Ceremony of Seduction
Cassie Ryan
For those who keep me inspired on this lifelong
writing journey—my critique group,
The Butterscotch Martini Girls: Judi Thoman, Beverly Petrone,
Isabella Clayton, Kayce Lassiter, Carol Webb, and
Samantha Storm.
To Audrey LaFehr for pulling my manuscript out of the slush pile and for seeing the possibility of a trilogy in my little story.
To my agent, Paige Wheeler, for all the support and encouragement.
To everyone at Kensington for a terrific HOT cover, and giving this series a home with the Aphrodisia line.
To my husband, Jon, for being my happily ever after.
A
lyssa Moss floated into her recurring erotic dream with a sense of keen anticipation. “Stone?” The vibrations of her words echoed as if she were in a long tunnel. Misty fog drifted around her ankles, as she searched for the man who came to her each night.
Even though she knew he would appear, she was startled when strong hands captured each of her arms from behind. She inhaled the wild scent of sandalwood, woodsy and natural, with a masculine essence completely Stone. With just his touch, her body came alive. Her breasts grew heavy and moisture dampened the inside of her thighs. “Touch me,” she whispered, leaning back against him, waiting for the moment his large hands would caress her full breasts. Anticipation in the form of white-hot electricity stung her nipples. “I thought you wouldn’t come tonight. I’ve waited—”
He spun her around and silenced her with a kiss. His hands were everywhere, his tongue mating with hers, dipping and tasting her lips, her teeth, every part of her mouth. Her T-shirt swept along her skin, up over her head. He smiled that sinfully wicked grin that always made her toes curl as he flung the discarded shirt aside. His eyes darkened with desire and a feral growl rumbled deep inside his throat. Before claiming her mouth again, he laid her back on the feather bed. Her senses swirled and the bed dipped as he followed her down, anchoring his fully clothed weight on top of her.
“I’ll always come for you, Princess. One of these days I’ll find you and we can be together.” His lavender eyes smoldered with lust as he stared down at her. “Will you tell me where you are, Alyssandra?”
She threaded her fingers through his silky mahogany hair and sighed. “I tell you every night. I’m in Phoenix, waiting for you.” His hard cock dug into her stomach. She arched, wrapping her legs around his narrow hips, pressing against him, enjoying the way his rough jeans stroked and teased her wet pussy.
He shook his head. “I know not of this ‘Phoenix’, but I shall find it and when I do, we will be together at last.” He stole her senses in a soul-searing kiss that hardened her nipples to taut beads beneath the touch of his callused hands.
She arched against him, offering herself, begging for his touch. He chuckled and she captured the sound in her mouth. “My greedy princess.” His hips thrust against her hot core, mimicking what she wished he would do in reality. She moved with him, each movement rubbing against her aching clit just the way she liked. He gently rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and she gasped. When his mouth replaced his hand, she released a moan. Moist heat closed over her sensitive peak and lava burned from the tip of her breast straight to her pussy, liquid heat pooling between her legs.
Stone turned his attention to her other breast. She ran a hand over his hard cock and he shuddered and groaned. She cupped the hot length of him, stroking him through his jeans as he suckled her breast harder, teeth scraping over her nipple until she thought she would explode. She traced her fingers along the waistband of his pants and slowly dipped her fingers inside to feel the silky head of his cock, already moistened with pre come.
Stone’s breath hissed out as he captured her hands in his, stretching her arms high over her head, her breasts thrusting upward. “You know I cannot let you touch me like that, Alyssandra. Not yet. You are not strong enough to give sustenance, only take. But soon, very soon.”
As it happened every night, her hands were magically bound. She could neither see nor feel her bindings, which only served to heighten her arousal. Another rush of excitement dampened the juncture between her thighs and she squirmed against her restraints.
“I want to feel your naked skin against me, Stone. I want to take your cock deep into my mouth before you bury yourself inside my pussy, your balls slapping against my ass while we fuck.” She smiled as Stone’s features suddenly appeared strained. She hoped someday, she would break his control and he’d do all of the things she longed for.
“You are a witch.” He smiled down at her, his features softening, obvious affection in his gaze. “And someday I will fuck you until you can no longer stand for teasing me so wickedly.” His tongue traced a slow path down to her aching mound and she bucked against him, wanting him to taste her, to suck her clit until her world shattered.
