As he turned he saw a glass box embedded inside a wall opposite his back. A film of condensation fogged the pane, as it should because of the cold temperature beneath the floor. The bottom was shadowed as if something lay inside. A little at a time it started to glow a faint color of green.
“Do you think…” she gulped while weaseling away from him. With her eyes focused on the box, she knelt on all fours then began crawling toward it.
He shined the light and followed, noticing two latches on the bottom of the glass near the floor. She sat down on her butt then reached forward and swiped the glass, leaving fingerprints in the condensation. She glanced at Niall then made another clean sweep with her hand.
Behind the glass, crammed inside the stone cavern on its back, lay a man’s body. Shanna shrieked and slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. “Oh my God! Niall, it’s you!” she screamed then fainted.
Niall caught her right before her head bashed the ground and he gently moved her five feet away from the box and laid her down. Then he returned to the glass and visually examined the body inside. He overlooked the trousers and set his gaze on the bare chest then higher to the wavy brown hair. “Merciful Lord, it is me,” he whispered.
Sir Henry was right. Niall had been preserved. Despite the tragic way he’d died, the body didn’t appear mangled or crushed in any way. It was if he were asleep.
Hesitantly he unlocked the clamps. And the instant he lifted the glass, a tremendous amount of pressure wrapped around him as if he’d been sucked into a whirlwind and his mind went blank.
The moment Niall opened his eyes he heard Shanna gasp. It was piercing, much like the coldness seeping into his shoulders and back. He couldn’t see her but he felt her presence and smelled the flowery scent of her skin from somewhere close by. He’d always perceived she’d be basked in a dainty aroma. Now the proof lay in his senses.
“Please tell me you’re in there, Niall, before I have a stroke,” she pleaded. “Because if it’s not you, we have a missing body. The tomb is empty.”
He blinked as she leaned over his face. Her features seemed more distinct, along with the acute clarity of her hair. “I’m in here, love.”
Something wet and warm dripped on to his cheek and rolled off the side of his face near his ear. He gazed into her eyes to see tears slipping from the corners. Reaching upward, he brushed them away with his thumb. “Don’t cry, Shanna.”
“Is it really you?”
Slowly he sat up, pressing his hands into the ground and allowing his muscles and joints to stretch. The deep ache felt astonishingly wonderful. Even the tiny pebbles and rocks digging into his skin gave much reason to rejoice. He lifted a palm and stared at the tiny abrasive particles. Smiling, he rubbed his hands together until the debris loosened and trickled to his lap. “It’s me, love.”
Chills raced along his spine as she laid her hands on his shoulders and brought her lips to his neck. “Niall, you have goose bumps.”
She needn’t say that to make him aware. He felt the prickle of each individual one rising on his skin as if being poked by a needle. “Yes, and I remember them very well.”
“I’ve never seen you cold.”
“Well, it’s pretty damn chilly down here.” All of his senses heightened at once. The wormy stench of soil. The taste of mildewed air as it breached his lungs. Shanna’s warm touch pressed against his back. The echo of their voices as they bounced off the underground walls. The articulation of their gloomy, vast surroundings. And his heartbeat—the magnificent thump-thump battered the inside of his chest, filling his ears with its staccato beat.
When he placed his hand over his heart and it ticked against his palm, he closed his eyes and tilted his head. Thank you, Jesus, for this miracle of life. And thank you, Henry, for taking responsibility for your daughter’s wrongs.
“Niall, are you okay?” Shanna asked, applying a gentle massage to his shoulders.
“Yes, love, just basking in the moment.”
“How do you feel? Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I feel human, Shanna.”
She slapped her hands together and squealed. “Seriously? You can feel a difference?”
He nodded. “Everything is sharper and more precise. And my body aches.”
She gripped his shoulders again and placed her lips to his ear. “So we can soak in a hot tub later?”
“Anything you want.”
Her excitement rubbed off on him and he wanted them out of the damn hole now. “Come, love. Let’s head back to civilization where I can flaunt you before I take you to your room and ravish you all night.”
