Trance Read online

  “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

  I looked around. I couldn’t see a house, which meant if we couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see us. That was the hope anyway.

  Jason smoothed the picnic rug on the grass, far enough away from the edge that we wouldn’t tumble over, but still close enough that we could see the city and the way the lights from the buildings seemed to merge into the stars in the sky. If this is what fairy land looked like, I wouldn’t be surprised.

  “Champagne?” He popped the cork with a quick snap and poured the frothy liquid into two glasses. I took a sip of mine, the bubbles tickling my nose. He placed his glass down and spread the rest of the food out. Baby hamburgers, salad with strawberries, gooey cheese and crackers.

  “I’m impressed. I don’t think anyone has gone to so much trouble for me like this.”

  “No? Then they are all idiots.”

  “Absolutely, I’ll drink to that.” He lifted his glass and we chinked them together.

  “How did you find this place? Or is it your usual date venue and I’m just one of a string of girls that you bring up here to sweep them off their feet?”

  “I’ve never bought anyone here. I only come here myself when I need to think. It gives me perspective, like I’m just a small part of something bigger and that no one will notice me unless I go out and tell them I’m here. I’ve never been here at night, I knew it’d be pretty magical.”

  “You believe in magic?”

  “I do now.”

  I smiled and took another sip.

  While I knew that hours had passed, it felt like we had only arrived at our secret picnic spot mere minutes ago. I felt comfortable enough to call it ‘our’ spot, even though it wasn’t mine, it was Jason’s. He was right. It was magical up here.

  The conversation flowed freely and every so often, I’d notice him looking at me intently. It sent a thrill through me, in a good way. It had been a long time since I’d felt this way about someone. The spark that could zing through you with just a look, the way your breath would catch when he said something romantic or your eyes grazed a part of his body that you really shouldn’t be staring at.

  The most surprising part is that I was still here, letting myself feel this way. Letting myself be charmed by him. It’s difficult to trust when you’ve been hurt in the past. I looked back over the view trying to shake the past from my thoughts. This was different. I didn’t need to dwell on it anymore, I’d moved past it now. I’d grown.

  He packed away the plates and poured another glass of champagne for both of us. He came and sat beside me, our sides touching. Whether it was from the champagne buzzing around my head, or the view in front of us, I reached over and entwined my fingers in his. I didn’t say anything, just did it, while still looking straight out in front of me.

  “I hope you had a good time,” he said. “I wanted to give you a piece of me, so you felt you knew me better.”

  “Eeew, you are giving me a piece of yourself? Do I have to keep it in the freezer?”

  He laughed. “No, I mean, letting you see this place.”

  I nodded. “It’s lovely. I mean that. Thank you.” I rested my head on his shoulder. It was soft but firm. “I didn’t know what to expect tonight. I’ve been nervous all day trying to figure out where you were going to take me.”

  “You were nervous?”

  “Of course. Weren’t you?”

  “I’ve learned to manage my nerves. It’s the only way I can get through my performance.”

  I lifted my head. “Oh yeah? How do you do that?”

  “Self hypnosis. Or positive thinking. Whatever you want to call it.”

  I wrinkled by brow. “You mean like saying positive affirmations in the mirror?”

  “No. Deep breathing, calming yourself. You must do that too, before you go on stage?”

  “Usually I just embrace the butterflies and try and channel them into my performance.”

  “Well it’s sort of like that.”

  “Show me.”

  “You want me to hypnotize you?”

  “Sure, if you can.”

  “I can.”

  “Prove it.”

  “You’ll need to relax first and you have to believe it will work, otherwise it won’t.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Oh right. Now I get it. That’s what you have to say, when it doesn’t work. You blame the person for not believing enough.”

  He pulled his hand away from mine. “You don’t believe in what I do?”

  “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “Then what did you mean?”

  “Nothing. Just what you do, it’s not real hypnotism, is it? You tell people what to do, and because they are on stage with everyone staring at them, they are too scared to do anything else.”

  His brow furrowed. “I could take that as an insult.”

  “Take it however you want. I meant it as a joke.” Crap, I needed to shut my mouth.

  “I don’t get you sometimes, Scarlett. One minute you act as if you like me, and then next you pull away or say something to push me away. You’re hard to read.”

  “You’re trying to read me now? Is this part of your act, to get me to trust you?” Is this why he was looking me up online? I could feel my cheeks getting warm.

  “No. That’s not what I meant.” He rubbed his face like he was trying to wash it, and looked back at me. “I just meant every time I think we are getting closer, you’ll make a joke or run away. Like when we kissed the other night. You practically rushed right out after that. I thought you didn’t want me to kiss you, and then you agree to a date.”

  I paused. I absolutely wanted him to kiss me again. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Admit that I like you?”

  “It’s a start.”

  I bit my lip. “Of course I do. That’s why I’m here.”

  “I know. God, this is hard.”

  “It’s not hard at all.”

  “See there.” He pointed at me. “You keep challenging everything I say.”

  “Maybe I wouldn’t have to, if you were nicer to me.”

  “You’re the one that keeps making digs at me. I am being nice. I’m doing everything I can to treat you like you deserve to be treated.”

