Fast Forward

FAST FORWARD

…Tay hooked his foot around one of the legs of Celeste’s chair. He pulled it forward until they were mere inches apart. “My God! I do believe I’m turning you on.” “Turning me on? What do you mean by this? I’m not sure I understand.” Sliding a finger beneath her chin, he lifted her head slightly and gazed deep into her eyes. “Oh, I think you do. You’re wet, yes?” Blood rushed to her face. “A little perhaps.” Grasping her shoulders, he pressed his mouth against hers, and his tongue slipped between her lips. She tried to turn away, but he held firm, his tongue delving deeper and tangling with hers, while his hands slid down her back and beneath her doublet until he made contact with her bare skin. After a moment, he broke the kiss and pulled back. “I don’t believe I’m doing this. But I can’t help myself. You’re so damn hot. Stand up,” he whispered. Celeste did as he asked, and she felt his hands at her waist, opening her pantaloons and pushing them down over her hips. “Spread your legs a little.” She knew she was being foolish even to contemplate doing anything this dangerous with someone she’d never met before in a strange world she neither recognized nor understood. But commonsense didn’t stand a chance against the desire she felt between her legs, or the heat she saw in Tay’s eyes…

ALSO BY C HRISTIANE F RANCE Amorous Intentions Bad Boy Blues Blame It On Fate The Butterfly Girl Ciao, Ciao, Bambina Double Delicious The Gallery On Main Street Inseparable Just One Look A Moment of Madness Oh, George Proud Mary Sabotage Satisfaction Guaranteed Something To Talk About Strangers In The Night This Time For Keeps Time Shift

FAST FORWARD BY CHRISTIANE FRANCE

AMBER Q UILL PRESS, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com

FAST FORWARD AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2008 by Christiane France ISBN 978-1-60272-438-9 Cover Art © 2008 Trace Edward Zaber

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

For Roy and The Boys.

FAST FORWARD

FAST FORWARD Her heart beating like a caged bird and her breath coming in labored gulps, Celeste Rousseau stayed hidden in the shadows at the end of the second floor hallway, watching as Mariette Joubert placed her thumb over a spot near the bottom of the wall, just beneath the last wooden panel, and pushed. She heard a faint click. Then, what she now realized was a door rather than an ornamental panel, swung slowly inward and a rush of cool air billowed forth from the dark space beyond. Celeste had prayed M’sieu de Gaspard would find a way for the young mademoiselle, Mariette, to escape the unwanted attentions of le Marquis de Vernnay. And, thankfully, her 1

FAST FORWARD

prayers had been answered because now she, too, needed to leave this house for the exact same reason. Madame had been very clear. Le Marquis de Vernnay wished to exercise his royal prerogative and bed Mariette. Either Celeste find the girl and bring her back at once, or madame would personally hand Celeste over to le marquis as a consolation prize for him to amuse himself with in any manner he saw fit, up to and including the use of his whip. Madame never made idle threats, and Celeste knew only too well how the marquis liked to amuse himself. Any number of times, she’d seen her friend, Justine Lescale, hung up like a leg of lamb in the butcher’s shop and whipped until her clothes were in shreds and her back raw, while that pig de Vernnay danced around like a fool, jerking himself off. He said it was très érotique. In Celeste’s opinion, the man was sick in the head. “Ready?” M’sieu de Gaspard inquired, reaching for mademoiselle’s hand. “Yes, but…” Celeste could hear the anguish in their voices, and she could see the tears streaming down mademoiselle’s face as she clung to the m’sieu. She felt the same way herself. “I don’t want to go. You know that, right?” “Yes, I know. But I also know that we have no choice.” Just then, dawn started to break with a ray of soft sunlight flooding the entire length of the second floor hallway. “Close your eyes and jump,” the m’sieu instructed, pushing the girl toward the opening. “But first…” Reaching out, he drew her back into his arms one last time. “Dis-moi 2

FAST FORWARD

que tu m’aimes.” “You know I love you, Philippe. I love you as you love me. And I promise I will love you for all time.” Celeste waited until mademoiselle stepped up onto the ledge and disappeared into the black space beyond and the m’sieu turned and hurried away, then she sprang forward just in time to prevent the door from closing. She didn’t want to go either, but like the girl, Mariette, she had no choice. And, as long as madame and le marquis were alive, neither she nor the girl would ever dare to come back. She took a deep breath and held tight to the doorframe as she stepped up onto the ledge. She continued to hesitate for a moment, then stepped back down, undecided. If she followed, she would never see her friends again. But what choice did she have? Mademoiselle already had a few minutes’ lead, and if she didn’t hurry, she’d be lost in the network of narrow streets and alleys that comprised the neighborhood. Anyway, what could be worse than the situation she was in? Once she caught up with the girl, they would take care of one another. Certainly, it would be difficult, two young women alone in a city like Paris, but anything was better than falling into the cruel hands of le marquis and his evil friends. She and the girl were survivors. They would find work— scrubbing floors, anything that paid enough for them to eat. And, if they were really fortunate, perhaps a kindly patron would give them a bed in his cellar. Somehow, they would manage. Mumbling a prayer she’d learned at her mother’s knee 3

FAST FORWARD

under her breath, Celeste hesitated for another minute or two, hoping she was doing the right thing. Then, knowing if she was to find the girl she could not delay another second, she stepped back up onto the ledge, closed her eyes…and jumped. *

*

*

Celeste vaguely recalled falling through space and banging her head against something hard, and she realized she must have been either asleep or unconscious for a while. Now she was lying on the icy-cold floor of a dark cellar. On the opposite side of the room, she could see the outlines of people moving around, waving strange and very bright lights, and she could hear what sounded like men talking. From what she could understand of their conversation, she was unconscious, but alive, and she appeared to have no broken bones. They also thought she had over-dosed, and was a street person, whatever all that meant. However, they would take her to the clinic and see what the doctors and the social workers had to say. Celeste assumed the she the men were talking about must be the young mademoiselle, Mariette, and while she was familiar with the word doctor, many of the words including street person, social worker, and clinic were completely outside her comprehension. Unless, maybe, they all had something to do with la Bastille, which was no more than a few short blocks away. Perhaps madame had told the police to look for Mariette and bring her back, and now they’d found her and were taking her to see…the prison doctor? 4

FAST FORWARD

From what she knew of the infamous jail, Celeste doubted such a person existed. People suffering from all kinds of dreadful diseases and afflictions were put in that terrible place and left to die without as much as a stale crust of bread or a spoonful of water to ease their pain and suffering. Perhaps madame had told them to put the girl in prison for running away. And if madame had done that, Celeste knew she could expect no better for herself. If only she’d done what madame had instructed and handed the girl over to le marquis. Cuts and bruises healed, but once a person was sent to la Bastille… Shivering with fright, Celeste backed her way along the wall until she came to what felt like an old wooden crate and hid behind it. Whatever plans m’sieu had made for the girl’s escape, they had clearly met with misfortune. Perhaps madame and le marquis had suspected something was afoot and they’d been waiting. Or perhaps it had just been Mariette’s bad luck to get caught. Regardless of the reason, Celeste had no intention of being caught and sent to prison. She’d stay hidden until the men left and then she’d make her own escape. Being on her own was not so bad. She now had no one to worry about but herself, and, with a little luck, her old friend, the milkman, would agree to take her in for a night or two— just long enough for her to collect her wits and make a few plans. Celeste had learned long ago that a woman had to make her own luck. When her father sold her to madame to be 5

FAST FORWARD

trained as a prostitute, she’d soon realized two important facts: one, that a prostitute’s life was almost always short; and two, she’d go much farther if she used her head than she would if she relied on what rested at the juncture of her thighs. Unlike the other occupants of the house on la rue Charles V, including madame, thanks to her desire to learn and with the help of her parish priest, Celeste had the advantage of being able to read more than a few simple words. She could read both the bible and her prayer book, she’d read legal documents madame had been required to sign, and she could also add up numbers. Once madame had discovered what she could do, she’d decided Celeste’s talents were more suited to account keeping and supervising the girls’ toilettes than they were to servicing the customers. As she settled back against the cold, damp wall to wait, a lone tear trickled down her cheek. She’d enjoyed an important and protected position in the house on la rue Charles V— a position envied by all her friends. Now, thanks to her foolishness, not only had she lost it, she was left with nothing except the right to beg for scraps like a stray dog. If only she’d done as madame had asked. If she’d just— The realization the men were gone and the cellar was now in semi-darkness made her brush away the tears and stiffen her backbone. Feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t fill her stomach or find her a job. She needed to think. Except for the girls at madame’s, she knew no one here in Paris. No family, no friends, no one at all who might help her…except for the milkman. If she could manage to figure out where she was and 6

FAST FORWARD

how far she had to walk to reach his house, she would be safe, if only temporarily. Leaving her hiding place, she located the stairs and crept silently upward to the floor above, relieved to discover she was in what appeared to be an empty house. It felt cold and smelled of charred wood, dampness, and neglect. The floors were all thick with dirt and debris, the paintwork blackened and blistered, and cobwebs festooned the corners of the ceilings. Charred strips of tattered wall coverings hung down like garlands in some areas, while patches of black mildew showed in others where the covering was gone and only bare plaster remained. The windows had all been shuttered over from outside, but when she reached the main staircase and looked upward, she could tell by the angle of the sun’s rays it was late in the afternoon. Another hour, maybe less, and darkness would fall. It was quiet inside the house, but from outside she could hear a strange cacophony of unfamiliar sounds. Not the sounds she was used to such as the clip-clop of the horses’ feet or carriage wheels rumbling over the roughly paved streets, or even the shouts of carriage drivers, dogs barking, or vendors advertising their wares. These sounds were much different— sometimes quite loud, like the rumble of thunder overhead, then gradually fading away, and strange rushing and popping sounds like…like, quite unlike anything she’d ever heard before. She hurried up the main staircase. From the amount of light she could see on the second floor, it was clear the 7

FAST FORWARD

windows up there had not been shuttered. Perhaps she would be able to recognize a landmark—something to indicate her location. She also wanted to know what was causing all the strange noises. She peeked through the first window she came to. The glass was streaked and dirty, but…was that snow she could see on the ground outside? It was too late for blossoms from the apple trees, and snow in July simply wasn’t possible. She looked again. It was snow! A thin blanket of snow covered the rooftops and the trees and everything else she could see. However, there wasn’t a horse or a carriage in sight. Instead, strange, box-shaped objects on wheels were moving swiftly along the street. Some had lamps at the front, but with all of them, she could see people sitting inside. She reached down for a corner of her apron to clean a small portion of the window in order to get a better view…but she was no longer wearing her apron. In fact, she wasn’t wearing any of her regular clothing. From waist to ankle she was encased in what appeared to be a new style of men’s pantaloons. Made of a heavy blue cotton fabric, the pantaloons fit like a second skin. On her feet were the strangest looking footwear she’d ever seen—thick white, all-in-one soles and heels with white cotton tops laced down the center. Even so, they were amazingly light and very comfortable, more comfortable than anything she’d ever worn before. Her upper body was also encased in cotton—some kind of heavy, marine blue doublet with full length sleeves but no front opening. She slipped a hand in the right hand pocket of the 8

