Stillness of the Night

*Please read along as we weave a tale of romance... PM’s with comments, suggestions and discussion are welcome ~ Thank you Red and devil

~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~​

There is a light breeze from the north, blowing cool and pleasant, ruffling through the breath taking displays of leaves. The university was give the title of National Arboretum this year, and it seemed the trees knew, rustling and purring to each other.

The old Victorian at the corner of Chartes and Conti Avenue spills light from its myrmidon windows (some leaded and colored) to illumine the street and welcome in beckoning those invited to Professor Penrose's party. Prof. Penrose had a bewildering array of guests and he and his platonic life mate Saffron were like hummingbirds on Benzedrine. They flew and flitted, telling jokes here to the discontents who laugh at the bourgeois nature of it all. They were talking to the hippest of the party set, their eyes hollowed but burning brightly, all riding a particularly glorious high, with a few noticeable folks sitting it out and monitoring the others. The intellectuals were there, and one bay window, shining back a double reflection of the room is covered in equations describing predator prey modeling in AI controlled scenarios. The chalk lines are fresh. There was already a court forming, discussion blazing over a dozen topics, in front of the splendid centerpiece formed by the window with its arcane almost mystic looking graphs and glyphs.

Those interested in something more sedate could dance in one of the upstairs drawing rooms, and one study had been set aside for smoking. It had a set of French doors that opened onto a wrought iron balcony, cool and insubstantial seeming in the night. The views of the cobbles and the campus burgeoning out in every direction.

The best and the brightest, the hippest, the most crazed, the dreamers, the visionaries, the fascists and Fulbrights all were in marvelous attendance...

In a situation such as this, almost anything could happen...and would given enough time, and the right set of causes.

*opening post compliments of devilsargument*

The appropriate inversion

There are few things quite as satisfying as the inversion of a champagne flute, without the contents spilling. It takes some modicum of skill and of course a great deal of sleight of hand. The magician seems to hide behind his trick though, his patter while continual is unadorned, and draws little enough attention.

Reuben is relatively average (180cm) in height for a human, but he is quite broad shouldered and barrel chested. He is wearing a burgundy sweater with a broad bar across his chest of (green hued) black. It draws the eye from his face, for the most part, though he isn't ugly at all. Nor is he especially aesthetically pleasing either. His face is plain, his skin a dusky olive and his jaw narrow. He is mediterrian by extraction though it seems as if his parents or grandparents go to do all the immigrating, his voice plain and relatively unaccented. He has a very slight speckling of scars along the top of his head. They appear to have been a series of injuries, rather than an isolated one.

His pants are a trifle too loose and easy to be fashionable but they are a thickish courdoroy, brown, the left knee patched with an old denim the burntish color of mechanics coveralls. He wears a thick belt, which is actually in fashion this season, and his has an extra set of steel rings looped around it, towards his hip.

He concludes his trick with the champagne flute, and moves onto a small example of levitation, which it is difficult to tell how he managed, as he has observers at every concievable angle...though those looking down at the sitting room from the stair's balustrade could likely see how he is managing most of his champagne flute tricks.

He waves the glass around, to show that it is not attached to anything and then drains it of it's bubbly contents.

The magician in question has a white streak dyed into his short almost crewcut hair(ala Dr. Strange), which is the color of india ink. He ceases his banter and gives a little bow, moving towards a quiet portico near the coatroom, where he spends some time absorbed evidently in contemplating a rather fetching attempt at an imitation of Piet Mondrian.

----
Romance, Intrigue, and god knows what else,

You should keep reading,
-D-

Alaina Leduc was a French student that had just recently transferred from her native country and had barely begun the transition of changing cultures to changing schools as well. She pushed back her long mass of black curls and rose from her bed; just as she had finished stretching out the tired and worn muscles of her body she heard a knock on the door to her dormitory room. She looked over to her sleeping roommate, Soo Kim, and rolled her eyes. Soo Kim was also a recently transferred student, though she had been on campus one week longer then Alaina. They had gotten over the first hurdle of broken English after the first day, when both had finally resorted to writing it down, instead of trying to actually speak it.

Now Alaina was once again up with the sun and Kim as she asked to be called was sleeping in. Alaina chuckled and opened the door, a man in a very well kept suit and polished shoes stood before her, his hand extended holding a crisp white envelope. She took the offered missive and watched him turn away, noting his rigid stance and polished shoes. Her brows lifted and she turned the envelope over reading the name while she closed the door. It was addressed to her, the print flowed smooth over her French name and the ink looked to have been penned from a well talented hand.

She slipped a long nail between the sealed folds, breaking the wax that had been dripped over and then marked with a family crest. The stationary was thick and felt smooth in between her fingers. Alaina read the words that were written inside, noting the fine gold trimming and the overlay of glittering dust that danced across the surface. The letter was in fact an invitation to a party on campus thrown by one of the college professors, Penrose. Alaina ran the name in her mind and wondered if perhaps it was the same Penrose she had not yet met. Her classes had not yet started, having arrived just at the beginning of the week she had used that time to settle in and familiarize herself with the campus as well as the town itself.

