Themaoodrooted,gazeflickeringlikehewaswrestlingwithsomethieringinthedarkerersofhismind.
Reyawatchedhim,notinghowtheheathadnearlysteamedhimalivefromthei.Shesmirkedinwardly.Hewasalreadyburningup,nearlysettingthathazmatsuitonfire.Nowayhecouldkeeppyiraintfer.
"Whatareyousoafraidof?"shewhispered,hervoicesoftasadream."It''''''''snotlikeyou''''''''llloseapieceofyourself."
Hedrewinaloh,chestheaving,asifsteelinghimselfforachoice.Then—withoutanotherword—heturnedandstrodeforthedoor.
Reya''''''''sbrowfurrowed.Aflickerofdoubtscrapedatherposure.Hadshemiscalcuted?Noway.Washereallygoingtowalkaway?
Butthedisappoididn''''''''tstlong.
Hereturnedmomentster.
Stillsealedihehazmatsuit—onlynow,ajaggedholehadbeencutcrudelyintothecrotch.Fromitjuttedanenged,purplishlength,slidstraining,framedgrotesquelybythesterilewhitefabric.
Somethinggtoit.Notskin,notcloth,butathin,translutgstretchedtightovertheshaft,glisteninglikesomemanufacturedmembrane.
Reya''''''''sgazesoit—andfroze.Hersmirkvanished.
Awaveofrevulsionrippedthroughher.Herinstinctsrecoiledviolently.Thatthingwasn''''''''tbareflesh.Itwassealed,encased,blockedoff—theverypartsheofeedfromsmotheredinsideanartificialshell.
Themanagercaughttheflickerinhereyesandmistookitforfear.Hislipscurledwithgreasysatisfa.Hethrusthishipsforward,obseinhismockery.
"What?Firsttimeseeingone?"hesneered."It''''''''scalledprote.Aguy''''''''sgottabecareful.Someonelikeyou—lettingthatghost-facedbastardpawatyou—whoknowswhatkindofrotyou''''''''recarrying?I''''''''mnotlookingtocatything."
Reyasaidnothing.Onlyhergazedarkehesilencepressingdownuntilitfeltheavierthanwords.
Hemistookitagain,grinningwider."Rex.Didn''''''''tyousaythiswasfuntiedup?Ijustwanttoseehowgoodthatmouthofyoursreallyis."
Heleanedin,bragbothpalmsagainstthemattress,inhalinglikeanaddict.Hersthithimthidheady,makinghisbreathrasplikebellows.
Reyaclosedhereyes,smtherevulsioncrawlingihroat.Thatbarriersealedoffwhatsherikenow,andshe''''''''donlygleanscrapsofenergyfromhissurface—farfromenough.
Patience.Sheneededhimtoremovethebarrierhimself.
Withdeliberateslowness,shetiltedherfaceup,herlipsbrushinghisearasshewhispered,voicehuskyasalover''''''''sanager...youwearingthat...areyouscaredI''''''''lldrainyou?"
Sheliheworddraiingitunfurgainsthisskininadamp,heatedexhale.
Hejoltedasifshocked."Whatthehell—?"
Memorystabbedthrough:theer''''''''sbabbling,howshe''''''''dsworhiswomanandthatdamnedmani,shehadusedthesameword—drain.
Butthefshofcautionevaporatedalmostasquicklyasitcame.Reya''''''''seyesfoundhis.Theydarkened,swallowinghimwholelikeamoonlessnightdevthestglintofreason.
Shesmiled,voicedroppingtoawhisper."Themenbeforeyou...neverworeone."
Andnowtheyweredead.Thatpart,ofcourse,wentunsaid.
Themanager''''''''sstareturnedmolten.Thatlihemenbeforeyou—buzzedinhisskulllikeadare.Heknewbedroomgameswhehem,hereizedthetauntforwhatitwas.
"Don''''''''tbullSh1Tme,"herasped,toingoverparchedlips."Prettyfacelikeyours?I''''''''dbetmyassthere''''''''sdirtuhosenails."
Reyaonlyleanedcloser,hernosealmostgrazinghisjaw.
Sheexhaledsoftly:"Thenfindout.SeeifI''''''''mdirty...orjustdelicious."
Herstthiedbetweenthem—night-bloomingjasmineslicedthroughthecoldbasementair,oozingvenomoussweetnessundermoonlight.
Themanager''''''''sbodytensed,everymuscletaut.
"Fuck!"hesnarled—butinsteadofpullingback,hegrippedher,fhertomeethisgre,hisbodypressiweenherlegs.
Reyafelthimthroughthefabricofherpants,butnotthewaysheheartificialsheathblockedhisessence,leavingonlythewhisperofhisbody''''''''sheattolickathersenses.
Sheletaslow,deliberateexhalepassherlips.hismomentwasn''''''''thers.
Thensheclosedhereyes,likeasicklybeautydisgustedbybeingforced,andsaidpetuntly,"Ifyou''''''''rereallytooscared...the.Keepyourlife.It''''''''snotlikeyou''''''''tjustjerkoffinthatridiculoussuiteverydayinstead."