FAST FORWARD

pantaloons, horrified to find it empty. The money she’d worked so hard to save and kept in her pocket, day and night, for safekeeping was gone! And so was her grandmother’s gold crucifix. Her eyes filled with tears and she slid down the wall to curl up in a small, dejected heap beneath the window. Bad enough the world had gone completely crazy—peculiar, boxlike contraptions moving along the street without horses to pull them, snow in July, and her clothes replaced by some bizarre form of fancy dress, but now it appeared someone had stolen her money. Without money or valuables, she would starve for sure. She lifted a hand to her hair, afraid to find that gone, too. The cap she normally wore during the day while working had disappeared, but her beautiful, silken blonde hair that hung all the way down to her waist while she slept was still right there where it belonged—hanging loose, but at least it was still there on her head. Be strong, ma chère. Life is not easy. But if you wish yours to be successful, you must listen and learn how to fit in and always be ready to adapt to change… As the words found their way through her misery, Celeste remembered the rest of what Maman had said the day she left home to work here in Paris. Maman had also warned her not to trust too easily or too quickly. She’d said the world was full of thieves and charlatans. From that day forward, her family would no longer be there to care for her or protect her from such people, and this was something she must now do for 9

FAST FORWARD

herself, using the wits and the brains God had given her. To this point, her mother’s words had stood Celeste in good stead. She’d fought her own battles and solved her own problems. They’d also helped her through many a day when she’d been so tired and exhausted, and so afraid madame would throw her out into the street to fend for herself, she might otherwise have given up and run away. Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she stood up and took a second peek through the window. Her mother’s words would get her through whatever lay before her now. The light was starting to fade and there were bright lights everywhere she looked—much brighter than anything she remembered. The only familiar thing she could see was the snowflakes, floating on the wind and gradually moving lower and lower until they fell to the frozen ground. She looked with care at the people passing by on the street and realized that most of them, both men and women, were dressed in a similar fashion to her. She also noticed the women all wore their hair unbound. Perhaps, if she went outside… She hurried down the stairs, found her way to the back of the house, and unbolted the back door. There was something so familiar about layout of the house that she’d been able to find her way in the dark without the necessity of either a lamp or directions. In fact, she had a feeling she’d been here before. But that wasn’t possible. Apart from one night she’d spent at another house madame did business with on la rue Royale, she’d always stayed with madame at the house on la rue 10

FAST FORWARD

Charles V. Unless maybe this house had been built to the same pattern as madame’s. Madame’s house was on the corner of la rue Charles V and la rue Bonet. And the milkman lived at the very last house on la rue Bonet. All she had to do was find Charles V and keep walking until she came to Bonet. She opened the door a crack, letting in a blast of icy air. From what she could see, the yard and the street were both deserted. She took a cautious step outside. Oddly enough this house was also on a corner lot and—she narrowed her eyes and stared at the street marker on the opposite corner—“la rue Bonet, 4ième arondissement.” Moving around the house until she had a clear view of the main street, she checked that marker, too—“la rue Charles V, 4ième arondissement.” She stared in shock. Mon dieu! This was madame’s house! But what on earth had happened to it? When did the fire occur and where had everyone gone? And she couldn’t recall having seen those street markers before. The one she remembered for la rue Bonet had been a piece of rough wood with handpainted lettering, and the one for Charles V just a little grander. She knew she must have been unconscious for several hours—from just before the sun came up when she followed the girl through the doorway until now. But how could so much have happened in so short a time? Before daylight disappeared completely, she went back inside the house for another look around. She checked each floor and each room in turn, glancing again at the fire damage, the patches of black mildew, the cobwebs, the strips of tattered 11

FAST FORWARD

wall coverings, and the blistered paint on the woodwork, and slowly shook her head as she finished her inspection and descended the stairs to the main floor. Yes, this was quite definitely madame’s house. But the house could not have fallen into such a dreadful state of disrepair within a few short hours. This had taken months, possibly years. She sat on the bottom step, trying to clear her head and assemble her thoughts. While it was clear she’d been unconscious for a great deal longer than she’d first thought, commonsense told her it couldn’t have been long enough for those cobwebs to form, or the mildew to grow, or any of the other signs of long-term disuse and neglect to occur. Either something very peculiar had happened, or she was fast asleep and dreaming, and in a moment she’d wake up in the basement room she shared with two of the maids to hear madame screaming at them at the top of her voice. She pinched the soft underside of her left arm, hard. “Ouch!” As the word escaped her mouth, she rubbed the tender spot to soothe the pain, and again, she stared up at the ceiling. Well, at least she knew she was not asleep and dreaming. But if she’d remained unconscious long enough for the spiders to spin such enormous webs, she’d have died of starvation long ago. Apparently, a great deal had happened while she was unconscious, but the first thing she needed to find out was what had become of her clothes and her valuables. Perhaps she should go to the house next door and speak with Madame Lescale’s maid, Mimi. That girl knew 12

FAST FORWARD

everything that happened, and sometimes she knew about things even before they happened. Yes, Mimi was sure to have all the answers Celeste sought. She might even know where madame and the girls had gone. Wedging the back door ajar with a stone she found in the yard, Celeste made her way to the next house and knocked lightly on the door. With luck, Mimi would answer the door herself. She waited, but no one answered. As she raised her fist to knock a little harder, a young man with unbound, shoulderlength dark hair, dressed in similar clothing to what she had on, opened the door. But before Celeste had a chance to open her mouth, let alone say one single word, he’d grabbed her hand and hustled her inside, kicking the door closed again with his foot. “You’re late. Did you get lost? Where’s your bag with your makeup and the clothes I said you should bring with you? And what about your purse? Where’s that? I swear this is the first time I’ve seen a woman without her purse. Did you leave it in your car?” Celeste had no idea what the young man was talking about, but he’d clearly mistaken her for someone else. “I came to see Mimi. Is she here?” “If you mean my buddy Jason’s friend, the girl who arranged for you to come here and model for me, then no, she’s not.” Be strong, ma chère. Learn to fit in and adapt to change. Celeste straightened her shoulders, stiffened her spine, and 13

FAST FORWARD

smiled as she allowed herself to be captured by the man’s beautiful green-eyed gaze. Something very odd was going on here, but until she discovered what it was, she would follow Maman’s advice to the letter. She’d talked to girls who’d worked as artist’s models. It wasn’t difficult. One merely had to remove one’s clothes and ignore the cold. “Perhaps I have the name wrong, yes?” The man returned her smile, and Celeste’s insides turned to mush. “Maybe. All I know is that a friend arranged for a model to be here three hours ago, and I’m assuming that’s you. I know I made it clear I can’t afford to pay much, but that’s no excuse for you to turn up so late. You could’ve called or something. Anyway, what happened to your stuff?” Celeste took a deep breath, searching her mind for a suitable explanation. Obviously, the woman he expected had either forgotten or changed her mind. But, no matter. She was here and available, and since she knew better than to spit in Lady Luck’s face, she decided to take a chance. “Oh, m’sieu, I was attacked and robbed. I was so frightened. I…” The man suddenly grasped her chin and turned her face up to the light. “My God! What happened to you? You have bruises and dirt on your face. You say you were mugged?” Mugged? Celeste made up for her lack of understanding of the word by bestowing another smile on the man. He really was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, and he smelled pretty, too, like a bunch of wildflowers from her parents’ farm. “All I know is I was walking along the street when someone attacked me from behind and dragged me into the empty 14

FAST FORWARD

house on the corner. When I awoke a few minutes ago, I discovered all my things were gone. My clothes, my money, and everything else that I had.” She held up her hands and executed a neat pirouette. “I have nothing left to my name but what you can see on my back.” “Where do you live?” “As of this moment?” The man frowned. “Of course, as of this moment.” “That m’sieu is a little bit of a problem.” “In what way?” She shrugged. She’d arrived in this new world like a baby, with neither possessions nor knowledge. But like a baby, she would listen, she would learn, and she would adapt. In the meantime, perhaps a few shreds of the truth mixed in with one or two facts and the odd invention would gain her some sympathy and, perhaps, even a little help, too. “It’s like this, m’sieu. I came to Paris to look for work. But last night, there was a fire at the house where I had a room, and I was lucky to escape with my life and the few things I had with me. I thought perhaps after I was paid for this work, I could find somewhere else for tonight, yes?” “Where did you live before coming to Paris?” “With my family on a small farm in the Auvergne. It is a very long way from here.” “Can’t you call them and ask for a loan?” She frowned. The Auvergne was several days’ journey from Paris. No matter how loud she shouted her family would never hear her. And even if they did, they couldn’t help. “My 15

FAST FORWARD

family is very poor. They never have enough money for themselves and they certainly have none to spare.” “That’s really too bad.” He hesitated. “Okay, the good thing is that you’re here. I don’t know if the girl who sent you told you our names, but I’m Taylor McVey, and my partner is Jason Lazier. Jason would be here now, except he had to go to work. We’re both artists and we’ve had a little commercial success. And now, if we can come up with enough paintings, we have a friend willing to arrange a show for us at his gallery. It won’t be anything grand or special. It will just be a small showing at a tiny gallery on the Left Bank, so we don’t have a lot of money to spend on models. “Anyway, follow me, and I’ll show you the bathroom where you can clean up. I’ll make us some coffee, and while we’re having that, we’ll try to figure something out for you.” He opened a door and stood back for her to enter. “There are clean towels on the rail and soap by the basin. Make yourself at home.” Compared to madame’s house where a jug of hot water and the occasional splash of rose water would be considered luxurious, Celeste thought the room she’d been shown into was more appropriate for a royal palace. Although it was doubtful anything like this existed even there. It took her a moment to discover she could obtain both hot and cold water merely by turning the sparkling silver screws on the big china basin. Of course, she wouldn’t have thought even to try if she hadn’t noticed water dribbling from one of them. And she couldn’t get over the amazingly soft towels, or the strange, 16

FAST FORWARD

sweetly scented, waxy block she assumed was the soap her host had mentioned. Whatever it was, after making contact with the water it foamed up into a mass of bubbles that made her hands feel wonderful and her skin smell divine. A knock came at the door, making her jump. “Coffee’s ready.” “I’m coming.” Turning away from all the new and wonderful things, Celeste quickly finished washing her hands and face. Using the corner of one of the towels, she also brushed away most of the cellar dust and dirt from her clothes. “How do you take it?” Taylor inquired, after Celeste was seated in the kitchen and he’d handed her a mug of black coffee. “We have milk, cream, sugar.” “A little milk, if you please, m’sieu.” Celeste loved the smell and taste of coffee. Madame prepared the coffee for her clients personally, and she always made sure there was a cup or two extra so the two of them could enjoy it while Celeste checked the day’s receipts. “You can call me Taylor. Or Tay for short.” He waited while she took a few sips of the coffee, then he said, “You want to tell me your name?” “Celeste.” “And your last name?” “Rousseau.” “Did you see the person who attacked you, Celeste?” “I’m afraid not.” “Were you raped?” 17

