She had to admit that the memory of Silas tearing open her blouse, hungry to explore the contents hiding beneath the thin layers of fabric, were a potent enough memory to make her want to explode. She dipped her fingers deep inside herself, imagining what was hiding beneath the leather belt around his hips. She pictured unfastening his pants and exploring him with her tongue and lips, taking the impressive girth of his cock all the way into her mouth. She imagined the pleasure of making him moan, and the glorious feeling of knowing this man had completely succumbed to his desire for her alone.
She let her fingers roam across her slick folds, paying special attention to the swollen ridge that made her entire body quake when she ran her fingers over it. She thought of the way Silas looked at her, so unafraid, so free. He was so different than the stuffy, uptight men in Paris who always tried and failed to court her. They were humorless, sexless and selfish, only interested in themselves. But Silas was so different. He seemed so ravenous, so interested and excited to explore her body.
Her fingers moved to the rapid rhythm of her beating heart, spreading the heat flowing from inside her. The pulsing inside her grew almost unbearable as she imagined a particular fantasy of hers she had yet to experience in real life. The picture of Silas tasting and exploring her with his mouth, of sucking the juices from inside of her and sampling her taste came rushing at her vividly.
She dreamed at looking down at him as he fearlessly consumed her. The mental picture was enough to drive her over the edge almost immediately, and her pussy erupted into a seemingly endless series of deeply pleasurable spasms. She moaned and continued to slowly explore her most intimate parts, the orgasms coming in soft ways as she finally allowed herself to imagine Silas’ cock buried deep inside of her.
She lay in the relaxing hot water of the bath panting as she let herself momentarily imagine all the pleasure Silas could bring to her. The attraction between them was more powerful than anything she had ever experienced.
Just as her breathing had begun to slow, a loud knock sounded at her door.
“Urgent telegram for Miss Belle Abrams!”
Chapter Five
“And why should I do this favor for you, Silas?”
“I made a mistake and double booked myself, Max. Can’t you understand? I simply can’t leave Katherine alone tonight, and you know how damn fragile her ego is. If she saw me with Audrey, she’d explode.”
“Why can’t Katherine take care of herself? Why does she need you to hold her hand every god damn minute of the day and night?” The last thing Max was interested in doing that evening was playing the part of charming host. He was too damn tired to even imagine the prospect of putting on a tux, much less smiling and nodding for an entire night. Not to mention the fact that he was buried under deadlines for three separate projects and completely stuck on all of them.
Silas pulled him from his thoughts, refuting his protests by trying to elicit his sympathies for their old family friend. “Max, you know how hard she took it after that flop of a show last month. Her styles are just so outdated, and she can’t seem to catch up with the times. And she’s Jackie’s sister, for chrissakes. Have a little compassion.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure out how to juggle them both,” Max replied gruffly and left Silas in the kitchen tying his bowtie.
He knew he was unbearable to be around these days, but there was nothing he could do about it. He simply couldn’t forgive himself for Jackie’s death—it haunted him day and night, awake or asleep. The idea of spending time with Katie, the spitting image of her big sister, made his stomach ache. And the fact that Silas seemed to be getting over it all and moving on made it even worse. He spent tons of time with Katie and never once seemed to be pained by it. The gulf between him and his brother seemed to widen by the day, despite his failed efforts to forgive Silas for making peace with a past he simply couldn’t let go.
He was trying his damnedest to be nice to his little brother, but he couldn’t help but feel jealous of him, jealous of his carefree nature, of the way things could just roll off him. Max had always been accused of being too intense, and he was sick of it.
He poured himself a drink in his studio, locked the door and turned on his phonograph. He put on a slow jazz record he bought in Chicago several months before and let the soulful voice of the female singer wash over him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, determined to block the party out of his brain and all the chaos Audrey Rousseau seemed to be bringing into his life, even from afar. If she had made it this far, he was confident she could handle a typical party at the Arches on her own.
* * * *
During the drive out of Dallas, Audrey fell into an almost meditative state. Soaking in the dusk, she rapidly made her way down the dusty country road. She passed an occasional farmer on the side of the road, staring as she breezed by in her speedy sports car. A scarf wrapped around her head, her sunglasses shielding her eyes from view, she almost felt anonymous, a secret agent on her own mysterious mission.
She missed being on the road like this, and memories from her wild trek kept her brain distracted from the actual task at hand. She may have been going to the party at the invitation of Silas, but she was bound and determined not to let her emotions get away from her. This was just a party, an opportunity to experience a real Texas social gathering.
If that was the case, then why was her heart beating like a band of African drums? She pulled down the Abramses’ long, tree-lined gravel driveway and felt her pulse exploding in her veins. The private road seemed to weave and wind for miles, purposefully building anticipation for any visitor curious to see the home.
Beyond gaining notoriety for Jacqueline’s, Max Abrams had also managed in the past several years to become quite well known in the architectural world for his cutting edge designs. Audrey gasped as she finally caught a distant glimpse of The Arches, Max’s showpiece, sitting on top of a tall hill and glowing in the light of early evening. The sprawl of the modern, clean lines of the lavish home seemed to rise magically from the landscape as if it were born from the very earth itself.
From her vantage point on the road, she could already tell this was going to be a wild party. Despite the early hour, she could hear the buzz of the many, many guests and make out the sounds of a band playing a cheerful dance number. Lights twinkled across the wide expanse of property spreading from the elaborate house, beckoning her closer.
