“I watched you put the dress in your bag, ma’am,” he calmly stated, his voice carrying a light Northern accent, and then he pointed one over-sized finger towards my purse.
My only defense was to act completely appalled. “What are you talking about? Why I never! Are you calling me a thief, you meathead?”
“If the shoe fits, lady,” he said with a smirk, and deftly reached out and grabbed my purse before I could react. I briefly considered screaming for help, but I doubted it would do much more than cause a scene.
Unabated, the man kept his eyes on me and unzipped my purse, fetching the two items I had stuffed inside. “Mmm hmm, just as I thought,” he said, and turned the garments over in his hands. “You got good taste, lady. I can see why he likes you.”
The shock I was feeling had to be palpable. “What?” I nearly shouted, before lowering my voice to a hushed whisper. “You aren’t a security guard?”
The big man flashed a toothy grin which spread from ear to ear across his face. I thought for a moment he was going to burst out laughing.
“You think I’m a mall rent-a-cop? Hah! I’m not that kind of guard, lady. The stuff I protect is worth a lot more than this little dress.”
“You work for him? William Battle?”
“Yes and no. I work for his father, Daniel Battle. My job is to keep an eye on his son. That kid is a handful sometimes. You’ve seen the way he drives.”
My opinion of William Battle was starting to change. Was he just some playboy that did whatever he wanted or a level-headed charmer? Perhaps he was something else entirely.
“So, what are you going to do, now…uh, whatever your name is?”
“I’m going to buy that pretty dress for you, or rather, Mr. Daniel Battle is going to buy it. Anything else in the store you want, too. Call me Jim.”
I couldn’t believe it. The guy was actually here to help me. He was going to pay for everything using Daniel Battle’s money. The strangeness of it all was overwhelming.
“What did you do, follow me out here?” I asked, a little offended by this invasion of privacy but thankful he wasn’t about to toss me in jail.
“Like I said, lady, I’m paid to watch out for the kid. The only thing I know about you is that you’re some student nurse at Stony-Grayson and old Willie boy has taken a shine to you. I follow people around. I get information about them. I do this to protect the extremely vast and fulfilling interests of the Battle family. That’s it.”
“How is it in their interest that you pay for this stuff instead of letting me just walk out with it?”
“The kid told you that he’d pay for it if you couldn’t afford it, didn’t he?” He said, raising one eyebrow. “Trust me, I’ll be letting him know how I got you a get out of jail free card.”
With that, he glanced up at the security cameras and then towards a small doorway on the side of the shop. Standing there just behind some thinly frosted glass were two uniformed security guards, talking to the woman from the front desk and looking over in my direction.
I never stood a chance with my daring shoplifting routine. Those security guys would have nabbed me before I even took two steps outside the door.
“I…I don’t know what to say, Jim. Thanks.”
“C’mon and let’s buy the stuff already. Standing around inside the ladies’ lingerie section always makes me feel…weird.”
I strolled over with Jim to the sales counter and the young woman met us there, both security guards in tow. She looked a bit surprised when Jim laid down the Jovani dress and sexy undergarments. The two security guards moved towards me, about to open their mouths to speak, but my new acquaintance diverted them easily, gesturing them over to the side after tossing a black credit card on the sales counter.
As the woman rang up the sale, I watched Jim smilingly speak to the guards, whose looks of concern slowly faded into a loose and relaxed demeanor. He said something that I couldn’t quite hear, but both guards chuckled loudly and shook his hand like old comrades. With a flick of his wrist, he then whipped out two white business cards and handed them over to each guard. They took one look, spun on their heels, and walked straight back through the door they had come in.
“Will that be all, ma’am?” the woman asked shortly, having dropped her formerly friendly attitude and adopting one more suited to dealing with a person that had been shoplifting only a few moments ago.
I could only shake my head in the affirmative and take the bag when she handed it to me. With an air of superiority, she lifted her nose in the air and strode off to find another commission.
“What did you say to those men?” I asked Jim, who held the door open for me.
“I promised them both guard jobs at the nearest BCL branch. That includes a much higher salary than they make at this place. The only condition was that they erase the video of us even being here and forget they ever saw us.”
I had a feeling that this was not the first time Jim had dealt with complicated “problems” within the Battle family. At least he seemed to be on my side, even though it was likely for his own benefit. We reached my rusted out husk of a car and he kept walking on. Then, he lifted his head as if he remembered something, snapped his fingers, and turned back around.
“This is where we part ways, young lady. I don’t think I have anything to worry about with you,” he said, and then his face hardened. “Don’t prove me wrong.”
I climbed back into my car and let out a huge sigh of relief. This day was turning out like some crazy story in one of those romance novels! It was tough to believe that this was even my life. I had a bag with over a thousand dollars' worth of designer clothing inside it, a date with a billionaire’s grandson, and a scary but somehow sweet bodyguard following me around.
After another short drive, I arrived at my crummy single-bedroom apartment. I couldn’t wait to hop in the shower and wash the bad parts of my day right down the drain. Right on cue, though, my sweet kitten Scarlet began to meow for her dinner.