FAST FORWARD

Celeste’s hand went instinctively to the spot between her thighs. She’d lost her virginity long ago, but it had been some time since she’d been with a man. Even so, she would know if that had happened. “No. As you can see, my clothing is soiled, but it was not disarranged.” “Do you want me to call the police?” As visions of la Bastille filled her mind, Celeste experienced a sudden wave of fear, and she shook her head. “I have nothing to tell them. I didn’t see anyone. And what they stole was not very valuable. A few clothes, my grandmother’s gold crucifix, and a little money are all.” “Without something to go on, you’re right, there’s nothing much the cops can do. And even if you did see the person responsible, I doubt you’d get your stuff back. He or she would’ve sold it by now.” He shrugged, picked up his mug of coffee and took a large sip of the muddy brown liquid. “Do you want me to take you to the clinic and have a doctor check you out?” What little Celeste knew of doctors was not to their credit. “For a little bump on the head? I do not think that is necessary.” “A bump on the head can cause concussion. Do you feel dizzy? Have a headache? Maybe feel a little nauseous?” “No. I feel none of those things. I feel perfectly fine.” He grinned and touched her hand briefly, and her uncertainty vanished, replaced by a delicious wave of warmth that swept down the lower part of her body from her waist to her knees. 18

FAST FORWARD

“You don’t like doctors?” “No.” “That’s okay. I’m not crazy about them either.” She took another sip of coffee. She was feeling a little better now, less nervous and a little more comfortable with this man who called himself Taylor. Nevertheless, the condition of madame’s house and the disappearance of its occupants continued to worry her. “From what I could see, I have the impression there was a fire in the house next door. Was anyone hurt?” “No. It was empty at the time. And it has been for quite a while. It’s changed owners a number of times over the past few years. Each time a new owner takes over, he has grand plans, but they all come to naught. The current owner is supposed to be renovating it back to the way it was a hundred years ago. Whether he will or not, only time will tell. Right now, it’s a haven for street people. The ambulance and the police are always there, rescuing addicts who’ve overdosed on something. They were there last night and again about an hour ago. You didn’t see them?” “No.” Celeste shook her head. Perhaps it hadn’t been the girl after all. But in that case, where had Mariette gone, bearing in mind she only been five or ten minutes behind her at the very most. “When was the fire?” “About two years ago. The firemen said it was one of the street people who started it. A miracle they didn’t burn the place down to the ground.” Two years? But the house was fine when she’d followed 19

FAST FORWARD

the young mademoiselle through the doorway just before dawn. “I imagine it was a beautiful house at one time.” “Maybe a long time ago. Over the past few years, since we’ve lived here, it’s been used as an orphanage, a hotel for single women, and who knows what else. Years ago, it was even a brothel. And way back, according to stories we’ve heard, a friend of the Marquis de Sade once owned it. Apparently, it’s in that house where de Sade and his friends are supposed to have held their orgies.” “Orgies?” “Yeah, you must’ve heard about the man and all the wild sexual antics he got up to.” Knowing firsthand what de Sade and his friends “got up to,” Celeste barely controlled a shiver. Being spared the bizarre attentions of those dreadful men was the prime reason she was grateful madame had put her talents to other uses. But this man spoke as if de Sade and his wickedness had happened a very long time ago. “He is a very bad man.” “He certainly was. And for someone who’s been dead the better part of two hundred years, you’d think he’d be long forgotten. But not so. Here we are, all these years later, and he’s still headline news. There was a piece about him in this morning’s paper. A group of modern day de Sade fans held some kind of a shindig on the anniversary of his death. From what the article said, the whole thing got out of hand and was raided by the cops.” Celeste was having trouble accepting that de Sade and his 20

FAST FORWARD

friends no longer posed a problem. “When exactly did he die?” “I think it said December 2, 1814, or maybe it was the third. Anyway, today’s December 7, 2008, so that makes it six years short of the two hundred.” A wave of dizziness forced Celeste to put down her mug. She’d followed the girl through the doorway in July, 1763, some fifty years before de Sade’s death. However, if what this man, Tay, said was true, a total of almost two hundred and fifty years had elapsed before she woke up in the cellar. It didn’t make sense. It just wasn’t possible for so much time to pass without her knowing. She felt strangely disoriented; perspiration was forming on her face and running down her neck and between her breasts, and her stomach felt strange. But perhaps that was because she hadn’t eaten all day, nothing since the previous night at madame’s house, and then only a small bowl of leftover soup. And that had been…two hundred and fifty years ago? Another wave of panic swept through her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. For a few seconds, thinking she might faint, she forced herself to take a deep breath and then another, until she was able to pull herself together and take another small sip of coffee. The man was looking at her closely now, his brows drawn together in a frown. “You alright?” “I’m fine.” “You sure? You looked a little pale there for a minute.” “I felt a little faint for a few seconds, that’s all. I’m sure 21

FAST FORWARD

it’s nothing serious. Merely a reaction to being attacked, I would imagine,” she said, wondering how she was supposed to learn everything that had happened in the past two hundred and fifty years in the space of five minutes. “No aches or pains of any kind. And you don’t want to throw up?” “No.” She smiled. “But the coffee has made me hungry. Would you consider me rude if I asked for a small piece of that bread?” She pointed to a baguette sitting in the middle of the table. With a little food, perhaps her mind would be sharper, more able to avoid difficult questions, dismiss what she didn’t understand, and even feign complete ignorance if and when necessary. “Hey, help yourself.” He got up and took a plate from the cupboard and a knife from a drawer. “You want butter and jam? Or I have cheese if you prefer.” Celeste quickly hacked off a small piece of the baguette. “This is quite sufficient. Thank you.” “How about more coffee?” “Please. With a little extra milk, if I may.” Remembering her lack of funds and the reason she was supposed to be here in this house, she added, “And then, if you wish, we can get to work.” “But you don’t have the right clothes. I’m doing a series of paintings on the twenty-first-century woman. I wanted a very sexy evening dress, and an even sexier swimsuit.” “Can you not paint me without such things?” “You mean in what you’re wearing now?” 22

FAST FORWARD

“No. I meant in no clothes at all. Isn’t that what you artists prefer?” She watched as Tay’s eyes narrowed, and he ran the tip of his tongue along his upper lip. Suddenly, he swallowed as if his mouth was dry, and she felt a reaction between her legs. There was something about this man she found fascinating. She wanted him to touch her, and she wanted to touch him in return. If she was honest, she wanted to go far beyond touching. She wanted to feel him inside her. “No clothes? Hmm. I haven’t done that since life classes at art school.” “Even sexier, yes?” “I can think of something even better than that.” She wriggled a little in her chair, feeling her nipples harden and loving the scrape of her clothing against the tender lips of her pussy. “And what is that?” “You dressed in one of my old shirts, and a pair of my boxers.” “Boxers?” “Underpants.” “Ah.” The thought of wearing Tay’s clothes made Celeste’s mouth go dry, and she rearranged her bottom on the seat of the chair. She never got this wet so easily, but with this man… If he wished to take her right here on the kitchen floor… She changed position so her pussy rested on the very edge of the chair, then wiggled a little more. It felt so good, so exciting. “You think men would find that sexy?” 23

FAST FORWARD

“Absolutely. Women, too, probably. No?” She sighed and swallowed hard, trying not to think of what she so desperately wanted. “I’m not sure. It sounds interesting. But I think I would first have to see myself dressed in such clothes.” Tay smiled as he hooked his foot around one of the legs of her chair. He pulled it forward until they were mere inches apart. “My God! I do believe I’m turning you on.” “Turning me on? What do you mean by this? I’m not sure I understand.” Sliding a finger beneath her chin, he lifted her head slightly and gazed deep into her eyes. “Oh, I think you do. You’re wet, yes?” Blood rushed to her face. “A little perhaps.” Grasping her shoulders, he pressed his mouth against hers, and his tongue slipped between her lips. She tried to turn away, but he held firm, his tongue delving deeper and tangling with hers, while his hands slid down her back and beneath her doublet until he made contact with her bare skin. After a moment, he broke the kiss and pulled back. “I don’t believe I’m doing this. But I can’t help myself. You’re so damn hot. Stand up,” he whispered. Celeste did as he asked, and she felt his hands at her waist, opening her pantaloons and pushing them down over her hips. “Spread your legs a little.” She knew she was being foolish even to contemplate doing anything this dangerous with someone she’d never met before in a strange world she neither recognized nor understood. But 24

FAST FORWARD

commonsense didn’t stand a chance against the desire she felt between her legs, or the heat she saw in Tay’s eyes. He wanted her, and she wanted him. It was as simple as that. So again, she did as he asked, then sharply drew in her breath when he caressed her between the legs. He touched her gently at first, gradually becoming a bit bolder, sliding his fingers back and forth and even pushing inside her a little. “Feel good?” “Yes. But we shouldn’t be doing this. I came here to work for you.” “Do you like what I’m doing?” “It would be a lie if I said I did not.” “God! You’re so wet, I need to taste you.” Before she knew what he had in mind, he’d lifted her up, set her on the edge of the table and removed her pantaloons and undergarment. Opening her knees wide, he laughed, then bent his head, and she felt his tongue licking her sex. For a moment, she remained stiff and uncooperative. There had been times when she’d touched her sensitive spot down there. She’d known it was wrong, but sometimes a girl needed to comfort herself. This, however, was quite different. The friction of his tongue against her nub felt so wonderful, so exciting, unlike anything any man had done to her before. Her previous lovers had opened her legs and satisfied their lust, and that had been that. This was so different. She loved what he was doing to her so much, she relaxed, lying back on the table, and opening her legs wider to allow him even greater access. 25

FAST FORWARD

Within seconds she knew the pleasurable moment she longed for was within reach. But just as it was about to happen, he drew back. “If you want to say no, now’s the time.” She sat up. “Say no to what?” “To what I have here.” Taking her hand, he pressed it against his cock. “I’m hot, I’m hard, and I want you, baby.” She hesitated. She loved being with a man, and she truly enjoyed sex. And there were even times when she regretted her intended career as a prostitute had been so short-lived. But here, away from madame’s house where the women knew how to take care of any problems, she was terrified of becoming either infected or pregnant. The first was bad enough, but not insurmountable if she could find the right herbs, but the second would be beyond terrible. The man never married the girl, and a woman alone with a baby, especially in her current circumstances, did not bear thinking about. “I want to, but I’m afraid.” “Afraid of what? The size of my dick?” “No. Big is good.” “What then? Disease? Getting pregnant?” “Of course. I’m a woman alone. I have to worry about those things.” “I realize you’re a country girl, but this is the twenty-first century, baby. We don’t have to worry about things like that anymore. These days, we use protection. Just stay where you are, hold the thought, and I’ll be right back.” When Tay returned, he was carrying a tiny package that he 26

