by Vivi Anna
The living room was no longer a normal room. Instead of the elegant furniture, expensive rug, mahogany tables and mantle over the fireplace, there were several small round wooden tables scattered around the room, chairs occupied with various types of people. In the corner was a raised stage. On it was a band playing some electrifying sounds, and at the microphone was a beautiful black woman in a long red gown with a voice so smoky and hot that Kiara could feel the little hairs on her arms sizzle.
The sounds, the smells, the taste in the air enveloped Kiara and she nearly swooned from the excitement of it all.
She’d complained earlier she couldn’t go out and see New Orleans, so Malvo had brought New Orleans to her.
He was there in the midst of the room, dressed in pressed black pants and a maroon silk shirt. When he saw her, he grinned that saucy grin of his and moved toward her, a single red rose clamped between his fingers.
“I canna believe this,” she said when he’d neared her.
“Believe it, chère. It’s as real as you want it to be.”
She looked around in amazement. It was exactly as she’d pictured it would be. She glanced down at herself, picking at the white T-shirt she was still wearing. “I’m not dressed properly.”
Still grinning, Malvo waved his hand over her. Like a mirage, her shirt wavered then vanished. In its place was a short black strapless dress that hugged her figure firmly. She gasped in delight and smiled at him. He was an enigma. One minute he was angry and thinking her useless and the next he was doing one of the kindest, most romantic things any man had ever done for her.
“Wow. This is spectacular.”
He snapped the rose bud off the stem, and leaning toward her, nestled it into her hair by her ear. “It’s you that’s spectacular.” He took her hand and kissed the back.
Heat traveled up her body and warmed her insides. She was extremely charmed by him. “But I thought I was useless,” she said, his last remarks still lingering in her mind.
He shook his head. “Never useless. I was angry and frustrated, but should never have taken it out on you. I hope you will accept my apology.”
The sweet sexy sounds of the saxophone hit her ear and the smell of shrimp and spices hit her nose. She forgave him all right. How could she not when he brought everything she wanted to see and hear and taste in New Orleans right to her with a wave of his hand.
“Are you hungry?”
She nodded, her stomach rumbling in agreement.
Tucking her hand onto his arm, he led her to a table in the dark corner away from the people he conjured mingling about. He pulled out her chair, she sat, and he tucked it in for her. He then sat opposite of her.
There were two wine glasses on the table and Malvo tapped them both with the tip of his index finger. They both filled with red wine. “This wine is over a hundred years old.”
“Thank you.” She picked up her glass and took a sip. The wine was tart and spicy. It was a good taste.
“I thought you would appreciate some authentic Cajun cooking so I ordered us some crawfish, red beans and rice. I know it sounds simple, but trust me there is no better than food from the south.”
“It sounds delicious.”
And with that, the meal materialized from vapor in front of her to sit appetizingly on a large plate. The scent reached her nose and saliva pooled in her mouth. It smelled heavenly.
He picked up her fork, shoveled it into the bean and rice concoction and brought it to her mouth. She opened and he fed it to her. The second it hit her tongue an explosion of delectable spicy flavors filled her. She nearly rolled her eyes back in her head from the ecstasy saturating her mouth.
“Oh dear Lord, that’s good.”
“It only gets better.”
And it did. After eating the entire meal and drinking three glasses of wine, Kiara felt better than she had in her entire life. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been as filled with joy as she was right now sitting in a smoky jazz club with a beautiful sexy man. Yeah, the club was fake and yeah the man was a demon but hell, she was enjoying it.
After all the food was eaten and the wine drunk, Malvo stood and pulled her to her feet. A slow, sexy song filled the room and he pressed her close and started to glide her around the room.
Malvo could dance, that was for sure. He could move his body so well that she had to bite down on her lip when his hips swayed close to hers. He nestled his face into her hair, and ran a hand up and down her back with slow lazy strokes.
He was seducing her and it was working quite well.
By the time the song was over, Kiara was hot and sweaty and aching all over, especially between her thighs.
“You make me burn,” he murmured into her ear.
She moved her hands up to his face and cupped his cheeks. Slowly, she inched toward his mouth, until finally her lips met his. It was a hesitant kiss at first, but then he tilted her head and deepened it.
He kissed her until her knees were weak. Then, as if she weighed nothing, he lifted her into his arms and carried her through the room and into the bedroom. She thought he was going to toss her onto the bed like last time, but instead he knelt on one knee and gently set her down into the soft comfort of the blankets and pillows.
When she was fully stretched out, he kissed her again, sweeping his tongue over hers in a long, liquid dance. She emitted a sigh of pure pleasure as he peppered kisses to her chin and along her jawline to her ear.
“I thought we could have dessert in bed.” He waved his hand and next to them on a silver platter was a bowl of plump red strawberries and a bowl of what smelled like melted chocolate.
Malvo plucked a fleshy strawberry out of the bowl and dipped it in the chocolate sauce. He brought it up to her mouth. She bit into it. Sweet juices dribbled out from between her lips while chocolate sauce dripped onto her chin.
