Behind the Mask Ch. 13

All characters are at least 18 years old.

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I was spacing out and watching Artemis slither to and fro in her tank when August came in. I probably wasn't a sight for sore eyes; wrapped in the ugliest cardigan I owned and a grossly oversized t-shirt that acted as a lazy dress. Without a word, he steadily approached and seated himself in front of my desk. I couldn't muster up the strength to engage him at all, let alone keep my mask on. He simply sat and waited for me, watching me carefully, eventually joining me in watching my snake. It was a rare thing to find somebody who gave you a moment without rushing you, especially a guy.

"Thanks for coming," I mumbled, eyes not wavering from the enclosure.

"You said you needed me. Of course I came," he replied. "And I know what you're gonna say. 'Wow, you guys really don't do shit at SWAT, huh?'" Despite myself, I giggled, and he smiled. "Yeah, turns out we're not raiding every day. Crazy, huh?"

"Crazy," I agreed, then sighed as I reentered my rut. I tried to collect my thoughts before continuing. "I'm sorry to yank you around like this. I just... I don't have anybody to talk to anymore."

He frowned. "Your friends--"

"Have no idea about Taboo or our engagement, or even my father."

"So that is what this is about."

I nodded slowly, then looked forlornly at my computer. "Come take a look at this." I waved him over, and he stood to come around the desk to see my monitor. I pulled up the footage captured from last night. When the footage got around to me and Alain arriving home, he leaned lower on the desk, watching intently.

"After this, nothing until this morning, when the mail arrives again," I said. "Nothing important there."

"Alright," he said, nodding. "Well there are a few possibilities. I mean, we are talking about USPS here, y'know?"

"I've thought about the other possibilities," I snapped. "But what does this mean?" I jabbed my finger at the footage, my chest feeling tight.

He regarded me calmly before taking control of the computer and rewinding the footage. He rewatched Alain collecting the mail once, twice, then straightened again, rubbing his chin. "Is this playback in real time?"

"Yes."

"And how long does it take to walk from here..." He brought the playhead of the video to just before Alain disappeared into the blind spot, then waited until he appeared back on camera. "...to here?"

"It doesn't take seven seconds," I replied.

August acted out going through letters, then picking one out and slipping it into an imaginary jacket. The timing was perfect, and he looked grim. He glanced at me before looking off into the distance, thinking as he let out a deep breath.

"Maybe it just hasn't arrived yet--"

"Don't fuck with me, August!" I yelled, jumping to my feet, and he looked at me solemnly. "We both know what this means! He was the only person I could trust, and this whole time he's been-- He's--"

"He used to work for your father?"

"Yes, but he came with me! There was no way... I thought..."

"Then trust your experience. Trust your judgement of him, who you believed him to be."

"But if this footage is--"

"We don't know that. Lexi, you have to calm down."

"Calm? He was the only one! The only one..." I was panting, and suddenly August looked so far away. Tears welled up in my eyes, my voice weakening. "I can't do this alone."

"You're not alone," he said firmly. "You're Lexi Rochester, the owner of Taboo. And you're not alone. You can do this."

"I can't. I can't do this alone. Oh my God." My heart felt like it was gonna pound out of my chest. August was so far away. "August..."

"It's okay, I'm here--"

"I can't breathe...!" I gasped.

I shoved past him and ran. Alain had betrayed me. He'd never stopped working for Charles. How could I be so stupid? I'd lost Jordan, now I'd lost Alain. There was nobody else. It was just me, fighting everything. Nobody would ever understand me like that again. Shit, here came the existential dread. I knew I was going to die alone, but now it felt so real. Now it felt like I was going to die now.

Something was wrong with my eyes. Something was wrong with my chest. My ribs were crushing my lungs into my heart. I didn't know where I was going but I had to get out. I had to get air before I died in this miserable little basement. I couldn't stand being inside one more second.

Bright lights, an annoying glare. Get outside. Muggy night air hit my face and I gasped. I still couldn't breathe. I stumbled around, focusing on the little spot of world left that I could see. My legs were about to give out. I stopped to right myself, looking around in confusion. Darkness was consuming my vision. I couldn't see anything save for a few cars ten miles away. My chest felt like it was going to implode. Was I about to die?

I heard a blaring noise, and before I could look to see where it was coming from, I was yanked off my feet. I blinked, and watched as a truck barreled past in front of me, tires squealing.

"Watch where you're going, ya crazy bitch!" the driver yelled out his window, before driving off.

"You okay?" I was still panting, feeling delirious. But the voice felt safe. Just follow the voice. "It's alright. I'm right here with you."

"What am I gonna do...?" I gasped.

The voice's arms wrapped tighter around me, and I swallowed to keep from hyperventilating, clamping my jaw shut. "You have half of everybody in your back pocket. At least one of them has the answer to getting what you want." The voice felt like home. I leaned into him and sighed, feeling my tunnel vision fade and go back to normal. My ribs finally relinquished their death grip on my insides, and I could breathe easy again. I clambered to my feet, still a bit disoriented.

