"Halloween is magical. Zigor says it"s a sacred night. Come to the party."
"I guess it"s better than staying home and handing out candy."
Mel smiled. "There you go. As good a reason as any to have fun. Zigor and I will come by around seven to pick you up."
"I"ll get there myself."
"No, we"ll come for you. Otherwise I"m afraid you"ll change your mind."
"Don"t worry. I won"t."
Once Mel left, Marie walked to the bathroom and ran warm water in the tub. She poured in coconut scented bubbles, Charles"s favorite. She smiled, remembering how he loved to ma.s.sage her entire body with coconut scented oils and lotions. He bought her all kinds of coconut shampoo and soap, then invited her in the shower so they could wash each other. G.o.d, that man had loved to play and she had been a most willing playmate.
She was about to step into the water when the doorbell rang.
"I"m coming," Marie grumbled. Dragging her robe back on, she hurried down the stairs. A glance through the peephole revealed an empty hall. She opened the door and was surprised to find a large package on the floor.
Her brow furrowed. It was addressed to her from the G.o.dfrey Costume Company.
Smiling, Marie brought the box to the kitchen and opened it. Mel was such a great friend. She must have sent the costume since Marie didn"t have one.
"Wow."
She lifted out the white gauze gown trimmed with fine gold thread. It reminded her of something from ancient Rome. No wonder. The card resting beside a pair of gold sandals at the bottom of the box read Venus.
The G.o.ddess of love and beauty. A tingle spread through Marie. The idea of attending the party suddenly seemed almost fun. What she wouldn"t give for Charles to be with her tonight. That would make the evening perfect and as magical as Mel had said.
"Keep dreaming." Depression washed over her, burying that momentary spark of excitement. Charles was alone somewhere, probably starving and abused, and she was on her way to a costume party.
Was she being selfish? Maybe she shouldn"t go.
She had to go. She had promised Mel, and all this sadness was starting to destroy her. With or without Charles, life would go on. She could either bow down to it like a coward, or conduct herself like the strong woman Charles had always thought her to be. Shaking her head, she took the dress to her bedroom.
Chapter Four.
"You"re sure she"s coming?" Charles called from where he stood in front of a mirror in a room he"d rented at Burgundy Peak.
"Yes. We"re picking her up," Mel replied.
"Good." He adjusted his long black toga. The garment draped one shoulder, wrapped around his middle just below his chest, and hung to his ankles. The scarring on his chest, back, and arms wasn"t as severe as on his face, and most people at the party would probably a.s.sume it was part of his costume. Charles glanced at his reflection in the gla.s.s. A mask which gave the illusion of metal concealed his face, except for his eyes and scarred lips. Yellow and black snake-style contact lenses concealed his gray irises. The entire image was creepy and mysterious, perfect for the role he would play tonight.
His entire body tingled when he recalled all the times he and Marie had interwoven role playing with lovemaking. How he missed those games, but more than anything he missed her. He longed for the talks they shared and even the silent moments when they didn"t need to speak, but simply enjoyed being together.
"I still don"t understand this whole charade," Zigor stated. "I think you should have just told her the truth."
Mel shrugged. "Some people might say what he"s doing is romantic."
"I can"t believe you went along with his foolish plan, delivering that invitation and practically forcing Marie into coming." Zigor wrapped an arm around Mel"s waist and hauled her to his chest. "You deliberately went against my orders."
"I"m sorry."
"No, you"re not, but later you might be."
Charles raised his eyes to heaven. Zigor and Mel"s DOM/sub relationship made no sense to him, but as the old saying went, to each his own.
"Do you think she"ll wear the costume?"
"I"m sure if you personally brought it to her she"d have worn it."
Charles sighed. "You never give up, do you, Zigor?"
"You know," Zigor circled Charles with an appraising look, "your costume is rather good. You look like some sort of demonic philosopher."
"It"s Vulcan."
"I think it"s so romantic." Mel grinned. "He"s going to sweep her off her feet and tell her how sorry he is that he"s made her worry and that he wants to spend his immortal life with her."
Charles laughed. "You"re as bad as Zigor, only nicer about trying to get what you want."
"We had better go if we"re to escort Marie to the party." Zigor grasped Mel"s upper arm and guided her to the door.
"Thank you for doing this. Both of you."
Growling deep in his throat, Zigor left with Mel.
