by Storm Chase
Then, catching a sight of herself in the mirror, and seeing her flushed face and tight nipples, Pandora began to laugh. Once she started laughing, she couldn’t stop. Pandora slid to the ground, and sat under the blaze of water drops, giggling hysterically.
“Panda?” It was Xavier, peering at her anxiously. He was squinting a little with drink too. “Are you all right?”
Xavier took her hand and hauled her to her feet. The second he touched her, little shivers ran up her body. She collapsed against him, still giggling. He was holding her up while reaching around her for the tap.
“Don’t switch it off,” Pandora hiccoughed.
“What?” Xavier said surprised. The water was now cascading down him too, soaking his T-shirt and jeans. “Panda, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Pandora could feel her skin humming. The way her pebbled nipples rubbed against his T-shirt was making them ache. There was a throbbing between her legs that wouldn’t quit. Part of her knew this was all wrong but the wine drowned the thought. “It feels good,” she murmured.
“You’re pissed, Panda!” Xavier was laughing at her.
He was holding her gently, and looking at her with such love, that Pandora impulsively kissed him. His lips were soft, warm and smooth. Instantly, her body went into overdrive. Pandora moaned and her skin heated and throbbed. She reached for the ends of his T-shirt and started pulling it off.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Xavier asked, his voice rather muffled as his head got stuck in the wet cotton.
“Shut up, Xav, and fuck me,” Pandora growled. All she could think about was settling that pounding between her legs. She tugged at his jeans, impatiently undoing the button. When the sodden jeans finally dropped away, Pandora was shaking so much that she could hardly stand.
“Panda,” Xavier was saying worriedly, “I think this might be that boost working.”
“Yes! And it’s fantastic!”
“But Panda-”
Pandora felt a wave of impatience flooding her. “Xav, I’m enjoying myself!” She tugged at him. “Come feel the water. It’s heaven.”
Xavier stepped directly under the spray. Then he was moaning feverishly as he was running his hands over her body while kissing her face, her neck, and her breasts. “God, Pandora, you are so beautiful!”
The feel of his skin against hers, the water drops tantalizing her to screaming point, drove all coherent thought out of Pandora’s mind. She wrapped herself around him, kissing, touching, getting more and more excited as she felt him straining against her.
His erection was standing up like a flagpole, pressing into her stomach. She ran her hand down his chest, trailing her fingers over his bellybutton before coming down on the tip of his cock. At her touch, he gasped and stood stock-still. Pandora teasingly ran her fingers around the rim and watched as he shook, shivered and moaned with pleasure.
“Nice?” she asked softly.
“No. Not nice. Fucking fantastic, amazing, wonderful-” His eyes were half closed, the water cascading down his face, separating his eyelashes until they looked like starfish. His breath was coming out in short hard gasps. He put his hands on her shoulders, holding on to her as he groaned softly at her caress. “Don’t stop, Panda. Please don’t stop.”
His desire was stoking her want to a frenzy. Her skin felt hot, the breath was tight in her chest. She could feel herself bubbling over between her legs. She stroked his erection, feeling it strain against her hand. As she heard his breath quicken, hers began to catch in her throat.
“You’re so beautiful.” His eyes were looking straight into hers. His pupils were huge, lit with desire. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
Pandora leaned against him, feeling weak with desire. His arms were curling round her, his fingers running up and down her skin, sending lightning shivers of pleasure shooting through her. His head dipped, his tongue lapping at her beaded nipples. At the touch, Pandora felt something deep inside her warm and clench. The words tore out of her, “I want you so much!”
He moved in close pushing her against the wall, trapping her in the circle of his arms and holding her tight against his chest. He was kissing her, his lips crushing hers as his hand slipped between her legs and began stroking the tight little bud that pulsed there. At his touch, Pandora moaned with pleasure. She clutched his shoulders, dropping her head in his neck and shivered with delight.
His body was hard, the muscles moving fluidly underneath soft skin. She sucked the skin around his collarbone, seeing through half closed eyes that her touch was giving him goose pimples. His erection was pushing against her insistently, throbbing with an intense heat. The world went blank: all she could think was that she wanted him inside her.
