Tales of the Odalisque

by Josie Litton

  Adrian shook his head. “She’s getting herself a place in London. Jane’s become positively chummy with her. Had her over to dinner the other night. She thinks Mother and I should be closer. Can’t imagine why she believes that and I’m sure Mother is puzzled as well but there it is.”

  Having accepted that his lordship was so besotted with his wife as to accept virtually anything she did, Lucius made a polite sound before turning the conversation in a more immediate direction.

  “Is there anything new about Natalia?”

  The head of British Intelligence took a swallow of his lager and said, “A video has turned up of a woman who could be her going through security at the airport in Berne a month ago.”

  Lucius frowned. He’d never bought that she was from Bournemouth but still-- “Why would she have been in Switzerland?”

  “Haven’t the foggiest but it might just be that she is Swiss. We’re in touch with authorities there but getting anything from them is damn near impossible. Unless we can prove that she’s about to breach their precious bank secrecy laws, they won’t lift a finger to stop her.”

  “I’d forgotten how useful it is to be Swiss,” Lucius said drily. “But not to worry, I’m convinced that her target is inside the Odalisque.”

  “How can you be certain that it isn’t you?”

  “I’ve…been spending quite a bit of time with her recently. If she was actually sent to kill me, she’s had ample opportunity. As for betraying me to would-be interrogators, I’ve shown her a way into the Odalisque that she could have used at any time. She’d need a team to take me and it wouldn’t be easy but it would be doable.”

  “You’re running a hell of a risk,” Adrian observed.

  Lucius shrugged. “I have to know the truth about her.”

  His friend looked at him shrewdly. “Don’t recall ever seeing you particularly curious about a female before.”

  “I’m not curious. I’m just--”

  Belatedly, he realized that his friend was regarding him with tolerant amusement but that faded quickly into concern.

  “You haven’t let her get under your skin, have you?” Adrian asked.

  “Of course not. She’s just a puzzle, that’s all. I want to know why a woman who is so beautiful, spirited, and obviously capable that she could be doing virtually anything she chose is here for some nefarious purpose. Where does she come from? What motivates her? For that matter, why is she still a virgin? How is that even possible? I find it remarkable.”

  “Thought about it a lot, have you?”

  Lucius sighed. There was no point trying to keep anything from Adrian. Since meeting Jane, the man had become damnably perceptive.

  “Only night and day. She’s driving me mad.”

  Adrian downed the rest of his drink and stood. Gently, he said, “That’s unfortunate. If you don’t mind a suggestion--?”

  Lucius waved a hand. “By all means, go right ahead.”

  “Do whatever you have to in order to get her out of your system. The auction is tomorrow night. After that, her access to you--and to the Odalisque--is gone and with it the opportunity to achieve her ends, whatever those may be. We either know exactly what she was after and arrest her for it or we bring her in for questioning and find out. One way or another, I’m very sorry to say that Miss Bollinger may be spending quite a long time in prison.”

  Considering that after Adrian had departed, Lucius realized that while it was one thing to imagine her locked away for his own enjoyment, it was quite another to think of her future as it might very well be if she continued on her present course. The thought of all that beauty and spirit being shut away from the world--

  Angered flared in him. The damn woman, what could she possibly be thinking? And now he’d given her the means to fully incriminate herself.

  She would be in the club within hours. The only question that remained was what she would do. He hated having to wait to find out but far worse was the sense that whatever Natalia did, he might not be able to save her from the consequences of it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Oh, my god,” Daphne whispered. “Did you see that?”

  “Biggest one yet,” Kathleen replied. “I’m keeping track.”

  “I’ve died,” Lei Su added, “and I must have been much better behaved when I was alive than I ever guessed.” She looked around the main floor of the Odalisque and sighed. “This is heaven.”

  Their head swiveled, trying to take in everything despite the damn head gear. Alone among them, Natalia was doing her upmost to remain oblivious to her surroundings while figuring out how to slip away and get to Lucius’ office unseen.

  “If you please, ladies,” the abbess said. “Kindly keep your minds on business. Mingle, take drink orders, chat with the members but do not forget yourselves. No touching--”

  With a pointed look at Kathleen, she added, “And by that I mean that you keep your hands to yourselves. Most of the gentlemen who have been cleared to attend the auction are here this evening. An air of the unobtainable on your parts will only further whet their appetites.”

  As she walked with her fellow virgins out onto the floor of the Odalisque, Natalia’s first impression was of a large group of elegant, sophisticated people in evening dress who had gathered for a masquerade party. Until, that is, closer scrutiny revealed that in among them were a good many other men and women who were entirely nude. All of those were young and attractive, the men’s bodies muscular without being bulky, the women lithe and curvy.

  Nipple piercings for both sexes appeared to be popular, often with chains extended between them with some even attached to leashes. But more startling yet were the penises pierced by rings through the crests and held perpetually erect in the grip of steel cuffs at the base. Having recently improved her understanding of male anatomy, Natalia could not help but think that such arrangements looked wincingly uncomfortable. Still, they didn’t appear to hinder the males’ ability to perform.