Alaina’s first thought was to why this gentleman had invited her, then she recalled that her parents had spoken a great deal about old friends and some new business associates that had attended here, so she assumed that was why she now held an invitation in her hand. She placed it on her desk, and readied herself for the day. It would take most of the afternoon looking for something suitable to wear to the party, she had a feeling that it was not your usual campus flare that young people attended, but more like a black tie event.

When Soo Kim finally woke up and pulled herself around for the day, she accompanied Alaina on her first true shopping trip in the small University town. The two girls shopped for what seemed like hours until a dress was found. Its color was the darkest sapphire blue that either girl had ever seen, and it hugged Alaina’s 5’6” frame, accenting her lush breasts, slim waist and gently curved hips. She felt a bit exposed from the short length of it, but Soo assured her that the hem stopping just a few inches above the knee was not a bad thing at all. The whiteness of her skin stood out against the sleeveless gown, the shoulders bare of any straps, the gown only staying up due to the fullness of the breasts that were hidden inside. Her long neck was hugged by a chocker of tiny sapphire gems and a small diamond that lay nestled in the center.

Soo Kim helped with her make-up, the colors soft, and light only added to the brilliance of her sparkling blue eyes, and thick dark lashes. She slid in the teardrop earrings that complimented the necklace and soon the mass of midnight black hair was swept up onto her head and cascading down her back in a pile of silken curls. A hint of burgundy red lipstick kissed her mouth and she slipped her fee into the stilettos that added another four inches to her long legs. Stepping away from the mirror and turning to face her friend, she smiled softly, “I have no clue why I’m even going to this, but I do hope I have a good time.”

Soo Kim chuckled, “Alaina, you look like a porcelain doll. You’ll have fun, go enjoy yourself.” She watched her friend leave and only worried that the headstrong girl would not overshadow any wall flowers in the room. Alaina, Soo Kim had learned was a kind and compassionate woman, smart and funny when she wanted to be, but deep down inside there were two things that would be either her downfall or her triumphs. After only knowing the young French girl for one week, she could all ready see the shy battling the stubborn, and she was curious as to which one would win.

Alania reached the address quickly, paid the cab his fee and slipped inside quietly when the butler opened the doors for her. Her eyes immediately caught the expensiveness of the room. Antique carpeting lay upon a polished well waxed floor. The eyes continued to drink in the lavish paintings and porcelain artifacts that rested on marble topped tables. As she was led to a room that was full of people she didn't know her eyes focused on a man at the front of the room. She watched him perform a number of magic tricks and she found herself leaning closer trying to see how he did such things. When the tricks were ended she felt a bit of disappointment when the man left and the group of people began mingling with each other. A server passed with a tray of champagne, she grabbed one and sipped slowly at it, as she moved outside hoping to catch some fresh air, the heat of the bodies in the room was growing stifling.

The subtle hand...

The magician closes his eyes for a moment after savoring the attempt at abstract art. The black eyes slide open and focus for a moment on the milling throng beyond his quiet little portico. His eyes sweep over the crowd, not too attentively, but they are caught by a glinting diamond bracketed by luscious sapphire. His gaze is warm, appraising but he steps to one side, difficult to see behind the portico's entry way, but still able to watch as the breath-taking woman, her gown displaying all of her in a mysterious, tantilizing way, swaying in counterpoint to her drool inspiring walk. He watches her leave and leans back against the wall.

He is amused as a couple tumbles into the portico, the man apologizing for tripping and catching himself on the unprepared woman. He steps over both of them, two roses drifting down, lush and live, as if they were just cut. Had the man seen him pull the thornless plants out of his sleeve? Reuben cared precious little.

He takes a glass of a sparkling sherry from a server giving him a small tip, and simply walking away as the man protests that he's already handsomely paid. He moves towards the sprawling porch, taking a door just to the left of the one the breathtaking vision in blue had used...hoping, if she was thinking of ducking away from the party to engage in conversation...and by taking the door closer to the entrance he could...cut her off in a fashion...

---

Maybe more tonight...I'll be around and we'll see how the juices flow...

-D-

Alaina Leduc was a private person, kept to herself but wasn't afraid to speak her mind if she truly felt passionate about something. Her steps carried her away from the party, her skin was caressed by the touch of the cool air hitting her skin. She shivered slightly and took another drink of her champagne. The bubbles danced in her mouth, and she savored the flavor.

She let her thoughts drift back to the invitation, and she wondered still why she was here? Why the Penrose family had allowed her into her home? She assumed it was her parents, but now not having talked or even seen the host or assuming she hadn't seen him, since he had not yet introduced himself, she still wasn't sure why her name had been written on that envelope.

Now she was here, and she felt out of place, alone and lost. She knew no one, no one had come up to talk to her. If Alaina would have paused in her musings she would have realized that she hadn't approached anyone, but a shy woman never thinks that, they think only about others not liking them, not seeing them, and so she feels like the wallflower and keeps her lips quiet and her thoughts closed, always hoping not to have to converse much.

When she did speak her mind, it was in a way that made her so nervous and scared she would start to tear up and cry, then she was embarrassed and humiliated. So the beautiful woman with black cascading curls kept her mouth closed and her eyes downcast. It was that nervous nature of hers that had caused her to swiftly bump into a porcelain vase and almost topple it over. She gasped and quickly grabbed it settling it till she was sure it was stable. Biting her bottom lip, she turned to head back inside when her eyes met those of the magician and she blushed, knowing he had probably seen her almost break the vase.

