Beyond Illusion



Sherri L. King


 



Prologue


 

“I need you to fly to Vegas this afternoon and catch the opening of Vincent Darque’s new touring magic show. Then I’ll need the final review from you no later than press time tomorrow.”

Ellie Waterhouse looked up from her cluttered desk to meet the eyes of her editor-in-chief. She winced at the look of pure determination written across the older woman’s features.

“Lindsey, why don’t you send Jon? He’s really into the whole magician…thing. I bet he’d love to go.”

“That’s precisely why I’m not sending him. I’ve heard that this show of Darque’s is going to be one of the best of its kind ever performed before an audience and I want to send my most down-to-earth, jaded and cynical—that would be you—reviewer out there to see it. I want our readers to know exactly whether or not this Vincent Darque is all he’s cracked up to be. If he can convince you that his illusions are real, then you’ll give him a fair review. Jon would just gush praise all over him and waste our readers’ time.”

“You sound like you already expect me to give Darque a bad review,” she said, while quickly gathering her things. Ellie knew it was hopeless to try to talk her boss out of the trip, when the woman was so clearly bound and determined that she should go.

“I don’t expect anything but that you write your review fairly and with your usual panache. Whether you like this show or hate it, it’s one of the biggest events this year, and our readers will listen to you before they decide to part with their money to go and see this guy. You’re all that stands between our readers and what could be a big waste of their time and money. Their fate is in your hands, my dear.” Lindsey wiped away an imaginary tear.

Ellie laughed. “You always get delusions of grandeur when you drink too much coffee, Lindsey. Okay, I’ll go. As if I have a choice. But could you please try to keep Jon out of my office while I’m away? The last time you sent me out he came in here looking for—well, he says he was looking for some paper clips—and he left my office in such a mess it took me the better part of a week to get it back to normal.” 

Lindsey looked around the room, at the paper-cluttered desk, the overflowing trash can and the various books and magazines that littered the area. “Yes. I can see how that type of thing could put you off your stride,” she said, her voice laden with sarcasm.

“ Don’t be cute, Lindsey. This is my mess. Mine. In this delicately balanced ecosystem, I know where everything is and where everything goes. But when Jon or anyone else comes in and rearranges the ecosystem, it takes a lot of hard work to get it back this way.” 

“Oh, how my heart bleeds for you,” Lindsey quipped cheerily. “Now, here are your tickets for the flight and for the show. Your flight leaves in an hour and forty-five minutes. You’ll land in Vegas around eight o’clock. The show is supposed to start at nine, but I suggest you go straight from the airport to the hotel where the show is playing because there’s bound to be a line a mile long. I’ve booked a red-eye flight for you out of Vegas at two in the morning, which, if you sleep on the plane, should afford you just enough rest to come in promptly at nine o’clock tomorrow morning. And don’t forget—I want this review on my desk before the magazine goes to press tomorrow afternoon. Got it?”

“I got it, I got it. Sheesh, you’d think I’d know the procedure after working here for four years.”

“Enjoy the show.”

“ Wow, thanks.” Sarcasm fairly oozed from her, but she hurried out the door just the same. It was nearly rush hour, and in the middle of Atlanta, Georgia, that could be an adventure all its own. 



Chapter One


 

It was ten after eight when Ellie stepped out of her hired cab, and sure enough, there was practically a mile-long line that led into the Pharaoh’s Tomb, Hotel and Casino. On the billboard situated above the entrance to the casino, in gigantic neon lettering, the Pharaoh’s Tomb proudly announced the opening show of Vincent Darque, Illusionist Extraordinaire and his new show, Darque Dreams.

Though it was well past sunset, Vegas seemed as bright as noon with all of the flashing lights of the strip twinkling down on her. The electric wonderland of Vegas had a magic all its own and Ellie suddenly found it difficult to tamp down on the rising excitement within her. She was about to see one of the most famous magicians in all the world, and even her skeptical heart raced at the thought. In these moments before the show began, all things were possible.

Purse and briefcase in tow, she crossed the busy street and joined the throng of fans that meandered out of the casino lobby. The crowd was like a living, writhing thing, moving to and fro with the shifting of thousands of appendages. After being jostled about for several moments, Ellie was more than eager to make her way into the casino’s amphitheater, where the show would begin. There were a few disadvantages to being only five feet three inches tall, and one of them was the surety of being swallowed up in a large crowd of people, bumped and nudged around by those that were lucky enough to be taller than she. She rubbed at the sudden ache in her temples and tried to overcome the urge to snap at the people crowding around her.

It was total chaos as the doors to the indoor amphitheater finally opened and everyone rushed to their seats. Ellie glanced at the ticket in her hand and was relieved to see that the seats were assigned and that she would have a decent view of the stage. It took several long minutes for her to find her way to her seat, and by the time she did she was chagrined to find herself situated behind a much taller woman with very large hair. Luckily, hers was an aisle seat, and by leaning a little to her right she would be able to get a better, if somewhat crooked, view of the performance.

Ellie blew a stray lock of limp hair out of her eye and lamented the fact that she hadn’t put her heavy tresses up before the show. The temperature of the monstrous room was a little warm thanks to the thousands of bodies that crowded within it, and not even an army of climate-controlling air-conditioning units was going to change that. She fanned herself with the program flyer she’d been given at the entrance, hoping that she would manage to cool off during the show.

The audience members chanted for their god of the hour, repeating the name Vincent over and over again like a mantra. Adults and children alike were anxious for the show to begin, and unashamedly vociferous in their demands. The noise was like thunder, beating its way through the theater. Ellie could feel it in her chest like a giant heartbeat, heady and thrilling. 

Then the lights went out, and a deep swell of darkness swallowed the room. The audience quieted and held themselves in a collective state of readiness. The show was about to begin.

The sexy, erotic play of a double violin thrummed into the quiet stillness. The orgasmic release of music made the audience members gasp collectively, and Ellie was no exception. It was a greeting, a welcome into another world. A world where the rules that governed reality need not apply. The violin played for the audience, warning them to leave their skepticisms at the door and open their hearts to the magic that was to be revealed.

Ellie could have listened to the ethereal music all night.

But the show was only just getting started. The music swelled. The stage was flooded with lights and the audience was whipped up into a frenzy of cheering voices. Never before had Ellie seen such a spectacle. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to encounter at this performance, but it surely wasn’t the mass hysteria one would normally find at a rock concert. The crowd rose from their seats, stomping their feet and clapping their hands, almost drowning out the beautiful, mournful wail of the violin in their excitement.

Suddenly there came murmurs of awe from the crowd and, as one, they raised their faces skyward. Ellie couldn’t help it, she too looked up and was shocked to see the figure of a man shoot through the air overhead. He was flying! Ellie tried and failed to see any harness attached to the man, though she knew that it was surely impossible that there wasn’t some sort of suspension cable keeping him in the air.

The man flew at the stage, neatly turned a double somersault in mid-air, and dived toward it. He landed lightly on the balls of his feet as the crowd roared its approval, and bowed gallantly. When he rose, Ellie got her first clear look at his face. She caught her breath. It was Vincent Darque.

His name, Darque, fit him as no other ever could. He was tall, at least six-five, with black hair and black eyes. He was powerfully built, leanly muscled with strong, broad shoulders, a narrow waist and long legs. Dressed all in black, with shining calf-length boots, tight pants and a flowing poet-style shirt, he looked a lot like a pirate. The rakish silver hoop in his ear only added to the effect. His black hair was short, but unruly, and a thick lock fell over his right eye, making Ellie’s fingers itch to run through it. She’d seen pictures of him in various magazines and on television specials, of course, so she’d expected him to be an attractive man, but nothing could have prepared her for the powerful presence he commanded on the stage.

Vincent raised his hands and motioned for silence. The audience immediately fell still and took to their seats once more.

“ Thank you all for coming tonight. I am Vincent Darque and I’ve got some special things to share with you. Some of you have been to my shows or seen my television specials, while others of you are here with me for the first time. But I welcome you all equally and ask only that you let yourself enjoy the marvels that I will show you, suspend your disbelief for but a couple of short hours, and prepare to be…amazed!” With the last word he clapped his hand and four scantily clad women appeared, seemingly out of thin air, beside him. 

For the next hour and a half, Vincent and his montage of beautiful women and burly stagehands created a show that was nothing less than visually stunning. Though she kept the thought firmly in her mind that there was a logical trick to every feat of magic performed, Ellie couldn’t help but be amazed at some of the things she saw. The choreography and timing of the show alone made it worth the price of her ticket and she fully intended to give the event a glowing review.

After daring feats involving fire, swords, flight and even motorcycles, it seemed the show was drawing to a close. Vincent bowed on the stage amid roars for more from the audience before he motioned once again for silence.

“ Friends, I hope you’ve enjoyed our show thus far, but rest assured, I’ve saved the best for last.” Suddenly he clapped his black-nailed hands together and…disappeared. There was no dramatic puff of smoke, no flash of light. He just…vanished. Completely and without a trace. 

Amid the ooohs and aaahs of the crowd, Ellie sat grinning in her seat. “Smoke and mirrors,” she muttered to herself, while mentally jotting down a checklist of observations for her to write about later in the review. She had to admit that Vincent was a showman unlike any other she’d ever seen, with a decided flair for the dramatic. 

A stir through the audience alerted her and she glanced about. She jumped, alarmed, upon finding Vincent standing directly next to her seat.

“Ahh, my favorite part of the show. Audience participation. I find now that I’m sorry I waited so long in the show to do this, as I’m anxious to get to know some of you better.” The crowed roared its approval. Ellie had a sudden, sinking feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. “What’s your name, my dear?” Her fears were confirmed as Vincent leaned down to ask her the question.

“Ellie Waterhouse.”

“I’m sorry, but it seems I forgot to bring an extra microphone. Could you please lean over a bit and speak into mine?”

Ellie looked at the tiny microphone attached to his collar and pursed her lips. The devilish twinkle in Vincent’s jet eyes made her even more uncomfortable. The rogue had planned this on purpose! She couldn’t help but feel goaded by his behavior, and she leaned over—trying her best to ignore the strong, bronzed column of his throat and the deliciously masculine fragrance that rolled off of him—and repeated her name.

“Ah lovely, lovely Ellie, would you be so kind as to join me on the stage?”

“I don’t think so, no,” she answered, careful not to let his microphone pick up her answer.

“Don’t be shy. I promise it won’t hurt a bit.” His voice dropped to an intimate timbre, as though he’d forgotten that his words could be heard by every member of the audience, though Ellie knew that couldn’t be farther from the truth. It was all part of the show.

“I’m not shy. I just don’t want to participate.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, I think dear Ellie needs a little encouragement to get over her shyness.” The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. While the audience roared, Vincent leaned down and murmured in her ear. “Are you afraid that I might make you forget your skepticism for a moment, or that I might even convince you to believe in magic just a little?” Surprisingly enough, his quiet words did not sound out over the sound system for all to hear, though that didn’t appease her much.

Temper simmering at his highhanded behavior, she met his dark gaze squarely with her own. “There is nothing you could do that would make me believe you’re little more than a showman with a few good tricks up his sleeve.” She smiled tightly.

“I do so love a challenge,” he said, a dangerous light coming into his eye. He turned to address the audience at large. “Ladies and gentlemen, Ellie has kindly agreed to accompany me to the stage!” The crowd renewed its roar of approval and Ellie was dismayed to find Vincent’s black-nailed hand at her elbow, nudging her up from her seat with an implacable hold.

Under normal circumstances Ellie would never have allowed such a thing, but she firmly reminded herself that she was here on business and could not afford to make a scene that would make her appear unprofessional. She allowed Vincent to lead her to the stage, trying all the while to ignore the odd sensation of being the focal point for thousands of pairs of eyes. Her temples began to ache and tingle with her discomfort.

Upon gaining the stage, Vincent turned so that they faced the sea of expectant faces that made up the audience. “Now, Ellie, what do you do for a living?”

She was forced once more to draw close to him and speak into the microphone at his throat. It was with no small amount of relish that she informed him, “I’m a reviewer for EntertainMe magazine.” 

The crowed murmured uncomfortably. Vincent was not to be outdone however, and replied to the audience at large. “I think I shall have to make her disappear…and fast!” The crowd laughed and cheered this suggestion, causing a flush to rise to Ellie’s cheeks.

Vincent turned back to her and winked. That he dared to be so audacious almost brought a smile to her lips, but she stoically tamped down on the urge. He seemed to sense her inner struggle and let out a hearty laugh. “Don’t worry, Ellie, I’ll make sure you don’t disappear forever. I’m a big fan of your magazine, and I’d hate for them to be short one person come tomorrow morning.” The crowd chuckled along with him.

Suddenly Vincent grew serious, his eyes seeming to look at her from far away. He stalked slowly around her and though the urge to keep eye contact with him was there, she refused to budge as he circled her. He was like a predator regarding its prey…right before it pounced. After circling her once more, he came to a stop behind her and—just as she was about to turn to face him—his hands fell upon her shoulders, cupping gently, but keeping her from turning to him.

“Just relax and trust me,” he whispered in her ear, and again, the sound did not carry over the speaker system.

His hands kneaded her shoulders lightly, and against her will she felt her knees grow weak. He blew softly into the hair at the nape of her neck and she felt heat pool low and heady in her belly. One of the hands at her shoulders lifted and the tip of one finger traced lightly down her spine. Her breath caught and moisture gathered between her quaking thighs. That such a small touch should affect her so! It was surely a form of magic all its own, this man’s very charisma.

“Now close your eyes, Ellie,” he commanded in a seductive voice.

“If I close my eyes I’ll miss the trick,” she said with a cheeky grin.

“ Oh, I promise you’ll not miss this trick. I’ll make it good for you, just close your eyes.” His words had many other meanings, as Ellie was sure he was aware, and despite her better judgment she fell a bit more under his spell. 

“Close your eyes—” his breath was warm at her ear, “—and keep them closed until I tell you to open them.”

She allowed her eyes to drift closed, fully prepared to be unimpressed with whatever trick he had up his sleeve. There was a whooshing noise in her ears, then silence. A few seconds ticked by and she dared to open her eyes a small crack, to allow for a small peek at what Vincent was doing. 

She let out a choked gasp, her eyes flying fully open.

Looking about the room with nothing less than total shock, she realized that she was no longer on the stage. She was in a dressing room…and she had no idea how she’d gotten there!



Chapter Two


 

Thirty minutes later, Ellie was still stuck in the dressing room. She sat, swinging her legs over the armrest of a chair, as she contemplated her predicament. She’d tried the door dozens of times, but it was locked from the outside and would not budge. She’d tried calling out but had heard no response to her many cries on the other side of the door. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but she had to face the fact that she was effectively trapped until Vincent decided to come and free her.

She strove valiantly not to wonder how Vincent had accomplished it, as she knew it would only drive her crazy. And odds were, when Vincent came to retrieve her—which had better be soon—he wouldn’t offer any explanations to appease her curiosity.

There was a flurry of movement and noise on the other side of the door, her only warning before Vincent burst into the room. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, regarding her.

“So, what did you think of my little trick?” he asked with a rakish grin.

“I’ve been in here for over thirty minutes waiting on you to let me out. I left my purse and briefcase out there, what if someone steals them?”

“Oh, I’ve got your purse and briefcase in a safe place. I’ll bring them to you in a moment, don’t worry about it. You haven’t answered my question, Ellie. Did you like my disappearing trick?”

“I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of asking you how you did it. But I will ask how you explained my not reappearing to the audience.”

“As far as they know, I turned you into a dove and set you free. I would have brought you back, in truth, but you broke the rules and opened your eyes before I told you that you could. It’s your own fault that I left you in here.”

“How did you know I opened my eyes? You were still on stage when I opened them. And who cares if I opened my eyes, it’s not like I know how I got here, so I can’t reveal the secret of it to anyone. The only thing I can figure is that this dressing room is beneath the stage and there’s a trapdoor somewhere.”

“ So you are curious!” His tone was one of triumph. 

“Of course. But I’m not going to ask how you did it,” she said, crossing her arms stubbornly as she realized she’d pretty much done just that.

“Good, because I won’t tell you.” He laughed at her mutinous expression. “Come on, Ellie, where’s the fun in knowing how an illusion is done? If you know for certain it’s some kind of trick then you won’t believe in any kind of magic at all.”

“I already don’t believe in magic, so there’s no reason not to tell me. No! Forget I said that, it would only encourage you, and goodness knows you’ve already gotten enough of that from audiences like the one out there tonight.” She sighed. “Please give me my things so that I can go now.”

“Don’t you want to interview me first—for your magazine?”

“I’m a reviewer, not a reporter. Call my editor, she’ll set you up with one of our people.”

“ But I’m offering you the chance to interview me. I never grant interviews, didn’t you know that? I’m sure your editor will be thrilled that I gave you one.” 

She was chagrined to note that she hadn’t known he didn’t grant interviews. Perhaps she should have done more homework on the guy during her flight over. Lindsey had given her enough material on him before she’d left the office to fill her briefcase.

“Ok, I’ll interview you.” She knew she sounded ungrateful, but couldn’t help it. “Can I have my briefcase back before we begin?”

Vincent turned and poked his head out the door to address someone on the other side. A few moments later her briefcase and purse were passed through it. Ellie rose and snatched the items from Vincent’s hand, and she couldn’t help but check their contents before being satisfied that nothing had been rifled through.

Vincent walked further into the room, his height making the area seem suddenly smaller. She saw the faint streaks of sweat that marred his stage makeup, and was startled to find herself longing to lick the streaks away with her tongue. His presence was a sensual and heady thing, moving her to wild imaginings the likes of which she’d never indulged in before.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts as he went behind a dressing screen at the far end of the room. The faint rustle of clothing sounded in her ears, a taunting call if ever there was one.

“What shall we discuss first?” she asked, trying not to let her thoughts dwell on the fact that he was very probably nude behind the screen.

“Whatever you desire, Ellie. I’m an open book for you tonight, whatever you want to know about me I’ll reveal to you. But no questions about how I perform my illusions—those I’ll not answer.” Again came the rustle of clothing, and then he stepped out from behind the screen.

The breath left her lungs in a rush. Vincent seemed not to notice her slack-jawed expression as he walked about the room, continuing his toilet. He was a vision in loose-fitting chino pants, unbuttoned at the waist, and no shirt. His chest was more heavily muscled than she would have guessed, his toned pectorals leading down to rippling abs, which tapered into his lean waist and hips. A dark line of hair traced from his belly button to disappear behind the waistband of his precariously perched slacks. His skin was a healthy bronze, flawlessly sculpted into nearly masculine perfection, and the sight of so much bare skin literally made her mouth water.

The man was, quite simply, breathtaking.

She watched, entranced, as he strolled over to a basin brimming with water. He splashed his face, heedless of the rivulets of moisture that trailed down his chest and stomach. He reached for a towel situated next to the basin and Ellie’s eyes were irresistibly drawn to the graceful strength of his hands. She’d never considered herself to be much of an admirer of a man’s hands, but the sight of Vincent’s long, beautiful fingers set her mind to dreaming.

With the last traces of stage paint removed from his face and neck, Vincent looked more darkly dangerous than ever before. His jaw was strong, his chin stubborn with just a hint of a dimple. His cheekbones were high and proud and his nose was straight, aquiline. His brows flared over his exotically shaped eyes, and taken singly, any of his features might be too harsh or strong, but put together, his features were dangerous and sexy—a sight to make any hot-blooded woman’s toes curl.

Ellie couldn’t help but stare, and just the sight of his Adam’s apple bobbing in his strong throat as he swallowed made her womb contract with longing. Her knees were like water, and she sat in her chair to avoid falling on the floor. Vincent leaned against his dressing table and regarded her intently. For a wild moment she wondered if he could read her thoughts, and then immediately reminded herself that she didn’t believe in that sort of magic mumbo jumbo.

“What would you like to know about me, Ellie?”

“Um…well…I guess we can start at the beginning. Let me get my notepad out, just a sec.” She retrieved it from her briefcase along with a ballpoint pen. With a sigh she put on her “business face”, as she liked to call it, and did her best to ignore the gleaming male god that stood before her so nonchalantly.

“When did you first decide you wanted to be an…illusionist?”

“ Well, I didn’t really decide I wanted to do it… It wasn’t as simple as all that. When I was a young boy I discovered I had a gift for what you would call ‘sleight of hand’. I used to perform for a retirement community in my hometown. Things progressed from there as I grew older, and by the time I was fifteen I was discovered by the Brotherhood of Illusion and inducted into their numbers.” 

“The Brotherhood of Illusion? What is that, exactly?”

“I can’t tell you exactly what it is.” He winked. “But I will tell you that it’s a sort of club for other men and women like me, who have certain gifts.”

“It’s a magicians’ clubhouse?”

“Only the best and brightest need apply… Come to think of it, I doubt one applies to this organization. They tend to discover you on their own if you’re possessed of the right talents.”

“So at the age of fifteen the Brotherhood discovered you, and then what?”

“I was trained to use my gifts to their full advantage. I finished school while training under them, and after graduation I joined with some other Brotherhood members and started to tour. My kind love to entertain the masses, we live and die for it.”

“Your kind? That’s an interesting way to put it. Do you see yourself as being so different from other people?”

“No, but some members do. I am but a man, Ellie, that I can promise you.”

“Don’t look at me as though I believe you’re more than a man. I don’t believe your performances are anything more than well-choreographed smoke-and-mirror shows.”

“You don’t believe in magic at all?”

“Nope.”

“Then how do you explain my entrance into the show tonight? When I flew over the crowd?”

“Suspension cables and a harness.”

“ I wasn’t wearing one, so I know you didn’t see any wires. Why do you believe that I was wearing one? Is it easier to believe in something you didn’t see because you think it’s the most logical explanation? Why not believe in what you did see—that I was flying through the air under my own steam?” 

“Because it’s not possible that you flew. It was a trick.”

“Why isn’t it possible?”

“Because it just isn’t. It’s against the very laws of nature. I can’t jump off of a building and expect to fly through the air…and neither can you. You depend on an elaborate stage setup to perform your tricks.”

“How do you know that I can’t fly off of the top of a building? Have you seen me try it and fail?”

“Of course not, as you well know.” Ellie was growing more and more exasperated with him each passing moment. “But common sense tells me that you can’t do it without some kind of setup. No one can.”

“Common sense can oftentimes be a drag, don’t you think? Perhaps I’ll jump off of a building for you one day and fly through the sky. Would that impress you, do you think?”

“No. You’ll just arrive several hours before me to set up whatever props you need to perform the stunt.”

“Ouch.” He winced.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you, but you have to understand that just because you’re very good at what you do, it doesn’t mean that everyone believes you can perform feats of true magic.”

“But magic is the very heartbeat by which we live! Are you saying that the opening of a flower’s petals in the morning sunlight is anything less than true magic? That the birth of a child is less than true magic? That the air we breathe to stay alive and the love we feel for our fellow man is anything less than true magic, in its purest and most potent form?”

