by Marie Medina
“Yes.”
“Philip.” He extended his hand, and she shook it. “You trained me for a couple of days. I work in the academic advisor’s office.”
She stared at him for a moment, and then she recognized him. “Oh yes. You didn’t have the beard then.”
“My girlfriend wanted me to grow it. I’ve adjusted to it.”
“Well, it looks nice. You’re liking the job?”
“Oh yes. Everyone’s wonderful.”
“They’re very friendly over there. I like doing the training program. It’s a great way to get to know people from all over campus.”
“It looks great in here. I came to see a play once, and it’s like a different building.”
She took a long look around. She didn’t remember what it had looked like before, as she hadn’t been in it since it was remodeled. “It does look nice. I like the masks tucked into the floral arrangements. They’re so gorgeous and fun.”
“Aren’t they great? Someone said the theater students made all of them. They were going to give them out so everyone would have a mask, but there was a leak in the storage room, or something like that, and most of them were damaged so they just threw the remaining ones up as decoration.”
“Hmmm. It might have been fun if everyone were masked.” At that moment, her phone vibrated. She ignored it at first and turned to say something else when a very animated woman came and dragged her Shakespearean companion away after offering only a brief apology. She pulled it out of the tiny pouch she’d chosen to use as a purse, dropping her keys in the process. She knelt to pick them up, and as she rose she saw him above her on the second-floor balcony again. His gaze went straight down her cleavage. She raised an eyebrow saucily and then turned away from him. Had he done a circle around the balcony and come back? Had he been eyeing her the whole time? She didn’t want a man who would stare at her like a sad stalker. She wanted some action tonight. She looked down at her phone, and this time both her eyebrows went up.
I want to ravish the beauty in pink.
She did not recognize the number, but it was a local area code. Had she told anyone she was coming tonight? She never wore pink, so this message had to be from someone in the room, unless it was a highly coincidental wrong number. She hadn’t set her bag down anywhere, and she had kept it with her in the stall when she went to the bathroom. So, someone at the party knew her well enough to have her phone number.
Frowning, she fingered the reply button, unsure what to say back. Was this a joke? Were her friends trying to get a rise out of her? None of them had shown any interest in the party, and she hadn’t said a word about wanting to go. No one was paying any attention to her. Who could it be? The man in black had disappeared. However, it had to be someone else because she doubted she knew him. His body would be hard for any woman to ignore.
Her phone vibrated again. Glad I have your attention, but I want more than that.
She looked around a second time, turning to take in the whole room, but still no one seemed to be watching her. She sent a text back.
What do you want?
She waited three whole minutes for the reply, circling the dance floor again as she searched the balcony. She could get into a game like this, but she wished she knew the rules. She’d been on the verge of stuffing her phone in her bag and storming off to find more obliging, and tangible, company when her phone vibrated again.
To pull you into a darkened room, lift up your skirt, and find out how you taste.
Her face grew hot, but in a good way. She’d expected something more teasing or subtle. Katie felt the dampness in her panties as she shifted her stance. She scanned the balcony again. She moved to the stairs and went up. She looked over the entire room carefully. But she didn’t see the masked man. Couldn’t it be him? The text had come right after he disappeared. He didn’t look familiar, but then again she could only see his mouth.
Her pussy throbbed as she thought about that mouth and what her mysterious texting man said he wanted to do to her. She hadn’t had good sex in quite a while, and though she hadn’t come here looking for it, she wouldn’t turn him down if he would only get his butt in gear and make a move. Teasing intrigued her, but she was ready for some action. The desire expressed in the text fit perfectly with the way he had been gazing at her. How had he gotten her number? She thought about his body again, still convinced she would have remembered meeting someone like him.
She leaned on the railing and watched the fountain as she thought about him. Her heart started pounding as she imagined kissing him. If it did turn out to be him, and he made good on what his texts promised, she’d forgive him for his earlier behavior…eventually. She started to text again and changed her mind a few times before finally hitting send.
What else?
Again, he made her wait. Make you tremble, get you wet, bend you over a table and take you.
She almost dropped her phone, so she moved away from the railing to protect the innocent bystanders below her. Did he suspect he’d already gotten her wet? She liked his style, and she wanted him. But who was he? Was he handsome? How did they know each other? The man dressed all in black had intrigued her, but what if this was someone else? That idea excited her too.
Tell me where. She almost hadn’t done it. Would he reply? If she didn’t feel safe, she wasn’t obligated to go find him and there were enough people around in case he didn’t care for a refusal. She’d see what he said and judge from there.
Chapter Three
Katie waited ten minutes for a reply. She had a glass of punch and several mini quiches. She made small talk with a couple of people she knew and met a few spouses. The evening was likely to become boring again if he didn’t hurry up and make another move.
She frowned. For someone with such ardent desires he seemed to have more patience than she did. Still, her arousal kept her there, even though she considered leaving so she could go home to the reliable comfort of one of her vibrators.
Her frustration actually made her wetter as she slowly circled the room. She searched every male face between impatient glances at her phone. Had he only been toying with her? Was it truly a prank or had he chickened out for some reason? She hoped he wasn’t married. She didn’t believe she had any exes who would be disgruntled enough to go to these lengths simply to vex her.