“It shouldn't have been there,” she told him, trying hard not to feel embarrassed, but strong and determined.

Reuben smiles, his dark lips parting ever so slightly to expose pearly teeth as his quarry blushes. His dark eyes glance away from Alaina for a moment, examining the vase pointedly assesing it's location, and additionally making sure that the blushing violet didn't damage anything. He's trying to encourage the blush, and even embarass her a little.

He tries not to over do it, and he's an excellent judge of audiences. He tilts his head slightly, drawing attention to it, and his right hand suddenly sprouts another flower which he holds out to her, expectantly. The rich red rose is on the smallish side but fragrant and has no thorns except to large ones towards the bottom.


He speaks, with a conspiratorial tone in his voice, "Well, personally I think it looks alright there, but would be better further towards a corner." He gives a slight grin, "But I won't tell a soul. Don't worry...magicians are very good with secrets."

He takes a step closer to her, not really invading her space at all (yet) but showing that he's interested in a continuing conversation. His eyes twinkle, reassuringly benign and sort encouraging those he with to laugh with him at the world.

He is strangely still, his movements seeming to be largely deliberate and he carries a surprising scent with him, one that smells a little of saffron but also has a much stronger more flowery note to it. It seems as though he is in many places with incense, and his clothes have drunk it up. He watches Alaina closely, though in the pause he takes a long sip from his cup...

Alaina does blush at the man; her face becomes pinker as he watches her. The rose, seeming to appear out of no where, brings her face to a warmer temperature and she turns her head away, but soon realizes he is offering her the rose, and she looks back at him. She senses his desire to tease her, and she bites the inside of her lower lip. Her eyes glance to the flower and she accepts it. The tips of her fingers touch the firmness of his, and she pulls back her hand and the flower quickly.

"Thank you, it is quite lovely." She inhales the sweet aroma and closes her eyes welcoming the scent, allowing herself to savor it for a brief moment in time.

His comment about the vase rouses her from the ministrations on her senses and she looks back at the vase and smirks slightly. She chuckles softly and turns back to face him. "It would probably last a lot longer," she grins. The burgundy lip coloring accents the fullness of her mouth, and the straight white teeth, that show a hint of their existence to him.

Alaina's felt a small flip in her stomach as he stepped closer to her, and her eyes widened slightly. She swallowed her nervousness and looked around him, making sure she wasn't alone and could easily escape him, if the need arose. She watches his eyes, noticing they look both curious and teasing, and she is unsure what to do. It is obvious he wishes to speak with her, but she is unsure as to what to tell him.

He says nothing else to her just sips his drink and watches her, and Alaina feels as if she were the vase behind her on display for his pleasure. She takes a long swallow of her own drink, and lowers her glass. "I enjoyed the show earlier," she said, then wished she had just kept her thoughts to herself. How silly she sounded, as if she were begging to keep him with her, when he would really be better of discarding her.

Reuben's smile broadens ever so slightly, and he shows her that he appreciates the comment, though he feels about almost as she does. It sounds to him as if this lovely creature is so unsure she might bolt if he so much as touched her, at this point. He speaks, his voice deep and resonant in his chest, "I'm glad you were able to derive..." his word choice seems deliberate, "some amount of pleasure from it. I really didn't have everything I need to really put on a show, but I make it a point to always be able to do something." He continues after a brief sip, "You would be surprised how many illusions can be done with things you just have normally."

He shifts his stance, for a moment blocking out the light from to doorway completely save for a sliver around and above his head. The movement (perhaps unintentionally) emphasizes his broad build, and his extra 18 cm on Alaina. He completes the motion, smoothly, now just a tiny bit closer but talking to her from an angle in a gesture designed to make her more comfortable with having a little conversation.

His eyes focus on her lips, briefly and he savors how wet and juicy they look, how plump. They go back to her eyes when she begins to speak, his dark pupils focusing on hers, and almost challenging her to look away.

His smile is more than polite, "My name is Reuben." He gives her no choice but to address him familiarly with his first name, "And you are?"

Alaina watches his lips lift in a smile and smiles back. She feels her body ease slightly and senses he can feel that about her, feel her nervousness and she is almost relieved, hoping he won't take advantage of that part of her. She could be strong if she were forced to, at least she thinks she can.

She listens to his voice, and how he seems to pronounce every word just right, as if each word was as important as the one before it. Her smile widens and she chuckles softly, "I am very good at making myself disappear." Her face blushed, and she looked past him, trying to recover over her awkwardness.

He continues to move, slowly shifting his steps so they move closer to her. She watches him, his eyes keeping contact with her and for a brief moment, she pictures a small mouse, and a very large cat. The hunter and the prey, each one skirting around the other, before the cat leaps and snatches its morsel and partakes of it feast.

The pink of her tongue snakes out again as she licks her lips subconsciously, barely aware that he is once again addressing her. She catches his name, and takes a slow steady breath as she extends her hand, something telling her not to let this man touch her, but something else forcing her to. “I’m Alaina Leduc. It is a pleasure to meet you Rueben.”