Thewordsstabbedstraightintotheman''''''''spride.
Amusthemanager''''''''sfacetwitchedviolently,hisbreathingbecameragged,almosthyperventiting.
Butintheend,hiscautionoverpoweredhiswoundedego.
"Youthinkreversepsychologywillworkonme?"Hislipscurledintoasneer."Makesmewonderifyou''''''''reactuallysick—takingyourmiseryoutontheworld,FKinganymandesperateenoughtotouchyou."
Seeingthatherployhadfailed,Reyadroppedtheact.Sheturnedherfaceaway,lettinghisfiipslosetactwithher.
Themaudiedtheundisguiseddisgustinherfadsmirked.
Thiswomanthinksshepymindgameswithme?She''''''''sstilltoogreen.
Thiswasthereahehadbeenwaitingfor.Herckoffear—orresistance—upuntilnowhadrobbedhimofsomeofthesatisfa.
Leanihesrestrainingherafetugs.Reyawasforcedbatoaspreadeaglepositionoress,herarmsstretchedaboveherhead.Shewrithedslightly,makitle,butitwasfutile.
Hishandsdesdedonherbody,gropingroughlyatfirst,thentearingatherclothes.
HerT-shirt,soakedwithsweat,gstubbornlytoherski,butthedampfabricresisted.Withagrowl,herippeditopenfromhemtocolr,exposinghernearlytranslutskin.Theunusualpalecolorofherareosandnipplessurprisedhim.
Hefroze,momentarilycaughtoffguard."Whatareyou,somekindofalbinoorsomething?"
Reyadidn''''''''tanswer,andhedidn''''''''tpress.
Bck,white—whatdiditmatter?
Thepertswellofherbreasts,theftpneofherstomach,thedelicatecurveofherwaist—shewasalreadymoreintoxigthananywomanhehadeverknown.
Thesaroundheranklesmaderemovingherpantsdifficult.Thefabricrefusedtoteareasily.Mutteringcurses,heclimbedoffthebedtoretrieveapairofscissors.
Reyaystilshemethodicallycutawaythestofherclothiingtheruinedfabricfallintatterstothefloor.
Hesteppedbackslightly,drinkinginthebreathtakingsightbeforehim.
Shepossessedahaunting,almostmorbidbeauty—visuallyarrestinginitsiy.Herskinwastoopale,nearlytranslut,nowglisteningwithafinesheenofsweatthatmadetheintoxigstofherfeveredbodyevenmorepronounced.
Aherewastheshogperfebetweenherlegs—pletelybare,smoothaspor,swollenlikefreshlysteamedbun.
"Youshould''''''''vebeenminelongago,"herasped,kneelingoress.
Heremovedtheglovefromonehand,tragupherthighwiththetriumphantreverenceofahunterfinallyghisprey.
Herlipspartedslightly,thetipuedartingoutasifshecouldalreadytastethesaltofhisdesirethitheair.
Half-liddedeyes,raggedbreaths—theuntamedenergyinsidehersuddenlywrithed,boilihimpatienthunger.Aprimalcravingnotakeoutmealcouldeversatisfycrashedoverherlikeawave.
Butsheknew,inhercurrentstate,shewouldgetnothingfromhim.Notlikethis.
Herlegswerealreadypartedbythetauts,allowinghimtoeasilysettlebetweenthem.Withonehand,hespreadherswollenfolds,admiringthewayherentrancepulsedlikealivingthing—eachslow,rhythmicflutterreleasingabeadoftranslutfluidthatgathered,swelled,thentraileddownherfolds.
Hisbreathinggrewragged,asifhiswholebeingwassinkingintothefairadiatingfromthose"dewdrops."Hisheadswimmingwiththestrisingfromher—dampaliketidalpools,cedwithsomethingnarcotic.Itgtotheair,thismoke.
Hewaasteit,o,butathreadofcautionstillheldhimback.
Shelookeduntouched,pristithen,she''''''''dspreadherlegsforthatfreak.Thethoughtcoiledinhisgutlikespoiledmeat.
Lighislips,hepressedforward.Withthehandstillwearingaglove,heextendedafiowardthefolds,thentracedbackthepathofthatglisteningdrop.
Reyamoanedasherbodytwisted,butcouldn''''''''tpreventhisfingerfromsinkingintothehilt.
Whenhegaveitanexperimentaltwistinsideher,itwashewhocriedout—hisgaspraggedandlouderthanhermoan.
Heyankedhisfingerfreeop,staringatthetranslutfluidnowcoatinghisglove.Ast—sweet,floral,orsomethinghecouldn''''''''tquitename—rushedtohisnose,cloudinghismindinaslow,headyfog.
HelookedupatReya,startled,hisfacefullofsurprise.
Reyahadmerelytakenonefinger,yetalreadyypantingwithherheadlolledtotheside—arain-batteredflowerexudingfragileallureamidstthechill.
"You''''''''re...really..."hechokedout.
Alowughescapedher,thesoundlikerawsugarscrapingupfromherthroat,sweetenoughtoithisteeth.
"Reallywhat?"