"Did I almost just get hit by a truck?"

"Yeah."

I shivered. I'd almost died just like Jordan. The scariest thing was that part of me wished things had been that poetic, and I could be reunited with him. I pressed my nails into my palms to help focus. There was no Heaven; it didn't make logical sense. Nothing waited beyond the grave. There was no coming back. Nobody escaped their time.

I turned to look at August, who was watching me with as much calm as he could muster. Underneath it all, he was tense, ready to react however needed. To keep me safe. It was a strange conclusion to arrive at, but I was unfathomably certain that he wouldn't let any harm come to me. It was what both my gut and my eyes had been telling me since I met him. And I was tired. I just wanted to trust somebody. I took a deep breath, blinking slowly before managing a faint smile.

"Well, ain't panic attacks a bitch," I murmured.

"First time?"

"Yeah. Promise you won't tell?"

"I promise."

"It was terrifying." My legs were still feeling a bit weak, partly from my flight, partly from the drain from the episode. Was it an adrenaline crash? Needed further research.

"I think that's normal," he assured me.

I rested my head against his shoulder, and he hesitantly patted my hair, unsure of how to handle me. After taking a moment, I straightened up and saw we were within throwing distance of the butcher shop. I'd just run out here into the road, and I was lucky there wasn't much traffic at this hour.

"Could you... help me inside?" I asked weakly.

"Of course." He put his arm around my shoulder, gently ushering me back inside. As we passed Tony he said, "Four racks of lamb, mint on the side." Tony nodded and let us through, and August helped me down the stairs into the basement. I was going to have to get an elevator installed.

We made our way back to my office, and August helped me over to my couch, easing me down carefully. "Alright, boy scout, I'm not made of glass," I laughed. He plopped himself down next to me, shrugging with a wry smirk. I looked down at my lap, still a bit shaken up. "Thank you. For... being here."

"Don't mention it."

"And for saving my life, I guess," I added with a weak chuckle.

"Definitely don't mention that," he replied. "I mean, it's not like I'm a hero or anything." With that, he began flexing his arms dramatically, feigning nonchalance. I couldn't help but laugh, and he beamed. The moment passed, and I lost myself in thought again. August interrupted once more. "What are you thinking about?"

"Next steps." I chewed on a fingernail, trying to focus. My mind was a jumble. Nothing was sorted, nothing was where it was supposed to be.

"Wanna know what I think?" he prompted.

"If I say no, will you keep it to yourself?" I said dryly.

"I think in school, you were the type of student who never went to see the teacher, even if you were failing."

"Well joke's on you, I was a straight B+ student."

"Most likely because you didn't want to be a straight A student and attract attention." Damn, he was good. I looked at him critically, but he didn't break eye contact. "Lexi, needing help isn't a weakness. We're not snakes, or tigers, or sharks, or whatever animal you enjoy channeling."

"I'm not a furry, if that's what you're implying," I quipped.

"We're people. We work best together," he continued. "Going at it alone just makes things needlessly difficult."

"As if that's all this is," I said with some attitude.

"You're right. You're also a control freak."

I folded my arms. "Alright, Sigmund Freud. What's next? I secretly wanna fuck my father?"

He snorted and looked away. "Nah. I'm pretty sure Cherry does, but... not you."

"Not much of a secret when it comes to Cherry."

"No, it's not," he chuckled.

I slipped my shoes off and swung my feet onto the couch between us. "So, what, you plan on helping me?"

"Not from inside. I don't know all that stuff about Taboo like your assistant, how you run your operation and all. But I can help you from outside. So. Next steps."

Regarding him, I think I felt my heart squeeze. Imagine that: Lexi Rochester getting warm and fuzzy. I wondered where in the world pigs were flying. "Next steps," I repeated with a nod. "Well, we know now that your benefactor is Charles. Now we need to figure out why he took interest in you."

"Right."

"Five years ago..."

"Right around my surgery," he noted. He peered at me with curiosity. "Did something happen on your end around that time?"

Something most certainly did. Father found out I was about to make love to my cousin, so apparently he went scouting for a replacement. Somebody he could stomach seeing me with. But still, why August?

"Charles and I had a falling out. Let's just say I somewhat understand why we're engaged."

He waited for more before remarking, "Vague, but okay. We can find out if our folks knew each other. I have a name now, so I can finally get to the bottom of things with my mom."

"Great." I bit my lip, then put my legs down and shuffled closer to him. "Thank you, August."

"Sure thing," he stammered as I leaned against him. Hesitantly, he put an arm around me, and I nestled into his chest.

I looked up at him, and I wondered what I looked like, because he looked scared. I tilted my head up, and at first he didn't meet me. Before it became really awkward, he relented and kissed me. Cupping his face with a hand, I wrapped my other arm around his neck, hoisting myself higher for a better angle. His hands were cautious, grazing my back. I bit his lip lightly to show my annoyance, then continued with double the fervor.