She felt the wind kiss her skin, and she fought the urge to shiver, not wanting the intriguing gentleman to see her as that mouse in the corner, waiting to be pounced.

The quickening trap

The cool wind carries Alaina's scent to Reuben, as he reaches out a languid hand to take hers. His eyes drift from her mouth (that tempting tongue wetting her plump burgundy lips) to her eyes as his hand, so large and very warm envelopes hers.

His hand is warm and the sleeves of his sweater must hide impressive forearms. The strength there is breathtaking. As skin touches skin, there is a moment of connection, like a spark travelling the two of him. If she looks into his dark, dark eyes, she will see that he was aware of the connection...and perhaps her reaction.

There are a few moments of silence. He is close enough for her to smell something potent and male underneath the clinging scent of frankinscence. He speaks giving her hand a firm and unescapable squeeze, "So Alaina Leduc...I thought I detected an accent in your voice. French?" He watches her while she answers him, and she has a great deal of difficulty escaping the thought that he is constantly evaluating her, weighing and watching her like a horse trader would eye a promising foal.

He is polite as he questions, "So, if it is not an intrusion, may I ask what brings someone as very lovely as you here?" He tilts his head, "Perhaps your family knows the Penroses?"

Every move Reuben made caused Alaina to become more aware of him. She sensed he would be a force to be reckoned with, someone that would take what he wanted, when he wanted it. When their hands touched she felt the rush of heat that seared through her veins. Her eyes flew up to his widened and then looked down as he gives her hand a firm squeeze.

Again her heart trips and she feels her body tremble with something... unsure what it is but Alaina feels as if she is stuck somewhere between the here and now, and destiny. Everything screams at her to run, yet she stays, rooted to the spot, and waits for the next emotion to flow through her.

His words seem to purr over her, covering her in a silken blanket of warmth and invitation. She steps closer, hoping to have him release her hand, still gently but assuredly held in his grasp.

“Yes, French. I am a student here, my final year,” she sipped at her drink, then noticed its contents were almost gone so she finished the last small drink. “I do not know why I was invited. I just received the invitation this morning, I assume my parents know the Penrose family, or at least someone in relation to the party itself... perhaps another Professor or administrator.”

She glanced toward the party, her eyes followed the small groups of people, and she wondered what it would be like to be them for a moment, one of the easily approachable. A server passed and she placed her empty goblet on the tray, declining another, then returned her attention to the man who still held her hand, “Do you know the Penroses?” Alaina knew the party was not her scene and if it hadn’t been for Rueben she would be going home by now, but she wanted to stay and talk with him, almost as much as she wanted to remove herself from his penetrating and all knowing gaze.

Reuben's hand tightens for a moment on Alaina's, before he releases her. He is appreciative of the fact that she has stepped closer, to convince him to release her. He smiles, briefly, "Your final year...what do you plan on doing with yourself...after college I mean?"

His eyes rest on hers, reassuringly, and it seems as if he is waiting for her to speak, so supportively. But she hesitates a moment too long and he again takes the intiative, "I do, in fact, know the Penroses..." He takes a moment to run a hand over his brow, "I don't remember any LeDuc's...but it is certaintly possible that he knows your family. Professor Penrose is quite the traveller." His voice is low and utterly understanding, and he again gives her a moment to speak her mind.

As he does so, he shifts again idly. He seems to move a great deal but there is something about it which makes it seem quite the opposite of jittery. He drains his own glass, and idly tosses it up in the air and catches it. Somewhere between the catch and him stilling, the glass is gone, completely. He gives a self-satisfied smirk (one that it is too easy to imagine him wearing in other circumstances), folding his hands behind his back, and stretching slightly, his physique rippling under his sweater, though it is simply hinted at, not actually displayed by the loose garment.

Alaina felt the unexplained emptiness of the loss of his hand, and wondered why she felt somewhat abandoned suddenly. She mentally shook away the feeling and smiled up at him, the one subject she was confident in was her next steps after college. “I’m studying art, I plan on with time and financial backing of course, to open an art gallery for the local artist here in the community and surrounding area.” Her eyes sparkled as she thought of the wonderful works of art she’d seen from her fellow students as well as other less known members of the communities.

His comments concerning the Penrose family were noted, and she cocked her head to one side, laying her now free hand on the banister of the porch. “Yes... I’m sure that is how they know them. My parents enjoy traveling also.”

She chuckled softly over his trick with the goblet, “You’re quite talented, I see.”

The night air caressed her skin, and she shivered, running her hands up and down her sides, she looked back at the house, and then to the gentleman before her. “I should probably be going...” she didn’t want to, she wanted to stay and keep talking with the intriguing man, but she knew sooner or later, he’d lose interest in her. Men never stayed interested in her for long, perhaps it was her shy nature, or her intelligence, Alaina never asked, just accepted that though she was passably pretty, by her thoughts, she was just not interesting enough.

Extending her hand again, she looked into Reuben’s eyes, “It’s been lovely meeting you Reuben.” She smiled at him, her lips moistened once more by her warm pink tongue, her skin warm from the attention he’d all ready given her. “I hope we’ll see each other again,” surprising herself by acknowledging her desire out loud.

