Moan

by Kenya Wright

She drank in the amazing scene around her. “This is a grand event. It’s like we’re in a fairytale.”

  “Definitely, but a sexy one.”

  She grinned. “Yes, a sexy one.”

  “Are you ready for this interview?”

  “I’m not sure.” She slipped her gaze all over me. My cock went rock hard. How bold. How sexy. “Will you be with me the whole evening or is our time limited?”

  Emily. Emily.

  I smiled. “Right now. In this moment. You are the only woman here. I won’t be looking at anyone else, tonight. I will be with you in every moment, except a few. I have a partner that I need to speak with this evening. That will be the only time that I’ll be away from you. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  That was another first in several years. In my career women came and went. I dealt with sex all day. After a while, a breast was just a breast and that space between the thighs shifted into just a regular old space. But here this woman caused something to move in me. I figured it was lust. What else could it be?

  She spoke, “And I have some questions about the poems—”

  I put one finger over her lips, leaned to the side of her face, and tried to keep the lust out of my whisper, “Emily, is the bud still in your ear?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t blink or appear shocked. She probably didn’t know what the game would be, but she was ready to see. I liked that about her. No fear ran in those eyes. If anything, courage filled them.

  Leaning back, I lifted her hand and kissed it. She sighed and my lips on her skin was harmony. Who knew something so simple could incite so much inside of me? Blood rushed through my veins and I wanted to do more. And she didn’t look like she would be running away. In fact, she appeared as turned on as me.

  What’s this? Of all women, why would it be her in this moment?

  This was another first, and I didn’t know if I liked that. At this rate, my hands would be all over her within an hour. We didn’t have time for that. There were things to do, devils to capture, and kids to save. Although I’d dreamed about her and even masturbated to her image many times, it had been just that. Daydreams to motivate me out of my depression. Now with her here and next to me, I wanted to groan in annoyance. I didn’t have the time to do the things that ran through my mind. I didn’t have the time to romance her, play the game of back and forth, and caress her until she begged me to take her.

  Emily. Emily.

  “Have you ever been to a masquerade party before?” I asked not taking her hand away from my mouth and wanting desperately to lick and bite her flesh.

  Her voice was a soft murmur. “This is my first one.”

  “Damn. I really wish this wasn’t business. Too bad this is bigger than us.” Landing another kiss on her hand, I caught her subtle blink and the shock in her eyes. How did she feel? I could’ve swore her fingers trembled in mine, but if that was true, then what would she have been afraid of?

  “How big?” she whispered.

  “As you’ve probably guessed, this interview is not going to go the way you expected.” I leaned in closer to her, hoping that the people around us, figured we were star struck lovers who were excited to see each other. “There’s a story here, but it’s not the story you think. I can’t come out to the world about it, without getting myself killed, but you could, if you got the words out before they could stop you.”

  “They?”

  I tilted her way, letting my lips brush the tip of her ears, and then I whispered, “There are ears and microphones everywhere. We have to be super careful. I picked this spot on the steps because it would cause too much disturbance to record much, but even now, I can’t tell you much.”

  “How will I get the story?”

  “Listen with your mask and pay attention to everything. I will try my best. When I think we’re safe, I’ll reveal more of the story. If you have a question, then try your best to shield it through poetry. Do not ask any questions that are too obvious. If you do, it can get you and me killed. If this scares you, then you should turn away right now, don’t look back, fly to New York, and tell your editor you got sick. I won’t mind. But if you’re interested in what I have to show you, if you want to save people like I think you do, then by all means come with me.”

  I leaned away from her and pierced her with my gaze. This was one of the moments I was nervous about. I’d planned to give her three times to say no to me. It wouldn’t be fair to trick her into something so dangerous. She’d get three chances to turn around and get out of here, but once it was all revealed, I wouldn’t let her walk away. If anything, Butter would kill her just because she would know too much.

  I couldn’t let that happen.

  She looked around as if wondering where the microphones could be.

  They’re everywhere, Emily. In the lamps, decorations, inside the walls and stalls, up and down the stairs. Everywhere. Even in people’s masks. The Devil is very good at invading people’s privacy.

  She turned back to me.

  “How are you feeling, Emily?” Tension built in my shoulders. “Are you getting a little sick?”

  It took her too long, but she finally answered, “No, I’m doing just fine.”

  “Good.” A little of the anxiety relaxed, but we still had two more times for her to say no.

  “I’m not as big into poetry as I am into books.” She blew out a long breath. “Could we talk books in between my interview questions?”

  You want any of our code talk to be about books, instead of poetry. That’s fine.

  I nodded. “I’ve always been a huge book worm. It should be fun.”

  “A book worm?” She blinked as if shocked some more.

  “Yes, I read.”

  “I’m surprised you have the time.”

  “What do you think I’m doing with my free time?”

  “Well, articles claim that you’ve slept with over a hundred women.”

  “Hmmm.”

  She put on a grin and I wasn’t sure if it was for me or to show the monitors that everything was normal. “What’s your response to that question, Mr. Meade?”

