A/n: If you want to read the true first uncut (nc-17) version of this
chapter, please contact me privately and I'll email you.
CH. 6 - The Party -
"Ephie? Where are you," Jackie called out. "I'm here. I'm trying to put this shelf in order," Stephanie answered. "Ok, that's enough for today," Jackie said, lifting her hands and pulling to stand up. "Here is the fairy with the magical wand! We have to prepare for the Townhall party." "But we've got still plenty of time! It's early," she tried to say. "No! We've got a lot of things to do and very little time. We don't want to be late, do we?" "Surely not!" said a laughing Stephanie. "C'mon Cinderella! Let's prepare for the big ball!" For the first time since they'd opened the clinic, they closed early.
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Two hours later, Stephanie was watching herself astonished in the mirror. Who was that girl? Was it her? Was it possible? "So," Jackie asked, satisfied by the result. "What do you think? If it's up to me you're perfect!" "I'm still asking myself, how did you do it! You got a new job for the future," she answered, sincerely amazed. "Oh, please! That's nothing special! Let's say it was not so hard. There was a good base to start with, I only had to work a little on it," smiled Jackie. Stephanie looked at herself once more in the mirror. The smart dress Guy and Jackie had bought her was very trendy. It had tiny shoulder straps and it was colourful, it looked like a Picasso's painting: from blue to pink, from green to black, to red and violet all mixed together in a unique abstract design. It was very long, close-fitting and had a sexy slit back. The shoes they'd chosen for her, were a pair of wonderful high-heeled sandals, which laced around her ankles with a thin rhinestone chain. Stephanie's long blond hair had been only softly pinned up, and the rest fell down in marvellous soft curls. The make-up Jackie applied on her was very light and ended with a dark red lipstick. She looked like another person. "Take this, put it on." Jackie gave her an embroidered turquoise scarf with long fringes. The doorbell rang. "Must be Guy," said Jackie, "let's go." Jackie opened the door. It was Guy and Mark, Jackie's boyfriend. Guy immediately saw Stephanie and opened his mouth in surprise. "Stephanie, you...you're...beautiful," he said and took a step back to better observe her. "I think, I've never seen you... like... tonight!" and he tenderly kissed her on her check. Stephanie smiled, blushing with embarrassment. She lowered her eyes and murmured "Thanks." Jackie smiled with satisfaction. Mark finally broke those moments of uneasiness when he said, "Let's go, it's time to go we are late!" Guy went before Stephanie and opened the door for her. Stephanie suddenly shivered. It was a little bit cold that night, she thought, and she covered herself better with her scarf. "C'mon Cinderella! It's party time," said Jackie in a low voice.
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It was evening and like all the other days before, he'd stayed out there, hidden behind a hedge, to wait and watch. Today the shop had closed before the usual time, he'd noticed. So he'd decided to remain longer, his instinct telling him that something was going to happen. A car stopped just in front of Stephanie and Jackie's house. His attention rose. Two smart men stepped from the car. One of them rang the doorbell and after a little time, the door opened. The two girls walked out. He was amazed to realise how much Jackie had grown up, and she was a pretty girl, his gaze ran to the other...but...that was Stephanie! She was simply amazingly beautiful. He'd never seen anyone like her before. She looked like an angel. His mind went back to the first time he'd seen her on that planet. She'd looked so scared. Then, once inside the ship, when she'd started to take care of him. He knew she was afraid of him, and despite of it all she'd been there. She'd treated him as a human being. He remembered her scent, so good, her pale soft skin, her golden long hair, her taste when they'd kissed, so sweet. He saw one of the two men, give her a kiss on a cheek and, a cold feeling of anger ran over his body. He didn't like that this man could touch her. His eyes ran hungrily over her body, revealed by the tight dress. He saw her covering herself with the scarf. His lips bent in a smile. Good. Perhaps she'd felt his presence. He saw her leaving with Jackie and the two men in the car. He decided to follow her. It was time for action now.