Enchante

His smile, exposing white pearly teeth, covers a slight annoyance at Alaina's manner. Of course, he would never let her see something like that. His hand enfolds her fingers, pushing the digits down while he brings the top of her lilly white hand to his lips. He bends his head to kiss her hand, his lips fluttering gently as his middle finger sweeps a curve down the middle of her palm.

He straightens, keeping hold of her hand pulling it upwards, so that she moves towards him, his other hand sliding over her side luxuriating in the feel of her dress and the soft ripe skin beneath. His hand rests on her hip, as he says, "Oh, I am certain we will see each other again, lovely creature..."

He watches as she again wets her lips, and controls himself only at the greatest cost in restraint. He adds his voice deepening slightly with the effort nessecary, "Especially since you will meet me for dinner tomorrow," he adds as an after thought, "Won't you?"

Alaina felt the shock of heat and electricity coarse through her when Reuben kissed her hand again. Her eyes watched his mouth touch her soft skin. She could almost see the spark that his lips caused and she felt herself tremble. Alaina knew it was the touch of his lip, then the added sweep of his finger upon her skin only added to the mind-numbing sensations that were assailing her. She felt a pulse of arousal move through her and her eyes widened.

She recovered quickly by the time Reuben rose up to look at her. Again she was struck by his articulate manner and she wondered why this man, one that reeked of intelligence and power would want to align himself with her. Her eyes watched his mouth move, taking in every angle as he formed each word with perfect annunciation and poise.

When he reached for her, Alaina stood transfixed her eyes locked with his. The feeling of his hand upon her side, caressing her ribs to rest on her hip, felt as if he were marking her in some way; branding her as his and burning her skin through the material of her dress. Her ears picked up the “lovely creature” and she blinked rapidly, then bit her bottom lip when he mentioned dinner.

Swallowing the initial “no” she went against all instincts that told her to flee and heard her voice responding, “Dinner sounds lovely,” she told him. Her smile genuine and with a soft squeeze of her hand in his, she released him. “I am residing at Lindsay Hall with another foreign student Soo Kim, we are in room 125.” Her hand remained in his, the warmth flowing through her and she did nothing to remove it from his grip. She continued to drink in his features, growing less nervous and more at ease.

Surely...

Reuben's hand rests on Alaina's hip for a moment before those finger tips trail down over the luscious cloth covered curve of her rounded ass cheek, lingering for just a moment at the very top and inside of one thigh. His finger straying natrually in a motion to bring his hand back to his own side, surely the brush was merely an accident, a simple mistake.

Reuben gives her hand another squeeze, and there is a sly glint in his smile as he says, almost as if trying to make her nervous...eager, "You've got a room mate, as well, hmm? I'll have to come a little early to pick you up, so you can make introductions." For a moment it seems as if he's not going to release Alaina's hand, in fact it feels like he is going to pull her to him, press her into his broad massive chest, envelope her completely, but almost reluctantly his fingers loosen their grip.

He tilts his head, and gives a brief chuckle, "So, it seems as if you're ready to leave..." he leans towards her slightly, "Are you sure you want to leave so soon? After all, the night is still very, very young Alaina..."

Alaina thought she'd be leaving by now. She thought she'd be walking the long walk around campus back to the dorm alone, but she was still with Reuben, still tethered to him. She felt the unintentional caress of his hand, and she knew she blushed profusely, thankful for the dim lighting and the dark night. She allowed her body to enjoy the soft touch, even though she doubted it did much to him, it did however excite her. Her whole being was warmed and flamed with unexpected tremors, which she successfully fought to control and won.

The mention of Soo Kim bings a lift to Alaina's lips and his voice brings her back to the present. She thinks about her roommates schedule. She may be around, Alaina really doesn't know. As she puzzles over Kim's plans, she feels the touch of Reuben increase against her hand then he loosens it. She feels detached though he still is near her, touching her; she thinks how silly she is becoming all of a sudden.

“I...,” she hesitated. Did she need to go? No. she knew this, but she also knew she would not beable to hold up under his penetrating eyes. But oh, to stay with him longer, to get lost in his touch, his embrace, his eyes... those were dreams that she could carry with her to bed on this night.

Alaina bit her bottom lip, and gnaws gently on it. “Reuben, I know no one hear, and you are obviously talented and will be missed. I can't monopolize your time. What will people think of me? I don't want to upset the Penrose family, even if I don't know them. I do hate upsetting people.“ She laughs softly, ”It is a fault of mine.“

They stood there on the patio deck each one looking at the other, a woman fighting her own self conscious and a man so very sure of trying to capture the bird within his grip. Alaina licks her lips again, suddenly wanting something to drink to sooth her increasingly nervousness.

...there were two towers in Sapphire...