  “Will this be in the article?”

  “It might.”

  “Have I slept with over a hundred women?” I landed one more kiss on her hand, before letting it go. “No comment.”

  “Coward.”

  “Maybe, you’ll get the answer later.”

  “Maybe?”

  “Maybe.” I bowed. “Are you ready, my elegant lady?”

  She curtsied in that breathtaking swan dress. “I am, kind sir.”

  I held my arm out to her, but she didn’t hook hers around mine.

  She sighed as she stared at the castle. “So what would be a good quote for tonight? A good line for me before we walked in?”

  You want me to give you a warning? Hmmm. I guess I can’t sugar coat this with you.

  “That’s easy.” I frowned. “Are you familiar with Dante’s Inferno?”

  Her face didn’t look pleased. “Yes. I’m familiar with it.”

  “Then here’s a good quote for this evening.” I drew her closer to me and brushed my lips against her ear again. “‘Hope not ever to see Heaven. I have come to lead you to the other shore; into eternal darkness; into fire and into ice.’”

  You’ll see evil tonight, Emily. Shit that you may not be able to forget.

  “Wow.” She shook her head. Those feathers bounced a little. “I was more hoping for something fun like a quote from Alice in Wonderland. Something like, ‘My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.’”

  “Well. . .” I shrugged. “Quotes about running would fit too.”

  So smart, she said nothing else.

  I gave her my arm and guided her up the steps, following the rest of the elegant partygoers.

  I helped her up each step, but scanned the people around me. Two men with purple and red masks stared my way. They never looke
d anywhere else. Instead of passing us by or going in another direction, they stayed right behind Emily and me.

  Is that the Devil’s goons?

  I had us get in front of a couple and sure enough the purple masked men continued to remain behind us.

  Yes. That’s them. Did they hear us? Is she already in danger?

  CHAPTER 5

  Emily

  The entire evening was phenomenal. From the ride to the stunning castle to the walk up where I was surrounded by magical and elegant creatures. My heart had boomed in my ears. My body served as a balloon full of excitement very close to bursting.

  And then I spotted Roman in that elaborate swan mask and suit. I didn’t know what was better to be able to see his whole face or to only have his eyes and lips to gaze upon. Both could keep me drooling for days. In the photo, he’d been hot and panty-wetting. In person, he was an anomaly. I had to have him. If I was an addict, he was the purest coke laid out in lines before me.

  Thank God this was more than I thought. Thank God this interview meant something more and mysterious, because if not, I would have yanked my gown up and begged him to lick me right between my thighs.

  God. There’s handsome and then there’s he-just-shouldn’t-be-able-to-walk-this-earth-fine.

  We headed up the stairs and I felt like Belle running up into the Beast’s castle. My legs wobbled a little under the huge gown. Men in similar uniforms with masks and wigs led couples here and there. Because I was with Roman, I didn’t need to follow the groups.

  The uniformed men nodded at him and opened the double doors. A full orchestra played in front of an extravagant twisting staircase. There were massive rooms on both sides where people enjoyed themselves.

  Damn.

  I gazed up at the ceilings. “Oh wow.”

  Nude couples hung from the walls, twisting and tangling their limbs together. Their bodies painted in one solid color. Glittered masks covered their faces, making them erotic faceless beings that one could objectify with no problem. So many couples hung high in the air, thrusting and stroking, licking and humping against each other.

  This wasn’t a castle. It was a magnificent palace out of someone’s elaborate dream. Ivory columns and crystal chandeliers that sparkled. So much space, high ceilings and walls as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of people could live in this one place, and hundreds of guests were already there, dancing and swooning, laughing and sampling the lovely hors d'oeuvres being served all throughout the palace.

  Everything smelled delicious. If I hadn’t been too nervous, I would’ve grabbed some of the small bites. I spotted pastries and things with bacon, other stuff drizzled in chocolate and tiny meats simmering on clear tooth picks.

  I leaned his way as we walked past the many costumed people. “You really know how to throw a party.”

  “You’re impressed?”

  “Yes, I am.” I tried not to glance at the nude sexing couples dangling above us. My body was already on fire. “So now I understand what my editor meant about the erotic nature of your parties.”

  “What?” He turned to where I was looking. “Oh the couples? Those are just decorations. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  “Should I be scared?” I didn’t know if the question was too much. He’d already said that there were people listening and that we had to be careful. I’d thought all of this was owned and coordinated by him, but he’d mentioned a partner. I wondered if the partnership had been recent or old, forced or something he entered on his own.

  “No, you shouldn’t be scared.” There was something about the way he said it. I didn’t think too much truth lay in those words. “It matters on how open you are.”

  “Interesting.” I leaned in closer to his arm, enjoying the support it gave me. We continued walking past the party, as if we were nowhere close to our destination. We passed the staircase and the majority of others.