She sighed as she lowered her phone. She had no time for men with confidence issues or little boys who only wanted to play games. Did he think she wouldn’t be attracted to him? Would he have gone to this much trouble if he suspected that? She didn’t think he would have dared attempt this little feat if he weren’t good-looking.
Her heart raced as the next text came in. If you come to me, I will make love to you. Be sure, my love. Don’t tease me.
My love? That caught her more off guard than his racy comments. Who was he? Was he going for seduction or romance? She would prefer both, but the slight change in his tone perplexed her. What if he was an obsessed student or something? He could be dangerous. One look could inspire lust and desire, but love? Stalkers could obtain things like addresses and phone numbers easily enough. She didn’t want to hear talk of love from a man she might have only talked to once or twice in her life.
I’m not sure. I’m scared. I don’t know you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tease. After a few seconds, she sent another message. If we know each other, just tell me who you are. It’ll be okay.
This time, he responded right away.
Don’t be afraid. You do know me. Where I was born, my middle name, my date of birth.
She did? She thought quickly and came up with lots of men who fit that list. She tapped her foot as her mind raced.
But you won’t tell me?
She got another fast response. Not yet. Trust that I’m telling you the truth. Please.
What could she say back to that? Was he going to come up to her and ask her to dance? Couples had started filling the dance floor at the far end of the lobby. She moved back toward the stairs. Should she go ba
ck down to the first floor? None of the men looked at her, and she couldn’t find the man in black. She kept looking down at her phone.
A moment later she felt hot breath on her neck. “Don’t you think my fingers should be doing something else?”
She turned and looked into the eyes of the masked man. “Perhaps. You should probably introduce yourself first.”
He drew close and took her hand. He kissed her wrist and let his tongue play over her pulse. “You truly do look ravishable.”
“I think you mean ‘ravishing’. And I wasn’t looking for a compliment. I was asking for a name.”
He stepped even closer to her and placed her hand over his heart. He leaned into her hair. “I know what I said, and it’s exactly what I meant. I can feel how much you want me, so why does my name matter anymore than yours does?”
He spoke in a low, husky voice, but she did know that voice from somewhere. Or did she? The familiarity was vague. He didn’t have a discernable accent. He had that flat way of speaking common to lots of states in the middle of the country. She looked into his eyes. They were hazel and green with flecks of gold, beautiful and hypnotizing. How could she forget eyes like that? Perhaps they had only spoken on the phone. Everyone sounded a little bit different on the phone. “So you do know my name?”
“Katie,” he whispered. He said her name with amazing tenderness. The word had slipped from his lips in a way that made her feel like she was being caressed intimately.
“How did you get my phone number?” she asked once she had recovered her ability to breathe.
“Do you really care?”
“Yes. The things you seem to think don’t matter are important from my point of view.”
“Are they? I think I’ll lose some of my appeal if I tell you too much.”
She moved past him and walked over to the chocolate fountain near the top of the stairs. Taking a strawberry she dipped it in chocolate before placing it on a plate to let the chocolate set. “Tell me how you got my number if you want to keep talking to me.”
“You gave it to me.”
She concentrated on eating the strawberry to hide her surprise and give herself another moment to think. Who was he? She gave out her cell number to friends only. She swallowed and suddenly remembered the fundraiser she’d organized earlier in the year. She’d put her cell number in the email to all the volunteers. She’d had the departmental credit card, so she’d asked all of them to call her whenever supplies were needed that week. If she remembered correctly, there had been thirty-five volunteers.
“The fundraiser.”
“Pardon?”
“You helped with the fundraiser in February.”
He smiled. “I did. You did a marvelous job.”
“Thank you.” She felt a little safer now. At least he had some credentials. University employees all had to submit to background checks. “It was fun.”
“You do look lovely tonight. Very different, but very beautiful.”
“Not really my color, but it was the only one that didn’t push my breasts all the way up my nose.” What else could she say? What could she ask to make him give her more of a clue? “You look wonderful. Westley from The Princess Bride, right?”
“I admit it.” He gave a bow. “With pride.”
The bow and his words showed he knew the movie. All her friends and most of her co-workers knew she loved it, so that didn’t help a lot. Had she mentioned it one night while working on the fundraiser? She had often curled up with the DVD playing after long days that month. Was she flattering herself too much? She didn’t think so. He must have chosen the costume purposely. She liked the effort it showed. This man had a very seductive charm. “It’s a good choice.”
He chuckled. “You have no idea who I am, do you, my dear?”
She didn’t like not having the upper hand while flirting. “Yes, I do.” She tried to sound bold and confident. Why was he so amused? “You helped us with our fundraiser. You work here.”
“What department?”
She hesitated and pretended to search her memory. “That’s a trick question. You didn’t tell me.”
“You know where I work. You’re bluffing.”
“I am not!”
He turned away from the other guests and led her down the hall. “Then tell me my name.”
“Where are we going?”
“Someplace we can talk.”
“We are talking.”
