The Big Score (a steampunk romance; closed)

[DrStein]

Sully Dixon wasn't dumb. Nor was he awkward or lacking in ambition. He could have been anything. He had no real reason to become a professional gambler. Well, other than the fact that he was good at and enjoyed it. He had made and spent a couple of small fortunes in the last 15 or so years. Some of the latter to pay off a few very scary people he had managed to cross along the way. Still, Boston was a surprisingly good place for a clever young man to be in 1895. This was especially true tonight as he sat around a smoky backroom table for the final round of the night.

Sully spread his cards with an internal smile. Full house. He was feeling damn good about this as the last of the bets came in. Most of the players were resigned to the fact they were going to have to eat some losses that night. One particularly scruffy gentleman with a haunted look in his eyes had been losing badly all night and clearly wanted to win back what he had lost. It was a sadly familiar sight at card tables around the world. The life of a gambler is not one that was picked for its stability and reliability. Little sympathy was spared as all present knew that was a risk this profession carried.

The scruffy gent didn't have much left to bet. He put in his remaining cash and then drew from the jacket he had draped over his chair a leather-bound book and put it toward the pot. "That book contains a treasure map," he said in a whiskey-soaked voice. Everyone looked at him like he had just claimed he was the Queen of Spain. "I don't have the back to go after it anymore, but in those pages are directions to a treasure out west."

"You don't expect us to believe that, do you," one of the other card sharks asked with a smirk of derision.

"Believe what you want," the scruff replied. "I'm putting it in. What you do with it if you win is your business."

Sully smirked with the same dismissive attitude as the others at the table, though there was a part of his mind that entertained the idea of the treasure being real. There was always a part of him that had sought out ever greater adventures, an experience he could look back on in his twilight years with fond smiles, something extraordinary that could happen only once in a lifetime.

He eventually dismissed all of it and when it came time to reveal the cards, his hand indeed won the pot. There were polite nods and congratulations as Sully collected his winnings, though the look on the scruff is what caught his attention. He expected a look of quiet resignation. You win some, you lose some. But no, the man had a look of relief on his face. As if he was glad to see that old worthless book go. That haunted aspect seemed to be leaving his face slowly but surely and Sully wasn't sure what to make of that.

Nevertheless, there was still time before the town started shutting down. Gathering up his jacket, Sully left the backroom and the quiet bar it was nestled in. Ordinarily he would have ordered a round for his former opponents as a gesture of good faith, but he wanted to be away from the weird scruff for some reason. Having seen the change in the man, Sully just didn't trust him.

Stepping out into the refreshing coolness of the night air, he strolled down the street to a hotel where he had heard one of those exotic hoochie-coochie dancers was performing. The newspapers last year were scandalized by those gypsy girls in Chicago and ever since then Sully's curiosity had gotten the better of him and he wanted to see this Little Egypt dance in person. A nice way to celebrate a lucky night.

 

[haremfaery]

"Ria, five minutes." The stage manager called at the door to her dressing room. She was now the headliner and warranted a room of her own, plus room and board at the hotel, albeit a lesser room on the first floor close to the kitchen.

Ria O'Riley, or "Little Egypt" as she was billed on the large poster in front of the hotel theatre had left her family and friends in Ireland to seek her fortune in the new world. She had thought to get a job as a governess because her mother had insisted that all her children do well in school. "You might lose everything, but you'll never lose your education." But the rich families heard her accent and thought she would never be able to teach their precious children despite her many letters of recommendation. So she took the only job she could get--as a domestic, while she saved and finally bought herself a type-writing gadget. She was teaching herself to use it n hopes of getting a better paying and more mentally challenging job in an office.

She loathed domestic work, but she had rent to pay at the boarding house she lived in then. She was fired from her first job after a month when she suggested an easier and more efficient way to clean the fireplaces. She quite her second job, when after six months, the drunken master of the house decided to grab her and push her up against the wall to have his way with her. He promised he could make life easy for her even while he thrust his hand up her skirts. She threatened to tell his wife if he didn't give her a good reference.

Deciding that domestic work in a home might not be for her, she instead began applying to the many hotels in Boston. She was given a job at the new luxury hotel and theatre on Beacon street, the Cremont Hotel. It boasted indoor plumbing with toilets and baths, locked rooms for guests, and bellboys. The rooms for bathing were in the basement. Cold water was run into the copper tubs and heated with a gas system. Waste water was removed into the sewage system. Needless to say, there was a need for a lot fo staff in a hotel of such stature. Ria was hired at once.