-----------------------
The party was beautiful. The ballroom was so big, with a lot of smart people attending, sophisticated food, and good music. She knew only a small portion of them, whom she'd talked to earlier. Then, tired, she'd come back to their table. Now, she was watching all around her, drinking a glass of champagne. How many had she already drunk? She'd forgotten. Not too much anyway. The problem was that she wasn't used to it and she was starting to feel a little drunk. She smiled to herself, drinking a little more. Once every five years, you can afford it, Stephanie! Have fun, she repeated to herself. She noticed Jackie dancing with Mark. They were so nice together. Guy was talking with the mayor, surely about business. She gasped. She didn't want to think about business, not tonight. A waiter came up to her and leaned down, giving her two roses. "Madame? These two roses are for you." "Who sent them," she asked. "Count Armagnac. He would like to know if you'd give him the pleasure of dancing with him," the waiter told her. "Please, tell the Count that I thank him, but I'm sorry, I'm a little tired right now. Maybe later." "Yes, Madame" and the waiter silently left. From the other side of the ballroom, the Count lifted up his champagne flute, staring her with a sensual smile. She lifted her glass too and smiled at him. Count Armagnac was a famous, rich businessman, well known by everybody and a major supporter of the mayor. He was very powerful; some said he would be ready to do anything to obtain what he wanted. She knew he liked her, but for some unknown reason, she'd always felt uneasy with him. There was something in his eyes, in his manner, that she didn't like. So she avoided, as much as possible, being alone with him. She looked again at the two roses. It was a strange choice, one red and one black, both of them beautiful. The red one had a small card with it: "For the beautiful one. Count Armagnac." She shook her head; she had to be wary of him. She was staring at both roses, lost in her thoughts, when she noticed that the papers around the roses were different, as if they'd been bought in different places, very strange. She decided to look at them better, and finally noticed there was a second small card, in the black rose's paper. She took it, becoming very curious, opened it and read: "Have you ever been to the rose garden on a starlit night?" There was no signature. She lifted her head up and looked around her, trying to figure out who could have been to send it. No idea. She called to the waiter who'd given her the two roses. "Excuse me, could you tell me who sent this black rose?" "I'm sorry Madame. A deliveryman gave it to me and told me to give to you, but he said nothing else," the waiter apologised. She was dismayed, maybe worried a little, surely she was curious. She wanted to discover who was her secret admirer. Jackie joined her at the table. "You received two roses! Wow! You broke some hearts tonight!". Stephanie smiled, awkwardly, lost in thought. "They are beautiful," she said, but at the same time she hid the second small card. She didn't want to tell Jackie, because she would have started with a thousand questions. First she wanted to discover by herself who this mystery man was. "I think I'll go outside to take some air. It's too hot in here. I think I drank too much," she smiled, hoping to be believable enough. "Ok. But don't try to hide yourself! Come back soon," said Jackie, with a fake serious tone. Stephanie stood up, but made sure to take the black rose with her. She went out of the ballroom, to the garden. It was cold outside, and she put the scarf on her shoulders. She was happy to be there and meet some people. Jackie was right. She needed to meet new people and amuse herself. She thought about Guy. He'd been very kind that night, maybe too much. He'd been near her all the time, as if he'd discovered her for the first time, or maybe he'd been too shy before and he'd finally gotten the courage. But it didn't matter, because, even if he had some ideas about them, she felt only friendship for him. Her mind ran back to the last week. When Riddick had come again into her life. A part of her past she'd absolutely wanted to forget had reappeared again. She chased away those thoughts and let the fresh night breeze run over her skin. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The Townhall garden was full of flowers and the air was deliciously filled with their scent. Music drifted softly from the ballroom now. She walked toward the rose garden. It was pleasant to walk through the garden. It was so silent, so beautiful, with little lights here and there; it looked like a dream. She pulled her scarf through her fingers and finally reached the meeting place. It was quite far from the ballroom and not well lit. The roses were beautiful, full of colors, their perfume so intense. She decided to sit on a bench, between a group of trees, not sure about what to do or who to wait for. She sat down and leaned back. She looked around for a few minutes, at the big garden, the people walking and talking, far from her. She shivered a little as a breeze blew across her bare shoulders, then that sensation again, she was no longer alone. It's stupid, she said to herself, but she looked around anyway, without seeing too much in the dark. She decided not to think. It's nothing! Calm down Stephanie! She told herself, but she started to worry, maybe it had been stupid to come here alone, far from all other people. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly. "Why do you attend parties if they bore you so?" She gave a slight start but didn't move . She opened her eyes and looked around. A shiver came down her spine. No, it couldn't be possible. "Who's there?" she said to the darkness, but received no response. She tried again: "Is someone there?" More silence. Her brow furrowed as she stared hard into the emptiness, as if she could force her eyes to see into the dark. She hadn't imagined the voice. She thought for a moment about...no, no! You're dreaming Stephanie! No one had answered her question and she was alone, far from the ballroom, from all the people. She was starting to be really worried. Maybe it'd be better if I go back to the party, thought Stephanie. She stood up fast and started to walk back.
