Python Place (Box Set)

Python Place (Box Set)
Kate Hill
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2012 Kate Hill
Excerpt from Pleasure and Pain

Glancing around to be certain no one was watching her, she hurried toward the house. Upon reaching it, she pressed her body close to the stone wall. Near enough to the window so that she merely had to lean a bit closer to stare inside, she waited for her racing heart to still.

Slowly she inched nearer the window and looked in. Except for three dogs sleeping on the rug, the room appeared to be empty. Strange they would leave a fire unattended and on such a hot night, too. There must have been servants about.

Hailey began walking along the side of the house where no lights burned in any of the windows. The mansion was even larger than it seemed when looking from a distance and she wasn't sure how much time passed before she finally reached the back of it. It was then her heart nearly stopped with surprise.

Amidst the lush grass, bathed in moonlight, was a natural pool in which the three Terence brothers swam naked. Briefly she noted that two were tall and black-haired, one more thickly muscled than the other. Both were undeniably handsome and well-built, yet to Hailey they faded next to enigmatic, pale-haired Adrien.

He stood by the edge of the pool, his body glistening with water. Heavens, he was as beautifully proportioned as she imagined he'd be. Neither too thin nor too bulky, he moved with the power of man accustomed to intense regular exercise. A dusting of dark blond hair on his chest tapered down his flat stomach then flared out in a slightly darker thatch from which sprang his cock. Hailey, having never seen a naked man, stared in fascination at the rather thick appendage. She wondered how it would feel against her palm. And the sac beneath. How would it feel to grasp and knead it?

The warm night suddenly seemed much hotter and her legs went weak, forcing her to lean harder against the tree behind which she hid.

"Good evening, Miss Watson."

Hailey jumped, her heart pounding, and stared at the tall, slender man standing nearby. He'd moved so quietly that she hadn't heard him approach and the black hooded cloak draping him from head to toe made it difficult to see him in the shadow of the trees. He watched her with gleaming black eyes set in a pale, angular face.

"I'm sorry to have frightened you," he said.

"How do you know my name?" she asked with more confidence than she felt.

"You think we don't know our neighbors?" A slight smile flickered around the corners of his slim lips.

"You're a Terence?" she asked rather dumbly, not quite sure of what to say now that she'd been caught snooping. The danger of the situation struck her. She was basically trapped among four men who could overpower her easily.

"Not exactly. You may call me Dion."

"Mr. Dion, I know how this must look --"

"Simply Dion and don't worry about how it must look. Here at Python Place appearances are of little concern, as I'm sure you've heard."

"I... if you'll excuse me, I must be getting home."

"Yes, the reverend would be quite upset if he knew you were here."

His rather condescending tone irritated her. Mustering her most haughty look, she brushed past him. "Good evening, Mr. --"

"Dion. Please feel free to call again at any time, Miss Watson."

She paused and turned to stare at him. Was he being sarcastic? Forward? She couldn't tell by looking into those black, black eyes.

"Don't be alarmed, Miss Watson. I've seen you around here before. At night. Watching." With each word he took a step closer to her. In spite of how she wanted to back away, Hailey seemed frozen to the spot. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a measure of sheer red silk with delicate golden threads woven through it. The luxurious fabric was tied with a red satin ribbon. He held it out to her. "For you."

Hailey gazed at the fabric with a longing she couldn't explain. "I sorry, but I can't."

"Consider it a gift of welcome to our village. I insist."

Hesitantly she reached out and accepted the bundle of fabric. It was so smooth against her hands that she could scarcely wait to get home and find out how it felt against other parts of her body. If her father ever found this scarlet fabric and if, heaven forbid, he learned where she'd gotten it from, she hated to think of his rage.

"Thank you," she said softly and again met his gaze. "Dion."

He nodded and for some reason she found herself liking him. His large eyes and that angular face reminded her of a stag -- delicate yet strong.

"Dion? What's going on?" a deep, cultured male voice called from the pool. Hailey's heart skipped as she recognized Adrien's voice, just as she'd heard it that day when he'd spoken to the shopkeeper.

Her strange companion glanced in the direction of the brothers who were staring at them from the edge of the water. Adrien took several steps toward her and Dion. Their gazes met and she was once again lost in those captivating eyes. The curiosity and raw lust in his gaze was almost too much to endure. Hailey had always prided herself in being strong-minded but something told her that if she remained here, if Adrien spoke to her, she would be lost to him. She couldn't imagine anyone gazing into those eyes and not bending to his will.

Before he could get any nearer, she turned and ran as fast as she could toward home.

"Come again," Dion called, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Never again, Hailey thought, trembling in spite of the heat. Still, she clutched the red fabric tightly as she ran.