Title: Taking Chances- Chapter 9: Touch Me, Please Me, But Don't Deceive Me!
Author: Bubukittypuck
Archived: Here of course, Fictionpress, and my laptop
Summary: Marguerite's first person perspective on the relationship she has or does not have with Josef. She is freshie to Josef's donor.
Rating: It ranges from PG-13 to M later on.
Pairings: OC/Josef
Feedback: Review please though do not flame.
Characters: Josef, Marguerite, Beth, Mick, and any other characters inhabiting Los Angeles.
Beta's: None
Disclaimer: I don't own Moonlight or the characters, though I do wish Moonlight does come back. For now, writing fanfics seems to stem the need to hunt down Jason Dohring and bring him back to my bedroom. I do not own the right to Nair though I wish the company could make it less sticky and more perfumy. Plus Saran Wrap is not a patent I hold but it does come in handy when I need to cover up a dish and send it off on its way. Chippendale I love but I do not own nor the Coolpix but I wish I owned Ashton Kutcher. I do not own Hostel and I respect Eli Roth. If I ever met him in person, I would ask him to put me in his next movies, whether I am the one being killed or the one to kill. He is a genius and I adore him.


As I turned left and right in front of the mirror nothing changed the fact I was drowning in this dress. This was the seventh dress I tried on for a wedding taking place in three days. My wedding, no less.

Beth came up behind me and checked the reflection of me in the mirror. Her nose scrunched up as she shook her head. "No, this dress puts too much weight on your hips. You do not want to be photographed in this one," she commented as she plucked at the huge bow placed in the middle of my chest. Several of the dresses in the store reminded me too much of the eighties, as if, the owner of the store had not realized puffy sleeves and skirts were out of style. Still, I had to try and find the gown for the upcoming wedding. Given, the wedding was a ploy to entice the assassins to come out of hiding; I wanted the dress to be special.

"Try this one, plus this one, oh and this one, dearie" the owner, a sprite gentleman in his early fifties commented. He held in his arms three dresses I had not noticed on the racks. Narrowing my eyes, the make and design of the wedding dresses were finished quite nicely. I nodded in appreciation towards the man and accepted the gowns from him.

Quickly, I headed into the many dressing rooms the store had. Placing each dress on a hook, I stepped back and looked at each one over carefully. One of these dresses was in the race for the wedding gown I would wear when Josef and I married this weekend.

The first dress was a sophisticated and modern tea-length (a gown or skirt with a hem that fell between the bottom of the knee and the bottom of the calf, several inches above the ankle creating a look that is elegant, yet casual) dress with beautifully embroidered halter straps that attached at the back of my neck. Good thing since I needed all the support in my cleavage. I had no problem with my breasts though the size of them made it difficult to find shirt and tank tops in my proper size. Most of the time, I bought a size larger than I usually wore and waited for the washer and dryer to shrink it down a few centimeters. A few centimeters were a lot when it shrunk in the area of my stomach where the larger size made look bigger. The dress had a glamorous rhinestone brooch provides the perfect accent to the ruched, or tight decorative which created flattering pleats in the fabric of the bust detail and flattering empire waist.

Once the halter tea-length dress was on, I twirled a bit in the mirror where the material swished against my bare legs. Beth pushed for me to wear heels with the wedding dress to get a better feel of how I would wear it this weekend. "This one is nice, I am going to try the next one," I replied, not bothering to let the owner nor Beth see me in the dress.

Second dress was another tea length v-neck dress with a pleated chiffon tank and crisscrossed tie in the back. A few more twirls in the mirror placed in the dressing room and for a second, I thought of myself as a fairy princess who waited for Prince Charming to come and save her from the evil witch or dragon.

The last dress was a yoryu (a sateen weave fabric with a soft, flowing, three-dimensional character) halter A-line twisted rope straps. It made my breasts look nice and firm, plus held them in place. I shook my chest and jumped a few times in the mirror.

"Alright, now which one will you be wanting to take with you," the man said through the door. Taking one last look in the mirror, I smiled to myself.

"I know, this one," I replied as I headed out of the door with the dress in my hands after I changed back into my day clothes. Once the wedding came, Josef would have something to say once he saw me in the dress I chose. Maybe things were looking up after all.


Word of the rushed marriage got back to the media. Beth of course had the fist exclusive and warning flags came up on the freshie assassins. From private sources of Josef's, large sums of ammunition had been bought out of several weapons store in the Los Angeles areas and several hotels reported of a slew of men buying out the lower rung of rooms and then disappearing as soon as the room was up for time. Always the men used cash and in Los Angeles, it was not unusual for a gun store owner not to ask for identification.