"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?"
She stopped, recognizing the voice. A little smile of incredulity appeared for a moment on her lips, but why was he there? She didn't move, it would have been useless, he could be anywhere in the dark, not far from her. She felt her scarf falling slowly down, she held it on one side and someone started to pull it from her until it completely fell down to the ground. She stopped herself and looked around. She was near a wall and she was very far now from the ballroom at the end of the garden, it was very dark out there, almost no light at all. She reached the scarf and picked it up, but while she was lifting her head up, she saw something appear, like a dark shadow. It was Riddick, appearing out of the dark. He had that incredible ability of hiding himself. He was amazing: wearing a smart silk black shirt and black trousers. He was serious, watching her with an admiring look, his beautiful eyes shining in the dark. "I have to go. Someone will wonder where I am," she said with a decisive tone in her voice, she didn't want him to discover her internal anxiety. She gasped then stood there, not moving, as if waiting for something. Something in his eyes was telling her not to move. How long they stayed, speechless, gazing at one another, she couldn't say. Then she turned and tried to go back, his hand grabbed her wrist to stop her. His touch seemed to burn her skin. She was petrified, the beat of her heart was furious. She hoped he hadn't noticed it. He came near to her. She felt the warmth of his muscled body near her. "Why are you here?" she asked, avoiding his eyes. In this way, she could try to keep control. "You should be more careful, Stephanie," he whispered in her ear. "Seems there are dangerous characters around here," she heard a small intake of breath and she knew a smile had appeared on his face. He took the black rose from her hand and started to caress her with it, running it softly along her arm, her shoulder, her neck, up her chin, to her cheek. It was so soft, so unexpected of him, that she shivered, closing her eyes. "A rose, among roses," he simply said, raising an eyebrow of satisfaction. She sighed. She felt so confused, her mind no longer able to think coherently. She tried to free her wrist from his fingers, but he wouldn't let her go. She gasped when his other hand reached out and grasped her by the arm. His fingers dug into her skin and he roughly pushed her until her back was against the cold wall, he pressed against her. She felt his hot breath near her face, still avoiding his eyes. "Look at me Stephanie," he ordered her. She obeyed. With one hand he caressed her face "You look so sexy like that." His fingers brushed her lips, trailing over her chin to rest on her collarbone. A finger rubbed her soft hair. "So good," he smelled her perfume, "good enough to eat." Like a predator with his prey, she thought, mesmerized by his dark deep eyes. He braced an arm on either side of her head. Staring deeply at her, his lips so near... she swallowed, her mouth was dry. He leaned slowly forward and kissed her deeply, one hand caressing her cheek so softly that she shivered. This was torture. With her last bit of clarity, she put her hands on his chest to push him away. "Please...let me go!" With a rough movement, he pushed her more fully against the wall, his body so tightly against her she could barely breathe. "Not tonight," he said with a determined look and kissed her roughly, leaving her breathless. Then his kiss began to gentle and grow more passionate. It was a delight. His hand caressed all over her body.
