Intro Chapter
Drake fumbled out of the elevator into the client's penthouse apartment and awkwardly dropped the shoe boxes out of her loaded arms onto a near-by high glass table. She readjusted the heavy garment bags and made her way through the sumptuous rooms to the master-bedroom's walk-in closet. The door of the dark closet was slightly a-jar. Now this was unusual. Normally, she'd have to find the man who lived in the surrounding decadence to have him unlock the door and disarm the closet's security alarm. It was often the ecentric ones who could afford her employers designs, after all.
The bags seemed to be getting heavier and Drake figured it wouldn't hurt this time to go into the sanctuary unsupervised. She toed the door open and hung the large plastic bags over the hook on the back of it. She took a deep breath of relief and rolled her shoulders, turning to go find the client. But before she could take a step forward, she felt cool hands slide around her bared midrif.
She jumped and almost screamed.
A voice of velvet breathed by her ear, "It's not nice to snoop around someone's home unannounced, Draconia."
She gasped in relief. Drake took a deep breath and tried to turn to face him, saying, "Jesus, you scared me!"
"He's not here." The hands held her firmly in place as they shifted to her arms and slid up her bare skin to her shoulders and neck. "But I am..." She felt his breath on her collarbone by the neckline of her one-of-a-kind shirt.
"Um, Ramand wants the new design pronto, please, Mr. Daven!" She twisted out of the lanky man's grasp and turned to face him, her back against the row of hanging clothes. "He wanted me to come right back."
The only light fell in a thin line down her front. She couldn't see him at all.
"Well," the voice patronized, "we shouldn't keep Ramand waiting." Her employer's name rolled out in a tone of amusement.
She nodded and reached again for the doorknob. A slender, perfectly-manicured nail caught her by the chin. Her outstretched hand froze in place.
The hard velvet voice cooed, "Next time, perhaps?" The nail dug into the soft flesh under her jaw so she couldn't nod.
Drake swallowed involuntarily and murmered assent. She wasn't sure what she was agreeing to at the moment. Maybe it would come to her once she was out in the light again.
"Good." The finger retracted and as she stepped out of the closet, Drake heaved yet another sigh into the warming light of midafternoon sheet windows.
{.......Actually, Cate, Your Turn! ^__^ }
The bags seemed to be getting heavier and Drake figured it wouldn't hurt this time to go into the sanctuary unsupervised. She toed the door open and hung the large plastic bags over the hook on the back of it. She took a deep breath of relief and rolled her shoulders, turning to go find the client. But before she could take a step forward, she felt cool hands slide around her bared midrif.
She jumped and almost screamed.
A voice of velvet breathed by her ear, "It's not nice to snoop around someone's home unannounced, Draconia."
She gasped in relief. Drake took a deep breath and tried to turn to face him, saying, "Jesus, you scared me!"
"He's not here." The hands held her firmly in place as they shifted to her arms and slid up her bare skin to her shoulders and neck. "But I am..." She felt his breath on her collarbone by the neckline of her one-of-a-kind shirt.
"Um, Ramand wants the new design pronto, please, Mr. Daven!" She twisted out of the lanky man's grasp and turned to face him, her back against the row of hanging clothes. "He wanted me to come right back."
The only light fell in a thin line down her front. She couldn't see him at all.
"Well," the voice patronized, "we shouldn't keep Ramand waiting." Her employer's name rolled out in a tone of amusement.
She nodded and reached again for the doorknob. A slender, perfectly-manicured nail caught her by the chin. Her outstretched hand froze in place.
The hard velvet voice cooed, "Next time, perhaps?" The nail dug into the soft flesh under her jaw so she couldn't nod.
Drake swallowed involuntarily and murmered assent. She wasn't sure what she was agreeing to at the moment. Maybe it would come to her once she was out in the light again.
"Good." The finger retracted and as she stepped out of the closet, Drake heaved yet another sigh into the warming light of midafternoon sheet windows.
{.......Actually, Cate, Your Turn! ^__^ }