  All around the room, men and women were disporting themselves in every possible combination--couples, threesomes, more. Two eager young women were pleasuring a man who had chosen to attend the club wearing evening clothes from the waist up but only riding chaps below. The cut of the chaps left his genitalia entirely exposed. One of the women was busy licking his cock from the tip all along his shaft while the other appeared rather alarmingly to be trying to swallow his balls. The man showed no concern as to the latter but instead stood with a blissful expression, a hand grasping the head of each of the women to urge them on.

  Not far away, a petite young woman in a glittering mini dress pulled down to reveal her breasts was being thrust up and down on the cock of a large man while another of equal size approached from the back with the apparent intent of joining them. The woman glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him while wiggling her bottom invitingly.

  Natalia averted her gaze only to be distracted by cheers from an audience somewhere above her head. Glancing up, she saw that the ceiling of the main floor extended up two stories, allowing for a gallery that ran all the way around it. On that level, naked aerialists held aloft by vividly colored parachute silks were fucking vigorously. As they did so, the more agile patrons were positioning themselves at the half-wall of the gallery and joining in.

  All in all, the profusion of sheer erotic excess was simply too much to take in. She concentrated instead on looking for a discreet way out only to realize that her task had suddenly become much more difficult.

  As awareness of the virgins’ entry in their chaste white robes spread across the floor of the club, all eyes turned toward them. Men and women alike craned their necks as though to observe a species of creature so exotic as to be thought extinct. Silence fell only to be replaced moments later by an excited buzz of conversation.

  Being the focus of every gaze made Natalia suddenly queasy. By both nature and training, she had always shied from drawing attention to herself. Her success rested to a large degree on her ability to com
e and go so adroitly as to be unnoticed. Reminding herself that she had known from the beginning that this undertaking would be different, she dragged in a breath and did her best to avoid eye contact.

  Over the next half-hour, she managed to serve a dozen or more drinks without spilling any while fielding questions--some quite astoundingly personal. Following the abbess’ instructions to say only so much as would fuel their imaginations, Natalia was surprised to discover herself rather enjoying the feint and parry of flirtatious conversation.

  The only bad moment came when an overly inebriated club member made a grab for her. Before, she had felt a few brushing touches quickly discouraged by the presence of the corset. But this particular ‘gentleman’ was not so easily put off.

  Arabella had left no doubt that the members knew full well they were not to importune the virgins. That being the case, Natalia felt no hesitation about dealing with him. The situation was quite stressful enough without putting up with a man her father would have called a galoot, having brought a bit of the Emerald Isle with him when he found it prudent to settle in Switzerland.

