Eternal Pleasures Read online

  Chapter 3

  “Just what the hell is going on CJ?” Paige pushed her way into the room, shaking her head in disgust at the discarded bed linens.

  “Oh God, Paige. You aren’t going to…”

  Paige held her hand up against the words. “If this has anything to do with having the best orgasm you’ve ever had, I’m going to scream. It just isn’t natural, CJ.”

  “You’re telling me!” Cassandra plopped down on the bed, only to jump immediately back to her feet. She could still feel him touching her; his scent still upon her skin. “He was here, in this room.”

  “He, being who? Don’t tell me…”

  “The man in the shop earlier tonight. He was…” The words barely a whisper, Cassandra stood in front of the window, looking out into the full moon. “…touching me, Paige. Making love to me.”

  Cassandra pulled the purple satin robe around her shoulders to ward off the unnatural chill running through her body. The material scraped across her breasts, causing her nipples to pucker.

  “Touching you?” The bedside light came on, brightening the room and filling in the darkness of the shadows. “Making love…you’ve got to be kidding. You’ve gone too far this time, CJ.” She glanced at the open book and scowled. “Stop reading this junk, it’s making you crazy.”

  “Yeah, maybe” she turned, the chill soaring deeper into her body. Weird things were happening…“yet he touched me with his hands…and mouth.” How can I expect anyone to believe me, when I find it hard to believe it myself?

  “Sure, and I’ve got Keith Urban in my bed waiting for my return,” Paige remarked, as she sat in a high backed chair. The look she cast made Cassandra feel like a five year old kid who’d just said they’d seen a fairy at the window. It was crazy, but it didn’t take away how real it all felt.

  “I’m serious, Paige. I could feel his tongue, and--”

  “And what, CJ? That his cock was hard inside your pussy? Give me a break, will ya?” Paige continued to sit in the chair, like a parent waiting for their kid to wake up and tell the truth.

  Maybe that’s all it had been; a dream. Her vivid imagination getting carried away with a very vividly told story. It had felt so real to her. HE looked so real to her, so masterful, so damn sexy. She couldn’t have been dreaming or fantasizing about this man who appeared in each story she’d read so far. It was as if she had been reading his personal journal.

  Cassandra picked up the worn book, fanning through the yellowed pages.

  Did her phantom lover really have the same brand, or had that been a part of her too real fantasy? That would be way to strange for even her to handle, and she could handle anything that came her way. Or at least she thought she could until tonight that is. She gazed at the crumbled sheets, looking for some proof that she wasn’t losing her mind…but there was none. Sexy fantasy lovers didn’t leave evidence behind.

  “Not inside, Paige, rather pushing against my clit,” she stated, padding across the room, book in hand. She wasn’t about to give the anthology up until she got a grip of her senses. “The tip thumped against my pussy, teasing me. I’ve never been so hot for sex before…never!”

  Cassandra walked out into the living room, leaving Paige and the smell of his sex behind her.

  “CJ, you were dreaming.” Paige prepared the makings of some hot tea. “Or maybe I should say wishful thinking, fantasizing.”

  “Paige, I know you don’t believe me,” Cassandra sat in a kitchen chair, pushing the book to the middle of the table. “I find it hard to believe myself, but there he was. He had the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen, full of desire, just inches from my face, not to mention his hot cock all but burning a hole in me.”

  She sniffed her wrist where he’d manacled it with his hand and picked up a hint of musk. I can still smell him on me. A look at Paige’s rolling eyes had her keeping the thought to herself.

  The teapot whistle sounded. Hopefully, the chamomile would sooth both their nerves and help her sleep.

  Sleep? Cassandra had a feeling that was an element of the night passage she’d likely miss this night. How could she even think of closing her eyes after what she’d experienced? She was afraid of what the night might conjure up in her mind. In all her days of fantasizing, the object of her fascination had never actually materialized. Why now and why this fictional character?

  “You said it was the guy from earlier tonight, the one you were yelling at me about.” Paige set a teacup in front of Cassandra, and then poured hot water over the bag for brewing.

