Tales of the Odalisque

by Josie Litton

  “Where are we?” she demanded. Not hell but somewhere suitably close to it.

  “Mayfair. I don’t actually live above the shop; I just keep a place there.” He paused, amber eyes surveying her.

  She clutched the comforter more tightly. Despite it, she felt his gaze over every inch of her body.

  “I hope you’re not disappointed.,” he said. “No doubt you were expecting something more exotic.”

  “Expecting…?”

  “We have a tradition with the auctions that patrons vie to provide the most luxurious accommodations. Still--” he waved a hand negligently, “this isn’t exactly shabby.”

  Natalia’s gaze drifted over the room. It appeared to be a long gallery, gracefully proportioned with walls paneled in dark wood and a coffered ceiling from which crystal chandeliers hung. Tell windows were deep set along two walls overlooking the quiet neighborhood. In addition to the Chinese bed at the far end of the room, dozens of works of art were on display, ranging from the Impressionists to various modern schools. The overall effect was of refined taste matched to the wealth required to indulge it.

  Only gradually did she become aware that among the items in the room were some that might not be intended solely to be admired. What at first glance appeared to be a latticework choir screen of the kind found in medieval churches upon a second look revealed itself to be a framework of twisted titanium and bronze from which various ominous looking apparatuses dangled. Nearby was what might have been the creation of an equestrian-loving gynecologist, a reclining leather chair with built-in stirrups that would both elevate and spread the hapless occupant’s legs, broad straps to hold her in place, and an attached bench strategically located to examine and manipulate her in the most personal ways imaginable.

  Following the direction of her gaze, Lucius said, “I had a few items moved over from the club.”

  Natalia drew in a quick breath. “Why would you have done that?”

  “I suppose I didn’t want to take any chance of you getting bored over the next seventy-two hours.”

  The significance of that particular number sent a wave of heat through her. He couldn’t possibly mean--

  While she was still gaping at him, Lucius stood and walked toward her. As the space between them narrowed, it was all she could do not to retreat. Only with the greatest effort of will did she hold her ground.

  As though he guessed the effort that had cost her, he smiled. “Congratulations, you set a new club record.”

  “F-for what?”

  The back of his fingers brushed the curve of her cheek in a gesture all the more effective for being so unexpectedly tender. His smile deepened.

  “The pleasure of your company over the next three days, of course. One million pounds sterling in escrow, yours to collect as soon as the contract is fulfilled.”

  He was mad…or she was. This couldn’t possibly be happening. To start with, no one would pay such an absurd sum but even if someone did, it wouldn’t be for her. That was simply ridiculous not to mention that she was supposed to have been gone before the auction ever began, not…

  “Why?” So great was her shock, that was all she could manage. Fortunately, it was enough.

  “I made a pre-emptive bid high enough to discourage any gentleman who might have balked when told that you weren’t available for viewing.”

  “Except by you.” Her cheeks flamed even as she felt relieved that she hadn’t been put on show for all to see.

  His hand slid down to clasp the nape of her neck. “I must say, I have never encountered a woman so exquisitely responsive and passionate.”

  “You drugged me,” she spat.

  His hold on her tightened, not painfully but enough to make her aware of his far greater size and strength. She resisted the urge to flip him to the floor, pause just a moment to taunt him and make her escape. But it was a close thing.

  “The gel lowered your inhibitions enough to free your true nature, Natalia. If you want to tell yourself otherwise, go right ahead but it changes nothing. You have a very strong sex drive that, for reasons which presently escape me, seems to have been strictly repressed.”

  His gaze drifted to her mouth. Softly, he said, “Until now.”

  He bent his head, his lips brushing over hers. To her surprise, the caress was unexpectedly gentle.

  “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” he asked softly. “The contract, the money. You said that was all you were interested in.”

  Her heart lurched. At that moment, she realized that if she told him the truth, she had no idea how he would respond. Failing to find any trace of Naomi wasn’t absolute proof that Lucius hadn’t had a hand in her disappearance. If he had, revealing her real reason for infiltrating the Odalisque would be the equivalent of stepping out of the frying pain and into the fire.

  And then there was the insidious fact that her body had its own entirely selfish interests that cared nothing at all for reason or logic. Whether he was right or not about her sexuality having been repressed, it certainly wasn’t any more. She could rationalize all she wanted about staying free to continue the search for Naomi but the truth was that he drew her irresistibly.

  How fortunate then that surest route to dispelling his suspicions and just possibly finding out what kind of man he really was lay in giving in to her deepest, darkest desires.

  “Of course,” she murmured. “The money…that’s why I’m here.”

  His mouth tightened but only for an instant. Slowly, he nodded.

  “Good, then you can start by satisfying my curiosity.”

  He took her hand and turned back toward the chair where he had been sitting. Resuming his place there, he drew her closer until he stood between his spread thighs.

  “About what?” she asked, vividly aware of his heat, the clean masculine smell of his skin and her own unsated arousal.