  She spared a glance around to be sure everyone nearby was properly distracted, then drove the web of her hand between the thumb and finger directly into the center his throat. Not enough to do any lasting injury, certainly not, much less to kill him, although with sufficient force the blow could be lethal. The action was perfectly measured to disable him and then only briefly. He was coughing, his eyes watering profusely and his hands clutching his neck when she wafted away to bestow her presence on other guests.

  ~~~~~~~~~~

  Lucius frowned as he watched her go. Having not taken his eyes from Natalia from the moment she entered the club, he had been on the verge of going to her assistance when she suddenly and with no warning demonstrated that she did not need it.

  The blow--it had looked for all the world like a classic throat strike carried out without the slightest hesitation--took him aback. How had she happened to do that at all, much less so perfectly? Surely, mere chance could not account for it.

  She might be determined to reveal nothing of herself to him but her body itself was more forthcoming. He thought of the honed muscles rippling under her skin in the grip of ecstasy. Perhaps they were not, as he had assumed, merely the result of faithful gym visits.

  If she really was as skilled in the martial arts as she had just shown herself to be, he could at least draw comfort that he was right about her not intending to kill him. Given a sufficient level of distraction on his part--which heaven knew, she evoked effortlessly--she could have done so without even requiring a weapon.

  Of course, her ability to take out an opponent so readily erased any lingering doubt about her true nature. She was a professional, which meant that she was unlikely to be deterred from her goal by any level of difficulty. One way or another, she would make her move that evening. He could only hope that he was ready for her.

  Lucius was considering--yet again--the precautions he had put in place when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

  “I say, Belmont, who is that lovely creature with the violet eyes?”

  Reluctantly, Lucius glanced at the young man who had appeared at his side. Jonathan Albert Charles, fourth Viscount Lovell was staring at Natalia in rapt admiration. Twenty-six years old, unmarried, heir to a billion or so sterling, physically fit with a reputation for fair play, he was on the approved list for the auction. It would be his first and, unless Lucius was entirely mistaken, his last. Viscount Lovell was, quite simply, ripe for the plucking. Whoever walked off with him at the auction would, in all likelihood, keep him.

  That damn well was not going to be Natalia. All considerations as to her nefarious nature notwithstanding, the mere thought was intolerable.

  Without hesitation, he said, “Actually, there’s a private bid on her. Quite steep, I’m afraid.”

  The young Viscount looked taken aback. “But surely no one has seen her before this evening.”

  “What can I say, rank has its privileges.”

  Understanding dawned in the noble mind of John Albert Charles who, like every naïve young man of his ilk, fancied that he understood how the world worked. It was touching, really.

  “Shame,” he said without rancor or, for that matter, the slightest urge to rebel. Why would he when the pecking order usually worked so well for him?

  Satisfied that the Viscount had been neutered, Lucius said, “Might I suggest that you take a look at the petite blonde? Her name is Daphne and I think she would suit you quite well.”

  “Do you?” John Albert Charles said, perking up at once. A short while he wandered off in pursuit of his new interest.

  Lucius returned his attention to the club floor only to realize that he had lost sight of Natalia. She was no longer where he had last seen her just moments before. Worse yet, given the identical garments worn by the virgins, he was having the devil’s own time locating her.

  Quickly, he counted. Six…seven…

  Eight virgins were spread out across the club. Eight where there should have been nine.

  Natalia had made her move.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Natalia hurried as quickly as the constricting corset would allow along a corridor behind one of the discreet staff doors set at intervals around the main floor of the Odalisque. The door blended so well with the décor that she would never have noticed it if she hadn’t happened to catch a staff member entering the main part of the club. Now all she could think of was getting through the passage before another employee appeared to question what she was doing there.

  Distantly, she was aware of the muffled sounds of voices and music, and the faint aromas wafting from the kitchen but all she could really sense was the frantic pounding of her heart. She had to reach Lucius’ office, find what she was looking for and get away before she could be missed. If she failed--

  That didn’t bear thinking about. Hadn’t her father taught her from the very beginning that anticipating failure was the surest way to bring it about?

  Of course, that was very different from foreseeing potential problems and devising ways to deal with them. She had done that, at least so far as she was able. But she couldn’t lie to herself. Between her fears for Naomi and the unwanted feelings that Lucius stirred in her, she was far from her best.

  All the more reason to get this over with quickly.

  Rounding a corner, she almost banged into a wheeled serving table someone had left standing there. Catching herself, she breathed a sigh of relief when she finally spotted steps leading upward.

  Normally, she would have sped up them two at a time. Caged in steel as she was, she had to go much more slowly but finally she gained the top floor and carefully inched open the door on the landing. Peering through the crack, she confirmed that no one was in sight.

  Not unexpectedly, the double doors to Lucius’ office were closed. A quick twist of a knob confirmed that they were also locked. Undeterred, she plucked the handy tool she had hidden in her snood and went to work on the simple tumbler mechanism. Seconds later, she had it open.

  If all the rest went so well…

  Stepping into the office, she faltered, struck by sudden flashbacks to the improprieties she had permitted in this room. Solely because of her duty to Naomi, of course. Never mind the little voice whispering that she had found dark pleasure in submitting to Lucius’ demands.

  Her eyes strayed to the rug in front of the couch where, during their final “practice” session the previous day, he had kept her naked on all fours, her breasts bound with silken cords, her nipples stretched and tugged. Passing a hand lightly over her ass, he had told her how beautiful she was, how sensuous.

  “You’re still fighting this side of your nature,” he had observed before proceeding to show her just how useless that fight was.

  He began slowly, parting her labia and stroking her lightly. The tips of his fingers barely brushed her but the effect was intense. Her back arched, lifting toward hi
s touch. She flushed with embarrassment as her juices oozed from her, slicking her pussy.

  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are, so swollen and glistening?” he murmured. “What a shame to waste such a copious flow.”

  Something cool, long and hard rubbed against her cunt. She started and looked over her shoulder. The sight of the ribbed dildo made of rose-hued glass being coated with her arousal stole her breath. What did he intend to do with--

  “Easy,” he murmured and parted the cheeks of her ass.

  Natalia would have bolted then and there were it not for the sudden weakness of her limbs. She was struggling with the combined effects of shock and arousal when he eased a slickened finger into her.

  Unable to stop herself, she blurted, “People actually do this?”

  Amused, he said, “You’d be amazed.”

  “It seems…wrong.”

  He added a second finger, stretching farther. A dark ripple of pleasure moved through her.

  “That’s part of the thrill,” he said.

  Still, the tip of the dildo pressing against her anus came as a shock.

  “Easy,” he murmured, rubbing her shoulders lightly. “Just relax.”

  A disbelieving laugh escaped her. “You’re joking.”

  Sternly, he said, “This is serious business Miss Bollinger. Kindly focus.”

  Privately, she’d thought it would be better if she didn’t. The discomfort quickly morphed into a burning sensation that hovered on the edge of pain. Still on her hands and knees--her swollen, teased breasts swaying beneath her--she was about to tell him to stop. But then, through the fine wool of his trousers, she felt his erection against her thigh.

  Too vividly, she recalled that he possessed an exceptionally large cock, long and thick, and oddly appealing if one overlooked the fact that it was inclined to go off unexpectedly.

  After all that practice with the dildos, he had yet to let her practice on him. She found herself resenting that. It was well and good for him to make free with her body but heaven forbid that she be allowed to do the same with his.