Masque (19 page)

She looked up at him. “Every time I’m with you, it’s a new
experience.”

His smile was smug. “Good.” With no explanation, he set her
on her feet and she had to catch the bar to keep upright. He then proceeded to
strip her of the beautiful gown. When she was naked, he turned her toward the
barstool again.

“Here, bend over.” He pulled another padded stool close so
she could lay her upper torso across two of them. He stepped away from her.

“What are you doing?”

He held up what appeared to be a dildo. “I’m removing your
toy.”

“Huh?”

“Spread your legs.”

Oh, she liked when he said that. Opening her legs, she
rested her cheek on the stool. Synn inserted the dildo until it bumped against
the bullet inside her. Her pussy instinctually clenched at the pressure of the
bullet.

He chuckled. “Relax. I want this out of you, to make more
room for me.”

Her muscles melted at his words and he pulled the dildo out,
the vibrator attached to it.

She lifted her head. “How did you do that?”

He held both so she could see. “Magnet.”

She started to stand, but his large hand pressed upon her
back again. “Stay there. You are perfectly positioned for what I want next.”

She relaxed against the stool cushions, her anticipation
building. Glancing back, she caught him lifting the strange skinny dildo with
the spaced bulbs made of some kind of plastic. He laid it across her back and
rolled it up and down its length like a massage, her muscles relaxed. “Hmm,
that feels good.”

Synn controlled his breathing with difficulty. Rena was so compliant,
it had him harder than the Abbey’s stone walls. Knowing she trusted him made
his body want to take full advantage of that, but he ruthlessly kept it in
check. Never would he break her trust within the Masque. But the Masque itself
was the ultimate betrayal of her, despite his hoped for outcome. His conscience
tried to distract him, but he tried to ignore it. The Masque was all that
mattered, wasn’t it? No. Bringing this woman pleasure also mattered, and he
would do everything he could to make that happen.

Rena’s ass in his hands begged him to penetrate it, and he
couldn’t help spreading her cheeks and staring at her opening there. Putting
aside the anal toy, he picked up the liquid called lube, according to Matt. He
was pleased he wouldn’t have to use oil. Without a word, he dribbled it down
her crease.

“Hey, what was that?” Her husky voice moved through him like
he moved through walls. Her butt cheeks tightened at the first touch of the
silky wetness, so he massaged them again.

“It is only liquid to make it easier to take you.”

“Oh.” Her breathy whisper proved exactly how excited she
was, and his dick jumped of its own accord. He poured more liquid at the apex
of her crack and spread her cheeks to watch it dribble over her anal star. All
the clothes he wore became suffocating, and he let her go to strip. Stepping
back against her, he couldn’t help rubbing his cock over her pretty ass cheeks.
“Do you want to be taken in your ass, Rena?”

She didn’t respond, but she pushed her ass back toward him.
God, he was so hard. He lifted the anal toy from the bar and stroked it from
the nape of her neck, down her spine, to the top of her ass. Shivers raced
across her skin, and he did it again. On the third stroke, he continued down
her crease, pulling the toy away before it met her pussy. He could see the
wetness on the insides of her thighs. Her body was still, waiting, her womanly
scent permeating his senses.

Pulling on one cheek, he slid the toy down the center until
it reached her opening. Slowly, while kneading her ass, he inserted the first
bulb into her anal opening. Her breathing hitched and sped up. Satisfied she
was excited, he pressed the toy deeper until the second bulb slipped inside,
completely hidden from his view. She would be so tight there. “Do you want
more?”

Rena’s hands, holding the second stool, released and gripped
it again. “Yes, Synn. More.” Her words were clipped from her rapid breaths.

He pushed in another bulb. She moaned. It was time. Time to
give his virgin a taste of what she’d been missing. He couldn’t believe he was
the one to introduce her to anal sex. God, he wanted to show her much more,
everything they could do together.

“Synn, I need you.”