When engagement and wedding gifts started to arrive at Josef's house, precautions were taken. Josef's old headquarters had been bombed and he was not taking any chances on this area as well. One particular box stuck out for the rest. It was a plain, brown delivery box with no return address. The package was mailed to me in dark red ink, almost blood red if I were not mistaken.

Josef and Mick placed the box outside in the grassy backyard and listened for any ticking. When both heard no ticking or beeping with caution the box was opened. Both men peaked inside and both men looked away in disgust."

"What is inside?," Beth asked on behalf of the two of us. If the object inside the package offended two men who saw and experienced highly sadistic and twisted acts then the box overrode everything.

"It is nothing," Mick replied as he went to close the box. I started the action to bum rush Mick and tried to snatch the box out of his hands. However, Josef beat me to Mick and grabbed me around the waist. I kicked and wiggled in his embrace and caused the two of us to fall on the grass. I tried to get away and head for Mick and Beth, who was stopped with an outstretched hand but Josef straddled and pinned me down.

By this point, Mick and Beth left us in privacy though the two were arguing over the box and the relationship between Josef and me.


Beth and Mick left Marguerite and Josef to the play wrestling. Beth shook her head in amusement, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Those two need to sit down and tell each other how they really feel about the other." Shaking her head, she snuggled into Mick's side as the two settled on the living room couch. The box Mick held now enticed her even me as it sat tauntingly on the coffee table in front of them.

In his own thoughts, Mick agreed with Beth. Marguerite and Josef needed to lay everything out and say what each truly wanted to say to one another. The last few months, he noticed a change in Josef. Before, the four hundred year old plus vampire shunned advances any human female had whenever she wanted more out of the 'relationship' with Josef. His heart forever remained with Sarah. However, when Marguerite snuck beneath Josef's defenses, it took everyone for a loop. She managed to bring his good friend back from the edge of despair where he stood after Sarah's coma. Damn it, Josef had smiled for the very first time at the Charity Ball the night before Marguerite's attack. A genuine smile slipped past his friend's lips when he glanced in the direction of Marguerite as she chatted with Sasha. Donned in the alluring dress, Mick even appreciated her female form but knew where his own heart laid with.

Now, the son of a gun was getting married to Marguerite. Granted, it was to help bring out the freshie murderers but nonetheless he had proposed marriage for the second time in his existence. The first had been with Sarah but truly Mick felt the marriage would never have survived had Sarah lived and experienced life as a vampire. Bloodlust would have taken over her fragile mind and a breakdown was in her future leading to savage killings to assuage her hunger for blood.

Marguerite on the other hand would have survived the transformation. Her younger sister went through it and Marguerite accepted the lifestyle choice Iris picked out. Even Iris kept pushing the subject of when Marguerite wanted to become a vampire but at the moment Marguerite answered she needed to eat a bit longer before she had to give it up for the rest of eternity.

What Mick truly wanted was Josef to find his one true love and mate. Someone he never had to worry about looking after herself if he went away on business. A female that could argue and defend herself whenever he was in a bit of a debating mood. Put up with his mood swings and sling back her own sarcastic comments at him. For him, he felt Marguerite fit the bill. Now, if only the two opened the eyes and saw what was in front of them this whole time.

Lost in the thoughts of Marguerite and Josef forming a loving relationship, he was slow on stopping Beth from snatching the box up. "Beth, no, do not," he warned. He could have used his speed to snatch back the box and hide it away but deep down he wanted her to see the contents of the box. Wanted her to take the box and inform Marguerite of the danger she was in.

When Beth opened the package, her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth. Her other hand pushed aside the items in the box while she shook her head. "Mick, she needs to see this. It is for her own good," she whispered, closing the lid on the box, and taking it with her outside to Marguerite. Mick was on her heels but he did nothing to stop her one bit. It was for Marguerite's own good.


While Mick and Beth were in the house, Josef and I argued as we both laid on the grass. "Josef," I warned as I fought against his hold. The man was strong; I had to hand it to him. His pinstriped lad thighs pushed my own thighs together as his hands held my wrists above my head. Why did the porno song of Bow Chico Bow Wow started in my head, I had no idea. Although it showed where my thoughts were heading as I laid beneath him.

"Marguerite," he warned. A vein in his neck pulsed erratically and I focused my attention on it. If his pulsed fluttered in his neck then I safely assumed his heart beat just as fast as my own.

"Please, get the fuck off of me," I whispered on a breath. His tie tickled the side of my neck and his chest was pressed against my own. Another image popped into my head. This time it was of Josef tying my hands behind my back with the same tie he was wearing at the moment. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts, stay down, I said silently to myself.

We both stayed in his position for several long seconds, breathing heavily and fast. I felt I ran several miles without stopping for a drink of water. My throat was dry and skin hummed with awareness.

"What interesting words you use. Did your mother ever wash your mouth out with soap?," he asked with a smirk. Oh, how I wished he would use those lips and use them on various parts of my body. I had to fight hard and strong not to chew on my lower lip and give away how I felt at the moment.

