by Mac Flynn
Adrian smiled and shook his head. "No. He doesn't have much use for guns, and he's not the screaming type."
"Shouldn't you go first? You two know each other," she pointed out.
He chuckled. "I'm sure he'd much rather see the beautiful face of a woman than mine, but I'll be right behind you."
Maggie walked up to the trellis and pulled on a vine. Dead leaves rained down on her head, but the vine held. She brushed away the dead growth and took hold of the largest vine in both her hands. Her feet found footholds in the squares of the trellis. Maggie took a deep breath and began the climb.
Maggie wasn't overweight, but she wasn't in shape, either. The many vines didn't make the climb easy, and by the time she reached the top of the railing she was winded. Maggie clambered over the top and stumbled onto the leaf-strewn floor of the balcony. She fell onto the hard stone flooring and the dry leaves crunched beneath her.
Adrian followed behind her. He stepped over the railing and leaned down to offer her his hand. A smile graced his lips. "May I help you, my lady?"
Maggie smiled. "I guess I need more practice climbing." She grasped his hand and he pulled her up.
Maggie studied where the balcony. The long outcropping had a sweeping view of the fog-filled yard. The vines we climbed crept over the railing and engulfed the wall of the house. The only opening were two French doors that opened inward. The light she'd seen before streamed onto the balcony, but flickered and dimmed every now and again.
Adrian walked past her and opened the doors. He stepped aside to face her and swept his hand towards the opening. "After you."
Maggie swallowed her creeping uncertainty and walked through the doors. The interior of the large chamber was comfortable. Large oriental rugs covered the wood floorboards and the walls were painted in a soft, though faded, white. The ceiling was peaked and revealed the rafter. A large stone fireplace stood opposite the French doors, and from the warm fire came the flickering light. A tall chair near the hearth sat with its back towards the doors, and a small table stood beside the seat. A tray of food and a bottle of wine with a glass sat atop the table. To her left a large, four-post bed with thick curtains and beside that was an ornate dresser. A small desk and a wooden chair in the right-hand corner against the exterior wall completed the furniture.
Maggie crept deeper into the room and turned her head from left to right. The shadows danced across the walls at the whim of the fire. Deep darkness ruled the far corners.
"Hello?" Maggie whispered. She cringed when her voice echoed off the walls. "Mr. Forrest?" She reached the arm of the chair and made to lean over.
Something slammed behind her and made her jump a foot in the air. Maggie spun around to find the French doors shut and Adrian nowhere in sight.
"Adrian? Adrian!"
"You called?"
3
Maggie whipped her head around and saw that Adrian sat in the high-backed chair. He leaned over the arm and grinned at her.
Maggie frowned at him. "What are you doing in there? You could get us both into worse trouble with Mr. Forrest."
He chuckled. "I don't think I'll mind that I'm sitting in my own chair."
"But-" Maggie froze and blinked at him. "Your own chair?"
He nodded. "My own chair."
Maggie stumbled back. Her pulse quickened. "Then that would make you-?"
"Mr. Forrest," he finished for her.
Maggie frowned. "But Mr. Forrest's first name is Randall."
Adrian cringed. "Don't remind me. I much prefer my middle name of Adrian. It's slightly more enticing to the females, don't you think?"
Maggie turned her head and pointed at the French doors. "But that means you let me in, and you know-"
"I know you're here for somebody else, but you wouldn't give the particulars except to Mr. Forrest." He stood and Maggie stumbled back two steps. The firelight at his back cast his face into deep shadow, but Maggie could still see the smile on his lips. "I'd very much like to hear why you've gone to all this trouble of trusting a strange and breaking into someone's home to speak with him."
Maggie shook her head. "I-I didn't mean anything-" He held up his hand.
His voice was soft and soothing. "I know. In all seriousness, I truly do want to know."
Maggie took a deep breath. "It's for my father. He is-well, he was one of your employees, a financial accountant in one of your offices downtown. Today he was fired without just cause, and I'd like to ask you to reinstate him, or at least give him a recommendation so he can find another position elsewhere."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Without just cause? Who fired him?"