FAST FORWARD

ripped open with his teeth. And Celeste watched, fascinated, while he removed a tiny sock made of some clear, stretchy material and fitted it over his sex. “Happy now?” “Does this mean I won’t get pregnant or sick?” “That’s what it means. I’m clean anyway, I swear, and this condom will prevent me from impregnating you.” “Really? That’s such a clever idea.” “You don’t have them in your part of the country?” Celeste covered her ignorance of such things with a shrug and a shy grin. “Perhaps. I don’t know.” “You mean you’re a virgin.” “No, no. I do not mean that at all.” He grinned and touched her intimately. “No. I rather thought not. You’re very sexy. You know that?” She felt her face grow hot. “You think so?” “Oh, yes.” Drawing her body to the edge of the table, he opened her legs wide and positioned his cock at opening of her slit. “Now, wrap your legs around my waist, sweet pea, because you and I are going for a lovely long ride.” She wrapped her arms and legs around his lean, hard body, holding on tight as she felt his big cock slide inside her, and appreciating his thoughtfulness when he paused to give her muscles a chance to accommodate him. When he was all the way in and she could feel the roughness of his hair pressing against her most sensitive parts, he cupped her ass cheeks in both hands and squeezed, making her sigh with pleasure. “You like this?” 27

FAST FORWARD

“Oh, yes.” “In that case, let’s add a little extra thrill.” As he spoke, he withdrew and replaced his cock with his fingers for a moment. Then, as he pushed back in, she felt him insert a finger wet with her juice into her anus. “How’s this? You like this, too?” At first, she wasn’t sure what to say, or even what to think. She’d had sex with a man enough times to know men used women for their own pleasure and nothing more. A man who gave even a passing thought to the woman’s enjoyment was beyond her comprehension. “I’m not sure.” He added a second finger and, as he began to ride her, he moved his fingers in and out in tandem with his strokes. “You want me to stop?” “No.” She wiggled her ass against his fingers. “It feels so good.” “Ever done this with two men?” “No.” Although she wasn’t about to admit it, Celeste had certainly seen it done many times at madame’s house. Usually between her friend, Justine, and either de Sade or de Vernnay and one or more of their friends. It was always after such exciting times it became necessary to give herself a little comfort before she could sleep. “Would you like to?” “Perhaps. It sounds like it might be fun.” “It is if you want it to be.” Closing his eyes, he began to speed up the rhythm of his strokes, sliding in and out until she felt herself on the edge of climaxing, and she gripped him 28

FAST FORWARD

hard, her nails biting into his flesh. Until, finally, it happened—the most wonderful feeling in the world. The world around her exploded, and she screamed her joy out loud. She felt exhilarated, refreshed, and reborn. But as suddenly as it came, the feeling was over. “Wow! That was fantastic.” With his cock still buried deep inside her, and keeping his arms wrapped around her, Tay sat on one of the chairs. “You like this better than working?” He laughed and kissed her on the mouth. “You bet I do. But good as it was, duty calls. If I don’t get busy, I won’t have any pictures for the show.” “You really want to paint me in your clothes?” “Yes, I really do. I think it’s a great idea. I needed to do something different, something innovative, and this is it. It’s so damn good, in fact, I should send a thank you note to whoever stole your clothes.” “You make love to all your models?” “No.” He smiled and nuzzled her neck. “This is the very first time it’s happened.” “Is that because I’m your very first model?” “No. It’s because you’re so damn hot, I can’t keep my hands off you. And if you don’t get off me right now, I swear I won’t be responsible for what happens next. So, I suggest you go use the bathroom to clean up while I sort out a few of my things for you to model.” *

* 29

*

FAST FORWARD

Shortly after midnight, when his longtime friend and partner, Jason Legere, returned home, Taylor was there to meet him at the door. Jase had dual citizenship—the son of a French father and an American mother who’d divorced when Jase was a kid. Tay had met him at a community college art class back in the States, shortly after Jase finished a stint with the US army, where he’d trained as a nurse. These days, Jase worked part-time at a local clinic to help supplement their income. After their usual welcome home hug and kiss hello, Taylor held a finger to his lips, indicating the need for silence, and motioned for Jase to follow him into the kitchen. Once they were both inside, Taylor closed the door. “You’re not going to believe this. But…” Taylor paused. “I don’t know quite how to tell you. I’m not even sure I—” “Why don’t you just spit it out? Is there any beer left?” “In the fridge.” Jason grabbed a cold bottle and sat down at the table. “Well? We’ve won the national lottery? You met someone you like more ’n me?” “Neither. You remember that friend of yours who said she knew someone who’d model for us real cheap?” “Yeah, Mitzi, the waitress at the bar near the clinic. Did she show up?” “Eventually. She was supposed to have been here by two. But nothing happened until about five when I heard a knock at the door and found this gorgeous blonde chick standing there. She has these big blue eyes and a body to die for. And breasts 30

FAST FORWARD

like…” He sighed and cupped his hands to indicate the approximate size. “She was a little late…so what?” “Seems she got mugged on the way over and had all her stuff stolen. Right now she’s sleeping in our spare room.” “Why here? Why couldn’t she go home?” “Because at the moment, she doesn’t have one.” Tay sighed and quickly filled Jase in on the details. He finished by saying, “Celeste’s really nice, and I think you’ll like her. Except she talks a little funny.” “You mean her accent?” “That and some of the words and expressions she uses. She comes across as more than a little old-fashioned. And I don’t think she’s exactly familiar with flush toilets.” “Did she say where she’s from?” “Her family has a small farm somewhere in the Auvergne. Wherever that is.” Jase took another pull of beer and put down the bottle. “That explains it then. Some of the villages in the remote, mountainous areas in central France are like fragments of history. The people who live there are so way out of date it’s like they’re from another planet. As for the way they live…no electricity, no plumbing, or any of the other basic stuff we take for granted such as computers, refrigerators, or cell phones. Animals sleeping in the house instead of the barn, and some of the farmers still use horses instead of tractors. Talk about the backwoods.” “You’ve been there?” 31

FAST FORWARD

“No. One of the porters at the clinic is from there. He’s told me what it’s like. Said he thought he was on another planet when he left and came here to Paris.” “That explains it then. Poor kid. I don’t think she’d ever seen a condom before today.” “Say what?” Jase leaned back in his chair and roared with laughter. “You tricky bastard. You screwed her already?” “Wait until you see her, and you’ll understand why.” “She’s that gorgeous?” “Sexy, and so damn willing. Like I said, the clothes she was supposed to bring with her were stolen, so we started talking about what each of us thought constituted the sexiest clothing for her to model for the paintings. The more we talked, the more I realized the conversation was turning her on. She was licking her lips, and so was I, and the next thing I knew—” “Gawd! Don’t tell me. I don’t think I’m old enough to hear this.” Jase shook his head and hooted with laughter. “She was on her back on the kitchen table, and you had your dick in her up to the hilt?” Tay grinned and puffed out his chest. “Hey, man, what can I say?” “I dunno. She forced you? Or you couldn’t help yourself?” “Okay if I plead the Fifth?” He laughed. “To be truthful, I was kinda amazed myself. I’m not in the habit of jumping chicks I’ve just met quite that fast. But there’s something about this one. She’s sort of sweet and old-fashioned—bats her eyelashes and comes across as kinda embarrassed, but at 32

FAST FORWARD

the same time she’s so damn sexy it’s unbelievable. You know the type I mean.” He sighed, reliving the feeling of Celeste all warm and willing in his arms. “The kind of woman who is all covered up from her nose to her toes, and is oh-so-innocent looking, but at the same time so frickin’ sexy and irresistible you can’t wait to get your hands on her. And when you do, she’s so damn addictive you’re hooked for good. Like peanuts or chocolate. One taste and you’re toast. You’ll see. Just wait until you meet her.” Jason rolled his eyes. “With advance promo like that, I can hardly wait.” He stood up, finished his beer, and put the bottle in the empties’ box by the fridge. “Mind if I have a shower first?” “Take your time. Celeste’s asleep, so you’ll have to wait to meet her until tomorrow.” *

*

*

When Jase finally joined him in their bed, the room was filled with moonlight and Tay was already half asleep. But as Jase’s cool hands wrapped around him from behind, and he felt his partner’s hands take possession of his dick, sleep was forgotten. He wiggled his butt against Jase’s crotch, delighted to feel an answering response. He stroked a hand down Jase’s thigh. “This is nice, man. You’re usually too tired to play when you come off shift.” “I know, and I really am tired. It was a heavy night tonight. But I guess all that talk about your country girl turned me on.” 33

FAST FORWARD

“You think? Better take it easy. If just hearing about her does this to you, I can’t imagine what’ll happen when you see her in person.” “Think she’ll like me?” “What’s not to like?” Jase ran a finger up Tay’s crack and pressed it against his butt hole. “Think maybe she’d be interested in a little double dipping?” Tay groaned as Jase slipped first one finger into his anus and then a second. “Matter of fact, I did. She thought it sounded like fun.” Jase removed his fingers and as Tay rolled onto his back, Jase settled himself between Tay’s legs. *

*

*

Celeste came awake with a start. She looked quickly around the room, wondering where she was. But then the happenings of the day tumbled into her mind and she remembered the confusing series of events that had ended with her getting into this strange bed and falling asleep. She knew she was safe enough for the moment. Tay, the man who lived here, was kind and he’d been so sympathetic to her plight. He’d even fed her and loaned her this odd, buttonless garment to wear in place of a nightshirt. Although it barely covered her bottom, she needed to pee and, as she’d already discovered, in this house there were no chamber pots in her room or anywhere else. Before going to bed, she’d been forced to ask where the 34

FAST FORWARD

pot was kept, and Tay had pointed out an amazing contraption he’d said was called a toilet. It was in the little room where she’d washed her hands. He’d said she was to pee or do whatever into the white, porcelain, bowl-shaped utensil set into the floor, and clean herself with soft paper from a roll set into a recess in the wall. When she was finished, she merely had to press the silver lever on the porcelain box above the bowl for water to come and wash everything away. Tay had also shown her how to fill the room with light, simply by pushing another tiny lever on the wall. The house was filled with one amazing invention after the other…things she could not have imagined even in her wildest dreams, and things she would need time to adjust to and learn how to use. She would have so much to tell Justine and madame when she returned. Assuming, of course, she could find the way back almost two hundred and fifty years to the year 1763, and her own time. Except she was no longer sure she wanted to do that. There were too many unpleasant things in her own time she had no wish to go back to, and too many exciting things here she wanted to see and explore. Listen, learn to fit in and then adapt to change. Making a silent vow to keep her mother’s advice at the forefront of her mind, Celeste slipped out of the bedroom and down the corridor to the little room with the toilet and the magic light. This was not unlike when she first left the Auvergne and came to Paris. At first, everything had seemed 35

FAST FORWARD

strange and different. And it would be the same this time, too. But already she was starting to learn. Once she became a little more familiar with all these new things, in no time at all it would feel as if she’d been using them her whole life. Once she was finished with the toilet, she turned out the light and started back toward her bedroom. But halfway along the corridor she paused outside a partly opened door. She could hear soft sounds…whispering, groaning, stifled laughter. In addition, the splash of silvery moonlight across the bed showed her that two persons were there…two persons making love. Positive Tay had brought another woman into the house, she felt a swift stab of jealousy and moved closer to the door. She had no standing in this house, no right to tell Tay what he could or could not do. And while on one hand she found the thought of Taylor with another woman unbearable, she also found the antics of the couple on the bed exciting. There wasn’t enough light for her to see everything in detail, but just enough for her to imagine it very well indeed. Pushing the door open a little more, she slipped a hand between her legs and watched. But, after a moment or two, she realized that it wasn’t another woman there on the bed with Tay. He was making love with another man. Was this what he’d meant when he asked if she’d done it with two men? At madame’s house she’d never seen two men together like this. They’d always had at least one woman with them. As she continued to watch, her eyes adjusted sufficiently 36