The darkling lamps of Reuben's eyes catch and hold to Alaina's, his warm wet lips smiling, just for her. Lovely creature. He speaks with a deliberation that Satan himself is wont to imitate, as his free hand moves up to the choker, the glinting glitter that adorns her neck, "Whereever did you find this. It's simply breathtaking, and cut just so..." His voice is silken, tumbling like a cataract around Alaina. She can almost feel it pouring down her back, "My uncle is a jewelry collector and this would give him, if you'll," he offers his very sliest smirk, oily and self-certain, "pardon the french, not to mention the gaucheness, a fucking hardon." Despite the breathtaking vulgarity displayed, it sounds almost genteel in that voice, with those eyes boring into Alaina's...

He gives her but a moment and continues, "Before you leave, you simply must meet the Penroses, perhaps it will puzzle them as well...or perhaps they will be able to clear it up, presently."

He releases her hand, at last and those eyes glance away, towards the doorway. It seems he intends to present her with a choice, "Or perhaps I should simply see you home?" His smirk dies back into it's normal smile as he looks back searchingly, "It is an everdarker night, I'm not sure I could countenance a lady going home, unattended."

There is a moment, and he waits, paitently for her reply. Though while he waits, finally letting his hand trail down her throat, sliding a sharp nail along, very specifically avoiding even a hint of her breastflesh his finger trails down along her arm, a meddlesome distraction of dulcimer nerves jangling in unabashed joy...
--
Take care,
-D-

Alaina felt the heat of his gaze, and when his fingers traced the design of her sapphire choker she trembled. Her eyes seemed unable to move, her breath quickened and her pulse raced through her. The vulgar word rolls away from her, the only thing she hears is the melodious sound of his voice. She stares longingly at him, as if she were entranced by him. She feels each caress of his fingers as he traces her skin.

She breaths deep, and hears his words coaxing her to stay and make herself known to the Penrose family. Her mind tells her to wait; he wants to speak more, to make another offer one that is more sinister in nature. Alaina felts the air stirring around them, thick with hints of mystery and power. Was all that radiating from this man? Was it just her imagination?

The loss of heat from his hand seems to leave her feeling abandoned, and she finds herself still lost in his eyes. She brought her hand up to touch the sapphire, the jewel suddenly warm against her skin. “It is an old family heirloom. It was handed down from generation upon generation. It is believed to have once been worn by a Princess in China, and was given to a lover that was part of my family tree.”

Alaina knew there was more history, but as a child she never paid a lot of attention to it. Now as an adult, she found herself always busy looking toward the future and had not yet bothered to discover this particular piece’s true roots. “I’m touched that you find it so noteworthy.” Her lips parted, allowing his scent to not only be breathed in but tasted as well.

His hand slowly makes love to her skin as it snakes its own path along her flesh. Alaina is marked; she knows it, feels it, and understands that something is happening. She stands there mesmerized by his eyes, his touch, and his very essence.

“I will meet them if you feel it is necessary. I do not wish to be rude and dismiss them, or their willingness to invite me. If you think it would not slight them, I would rather go home. A walk would be appreciated, though I believe the campus to be rather safe, and there are always campus guards about.” She shakes as he finally ends the tormenting trail of skin touching skin and rests his fingers at her wrist.

“What do you want of me?” she asks, already feeling the hum in the air, as she suddenly finds herself stepping closer to him.

the boys i mean are not refined

Reuben listens as Alaina very skillfully hands him the reins. His broad warm hand moves up behind as she asks a very pointed question. He was wondering how long it wouldl take before she made some kind of move. Her nervousness was beguiling, but he found this even moreso, especially because of the responses it invited.

His hand pushes on her back, and moves her closer still, though she stepped so that their bodies were mere inches apart. His other hand digs nails into the delicious curve of her ass, lifting her so that she is standing on tippy toes, his body enfolding her, her soft curves pressed into him. Through the sweater...through the courdoroys, she can feel that the flesh of the broad shouldered man is almost unrelenting strength, save for a band of fat that rests over the powerful abdominals. She is brought so close to his face, that as Reuben looks down, answering her, she could kiss him, rain adoration upon him, if she so desired. His voice is clear and even still so calm and deliberate, directed, sure as he speaks a single word in reply, "Everything."

He seeks ever to be her educator, though the things that he would teach her she would never learn in yonder deadfromtheneckup university. As he seeks to educate her, so his hand, grasping, grinding her delicious ass seeks to urge her ever into the umbra of his body. He speaks, and elucidates ever so slightly, while the broad warm hand on her back strokes so reassuringly, "You are afraid. You are frightened, you wish to disappear completely. I will let you, just this once." To your scattered bodies go, "I will allow you to run from me, to leave to your dreams. Your cold empty bed..." He smiles, sadly, as if she has already made her choice, "Go, but dream of me, smell me, feel me in your dreams, see what might have been...what soon will be..."

It seems the more time she spends, the stranger he becomes, but it may simply be a vacilation between sanity and mania, the same one performed by dozens of painters, doctors, lawyers, drug addicts in this very town, perhaps he is merely manic-depressive, and she has caught him...well, who knows. He gives a quiet chuckle, and his hands still, at last, the lower one straying to stroke the area where her thigh meets her very lovely bottom, "Or of course, call me a liar, and stay to meet the Penroses. They are very spacy, but ever so devoted once you introduce yourself. The good professor, as you may remember from class is quite the wit, and I'm certain would find some way of reminding both of you why, exactly, you found yourself invited. Or, as I stated, run along home," in an aside almost to himself, "I will watch you go, and we will meet again for dinner, blushing beauty..."
--

Mmmm. Literary references abound.