Very early on morning, as she was singing while she worked scrubbing the baseboards in the hallway to the dining room, a gentleman stopped and listened. "You're wasting your talents here girl."

Didn't Ria well know that already? She eyed the man and thought he was just another wanting to take advantage of a poor working girl. She went back to work silently now.

"Oh do please stand up and sing for me again. I run the theatre at the hotel. I might just offer you a job. I'm sure it pays far better than what you are making now, and shorter hours too."

Ria looked at him, still not believing what eh had to say. But she straightened up and began singing the Irish ballad from the beginning.

"Splendid. How are you in front of crowds?"

"I don't know, sir. I've never but sung for myself and at parties for family and friends."

"I see, I see. Well, some to the theatre--shall we say about eleven? I want to see if you can project. Then maybe I'll have you sing a song at the matinee to see how you do."

"But sir, I've work to finish."

"You tell your supervisor that Alfie Smart is auditioning you. If you succeed, she'll have to hire someone else to clean the floors, otherwise, you'll be abck at work by eleven-ten. Don't be late."

"Yes, sir."

~~~~~​

That was how she came to be working in the Cremmont Theatre, but not how she came to be wearing a long black wig and strings of beads and pearls over a very form fitting top and a skirt that started at her hips.

The dancers from Egypt at the World's Fair in Chicago the year before had been a scandalous it with audiences. It prompted many "Little Egypt" routines in theatres and dance halls all over the country. When Alfie found that Ria was a quick study with dance moves, he pounced on the popularity of these "hoochie-coochie" girls and decided to add his own Little Egypt to the bill.

It took some convincing and a large raise, but she was unrecognizable in her costume, so she agreed.

She spend weeks learning the routine. Jiggling the way the gypsies did wasn't as easy as it looked. And making sure the costume didn't fall off in the process only added to the difficulties. Although Alfie assured her that the idea lone that her costume might reveal something it shouldn't was enough to keep the seats filled. The money was good, the tips were better, and the gifts from admirers even more so. She never slept with them. She was able to send money home to her family and live a life she had never dreamed of.

He even had Ria dancing at Men-Only shows where the doors were locked for her performance so one one could get in without having paid and no woman could come in by accident. Tonight's show was just such a one.

Tonight she danced the Snake Charmer routine. She wore a tight fitting costume reminiscent of Egyptian tomb drawings. It left little to the imagination. Her long black wig covered her beasts. The skirt was little more than a large piece of silk gathered below her navel with a fancy jeweled clasp. The pleats of the skirt covered her nethers just this side of decency.

She undulated and quivered, rolled her hips and shimmied. Bouncers lines the aisles to keep the men in check, although they were encouraged to shower Little Egypt with money as was the customary way to show appreciation in her country.

It made Ria laugh to herself wondering what they would think if they knew she was but a cleaning maid originally from Ireland with auburn hair and blue eyes.

There was a thrust stage where she could dance out into the audience for them to et a better look at her and slap their money down at her feet. She always smiled in appreciated, sometimes she even spoke with what she thought was an exotic accent, a strange mixture of Italian and Russian that she heard on the streets back when she lived in the boarding house in the slums.

Men frequently made lewd offers, but as long as they didn't try to touch, the bouncers didn't step in. She would imply that she would consider those offers if only they would tip more money.

Se found if she locked eyes with a well-dressed gent while executing a suggestive move, he was more than likely to tip well or even send a gift to her dressing room.

In fact, there was just such a man at the far end of the stage. The moment she looked at him she felt a thrill. She didn't believe in love at first sight, but something about this man appealed to her on a deep level. She liked his look and his confidence. And he had a smile that made her fancy him all the more. She smiled and rolled her hips making her beads shake. She llifted her hair which exposed her breasts. Her nipples showed through the thin fabric fo her body suit. The men howled in approval. More money was tossed to the stage. Pity that Alfie always took a cut. But it would be a good night.

She looked at the gent and licked her lips then undulated her hips in a way that held no doubt as to what she must be like in the bedroom. Her moves were artistic, more artistic than most of the other Little Egypts, but she also had an earthy open sexuality that "good" women, "proper" women were never allowed to express. She found the dance freeing and didn't care what men thought of her as they watched.

 

[DrStein]

