of its citizens. Including the Chateau's business. He lingered a moment longer watching the desolate rain falling in the darkness then, expelling an equally desolate sigh, flopped down on the bed. It wasn't that he minded not having any clients. In fact, he preferred it because the freedom gave him the time to concentrate on Shannon as well as guaranteeing his availability should she choose to come back to him. He was so certain she had come to care for him the night they made love, and that it would only be a short time before she realized just how much she needed to be with him again. Yet two whole weeks had passed since then and still there was no sign of her. Now, her conspicuous absence forced him to concede that he may have been a bit hasty in his assumption. It was quite possible she wasn't as smitten with him as he hoped and would never return.

  Rising from the bed, he decided there was no use keeping the Chateau open any longer and quickly headed downstairs to lock up for the night. As he stepped into the foyer from the heart-shaped staircase, he heard the familiar swish of a long skirt. Seconds later, Mattie emerged from the shadows of the kitchen door shaking her head in disdain.

  "Saints preserve us," she groaned, inspecting the black leather harness-like apparatus hugging the thick muscles of his upper body. "I've seen nearly every outlandish costume you own, but that's got to be the naughtiest getup yet!"

  A slow, wicked grin spread across the Marquis' lips. What she couldn't see beneath the sexy, lace-up-the-side leather pants he wore was that the harness extended below his waist where an elaborate system of rings and straps encompassed his very prominent penis.

  "Aw, Mattie, you know me," he winked. "The naughtier the better."

  "Aye," she nodded with a throaty chuckle. "'Tis a pity, though. No one 'round here ta appreciate it tonight."

  "You've got that right," he scowled. "And exactly why there's no sense keeping this place open any longer. Go on up to bed, Mattie. I'll see to the candles in the parlor and arm the security system."

  "Good night then, lad," Mattie yawned, raising up on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek. "See ya in the mornin'."

  The Marquis watched her waddle off toward the staircase, and then headed down the hall to the small waiting room. Inside, the soft glow of the candles brought back memories of the first time Shannon had come to the Chateau. He remembered how extraordinarily beautiful she was and, too, how frightened. God! How he wished he'd been more sensitive, more discerning of the situation. Perhaps then he wouldn't be alone and miserable this night. With a heavy heart, he extinguished the candles and returned to the foyer. Quickly walking to the control panel for the mansion's security system, he punched in the corresponding code that instantly locked and armed the front gate. But as his fingers moved to set the remaining locks, a distinctive "click" of the front door latch interrupted him. Turning slightly, he glanced over his shoulder in time to see a small figure dart into the foyer. "I'm sorry. We're closing for the night," he called out politely.

  When the visitor did not respond, he stepped away from the panel into the candle lit hallway. The figure stood in the shadows just inside the doorway and slowly looked up at the sound of his footsteps. A sharp, in-drawn breath lodged in the Marquis' throat when he realized it was Shannon standing there, and he swiftly traversed the space between them in two strides. Tears mingled with the raindrops on her face and her eyes held a look of such torture and unbearable need it simply broke his heart.

  "Oh, God, Shannon," he groaned and swept her up in his arms, kissing her with slow, searching kisses deep inside her mouth.

  She clung to him, responding with little whimpers of ecstasy that conveyed the depth of her desire. Finally dragging his mouth from hers, he drew back and gazed down at her with hungry, imploring eyes. "Does this mean what I think it means, sweetheart?"

  Another tear trickled down her cheek as she nodded in reply. "I-I need you so much. Please, please make love to me."

  For a long moment, his passion-filled eyes burned into hers with a look that vowed absolute heaven. Then with her still in his arms, he strode back to the security panel and finished arming the system before carrying her upstairs to his chamber.

  Inside the room, the glow of a single candle greeted Shannon's misty eyes as he set her on her feet beside the bed. Timidly, her gaze drifted up over his sexy attire and settled on his masked face. A mere two months ago the hood incited absolute terror in her. Lately, though, it was having quite a different effect. Maybe it was the mystery and the seduction of the unknown it represented that enticed her, because now the hood had become a powerful aphrodisiac, and she found herself wanting him more and more. Letting him know those feelings, however, was entirely another matter. Not only was she too shy and too insecure, she didn't know how to begin to convey them to him.

  Sensing her inner turmoil, the Marquis pulled her into his arms. He understood her arousal and, while his voice was slightly mocking, he sought to encourage it. "It turns you on, doesn't it?" he whispered, holding her against the warm expanse of his chest.

  "I-I don't know what you're talking about," Shannon gulped, appalled that her emotions were so transparent.