“I swear, cat, you are always hungry. I’d get you one of those automatic feeders if I didn’t think you’d wind up as big around as a watermelon.”
Scarlet just ignored me and continued to meow while rubbing against my legs in circles. She wasn’t going to give up until I fed her, so out came the “Kitty Delights” and she had her face buried in the food bowl before I even had half of it scraped out.
My shower was hot and invigorating. In some small way, Tabitha had done me a favor by sending me home early. At least I wasn’t as tired as I usually was.
As the water drops hit my skin and the shower filled with thick puffs of steam, my mind began to drift back to William and the kiss from earlier. How his hands had encircled my waist, like a lover getting a grip from on top before driving himself inside. Those luscious green eyes drinking me in. His hard body pressed up next to mine.
“Damn,” I mumbled, so easily going back into the wonderful fantasy of being with him.
A warmth that came from inside me began to creep up through my skin. The slick, soapy water slid between my hands and my breasts, engorging my nipples and making me tingle all over. Before I knew it, my hand had worked its way down to my most private area.
With each delicate touch of my fingers, my body responded. Waves of pleasure seemed to burst out of me. In my hazy dream, William had taken things one step further today and had planted one hand down the front of my panties while engaging me in our lustful kiss.
My breaths quickened, and my hips seemed to move without conscious effort.
Now, in my thoughts, he was under me, grazing his tongue across my sensitive womanhood. I moaned out at the thought of it and had to place one hand against the smudged glass of the shower door. The water splashed and played on and around me as I flitted my fingers faster and faster across my folds.
My back found the wall of the shower and I propped myself against it, spreading my legs crudely, widely splaying them out in a lascivious pose. A subdued groan rolled out of m
y mouth as I pressed in, burying my fingers inside my aching hole. In the fantasy, William had me pinned to the wall and entered me with his rigid hardness.
“Oh god,” I let out. “Take me, William. I want you to.”
As my ministrations increased, it was as if I could see his muscular abdomen pressing itself closer and farther to my own, in the rhythmic drum of lovemaking. The heat that had encapsulated me seemed to rush to my neck and my head, building with each passing moment. I was getting closer and closer. Soon I would –
A strange sound invaded the sphere of my incredible fantasy. I stopped what I was doing and shut off the shower so that I could hear more easily. It was the familiar tone of the doorbell ringing.
“God dammit!” I cursed, and wrapped a fluffy white towel around myself. “This better be good!”
I stomped over to the door and swung it open, only to be greeted by a discreet brown package and the visage of a delivery driver hopping back into his idling truck. Without even a look up in my direction, he hit the gas and sped out of the parking lot. This was strange. I didn’t remember ordering anything.
Curiosity had me in its grip so I knelt down and picked up the box, making sure to hold onto the towel so I didn’t flash my neighbors. Once inside with the package opened, I found that it contained a shiny black masquerade mask, a long, thick strip of black silk, and a handwritten letter.
The mask was rather flimsy, but the design embossed into it was detailed with little curls and tiny sparkling jewels that looked like diamonds. A simple string that could be tied was attached to hold it to my head. The strip of silk was a bigger mystery. It was just as fine as the material on the nightgown I had touched at the designer boutique, but I couldn’t ascertain what it was supposed to be for. Maybe some accessory for the mask?
The letter was folded into thirds and made of simple, white stock. There were no markings except a green wax seal to keep it folded. I easily broke the seal and read:
Laurie,
I am confident this will arrive in time for our engagement this evening. Enclosed you will find a mask and a single strip of silk cloth. Bring both with you tonight. My private driver will be by around 9 o’clock to pick you up. I’m looking forward to seeing you again.
Regards,
-W.B.
So, William was sending me hints of what tonight will bring? How devilishly delightful! A masquerade party. I’d never been to one, but always wanted to. I tried to picture how he would be dressed. Picking him out, with his long blonde hair, should be easy.
I threw my still-wet head back against the couch and folded the letter back up. For a few minutes I played with the mask and placed it against my face. It really was nice. Nervous butterflies rushed through my stomach with the thought of going to an actual masquerade party and seeing him again. My concentration was only broken when Scarlet bounded up on the couch next to me and showed her appreciation for an early dinner, purring softly and arching her back under my arms.
The rest of my day was spent cleaning the apartment and dancing around in my new $100 pair of sexy underwear to the captivating beats on my radio. In a few hours, the place was passable and I couldn’t bring myself to continue the distraction any longer. I stopped in front of my full length mirror to check myself out.
“Hello, William,” I whispered to my reflection and blew a sultry kiss.
The lingerie looked positively erotic; just enough to be undeniably sexy without being whorish, but just kinky enough to not make me look like a prude. The garter belts against my thighs and the frilly lace that cupped just perfectly around my cleavage made it. Once he saw this, he wouldn’t be able to resist.
Chapter Five
The knock on the door came just as I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup. It felt like my whole body was shaking, I was so nervous. Never in my life had I done anything like this and I doubted I ever would again if I blew it. At least the fit of the dress was unparalleled.
I opened the door and to my surprise, standing before me was Jim. He was dressed in the same black suit as before, but this time he had on a cute little chauffer’s cap. I had to stifle a laugh, and he just looked at me with a dismissive, sour expression.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know,” Jim bemoaned with a sly grin. “Yes, before you ask, this is part of the job, too.”