  As we moved forward, the atmosphere changed. There were bright lights and chandeliers at the entrance. With each forward step, everything blazed bright blue. More masked people embraced each other and kissed. Others groped. And still the orchestra’s notes flowed loud throughout the place.

  “So I’ll be seeing more than naked people groping each other from the ceilings?” I asked.

  “Oh yes.”

  “And this is all from your head?”

  “Yes. My head and history.”

  “So let’s start the interview.” I grinned. I knew there was more to discover tonight, but if he needed me to play the part of regular interviewer, I would. And with each question, I would learn more about him, and really understand what I was walking into. “What made you do sex parties?”

  “Is that what I do?” He led me toward an elevator where two men flanked it. They wore all black—from their masks to their suits. Their masks were composed of wood and shaped into frowned expressions.

  The men looked at Roman and me, and then pressed the button to open the elevator doors.

  Oh. I thought we’d already been at the party. There’s more?

  We walked onto the elevator. Surprisingly, two other men draped in purple stepped onto the elevator with us. Roman didn’t seem pleased, his mouth remained straight and his arms stiffened against me.

  The elevator doors closed in on us, and we rose.

  I turned to him, scared to say too much with the men in the elevator. “I thought we were already at the party.”

  “We were. Now we’re going to the VIP section.”

  “Hmm.” I didn’t dare ask more about where we were going, just in case these guys were the ears that he’d warned me of. “What made you get into these types of parties.”

  “People have always been drawn to the allure of sex. Every person in this world has been born with a body part that makes them shiver and go crazy to be rubbed up against and licked.”

  I bit my lip. “O-kay.”

  The two men behind us, stirred uncomfortably, but didn’t say anything.

  “The first level of the castle is for the ticket holders. They get to explore that natural hunger around people who are masked. They get to hide their identities and be as nasty as they want.”

  “And what about where we are going? What do these ticket holders buy?”

  “They get a history lesson in orgies.”

  “What?”

  “This second level is for the truly elite. This experience is priceless. The tickets were auctioned at secret events. I made millions off of this level.”

  “What’s so special about this section?” I asked.

  “I have ten rooms. Each were decorated in a theme. Those themes are significant orgy moments in history.”

  “Historic orgies?” I asked.

  “Yes. What else would make history interesting?”

  “Fair point.”

  “When you merge history and sex, you get to have a whole lot of fun. Many cultures and religions have tried to limit sex or make it seem unclean. Look at Christianity and Islam’s pasts. But with all of those efforts, no one could ever truly forbid sex. Trust me. There will be some rooms that will dazzle more than your mind.”

  “Really?” I bit my bottom lip.

  “Really.”

  Wow. He’s like sexy Willy Wonka.

  The elevator door slid open. We walked into a dark hallway. There were rooms on both sides of us and they ran far before us. Each door had a number, and I knew that each one would probably be decorated in Roman’s idea of orgy history.

  I remained in front of the elevators, letting the purple masked men walk before us. I didn’t move anymore, and Roman stayed right next to me.

  The purple guys, exchanged glances and walked around us. They took their time going to door number one, but I could tell that something was odd with them.

  Either I’m paranoid or they really are the spies that Roman talked about.

  Continuing to stand near the elevator, I turned to Roman as if I wasn’t freaked about by those two guys. “What gave you the idea to
do parties like this?”

  “I just realized that I was good at sex and even better at getting people to come to a place to have sex. I’m good at getting others excited to fuck.” The word fuck sounded nasty on his tongue. I was shocked he’d went there, but my pussy appreciated it. She’s been aching to talk to him, and I’d been ignoring her as best as I could.

  “Tell me more.”

  The purple guys stood in front of the first room. They knocked on the door and glanced our way as if wondering why we hadn’t come over there.

  “I met a lot of models back in the day, men and women,” he said. “I’d also met a lot of rich people who would like to meet gorgeous people in a luxury setting that allowed them to be free and open to their desires.”

  “I read the story about your becoming homeless. How did you get all the money back?”

  Room One’s door opened. The men walked in, but not without glancing our way one more time.

  Roman answered my question, but smiled as that room’s door closed, “A friend and me got some money together. It was almost impossible, but we got the funding right at the last minute. Next, we rented a nice hotel, we took the top floor and had only thirty people come. We only invited the best of the best. The top models and entertainers. Billionaires and powerful men.”

  “How did the night go?”

  “Good would be an understatement. Powerful marriages were made that night. Royal ones too. If I could tell you who, it would blow your mind. Some of the most influential bachelors walked off with the most captivating women. And everyone was top-notch and freaky. Those couples left as satisfied customers, and they told their friends. New people begged us to do a party the next month.”

  “So you’re quite the sexual party planner?”

  “Yes.”

  “What would you say are your top tips for throwing a good sex party?”

  “There are five that I live by.” He held one finger up. “But here’s the most important one: always set the mood through décor, music, food, and drinks. And the mood can’t only be sex. It has to be experience focused. You want to take your guests out of reality and place them in an imaginary world.”

  “That makes sense. What are your other tips?”