Maggie bit her lower lip. "His supervisor. He-well, he's never been fond of my father, and when my father was late with a report he took that as excuse to fire him."
Adrian frowned. "Maggie begin to see the situation." He strode over to the desk and pulled out a pad and pencil. Maggie followed him, and he handed the articles to her. "Please write down your father's name, the name of his supervisor, and any other details that you believe might be important."
He pulled out the chair and Maggie took a seat. Adrian lay a hand against the back of the chair and stood by her side. In a few minutes Maggie had written down her account with the names of the parties involved. She raised her head and found him staring intently at her. The strange, heated look in his beautiful eyes made her blush. An unfamiliar but pleasant heat spread through her body. She slipped off the chair on the opposite side and left the pad on the desk.
"E-everything's there," Maggie assured him.
He picked up the pad and glanced over the contents. His eyes flickered to her and a sly smile slipped onto his lips. "Very interesting."
Maggie's blush deepened and she bowed her head. "C-can you help him?"
Adrian tore her note off the pad and tucked it into his pocket. "I think I can get your father reinstated."
Maggie's eyes widened and she whipped her head up. "You can?"
He chuckled. "I am the owner of the company, and in a situation like this I think justice would be miscarried if I let my employees harm one another. At least so blatantly."
Maggie felt herself burst with happiness. She clasped one of his hands in hers and squeezed back tears. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
He tilted his head to one side and studied her. "There is one favor I'd like to ask, if it's not too much."
Maggie smiled and gave a nod. "Anything."
He nodded at the room around them. "I'd like you to remain here for the night."
Maggie started back. Her hands fell to her sides and she blinked at him. "Stay here?"
He chuckled. "Is that so distasteful to you?"
Maggie frowned. "No, but I'd like to know why you want me to stay here."
His eyes flickered to her. Her own widened as Maggie beheld the deep longing in their depths. He clasped her upper arms and lowered his voice to a soft, sensual whisper. "I've never wanted a woman as badly as I want you. You're a fresh breeze for a man who's been trapped inside this musty old house for far too long."
His touch was hot. It melted some of her resolve, but Maggie squirmed from his grasp and stepped back. "But we hardly know each other."
He smiled. "Does it matter when two people feel as we do?"
He took a step towards her. Her back hit the mantel. His shadow fell over her. She felt her pulse quicken. Maggie gasped for breath. He set a hand against the mantel close beside her head and leaned down so their faces nearly touched.
His whispered words brushed over her cheek. "I know you feel it, too, this connection. Your heart beats with anticipation."
Maggie shuddered and turned her face away. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
He chuckled. The vibrations sent waves of desire through her body. "But I think you do, and I think you want it as much as I."
He wrapped his arms gently around her. Maggie whipped her head around and he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. The connection was like an infu
sion of lust. Delicious heat swept over her body, and Maggie moaned into their kiss.
He pulled away and studied her face. His dazzlingly bright eyes appeared yellow in the light of the fire. He panted for breath. So did she. He brushed a loose hair from her face. Maggie closed her eyes and shivered.
"Beautiful," he whispered.
Maggie turned her face away and her hoarse reply sounded weak even to her ears. "W-we can't."
He pressed a soft kiss against the quivering flesh of her neck. "We will."
Maggie couldn't suppress the wild emotions that sank into her. His words, his voice, his gentle touch. They all combined to ignite a lust she'd never dreamed of. He captured her lips in another searing kiss. His hands roamed over her clothed body. Her coat fell to the floor and his fingers slipped beneath her loose shirt. Maggie groaned into their kiss as his warm fingers danced across her trembling flesh.
He broke their kiss and pressed soft nips down her neck. His hands deftly undid the top buttons of her shirt. Her swollen breasts peeked out from the parted cloth. His hot, wet mouth traveled down to the valley between her breasts. Maggie gasped and grasped his head as he nipped at her heaving mounds.