"She tried but I kept hiding the soap from her. Though spankings were a bitch," I answered as I inwardly winced at the last memory of being smacked with a sandal. A sandal hurts more when there is a lot behind the swing and area that was going to get smacked. Backs of hands, thighs, neck, face, back and bottom stung a lot worse than most people assumed.

"Mmm, I might have to try that out on you. See if it works to get you to stop snooping and searching through my things." Please, I thought, please spank me and I will be your slave. Aye, my mind was running away with me and the inner thoughts.

Recently, Josef caught me in his closet. Merely, I wanted to see exactly how many suits he owned. Rarely, I ever saw him in his power suits. Every time, I enjoyed him sans jacket and his sleeves pulled up whenever we ate dinner. Well, when I ate dinner. He merely sat down with a plate full of food in front of him and watched as I dined on the succulent meals he prepared. No matter what, he and I sat down to eat and even chat a bit.

Barely, I started to count off the number of pinstriped monkey suits he owned when Josef surprised me. He came up behind me, grabbed me around the waist, and spun me around to face him. I tried to come up with an excuse and he merely smirked. The man even whacked me on the behind and together we counted the several outfits he wore. Twenty-nine, in various shades and colors.

"If you spanked me, I might moan in pleasure instead of pain." The humor went out of my voice and face as locked gazes with another. His eyes changed colors and I felt his heart beat faster against my own. Truly, I wanted him to spank me, preferably in a bedroom, the two of us naked and bathed in the candle light.

Before we had a chance to hear his witty comeback, Beth came back into the yard, now in possession of the box. "You need to see this Marguerite. Mick, she has to know what is in the box." Both Mick and Beth stopped when they noticed Josef and me still on the grass but now there was an air of sexual tension surrounding the pair of us.

Audibly, Josef growled as he pulled himself off of me. Noticeably, he removed his jacket, folded it over his arm and placed it in front of him. As for me, my nipples were trying to drill holes through my tank top. Quickly, I covered my cleavage with my left arm as I tried to make the move natural. I even covered my face since the sun was out and causing a heat wave throughout California. Los Angeles suffered the brunt of the heat and out in the sun for just a few minutes started to have an effect on me. Considerably, the bare parts of my arms, ankles, and tops of my feet were warming up. I had forgotten to slap on sunscreen and if I did not get a few drops on my body, vicious sunburn waited for me.

"Let me see," I replied as I sat up in a meditation pose. Legs crossed and hands on knees, I accepted the brown package from Beth. Josef did not try to stop me as I eyed the package and opened it slowly. The blood drained itself from my face and my blood turned to pure ice. It took several deep breathing exercises to calm down the fiery rage roiling inside of me.

The box contained several items. Each one more sick and twisted then the last. There were several snap shots of the murdered freshies. Each one taken in close range and by my guess, the murderer snapped off the photos after harming the female freshie. In a red sharpie pen, the names, ages, and the time of death of the freshie victims were scrawled beneath the photograph. Much strength was needed not to wretch all over Josef's nice grass. After the pictures was a Cd of a favorite artist of mine. In fact, it was my favorite Cd. I knew it because I had written my initials on the Cd since Iris frequently borrowed my music and rarely returned them. A copy of a wedding invitation, Josef and mine's invitation laid in the box. The last item in the package forever tattooed itself in my memories. It was a picture of me in my party dress taken at night. Disturbing part about my photographed was a big red X drawn over my face. Beneath the large X in red letters the sender placed my date of birth and death of death. Son of a bitch even placed the time of death. 8:07 pm.

Holding the X-ed out photograph of me, I held it up to the sun. Different colors played along my skin while I whistled a little tune. "Mm, I do enjoy this picture of me in this outfit, though I could do without the big X over my face. Can they not see my face is the best part," I teased though there was no humor behind my words. Instead, I wanted to find the sons of bitches and pay them a nice visit. Oh, I yearned to use a bit of the torture methods I watched in Hostel I and II to inflict upon the murdering bastards.


Beth and Mick stayed around for another hour before the two headed off to finalize plans on their part. Those two were in charge in making sure the reception for the wedding was secure enough to protect the family but had enough secret exits to get the family out once the shit hit the fan. During the hour, I put on a happy face and let the others think I was Jim and fucking Dandy. In reality, I wanted to find the pieces of shit and rip them all a new one.

Josef and I were left to our own devices as we sat at the island table in his kitchen. With a cup of water in my hands, I moved my finger along the mouth of the glass and sighed. Things were becoming too much. First, I thought I could handle all of this. What broke the idea of handling all of this was the package. Even now, Josef hid the package from sight but in my pocket, I held the X-ed out of picture of myself. To know someone watched and photographed me while I celebrated a special night infuriated and scared the hell out of me. Right now, I felt like the little girl who was frightened of the dark and what it hid from her view.