She leaned back, clutched him tightly, stood on one leg and wrapped the other around his waist. Looking into his eyes, she teased his cock with her fingertips before leaning it against her hot wet center. She gazed into his eyes, moaning with delight as he entered her slowly. He steadied her with one hand, caressing her face with the other before dipping his head and kissing her fiercely.
His desire enveloped her as she drowned in sensation. The feel of his holding her tenderly as he drove in and out of her was driving her to fever pitch. She ground against him, feeling her clit hot and hard against his flesh. She heard her breath come out in gasps as she arched into him, tipping her hips, matching his every move.
He was groaning now, his entire body shaking as he tried to hold himself back. The knowledge that she’d driven him to the brink was enough to tip her over the edge. Her body gathered, clenched and convulsed, carrying him with her as she pulsed to shattering waves of delight.
She hung on to him, gasping, moaning and whimpering. Overwhelmed by exquisite ripples of ecstasy, she was only dimly aware of being picked up, dried and tucked up in bed. She could hardly keep her eyes open but she became aware of his moving away from her. “Don’t go!”
“You said you wanted to sleep alone.”
“No! Don’t go!”
Instantly he turned back to her, wrapping his arms around her. Pandora sighed with pleasure, her face tucked into his hard shoulder, inches away from the dragon tattoo. A hand stroked her softly. “Love you, Panda.”
Sinking into sleep, her last thought was that she felt cocooned in sweet tenderness. “Love you too,” she murmured.
She woke up and lay dozing comfortably. The light was soft; too soft to be late in the day. She could drift in half slumber until the alarm went off.
She wriggled happily, enjoying the soft cotton sheets. She felt wonderful. Still half asleep she wondered why she was feeling so good. What had she been doing the night before?
Then, a series of flickering memories, as if part of an old film seen years ago, slid into her mind. An image of Xavier’s face leaning over hers, the dragon tattoo inches away from her, the feeling of his kiss on her neck, and the memory of the feel of him against her body washed over her.
Startled, she sat bolt upright in the bed. The framed photos of the African chieftains were looking down on her but she was alone. Xavier’s side of the bed was empty; when she ran her hand over the sheets they were cool. Clearly he’d been up for ages. She could hear low voices coming from the other room. They were too soft for her to recognise.
Hastily Pandora got out of bed. She pulled on the jeans and T-shirt lying abandoned on the floor. Holding up the jeans with one hand, she crept to the door and listened carefully. There was only one voice. It was Xavier’s.
She peeked round the corner. Xavier was sitting behind the bank of computers, talking into a microphone. Pandora noted with chagrin that while she could feel the hard beat of a hangover behind her eyes, he looked fresh and full of energy. A large latte stood at his elbow.
“Get it fixed ASAP,” he snapped into the microphone. “I can’t have a leak here, not even a small one. The water might seep into the floor and damage the lines.”
“All right, Dragon,” a voice crackled.
Xavier punched a button and immediately started typing. He looked cool and calm, totally absorbed in what he was doing. Pandora walked into the room, her anger rising by the second. She came to a halt in front of him.
“Panda!” he was grinning at her. “Sleep well? Have a coffee. There’s a fresh pot in the kitchen. I’m busy but I’ll have a few minutes for you soon.”
“You bastard!” she said furiously.
He frowned at her. “Are you angry?”
“Yes, I’m bloody well angry! You drugged me!”
He smiled. “Last night. Yes. It did work, didn’t it? Took a while though.”
“You raped me!”
“I didn’t,” he said calmly. “You told me you were enjoying yourself. You said so several times.”
“Don’t you understand what you did?” Panda asked bewildered. “That wasn’t me; that was that libido drug talking.”
“I said so but you said you didn’t care.” He spoke absently, his mind clearly on the screen in front of him. “Anyway, it was fun so what’s the problem?”
“Hey!” Pandora shouted. “I’m standing right here, Xavier!”
