Struggling with NaNoWriMo

Well, I had hoped to blog my progress as I wrote my way towards 50K words and through the month of November.  But so far, it’s not been a particular successful endeavor.  I’m currently at 7346 words and quite behind.  I spent a week struggling with writer’s block and now am caught up in the usual struggle of not having the time to write.

But, I thought I’d share a scene from my WIP.  It’s a love story, of the Romeo and Juliet type without the tragic ending, set in a fantastical world populated by shapeshifters.  My main characters are Ashton Fierand, a young woman on the cusp of maturing into her shapeshifting powers, and Draco Granish, a broody man a touch older, who is struggling against the control his father is trying to exercise over his life.

So, here you are…a taste of what I’m trying to deliver to the page…

Ashton pulled her cloak tighter around her, ducking her head to keep her glowing eyes from giving her away.  The leaves rustled overhead in the warm evening wind covering the soft scuff of her boots on the path.  The low rumble of voices finally faded behind her and she let her feet pick up pace.  The gathering in the center of the village would continue into the wee hours of the morning, the celebration of her cousin’s marriage calling all members of the community to rejoice in the alliance of her family and one of the other great Pheoni powers.  She hoped the sheer number of guests in the vale would cover her absence.
She trotted through the forest, her path lit by the bright reflections of two full moons.  Her skin glowed under their light and she let her hood fall back, her dustcloak pulling back over her shoulders.  The ground underfoot turned to gravel then smooth stone as it climbed and she was forced to slow to a walk.  She wondered if Draco would be there waiting when she reached the grotto.  She forced herself to keep a steady pace, resisting the urge to hurry.  Finally the path leveled and a glow of light lit the grotto from within.  Her stomach flipped in excitement.  Her steps faltered at the edge of the firelight and her breath caught.
Draco knelt, nude, in the middle of the grotto, his back to her.  With his head bowed he drew deep breaths and Ashton watched in fascination as his mark of Emerging writhed under his skin, the shimmering greenblack dragonshape shifting and twisting until it quieted, the tail sliding down his hip then wrapping his thigh, wings furled tight along his spine, forearms wrapped around his torso, and diamond shaped head resting against his nape.  It was the largest she’d ever seen and she could feel the power of it.
Ashton knew that all of the clans showed some mark of their Emerging and that by them you could read the power of the one it owned.  In the vale most Phoeni let their firebirds coil around forearms or legs, somewhere visible, to reinforce the hierachy of power.  Her father’s tended to wrap around his arm and shoulder, her mother’s as well, the birds large enough to need the whole length.  Lower members of the clan had markings that could fit on the back of their hands.
Her boots made no sound as her feet pulled her forward and Draco shivered when her fingers stroked his spine.  The dragon shape blinked at her, wings rippling under her fingers.  “Draco,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.  He lifted his head and she stepped around him, dropping to her knees before him.  She knew she should turn her back, let him retrieve his clothes from the satchel beside him and regain his composure.  His dark eyes burned into hers and he grabbed her, pulling her against his chest.
“Ashton,” he growled, “you shouldn’t have come.”  The claws on his ribs flexed in her peripheral vision and she slid her arms around him, stroking his spine and the nape of his neck softly.  He shivered again and pressed his eyes shut.  She could feel the struggle in him, the fight against his dragon, against the power the dual moons held over him.  She knew what he was fighting.
Ashton leaned into him, letting her body mold to him.  She pressed her lips to his softly.  A rumble of frustration vibrated under her fingers and his grip on her tightened as his lips slanted against hers.  His kiss was harsh and demanding and she yielded to it, parting her lips willingly.  If she didn’t help him through this night she would lose him.  This night was his weakest, when his dragon self would demand to be let loose.  Inland, where the ridges lay in stark lines over the land, shoving up into the sky, where the Shamani reigned, they would be taking flight.  And if Draco were there the mate his parents had chosen for him would claim him, sinking her claws into him and marking him for life.
He hadn’t told her any of that though.  Instead she’d found it in the one book on the clans she could find in her father’s library, working through the ancient text, reading between the lines.  She couldn’t mark him as hers, but she could keep him unmarked until she could.
He pressed her back onto the grotto’s floor, the stone still warm from the day’s sun.  His kiss softened but she continued her soft stroking of his skin, seeking to calm the dragon.  Finally he shuddered and lifted his head, looking down at her.  “Ash,” he whispered.  She pressed her fingers to his lips, unclasping her cloak with the other, letting it fall back to the floor.
“I won’t let someone else take you away from me.”  He pressed his forehead to hers, his muscles taut with restraint.  “You’re mine, Draco.”
His lips quirked and he lifted up onto forearms, easing some of his weight from her.  “I am, am I?”  His eyes delved into hers and she felt his mind touch hers tentatively.  She felt the shiver of his dragon beneath her fingertips and looked down to see the talons gripping him ease.
Yes, you are.  You are my dragon, and as soon as my Emerging passes I will mark you as mine.  His chuckle vibrated through her body and mind and he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her with thorough intense passion.  I am staying until moonset, she promised, sliding a leg up his and pulling him close.  He growled, a low rumbling sound that made her nerve endings sing and pressed into her.
I can’t have you tonight, he warned.  Ashton nodded.  One of the first lessons a maturing man or woman was taught was the dangers of their dual natures.  If they didn’t resist temptation tonight regardless of Ashton’s ability to calm his dragon in the height of passion she would likely be ripped to shreads as his orgasm loosened Draco’s tight hold.  Reluctantly she let him go and he retrieved his satchel, pulling his clothes on.  She watched him shamelessly, enjoying the ripple of muscle beneath his skin, the rigid jutting of his cock that betrayed his arousal.  He swallowed an uncomfortable groan as he pulled on his trousers and settled back against the rock wall.
Draco held out his hand in silent invitation.  Ashton crawled over to him and curled up in his lap.  She could feel him hard and hot against the outside of her thigh and shivered.  It was yet another full turn of the moon before her Emerging.  Resisting the pull of desire was getting harder and harder.  He leaned his head against hers and sighed, threading their fingers together.  I know, he whispered into her mind, his mental voice tinged with frustration.  Soon.  But thank you for being here.  I didn’t expect this to be so hard.  She nodded and tucked her head against his shoulder.
I think they don’t tell us that on purpose.  To force the marriages they want.  His snarl was both vocal and mental.  The book I found…I’ll bring it with me next time.  There are many things in it that we aren’t taught.  He nodded and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
They sat together through the night, watching as the moons slid towards the horizon.  They pulled and tore at Draco’s self control and more than once they teetered on the edge, Draco pinning Ashton beneath him.  She pulled him back from the brink of the mating lust each time, soothing him, easing her hands up his back to stroke both his spine and his dragon’s.  He collapsed in exhaustion when the first moon finally slid behind the horizon, the pull ending as suddenly as it had begun.

