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Eve
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An exquisite blonde came into view halfway down the dimly lit hallway. She was statuesque, with a sophisticated demeanor, and clad only in a thong. Her eyes were covered with a Venetian mask, and she wore a dramatic headdress of feathers like it was a crown.
She serenely strolled away from me, turning the corner out of sight.
I followed her, enjoying this momentary reprieve from precarious play – she, too, was a mysterious allure waiting to be unraveled. Intrigued, but keeping a safe distance, I strode after her with no plan to engage. I just wanted to observe her, curious as to what ignited her passions.
The seductress turned another corner.
As did I, admiring the breathtaking vision of her nakedness. Her high heels elongated her long bare legs, like a runway model commanding each stride, exuding a refinement that transcended mere sophistication.
My momentary hesitation to continue felt like a dark cloud threatening to disrupt this need – I had to know her.
She sensed my presence.
Her head turned, and her chestnut eyes met mine with an evocative spark of interest as she peered at me from behind her elaborate mask, her mouth softly rouged and naturally pouty, showing a hint of a smile.
She showed no fear, merely amusement.
Intriguing.
My stature and dark hair, and hands adorned with tattoos, often stirred curiosity in others.
I knew she was equally fascinated with me.
But then she turned away and was gone.
I trailed her into a vacant bar. On the other side of the room, I noted another doorway. It led to a part of the club I’d not explored yet.
Then, I caught the glimmer of light down a short stairwell.
Approaching the top, I peered into the dimness below. Paneled wood walls supported metal racks holding countless bottles, all resting on their sides.
She’d led me to their wine cellar.
Now that was worth celebrating.
An arctic chill reached me from the climate-controlled vault and made me shiver. Descending, I paused on the last step when she came into view.
She stood completely still looking back at me.
In the soft glow of the backlit setting, her feathered crown transformed into a halo. Her delicate fingers were provocatively wrapped around the neck of a Jeroboam of Dom Pérignon.
“Excellent choice,” I said, descending the final steps.
“I think so,” she said, her tone seductive.
“Is he worth a Jeroboam?”
“Debatable,” she replied, with an air of mischief.
That made me smile. “Unless it’s for you.”
“My taste runs darker.”
Her teasing had my dick hardening for her, even though I could see by her wedding band that she was married.
“How dark, exactly?” I tucked my hands into my pockets.
“And to think we’ve only just met.”
Her engagement ring held an orange diamond. Her husband had marked her with that rare stone.
“Would you like my jacket?” I asked. “It’s freezing in here.”
“Excuse me, please.” She waved the bottle to get me to move, as though that vintage wasn’t worth a fortune.
I glanced past her. “Looks like you’ve been keeping this gem a secret?”
Amused, she raised her chin. “You don’t know who I am?”
I moved closer, eager to see her in the light.
I was taller, but not by much. Her stilettoes lent her height. Her scent of citrus layered with cedar and cinnamon evoked a fantasy of endless nights rolling between satin sheets.
Now that I was closer, I could see her startling beauty vaguely hidden behind her mask.
“Atticus.” She uttered my name with respect.
“Let me guess, my reputation precedes me.”
She smiled. “Need assistance choosing something impeccable?”
“This one.” I fixed my stare on her.
“This one’s taken.” She looked around as though considering. “What do you normally like?”
The forbidden.
Instead, I went with, “A decent Pino.”
“Seriously?”
“Don’t be quick to judge. It’s a hard grape to grow. Needs constant nurturing. Extreme protection. A talented hand to ripen.”
“And then?” she coaxed.
“And then, it offers a haunting taste. Once experienced, it’s unforgettable.”
“How poetic.”
“Is he worthy of you?” I asked flatly.
“What you should be asking is whether you’re worthy enough to be standing in my light.”
Again, my cock stiffened, which I guessed was the desired effect.
Her confidence was something to behold.
“Impressive,” I said, referring to her engagement ring. “A gesture of possession.”
“No one owns me. They may like to think they do, but I’m a free spirit.”
“In what way?”
“I wield power, too.”
My reaction reflected surprise, which I knew would insult her. But I liked seeing her pouty.
“I’m not above doing what needs to be done,” she whispered.
“Which is?”
She drew in a sharp breath. “I’m more of a tequila lover. Stings on the way down. Memorable.”
My brows rose in reaction to her flirting.
Closing the space between us, I leaned in and whispered, “Careful, that kind of heat leaves a burn.”
“It’s addictive,” she said. “Which I find arousing.”
“Minimal risk,” I teased. “Unless you count the level of pleasure that will never be experienced anywhere else.”
Eyes sparkling, she said, “Are you offering me that level, Atticus?”
Kissing her would be easy. “Want to be ruined by me?”
“How?”
“Victims? No. Never. My lovers are considered privileged.”
“How?”
“If you inspire me, and don’t bore me, I’ll take you to the edge of the world and back.”
“Arrogance?” She smirked. “Don’t see much of that around here.”
“I’m serious. I take my submissives on the best adventures – here and abroad.”
She glanced at my inked hands, obviously intrigued. “What’s the most interesting thing you’ve seen?”
Thoughtfully, I said, “I hiked in India once. Uttarakhand has a valley filled with flowers. Nothing but orchids, lilies, and rhododendrons. Spectacular views.”
“Flowers?” she mocked.
“I’ve visited over thirty countries. You asked what took my breath away.”
“I asked what’s the most interesting thing you’ve seen.”
I stared at her.
“Smooth,” she added wistfully. “I’m jealous that you’ve left the States.”
The comment seemed strange coming from a woman who dressed provocatively and came across as worldly, even wearing next to nothing.
