Page 72 of Masked in Deception
The feeling of Margot’s hand on mine brings me back to the present, where Aurora and Désiré are performing their grand pas de deux. Electricity circuits through my body from where our skin meets until she breaks our point of contact to clap emphatically as tonight's performers take their final bow.
I take our coats from the doorman as we leave our private suite and help her into hers before putting mine on as well, savoring any point of contact I can get. With spring just around the corner, I felt we could walk a block to a popular teahouse for a light spread, the beauty of a Sunday matinee. That being said, it's still pretty chilly in New York. I wrap my arm around her for warmth, and even though she doesn’t snuggle into me like she once would before, she doesn’t move away. And that’s enough.
“Oh wow, this place is beautiful.” Margot looks around the restaurant in awe of the whimsical pastel decor as the hostess sits us at a table for two tucked away in a cozy corner of the room.
“Not as beautiful as you are, Princess.” I can’t help it.God,I can’t help voicing her beauty. She’s an absolute vision in her blush dress. It’s not the vibrant pink from days of Margot past, but it’s the mostheroutfit she’s worn as of late. I worked hard throughout the ballet to pay attention to the show, but now that I’m sitting across from her, I can’t help but take her all in.
Her hair is pulled back from her face, but she left her long golden curls to flow down her back. Her makeup is lighter thanit has been recently, with hues to match her dress. Her luscious tits flow over the top of her satin corset.
“Earth to Jack! What are you thinking about?” She snaps her fingers to get my attention.
I bring my gaze from her chest to her sparkling eyes. “I was thinking about the fact that this is the first time I’ve seen you wear pink in…well, I guess in over two years.”
“Well, you know it's practically a mandatory requirement of mine to wear pink to seeSleeping Beauty.”
“Ah, of course, your protest that her dress should only ever be pink, never blue, and that youmustwear pink in a show of the passion behind your opinion.”
“Well, yes. Exactly,” she deadpans.
“Do you remember how you would make Ledger, Henry, and me be the three fairies and Blanche be Maleficent?”
She snorts from laughing so hard. “I did not do that. I refuse to believe it.”
The memory reminds me of exactly how many years the entire Sinclair house lived and breathedSleeping Beauty.
“Your mom will have a picture somewhere to prove it. You even had your dad playing Prince Phillip, so you must’ve only been two. Three was when you started insisting I play the prince in every play. It was something to watch you boss that man around. So tell me, do you still prefer the storyline of the movie to the ballet?”
“Oh the movie of course, and don’t act like you don’t know why!” she says as her laughter dies down. “There’s no way that Prince Désiré could possibly be her true love if he had never met her.”
“And you still think an afternoon frolic in the forest with Prince Phillip justifies their love?” I ask, leaning forward onto the still empty table between us.
“Well, not exactly,” she says, matching my position as she props her elbows on the table to lean in as well. “But they were destined to be married! Phillip knew from the moment he first saw little baby Aurora what his purpose was in her life. He spent sixteen years with the duty to marry this princess hanging over his head and never once wavered. Then he meets her again all these years later with no pretense of who she’s supposed to be, and he’s ready to risk it all and give uprealPrincess Aurora to be withforestPrincess Aurora. So you tell me that’s not destiny.”
We’ve both been drawing closer with each passing moment, and by the time she’s done with her spiel, she’s only a few inches away. I caress her chin, my hand like a magnet drawn to its other pole. To its home.
“I certainly know what it’s like to hold a baby in my hands and know what my purpose is in life,” I say, my eyes locked on hers. “But I also think that two souls can be made for one another. The fact that Prince Désiré was there at the exact moment he needed to be and overcame every obstacle to wake the sleeping Aurora should mean something as well. Maybe her soul called to him…because I also know what it feels like to have the other half of mine call to me.”
I barely hear her breathe out, “Jackie…” before I’m pulling her mouth to mine, finding it impossible not to taste the lips my name just fell from so effortlessly. I’ve almost found my mark, only a hair's breadth away from my own personal nirvana, when our server arrives to greet us.
“Good afternoon. My name is Em…oh! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt!” Margot tries her hardest to escape my grasp entirely, but I hold her jaw steady in my hand, running my thumb back and forth across her lower lip.
“No need to apologize. My girl just had a little something on her lip that I was helping her with,” I assure, never breaking eye contact with Margot while I order for us both.
Margot slaps my hand away and sits back in her chair the moment our server leaves us alone again. “I could’ve ordered for myself!”
I’ve gone to at least a hundred teas with this woman. I know her order.I know everything about her, for that matter.I raise a brow as I take a drink of water, sitting back in my chair. “Would you have ordered something different?”
She folds her arms across her chest but doesn’t accept her defeat. “Whatever, Jack. And I’m notyour girl.”
“Whatever you say, Princess.” This time, I give her what I hope to be a rather rakish smirk as I slouch down a bit, throwing an arm around the back of my chair.
Myprincess just rolls her eyes, but I can see that smile she’s trying to hide. I let her off the hook the rest of the afternoon, just enjoying her company.
Chapter fifty-four
As I sit on my cushions, eyes down and wearing only my necklace while waiting for my Sir to come in, my mind wanders to another man for the first time ever in this room. Jack briefly flits across my mind, and the fact that I almostkissedhim this week. Would kissing be considered cheating on Sir? I try to clear my head, slowing my breathing, so that I’m focused only on maintaining good posture and being perfect for when he enters. I’m nervous about how tonight will go after ourincident,and even though we took a week off and texted a bit, I’m not sure what the vibes will be. Luckily for me, my Pavlovian response to being in this room and on my cushions is calming me. I know I’m already wet, and when I hear the door open, the thud of his boots making their way to the desk behind me has me dripping. He takes a few minutes to arrange things on and around the desk, opening and closing a storage room door before coming back to stand in front of me.
“Good evening, pet. I don’t want any noise from you right now. But I do want your pitiful little gaze. Eyes.”