Flash Serial:V15 Voyeur ~ Open Communication

The Voyeur Series continues.  Be sure to check back next week for the next installment

To start at the beginning, go here.

This is Veronica and you’ve missed me.  Leave a message and I’ll get back to you! <BEEP>

“Veronica…pick up?  Please?  This has gone on long enough, hasn’t it?

Come on, honey.  Your birthday’s in two days…won’t you celebrate it with your friends?”

“Vee. . .I miss you.  Let’s end the silent treatment.  You’ve made it clear Magnus and I crossed the line, and we’re sorry.

Both of us.”

“Can we let it go now?”

“Please?”

“I know you’re there, Vee.  Magnus can see. . .well, you know.”

“I wish he wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh thank god.  Hi.”

“Hi, Care.”

“Thank you for picking up.  I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too. . . I – “

“No…please.  Let’s. . .let’s just let it go, okay?”

“You got it, sweetie.”

“Caroline.”

“What? Oh, ok…hold on…”

“Veronica.”

“Magnus. . .”

“We want to see you.”

“Magnus. . .I don’t know. . .I think I . . .”

“We’re your friends, Veronica.  Have dinner with us tomorrow night.”

“Please, Vee.  We miss you.  I’ll cook and we can catch up.”

“It’s not fair when you two gang up on me, you know that, right?”

“Just say yes, Vee.  Care’s going to make dinner and I’m picking up cannoli from Bella’s.”

“Oh that’s just not fair.”

“He never plays fair, sweetie. You should know that by now.”

“Ok, ok, ok.  You win.  What time?”

“Seven-thirty.”

“Though you know you’re welcome to come earlier.”

“I’ll see you at seven-thirty then.”

~*~

Veronica met her own eyes in the full length mirror on the back of her bathroom door and grimaced.  She was due at Caroline’s in less than an hour and still had yet to figure out what to wear.  A bare stripe of hardwood marked a path to her closet, discarded clothing scattered everywhere.

“Why are you agonizing over this,” she asked her reflection.  She sighed and shook her head, turning her back on her bewildered expression and returning to the closet.  “Play it safe, Vee,” she advised herself.  Veronica slipped into a pair of black slacks then pulled her favorite sweater out.  It had been a gift from Caroline a few years before and she loved the way the soft collar hugged her neck.  With a glance at the clock she ran a brush through her hair, applied the barest of makeup, and hurried out the door.

The cabbie pulled up before the house at just after 7:30.  Veronica tipped him generously and thanked him for both hurrying and agreeing to stop at a wine shop.  With the bottles tucked into her elbow she knocked on the door, her stomach flipping nervously.  This is not a date, she scolded herself, this is just dinner with friends.

Yeah.  Friends who would gladly have kept you in bed two months ago.

She shook her head to silence her mental rambling as the door open.  Caroline’s smile was easy and relaxed, immediately putting Vee at ease.
“You’re late,” she joked, stepping out of the way.

Veronica grimaced in chagrin.  “I know, I’m sorry.  I thought I should bring something and took a little long at the wine shop.”  She held the bottles out.  “I wasn’t sure what you were cooking so I got a white and a red.”