Charles"s pulse leapt when he realized that within the hour, he would see Marie again. With any luck, he"d be talking to her and dancing with her.
Drawing a deep breath, he left the room and headed for the downstairs club where the party was already underway. The scent of vampire blood, perfume, alcohol, and delicious food wafted on the air. People dressed in a variety of costumes sat at booths and tables or stood around the bar while others made use of the polished dance floor in the center of the room. A soft, new-age type song with lovely strains of a flute added to the magical atmosphere. Usually, Charles would have enjoyed a party like this, but tonight he was too nervous. Though he appeared calm, his stomach twisted with anxiety.
He had to be crazy to pull a stunt like this. Though it had not been his intent, he suddenly realized it seemed like he was toying with Marie"s emotions. Regardless of whether he revealed himself to her, he should have told her the truth from the first. If she did look upon him with disgust tonight, he deserved it.
Stopping by the bar, he waited for the bartender, dressed as a giant mouse, to approach.
"What can I get you?" she asked.
"Rum."
"What kind? We have --"
"I don"t care."
Nodding, the bartender filled his order while Charles stared at the door. When the drink was placed in front of him, he swallowed it in a gulp. It was ultra sweet, just like Marie liked it. Rum was her favorite drink. He asked for another.
Suddenly she stepped into the room. Charles"s heart slammed against his chest, as fast as a mortal"s after a sprint. The drink arrived just in time. His mouth had gone completely dry. He swallowed it fast and remained at the bar, staring at Marie. Venus. The G.o.ddess of love and beauty. No woman could have fit the description better.
The flowing white stola was gathered at the top of each shoulder, leaving her rounded, creamy arms bare. The incredibly low neckline revealed a healthy portion of her big, beautiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s. As she walked, the gauzy material clung to the slope of her belly and the fullness of her hips. He almost envied the material itself as it molded to her thighs. The gold sandals looked gorgeous on her feet with their red painted toenails. Drawing a deep breath, he released it slowly. His c.o.c.k leapt as he remembered the sensation of her soft feet running up and down his legs. Sometimes she"d even stroke his c.o.c.k with them. G.o.d, it felt so good.
He noted that she wasn"t smiling. Unusual for her. One of the things that had initially attracted him to her was her cheerful, infectious smile. She looked a bit paler than usual, her skin like porcelain. Faint shadows marked the flesh below her beautiful, catlike eyes. Had she been missing sleep over him? Was he an egomaniac to even think that she was? Mel and Zigor said she had been upset. If she was unhappy, he was to blame.
I"m a selfish son of a b.i.t.c.h.
Suddenly her gaze fixed on him. A faint blush rose in her cheeks and from across the room he heard her heartbeat quicken. His mimicked its rhythm. G.o.d. It was now or never.
While Mel and Zigor stopped to talk to a friend in the hallway, Marie decided to join the party. Maybe it wouldn"t be so bad after all. At least she"d get to see a lot of nice costumes. And couples dancing and having a good time. Sighing, she realized she never should have agreed to come. It was stupid. A waste of time. It only made her feel worse about Charles"s absence.
Stepping into the dimly lit room, she stood against the wall for a moment until her eyes adjusted. Charles had been gone for so long that she"d stopped using candlelight and the fireplace and had gone back to electric lights like a normal person. He"d never been demanding about dim light, but since she knew it was more comfortable for him, she had gladly adjusted her lifestyle. Not only that, the soft light of flames was so much more romantic. Since he"d gone, her sense of romance had died.
It took only a moment to accustom herself to the hall"s atmosphere. Flames danced in black lanterns on each table. Most of the guests were in costume. There were ghosts, cats, gypsy dancers, knights, an Egyptian queen, rock stars, and countless others in fantasy dress. To her left, the buffet offered a variety of food. Sandwiches, salads, vegetables and chips with dip, Halloween cookies, and a table full of pumpkin pies with whipped cream were enough to make her stomach grumble. She was about to try some of the food when her appet.i.te suddenly faded. Her stomach tightened and her heart throbbed wildly in her chest. A man with a drop dead gorgeous body accentuated in a black toga-like costume stood at the bar. A metallic mask, strangely eerie, concealed the upper half of his face. A dark beard covered most of his jaw, but his neck and lips were warped by some kind of fake latex scars. The outfit left his ma.s.sive, beautifully muscled chest and arms bare. Even from across the room, she noted the dark, curling hair covering his pectorals and more of the fake scars on his torso. The dark, ankle-length material draped one shoulder, leaving the other exposed. She hadn"t seen a body like that since Charles.