  Had she been at all her normal self, she would have thought his smile concerning. As it was, her gaze drifted to the bulge in his trousers. She was hardly aware when his hands closed on her arms, drawing her down gently but inexorably to kneel before him.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Natalia started in surprise when, without another word or the slightest flicker of hesitation, Lucius unzipped his jeans and drew out his long, hard cock. Casually fisting it, he stroked up and down the thick shaft.

  “Let go of the comforter and put your hands behind your back,” he directed.

  Well aware that she would then once again be naked at his feet--and struck by the fact that his appendage was even larger than she had remembered--Natalia hesitated. “Why?”

  “Because I’m only going to use your mouth this time.”

  His bluntness took her aback. Not that she’d been expecting hearts and flowers but still--

  Staring at what was surely an excess of exuberance on the part of nature, she said, “I really don’t think it’s going to fit. The dildos we practiced on were much smaller.”

  “It will fit.” He sounded arrogantly confident.

  “If you say so…” Looking up at him, she frowned. “You’re not going to tie my hands again?” She hoped that came out the way she intended--disapproving rather than the tiniest bit disappointed.

  The corners of his mouth quirked. “No, you’re going to keep them where they belong because I told you to.”

  “Oh…” So she was supposed to simply obey. Or perhaps it was merely a matter of following instructions. She was much better at the latter than the former.

  The silk comforter pooled on the floor as it slid from her. Shivering slightly, she stared again at his cock. Could it actually be getting even larger?

  “Well, then…” she murmured and licked her lips.

  That other time, he’d said something about a Popsicle but she failed to see how that would serve. Surely, they were much smaller and besides, she couldn’t recall ever having one. …

  Shifting her gaze to meet his, she was surprised to find him watching her intently. His eyes were
hooded but what she thought she glimpsed in them made muscles flutter deep inside her.

  Softly, she confessed, “I’m not entirely sure how to begin.”

  “Open your mouth,” Lucius said thickly.

  As she complied, he used his free hand to cup the back of her head and without further ado, slid the tip of his cock between her lips. The sensation of his crest gliding over her tongue was startling but not unpleasant.

  Harshly, he said, “Suck…hard.”

  Her cheeks hollowed as she did so. His taste was stronger than what she had experienced of her own but not entirely dissimilar. To her surprise, she found herself wanting more. Moving her head, she took him deeper into her mouth until she felt his crest nudging against the back of her throat, then flicked her tongue along his shaft.

  The moan that broke from him sent a jolt of pleasure through her. Emboldened, she continued sucking vigorously until a few drops of pre-come ran down her throat. Glancing up, she saw that his head was thrown back, the cords in his neck straining. He had let go of her; both his hands were clenched into fists at his sides.

  Keeping her own hands neatly tucked behind her, Natalia eased her head back. She gave his crest a final swirling lick with her tongue before releasing it and turning her attention to his balls. They, too, seemed unusually large compared to Miss Sheridan’s anatomical models.

  Deciding that they required further investigation, she licked them all over thoroughly before sucking first one and then the other into her mouth. When she looked up at him again, his eyes were open and his gaze was scorching.

  “Sweet heaven, Natalia,” he gasped.

  That sounded encouraging. Perhaps she really was a natural. Emboldened, she took his cock into her mouth once again, working him as far to the back of her throat as she could manage given her position. Several inches of his shaft remained beyond her reach but she was pleased to have taken as much as she had.

  She began vigorously sucking so that the muscles of her throat worked all along his length and was rewarded when he cried out hoarsely.

  Not quite so high and mighty now, she thought just a big smugly and redoubled her efforts. The first hot spurt of come down her throat took her by surprise; the torrent that followed was nothing short of shocking. Choking on the copious flow, she released him and caught his cock between her breasts, letting the excess flow over and between them as she squeezed him up and down.

  When the truly impressive display of his virility at last trickled away to a few final drops, she sat back on her haunches and regarded her handiwork. His massive erection was no more, having spent itself in her mouth and bosom. But his cock remained impressively large as did his balls. She wondered what it must be like to go striding about the world with that weight continually between his legs and decided it probably accounted for at least some of his behavior.

  With an effort, she raised her gaze and saw that once again his eyes were closed. Or they had rolled back in his head; she wasn’t quite sure. His breathing was ragged, his powerful chest rising and falling rapidly. Coupled with the dark flush suffusing his face and neck, the evidence of his rigorous exertion made her glad that he was young and in excellent health overall. Otherwise, he might just possibly be in need of medical attention.

  Slowly, he opened his eyes and squinted at her kneeling in front of him, the tip of her tongue licking the last traces of his come from the corners of her mouth, her breasts glistening and her legs spread to reveal her swollen pussy.

  Lucius’ groan was torn from the dark depths of his soul. He lay back in the chair, cup a hand over his drained cock protectively and said, “You should have come with a warning label.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  She was the most dangerous woman on earth. Let loose amid the unsuspecting male population, she would wreak havoc. That it hadn’t already happened was nothing short of a miracle.