Caroline’s laugh shimmered down Veronica’s spine and she swallowed a sigh as she followed her to the kitchen.  Her friend wore a turqoise dress that clung all the way down to her hips before flaring into a kneelength skirt.  She was breathtaking.

“Is that Vee?”  Magnus’s voice reached out to them from the kitchen.

“Yes and she brought vino!”.  Veronica paused in the kitchen archway and watched as her friends shared a tender kiss.  A cold tendril curled through her, sending goosebumps down her arms.  Magnus smiled at her across the island.

“Hey stranger.”

“Hi Magnus.”  Her voice came out surprisingly steady and he wiped his hands on a towel, leaving neat piles of fresh vegetables lined up on the cutting board.

“Come here. you.”  He reached his hand out to her and Veronica surprised herself by taking it.  Magnus tugged her against him and folded her into a hug.  Vee swallowed a sob and wrapped her arms around his waist.  “Missed you,” he said quietly and she nodded against his chest, the cabling of his sweater rubbing at her cheek.  She pressed her eyes shut against the prickling of tears and let herself just breathe him in.

“Do I get one of those?”  Caroline’s smokey voice curled through her and she pulled self-consciously from Magnus’s embrace.

“Of course.”  Vee turned, swallowing as her nerves made her stomach twist.  Caroline didn’t wait for her, instead stepping forward and hugging her close.  With Magnus at her back her mind reeled and her body flushed with heat. When Veronica’s heart began to pound in her chest her friend stepped back and twitched the collar of her sweater slightly.

“You’ve always looked amazing in this sweater.”  The compliment threw her thoughts off track and blooms of heat warmed her cheeks.

“So.”  Magnus’s deep voice startled her and she backed up, removing herself from their proximity.  “Caroline made us a lovely dinner.  Why don’t we enjoy it and catch up.”

~*~

They ate dinner at the round glass table in the dining room.  Caroline served them perfectly broiled filet mignon, steamed asparagus and baby potatoes.  It was decadent and intimate.

Veronica couldn’t figure out what to make of it.  Magnus uncorked the red wine she’d brought and they sipped at it as they discussed recent developments with clients.

When the last succulent bites had long been consumed and the dark bottle of wine tipped to deliver the last of the burgandy liquid into Vee’s glass, when she’d finally relaxed enough that she didn’t react when Caroline stretched her calves over her legs, Magnus rose and cleared the table.  She watched as he dropped a hand to Caroline’s shoulder and saw the tender look pass between them.  “No,” he said, smiling at her and dropping a kiss onto the crown of her head.  “I’ve got this.  You cooked.”  He stacked the plates up and tucked the stems of their wine glasses between his fingers.  “Go on in the living room and I’ll bring back dessert.”

Veronica’s eyes followed him, her alcohol softened mind admiring the fit of his slacks and the stretch of his cableknit sweater over his broad shoulders.  It took an effort to tear her eyes away and follow Caroline from the room.  Vee settled herself on the couch, dropped her head against the back and closed her eyes, enjoying the pleasant lassitude dragging at her limbs.  The cushion next to her dipped.

Veronica’s lips quirked as the other woman’s legs slid back across her lap and she dropped her hand over Caroline’s stocking clad shins, her thumb moving in an unconcious caress.

“Hey, Vee?”  Caroline’s voice, soft and silky, slithered down Veronica’s spine.

“Hmm?”  She didn’t open her eyes but felt the pressure next to her shoulder as Caroline shifted and leaned close.

“Do you still watch?”  The question, though unexpected, didn’t make Voyeur’s heart jump and twist the way it might have if she’d been sober.

“Mmhmm.”

“Often?”  Caroline shifted closer, the movement sliding Veronica’s hand up to her knee.  Vee knew if she opened her eyes she’d find her friend’s emerald eyes on her and a few unruly strands of golden hair escaping the chignon at the base of her neck.

“Not as much, not anymore,” Vee answered.  The scuff of footsteps announced Magnus’ return and she felt him sit on the couch behind Caroline.

“Why not?”  There was something other than curiousity in Caroline’s voice and Veronica rolled her head towards her and blinked her eyes open.

Magnus had settled himself close to her friend and slid his arm around her, pulling her against his chest. Even as their eyes met he nuzzled into his lover’s neck.  Caroline’s head lolled back, her lips parting in pleasure.  Voyeur felt a snake of desire coil through her.

“No one’s as gorgeous to watch as you two.”  The honesty of her own words penetrated the fog of intoxication and she jumped, realizing the intimacy of their position.

Caroline lifted her head, her full lips curving into a slow, sensual smile, and Magnus watched her from behind her shoulder, his eyes pale and unreadable.

“Then stay, tonight, and watch us.”

~*~

Come back next week for the continuation of Voyeur

Meeting in the Flesh

It’s really neat when you have the opportunity to meet someone in the flesh that you’ve been conversing with through the phenomenal media that is the internet.  Mr. Greyson and I had that chance yesterday.  We made the three hour trip out to Cleveland to meet Neve Black.  We got a bit of a late start so the evening was something of a whirlwind(ah, the perils of a poorly planned roadtrip) but we spent a lovely evening in the delightful Neve’s company and will most definitely be making another trip back.