“Delicious.”
“Yes, it is,” he said as he leaned forward and licked the chocolate off her chin.
“This could be messy. I wouldn’t want to get this beautiful dress dirty.”
Grinning, Malvo waved his hand over her. “There. No danger of it now.”
Kiara looked down at herself. She was naked. As was he.
Laughing, Kiara picked out a nice round one and dipped it in the chocolate. She tried to bring it to his mouth, but the sauce dripped before she reached it. Droplets of chocolate dotted his chest. One naughty drop caressed one of his nipples.
She sat forward and lazily licked off the sauce, paying extra special attention to his chocolate-covered nipple. She could feel his heartbeat through the flesh of her tongue as she trailed it over the taut muscles of his chest. It was racing just as hard as hers.
Wrapping his hands around her, he brought her back down to the bed. He chose another berry from the bowl, dipped it in the chocolate and brought it over her body. Holding it over her breasts, he dribbled chocolate onto her nipples.
The chocolate was warm and gooey as it dotted her skin. Shivers of pleasure radiated over her body as her nipples tingled from the heated sensation. She shivered even more as Malvo leaned down and trailed his tongue over her nipples, collecting the chocolate on its tip. He sucked the sweets off her breasts with slow, deliberate flicks of his tongue. Electrifying blows zigzagged down her torso and gathered in a heated ball deep within her pussy.
After thoroughly sucking on her breasts, he trailed his tongue down the line of her torso, stopping at her belly button where he circled it and dipped his tongue in and out.
Reaching over, Malvo dipped his finger in the chocolate and dribbled the sauce all over her stomach. He paid special attention to her navel as he dripped warm drops into it. He sucked the rest of the sweet chocolate from his fingers then bent down and lavished her belly with his tongue. Darting the tip in and out of her navel, he managed to lick clean all the chocolate off her skin.
He made his way up her body and settled in beside her, pressing his hard cock against her leg. He lightly traced hi
s finger over her mouth.
“You’re a special woman.”
“Even if I can’t find a way to release you?”
He stared into her eyes for a long moment. She wished she knew what he was thinking. He looked partly sad and partly angry. She wasn’t sure which made her more upset. Maybe it was the combination and that he could feel both at the same time. Her heart squeezed a little at the knowledge of his situation. How incredibly sad it was for him to have been imprisoned in this place for so long. She’d been the first real live person not at his command that he’d interacted with in over one hundred years.
He’d gone that long without knowing the rise and set of the sun, cool air on his skin, grass beneath his bare feet, and the comfort of another being, human or otherwise. And love. He’d gone on this long without ever having a chance to know that.
He must’ve sensed what she was thinking because the emotion faded from his eyes. He bent down and kissed her. Bringing his hand up, he cupped her cheek. It was a beautiful beguiling kiss. Something she wasn’t sure he could convey. But he did it with flourish and she felt her heart squeeze just a little bit more.
She moaned into his mouth and trailed her hand down his body. She took his cock in her hand and stroked it firmly. She needed him inside her. Emotion, too real and strong, was making her quiver. And she didn’t want to feel these things with him. Especially when she knew he couldn’t love her back.
Malvo groaned as she rolled him over and lay on top. She pressed kisses to his chin and neck, then trailed her tongue over his pulse points and up to the lobe of his ear. She sucked it into her mouth while she continued to stroke him.
“I’m hungry for you.”
Still gripping his cock, Kiara moved down his body until she was straddling his knees. She bent down and flicked her tongue over the tip. He moaned as she sucked him into her mouth. She licked and sucked on him until his legs were quivering with release. She gripped him at the base of his cock and squeezed, preventing him from coming.
“Fuck me, little witch,” he panted.
She held him still until his cock softened a little. She bent and licked down the length of him. “Oh I will, donna worry.”
She glanced up at him. His eyes were black and dark and dangerous, and he clenched his jaw as if to restrain himself. She loved that look about him. Always on the edge of something.
She moved up his body. With his rock hard cock in her hand again, she lowered herself. Inch by exquisite inch, he filled her up. She held him still within her, as she rubbed her hands up and down his chest, enjoying the way his hard muscles felt under her palms.
Watching his face, she contracted the muscles of her sex, squeezing him tightly. She reveled in every flicker and grimace of emotion that flashed over his devilish features.
He reached up and molded her breasts in his hands, squeezing and flicking his thumbs over her nipples. Kiara arched her back as waves of pleasure swept over her. She began to move up and down on him, contracting her muscles with every drawn out stroke.
His beautiful face contorted with strain as she quickened her pace. She could tell that he struggled for control. That he was quickly losing it as she took him up and over.
Malvo moved one hand down to where their flesh was joined, circling his fingers over her, finding her clit with expert ease. He stroked it firmly, pushing her toward climax.
Grabbing hold of his shoulders, she moved faster, harder, taking them both to the edge of release. She dug her nails in as the first crest of orgasm mounted inside. She groaned and pushed down on him, filling herself completely with his hot, hard cock.