Then he left her lips to watch her better, as if this was the first time he saw her. "You're so sensual," he whispered and kissed her again. She ran her hands over his shoulders shyly, slowly losing her control. She was so scared and attracted at the same time by him....it was incredible. His touch was so exciting, his kiss so passionate, she knew she had to stop him and run away, but she couldn't. Her body said something different then her mind and heck! She was tired of all the struggles, or maybe only drunk, yes drunk; because she knew she just wanted him to touch her, she wanted him so much, right now she didn't want to think about the rest. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a few people coming near them. They stopped. She looked at him worried. "Riddick..." she whispered. He put his hand gently on her mouth to tell her to shut up; he covered her with his body to protect and hide her, and stayed still, waiting for those people to go away. Once they were alone again, she looked at him, worried, having found her lucidity again. "We...we can't...let me." she tried to say. "Hush," was his reply, and he kissed her again, slowly, seductively. She felt something against her stomach. One of his hands ran through her hair and held her head back, so that she stopped kissing him. His mouth trailed to her chin, down to her neck, kissing her. She closed her eyes to better feel the sensations. One hand brushed up and down her bare arm, the light pressure of his fingers made her shiver. His mouth lowered to her shoulder, kissing her as his hand pulled the thin strap of her dress off, then the other one. She turned to face him: "We can't... here," He stared at her seriously, with an indecipherable gaze for a while, he seemed so big, taller than usual now, out there in the dark, his dark eyes, shining with desire. He brought his mouth back to hers in a passionate kiss, his hands moved down to her body. "Ooh..." was all she was able to say. "Riddick...no, someone might see us...we...can't." He moved to her ear, while one hand began to push her dress up. "No one will see us," his voice was so husky, almost a whisper, "and we'll have to be very silent." A smile appeared on his lips saying this, while they were running down to her throat, she moaned and pushed her head back against the wall closing her eyes, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He loved her passionately, roughly, there: against the wall. When everything ended, for a long moment they stayed as they were: against the wall, both trembling, unable to talk or to move. Both of them astonished about this incredible strong passion, this strong attraction between them. Then he turned her and held her in his arms. Caressing her hair, as to reassure her. She still clung to him. She wouldn't have been able to stand if he wasn't holding her. She hoped he could wait long enough for her mind to start working again. He was there, not talking, just caressing her and looking into her eyes with his mysterious gaze. She was grateful to him for his silence. She didn't know what to say, and she wasn't sure she wanted to talk, breaking that magical moment. So there, against the wall, her mind still unable to think coherently, she knew she'd never felt like today. It had been so perfect...as if they were born to be together, she sighed. It was incredible and impossible. She was in his arms, so soft, so good. It had been a long time for Riddick since his last time, and it had never been like that: a total union between them, like she had the power to join his most secret and hidden part. It had been great: like an earthquake, like...a total eclipse. He smiled to himself at this thought.
Once they felt composed, he took a step back, still holding onto her lightly. He leaned forward and kissed her in an aching way, so gently, his lips almost caressing hers. Then taking one step back, he turned, and slipped away in the dark, leaving her alone.
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Guy and Mark drove Stephanie and Jackie back home. Once there while Mark was kissing Jackie goodnight, Guy came near to Stephanie. "Stephanie..." he started to say hesitantly. "Yes," she said absently. Her mind was a hundred miles far from there at that moment, her body still shaken from what had happened in the garden. Guy came near to her and before she was able to realize his intentions, he kissed her on her lips, a chaste kiss. She looked at him astonished, realizing now his feelings. "Guy, I...I..." she didn't know what to say, too afraid to hurt him in some way. "It's late. I...I have to go now," she only had the strength to say, detaching herself from his embrace. Coward, she said mentally to herself. She couldn't make reason that night. It was all so confusing, she was so tired, too many things had happened that day and she had to put order in her mind. "Oh? Uh! Yes, you're right," he blushed. " I'm sorry! It's because you're so amazing tonight, and ... well I'm sorry uh.It's unforgivable...have a goodnight," he said and with Mark jumped in their car and left Jackie and Stephanie in front of their door.