“I said I’m busy, Panda. Later.”
Pandora could see him submerge himself in his work. Part of her knew he was right: she remembered him saying they should wait and she knew full well that it had been her who’d taken the lead. But the other part of her reminded her that he’d given her the spiked Mars bar in the first place. Suddenly furious, she picked up the coffee and threw it at him.
For a moment he stared at her, total astonishment in his eyes. The coffee dripped down his face, slopping down onto his keyboard. Then he shrugged off his T-shirt, mopped up the spill carefully, dropped it on the floor and went back to his work.
Pandora stared at him. He wasn’t human. He sat there, typing away, totally oblivious to her. She stormed into the kitchen. She’d throw something better than coffee.
There was a small pool of water coming from under the sink. She sidestepped it and began opening cupboards. The first drawer she opened yielded a steak knife with a serrated edge. She picked it up.
He was still typing away. She stood in the doorway, staring at him. She hesitated, then lifted the knife to shoulder height, ready to throw it at him.
“I wouldn’t,” he said without looking up. “Even if you are accurate, it’s not sharp enough to damage me.”
Pandora glared at him. “It will cut your throat when you’re asleep!” she shouted.
“Probably.” He was still typing. “Make coffee, will you? I could do with some. In a cup. Not all over me.” He looked up at her. “I really am busy, Panda. What’s done is done. You can shout at me later,” he told her. He went back to his typing.
Pandora stared at him. She looked at the knife. He was right; it was too blunt. If she threw it, it would probably bounce off. But she wasn’t going to get him coffee. Pandora went into the bedroom and sat down in front of the window.
Her heart was beating furiously as red-hot anger washed through her. Gradually she regained her equilibrium. As the anger ebbed she became more and more worried. She’d always hated girls who threw drinks over people; now she’d done it herself. And what was she thinking when she picked up that knife?
She wanted to believe that all the violence around her was warping her but deep inside she knew her outburst was the result of weeks of suppressed rage. With growing horror Pandora also recognised that she’d probably alienated her only ally in this frightening world. An ally who had drugged her and taken advantage without hesitation. Xavier was as dangerous as those guns. He just smiled more.
She heard voices. Peeking into the corridor, she saw the fake policeman enter the kitchen. He was carrying a box of tools. Presumably he was fixing the leak.
Pandora sat and thought. Then she got up and went into the kitchen.
Mac was taking apart the pipes underneath the kitchen sink. When he spotted her, he smiled. He didn’t seem at all like someone who kidnapped people for a living. “If you want to make coffee or anything, I’ll be done in a few minutes.”
“I’m not in a rush,” Pandora said as she sat down at the breakfast bar.
She watched Mac remove sections of pipe, dry them, and fit new pieces in their place. He looked much more competent than the plumber who’d come to fix the water pipes in her flat the summer before. It seemed a lifetime ago.
To her annoyance, they were soon joined by an onlooker. Pandora didn’t like the look of the man at all. He was several inches taller than her and built like an all-in wrestler. Unlike Xavier, all this man’s muscles were covered with an inch of fat.
“Hey Ramon, mop this stuff up, will you?” Mac told him. “Dragon’s worried about water damage.”
Ramon opened a closet and produced a mop. Seeing Pandora fidget, clearly wishing him out of there, he leaned over and gave her an evil smile. His breath smelled of curry and onions. Seeing her shrink away from him, Ramon took out a phone.
“You’ll like this,” he said holding up it in front of her.
It was a video clip of a threesome. A white girl was lying on a bed covered in red sheets. The two men were black and looked just like the guns from the night before. The girl in the middle of the sandwich looked exhausted but the men were heaving away. It looked brutal.
When Pandora cringed, Ramon grinned. “Your future,” he said.
“Fuck off, Ramon!” Mac was half sitting up and glaring at him.
“Just joking.”
“It’s not funny.”
Ramon shrugged and exited. Mac went back to his work.
Pandora’s heart was racing. Her hands were slick with sudden sweat but her throat was bone-dry.