Ellie started at his impassioned flow of words and stopped to think on what he said. “But if I were to look at it that way, then just about everything has some bit of magic to it.”

“And what is wrong with that? Life is magic, as is everything around us, everyday. There is no shame in believing that.”

“You just don’t want to admit that you’re a sleight of hand artist and nothing more.”

“ Faugh! You’re an incredibly stubborn woman, I can already tell,” he said with a great show of exasperation. 

“I’m sorry, but you can’t expect me to believe in magic after seeing one of your performances.”

A strange light came into his eyes then and a shiver of foreboding raced down her spine.

“ You’re absolutely right,” he agreed suddenly. “You cannot possibly be swayed so easily by just one of my shows. You’ll have to come on tour with me and see every show to gain a true belief in magic.” He rubbed his hands together with an air of relish, as if the matter were already firmly settled in his mind. 

“What? Wait just a minute. I’m not going on tour with you. I’m not a groupie.”

“Of course you’re not. You’re an ambitious young woman with a very lucrative opportunity set out before you. You can come on tour with me, a decidedly closemouthed celebrity, learn as much about magic as you like, and go home to write a thorough article about the entire tour. I’m sure your boss will eat it up.”

“ I’m sure my boss will not. I have other projects besides this one, I’ll have you know. I can’t just drop everything and hop around the country with you.” 

“Are you hungry?” he asked suddenly.

“I-I… Yes. I guess so,” she answered in a daze.

“Grab your things and we’ll go to my room. I can call for room service—they have anything and everything you could ever want to eat here.”

“I am not going to walk with you up to your room,” she stated firmly.

“ Well, then, you leave me no choice.” He stalked closer to her, leaning his face close to hers. “Explain yourself out of this trick, dear Ellie,” he said, before slanting his lips down onto hers. 

The kiss was hot, all-consuming. His lips were the softest she’d ever kissed, and the most skillful. He nipped and sucked at her lips as if they were a sweet candy, and he wanted to eat her. Her eyes stayed locked on his for all of two seconds before they drifted closed. She left out a blissful sigh, which he swallowed with his mouth pressed tightly to hers. Her body went limp against his and her arms rose of their own volition to entwine about his neck. His tongue delved between the seam of her lips and touched hers with a sweet, forbidden caress. He tasted of passion, of danger…and of magic.

Abruptly, he let her go and smiled down at her as her eyes flew open. She turned and choked, knowing her eyes were wide and startled as she took in their new surroundings. Somehow, without her knowledge or participation, he’d transported her to his room.

Heaven only knew how she was going to explain this to herself without using the dratted “M” word.

“Are you starting to believe yet, Ellie?”

“Please just shut up and order our food,” she said unsteadily before she fell into a dead faint.



Chapter Three


 

Ellie snuggled into the downy softness of her bed with a smile. She inhaled deeply, relishing that last moment between sleep and waking, when she caught a whiff of something decidedly…yummy. She opened her eyes and remembered the evening’s events with a dizzying rush.

“I ordered you one of everything, since I wasn’t sure what you’d like.”

Ellie looked down at the foot of the bed upon which she lay and caught sight of Vincent’s face poking through the bedroom door. It came as a surprise to her that he didn’t mention her fainting spell—something that had never happened to her before—and she was more than eager to let the matter remain unmentioned.

She sighed and rose, noting that her feet were bare and her blouse was undone at her neck to make her more comfortable. She shook her head to clear it and shuffled into the room beyond the one that held the bed. Her eyes widened and she gaped at the dozens of covered platters of food that crowded the room.

“Did you leave any food for the other hotel guests?” she asked.

“Very funny. Dig in, I’m sure you’ll find something to suit your palate.” He grinned and went about fixing a plate of food for himself.

He was dressed now in a crimson silk robe, which reached his ankles, and Ellie couldn’t help but wonder if he wore anything beneath it. He turned just as she was finishing her thorough visual inspection, and a dark, wicked light danced within his eyes. He seemed to know exactly what she was thinking as he struck a carelessly graceful pose in his bedroom attire.

“Do you like what you see, lovely Ellie?”

“You know you’re too handsome for words. Quit fishing for compliments,” she hedged.

“I’m glad you like the look of me. I like the look of you as well, but I’m sure you could already tell that.” His voice was like velvet.

I will not look down, I will not look down… Too late. She looked. And saw the strength of his erection pushing at the layers of his clothing. He was indeed wearing something beneath the robe—what, she couldn’t have said—because otherwise the strong column of his member would be tenting the silky material in an even more noticeable fashion. 

“You looked lovely in your repose on the bed. In sleep your face relaxes and gives you a look of innocence that just isn’t there when you’re awake.”

“I’m not sure what to say.”

“Say thank you, Ellie,” he said silkily.

“Thank you, Ellie,” she quipped back.

“Let us feast now and talk of lighter things,” he urged in a silky voice that played over her skin as though it were a physical caress.

“What time is it? My plane leaves at two and I can’t miss it.”

“It’s not yet too late in the evening, you have time to eat before your flight leaves.” He smiled.

She couldn’t help but smile back. She took the plate he offered her and began to eat with a gusto she wouldn’t have believed possible, under the circumstances.

It was turning out to be the most unusual evening of her entire life.

* * * * *

Vincent watched Ellie out of the corner of his eye. She still seemed a little pale after her faint, but he was certain that she would be back to normal in no time at all. He’d shocked her a little too much with that last stunt and was forced to admit that perhaps he shouldn’t have pushed so forcefully at their first meeting. He watched her as she fought to tame her long silvery-blonde hair as it fell into her face yet again, and was struck anew by how lovely she was.

He’d almost fainted himself upon first seeing her.

He’d felt her presence before actually catching sight of her in the crowd, of course, but nothing could have prepared him for that first glimpse of her. She had been a bright beacon of light in the dimly lit amphitheater, a tempting lure he couldn’t have hoped to ignore. He’d barely kept himself from babbling out his intentions, so potent was her presence upon his usual good sense.

And she had no idea of her power over him.

It was amazing to him that she’d come this far without any knowledge of her effect on others. Or perhaps it was just with a select few that she let some of her barriers grow thin…along with her temper, he thought with a barely suppressed smile. When she was unguarded, her truest nature was revealed, and it was all Vincent could do to keep his hands off of her. 

How he wanted her.

But he knew that he must wait before he let her know just how much he desired her. He must coax her, gentle her, until she wanted him with the same ferocious appetite. His erection was a painful, heavy ache between his legs, but he tried to ignore it as he sated his other hunger with food. Now was not the time for the kind of feast that he most wanted to partake of, no matter how great of a temptation Ellie posed to him.

She was so slight, curvy of form—deliciously so—but small of stature. Her skin was a delicate, translucent mixture of roses and cream and her eyes, exotically shaped like those of a cat, beneath mile-long lashes, held the bright green fire of emeralds. He knew without being told that she considered herself plain. It was clear in the way that she held herself, how she walked and talked, that she had no idea of her true appeal. It made him like her all the more, this total absence of vanity and self-absorption in her.

“Is your food to your liking, Ellie?” he asked, wanting to hear her voice once more. The silence, though comfortable, had stretched on too long between them.

“Yes, it’s very good, thank you.” She was silent for a moment. “Where are you from, originally?”

His heart rejoiced that she would want to know more about him without being coaxed. “I was born in Seattle, Washington.”

“Really? I visited there once, during my grunge phase in the early nineties. It rained the entire time I was there. Where do you live now, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“I have a house in Hawaii, though I’ve rarely had the chance to live in it for the past few years. I’m hoping to change all of that soon though.”

“You must be very busy, what with your tours, television specials and books.”

“I admit, I don’t have much time to myself lately. But I enjoy what I do, as do my fans, and that’s enough of an incentive to keep at it. What about you? Where are you from?”

“ I was born in Indiana, but I moved to Georgia after college. I work in the EntertainMe offices in Atlanta. I have a house on the outskirts of the city, it’s not much, but I like the quiet solitude of my little neighborhood.” 

“Do you enjoy being a reviewer? A reporter?”

“It’s all right, I guess.”

“So…had you planned on giving me a good review, or a bad one?” He couldn’t resist asking, though he knew it would only remind her of why she was with him tonight.

“I’m not telling you.” She grinned, showing off her slight overbite, a sight that stirred his libido to the boiling point.

He forcefully tamped down on his desire and smiled back at her. “So it was a bad review you had planned for me. My heart quails at the thought of you wielding an angry pen.”

Ellie laughed, as he’d hoped she would. “My guess is that your heart quails at nothing. But since you’re being so melodramatic about it, I’ll have you know that I’m going to give you a good review. I enjoyed the show and it was clear that everyone else did as well.”

“So even though I’m a charlatan who uses smoke and mirrors and heaven knows what else, because you like me you’ll let me slide this once?”

“Who said I liked you? I just said that I liked the show.” They both lapsed back into a companionable silence.

Later, Vincent was moved to admit that he’d made as much progress with her as was possible that night.

“Come, it’s getting late and you’ll miss your flight.”



Chapter Four


 

Ellie moaned when his lips found her nipple. His mouth was hot as flame on her sensitive flesh and she felt the textured scrape of his tongue as he licked over her. Her breath came in short pants as his teeth and tongue worked her puckered nipple, and that, coupled with the exquisite sensation of his other hand kneading the fullness of her other breast, was almost enough to make her come undone completely. He sucked harder and she moaned again, a ragged sound.

Lights danced about in her mind, in all the colors of the rainbow. Delicious, liquid pleasure raced through her from head to toe and she writhed beneath him. She felt the heat roll off of him in waves and he growled in response to her impassioned movements. Fire pooled low in her belly and caused a flood of moisture to rush between her legs. Immediately, as if sensing her need, Vincent rubbed his engorged cock against her, growling low in his throat. Involuntarily, her thighs opened, accepting him, and he rewarded her by stroking her swollen clit with the silken-steel head of his erection.

There came a desperate cry and, too late, Ellie realized it was she who made the sound. She trembled and moaned beneath his weight, feeling both cherished and dominated as his hands and mouth stroked over her body. She strained upwards against him, anchoring her legs around his waist, and felt the heavy weight of his cock slide fully against her wetness, not quite entering the empty place inside of her that screamed for just such a union. She keened her disappointment and heard his answering chuckle sound in her ear.

“Patience, lovely Ellie. We’ve time enough for that,” he murmured in that deliciously wicked and sensual voice of his. His hands moved around her body to squeeze and separate her buttocks. He pulled her more tightly against him and groaned.

With her legs spread wide around his middle, he easily moved in a slip-sliding dance against her center. Without entering her, he thrust and withdrew against her sensitive flesh in such a way that her entire labia was stroked to screaming life. The wet welcome of her body aided in his movements, but even as she teetered on the brink of orgasm she knew it wasn’t enough. She wanted him to fill her, to take her. Only then would she be truly sated. 

In a burst of frustrated energy she rolled them over so that she held the dominant position. With a satisfied sigh she began to sink down over his thick cock, flooded anew with a rush of wetness to ease his way. The mushroom-shaped head of him slipped into her, stretching her so that she gasped and dug her nails into the firm muscles of his chest. She felt her vagina clench with the first deep tremors of blessed release.

“Yes, yes, oooooh,” she wailed.

Just as she felt his cock slip deeper into her, he reversed their positions again, pinned her hands to the bed and rose over her. His dark eyes burned into hers and suddenly he seemed a terrifying vision of more than a mere man. Something dangerous swam in his eyes, dark and mysterious, a look she couldn’t possibly hope to understand. She tried to look away but he lowered his forehead to hers and kept her gaze locked to his with naught but the force of his will. In that moment he was pure, dominating male, and it pushed her over that razor’s edge of pleasure into a world of exquisite ecstasy the likes of which she’d never even dreamed.

She screamed, a desperate sound, long and loud.

He bit her neck as she came, like a great cat subduing his mate.

He pulled his throbbing erection out of her, leaving her empty and bereft as she swam through the deep ocean of her orgasm. She felt the rush of hot moisture run between her legs as he withdrew and wondered if it was from him or her, for she had been sure he hadn’t found release along with her. With a moaning sigh she felt the clenching inside her subside so that a golden edge of pleasure was all that lingered.

But she wasn’t sated. She wanted more, all he had to give.

“ Please, Vincent,” she begged shamelessly, arching up against him once more. 

He smiled, a dangerous flash of teeth, and kissed his love-bite upon her neck. “Not yet, love. Be patient.”

“Nooooo,” she cried out, feeling him pull away from her. She grasped at him with desperate hands, longing for him to stay with her.

“ Wake now, Ellie.” 

Ellie opened her eyes, surprised to find herself in her own bed. Alone.

It had only been a dream.

A realistic one, but a dream all the same. She imagined that she could still smell Vincent’s scent on her, still feel his hands and mouth on her body. In her sleep she’d found release, as evidenced by the slight tingling that still danced throughout her extremities. Even after her explosive orgasm she still felt a little frustrated. With a growl she rose, headed for the bathroom and turned on the shower.

She stepped into the shower stall and gasped under the cool spray of the water. Her body almost immediately cooled, but it took much longer for her thoughts to follow suit. She cursed herself for a fool. How could she fantasize about a man like Vincent Darque? There was nothing to be gained from it—the man could obviously have his pick of any woman he chose—he was a walking, talking advertisement for hot sex! No way was he going to be interested in a short, far-too-curvy woman who forgot, more often than not, to even comb her hair before going out.

Again came the flash of his dark jet eyes boring into hers in the dream. She shook her head in an effort to clear it. God! She was doomed if she couldn’t get him out of her mind and out of her system. He’d offered to drive her to the airport the night before but she’d steadfastly refused, knowing that one moment more spent in his company would only put her more deeply under his spell. Odds were, she would never see him again, outside of a live performance or television special. Nothing could come of her fantasies. Nothing. With a hopeless sigh she closed her eyes and let the water run unchecked down her face.

* * * * *

Ellie rushed through her house, gathering her things and lamenting the fact that she was already late for work. No doubt she’d catch hell from Lindsey the moment she walked in the door. Thank goodness she’d already finished writing up her review late last night on her flight home. Lindsey would be pleased with her on that account, at least.

The front doorbell rang and she cursed under her breath. Who could possibly be on her doorstep at this hour?

She raced—half-dressed in black slacks and an unbuttoned blouse—to the front door and swung it open with a barely suppressed violence, firmly intending to send her early-morning visitor on his or her way so that she could head out for work. But the set-down she’d planned to speak died a swift death as a large vase filled with two dozen long-stemmed white roses was thrust into her arms by a uniformed delivery man.

“Are you Ellie Waterhouse?” he asked shortly.

“Yes.”

“These are for you. There’s a card attached. Have a good day.” With those quickly spoken words the young man turned and hurried to his vehicle. It was a large gray van with an advertisement for Flora’s Flowers on the side in large, garish blue letters.

Ellie frowned and turned back into the house, closing the door firmly behind her with her foot. She set the flowers gently on her dining room table and reached for the card nestled within the long green stems.

 

Thank you for sharing the evening with me. You brought a bit of magic into my life…I hope I did the same for you.

Vincent

 

Ellie had to concentrate hard to make the smile disappear from her lips. So he’d sent her two dozen of the most gorgeous roses she’d ever seen—big deal! He probably did the same for the hundreds of other women he met at his shows.

All the same, she couldn’t tamp down the slight thrill of pleasure that raced through her as she gently touched the crimson petals of one of the flowers.

Crimson?

Hadn’t the roses been white but a moment ago? Ellie rubbed her eyes and looked down at the flowers again. They were still red. A luscious red just a shade lighter than the crimson-black of newly spilt blood. How could she have mistaken them for white? They were so dark, so vividly red, that they couldn’t have looked otherwise but moments before. 

The vase that held the roses was a work of art all its own. It was an odd color between green and blue, with the shape of a serpentine dragon twined around the body of it. She traced her fingertips lightly over the surface of the glazed pottery and thought of Vincent as he had been in the dream. Passionate. Dangerous. Forbidden fruit. For a second it looked and felt as though the dragon moved beneath her fingers, and she snatched her hand away with a gasp.

She must not have gotten enough sleep if her mind was playing such tricks on her. With a wince, she remembered the time and rushed to finish dressing and gather her daily necessities. If luck were on her side she might be able to sneak in without Lindsey noticing her tardiness. She brushed all thoughts of Vincent Darque aside and left her house at a dead run.



Chapter Five


 

“Ellie! Ellie, come over here and join us.”

Ellie groaned mentally upon hearing Lindsey’s greeting. A few more steps and she would have been safely enclosed in her office. Oh well, she’d learned long ago the futility of trying to hide from her volatile editor-in-chief. The woman had the eyes and ears of a hawk, and it was rare that anything escaped her notice.

Heaving a sigh, ignoring the headache that immediately started in her temples, she closed her eyes and turned to her boss, saying, “I know I’m late, but I’ve already written up the Darque Dreams review—”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve got an even better assignment for you to take on. Mr. Darque here has been telling me about his touring plans. He’s asked that you come along and write a much larger article and review of his show.”

Ellie’s eyes flew open in shock at the mention of Vincent’s name and she was stunned to see him standing beside her boss. He gave her a rakish smile and a wink, unrepentant that he’d given her such a surprise. “Did you like the flowers I sent you, Ellie?” he asked silkily.

Ellie ignored him and turned to address her boss. “B-but, Lindsey, I’ve got the film festival to cover next week, not to mention Jon and I were going to work on the art gallery spread for our special issue next month.”

“Forget about all that, I’ll find someone else to take care of those projects. And Jon will be going with you. He’ll have a hissy fit if I keep him from it after sending you to Vegas last night.”

“I can’t go. I have a…a thing,” she stammered, racking her brain for some excuse—any excuse—to stay as far away from Vincent Darque as possible.

“Well, you’ll have to cancel it,” Lindsey insisted.

“I can’t—” She was cut off as Lindsey turned to Vincent.

“Mr. Darque, will you please excuse us for just a moment? If you’ll wait for me in my office I’ll be right with you.”

Ellie almost cringed at the light of challenge in Lindsey’s eyes when she turned back to her. “Ellie, my dear,” she said softly, coaxingly. “This is a big opportunity for you and for our magazine. Vincent Darque rarely, if ever, does interviews or gives backstage access. He asked for you specifically, and I don’t care what your reasons are for not wanting to accept his more-than-gracious offer of allowing you to tour with him, you’re going to have to give in, just this once.”

“This once? Lindsey, who did you call at three o’clock in the morning last week to take Albert’s place in reviewing that nudie bar? Who came through for you when your entire typesetting department quit and you needed someone to set the ads and articles two days before presstime? And who did you come to for help when Jon refused to write up his article on that foreign film because he felt the movie was, and I quote, ‘too sublime for mere words to express’.”

“You, of course, dear,” Lindsey said shortly.

“That’s right. So don’t try to lay a guilt trip on me here. I’m putting my foot down this time. I will not do this. I can’t.”

“Ellie, darling, I love you like my own daughter—”

“You don’t have a daughter!” she interjected.

“Exactly. I love you like the daughter I never had, but honey, this guy is totally yummy! How could you not want to spend three weeks with him, touring across the country? He’s an incredible media personality. And I’ll be sending someone with you to help lighten the load. You won’t have to immerse yourself in his ‘magic’ world twenty-four seven.”

“You mean you’re sending a chaperone—one that will gush over Darque in a way I never would. Jon saves ants from frying on his windowsill, for crying out loud! He couldn’t hurt a flea, much less protect another person. Besides, I don’t need a partner on this one. Vincent’s not the kind of guy who would take kindly to Jon’s form of flattery and worship, I think. It’s just that I don’t—”

“Vincent? So it’s Vincent now, is it? I had no idea that you two hit it off so well last night. He said you had dinner together but…”

“We had dinner—a business dinner. It was nothing. Less than nothing.”

“Then why are you so dead set against going on tour? Granted, it’s a long time to spend away from home, but you’re single and unattached. Why not make a grand adventure out of it? Go with him, write up the best damn article you’ve ever written, and come home to the jealous envy of all your colleagues and peers.”

“I hear what you’re saying, but you just don’t understand—”

“You’re right, I don’t understand. But you’re going and that’s final.”

“But—”

“I said, that’s final. I’ll make all the necessary arrangements so that you can drop ship and run. Don’t worry about a thing. I still have your house keys from when you went on vacation last year, and I’ll make sure to check on your house every few days, schedule allowing, so don’t worry about that either.”

“Gee, thanks so much for your sacrifice, Lindsey.” Ellie turned and began the necessary retreat to her office. She knew if she didn’t escape soon she would make a scene.

“Oh, quit being so sarcastic all the time, you’ll get wrinkles, my dear. And Ellie?”

“Yes?” She tried not to sound too exasperated and knew she had failed.

“Have fun, all right?”

“Grrrrr.” Ellie closed her office door firmly, but not before she saw her boss’ mischievous grin at having succeeded in riling her so thoroughly.

It wasn’t ten minutes after she sat down behind her desk that Jon Dalton came tearing into her room. He opened and closed the door so fast that it seemed as if a small whirlwind came in and blew several papers off of her desk. His short blond hair was, as always, in disarray. His bright blue eyes were ablaze with his excitement and Ellie braced herself for the explosion.

“Did you hear, Ellie? We’re going on tour with Vincent Darque!” he exclaimed.

Some days Ellie found Jon’s unabashed excitement for his work amusing. Today was not one of those days. “Yes, I heard,” she snapped back at him while gathering up her fallen papers.

“We leave tonight to go to Chicago with him, can you believe it? Oh, to see the great master illusionist at work! What could be more amazing?”

“Lazarus rising from the dead, perhaps?” she said, her voice flooded with sarcasm.

“ You can’t tell me you’re not absolutely thrilled with this opportunity. I know you’ve been working here a lot longer than I have, but you can’t possibly be this jaded. It’s Vincent Darque, for heaven’s sake! He’s the man who once made the whole of Lake Erie rise and seem to float through the air. He can breathe fire at his assistants without even singeing their hair. It’s rumored that he even performed an entire show without actually being there—his presence itself was an illusion. He’s a living legend, and he’s letting us go backstage with him for an entire three weeks!” 

“Yes, yes, I’ve read all that about him and sure I’m thrilled that we get to go and play media lackey to this ‘living legend’ as you called him. Now please leave me in peace so I can brood.”

“Ellie, sometimes I just don’t understand you. Doesn’t the fact that he can create all these illusions excite you one little bit? I’ve heard the ladies fall all over themselves to simply get near him. He’s been called one of the most magnetic and charismatic men of all time.”

“By whom?” she goaded.

“By…well, by media people for one. And by members of the Brotherhood of Illusion for another. That group is made up of charismatic people—it’s what makes them so good at what they do—and they think Vincent is one of the best illusionists they’ve ever encountered.”