CH. 6 - The Party -
"Ephie? Where are you," Jackie called out. "I'm here. I'm trying to put this shelf in order," Stephanie answered. "Ok, that's enough for today," Jackie said, lifting her hands and pulling to stand up. "Here is the fairy with the magical wand! We have to prepare for the Townhall party." "But we've got still plenty of time! It's early," she tried to say. "No! We've got a lot of things to do and very little time. We don't want to be late, do we?" "Surely not!" said a laughing Stephanie. "C'mon Cinderella! Let's prepare for the big ball!" For the first time since they'd opened the clinic, they closed early.
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Two hours later, Stephanie was watching herself astonished in the mirror. Who was that girl? Was it her? Was it possible? "So," Jackie asked, satisfied by the result. "What do you think? If it's up to me you're perfect!" "I'm still asking myself, how did you do it! You got a new job for the future," she answered, sincerely amazed. "Oh, please! That's nothing special! Let's say it was not so hard. There was a good base to start with, I only had to work a little on it," smiled Jackie. Stephanie looked at herself once more in the mirror. The smart dress Guy and Jackie had bought her was very trendy. It had tiny shoulder straps and it was colourful, it looked like a Picasso's painting: from blue to pink, from green to black, to red and violet all mixed together in a unique abstract design. It was very long, close-fitting and had a sexy slit back. The shoes they'd chosen for her, were a pair of wonderful high-heeled sandals, which laced around her ankles with a thin rhinestone chain. Stephanie's long blond hair had been only softly pinned up, and the rest fell down in marvellous soft curls. The make-up Jackie applied on her was very light and ended with a dark red lipstick. She looked like another person. "Take this, put it on." Jackie gave her an embroidered turquoise scarf with long fringes. The doorbell rang. "Must be Guy," said Jackie, "let's go." Jackie opened the door. It was Guy and Mark, Jackie's boyfriend. Guy immediately saw Stephanie and opened his mouth in surprise. "Stephanie, you...you're...beautiful," he said and took a step back to better observe her. "I think, I've never seen you... like... tonight!" and he tenderly kissed her on her check. Stephanie smiled, blushing with embarrassment. She lowered her eyes and murmured "Thanks." Jackie smiled with satisfaction. Mark finally broke those moments of uneasiness when he said, "Let's go, it's time to go we are late!" Guy went before Stephanie and opened the door for her. Stephanie suddenly shivered. It was a little bit cold that night, she thought, and she covered herself better with her scarf. "C'mon Cinderella! It's party time," said Jackie in a low voice.
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It was evening and like all the other days before, he'd stayed out there, hidden behind a hedge, to wait and watch. Today the shop had closed before the usual time, he'd noticed. So he'd decided to remain longer, his instinct telling him that something was going to happen. A car stopped just in front of Stephanie and Jackie's house. His attention rose. Two smart men stepped from the car. One of them rang the doorbell and after a little time, the door opened. The two girls walked out. He was amazed to realise how much Jackie had grown up, and she was a pretty girl, his gaze ran to the other...but...that was Stephanie! She was simply amazingly beautiful. He'd never seen anyone like her before. She looked like an angel. His mind went back to the first time he'd seen her on that planet. She'd looked so scared. Then, once inside the ship, when she'd started to take care of him. He knew she was afraid of him, and despite of it all she'd been there. She'd treated him as a human being. He remembered her scent, so good, her pale soft skin, her golden long hair, her taste when they'd kissed, so sweet. He saw one of the two men, give her a kiss on a cheek and, a cold feeling of anger ran over his body. He didn't like that this man could touch her. His eyes ran hungrily over her body, revealed by the tight dress. He saw her covering herself with the scarf. His lips bent in a smile. Good. Perhaps she'd felt his presence. He saw her leaving with Jackie and the two men in the car. He decided to follow her. It was time for action now.