Mac tapped the pipes, nodded, then got up and ran the taps. The water gurgled down the drain and didn’t reappear on the floor.
“Get me out of here,” Pandora said impulsively.
Mac looked at her sombrely. “Sorry, no can do.”
“It’s your fault I’m here!”
“It was just a job.” He acted cool but his eyes flickered before he looked away. Clearly he was feeling guilty.
“So take on another job: get me out of here!”
Mac shook his head. “No way. I like to live.”
Pandora could feel hot tears welling in her eyes.
“Don’t worry about Ramon,” Mac said soothingly. “He’s an arsehole. You’ve got Dragon on your side.”
Pandora thought of the coffee she’d thrown at him. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Well, I would make sure he was.”
From his urgent tone Pandora realised he was warning her.
“The people he works with aren’t happy,” Mac said quietly. “I took on this job because you were slated for removal. Dragon decided against it, which is why Ramon is edgy. You’re here because you passed the test, but people like Ramon get nervous when you don’t fit. And as they’re pretty stupid as well as brutal, they tend to kill on impulse. You should be careful. Dragon will protect you but you have to learn to work with these people. Watch and act as they do.”
Pandora stared at him. The way he was talking made it plain that Mac wasn’t part of Xavier’s organisation. “How come you’re still here? Shouldn’t you be kidnapping someone?”
Mac laughed. “This is a high security op and we’re in lockdown. The original plan was for me to deliver at the airport. As we got diverted and the guide got killed, I had to do a door to door. Now I’m stuck here till this is over. Dragon’s orders.”
“Good,” Pandora said. “Now you know how it feels.”
Mac shrugged. “I’m getting paid my daily rate. And there’s a party going on in the apartment below. Dragon organised a raft of hookers to keep everyone busy during downtime.”
Pandora wondered if that gross video of Ramon’s had been taken downstairs. She shivered.
“I wouldn’t worry,” Mac repeated. “Dragon won’t let anything happen to you. He made it perfectly clear that you’re special.” He picked up hi
s tools. “Talk to him.”
“Much good that will do me,” Pandora said bitterly.
Mac stared at her a minute. “He’s standing between you and them so be sensible and protect yourself,” he repeated. “And I’m sorry about that tape,” he added. “I was worried you’d do something daft and get shot. Didn’t think I’d strapped you up that tight.”
He exited with a friendly nod. Pandora sat for a while, staring into space. She wondered if Xavier had long-term plans for her. Was she supposed to stay here forever? Pandora realised that she had no clue about her status. Then she got up and made coffee.
When she put the cup on Xavier’s desk, he looked up and smiled at her. “Thanks, Panda. Get me a T-shirt too, would you? Mine’s got coffee all over it.”
He really wasn’t human. Pandora went off and got him a T-shirt. He pulled it on, went back to his keyboard and then paused a moment.
“They’ll be here in fifteen minutes. Best disappear, Panda. I don’t want distractions.” He rummaged around in a drawer. “I forgot to give you this.”
It was a top of the range iPad. Numbly, Pandora took it from him.
“All your favourite books are on there. And the ones you marked as Want To Read on Goodreads.”
More evidence of his stalking. Pandora wondered if she’d ever be immune to the fact that Xavier seemed to know everything about her. She went to the bedroom and closed the door.
Sitting by the window, Pandora fired up the iPad. Maybe if she sent out an email they could trace her. She had no idea how that worked but on TV they always traced the bad guys online.
The screen showed the iPad was loaded with books, comics and magazines; clearly Xavier read in English and in Chinese. Or maybe it was Japanese or Korean. She couldn’t tell for sure.
She looked for an email icon. The app had never been used. She configured it to her Gmail address and she managed to get a message box to open but it wouldn’t send. Maybe there was no connection. Maybe she was missing something. She found an Internet icon; the page refused to load.
He’d blocked her somehow. Pandora considered her options. Idly, she checked out his calendar. Seeing the day’s date highlighted in blue underlined the fact that she’d lost several days from her life. It also became clear that Xavier didn’t use a scheduler. The calendar was empty.