Maddeningly, he took his time, tracing her thighs, calves and feet with his rough fingers and then following with open-mouthed kisses, nips and well-placed licks. Then, he pushed her thighs wide and settled between them, placing a pillow under her ass, opening her fully to him.
“You have the most beautiful pussy, Princess.” He gently separated her folds and pressed a single finger inside her slit. “Slick and wet, as always.” His moistened finger traced a path downward to tease around her tight rosebud and her breath caught in her throat at the forbidden sensation. When he slowly inserted one blunt finger, a long moan ripped from her throat. “One day, I will stretch this beautiful tight ass with my cock.” Before she could reply, he dropped his head and laved her clit with his tongue, erasing all her thoughts.
“Stone, yes,” she managed as he began to finger-fuck her ass hard while he caressed the sensitive underside of her clit with his tongue. Her inner walls tightened, ever tighter until she teetered on the precipice, and then he pulled back. “No,” she screamed in frustration. “Please, Stone. Make me come. Don’t leave me like this again. I can’t stand it.”
He only smiled and shook his head. “You need sustenance not completion. However, I will stay with you a little longer tonight. Not to worry, Alyssandra, we will not be apart much longer. I can’t stand it either.”
She thrashed on the bed against her invisible bonds. She couldn’t go through another night of this frustration. Every day she spent with her entire body buzzing and ready, her breasts sensitive to every movement against even her softest bras and her clit and pussy lips so swollen with need, she could only wear skirts and not pants that rubbed against her sensitive flesh. Not to mention her daydreaming about the next time she could feel Stone’s touch. “Please…” she begged. “You can’t keep leaving me like this.”
“Shhh…” he said before dipping his head to trace the swollen folds of her pussy. She willingly gave herself up to the waves of pleasure that coursed through her body at every swipe of his talented tongue. Then Stone did something he’d never done before, surprising her. He continued to lave her slit, plunging his tongue deep inside then carrying her moisture on his tongue to stroke her clit. Then he gently probed into her ass with two fingers, stretching her slowly.
Her eyes widened and she gasped as the new sensation zinged through her body, her nipples tightening painfully. She took a moment to allow her body to adjust to this new invasion, but then she bucked against him wanting more. He only continued the slow torture on both fronts. Each time she neared the edge, he would stop and whisper soothing words to her until the feeling would recede, just enough to keep her from coming.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, using his other hand, he inserted two fingers into her aching slit, filling her equally from both sides. She loved the sensations, but wished he would replace one of them with his hard cock. Sounds of his hands slapping against her flesh as he pumped his fingers into her filled the air, causing her breath to catch and come in choppy pants.
Suddenly, he removed his fingers, leaving her bereft and empty. Then he sucked her clit between his lips in long pulls, scraping it lightly with his teeth. Her arousal wound tighter and tighter and just before she found her peak, he dissolved away.
Her alarm clock began its relentless drone.
Alyssa opened her eyes to see her own room. “Damn him!” He had left her once again unfulfilled. She pounded the covers in frustration. Stripping off her T-shirt, the soft cloth scraping across her engorged nipples like sandpaper, she hissed against the sensation and headed to the shower. “Another wonderful morning, with a nice hard shower spray to get me off,” she grumbled. “Whoever invented the handheld showerhead should receive sainthood.”
Stepping under the hot spray, she wet her hair and reached for the soap. The scent of honeysuckle filled her nostrils when the soap lathered between her fingers. As steam drifted around her, she imagined Stone’s large hands touching her body, caressing her as he had in her dream. She closed her eyes and spread the lather onto her sensitive breasts. She’d dreamed the touch of his calloused fingers on her body so many times, she knew how each caress would affect her. Tossing the soap back into the dish, she propped her left leg up on the side of the tub and took down the showerhead, adjusting the water to high pulse—her favorite.
She took a deep breath and in her mind’s eye saw Stone’s dark head between her thighs, his tongue buried deep, his thick fingers fucking her ass. Then she aimed the spray toward her aching clit. As arousal arrowed through her, she pictured his golden body naked and glistening with water. His massive cock driving deep inside her until she screamed his name. The thought sent her spiraling into an orgasm, which seemed to last forever. Energy zinged through her body, and then drained away as if it flowed down the drain with the water.
When the spasms finally eased, she sat down hard on the edge of the tub, exhausted, the showerhead still hanging limply from her hand. The sound of someone banging on the bathroom door startled her. She braced a hand against the wall as she lost her balance and fell forward in the tub. She caught herself just before tumbling headfirst.