-----------------------
The party was beautiful. The ballroom was so big, with a lot of smart people attending, sophisticated food, and good music. She knew only a small portion of them, whom she'd talked to earlier. Then, tired, she'd come back to their table. Now, she was watching all around her, drinking a glass of champagne. How many had she already drunk? She'd forgotten. Not too much anyway. The problem was that she wasn't used to it and she was starting to feel a little drunk. She smiled to herself, drinking a little more. Once every five years, you can afford it, Stephanie! Have fun, she repeated to herself. She noticed Jackie dancing with Mark. They were so nice together. Guy was talking with the mayor, surely about business. She gasped. She didn't want to think about business, not tonight. A waiter came up to her and leaned down, giving her two roses. "Madame? These two roses are for you." "Who sent them," she asked. "Count Armagnac. He would like to know if you'd give him the pleasure of dancing with him," the waiter told her. "Please, tell the Count that I thank him, but I'm sorry, I'm a little tired right now. Maybe later." "Yes, Madame" and the waiter silently left. From the other side of the ballroom, the Count lifted up his champagne flute, staring her with a sensual smile. She lifted her glass too and smiled at him. Count Armagnac was a famous, rich businessman, well known by everybody and a major supporter of the mayor. He was very powerful; some said he would be ready to do anything to obtain what he wanted. She knew he liked her, but for some unknown reason, she'd always felt uneasy with him. There was something in his eyes, in his manner, that she didn't like. So she avoided, as much as possible, being alone with him. She looked again at the two roses. It was a strange choice, one red and one black, both of them beautiful. The red one had a small card with it: "For the beautiful one. Count Armagnac." She shook her head; she had to be wary of him. She was staring at both roses, lost in her thoughts, when she noticed that the papers around the roses were different, as if they'd been bought in different places, very strange. She decided to look at them better, and finally noticed there was a second small card, in the black rose's paper. She took it, becoming very curious, opened it and read: "Have you ever been to the rose garden on a starlit night?" There was no signature. She lifted her head up and looked around her, trying to figure out who could have been to send it. No idea. She called to the waiter who'd given her the two roses. "Excuse me, could you tell me who sent this black rose?" "I'm sorry Madame. A deliveryman gave it to me and told me to give to you, but he said nothing else," the waiter apologised. She was dismayed, maybe worried a little, surely she was curious. She wanted to discover who was her secret admirer. Jackie joined her at the table. "You received two roses! Wow! You broke some hearts tonight!". Stephanie smiled, awkwardly, lost in thought. "They are beautiful," she said, but at the same time she hid the second small card. She didn't want to tell Jackie, because she would have started with a thousand questions. First she wanted to discover by herself who this mystery man was. "I think I'll go outside to take some air. It's too hot in here. I think I drank too much," she smiled, hoping to be believable enough. "Ok. But don't try to hide yourself! Come back soon," said Jackie, with a fake serious tone. Stephanie stood up, but made sure to take the black rose with her. She went out of the ballroom, to the garden. It was cold outside, and she put the scarf on her shoulders. She was happy to be there and meet some people. Jackie was right. She needed to meet new people and amuse herself. She thought about Guy. He'd been very kind that night, maybe too much. He'd been near her all the time, as if he'd discovered her for the first time, or maybe he'd been too shy before and he'd finally gotten the courage. But it didn't matter, because, even if he had some ideas about them, she felt only friendship for him. Her mind ran back to the last week. When Riddick had come again into her life. A part of her past she'd absolutely wanted to forget had reappeared again. She chased away those thoughts and let the fresh night breeze run over her skin. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The Townhall garden was full of flowers and the air was deliciously filled with their scent. Music drifted softly from the ballroom now. She walked toward the rose garden. It was pleasant to walk through the garden. It was so silent, so beautiful, with little lights here and there; it looked like a dream. She pulled her scarf through her fingers and finally reached the meeting place. It was quite far from the ballroom and not well lit. The roses were beautiful, full of colors, their perfume so intense. She decided to sit on a bench, between a group of trees, not sure about what to do or who to wait for. She sat down and leaned back. She looked around for a few minutes, at the big garden, the people walking and talking, far from her. She shivered a little as a breeze blew across her bare shoulders, then that sensation again, she was no longer alone. It's stupid, she said to herself, but she looked around anyway, without seeing too much in the dark. She decided not to think. It's nothing! Calm down Stephanie! She told herself, but she started to worry, maybe it had been stupid to come here alone, far from all other people. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly. "Why do you attend parties if they bore you so?" She gave a slight start but didn't move . She opened her eyes and looked around. A shiver came down her spine. No, it couldn't be possible. "Who's there?" she said to the darkness, but received no response. She tried again: "Is someone there?" More silence. Her brow furrowed as she stared hard into the emptiness, as if she could force her eyes to see into the dark. She hadn't imagined the voice. She thought for a moment about...no, no! You're dreaming Stephanie! No one had answered her question and she was alone, far from the ballroom, from all the people. She was starting to be really worried. Maybe it'd be better if I go back to the party, thought Stephanie. She stood up fast and started to walk back.
