by Luna Carrol
She dressed in her regular clothes from the waist down but, with great effort, managed to lace the corset up her back and wear her white blouse over it. It made her stand straighter, and her breasts perked up nicely. Purposely leaving the top two buttons open, she admired the noticeable cleavage.
She looked down at the table. Where were her cookies? She didn't remember Colin leaving with them. She sighed and took her seat by the window. She couldn't eat with this thing constricting her stomach anyway. That had to explain Marie's tiny waist.
Cowboy had reached his stop, so did Marie. Where was hers? Oh God. Her stop took longer to get to. Did that mean she had to go someplace—
?
The train whistle blew causing her to jump. It sounded almost angry at her for thinking something so grave. “Okay!” she screamed at nothing and no one.
The wheels were slowing. She knew the next stop would mean a new passenger. It was as dark as the middle of the night now. Strange how quickly time flew by on this train.
The shadows weren't quite dark enough to hide the fact that a man in a dark overcoat was boarding. Colin looked twice at the ticket as if he needed to be sure of something. Finally, he gestured with his thumb over his shoulder for the man to board and bent down to lift the new passenger's bag.
Donnes stared ahead, thinking. Finally, she pulled out her own ticket. She saw swirling calligraphy, reminiscent of a time long ago, but nothing odd about it. Nothing other than the fact that it shouldn't exist at all. What could the new passenger have on his ticket that made Colin take a second look?
She snorted. Most likely he just wanted to be sure the new passenger shouldn't be a buxom beauty again. Maybe a blond this time? No, a redhead. Yes. Wouldn't that be just perfect? A sexy redhead with the lusty lips men found hard to resist.
The door to the dining car opened, causing her to wipe the growing emotions from her face. The barrel-chested man straightened his coat and looked straight at her. His face was clean shaven, but his eyes were beady and nearly black.
Donnes quickly looked away. The man gave her the creeps. Knowing that everyone else on this train had been murderers was enough to tell her all she needed to know about his man. She'd do good to stare ahead and ignore him.
"This way.” Colin's voice caused Donnes to look up.
She breathed easier as soon as she saw him. He was nowhere near as thick as the new passenger, but they both stood around six feet tall. She knew Colin's presence to be authoritative. Perhaps the man would behave around Colin.
Colin opened the door leading to another car.
"I would prefer remaining in the dining car. I am quite hungry.” He had a strong accent. His w sounded more like a v.
The man's eyes didn't waiver. He stared straight at Donnes.
Please don't let him, Colin. The man is scaring me. She looked to Colin, hoping that he could read her expression.
"I'll return shortly.” Colin looked directly at the man. “Very shortly."
Colin nodded to Donnes and left the car.
Donnes diverted her eyes to the window. Don't make eye contact, and there will be no reason to make conversation. It was a strategy she learned working in retail. Always look busy and like you're on your way someplace in a hurry. Well, she couldn't look like she was going someplace, but she could look like she was in deep thought and didn't want to be disturbed.
He sat down at a sofa closer to the door and half the car length away from her. Despite the distance, she couldn't bring herself to look directly at him, but she made sure to keep her peripheral vision on him.
She knew the moment he removed his coat. How he stretched his arms out and cocked his neck to make it pop—nasty sound really.
Donnes tried to enjoy the scenery as the train rushed on. The moon was full, and the light streamed through darkened trees in what became a lulling pattern. The black twisted arms of the trees against the gray-white light of the moon became rather hypnotic as they rushed by.
Had he moved? No. The strobe light effect just made him seem closer. His stern expression hadn't changed. For some unfathomable reason, he looked angry. Well, surely everyone handled death differently.
Donnes looked back out the window and sighed. At least she knew there would be no sex this time. She propped her head on her hand, using the sofa's arm. She could relax and await her stop.
She lowered her arm slowly. He had moved. The light continued to pulse with the moonlight. She never saw him move. It seemed that he only moved with the darkness. When the moonlight shown bright, he was still.
Oh no. She recognized weirdoes when she saw them. There was no fucking way she would stay here. She stood and began walking away from the door where the man was sitting. Thank God this dining car had a door on both ends.
She could feel his eyes on her as if they were fingers creeping up her spine. She grabbed the doorknob and looked back. Shit! He was standing. She opened the door. Her heart raced...
Dead or not, she could feel sex, fear, and her heart pounding. She could probably feel anything that weirdoes did to her, too. Better not to find out.
She entered the next car, seeing just the tall upholstered benches again. There were no passengers to make her feel less alone and no one to witness anything or prevent it either.
The door clicked open. Looking back, she saw him. Oh God, she was dead and still she had to run. That's exactly what she would do. Run. She didn't look back again.
His feet were nearly as loud as her heart, thumping loudly. Her breathing grew heavier. Damn this corset. Talk about wishing she wore something practical. Never again. Practicality got her by many years. How dare she even think of something so ridiculous as a corset.
She could hear his pants rubbing together at the thighs and something jingling like change in his pocket; he even laughed. He was hell-bent on catching her and enjoying whatever it was he planned on doing after he caught her.