Sully sidled into the theater to see the show already in progress and immediately liked what he saw. He gently nodded his head in time with the rhythm of the dancer who herself was stunning. Pale skin and eyes with long dark hair and an outfit showing a figure many women would kill for. To say nothing of the way she moved. This was a slap in the face to the moralists and authorities. Oh yes, Sully was going to enjoy this.

Their eyes met and Sully took off his hat with a smile that slowly spread across his face. Sully himself was something of a mix. His father was half-Irish and half-Polish (there was a story behind that alone), but his mother's family had been in North America a really long time. There was a mix of Irish, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian and even Mohawk. In short, like Sully himself his family tree aimed to be a little bit of everywhere and it showed in his face. He had started growing his hair out like the aesthetes and wore an impeccably groomed short goatee and mustache. Between that and his new fancy clothes, he knew he cut a rather dashing figure.

He walked up to the edge of the stage and smiled up at this Little Egypt. He took out a roll of bills and began peeling them off one by one. Not the quick, desperate flinging of many of the other men. He was patient. He looked her up and down as she moved and each time he looked back up, he held onto her eyes for a few moments. "You look stunning." He held her eyes as he said it and there was sincerity in his voice. He had never seen any dance quite like this and felt spellbound by the way she moved. Still, he knew the rules. Look but don't touch, and tip well. And right now Sully could afford to tip very well.

 

[haremfaery]

Ria smiled at the fine gent. He had more class than she had seen in awhile. And more respect, too. She gave him a sultry smile and kept eye contact with him even as she danced in front of others.

He was a catch she didn't want to lose. She danced close to him again and sank gracefully to her knees. Her hips made a figure-eight with a backbend that might make a doctor marvel at her muscle control, but most would simply consider beyond lewd and positively pornographic.

"Come and see me backstage after the show." She whispered and gave him another sultry smile.

Money and class and easy on the eyes. This was a man she could play mistress to. She did not see a ring on his finger, so she needn't feel guilty about being with him either.

She finished her routine and gave the man a a flick of her hip before exiting. She navigated the wings and backstage past the next act, past the stagehands who raised and lowered the curtains and manned the gears and winches that flew in the flats for the various sets. She went into her dressing room where her wardrobe girl was waiting for her with a tall glass of lemonade. "Letty, hurry. I may have a gentleman friend coming back to pay his respects."

"Yes, Miss."

Letty carefully helped her out of her costume and examined it in case it needed repairs. Then she hung it up so it could air out.

Ria had ten costumes in rotation. Whenever one was too worn, another complete costumes would be made. Or she would talk to the stage manager and director about ideas for other routines. Cleopatra was very popular, as was a series of dances based on the Arabian Nights translated into English less than a decade before.

Ria stripped out of the body suit she wore and handed it off to Letty. She blotted her face with a towel so as not to mar her makeup. Then she removed her wig and put it on the stand next to others. She paused and wondered if her gentleman would accept that she wasn't some dark-haired beauty from the Near East but really a redheaded Irish girl. She could always wear the wig for him if her liked her more exotic look. She had done stranger things with some of her admirers.

She stood next to the wash basin and cleaned the perspiration from her skin then spritzed on some cologne--a spicy exotic blend. A gift from another gentleman.

She looked through her dresses trying to decide what to wear when her latest admirer came to call. Or should she greet him in nothing but her robe? No, she decided, that would make her seem cheap, or easy, or both. She didn't want him thinking she was common trash.

She went behind her dressing screen and put on her black stockings and garters. "Letty, come help me tighten my corset laces. I'm expecting a gentleman caller."

"I heard there was a man out there with a roll of bills."

"MmmHmm. Good looking, too. Be a nice change from the old codgers who think I'm actually interested in something other than the size of their wallets."

Letty giggled as she pulled the laces taught. "I'll make myself scarce then." She tugged again and tied them up. "You waist has gotten even smaller since you started the Little Egypt act. Maybe I should take lessons."

"Not much to it, really. Just wear next to nothing and do what it takes to make the beads shake." Ria wriggled to demonstrate.

"You sell yourself short. Not everyone can do those contortions you make on the floor, or how you can make your arms looks like snakes."

"Well, thank you. Now scurry off so I can await my gentleman." Ria didn't know what she'd do if he didn't take her up on her invitation.