His hands unbuttoned her jeans. The pants slid easily over her hips and dropped into a heap around her feet. Maggie stepped out of her shoes and rubbed her hips against his. She could feel his thick, swollen need in the bulge of his thin pants. He grunted and pulled away to stare into her eyes. His lustful gaze trapped her in a sensual haze of pleasure. Maggie removed the last buttons on her shirt and parted the sides to reveal more of her body to his hungry eyes.
His lips curled back in a sly, crooked grin. He swept her into his arms and strode over to the bed. The silk sheets welcomed her as he lay her atop them and pinned her with his warm, tight body. His hands explored her body. Every crease, every muscle, every fold was found and touched. Maggie squirmed and groaned. Never before had she felt so alive, so wanted, so hungered for.
His fingers dipped into her underwear. Maggie jumped and her eyes widened when one of his fingers brushed against her sensitive bundle of nerves. Her body was awakened to a new, lustful sensation. It was a craving that overcame her shy nature and changed her very soul. He stoked within her a new her, a her that was a beast of a different character. This beast lusted for his touch and reveled in his attentions. It wanted him so badly it was willing to let him dominate them to appease the hunger that grew that grew inside us with every touch and kiss.
His finger slipped between her wet, hot folds and stroked her sensitive nub. Maggie clasped his upper arms and rocked her hips in time with his finger. Tension built inside of her, sweet, unbearable tension. She hardly noticed as he tore away his shirt and pants, leaving him naked over her. Her shirt, bra, and underwear soon followed. Their bare, sweat-soaked skin glided over one another, muscle against soft, pliable flesh. His chest pressed against her hardened nipples and rubbed their peaks, sending thrills of pleasure through her hot body.
Her soft groans filled the room. He removed his finger and placed his thick, pulsing manhood against her folds. His eyes stared down at her with an intense, longing gaze that made her shudder.
His voice was deep and more beast than human. "Mine."
He thrust deep into her hot core. Maggie groaned as he stretched and filled her with his heated manhood. He pulled out and pushed back in, and every part of him stroked her quivering nerves. She allowed herself to slip into a haze of wonderful bliss. The world receded to where it was only him and her. Their hips rocked together to the slow rhythm of their sensual love-making. Their pants mingled into a chorus of delight that excited their passions. They were slowly, joyously consumed by their lust. Every penetration deepened their longing for one another.
A carnal desire replaced her soft haze. She longed for him to take her. She needed him to take her, to make her his as no other man had possessed her. She was his to control, to penetrate, and only he could fill the deep, aching longing that swelled up inside her. Only he could take her and penetrate her shy personality with his lustful nature.
The awakened beast inside her took control, and she reveled in the wildness that engulfed her. Maggie wrapped her legs around his hips and quickened their speed. He grunted and matched her movements thrust-for-thrust. Faster, in fact. His speed was incredible, and his sensual strength even more so.
Maggie sank into the lustful abyss that he offered her. Her moans echoed in the room. Her world was him and the sweet desires he stoked within her.
His grunts mingled with her mewing sounds. Their sensual love-making changed to a feral rut as he thrust harder and deeper into her. Maggie clung to him as his speed became too much for her to follow. Her body tensed as the pleasure swelled inside of her. Maggie panted and groaned. The tension became too much. She needed release. She needed satisfaction. She needed him.
"Yes. Oh god, yes," she moaned. Her soft, whispered words tingled his ear. "Take me long and hard. Take me all night long." He grunted and quickened his penetrations. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she reveled in the feel of him around her and inside of her. "Yes. Like that. Oh god, yes." Her wild lover growled and pushed deeper and harder. His pants echoed in her ears. Her body twitched and tensed. So close. She was so close. Her eyes widened. "Oh god! Take me! Make me yours!"
The tension burst. Maggie was swallowed in a wave of wonderful bliss. Her body convulsed with the pleasure. She arched her back and screamed his name again and again.
"Adrian! Adrian!"
The bliss faded away. Her strength gave out. She collapsed onto the silk covers. He thrust longer into her until he, too, achieved the heaven he'd given her. He stiffened for a few moments, and then fell onto the bed close beside her.
