Nicole Peeler - [Jane True 01] (26 page)

In the elevator, he pulled me toward him and kissed my mouth hungrily. I
felt grubby and tired after the long drive, but my body still responded to
Ryu’s kisses. By the time our elevator
pinged
to indicate we’d arrived
at our floor, we were both slightly disheveled.

“We’re in here,” Ryu said, slipping his key card in the door. I’d
overheard the receptionist say that she had the Cocooning Suite ready for us,
whatever that meant. But despite the implications of the name, I was not at all
ready for what greeted me behind the door.

First off, my gaze was riveted by the enormous four-poster bed. It was
piled high with pillows and looked like it could have fit half of Rockabill.
Across from the bed was this amazing sofa-lounger thingy that, with its ottoman
flush against it, made a big oval.

And then I saw the bathtub. Which was not in the bathroom, but sitting
proud as a daisy right next to the four-poster bed.

I gawped at the tub, and then looked around for the actual bathroom. Was
that the only place to bathe?

Of course not. There was an enormous state-of-the-art bathroom that had
its own huge bath and shower.
The bedroom bath is just for sex
, I
realized.
Cripes!

Ryu went into the room, taking out his wallet and keys to place them on
the nightstand. I was still standing in front of the open door, marveling, when
I heard the quiet sound of a throat being cleared behind me. It was the bellhop
with our luggage. I let him through, moving into the room as if I thought somebody
might jump out at me, while Ryu tipped him and gestured for our luggage to be
set by the bed. I flicked apart the heavy curtains to peer out the window. We
overlooked the Château’s grounds, which looked absolutely magical, all lit up
for the evening.

I heard the door close as the bellhop left, and the next sound I heard
didn’t really surprise me. It was the sound of water filling a bathtub. Then I
heard Ryu open something, and a delicious smell filled the room—bubble bath.
He’s
done this before
, my virtue warned, at which my libido rolled its eyes.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist, and Ryu’s teeth closed ever so
gently on the nape of my neck. The gentle bite turned into a kiss that trailed
over to my ear as his hands cupped my breasts. I turned around to meet his lips
in a proper kiss as he pulled my sweater up over my head.

He led me to the bathtub—just in time to turn it off before it got too
full—and the rest of our clothes joined my sweater in a heap on the floor. When
I got in, the water was achingly hot and smelled like pears. The bath fit the
two of us most comfortably. We proceeded to have the most fun in the tub that
I’d had since I was a little girl, although my adult experience clashed with my
childhood memories—there are indeed some bath toys more exciting than a rubber
ducky.

The next three days were glorious. Everyone treated me with respect:
There were no whispers or subtle glances between two gossips or hastily pointed
fingers. Or, if there were, they were from women jealous of my relationship
with Ryu, rather than because of my past.

While my lover slept, I spent the mornings swimming in the heated
outside pool, and even though it was cold out nobody raised an eyebrow. I was
just some girl who liked to swim so much she even did it in winter. That said,
the pool didn’t satisfy me like the ocean did, and I would have preferred it
unheated. But I still enjoyed it thoroughly. Not least because I
could
enjoy it, blanketed, as I was, in glorious anonymity.

Midafternoon, after Ryu emerged from his coma, we’d head into the city
to do touristy things. I took loads of pictures and sent postcards to my father
and to Grizzie and Tracy, and bought a few more to send on our return trip so
that it looked like I’d spent the whole week in Québec rather than just half of
it. Then we’d have dinner somewhere, go out for some drinks, and finally head
back to the hotel for bath time. Boy, did I love bath time.

Our last day at the Château was the best yet, despite the knowledge that
tomorrow we would be heading out to the Alfar Compound. We didn’t even bother
to be tourists that day. Upon his waking midafternoon, Ryu hustled me off to
the Château’s spa to get the full treatment: facial, manicure, pedicure, and
this amazing massage that used hot rocks. I don’t want to know how much it
cost, but the fact that he got himself a manicure, shave, and a haircut made me
feel a little better. I felt guilty about the pampering, but I have to admit I
walked out of that spa feeling like I was made of rubber. Very content rubber,
at that.