Head in my hands and staring down at my painted feet, I let Josef know how I felt. How I felt about this whole wedding ordeal. "I am out. I do not want to be in this plan anymore." There, hopefully he would come up with another plan.

"What do you mean?," he asked as he watched me over the rim of his blood wine. The past few days, I opted to prick the tips of my fingers and squeezed on the skin to get enough blood to fill a few glasses and containers for him to keep in the freezer and then drink once it was cool. Reason was I felt I might lose control and come onto him if he asked to drink my neck once more. He had no asked for my neck after the library incident but every once in a while I noticed him glance over the veins in my neck as he drank the blood I squeezed for him the night before.

"I want out. You can use someone else in my place. Hire an actress; make sure she is of my size and proportions." There were a few plus-size actresses in Hollywood. I bet each would jump, well, jump a bit, at the chance to play the part of fiancée for a little while in my place. The idea might even appeal as a jump start to their career once the bride was revealed to be another.

"Are you joking?," he asked as he placed the half drank glass of blood wine on the island table. He placed both hands on the counter and watched her beneath a hooded gaze. There were various looks which came from Josef but this was a new one. One I wished never to experience again. It was a dark and ominous glare and it made the need for a sweater to warm my skin to come up.

"No, and you can cover her face with a veil, that would work though a Mexican actress might work. The family and everyone might get suspicious if I do not at least talk a bit in Spanish during the wedding and the reception." On and on I went with the plan I had carved out. When I finished, I looked up from eyeing my painted toes to glance at him. Josef had not moved and a tick started in the corner of his right eye. Not good, not good at all.

Desperately, Josef needed to know I wanted out of this. This plan started to take a toll on me. On my health, on my mind and on my heart; a heart which beat wildly whenever he was around. When Josef was not around my heart ached in anticipation to see him again. Again and again, I wished for this ache in my chest to cease but unless I backed away from this situation the pain would get worse. Worse enough I might fall deeper into love with him. Love? Is that what I felt for Josef?

A glanced towards my ring finger said it all. More than two-thousand dollars was encased in a fourteen karate white gold one carat t.w three-stone diamond ring. Josef later gave me the website link to find out more about the damn rock on my finger. From the website it stated it was a: near-colorless princess-cut center diamond offset by a generous princess-cut diamond on each side and accented with baguette diamonds. Six additional round diamonds are set in the side of the band. One full carat of diamonds in 14K white gold. Now, that is a ring. I could cut a bitch with the diamond if I wanted to.

Now as I looked at the engagement ring, I had no damn right to wear it. Looking at Josef, I removed the ring from my finger, Bottom of Form 1

placed it on the island table and stepped back from it. Literally, I felt this was one of the most gut-wrenching things I experienced. No matter the marriage would last less than twenty-four hours. What would hurt the most would be for Josef to walk away from all of this once I was no longer needed as bait or to be protected. Better to leave him first before I fell even more for him and he left me broken hearted.

"Stop acting foolish," he cut out, the tick in his eye becoming more prominent. Josef needed to take a deep breath or he was at risk to burst a vein. Unlike humans, at least he could regenerate from the broken vein.

"No, but I would be a damn fool if I lied to my family and friends." Half-truth it was. The family and friends meant too much to lie to their faces and make a mockery of marriage. True some of the family members actually made a circus and joke of marriage but nevertheless I had no plans to join in on the multiple marriage circuses. For me, I planned to marry way late in my age but enjoy the freedom of being a single female.

"Why, because they do not believe in divorce?," Josef threw out, his eyes narrowing on me. I bet he thought I wanted to make the marriage legal in every way. In the way a male and female should. Maybe he thought I was turning out to be one of those gold diggers. Nope, I cared for him but I wanted nothing to force him to love me and to even put himself through this facade of a marriage and its plan.

"Have you not met my family? My father has been divorced three times before he met my mother. My aunt, his sister, gave her first husband the walking papers and then hooked up with my uncle. Not a good choice, but hey, that is her life. Then there is my older cousin who deserted her ex-husband for her first husband's brother. What do you think now?," I asked and hopped off the chair, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Then what, Mar? Do you want to stay married? Have the 2.5 kids, Lassie barking in the front yard and the damn picket fence house?"

Josef walked around the island table and we stood toe to toe, eye to eye, well I had to tilt my head up to glare but I kept it up. No man, not even the man who held a knife in his hand the night I was supposed to die was going to scare me. Josef might have four centuries over on me but I experienced more things as a human than I assumed he had in his lifetime. I accepted every part of my emotions and feelings while he shut him off or ignored certain feelings.