We arrived around seven, about an hour later than expected.   Neve did a whirlwind introduction to her lovely felines then we scuried back out the door, all of us hungry!  After dinner at one of our favorite restaurants(Max and Erma’s, an Ohio chain that doesn’t reach up here to Buffalo) we returned to Neve’s home to change for the Halloween party at the Literary Cafe then were off!

It was a small crowd at the bar, which I was quite thankful for!  I don’t know that I would have had the nerve to get up and read had it been any more crowded.  But, small as it was, it was rather rowdy, so though Neve kicked off the night with a reading of a new piece I wrote for Halloween titled ‘Double Negative’, it wasn’t video taped.  So, I think I’ll sit down sometime this week and record it myself and podcast it.  So stay tuned!

Neve read one of my pieces first, then two of BAK’s hot works.  After that and a break I was outvoted by Neve and Mr. Greyson and worked up the courage(with their support) to take the plunge.

Honestly, I was surprised at how well it went.  I anticipated stumbling my way through, but all in all I only did that a few times and I think I managed to make the audience feel the stories…at least a little.  The other two pieces that I read were The Battle and Whispers.

So, stay tuned for ‘Double Negative’ and I imagine Neve and I will be meeting more often to see what trouble we can get into!

Flash Serial:V14 Voyeur ~ Need

The Voyeur Series continues.  Be sure to check back next week for the next installment

To start at the beginning, go here.

Veronica shut herself off.  She refused to answer her phone and managed all her responsibilities with regards to her work via email.  Thankfully, she rarely interacted with their customers in any other fashion.  Magnus went from concern to frustration to out and out anger with her.  Caroline wavered between worry and hurt.

Still she refused contact with them.  She needed to find her stability again, and being near them left her anything but stable.  So she spent time out at her mom’s and otherwise prowled the streets of the city at night.

She spent time disecting her panic attack.  Her relationship with Joe was two years past, and yet it still was a wound that refused to heal.  From high school through college they had been a couple.  She realized only in hindsight that he had taken special care to twine her identity with the one he felt she should have.  It wasn’t until they split, until the night he had hit her, just that once, that his hold had slipped.  It had taken months for her to feel secure, and she had only managed that with the help of Caroline and Magnus.  Yet still she panicked at the thought of letting someone close.

Week by week she ticked her solitude off on a calendar.  By three weeks she’d managed to stop dreaming about what might have happened that morning in Magnus’ bed, if Caroline had just kissed her instead of triggering a panic attack.  She knew it was unwarranted, that neither Caroline nor Magnus would consume her the way Joe did, submerging her identity below the one he created for her.  But she still couldn’t get past it.

When the dreams stopped her willpower threatened to slip.  The two had been fixtures in her life and their nighttime visitations had fulfilled, in a very frustrating way, her desire to see them.  She ended up standing in front of Caroline’s house, looking up at the soft light in her bedroom window, wondering if Magnus was there.  Veronica only just suceeded in tearing herself away instead of yielding to the desire to climb up her friend’s porch.

Instead she wandered the parks, docks, and bar district in a desperate attempt to occupy her mind.  She found places to watch and to witness the intimacies of others.  They just weren’t the two she most liked to watch.  It worked, mostly.

Her favorite subject, in the absence of Caroline and Magnus, became a waitress who worked two of the bars downtown.  Voyeur never divined her name but grew to know her schedule well.  She and her boyfriend, or at least, Vee assumed that he was such, met often in the alley behind the establishments.  It didn’t seem to matter whether her break was five minutes or fifteen, they managed some sort of sex during that time.  Voyeur watched him pin the waitress against the wall more often than not, taking her hard and fast while music beat dully against the rear door.

But, sometimes, they varied.  And tonight someone left a folding chair leaning against the wall.  He unfolded it with an unabashed grin.  She shook her head in false dismay.  Even Vee could tell from her vantage point that it was insincere.  He sprawled into the chair and pulled her to him.  She stood over him for a moment, leaning down, her miniskirt clad ass pressing up, and kissed him with naked passion.

Voyeur shifted in the doorway where she hid, pressing her thighs together.  The waitress hiked her skirt up as he freed his cock, straddling him as he rolled a rubber down its rigid length. She sighed, a hot rush rolling down her spine, when the woman lowered herself onto him.  He dropped his head back and let out a groan.  Vee caught her full lower lip between her teeth as the other woman began to rock, her hair falling around them in a fall of ebony curls.  They moved together with slow grinding movements, their low moans lifting the hairs on Vee’s arms.

Their way together, not for the first time, reminded her of her friends.  The way they knew each other’s hungers, knew what they needed.  When he growled and began to thrust up the tense look of concetration made Vee recall watching Magnus stroke himself to orgasm.  And she knew, suddenly, that her time of silence was coming to an end.  She had to face them again.