Her breathy demand snapped him into action. He rubbed his
tip against her pussy and warm liquid smoothness coated him. He penetrated her
a couple inches, allowing her to feel the pressure of his cock against the toy
within her.

A low groan emanated from her. “More.”

He pushed farther into her until he had reached the hilt,
her tight pussy sucking at his control, the toy rubbing against the top of his
cock. Blast! He needed to come. He gritted his teeth. She had to come first. He
refused to take his own pleasure until she was fulfilled.

She whimpered with need, held on the edge of an orgasm.
Without warning, he pushed the toy into her ass one more time, sending another
bulb into her. Her gasp caught him by surprise as her pussy tightened around
him.

Holding her hips, he began his movement out.

Rena’s pussy clenched as her pants turned into rhythmic
moans. He glided back in, not wanting to go too deep with his cock while the
toy held her ass in thrall, but Rena’s orgasm started. She pushed her ass hard
against him and he squeezed her hips as he bumped against her cervix.

Understanding her need as she convulsed around him, he
pumped into her until her moans turned to high-pitched whimpers of ecstasy. The
ridges of the toy stroked him and he finally let go, allowing her to milk his
seed deep into her body. Groaning with release, he held her hips tight against
him, letting the final pulse of cum to shoot into her at will.

The sound of clapping froze his blood.

“I say, well done.” The voice issued forth from a wingback
chair halfway across the room.

“Eric.” The word came out as a growl.

Rena, dazed, glanced at him.

Synn stiffened. “The devil take you, Eric.” Without pulling
from her body, he grabbed his top coat off the bar and laid it over her back.
Slowly, he removed the anal toy, causing her a moan of pleasure that made him
want to continue their play, but not with Eric as audience.

Wrapping the clothing around her, he separated from her,
stifling his moan deep in his chest. He pulled her back onto his lap, her body
completely hidden from Eric’s salacious gaze.

“Eric?” Her voice was weak. “Oh, my God. He saw everything.”
Her hands tightened on the coat, her body trembled.

The bastard grinned. “Wonderful performance. I’ve never seen
it done quite that way before, on the barstools and all.”

Synn had never wanted to kill anyone before now, but rage
simmered high in his chest, burning it from the inside. How long had the
bastard sat there watching them? From the state of his naked arousal, it had
been awhile. What had been a beautiful, new experience for Rena was ruined.

She stiffened in his arms and he noticed Eric licking his
lips as he eyed every inch of her, coat or no.

“What the hell do you want, Eric?”

He waved his hand. “Oh, I think I got everything I wanted. A
wonderful show complete with toys, anal penetration and a gorgeous woman
whimpering in ecstasy. What more could I want?”

Rena shook harder. He didn’t know if it was shock or anger
and he didn’t care. Eric had already done enough damage and broken another rule
the prince had set in place. As much as Synn wanted to kill the bastard, his
first concern was Rena. Besides, the man was already dead. But he could suffer.
In one motion, Synn scooped his arm under Rena’s knees and stood with her in
his arms.

Spinning away from Eric’s gloating face, he strode for the
door.

“Leaving so soon?” The man’s whiny tenor grated against
Synn’s ears. “I had hoped to see much more of that lovely backside and thickly
nippled front side too.”

In no time, he had Rena through the White Room and Orange
Room. Away from the evil bastard who had made her feel like a whore. He only
hoped he could undo the damage. As he entered the Green Room, he belatedly
remembered Bryce as the man’s moan issued from a bed. Slowing, Synn noticed
three nude ladies having sex with the man at the same time.

He whispered in Rena’s ear, “Look.”

She lifted her head from his shoulder and glanced at the
foursome. When her eyes widened, he started again for her room. Maybe seeing
her former fiancé with three women would help.

Rena kept her face pressed into Synn’s chest as he sat with
her on her bed. She yearned so much to keep him with her, to make love in her
bed away from prying eyes and wild sexual experiences. Just the two of them.
She wanted to erase the awful ending of their night together.