His eyes dropped down, taking me in. His gaze rested on my breasts for a moment before he realized what he was doing and lifted his eyes back to my face. I guess the big lug couldn’t resist.
“You like?” I said, and twirled around in my evening gown. I had the distinct feeling that if he thought he could get away with it, Jim would rip that dress right off me and fuck my brains out in the living room. He might have been an older man, but he was built like a brick wall. I’d have probably let him do it.
“Mmm hmm. Glad I didn’t let you get busted.”
“You think he will like it?”
Jim raised his cuff and checked the time. With a somber nod, he said, “Yep. He’ll like it better if we get you there before midnight. C’mon, the limo is waiting downstairs.”
Off in the limo we went, and it was top of the line. There was ample seating for a dozen people and a very large bar. The interior was lit with a mixture of long bars of glowing white lighting and interspaced blue ambiance. The partition which separated Jim and I was raised, and other than his faint silhouette, I couldn’t make him out.
I watched out the window as we moved through the town, all the while lightly rubbing the long strand of silk between my fingers. In no time, we had driven out of the city and were on the single-lane backroads of the country. While I was no stranger to most of this area, when Jim suddenly slowed to a near stop in the middle of nowhere and turned off the road and onto a narrow private drive I was a bit surprised.
We rolled down the never-ending stretch of barely-paved asphalt for at least 15 minutes before I saw anything but thick forest. When the view finally opened, I could see an enormous house sitting in the middle of a very large, cleared area. It was majestic; three stories tall, several brick chimneys that rose out of the roof in several places, and well-landscaped all around with bunches of blossoming flowers and rosebushes. I wondered if we were the first to arrive, as no other cars besides William’s Camaro sat in the roundabout at the home’s front door. The butterflies flooded my stomach once again.
The partition rolled down and Jim’s voice drifted to the backseat, “Ok, here we are. He’s expecting you, go right inside. You don’t need to knock. He already knows you’re here.”
“You aren’t coming?” I asked, trying to hide the shaky trill in my voice.
“What? No. Remember, I’m just the driver. At least for tonight, that is.” Jim lifted his cap an inch and winked at me conspiratorially. I had no idea if he was alluding to the incident at the boutique or something else entirely.
I was wracked by anticipation, and after stepping out of the limo, it dawned on me that I had left behind my mask. After mentally slapping myself upside the head, I reached back in, grabbed the mask, and strode with as much confidence as I could muster towards the door.
It was a heavy thing, and I almost had to force my weight against it just to open the door, but I managed. Once inside, the first thing I saw was the breathtaking foyer. Rare and expensive paintings had been framed all along the walls and a giant opening gave an unobstructed view of the staircase to the next landing and what appeared to be a grand sitting area. From somewhere ahead of me, I could just make out the faint melody of someone playing the piano.
“Hello?” I called out, my voice echoing through the empty hall. If William knew I was coming, couldn’t he have met me at the door?
I explored further, amazed by the quality of everything in the home. An enormous fireplace commanded most of the space on one of the walls of the sitting area, the other side mostly taken up by huge panes of glass that offered a relaxing few of the sunny outside day. The sitting area had been mostly cleared away, perhaps to leave
room for dancing. But where was everyone?
“William?” I asked, but received no response. The piano music steadily grew louder until I realized that it was right above me.
I ascended the stairs to the second floor and meandered towards another large room at the back corner of the estate. There, through the open door, I could see a man wearing an affecting black suit and playing the piano with his back turned to me. The room was mostly empty, just like downstairs, but this time the walls were mostly covered in volumes upon volumes of books.
He was playing louder now, with more conviction, his hands dancing across the keys as the piece grew in tempo and intensity. The man’s locks of blonde hair shook as he turned his head up and down, side to side, engulfed in what he was creating. The clicks and clacks of my high heels on the wooden floor were lost in the din of the music as I approached.
One last, powerful chord rang out from the piano, and drifted away as I arrived by his side and the piece ended.
“Hello,” I said demurely, and clasped my hands together. “I had no idea you played. That was magnificent.”
William slowly turned and smiled, his green eyes latching onto me once again, that infectious charm already beginning to overtake me.
“Thank you, Laurie. I’m glad you enjoyed it and I’m glad you decided to accept my invitation. You look absolutely gorgeous.”
My face burned and I started to feel flush and hot. “Am I the first one here? I got your package. The mask…I-“
“That’s for later,” he said, and rose to face me. The heels I wore did nothing to minimize just how much he towered over me. “The other guests won’t be here for hours. I trust you brought the silk?”
“Oh, yes,” I replied, and fumbled it out of my hands. “I was wondering what that was for.”
“This,” he said calmly, and took it from my hands. He leaned in closer with the silk in both hands and lowered his voice to a sweet whisper. “Turn around, Laurie.”
I did what he asked. When the black silken cloth was wrapped around my eyes into a blindfold, my stuttering voice and trembling body gave away just how excited and apprehensive I was.
Steamy Stories (Volume 1) Page 3