FAST FORWARD

to the dim light for her to realize it was Tay who’d just moved over onto his back. And, as the second man grasped Tay’s cock and brought it to his mouth, her fingers found her most sensitive spot and began to move slowly back and forth. The sucking sounds she could hear as the man drew Tay’s sex farther into his mouth made her fingers move faster. Then faster still as she caught the smell of their sex as well as her own. She was almost there, just another tiny moment or two and then…as a satisfied groan escaped her lips, the action on the bed ceased and both men turned to the door. “Celeste? That you?” She thought about running back to her room and locking the door. But she couldn’t stay locked in there forever. And, as the only other person in the house, who else could it be? Anyway, she’d developed an interesting little itch between her legs, and considerable curiosity at the exciting thought of being with two men at the same time. “Celeste?” “Yes?” “You have a nightmare or something?” “No. I just needed to pee.” She remained in the doorway, unsure whether she should go or stay. But then she shivered. “Something wrong, baby?” “Umm…I’m a little chilled. It’s a very cold night.” Like all the other rooms in the house, Tay’s room had a magic light, and he switched it on. The instant he did so, she was able to see the second man. Dark-haired like Tay, he had 37

FAST FORWARD

brown eyes instead of green, and he was about the same size, except maybe a tiny bit taller. Both men were completely naked and still fully aroused. And while it was clear the second man hadn’t finished what he’d started, she was glad to see her unexpected arrival had done nothing to spoil his pleasure…except perhaps delay it for a moment. And perhaps enhance it, too? “You want to join us?” Celeste hesitated. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I interrupted. If you wish, I can leave. Or I can wait here until you finish.” “You don’t want to join us?” Tay sounded disappointed. “I think this little chickadee likes to watch,” the second man said with a chuckle. “Hey, Celeste, I’m Jase, Tay’s partner. Tay’s told me about you.” He patted a corner of the huge bed. “Why you don’t you make yourself comfortable over here? Slip under the blankets, and when we’re finished, we’ll see what we can do about warming you up. Sound good?” It sounded better than good to Celeste. She could hardly wait. But she merely smiled and nodded, and did as the second man bade her, sitting down on a corner of the bed and covering herself with part of the blanket. The man who called himself Jase appeared to have already forgotten about her as he returned his attention to stroking Tay’s body and sucking him off. But as her hand crept below her shirt again, she noticed Tay was watching her watch the two of them. And when he winked at her, she knew he’d guessed exactly where her fingers were and what they were 38

FAST FORWARD

doing. Just watching the two men with their beautiful big cocks pleasuring one another had made her so wet and so ready. She ran her tongue over her lips. She couldn’t believe she was here, or what was happening. It had to be a dream, and in a moment, she’d wake up in that cold basement room, and hear Justine and the other girl snoring, or moaning in their sleep. But as she watched Jase pull back and lick the tip of Tay’s still-aroused sex, she knew this was no dream, no fanciful imaginations from which she would awake and find herself wet but alone. She could hear their sighs and moans of delight, she could see the rapturous expressions on their faces, and the scent of their cum perfumed the air. This moment was very real, and if she could continue to contain her impatience for just another moment, she would have two very handsome men to hold her and perhaps make even the wildest and most outrageous of her imaginings come true. Just then, a strong arm snaked around her slim waist, and Jase tumbled her down on the pillows beside Tay. “What’s your pleasure, cherie? Do you want to taste me first, or do I taste you?” Too surprised by the question to reply, Celeste simply smiled, then found herself emitting small sounds of delight as he slid a hand between her legs and touched her wetness. After a moment, he brought the hand to his mouth and licked a finger, groaning softly. “So sweet and so delicious! Know what, Tay, my man? I think we’ve got ourselves a little candy apple here.” 39

FAST FORWARD

Tay laughed and turned toward her. As Tay’s hands claimed her breasts and he began a tender assault on her mouth, she felt Jase’s hot breath on her bush and his tongue opening her folds. For an instant, she was too excited even to breathe. The only lovemaking she’d known before today was either pleasing the man by sucking his cock, or the man ordering her to open her legs and forcing himself into her. If she was dry and it hurt, the man didn’t care. There was never any foreplay, no tenderness of any kind, just a man intent upon achieving his own pleasures. This was so different and so wonderful. As Jase’s tongue continued its explorations, delving deeper and deeper, Tay’s tongue entered her mouth, both men touching and tasting until every fiber of her being was alive and on fire. Within seconds, she wanted to come, and she held her breath, knowing it was about to happen. Her nerves were drawn so tight, demanding release. But it seemed Jase knew this, too. He kept withdrawing, allowing the sensations she was experiencing to recede a little, then he’d return and rebuild the fires anew until she wanted to scream at him to stop. But then both men changed tactics by withdrawing from her completely and sitting back on their heels. Grinning from ear to ear, Tay flopped back against the pillows and watched as Jase took one of her hands and wrapped it around his huge, hard cock. “It’s yours to command, baby. You want to play with it? Or would you rather I fucked you first, and let you 40

FAST FORWARD

play with it later?” Celeste hesitated, unsure what to say. For a man to ask someone in her position what she desired was unheard of. In her world, most women, especially unmarried women, did as they were told, not as they might wish. She’d spent her whole life following orders, first her parents’ orders, and then madame’s. The one and only time she’d strayed from that path was when she’d followed the girl through the secret doorway. And that had been more an act of desperation than freedom of choice. “Can’t make up your mind, hmm?” Jase got off the bed, opened a drawer in the night table and took out two packages containing the little socks Tay had used earlier in the kitchen. Tossing one of the packages to Tay, he opened the other with his teeth, extracted the sock and drew it over his erection. Once it was in place, he lay down on the bed, lifted her up, and said, “Just put one knee on each side of my body, and then, keeping your ass up, bend forward and kiss me.” Celeste did as he instructed, and she felt the tip of his sex pushing against her bush. As he opened her pussy lips and inserted the head into her entrance, she felt Tay move in behind her, stroking her ass and touching her hole with something cool and wet. Then, as Jase pulled her body down until he was buried deep inside her, and their tongues entwined, she felt Tay’s fingers sliding inside her hole, touching and exploring and stretching the opening until, to her amazement, she realized he’d replaced his fingers with his cock. Once he was inside, he reclaimed her breasts, pinching 41

FAST FORWARD

the nipples, and sending little shockwaves throughout her body that only added to her pleasure. The sensation of having two men inside her at the same time was even better than her wildest dreams. She loved what was happening to her. They were so sweet, so gentle and considerate, and as they began to fuck her slowly, she felt Jase seeking out her nub and adding even more pleasure. But then as the two of them began to pump faster, and Jase continued rubbing her nub, she felt the waves of satisfaction begin to start. Gradually everything within her began to tighten, until finally it snapped, pushing her over a precipice in a shower of golden stars than just went on and on and on… *

*

*

“Hey, baby, time to get up.” Celeste pushed open one eye to find Tay sitting on the bed with a mug of coffee in his hand. She frowned and opened the other eye. This was not the room she’d gone to sleep in. That room was smaller and so was the bed, and… Remembering she hadn’t spent the whole night in that other room, she smiled. “Where’s Jase?” “In the kitchen making breakfast. You hungry?” She looked up at him and touched her lips with her tongue. Yes, she was hungry, but… She felt Tay’s hand move beneath the blankets. She lifted her knees and opened her legs, then guided his hand between them as he bent to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, loving the fresh taste of his tongue, and the clean smell of his skin. Last night 42

FAST FORWARD

they’d all three smelled of sweat and cum, and she wondered if he’d rolled naked in a dew-washed meadow. How else could he smell this way? “You smell so nice,” she murmured against his mouth. “And you need a shower. You smell of sex,” he replied, pushing back the blankets and buying his face between her legs. “But damn you taste so good, I could stay here forever.” “Breakfast’s ready,” Jase announced, coming into the room. He laughed and leaned against the bedpost. “I said wake Celeste up, not feel her up.” Tay ignored him, and Celeste shrieked with delight as Tay’s tongue buried deeper inside her. “Hey, you hear me?” Finally, Tay withdrew, wiped his face on the corner of the sheet, and grinned. “Party pooper.” Celeste remained where she was, her legs wide open, as she looked up at Jase and fluttered her eyelashes. “I hope you don’t intend to leave me like this?” As Tay stood, Jase rolled his eyes, wrapped his arms around his partner and gave him a lingering kiss on the mouth. “I think you’ve created a monster here.” “Me?” Tay’s hands slipped down Jase’s back, and Celeste watched as Tay began squeezing Jase’s butt cheeks. An activity she found both interesting and exciting. Jase was only wearing very thin cotton pantaloons, and as he released Tay and turned toward her, she realized he was now fully aroused. He sat down on the bed in the same spot Tay occupied a few moments ago. “So, what’s the problem here? You have a 43

FAST FORWARD

little itch you don’t want to scratch for yourself?” She lowered her eyes and gave a soft moan of despair. “I could. But it would be so much nicer if you would do it for me. Yes?” She took his hand and brought it between her legs. Selecting his forefinger, she dipped it into her juices. “I’m so wet, so ready, and if you would just be so kind as to…” “Get you off?” As he spoke, Jase reclaimed his hand, removed his pants, and fitted himself with another of the tiny socks of which he and Tay seemed to have an inexhaustible supply. Positioning his cock at the entrance to her slit, he slipped his hands beneath her ass. As he lifted her, and she felt him enter her, Celeste realized not only was Tay watching them, he’d taken out his own sex and was caressing it lovingly, a faraway look in his green eyes. The way he was touching himself was the most erotic thing Celeste had ever seen in her whole life. Much better than anything de Sade and his friends had done at madame’s house. She crooked a finger and beckoned him forward. “Let me do that.” He smiled and shook his head. “No. I like to watch. I like to hear the sounds you make, and I like to see the way Jase’s dick seems to get bigger and bigger. Most of all, I love the serious expressions on your faces. Just take your time, okay?” She reached up and stroked Jase’s face. “Do you like to watch, too?” He smiled. “Sometimes. Tay says you and he discovered each other on our kitchen table. Since I wasn’t there, how 44

FAST FORWARD

about doing a repeat performance for me?” “Now?” “No, not now. Later. Whenever you feel like it.” She closed her eyes, remembering the moment, the hardness of the table against her back, the smell of Tay’s skin, the wondrous moment when Tay entered her, and… Jase began to pump faster and Tay and the kitchen disappeared, as her needs of the moment took over. Reaching down, she opened her pussy lips for better contact, and wound her legs around Jase’s waist, rocking her body hard against his, and forgetting everything as the world turned itself upside down and she was again lost in a shower of shooting stars. Before breakfast, Tay insisted on introducing Celeste to what he referred to as a shower. When he first turned on the water, she thought he intended to drown her, but then he rubbed the sweet-smelling soap all over her body, rinsed her with water, and finally wrapped her in one of the towels. Unfortunately, the only clothes she had were the ones she’d arrived in. They were dirty, smelly, covered with grime from the cellar, and not fit to wear. However, as she had no others, Tay gave her another shirt like the one he’d given her to sleep in, and said he’d figure something out. “I guess we’ll have to take Celeste shopping,” he said to Jase as the three of them sat down to breakfast. “My card’s almost maxed out, and I don’t have much cash money until I get my next check, so it’ll have to be the Monoprix. Just a couple of cheap outfits and some underwear to tide her over.” Jase reached into his pocket, pulled out a handful of 45