“Look, Jon, was there a point to all this rambling?”

“ Well, I’d hoped you would be as excited as I am about this. I know you’ll be doing the bulk of the work because Vincent will only let you interview him. I assumed you and he had made friends or something after last night.” 

Ellie heard the bitterness in his tone when he mentioned her previous meeting with Vincent. “Look, Jon, I know you’re really into this magic stuff, and I know you would have probably really liked to go to the show last night, but—”

“Don’t worry about that. If I’d gone we wouldn’t have been given this opportunity, so I’m actually glad that you went instead of me. It’s those big green eyes of yours that hooked this job for us, I’m certain of it.”

Ellie rolled her “big green” eyes at his words, but he continued on without noticing. “Ellie, can’t you be just a little more enthusiastic? We’re going to tour with Vincent Darque! All things are possible on this tour.”

“You’re right, I should be more enthusiastic.” She smiled wanly, willing to say just about anything to get him to leave the subject alone. “I’m just a little tired, I guess. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Well, Lindsey told me to tell you we can take the day off, to get prepared for the trip. You should go home and rest before you pack up your things. Maybe after you’ve slept some you’ll be more jazzed about this.”

“Yeah, and maybe I’ll pull a rabbit out of my butt,” she muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Jon asked with a curious frown.

“Nothing. Forget about it.”

“I’ll see you tonight, then.”

Ellie gritted her teeth and tried not to think about it. Goodness, how had she gotten herself in this mess?

* * * * *

Several minutes later there came a knock at her door.

“Whoever it is, go away,” she barked out.

The door opened despite her dire words and Vincent’s head poked in the door. “Are you always this cranky when you’re at work?” he asked with a grin.

“What do you want?”

Vincent entered the room and closed the door behind him. He plopped down into the chair across from her desk with a lazy, feline grace. “Now, is that any way to greet the man with whom you’ll be spending the next three weeks?”

“Oh, you couldn’t let that go, could you? You just had to rub that in. How on Earth did you get Lindsey to agree to let Jon and I go on tour with you for so long?”

“Not everyone thinks I’m a worthless hack. Some people find me rather personable, actually, with a real and worthwhile talent.”

“Some people are lunatics. And you haven’t really answered my question.”

“Lindsey saw a grand opportunity for your magazine in my suggestion. She wanted Jon to go for an entirely different perspective, I think. And besides—” he eyed her sardonically, “—it wouldn’t do to have a woman such as yourself traveling alone with a man…such as myself. Think what the media would have to say.”

“ A womanizer such as yourself, you mean? I’ve read up on you—you’ve got quite an eye for the ladies. And by the way, I am the media.” 

“Oh, sweet Ellie, those sweet ladies were but practice before the real game of pleasuring you.”

“ Don’t say such things to me.” She was surprised that her voice held so steady. His words had thrilled her to her core, even though she knew they were meant as a harmless flirtation. 

“And why not? Do you find my words offensive? I mean them in the nicest way, please believe me.” He raised an eyebrow, affecting a look of wounded pride.

“You should never say things that you don’t mean.”

Vincent suddenly moved closer and braced his hands on her desk. It seemed to her that the room grew darker, almost menacing, as he towered over her.

“I never say anything that I don’t mean, Ellie. Especially when it involves you.”

Ellie refused to back away, though it was her first instinctive reaction to the challenge he posed. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?” His eyes never wavered from hers.

“Stop trying to intimidate me. You don’t scare me with your bullying tactics.”

“Oh, I don’t want you to be scared of me. I want you…”

“You want me to what?”

“I want you…and that’s enough for now.”

Ellie was unprepared for him to pull her across her cluttered desk. She was unprepared for the incredibly passionate and unbelievably abandoned kiss that he gave her as well…but her surprise didn’t last for more than a second before she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Vincent’s lips were even softer than she remembered. They moved against hers with a barely suppressed violence at first, but gentled almost immediately when he realized that she wasn’t resisting. It was then that she realized she had been prepared for his passion…but she wasn’t prepared for his tenderness.

His kiss made her burn, as if fire raced through her from head to toe. She’d read many a romance novel where the heroine was shocked to her core by a mere kiss from the hero, but she’d never believed it was actually possible. At least…not until now. It felt as if the earth tilted beneath her feet. As if her very heartbeat were dependent upon Vincent’s mouth continuing to move upon hers. He was heat and lightning… He made her feel alive. More alive than ever she’d felt before.

His tongue slipped into her mouth and he tasted of pure, potent masculinity. He slipped his hands into her hair and tilted her head just so, growling his satisfaction when he seemed to find the perfect position for her.

“Open wider for me, Ellie. I need to taste you. Yield to me,” he commanded against her trembling lips.

She sighed, and it was all the invitation he needed. His hand came up and his thumb forced her lips wide for the invasion of his tongue. Had a woman ever been kissed so thoroughly? Ellie doubted it, as she gave herself over to the mastery of the man who held her. His tongue plundered, invaded and conquered her mouth, until she had no secrets left hidden from him. His taste drowned her until she feared that she would never be free of his wild flavor again. But the future didn’t matter, so long as he kept kissing her. The world beyond them had ceased to exist for her.

Burning, feverishly hot kisses gave way to slow, deep ones. His silken, soft lips glided over hers, slipping and sliding until she felt the caresses like fingers moving between her legs. His teeth nipped and tugged her lower lip into his mouth, which he suckled like candy. She moaned into his mouth and returned his ardor with her own.

She licked and laved at his lips, marveling at the sensations that raced through her. His tongue danced with hers, thrusting and withdrawing, luring it into his own mouth so that she began her own exploration. If magic were possible, then it was there in his kiss. He held nothing back from her, and she was moved to the same heights of abandon.

His hands moved from her hair, down over her shoulders and chest, to end over her breasts. He paused there, as if expecting her to protest. As if she could! When she didn’t, he possessively cupped the fullness of her aching breasts in his palms. His hands moved lightly over her, cupping and plumping her softness until she thought she might scream with the pleasure. His fingertips traced circles over her nipples and they swelled to demanding, aching peaks.

He growled at her obvious response to his touch and pulled her the rest of the way over her desk. His hands fisted at the base of her spine and crushed her to him. Her feet dangled a good foot off the floor, but she didn’t—couldn’t—care. His body was as hard as a tree trunk against her, all muscle and sinew over strong bones. He made her feel delicate, a thing she’d never considered herself to be. He made her feel wanted, and that, in itself, was a more potent aphrodisiac than anything she could ever have imagined before now. 

He was all man, virile and untamed. And for the moment he was hers. All hers.

Vincent moved her so that her pubic bone rubbed against the hard ridge of his erection. She gasped and threw her legs around his waist with desperate abandon. His hands moved down and cupped her bottom, kneading the flesh there and wringing little purring noises from her throat. He thrust against her and she felt the exquisite pressure of his cock rub against her already tingling clit. She shrieked with the pure ecstasy that raced through her from the contact and he swallowed the sound with his mouth.

He thrust and withdrew against her—an imitation of the sex act—over and over again until she thought she would be driven mad with lust. And all the while, he kissed her, making love to her mouth with nibbling, suckling motions. She tightened her legs around his waist and let her hands rove over the broad planes of his shoulders and back. He moaned into her mouth and increased the tempo and force of his thrusts.

She gasped and pulled away from his kiss, leaving his lips free to trail down her throat. Her body arched backwards uncontrollably and her pleasure crested. With one last movement of his body between her legs he brought her. She came so hard that she felt another scream claw its way up her throat, and was powerless to stop it. Thankfully, Vincent still had enough of his wits about him to jerk her head back down to his. He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth and muffled her cries with his kiss.

All too soon, the pleasure abated, leaving her weak and spent. With one last, lingering tug on her swollen bottom lip, Vincent released her mouth and slowly lowered her feet to the floor. If not for his arms supporting her, she would have fallen, and he seemed content to hold her upright as she calmed.

“Why did you do that?” she asked in a quiet voice, after she’d regained some of her wits.

“Because I wanted to,” he laughed softly, burying his lips in the hair atop her head.

“This changes nothing between us, you know. I still think you’re a womanizing bully.” She pulled back to look at him.

“I think this changes everything, but I’ll not argue about it just now. I’m feeling rather high in spirits, too much so to argue, aren’t you?”

“How can you feel good, you didn’t…well…you know,” she faltered, and even after all that had happened between them she actually felt herself blush.

“Having you come apart in my arms was better than any physical release I’ve ever experienced. Besides, there’s time enough for my pleasure later.” His grin was wicked and full of dark promise.

“ Oh, but there can’t be a next time. We’re going to be working together, and I won’t have an affair with you. I won’t.” 

Something dangerous moved in the black depths of his eyes. Suddenly he pulled away from her and walked to the door, adjusting himself in his jeans before he reached for the handle. As he opened the door he looked back at her, a deadly serious look on his face.

“ There will be a next time between us, Ellie. On that you can trust.” He closed the door with a firm click behind him. 

With a cold rush of something that felt like fear, Ellie realized that she believed him. It was suddenly imperative that she discover a way out of having to go on tour with him.

Or the cost might well be her heart.



Chapter Six


 

The phone rang shrilly next to her ear, bringing her awake with a gasp. She glanced at her alarm clock and saw that it was only five o’clock, she’d barely squeezed in two hours of sleep since she’d gotten home. The phone continued to ring and she growled in irritation. She fumbled on the table next to her bed and grabbed her phone.

“Hello?”

“You think you’re so fucking special, don’t you?” came a rasping, metallic voice over the line.

“What? Who is this?”

“You’re not worthy.”

“Not worthy of what, exactly?” she asked, still fuzzy from sleep.

“You’re such a stupid bitch. I should have known you would be. You think you’re going to learn all the secrets, but you won’t. He’ll never tell you anything except to roll over and spread ‘em.”

Ellie sat up in bed with a growl. “Look, I’m hanging up now, you creep. Dial someone else’s number to get your rocks off, I’m too tired to play scared just now.” Just before she lowered the phone down on its cradle she could have sworn she heard the strange voice shout out two words.

“Hack magician!”

Hack magician? She frowned. What kind of expletive was that supposed to be? She looked over at the vase of flowers Vincent had sent her, sitting cheerily on her dresser. She’d moved them there just before falling into bed. 

They were white. 

The phone shrieked again and she was almost glad to have her attention diverted from the roses. Ellie grabbed it on the first ring. “Listen, buddy, I don’t know who you think you are, but I’ve got better things to do than to listen to your shit, so—”

“I didn’t know you were clairvoyant, too, Ellie,” Vincent said, laughter in his voice.

Ellie shivered involuntarily. His voice was even sexier over the phone. She imagined he gave great phone sex. With that thought came another and another until the bottom had dropped out of her stomach in the face of a delicious longing.

“Hello, Vincent. I thought you were someone else.” Her voice came out breathless and needy. She hoped he couldn’t tell through the phone.

“I would hope so. Who did you think I was that you greeted me so pleasantly?”

“Just a prank caller.”

“Oh?” He fell silent and Ellie could actually sense a tension coming from him.

“Yeah, it’s no big deal. Just some weirdo, bored and without much of a life.”

“Ah.” He didn’t say anything for a long beat.

“Was there a reason why you called?” she asked.

“I just wanted to see if you needed help with your packing. We’ll be leaving at nine o’clock.”

“I don’t need any help.” She growled it out irritably, knowing she was being rude, but unable to help herself.

“Then you’re ready to leave?” he asked with a smile in his voice.

“No.”

“I can help you, it will take less time if there are two of us.”

“I’m not ready to leave because I’m not going.”

“What do you mean?”

“I. Am. Not. Going. You understand English just fine.”

“Why have you decided not to go? Is it because of what happened between us at your office?”

“No,” she lied.

“I won’t hurt you, Ellie,” he breathed gently.

There are many kinds of hurt, she thought. “I know you won’t deliberately hurt me, Vincent,” she whispered. “But that’s beside the point. I just don’t want to go, okay?” 

There was a long moment of silence on the other end. Then she heard his deep sigh. For some odd reason the sound made her heart constrict painfully and she suddenly wanted to take it all back and ask him to come for her.

“I never would have thought you were a coward.”

His words were spoken softly, but it was as if an explosion was set off in her mind. All tender feelings for him fled as if they had never been, and she squeezed the phone in a brutal, white-knuckled grip.

“ I am not a coward,” she said, hearing the steel behind her own words. 

“Then come with me,” he pressed, his voice passionate and uncompromising.

“No,” she exploded.

“I’m coming over there.”

“No, no, no. Vincent there’s no need. Don’t come—” She heard the click of the phone in her ear as he hung up. 

She stared at the phone stupidly for several minutes before slamming it down on its cradle. Plopping onto her stomach she roared her agitation into her pillow. It was with no small measure of disgust that she acknowledged she couldn’t hope to hold Vincent at bay by merely refusing to answer her door when he came. He was far too domineering to let her get away with that—he’d probably just break down her door.

Or appear in her bedroom by some form of hocus-pocus.

She winced and reminded herself that she didn’t believe he had the power to do such things. Realizing that she would have to see Vincent when he arrived, if only to stand by her conviction of not going on tour with him, she rose and headed for the shower. Hopefully she would have time to wash up and get dressed before battling the dragon in her house.

God save the world from stubborn men!

* * * * *

Ellie wasn’t sure how long it would take Vincent to arrive so she hurried into the shower, scrubbing down briskly with a loofah sponge until her skin gleamed a rosy hue. The soothing scent of the lavender and chamomile soap permeated the mist that surrounded her and she breathed deeply of it. She soaped her hair with a similarly scented shampoo and tried to let the tension ease out of her muscles. The water was warm and soothing as it beat down on her neck, lulling her to the point of dozing. Ellie had to forcibly shake herself awake, then rinse and lather her hair once more. Thick, foaming soap ran into her eyes and she winced at the sudden, burning discomfort. Tilting her head back to let the fall of water flush out her eyes brought her quick relief.

“Here, let me help you.” Hands that were not her own raked through her hair, pushing the soap away to wash down the drain.

Ellie shrieked and opened her eyes, wincing as they burned anew. She shrieked again when she realized that Vincent was in the shower with her. And he was nude! Gloriously nude and quite obviously unashamed of it. It was with great effort that she closed her eyes in a belated attempt at self-preservation, but the image of him was burned forever in her brain.

“Get out, get out, get out!” she cried, foolishly covering her breasts and mons. As if that small barrier could protect her from him.

“Look me in the eye and say that, Ellie, and I’ll leave,” he said, and every word he spoke was a challenge.

She opened her eyes, steadfastly refusing to let them stray from his face to trail down his magnificent body. She opened her mouth to command him to leave…but all that came out was a breathless word.

“Please…”

“Please what, Ellie?” he urged, moving closer to her, stalking her in the cramped confines of the shower stall with graceful confidence.

“P-please…” Her whispering voice broke on the word.

“ Anything, Ellie. You’ve but to ask and it’s yours, I swear it. Please…what?” His mouth was almost on hers as he leaned down under the shower spray. The water hit his head, washing his hair down into his face and giving him the look of wild man. The water dripped off of his chin, onto her face, and she swore that she could taste the essence of him as a drop fell into her mouth. 

“I can’t,” she cried, knowing that on some level she must be making sense because his eyes flashed and burned as she spoke.

“You can. You’re not a coward, Ellie. Ask me what you will.”

She moaned her surrender and shot up to her tiptoes, plastering her lips on his. Her hands dropped from their protective pose and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him more closely to her beneath the water. Their naked bodies touched and a bolt of pure electricity shot through her at the contact. Ellie cried out and tried to climb up his body like it was a tree.

“Shh, shh. Calm down,” he murmured, laving her lips with his tongue.

His hands moved to cup and squeeze the weight of her breasts and she sighed, easing a little beneath his touch. He ran his hands down the length of her, petting her like a cat. The water made her body slippery beneath his hands, an added texture that drove them both a little wild. Vincent moved closer and rubbed his body against hers, while running his hand down her back to knead the plump flesh of her buttocks.

Without warning, he turned her and brought her hands up to rest against the wall of the shower. He pushed her hair over her shoulder and gently bit the side of her neck. She gasped and he chuckled triumphantly. He knelt behind her where she leaned and licked a trail from the base of her neck to where her spine ended above the cleft of her ass. Then he nipped and kissed and suckled every inch of her buttocks, making her writhe with longing for more of the sweet torment.

He pulled away and she moaned dejectedly. He laughed and gently slapped her ass in reply. “Greedy woman. Be patient… I promise there’s more to come.”

More! Ellie almost sobbed in her state of need. She couldn’t take much more, she knew. The tender skin between her legs was on fire and drenched with her own moisture. Her mind was in a turmoil of hesitation and reckless desire. On the one hand, she feared that if he took her there would be no going back for her. She would be addicted to him, ruined for any other man. And on the other hand, she feared that if he didn’t take her she would run him down and see to the deed herself. 

She’d never needed this much. 

She felt the hot, steely ridge of his cock rub against the cleft of her bottom and tried not to cry out. Her body trembled uncontrollably as he rubbed back and forth against her. She arched back into him, presenting herself in a wanton, primitive fashion—female submitting to male. It was then she realized that she wanted him to dominate her, to take her and pleasure her, even though her better judgment screamed at her to run. 

He pulled back from her and she whimpered. He chuckled, a dark and dangerous sound, and he turned her back around to face him. The irises of his eyes were even darker than usual, and the look on his face was one of savage desire. The water of the shower beat down on them, spiking Vincent’s lashes and giving him the look of a satyr. Their eyes met and locked as the seconds ticked by.

Without warning, his hands speared into her hair and his mouth crashed down onto hers. There was nothing tame or gentle in this new kiss, it was pure, hot passion. Ellie hung on for dear life as she was swept up in the storm of his kiss, giving back as good as she got, tasting him anew with every ragged breath she drew.

Vincent was dizzy with passion. To have her thus in his arms was pure madness, though he savored every sweet moment. Her skin was like wet, slippery silk beneath his hands and she tasted so sweet that it was all he could do to keep from devouring her whole. He wanted to throw her to the floor and take her like a rutting beast, but curbed the urge with every ounce of will left to him.

Oh, but the fear of her rejection spurred him on to even more daring caresses and he touched the silken heat between her legs. Her wetness spilled down over his hand like manna from heaven, and his heart rejoiced. The sheer panic he’d felt when she’d told him she was refusing to go with him had forced his hand to this far sooner than he would have liked…but no matter how many times he told himself to slow the pace, to pull back from their passionate embrace, he found he could not do it. She was far too much of a temptation for one such as he.

The feel of her, the very taste and smell of her was driving him mad with lust. She was all he’d ever wanted in a woman and more. Not that she would believe him, such was her stubbornness. He knew that she deserved to be coaxed gently, made love to with tenderness and care, but there came again the fear that she would push him from her life if he didn’t do something to bind her to him. He vowed to himself that he would give her pleasure the likes of which she’d never known. If only she would have him.

And of all his hopes there hid the greatest one of all—that she would never again have any other, save him. Forever.

There were wonders he could show her, the likes of which she’d never dreamed. He could heighten the pleasure of their union to such exquisite limits that she would be driven mad by it. He could bring her to orgasm with but a glance, take her more deeply than any mere man could hope or dream to. These things and more were in his power to do, but first he must hear her willingness to let him. He’d promised himself that she would come to him willingly or not at all.

He would see to it that she was begging him to take her before he dared to ask permission. In the face of her stubborn resolve he could not risk asking before she was completely laid bare before him.

Ellie moaned and sighed as his kiss deepened. Their teeth met and she clutched him to her desperately. He made a deep, satisfied male sound and kissed her so hard that she tasted blood, but she welcomed that small pain along with the pleasure. Her body shook so forcefully that she thought she might fall, and it was only by the strength of Vincent’s hands at her scalp that she remained standing at all.

Suddenly, he pulled back from her and tilted her head back so that her neck was arched to a new series of kisses. Hot, openmouthed kisses that burned her flesh like flame.

Tiny little whimpers escaped from her over and over again. She couldn’t have controlled them had she wanted to, she was too far gone. Vincent’s lips scorched a path down her throat to her breasts. Her whimpers turned to desperate, panting moans as he took a nipple into the heat of his mouth. As he drew and sucked on her taut, puckered flesh she felt it simultaneously in the swell of her clit. Some heretofore undiscovered connection between her breasts and clit made itself known to her then and she cried out at the shock of it.

He drew from her breast, sipping and sucking at her nipple like a babe, though no feeding child could have made her feel this way. Vincent’s teeth scraped against her, then bit down…and every movement, every draw of his mouth upon her was simultaneously visited upon her clit. She bucked uncontrollably against him and he moved on to her other breast to visit the same exquisite torture upon that one as he had the first.

“ Vincent, please!” she cried. 

He paid her little heed, if indeed he’d heard her at all. He sank lower, kissing his way down her midriff to her stomach, delving lower still to slide his tongue into the dip of her belly button. A moment later he moved again, dangerously close to the crown of her sex.

“Oh, my beautiful Ellie, you shave your sweet cunt. I do so love the taste and feel of a woman’s bare pussy,” he growled against her.

His words made her knees turn to liquid and she would have fallen had he not nudged her back against the wall behind them.

“Hold on to me, Ellie. Hold on and don’t let go,” he said raggedly before bending to her once more.

His tongue speared the slick folds of her cunt and she screamed. He licked her from her opening to her clit, over and over as she writhed against the wall helplessly, crying out again and again. With the broad strength of his shoulders he wedged himself between her legs, spreading her wide as he feasted hungrily. He lifted one of her legs and draped it over his shoulder and buried his face deeper in the slippery wetness of her body. His mouth made audible sucking noises and the sound spurred them both on in their passion.

Wild and wanton now as she never had been before, she ground her wet flesh more tightly against his face, hands tugging in his hair. She felt the exquisitely rough texture of his whiskers rasping over her, an accompanying sensation to the tug and draw of his mouth upon her. One of Vincent’s hands rose up and spread wide the lips of her vagina so that his mouth was free to move higher and zero in on her swollen clit. She felt his teeth bite down gently upon her, treating the swollen bud of her clit like a nipple as he tugged oh-so carefully upon it.

Her body bore down as she approached her orgasm. Vincent seemed to sense it and thrust two fingers into her, spearing her deeply, stretching her tender flesh relentlessly. She sobbed, mindless to all but the pleasure he gave her. She felt him hook his fingers inside of her wetness and all but swooned when an even greater pleasure raced through her at the movement. It was too much. Any moment now she would break and find wondrous, blessed relief.

Abruptly, Vincent’s fingers and mouth left her. She cried out and arched up to him, desperate for him to continue touching and tasting her.

He rose before her and shook her lightly so that she opened her closed eyes and gazed dizzily into the heated darkness of his.

“Will you have me or not, Ellie? Do you want me to take you?”