“Aw, you mean you don’t want to stop in the playroom?” she pouted while crawling toward the opening in the floor.
“We’ll stop on the way back, but not for long. Then it’s to your room for a shower.” He lunged sideways and cracked her ass. The swift movement caused a little bit of pain in his torso. Not much but enough to remind him his body had been dormant for a good many years.
“Ooh,” she squealed.
After she reached the section she’d fallen through, she stood. He crawled beside her and got up on his knees. Then he grabbed her by the hips and hefted her out of the hole. And damned if her female scent hadn’t wafted to his nostrils. He reeled in it as long as the air allowed, which was plenty enough time to wrap around and tease his balls. His cock jerked into a rock-hard erection but the painful distension temporarily immobilized him. He clamped his teeth together, lowered his chin to his chest, and waited for the sharp ache to subside.
“Are you coming, Niall?”
There’s nothing he wanted more than to come in bucketfuls by ramming his cock in her hot, tight pussy. And despite her not meaning the question in that realm, his dick failed to distinguish the difference. It throbbed from hot, searing pain. Some things never change. “Yeah, in a minute.” Inhaling a deep, hearty breath, he placed his hands on the broken floor and hoisted himself up and over the side.
Shanna stood, brushing dirt off her dress, then offered a hand as if she were strong enough to pull him to his feet. Grinning, he took advantage of her unnecessary assistance and rose. He yanked her to his body and lowered his lips to her mouth. “Mercy, woman,” he groaned behind the kiss. “You’ve set my blood on fire.”
His heart rumbled when she pressed her breasts against his breastbone and her nipples prodded his skin. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d been missing. He’d made love to her and reacted based on feelings as he’d remembered them. They were good, but now, in his own skin, every touch evoked a sensation. Before, he’d felt her erect nipples press into him and knew she was aroused. But now he actually felt her arousal against his flesh and his dire need for her increased. “Shanna, we’d better go before I do something I’m going to regret.”
She peeled away from his body and gazed in his eyes. “Does this mean you’re not going to make love to me anymore?”
“No, this means if we don’t get out of here, I’m going to lay you on the cold ground and make love to you right now.”
She smiled and her eyes glistened. “I don’t have a problem with that.”
“I do. Many people died on this floor.”
Chapter Ten
Oh gosh, we’re really going inside?
Shanna found it very difficult to restrain her excitement during their jaunt to the playroom. Her heart pounded and pussy thumped from anticipation. Normally this wasn’t something that’d pique her interest but she had to admit, ever since Niall mentioned the playroom her inner sexual sector was turned-on. And having Niall agree to accompany her, well, she couldn’t wait. Wow.
Could he hear her rapid heartbeat and heavy breaths? She surely could. And every step they gained toward the desk, they seemed to grow louder.
“Good evening,” the voluptuous woman in gothic attire said.
“Good evening,” Niall replied.
“How may I help you, sir and madam?”
&nbs
p; She heard Niall! She honest to God could see and hear him!
Shanna wasn’t exactly sure how to answer that but it wasn’t a problem because Niall took over. “We’ll be viewing this evening,” he replied, entwining his hands on top of the tall counter.
Dagnabbit! Shanna folded her arms across her chest and unintentionally tsked.
Niall turned sideways and propped himself on his elbow, fist resting against his temple in a stance dripping with confidence. Good grief, her pussy gushed.
“So, you’d rather play instead?” he asked, his voice controlled and serious.
She glanced up and could have drowned in the passion blaring beneath his narrowed lids.
“I thought we could give it a shot,” she replied shyly. What was wrong with her? She’d never been shy a day in her life.
“Looks like we’ll need a room,” he stated to the woman, although he continued gazing at Shanna as if warning her about what was to come. “We’ll also need use of the showers.”
“The linens are stacked beside the shower stalls,” the lady explained. “And the rooms are stocked with toiletries. Help yourself to whatever you may need.”