She reached the next car, but still there was no one. Where were all the people? Surely there were more passengers. Why have so many cars if there was never more than two? Never in her life had she actually wished for more people. Anyone who worked in a store prayed for fewer people!
"Colin!” She screamed as loud as she could, and even that frightened her. To hear her own screams made the whole situation that much more real.
She reached the door, just managing to grab the handle. His hand was on her shoulder. She closed her eyes.
"Donnice?"
She screamed and flattened her back on the door.
"Donnice?"
His hands were cool and firm.
"Donnice!"
She opened her eyes. Colin. “Oh thank God.” She hugged him close. “He chased me. I was so scared."
Colin slowly wrapped his arms around hers. “He's gone now."
She sobbed against him. “I didn't do anything."
His head nodded above hers.
"He just kept staring at me as if he were angry. Then, he chased me."
"I knew he wouldn't be here long, but I had to try to keep him happy, Donnice."
"Why?” Looking up, she allowed herself to drown in his gaze. His arms were so strong. She was safe now. If he just held her for the rest of this nightmarish trip, she wouldn't have to be afraid again.
Colin wiped a tear from her cheek. “Never again will I be so reckless with you, Donnice. You are different than most."
She shared a confused look with him. “But why did you have to make him feel happy? He's obviously an evil person."
"Cause he was a passenger. I am the conductor, and he hadn't done anything wrong on this train.” He rubbed her hair away from her face delicately. “You are still very much alive."
"I'm still alive?"
He placed his palm just above the swell of her left breast. “Very much."
Her heartbeat was still thumping quickly, harder now that his hand rested above it. “If I'm alive, why am I here?"
"All the passengers are, to a degree, but you are
more so.” He wrapped his fingers around the side of her throat, laying his thumb on her jaw. Tilting her chin higher, he moved his mouth so close that she could feel his breath upon her lips. “It's your state of being. So alive that it lures them closer to you. You're irresistible to that part of them that hungers for the thrill of the kill. You're that flame burning brightly in the darkness, hopelessly irresistible to the moths."
"And you?” She closed her eyes.
"And me. I want you, too.” His eyes dropped to her lips.
Colin's lips covered hers. Soft, cool lips parted as his teeth began nibbling at her lips. His tongue gently tasted her lower lip. His chest pressed closer to hers.
It had to be the fact that Colin rescued her that caused her heart to beat so hard now. She had heard of it—women falling for firemen and police officers after they had saved them. Her breathing, shallow due to the corset, came in deep and sporadic gulps. Soon, she encouraged the deepening of the kiss.
His uniform was thick and stiff against her. His body, like rolled steel beneath it, continued to press her into the door behind her. Even though she wore a corset, she felt soft and pliant against his rock hard form.
He kissed her cheek and spoke softly. “Are you calm now?"
"Calm?” She blinked. “He's gone, right?"
"Forever. I won't allow anyone else to harm you."
"So, someone could?"
"I won't allow it.” He was so sure of himself. Damn, that's sexy.
She lifted her hands to touch his back. “You say that, but why do you have to say it?"
His face became serious. “The cowboy, it was his nature to kill. Marie, a natural beauty and a natural killer. Your stalker. They were all attracted to the strong life still in you. They were attracted because their only pleasure is in the pain of others."
"Marie tried to kill me?"
He nodded. “The cookies. She laced them with poison when the train was in the dark."
She gasped. “So, every single one of them?"
He placed his arms on her shoulders. “You're here because you took pleasure in killing your co-workers."
She slid her hand up between them. “I'm not an evil person, Colin. I'm not evil, and I'm not a sex starved whore."
"No. You're not either of those things. That's why you're still here. At least, that's what I think.” He closed in on her again. “But it's your life that makes you so warm to me. Why I can't take my eyes off of you."
She flattened herself once more on the door in an effort to pull away from him. “So, you're dead, and you just want me cause I'm alive."
He grinned and looked like the very Devil himself. All the costumes she had seen of the Devil came rushing to her mind. Dark hair, dark eyes, goatee, arched brows, and downright sexy in a wicked way. She never confessed that to anyone. Only a weirdo would think the Devil was desirable.
"I am drawn to your very soul, Donnice. If given the chance, I normally feed off of souls."
She pushed her hand against his chest, preventing him from coming any closer. “You exist by killing others?"
He chuckled. “You exist by killing others. We're all on the same food chain."
"I don't eat souls!"
"Is that the line between good and evil? I thought it was pretty bad to just kill something."
"It is ... I mean no. I mean.” She rolled her eyes but kept her arm stiff. “I only ate animals, and I had to eat to live."
"Yes. You had to eat to live. The alternative is..."
"Death, but I don't eat people or their souls."
He just didn't understand. Everyone knew that the soul belonged to God, right? To think that there were things ... beings that subsisted on the eating of something so precious would mean ... Well, what the Hell did that mean?
"What happens to the soul after you eat it?"
"It moves on.” He chuckled. “What happens to a pig after you eat it?"
"That's still only the body, not the soul."
"The body becomes part of the world again. A soul returns to the beginning again. To some that would be Heaven, to others...” He shrugged.
"I couldn't bring myself to eat something so ... so sacred."