Had there ever been any doubt in her mind that it would come to this between them? “P-please, Vincent,” she cried.

“ Please, Vincent…what?” he said, his voice grating with the force of his own emotions. 

“Take me, please just take me,” she sobbed, desperate for him now.

He leaned down and kissed her roughly, forcefully on the mouth. Then he bent down and hooked his arm behind her knees. He lifted her smoothly, easily displaying his strength as he stepped from the shower and carried her to the bedroom beyond. He laid her, soaking wet, upon the bed and came down on her. His weight was a blessed relief in itself and she moaned with what little breath was left to her.

“There will be no going back after this, Ellie. Not for either of us.”

“ Yes, oh yes,” she sobbed brokenly. 

And thus her fate was sealed. Vincent couldn’t contain his smile of triumph as he pressed into her, free to take her at last.



Chapter Seven


 

Ellie shuddered, seeing the look of raw possession that was stamped across Vincent’s chiseled features. She knew she’d given him some sort of power over her with her words, but they couldn’t be taken back now. In fact, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to take them back.

Vincent’s mouth came down upon hers, devouring her, eating her alive. His body shifted and he fell between her legs, his heavy cock slipping and sliding into the vulnerable, open vee of her thighs. Ellie dug her fingers into his silky hair and kissed him back ferociously. He raised himself up above her with a black-nailed hand on either side of her head and looked down at her, silent but for the rasp of his ragged breathing.

“Has there ever been a special fantasy for you, a place you’ve always wanted to be loved?”

She could barely form a coherent thought, so caught up was she in the moment, and he had to repeat his question once more.

“I d-don’t know,” she admitted, surprised that she’d managed that much without blubbering.

“How about a forest glade, near a waterfall that feeds into a clear pool?”

“It sounds lovely, but I don’t understand—”

Vincent put a finger to her lips, silencing her. “Shh. Close your eyes, Ellie. Let me do this small bit of magic for our first time together.”

For an endless moment she kept her eyes locked on his, but she could see that he needed her to trust him, so she finally closed her eyes. She felt Vincent’s lovely hands trail down over her face, once, twice, three times. On the third pass she captured one of his fingers in her mouth and sucked on it, eager to taste any part of him that she could. But all the while she kept her eyes closed, knowing it was what he wanted.

A tingling sensation washed over her then, making the skin of her scalp seem to draw tight over her skull. The hairs on the back of her nape rose, and goose bumps rose up on her skin. The temperature of the room seemed to drop by several degrees and she shivered uncontrollably.

“Open your eyes now, my love. See what I have created for you with my meager talents.”

Ellie opened her eyes and gazed around—only to find that they were no longer in her room! They still lay on her bed, but her bed was now outside under the silvery light of a full moon, in a sheltering grotto of trees, right beside a small waterfall. Beneath the waterfall was a perfectly formed pool of sparkling water, lapping gently at the grasses that dotted the small shoreline. Night jasmine was heavy in the air, a heady scent that drugged her senses as surely as the man who now rose above her.

“How did you do that?” she asked in awe.

“ It is my gift for you, Ellie. How I did it is insignificant, what you should ask is why I did this.” 

“Wh—?”

He cut off her question, silencing her with his lips. All thought fled from her as she was caught up once more in a maelstrom of passion.

A new facet to his loving was then revealed to her. It was as if the person who’d been pleasuring her for the last hour was but a pale shadow of the true man kept hidden within Vincent. Where before his touch had brought her to singing life, his touch now brought her to screaming, shrieking pleasure. Within seconds she teetered on the brink of an explosive release as he kissed and caressed her body with erotic mastery.

Vincent played her body like an instrument, fine-tuning her pleasure almost to the point of pain. Her cries echoed about their magical bower as she writhed beneath him, mindless in her state of near-crazed abandon. His mouth moved from hers and drew the plump fullness of her breast deep within. His hands moved down, spread her legs and tested her readiness, rubbing his fingers deliciously against her wet and swollen flesh.

A ragged scream of excitement came from deep within her as Vincent wrapped his hand around the base of his cock and moved to press down into her softness. Ellie glanced down and saw his erection, thick and long, with a great, mushroomed head crowning the tip. The velvet-steel of him was dark and filled with blood, and a silvery droplet glistened at the tip of his shaft. He pressed into her, burning her with the heat of him, and she bucked up against him.

“Patience, lovely Ellie. We’ve time enough to race to the finish.”

Suddenly Ellie was reminded of her dream the night before. She wondered drunkenly if he knew of her dream… At this moment, in this magical place, she could believe anything was possible. In fact, she wouldn’t have been surprised in the least if she were to discover that he’d sent her the dream with whatever strange power he had. 

The head of his cock slipped into her, and all coherent thought fled from her mind. Just that small penetration stretched her flesh to burning and a small fissure of alarm sneaked its way thorough her. A bit more of him slipped into her, the moisture of her body welcoming and easing his way, but it was still an incredibly tight fit.

“Wait, stop, Vincent,” she said in a panic.

“Shh, love. We’ll fit. Relax.”

“I can’t… You’re too big.”

“No. You’ll take all of me…” He groaned and slipped into her further, clearly trying to be gentle, but also clearly unable to help himself.

Ellie felt him stretching her even further and winced. That had hurt. “S-stop…Vincent,” she cried out when he pressed further. 

Vincent drew back, sweat running down his face. His silver earring glinted in the moonlight, drawing her eyes. He was raw masculine perfection and Ellie closed her eyes in an effort to protect her heart from the sight of such beauty.

Then Vincent drew his hands over her face and her eyes flew open once more. She saw his eyes grow distant and vague. Without warning, Ellie felt a new flood of pleasure wash through her and then she was flying.

The orgasm hit her with such a sudden and vicious force that she bowed up and backwards, forcing the rest of Vincent’s cock deep within her cunt. The pain of his invasion wrung a scream from her, but the ecstasy of her orgasm was so intense that the pain blended with the pleasure and was soon forgotten.

Ellie hooked her ankles behind Vincent’s back, and he rose above her on his knees, pulling her hips onto his thighs. The new position thrust him even more deeply into her, so that he bumped against the very mouth of her womb. He began to withdraw from her, only to return with one strong thrust straight to the depths of her. Her orgasm seemed to stutter and then it turned into something altogether new and amazing.

Liquid fire raced through her veins and Ellie could have sworn that she saw thousands of lights dancing about their heads. There was no more voice left in her to scream with, so she let out a choking breath as Vincent’s thrusts increased in tempo and, unbelievably, depth. He seemed to reach the very heart of her with his cock, filling her full to bursting with what she was sure was pure magic.

Even knowing that her hands were grasping at him desperately, that she was leaving tiny bleeding crescents behind on his skin with her nails, she still could not loosen her hold. He was her only anchor in a realm of pure madness and if she let go she was afraid she’d never find her way back again. She tightened her legs around him and met his thrusts eagerly with her own, surrendering fully to him.

Vincent cried out and pounded into her, his balls slapping loudly against her tender flesh. He lowered her back onto the mattress while he rode her, shaking the bed frame with the force of his thrusts. His hands captured hers and bore them down to the bed beside her thrashing head.

“Look at me, Ellie. Look at me while I bring you again,” he said raggedly.

She did as he commanded, gazing deeply into the pool of his dark eyes. Then yet another orgasm rocked her, twisting her body on a rack of exquisite pleasure-pain. She bucked uncontrollably beneath him, the torn remnants of her voice crying out shakily. All the while, she kept her eyes locked to his as he rocked against her, drowning in the depths of his eyes.

Ellie felt the pulse of his cock a second before his semen washed through her, bathing her in fire. He gave a great and mighty roar, throwing his head back as he thrust deep into the heart of her. She felt his release wash through her body as if it were her own. In a moment of pure eroticism she rose up and licked a trail up the strong column of his throat, bathing him with her tongue as he cried out. He jerked and spasmed in her embrace, filling her with his come until it washed out between their bodies and spilled onto the coverlet beneath them.

After an endless moment Vincent fell upon her, bearing her more deeply into the mattress with his weight. Their hands remained entwined as their breaths and heartbeats slowed to a more human rhythm. Ellie smiled and closed her eyes, legs still wrapped firmly around her lover’s waist.

As she drifted into a deep, sated sleep, a terrifying thought occurred to her, sending a cold knife of fear straight to her heart. After tonight, there would be no going back for her. She was ruined for all other men after being in Vincent’s arms, just as she’d feared she would be. Heaven help her, but her heart was lost to the magic man.

She was doomed.



Chapter Eight


 

Ellie heard a shuffling noise and opened her eyes a small crack. Her vision was bleary with the last remnants of fatigue, but as she saw Vincent pass by the bed her sight cleared and she sat up.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“What does it look like I’m doing, love?” he chuckled.

She took in the sight of her luggage propped against the bedroom door and various piles of her clothing that had not yet been packed within their cases. “It looks like you’re doing my packing for me, which I know can’t be true, because surely even you are not that arrogant,” she griped. 

Vincent gave a mock long-suffering sigh and shook his head. “My poor Ellie. I’m so sorry that you are learning it this late in the game, but I’m very probably the most arrogant man you’ll ever meet.”

“Why do I believe you’re totally serious when you say that?”

“ Probably because I am. Now get up, slugabed. My jet leaves in an hour, with or without us on board, and I’d much prefer it were with.” 

“ Your jet?” 

“ My jet. Did you think we would be flying coach?” He laughed and leaned down to kiss her, hard, upon the lips. “Now get up.” He pulled the covers from her, exposing her naked body. His eyes grew darker, hungry, as he swept them down her form. “My God, you’re gorgeous,” he breathed. 

Even after all that had happened between them, Ellie couldn’t help the blush that rose to burn her cheeks. He looked at her so intently, as if he could see right into the heart of her, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable in a way that she’d never felt before. As if against his will, Vincent reached his hands out, slowly, and palmed her breasts. “Your skin is more even delicate than I had thought. You’ve got my whisker burns dotted all up and down your body.” His thumbs swept up and over her nipples, bringing them to immediate, aching points.

Ellie let loose a long, shuddering sigh. She couldn’t help it, Vincent was playing havoc with her senses, making her nerves sing with remembered pleasure and anticipation of more yet to come.

“I thought you wanted me to get up and get ready to go,” she said, voice shaking and breathless, though she tried valiantly to steady it.

Vincent leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the plump swell of her nipple, inhaling deeply. “You smell like me,” his voice was husky, rough. “I like knowing that.”

Breathing deep, Ellie could smell him on her as well and it sent a primitive thrill streaking through her. “I like it too,” she admitted.

With a growl, Vincent pressed his mouth against hers, kissing her deeply. His tongue thrust and withdrew from her mouth, stroking along hers erotically, and his silky lips slanted across hers to gain ever-deeper access. Endless moments passed, during which Ellie was fully awakened and thrust into the realm of passion.

He pulled back. “As much as you tempt me, love, I have to put a stop to this before it gets out of hand. I know I won’t be satisfied with a quick tussle. With you, I’ll want to play for hours and we don’t have the time just now. Come on, get dressed.” With that, he pulled her to her feet.

His hands cupped her shoulders lightly. “You’re so small, so slight.”

“No, I’m not. I’m chunky and short. I always have been.”

“Oh, Ellie. You’re absolutely perfect. Curvy in all the right places for a hot-blooded man to appreciate, and small enough to make a man feel like a giant protector whenever you’re near.”

Ellie frowned and opened her mouth to dispute his words, but he silenced her with a finger at her mouth. “Say thank you, Ellie. Don’t toss my compliments back in my face, as I know you so long to do. You’re going to have to trust me on this. Believe what I say, because I mean every word.”

“Thank you, Ellie,” she said cheekily.

“That’s my girl,” he turned and started putting her clothing into an empty suitcase.

“Wait just a minute, I can pack my own things. You’re probably forgetting stuff that I’ll need if I’m going to be away for three weeks and—”

“If we forget anything, I’ll buy it for you while we’re on the road. And don’t worry, if you really need something that we don’t pack now, we can always come back for it. You won’t be away for a solid three weeks, there are evenings that we’ll have completely free to ourselves.”

“ I’d rather make sure I don’t forget anything, now,” she pressed, moving about, getting dressed in comfy cotton lounge pants and a black, oversized long-sleeved t-shirt with the words “Temporarily Out of Service”, emblazoned in red across the front. 

“ I’ve packed plenty of comfortable clothes for you, jeans, sweatshirts and t-shirts—things like that. I don’t want you to be forced to wear those somber pantsuits in your closet. I’ve included a couple of dresses, in case we attend an after-performance party or whatever. Did you know you’ve got some pretty sexy numbers with the tags still attached? Tsk, tsk, my dear,” he chuckled. 

“The dresses are from Lindsey, she’s always trying to get me to wear them to business dinners and get-togethers. It drives her crazy that I always wear slacks.” Ellie ran a brush through her hair negligently, wincing at the snags and tangles that she tugged through. Then she pulled her hair up into an oversized alligator clip.

Vincent watched this ritual with much interest.

Ellie deliberately ignored his unwavering gaze and proceeded to dig through her drawers, pulling out her favorite clothes and underthings. Vincent, seeing her ignore him and apparently unhappy about it, lifted an emerald green, satin thong from the suitcase in front of him. “I rather like this, Ellie. You’ll have to model it for me later.” His eyes flared and he bared his teeth, showing off his bright whites with a decidedly feral look.

Not to be outdone, even as butterflies danced in her stomach, Ellie decided to fight fire with fire. “Oh, I’ve even more risqué lingerie that I’m sure you’ll like better.” She moved to her closet and pulled out a large gift box. Nestled inside, in tissue paper, was an aquamarine, peekaboo teddy she’d bought for herself on a wild whim.

She held it up for Vincent and was pleased to see his eyes widen with something close to shock. The front panels were see-through netting, with satin cups in the bra and a satin swatch of cloth for the crotch. But there were round openings in the bra that allowed a woman’s nipples to be exposed, and there was a slit in the crotch that exposed the labia. The back was simply a string that was meant to rest in the cleft of a woman’s buttocks, with a string at the waist and a tie at the neck that held the rest of the piece together. There were matching, transparent thigh-high hose and elbow-length gloves meant to complement the ensemble. At the moment, Ellie couldn’t imagine what impulse had driven her to buy the thing—it had rested here in her closet for at least a year—but she was glad now that she had. The look on Vincent’s face was enough to make her want to buy even more daring pieces, especially when he sank to his knees before her.

Her heart leapt. This sexy, exotic man had actually made love to her! And it was apparent that he wanted to do so again. She deliberately brushed away the thought that they were soon to go on tour where thousands of beautiful women would gather around him like bees to honey, very likely drawing his attention away from her. She concentrated instead on the idea that, if only for tonight, this gorgeous man was all hers. She grew breathless with the idea—the very possibilities—of it.

Vincent growled and stalked lazily, on hands and knees, toward her. With a slow, feline movement he rose up onto his knees, rubbing his face against her midriff and pulling her tightly to him with his hands gently squeezing her buttocks. “You’re making me forget that I’ve got my entourage waiting for me, you dangerous woman,” he murmured into the slight swell of her tummy.

She was dangerous? He was the one who posed the most danger—the man was wreaking havoc on her heart. He was positively sinful, like a box of Godiva chocolates—a woman knew better than to overindulge her appetite with the fattening confections, but who could resist such sweet temptation? 

She certainly couldn’t.

There was the unmistakable feel of Vincent’s teeth as he lightly bit down on her flesh. He slapped her buttocks playfully and rose to tower before her. “Quit distracting me.”

Ellie let out a whooshing breath and went to gather the rest of her necessities. One thing was for certain—the next three weeks would be an adventure she would never forget. 

* * * * *

They barely arrived at the airport on time, having hailed a cab with what seemed like the slowest driver in the world at the wheel. Vincent paid a valet to see to her luggage as he grabbed Ellie’s hand and raced out with her to his waiting jet. Upon gaining entrance, Ellie froze, amazed at what she saw before her.

The interior of the small jet seemed immense, far more so than was possible in such a compact aircraft. It appeared to stretch on forever, supporting luxurious, plush leather chairs and ottomans, tables, lamps and even beds. There were multiple sections, separated by rich velvet curtains, as Vincent led her ever deeper into the bowels of the plane. Ellie couldn’t help but think it was quite probably similar to being on Air Force One, though how so many homey comforts could be squeezed into such a small area she could not even begin to guess.

Along the way, Ellie caught sight of some familiar faces, the women she’d seen assisting Vincent at his show, and the large, burly men that seemed to act as both bodyguards to the entourage as well as stagehands. They smiled and greeted her, friendly and open as they all quickly took in the sight of her hand held tightly within Vincent’s. Ellie couldn’t help but wonder how often they saw him with a woman like this, and was forced to shake her head to clear it of such a painful thought.

Vincent led her to the very back of the plane, pulling the curtain closed to afford them some privacy. He turned to her then, his eyes as black as pitch in the dim light, the look within them making her shiver. “Why don’t you lie down on the bed and try to get a little rest? We’ll only be in the air for about an hour and a half, but we’ll be up very early in the morning in order to prepare for the show tomorrow night.”

“Will we always have a night free to prepare for a show?” Ellie plopped down on the full-sized bed, testing the softness of the mattress.

“No, very rarely actually. I’ve scheduled several consecutive nights to perform and we’ll be leaving straight from one venue to arrive at the next with only a few hours for sleep and food in between rushed rehearsals, sound and lighting checks.”

“Is it always like this for you?”

“Usually worse,” he chuckled. “I’m only making a short run through the country on this tour. This will actually be almost like a vacation for me compared to some of the tours I’ve had in the past.”

Suddenly there came a commotion from the other side of the curtain. “Mr. Darque? Mr. Darque, are you there?” Jon’s voice was breathless, as if he’d been running.

Vincent pushed aside the curtain and Jon came stumbling through. “You must be Jon,” he said drolly.

“Jon Dalton, yes, that’s me.” Jon reached for Vincent’s hand and pumped it up and down excitedly. “I must admit that I’m a huge fan of your work, Mr. Darque. You’re absolutely brilliant.”

“Thank you, Jon. I hope you enjoy yourself over the course of the next few weeks.” Vincent finally succeeded in pulling his hand free of Jon’s.

“ Oh, I’m certain that I will! I can’t believe some of the things I’ve already seen, like this jet, for instance. How do you make it appear so large inside? Your assistants say they don’t even have a clue, that you’re always doing stuff like this to their hotel rooms, their dressing rooms and such. My, how much work must go into a project like this, and you don’t even share your secrets with your colleagues—it boggles the mind!” Jon’s words sounded out at a hundred miles per minute, and Vincent was clearly having a hard time getting a word in edge - wise. 

“Jon, if you’ll excuse me, Ellie and I have some last-minute preparations to go through and you need to be seated when we take off.”

“Oh, yes of course, of course.” Jon leaned around Vincent and waved to Ellie. “Hi Ellie, I didn’t see you there. Isn’t this exciting?” he raved, looking around with bright, excited eyes.

Ellie only smiled, she didn’t have time to say anything, as Jon turned and vigorously shook Vincent’s hand once more before rushing off to find his seat.

“What a strange guy,” Vincent whispered, closing the curtain once more.

“He means well. He’s really into all the magic stuff. His office is littered with little dime-store magic tricks and he even dressed in a top hat and tails for Halloween last year, performing card tricks at our office party.”

“I bet he was really pissed when he found out you got to review my show last night.”

Had it only been last night that she’d first met him? It seemed like she’d known him all her life. “He was appeased that we got to go on this tour with you. He says if he had gone we wouldn’t have been so lucky, that it was my ‘big green eyes’ that got your attention.”

“Well, those and your perfect breasts.” Vincent laughed as her look turned mutinous and she crossed her arms protectively over her chest. “Would you really like to know what first caught my attention?” he asked, suddenly serious.

“Maybe,” she admitted, trying to sound nonchalant, even as her heart raced.

“Your calm control. Your poise. Your absolute awareness of the world around you, as if nothing that happens goes unnoticed by you.”

Ellie blinked and frowned. That certainly hadn’t been what she had expected from him. “What on earth are you talking about?”

Vincent came down on the bed beside her and lay down on his side, propping his head up with one hand. His free hand moved to trace circles on her bent thigh as she turned to sit cross-legged in front of him. “You have a power all your own, Ellie. And though you refuse to acknowledge it, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still there. It was the power in you that drew me to you in the first place, like a moth to a flame.” His voice grew husky as he spoke, while his eyes stared off with a faraway look in them.

“You’re a loony,” she said with a smile.

“Sometimes you can feel it. Can’t you?” He reached up and placed his fingertips, lightly, on her temple. “Right here. Just beneath the skin. Like a feather, tickling, in your mind.” His words trailed off in a whisper.

Ellie’s smile faded. She didn’t like the way he was talking to her. She also didn’t like the way her temples began to tingle and ache under his fingers. It was difficult, but she pulled away, uncomfortably clearing her throat.

“I thought you would feed me some trite line about how I was so beautiful you just couldn’t help but notice me,” she said with deceptive lightness.

“My dear Ellie, power has a seductive beauty all its own. It shines through your skin like a beacon for all to see.”

“Why don’t we talk about something else?” she urged.

“You can’t ignore it forever, Ellie. Just like you can’t ignore the things you’ve seen me do. You’re hiding behind your cynicism and disbelief…but you can’t hide behind those things much longer.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve seen you do some pretty incredible things, true, but that doesn’t mean they’re not just parlor tricks. You’ve been studying such things your whole life, so of course you would be a master of your craft.”

“ It’s not wrong to believe in the existence of magic. It doesn’t make you weak-minded or naïve. Why is it so hard for you to just let go and believe in what you’ve seen these past two days?” 

“ Do you believe that you have some great mystical gift that enables you to perform your illusions?” 

“ I know it.” 

“But it’s a well-known fact that you take years to engineer your performances. That you set up elaborate stages in order to carry out those tricks convincingly. You can’t just ignore that and say that you have some kind of hocus-pocus, mumbo jumbo vibe going on that enables you to do what you do.”

“Whether or not I use an elaborate stage setup is irrelevant. No average Joe could just walk in off the street, use my tools and perform the same way I do. It is the innate gifts that I possess that enable me to carry off a flawless performance convincingly. Without them I would be a small-time entertainer in some dank little comedy club. It is not the stage setup, the lighting or the rigging, that allows me to perform my illusions. It is the power that I have up here.” He tapped his own temple. “Everyone has that power. Some, admittedly, have more at their disposal than others. But I have spent my whole life learning to hone that power in such a way that I am now one of the world’s leading master illusionists.”

“ You really believe in what you do,” she murmured. 

“It is belief that makes magic a reality, Ellie. If you but learn to believe you’ll see that I’m right, because the power is there within you, too.”

Ellie shuddered. She heard the roar of the jet’s engines as the plane raced down the runway and tried to ignore the echoing cry of her heart.