Lick me,
-D-

Alaina’s eyes hold his, her body responding to his very essence. Her lips tremble as he moves in for what some would consider the kill, but Alaina does nothing to stall him. The picture of the mouse and the cat fly through her mind, and she can almost see the cat licking its lips in admiration for its weak dinner. The touch of his hand claims the soft material of her gown, nails dig into her flesh, and brand her. Instinct tells her to run, common sense screams at her to flee, but inside her very soul something calls to her, claws its way out and she barely recognizes it for what it is; adventure.

She allows him the liberties he takes upon her skin, she allows him to possess her for this brief period in time. Her whole body is aware of him. He reeks of everything she fears, wants and desires. His breath caresses her skin, stirs her body, and makes her most intimate of places respond. Her lashes, thick and heavy with want, blink rapidly as she looks upon his lips so close and yet so desperately far away. She swallows, shivers, and makes a slight whimper as his breath kisses her skin when he gives her the one word she almost knew was going to fall from his lips.

Her breath quickens, as his voice continues to entrap her. His hand continues to move over her, burning through the fabric of her dress. She moves closer, or is he moving her, she can’t tell really, nor does she care. The words roll from his mouth with ease, he speaks to her like a poet, a dark poet, one that twists words, manipulates their readers until they are sucked in and unable to break the spell of rhythm and rhyme. Her eyes spark at the words of fear that he tosses lightly at her, as if they are presented to her on a whim, a verbal slap in the face. He talks to her of dreams and how she will see him in them, taste him, smell him, perhaps she would and perhaps he is readying her for the real assault upon her senses.

“Liar?” she comes back to him. “I fear you Reuben. Not your touch, or your honesty, but your words. I fear only your words and perhaps,” she placed a trembling palm on his chest, blocking herself from pressing deeper into him. “Perhaps what you make me feel as your eyes beckon me onward,” her eyes fall to his lips, then her palm. She feels the beat of his heart, the hot temperature of his skin, and inhales deep the fragrance of his soul.

“I will meet the Penrose family, then I will walk home, and see you for dinner,” she says nothing of the comment about her beauty, dismissing it because she knows the truth. Alaina knows the words of beauty fall easily from a man's lips, and though she is desireable to some, she is not a beauty by all means. Her one wish in life is to see herself as others see her, and something tells her that one day she may.

Her hand rests on his chest, her pulse races, blood boils and she wonders if he can smell the scent that he pulls from her. The mix of arousal, fear, confusion, want, need, curiosity, and hope all roll into one erotic perfume that radiates from deep inside her. “Will you do the introductions Reuben?”

acceptance

Reuben smiles, wanly, pleased at her reply though not over eager that she should percieve that. He presses her into him, just a bit harder, her rounded curves pressing, for a moment, into his broad chest. She can feel other things as well, other powerful bits of flesh pressing in, marking her, things she may well dream of in the passing night.

He releases her, for a moment adrift in space, again without him. His smell, though, that lingers on. She can tell she will be breathing his scent, tasting him for hours. He stretches, slightly, and smiles, a hand sliding around her waste. He speaks, "Very well. I will make your introduction, and then, you can take your leave. It will be a shame..."

He gives her a moment to collect herself, and then, his strong arm propels her forward into a doorway, into the light and loudness of the party. He sets a pace that allows her little time to think, moving rapidly. He greets several people and indicates he is looking for host and hostess. He is pointed to the kitchen, and through the kitchen, towards the back, there is a breakfast nook. A tea service is set though it seems only Professor and Mrs. Penrose are present. Reuben gives a broad smile, genuinely pleased to see them.

They are both skinny, gaunt is the only appropriate word. The professor is very animated, returning the grin, just as broadly, and speaking in the rapid clipped tone that has been the vexation of many a student, "Reuben, you scoundrel, I missed most of your show. How are you, old top?" His eyes stray to Alaina, "And who, exactly is this?"

Mrs. Penrose is far less animated more graceful and controlled, though her face seems a bit red. Perhaps over imbibing, "Ah, Reuben. Who, is your lovely assitant. You must introduce me..."

Reuben smiles, and seems to take great pleasure in the introduction, as he allows her to sit first, sliding into the nook across from the Penroses, "This, Professor and Madam, is Alaina LeDuc, late of France. She's nearly finished with her degree here. She recieved an invitation but does not know why..."

Prof. Penrose scratches his stubbly chin, pouring them both a cup of tea, "Well, I think we might be able to figure it out between us." He proceeds to begin questioning her, and his wife, and eventually they come to some conclusion though it did take roughly 30 minutes of pleasant conversation.

Reuben is not idle during this time speaking animatedly with the professor about a side topic, as well as reminding him of things. His left hand too, finds much to do, wandering all over Alaina's legs, even the inside of her thighs. She feels, or thinks she feels, for the merest moment, a finger trip drifting over her panty covered mons. His warm hand moves delibrately, easily and he always seems to shy away, just as she imagines she will be unable to take anymore without making her distress evident...

