The Maestro's Apprentice (21 page)

Adam nodded as they shook hands. “I appreciate it. I really do. I appreciate everything you’ve ever done for me, Claudio. I mean that. I don’t want you to think that’s not true.”

188

Claudio bowed his head with a smile, then leaned forward to place a kiss on Autumn’s forehead. “Take care,
cherie
,” he said.

She smiled. “Yes, sir.”

Then she turned to Maria, who hugged her silently and hard before turning away and hurrying to Claudio’s car. Her sudden departure brought tears to Autumn’s eyes, but she knew they’d be in touch. She’d e-mail Maria in a few days to see how she was doing.

She and Adam stood there for several moments, watching them go.

“Well,” he said finally, putting his arm around her shoulders. “This is it.”

“Yeah,” she said, casting a sideways glance at him and putting hair behind her ear bashfully. “I guess it is.”

“You know what? I think I’m hungry. And you
know
what that means.”

Butterflies fluttered in Autumn’s belly at his suggestive tone, but instead of making her acquiesce immediately, it filled her with mischief, and she ducked out from under his arm.

He raised his eyebrows at her. She stood there, with the tip of her thumb in her mouth, looking at him over her shoulder.

“Girl, you’d better stop playing,” he said.

She turned and faced him, swinging her arms and walking backward. Grinning.

He hung his head and grinned back, showing his extended fangs. “You’re gonna make me chase—”

Before the words were out of his mouth, Autumn had turned, flung open the screen door and run inside.

189

The house was a sprawling mess of a floor-plan, with three wings of bedrooms and hallways bookending the kitchen and main living space. Adam and Autumn shared a room in the most isolated, quiet hallway of the house, where the more studious tenants tended to live. Autumn ran loudly down the hallway, losing a flip-flop and doubling back for it, all arms and legs. Her hand shook excitedly as she fumbled with the key to their room but, before she knew it, Adam was behind her, pressing her into the door.

“So you want to play like this, little girl?” he asked, breathing on the back of her neck, bending down and nipping the place where shoulder joins neck, ever so lightly.

She let her mouth fall open and her eyelids droop. A bolt of excitement—the sort of deep-down excitement that went clear into her bones—ripped through the pit of her stomach. She had never felt that way with Adam before. Unable to move, she waited.

“You want this big, black cock in you?” he asked.

Her breath hitched.

“Hmm?” he asked, letting his voice sound insistent, pressing her into the door with his hips, letting her feel the hardened shaft of his erection against her backside.

She nodded.

“Open the door,” he rasped, and stepped away.

By now, her hands shook so much, it took her several seconds to get the key in the lock. Once inside the tiny space, she put the key on the corner of the desk by the door and hurried to open the window. There were house rules against it, because of the air conditioner, but it was much too hot to leave it shut. A gust of air blew the long strands of hair around her face. She breathed it in, listening to the sound of the door closing and locking behind her.

190

She waited a moment, enjoying the feel of her heart pounding from running, from anticipation. Then she turned around.

Adam was looking at her. He shrugged. “Take off your clothes,” he said.

She did, and stood naked before him.

“Lie down and play with yourself.”

She turned to make sure she knew where the futon was and positioned herself on it so that he could see her newly shaved crotch, then opened her legs wide and dipped her fingers into her own juices. She was very wet.

The air played over her nude body, teasing her nipples to points.

Adam pulled his T-shirt over his head and grinned. “Huh. I could get used to this.

You’ll do anything I tell you, won’t you?” he said.

She grinned, and nodded as he climbed on top of her.

“Well then, fix me some lunch,” he said.

She threw her head back to expose her throat for him. Her heart raced as she thought of his fangs piercing the skin and felt his erection press against her thigh. He slid his arms under her and held her tightly as he probed her throat with the tip of his tongue. Autumn became very still, hardly daring to breathe as she waited for the tingling prick of the fangs pushing into her skin and the subsequent mellow euphoria that came with a deep feeding.

He fucked her while he fed, using his hand to guide his meaty cock into her, filling and stretching her, piercing the flesh, thrusting and sucking, thrusting and sucking until she lost track of where his hypnotic undulations ended and her responses began. His 191

weight and his breathing comforted her. She hid among his ropey dreads and took in his musk, drifting, aware only of sensation.

When it was over, she lay half under him as he held her loosely. “That was good,” he said and yawned. “I might have to have some more later.”

“Okay,” she said, and breathed him deeply.

This is it
, she thought, feeling as though she had been waiting for this moment for a long time, a temporary rest with a man she could feel safe with, but who could make her hot with anticipation at a moment’s notice. Someone who would tell her what he wanted, and provide consequences if it wasn’t done. Not harsh consequences, but just a little reminder.

Over the past week, Adam had begun to understand that need, and had discovered he was becoming capable of providing for it. Autumn couldn’t explain why, but just knowing that was the case made her feel safe.

Like lying with his arm and leg thrown over her body, and his hip resting against the side of hers, feeling him breathe, smelling the scents of his musk mixed with essential oils, and the incense he loved to burn.

As if the earth and the trees and the sky could hear her thoughts, a stronger gust of air blew in through the window. She angled her face upward and let it kiss her, shivering pleasantly as it tickled over her skin. Adam shifted, smiled and sighed softly.

THE END

Filename: MaestrosApprentice.rtf

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Publishing\1. Raw\January\08-01-2009

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Title:

THE MAESTRO’S APPRENTICE – RHONDA LEIGH

JONES

Subject:

Author: Rhonda

Jones

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Creation Date:

1/7/2009 3:33:00 PM

Change Number:

3

Last Saved On:

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