Chapter Nine


 

The rest of the flight passed in silence for Ellie. Vincent left her to go over some last-minute show changes with his crew, leaving her there on the bed to brood during their journey. There was no hope of sleep, not after the conversation she’d had with Vincent, and her mind raced over the implications of all that he had said.

Despite her better judgment she had to admit, at least to herself, that there was more to Vincent’s illusions than smoke and mirrors. How else could he have created such an elaborate setting for them to make love in, earlier that night? He obviously hadn’t had time to set it up before he’d joined her in the shower. And that was another thing! He’d entered her house without a key, and without kicking down the door. When she’d asked him about it he’d merely winked and declined to answer her question, leaving her to her own assumptions.

She’d yet to think of any plausible explanation for how he’d gained entry to her home. There had been no open windows for him to climb through and she always kept her doors firmly locked and bolted. So how had he done it? 

Ellie had steadfastly refused to even voice her questions about how he’d created their lover’s bower. She already knew he wouldn’t directly answer her anyway. For her own peace of mind she’d deliberately avoided thinking about it, at least until after their newest conversation. It made her nervous to think about such things.

It always had.

Admittedly, she wasn’t much of a believer in magic or its many elaborate trappings. She never had been, not even as a child. In her mind she was always too aware that there had to be some logical explanation—some trick—to explain away odd phenomena. She didn’t know exactly why that was, but it had always been that way for her.

But Vincent clearly believed otherwise, and the words he’d spoken had struck a chord deep within her, creating a turmoil that both frightened and intrigued her. Oh, but to have such a firm belief in something so fantastic as magic! What must that be like?

Her mind raced madly and it wasn’t until after their landing and departure from the airport that she began to make some sense of her jumbled thoughts. Perhaps Vincent was more than a showman, perhaps not. Now wasn’t the time for her to worry about it—the next few weeks would afford her the opportunity to make her own observations. It was almost impossible for her to imagine what might happen if she couldn’t make some sense out of all the strange wonders Vincent had already shown her, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it. For now, she would try to keep an open mind and simply enjoy the experience of being with him.

And what an experience it was.

As their group had walked through the airport, Vincent had once again taken her hand in his, uncaring that everyone could clearly see him do it. He opened doors for her wherever they went, saw to the delivery of her luggage to the hotel without being asked, gently led her into the limousine that awaited them outside of the airport, and all the while kept her hand firmly clasped in his. He was every romantic girl’s dream of a gallant knight.

Wherever they went people looked at him, either recognizing him or instinctively sensing some air of command about him. People moved out of their way as he walked, and women sighed as he passed. Ellie couldn’t help but think that the whole experience was like being on the arm of a rock star. She’d giggled at the thought and had ignored Vincent when he’d asked her what was so funny.

Now, as their limo pulled up to the entrance of the hotel at which they would be staying, a swarm of people rushed at the vehicle. Ellie started, whipping her head about, seeing that they were completely surrounded.

“Don’t worry, Ellie, security will get us up to our rooms without being mobbed,” Vincent reassured her.

“Is it always like this?”

“Don’t sound so incredulous,” Vincent laughed. “Not everyone feels the way you do about my talents.”

Ellie scowled and did her best to ignore his dig.

“How exciting!” Jon exclaimed from the seat opposite Ellie. “What happens now?”

“We’ll sign a few autographs and allow the hotel’s security to lead us into the hotel. They’ll keep most of the people at bay.”

Ellie refused to remark that he hadn’t said all of the people would be held at bay. 

Suddenly, Vincent leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. “Will you walk with me, Ellie?”

“Of course. Who else would I walk with?”

“Don’t be obtuse, love. You know what I mean. If you walk out there at my side the rumors will fly. I’d like for you to walk with me, of course, but I won’t force you to. It’s not always easy being in the public eye, and you’re not used to it like I am.”

Ellie looked into Vincent’s eyes and saw a vulnerability that was quite foreign to him. She never would have thought him capable of the emotion. Suddenly she wanted to wipe the look from his eyes and never allow it to return. She smiled and pushed back the thick lock of hair that always seemed to be falling over his right eye.

“I’ll walk with you, Vincent.”

A look of wild possession replaced the vulnerability and she wondered if she’d just agreed to more than a public appearance with him. Her attention was diverted from that thought when the door to their limo was opened and everyone started to pile out of the vehicle. Vincent used that moment to steal a brief kiss from her lips and then turned to exit with her in tow.

Bulbs flashed as pictures were taken, the sea of people swarmed and shrieked when they caught sight of Vincent’s dark head and he gave a jaunty wave as they made their way up a tiny path to the hotel’s entrance. They hadn’t gained ten steps before a woman broke out of the crowd waving a black permanent marker and screaming for an autograph.

Vincent chuckled and took the marker from her. Ellie didn’t see any paper for him to sign and gasped when the woman opened her shirt and indicated that she wanted Vincent to sign his name on the swell of her breasts. He did so, much to the lady’s delight, and she rose up to give him a loud kiss on the cheek. Vincent turned to give Ellie a sheepish look and took her hand once more.

Three more women managed to break through the line of security guards, asking for autographs from the great Vincent Darque. Each time Vincent gallantly and smilingly obliged, allowing each woman to bestow a kiss on his cheek before sending her, giggling, on her way. It was obvious that he was well used to such antics.

Ellie had never before been witness to such a chaotic spectacle.

Finally, after what seemed a small eternity, they gained the doors to the hotel, which were immediately shut after they passed. Ellie gave a great sigh and Vincent kissed her, hard, on the lips. “See? That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

“It was…crazy,” Ellie laughed. “I’m not sure I can handle that kind of thing everywhere we go.”

“You did beautifully,” Vincent praised, kissing her once more.

After signing in, the group made their way up to their block of rooms. Vincent gave everyone but Ellie a card key with a room number assigned to it, and the group went to find their rooms. All the while, Jon babbled on about how “exciting” everything was. Ellie couldn’t help but smile at his obvious enthusiasm. All too soon the commotion was over and she and Vincent were left alone in the hall that led to their suites.

“We’ll only be afforded a few hours of sleep before we have to get up and make our way to the stadium in the morning.”

“That’s fine. I’m used to burning the midnight oil,” Ellie said.

“Oh really?” he asked in a sultry, bedroom voice. He turned so that he led them, walking backwards down the hall, with her hand still held in his. “Then you won’t mind too much if I rob you of an hour or two of sleep tonight, will you?”

A shiver of delicious anticipation raced down her spine. She had to try twice before she could find her voice, much to her chagrin. “Well…that depends on whether or not you make it worth my while, doesn’t it?” Ellie tried to sound as inviting as he had, but ruined the whole effect when her words ended with a slight squeak.

Vincent threw back his head and laughed. Ellie tried and failed to contain the blush that stained her cheeks. His laughter slowly died down to chuckles, then eventually silence. With a growing air of danger about him, he turned his dark eyes to hers and raked her with them from head to toe, lingering on her lips, her breasts and her thighs.

“Oh, Ellie. I’m very certain that I can make it worth your while.” His voice was pure temptation.

Ellie was very certain that he could, too.

With a growing excitement, Ellie allowed him to lead her to his room, situated at the end of the long corridor. Before he opened the door to his suite however, he gave Ellie one last look, and there was something in his eyes that almost frightened her. Something dark and dangerous. For a wild moment Ellie wondered if perhaps she wasn’t making a huge mistake by joining him for the evening. She hardly knew the man, and from all the news clippings she’d read about him it was obvious that no one really did. He was an enigma. How could she trust him this completely, so soon after meeting him? It was dangerous folly, surely.

Vincent smiled at her then and the moment passed as if it never were. Ellie couldn’t help but return the smile as he ushered her into his room, feeling her heart race with the knowledge that soon she would be in his arms once again.

If only she could stay there forever.



Chapter Ten


 

It was dim in the room and Ellie couldn’t see where she was heading. But it didn’t matter when, suddenly, Vincent came up behind her, removed the alligator clip from her hair, and swept his arms around her to cup the weight of her breasts in his hands. He buried his lips in the hair and inhaled deeply.

“God, I love the way you smell,” he growled, biting her gently on the nape of her neck.

Ellie’s knees went immediately weak. She couldn’t resist raising her hands up to join his over her breasts and leaning back against his large body. They rested that way for a moment, then with a barely suppressed violence Vincent suddenly turned her around and backed her up against a nearby wall. Made dizzy with a fierce rush of desire, Ellie’s head plopped limply back against the wall—not that she cared. She slid her hands up over the strong planes of his chest and then up around his neck.

Vincent’s hands fisted at the small of her back before moving to her waist, anchoring and pulling her tightly against him. His breathing was hot and heavy against her face as he ran his lips over her with delicious, openmouthed kisses. Ellie moaned and felt him move lower, lips trailing past the line of her jaw to bury themselves in the sensitive skin of her throat. His hands moved up and flattened over her breasts, rubbing over them until she ached and burned with a heavy yearning. Her thighs fell open helplessly and Vincent lifted her up against the wall by pressing the steely ridge of his erection into the vee of her thighs.

Oh, yes there, that’s the magic spot! she thought dazedly. Her body had turned to burning, liquid mush and she couldn’t have cared less. Nothing mattered so long as Vincent kept touching her, holding her, kissing her. There was a flood of moisture pooled between her legs and all Ellie could think was that she wanted him deep inside, burning her to her heart as he had but a few short hours ago. 

Vincent tried and failed to tamp down on the primitive triumph that flooded through him at her almost immediate surrender. He buried his lips at her throat, tasting the sweet essence of her skin with his tongue. There were so many things he wanted to show her, do to her, but he knew he’d already rushed things between them at an unforgivable pace. She wasn’t ready to know the full depths of his passion for her. He would have to content himself with the knowledge that she was here, now, with him. Nothing else should matter.

With rough, desperate hands he began to divest her of her clothing. He wanted nothing separating the touch of their naked skin. He had her shirt off in record time and was pleased to note that her sexy, lavender silk bra had a front clasp. He undid that clasp and the warm weight of her breasts sprang free, filling his hands. He marveled at the lush velvet of her skin and the feel of the hard kernels of her nipples stabbing at his palms.

He rolled the puckered softness of her nipples between his thumb and forefingers and reveled in the panting cries that he wrung from her. His eyes strayed from the lovely vision of her bared breasts and narrowed instead on the glistening wetness of her lips. He couldn’t resist, he leaned in and laved her with his tongue, then delved deeper, sealing his lips to hers. She tasted like sweet, spiced honey and he savored the voluptuous flavor. She was all soft, giving woman, kissing him back with a hungry fervor the likes of which he’d never encountered before.

Ellie’s body bucked against his, cuddling and rubbing the tight length of him with her softness and he almost spilled himself then and there. God, how he wanted her, needed her! He was ready to explode, without even entering her slick, tight body. Ready to spurt like a geyser, there, in his trousers. Suddenly, he wanted to. He wanted to just let go, drop his pants and spend himself on the soft swell of her stomach. He wanted to rub the cream of his orgasm over the breasts that filled his hand, and then urge her to suck the residue off his cock. 

He’d never felt so ready to dominate. To lose total control over himself. He wanted to devour her, consume her utterly, until she was a part of him, and he a part of her. It was surely madness.

Vincent felt the hum of her moan in the back of his throat as he swallowed it and his groin tightened painfully. Ellie’s hands moved down and around him, unfastening his pants so that his erection sprang free between them. He groaned when her cool, soft hands cupped him. His knees grew weak when she made to stroke him from base to tip and back again. He felt a pearly drop of come escape out of the head of his penis, felt her swirl it around with her thumb, using it as lubrication on his tight, hot flesh.

By God, he would see to it that she was as mindless in her lust as he. I’ll make her want me so much that she can’t think beyond the need for my cock in her sweet, hot cunt, he thought savagely. He pulled her hands away from his cock, the better to remove the rest of her clothing and his. 

Ellie was beyond all rational thought. She could do nothing but feel. The hot, hard length of him had filled her hands before he’d so suddenly pulled away, and she’d loved it. Absolutely loved the feel of him. He’d been like a burning hot poker in her hands. His cock was thick and heavy, with a great, ridged head crowning the tip, and a strong pulsing vein that ran the length of it. She wanted to take that great root into her mouth and swallow him whole. She wanted all that he had to give and more. 

Soon they were both gloriously naked and Ellie could contain herself no longer, she knelt before him and took him as deeply into her mouth as he would go. His groan echoed in her ears and she felt his fingers fist into her hair as she sucked on him. He was smooth as silk, but hard as steel in her mouth, far too large for her to encase him fully. What she had in her mouth now she took deep, until he nudged the back of her throat. Careful of her teeth on his flesh, she bobbed her head up and down as she licked and sucked him over and over again.

A salty-sweet drop of his come fell on her tongue and she licked it away adoringly, savoring the flavor of his passion. She licked the opening at the crown of his cock, and then swept her tongue down and around the hooded ridge of him. Her movements against him created wet, sucking sounds in the dimness of the room, and the sound seemed to excite Vincent further as he began to thrust gently in and out of her feasting mouth. His hands remained locked, fisted, in the tangle of her hair, using her tresses as a sort of handle as he helped to guide her movements.

Ellie cupped the heavy weight of his testicles in her hands, marveling at the tight feel of them. She lightly scraped her nails over him, hearing the hiss of his breath between his clenched teeth with a feeling of triumph. Never before had she felt so powerful as she did in that moment. She had the very center of him in her mouth and in her hands, and she reveled in it.

Opening her mouth wide—as wide as she could without cracking her jaw—she took him ever deeper into the recesses of her throat. The warm slippery feel of her saliva allowed him to fit easily and she worked the muscles of her mouth and throat against him until he began to tremble against her. The strength of his hands tightened even further in her hair as he mashed her face against him. His cock pulsed once, twice and gave a mighty spasm as he shot his come into the back of her throat.

His roar of release echoed in the dim room around them and his body shuddered in time with every pulse of his shaft. Ellie savored every thick, sweet spume of semen that he gave to her. She swallowed every last pearly drop and sucked and rooted for still more. His sac remained tight in her worshipping hands while his cock butted her throat, still hard as marble in her mouth, and she knew that the night was far from over for them both.

Vincent lifted her from her knees and slanted his mouth over hers, as if to taste his own essence in their kiss. He pulled back and stared down at her with stormy eyes. “Your mouth is soft and swollen from sucking me off,” he groaned and kissed her again. “I want you to be as hot and ready for me as I am for you. I want you to give me your body, to let me take you in any and every way I want. I want to give you all you can take—and more.” He growled the words against her swollen lips.

“ Yes, oh yes,” she moaned against him, more than ready for anything and everything he wanted to do to her. 

Vincent turned her around and pressed her against the wall. With a strength she never would have guessed he possessed, he lifted her up and thrust into her from behind. He filled her so deeply from this angle, stretching and burning her with the force of his invasion, that she keened out her surprise.

“ Shh, relax, baby. Relax and feel me inside of you, wanting you, needing you. Loving you.” 

How could she feel anything but? Ellie felt as though she were being skewered by a lance, so big and long was he inside of her. He filled her full to bursting, there against the wall, and she felt laid open and vulnerable before him. He withdrew and thrust back into her and she moaned. His hands flattened on the back of her shoulders and swept down over her, ending at her ass. He cupped her buttocks and squeezed, then lifted and pushed her forward in such a way that her back bowed and he filled her even more deeply. 

Ellie moaned brokenly and Vincent began the long, slow slide out of her wet sheath. He withdrew almost all the way, until only the mushroomed crown of his cock was left inside of her, and then thrust back home once more. His motions were agonizingly slow as he repeated the process over and over again, until Ellie was a mindless, keening bundle of exposed nerve endings. Her body screamed with the need for release as her inner muscles tightened down on him, desperate to keep him inside of her whenever he moved to withdraw.

Vincent’s fingers moved to the cleft of her ass and stroked the puckered flesh between. Ellie sobbed out, pulling away, for no one had ever touched her there. Vincent caught her closer to him and repeated the caress.

“All you can take…and more,” he reminded, voice ragged and husky with his own need.

Her knees went weak and she would have fallen to the floor had he not held her upright with the strength of his arms. His cock thrust in and out of her, faster now, but not nearly fast enough to suit her. Ellie wriggled against him, rooting for more of him, and he chuckled darkly, holding her at bay. She felt his fingers stroke the cleft of her behind once more and then he slipped into her anus. He must have wet his finger because it slid into her tight, virgin hole with ease. Ellie cried out at the sudden, erotic sensation of his entry. She never would have believed so many pleasure centers existed there, where he penetrated her, but could not deny relishing the electric pulses that shot through her.

She was filled to bursting.

Vincent’s thrusts increased in tempo, his motions bringing his hard dick to rest at the very heart of her, before withdrawing and repeating the process all over again. Her body was wet and dripping for him, easing his way so that they were both soaked with her passion.

But suddenly it wasn’t enough. For either of them.

With a low, feral growl Vincent withdrew himself from her entirely and scooped her up into his arms. He took her to the bed nestled deep within the shadows of the room and laid her down upon it. He spread her hair out over the pillow and kissed her deeply, parting her lips with his tongue and delving deeply within. Then he grabbed her ankles with his hands and pushed her knees up onto his chest so that she was fully open and vulnerable to him. He splayed her out before him and nudged his cock into her slit, and then, upon finding her entrance, he plunged to the depths.

Ellie screamed, unable to maintain an ounce of self-control in the face of such a pleasurable assault. She was at his mercy as he pummeled her with his strength, reaching to the unplumbed depths of her, nudging her womb. His weight bore her down into the softness of the bed and he rocked against her, heedless of the sounds their bodies made as they slapped bare flesh to bare flesh.

Instinctively, it seemed, Vincent angled his body in such a way that his erection curved and scraped against that hidden place of pleasure nestled deep within her. Ellie had never been certain such a place existed outside of books, but knew for certain now that it was not myth. A full, heavy sensation filled her and she strained to find that new and mystical threshold with every movement she made. Keening, mewling noises filled the air, torn from her throat by the man who tirelessly thrust into the heart of her.

Vincent released one of her ankles and reached down between them. With his thumb and forefinger he unerringly found the tingling swell of her clit. He used her body’s own moisture to massage her there, plumping and squeezing her bud as though it were a nipple. His cock hit that spot deep within her with a great downward thrust and Ellie came, screaming.

The orgasm was all-consuming, taking her to heights she’d never before experienced. Colors danced around in her eyes, blinding her. The very room around them seemed to be illuminated with ever-changing and brilliant hues. Electricity danced through her body, making her skin feel too tightly stretched across her bones—and still Vincent rode her. Through it all he was there with her, as the muscles of her pussy squeezed and pulled at him, effortlessly delaying the moment of his own release.

He fell upon her as she writhed in the throes of her release and popped a ripe nipple into his mouth. His mouth fed at her there, suckling and nibbling her until her clit throbbed and pulsed anew with every motion. After what seemed like hours her orgasm subsided, leaving her weak and spent, and still he thrust tirelessly, sucking on her nipple as he pumped into her.

Vincent pulled away, gentling and slowing the pace of his thrusts as he looked deeply into her eyes. Something in the depths of his gaze unbelievably reawakened her passion. The dark, jeweled jet of his eyes bore down into hers, never wavering, as he slowly slipped in and out of her.

“ You’re mine, Ellie. Only mine. From your sweet lips, to your breasts with their adorable pink nipples, to your soft, white belly and down to your luscious, wet pussy—it’s all mine, do you hear me? Every inch of you—mine!” 

Ellie tried to look away from the hungry, possessive look in his eyes. His words, ragged and impassioned, had shocked her to her very core. A resounding yes! almost escaped her lips before she thought better of it—knowing that the moment she uttered such a vow he would never let her recant. But Vincent would not let her look away, and he took her chin in his strong hand to keep her from turning her head. 

“You’ll admit to the truth of my words soon enough,” he vowed.

Ellie refused to say anything. Instead she rose up and sealed her lips to his, finally able to close her eyes against the probing intensity of his gaze. Her tongue dueled with his as he thrust silkily in and out of her welcoming body. Then, with a growl, Vincent rolled them so that she was positioned atop him, riding him like a stallion.

“You’re so beautiful, Ellie,” he said hoarsely.

He made her feel beautiful as he worshipped her with his eyes, his hands and his body. He made her feel powerful. He made her feel like a woman, through and through, in every way. It was a glorious and heady experience, to be made love to by this man beneath her.

His hands pulled her down, so that he could more easily lavish hot, openmouthed kisses on the swell of her breasts. She rode him, taking him deep within her, as he licked and suckled at first one nipple, then the other. Her clit scraped against his crisp pubic hair, making her shudder with each of her downward strokes. Vincent’s hands roamed to anchor at the swell of her hips, and he gripped her as she moved upon him. Her vision dimmed and she was lost in the exquisite sensations that racked her body.

Vincent looked up at her as she rocked on him. He’d never beheld a more beautiful vision than that of Ellie riding him, breasts bobbing, lips parted moistly with her head thrown back in her passion. He felt a swell of power within him and was unable to keep it held in check. He felt his magic—that elusive and inexplicable force that lived and breathed within him, allowing him to twist reality into illusion—flow from him into her, making her skin glow like a bright beacon in the night.

Ellie gasped and cried out, feeling the force of that power wash through her, though she would never have admitted that it was really magic. Vincent knew that, deep down, she was well aware of the currents that ran between them, but knew, too, that she would fight against that knowledge to the bitter end. To her, magic was but a bag of tricks. It would take more than just the sensation of his power ebbing and flowing between them to make her believe in its existence.

He looked forward to awakening that belief within her.

Vincent felt the rhythmic clenching of her inner muscles begin again. Felt the tight squeezing of her silken flesh close down like a delicate fist around the girth of his cock. He gasped, even as he heard her broken cry of release, and thrust deeply, forcefully into her. He could contain himself no longer. He felt the hot, wet splash of his come and filled her to the brim with his essence. She milked him of every drop, clenching and squeezing him with her vaginal muscles until he thought he would die from the erotic pleasure. He roared his release like a madman and rose up to bury his face in her neck, clutching her to him with desperate hands.

Not if he lived for a thousand years would he ever grow used to the magic of being in her arms. Never would he grow tired of teasing her until that light of challenge lit up her eyes. Never would he tire of hearing her voice, her laughter, of smelling her scent, and tasting her kiss. Vincent knew that he could never live without her again. In fact he wasn’t sure he’d ever really truly lived at all before finding her.

In that moment he gave his heart to her, and knew that for better or for worse he would never be the same.



Chapter Eleven


 

Ellie awoke to an empty room and a note on Vincent’s pillow.

 

I’ll be back for you at noon. I thought you could use the rest, since it’s mostly my fault that you didn’t get any. I’ll be thinking of you.