“Yes, you were about to tell me my name, I believe.”
“Rumpelstiltskin.”
“You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”
“I am not flustered! Is it so strange to want to know a guy’s name when he starts sending you dirty texts?”
“Not really. At least you admit you don’t know my name.”
She let her breath out in a huff. “Fine. I don’t know it, but I don’t see what the big deal is.” She reached for his mask.
He grabbed her hands and pushed her into the corner. His lips covering hers in a searing kiss. His mouth banished every sane thought from her head. “Not so fast, my dear.”
“You’re telling me not to go so fast. That’s a laugh.”
He smiled. “Perfect. We always have a good laugh together.”
“What?”
“Every single time we talk, you make me laugh. I love your sense of humor.”
His body pressed close proved hard to ignore. “That’s nice to know.”
His eyes kept searching hers. She couldn’t look away. No man had ever made her feel like this. As much as she was enjoying the banter, she wanted to be alone with him. As she looked at his mouth, she also wanted to persuade him to make good on his earlier promises.
She licked her lips and started to say something, but he stopped her with a slow and sensuous kiss. This one burned as much as his first one had, but in a completely different way. Something in his embrace called to her heart. She felt lost in him. She didn’t even care if anyone saw them in the darkened corner.
When their lips parted, she said, “There was something you said you wanted to do to me. Several things, if I’m not mistaken?”
He put his lips to her ear. “You’re not.”
He pulled her all the way to the end of the hall and up to the third floor. He drew her down that hallway to another flight of stairs. They ascended again, and he brought her to a door finally. To her surprise, they ended up in a bedroom.
As romantic, and convenient, as this was, she was puzzled. “Why is there a bedroom here?”
“Guest rooms for visiting professors. They’re all vacant for now.”
Dim light filled the bedroom, and it took her eyes a moment to adjust, but she knew his eyes never left her as she looked around. She could feel his gaze burn against her skin. She looked up into his face. His hungry look told her he would know exactly how to please her. He searched her face with a mysterious smile playing across his lips. Again, she felt his hesitation was a purposeful tease. He liked making her wait, and thoughts of the pleasure to come made her ache with need. It had been far too long since she’d had sex, especially with a man this tempting. Desire coiled deep inside her as she waited for his touch and soon began to long for it.
“So you wanted to talk?” she asked, and her voice was husky.
“If you like. Other thoughts are occurring to me now.”
“Yes. You did hint at a few things earlier.” She leaned forward to encourage him. He caressed her cheek before moving behind her. His arms slid around her waist. He nuzzled her neck and began to kiss her gently.
She moved into his embrace. His hot lips made her shiver as they moved over the sensitive skin of her neck. A sigh escape her lips as his mouth traveled very slowly down to her shoulder and then back up her neck again. Her knees quivered when he nibbled a spot behind her ear. Tightening his grip around her waist, he pressed the full length of his body into her. His hands ran up her body, appreciating every curve. Cupping her breasts, he pressed his hardened cock against h
er. She rubbed her ass over him and felt how thick he was. Another squeeze of her breasts as his lips continued the sensually sweet teasing of her neck set her on fire. She wanted him to rip her dress right off and take her that very moment. She was so wet she could hardly believe his mouth had only touched her neck. What would it be like when he explored the rest of her? He flicked his thumbs across her nipples, which also responded to this touch. Bursts of pleasure spread through her, and the pulsing need in her belly only grew worse. She gasped, and he chuckled, kissing her cheek playfully.
How had this man slipped under her radar? “Who are you? I can’t believe I didn’t notice you before.”
“Someone who’s in love with you,” he whispered. “Say you trust me. Say you’ll make love with me.”
In love with me? Her addled brain refused to help her recognize the voice of her very skilled seducer. She’d been so busy, and all the volunteers blurred together in her mind. Lots of them had been men. She couldn’t recall a single one who had been half as sexy. Had he spent every moment since February in the gym? Who had told her where he was born? What his middle name was? She’d made lots of idle conversation, but she didn’t recall details like those being relayed.
One of his hands slid down to her vagina, bringing her thoughts back to him. He cupped her through her dress. “You have precious little time left.” His voice was even lower and huskier now as he rubbed her so intimately. He placed his lips beneath her ear and let his teeth graze the soft skin while his other hand slid down her thigh. “A few more moments, and I won’t let you say no.”
She didn’t want to say no. Nothing could make her say no to this man’s touch. The light and playful menace in his words made her wetter. She had hardly thought that possible moments earlier. She sensed that, somehow, he knew exactly what would arouse her. She tilted her head to look in his eyes. “I trust you. I want to make love with you.” She closed her eyes when he pressed firmly on her clit. “You said you would make me tremble.”
He smiled and brushed a kiss over her lips. “I already have.” His fingers gathered her skirt and inched it up. His nearness and warm breath on her skin made her long for a deeper kiss from those sensual lips. He touched her thigh and moved up. The light brush of his hand on her heated skin felt like heaven. She’d longed to be caressed and seduced this way for years. He slid two fingers into her panties. Only his eyes reacted, but they said he was very pleased. “Just as I’ve already made you wet.”
