The Marquis' Book of Pleasure & Property of the Marquis
Page 34
“Alex, please stop!” She put her hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I can see what you’re saying very clearly. I mean everything came clear to me in that last conversation with the Marquis. I saw how foolish I’d been in this ridiculous odyssey. And I DO wish I’d removed this damn bracelet. You were right, I’m just too head-strong.”
He smiled kindly. “But maybe not too headstrong for me?”
“That’s the part I haven’t figured out yet.”
“Something else that’s true. I wasn’t lying when we were on the island. I don’t wear the Marquis’ mark. You can search every square inch of my body,” his eyes sparked playfully at that idea, “you won’t find the mark. If you submit to me, it’s because you willingly give yourself to me. Just as it was before.”
“I don’t understand? How can that be…who are you if you’re not in the man’s intimate circle?”
He shook his head and sighed. “The man’s my father, Laney, …my stepfather yes, but he’s the man who raised me, the only parent I’ve had since my mother died when I was twelve. Of course, I knew nothing about his kinky life when I was young. I didn’t learn the truth until I was in college. By then, I actually think he hoped I would share his sexual tastes. But that didn’t happen. Now, I’m a bit of the black sheep in his demented world. The only reason I was in his house was because you were there. I wasn’t about to see him take you in…and turn you into one of his properties. I don’t mean the nice little fantasy you had with Erik, as you can see, the reality is really nothing like that. Those women are his slaves in the truest sense of the word.”
“So, you just showed up?”
“I did. I was hoping after the island that you weren’t going to run off to Paris…but you did, then you went to Prague. I had to track you…although I knew by then where you’d end up.”
“Yes, straight into Kafka’s world.”
“No, I didn’t expect that. We had a very similar scenario to abduct you, but then Kafka suddenly played his hand. Scary, was it?”
“I was worried I would die.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Sorry? Like you could have prevented it?”
“No. I had no power to prevent anything. This was not my game. My only interest was in seeing that you were safe.”
She could not believe she was hearing this. “You said ‘we’ … that makes it sound as if you were very much a part of the Marquis’ scheme.”
“At that point, I was, to some degree. I had a vested interest in you and I certainly had my father’s ear.”
“But why?” This still made no sense.
“Because, I…uh…” It wasn’t like him to stumble over his words. “Oh, c’mon, Laney, I liked you. I mean, I really enjoyed that night on the island. It was invigorating, maybe the first time I’d taken a page from my father’s playbook and pulled out all the stops.”
“What about the girlfriends you took to the island?”
“Strictly vanilla sex. I know I alluded to other things, but I was into your game. What’s a little subterfuge when you’re trying to seduce a woman? Is it so different from a woman seducing a man? The point is: I walked away from that night unable to forget about you. So, I sent you the postcard—like hanging the bait in the water, hoping you’d bite—which you didn’t.”
“Excuse me if I’m a little stunned,” she shook her head, bemused, “So, you really want a relationship…like a regular man/woman relationship?”
“That’s how I think, despite the way my father thinks. Yes, I admit, I may have picked up some of his kinky sadistic appetites—but basically, I’ve stayed clear of his extremes…then you come along, and that was what you wanted, what you so obviously needed…and you were so beautiful…so wanting, so sad, so ready to begin life again…”
“Well, now you have me really flustered.” She could feel herself starting to cry.
“I didn’t mean to. I just thought I should lay my cards on the table.”
“So, am I really bound to the Marquis, or not?”
“To a point, yes, you’re his. He does wield a lot of power that I don’t think any man should have. And if provoked he might exercise that power with you. But as far as I’m concerned… and regardless of what happens between you and me—and I don’t plan to rush anything, understand that, you won’t have to go back to him…unless you want to. I will make sure of that. I have that much power over him. I mean, look at us now. We are on this plane together. This was my idea, Laney, not his.”
“And if I’d chosen differently?”
He wouldn’t answer that. “I’m just glad you didn’t.”
“And Kafka?”
“You don’t need to know anything more about the man than you already do. Trust me, he’s forgotten you by now.”
That was a hard piece of her life to dismiss so easily. “So, I am…safe from him?”
“Yes, you’re safe. You’re safe with me.” He took her hand and held it in his.
“What about the bracelet? The rules?”
“As long as you were given to me, it’s for me to decide who you screw and who you don’t, what you wear and all those other concerns.”
