Blood in the Golden Palace

Chapter 12: Penny-1

Chapter 12: PennyPenny couldn’t remember the last time she had such a pleasant day. Walking along the street with Angelo, arm in arm, she felt like a character of Brontë or Austen, courted by the town’s most eligible bachelor. It was difficult to put into words the paradigm shift she felt toward Angelo. It was possible, of course, that she was simply blinded by his good looks and chivalry. But if this was some kind of facade, she hoped it would last just a bit longer.

“So what are you going to read first?” Angelo asked.

“Mmm.” Penny leaned against his arm in thought. “I picked up a couple of fantasy books I’ve been wanting to try. I might start with one of them. They’re supposed to be great.”

“Hopefully they live up to the hype.”

“Hopefully. But if they don’t, I have plenty more.”

They paused at a crosswalk, and Angelo pushed the button while they waited. “I don’t think I’ve ever asked you what your favorite book is.”

Penny paused. “Like, my top ten or…?”

“Do you not have a favorite?”

“That’s a loaded question.”

The walk sign switched, and Angelo lead Penny across the street. “Okay, how about books you’ve read more than once.” Penny frowned. “Three times?” She frowned harder. “Five times or more.”

“Okay that cuts it down.” They turned a corner, finding themselves on a narrow street with plenty of storefronts. Some less savory than others. But the two were so lost in their world that they might as well have wandered down a row of sycamores and fireflies. “I think, if I had to choose, I’d pick The Princess Bride.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that one,” Angelo said. “Wasn’t it a movie?”

Penny nodded. “I’ve seen it plenty of times. But I’ve read the book more than I can count. It was my first ever book I bought for myself. I still have the paperback. I know it’s silly, but I’ve always had a soft spot for romance and adventure. And the love story between Buttercup and Wesley is just so…timeless.”

Angelo stopped their walk. “And what makes that silly?” he asked.

Penny floundered. “Well, you know…”

“I don’t.”

“I…Well it’s not…I’m twenty-two. I probably should be reading more serious things these days, shouldn’t I?”

“Sure. Like the tax code.” They started walking again. Somehow, their hands linked together, as if pulled close by magnets. “Listen, Penny. Take it from someone who’s seen the worst people have to offer: the world sucks.”

Penny hesitated. “And…?”

“And,” he continued, “if something as harmless as fairy-tale romance books makes it suck less for you, you shouldn’t be ashamed of it.”

A warm blossom budded in Penny’s chest, and she leaned into Angelo’s arm. That conversation from dinner returned tenfold. Penny chanced a look up at her escort. Was his compassion really just as simple as he liked her? High school was years ago; she was an adult now. And yet, side by side with Angelo DeRossi, she felt as light as a teenager. She only hoped those butterflies in her belly wouldn’t suffocate her on the way out…

Rounding another bend, Penny was suddenly accosted by vivid, red light. A smell of perfume hit her senses, and she turned. Sitting in front of them, its doors wide open for the world, was a s*x shop. Immediately, Penny was reminded of her indiscretion just a few nights ago.

“We must still be in the red district,” Angelo remarked. “You want me to call Hank to pick us up?” Penny didn’t answer right away. Her eyes lingered on the mannequins in the display windows. Their plastic bodies were strung up with straps and harnesses. One of them wore a feather boa and glittery mask. Cutouts of beautiful nude women all censored with Post-It notes were taped along the glass. Now that she was no longer bogged down with the shame of her spying on Angelo, Penny allowed herself to be excited by the memory. The sight of his friend Kitty suspended and restrained. The look of Angelo’s dominant eyes as he f****d her. As if to tell Penny that it wasn’t Kitty on his mind that night…

“Penny?” Angelo waved his hand in front of Penny’s face, taking her attention away from the shop. There was a mischievous glimmer in his expression. “What’s on your mind?” Penny’s eyes flicked to the shop, and with no voice to say what she wanted, she squeezed Angelo’s hand. Angelo took half a step forward, enticing her inward. “Do you want to go inside?” he asked. Penny nodded, silently. Angelo stepped back, still holding Penny’s hand in a delicate gesture. Like a vampire leading its dinner to bed, Angelo escorted Penny through the doors and into the red neon.

It was a tiny shop. Barely the area of Penny’s old apartment, though with higher ceilings. Packaged toys and costumes lined the walls. A wire rack advertised porn DVD’s and Playboy magazines. The only non-s****l things in the store was a corner full of band posters with some local CD’s. The girl at the counter welcomed them lazily before going back to texting on her phone. Penny’s heartbeat thudded against her ears as she ran her fingers along a selection of fine leashes. Angelo did not let her stray far.

“See anything you like?” he said quietly. Penny could feel the heat of his body just behind hers. Ready to snatch her up, should she give the word. Penny’s knees locked at the prospect, but she pushed forward. She saw a display riding crop with a twist of purple satin running up the handle. She took it from its shelf. It fit beautifully in her slender fingers. Glancing behind her, Angelo remained close, but kept his hands folded politely behind him.

Penny put the crop back. “This stuff is still pretty strange to me,” she admitted. “I mean, not…not strange. But I…I wouldn’t know where to start. Or…” Penny turned back to Angelo, only to notice that there was barely a couple inches between them. “Or who to start with…”

Angelo took half a step back to ease the tension. “Well…” Spotting a pair of fuzzy handcuffs, he held them up to admire the cute hearts on the leather. “For a newbie, if one was so inclined, I’d suggest something soft. Maybe something sexy to wear, or a soft leather flog. Something made for beginners. As for who…” Angelo hesitated, and Penny wondered if he was thinking about slipping her wrists into those cuffs. However, he put them back. “…I would recommend someone who knows what they’re doing. And someone you trust. Implicitly.”