As she continued traveling up the hill towards Max and Silas’ home, she spotted rows and rows of fancy cars lining the circle drive around the entranceway. Audrey was forced to park quite a distance from the door. As she walked towards the lavish home, she could smell the lush flower gardens she spotted from the drive. Horses lined a trim, modern stable, and she lingered alone with the gorgeous animals as she tried to swallow her unusual and irrational social anxiety.
After several minutes of petting a particularly striking black stallion, she had the eerie, second sense she was not alone. She looked around, unable to shake the feeling of being observed. She glanced towards the house and caught a momentary glimpse of a silhouette in a window, followed by the swift movement of shutting blinds. The moment caused chills to run down your spine.
Don’t get paranoid, Audrey. There’s no way he’s found you here. You’re safe.
She continued giving herself a rhythmic, silent pep talk as she made her way down the ivy-covered arched walkway. Something inside her had been off for days, thrown by her encounter with Silas. She simply didn’t know what to make of their relationship, but she had to admit she felt excited to see him.
As she made her way through the crowds of people standing around the pool, she held her head high as she felt the numerous pairs of eyes gazing at her. Women throughout the courtyard, in their cotton candy party gowns and elaborate hairdos, stood in marked difference to Audrey’s sober, trim little black dress that draped in layers of gauze along the slim curves of her petite frame.
Her eyes scanning the dance floor, she looked everywhere for a glimpse of Silas. What was she to do if he couldn’t be found? She didn’t know a soul in the entire state, much less at the party. Could she go up and introduce herself to a group of people? How would someone go about doing that without coming off as strange?
After nearly an hour of wandering through the crowds and trying to maintain her cool, she was on the verge of leaving. How could he do this to her? In the midst of the crowds of people, Audrey was more alone than she’d ever been in her entire life.
“Miss Rousseau…” sounded a familiar voice behind her.
“Oh, Mason! I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been looking for Silas,” she responded to the dapper man, dressed in a tuxedo, tails and a top hat. “But I’m on the verge of giving up and leaving. He knows how I hate to be left waiting, and he’s already made that mistake once.”
“My apologies, Miss Rousseau. But Silas asked me to let you know he’s been detained and won’t be able to act as your host this evening.”
“Detained? What the hell am I supposed to do? I don’t know a soul here!” She hated to let her frustration bubble so obviously to the surface, but she was never particularly talented at hiding her emotions.
“Please let me show you into the private living quarters. No one else will disturb you and Silas will surely be back within the hour,” Mason said, his face filled with concern.
“One hour, and then I’ll have to depart. You can tell him that, wherever he’s been detained.” Audrey hated the bite in her voice, the obvious sarcasm, but she couldn’t help but feel her jealous streak bubble to the surface.
As she followed Silas’ loyal assistant into his home, she momentarily caught a glimpse of his golden hair and white seersucker suit at the opposite edge of the hilltop, hastily leading a tiny blonde woman away from the crowds of merrymakers. It was just a second, possibly even a delusion.
Do not assume anything, Audrey. Do not make a scene here among your future friends and clients.
Her blood boiled in her veins, but she managed to keep her mouth shut.
“Please, Miss Rousseau. Make yourself comfortable here,” Mason said as he opened the wide arching doorway into the immaculate kitchen. Every surface gleamed with black and white tile and revealed something surprising. Everything was customized and built into the room, and a brand new electric stove and refrigerator called to her instinctual love for making elaborate meals and entertaining. She missed being the center of the party and the hostess of evenings like this.
“I must leave you,” he said to Audrey apologetically. “But I’m confident Master Abrams will be here momentarily.”
“Yes, Mason. I’m sure you have a million things to attend to on a night like this. I’ll be fine. Thank you for your kindness.”
With a sigh of relief, he left her in the kitchen to see to his responsibilities. She gave herself a private tour, running her hand over the seemingly endless modern conveniences built into the trim and stylish room. No luxury had been spared here, and the beauty of the place overwhelmed her. She couldn’t help but think about how much her life had changed in the past ten years since she had left the orphanage. She imagined herself at sixteen in this room, a skinny, poor girl with no one and nothing to call her own. Her fingers thumbed the locket around her neck, the only photographs of her mother and father concealed inside the necklace. It was the only thing that remained of her childhood. So much hard work, so many risks…it was all worth it in moments like this, just to see a space so perfect.
Audrey's curiosity bubbled to the surface as she let herself wander from the kitchen into the living room, a space that seemed to naturally unfold from the open floor plan. Every piece of furniture, surface and detail echoed the similar careful thought and design of the kitchen, and every corner of the house felt warm and inviting.
With each room opening into the next, she lost track of time and her anger at being left alone seemed to fade to the peripheries of her mind. She didn't care to snoop in the brothers' personal spaces and steered clear of any room with a closed door, but continued wandering on in curiosity.
She crossed a threshold and realized she had passed out of the personal living quarters and into a massive wing of rooms clearly serving as a design studio. Work stations, complete with easels and drawing tools, took up most of the wide open space with two walls made of windows from floor to ceiling. A display case of architectural renderings and photographs of buildings and designs by Max and Silas took up another wall of the huge open space, and Audrey paused to look at the incredible array of things these brothers had accomplished.