"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?"
She stopped, recognizing the voice. A little smile of incredulity appeared for a moment on her lips, but why was he there? She didn't move, it would have been useless, he could be anywhere in the dark, not far from her. She felt her scarf falling slowly down, she held it on one side and someone started to pull it from her until it completely fell down to the ground. She stopped herself and looked around. She was near a wall and she was very far now from the ballroom at the end of the garden, it was very dark out there, almost no light at all. She reached the scarf and picked it up, but while she was lifting her head up, she saw something appear, like a dark shadow. It was Riddick, appearing out of the dark. He had that incredible ability of hiding himself. He was amazing: wearing a smart silk black shirt and black trousers. He was serious, watching her with an admiring look, his beautiful eyes shining in the dark. "I have to go. Someone will wonder where I am," she said with a decisive tone in her voice, she didn't want him to discover her internal anxiety. She gasped then stood there, not moving, as if waiting for something. Something in his eyes was telling her not to move. How long they stayed, speechless, gazing at one another, she couldn't say. Then she turned and tried to go back, his hand grabbed her wrist to stop her. His touch seemed to burn her skin. She was petrified, the beat of her heart was furious. She hoped he hadn't noticed it. He came near to her. She felt the warmth of his muscled body near her. "Why are you here?" she asked, avoiding his eyes. In this way, she could try to keep control. "You should be more careful, Stephanie," he whispered in her ear. "Seems there are dangerous characters around here," she heard a small intake of breath and she knew a smile had appeared on his face. He took the black rose from her hand and started to caress her with it, running it softly along her arm, her shoulder, her neck, up her chin, to her cheek. It was so soft, so unexpected of him, that she shivered, closing her eyes. "A rose, among roses," he simply said, raising an eyebrow of satisfaction. She sighed. She felt so confused, her mind no longer able to think coherently. She tried to free her wrist from his fingers, but he wouldn't let her go. She gasped when his other hand reached out and grasped her by the arm. His fingers dug into her skin and he roughly pushed her until her back was against the cold wall, he pressed against her. She felt his hot breath near her face, still avoiding his eyes. "Look at me Stephanie," he ordered her. She obeyed. With one hand he caressed her face "You look so sexy like that." His fingers brushed her lips, trailing over her chin to rest on her collarbone. A finger rubbed her soft hair. "So good," he smelled her perfume, "good enough to eat." Like a predator with his prey, she thought, mesmerized by his dark deep eyes. He braced an arm on either side of her head. Staring deeply at her, his lips so near... she swallowed, her mouth was dry. He leaned slowly forward and kissed her deeply, one hand caressing her cheek so softly that she shivered. This was torture. With her last bit of clarity, she put her hands on his chest to push him away. "Please...let me go!" With a rough movement, he pushed her more fully against the wall, his body so tightly against her she could barely breathe. "Not tonight," he said with a determined look and kissed her roughly, leaving her breathless. Then his kiss began to gentle and grow more passionate. It was a delight. His hand caressed all over her body.