“Someone like you?” The question asked itself.

Angelo turned back to her fully. “That depends,” he said. “Do you trust me?”

Penny bit her lip. “Should I?”

Angelo glanced back at the counter. The shop girl was still keeping herself busy with her phone. Realizing they wouldn’t be bothered, Angelo took a step further. Penny retreated, and found herself flush up against the wall. Angelo had her cornered. His hands rested on some of the shelves beside her, effectively boxing her in. “Penny,” he growled. “You’re making this very difficult.”

“Am I?” Penny breathed. Her mouth, by now, had gone quite dry.

“Yes,” Angelo continued. “I’ve done everything I can to keep myself away. You think I haven’t wanted to make you c*m from the moment we met? But I kept my distance. And then you had to go and be a naughty, naughty girl.” He shook his head. Despite the fact that they were not touching, Penny felt her skin electrify at the very thought of contact. “Do you know how hot that was? Did you know I didn’t sleep that night because of you? Because that image was all I could think about? Now…now you’re in here, and you’re asking me these things. You’re tempting me, little mouse. And I am running out of self-restraint.”

“No s*x in the store, please, thanks.”

The bored voice of the shop girl shattered the mood between them like glass. Angelo closed his eyes. Releasing the shelves, he took a step back, showing the clerk his hands. “Don’t worry, we’re not up to anything.”

Penny caught her breath, realizing she’d been holding it in for nearly a minute. She saw Angelo draw away, and something inside her stirred into action. Reaching forward, she took Angelo’s hand with both of hers, stopping him from going too far. She couldn’t find her voice to speak her mind, and hoped that she could communicate some other way instead. Keeping their hands together, Penny continued to peruse the wares. Eventually, Penny came across a section of lingerie. She paused, noticing one in the forefront of the display.

It was a harness, strapped around a mannequin’s neck and breasts. The leather was a dusty, glittery pink, with a metal heart centered at the sternum. From the base of the neck and beneath the straps, a see-through, silky pink fabric cascaded to the navel of the display form, trimmed with light feathers. Penny reached up, touching the display with a delicate finger. Angelo, one hand still in hers, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with the other.

“Do you like it, pet?” he whispered. Penny nodded. Angelo’s fingers trailed down to her jaw, and he tilted her head towards him. “Would you like to wear it for me?” Again, Penny nodded, without hesitation. “Would you like me to f**k you in it? I need to hear you answer me.” Penny licked her lips.

“Yes,” she finally said. “Yes I would.”

Angelo’s grin widened. He lifted her hand, their eyes locked with each other, and kissed her fingers. “Then it’s yours.”

* * * *

The entire car ride back to the hotel, Penny was sure that Angelo could hear her heartbeat. She clutched her pink paper bag, the prize within weighing ten times more than it should have. And while she was anxious of the night ahead of them, that anxiety was nothing compared to her excitement. The thrill of knowing what awaited her in the hotel room sent jolts up her spine. Additionally, Angelo’s calm demeanor about the whole thing only added to her impatience. From the purchase to the trip back, Angelo was as collected as ever. In fact, he seemed more put together than he had been previously. He opened doors for her, offered her his hand, and escorted her like a prince, while also keeping a mindful distance to her person. Angelo’s restraint only fueled the eagerness between her thighs.

Finally, they arrived at the hotel. Angelo, his hand hovering by Penny’s lower back, walked her to the elevator and up to his suite. Once they were inside, Penny turned to Angelo, only to see him towering over her in the darkness, his eyes fiery with intent.

Grabbing at one another passionately, they kissed.

It was rough. Desperate. Penny could feel the clawing need from both of them as she realized that Angelo had been just as eager as she was. In a swift motion, Angelo scooped Penny up by her thighs and pressed her back against the closet door. Her legs locked around his hips, and she felt—to her delight—a stiffness throbbing just beneath the zipper of his pants. Penny wasn’t sure if she’d even get the chance to throw on the harness with how horny they both were.

After a moment, the kiss broke, and both of them caught their breath. Penny, her eyes glossy, said the first thing that came to mind: “You taste like cigarettes.”

“Do I?” Angelo asked. He nuzzled their noses together and set Penny to her feet gently. “Tell you what,” he said. “I’ll go freshen up. And you…” He tenderly ran his thumb down Penny’s jaw. “…get ready.” With that, Angelo vanished into the bathroom, leaving Penny winded and over energized.

First, she went to the mirror. Her hair was a fright, and she cursed herself for not wearing makeup. She tried to fluff her hair as best she could before quickly getting out of her T-shirt and jeans. She stood for a moment in her bra and underwear, staring at herself. Was she really going to do this? Was she really going to set aside all caution, all sense, for this dangerous man?

Fuck yes I am.

That was the deciding factor. Taking off her bra, she threw it aside and turned to the bag on the floor. Now that it wasn’t on a mannequin, the harness was complicated and confusing. Fortunately, she managed to find the neck hole and worked her way down. She shimmied up into it, straightening out the slip fabric as she went. Once everything was in place, she latched up the collar in the back and stared at herself in the mirror. Still in her cotton briefs, Penny looked like some kind of fairy prostitute, but in the best way. Her breasts sat naturally in the harness, the dark n*****s pert and excited beneath the soft, silky fabric. Moving to the bed, she sat on her knees, and ran her hands up and down the harness. It hugged her body as though it was made just for her.