G.o.d. What was she thinking? Her lover could be suffering or dead and she was ogling some bozo at a costume party.
She tried tearing her gaze from the stranger, but couldn"t. Something about him drew her, reminding her of the pull she had felt for Charles when they first met. That was why the man attracted her. With his height and build, he was too much like her lover.
"Are you all right?" Mel touched Marie"s shoulder.
She jumped, placing a hand to her breast and forcing a smile. "Sure. Mel, see that guy at the bar?"
"Which one? Zorro or Tarzan?"
"The one in the toga thing."
"Oh, yes."
"Does he remind you of anyone?"
"Yes, Satan."
"No, not Satan."
"Who does he remind you of, Marie?"
Shaking her head, Marie couldn"t bring herself to form the words. Her friends already thought she obsessed about Charles too much. This would probably confirm their worries. "He just -- he"s sort of attractive, that"s all."
"Even in that costume?"
"It"s kind of s.e.xy in a weird way."
"What about all that scar stuff?" Mel asked.
"A lot of people here are in gory makeup."
"What if it turns out not to be makeup?"
Marie"s brow furrowed. "That"s a strange thing to ask."
"So, what would you think if they were real?"
"That"s a rather tacky question, Mel, but why should it matter? With a body like that, who needs skin like an airbrushed magazine photo?" Guilt suddenly washed over Marie. "I"m not going to cheat on Charles."
"There"s nothing wrong with finding a man attractive. Why don"t you try to have a nice time tonight?"
"I will. I guess. I -- G.o.d, Mel, he"s coming this way."
"Good. Maybe he"ll ask you to dance."
"Me? I doubt it. He"s probably coming to hit on you. G.o.d, Zigor won"t like that."
"Then I had better go join my Viking for the night." Grinning, Mel walked across the room and stood with Zigor at the bar.
To Marie"s surprise, the object of her attention hadn"t so much as glanced at Mel. That was highly unusual. Mel was stunning. Most men couldn"t keep their eyes off her. This guy seemed fixed on Marie.
Impossible. She glanced behind her to see if there was some other woman standing there.
The gorgeous giant stopped in front of her. Through the eyeholes in the mask, his yellowish eyes gazed at her. She wondered if his eyes looked like that naturally, or if he was wearing contacts. They looked almost serpent-like, not like the eyes of any vampire she"d ever met before, yet there was something familiar about this man. Her gaze drifted to his lips peeking through his heavy beard. They were thin on one side and much thicker on the other. Their color was the strangest pink. His neck and torso were also mottled pink and white, the scars appearing almost too real. Suddenly she wondered if Mel was right. Perhaps the man wasn"t wearing makeup after all.
"Excuse me, Miss, but I couldn"t help noticing your costume."
A ripple of pleasure-pain coursed through Marie"s entire body. Pleasure because his deep, rich voice touched with a British accent was beautiful to hear, pain because in spite of his accent, his tone reminded her too much of Charles.
"You are supposed to be Venus, are you not?"
"Huh? Oh, yes." Marie"s pulse leapt.
"Do you know who I"m supposed to be?"
Mel"s guess popped into her head. "Satan?" G.o.d, what a stupid thing to say! What the h.e.l.l was wrong with her?
His funny mouth turned up in what looked like a smile. Suddenly she wondered how those lips would feel against hers. He was probably a wonderful kisser. No man could remind her so much of Charles and not kiss well.
"No, not Satan. Vulcan."
"Oh." Marie tried not to look as ignorant as she felt. The name sounded familiar, yet she couldn"t quite remember the character.
"In Roman mythology, he was the G.o.d of fire, the smith G.o.d. He was also married to Venus."
Resisting the urge to close her eyes in ecstasy from the sound of his voice, she willed her heartbeat to slow. In spite of the excitement this man roused within her, terrible sadness weighted her heart. What she wouldn"t give for the man dressed as Vulcan to be her Charles. "Oh. That"s funny."
"Are you here alone? You must know someone at the party since you"re one of the only humans here."
"I came with my friends..." Marie"s voice trailed off as she looked around the room for Zigor and Mel. They seemed to have disappeared. "They were just here."