He suddenly pushed me off, holding me at arm's length. "This isn't a good idea," he muttered. "You... have had a rough few days."

"You don't want to?"

"Of course I want to. I've wanted to the moment we met. But not like this."

"I need this, August. I don't have anybody else. Please, just stay with me tonight," I pleaded.

He clenched his jaw, frowning sadly. "This isn't fair."

"I don't get what I want by playing fair." He still looked troubled, but relented when I drew close again. We kissed again, and I felt him sigh through his nose before his hands started roaming to my waist. My own hands crept under his shirt, gradually lifting it up until I pulled it off over his head. God, he looked good. Sinking my fingers into his hair, I felt his hesitation melt. He reached under my shirt and coaxed my short shorts off, before I felt his touch glide up my body to settle on my braless breasts. I broke the kiss and gasped, and his eyelids were heavy with lust.

I went to work freeing him from his trousers. I could already feel his manhood through his pants, and it sprung up with a yank of his underwear. He tried to speak, but words failed him as I admired his member, my breath brushing it with how close I was. As far as dicks went, it looked... delicious. It was no exaggeration to say I'd never described a dick as such, but...

My tongue flickered out for a taste, and he gasped as I made contact. Seeing his reaction spurred me on, and I wasted no time taking him in my mouth. He groaned and his body went limp, the tension redirected to his fingers as he clawed at my couch. I focused my efforts on his frenulum, the little fin of skin on the underside of the glans. His legs began trembling, and I took such satisfaction at the power I had over him. Just like that, big strong August was at my mercy. The average man would promise to just about anything if you edged him properly.

My lips massaged his shaft, and he actually whimpered, gritting his teeth to avoid any more such outbursts. I had a good amount of saliva going by this point, and I collected it at his head and swirled it around with my tongue. His breathing was ragged, and the sounds he was making seemed like he was truly suffering. The trademark sound of good sex.

"Lexi," he managed. He had a point; I didn't want him finishing ahead of schedule. Obliging him, I stood and catwalked over to my desk. He panted as he collected himself, watching me with ravenous eyes as I bent over and beckoned for him to follow.

"Come take me, August. No 'returning the favor' bullshit. I need it right now."

His cock twitched, but he didn't move. He'd settled back into a frown, instead warning, "We're going to regret this in the morning."

"That's my favorite kind of sex," I answered. "It's now or never. I'm tired of thinking. Just do it."

Looking halfway between resigned and thinly-veiled ardor, he reached into his trouser pocket, then stood behind me. I heard a wrapper tearing and smirked. A gentleman to the end. Then he lifted my shirt and exposed me. My nerves began acting up. He was right, of course. I would regret this in the morning, and wouldn't be able to take it back. But for one night, I didn't want to think about the future or the past. Jordan wasn't coming back. This was farewell.

"Are you sure?" The sweet boy was giving me one last out.

"Hurry," was my only response. Without further ado, I felt his tip spreading me open. Shit, he was bigger than I thought. I winced but remained silent, and he stopped when his entire tip was in. He was having second -- third -- thoughts, and was about to get cold feet on my behalf. "Keep going," I urged. I heard him take a deep breath, and then he pushed forward.

I was expecting the pain, but it was still a lot to handle. And what I wasn't expecting was how sensitive I was. I could feel every vein on his cock as it pulsed inside me, even with a condom, shooting daggers of searing heat through my brain. It felt like I was being split open, which was somewhat true. Balling a fist up, I pounded the desk once to relieve the building agony.

"Shit," I hissed, breathing heavily. I shouldn't have done this sober. August was silent, waiting for me to adjust. Was he that big? He felt like a baseball bat. Heh, that'd be hot, if I could fit such a monster inside me. I distracted myself with depraved fantasies, until I could feel myself getting wet and a bit more flexible. "Okay, go."

He started off slow, and I let out shuddering breaths as he pulled me inside out over and over again. The way the pain blended with the pleasure was what I'd always dreamed, and I began to relish how he was hurting me. Man, I was pretty fucked up.

Before long, I was moaning for him, and he was pounding into me at a more respectable pace. Sex really was as good as I imagined it'd be. Making him do me doggy style was also a calculated decision. This way I could pretend it was Jordan, because I was a piece of shit. August didn't deserve this. I would make it up to him later.

"Oh God... Lexi...!" he groaned.

"Give it to me! Fill me with your cum!" I begged.

No sooner were the words out of my mouth that I felt the condom ballooning inside me. Damn, the amount he was shooting into me was impressive. Feeling him finish pushed me over the edge, and my legs went soft as I came on his cock. The rest of me followed when the spasms ended, and the dear boy caught me. Still lodged inside, he carried me back to the couch and carefully laid us down. I had to admit, being his little spoon felt pretty nice. Maybe something to look into.

But that could wait. For now, I just wanted to bask in the moment.

And what a conflicted moment it was.