“Alyssa! If you want a ride to work, then move your ass and quit masturbating in there. You’re screaming loud enough to wake the dead!”
Her cheeks burned. “How fucking embarrassing. If Debbie keeps catching me masturbating, she’s going to start checking my vision. Maybe I shouldn’t have listened to my father when he said I wasn’t smart enough for the driving test. If I studied hard enough and passed, I wouldn’t be dependent on rides from Debbie anymore.”
Chiding herself, Alyssa quickly finished her shower and dressed in her usual baggy oversized shirt, long jeans skirt, her favorite cowboy boots and a ponytail. She looked into the mirror and sighed at the sight of her pale freckles and plain face. “As usual, this is as good as it’s going to get.”
When she entered the kitchen twenty minutes later, Debbie was eating corn flakes and reading the morning paper. Alyssa studied her roommate and wished for the millionth time she could look more like her.
Debbie’s silvery blond hair hung in a satin waterfall to her shoulders, her wispy bangs giving her a trendy look. Her perfect makeup, designer jeans and sandals showcased a tight athletic body, which would look equally at home on the pages of
Playboy
or in a modeling session.
Alyssa shook her head. She was pudgy instead of sleek and no matter how much weight she lost, she’d never look like Debbie. She had hips and breasts where Debbie had a tight trim body. That was probably why Debbie’s room was a revolving door for all of the hottest guys in Phoenix. Alyssa had joked about installing a take-a-number machine on her roomie’s bedroom door. Surely, she could steal one from the post office. But Debbie would just grin and say it would cost too much to keep replacing the numbers.
“Hey, you gonna eat before we go?” Debbie looked up from her cereal. “I’m sure all that whacking off helped work up an appetite.” Her perfectly lined lips curved up in a smirk.
Alyssa ignored her and sighed. “I’ll grab something at the bar. I’m training a new bartender this morning, so I have to be there early.” She opened the side cabinet, which held all her medicine and took out the appropriate doses for the day. Ever since she’d turned sixteen, she’d been sickly and the doctors could find no cause. Instead, they treated her symptoms with no less than twenty different meds she had to take at various times throughout the day. Her adoptive parents often remarked that her real parents must not have been very healthy to pass on so many problems to their daughter. A familiar wave of pain spiked through her as she wished for parents who looked like her, acted like her, and understood her.
“Earth to Lyssa.” Debbie waved a hand in front of Alyssa’s face, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Do you have your fucking pharmacy ready? We’re going to be late.”
Alyssa snapped her purse closed and stifled a yawn. It didn’t feel like she’d slept at all last night.
Damned erotic dreams.
“Yeah, I’m ready. You’re going to be able to pick me up at closing, right? I don’t want to have to walk home that late.”
“No sweat. I don’t have a date tonight, so I’ll cut out of work early and come get you. We can grab drive-through on the way home or something.”
“Or something.” She sighed. Debbie knew she wasn’t supposed to have take-out. The doctors had kept her on a strict diet to try to minimize her symptoms. And even though nothing had helped, she did feel better when she didn’t eat a constant stream of grease and french fries.
Alyssa looked up as a sly look crossed Debbie’s face before she hid it.
Uh-oh, here it comes.
“What is it, Deb? You only get that look when you want something.”
Debbie shrugged, trying and failing for nonchalant. “How ’bout you leave work early on Friday? I have someone you should meet.”
Her mouth dropped open in shock and she turned to stare at her roommate. “You mean a guy?” Debbie always told Alyssa she wasn’t attractive enough to have a relationship. And when guys did look at her, they were just staring because she looked like she needed a mercy fuck. So, why was Debbie suddenly trying to fix her up?
“Not a guy, a
man,
” Debbie clarified. “Your twenty-fourth birthday is coming up, and I know this guy who is perfect for you.” She stopped and looked Alyssa up and down. “He doesn’t mind body types like yours. And since he has dark hair too, he probably won’t mind your muddy brown.”
Disappointment and hurt arrowed through her, tears burned at the back of her eyes and she blinked rapidly to clear them. She’d known her entire life she wasn’t very attractive. If her family and best friend didn’t even think so, then there was no use thinking anyone else would.
The only time I feel attractive is with Stone. I just don’t fit in anywhere else.
She suddenly longed to call in sick and return to bed and to the comfort of Stone’s arms—even if they were only in her dreams.