The waitress came with a low cry as her lover thrust up into her over and over, driving until he followed her with a hoarse shout.  The sounds pulled at Voyeur’s feet as she made her way to the end of the alley and she paused, twisting to watch as they kissed.  Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment then she continued on her way, wondering how she was going to work up the courage to contact her friends.

Continue reading in Voyeur:V15 ~ Open Communication

Do You Like To Listen?

What about watching?

Have I piqued your interest yet?  This weekend Mr. Greyson and I are making the trip out to Cleveland to join Neve Black for her Naughty Neve Nightcaps!

And, if you haven’t stopped by her dark and sultry haven, she’s reading some of my stories!   Unfortunately, I can’t tell you which(because she hasn’t told me yet!) but I can tell you that I sent three her way to choose from, and all three are rather hot!  And…if I’m brave enough, I might just slip behind the microphone myself and read one of them.

So, stay tuned!  As soon as she posts the videos I’ll make sure to link to them!

Slipping out of Character

Saturday Mr. Greyson and I attended a Halloween Bash put on by one of the local radio stations.  We didn’t really have a good time, discovering that unless you knew people already mingling just didn’t happen, not to mention the soundstage losing power for two of the five hours we were there.  But…that’s neither here nor there.

It’s been close to a decade since I last dressed up for Halloween.  I’m really a down to earth person.  Quiet, unassuming, rarely the center of attention and unwilling, for the most part, to make ripples.  I lean towards jeans and a comfortable sweater, rarely wear makeup and am prone to simply tying my hair up in a ponytail.  So when it comes to Halloween I end up doing more than just dressing up, I end up stepping out of character. 

I decided to dress up as a goth chic for the party.  It’s not really a costume in the true sense of the world, but I certainly was going as a different person.  My mom dyed my hair and I started dressing.  Each article of clothing seemed to be part of a magic charm.  Black slacks that fit snugly and flared at the leg.  Red corset, laced tight, with a multitude of tiny hooks up the front.  White ruffled shirt for some contrast, and because I simply am too self-conscious to go without something over the corset.  Then makeup.  Then the nearly knee high black boots with the 2.5″ heels. 

When I finally stepped out into the living room both my mom and husband were stunned into silence.   She uttered a hushed “Wow” and I watched him shift and his adam’s apple bob. 

Later my husband, when I asked him “Why are you looking at me funny?” answered “Because you don’t look like you!”  I knew then that I had succeeded in my costume.  Everything about me was strange, and I felt I walked around in someone else’s skin for the night, someone who wasn’t shy about baring flesh or walking with a sway to her hips.  I think it would have been fun, had the party we attended not been a disaster.  We’re planning to make the drive out to Cleveland to attend the Literary Cafe’s Halloween Party and meet Neve Black.  I think I’ll be dressing up the same, with a few added touches, and that this party will be MUCH more enjoyable. 

All in all, I didn’t mind stepping out of character, and I think I just might have to do it again for a private party with Mr. Greyson, and see what happens

Flash Serial:V13 Voyeur ~ Morning After

The Voyeur Series continues.  Be sure to check back next week for the next installment

To start at the beginning, go here.

Veronica woke to a pervasive warmth.  Lethargy suffused her limbs.  She lay, content to rest in the comfort, until the arm around her waist tightened.  Her eyes popped open and she stared at the square of sunlight warming the floor just inside Magnus’ bedroom door.  He shifted again and the insistent bulge of his morning hard on pressed into the cleft of her ass.  Oh my god, I’ve got to get out of this! Her thoughts whirled in panic and her heartbeat fluttered against her ribcage like a trapped bird.  She HAD to get out of his bed.
His arm was wrapped securely around her, his large hand tucked under her side, under the shirt she wore.  His thumb twitched in his sleep, waking the nerves under his touch. Vee shivered, resisting the urge to wiggle her hips back into him.  There was no easy way out.  Bracing herself, she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and tugged.  His arm moved easily, his fingers dragging over her abdomen, sending zings of pleasure to wake her clit.  As soon as his hand was clear of her she scooted to the edge of the bed, heaving a sigh of relief.
Veronica swung her legs over the side of the bed and sank her head into her hands.  She couldn’t believe she let him convince her to stay, then let him convince her it would be harmless to sleep in the bed instead of on the futon.  Her body still sang from the contact.  Her skin wanted to slide back under his hand.  She wanted to feel him hard against her, feel him wake and find her there.
But she couldn’t.  She dared not risk the intimacy.
Vee was too busy berating herself for her lack of willpower where Magnus was concerned to hear the footsteps crossing the studio floor.  The square of sunlight stretched across the room as a hand pushed the door open.
“Magnus I hate to wake you-,” Caroline cut herself short with a gasp as Veronica’s head jerked up.  Their eyes met in the low light and Vee’s simmering desire tightened into lust in her groin.  Her friend crossed the room, one shapely calf revealing itself through the slit in her skirt with each swaying step.  Veronica’s stomach tumbled with butterflies when Caroline stopped before her.  “Morning, Voyeur,” she said.
“Morning, Caroline,” Vee answered softly.  They were the first words they’d spoken outside of business since Veronica fled her friend’s bed a week prior.
Magnus stretched, joints crackling, and groaned.  His arm snaked out around Vee’s waist and pulled her back.  “Hey, where are you going?”  She collapsed back against his chest with a squeak and Caroline let out a low, throaty, sexy laugh.  The redhead planted a knee on one side of Veronica’s legs then the other across her, straddling her thighs.  She leaned over Vee’s body.  “Morning, Care,” Magnus rumbled, reaching out with his free hand to pull her closer.
Their lips met just above Voyeur’s face and she watched from inches away as their lips played together.  Her nipples tightened into tight peaks against Caroline’s.  She was pinned between them and finding any kind of resistance was proving difficult.  They parted slightly and Caroline teased her tongue along the line of his lips.
“Is it urgent?” he asked, his fingers drawing lazy circles on Vee’s exposed stomach.  She shivered under the touch and her breath caught in her chest when Caroline tilted her head to look down at her.
“It doesn’t have to be urgent,” she answered, her voice husky.  Their eyes met and Caroline let her body relax just enough to bring them into full contact.  Vee licked her suddenly dry lips and whimpered when Caroline’s eyes tracked the path of her tongue.  Magnus twisted behind her and nuzzled his lips against the slope of her neck.  His stubble rasped against her skin.  Voyeur twisted between them, her desire for them warring with anxiety.  She wanted them.  She was afraid of her want for them.  Afraid she’d lose herself in them. That she’d no longer exist.  Just like with Joe.  Her heart started to race.