Ah, the fire in his eyes danced a sensual tango in Shanna’s belly. “I don’t have any clean clothes,” she whispered.
“You won’t need any.”
Good point.
The lady stepped to the end of her desk. “Please follow me.”
Shanna nodded only because she had no clue what else to do. It seemed appropriate to hide behind Niall and let him do all the talking.
The woman led them down a hallway to an inconspicuous door and slid a card, much like Shanna’s room key, through an electronic lock. It clicked and the door opened. Shanna stepped over the threshold first, followed by Niall, who laid a possessive hand on the base of her neck. They stepped aside, allowing the woman to maneuver in front.
The hallway she guided them through was dark. On either side running lights glistened along the edges of the carpet and ended at an adjacent door. After the woman scanned her card and turned the knob they entered a large sitting area where numerous people were engaged in conversation. Several couches and chairs were adequately placed around the room and a manned bar stood along the far end. Fake torches lined the walls, offering comfortable lighting. They cast enough sheen to display multiple passageways from the room.
The woman stopped and turned around, gesturing for Shanna and Niall to stop as well. “Viewing is permitted in all open rooms. If you wish not to be observed, please close your door. A white ribbon on a doorknob signifies vacancy.” She bowed her head then backed away.
Shanna gripped Niall’s hand in between both of hers and squeezed. Not only was her tummy flipping in enthusiasm from the unknown, but the people wandering around actually nodded at Niall as they passed, proving his visibility.
Within the span of an hour her phantom lover became a mortal man, oozing testosterone. The newfound reality had her pheromones rejoicing in a whirl of glory. Licking her top lip, she devoured his features then lowered her eyes to his muscular chest. A pink abrasion dipped beneath his ribs to his lower abdomen. Try as she might, she couldn’t help running her finger along the few speckles of dried blood that lingered along the edge. “You were bleeding.”
“It’s a minor scratch.”
Her eyes widened. “But you bled.”
His sleek grin indicated he understood. And as he lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered, “And I now do other things as well,” her heart lunged to her throat and tingles rushed along her spine.
Minute by minute he seemed to become more real and she couldn’t wait to get him into a back room to feel what else he was made of. Would there be a difference because he was really feelable now? “Where are the showers located?”
“Down there.” He pointed to a dimly lit hallway to their immediate left. “Each room is equipped with a small bathroom,” he said while taking her hand and leading her toward the passage.
If her belly didn’t stop flipping she might throw up. Not a very romantic thing to do in an erotic place like this.
As they approached the first doorway a subtle crack echoed. Her eyes bugged and she gasped. “What was that?”
He stopped and leaned against the wall, folding his arms. “It sounds like someone has been naughty.”
Oh.
“Go on, love, choose an empty room.”
“By myself?” she shrieked.
“I don’t want to have any influence on your choice.”
A room was a room. Seriously, how different could they be?
She shrugged and strolled to the first open door. Her mouth dropped as she peeked inside. A woman was on all fours on a king-sized bed. Her shoulders rested on the mattress, which lifted her ass in the air. Thin metal bars dangled from chains attached to her pierced nipples. A man wearing a mask was kneeling behind her and his dick was lodged to the hilt inside her rectum. The only visible part showing was a fraction of skin at the very base of his cock. Shanna couldn’t even tell if he wore a condom.
Wow. What a turn-on. Even though she’d never tried that before, that type of play thrilled her beyond words.
“You’ve been a bad girl,” he rumbled. A loud, sharp whack caused Shanna to jump when he slapped the side of the woman’s thigh. At that exact moment he partially withdrew his cock then slammed it deep into her ass.
Oh Jesus.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the female cried. “I promise—”
Was he honestly hurting her! No, he couldn’t be. From the little Shanna knew, hurting the role players was forbidden.
She gulped while underlying warmth swarmed her pussy. And as slurping sounds filled her ears, she backed away from the room and stepped up to the first closed door that had a white ribbon dangling from the knob.