She put her blue robe over her underpinnings. This way, she didn't look cheap. Not fully dressed, but not nearly naked either. Of course, he had already seen seen most of what she had to offer. Regardless, she could truthfully say he arrived while she was still dressing. Then she could dress accordingly for wherever he wanted to take her.

She reclined on her couch with her lemonade trying to look nonchalant.

_____________
((Here's an interesting article I found about a vintage dancer I had never heard of.

 

[DrStein]

Sully arched an intrigued brow when she invited him backstage. It wouldn't be the first time he'd spent an evening with a performer. Still, he hadn't expected her to offer without him first making a move. But then again all the other women he had been with were far more modest than this Little Egypt girl. He had never seen anyone move like her before, a woman so shameless in her body. He could feel the envious looks of the other men in the room at the attention she was giving to Sully personally. Those who had overheard her offer were even glaring at him as if it were his fault. Which, in a way it was, considering he was the best-mannered, best-dressed and best-looking guy in the room. He refused to apologize for having made an effort however.

Come the end of the show, he gave it a few minutes before he strolled back behind the stage, offering polite, friendly smiles to the crew as they continued to set things up for another performance tomorrow. Sully had learned a long time ago to be respectful to workers of all stripes. His own parents had tried their hands at numerous careers. His father had a brief stint as an actor before he became a featherweight boxer. The last letter his mother had sent told him she had become an officer in one of those fancy new women's clubs.

He inquired where he could find the dressing room for Little Egypt and knocked on the door. When he heard the soft, feminine, "Come in!" from within, he let himself in. He was greeted by the sight of a half-dressed young lady with red hair but who was unmistakably the dancer he had been so entranced by earlier. He closed the door behind him and let out a soft laugh that gradually become bigger and more mirthful. The revelation that the scandalous persona was an act amused him to no end.

"I believe proper introductions are in order." He kneeled down before her on the couch as he removed his hat and took one of her delicate hands in his own. "Sullivan Dixon. Sully to my friends." He kissed her hand without breaking eye contact. "And I dare to presume that Little Egypt is not your real name."

 

[haremfaery]

Ria giggled when the man laughed. She liked him even more. "Well ... Sully, I'm Ria O'Reilly," she grinned. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." She still had a bit of her Irish accent. She twisted to put her feet on the floor and scooted over to make room for him on the divan. The patted the seat next to her.

"I'm so happy you aren't disappointed that I'm not an exotic lady from the East." She spoke with a fake accent that wounded more Romany with a bit of sky pirate thrown in than Middle Eastern. "I usually keep the ruse up until I'm sure my true self will be well received. But you seem a discerning and intelligent man--I thought it best to come clean right away. Although the wig and all help when the flatfoots come snooping 'round looking for Morals Violations." The capital letters could be heard when she spoke the phrase. "I just dash backstage, take off my wig, put on a robe and say I'm the magician's assistant." She grinned impishly.

"Oh, my manners! May I offer you a brandy?" She stood and went to her liquor cabinet. She put a few fingers of brandy for each of them into heavy crystal glasses. She handed one to him and sat back down close to him so their knees were touching.

"Now you know my big secret . . . What's yours? What's a handsome gent like you coming to see a hoochie-coochie dancer? I would think that you already have plenty of fine ladies you could spend your time with."

 

[DrStein]

Sully took the offered seat and smiled. "I'm a gambler by trade. I like to go where risks are. Where people have more imagination." He sipped the brandy before setting the glass a side. He reached for his right cuff but didn't touch the button. Something in his sleeve clicked. "The ordinary is what's safe, familiar, even mandated."

His hand moved to the inside of his coat and another muffled click came out. "What's familiar has it's charms and comforts, but it grows boring in large doses." He removed his coat and a light rattle of some mechanical device came from the sleeve. He tossed his coat so that it draped over a nearby chair. With just a shirt and waistcoat it was much clearer that he kept himself fit.

Finally he rejoined Ria on the couch and took up the glass of brandy for another sip. He put a gentle hand on her knee and looked in her eyes. "A woman such as you however is one who is far more interesting to talk to than a stranger who looks safe and ordinary."

 

[haremfaery]

Ria cocked her head at the strange clicking sound from his jacket but didn't say anything about it. She wasn't sure how she felt about him being a gambler. She had hoped he was some railroad tycoon or something. But, my stars, he was a fine looking gent, she thought to herself.

