Seduction Takes Time

'I love Halloween.' Catherine Davis thought to herself. 'It is the only holiday that's just for me.' Christmas and Thanksgiving were family holidays. Forth of July was always company picnics. Easter was church and family, but Halloween was hers. Especially now, that the kids were grown and off to college or on their own, All Hallows Eve had become her special holiday.

She spent the entire month decorating the house and yard and most importantly designing and making her costume. Catherine and her husband hosted a yearly party that was always the talk of the neighborhood.

Last year over two hundred people had attended. It was a good thing they had a large walled in back yard and the weather was usually warm. Her husband indulged her every year for which Catherine was grateful.

Halloween allowed her to step out of her role as wife/mother/ P.T.A. chairwomen and for one night a year be something else, something mysterious and erotic and sensual. At forty two that happened all too seldom.

Catherine looked down at her body as she stepped from the shower. She had been graced with a slender frame that she kept toned and tanned at the gym, long legs and her personnel nemesis a huge set of breasts. She often joked that if they were silicone instead of natural, she would be a trophy wife.

She patted herself dry, walked into her closet, and took down her costume for tonite. This year she was going to vamp it up for real. Her costume would put Vampirella to shame, it was more gauze than cloth, exposing her body in peek-a-boo slits, and flashes where the see through panels moved across her body as she herself moved, bent, and turned. It was her most daring costume to date, even more than the torn and slit kitty cat outfit modeled on Halle Berry's Catwomen costume she wore several years ago.

That one had got her talked about. Every guy was checking out her butt all evening long. Every guy except her husband who ignored her, as usual. His only comment was a compulsory "That's nice."

Nice? She wasn't going for nice. Sexy maybe, provocative defiantly! Naughty even, but nice? She loved her husband, she really did, it's just that after so many years of marriage the fire had defiantly damped down to a few smoldering embers.

He was coming to the party as the Joker. No work put into his costume at all, just some grease paint and an old suit. She looked into her full length mirror, as she stepped into the six inch stiletto, fuck me pumps.

The mirror showed a tall slender woman, dressed as though she was made of smoke. Every move gave glimpses of tanned flesh that hid even as you watched. Catherine loved the look. She finished off the outfit with a long black wig and the three hundred dollar custom made fangs which a dentist had fitted on her own canines. Once on and with a little dental glue they were guaranteed not to come off even while she ate. The dentist had explained that he would have to remove them and polish her teeth afterwards but until he did they were as strong as real teeth.

Catherine had to be very careful, these fangs were sharp, and she had nicked the inside of her lip last night while eating dinner. She smiled watching as they emerged from her mouth. Perfect.

The guests would be arriving any moment, so she went around making sure everything was in place, everything was perfect. She started the spooky sound effects for the front yard and poured the rum punch over the dry ice blocks she had bought. Soon the cauldron of potent rum drinks was wreathed in a cold smoky fog, tendrils of which snaked along the floor.

The front doorbell, altered for tonite into a witches cackling laugh, summoned her to the first of her guests and from then on Catherine was forever moving, greeting people, and checking the food and drink. At least her husband helped out by playing bartender.

The costumes were many and varied, mostly traditional but a few, a very few had some imagination. She especially like the Indiana Jones outfit one of the better looking neighborhood men had chosen; authentic right down to the ten foot bullwhip which he had demonstrated in the back yard popping out candles with a flare and wrapping his wife as she fled across the yard to every ones delight.

Catherine caught a glimpse of a tall darkly handsome man in an expensive though old fashioned tuxedo. She hadn't recognized him, not surprising considering the amount of people at the party; but when she moved towards him, he had slipped into the crowd and vanished.

All evening as she moved through the party stopping here and there to talk with this or that old friend, she would catch a glimpse, just a hint of the man and then he would move or someone would step in between them and when they passed he was no where to be seen.

If the copious amounts of food and drink consumed were any indication, the party was a huge success. Catherine was bringing out the last big tray of meats, cheeses, and crackers when her six inch heel slipped on the kitchen floor. Strong arms reached out and caught her while simultaneously rescuing the tray from spilling all over the floor.

"May I be of assistance?" His low bass voice sent a shiver down her back as he spoke almost directly in her ear. He steadied her on her feet, nodded just the once a slow dip of his head before whisking the tray away from her and slipping out of the kitchen.

Catherine stood staring at the closing kitchen door.