He arched a brow and tilted his chin. “But if there was only one thing you could eat to live, would you do what you had to do?"
She flattened her head on the door and looked at him with contempt. “You're going to kill me in order to eat my soul, aren't you?"
His eyes lowered to her mouth. His hand covered hers and slowly guided her hand down, allowing him to step closer.
"You said that you wouldn't allow anyone to hurt me."
"I said I wouldn't allow anyone else to hurt you. You really do like to twist things to fit your own mood, don't you?"
"I don't want to die, Colin.” Her eyes filled with moisture. Her words caught in her throat.
"I'm in control of myself, Donnice. Don't fear me ... yet."
"I..."
He smiled and slid her blouse collar between his thumb and forefinger. His eyes followed his fingers, pausing exactly where the corset began. “Marie's?"
She swallowed.
His eyes rose, but his head remained lowered. A new wicked look for him. “Did you like her?"
She concentrated on her breathing. In, out, in, out ... Her heartbeat filled her ears. When exactly should she start fearing him?
"Did you?"
Her lips moved but made no sound. Suddenly dry, she swallowed to moisten her mouth and throat.
"Cat got your tongue?"
"You saw."
He pushed up against her and placed his lips close to her ear. “I did. Why didn't you stop when you saw me?"
"Stop?"
His mouth closed over her earlobe. His cool skin pressed against her cheek, but his mouth felt warm and wet. Teeth scraped against her lobe. So dangerous, yet so wonderful to feel.
"Mmhmm.” His yes mumbled so close to her ear sent delicious shivers through her.
"I couldn't."
He chuckled. “Talk to me. Why couldn't you stop?"
Sliding his hand around her ribcage, he paused just under her breast. So close. If she arched, she could lift her breast to push against his chest even more.
"I can't talk like that."
"Why not? You did it. Surely talking about it isn't as bad as doing it."
There was so much heat on her face, flowing down her neck. Licking her lips, she rolled her head against the glass panel of the door to feel him cradled in her neck even more.
"You kissed her."
"Yes.” She moaned.
"You tasted her."
She nearly panted. His hands began unbuttoning her blouse and her inhibition. The memory of wanting him while being taken by Marie rushed to her mind. She could have him now. All of him.
"She tasted me, and I loved it."
His eyes were dark with passion as he looked into hers. His lips were full from kissing her. “Did you cum for her?"
She lowered her chin, smiled, and looked up into his eyes. “I did."
"And you'll cum for me?"
"Repeatedly, Colin. I was attracted to you from the first moment I laid eyes on you."
"Once will be enough, but you said no to me. What is it that makes you say no to me, but yes to Marie?"
She chuckled. “I don't know why really."
He pushed her blouse off of her shoulders. “I like the corset on you. You should wear things like this all the time."
"I'm not certain I'll be able to. I imagine this is the last time I'll decide on what I wear, right?"
He paused just after placing his lips on the rounded portion of flesh above her corset. He spoke between tender bites of her flesh. “Relax for me."
Donnes held her breath. She couldn't help it. She feared him and could do nothing to stop the aching need she felt for him as well.
His mouth began kissing once more. As much as she wanted assurance from him, she needed to feel more of his kisses. She moaned and held th
e sides of his head, eagerly lifting her flesh to meet his mouth.
Colin's arms wrapped around her; his hands gripped her buttocks and lifted her higher. Grinding his pelvis into her and pushing his readied cock against her, he moaned.
"Tell me that you want it, Donnice."
"Yes, Colin."
"More than you wanted the cowboy or Marie?"
She pulled her head back and looked down at Colin. The cowboy? He knew that too? Fuck. Humiliation for reasons other than Marie caused her to close her eyes.
"Very little happens on this train without me knowing it. Especially where you are concerned.” His brow creased as if he spoke before giving it any real thought.
She bit her lower lip. “I'm sorry, Colin."
"Sorry? For what?"
She opened her eyes. “I ... I thought it bothered you."
He sighed. “Still concerned with what others think of you, Donnice? I thought you had made progress."
"I'm not concerned about others. Just you."
He lowered her and stepped back. “I check baggage and feelings when passengers board."
She stared at him. He actually said that. “What are you talking about? Are you sick?” She bent down and picked up her blouse. “Don't answer that. I knew it in the first five minutes after meeting you. You're perverse."
His brows rose arrogantly. “Was that before or after you were attracted to me?"
"Ohhh.” She pushed past him and began walking.
"Seriously,” he called after her. “I think it would tell me a lot about you."
"Ohhh.” She knew he was grinning. She could hear the chuckle in his voice.
"It would shed a light on things for you as well. You need to admit to yourself the type of person you are."
"Shut up!” She opened the door to the car she had just fled. Not a quip, but effective nonetheless.
It couldn't be the same car. Passengers lined the aisle. Every bench had two passengers—men and women of almost every age, every ethnicity. Strange. Okay, so she didn't want to be alone with Colin anymore. Hadn't she wanted to find them when the stalker chased her? No. She had wanted Colin more than anything then. Now, she just wanted strangers, who knew nothing of her and expected nothing of her.