"Ah, Mr. Dixon, don't be feeding me that blarney. The only thing you find interesting about me is the fact that I've no problem prancing around a stage in little more than a smile." She gave him her stage smile then turned it into a smirk. "I suppose I've never thought myself as ordinary, or I wouldn't have taken to voyage across the Atlantic." She put a hand over his where it rested on her knee. "And you, Mr. Dixon, I expect you are neither safe nor ordinary." She pulled his hand a few inches above her knee and gave it a little squeeze.

 

[DrStein]

Sully smiled at her responses. "Do you know what separates a truly great gambler from merely a rich one? Honesty. An honest gambler doesn't need to lie or bluff. He takes everything as it is." He placed his free hand over hers to it was clasped in both of his and looked her directly in the eyes.

"That's why you can believe I'm not lying when I say yes, I find you very beautiful and would love a chance to spend the night with you." His hand on top of hers began softly caressing her pale skin. "But if you decide not to, I shared a drink and some scandalous conversation with a beautiful and equally scandalous woman. There are worse ways to spend an evening." He smiled at her then and finally removed his hand to finish the glass of brandy.

"Until you have made your decision, you are correct on one thing: I am not a safe or ordinary man. I go where change is happening."

 

[haremfaery]

"An honest gambler? I never heard of such a thing. I thought bluffing was all part o' the game."

Most men, hell, every man who threw that kind of money her way on stage would not give Ria a choice in how the evening was going to end. It made her like him all the more. She took a sip of her own brandy and crossed her leg showing a scandalous amount of it, showing the creamy skin above her stockings. She let her slippered foot brush his calf.

"And tell me, Mr. Dixon--Sully, I mean. Just where is change happening these days?"

 

[DrStein]

Sully smiled at the other small bit of contact and the view of skin. Not that he hadn't already seen a lot of it, but there was a lot to be said for a more intimate setting. "Therein is a complex answer, but if I had to put it down to one thing, it's people. People like you and I. We see many so-called standards for what they are: arbitrary.

"Change happens when people realize not just what one person is capable of when free of normalcy but what they can do together." He reached out and gently cupped Ria's cheek while looking deep into her eyes. "Women like you are intriguing because you present what the 'proper' women don't: possibilities." How did she refer to it? Blarney? Sort of. It was more flowery language than he generally used but the sentiment behind it was true enough. He had left home to escape the crushing dullness of boredom. Beyond just the thrill of gambling, Sully loved meeting new and interesting people.

 

[haremfaery]

Ria decided not to be offended when he said she wasn't a "proper" woman. How could she? It was true, she wasn't proper at all. She was no whore, but a girl had to eat and if a gent wanted to give her money or buy her gifts, who was she to say no?

"That I can surely understand ... Sully. My dancing is all about 'possibilities.'" She smirked. "The possibility that my costume may slip and reveal even more than what it does. The possibility that I should notice a gent in the audience and invite him back to my dressing room. The possibility that once there, I may take a fancy to him," She shifted closer and put a hand on his bicep. "And the possibility that I just might," she leaned closer still with each of her next words. "Let. Him. Kiss. Me."

Her lips nearly brushed his.

 

[DrStein]

Sully leaned forward and kissed her softly. His hand went to her cheek and he deepened the kiss. He shifted his body a little closer to her just as his free arm reached across her back to her hips to pull her closer to him. A moment later he broke the kiss and withdrew slightly before resting his forehead on hers. "Before we go any further, I want you to know something."

He opened his eyes, a stately blue, and looked directly into hers. "Ria... It would be my pleasure to be your scandal tonight." He said it with a glint in his eye but an earnest face surrounding it.

 

[haremfaery]

"Ria... It would be my pleasure to be your scandal tonight."

Ria was breathless form Sully's kiss. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were flushed. "I suppose it remains to be seen just which of us is the more scandalous." Her lips curled into a smirk.

She pulled her face away but kept the body contact. "Do you have a room we can go to?" While she had no problem entertaining a gent in her dressing room, a hotel suite was much better. She couldn't take him to her own room. It would, she smiled, scandalize the matron who ran the boarding house, but far worse, she would be kicked out on her scandalous ass for sneaking a man into her room. Besides, a gent like Sully could afford a nice hotel room and dinner and breakfast in the morning. In her experience, spending the entire night with a gent usually sealed the deal for a longer and more lucrative liaison.