  “Then I don’t want to know what being snarky to me is like.” I folded my arms across my chest.

  “Okay. Okay. Wait. This isn’t going how I planned.”

  “You planned that I’d be in your arms by now? Sorry to disappoint you.”

  “Again. That’s not what I meant. You’re putting words in my mouth.”

  “As a hypnotist, I would think you’d be putting words in my mouth.”

  “I’m not trying to trick you or do anything. Goddamn. I’m trying to get to know you better. Like a normal date would.”

  I was doing it again. Panicking. Trying to start an argument. Just when things start to look romantic and sweet, I freak out. I took a breath, pushing away the thoughts. Relax, Scarlett, just relax.

  “I know. I’m sorry.” I said. “I just don’t know how to act around you sometimes.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve just met you. I don’t know you. But you seem to know things about me.”

  “Only what I’ve read online.”

  A cold shiver went through me.

  “Come on, you haven’t googled me?” he asked. “I thought everyone who wanted to date me, googled me first.”

  “I don’t go online too often. It’s not healthy.”

  “I don’t spend all day online or anything. I’ve got work to do most of the time.”

  “I mean, you can’t believe everything you read online.”

  “So you’re not really the granddaughter of Thomas Tinks?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Of course I am. I mean the gossip and lies that people say behind the privacy of a computer screen. You can’t believe all of that.”

  He looked at me as if I was mad. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”


  “Never mind.”

  “You have to tell me now.”

  I paused. “Why? None of it is true. Why would you care about it if it wasn’t true?”

  “I get it.”

  “What?”

  “You’ve been hurt. That’s why you have all these walls up, to prevent people getting close to you. It’s understandable, given your situation.”

  I almost stood up. “I don’t have a situation.”

  “I mean with your mother.”

  “This has nothing to do with my mother.” Not really. This time I did stand up. He did too.

  “Christ, Scarlett, I wanted this night to be special. What the hell is wrong with me? That’s not what I meant.” He grabbed my hand. “I just wanted to…” he paused, searching my face. “You’re shaking.”

  He stopped talking, and instead pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me.

  “It’s not you. You’ve been wonderful. It’s been a rough week.” I said. “I don’t want to talk about it, but just know that I very much do want to be here with you on this date right now.”

  If I haven’t scared you away for life, that is. I gulped once, and then twice. Soon I was sobbing into his shirt, tear stains streaking the fabric in silvery trails. He caressed my back as I continued to cry into his chest. This was the worse date ever. He lifted my chin with his fingers and bent down to kiss away my pain. Or the best date ever, I still wasn’t sure. I kissed him back. Tentatively at first, and then more urgent.

  His mouth slow and gentle, mine hungry for more.

  A desire I hadn’t felt in a long time, erupted within me. Suddenly I wanted him, all of him, right this instant.

  My hands tugged and pulled at his shirt. I wanted it off. I wanted to feel his skin against mine. I was starved and he was the only one who could nourish me.

  His hands glided over the back of my top, playing with the silky fabric that was tucked into my skirt. Yes, take it off, rip it away from my flesh.

  He was going too slow. I wanted to be naked and writhing in pleasure already. We had only just started kissing, but I was ravenous for him. I didn’t know where this built up longing had come from, all I knew is that I couldn’t hold out for much longer. I had to have him. I had to let him have me.

  My lips parted his with a soft smacking sound, as I pulled away momentarily so I could remove my top. The fabric slid off easily, and his gaze drank me in, my stomach, my breasts still encased in the lacy white bra that Lacey had picked out for me. It wasn’t white sweet though like I’d asked for, it was every bit as hot as I felt inside right now.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  I nodded and kissed him again. My hands urging him to undress as my fingers slipped down the sides of his pants, over his smooth hips and around to his chiseled stomach. They only had to slip a bit lower and I’d touch…

  I gasped. Jason’s own passion and desire took over and he unzipped my skirt, lifting my legs off the ground so it would glide away from me. He lay me down onto the picnic rug, as he continued to strip.

  The lights of the town below illuminated his body, as he removed everything. Everything.

  He fell softly next to me on the rug, running his fingers around the white lace of my underwear. “Don’t move,” he said.

  I couldn’t move even if I had wanted to. He was next to me, drinking in every inch of me with his gaze and I was lapping up the attention. An audience of one, as if I was the most exciting show he’d ever seen.

  His manhood was already hard, I wanted to reach out, feel it in my hands, taste it. I wanted him to taste me with his mouth, and not just with his eyes.

  “Kiss me again. I want you,” I whispered.

  He groaned and closed his eyes as he rolled his head back. “Geez, I can barely keep myself from diving into you right now. But I want you to be sure.”

  I didn’t answer. I rolled him onto his back and straddled his hips. The lights from the city danced over my body now. I could feel his hardness underneath me, through the thin fabric of my underwear.

  I reached behind me, unclasping my bra and letting one strap then the other slide down my arm, while still covering my breasts. I knew how to put on a show, how to tease the audience. He groaned as I began to grind my ass against him as I did.

  I could tell he was lost. I had him hypnotized now. I rolled my head forward, letting my hair brush over his chest before flicking it back up and behind me, at the same time I let my arm go and revealed my hardened nipples aching for his touch, his mouth, his tongue.