Although her mind was spinning, she felt better than she had in days.
“So, what happens next? I mean, if you’re a fisherman, does that mean I’ll be moving to St. Martina?”
He laughed “Not exactly. That really is just a part-time job—if you can call it a job at all. In the rest of my life, I’m an investment broker. I probably live not more than fifty miles from you, in Baltimore.”
“So, how many other surprises do you have for me?”
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough for one week? How about getting used to what you know before we delve into anything else?”
“Well, I can’t disagree there.”
Laney settled back, letting him hold her hand, letting herself get used to how that felt, letting herself absorb everything he’d just said. She would probably be running this conversation over in her mind for weeks to get it right. But the lines between truth and fantasy seemed to have blurred into a mystery that might never be solved to her satisfaction. She had so many questions… fears, really, running through her head…Could she trust Alex Greenwood—Alexi Ruschke?” Just the sound of the name gave her chills.
At the moment, she trusted no one…certainly not herself to see clearly where she should move next. She was forced to go with her gut instincts, which she’d done often enough; let intuition lead and hope for the best. Right now? Her hand felt good in Alex’s soft grasp and a warm glow spread through her body, while a tickle of fresh desire made her bare bottom squirm against the leather seat. She was still wearing the Marquis’ bracelet and was still not wearing any panties, making herself available…in this case, to her new master.
Epilogue
Eight months later…
In a corner table, out of the way enough to be sequestered from the rest of Mama Libby’s clientele, the three sat drinking Mama’s specialty Mint-Juleps. Mama’s had been around for years, the kind of cozy older restaurant that served delicious comfort food in an atmosphere perfect for discreet conversation.
Sandra started talking first, she usually did, announcing with a bit of giddy excitement after her friends’ barrage of questions about Essex, “Jason, Essex and I are a happy little threesome, I’m delighted to report. Although the three of us are rarely together. I guess you could say that I have a husband and a sadistic lover. Sure, there were some bumps there at the start—I thought Jason might not like Essex intruding in our lives. But the man seems to come around when I need him, just enough to keep our sex life from getting boring. He’s very fond of spanking, which is currently one of Jason’s favorite sports. What I’d give for some good bondage…” she rolled her eyes. “But really, I have no complaints. What about you, ‘Lise,” she turned to Elise, “I keep hearing these stories about Cabral Icaboni and his starlets…”
Elise, being typically introspective, took som
e time before she could frame her answer. It wasn’t just theatrics this time, she truly was unsure what to say. “I think…” she cocked her head, “I think we may be getting married, now that my divorce is final.”
“What!” The two dropped their jaws.
Elise looked aghast herself, as if she didn’t believe she’d actually said this. “Yes, married.” Her voice was sweet and breathy, and filled with wonder and excitement. “A month ago, he broke up with his latest fling—despite what you hear in the newspapers, that little theatre opening on the arm of Mimi Delaney was just a publicity photo op. Anyway, two weeks ago, after this terribly nasty scene—he had me tied in a closet while he was making love to some bimbo—after that, he took me to dinner and confessed that he was unhappy. He had to get things off his chest. He said that he couldn’t live without me. He asked if he was too hard on me? Was he going too far? Didn’t I sometimes want to stop his crazy behavior? He tells me he’s a little unbalanced and he needs me to keep him steady. It was the oddest conversation I’ve ever had. But he’s been like a reformed addict ever since. Oh, the hard stuff, the beating to cure his raging passions, that hasn’t exactly stopped, but there have been no other women. He’s still bossy and dictatorial. He flies off the handle at the strangest things. He’s very right, he’s a little unbalanced. But we’re artists…we can have these idiosyncrasies…don’t you think?” Like she was asking if it was all right. “Two days ago, he took me to dinner at that new bistro. Everyone in town saw us. The whole orchestra knows,” she stopped, desperately wanting them to comment.
“I can’t judge, Elise,” Laney finally broke the silence. “It sounds like a terribly passionate relationship to me. And I’m all for that.”
“Oh, I disagree,” Sandra jumped in. “You admit that he’s unbalanced, you know his history, and you want to marry him? You’ve got a lot of heartache awaiting you. Why would you…?”