Alaina's nerves were a bundle by the time she met the Penrose family and by the time the conversation was over, and she had learned that her name had been presented to them from a former art teacher from her former University she was ready to gasp in frustrated pleasure. The touch of Reuben's hands against her flesh seemed burned into her, and she ached to know more of it.

As the conversation started to lag, her mind drifted to the stroking hand that seemed to trace the paths of veins that were now a flame with need and want. Her breath was ragged and she knew she had shifted several times either in search of his questing digits or in fear of allowing them to travel deeper against her.

Another fifteen minutes pass, then ten more, by the time Alaina is able to politely take her leave from the table. When she does her body is aching with want. She feels Reuben's eyes on her all the time, and soon his hand is on her back, and again they weave their way through the now dimishing throng of people.

At the door she turns to him to offer her goodbye. Her eyes move over his face, memorizing his features, stroking each edge as if it will be the only time she will have the opportunity to touch him. He claims dinner with her for the following night, she trembles as she realizes that it will be something else, something unexpected. “It has been a pleasure meeting you this evening Reuben,” she offered her hand in parting. It shook slightly, at least to her it did, but to Alaina she shook everywhere.

Her entire body felt as if it were on a roller coaster of emotion and it was not even coming close to stopping. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening,” her purse was clutched tightly in her other hand, and the cool wind of the night creeped in as the butler suddenly opened the door for her to leave. She hestitated for a moment for more then just his handshake. Shedidn't want to admit she needed him; didn't want to admit she didn't want to let him go.

A moment

Reuben's stares back, quietly, as Alaina's gaze lingers on him. He can see her body, flushed, peaked with desire and it pleases him, greatly. He licks his lips, moistening them as he nods, graciously, "Well, I'm glad we could clear up that mystery." He watches as she lingers, and as she glances into his eyes she can see that he knows why she stays, though it is a bit akward, the butler holding the door, while she lingers.

Suddenly, for a shining moment, he is on her, his hands again encircling her, crushing her to his strength, his heat. She feels the faintest teasing brush of his lips on hers, a tongue tasting her lips for one slow moment. Then it is over. She hears his voice, "Good night...dream sweetly, lovely creature." The voice that smells of Reuben, tastes of Reuben is close to her face, but it's tone is unmistakeable. Her time is over. She must go.

She notices, sometime later, that a blushing red rose rests between the swells of her delicious curves of titflesh.

He watches, and she maybe able to feel it, though only if she looks back at the end of a block, will she see him, high in a window, his eyes burning as he watches her scintilating curves shimmer and walk away.

**

The day is come, and Reuben rises early, his naked body tangled in sheets his own mind more than a little haunted by the thrill of the hunt, the hunger that has been awakened in him he thought long extinct. His body glistens, the angles and planes of it gleaming with sweat. He showers, a long hot affair, only reluctantly leaving as the water gets cold. An unusual indulgence for our magician.

He dresses in his usual closed, conservative fashion for public consumption and goes about his day, pausing to arrange that Alaina finds, when she leaves, an incredibly suggestive looking orchid on her doorstep. A single thing is written on the attached card, "9:00" it says.

He arrives home about six, and begins preparing himself for the hunt, the chase...and of course, the kill...

Alaina stared at her image in the mirror, a woman of passion stared back at her. As she brushed the long tresses of her hair, she thought of the moment she awoke just that morning. She wondered how he knew she would carry him all night in her mind. He was a constant thought, a continual movement that pulled and pushed her along a rocky cliff waiting for the moment she came crashing down. Her dreams were full of him; when she awoke her body felt as if he'd filled her completely. She licked her lips, moistening them, while she applied the light coloring to her lips.

The lights of the dorm glowed behind her head, Soo Kim hummed in the background, popping gum and studying Shakespear. She'd told her about Reuben, at least about meeting a nice gentleman and them having dinner this evening. Alaina had neglected to tell her of the kiss. The soft meeting of lips that she still felt the presence of. She failed to tell her of the temptation to press her lips back to his, or how when she saw him from a distance he was already branding her with the intensity of his stare.

Alaina walked back into the room, and donned the red dress, that would hug her body this evening. The fabric was like a second skin, the zipper on the side slipped up free of snags or sound. The length rested mid thigh and she hung the black choker with the ruby jewel from her neck. Her ears were dotted with the matching stones and a bracelet of the finest cut gems lay gently on her wrist. Alaina slipped her feet into the heels and ran her hands over her long legs. The skin was smooth, free of hair, as the rest of her was. She had taken great pains in her appearance, and though it was just a wonderful dinner for two she wanted to desperately have fun.

Her eyes looked over the orchid, she smelled the fragrance and slipped her fingers gently over the soft petals. “You know... you keep smelling that, you'll wear out the scent.” Soo Kim told her. Alaina laughed and placed the flower back in the vase that sat on her dresser.

“Will you be here when he arrives?” she asked her friend.

Soo Kim shrugged her shoulders, “We'll see. I'm supposed to meet a few folks in a bit, but I need to finish this too. We'll have to see if I'm still around when you're magician shows up.” Alaina smiled, grabbed her perfume and dipped a small drop behind each ear, and between her breasts. Then she settled down to write her parents a letter explaining her week.