  “Christ…”

  I placed my finger over his lips to hush him. This was my show now.

  I stood over him, turning so my ass was his view, slowly sliding my underwear down my legs and peeking at him at the side of my thigh. My hair dangled low, I knew it must be tickling his legs but he didn’t seem to notice anything but my striptease.

  Then I was as naked as he was, and I turned, still standing over him, so he could see all of me, the star.

  But he wasn’t going to sit back and watch, before I knew what he was doing, he had grabbed me, pulled me back onto the rug. I was now underneath him, panting at how quickly he’d got me here.

  “Impressive show, Miss Tinks,” he said. “But I want more audience participation.” He leaned over, kissing and nibbling my neck, my shoulder. Yes, yes.

  His tongue circled my skin as he moved lower to my breasts. His warm breath a taste of things to come before his mouth sucked my nipples. He rolled the hardened pinkness around with his tongue sending shivers through them. Oh god, yes.

  Burning heat rushed through me and I grabbed his hair, tangling my fingers. His hands moved lower, seizing my hips and lifting my ass off the air. My legs parted and he positioned himself between them as he continued to move lower still.

  He cupped my ass as his mouth found my belly button. One wide circle around it with his tongue and he was moving lower, lower.

  Then he was there. There.

  I was wet with desire and hoped he wouldn’t care, or perhaps he would and he’d like it? I didn’t know. I didn’t…

  Oh my god.

  He lifted my ass higher as he sucked on my clit. Fire erupted and I moaned. He was as hungry for me as I was for him, and he was showing me how much. Tongue, lips, mouth, suck, lick. Oh. My. God.

  Handfuls of blanket scrunched in my fists as I tried to grab on. My hips moving, my groaning, I was lost to everything but the blaze that radiated from my sex to every other part of me.

  He pulled away, ripped open a packet, rolling a condom onto himself. Where did that come from? I didn’t care at this point.

  Now he was back on top of me. His mouth on mine. I could taste my own salty juices, smell my musky scent.

  My legs spread wider, willing him to find its home.

  One thrust. Oh. Oh. Oh.

  I wasn’t going to hold out. He continued to drive himself into me, over and over, each thrust more exquisite than before. Fiery lust drove his every move and it was bringing me to the brink. I wanted it to last longer, but I couldn’t I…

  I screamed out as I came.

  He rode my waves as I quivered underneath him, and soon he was grunting in ecstasy too.

  He rolled to my side, panting. We both looked up into the sky, into the stars. We were both spent.

  “That was amazing,” he said.

  “I aim to please.”

  “No, I mean. That was the hottest, best…holy hell, Scarlett.”

  I grinned as he looked at me with glazed delight.

  “I wasn’t expecting tonight to lead to…that.”

  “Me either.”

  “How on earth did we get from that conversation to lying here in each other’s arms?”

  I giggled and snuggled into his side, resting my head on his shoulder. “Magic, I guess, just like you said.”

  He laughed. “Shit, I’m bringing you up here more often. What are you doing tomorrow?”

  I playfully punched his arm, although I was think
ing the same thing. Now that I’d had such an amazing night with him, I wanted to come back here again, and again, and again.

  ELEVEN

  I looked at my reflection in my bedroom mirror. I still had a huge grin on my face. I couldn’t seem to wipe it away, even after I noticed the grass stain on the sleeve of my top. Lacey was going to kill me, but I didn’t care one bit. It was so worth it.

  I peeled off my shirt and brought it to my nose. I could still smell Jason’s aftershave on it from when he’d rolled on top when we…well, you know. I grinned.

  The skirt looked intact, but I had no desire to return it. Not after what had happened. I looked at the price tags and shrugged. I could afford them. Just.

  His taste was still on my mouth and I ran my tongue over my lips so I could savor him a little longer. We’d kissed for ages after we’d made love, sometimes we’d stare out at the city below us, or up at the stars. Sometimes we’d look at each other without saying anything before we’d make out again.

  I knew I needed a shower, but if I could just hold out a little longer, hold on to the memory of his heart beating against my chest, his strong hands caressing my flesh. I closed my eyes and lay back on the bed, reliving our date over in my mind. First at how nervous I had been waiting for him to arrive, then how excited on the trapeze, and finally how full of desire I’d been after he’d kissed me. Oh, that was the perfect date, all right. I was sure of it now.

  I got undressed and traced my hand over my body, gliding it where Jason had touched me. My neck, my breasts, my stomach, my sex. My, oh my. I continued to caress myself, thinking about him, moving my hand in time to how he’d made love to me. Letting my desire build like he’d done. He’d awakened something in me that I couldn’t quench. I wanted more. I wanted him again. I wanted…

  I came in another wave, not as intense as it was with Jason, but satisfying enough.

  I really needed a shower now. I stripped off the last of my clothes, washing away the scent of the night, but not the memory. That I wanted to hold with me for as long as I could. At least until the next time we met up which I hoped would be soon. He promised me he’d see me again tomorrow. Tomorrow seemed so far away now. It couldn’t come fast enough.