She seemed to stir from a daydream. “What do you do?”
“I work with my hands.” She didn’t need to know I was surgeon.
There, I can be just as vague.
Reaching up, I eased off her short blonde wig with the headdress and gripped it like I’d grip her throat, with the hold of a man reluctant to let her go.
Her brunette locks spiraled over her shoulders, and the way her hair framed her face stirred a desire in me to protect her.
God, she was dazzling.
She didn’t even flinch at my gesture.
She met my gaze. “How did you know?”
“Your eyes.”
That seemed to please her.
“Why hide perfection?”
“Why indeed.”
Then I realized; he preferred blondes.
Wanting to see her face, I slid my devil mask up onto my head. “Now you.”
She inhaled sharply.
I was used to such reactions, with my intense appearance, a blend of Italian American features – chiseled cheekbones, a distinguished nose, and I’d once been told my eyes were a deep abyss that could suck a soul right into them.
My thumb brushed her bottom lip. “I’d only let you walk around in a dress. Never like this,” I scolded.
She tipped her chin toward me, her mouth offered, and yet...
I waited for her to kiss me first.
Seductively, her tongue licked the corner of her mouth.
Neither of us moved, even as the heat between us grew intense, our chemistry causing sparks to fly through me, threatening to combust. I felt the heady sensation of time stilling, the world falling away.
She pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. “Dare to kiss me back and you’re a dead man.”
It could have been her perfume that reminded me of sunlight, or her own scent, or maybe it was merely the way she fluttered her eyelids.
I resisted kissing her back. “Want me dead?”
“A complicated question.”
“Then I’m a dead man walking.”
Her lips quirked at my admission.
Gently, she brushed her lips to mine, and then kept our mouths millimeters apart, our hot breaths mingling, the moment crackling with tension, as we silently reveled in these illicit seconds that belonged to us alone.
The way she swayed, I knew she felt it, too.
“My husband has a lust for annihilation,” she said, her voice breathy. “Still think kissing me is a good idea?”
“And what do you lust over?”
She bit my bottom lip to punish me for asking that, causing a painful sting that sent a rush to my mouth.
“Ask for penance from me,” I demanded gruffly.
“No.”
Holding her shoulders, I nudged her back like she’d been the one following me. She inhaled sharply, and her frown deepened as though she felt insulted.
Boldness looked gorgeous on her.
She knew my name, so she’d probably know that soon this place would be mine. Perhaps that would make it easier to claim her at some point. Even as the reality of that thought served up its impossible consequence, that rare gem on her ring finger proving the possessive nature of the man who’d already claimed her.
I handed her blonde disguise back. “Don’t wear this again in my presence.”
She took it from me. “Can’t promise you that.”
“What can you promise?”
“I won’t tell anyone we spoke. How about that?”
Her words piqued my interest. If talking with her was dangerous maybe she was married to someone in authority at Pendulum.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
She blinked and seemed to need a few seconds to compose herself.
“I asked you a question,” I said sternly.
“Eve.”
“Of course it is.”
“How do you mean?”
I lowered my gaze. “You’re sin incarnate.”
“And what does that make you?”
“Beyond redemption.”
“Are you with someone tonight?”
“No, I’m merely exploring the darkest delicacies and offering my opinion on how they measure up.”
“Careful, we don’t want to see you making a wrong turn, Atticus.”
The hair on my nape prickled. “Sounds like a threat.”
Eve turned toward the stairs, taking the first step, pausing as though to offer the last word. Again, she moved with divine elegance, as though every measured step conveyed a mysterious message.
She continued up the stairs to the bar, leaving me with nothing but the lingering scent of her.
Fuck.
Why were the ones I craved unavailable? Complicated women with complicated lives.
I knew the answer.
To them, I was merely a fun fling, a way to get over their ex or to get back at them. And nothing more.
I gave them what they craved and then withdrew. A lonely existence for me but I kind of savored the solitude.
Hanging my head, I questioned whether an apology was called for, or maybe I could just fuck her in lieu of having to say it.
Ascending the stone steps and reentering the bar, I considered how she’d respond to either option.
Her act of kissing me first made me believe her marriage was unhappy. He’d sent her off naked for a bottle of champagne to ridicule her.
That was my take.
Her pride had remained intact and in fact she’d reveled in my attention and almost succumbed. Her way of getting back at the man who’d punished her.
I pulled my mask down over my face. This devilish persona hinted at what to expect if you spent time in my orbit.
I should go find the others.
Jake and Greyson were supposed to meet me in the great hall, the one with a glass walled key chamber where the entertainment could be observed but not personally experienced. We’d planned to suss out the sinister sessions in there.
The door at the other end of the bar closed, proving Eve had gone that way. Instinctively, I strode toward the door. Once through, I paused to peer down a long hallway, seeing no one.
She was just here.
I continued to explore, opening doors along the hallway, discovering nothing but empty rooms.
I mulled over how stalking her might be construed, but a bottle of Jeroboam of Dom Pérignon promised the best kind of party.
She promised the best kind of party.
The exquisite tension I’d felt between us had left me craving more time with her.
At the end of the hall, I found nothing but a small cupboard; odd to find nothing inside. The lavish wallpaper was proof that special thought went into every corner of Pendulum.
Checking the fire escape, I listened for the sound of stilettoes on stones steps.
Hearing nothing but the echo of silence, I closed the door again and stared down the endless hallway, trying to figure out where the hell she’d gone.
Eve had literally vanished into thin air.
Vanessa can be found on most social media platforms. She enjoys connecting with fans!
ENTHRALL has been optioned by Passionflix with the co-director and cinematographer attached from the Netflix hit 365 Days.
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