  It was his own fault. He’d allowed her into the abbey where she’d acquired exactly the skills she needed to unleash her powers. Whatever sacrifice he had to make in order to protect his fellow man, he would do so gladly.

  But first, he had to get on his feet.

  Having only just managed to do so, he summoned a sliver of his customary dominance. “Come.”

  She rose gracefully, leaving the silk comforter behind on the floor and put her hand in his. So winsome was her obedience that for just a moment he almost forgot his resolve. Only the twitching of his drained cock reminded him of the pressing need to right the balance between them.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “You’ll see.”

  He led her into a bathing area that would more usually be found in a spa. It had come with the apartment and he’d never bothered to change it. Now he was glad that he hadn’t.

  The marble tub set on a dais was the size of a small swimming pool and equipped with jets positioned to soothe every conceivable part of the body.

  Bypassing it, Lucius went directly to the shower. It, too, was oversized with a dozen rainforest heads and enough controls to run a reactor. He keyed in appropriate commands, stripped off quickly and stepped in, drawing Natalia with him.

  Vaguely, he was aware of those glorious violet eyes drinking him in and remembered this was the first time she had seen him nude. She’d just have to deal with it. He was big, he was hard and he had the scars to show for battles both won and lost.

  The water came on--pre-heated to the perfect temperature--as he reached for the body wash.

  “You first,” he said as he poured a handful into his palm.

  He took his time, washing her thoroughly with particular attention to her breasts, the gap between her thighs and the crack of her ass. Before he was done, she was flushed for reasons that had nothing to do with the temperature of the water.

  Her nipples were hard berry red buds, her clit was even more swollen and she kept nibbling on her lower lip in a way he found most distracting.

  Giving her the body wash, he said, “My turn.”

  She looked like a kitten presented with a saucer of cream. At her first tentative touch, he told himself he had nothing to worry about. After the orgasm he’d just experienced, even he was going to need some time to recover. But he hadn’t counted on the impact of Natalia’s nearness, her scent, the silken glide of her skin as the water pearled over it, the soft sounds of pleasure she made as she bathed him.

  His cock--which clearly had no sense whatsoever and to which he absolutely should never listen--hardened swiftly. Before she had even turned her attention to it, the damn thing was arching up to his navel. With a little smile, she set about washing that part of him with admirable thoroughness.

  He bore it as long as he could before abruptly grabbing the body wash from her and shoving it back onto the shelf.

  “I think I’m clean enough,” he said.

  Without waiting for her reply, he turned her to face the wall, pressing her firmly against it. Holding her between the steam-warmed tiles and his rock hard body, he slipped a hand between her legs and parted her labia.

  Against the curve of her ear, he murmured, “You did so well earlier, sweetheart, you deserve a reward.”

  Her only response was a soft moan.

  Pleased, he continued relentless, stroking and squeezing her, even going so far as to thrust a single finger slowly just a little way into her virginal cunt. Damn, he couldn’t wait to fuck her there but he would. Before he took what she claimed to be willing to sell for a million pounds, she would be nothing more than putty in his hands. He’d have the truth from her then, whatever it turned out to be.

  But first he was going to make her come her brains out.

  As she squirmed against him, her exquisite bottom rubbing torturously against his groin, he continued stroking and playing with her. The flow of her juices soaked his fingers. Just as she began coming, he sank his teeth into the tender nape of her neck and held her fast. She let out a strangled shriek as her orgasm broke over her. Even then, he didn’t relent but
kept her locked in a cascade of pleasure until finally she slumped against him, gasping for breath and trembling.

  Hardening his heart against the urge to hold and comfort her, he reached for the lube he’d thought to put in the shower. Planning, that was always the secret to a successful campaign.

  She was still shaking with the aftershocks of her release as he stepped back a little, separated the cheeks of her ass and poured a trickle of lube between them.

  “Lucius…”

  The smallness of her voice brought him up short. She sounded achingly uncertain yet if he wasn’t mistaken, she was also curious.

  “It’s all right,” he murmured. “Remember how well you took that dildo?”

  “You’re much bigger.”

  He couldn’t argue with that but he could reassure her. “We’ll go slowly and if you tell me to stop, I will. All right?”

  “Do you promise?”

  Something inside him ached that she had to ask.

  “Yes, absolutely, I promise. We won’t do anything that you don’t want.”

  That mollified her enough to let him continue. He went carefully, coating his finger with lube before pushing it slowly into her anus. With his other hand, he continued stroking her pussy. All the while, he murmured to her words of praise and reassurance.

  By the time he had three lubed fingers in her and was scissoring her open, his heart was hammering against his chest and he was rock hard. Even so, he hesitated before withdrawing his hand and pressing the tip of his oiled cock against her opening.

  “All right?” he asked.

  Their eyes met as she nodded.

  With a slight thrust of his hips, he nudged past the ring of muscle. Natalia’s gasp made him stop at once. Only to groan a moment later when she began to move against him, taking him deeper.

  Not for the first time, it occurred to him that on top of everything else, she was excessively brave.