We dined in the hotel that evening, for which I wore my mother’s red
wrap dress. It was by Diane von Furstenberg, a name that even I knew, and it
was the epitome of understated elegance. I was really careful with my makeup
that evening, trying to do my own version of smoky eyes, which worked okay.
They were more “slightly hazy” than “smoky,” but it was still pretty. Ryu,
dressed in a gorgeous charcoal-gray suit with a black shirt and no tie, had
never looked so handsome. And that was saying something.

We lingered over dinner. First, we had raw oysters, one of my favorite
treats. We sprinkled them with lemon juice and little slices of shallot soaked
in vinegar. In my mouth, they tasted like the essence of the sea herself: briny
and ozoney and scrumptious. Then we had a tasting platter of sashimi, served
with wasabi, soy, and ginger. I didn’t have to be part seal to enjoy the
fish—it was all as fresh as could be and absolutely mouthwatering. For our main
course, we shared an enormous Black Angus porterhouse steak—I figured that
should replenish my iron subsidies—and the taste of the very rare meat was
deliciously carnal. Just like the Wu-Tang Clan, baby, I like it raw.

For dessert we had a selection of naughty little sweets the menu listed as
“Sensual,” a suggestion we needed like a hole in the head. Underneath the table
I’d had my bare foot on Ryu’s crotch since the waiter put down our steak, and
by this point in the evening he was reduced to stuttering, his fangs were so
long. Yet we were enjoying our tantalizing wait. Knowing our bedroom was ready
for us upstairs but that we were going to hold off, just for now, was as much
an aphrodisiac as the oysters had been.

After we’d finished dessert, and our port, and each quaffed our little
demitasse of espresso, I very deliberately folded up my napkin and slipped my
foot back into my shoe. I stood, Ryu watching me, and leaned over to whisper in
his ear. He nodded.

I left him there, in the restaurant, to go up to our room. I very calmly
pulled out my prize from where it waited, in secret, in a pocket of my duffel
bag. I shook it out, and then draped it gently from a hanger. I took it into
the bathroom with me, hanging it so that the steam from my shower would take
out the few wrinkles it had collected during its stay in my bag.

After I’d bathed and refreshed my makeup, I pulled the red satin
nightgown over my head. Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but
smile. Grizzie had done me more than proud, she’d done me
fabulous
. The
gown fit like a glove in all the right places.

I brushed out my hair before opening the bathroom door. The lights were
out in the main room, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust to the dark. But
then my vision focused, and I could see Ryu sitting, still as a statue, on the
sofa. He had kicked away the ottoman, so that it was up against the end of the
bed. His hands were steepled in front of his face, but I could see he was
watching me intently.

Without speaking, he held out his hand towards me.

I moved forward slowly, the pulse of my blood echoing in my ears. In the
darkness of the luxurious hotel room, with Ryu so still and quiet, I was
suddenly nervous. It was like this was the first night we’d spent
together—everything that had become familiar felt new and strange.

Taking my hand, he pressed my palm to his lips, making me quiver with
anticipation. Then he took my hips in his hands and leaned forward to inhale my
scent, slowly raising his golden eyes to mine. I’d never seen anything so sexy
in my life.
He’s got more moves than M.C. Hammer
, my mordant inner voice
observed.

He stroked his hands down my hips, enjoying the cool satin touch of the
fabric as much as I did. Then he pulled me to him so that I lay on my back,
over his thighs, with my bum fitted snugly in his lap as he cradled me in his
strong arms.

He used his free hand to stroke my side—first down my ribs, and then
over my breasts and along my stomach. His eyes followed his trailing fingers.
When he finally spoke, his voice was husky with desire.