Caroline’s lips brushed against Vee’s cheek then nuzzled her ear.  “Stop fighting, Vee,” she said.  Echoes of her past pounded through her mind, replaying those words in his voice.

Veronica’s throat closed and her vision darkened.  She gasped for air and fought desperately from their embrace, heedless of how hard she kicked and thrashed.  When her feet found emptiness at the edge of the bed she pitched herself forward, throwing herself to her feet.  Their voices battered with unperceived concern against the roaring of her heartbeat in her ears.  She ran from the room, barely pausing to shove her legs into her pants.
Laptop and clothes were left behind as she hit the studio’s door.  She wavered briefly between the elevator and the stairs until she heard Magnus lift his voice, calling after her.  She slammed into the heavy steel of the stairwell door and her feet pounded down the steps.  When her feet finally found sidewalk four floors later she started running.
She didn’t remember the blocks she traveled to get home.  Her lungs burned, a sharp pain dug into her side and sweat poured from her when she finally leaned against her door.  She searched for the chip in the doorjam where her spare key hid and let herself in.  It was instinct to lock all six of the deadbolts.  Her phone began ringing as she passed it on her way to the bathroom.
Veronica sat on the floor of the shower as near scalding hot water rained over her, drenching the borrowed clothes.  She wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked, wishing she could cry.
“No more,” she whispered, over and over, not sure if she was pleading with herself or the two she left behind.

~*~

Continue reading in Voyeur:V14 ~ Need

Flash Serial:V12 Voyeur ~ Lust

The Voyeur Series continues.  Be sure to check back next week for the next installment

To start at the beginning, go here.

Veronica sighed with relief as the last of their clients filed out the door, following Caroline and Magnus.  The presentation had gone well and another year contract was now signed and sealed.  Normally she didn’t have to worry about putting in an appearance but Caroline had been worried that one of their competitors was trying to steal their account away.  Now, though, concerns were addressed and all were happy with the future.  She sank into one of the cushy conference chairs and idly started coiling cables.
“Hey Vee.”  Magnus’ voice made her jump and she looked up to find him watching her from the door.
“I thought you were taking the group to dinner with Caroline?”
His answering smile was almost rakish and she swallowed at the tingle of desire her body answered with.  “I was, but we’ve got server trouble.”  He crossed over to the table and slid the projector into its case, shoving the cords in after.  “So you and I are pulling hero duty tonight.”
“Ah hell,” she grumbled.  She shoved herself to her feet and started packing with more intent, her mind already locked onto what might have been lost and how long it would take to get her last backup in place.
“Whatsa matter, Vee, don’t fancy spending an evening with me?”
He was too close.  She could feel him behind her, his body so close every hair on her body stood.  She fought the nervous impulses trying to send a shiver through.  She couldn’t let him know it was that easy to get to her.
“Not at all.  Just thinking we really need to consider replacing that server.”  She looked back over her shoulder at him, painting a concerned look on her face and shoving her attraction away.  He let their gazes hold, silence stretching thick and heavy between them, latent with desire.  Finally he smiled, the tug of his lips tugging his lone dimple into view.  Her stomach lurched pleasantly and for a moment she thought he was going to touch her.
“We are.  Tonight.  I’ve got it all ready, but haven’t had a chance to get it switched out.  Ready?”  He spun away and hefted the heaviest of the bags onto his shoulders.
She scrubbed her hands over her face behind his back and retrieved her laptop case and attache.  “Yes.  Lead the way.”