His strong arms encircled her, adding to her sense of
security. She didn’t want to think about Eric watching them do what they did.
She shivered at the thought. He made her feel dirty, like a piece of trash. The
exact opposite of how Synn made her feel.

Synn brushed her hair with his hand. “Shh, don’t worry about
Eric. He is nothing. He has no taste, and he will do anything to keep us
apart.” He untied her mask and lifted her head. “Tell me.”

She stared into his intriguing eyes. An old gray gaze met
hers, the ocean-blue color barely visible. “I can’t believe I did what we did
tonight. Walking around like that, having sex with the toys.” She looked at her
hands fiddling with Synn’s coat, which was still wrapped around her. How could
she explain how Eric had made her feel? Even Bryce had never treated her like a
slut. In fact, he had tried to keep her from being one. Was she one?

“Rena?” Synn’s deep voice coaxed her into meeting his gaze.
“You are a beautiful, passionate woman and you are exploring your sexual
boundaries. How will you know what you like and don’t like if you don’t try new
experiences?” He held his hand beneath her chin. “And I enjoy sharing in those
experiences.”

She loved to share them with him too. “But how can what we
did be right? Isn’t it beyond…”

His fingers tightened as she tried to turn away.

“It’s all about what you are comfortable with. You already
told me you wouldn’t want to experience an orgy, so you are already discovering
your boundaries. You ask if what we did was beyond, beyond what? Beyond
exciting, wonderful, orgasmic?” His grin had her responding in kind.

“I guess.”

He let her go and squeezed her to him, chuckling. “Faint
praise, indeed, from my woman. I may shrivel up and never push between her
thighs again.”

Her whole body warmed from both his phrase and the image he
painted.

When he released her, he still smiled.

She loved his smile, as rare as it was. “I keep hearing
Bryce in my head. I guess he brainwashed me.”

Synn looked quizzically at her. “I don’t know about washing
your brain, but I can tell you he is enjoying his time in the Threesome Room.”

That’s right, he was! “Was that Beth, Mary and Annette?”

Synn shook his head. “No, Annette was above, but from the
angle of the ass, I’d say that was Victoria.”

At his knowledge of the woman’s anatomy, a sting of jealousy
hit, but she refused to acknowledge it hurt. “So, exactly how many of these
women have you come to know intimately?”

Synn’s smile faded, but his hand stroked her back. “I have
not been with any of the women in the Abbey. The first night I arrived, I
killed everyone and I have had no desire for sex until I saw you. I love having
sex with you.”

“Really?” She couldn’t help the thrill it gave her to know
she was his first in over a century. That he had many others before her was
obvious, but they were long dead and she benefitted from his experience in so
many ways. At least he loved having sex with her. That must have been what he
meant earlier when he said he loved her. He was simply excited that she was
interested in being tied and restrained. But maybe his sexual feelings could
lead to something else, something closer to what she felt.

He leaned in and brushed a light kiss on her lips. She
wanted to grab him and make it more, but he pulled away too fast.

“You need to get settled into bed. I expect you’re tired after
our busy evening.” He rose with her in his arms and set her feet to the floor.
She’d forgotten he was naked and couldn’t help staring at his wide chest and
defined biceps.

“Are you ready to shed my coat now?” His wry smirk had her
blushing. Suddenly shy, she glanced around for a t-shirt to put on before
taking off his coat.

“Rena.” His tone was quiet. “Let me see you flush with the
afterglow of our passion.”

Oh Lord, could this man talk her into anything or what? Oh,
what the hell. She opened the coat and dropped it to the floor. Synn’s entire
body stiffened in response and his cock came to attention. Did the sight of her
body do that?

She watched, fascinated as his gaze roamed over her, causing
her nipples to harden. His cock remained stiff. Maybe he would stay with her
now. Make love to her in her bed.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he cleared his throat. “Thank you
for that.” His husky voice caused her pussy to swell, her body readying itself
for him all over again.