Vincent

 

Ellie smiled with her passion-swollen lips, remembering just how he’d kept her from her rest throughout the night. Even as the sun had blazed in the dawn sky Vincent had positioned her on her hands and knees before him in the bed and taken her from behind. It had been full morning before she’d been allowed to sleep, and even then the thickness of Vincent’s erection had joined them together while they’d rested.

What a delicious night! She stretched lazily, wincing as her thoroughly used muscles gave protest. She felt slightly bruised from head to toe—the delicious sensation of a woman well-loved by her man. With a breathless giggle she threw aside the covers and bounced from the bed, reveling in every ache she encountered at the sudden movement. She’d only managed a couple of hours sleep, but she felt more well-rested than if she’d slept the whole night through. 

Ellie could smell Vincent all over her skin and breathed deeply. She wanted to capture the masculine essence of him and keep it forever locked within her lungs. She looked down at her body and saw the red marks his whiskers had left behind on her sensitive flesh. Her nipples were swollen and deeply rouged from the countless kisses and love bites they’d received throughout the night. And her cunt was still wet and sticky with his semen, having been filled over and over again as Vincent had tirelessly loved her.

It was almost a shame that she would have to bathe all of him away in her shower. But perhaps tonight they could dirty her up all over again.

She sighed dreamily and made her way to the bathroom.

* * * * *

Not five minutes after she’d gotten dressed, there came a knock at her door. Expecting that it was housekeeping, come to check if she needed anything, she went and opened the door.

There was no one there.

Ellie looked around but saw no one standing in the hallway. She was about to turn back in when she caught a glimpse of a box at her feet. With a frown she bent down, picked it up and took it into the room with her. There was no card or shipping receipt on it anywhere, just her name written in large black letters on the top. She looked at it for a long while, a sudden feeling of apprehension washing through her. Telling herself she was being silly, that the package was likely something forwarded from her office, she tore into the plain brown wrapping and opened the box.

Nestled within were dozens of pictures of Vincent from newspaper and magazine clippings. Each picture showed him posing with a different woman. The women were mostly of the tall, statuesque, model variety—far more beautiful than she. She frowned as she dug through each picture, quickly perusing the articles that were still attached to some of them. They all said the same things—that Vincent Darque and his new ladylove were attending a movie premiere, play, or charity event, and that there were rumors of a lasting relationship.

Ellie was no stranger to the oftentimes inaccurate accounts regarding celebrities in the press, especially among the tabloids, but seeing Vincent with so many different women made her heart ache as though it would break. Here was a reminder that she, a bland nobody with little if any polish, had no business getting involved with such a high-profile bachelor like Vincent. Beyond a brief fling, there could be nothing between them. It was an impossible match, one that was destined to leave her hurt and broken, while Vincent went on to bigger and better pursuits.

If she could handle a no-strings-attached affair with the sexy illusionist, the next few nights or weeks could—and no doubt, would—prove to be amazing ones. But Ellie realized she didn’t want to just be another fling for Vincent. She was very close to losing her heart to the man, and she wanted much the same from him. She wanted him to feel more for her than he did for his myriad other women. She wanted him to love her. 

It was hopeless.

Reaching the last of the clippings, Ellie recognized her own face next to Vincent’s. The picture had been taken the night before, as they’d entered the hotel. It showed Vincent’s smiling face as he waved to the crowd, with her standing there, quiet and unassuming, at his side. She didn’t like the way that picture made her feel. As if she were a faint shadow on the sidelines, with no real substance or purpose. There was no article with this photo, but someone had scrawled a caption above the snapshot that read in bold black letters, Yet another conquest under the magician’s spell? How long will this one last? 

The words made her eyes burn from a mixture of anger and hurt. That someone would be so cruel as to send her this! It hurt to know that there was someone out there who wished her ill, but it also opened her eyes a bit, making her see for herself the folly of becoming involved with Vincent. In all probability it was a former, spurned lover of his that had sent her the package in the first place. Did she really want to end up like this woman, bitter and brokenhearted, left to watch the headlines speculate as Vincent moved on to the next pretty face?

No, she didn’t. She wouldn’t. She would have to end the affair…before it was too late for her heart to bear. She put the box away from her and went to finish getting ready for the day ahead.

She didn’t see it when the box of photos disappeared.

* * * * *

“Ellie! You won’t believe some of the things I’ve seen this morning. I mean, some of this stuff they’re setting up is absolutely incredible! Come look,” Jon exclaimed the moment she stepped into the auditorium.

Ellie smiled wanly and went to watch with Jon, as Vincent’s crew set up lights, sound and backdrops. There was a flurry of activity as everyone moved about, intent on some given task or project. Everything progressed smoothly, like clockwork, and it was more than clear that all of these people were very familiar with their duties—had in fact probably been doing this for years.

“They won’t tell me what any of this stuff is for,” Jon said at her side. “I keep asking questions about this trick or that, but no one really seems to have any information about just how the illusions are performed. It seems that the assistants and the stagehands are just here to see to it that the rigging and setup is safe for the audience. Vincent doesn’t really share any secrets about how he does his magic.”

“Why does it matter how the tricks are performed?” she asked, suddenly wondering the same thing herself.

“That’s what everyone else keeps saying. But it does matter, don’t you see? I would love to know how to do some of this stuff. Anybody would, really.”

“I thought you were a firm believer in the whole magician keeping his secrets thing. You wouldn’t tell any of us how you did your magic tricks at last year’s Halloween party. You just kept saying it was magic. Now you know how annoying that is.” Ellie couldn’t help but laugh a little over that.

“Well, I only have a few tricks and I had so much fun that I wanted to keep it all secret so I could do it again this year. I love performance art like this. I love to see an amazing trick and wonder to myself just how it’s done, what it took to pull it off. I had hoped that this would give me an opportunity to see how a real professional creates his illusions. It doesn’t look like that’s the case, though.”

“Don’t worry about it, Jon. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot on this tour, whether everyone’s trying to keep things secret or not. You’re bound to figure some of this stuff out.”

Just then, Vincent appeared as if from nowhere and began walking toward them. He looked dangerous and sexy in his blue jeans and loose black button-up shirt. “Ellie! I didn’t think you would make it here before we took our lunch break.”

Ellie’s stomach felt as if butterflies had gone spastic within it. She wondered bleakly if it would always be this way for her when she saw him, and if he felt even a fraction of the same emotions as she. She didn’t notice when Jon walked away, leaving them alone together. Nothing existed for her but Vincent…and the memory of her morning package. Her temples ached with a sudden, tingling pain.

“Well, I got up early and decided not to wait on you,” she said quietly.

“Is something wrong? You look a little pale, love.” He reached for her, to pull her under the shelter of his arm.

Ellie stepped back away from him. “Everything’s fine. I’m just a little tired, I guess.”

Vincent frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. If you don’t mind, I’m just going to sit out in the audience and watch the proceedings. I’m not sure yet how I’m going to approach the article I’m going to write, but I think I’d like to start by seeing how the show is set up.”

“Sure, if that’s what you want, though I’d kind of hoped you would want to come around with me backstage. You know,” his voice dropped to a sensual timbre, “my dressing room is very private. No one would dare interrupt us if we decided to have a private meeting there.”

Ellie struggled not to give in to such a tempting offer. “No. I don’t think that would be very appropriate.”

Vincent pulled back as if she had struck him, all tender feelings vanishing from his dark eyes. “Something is wrong. What happened between this morning when I left, and now, that’s made you pull back from me?” 

“Nothing. I just don’t think it’s very professional of me to go play hanky-panky with you in your dressing room. I’m not some airhead who’s just here to be at your beck and call, all right?”

His chiseled jaw clenched and Ellie could hear him grind his teeth at her words, but she refused to take them back. “I’m sorry if you feel that’s how I’m treating you, Ellie. I’ll be more mindful of my advances in the future,” he said formally. “I’ll leave you to your work then. If you need anything, myself or one of my crew will see that you get it. And if you have any questions you have but to ask.”

“ And if I want to ask how a specific illusion is performed? Will that question be answered or will someone just brush me off as they did poor Jon?” 

Vincent gave her a hard, exasperated look and, without answering her, he turned on his heel and walked off. Ellie wanted so much to call him back. To apologize and beg for his forgiveness. But, she reminded herself, that was probably how every woman reacted to him. He probably wasn’t used to a woman saying no and sticking to it. She refused to be a statistic with him. So she let him leave her, all the while cursing her traitorous heart as it ached within her breast.

It was going to be a long and painful day.



Chapter Twelve


 

Surprisingly, the day passed by without further confrontations between them.

Ellie spent most of her time watching from the audience, marveling at how quickly and efficiently Vincent’s crew set up and prepared the stage. Every once in a while she would catch a glimpse of Vincent as he hurried about the stage, testing various props and just generally overseeing the procedures with his practiced, expert eye. Whenever she saw him, her heart would ache and her breath would catch in her throat, reminding her that she was already far too wrapped up in him.

Not once did he glance in her direction.

It pained her that he could so easily turn his thoughts from her. That he could ignore her so completely. Even knowing he was incensed with her, she’d expected him to at least send a glare her way whenever he passed. But he seemed to be ignoring her completely, more interested in the gadgets and techno-gear that littered the stage area. It hurt her far more than it should, considering that it was she who was trying to put some distance between them. 

Late in the afternoon, one of Vincent’s female assistants came and sat in the seat next to her. Ellie couldn’t help but notice how lovely the woman was, how tall and statuesque. It didn’t help her current situation to take note of how Vincent always seemed surrounded by lovely ladies.

“I’m Angelique Hamilton,” the woman said in a husky bedroom voice.

“I’m Ellie Waterhouse.”

“Yes, I know.” Her eyes were hard as diamonds but her voice was warm and welcoming enough. “So, how are you enjoying being with our crew so far?”

“I have to admit that I find it all very interesting. I had no idea so much preparation was crammed into so short a time for every show.”

“Oh, yes. We’ve got our timing down to a science with the setup. We use every last available moment to make sure everything is prepared and working correctly. One small oversight can throw the entire show out of whack and ruin Vincent’s performance.”

“Has that ever happened?”

“No, though there have been some close calls. Vincent is too aware of every nuance of the stage setup to allow for any mistakes.”

“Yes, I can see that. He’s been at it all day, running from one end of the stadium to the other.”

Angelique turned and gave her a long, assessing look. It unsettled Ellie, but only for a moment. Then Angelique smiled warmly and chuckled. “You do like him.” 

“Yes. Doesn’t everyone?”

“ Yes—but you like him. Don’t deny it.” 

“Okay, I won’t deny it. I like him,” Ellie grumbled.

“I can tell by the tone of your voice that you’re not at all happy about that,” Angelique said with a small, concerned frown, eyes glittering.

“ Well…” What was it that made women able to open up and confide in one another—even if they were relative strangers? “I have to admit that I’m not completely comfortable with the idea. Vincent is a known womanizer. I don’t want to get involved with a man who’s so used to having a different woman on his arm each night.” 

“From the looks of things, you’re already involved with him. But let me tell you something that not everyone knows. Vincent isn’t always involved, per se, with the ladies he escorts. The press always blows things like that out of proportion. No offense,” Angelique rushed to say.

“None taken.”

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that you don’t need to worry about Vincent’s interest being fickle. He’s an amazing guy, with some pretty amazing talents—but he’s got feelings, too, just like everyone else.”

“So are you warning me away from him, or are you trying to hook me up with him?”

“A little of both, I guess.” Angelique laughed at herself, then. “We all love Vincent. We protect him when we can because he’s not like the rest of us—he’s something far better—we all know it. I’ll tell you one thing, though, and it’s that I’ve never seen him more interested in another woman as he so obviously is in you. I mean, he went to Atlanta and talked your boss into letting you and Jon come with us on this tour, for goodness sake. Vincent’s never invited an outsider along during a tour. It’s unheard of! And the way he looks at you… It’s enough to make any woman’s knees turn to butter.”

Ellie had to agree with her about that. Her knees turned to butter just imagining it.

“I can see that not everything is perfect in paradise and that you’re still uncertain with how you feel about him. If you’re not in love with him, please, I beg of you, don’t get involved with him further. It will only bring you both pain in the end. Don’t lead him on because you think that’s what he’s going to do to you.”

“I’m not like that. I’m trying to put some distance between us now because I don’t want either of us to be hurt. Things have progressed between us faster than I’m used to. I’m trying to slow us down a bit.”

“Good luck in doing that, Ellie. Vincent’s the type of man that, when interested in something, will jump in with both feet. I doubt he’ll let you backpedal now that you’ve come this far. Just remember that he’s not the woman-chasing bachelor the tabloids have labeled him. Give him a chance before you misjudge him or his intentions toward you.”

“I’ll try my best,” Ellie promised.

“That’s all any of us can do,” Angelique said with a smile. “I’m glad you’re with us, Ellie.” She rose and left Ellie to her thoughts, leaving a faint trail of soft perfume in her wake.

* * * * *

That night, one hour before the curtain rose and the show began, Vincent cornered Ellie backstage.

“Please tell me what’s wrong, so I can fix it,” he said, backing her up against the wall with the advancing closeness of his body.

“Nothing’s wrong, really. I just…” she faltered, looking up into his night-black eyes.

“Something I’ve done has angered you. Why else would you be pulling away from me right now?” He reached out and trailed his fingers gently against her cheek.

“It’s just come to my attention that things are moving a little too fast between us. We hardly know each other. If we’re going to spend the next few weeks in each other’s company comfortably we need to distance ourselves just a bit.”

“ Why?” he asked, incredulous. “I agree that we need to grow to know one another better—I’m looking forward to learning more and more about you—but how will we do that by pulling away from each other? What about last night—the chemistry and passion that blazed between us—didn’t last night mean anything to you?” 

Ellie fought against the burn of tears and had to speak around the lump in her throat. “Of course last night meant something to me. But what if you get tired of me, Vincent? I couldn’t bear to let myself get further involved with you and have you turn from me as soon as a prettier face came along—and it will. I’m no great catch. Not when compared to all the other gorgeous women who are clamoring to get you. I just need more time to—”

“To what? What can you gain by pushing me away like this? And all this talk of other women, where the hell is that coming from? I’m not interested in any other women. Just you.”

“For now. For now you’re only interested in me. But what happens tonight when all the women in the audience scream for you? Will you remember that you want me then?”

“Ellie, you’re being irrational.”

“ No, I’m not! You picked me out of the audience. Who will you pick out of the audience tonight?” 

Vincent growled and took her upper arm in a tight grip, dragging her without ceremony to his dressing room. He pushed her into it, followed her inside and slammed the door shut behind him, locking it. “I’m only going to say this to you once and then I’m going to let the matter drop. I’ve never picked up a woman in the audience—only you. I’m not interested in any woman, save your stubborn self. You’re what I want. And I won’t let you pull away from me, not after last night.”

“You can’t keep me from it.”

“I can and I will. You want me, you can’t deny it. You’re panting with wanting me, and I’m certain you’re already soaking your panties through. You want my cock any way you can get it. And I’m about to give it to you the way you’ve been asking for it all day.”

“ I have not been asking for it all day,” she screeched, indignant. 

“ You’ve been eating me up with your eyes all day, don’t think I haven’t noticed. You’ve made yourself sick with need by pushing me away, denying both of us. Look at you. You’re trembling! You want me,” he pushed ruthlessly. 

“ Yes, I do want you! But I’m not going to be just another fling to you. I can’t and I won’t let you hurt me.” 

“ Oh, Ellie.” Vincent stalked toward her, caging her against a small sofa situated in a corner of the room. “Why can’t you just take a chance and trust that I would never, ever, willingly hurt you? If you gave yourself to me freely, I promise that I would cherish you as no other woman has been cherished before. I would give you the world on a silver platter, if you would but let me.” He reached her at last and his hands shot out to spear themselves deeply in her hair. He jerked her to him with a barely suppressed violence. “I would show you the very limits of passion, stretch you out and love you until you were mindless and crazed, if you would but give yourself to me.” 

His lips slanted down on hers, hot and hard. He kissed her with all the pent-up passion he’d held in check throughout the day, clearly seeking to dominate and possess her fully. Ellie was swamped with need for him, with wanting him. His taste filled her mouth, drowning out any protests she might have made, making her moan with the force of her own longing for him. She went limp and weak against him, in thrall to the pleasure that flooded through her as he kissed her.

He fed at her mouth as though starved for it. His lips, teeth and tongue caressed her until her lips were swollen and wet. He groaned brokenly, helplessly, and deepened the embrace, delving his tongue into the hot recesses of her mouth, meshing his lips and teeth tightly to hers. His hands clutched at her hair, using it to turn her head this way or that to suit the changing and deepening nuances of his kiss. Ellie moaned and rubbed her tongue along his, reveling in the texture and flavor of him. Her hands clutched into fists at his chest, then rose to lock themselves about his neck.

Suddenly, he broke away and whirled her around. He unfastened her pants from behind and tugged them down to her ankles. His fingers immediately zeroed in on her clit through her panties, stroking her expertly.

“I knew you would be wet and dripping for me. You’re always wet for me, ready for me,” he bit out in a rough voice next to her ear.

Ellie moaned and undulated against his hand. She was already beyond words, so swept up in her passion—her need—for this man. Vincent pushed her over the arm of the sofa and roughly tore her panties off of her body. The ripping sound of the fabric spurred them both on, and when Ellie was bare from the waist down he slapped and squeezed the round flesh of her ass.

“God, you’re so fucking sexy. Your pussy is swollen and pink and dripping wet for me.” He thrust two fingers deeply into her, twisting and turning them so that she felt split wide, burning and stretched with just that small penetration. “I love the way you feel, Ellie. Like tight, wet velvet.”

Then, unbelievably, Ellie felt his hands withdraw, heard the wet sucking of her body as he left her empty and bereft. Vincent’s fingers, wet with her juices, moved up and gently prodded her anus. Ellie writhed, fighting against this new caress, but Vincent held her down with one hand splayed on her back.

“You’ll like this, Ellie. Trust me just this little bit.” His fingers cleared the tight rim of her asshole and slipped inside. Gently, but inexorably, he pushed his fingers deep into her, stretching her, filling her, until she was wriggling and crying out beneath the penetration. Nerve endings she’d never guessed she had came to screaming, tingling life. She no longer fought against him now, instead she moved backwards, thrusting his fingers even more deeply into her, seeking more of the sweet torment. She cried out with the sinful pleasure of it.

“You’re so fucking tight. Every hole in your sweet body is tight, it makes me ache just to think about it.” His hands moved to the fastenings of his own jeans. A second more and his erection nudged, hot and heavy, against the dripping flesh of her cunt.

“Should I deny you the use of my cock, Ellie? You said you wanted some distance between us, perhaps I should save this erection for someone who wants it.”

“Don’t you dare,” she cried.

“But according to you, I’m just a piece of meat who will fuck any woman who shows an interest. Isn’t that what you think of me? Perhaps it’s because you don’t want me to fill you, you don’t want me to love you this way.” He thrust his fingers in and out of her ass as he spoke, twisting her body on a rack of tormented pleasure.

“ No, please. I want you to fuck me. I want you to fill me,” she moaned and wriggled back against him. His cock, so thick and long and there, butted against her hole deliciously, teasingly, and then he pulled it away. “Noooo,” she wailed. 

“What do you want from me, Ellie?”

“I want you to fuck me,” she said, shamelessly.

“That’s the wrong answer,” he growled, nudging against her with his erection once more.

“I…I don’t know what you want me to say,” she cried.

“Say, ‘I want you to love me, Vincent’,” he commanded.

“I…I…I want you to love me, Vincent.” Her voice was breathless, desperate.

“Say it again.” The head of his cock slipped into her wet heat, just a little.

“I want you to love me, Vincent.”

“Louder.”

“ I want you to love me, Vincent!” 

She screamed as he filled her, thrusting deep, all the way to the hilt. His balls came to rest against her, his cock stretched her full to bursting, and his fingers filled the sensitive crevice of her ass.

She’d never felt so splayed open. So dominated.

Vincent began to ride her, roughly and deeply. Her breasts bounced heavily in her bra from the force of his thrusts. She received him, welcomed him, growing impossibly wetter as he speared his cock and fingers into her over and over again. Ellie cried out and he put the fingers of his other hand in her mouth. She eagerly sucked on them as he rode her, desperate for the taste of him. Her every orifice was filled with him and still she wanted more. 

Ellie felt a pulse of tingling, electric heat race from his body to hers. Colored lights danced behind her eyes, staining her vision, making her dizzy. Another pulse and another great thrust of his body…and she was soaring. She came hard, clamping down on the hard flesh of his cock, and on the still-thrusting fingers of his hand into her anus. She discovered heights she’d never before even dreamed about and a hot, liquid warmth gushed from deep within her, over Vincent’s member, and onto her quivering thighs.

What seemed like hours later to her, she regained her senses, aware that she had fallen limply over the couch, heedless that her body was open and vulnerable to Vincent’s gaze. He had pulled out of her and bent down behind her. She felt his tongue lap at her juices, felt him lick away every last drop of her creamy orgasm. Then he pulled away and walked about the room, his thick, blood-filled erection bobbing with his movements, as he made to dress for the show. It was then that Ellie realized he hadn’t found his own release.

She was too tired, too spent to move, so she said groggily, “You didn’t come.”

Vincent declined to answer for long, tense moments. Then when he was dressed he came to stand behind her once more. He bent and kissed the cheek of one buttock then pulled away. He walked to the door then paused before exiting. Finally he said, “I won’t fill you up with my come until you admit that you’re my woman. Mine. And that I’m your man.” 

Ellie was speechless as he left the room, closing the door shut softly behind him as he went.



Chapter Thirteen


 

After the show that night there was a party in the hotel ballroom for Vincent and his entourage. A toast was given wishing Vincent good luck on his American tour, to which he responded gallantly. Then he, in turn, proposed a toast to Ellie and Jon.

Vincent astounded onlookers by pouring champagne into a glass by holding the champagne flute over the bottle, upside down, as the liquid defied gravity and rose up to fill the glass. With a flourish he offered the glass to Ellie, replacing her empty one, and saluted her with his own. “To the next three weeks, and hopefully a review worthy of all this trouble.”

Ellie glared at him. He merely chuckled, though the sound was dark and far from good-humored, and drained his glass.

Suddenly, it seemed his attention was diverted to someone just beyond her shoulder. She turned to see who or what he was looking at and saw Jon talking to a beautiful, statuesque redhead across the room. Jon was his usual animated self, smiling and nodding enthusiastically at whatever the woman was saying.

Jon caught her watching them and waved enthusiastically. “Ellie, Vincent! I want you to meet someone.” Ellie felt Vincent’s sudden tensing at his greeting and wondered why he was behaving so strangely. Without waiting for him she walked over to join Jon and his partner.

“ Ellie, this is Marisol. Marisol, Ellie Waterhouse. She’s my colleague from EntertainMe magazine, the one I’ve been telling you about.” 

“Hello, Ellie. Are you enjoying the tour so far?” Marisol’s voice was a sexy purr.