“Well, for the obvious reason,” she looked back and forth from Sandra to Laney to Sandra again, “I think I’m in love.” She got a little feisty now. “Don’t ask me to explain it, Sandra. I won’t justify it. I won’t. It just is.”
“Oh, you will forever be naïve.”
“And I like that, Sandra.”
“It’s your life. I just wonder what your story will be six months from now.”
“Don’t be so cynical.”
Sandra sighed and turned to Laney, “So are you and Alex ready to tie the knot, too?”
Laney felt as if she were floating in a pleasurable dream, although being at Mama’s with her two best friends was no dream. Their stories, their reckless love lives, their ups and downs, their sadness, defeats, and triumphs, were their everyday reality, and the subject of their conversations since they were together in college. And it was no different now. She could turn to them and tell them everything…whether they liked what she had to say or not didn’t matter as much as the simple acceptance they gave her. After the arguments and the ‘in your face’ opinions it was the acceptance that brought them back.
“Married? Not yet,” Laney finally answered. “We’re taking it slow…I need that now. I was diving in much too fast when I insisted on that trip to Marquis Island.”
“You finally admit that?” Sandra said wryly.
“Yes, dear, I admit that.”
“But, Alex. Is he a fixture…?”
“Oh, I think so.” She blushed and smiled, and then that smile dimmed. “But I’m being more careful. I have to be, he forces me to be careful. I think he’s more autocratic than any man I’ve ever know; he’s just more subtle about it. Sort of slips it in…”
“But you’re in love, aren’t you?” Elise observed.
“Maybe. I’m not sure.”
“Oh, c’mon, this isn’t like the assertive Laney we know,” she jibed.
“I know, but it’s the Laney I have to be right now. I was looking to find Erik when I started off to find the Marquis; that was my mistake. It was too soon and I made some foolish choices. I don’t want to be foolish about Alex. He’s very different from Erik. He’s so much more laid back and casual, off the wall, spontaneous…and he has no desire to give me to anyone else. If anything, he has a little jealous streak. Talk about getting spanked—that’s his tool for keeping my head on straight. And I love it…” she was starting to sound like the more animated Laney they knew. “Sometimes he behaves like he did on the inland—he’s brutal, almost vicious—and we come together like exploding storm fronts. He takes me down so low, to that groveling place … the other night, it was quite literal; he held my head with his boot pressed against my back while he whipped my naked ass. I’ve never come like that before…” She was obviously fixated on the scene in her mind, her eyes dreamy and disconnected. Then she looked up, coming back to the table where the three were still eating Mama’s deep-dish peach pie. “He was all smiles afterwards. We read in bed together, reading passages of our books out loud to each other, before we finally turned out the light and snuggled down under the covers.”
“Oh, you are in love,” Elise said, no doubt in her mind now.
“Maybe,” Laney said.
“You know, I have to agree with Elise, this time,” Sandra said. “And you know, it’s okay, Laney. Erik would want this for you. He always wanted your happiness. And maybe someday, you’ll allow yourself to admit that you can love Alex Greenwood as much as you loved Erik Priestly.”
Laney smiled, and bashfully covered her mouth with her left hand; her eyes were shining with happy tears.
“Thanks…thanks for everything, especially these nights…” She didn’t need to say anything more.
When both of her friends went home that night, they’d remember that moment for everything Laney hadn’t said. They’d also recall that something bothered them about the scene that at the time, they couldn’t quite identify. When they finally figured it out, they’d realize that Laney no longer wore the Marquis’ bracelet. There were no bracelets on her arm at all.
What they’d learn later was that Alex Greenwood’s rings would decorate her body, becoming a much more private, more personal statement of her loving submission to her new master. Laney would belong to Alex and no one else.
More Erotic Fiction by Lizbeth Dusseau
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These titles and many more!
For a complete catalogue of Erotic Fiction from Lizbeth and our other authors:
Pink Flamingo Publications
P.O. Box 632, Richland, MI 49083, 1-877-629-0051
E-mail: catalog@pinkflamingo.com
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About the Author:
Lizbeth Dusseau has been writing erotic fiction since 1989, and has authored over 125 novels and short story collections. In 1994 she and her husband, Ken, founded Pink Flamingo Publications, which currently published the erotica fiction of over 30 authors. She and Ken live in rural Michigan.
Lizbeth Dusseau, The Marquis' Book of Pleasure & Property of the Marquis