“But do you enjoy it?” she repeated.

He lifted his shoulders in a shrug, “Certainaspects. How about you? Do you enjoy your job?”

Her insides tingled. Victor was engaging herin normal conversation, something everyone took for granted – butnot her. Not with this man. “Most of the time. I enjoyed it morewhen I had coworkers to bounce my ideas off of. I thought I wouldenjoy the solitude, but…” she trailed off, feeling like she mightbe sharing too much. “I’m easily distracted,” she whispered whileshe began to pick at her food.

“I’m well aware of that,” she heard fromacross the table.

When she looked up, he was sitting with hishands in his lap and watching her pensively, probably thinkingabout what he was going to write next about her or how he was goingto compare her to his other ‘Chapters.’ Her thoughts were on thetip of her tongue and if she were to just open her mouth theslightest bit, all of them would spill out. She bit her bottom lipto prevent that very thing from happening when Victor spoke.

“What’s on your mind?”

Thinking quickly, she responded, “How normalyou seem outside of 2500 East Grace Street.” The sweet sound ofgenuine joy floated up from his throat, a deep and throaty laughescaping his mouth. “Even though I’ve been told ‘normal’ isa subjective trait,” she grinned.

He laughed louder. “Touché, Elsa.”

***

Victor didn’t do ‘normal,’ but he supposedthis was about as good as it would ever get for him. He was quiteenjoying dinner with Eight. She was engaging and friendly withnervous energy bubbling just under the surface. He liked her thatway – always on the edge of her seat, wondering what was comingnext.

The choice of attire he had chosen for herhad brought out her soft reserved side, a side he didn’t see often,but he liked that she didn’t enjoy freely showing herself off inpublic. The other Chapters, particularly Three and Four were alltoo eager to flaunt themselves in front of anyone who would looktheir way. Though he enjoyed Eight’s modesty, in the privacy of thebedroom is where he drew the line. There – he wanted full exposurewithout hesitation.

Victor gave a quick look in the direction ofDrew who kept glancing over at him and Elsa. He hadn’t liked theway Drew had blatantly ogled Elsa and he felt disrespected. He justhad to bring up Chapter One, too, didn’t he? Motherfucker.He’d never liked that man. On too many occasions Drew refused tofile charges against people because: A. Either he was too damnedlazy and didn’t want the hassle, or ,B. He was too concerned withhis public image to risk trying a case he might lose.

He took a swig of his whiskey and Coke whenthe Cambridge case popped into his mind. Thankfully it was afederal case and, therefore, would be tried in a Federal Court ofLaw and the S.O.B. Drew Matheson would have nothing to do with it.If the killer was ever caught.

Fucking Anthony Bruce. Why hadn’t thatasshole contacted him yet? He made a mental note to get in touchwith him by Tuesday, at the latest. He and everyone involved in thecase was already doing everything they could on their end and hewas tired of waiting for that cock sucker’s assistance.

He felt a warm touch on the top of his hand,drawing him out of his thoughts.

“What’s on your mind, Victor?”

He liked the way his name sounded coming fromher unspoiled mouth. Of course, he also enjoyed being called hisalter ego’s name. But for now, his given name would be just fineconsidering the circumstances.

“A little bit of this, a touch of that,” heanswered mysteriously. “Did you know that sexual arousal is alsosubjective, Elsa?” he added for fun.

She shook her head and pinched her eyebrowstogether.

“It is, in fact. However, for me, sexualarousal is my main objective.”

“Isn’t it for most men?” she askedironically.

Another laugh caught him by surprise. Thiswoman had a sharp, dry sense of humor, even if she didn’t realizeit herself.

“Yes, I suppose,” he nodded in agreement ashe waved the waiter over for their check.

Dinner had been short, but he had a plan ofaction that was beckoning him. Elsa had a voyeuristic side to her –something they shared in common and a revealing detail he hadn’tforeseen. But as always, he was quick on his feet and he had beenplotting out something sinful all during dinner. He would kill twobirds with one stone while both pushing her limits and achievinghis main objective.

***

Elsa was disappointed theirdinner had ended so quickly. She wanted more time with Victor whilehe was still in his ‘normal’ state of mind. She grabbed her shoesas they left the restaurant, deciding to walk the three blocks backto 2500 East Grace Street barefoot. The sidewalk was dirty, but thecool pavement felt good on her soles.

Victor took her hand againand led the way. She stopped several times in front of shop windowsto peek inside, but was pulled along like the tides of the ocean bythe moon. Peaceful and content to be tagging along behind theenigmatic and dangerous man known as Mr. Black, she had forgottenabout everything he had put her through. Well maybe not somuch as forgotten, but pushed the things Mr. Black had done to theback of her mind in favor of the time she was spending with Victor.She just wanted to enjoy the moment while itlasted, however fleeting it may be.

Her attention was somewhereother than on what was in front of her when Victor unexpectedlypulled her into a dark alcove and shoved her up against a brickwall. There was no time to think or to comprehend what was going onwhen his mouth and hands ravaged her. She felt the heady sensationof his lips against her neck and her blood pounded in her templeswhen he hauled her skirt up an over her hips. Dropping her shoes,she let out a small moan and fisted his hair.

His mouth seared a pathdown her neck to her shoulders and worked its way down. Kneelingbetween her legs, he savagely began to suck at her clitoris.Closing her eyes, the feeling of arousal wrapped itself around herlike a warm blanket until she heard voices only a few feet away.Her heart lurched into her throat and her eyes darted to where thesounds were coming from. She could see the shadows of peoplewalking by only a mere few feet away and her body tensed withmortification.

“What’s the matter, Elsa?”he let out a short breathy laugh against her damp folds. His tongueflicked her clit and he sunk two fingers into her making her biteher fist to try and stifle her groan of pleasure.

She grabbed his hairharshly and tried to drag his mouth away from her when she heardgiggling to her right. She couldn’t be sure there were peoplewatching her or not, but she didn’t dare look in that direction forfear of finding out the truth.

“Victor, please. Peoplemight be watching,” she whispered loudly.

“You like to watch, but youdon’t like to be watched?” he nibbled at her now swollenpearl.

Was this another one of hisdamned games? She tried to escape his oral attack only to have himgrip her waist forcefully and hold her in place. He glided back upher body and turned her away from him as he pressed her bodyagainst the scratchy and cool wall. She pushed her ass out tryingto get him away from him, but soon regretted her action.

“So that’s how you wantit?” she could hear the smile in his voice. “I aim to please, Ms.Cassidy.”

Like hell he did. He aimedto humiliate and embarrass her. She could hear more shuffling nearthe street and whispers in the distance and a wave of apprehensionswept through her as she gasped and panted in terror.Victor was a known public figure. Yet even in theshadows, people could possibly see them. In the age of YouTube,could he really afford to have sex on the street when itwas possible he would berecognized? Didn’t he care or was he just so reckless in his questto get his way and play his game that he ignored theobvious?

“Victor,please,” shebegged.