~*~

Magnus lived in a top floor studio overlooking the river.  It was a minimalist’s dream, but not because he was one, but because he couldn’t be bothered to decorate.  Instead, chrome racks blinked with routers and servers against a worn brick wall, the flickering heartbeat of their company.  The lone table, a long low structure of iron and glass, stretched before his futon, covered with the viscera of various computers.  He swept the tangle of cables and cords into a waiting tote and carefully stacked off the drives.
“You can work here.”  He pointed to a lan port built into the floor.  “Plug in though, I’ve got the wireless disabled.”
Magnus disappeared through the one door in the studio and Veronica stared after him for a moment then sighed.  With quick movements she unpacked her laptop and set it up on the table, perching on the edge of the futon as she did, disturbingly aware of his essence permeating the fabric.  She logged into her system at home and started pulling backup disc images through to a large portable drive, addressing the list of urgent emails in her admin box while she was at it.
“Hey.”  She blinked, wincing when she looked up, surprised to find the late evening sun slanting through the windows.  Magnus set a steaming cup of coffee down for her.  “Do you have enough pulled over for me to start?  I’ve got the backend all taken care of, just need your side of things now.”
Veronica stretched, knuckling her back.  “God.  How long have I been at it?”  She shifted in her blouse, wishing, suddenly, that she were clad comfortably in jogging pants and a tee.
“An hour and a half,” he answered, lips curving into a sympathetic smile.  “Why don’t you give me what you have and use the other drive there on the stack for the next round.  I, um,” he chewed at his lip, and Vee felt her stomach twist pleasantly at the uncommon gesture, “set some clothes on the bed if you want to get out of the dress clothes.  We’ve a few hours of work ahead of us at best.”
Happy to take him up on the offer she turned the drive over to him and made her way into his bedroom, forcing down the memories of her last visit.  The pants were obviously Caroline’s but the shirt was his.  Vee wondered if he had chosen it on purpose as memories of her hands tugging it up and over his head sent a thrill of lust to her groin.  With a tortured sigh she pulled it over her head and let it drape her body.  The cotton was well worn, broken in just right, and the lettering of their college logo was nearly worn away.  It smelled of him and made her ache.
“Hey, Vee?”  His voice reached her and shook herself from her daze.  Swallowing the desire that made her heart thump she left her dress attire folded carefully on a chair.
“What’s up?” she asked, padding barefoot to his side.  She was totally unprepared when he reached out and tugged her into his lap, his arm wrapping comfortably around her waist.  He settled her in front of his expansive set up, three flat screen monitors showing a multitude of server screens, set up in a panorama of information overload.  And that didn’t even compare to the sheer volume of sensation flooding her mind from the curve of his body under her.
“You know your settings better than I do…what’s wrong with these?”  He propped his head on her shoulder, settling her back against his chest and reaching past to point to one screen where a list of parameters waited patiently.
She was aware of every inch where their bodies met.  The way her ass fit into his groin, the strength in the arm across her belly, the rasp of his stubble against her cheek, and the smell of him enveloping her.  Veronica swallowed and reached for the keyboard, forcing her mind to think.  She focused stubbornly on the list, tweaking options this way and that until they lined up the way they needed.
“Ahhh…now I get it.  One of these days we need to make record of all this stuff.”  His voice was low and husky and she felt him almost nuzzle her neck.  His breath fanned against her neck.  She nearly moaned.  “Hungry?”  Her mind twisted his meaning at first until her stomach growled.  He laughed and urged her from his lap.  “That answers the question.  DiCarlo’s okay?”
Veronica murmured an assent, trying to wrestle her body back into line as his voice rumbled into the phone.  She returned to her laptop, putting the width of the studio between them.  Her body hummed with desire.
“Food’ll be here in half an hour.”  He leaned against one of the steel posts in the middle of the space and watched her for a moment. “You okay, Vee?”
She looked up.  He had his arms folded across his chest, pulling his tee taught across his shoulders.  He looked tired and concern tugged at his eyes.  There was none of the smug arrogance she’d been dealing with for months.  If there had been it would have been easier to resist.  She nodded and returned her eyes to her task, copying the last of the backups.  He padded over to her.  Before she could say anything he slid behind her, letting his legs fall on either side of her hips.  She groaned when his hands found the knots in her back and started to knead.
“Oh god.”  She dropped her elbows to her knees and let her body go lax.
“Jeez, Vee, what have you been up to?”
She laughed and ignored the question, letting his talented hands ease her back.
Dinner arrived and they ate in studious silence, each at their computers, working at getting the server back online. Magnus answered phonecall after phonecall until his temper began to fray and he set his phone to silent, refusing to answer.  It was 1am when Magnus let out whoop of triumph and swept Veronica into a hung, swinging her around as the final tests completed successfully at last.  She wavered when he set her back on her feet and he held on for a moment, watching her worriedly.
“Okay, I was planning to offer anyways, but that nails it.  You’re staying here tonight.”