"No, I rather tend to my nieces and nephews. I am not ready for kids at the moment, maybe not for a while."

A true statement. Even at my age, no thoughts of children passed my thoughts, at all. Way I saw it, I would make a horrible mother. A mother too selfish and into her own problems then in her child's. I, Marguerite, admit I am a selfish person but a giving one at that. With my nieces and nephews, especially, Juley, I was another mother hen to her. When I lived in my birth city, I carried her as a babe in my arms and even let her watch Jackass I and II with me when her mother was not watching. Hey, I wanted her to see what she should not do no matter if someone tried to peer pressure her into doing just to fit in. She loved the scene where Bam Margera got branded on the ass in the shape of a penis. At the time, I told my niece it was in the shape of a rocket. When she came of age, I would tell her the truth.

"You are evading the question."

"What question?"

"You know what I am talking about."

"No clue at all," I answered as I tried to walk away from the situation. Josef favored being the one to have the last one in the conversation. For me to get the last word in and then walk away from him pissed him off. His hand latched onto my shoulder and turned me around to face him. I went to slap his face in retaliation. Josef used his speed to take a hold of my wrist. Once again, I went to slap him with my left hand and he grabbed it as well. He pulled me closer to him and I had to stand on my tip toes.

"Do not," he said in clipped tones, "do that again."

"Why not?," I asked as I fought against his grip. Son of a bitch spun me around and pulled my arms across my chest, overlapping one another. Tugging on my arms, I groaned in slight pain. My fixed wrist still felt the sting vibrate through the bone but I was not about to let him make me say Uncle. No way, Jose.

"Because then I am going to have to spank you like I said earlier. Maybe that will stop you from acting out," he whispered in my ear. Closing my eyes, various X-rated thoughts and images passed through my mind's eye. Him and me on a bed. The bed covered in silk and he spanking me with his hand as I wanted him too for several months now.

"Mm, then I should start acting out right now," I let slipped out. Gasping, I looked away from him but when he pressed his front to my backside, I felt he enjoyed the comment I made. From there things became even more interesting.


Few words were spoken as we removed/ripped off one another's clothes. When skin pressed against skin heat settled deep in my chest and the juncture of my thighs. His hands were hot and tore at the t-shirt I wore, retiring my Linus t-shirt with the words, 'Talk Nerdy to Me' plastered on the front of the shirt.

My own hands went to cover up myself as I felt self-conscious of what he might see. Never had I ever owned a slim body but I adored my curvaceous figure. Josef broke down the assumption I had of him as he gently pulled my hands away from my body. His look was reverent and held a hint of worshiping gaze. "You feel so good," he whispered against my neck. Wrapping my arms around his back, I pressed myself to his own and I offered to him the one vein I never let him tapped.

In his ear, I whispered, "Drink from me." He tried to decline the offer but I gripped the back of his head and nuzzled my neck against his lips. Opening his mouth, I felt his tongue against my skin. One flick, two flicks of his tongue, I shivered and goose bumps rose along my arms. Just when I thought he would pull away from me, his teeth sank into my neck. I gasped and groaned, his arms wrapped around me like steel when my knees gave out.

The pull of his mouth against my neck intoxicated and brought delicious zaps to certain parts of my body. Nails dragged along his back and I cupped his bottom. Squeezing it, I heard him moan and growl against my flesh. More ribbons of pleasure wrapped themselves around me, around us, and cocooned us in our own little world.

Josef pulled away before he drank too much. He made sure he took enough for his strength but not enough to cause dizziness or nausea. Such a good man. My man, I thought to myself. The thought exited as soon as he started to push me towards the bed. Those wicked hands of mine grabbed at his shirt. He started to unbutton the shirt but I grew too impatient and wrenched the shirt apart. Buttons flew in different directions and he merely smirked.

The two of us were animals at this moment and all we wanted was a good bout of sex to get our aggression and needs out of the way. His strong fingers moved across the small pink scar on my left arm where the knife went through the skin. He frowned as the pads of his fingers glided over the puckered skin.

"It is a badge of survival, almost an accessory if you will," I whispered against his lips as I stole another kiss from him. He tasted like fine wine and I wanted to get drunk off his kisses. I removed my jeans, shucking them off, and throwing them to the side. The good side to having Phantom in this room with me; he knew when to make himself scarce. Bathroom door was opened and he headed into it as soon as he saw Josef and me sucking face.

"How can you do it?," he asked as he searched my face. His eyes were stormy and glazed with passion but still the hard edge of his need to discover me lay behind the cloak of pleasure. He pressed me against the bed, his body hovering over me.

"Do what?," I asked as it took me several seconds to get my own brain to function properly again. Bottle Josef's essence and he could make every woman swoon and faint in the street, house, and in the middle of meetings. Fingers hovered and mapped out the lines of his strong arms and backside.