His muscled arms slipped around her and pulled her close to him. Maggie welcomed the snuggle. She was exhausted and the sweat on her body chilled her. His warmth was comforting, and before she could stop herself she had drifted off to sleep.
4
Maggie don't know for how long she was asleep. An hour, maybe two. What woke her was not the time, however, but a noise beside her.
Maggie's eyes fluttered open. Adrian was atop the bed on his hands and knees beside her. His hands dug into the silk sheets and strange, growling noises emitted from his throat. Maggie tilted her head back and her eyes widened.
Adrian was transformed into some sort of beast. His face was elongated by a snout and his short hair was now a long mane down his back. The dark eyes were now a haunting yellow, and his stretched mouth was parted to show rows of sharp teeth. His muscled body was covered in a fine sheen of thick silver-brown fur.
Maggie gasped and started back. He whipped his head towards her. Those terrifying eyes fell on her, and the impulse to flee was too much.
Maggie toppled out of bed. One of the smaller sheets came with her. She hugged the cloth to herself and backed away from the bed toward the chamber door. The monster crawled on all fours off the bed and onto the floor. Its clawed hands followed her path, and those terrible yellow eyes never left her. Her back hit the wall. She slid down the wood paneling as the beast continued its terrible stalking towards her.
Maggie's hands stumbled over the frame of the door and the handle. She grabbed the knob and gave it a turn. The latch slid out and the door opened. The beast paused and growled. Maggie spun around and stumbled into a long, dark hallway. In front of her was a hallway that ran the length of the rear of the house. To her right was another carpeted route that led to the front.
Maggie hesitated only a second before she clutched the sheet to herself and rushed down the hall. The beast growled and lunged forward. She looked over her shoulder and watched the monster leapt into the hall. The creature slid into the wall opposite the room, but pushed off with its four legs and rushed down the hall after her.
Maggie's inattention meant her quick feet stepped on the sheet. She stumbled and fell forward onto the floor. The sound of the beast's four paws forced her to roll over onto
her rear. She gasped.
The creature stood over her. Its elongated face was only inches from her own. Those golden yellow eyes stared into mine. Her blood ran cold and her body shivered. She dared not breath, much less move.
The creature curled its lips back in a snarl. Maggie shut her eyes and turned her face away. Her body shook. The thing's warm breath wafted over her.
"Sir!"
Maggie's eyes flew open and she looked over her shoulder in the direction of the voice. A man of fifty in a black servant's suit stood at the end of the hall. His pale face was accentuated by his wide, dark eyes. One of his hands was stretched out towards them.
The beast's warm breath pulled away from her. Maggie dared a glance back at it. The creature stood on two legs and its body changed. The fur sank back into pale skin and the grotesque face flattened into the handsome features that belonged to Adrian. He stood naked before her. her eyes inadvertently swept downward to the area below his waist. His swollen manhood was stiff and upright. Maggie blushed and looked away.
The suited man hurried down the hall and removed his long jacket. He swept the coat over Adrian's shoulders and covered all the important bits. Maggie dared a glance back at them and cringed when she saw they both stared at her. The older gentleman's eyes were narrowed, but Adrian's were heavily lidded. He knelt beside her and held out his hand. Maggie skirted away from him. A pained look swept across his face and he dropped his hand.
When he spoke his voice was a soft whisper. "I'm sorry. I never meant for you to know that part of her."
Maggie swallowed the lump in her throat and studied him. "W-what are you?"
He stood and clutched the coat to him with one hand. "Return to the room with her and all will be explained." Maggie shook her head. A teasing smile slipped onto his lips. "The floor can't be that comfortable."
"But it's closer to the stairs," she pointed out.
He chuckled. "If I had wanted to kill you, don't you believe I would have done so out in the garden? Or in my room?"
Maggie furrowed her brow. He had her there.
"Sir, is this really wise?" the older gentleman whispered.
Adrian didn't look away from her as he spoke. "She knows enough that the rest of the truth won't hurt us any more." He knelt in front of her and stretched out his hand to her. His eyes caught hers in their beautiful gaze. "Please. I swear I won't hurt you."