“This is how your life should be,” he said, his eyes gazing into mine.
“You should be dressed in satin…” He ran a finger over my lips, which parted
under his touch. “…pampered…” he murmured, as I nibbled on his finger.
“…loved,” he concluded, pulling me toward him for a kiss.

The emotions I felt hearing those words could not have been more
conflicted if they’d been born on opposite sides of the Berlin Wall. Most
brutal was the wave of guilt that swept over me. I
had
been loved in my
life, and
really
loved, at that. What Jason and I had shared was far
more profound than what I had with Ryu, no matter how sexually intense our
relationship was. I never doubted that for a minute.

But on the heels of that guilt came a seductive voice that spoke to me
of
circumstances
. I’d been so defined by the circumstances of my life—by
my mother’s disappearance, by my father’s illness, by Jason’s death.

Do you
really
know what you want?
the voice whispered,
ingratiating itself over the guilt.

I was deeply disturbed by that voice. I knew that the things that had
happened to me were pretty extreme. I certainly resented how those things had
impinged on my day-to-day existence. I hated how everybody disparaged my
mother, how everybody thought I was crazy, and how we stayed in Rockabill
despite everything. But I never doubted
myself
. I’d always felt I knew
who I was and what I wanted, even if I knew that having those things meant I
had to take shit from the likes of Linda and Stuart. Even discovering I was
part seal hadn’t really rocked my boat much.

But clasped in Ryu’s arms, I began to question whether or not I had any
clue about the things I’d taken for granted regarding myself, my life, and my
motivations.

Maybe you just never knew what was really out there, available to you
, the
cunning voice whispered.

Be quiet!
I thought, pushing the voice out of my
head with an almost physical effort.

Helping me to silence the voice was Ryu, who seemed entirely unaware of
my internal turmoil. He was busy exploring the exact parameters of my gown,
running his hand up my bare leg where he had access through the nightgown’s
generous slit, then running his hand back down my other leg, over the soft
fabric.
Even if you don’t know what
you
want,
I observed,
he
certainly does
.

And I want what he’s having
, my libido
demanded, petulantly.

Stilling my chorus of inner voices, I raised my face to his lips. His
kisses were deceptively gentle despite his flagrant desire.

I deepened my own kisses, letting him know I was as ready as he was. He
adjusted his arm so that he could lift me up, single-handedly, using his
preternatural strength to keep his other hand free. Not that it hadn’t found
something to keep itself occupied, to which my almost incessant moaning
attested.

Ryu set me down on my knees on the ottoman, facing the bed. Standing
behind me, he very slowly pulled my red nightgown over my head. He ran his
hands down my arms, his lips suckling my ear lobe, to place my palms on the
edge of the mattress. The air shivered about me as I waited, hearing him from
behind me as he shed his own clothing. He took his time.

I heard rustling, and then a condom was floating in front of my face. I
smiled, and nodded. Right on cue came Ryu’s martyred sigh, but I heard him rip
open the package.

When he was finished, he ran his hands down my body, from neck to knee,
stopping gently to knead, then kiss, each round cheek of my bottom in its turn.
Then I felt his body press against mine as he knelt behind me on the ottoman,
wrapping his arms around me, his hands again finding my breasts.

I sighed, pressing back against him, his lips locked on the nape of my
neck. He was breathing heavily and I could feel him, hard and insistent,
pushing between my legs. He let go of my breasts to press one hand against my
stomach, drawing my hips nearer to his, while the fingers of his other hand
slipped inside of me. I hissed with pleasure as he stroked me relentlessly; he
wasn’t playing around anymore. Just before I came, he paused, withdrawing his
hand to pull my upper body around so that my neck was exposed. Then his fingers
were back where they belonged and, as my orgasm thundered through me, I felt
the sharp prick of his fangs. The pleasure was so intense that everything went
black for a split second. When I swam back to full consciousness, Ryu had
pushed into me from behind, stoking the fires of my passion for a second time.