Then he left her lips to watch her better, as if this was the first time he saw her. "You're so sensual," he whispered and kissed her again. She ran her hands over his shoulders shyly, slowly losing her control. She was so scared and attracted at the same time by him....it was incredible. His touch was so exciting, his kiss so passionate, she knew she had to stop him and run away, but she couldn't. Her body said something different then her mind and heck! She was tired of all the struggles, or maybe only drunk, yes drunk; because she knew she just wanted him to touch her, she wanted him so much, right now she didn't want to think about the rest. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a few people coming near them. They stopped. She looked at him worried. "Riddick..." she whispered. He put his hand gently on her mouth to tell her to shut up; he covered her with his body to protect and hide her, and stayed still, waiting for those people to go away. Once they were alone again, she looked at him, worried, having found her lucidity again. "We...we can't...let me." she tried to say. "Hush," was his reply, and he kissed her again, slowly, seductively. She felt something against her stomach. One of his hands ran through her hair and held her head back, so that she stopped kissing him. His mouth trailed to her chin, down to her neck, kissing her. She closed her eyes to better feel the sensations. One hand brushed up and down her bare arm, the light pressure of his fingers made her shiver. His mouth lowered to her shoulder, kissing her as his hand pulled the thin strap of her dress off, then the other one. She turned to face him: "We can't... here," He stared at her seriously, with an indecipherable gaze for a while, he seemed so big, taller than usual now, out there in the dark, his dark eyes, shining with desire. He brought his mouth back to hers in a passionate kiss, his hands moved down to her body. "Ooh..." was all she was able to say. "Riddick...no, someone might see us...we...can't." He moved to her ear, while one hand began to push her dress up. "No one will see us," his voice was so husky, almost a whisper, "and we'll have to be very silent." A smile appeared on his lips saying this, while they were running down to her throat, she moaned and pushed her head back against the wall closing her eyes, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He loved her passionately, roughly, there: against the wall. When everything ended, for a long moment they stayed as they were: against the wall, both trembling, unable to talk or to move. Both of them astonished about this incredible strong passion, this strong attraction between them. Then he turned her and held her in his arms. Caressing her hair, as to reassure her. She still clung to him. She wouldn't have been able to stand if he wasn't holding her. She hoped he could wait long enough for her mind to start working again. He was there, not talking, just caressing her and looking into her eyes with his mysterious gaze. She was grateful to him for his silence. She didn't know what to say, and she wasn't sure she wanted to talk, breaking that magical moment. So there, against the wall, her mind still unable to think coherently, she knew she'd never felt like today. It had been so perfect...as if they were born to be together, she sighed. It was incredible and impossible. She was in his arms, so soft, so good. It had been a long time for Riddick since his last time, and it had never been like that: a total union between them, like she had the power to join his most secret and hidden part. It had been great: like an earthquake, like...a total eclipse. He smiled to himself at this thought.
Once they felt composed, he took a step back, still holding onto her lightly. He leaned forward and kissed her in an aching way, so gently, his lips almost caressing hers. Then taking one step back, he turned, and slipped away in the dark, leaving her alone.
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Guy and Mark drove Stephanie and Jackie back home. Once there while Mark was kissing Jackie goodnight, Guy came near to Stephanie. "Stephanie..." he started to say hesitantly. "Yes," she said absently. Her mind was a hundred miles far from there at that moment, her body still shaken from what had happened in the garden. Guy came near to her and before she was able to realize his intentions, he kissed her on her lips, a chaste kiss. She looked at him astonished, realizing now his feelings. "Guy, I...I..." she didn't know what to say, too afraid to hurt him in some way. "It's late. I...I have to go now," she only had the strength to say, detaching herself from his embrace. Coward, she said mentally to herself. She couldn't make reason that night. It was all so confusing, she was so tired, too many things had happened that day and she had to put order in her mind. "Oh? Uh! Yes, you're right," he blushed. " I'm sorry! It's because you're so amazing tonight, and ... well I'm sorry uh.It's unforgivable...have a goodnight," he said and with Mark jumped in their car and left Jackie and Stephanie in front of their door.