FAST FORWARD

crumpled bills and dropped them on the table. “She’ll also need the usual toiletries. Shampoo, conditioner, and whatever else she uses. If she’s still here when I get paid on Friday, we can take her to the new dégriffé store opposite the clinic.” “You mean the one that sells designer stuff without the labels?” “Yeah. And at a fraction of the price. You said you wanted one of your paintings to be a woman in a ball gown, and they have the perfect thing in their window. It’s all glittery, dark marine blue and silver. With her blonde hair it’ll look fabulous.” Celeste was beginning to feel as if she were back on the farm, listening at the door while her parents organized her life. She tugged on Tay’s sleeve. “Excuse me? Why do you talk about me as if I were not here?” “Sorry.” Tay slipped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “We’re just trying to help.” “Why? I am not your responsibility, and you are not my family. I appreciate you giving me a place to sleep and this food to eat.” She waved a hand, indicating the slices of fresh baguette and the chunk of cheese on her plate. “But as soon as you have finished painting your picture, I must leave and make my own way.” Jase put down his coffee mug, “You have friends you can stay with?” She shrugged. “No. But once I earn some money, I will find a room.” 46

FAST FORWARD

Jase reached across the table and took one of her hands in his. “Right now, you have no money, no friends, no possessions, except for a few dirty clothes, and no place to stay. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s winter. It’s about freezing out there and there’s snow on the ground. I know people sleep down by the Seine, beneath the bridges, in the warmer weather, but not at this time of year. In any event, alone in this or any other city at night with no money and no home is asking for trouble. You’ll either get attacked and raped, or you’ll be picked up by the police and spend the night in jail.” Fear gripped Celeste’s belly with a hand so strong it felt as if the contents had turned to water. “They will put me in la Bastille?” “La Bastille? Hardly. I don’t think it even exists anymore.” Jase frowned and looked at Tay. “Didn’t the citizens storm la Bastille during the revolution and free the prisoners?” Tay nodded. “I think you’ll find that’s what it says in the history books. Late eighteenth century I believe they freed the remaining prisoners, and later the building was torn down. Today, there’s nothing there but a statue to commemorate the site.” Celeste felt thoroughly confused. “La Bastille is no more?” “Not since the revolution.” “What revolution?” “Come on, Celeste,” Tay said, shaking his head. “The one that happened at the end of the eighteenth century. The time when the citizens got fed up with the system. The same 47

FAST FORWARD

revolution where the citizens invaded Versailles and the other royal palaces, chopped off the heads of the royal family and all the other aristocrats and took charge. You must have learned about it in school. They set up the guillotine in the Place de la Concord and everyone went to watch.” Once again, Celeste had no idea what Tay was talking about, but with panic plucking at her thoughts and upsetting her belly, she took refuge in ignorance. “Perhaps. I don’t remember.” “Well, I can assure you it happened. The king, the queen, la Bastille, and a whole lot of other stuff disappeared more than two hundred years ago,” Tay said, looking at her as if he thought she’d taken leave of her senses. “I don’t care if you were born and raised in the back of beyond where news is slow to filter through, you have to know that France is now a republic with a president instead of a king. And now, instead of la Bastille, the police have nice stainless steel-and-glass cells where they keep their prisoners. I’ve heard tell those cells are even better than some Paris hotels.” “How long would I be kept in this jail?” “Probably just overnight. In the morning, they’d take you before a judge if they thought you were guilty of a crime. If they figured you were just down on your luck, I imagine they’d give you some addresses where you could get help and then let you go.” “I wouldn’t be flogged or punished in some way?” “Flogged?” Jase couldn’t have looked more surprised if he’d swallowed the mug along with his coffee. “I realize 48

FAST FORWARD

where you come from is way off the beaten track, but if you check, I think you’ll find flogging went out a very long time ago. Today, if a cop even looks at you the wrong way, you can sue for police brutality.” “But the police are very powerful. They can do whatever they wish.” “Not in this day and age they can’t. Maybe they could years ago, but not anymore.” “But…” Celeste felt a tear escape and run down her cheek. Suddenly, everything had become too much. She felt so foolish, so confused, and so afraid. She was in an alien world, hundreds of years distant from her own time, a place where nothing was the same, and she no longer understood even the smallest thing. And to make matters worse, she couldn’t even explain why or what had happened because they wouldn’t believe her. Pushing her plate to one side, she put her elbows on the table, pressed her face into her cupped hands, and began to cry, huge gulping sobs that tore at her insides and made her feel even worse. “Hey, hey. No tears. Nothing is ever that bad.” Tay quickly pulled her from the chair and into his lap, cradling her head against his chest. “No one is going to put you in jail, or beat you, or do any of the rotten stuff the people back home told you happens to young women alone in the big city. And to make sure it doesn’t, Jase and I are going to take care of you. Right, Jase?” “Absolutely. As far as I’m concerned, you’re welcome to share whatever we have for as long as you wish.” 49

FAST FORWARD

The sobs slowed to a sniffle, and Celeste peeked out from the shelter of Tay’s strong arms. “You mean I can stay here with you?” “Yes,” both men chorused. “But,” Jase added, “only if we all pull our weight. That means we share everything, including the cooking the cleaning, and the laundry.” “And each other, too?” Celeste said with a sly smile. “That, too. But you’ll also need to find a job to help with the expenses. I get a paycheck for working at the clinic, Tay gets a monthly check from his old man to support his painting career, and you’ll need to contribute a little, too. Do you have training of any kind? Other than being an artist’s model that is.” The only training she’d ever received was a few, not very informative, lessons from madame on the art of pleasing a man, but Celeste decided to keep that piece of information to herself. “I can clean a house, cook simple dishes, and add up a column of figures. I’ve also worked as a lady’s maid.” Jase regarded her thoughtfully. “I doubt you’ll find many openings for a lady’s maid, and most people use a calculator to add up figures. But I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding housekeeping jobs. In fact, I know the guy who owns the café at the end of this street is looking for one. He just got married, and both he and his wife work. I’ll drop by the café and talk to him on my way to the market. Do you have any references?” “References?” “You know, something from your previous employers to 50

FAST FORWARD

say you’re honest, trustworthy, and you’re a good worker, or whatever.” He paused and slapped a hand against his forehead. “Sorry! I forgot. Your stuff was stolen. Can you get in touch with the lady you worked for and ask her to give you another one?” Celeste sighed and shook her head. She’d expected to catch up with the young mademoiselle when she followed her through the doorway, but that hadn’t happened, and now she couldn’t even begin to guess what had become of her. “I don’t think so. She disappeared. Just pouf! Gone.” “You mean she moved and you don’t know her new address?” “Exactly.” Celeste held her breath, praying that further explanations would not be necessary. “In that case, we’ll just have to vouch for you and hope Marc agrees to give you a chance. I hope you like kids.” Celeste released her breath in a soft whoosh. “They have children?” “Not yet. But either his wife has put on weight, or she’s a little bit pregnant.” “Okay, you talk to Marc, and I’ll take Celeste shopping,” Tay said. “I also need to make a start on my first painting for the show today.” “Place de l’Opéra?” Jason asked. “Right. I thought I’d have Celeste wander around a bit, decide on the exact spot I want to feature, and do a few background sketches.” “And tomorrow Monmartre?” 51

FAST FORWARD

“Or the flower market over by Notre Dame. I’m not sure. Paris has so many great locations it’s hard to decide. For the swimsuit, I thought maybe that lake at Versailles. You know, the one with the horses.” “You mean the Fountain of Apollo? Where the golden horses look like they’re charging out of the water, pulling a chariot?” “Yeah. Celeste in a thong with her hair loose and that for a backdrop would be pretty sensational, don’t you think?” As the men continued discussing the technicalities of the paintings, Celeste’s thoughts turned inward. She had no idea what a thong was. She hadn’t been to the palace at Versailles either, but she’d heard some of madame’s clients talk about the elegant rooms with their rich furnishings, and the magnificent gardens. And while she couldn’t imagine King Louis would approve of a painter taking such liberties with his property, Tay had said the king and his family no longer lived there. Of course, she didn’t believe that any more than she believed a lot of the other silly things Tay had been saying, such as the citizens chopping off the heads of all the aristocrats. Perhaps he’d been making jokes, and perhaps she’d misunderstood, but for now she must accept what she saw and believe what she heard, and pray it wouldn’t take too long for her learn whatever she needed to know in order to fit in with her new surroundings. She stifled a sigh of both relief and regret. Even if she’d wanted to return to madame and the girls and face her punishment, she had no idea how to go about it, and there was 52

FAST FORWARD

no one she could ask. And, since it was the last thing she wished to do, the faster she learned to adjust the better. She finished her coffee and put the mug down on the table. “You wish me to pose for you outside in the freezing cold?” she asked, hoping this was one thing she had misunderstood. “No, no.” Tay shook his head. “What I’m doing is a series of paintings portraying twenty-first-century woman against historical buildings, but first I need to check a few more sites for background and composition purposes. Once I’ve decided on the places I want to use and I’ve done a few preliminary sketches to refer to as the work progresses, I can do the rest in the studio.” He pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. “I have a pair of jeans Celeste can borrow,” he said to Jase. “She’ll need a belt to hold them up, of course. And if you can find one of your sweaters and a jacket to keep her warm, we’ll go get her a few things to replace what she’s lost.” *

*

*

A few hours later when Celeste and Tay returned to the house on la rue Charles V, they were both laden down with packages, and Celeste’s head was still spinning from all the wonderful things she’d seen and experienced. The moment they stepped inside, Celeste was enveloped in the smells of freshly baked bread and roasted garlic, smells so familiar it was like returning home to her parents’ farm. “I’m making us beef stew for lunch,” Jase said, turning away from something he’d been stirring on the stove as they entered the kitchen. “My God! I thought all you were getting 53

FAST FORWARD

were a few essentials. Looks to me like you bought the entire store.” Tay dropped his packages on the floor and sat on the nearest chair with a sigh. “Feels like it, too. If I hadn’t run out of money, we’d have had to hire a truck to carry everything Celeste wanted.” “But there were so many pretty things.” Celeste laughed and pulled a fire engine red, synthetic fleece jacket from one of the bags. “Tay says this looks cheap and ugly, but I love it. It’s warm and cozy, and I can wear it all winter. What do you think, Jase?” “Umm…” He looked from Celeste to Tay, rolled his eyes, and looked back at Celeste. “If you love it, chérie, that’s all that matters.” “But do you think it’s ugly?” “It’s very bright.” “But it goes perfectly with my new panta—I mean jeans, yes?” She pulled a pair of navy jeans from one of the other bags and held them up for Jase to see. “And I have these to wear with them,” she added, holding up two turtlenecks, one navy and the other white. “Did you buy any work clothes?” Tay nodded. “I don’t know what’s acceptable housekeeper gear, so we got a pair of black pants, a black cardigan, a couple of shirts, and a pair of low-heeled black pumps. Plain and simple and nothing for a prospective employer to complain about.” “Sounds good to me. I spoke with Marc on my way back 54