"My God, Catherine are you alright?" Grace, one of her friends from down the block asked as she took hold of Catherine's arm. 'I was sure you were going to fall. Who was that?"

"I have no idea." She replied.

As quickly as she could Catherine moved back out to the dining area where the tray was centered on the table but her rescuer was no where to be seen. Catherine moved throughout the party, looking to no avail. He had vanished once again.

An hour later Catherine decided to indulge in her one forbidden vice. She slipped into the den for a moment of peace and quiet and took a pack of cigarettes from behind the books on the shelf. This was her one hidden vice, the one even her husband didn't know about. She would slip off and have a single cigarette about once a week.

She pulled out the slender tube and fumbled for the lighter when a match flared behind her. Catherine swung around, once again almost falling as the spiked heels caught in the carpet.

A strong arm gripped her forearm steadying her.

"I seem to be forever catching you."

She stared at the dark haired man in the tuxedo as the match lit the end of her cigarette.

"One really must inhale to get it lit properly."

Catherine inhaled and choked on the lung full of smoke. He stood their amused as she got her breathing under control.

"I'm sorry." Catherine gasped. "You have managed to startle me as well as rescue me. I thought I was alone in here."

"Ahh, of course." He smiled. "I must admit I am not used to being in crowds. I stepped in here for a moments quiet and quite fell in love with your book selections." He gestured at the library shelves lining one whole wall of the den.

Catherine smiled. Most of the books were hard cover first editions and many were classic literature. They were her pride and joy. She spent long hours after every one had gone to bed involved in the worlds created by Poe and Shelly, Twain and Shakespeare. Her tastes ranged from Victorian mysteries to classic science fiction.

She watched him glide back over to the reading chair with its little intimate lamp that cast a small cone of light at just the right spot to read a book in one's lap. She noted that he was browsing through her favorite Heinlein.

He picked up and replaced the book in its proper place on her shelf, moving well into her personal space.

"I see we share a taste for literature." His breath brushed across her neck and sent goose bumps down her arm.

She noted that even in her high heels he stood slightly over her in height. His jet black hair had small streaks of silver at the temples. His face was unlined, with a strong jaw and the darkest blue eyes she had ever seen. Catherine stared into those dark pools, almost as if she could see into the still waters of some deep lake. Look down deeper through clear pure water only to realize your looking at the sky reflected and it's night and you can see the stars twinkle and merge and ...

Catherine shook her head coming back into the den almost by force of will. He was standing there just smiling at her. Her cigarette was cold and ash between her fingers.

"I had better get back to my guests."

Once again, he did that little half bow, that nod of his head as if acknowledging victory to an opponent. He swept open the door and gestured her through. Catherine took several steps down the hall when she heard the click of the doors lock. She looked behind her to an empty hall and a closed door.

She returned to the den saying as she opened the door, "Won't you join us..."

The room was empty.

The lite weights and those with kids and babysitters headed home by midnight or shortly after, the heavy duty partiers hung in until almost three am but by three thirty all the guests had gone and the remains of the food had been put away. Catherine's husband several sheets to the wind headed for bed with a good night peck on the cheek for his vamp girl.

Catherine was too wound up for bed, she couldn't get the handsome stranger out of her mind, nor could she explain where he had disappeared to from a room and a hallway with no way out except a locked window.

She had checked the window locked from the inside when she went and got her pack of smokes. She went out into the backyard and sat on the bench furthest from the house. She shook a cigarette from the pack and searched for her lighter. When the match flared from behind her she sighed and turned to her mystery man for a light.

"It's such a lovely night out." He began.

"Where did you go? Catherine asked. "And how did you get out of the room?"

"Oh I have my little ways." He replied as he sat down next to her. His hand brushed the black hair from her face, before removing the wig. "There much better! You have very lovely hair, much prettier than that silly wig."

Catherine shook out her shoulder length red hair. "It went with the outfit."

"Yes the vamp" His eyes were merry as he smiled at her. "Your yearly chance to play at being the erotic."

"You think I'm silly. A middle aged mom playing at being the seductress." She sighed. "I suppose I am, but at least for one night a year I can feel the magic of my youth."

"Youth is over rated. Oh there is a freshness, an innocence in youth, but we learn with experience. We grow and hopefully, find wisdom, find our place in the world. The young don't have the experience to appreciate life."