"Make light of this," he replied as he pointed towards the scar, then to the non-bruised wrists, unpopped kneecap, unsprained ankle, and last the small scar on my lower lip. Only he noticed the tiny discoloration on my lip. Biting down on my lower lip, my tongue flicked across the lower lip. Josef groaned and inhaled a deep intake of breath as his attention zeroed in on my rosy lips. His own were red and puffy from the onslaught of kisses we gave one another.

"It makes who I am and how far I have come along. Shows I can survive with whatever the world wants to deal me with. Might sound corny to you but for me it lets me know I can kick ass and take names later," I answered, laughing as I playfully smacked his hand away from my face. He came back and held my face in both of his hands. I tried to move my glance away from him but he gripped my chin and forced me to look him dead in the eyes.

"You are a strong woman, did you know that?," he asked me, his lips a scant millimeter from my own. I sucked in his own breath, breathing in deep of his scent, my insides branded with his smell. No matter what happened after this, at least when I grew older as a human or as a vampire, at least I had this moment with Josef. For that I was grateful and disappointed with at the same time. But it was better than never knowing the touch of his hands on my naked skin.

When we kissed deeply and sensually, it was then my heart ripped itself from my chest and attached itself to Josef's own. From this night on, the man would forever hold captive my heart. Sounds dramatic but the man held my heart in his hands but never would his own heart find its way to my own open palms. Oh, how I picked the people I fell in love with.


When I awoke, first a wave of warmth and pleasure washed over me. Soreness pulsed in certain areas that had not been used in a while. For a while it was only me and my trusty rabbit satisfying my need for a good orgasm. Now, my trusty rabbit would take a very long vacation to come.

The second wave, however, embarrassment and shame overcame me. Realization hit me as to the events of what happened last night. Aches and the delicious bites marks on my neck, wrists, and lower parts of my body showed what I committed with a certain someone. Slowly, I turned and looked over my shoulder. Josef against my back had one hand wrapped around my waist and his other one placed over my heart. In this position, he protected and owned me in the way his hands were positioned. I felt safe in his arms and yet I knew this feeling would not last long.

Phantom growled and whimpered his head popped up next to the bed. Obviously, he was jealous and angry at Josef since he snatched the spot on the bed. Past few nights, Phantom snuggled with me and now with Josef in the bed it threw Phantom off. Though there were a few positions dedicated to certain animals.

Reaching out, I caressed Phantom beneath his chin. His tail swished left and right in the air, enjoying the attention he received. "Shh, do not bark," I whispered a warning to him. Phantom saw this as a way to get back for losing his spot on the bed; the little mutt disobeyed my warnings. Damn dog barked up a storm.

Hands tightened around me and hot breath brushed against the back of my neck. The hands loosened and distinctly, I heard him mutter, "Fucking hell," beneath his breath. He pulled away from me and the sweat heat of his body left my own. Skin turned cold and needy for his touch again. We went from people caught in rapture to those wondering what the hell we did during the night. Strewn over the headboard a pair of handcuffs gleamed down at me and I tasted on my tongue whip cream and chocolate. Seems we had a good time last night.

Wiping the last of the sleep from my eyes, I tried to keep my eyes averted as much as possible while Josef collected his clothes. During the struggle to remove clothing the buttons off of Josef' shirt came off. It was my fault since I wanted to run my hands along the planes of his muscles. The buttons got in my way and had to go. Now there was only two single buttons hanging on for dear life on his shirt. He slid it over his chest, hiding the ropes of muscle laid over his stomach and proceeded to shuck himself into his pants. Last night, I found out he went commando.

I wrapped the bed sheet a second time around me where I made my own toga out of it. We never spoke during this time and I distracted myself with caressing and scratching Phantom behind the ears and back. Though I enjoyed last night, this morning the two of us were merely shaking off a one night stand. To me, I felt Josef would keep up the facade everything was fine, as if nothing had happened. Keep things light and maybe ask me if I thought there was going to be more than this. Josef as I assumed, brushed off this night, dressed himself, and asked me to finalize the last of the wedding plans.

Nodding, I nuzzled Phantom's neck and patted his bottom. Phantom took it as a sign to go back to the piece of bone meat I bought for him the other day. Once in a while, I let him roam Josef's place but knowing the spite Phantom held for Josef, I never let him near Josef's bedroom.

"The only thing to finalize is the priest," I replied, standing up from the bed, and shaking my curls around my face. Gently, I brushed my fingers through my hair and found a small knot in the back of my head. Great, seemed I acquired the dreaded sex bed hair.

"What about the priest?," he asked as he continued to talk to the wall and not to my face. If the man wanted to act like an asshole and not look me in the eye, fine. He wanted to brush this whole thing off and act Ice King about, I would as well. An eye for an eye. Play with my emotions then I would cut him off before he hurt me even further.

