Lyra Parish - Weak for Him

After I showered, I looked in the mirror and studied each part of my naked body, wondering if I would feel different the day afterward, or if all would be the same. I would lose my virginity. Would I enjoy the first time? Would it hurt? Would Luke use whips or chains, or would he be sweet and careful with me? I didn't know the answer because I felt like there were things about him I didn't know.

Hours passed, and I fidgeted with my hair and makeup until I felt pretty. Barrel curls, smoky gray eye shadow, and deep red lipstick matched the attire and my mood. I wanted to be scandalous and sexy, and once I slipped into the lingerie, I did.

I placed the mask on my face. It fit like it were designed for me alone, just as everything else had, because it was.

A smile crept across my face, and a tinge of excitement traveled through me. If it wouldn't have been a social event, I would have gone in the sexy undergarments and a long coat. Imagining how Luke would lust over me made me feel powerful.

Always ever so punctual, I arrived downstairs early and waited for Charlie. I peeked out the window and saw V on the circle drive. My nerves went haywire when I thought about the box with the little ribbon, the lingerie, and how I hadn't spoken to him in days. Not since the day he walked away. I closed my eyes and hoped he wouldn't see me before I met Luke. I didn't need him to drive a deadly spear into my happiness.

Lady Luck was on my side this time. I escaped without seeing Finn, but the silence that lingered in the limo gave me too much time to think and overanalyze his actions.

Exotic cars lined the circle drive. Chatter and music drifted from the house. To my right sat the black and silver mask. As we slowed, I adjusted it over my face and took a deep breath. Tonight was the night.

A man wearing stark white gloves and a penguin-flapped suit escorted me to the entrance where a woman handed me a crystal flute of champagne. Resist, I did not.

I glided through the crowd like a ghost in a graveyard, searching for Luke. Pretty girls accompanied handsome men. Fancy shoes and dresses combined with evening hair, and elegant masks of all different shapes and sizes. Some wore full masks; others wore those that only covered half their faces.

I entered the living area where a staircase rose up the middle. The second floor looked over the crowd below. Soft music followed by laughter surrounded the business talk, but Luke was nonexistent.

I finished my champagne and replaced it with another. Fresh strawberries floated in the top of my glass and the sweetness filled my mouth, making my taste buds explode with the delicious flavor. Curious, I took the stairs to the upper floor and smiled as I passed familiar, but unknown faces.

He had done well with decorating the place. At the top of the winding stairs hung a perfect rendition of Van Gogh's Starry Night . The detail in the brush strokes and the preciseness it took to get it just right amazed me.

I continued to sip my strawberry champagne, and walked further down the halls, appreciating each painting. At the end of the hall, a picture hung that I had experienced in real life. The painting portrayed Luke and I at the park the first night we met. The moon held the craters, and glow of the real one, but the stars shone brighter. In the painting, Luke smiled at… me. My eyes were looking toward the ground, and I laughed. Every characteristic and detail represented my innocence in the simplest form. Innocence I felt I had lost somewhere in the mix.

"Do you like it?"

Startling me from my gaze, I gulped and turned. Luke.

"I love it. But the detail… it's amazing."

"I painted what I remembered of the first night we spent together. I named this one Something New . The others I've painted have been abstract, copies, or simple illustrations, and I treasure them. But this, this is a memory that will be forever burned into my mind," Luke said.

"You painted this?"

The more I learned, the more I realized I was out of my league. His baby blues shined behind his navy mask. They sparkled like the diamonds he had painted in the sky. He smiled, nodded, and continued to walk down the hallway, describing each painting. I lusted over the colors and shading. Each one held a memory, they weren't just art. They were experiences on canvas.

"I'm happy you're here. I halfway thought you wouldn't show."

"Luke," I whispered and squeezed his hand, "I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'm happy to be here."

He placed his arm around my shoulder and gently brushed the outside of my arm. He stopped at the end of the hallway and faced me.

"I've got a few more things to take care of downstairs. I'll see you at midnight, right?"

I cocked my head. "You know you will."

With warm lips, Luke kissed my cheek and gently brushed his hand on the back of my neck. I watched him as he walked away; then turned and smiled before he headed down the stairs. Damn, that man could wear a suit. Every bit hugged him in the right places.

Being nosey, I opened a few doors and entered one. Inside, I was amazed to see canvas, paint, and white drapes on the floor. This is where his magic happened. It smelled like creativity.

Unfinished paintings leaned against the walls, sketches of people, places, and things. I took my time and walked around the room, soaking in each unfinished canvas, a memory he didn't want to forget. With each painting, each secret, I learned more about Luke. The things that made him tick. The memories he kept hidden away in his art. The man that looks at me like I could save the world. The man that paid a million dollars to make sure my virginity wasn't wasted on a scumbag who only wanted to come. Luke.

He wanted to make it meaningful, personal just for me. And he would.

The grandfather clock in the hallway struck 11:30 p.m. I stepped onto the balcony to grab some fresh air where I would wait until it was time to meet downstairs. The moonlight barely peeked through the trees as the cool air kissed my skin. My mind created snippets and fantasies of Luke and how gentle he would be with me tonight.

By his paintings, I could tell Luke craved my innocence, but deep down inside I was a sexual deviant who craved satisfaction. I wanted to be tied up, my hair be pulled, with a combination of soft and hard. Then I wanted to be fucked into sweet oblivion and sleep on cloud nine. The lust of being dominated burned inside of me. I needed it, and I know that if I begged Luke for it, he'd give it to me, just like I wanted. Wouldn't he? Could he?

Would he be my sir?

Did the tattooed gentleman really have it in him?

The whole nice guy approach, while sweet and simple, somewhat turned me off. I wanted to know that he could be strong. Luke had secrets, and I wanted to unravel and divulge in knowing him while he learned me from the inside out.

As I stood on the balcony, a part of me went to the memory of Finn unlocking the door and teasing me at Esther's. That man left me with nothing more than a pocket full of resentment for the countless times he brought me to the limit, restricted me, and made my body feel numb with desire. I leaned against the railing and looked up at the man in the moon, hoping he could answer my questions and help me forget about Finnely Felton.

The balcony door clicked, and before I could turn around, a body was behind me. I closed my eyes with satisfaction. Luke. He came back for me.

"We're going to play a game," a deep whisper said from behind me.

"Don't turn around."

"A game?"

Interest peaked inside of me, and down below.

A tie flapped over my neck and then made its way over my mask, covering my eyes.

Blindfolded? I liked where this was going.

"Luke, I…" A hand clamped over my mouth, and I got the hint quick, no talking.