FAST FORWARD

from the market, Celeste. You have an appointment after to lunch to see his wife about a job. I hope that’s okay with you.” “Of course. I’m not afraid of hard work. I’ve done it all my life.” “What about references?” Tay asked. “I mentioned about Celeste being robbed, and since she’s living here with us, Marc said it wouldn’t be a problem.” He turned back to the stove to check on the stew. “What else did you buy?” “A few toiletries, a pair of jogging pants and a top for around the house, a small backpack rather than a regular purse, and this…” He opened one of the bags and pulled out a frothy confection of red silk chiffon lavished with yards of lace and ribbons. Celeste gave a gleeful chuckle, and Jase rolled his eyes again. “And what, pray tell, is that?” “A negligee. Celeste saw this at the same time she saw the jacket. I said she couldn’t have both, but…” He sighed, refolded the garment and slid it back into the bag. Jase slipped an arm around Celeste’s waist and pulled her close against his body. “What did she do? Pout? Cry? Threaten to scream?” “Neither. She said she’d rather have this than the jacket. But it’s winter, the jacket was on sale, only a few euros, and there was more room on my card than I realized. What can I say?” “You’re spoiling her?” Tay grinned. “Probably. But that’s okay. I think these are 55

FAST FORWARD

the first new clothes she’s ever had. Right Celeste?” Celeste shrugged. “When you do not have any money, you must make do with whatever you are given.” “In other words, she’s spent her entire life in hand-medowns, so I figured—” “You’d spoil her? Sure, why not?” Jase gave Celeste a kiss on the cheek and squeezed her butt. “Okay, guys, since I’m doing the cooking, you two can lay the table. Lunch should be ready in about fifteen minutes.” *

*

*

After lunch, Celeste put on the black pants, the white turtleneck, and the red jacket. Tay had gone out to do more sketching, so it was left to Jase to walk her to the café on the corner and introduce her to the owner, Marc Gaspard. The man’s name and his dark good looks reminded her of Philippe de Gaspard, madame’s client and the young mademoiselle’s protector, and in view of the name, she wondered if the two were related. Philippe and Mariette had been so much in love, and Celeste knew the parting had been very difficult for them both. “If you’d like to come this way…” Marc took them to the back of the café, where he opened a door to reveal a flight of stairs to the second floor. “You can go on up. My wife is expecting you,” he said to Celeste. “Jase can wait for you down here.” Celeste hurried up the stairs and tapped on the door. The door was opened by a young woman Celeste guessed to be a 56

FAST FORWARD

few years older than she was, and dressed in a similar fashion in pantaloons and a warm shirt. At first, the woman’s face was in shadow, but the moment she turned and Celeste saw it clearly, whatever the woman was saying to her was lost, and Celeste remained frozen to the spot, unable to either speak or move. Mariette? The woman frowned and reached out a hand. “Are you alright?” “I’m…I’m…” Celeste stuttered. Taking a deep breath, she tried to collect her scattered wits. “My apologies, madame. You remind me of someone I once knew. I realize you cannot possibly be my old friend. Nevertheless, the likeness startled me for a moment.” “Hey, no problem.” The woman smiled, but then she looked closely at Celeste and frowned. “Actually, you look a little familiar to me, too. But I guess it’s like people say, we all have a twin somewhere. Anyway, come on in. I’m Mariette Gaspard, Marc’s wife, and we’re looking for—” Mon dieu! It was indeed the young mademoiselle in the flesh! The shock of finding the girl alive and well was so intense for a moment Celeste thought she might faint. Her head was going around and around like a child’s toy spinning top and she clutched the doorjamb for support. The other woman grasped her hand and pulled her inside the apartment. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright? You don’t look very well to me. I know you were attacked and had all 57

FAST FORWARD

your things stolen. Maybe you’re suffering a little reaction.” “No, madame. I…I…I’m perfectly well. I…” She tried to think what to say, how to explain…if the young woman had recognized her, it would be easy. But with her hair loose and wearing these strange clothes, she knew she looked nothing like the maid who’d attended to the girls’ toilettes in madame’s house. But perhaps that was just as well. They were both safe and they had both found new lives, so perhaps it would be best if she said nothing. “It’s just that I was feeling a little nervous about meeting you,” she said, hoping Mariette would believe her. “I’m afraid I ate my lunch too fast, and I ran up the stairs here too quickly.” She smiled and lifted her shoulders in an offhand shrug. “But I am not ill, madame. I assure you. Just a small case of nerves that is all.” “You’re sure?” “Quite sure, madame.” Mariette closed the door and led the way into a small room furnished with a sofa, several easy chairs, and another version of the box with the big glass window like Taylor and Jason had in their home. She had no idea of its purpose, but like everything else in this new world, she knew it would be explained, given time. Celeste sat on the nearest chair, and Mariette chose another chair a short distance away. “Since both my husband and myself work fulltime—I’m an interior decorator and my husband not only owns the café downstairs, he also buys and sells real estate, we need someone to take care of this 58

FAST FORWARD

apartment and prepare our dinner each night. Jase said you have experience cleaning house and cooking simple meals, and I figure say three or four hours a day, five days a week would be perfect. What do you think?” “Certainly, madame. If you will show me where everything is, I could start tomorrow, yes?” “Absolutely.” Mariette hesitated. “I realize this is only a part-time job, and you’re probably looking for full-time, so I’m willing to pay a little more than the usual rate. Will that be acceptable?” “Of course, madame.” Just then, they heard footsteps on the stairs, and Mariette rolled her eyes. “Men are like children. They always think they’re missing out on something,” she said as the door opened to admit her husband and Jase. “So, ladies, what have you decided?” Marc inquired as he sat down on the arm of his wife’s chair. Mariette smiled up at him. “Celeste is coming to work for us, starting tomorrow. Isn’t that wonderful?” “Have you told her about the baby and the new house?” “The baby won’t be here for another four months, so we’ll have lots of time to talk about that. Anyway, I’m sure Celeste loves children. Right, Celeste?” “But of course, madame.” “And the new house will take a great deal longer than that,” Mariette said, giving her husband a wry glance. “It’s the one on the corner, next to Jase and Tay’s place. Marc owns it and, by an odd coincidence, my grandfather was born there, so 59

FAST FORWARD

we’ve decided to fix it up and fill it with children.” Celeste smiled. “In that case, you will need lots of children, madame. It’s a very large house.” Marc slipped an arm around Mariette’s waist and dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and again, Celeste was reminded of Philippe. “It’s a good thing we’re still young, my love, because I think we’re going to need about a dozen.” “A dozen?” Mariette laughed and poked him in the ribs. “Okay, but on one condition.” “And that is?” Marc inquired, laughter sparkling in his dark eyes. “I’ll have this one, and you can have the next eleven.” *

*

*

“Nice people, hmm?” Jase observed as they walked back home. “Did Mariette say what hours she wants you to work?” “A few hours in the afternoon, five days a week. I’m to clean the apartment and cook their dinner. And she said she’ll pay me a little more than the usual rate.” Celeste looked down at the icy ground and smiled inwardly. Whatever Mariette paid her would be more than she’d received for her labors at madame’s house. With madame, she’d been fed, clothed, and she’d had a roof over her head. Occasionally, madame or one of the clients had tossed her a few coins, but there had never been anything more than that. “Sounds good. This way, you’ll have the mornings free to pose for us.” She tucked her cold fingers into Jase’s large, warm hand. 60

FAST FORWARD

“Or the three of us can forget about the paintings and just stay in your big bed and play, yes?” Jase wrapped an arm around her, hugging her close to his side. “You, young lady, are a very naughty girl with very naughty thoughts.” “You don’t like them?” “I like them very much. I’m just not sure I can wait until tomorrow.” “Why do we have to wait?” Jase paused, wrapped both arms around her and kissed her lightly on the mouth. “I don’t know. Not for any reason I can think of.” As they slipped and slid the rest of the short way back home, Celeste could not remember being quite as happy as she was at that moment. She had not one but two handsome men all of her very own. And soon it would be Christmas, her favorite season of the year. Jase unlocked the door and as they went into the house, he said, “Tomorrow, I must remember to get you your own key. Hey, Tay, we’re home.” There was no answer, and he added, “Guess he’s not back yet. Do you feel like some hot chocolate to warm you up?” Once they’d hung their coats on the rack in the hall, Celeste followed him into the kitchen. While he filled the kettle with water at the sink, she put her arms around him from behind and laid her face against his back, loving his scent and the way his body reacted as she slid her hands slowly down over his belly. 61

FAST FORWARD

Feeling his cock stiffen and grow, she opened his pantaloons and slipped a hand inside. “Hey, your hands are like icicles.” She pulled the pantaloons down a little and continued her explorations, sliding a hand between his legs and fondling his balls. “You like this?” “What’s not to like?” He shivered with excitement as she returned her attention to his sex and rubbed the tip with her thumb. Then she brought both hands into play, sliding the fingers of one up and down his stiff shaft, while she continued to rub the tip with the other. “I can make it even better if you wish?” “Better?” She laughed softly. “Turn around and face me.” Jase did as she asked. Pushing his pantaloons down around his ankles, she kneeled down, took his cock in both hands and swirled her tongue over the salty-tasting tip. He began to move restlessly, pushing against her mouth, but she held him back, sucking him inside only a tiny fraction at a time. When she’d taken as much of him as she was able, she began sucking him harder, but after only a few seconds, he withdrew, picked her up in his arms and set her down on the edge of the table. “I like it better when we share,” he said, brushing his lips against hers. “But first I need to find a condom.” “A condom? Ah, the little sock, yes?” “Yes.” “But I cannot get pregnant through my mouth.” “True, you can’t. But there’s always the possibility of…” 62

FAST FORWARD

He pulled up his pants, sighed and shook his head. “Never mind. We’re not going to take chances of any kind. Just give me a minute, and I’ll be right back.” When Jase returned, Celeste noticed that he’d exchanged his clothes for a warm robe. She could also see he’d put the condom on himself. Maybe next time, if she asked him nicely, he’d let her do it for him. “So, where were we?” he murmured. Opening her legs so he could stand between them, he pushed up her sweater, unclipped her bra, and captured a nipple in his mouth. Celeste closed her eyes and leaned back on her elbows, loving the heat of his mouth and the friction of his tongue against her sensitive flesh. At first, he was content to lick and tease with his tongue. But the moment the nipple pebbled, he began to suck it so hard, she groaned softly, feeling the sensation travel down her body and settle between her thighs. When he began the same tender assault on her other breast, she wrapped her legs around his waist and threaded her fingers through his silky dark hair, holding him close to her heart. His mouth moved down her body, and as his tongue invaded her navel, her juices began to flow, turning her blood to fire, and she bucked urgently against him. She needed more than simple kisses; she needed to feel his big cock inside her, riding her hard until she screamed for him to stop. Releasing her grip on his waist, she unbuttoned her pantaloons and tried to wriggle out of them as she forced his head lower. At some level, she thought she heard the door slam and the sound of footsteps coming along the hallway. But with her 63