"It won't take me long to dress." She leaned close kissing his jaw right below his ear while pressing her breasts against his chest. "Unless you want a little taste before we go..." She kissed him on the mouth parting her lips so she could spar with his tongue. She was sure Sully was a man who could appreciate a woman who took some initiative.

 

[DrStein]

Sully groaned in appreciation with the kiss and let his hands wander her extravagant curves. He broke the kiss and smiled at her after a moment. "We'd better get back to my room. Otherwise, I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself."

He gave Ria time to dress while he put his jacket back on. The apparatus underneath was clipped into place once more without comment. "Now I know you'll be disappointed," he said with an ironic grin, "but I could only get a small suite at the Omni Parker." Sully figured she was looking for a gentleman who could serve as a 'patron of the arts' as he liked to describe it. And he was riding a wave of good luck and it was far too generous a windfall to waste on spending every night alone. So he could play along. Who knows how long this could go. As long as Sully played a smart game... the sky was the limit.

 

[haremfaery]

"The Omni Parker?" Ria beamed. The was the best hotel in Boston, better than the Tremont as far as she was concerned. Even a small suite was better that what nearly all other hotels had to offer. And the food! Why, poets wrote verses about the Parker House rolls. Her mouth watered in anticipation for a slice of their Boston Cream Pie. It was almost better than sex--in some cases in was better.

"Have you been there long, Sully? It's lovely. I'm sure even a man of your refinement won't be disappointed.

Ria dressed quickly. She put a few necessaries in a small satchel to bring with her. If she was to be spending the night, she didn't want to return to the boarding house looking like a street walker. She told the matron some time ago that she had a sick aunt on the other side of time whom she sometimes stayed with. That stopped any gossip as to her comings and goings, though she had to make sure her face was scrubbed clean when she arrived. Her stage makeup alone would brand her as an undesirable tenant and she couldn't afford to lose her room there.

"I'm ready." She stepped close to Sully and reached up to straighten his tie. She went on tiptoe to place a rather chaste kiss on his lips. She let him walk her to the door which she locked behind her, then the two walked to the stage door and out into the night.

 

[DrStein]

Even at this late hour there was a thrum to the city that Sully enjoyed. A cool night lit by gaslight and the glow of the windows, it all formed an atmosphere he could wrap himself in. And of course a beautiful woman on his arm made it all the better. They passed the walk to the hotel in a comfortable silence until the Omni Parker House loomed at the corner across the way.

Sully pointed to a set of dark windows higher up. "That suite. Fifth floor." He added an impish smile as they crossed the way and entered the hotel. The lobby alone was an almost overwhelming display of opulence with fine carpets, wood panels and columns and sparkling chandeliers. A few travelers were checking in and a few night owls were seated reading but for the most part it was a lucid quietness that filled the hotel at this hour.

Sully and Ria climbed the stairs to the fifth floor and he quietly opened the door to his suite. There was a lovely sitting room, a master bedroom and accompanying bathroom. On the bureau to one side were a few of Sully's possessions, miscellaneous tools of the trade. A spare pack of cards, some dice, a revolver... The doors were open to the bedroom and the luxurious king-sized bed was plainly visible.

Sully once more unclipped the device hidden under his jacket and hung it up on the coatrack. He then turned and offered to take Ria's. "Please. Make yourself comfortable."

 

[haremfaery]

Ria tried hard to keep herself from goggling at the lobby. She had been in here before after all, but it never failed to impress her. The hotel belonged to a world she could only visit, but she planned to enjoy every second of it. She ignored the knowing look of the man behind the desk. He could judge all he liked.

She took in every detail of the suite, including the revolver. So ... Sully was a gambling man, and a dangerous one at that. He must need to protect his winnings. At least he hadn't come to see her with a revolver in his pocket. She'd have to watch herself though.

"What lovely rooms." She let him help her off with her coat. She cocked her head and looked at his jacket. "Ya know, that's the second time tonight I've heard that clicking sound. Just what is going on inside that coat of yours?" She gave him a smile.

 

[DrStein]

Sully laughed and parted the breast of his coat to show some manner of mechanical device sewn into the lining with clips to attach to his vest. "Boston's an exciting place, but only a fool dresses this well after dark without some manner of protection." He let the coat go without further comment and proceeded across the room to a comfortable chair. He took Ria's hand as he passed and gently pulled her into his lap as he sat down. His arms went around and her and he smiled impishly again.