He stepped toward her, but bent over the bed and moved the
sheet and blanket aside. Then with no warning, he scooped her up and deposited
her in it. She blinked and found herself covered and her light switched off.
Panic took hold at the thought of him leaving. “Synn!”

His voice came from the area of the door. “Yes?”

She fiddled at the sheets. “Can you stay with me?”

Silence met her request.

“Synn?”

“I shouldn’t.” His voice so close to her bed startled her,
and she had to catch her breath to slow her racing heart.

“But, but what if Eric comes to my room? I don’t know why I
think he will, but there was something different about him tonight.”

Synn’s weight as he sat on the bed at her hip reassured her.
His hand caught hers and stopped her from playing with the sheet. “What do you
mean?”

Without the light, she couldn’t read his face, but his
tension was palatable and his voice sounded strained.

“I don’t know. It was more of a feeling. When he looked at
me, I could feel pressure on each body part his gaze touched. And he seemed
confident, and…”

Synn squeezed her hand. “And?”

“Something has changed in him. Even his penis wasn’t skinny,
but it’s more than that.”

He sighed.

The moon had already set, which left her room in complete
darkness, but she could picture Synn rubbing the back of his neck like he did
when he thought through a problem.

His voice was low. “He did break another rule tonight. It
appears he is getting bolder or desperate. I’m not sure which.”

“Why? Why does he keep trying to keep us apart?”

Synn hesitated. “He is jealous. He has alienated all the
female ghosts because he doesn’t accept the word ‘no’. The fact that you and I
are enjoying the Pleasure Rooms of the Masque is giving him a show as well as a
purpose. He and I never did rub along together well. However, you are right.
There was something sinister about him tonight.”

Something in Synn’s voice wasn’t right. That he thought Eric
was jealous and a possible threat was clear, but he still hid something from
her. At least he agreed with her nervousness. “So you’ll stay?”

He left the bed and her hope for an intimate night vanished.

“Yes.” He sat in the chair by the fireplace. “I’ll stay and
protect you.”

It wasn’t what she had hoped for, but the fact he would be
in the room had her relaxing as the night’s activities caught up with her. As
she closed her eyes, she imagined Synn crawling into bed to hold her and
drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

As soon as dawn broke, though Rena still slept, Synn left
her room to search for Trent and Darby. They had a rat to catch.

After leaving the men to make preparations, Synn felt
lighter than he had in ages. Now he needed to convince Rena to brave the Black
Room. If they caught Eric, it shouldn’t be that difficult a task. The full moon
of two nights ago was waning and his friends would soon lose their voices and
their solidness for another two weeks. He hated for them to have to wait
another cycle. If all went well, in a matter of hours, he and Rena could
complete the Masque and the spirits could cross to the other side.

His step faltered. They would all leave.

He stopped at the top of the stairs. All those he had
existed with for the last one hundred and fifty years would be gone. They had
given him purpose, friendship, and had taught him much. His throat closed. Now
that he knew them and cared for them, he would mourn them. Seventy-three at
once were too many to lose. And he, he would continue to live a semi-existence
forever…alone. His heart pounded as desolation filled him.

His attention was caught by Rena crossing the entryway below
on her way to the dining room. Rena. He would still have Rena, but would he? He
was about to destroy her dream.

He could make it up to her. He could provide her guests with
a haunting experience, and he could continue to pleasure her…except, she was a
smart woman. She would quickly realize he had manipulated her into freeing the
souls of his friends. Based on her reaction to his ability to vanish, it was
doubtful she would have anything to do with him after the Masque. But his
friends would be free. That had been his goal for over a century. And he would
continue on, paying his debt to Rena. He owed her that.

But what if she found someone else? He stiffened. He
couldn’t imagine another man having her, but even if she could forgive him, he
was trapped within the Abbey walls and she deserved better. She needed to live
her life.

His whole body grew uncomfortable. Every hair felt wrong,
every movement awkward. His existence stretched before him as a living hell far
worse than he’d endured so far. He turned to ascend to the battlements where he
could think, but Rena’s angry voice cut through the stairway.