FAST FORWARD

mind focused on her own burning needs, at that precise moment she wouldn’t have cared in the whole of Paris had invaded the house. “Lick me,” she pleaded. “I want to feel your tongue touching me. Then I want you to fuck me, yes?” Jase took off his robe and tossed it aside, and then he quickly removed her shoes and her pants. “Open your legs wide,” he instructed. She did as he asked, enjoying the way he looked at her, his eyes half-closed and smoky with desire, while his tongue slowly traced the outline of his mouth. If she could convince him to bend down and use his tongue on her instead of himself… “I want you to touch yourself like this.” Opening her pussy lips with one hand, he selected the forefinger of her right hand with the other and placed it over her nub. “Relax, and just rub it slow and easy.” She did as he asked, feeling the tension within her build until it was almost unbearable. She wanted to push her fingers higher, increase the speed and pressure and give herself the satisfaction she craved. But he watched her closely, holding her prisoner with his eyes while he stroked his shaft, and she knew if she disobeyed him, he would snatch her hand away and deny her what she most desired. “Feels good, hmm?” “It would be so much better if you helped me.” “You mean like this?” Bending down, he replaced her finger with his tongue, a slow, delicious lapping that made her 64

FAST FORWARD

close her eyes and squirm with frustrated desire. “Please! You are driving me mad.” “Me, too. Okay if I join in the fun?” Celeste opened her eyes to see Tay, naked as the day he was born, standing in the doorway with a huge grin on his handsome face and a beautiful big stiffie at the juncture of his thighs. Jase laughed and looked around. “How long have you been standing there?” Tay came closer and wrapped his arms around Jase’s waist. “Long enough to get turned on by what the pair of you are doing.” His hands moved down over Jase’s belly and caressed his cock, then, nudging Jase forward a little, Tay took Jase’s cock in both hands and positioned the head just inside the entrance to Celeste’s slit. As Jase cupped her butt and lifted her up, Tay opened her lips wide, and Jase buried his length inside her. “Hold still and bend over a bit,” Tay instructed Jase. Celeste watched as Tay squeezed something from a container onto his hand and rubbed it down Jase’s crack. “God, this feels good,” he said with a groan as he opened Jase’s ass cheeks and thrust his cock in. Jase withdrew from Celeste and plunged back in, and she realized Tay had done the same thing with Jase. It took a moment for them to get their rhythm right, but as soon as they did, Celeste was flying to the moon. She felt her muscles begin to tighten, and with each subsequent thrust, she was moving closer to the edge, until finally, she was there, 65

FAST FORWARD

exploding with satisfaction and hanging on desperately to the fantastic feelings until the last tiny spasm flickered and died. “Wow! That was some homecoming,” Tay said with a chuckle, grabbing a kitchen towel to wipe the perspiration from his face. “I think perhaps I should go out more often.” *

*

*

By the end of the second week, the three of them had established a routine. In the mornings, Celeste posed, while Jase and Tay progressed with their paintings for the show. In the afternoons, she went to the café on the corner, where she cleaned and prepared supper for Mariette and her husband. And in the evenings, while Jase worked at the clinic, she and Tay watched the most wonderful sights on the box with the glass window he said was called a television. Celeste knew she would never understand the magic that happened when she turned on what she now knew was electricity, but it didn’t stop her from enjoying all its advantages. Her favorite item was the vacuum cleaner that sucked up dust and dirt in a trice, and right behind it came the washing machine and dryer. So many wonderful inventions that lightened the workload and left her lots of time to enjoy her housemates and also the little black cat Jase had found on his way home one night. They had also shown her a Paris she hadn’t known existed. She’d drunk a glass of wine at a glassed-in café on the Left Bank, and they’d shown her the tiny gallery near Notre Dame where their paintings would be exhibited in the New Year. 66

FAST FORWARD

The three of them had walked hand-in-hand along the Champs-Elysées. They’d taken her up the Eiffel Tower and to Versailles, where it was clear King Louis and Queen Marie Antoinette no longer resided, and to dozens of other places, too. They’d even shown her the Place de la Concord, where the citizens had watched while the king and his family, and all the other aristocrats lost their heads to Madame la Guillotine. A few days before Christmas, Tay returned from one of his sketching trips with a small pine tree, a box of decorations, and a large bag of roasted chestnuts he’d bought from a street vendor. He said his dad had sent him some extra money along with his regular check, so what better way to spend it than buying a few goodies to share with the people he loved most? The next day was Jase’s day off from the clinic, and early that morning Celeste spent part of her first paycheck on the ingredients for a cassoulet, a savory stew of duck, sausage, white beans, and herbs, that she’d often helped madame prepare for the clients. Once she’d put the dish together, she left it to cook very slowly all afternoon while she was at work. By the time she returned home, the aroma had permeated the whole house, and she knew the stew should be about ready to serve. Despite the interest Jase and Tay had shown earlier in what she was making for dinner, the house was so quiet Celeste thought perhaps the two of them had gone out somewhere. If they had, no matter, because the beauty of a cassoulet was that the more times it was reheated, the better it seemed to taste. After hanging up her coat and removing her shoes, she 67

FAST FORWARD

checked on the stew. Another few minutes and… She hesitated. Somewhere she could hear music playing very softly and the sound of muted laughter, and… Leaving the kitchen, she walked cautiously down the hallway, her bare feet making no sound on the thick carpet. In the doorway of the salon, she hesitated again. The music sounded a little louder here. Jase and Tay were both naked and lying on the rug in front of the open fire. The only light in the room came from the dancing flames of the fire as they painted shadowy patterns on their skin, emphasizing the intense expressions on their faces, and giving the tender scene before her a primal flavor she found incredibly erotic. She watched the play of emotions over Jase’s face and the movement of the muscles in Tay’s back as he stroked his long fingers down Jase’s belly. Then her glance dipped lower and her hand slipped into her pantaloons as Tay used his hands and tongue to tease and massage Jase’s cock until it was fully aroused and jutting up proudly from his body. “Now suck me, lover?” Jase whispered hoarsely. “I want to feel your mouth around my dick, and I want to feel you sucking the hell out of me.” As Tay bent his head to comply with his partner’s request, Celeste felt a rush of moisture between her legs, and a sudden cramping around the region of her heart. She didn’t need to be told how much they loved one another. It was there in every look they exchanged, every touch, and everything they did. Two halves of a whole that felt so confident in their mutual love they’d extended it to take her into their hearts and their 68

FAST FORWARD

home. Celeste knew the arrangement wasn’t something every woman wanted, but it felt right for her. She loved them both, and she hoped what the three of them had together would last forever. As she continued to watch, Tay rolled over onto his back with Jase above him. For a moment, they stared into one another’s eyes. Leaning forward as if to kiss him, Jase hooked Tay’s legs over his shoulders, and parted his ass cheeks. Celeste held her breath, her fingers working furiously as Jase positioned his sex at the opening of Tay’s hole, then she let it out in a rush, knowing she was about to climax herself as he plunged all the way in. If they knew she was there, they showed no indication. They simply continued loving one another, and Celeste continued to finger fuck herself in time with Jase’s thrusts. The moment she climaxed, she slipped away, leaving them to enjoy the final moments of their coupling in private. After washing her hands in the bathroom and changing into more comfortable clothing, she went back to the kitchen to check on dinner. She’d barely taken the lid off the pot when she felt Tay’s arms wrap around her from behind and his warm breath on her neck as he kissed her. “How was work?” “Fine. I got off early because Marc and Mariette are going out for dinner tonight.” Putting the lid back on the pot, Tay turned her around to face him. “Why did you leave instead of joining us just now?” “You knew I was there?” 69

FAST FORWARD

“Of course. We both knew. Don’t tell me it was because you were too shy.” “No. I…umm… Because…” He smiled and rubbed her bottom lip with his thumb. “Because?” Removing his hand from her mouth, she pressed her hot face against his bare chest. “Because seeing the two of you together like that was such a beautiful sight, it would not have been right for me to interrupt.” “The three of us really go well together, yes?” She smiled up at him. “Yes, we do. Exactly like the white beans, duck and sausage that we have for our dinner tonight.” Jase poked his head around the door. “When’s dinner? I’m starving.” “If someone wants to find plates and set the table, it’s ready now.” Tay opened a drawer and took out the cutlery. “It’s only a day or two until Christmas. As soon as we’re through with dinner, I think we should decorate the tree.” “And tomorrow, we’ll go shopping for presents. What would you like us to buy you for Christmas, Celeste?” “Me?” She smiled as she looked around the room, at the stew gently bubbling on the stove, and the kitten sleeping in a blanket-lined box nearby. Her glance came full circle and settled on the two men. There was no way she wanted to return to her old life. Mariette still gave her the odd funny look as if she reminded her of something she couldn’t quite remember, but that was to be expected. Mariette had told her 70

FAST FORWARD

about finding the secret doorway in the old house on the corner and falling down the laundry chute. But since she was convinced what had happened to her was nothing more exciting than the result of a bad bump on the head, Celeste was content to let sleeping dogs lie. “I don’t need presents. Everything I could possibly want or need I already have right here.”

71

CHRISTIANE F RANCE

Christiane truly believes that love makes the world go round, so she likes stories with both happy and bittersweet endings. Christiane has been writing romance for the past twenty years and lives near Niagara Falls with her husband and The Boys— two black and white Persian cats. *

*

*

Don’t miss Double Delicious, by Christiane France, available at AmberHeat.com!

Suzie Nield has been fantasizing about Matt Porter and Mike Hanes for weeks, ever since moving into the house across the street from the handsome duo. Unbeknownst to Suzie, however, Matt and Mike have been doing the same thing regarding her… Yet except for the occasional smile or wave in passing, the trio never does more than fantasize. In fact, Suzie is fast coming to the conclusion the men are either painfully shy, which she seriously doubts, or that the pleasure-seeking playboys, as one of the other neighbors describes them, are the kind of men who are more interested in picking up babes and putting

notches on their bedposts than they are in developing adult relationships. But on Friday the 13th, fantasy becomes reality, and Suzie finally gets to know Mike and Matt. This will be the day she loses everything important in her life, and the day the sexy duo asks her to be the one thing that is missing in theirs…

AMBER QUILL PRESS, LLC THE GOLD STANDARD IN PUBLISHING QUALITY BOOKS IN BOTH PRINT AND ELECTRONIC FORMATS

ACTION/ADVENTURE

SUSPENSE/THRILLER

SCIENCE FICTION MAINSTREAM

DARK FANTASY ROMANCE

HORROR

EROTICA

FANTASY

GLBT

WESTERN

MYSTERY

PARANORMAL

HISTORICAL

B UY D IRECT AND S AVE www.AmberQuill.com www.AmberHeat.com www.AmberAllure.com