"The priest wanted to know if you planned to write you own vows. I am not and I assumed you would not as well. Still, I put the priest's number on a post-it note and placed it in your study," I replied as I thought about what I could do to screw him over with. Mm, the good old Runaway Bride scenario peaked my interest. Remember, if you screw me over, I will screw you back even harder.

"I might," he answered, combing his fingers through his bed hair. At least he had no worried of tangles and rat's nest because he kept his hair trimmed short and spiky.

"Might what?," I questioned. I prayed he was not serious about the vows thing. The man might make up a sonnet or tell people gushy stories about how he supposedly loved me or the night he met me his heart came alive. Though I would not blame him to go down that route. Made things easier for him to spin lies.

"I might write a vow, maybe a few lines."

"Why? There is no point," I asked as I grabbed my new fluffy bathrobe. A gift from my cousins. The bulk of the birthday gifts were sleepwear. Since I was fourteen whenever I came home from school, work, even a date, I changed into pajamas. It was comfortable and saved time when I headed off to bed.

"Make it sound more believable if I do so."

Sure as if I am going to believe him again after this.


"There is no point in writing vows. This wedding is only a ruse. Once this is all over, you and I can go our own separate ways," she replied.

It cut him deeply and his eyes only saw red. Marguerite went on to let him know she appreciated everything he did for her. The freshie job, housing when her apartment was in ruins, the birthday party at his house, even for the tuition check. She thanked him for his actions but what he really wanted was for her to reveal her feelings. Hell, last night she opened a bit of herself to him and now in broad daylight, she shut him out.

Not even when he voiced a shopping trip to New York to get both their minds off of the wedding did she accept his offer. Usually, he never offered any woman a shopping spree or more than the necessary vase of flowers. Never did he want any of the females he was seeing as more than was it was or start making plans for a wedding.

"No, you can go by yourself and you can even visit Sarah. I bet she would like that," she offered in a light tone. By this point, she started to dress herself in the walk-in closet, her voice hitting him straight in the ears and stomach. His hands clenched in anger and passion. Anger at Marguerite for bringing up the subject of Sarah. He had no clue what to think after this night.

Before Marguerite sauntered her curvaceous hips into his life, everything he held dear to himself now was questioned and placed under a microscope. Misery accompanied him for the last few decades after Sarah went comatose. He embraced the misery and solitude which made his bachelorhood all the more fitting. Sarah had held his heart. Nevertheless, the arrival of Marguerite changed the way he felt about Sarah and himself.

The night of the party when he was introduced to Marguerite through her sister, Iris, and Beth, a part of his heart was encased in ice began to slowly melt away. When he went to bed after the party, instead of the glorious image of his Sarah, the heavenly vision of a raven-haired Marguerite animatedly conversing with a group of people replaced her. In the dream, Marguerite turned her attention and green contact eyes (which he later found out her eyes were originally brown).

Little by little his heart started to open and enticed him to learn more about Marguerite. More than he usually found out. Oh and he found a lot of tidbits on her. Exactly, how many relationships she was involved in even the ones she wanted to keep under wraps. Knew the ratio of female to males she dated. The first class she enrolled in community college. First sinful/deviant act committed. Various items he never thought he would have discovered. Now, he recalled her favorite type of chocolate, worst movie, best movie choice, favorite quote, genres of music and so many trivial things.

He even saw her at her lowest after she received news her second uncle committed suicide. The second uncle of hers named Jose suffered from deep depression and bouts of mood swings. Marguerite revealed to him the fact Jose had not come out of the 'closet' to the family for fear of alienation. Only a close few, Marguerite being one of them, knew his secret. Even when Marguerite came out as a bisexual to her family, Jose felt the situation was different. For a female to admit she enjoyed the company of both sexes was experimental, almost a fascination to men because of the erotic notion of two females making out in front of them. Most men assumed if a female were a bisexual or lesbian, it meant he had free reign to have another female seduce the bi/lesbian and he would enjoy a threesome. Wrong.

Marguerite's uncle, however, assumed if a man came out as a homosexual, everyone around him would deem him a pervert and freak. The pressure had been too much for her uncle and his next door neighbor found him in the living room. He hung himself and he even offered to be her escort to the funeral but she honorably declined. In her eyes, he saw the anger and despair of the ordeal she felt at the death of her uncle. Now in her eyes he found sadness mixed with indifference.

"Fine, I will," he replied. Josef never played a woman's head games. Not about to start now.


When Josef went back to his room, the need to get a clear head overcame me. Suffocation of Josef's scent in my bed vaulted me to exit the room not caring the door was open to Phantom to roam around the place. Feet propelled me towards the front door where I opened it and slammed it shut behind me. Phantom scratched at the close door but I needed time with myself and with Phantom around he would try to chase after other pets.