~*~

Voyeur’s story continues in V13:Morning After

Lost in a Maze

Vivid dreams are far from rare for me, but last night’s deserves preserving.

 

I was in a maze.  This is a theme, lately, with the maze being constructed of different materials with different inhabitants from night to night. 

Last night it was steel.  Stainless steel, polished so I was shadowed by my own blurry reflection as I tried to find my way through.  The panels reached high above my head and wind whistled above, shoving feathers of clouds into streaks across a sky the color of a fading bruise. 

I started out trying to follow the golden rule of mazes.  Keep turning in the same direction whenever possible.  I did fine for a while, and though I had no clue where I was in the grand scheme of the maze I felt I was making progress; either towards the exit or the center. 

Then things started to go sideways.  I was turned around one of the steel panels and was greeted with a twisting column of fire.  It burned hot, pale blue at the center and shimmering.  The heat beat against my face and arms, alarmingly hot and the metal behind it glowed a lurid red.  The column stretched up as high as the maze before fading into yellow licks of flames. 

Abruptly it went out, only the fading darkness on the wall and the scorch on the granite underfoot marking its presence.  The heat disipated and I continued on, being certain not to linger too long.

The occurence repeated at odd intervals, with the fire taking different shapes and varying intensities of inferno.  Then I started to hear voices.  Not whispers but out and out conversations, and they always seemed just on the otherside of the panel I was walking along.  I struggled to follow one pair as they engaged in a low but passionate quarrel. 

I was quickly led astray of my intention to make consistant turns. 

The further I walked the more blackened rock I happened across, the more eery fires appeared.  Soon it seemed every step I took was over a dark, cracked slab of rock, every foot of steel I passed was darkened with the distinct blueing of tempered steel.  My anxiety built when the fires began to block passages and flaring up behind me, giving me no option but a predetermined path.

Then I woke.

Flash Serial:V11 Voyeur ~ Kneejerk

The Voyeur Series continues.  Be sure to check back next week for the next installment

To start at the beginning, go here.

Kneejerk

Her hand hooked around the pen, Voyeur scrawled rapidly across the notebook.  She sat on the floor, her back pressed against the bed, knees pulled up.  She rubbed tiredly at her eyes, refusing to look at the naked body in the bed behind her.  Images, sounds, crystalline memories strobed through her brain.

“Come inside it’s raining.”  The window slammed up before she could hide.

“I can’t.”  She stared up at Caroline, icy rivulets of water streaming down her face.

“Save the arguments tonight, Vee.  It’s fucking cold.  You know I’ll win anyways.”

Caroline grabbed her wrist, tugging her through the window.  She dripped on the hardwood floor, water hitting with large, plopping sounds.

Her friend insisted she change, hand waiting impatiently for her soaked clothes through the barely opened bathroom door.  Dry clothes were handed back, clothes that smelled like Caroline as they rasped against her skin.  Caroline dimmed the lamp when she emerged and dropped her robe, her body melting back into the bed.  The solid thump as she padded the other side of the mattress seemed to impact Voyeur, a blow to her restraint.

But Voyeur watched instead, stiff as a reed, from the corner.  Caroline resumed her self-pleasure, one hand cupping her breast the other sliding down her body to the patch of damp, blonde curls between her thighs.

Each stroke of Caroline’s fingers drew her closer. Step by step, a foot at a time, the distance between them disappeared until she was perching on the edge of the bed, leaning in.  She could smell her, smell Caroline’s arousal, her essence.  Added to that she could hear the liquid embrace of her slick tunnel as her fingers pressed in and withdrew, each catch of breath and every low gasp of pleasure.  She lost herself in the observation, details etching into her mind as Caroline played her own body for her.  It was a private performance, Caroline’s smokey voice lifting in a final crescendo before crashing back down around both of them.

Exhibitionist vs Voyeur.

Voyeur blinked the memories away.

She had been so close. She almost surrendered.  Not the night before but when she woke.  The serpentine shadow of Caroline’s spine disappearing beneath the sheet had called her hand.  She barely resisted, yanking her hand back just before her fingertips slid against Caroline’s skin.

She couldn’t pass the barrier of her psyche.  She couldn’t get past the memory of Caroline and Magnus twined together is passion, past the knowing.

The bed creaked behind her.  A bolt of arousal hit her as a hand buried in her tousled hair. “What are you writing, Voyeur?”  The husky voice sent goosebumps down her arms.  Her pen bent dangerously in her grip.  Her scalp errupted in spots of fire as she yanked her head free in desperation.

Voyeur shoved herself to her feet and bolted.

“You can’t be alone forever!”

The promise followed her out of the bedroom.  She stuffed her damp clothes into her backpack with her notebook and slid into her shoes.

“Wouldn’t you rather choose, Voyeur, whether it’s me or Magnus who wins?”  Caroline’s voice was close.

Voyeur shivered, refusing to look at Caroline, and let herself out the door.

~*~

Continue reading in the next installment of Voyeur ~V12 Lust