Ethan continued to the ballroom, which had been transformed into a Roman hall…an appropriate setting for the orgy that was taking place amidst the plaster columns and lush potted palms. Guests were taking full advantage of the long banquet table, upon which whores had arranged themselves like a carnal feast. A brunette on all fours took a fellow in her mouth and from behind. Next to her, a sandy blonde sat astride a guest while frigging two others.
Draped over the far end of the table, a group of five were connected in a writhing chain. The head of the line, a redhead lying on her back with a hirsute fellow thrusting heavily into her, smiled and crooked a finger at Ethan. He shook his head and moved on. The surrounding carnality, while provocative, did little to stir him. He craved something else…something more. And it was nearing time for him to have it.
He exited the ballroom and mounted the steps to the next floor. A footman directed him to Sirena’s “confessional,” which turned out to be a bedchamber at the end of the hall. The attendant at the door bade him to wait. A few minutes later, the door opened, and a patron strolled out, his smile satisfied beneath his demi-mask.
Ethan felt a hot stab in his chest. It was stupid, he knew. Sirena made her living seducing men with her stories. Intimacy was an illusion she wove.
Nothing about this is real.
He didn’t know if he felt relieved or disappointed.
“Your turn, guv.” The footman smirked. “Enjoy your confession.”
Inside the chamber, a white curtain hung from ceiling to floor, dividing the small room in half. Ethan’s pulse quickened when he saw Sirena. Although she was still a shadow, the fabric barrier revealed more of her than the window of her old confessional. Reclined upon a chaise, she presented a tantalizing silhouette. She wore her trademark wimple with paganistic wings and appeared otherwise naked. Her back was arched, her breasts perfect globes with jutting tips. One of her legs was bent at the knee, the other lying straight. While her legs weren’t long, they were shapely, leading to a nicely rounded bottom.
In fact, he realized with a trickle of heat, in shadow she could pass for a more voluptuous version of Jane.
“Welcome to my confessional, sir.”
Although her voice had captivated him during their last encounter, the original confessional must have muted its power. Her sultry tones poured through the fabric partition, and he inhaled, feeling as if he’d downed a snifter of brandy. Hot, smoky, and potent, her words swirled his blood and whetted his appetite.
“I am Sister Sirena, the Nunnery’s sensational and salacious storyteller. Tonight, I will enchant you with a story woven from your deepest, innermost desires. My voice will transport you to a world where pleasure is everything, and nothing is forbidden.”
“Nothing is forbidden?” he asked.
She gave a visible start, sitting up straight.
Did she remember him? He’d only come to her that one time, weeks ago, and she must have countless clients.
“You…you were here before.”
He was absurdly gratified that she’d remembered.
“Yes,” he said.
“It wasyou,” she breathed. “You’re the fellow. The one who…who wanted something real.”
While he was pleased to have made an impression, her words had an odd inflection that he didn’t understand. Her posture was upright, and he felt the heat of her stare through the curtain. He wondered uneasily if returning had been a mistake. If his memory of their prior encounter had been idealized. Then she relaxed, reclining against the chaise and curling toward him like they were having an intimatetête-à-tête.
“I hoped you would visit again, sir.”
Her sultry register wove its usual spell on his senses. He was drawn back to the moment. Back to the world of fantasy where he could have whatever he wanted.
“You made an impression the last time,” he said.
“The feeling is mutual, darling. What kind of story do you desire from me today?”
Her purring words coaxed the truth from him.
“Tell me one about a housekeeper,” he said.
ChapterThirteen
Lord Ethan was my princely patron.
Now he’s back and wants a fantasy…about a housekeeper.
Aboutme?