“No! I don’t think so. That lousy, arrogant ass. He’s not
getting away that easy!”

Synn looked back to see her stalk to the front door. She
yanked the door open and panic set in.

He started down the steps. “Rena!”

She stopped, one foot on the outside step as she glanced up
at him. “I’ll be right back.” Then she was gone.

Synn raced down the steps, half floating, and reached the
entryway in time to hear her voice again.

“Bryce! Don’t you dare leave yet!”

She stopped him from leaving? Why? Synn strode to the door.
Rena stood in the stone courtyard, hands on hips, confronting Bryce. The man
appeared unsure for a change. What if he asked Rena to come with him, now that
he understood? Had Synn taught the student too well?

He studied the step just outside the door. He’d never forget
his experience the one time he had left the Abbey after being shot. As his body
began to disappear against his will, he had become numb. Parts of him had
ceased to exist. Luckily, Trent had pulled what was left of him back inside and
he’d re-formed, but if the man hadn’t been there…

Synn looked at Bryce and Rena again. Rena talked with her
hands, but her stance had relaxed. Bryce put his hand on her arm.

Synn’s heart stopped. He couldn’t let him take her.

Rena leaned forward and kissed Bryce on the cheek. Synn
swore as Bryce’s hand tightened on Rena’s arm.

“The devil take him!” Rena could be pulled into the vehicle
and gone forever. Fury erupted and flowed through his limbs, demanding action.
Without another thought, he stepped outside, but by the second step, the cold
penetrated his one-track mind. His feet went numb.

Swearing, he threw himself across the door’s threshold and
dragged what was left of his legs inside. As feeling flowed back into his
calves, he looked outside again. Bryce closed the vehicle door and Rena
strolled back toward the Abbey. With great effort, he brought himself to a
standing position and leaned against the wall to steady himself until every
molecule re-formed.

Rena stepped in. “I can’t believe he would have snuck off
without allowing me to gloat.” She closed the door and stared at him. “Synn,
what’s the matter? You’re so pale. You look like you’ve seen a ghost. I mean,
holy sugar!” She ran to the dining room and brought him a chair. “Sit.”

He did, unable to do much else. His heart finally returned
to a normal rhythm now that he had her back.

She stood next to him and brushed his hair back from his
forehead. “Do you have a fever? Do you need something to drink?”

Yes, he needed a long drink…of her. He grasped her about the
waist and pulled her onto his lap.

She squeaked.

He cupped her face with one hand. “I need you.” He growled
then forced his way between her lips, desperate for the honey taste of her, the
soft feel of her, the tart scent of her. Stroking her tongue with his own, he
pressed her body hard against his, his blood flowing again.

Her arms snaked around his neck and little noises emitted
from the back of her throat. With a willpower he didn’t think he possessed, he
broke away.

Rena remained where she was, her eyes fluttering open. “Wow,
I should say goodbye to Bryce more often.”

His brain registered “goodbye” and his body relaxed. “Why
did you go after him?”

“The jerk tried to sneak away without admitting he was
wrong.”

Synn smirked. “You mean he should have kept you and tied you
up like I’m going to do?”

The hitch in her breathing reaffirmed she was excited by the
idea. He loved that he would be her first for that too. Her hand buried in his
hair at the back of his neck, causing an erotic sensation that had his cock
hardening beneath her butt.

“No, but he did admit that maybe he had made judgments
without all the facts. That was the best I could get out of him and that’s
fine.”

“And you needed that.”

She gazed at him, her green eyes bright. “I did. Why didn’t
you come and say goodbye? You were the mastermind of his downfall. I thought
you’d like to gloat too.”

He looked away. “I couldn’t.”

“Why, it wasn’t anything private. You could have joined me.”

What his life would be like in the near future rushed back
at the reminder of his limitations. The loneliness clawed at his insides like a
cat at a scratching post. Uncomfortable, he lifted her from his lap and stood.
“No, I couldn’t. If I leave the Abbey, I will cease to exist.”