“Yeah, it’s been fine,” Ellie said, shaking the other woman’s soft, slender hand.

“Only fine? I would have thought you were having a wonderful time. Who in the press wouldn’t? It’s not often that Vincent will grant access to outsiders, much less give them free rein for three weeks. Jon here tells me he’s thrilled with this little project.”

“Oh, we’re having a blast, aren’t we, Ellie? Don’t mind her, she’s always playing down on her excitement and pretending to be a bored cynic,” Jon continued in a stage murmur to Marisol, who laughed prettily.

“Unfortunately, not all of us can be as enthusiastic and unreserved as you, Jon,” Vincent said as he came up behind Ellie.

“Hello, Vincent,” murmured Marisol in her sexy, bedroom voice.

“Hello, Mari. What brings you here tonight?”

Ellie tried not to wince upon hearing how familiar Vincent was with the woman’s name.

“The usual, of course. Brilliant, handsome men and their brilliant conversation.” She sipped daintily from her champagne flute and Ellie wanted to smash her fist into the woman’s crimson, cupid’s bow lips.

Jon looked fit to swoon as he watched Marisol swallow the beverage.

“I thought you’d moved to San Diego,” Vincent murmured.

“Well, I’m in town on business and just thought I’d stop by. I’m glad I did, too. It’s good to see you again, Vincent. Tonight’s show was quite possibly one of your best.”

“Thank you, Mari.” Vincent turned then to Ellie, who was quietly simmering on the sidelines. He sent her an apologetic look. “If you’ll excuse us, love, I think Mari and I will take this opportunity to do some catching up. Jon.” He nodded to the other man.

Without preliminaries, Vincent took Marisol’s arm in his hand and led her out of the ballroom. Ellie cringed to hear the woman exclaim, “Vincent. You’re such a beast! I was talking to those lovely people, what must they think—?” The rest of her words were cut off as they disappeared into the crowd of people.

“Well, that was certainly rude of Vincent,” Jon griped, looking as though he’d just had his favorite toy taken away from him. “I do hope she comes back soon, we were having a fascinating conversation about magic.”

Ellie gritted her teeth and murmured something noncommittal in reply. Jon sent her an apologetic glance and went to find more champagne. Ellie barely noticed that he’d left. Her heart burned in her chest as she tried to imagine just what kind of “catching up” Vincent and “Mari” had to do. No doubt it involved having Marisol put her pouting lips to good use.

One thing was for certain—Ellie was glad she’d decided to pull away from Vincent and their budding relationship. No matter how hurt she was now to see him leave the party with another woman, it couldn’t compare to the hurt she would have been feeling had she let things progress any further between them. It was better that things end in this way, with the glaring reminder that Vincent was a confirmed bachelor—a ladies’ man. And nothing would change that.

With an ache beginning at her temples, Ellie turned and made her way up to her room, hoping all the while that Vincent would have the decency to bed the lovely Marisol in another suite.

* * * * *

It wasn’t until well after midnight that Vincent returned to their suite, looking tired and disheveled. Ellie refused to speak to him, to even look at him, as she went about packing her clothes. They would be leaving on their way to another city within the next two hours.

Several long minutes passed before Vincent heaved a great sigh and spoke to her. “I’m sorry about that, Ellie. I know it didn’t look good, especially after our argument earlier, but I assure you that this is not what it seems.”

Ellie remained stoically silent, ignoring him.

“Marisol used to work for me, used to tour with the group—was one of my assistants on stage, actually. It was really weird to see her here tonight. We didn’t exactly part ways happily, and I wanted to get her out of the ballroom before she made any kind of a scene.”

Ellie couldn’t keep silent any longer. “You were gone an awfully long time. Where did you escort her? To her room, I’m sure,” she spat out.

“I told you that it’s not what you think. I escorted her to her room, yes, and then I escorted her out of the hotel. She left for San Diego just moments ago.”

“It’s none of my business what you were doing, Vincent. I’m sorry I snapped at you.” Ellie moved about the room, gathering her suitcases.

“It is every bit your business! Why are you being like this? You’re acting so cold. I swear that nothing happened between Marisol and I while I was away.”

“You don’t owe me any excuses, Vincent. But before I drop the subject I do want to know one thing—were you involved with her before? When she toured with your group?”

“ Yes—sort of. But not like I am with you,” he hastened to add. “What’s between you and me is as different as night and day from any other woman in my past. Mari and I dated just a bit, off and on, while she was with us. It led to nothing—less than nothing. She and I just didn’t suit.” 

“I see. So why the need to ‘catch up’ on things, with her? Why did you leave me standing in that ballroom while you left with another woman? Didn’t you think how bad that would make me feel? Everyone in your troupe knows we spent last night together, and to see you leaving on the arm of someone else…made me feel humiliated in front of them. Jon could barely look me in the eye after you’d left.”

“ I can’t speak for Jon, but everyone in my group knows why I escorted Mari from the party. They didn’t for a second think I was leaving you to go off on an assignation with her—believe me. I know I hurt your feelings, and I’m sorry for that, but I had to get her out of there before she caused trouble. She’s not stable, that woman.” 

“Thank you for apologizing and for explaining, not that it’s really any of my business. I have no right to question your motives with other women—”

“ How can you say that so…so nonchalantly?” he interjected. 

“Vincent, you need to pack your things. Angelique tells me we’re leaving at two for the airport. You need to be ready. I’m going down to the lobby to take a ride with everyone on the shuttle. I’ll see you on the plane.”

“Ellie, wait! I’m not finished talking to you—”

Ellie grabbed her luggage and raced from the room. It took all her self-control to keep from glancing back as she heard Vincent’s growl of frustration and anger. But she left without pause, eyes swimming with tears as she walked to the elevator.

She cried all the way down to the lobby.



Chapter Fourteen


 

Ellie curled up in one of the plush chairs on Vincent’s private jet and fell asleep, tired after her stressful day, only to awaken on Vincent’s bed just as he was laying her down upon it.

“You’ll be more comfortable here,” he whispered before leaving her, pulling the curtain to afford her some privacy. She was too tired to argue, and fell almost immediately back to sleep.

She dreamed of him. Long, dark, delicious dreams in which Vincent held her down and loved her until she screamed with the pleasure. Even in sleep, it seemed, she could not escape her infatuation with him.

All too soon, Vincent gently shook her awake, and Ellie felt as if she hadn’t slept a wink. Her body ached and pulled, a constant reminder of the hard, erotic feel of Vincent moving between her legs. Where earlier in the day the pains had made her feel wanton, well-loved, they now made her feel empty and lonely. Their party disembarked from the jet and made its way to the hotel where they would be staying. Everyone seemed to be affected by the undercurrents between Ellie and Vincent, and all remained silent as they rode in the limo that had been hired to carry them safely from the airport.

They made it into the hotel without much fanfare, as the stop in this city had been an unannounced one. Ellie wasn’t sure what city they were in and was too tired to remember if she’d even been told. Their party checked in at the reception counter, trudged up to the elevator and made their way to the floor of suites that had been reserved for them. Vincent handed out everyone’s card keys, except for Ellie’s, and all too soon she was left alone with him, once again in the hallway of a strange hotel.

Only this time, Ellie refused to share a room with him.

Vincent seemed inclined to overlook their earlier argument. He gave her a long, assessing look and spoke in a deceptively light voice, “I need a shower and a shave, but our luggage is already in our room, so you can make yourself comfy while I get cleaned up.”

“I’d like my own room please,” she said firmly.

Vincent gave a long-suffering sigh. “Why?”

Ellie heaved her own sigh. “Because I’m not really happy with you right now. And also because I’m reminded that I’m here on business and it would be inappropriate for me to stay in your room.”

“Please don’t be angry with me. I’ve already explained and apologized for my earlier behavior. As for the other—who cares about what’s appropriate?”

“I’m not really angry anymore, I’m just…upset a little. And I care about what’s appropriate—at least where my job is concerned. And I think there just needs to be some kind of structure between us.”

“ Why?” he asked again. 

“Because there just does, okay? Look,” she continued, seeing he wasn’t going to let the matter drop. “Your earlier actions aside, what if you decide to have a fling with another woman while we’re on this tour? How do you think I’m going to feel when the others see that I’m suddenly sleeping in my own room after spending a few nights in yours?”

“Is that what you think? That I will grow bored and just toss you aside when the urge strikes me?” he asked incredulously.

“Well, yes. At least, that is, until you looked at me just now and got all indignant.” She heaved a great sigh. “I know you can have your pick of any women who come along. I just want to make it easier for both of us to cope with that situation when it arises.”

“ You want to make it easier for me to sleep with other women?” he yelled. 

“Lower your voice, Vincent. I don’t want everyone in this hotel to know we’re having this conversation.”

“I can’t believe we’re actually having it at all.”

“Look, just give me my own room, okay?”

Vincent looked at her long and hard, clearly battling within himself, wanting to say more to her. Finally, he nodded his head sharply and gave her one of the card keys in his hand. “Fine. Have your own room if it makes you happy. But don’t think that it will keep you from me. I told you earlier that there would be no going back for us and I meant it.”

“You don’t own me, Vincent. I’m my own person.”

Vincent pursed his lips, turned on his heel, and left her there. She heard the door to his room open and slam shut. With a wince, she went to the room number assigned on her card key, opened the door and went inside. She sighed and leaned heavily against the door. A knock sounded at her ear and she turned to open the door. Vincent pushed a cart of her luggage into the room and without a word turned to go back down the hall.

“Vincent!” she called out after him.

He paused but didn’t turn around to face her. “Yes?”

“I don’t know why you’re so upset over this. I thought it would be all right with you, that this would make things easier between us.”

Vincent did turn to her then, an enigmatic look etched on his chiseled face. “That’s what upsets me the most about this, Ellie.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you have the answer to that question, I’m in room 1028.” With that he turned and left her.

She scowled and slammed the door shut after him.

Ellie paced the room for nearly twenty minutes before she was calm enough to think rationally. She sat down on the bed, wincing as the tender muscles between her thighs protested her movements. The reminder of the passion spent between her and Vincent made her insides grow weak.

He was a truly exceptionally lover.

That thought led to another, and another, and soon she was wondering why the hell she was spending her night alone in a strange hotel room when the object of her yearnings was just down the hall, waiting for her. She tried to remind herself that she was there in a business capacity, that she was there to study and review Vincent Darque’s tour, and that being involved in an affair with the man could very well compromise the quality and validity of her work. She tried to remember how it had felt to see Vincent leaving the party with the busty redhead, Mari, tried to remind herself that a relationship with him would always hold the risk of his leaving her for a new and prettier face.

And, she reminded herself, he was a gorgeous man who could break her heart at any moment if she wasn’t careful. Ellie groaned. She’d known it would be dangerous to let Vincent get under her skin like this. A few tastes of the pleasure to be had in his arms just wasn’t enough for her—it would never be enough. She gritted her teeth, knowing she was fighting a losing battle.

She was losing her heart to him, if it hadn’t been lost already. God, the very thought terrified her. She’d never been in love, had never really given it much thought. Until recently, she’d almost believed that love was an illusion…much like magic, there to tempt and trick the unsuspecting. But not for people like her, who were too grounded in reality.

Had she fallen in love with Vincent? Was it possible?

She thought back to the wounded look on his face when she’d so coldly told him she wanted her own room and her heart began to ache. Was it possible that she’d misjudged him, labeling him a ladies’ man? Had she wronged him by not listening to his earlier explanations regarding Marisol? And, all these questions aside, even if he was a ladies’ man, wasn’t it possible that he could change? In her mind she saw all the press clippings she’d looked through, pictures of Vincent with gorgeous, statuesque ladies on his arm, and her heart constricted painfully.

She did love him. Her heart was filled with the newfound emotion, bringing tears to her eyes. She’d gone and fallen in love with the magic man. There was no going back for her now. No way of changing how she felt about him. 

So what if he was a player? she thought suddenly to herself. He’d made the first move between them, pursuing her all the way to Atlanta to secure her place by his side. He’d come to her home, seduced and made love to her. He was the one angered that she refused to join him tonight in his bed. Quite obviously, he didn’t care that she was a plain Jane, a nobody compared to his usual conquests. Just this once, she wanted to let go of her rigid self-control and just live in the moment. Who cared what tomorrow might bring—it was tonight that was important. 

With a growled expletive, Ellie rose from the bed and headed for room 1028 and the man that awaited her within.

* * * * *

Vincent opened the door after her first knock. He was quite obviously fresh from his shower, with wet hair dripping into his face and neck and silk pajama bottoms perched precariously on his trim hips.

“Yes, Ellie?” His voice was like dark chocolate. Positively sinful.

“I’ve given this matter a lot of thought,” she began.

“Yes. And?”

“I’ve decided that I’m not going to make this easy for you.”

“You’re not?”

“No. Definitely not.”

“So you’re agreeing to stay here, in my room with me, tonight?”

“Yes. If you’ll have me after the way I treated you. You’ve been nothing but nice to me, truly good to me, and I’ve been unfair to you every step of the way. I’m sorry for that.”

“And if I decide to invite another woman into my bed during this tour?”

Ellie sucked in her breath and said the first thing that sprang into her mind at his words. “I’ll beat the snot out of you and send her packing. I’m not going to let you go without a fight.”

Vincent smiled, teeth flashing. “That’s my girl,” he laughed and swung her up into his arms. He twirled her about and set her down inside his room. He closed the door behind him with a soft click, sealing them away from the outside world.

Ellie turned her head and gasped, eyes bulging at the scene that unfolded before her.

“ Goodness,” she breathed in awe. 

The interior of his room was massive and decorated like a pasha’s palace. Richly hued velvets and silks hung from the walls, pillows were scattered across the floor, and a massive water fountain stood in the center of the room. Ellie knew that their surroundings were clearly an elaborate illusion, but it was breathtakingly realistic all the same.

Despite the lush extravagance that covered every inch of the room, Ellie’s eyes were drawn most strongly to the water fountain. She was stunned to notice that instead of flowing down, the water flowed up, creating a ceiling of water that stretched across the entirety of the room. It was amazing, it was breathtaking, and Ellie realized that it was an impossibility—even with the aid of modern technology and special effects. 

She looked at Vincent, knowing her eyes were wild as her thoughts continued to race.

“So did you get extra towels in your room, too?” he asked with a laugh and a wink.

“H-how…how is this p-possible?” she stuttered.

“All things are possible, Ellie.”

“But I don’t believe in magic,” she cried.

“That doesn’t mean it isn’t real.”

“How can you be doing all of this? What are you?”

“A man, Ellie. Just a man. Nothing more or less than that, I promise.” He reached for her, pulling her into the circle of his arms.

“I don’t understand how this can be real. I can’t believe this is possible.” She trembled in his arms.

“Would you like for me to make it all disappear?”

“ No. Yes. I don’t know,” she rambled. 

“Are you afraid, Ellie?”

“I’m absolutely terrified.”

“Nothing has changed, love. The world is still the same one from a few days ago. You just see a little more clearly now. That’s all.”

“I don’t want to see more clearly. This is crazy…all of this… It’s just crazy.”

“Does knowing that I have the power to do all of this change your feelings for me in any way? Does it make you want me any less?”

She thought for a long moment then smiled, knowing her lips were trembling with excitement and shock. “No, it doesn’t. I don’t think anything could make me want you less. I want you more than anything.”

“ Then nothing else matters. Nothing, but this,” he said, moving in to seal his lips to hers. 

Ellie clutched him to her, feeling his kiss all the way down to her toes. His lips were so soft, so sensual and erotic in their movements against hers. The way he kissed her made her forget any doubts she had about where his affections lay, made her sad that she’d misjudged him so harshly. He kissed her as if she were the answer to every question he’d ever asked. As if he never wanted to stop.

Ellie wanted to show him that she felt the same deep emotions for him. She loved him and wanted him to know it. Even if it made her vulnerable to him, she wanted this joining between them to be filled with the strength of her love. Whether he loved her or not, it didn’t matter just now. She had enough love for both of them tonight. It would have to be enough.

Pulling away, she trailed her lips down the strong angle of his jaw to his throat, where she nuzzled and breathed deeply of his masculine fragrance. Vincent growled and pulled her tightly against him before letting her continue her exploration. She ran her hands over the hard ridge of his chest, feeling his nipples peak beneath her fingertips. With nipping, nibbling kisses she moved down from his throat to his nipple, where she licked him with a dainty flick of her tongue. If Vincent’s gasp was any indication of his pleasure at such a caress, then he liked her ministrations very much indeed. Ellie brought her teeth into play against him, lightly and gently closing them around his nipple. Then she moved on to the other one and visited the same attention on it as she had the first.

The rigid planes of his stomach jerked, drawing her attention and her kisses. She delved her tongue into the small recess of his navel, causing him to shudder, and she marveled that she could have such an effect on him. The hard jut of his erection butted up against her chin and she rubbed her face against him, like a cat, almost purring as she felt the fierce evidence of his arousal for her. The look, feel and taste of him were burned forever into her mind, and if she lived to be a hundred she would never forget the way he made her feel.

Ellie pressed a kiss to the crown of his sex and he jerked her to her feet with a low, hungry growl. “I can’t take that just now, love,” he said with a shaky laugh.

He led her through the vast, wondrous room, to a bed nestled beneath the ceiling of pooled water. It was covered with thick linens, pillows and silks. It was white one moment then red the next, and Ellie was suddenly reminded of the roses he had sent her after their first meeting.

“You made my roses change color. It was you that made them switch from white to red and back again. I thought I had imagined it…”

Vincent only smiled at her in response. He waved his hand and the bed changed to a deep, royal blue. “This color will complement you best tonight, I think,” he whispered seductively, shamelessly proving his power to her. Another wave and rose petals, stained a deep, luscious crimson, washed down over the bed, out of thin air.

“ Showoff,” she teased, though her voice was breathless with her rising excitement. That he could do such things! That he would do such things for her. It made her knees weak puddles and made her heart swell with love. The man was truly amazing. 

The shower of rose petals did not abate as he laid her gently back against the bed. He slowly began to peel off her clothes and Ellie couldn’t help but joke, “Why don’t you use your magic to take my clothes off?”

Vincent laughed softly. “You have a car, do you use it to drive the few short feet to your mailbox? No. It’s the same for this. Sometimes it’s just easier to do things the old-fashioned way, without the use of magic.”

“Could you do it if you wanted?” she asked.

“Probably, though my talents are most easily used through the construction of illusions—the manipulation of reality and people’s perceptions of it.”

“Is it real, this magic?”

“Define real. You can see and feel anything and everything that’s around you. The water from the fountains would be wet and quench your thirst. These rose petals would feel soft in your hands and smell sweet. In this moment, they are real. That’s all that matters. That’s all that should ever matter.”

As the rose petals rained down on them he bent to her and kissed her softly. A few moments later she was nude beneath him and his hands roved freely over her skin, stroking over her from head to toe. Vincent grabbed a handful of petals in his black-tipped fingers and used them to stroke down over her from her throat to her breasts, over the soft swell of her stomach, and even in-between her thighs. Ellie’s heart beat a wild staccato within her chest and she arched and sighed beneath his soft caresses. Soon her thighs were quivering with the force of her desire and she was clutching him to her desperately.

Vincent spread her thighs wide with a hand beneath each of her knees. He pushed her knees up as far as they could comfortably go and looked down at her with blazing eyes. He leaned down and blew against the wet flesh of her labia, and the sight of his head bending to her thusly made her cry out with her rising excitement. She saw his tongue leave his lips, reaching for her, a scant moment before he licked the seam of her sex. He slurped her flesh into his mouth and slowly, softly, suckled upon her. He buried his face a little more deeply against her and lapped at her wet heat, delving deep into her slit so that she undulated and swayed against him, battling to get even closer to his mouth.

Ellie bucked and moved against him, moaning softly. His mouth moved up and he touched his lips to her clit. She came then, softly against his mouth, and he lapped at the juices that flooded down with her release. He pulled back after she had spent herself, and removed his pajama bottoms. He wore nothing beneath it, so his erection jutted out strongly as his clothing fell to the floor. He was gloriously naked and on display before her, and she licked her lips, eager for what was to come next.

There was a sea of petals on the bed now as he came down upon her, washing them in the scent and feel of the soft flowers. He slowly lowered his weight onto hers, a graceful and erotic movement of his hips and he was inside of her. Deep inside, filling all the empty spaces of her life. She was wet and he slipped easily to the very heart of her. Then with agonizingly slow movements he began to thrust in and out of her welcoming body, withdrawing until he’d almost left her before filling her again with his hot, rigid flesh.

They rocked against each other, taking the time to enjoy the exquisite sensations that raced between them. Ellie looked up and saw that the shower of petals had stopped somewhere along the way. Vincent’s face was almost brutal in its raw sexuality. A lock of thick, dark hair fell over his eyes, and tiny beads of sweat dotted his brow. Ellie could feel his body begin to tighten against hers as he fought to keep his pace steady and leisurely.

She brought her legs up to lock her ankles about the small of his back. The muscles of his buttocks tightened and loosened beneath her heels, in time with his thrusts. Vincent’s dark eyes bore into hers, never wavering as he loved her. Ellie felt as if he were invading her soul as well as her body. She was laid bare before him, vulnerable, and no secrets were left between them.

“ I love you,” she breathed unintentionally. She almost wanted to take the words back, but knew it wouldn’t matter. She did love him. She wanted him to know it, too. 

“Oh, Ellie,” he moaned raggedly. “I’ve waited so long—too long—to hear you say that.” He kissed her then, deeply and possessively, while he continued his long, slow thrusts. “I’ve loved you since the moment I picked you out of the audience the other night and you called me a charlatan, with that light of stubborn challenge in your eyes. It feels like I’ve loved you forever,” he murmured against her mouth, kissing her softly, sweetly, between every few words.

“I’m sorry I was so unfair to you…about everything,” she whispered into his mouth.

“No, don’t be. You’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met—I knew you would be from the first. You’ve led me on a merry chase, dear Ellie, but I love you even more for it.”

Vincent’s body bore her down into the bed as he rocked upon her. He increased the force, but not the pace of his leisurely thrusts, reaching to the deepest core of her. A shiver of electric heat flowed from his body to hers and she gasped.

“Did you feel that?” he asked.

“Y-yes,” she moaned, in thrall to the pleasure of it.

“Feel it again,” he breathed and another shiver raced from his body straight into hers.

“What is that?” she cried.

“It is but a taste of the power I’m going to share with you tonight,” he said, turning them so that she rode atop him while he lay back amongst the rose petals on the softness of the bed.

Vincent’s cock penetrated her ever more deeply at this angle, and she gasped in surprise at his swift repositioning of them. She braced her hands on the hard planes of his chest and undulated against him, taking him ever more deeply into her welcoming body. The dark fire of Vincent’s eyes positively burned her as she swayed seductively on him. His hands clutched and gripped at her waist, guiding her with a domineering strength. He arched and thrust beneath her, filling her with her every downward stroke, and his motions were the most graceful and sexy Ellie had ever witnessed. She closed her eyes against the powerful vision of him moving between her thighs and let her head fall limply back on her shoulders as she savored every nuance of her erotic ride.