What never entered into my head was the thought of the house being watched by the assassins. At the moment all I thought about was the surge of emotions and feelings pummeling me. Tears sprang and I half-heartedly wiped them away. "Stupid Josef, stupid men. Why do I date them? Oh, yeah because the fucking women I have dated are crazy and emotional baggages. Maybe I should have become a nun when the Mother Superior mentioned it," I rambled as I walked further and further from the safe hold of Josef's home.

Stopping at the side of a black BMW and bright red Mini-Beetle, I wondered whether to go back, lay my cards out on the table before Josef and wait for him to show his hand. Buried in my thoughts and wonderments, the sight of a dark car pulling up next to the BMV slipped past me. Naturally, I assumed it was one of the various celebrities wanting their privacies with the blacked out windows driving back to their multi-million dollar houses.

When I noticed out of the corner of my eye as I started to walk back towards Josef's place three men jumped out of the passenger's side red flags went up. Pivoting myself to get a better look at the men, my inner voice screamed, "Run bitch, run!," I pushed strength into my legs and started to huff it faster to Josef's.

"Get her!," one of the men ordered as I felt the presence of one of the men reached out to grab me by my hair. When he gripped a few strands of my hair, I tugged my hair from his grasp, managing to rip out a few hairs in the process. The need to survive far outweighed the hot stinging sensation in my scalp as a result of losing some meaningless pieces of hair.

"Ayudame! Help, someone call 911," I got out while another of the henchmen threw his weight into my back. Falling forward, I placed my hands out and cursed when my body hit the pavement. Rocks braded against the palm of my hands and skinned my knees but nothing as far as I felt was broken or fractured. My mother always told me to use my hands to break my fall if I ever tripped. However my

Hands locked around my ankles and tried to drag me off the street and towards the car. Growling, I threw strength into my feet and pushed back against the man's hold. A flip flop slapped against the man's face and he spat out dirt where the bottom of my flip flop smacked his open mouth.

"No, stay back you sons of bitches!," I screamed as I fought the men wearing Venetian masks and black attire as they struggled to get me in the black SUV. There were three men waiting in the car while the other three tried to tie down my arms and haul me up. When one of the men attempted to cover my mouth, I nipped and bit down hard on his fingers. The man cursed and slapped me for the injury. Damn, my cheek stung like a bitch.

Whipping around I got up to my feet with the help of a house's security gate at my back. The men surrounded me and I spat at them, hoping one had a fear of germs or contracting an illness through fluids. I even tried to reenact the Pumpkin scene from Flavor of Love and I imagined all of the men were New York.

"Help! Josef! Call 911! Get the fuck away from me!," I yelled as I scratched at them with my nails where I managed to cut one of the men's hands with my cameo ring when he tried to grab me by the wrist. The man cursed and muttered an oath before reaching forward to snatch my wrist again. Again, I went to scratch him with either my nails or ring but this time went for his face. Taking a hold of one side of his mask, I ripped it clean right off. At that moment, I wished I never revealed the man's identity.

"Hey, Marguerite. Still up for a date?," James asked. The occupation to be a nun appealed even more to me at this moment. Boy was I bad at picking the good ones. When will I ever learn? Never pick up someone who is known to put on the moves on every available woman who wanted him especially if the someone is a bartender who is also a murderer.

Two of the men had my arms in the time I was dumfounded by James's appearance in this fight but I continued to kick and drag my feet against the floor. Pleasure ripped through me when I slammed my elbow into one of the men who held my arms in the neck. He coughed and released my left arm as he gripped his throat and fell to the ground in agony. By this point my flip-flops came off during the dragging phase and I went to slam my good foot into his head. The man collapsed in a heap on the ground and I was damn proud of myself.

"Get her in the car and leave Aaron here for his weakness in this fight," James ordered and turned to look at me. Gone was the charming and sweet guy I had almost wanted and in its place was someone I wanted nothing to do with.

"Now we have Josef's whore to play with," he answered, his smile feral. Before I threw him a few expletives, a blow to the back of my head caused starts to shimmer before my eyes. The last sight I saw before the lights went out was James smiling cruelly at me.

"Sweet dreams, Mar," he whispered and reached forward to caress my cheek.

Sweet dreams, my ass.


Mmm, what shall happen to Marguerite? Will Josef be there to save her? Is James going to do horrible and maybe kinky things to her? Just to let you know, I will be posting all of these chapters on Adultfanfiction and when I upload this chapter onto the other site, there will be extra things I had to leave out on Fanfiction. Since the highest I can go on my stories here is M, I had to leave some things on the cutting room floor to keep the love making between Josef and Marguerite R rated. However, on Adultfanfiction, this chapter shall have the included scenes and dialogues I snipped out.