  Shit, is that what I said? “Oooh baaabeee” certainly wasn’t her ghost, but she couldn’t take it back now. “Did I?” Cassandra dunked her tea bag up and down in the cup, quickly going over the scene in her bedroom. She hadn’t lied; it was the guy from the shop. Oh what a tangled web she weaved with that little white lie she’d told.

  “Ah, yeah, you did.” Paige sat down in the chair opposite Cassandra. “Now, what I’d like to know is how in the hell he got into your room and just where in the hell did he disappear to? Unless he can fly or become the invisible man, there’s no possible way he could have gotten out of your room without going right past me and out the door.”

  Cassandra felt Paige’s accusing gaze lock in on her face. Her friend didn’t believe a word she’d told her. Yet, she didn’t really expect Paige to accept the fact that a fantasy had come to life. “Maybe I thought I locked the door and didn’t.”

  “Nope, I checked that already. Locked safe and secure inside our little abode.” Paige dunked her teabag several more times, and then squeezed the excess into the cup. “Just come clean with me, CJ. You know I don’t have a problem with men sneaking into the house at night. Heck, if I had one to sneak in I’d do it myself.”

  “That’s just it, Paige. It wasn’t “oooh baaabeee” and I didn’t sneak anyone in. Now that I think about it, it must have been the rumored ghost I was reading about and the next thing I knew…well, you know.”

  Cassandra peered through her lashes as she took a sip of the calming tea. Her best friend in the world wasn’t swallowing her story no matter what explanation she came up with, even if it was the truth. She had no reason in the world to lie about whether or not a man had been in her room. Not even a man who evaporated into thin air.

  “Then you lied to me. Why in the hell should I believe this crazy story now? You know I don’t believe in that supernatural crap.”

  “Can’t we just drop it?”

  “Nope, not until you come clean. Even if we have to stay up for the rest of the night and not open tomorrow, I want to know the truth, CJ.”

  “Okay, but you’re not going to like it. I was reading this,” Cassandra pushed the old leather covered book across the table. “I got so into it that I started touching myself. I could actually feel a tongue flicking and sucking my clit. Then the thumping of a hard cock nestled between my pubic hair and lips.”

  The fantasy still held its power over her; Cassandra felt the stirrings of desire spring to life once again. “The next thing I knew a pair of blue-velvet eyes stared into mine. At first, I thought I was dreaming, until the lust in his eyes matched the grin on his face. Both of which could make a girl do things she never thought of doing before. That’s when I screamed and poof, he vanished. End of a great lovemaking session. End of fantasy. End of story.”

  Paige let out a sigh. “All this hubbub over an erotic dream. You aren’t going to change your story, are you?” Paige gave the book a shove, then left the table and Cassandra to sit alone in the room. “Take this crap and get rid of it. And don’t tell me you’re falling for that ghost business again. It’s just something the broker came up with to scare us off the sale.”

  “I’m telling you the truth here, Paige,” Cassandra called out as the bedroom door slammed shut.

  Cassandra stood by the floor to ceiling window, looking out over the city’s rooftops. The full moon’s beams reflecting off them gave the illusion of a coppery river. Under normal circumstances the
sight would have sparked her imagination, but not tonight.

  Tonight her mind housed imagination enough to last her a lifetime. Imagination too real for her comfort. At least that’s what her common sense kept barking at her. Her body, on the other hand, cried out quite the opposite. A part of her knew it was true…all of it.

  How could she expect Paige to understand her vision when she couldn’t herself? It was as real to her as breathing. Cassandra knew darn well that it hadn’t been her own manipulations that brought her to the brink of orgasm. Her fingernails are short and couldn’t simulate teeth nibbling on her clit even if she tried to make them.

  The way his sex caressed hers felt like a lifetime of longing had come to an end. The large shaft nestled between her legs and against her clit brought forth a desire she’d never experienced before. If only she hadn’t screamed, maybe she’d know true bliss now.