She glanced at Niall then slowly pushed it open. A plush red velvet couch sat along the back wall. A wooden kneeling bench or something with red padded cushions stood in a corner opposite the couch. The cushion closest to the floor was probably for knees. The top section reminded her of a tabletop. It tilted forward, which raised the back side. And if she read the bench correctly, the cushioned top would support an upper body, hers, while bending over to be fucked from behind.
The prospect of having her ass in the air for Niall’s convenience… Oooh, this was the room for her. She looked down the hall and waved him back. “This one.”
As his feet padded along the carpet she noticed some other contraption made of metal in the western corner. It resembled a metal cross with a hollow frame attached to the lower leg on either side. Interesting.
A door, along with a four-drawer chest, separated both pieces of equipment. And while she contemplated pulling the drawers open to peek inside, she sensed Niall closing in at her back. His breath rustled her hair as he rested his hands on her shoulders while he scanned the room. “Are you sure, Shanna?”
Biting on her thumbnail, she nodded. Of course she wasn’t going to tell him why she was positively sure this was the room for her. “Yes,” she replied eagerly, glancing at him over her shoulder.
He nudged his head at the bench thing. “Do you know what that is?”
“No.” But you’re going to bend me over it and fuck me crazy. Oh wow, her pussy was screaming. That little show back there had really set the tone. “Not really,” she replied, taking a long, hard look at the cushions.
He lowered his lips to her ear and nibbled her lobe gently. His breath bathed her neck and spiraled inside her collar, causing her knees to weaken.
“It’s a spanking bench.”
Gulp.
“And I’m going to let you think about that while I shower,” he conveyed with a final bite to her ear before he headed toward the bathroom.
Spanking bench? As in, bending over to get her ass beat?
Double gulp.
Oh gosh. Oh wow. She wasn’t sure… Goodness, it sounded so…so damn hot.
Whoa, she needed to sit down a moment. She coul
dn’t simply agree to a spanking without mulling it over first.
The cushion rose around her hips as she sat on the edge of the couch. It was very comfy and—she just might need it later to pamper her derriere. What were the ramifications of a butt whooping? Pink cheeks. A little pleasure. Or a lot of pleasure. Submission. Um, more submission. It’d be like paying homage to her fantasies.
Her knees trembled as she eyed the bench, imagining herself naked and at Niall’s disposal. And, mercy, she nearly jumped out of her skin when the shower turned on.
Her belly flipped and wetness oozed onto her panties. She slid her hands between her thighs and pressed them against her crotch to release a little of the building pressure. So many erotic sensations flowed through her body, if she didn’t calm down she wouldn’t need the bench. She wouldn’t need Niall either. He’d return to an empty room with cum spots on the couch.
She lunged to her feet and nonchalantly approached the bench, where she glided her fingers over the smooth cushions. Leather. That would feel really nice against her skin. There was just something utterly fascinating about Niall slapping her bare ass while she lay on something soft.
Who was she trying to kid? There was something utterly fascinating about Niall slapping her bare ass, period.
Shivers tore through her body and she trembled.
“Becoming acquainted with your fate, love?”
She jumped and spun around. And if masculine eroticism came in physical form, she was looking at it. Jesus. Everything about Niall exuded sex. Even the beads of water trickling down his muscular chest and stomach to the black towel wrapped around his waist reeked of seduction.
Now wasn’t the proper time to cower and change her mind. She swallowed hard then parted her lips for a much-needed breath. “I suppose I am,” she responded, offering the sexiest smile she could gather. Hopefully he stood far enough away he couldn’t see her mouth quiver. And if she didn’t skedaddle into the shower she’d lie down and spread her legs for a much-needed fuck.
As he drew near, a sensual, potent scent drifted to her nostrils—sandalwood and crisp musk. Very refreshing and—she inhaled deeply to pinpoint the sensation. Mmm. Sexy. God, she loved that smell.
Phantom Mischief Page 15