He pressed down on her clit one more time and sent her over the edge. She collapsed forward onto his chest as ripples of pure bliss surged from deep inside her pussy to cascade over the rest of her body. He wrapped his arms around her as he followed her head long into ecstasy. They fell hand in hand into the delirious depths of passion.
Chapter Twelve
Malvo didn’t sleep but watched Kiara while she did. She was on her side, one hand curled under her chin and the other splayed across his chest. She was fierce this woman. He could imagine in another lifetime that she would be a perfect match for him in many ways.
Another lifetime. If he wasn’t trapped in this house, cursed by his own selfish anger. Keeping her here, hoping beyond hope that she could help him was just another selfish act. After over one hundred years, he thought he should’ve learned that his selfishness wasn’t doing him any good.
Carefully, he slid her hand from his chest and slipped from the bed. He wrapped himself in a robe and padded across the bedroom and into the living room. He went to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a scotch. He downed it in one gulp, set the glass firmly on the table and walked to his bookcase.
He slid out a rather large tome and set it on the table in front of him. He knew exactly what page to go to for what he planned. He read over the page once then twice, making sure that he followed the instructions to the letter. One mistake and he could doom them both. Well, more than they were already doomed.
He collected the one thing he needed for the working—a sharp consecrated silver dagger which he had housed in an old wooden box lined with black silk. He opened the box and took out the knife, running the blade sideways over the back of his hand. He loved the feel of the cool metal on his skin. It had been a long time since he used the blade.
Setting the knife down on top of the book, Malvo quickly shed his robe. He then picked the dagger back up and held it over his other hand. Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, he started the incantation.
“What are ya doing?”
His eyes snapped open to see Kiara staring at him from the living room entrance. She walked across the room to him, staring at the book and the knife.
“I’m releasing you.”
“What? I thought I couldn’t leave?”
He knew she would look at him that way, with accusation in her gaze. “You couldn’t leave by conventional means, but this is anything but conventional.”
“It’s a spell?”
“A working. A large, energy-draining working that may end up backfiring on me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You mean you could be hurt doing it? Releasing me could injure you?”
He nodded. “Yes, most likely.”
“Then why are you doing it?” She moved closer to him and set her hand on his arm.
“Because I cannot keep you against your will. I am stuck here because of my selfish anger, you came because I called. I have no right to demand that you save me when I won’t save you.”
She lifted her hand to his face and cupped his cheek. He could see tears welling in her eyes. Something hard and sharp stabbed his heart. An emotion he didn’t know he harbored stung him deep. It was an odd sensation and he had to suck in air to stop from doubling over from its intensity. Was this what it was to love someone more than himself?
“Are ya sure?”
He nodded. “Maybe we will see each other in your dreams.”
Tears trickled down her cheeks and she smiled. “I would like that.”
He kissed the palm of her hand. “Move back. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Hugging herself around her waist, she moved a few steps back. With a last nod toward her, Malvo closed his eyes again and setting the blade over the palm of his other hand he started to speak the words of the incantation.
As he spoke, he could feel a charge in the air swirling around him. The energy crackled over his skin. The air was hot and heavy and he found it difficult to breathe. He was nearing the end of the spell. He raised the dagger high over his other hand, and with the last word, which he bellowed over the stringent echo in his mind, he brought the blade down.
In an explosion of pain, Malvo yelled and dropped to his knees. Slowly he opened his eyes and stared at his bloody hand. The dagger still impaled his flesh. Gingerly, he took hold of the hilt and pulled it out, letting it fall to the floor.
It wa
s then he noticed the ground that he was kneeling on. It wasn’t the rug from his living room. It was a different color and pattern. Lifting his gaze, he searched his surroundings. His heart leaped into his throat and he could barely take in air.
Kiara stood a little ways from him, tears running down her face, smiling at him. “You’re free, Malvo. You freed the both of us.”
Slowly, he pushed to his feet and looked around the library, the place where he’d first cursed himself and the others. He spun around the room and laughed. He was truly free.
Kiara ran to him and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her and spun her around. She laughed then kissed his cheek.
He turned his head and found her mouth. He kissed her hard and long, until they were both breathless. He set her down on her feet and looked around the room again. A shiver rushed down his spine from the cool air in the room.
“Is it night or day?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I donna know.” She grabbed his hand. “Let’s go find out.” She pulled him across the room and out the double oak doors.
They walked through the house, hand in hand. When they reached the front door, Kiara opened it. A cool breeze swept over his naked body. Smiling, he shivered again.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the door and out onto the veranda. Pulling Kiara closer, he wrapped his arm around her as the sun began to fill the dark sky. The first rays of beautiful radiant sunlight streamed over his face warming his skin. And he smiled, his heart filling with more than just the sight of a new day. It was the dawn of a new lifetime.
Epilogue
Still cradled under Malvo’s arm, Kiara turned her head toward the house, as if drawn by another power. She sensed that her calling wasn’t finished. She’d been called to the house not just to free Malvo. She needed to free herself.
Tugging on his arm, she led him back into the house.
“What are you doing? I still wish to see the sunrise,” he asked.