  She’d been on the verge of cuming before he even attempted to enter her hot pussy. How could something so real be nothing more than an illusion conjured by her fascination for sexual pleasure?

  What planets in the universe had aligned to bring him to her bed? Would she ever feel that kind of fulfillment again with a real man?

  No, the man she’d seen twice in a matter of hours was as real to her as no other man had ever been.

  Chapter 4

  The rising sun cast its light upon the cobblestones on the front walk of Eternal Pleasures. Cassandra tucked the bag of scones under her arm, juggling the two take-out cups of coffee, as she opened the door. She hadn’t been able to go back to sleep last night, afraid of what the remainder of the night’s darkness might bring. She developed doubts about her own feelings and what she’d seen with her own two eyes. What if Paige was right after all?

  Here she was, almost forty, and afraid of the dark. Even as a child, she’d welcomed the beauty of the night and the songs of the night creatures. In fact, her parents thought it unusual a child would find more comfort in the night than in the day. For Cassandra, the moonlight shone as bright and wonderful as sunlight.

  So why find herself worried now? Because she thought she’d been having foreplay with the illusion of a fictional character? Woman had fantasies of all sorts of celebrities, so what made her any different? Simply because the man was a figment of the author’s imagination and not a living breathing man? She had to accept it or go bonkers.

  “I hope that’s a mint mocha you’ve got in one of those cups.”

  Cassandra jumped, almost dropping her cargo. “Oh shit, Paige. You could have waited until you knew I saw you before scaring the crap out of me.”

  “And ruin my fun?” Paige laughed. “No way! Seeing you walk through the door that deep in thought, I knew I had you right then and there.”

  “Thanks.” Cassandra plopped the coffees and bag next to the cash register. “Some best friend you are.” She flipped a lid from one of the coffees, steam filtered upward and the smell of caramel filled the room. She took a sip, slow and easy, relishing the sweet taste blended with the bitterness of coffee bean.

  “So, you gonna tell me what happened last night?” Paige dunked a scone into the rich chocolate flavored brew.

  Cassandra plopped down on the settee next to Paige, sighing deeply. Paige wouldn’t let it rest; another white lie would be better than the truth.

  “You were right, it must have been a dream.” Cassandra sipped more of her coffee, watching Paige over the rim. “I haven’t been back to sleep since then, so maybe you’d want to call it a nightmare instead.”

  “Well, whatever you want to call it, don’t read that book in bed again. I’d much rather get a full night’s sleep than only half.” Paige patted Cassandra on the knee, then headed for the backroom.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t.” Cassandra smiled as she took another sip of the sweet blend. “I promise.”

  “What is it they say? Promises are made to be broken.” Smiling, Paige disappeared behind the purple silk backroom door.

  Cassandra picked up the book, chuckling lightly. Promises…all she ever wanted to sexually experience were promised on the printed pages. Surely her phantom lover wouldn’t appear in the light of day.

  Reading only a few more pages wouldn’t hurt anything. All she had to do was open to the page she’d last read. All she needed was a few paragraphs more, enough to finish the tale. Cassandra curled up on the settee, opening the book to a dog-eared page.

  Unable to focus on the blurred words, she closed her weary eyes for only a moment. Knowing the store didn’t open for several hours, she fell into a quiet sleep.

  Garrett slipped through the shadows of the waning night. He stayed by CJ until the first rays of dawn came to life.

  His cock grew harder with each passing moment of not being able to reach out and touch her. His body ached to finish what she’d started within the sheets of her bed. Only she never returned to those tumbled sheets during the night. Instead, she stood right in front of the large windowpane staring out through the darkness.

  He knew she’d been afraid to let it happen. To let them happen again. Evidently, she didn’t know what power she possessed to have called him forth to her side. A power he’d known only once in his lifetime.

  Victoria had been the only woman who’d managed to keep him interested in more than just being a teacher. For them, it had been quite the opposite…she’d been the teacher and he the student. She thought they’d live forever, but hadn’t counted on being accused a witch and sentenced to death by fire. He’ll never forget her screams of agony as the flames licked her flowing garment.