  "Of course, you do," he chuckled, lifting her chin with the tip of his index finger.

  Cautiously, Shannon raised her eyes to his grinning visage, and then quickly glanced aw
ay. Just knowing he was aware of her secret flustered her so badly she couldn't bear to look at him.

  "You know you are really something else!" he laughed, hauling her back to him. "You've finally allowed yourself to have an erotic thought about me, and yet you've retreated into that shroud of shyness of yours because you don't know how to deal with it. Please don't withdraw from me," he murmured into the mass of silky, black hair on his shoulder. "You've finally discovered what I'm all about so just give in to it, sweetheart. Just let yourself enjoy the mask ... and the fantasy."

  The Marquis stepped away and undid the zipper of his leather breeches, revealing the rest of his provocative garb. Shannon's eyes widened in astonishment, then quickly filled with fear as she stared at his enormous phallus erotically enhanced by the taut leather straps and rings. She'd forgotten about his penchant for kinky costumes, but seeing the way he was dressed brought it back to her in spades, and she felt the romance of the evening slip away before her very eyes.

  Moving back to her, he lifted her chin, forcing her tear-filled eyes to meet his. "Don't be afraid, Shannon," he whispered. "The leather's part of the fantasy. It's not meant to frighten or hurt you. It's designed for pleasure, sweetheart--yours and mine."

  Spellbound by his blatant display of raw masculinity, she stood in mesmerized silence while he slowly undressed her and lifted her onto the bed. She watched breathlessly as he drew off his boots and disposed of the leather breeches before coming to the bed where he knelt upon the purple comforter. Slowly, seductively, his mouth lowered to the curve of one silken ankle. His eyes, stained black with passion, lifted to her flushed face as his tongue and lips blazed a fiery trail up over her leg, placing tantalizingly soft kisses on the velvety surface of her skin. A sharp gasp temporarily stilled the wild beating of her heart when he teasingly nipped the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh, then quickly burst forth in a ragged moan of pleasure as his fingers brushed aside the lacy crotch of her teddy and his head dipped to draw the soft, moist lobes of her labia into his mouth. Shannon fell back against the pillows and her breathing became erratic and shallow as his oral caresses carried her to the brink of orgasm.

  Finally, the Marquis raised up and pulled the wispy bit of material off over her hips and deposited it on the floor along with her sweater and jeans. Then climbing up on the bed behind her, he promptly set her between his legs. Shannon could feel the length of his insistent arousal pressing against the small of her back as he reached out to extinguish the candle burning on the bedside table. "Why-why are you making it so dark?" she asked in a trembling voice.

  "Don't tell me you're still afraid to be in the dark with me!" he grumbled affectionately.

  "N-no," she said tenuously. "I just thought you preferred candlelight."

  "Ordinarily, I do. But there's much to be said for the romantic combination of a rainy night and total darkness. It has a way of greatly enhancing ones senses. Even though we can't see each other, we can touch and talk, and that's what I want you to experience tonight. I want you to feel every little thing I do to you."

  Drawing her back against his chest, he lifted her onto one marbled thigh, allowing his huge, throbbing erection to spring up against the curve of her hip. Hesitantly, she reached down and ran her fingers over the entire length of him to the groove just beneath the tip. He groaned with the heavy ache her touch created in his scrotum, and she quickly withdrew her hand.

  "I-I didn't mean to hurt you," she said with alarm.

  "You did no such thing, sweetheart." His voice was low and raspy. "Be assured the only pain you could possibly cause me would be if you fail to continue what you started."

  Again her trembling fingers closed around him and slowly began moving up and down over the sensitive head. When she daringly bent and touched her lips to the velvety tip, her name erupted from deep inside his chest in a gush of sheer ecstasy. His obvious pleasure both amazed and excited her, inspiring her to go on kissing and stroking him. Even though the Marquis knew she wasn't experienced enough to realize the stimulating effect her small hand was having on him, he couldn't keep himself from slipping deeper and deeper into a kind of erotic heaven that he certainly couldn't let continue much longer if he was to pleasure her as well.

  Quickly pulling out of her grasp, he flipped her down on the bed, and glided smoothly into her. The taut leather straps and rings buckled around the base of his shaft intensified her already high state of arousal and she immediately cried out as a powerful orgasm washed over her. As soon as he heard her, he withdrew from her and reached for one of his condoms in the black lacquer box on the bedside table. With the aid of his teeth, he tore open the foil packet and, in one deft move, rolled it on. Then he was inside her again. His hands moved to her thighs and pulled them high around his waist enabling him to sink deeper into her. She clung to him, digging her fingers into the muscled flesh of his back as he began to stroke slowly, deliberately at first, and then with mounting speed as her pelvis thrust shamelessly against his begging for more. Somewhere deep inside, she felt a tiny spark ignite and burn with astounding intensity as the friction from the bumpy condom began to build to an unbearable level. Alarmed that she could experience another climax so soon after the first, she cried out in desperation.