"On the other hand," she replied. "By the time we gain the experience we are too busy trying to raise family's and survive. Then, when we finally reach the point where we can appreciate all life has to offer, we are to old and frail to enjoy it. Youth is wasted on the young."

He moved next to her and gently kissed the side of her neck; instead of pulling away she melted into his arms and raised her face to his. They kissed and held each other content to just be with one another.

His hands stroked her hair, her shoulders and up and down her arms, lightly, lovingly as if he were trying to memorize her with his touch. It had been so long since anyone just wanted to hold and kiss and touch her that Catherine allowed it to go on far past the point when she could have said no.

She took him by the hand and led him into the house and across to a spare bedroom. Without turning on a light she disrobed and lay on the guest bed. He never stopped touching her even as she got undressed or even while he removed his clothes.

He knelt beside the bed, kissing her body, stroking her flesh, exciting her as she lay back eyes closed and for once just enjoyed being the center of someone else's world. When he finally moved onto the bed between her legs he spent just as long working his way up her limbs with little kisses and touches until Catherine groaned from the pure pleasure.

His lips kissed her nether lips as his tongue parted her, searching and finding the center of her pleasure. She could feel him suck and lick, tease and torture her with the barest flick of his tongue. She felt his teeth nip at her tender flesh, the pain adding to the spiraling sensations flooding her body.

He worked her body for a long time as she buried her fingers in his dark thick hair, not holding just feeling adding to the myriad sensations overwhelming her body. When she came it was as if suddenly everything she held inside her entire life exploded out of her body in one great shuddering, muscle clenching release.

He lay beside her though she didn't remember him moving and she reached for him praying to find him hard and ready. He was and she rolled over on top of him guiding his hardness into her wet softness. She rode him slowly at first, then harder and with longer strokes. She rode him until she could feel him begin to shudder and she slammed him deep within her and clenched her self around him, his orgasm triggering her own.

She spread her body over him, keeping him inside her, tucking her head in the crook of his neck and shoulder as the shudders slowly subsided from both of them. She nuzzled at his neck like a contented cat and playfully nipped him. She had forgotten her new fangs and was surprised to feel blood dripping down his neck. She kissed the nick getting blood in her mouth and was taken by the urge to suck at the point where he bled.

A roaring filled her ears and although she could feel him struggle she clamped on his neck drinking as if her life depended on it. His hands finally ripped her away and she fell beside him on the bed.

"Cath. Hey Catherine. Are you going to get up today or what?"

The voice was a long nagging way off. It finally went away and she returned to her sleep and dreams.

"Hey babe! Are you still in bed?" Catherine awoke to her husband sitting on the bed shaking her shoulder.

"Sorry guess I was exhausted." She sat up, nude in her own bed.

"Yeah the party went late last night. Anyway come on down, I'm fixing a light supper."

Catherine sat awhile gathering her thoughts. She remembered the man and the mind blowing sex, what she didn't remember was saying goodnight or coming up to bed. She got out of bed and made her way into the bathroom.

The woman in the mirror was ten years younger than the woman who looked out at her yesterday. Her hair was longer and thicker and her skin glowed. Catherine stared at herself until her husband's shouts about dinner shook her from her trance. She quickly grabbed a robe and went down to eat.

She ate her dinner and half of his, suddenly ravenous in her need. She went into the fridge and put together a sandwich from the left over's. When her husband went off to watch TV she slipped into the guest room. The bed was freshly made and not a trace of their illicit tryst remained.

She went to her den and sat in the chair where he had sat, beside the chair she found the book he had been reading. The one she had watched him put away. Inside was a letter.

Dearest Catherine,

You must be a little confused about now. Not to worry the effects will wear off in time. You may be a little light sensitive and hungry more often but that is temporary. The thing is I sampled a little of you last night and those silly damn fangs caused you to sample a little of me.

That is how my kind reproduces, but it takes three times of sharing blood before it is permanent. You talked about time and wisdom. My kind has all the time in the world and the youth to enjoy it. I'll be back next Halloween and we can discuss it if you like. If not just cancel the party and I'll become a thing of the past, a memory, hopefully a pleasant one.

Your friend in literature,

Kristoff

She reread the letter several times before carefully folding it and putting it in the book. She returned the book to its place on the shelf. That's when she noticed the pack of cigarettes and the book of matches placed behind the books. She smiled and began planning next year's party.