  He’d turned away, denouncing their passion for each other; afraid of what fate their secret association would bring. Vowing to never become the student again, Garrett opened Eternal Pleasures and began a private school for the elite of society. Under the guise of a shop of specialty chocolates and other many sinful delectables, his teachings were so private only ladies with a sufficient income would be in attendance behind his hidden door. A door of sin leading to pleasures of the body they couldn’t imagine happening between a man and a woman.

  For him, eternity without Victoria was unthinkable. No woman ever serviced him again after her death. Now, Garrett did the servicing in all matters of the flesh. Many a lady left his establishment in tears, with bruises from wrist straps hidden under lace gloves, only to return in a few days for another lesson in pleasure and submission.

  This woman, CJ, who now lay quietly sleeping, did more than spark his imagination. Her honey colored hair lay softly across her neck and shoulders. Long eyelashes blanketed the most beautiful pair of green eyes he’d ever seen.

  He increasingly found himself wanting to feel those pouty lips of hers wrapped around his shaft for only a moment or two. That’s all he ever needed before…

  She ignited his cock into fits and what was left of his soul, into submission. The growing need to protect her not only excited, but also confused him at the same instant.

  Life without his Victoria had become mundane and predictable, so when the small-cloaked woman came into his establishment she’d presented an offer he found irresistible and didn’t question. At the age of thirty, he’d gladly taken the offer for immortality. That was centuries ago, now a mortal woman made him long to reverse the spell.

  Beautiful violet eyes captivated Cassandra’s soul. She readily succumbed to their allure and promise of sexual release waiting to burst through her body. She felt her clit harden and pulse with each stroke of his finger.

  Nibbling on her neck, he held her close to him, stealing her breath with each lick and kiss on her tender spot. His breath hot against her skin sent shivers of heat soaring down to her breasts. Cassandra felt her nipples pucker and harden, begging for attention. He must have noticed also, for his hot, wet mouth pulled on one of her tits. She arched her back toward him with each tug of her nipple.

  Moisture settled between her legs, seeping onto the inside of her thighs. His hand, large and commanding, nudged her legs further apa
rt.

  “Open yourself to me, love.” His voice, like a rich piece of chocolate melted into her senses. “Let me show you the riches my cock holds for you.”

  Powerless, she gazed into his eyes as he positioned himself over and between her legs. His mouth captured hers with a claiming of her body she’d never experienced before. He was about to place his brand on her; make her his and no one else’s.

  Cassandra’s heart pounded out of control when she felt the tip of what felt like a massive cock push at the entrance to her cunt, seeking entry. She wrapped her legs around his back, pulling him closer to her. She wanted to feel him inside her, taking her to heights she’d never been before.

  He resisted the pressure of her legs around his back. This man who held the promise of the best sex she’d ever experienced would not give her an inch of control…

  “CJ, what the hell!” Paige’s voice, like that of a swift knife, sliced through her thoughts. “Anyone can look in that window and see what you’re doing. Have you no pride?”

  Unable to move, Cassandra looked over at Paige and then at her own body. Her blouse was wide open, exposing her breasts. One leg was draped over the back of the settee while the other hung over the side, her skirt in a bundle around her waist in full view of the empty shop. The once silken panties lay in a shredded pool on the floor.

  Chapter 5

  Holy shit, how in the hell…. Cassandra swung her leg over while pulling what was left of her blouse over her breasts. Her bare feet fell to the floor and onto her torn panties, their shredded silkiness cool against the arch of her feet.

  “Paige, I swear…” Cassandra stooped to pick up what was left of her panties, her skirt falling back around her knees. What happened to these? I just paid a fortune for them and now they’re nothing but trash.

  “Don’t, CJ,” Paige began, holding her hand up to stop Cassandra’s words. “Don’t even think up some tall tale of that ghost guy again. I’m not going to fall for it a third time.”