"For that reason, I would hardly be a gentleman if I didn't offer to let you stay the night here." He leaned in slowly and planted a soft kiss on her neck before drawing back once more with that rakish smile he wore when they first met.

 

[haremfaery]

Oh, Ria-girl. Don't gamble your heart with this one. That smile. It dazzled her from the first time she saw it.

"Oh, good sir, how could I possibly turn down the invitation when it's for my own welfare?" She began to loosen his tie then stopped. "Are there any more contraptions I should be aware of?" She wriggled on his lap finding the side he favored. "I don't want to set something off ... by accident." She gave him an impish grin of her own. She leaned in to give him a kiss on the lips.

 

[DrStein]

Sully returned the kiss and placed a few more along Ria's jaw line. "You're free to search me," he said with a playful tone. One hand went down to caress her thighs while the other went around the back of her head to pull her into another passionate kiss. The bulge in his pants was pressed firmly against her thigh. He could already tell that as flings go, this would be one of the most memorable.

His hand reached around from her thighs to her back and slowly traced the laces of her corset under her blouse. "I wonder..." he said after breaking the kiss. "What need have you for a corset, Miss Ria? Painting the lily, don't you think?" His hands came around and began gently undoing the buttons of her blouse while he peppered her neck with kisses.

 

[haremfaery]

Ria chuckled and undid Sully's tie. She began working on his shirt buttons, but coherent thought left her when he tightened his grip on her hair and kissed her with a kiss that took her breath away and had her seeing stars. She had always thought that was a poetic metaphor. If he could make her see stars just from a kiss, she wondered just what else he could do. She moaned and returned his passion.

Se breathed out a laugh catching her breath from the kisses. "Ah, Sully, you don't have to use that blarney on me. But thank you for the compliment. And you do have an advantage on me. You've seen me practically naked while I've only seen you in your shirtsleeves." She took his hand, kissed his palm then undid his cuff link, then repeated it all on his other hand. This was the part she loved: the teasing and anticipation. Sully sure knew how to tease. But two can play that game. She shrugged out of her blouse and kissed Sully hard while opening his shirt and running her hands over his chest.

 

[DrStein]

((Sorry for the absence. Real life just up and happened.))

Sully kissed her back with a groan of appreciation and reached back to loosen the laces of her corset. He kept himself fit and the definition of his torso could be felt under the dark curls on his chest. Once the corset had loosened up, he began to open the front busk until the garment could just slip right off. He shrugged out of his shirt and leaned down to place a series of soft kisses on her breasts and nipples.

He knew many men for whom sex was quick, dirty and for the most part unremarkable. They had no idea how far a little teasing and foreplay could go. They didn't realize how much better sex could be when both partners were enjoying themselves. More's the pity for them.

His mouth turned its focus to her nipples, kissing and sucking them one after the other and giving the occasional nip or graze with his teeth. A hand went up to knead and squeeze whichever breast his mouth was not currently occupied with.

 

[haremfaery]

((Not a problem. My life seems to be hurry up and wait right now. Slow posting is never a problem.))

Ria ran her fingers over Sully's chest. Ooh, what a man he was. She was impatient to discover all of him. She gasped in surprise when he kissed her nipple. Not surprised he knew how to arouse a woman's passion, but surprised at her swift response to him. It was as if he knew what she wanted before she did. Her nethers yearned for him. She tugged at his belt.

"Take me to bed, or take me here. But take me." She wriggled on his lap and kissed him deeply.

 

[DrStein]

Sully smiled into the kiss and wrapped his arms tightly around Ria. "No more teasing?" he asked with a knowing smile. He leaned in and whispered in ear, "No more compliments about your milky skin and pouting breasts?" He began grinding his hips as she fumbled with his belt, causing the bulge in his pants to shift up into her hands as if offering it to her. He dragged his teeth down her earlobe and whispered to her, "Do you really want to end the sweet anticipation of my what my cock is going to feel like inside of you?"

He scooped Ria up in his arms and stood so that he was carrying her bridal style before she had a chance to answer. He looked into her eyes again with a devilish smirk. His own eyes had a hungry aspect. "Are you sure you wouldn't like a chance to draw this out a bit longer?" There was a note of scandalous promise in his voice, but that smile said that if she asked him again he would still indulge her.