Vincent pulled her down and took a nipple into his mouth. He licked and suckled her, then rolled the hard kernel of her nipple gently between his strong teeth. With one hand he reached up to plump her flesh more fully against his face as he rooted against her. Ellie bucked against him, feeling the pull and tug of his mouth all the way through her body. She cried out, feeling her body tighten in anticipation of another release.

Ellie moved, undulating but a few more times, and then in a fluid, easy motion Vincent sat up so that they faced each other as he filled her. He brought her more closely against him with his hands splayed upon her back, one hand low to help guide the motion of her hips against him. Their bodies touched from the chest down, and he took her mouth with his once more, so that no space, however small, was left between them. Ellie clutched him to her with desperate hands, holding him tight and moaning her passion into the soft, wet warmth of his mouth.

The pressure within them built, making their skin feel as though it was stretched too tightly across their bones. A burst of power rose from him and into her and she cried out. Another burst, then another…and the two came apart simultaneously. Her body clamped down on his with a desperate, trembling caress, and his hot, thick cream splashed against the milking mouth of her womb. Their cries washed down each other’s throats as they found completion, binding them ever more tightly together. The pulses of their release went on for what seemed like forever, and they were helpless as they rode the endless waves of pleasure.

Ellie fell weakly against him as she came down from the heavens. He caught her to him with arms that seemed even stronger than they had but moments ago. He worshipped her with his mouth and with the tender stroking of his hands down her back. Their heavy, harsh breathing subsided and calmed. Then, unbelievably, Ellie felt him swell within her again, growing harder and thicker, filling her full to bursting.

He began moving within her again, his way eased even more now by the mixture of their silky love juices. The wet, sucking sounds her pussy made on his cock as he thrust and withdrew from her made her quickly regain the strength to climb that ridge of heated desire again. She moaned and thrust to meet him, bucking against the thick, strong swell of him.

Vincent laughed. “We’re just getting started, love,” he promised in a dark, dangerously sexy voice. Ellie almost swooned, hoping she could find the stamina to match him and his appetites.

It was a long, wondrous night for both of them.



Chapter Fifteen


 

A pounding on the door awoke the two lovers. Their bodies were still entwined, with his semi-flaccid member filling her passion-bruised sex. They both moaned softly as he withdrew from her, the movement bringing their already over-sensitized nerve endings to delicious, screaming life. Vincent rose from the bed, donned his pajama bottoms and went to answer the door.

The room suddenly reverted back to its normal state. Ellie gasped as their decadent, rose-filled bower disappeared, to be replaced by a king-sized four-poster bed with cream linens. She supposed Vincent had dropped the illusion in case someone from the hotel was waiting on the other side of the door. It wouldn’t do to have a worker spreading rumors about the place, she guessed. The soft click of the door sounded as Vincent opened it, and Ellie heard the hurried murmur that followed.

Ellie rolled over and closed her eyes, exhausted after the long night spent in Vincent’s bed. She had just managed to doze off to sleep when he appeared at her side with a long, silk robe in his hand.

“It’s for you, Ellie. Put this on, love.”

She murmured sleepily and let him put the garment on her. They walked together to the door, Vincent suddenly serious and tense. Ellie was surprised to find Angelique waiting beyond, a worried expression on her face.

“Ellie! Jon’s gone and we can’t find him anywhere. His room is empty and all of his things are gone.”

“What?” Ellie cried. “Are you sure? What time is it? Maybe he’s waiting at the stadium.”

“I’ve called there already and no one’s seen him. It also wouldn’t explain why all of his clothes and suitcases are gone from his room. We made plans to meet in the lobby this morning and go out for breakfast. Did he tell you he was leaving?”

“No. Let me call his cell phone, and if he doesn’t answer I’ll try the office. Maybe Lindsey pulled him away for something, though I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t have told me he was leaving.”

“I’ll go check around in case I’ve missed him. Let me know if you hear anything,” Angelique said with a worried frown.

Ellie closed the door and went in search of her cell phone.

“I don’t like this,” Vincent said quietly.

“I’m sure it’s nothing. Jon’s always so excitable, he may have forgotten to tell anyone he was leaving. There’s really no telling when it comes to him.” Ellie dialed the number to Jon’s cell.

There was no answer, and she was redirected to his voice mail. She left him a short, terse message asking him to call her back immediately.

Then she dialed the number for Lindsey’s office.

Lindsey picked up on the first ring. “Hello?”

“Lindsey, have you heard from Jon recently?”

“No, why?” Lindsey said shortly, clearly distracted on the other end.

“He’s nowhere to be found this morning and all of his things are gone from his room. I thought maybe you had pulled him off of this assignment for one reason or another and he’d just forgotten to tell us.”

“No, I haven’t spoken to him since you two left.”

“But that’s so odd, why wouldn’t he be here? Will you call his house and see if maybe he’s there? I can’t imagine why he would be but I don’t know where else to check.”

“Have you tried his cell phone?”

“Yes, I called that number before I called you. There wasn’t an answer.”

“I’ll try him at home. I’ll call you if I hear anything—and you’ll call me if you hear from him first, won’t you?”

“Yeah, I’ll call. Thanks, Lindsey.”

Ellie hung up and looked at Vincent with a small frown on her face. “Lindsey has no idea where he is, either. Vincent, this is strange. I don’t know what to think.”

“I have a bad feeling about this situation. Is Jon the type of person who would quit his job without a written notice?”

“I wouldn’t think so. And I find it hard to understand why he would leave this project—he was so excited about it. He loves magic. He’s got all kinds of dime-store tricks littered about his office. And he was so thrilled with the opportunity to go on this tour with you and your group. I don’t understand it. Maybe Angelique will find him somewhere in the hotel.”

“Maybe she will.” Though Vincent didn’t sound too hopeful with the idea.

Ellie’s phone rang. The number on her caller ID was unlisted and she answered it tersely, expecting a telemarketer or something equally annoying.

“Hello?”

“You’re on your own now, bitch, and pretty-boy Vincent isn’t going to protect you for long.”

Ellie’s hand tightened to a white-knuckled grip on the phone. “Who is this?”

There came a peal of metallic laughter on the other end and Ellie realized that whoever it was, was using some sort of mechanical device to disguise their voice. Suddenly the earlier prank phone call and package she’d received didn’t seem as harmless as she’d first thought.

“Oh, you’re a funny bitch. Do you think I’m going to just give up the game and tell you who I am? No. I want to play a little longer. I want to make you squirm. I want to make you afraid to look over your shoulder. But then again…perhaps I’ve played this game out far enough already.”

“I don’t have time for this, who are you?”

Vincent came closer and motioned for her to give him the phone.

“Did you really think that fucking the magician would help you gain any power? Vincent would never share his secrets with you, all he wants is what’s between your legs.”

“What on earth are you talking about? What secrets would Vincent share—?”

Vincent chose that moment to snatch the phone out of her hand and put it to his ear. He listened for a few seconds in silence.

“We will be contacting the local authorities promptly. I don’t take very kindly to threats such as yours, nor do the police. I’d suggest that you not call this number, nor try to contact myself or Ellie again.” He turned the phone off and moved to gather her in his arms.

“I think something bad has happened to Jon.”

“Shhh. Don’t worry about a thing, I’ll take care of it. There are some perks to being rich and famous, and one of them is being able to get law enforcement officials on your side with a quick response. We’ll report the phone call and tell the police our suspicions about what may or may not have happened to Jon. Everything will be all right.”

“That’s not the only phone call I’ve gotten, Vincent. It’s not the only time this person has contacted me.” She quickly told him about the first call and about the anonymous package full of photos.

Vincent cursed. “Obviously someone wants to come between us. For what purpose I’m not sure, but there are all kinds of crazies out there.”

“Maybe it’s an obsessed fan. God, I hope Jon’s all right.”

“It could be anyone. As far as we know, nothing’s happened to Jon. We won’t know for sure for at least a little while, so let’s try not to make ourselves sick with worry. These two incidents could be unrelated.”

“But that person knew that Jon was gone this morning, I’m sure of it. They said something like ‘you’re on your own now, and Vincent isn’t going to protect you forever’. I’m not sure, but I think that was pretty much the gist of it. What if they’ve hurt Jon? Who could do such a thing? Jon’s an innocent—he couldn’t hurt a fly if he wanted to—he’d be such an easy target.”

“Like I said, we don’t know for sure that Jon hasn’t just been wandering about the lobby today. We’ll call the police and tell them all we know and just hope for the best. In the meantime, I don’t want you out of my sight. I don’t want you left alone for more than a minute, understand?”

Ellie murmured her reply, something unintelligible. They picked up their cell phones and made the necessary phone calls, each mired in their own black thoughts.

* * * * *

The police came and went. Vincent and Ellie could no longer push back their obligations of the day, and they reached the stadium where Vincent was scheduled to perform well after the noon hour had passed. Everyone was subdued, having heard the news of Jon’s disappearance and the threatening phone calls placed to Ellie. The stage was set up in record time, but no one could find it in themselves to be happy with their progress.

Lindsey called to say that Jon hadn’t answered his home phone all day. She’d driven by to check and see if he’d been there, but nothing seemed changed since he’d left. Ellie began to fret that something terrible had befallen him.

Angelique, darling girl that she was, kept Ellie company as the rehearsals for the show came and went.

That night’s show went off without a hitch. Ellie watched the performance on a small monitor backstage, marveling at how different this show was from the last one she’d attended. Many of the same feats of magic were performed, but they were each new and unique somehow. Ellie wondered how much of the show was improvisation on Vincent’s part and how much was choreographed.

After the performance, Vincent stayed behind with his assistants to help clean up their gear. Ellie wandered back to the hotel, tired and upset over the day’s events, ignoring Vincent’s demands that she stay by his side. She was her own woman, independent and solitary for the most part. She didn’t need a babysitter. If that’s what Vincent wanted for her then that was his problem.

The minute she entered the hotel room, the phone in her sitting room began to ring.

“Hello?”

“Ellie, it’s me.”

“Jon! Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick about you.”

“ I’m in San Diego with Marisol. She has all kinds of dirt on Vincent and his troupe, you wouldn’t believe some of the things she’s told me. You won’t believe this either, but Vincent really is a magician, Ellie. I mean, the things he can do—” 

“You left to interview that woman without telling anyone? Jon, we had the police here, for Christ’s sake! We thought something had happened to you.”

“I’m sorry, but Marisol only gave me one chance to hear her story and I couldn’t pass it up. I am sorry.”

“Well, you’d better call Lindsey and let her know you’re not dead.”

“I will. I’ll see you tomorrow or the next day, okay?”

“All right. You take care.”

“You too. Bye.”

Ellie stared at the phone in her hand for a long moment, wondering just how much dirt Marisol had on Vincent, when she heard a noise from her bedroom.

She turned to look in the doorway and caught sight of Angelique. With a frown, Ellie entered the bedroom. “What’s going on, Angie?”

“Hello, Ellie,” Angelique said from her seat on the bed.

“What are you doing here, Angelique? I thought you were back at the auditorium helping Vincent.”

“Oh, I’m helping Vincent, just not in the way you think.”

“What’s going on?” she asked again.

“ Do you really think Vincent is going to share his secrets with you, when he has me to collaborate with?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ellie backed cautiously toward the door.

“You’re even stupider than I thought, and that’s saying a lot,” Angelique scoffed disdainfully.

Ellie felt her blood run cold. “You. It’s been you all along, hasn’t it? All those phone calls and the box of pictures—you did that. Oh, good grief.” She swallowed hard but kept her voice level. “What’s wrong with you?” 

Angelique rolled her eyes. “You’re such a stupid bitch. Nothing’s wrong with me. But everything you’ve done has jeopardized my standing here and I won’t have it.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” Ellie asked.

“ Because I can. Because it’s me Vincent should want, not you. Because I am the one with the power.” She rose, appearing to float above the bed. 

Ellie started, stumbling away from her. “How are you doing that?” She couldn’t help but ask, though she spoke more to herself than to Angelique.

“You still don’t believe in magic, do you? How funny. Vincent must be insane to dote on you the way he does.”

“There’s no such thing as magic,” she said half-heartedly, but she didn’t believe that anymore. Especially not where Vincent was concerned. She backed away again as Angelique advanced, towering over her now.

“Oh, but there is, Ellie,” Angelique laughed. “There really is.”

“I’m going to tell Vincent, Angelique. At the very least he’ll fire you for scaring me like this.”

“He won’t ever find out.” Angelique scoffed then blanched white as she caught sight of something beyond Ellie.

“He already knows.” Vincent’s voice came from behind Ellie as he entered the room.

Angelique’s feet thumped down on the floor. “No,” she said. “No!” She jumped up and down. “I can’t fly,” she wailed. 

“Your treachery has brought a return of dark punishment threefold back to you,” Vincent said.

Angelique growled and jumped up and down, as if by doing so she could regain her flight.

Vincent clenched his jaw. “You know the law. For every negative action against another you shall have it visited back upon you three times. All magic is bound by the same, unbreakable law. How could you have ignored such a truth?”

There were tears in Angelique’s eyes, and for a moment Ellie felt sorry for the woman. Then she remembered the box full of photos, designed to drive a wedge between her and Vincent, and her sympathy vanished as if it had never been.

“Karma has taken your gifts as punishment for your transgressions,” Vincent told her gently. “You know this.”

“No, it can’t be,” Angelique wailed.

“ I can’t believe you’re behind this, Angel. After I took you in and trained you to use your gifts. But I never trained you for this. This deception. This betrayal. You deserve to have the loss of your powers, now and forever. I only hope that this punishment isn’t temporary.” 

“Noooo,” Angelique cried, still trying to hop back up into the air. “This can’t be.”

“It can and is, Angel. Accept it. I’d say you got off lightly in this case.”

“But I love you, Vincent.” Tears made Angelique’s eyes glitter like stars. “I love you so much. I’d do anything for you.”

“Is this how you show your love? By frightening others? By spreading dissention?”

“I only wanted us to be together.”

“That can never be.” Vincent shook his head sadly. “I care for you, Angelique, but as a friend and a student, not a lover. I’m sorry. But this is the way it must be.”

Angelique sobbed in earnest now. “She doesn’t deserve you.”

“Let me be the judge of that.” Vincent pulled Ellie tight to him.

Angelique’s eyes moved back and forth between the two of them, tears streaming down her face.

“You’re fired, Angelique,” Vincent told her quietly. “Now leave us.”

Angelique ran from the room, her wailing sobs floating on the air behind her as she made her way down the hotel’s hallway.

“It’s over now, my love,” Vincent told her softly, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Ellie was silent for a long time. “There really is such a thing as magic,” she breathed at last. “And not just yours, but others.” 

“Yes.”

“You don’t use smoke and mirrors?”

“Nope,” he said with a small smile.

“When you said that I have a power all my own, did you mean…?”

“Yes. You’ve that rare spark that so few ever notice, or indulge. I’ll teach you all that I can,” he promised. “And you’ll find it gets easier and easier to learn on your own. You have the gift of magic, my love.”

As Ellie fell back in a faint, the last thing she felt was Vincent’s arms coming around her to cushion her fall.



Epilogue


Seven months later

Los Angeles, California

 

The audience members fell into an expectant silence as Vincent Darque stepped into the spotlight and began what would be his last show for at least eighteen months. His wife of only three months was pregnant—heavily so—and rumor was that he wanted to be free of obligations, the better to enjoy spoiling her and then their child after the birth.

It was plain to all that he was going to make as masterful a husband and father as he did an illusionist and showman.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to a very special person in my life, my wife, Ellie Darque.” With a smile, Vincent made his way down to the front row where Ellie sat. Amid the cheers and applause Ellie rose and waved to the onlookers. With a flourish and a bow, Vincent produced a rose out of thin air and presented it to her. Ellie accepted it and with a deft flick of her wrist the rose disappeared once more. The audience members whipped into a frenzy upon seeing her perform the trick.

“Ahhh, a woman after my own heart,” crooned Vincent to the crowd amid their deafening cheers.

“Are you ready, my love?” Vincent whispered in Ellie’s ear. The words, strangely enough, did not travel over the sound system of the amphitheater.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

“Just a moment and it’s done. Close your eyes and concentrate, just like we practiced. I love you,” he said encouragingly.

“ I love you, too,” she replied. Ellie did as he’d instructed, concentrated hard, felt a whooshing sensation and opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw the interior of their home in Hawaii—miles away from Los Angeles, where she’d started. 

“So how was your first time using teleportation on your own, love?”

With a startled gasp, Ellie jumped and whirled around to see Vincent lounging on the bed, an erotic vision of lazy, muscled, naked male. 

“Why aren’t you finishing up your show?” she exclaimed.

“ I am finishing up my show,” he said with a wink. 

“How is that possible?” she cried.

“ Shh. Tsk, Tsk. You know better than to ask that kind of question. Haven’t you ever heard the outrageous rumor that Vincent Darque doesn’t even have to be at his own shows to perform his illusions before the audience? He once performed live on stage without actually leaving his own home, you know.” 

“So are you really here? Or is this an illusion, too?”

“I’m always here. Wherever you are, wherever you go, I’ll always be with you.”

Ellie smiled and walked to the bed, chagrined that she couldn’t put more of a seductive sway in her walk without looking as though she waddled. As she advanced she removed her clothing, exposing her heavy breasts and rounded belly.

“You’re more beautiful today than you were yesterday, love.”

Ellie snorted, but couldn’t tamp down on the sudden soaring of her heart at his words. He always made her feel beautiful—cherished. And ever since she’d started to show, to swell with the growth of their child, Vincent had genuinely seemed to find her more and more sexy every day. They were making love multiple times each day, at any given hour, no matter where they were. And that wasn’t even taking into account the late hours they spent each night in their bed, loving until they were both too weak and spent to even move.

Ellie was surprised either of them could manage to walk after rising each morning.

“Can you concentrate on both me and the performance?” she asked, crawling nude onto the bed.

Vincent reached out and fondled her heavy, milk-swollen breasts, eyes blazing possessively. “I’m not certain,” he admitted huskily, “but I can sure give it the old college try.”

Ellie laughed and sighed as his fingers plumped and squeezed her nipples. A droplet of milk appeared as a result of his ministrations, and with a growl Vincent leaned in and licked it clean. “God, I love the changes in your body. I want to keep you pregnant all the time.”

“No, I don’t think so, honey. After these two are born I’m not sure I want to get pregnant again for a long time.”

“Well, maybe not for a few months—”

“ Maybe not for a few years,” she interjected. 

Vincent growled plaintively. “Perhaps you’ll change your mind once the twins are born. Twins! It still boggles my mind to think of it.” 

“Maybe they’ll grow up to be master illusionists like their father.”

“Or maybe they’ll grow up to be cynics like their mother, and not believe in their magical abilities at all.”

“Heaven forbid,” she laughed.

Vincent rolled onto his back, his erection strong, thick and arching skyward. Ellie immediately reached for him and took him in her hand. He was hot and hard as steel, heavy and turgid in her hand. Ellie licked her lips and felt the moist heat between her legs flow freely. She never tired of having this man in her bed…or on the floor, or on the sofa, or on the washing machine…

Ellie shuddered at the decadent visions assailing her brain.

“Come up here, love,” Vincent whispered, his voice growing lazy and seductive. “I want to taste you.”

Ellie assumed he meant to kiss her on the lips—which he did—but then he turned her, so that she spread her legs and straddled his open mouth. She had to hold onto the headboard of their bed to keep from falling over as his hot, wet mouth closed over her. She felt the smooth, long stroke of his tongue as it speared between the lips of her vagina and cried out at the wondrous sensation. She bucked against his mouth uncontrollably and with a chuckle he raised his hands to her buttocks to steady her.

“You’re always so impatient, love. Just relax and let me do this at my own pace.”

His words, murmured around a mouthful of her most sensitive flesh, vibrated through her entire body, making her feminine moisture rush down through her sheath. Vincent’s hungry tongue lapped at her juices, clearly savoring her taste. She heard the greedy sounds he made as he sucked and licked her flesh, and when he slurped her clit noisily into his mouth, suckling and rooting against her there, she came softly, gently against his mouth. She moaned, moving in slow undulations against his face as she came down from her climax.

“God, you taste so fucking good,” Vincent said, pulling away and licking the last of her juices from his lips.

Ellie could only murmur, drowsy after the faint pulses of her release began to fade from her body. Vincent positioned her body over his rampant cock and slowly slid up into her, stretching and filling her to the bursting point. Their pubic bones came to rest against each other as he slid home, and they both moaned with the pleasure of it.

Slowly, gently, so as not to hurt her, Vincent began to rock her back and forth atop him. Her already swollen, love-bitten clit rubbed deliciously against the crisp, dark hair of his groin, and soon she was shuddering, climbing yet another peak. Vincent’s hands roved up and around her to palm her breasts. He plumped and squeezed them in his palms, bringing her nipples to aching, weeping points. He rose up and took a breast deep in his mouth, as far as he could manage.

Ellie cried out and bucked over him, wanting harder, deeper thrusts. Vincent chuckled, gaining control of her movements with his hands at her waist to slow her, before moving to her next breast and giving it the same attention. Ellie moaned plaintively and tried to escape his grip, the better to ride him to completion. Vincent’s mouth pulled back then released her breast with an audible pop. Her nipple was rouged and glistening wet with his kiss. He blew on her, making her nipple grow even harder, and slid his cock slowly in and out of her.

They moved leisurely, gently, for what seemed like hours, until they were both drenched in the wet heat of her arousal. Suddenly, Vincent bucked up beneath her and let out a long, low groan. His hands tightened on her hips as he quickened his pace, deepening his thrusts within her until he brushed against that ultra-sensitive place inside of her sheath with the head of his cock. Ellie cried out and felt her vagina clench down on him as she climbed to the razor’s edge of her release.

“Come with me, baby. Let me feel you milk my cock when I come,” he growled, using his fingers expertly against her swollen clit and thrusting even deeper inside of her.

Ellie’s climax came crashing down on her with such a force that she screamed. Vincent withdrew then thrust back into her, spearing her deep and filling her with his hot, wet ejaculate. His roar of release echoed about their bedroom, mingled with the cry of her voice as she sobbed his name in her passion. Ellie collapsed down upon him and he carefully moved her to his side, to make her most comfortable.

He kissed her softly, deeply, putting all the love he felt for her in the kiss.

It was several long moments before either of them spoke or moved.

“ Now that was magical,” Ellie said with a sigh once her breathing had slowed enough for speech. 

Vincent laughed and agreed wholeheartedly. It was magical. It always would be. So long as they were together. Forever.


The End