  "Let go, Shannon," he ground out breathlessly. "Just let it take you."

  The orgasm swept her with such force her whole body convulsed with waves of exploding pleasure as they surged over her in varying degrees of intensity. She arched toward him and he bent down, fusing his mouth to hers. His blood boiled in his veins until he was dizzy with the need to move deeper and deeper inside her. Finally, no longer able to control his rising passion, he embraced the building pressure rapidly overtaking him and didn't stop until he was drained and empty. When his breathing had at last returned to normal, he rolled onto his side and drew her against his chest. Shannon's body felt warm all over and pleasantly languid as she curled into the crook of his arm. She felt his lips nuzzle the tip of her ear, but the three words he whispered went unheard as she peacefully drifted off to sleep.

  It was some hours later when the Marquis awoke to find Shannon gone from his bed. For a moment he feared she had dressed and sneaked away in the middle of the night. Then he saw her. She was standing by the window clad in his black robe, draperies pushed aside, peering out at the darkness. Relighting the candle on the bedside table, he rose and came to her, enfolding her in his bulging arms. She glanced at him shyly trying to hide the pink blushes that tinged her face in memory of the things they had done together. "It's stopped raining," she whispered awkwardly.

  He knew she needed affirmation. Assurance that what they shared together meant as much to him as it did to her. Gradually, his kisses and silly sweet nothings eroded away her bashfulness. "Come back to bed, sweetheart," he urged. "It won't be daylight for awhile yet."

  Shannon shook her head trying to avoid the twinkling light in his eyes that promised there were more delightful things in store for her. "I better go before someone sees me."

  "There's no need to worry about that," he parleyed. "This is Sunday. You can stay here the rest of the morning and attend the brunch with me. I would truly enjoy your company, and I'm sure the others would be delighted to see you again."

  "I really don't think that's a good idea," she frowned. "Perhaps you've forgotten about Marsha's tirade the last time I attended that little get-together, but I haven't. No. I'm not about to let myself in for that again ... besides," she peered at him through lowered lashes, "I'd prefer to keep our ... ah ... relationship discreet. If-if that's agreeable with you."

  "As you wish, Mademoiselle," he bowed majestically.

  Shannon blushed at the lusty expression in his eyes and quickly reached for her clothing still lying on the floor. Before she could escape into the bathroom, however, he snatched her off her feet into his arms. Instantly, she felt him rise hard and hot against her bare thigh.

  "I wish I could keep you imprisoned in this room and this bed for all et
ernity, but I suppose that's a bit presumptuous. Still, it's not a bad idea," he groaned.

  Shannon stared at him as if he'd suddenly gone mad.

  "Aw, Shannon, I'm only kidding," he laughed. "But not about this." Tenderly his lips took hers in a volley of open-mouthed, face-devouring kisses that left no doubt in her mind as to what he wanted to do to her.

  "I-I really ... mmmm ... should go before it ... mmmm ... it gets light," she insisted between kisses.

  Releasing a heavy exhale, he ceased his sensuous assault and relented. "Ohh, all right," he scowled. "I'll let you go for now ... But remember. If--no--when you want me again, you know where I am. Day or night." Deliberately, he let her slide down over his hard body before setting her back on the floor.

  When Shannon emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, she was relieved to see that he again donned the leather breeches and boots he had so amply filled out earlier. She smiled shyly as he came to her and put his arm around her shoulders, briefly hugging her to him.

  "I'll go down with you and unlock the doors and gate ... make sure you get out okay." At the bottom of the stairs, he guided her into the foyer where he quickly disarmed the security system, then drew her into his arms. "Are you sure you're going to be all right for the rest of the night?"

  "I'll be fine," she assured him, pressing a kiss to her fingertips and gently touching them to his lips.

  "You take care then, sweetheart ... and please don't forget what I said."

  "Never," she smiled and slowly withdrew her hand from his possessive grip.

  Outside, Shannon walked to her car not feeling the cool dampness of the early morning air. Her thoughts and heart sang with the incredible magic she had shared with the Marquis, and she was totally oblivious to everything else in the entire world. Including the enraged, pale blue eyes of a certain redhead who watched her from the front seat of the Mercedes parked in the shadows just outside the gates.