Chapter 6
Pool Party
The starry sky above Los Angeles was still, cradled by a single breath of cool air.
Beneath it, the water of the penthouse pool sparkled brilliantly, illuminated by submerged LEDs casting unnaturally vibrant colors.
A faint rustling was the only harbinger that something was about to happen, then the starry black slightly rippled, vibrating as if a wave of heat had warmed the air.
A segment of the sky detached from the rest of the night and took on the shape of a human face.
Like a Venus rising to the water's surface, Azuki's face appeared first from that dark mimesis, followed by the rest of her body as the veil that had hidden her from view slipped over her.
The wings with which she had flown over the buildings morphed into a large cloak, still merged with the heavenly dome, and made her descent a delicate whisper in the evening air.
When she was a breath away from the terrace, the cloak folded in on itself and then flowed onto her, simultaneously changing appearance and dressing her in a sensuously skimpy, deep purple slingshot bikini.
Her supple legs touched down effortlessly, immediately taking an elegant stride; the catwalk-crossed step was made even more provocative by a pair of 12-inch stiletto slave sandals, a complete ode to her vanity, as they moved direct and agile toward the edge of the pool.
Sliding away from her body, the substance covering her brought the vaporizer hidden among its folds to her hand; the gesture with which she brought it to her lips and took a distracted drag made the feat of landing in stiletto heels on the roof of a building seem like a simple routine rather than the miracle of coordination and agility it was.
But above all, it gave her the appearance of someone coming home. Finally.
As soon as the thermo-optic camouflage completely vanished, making her detectable by the motion sensors, the house's digital assistant responded to her presence by playing the track "
Supernova Dreamsicle
."
From the first notes, the saxophone coupled with electronic melodies resonated with her soul with a calm she had longed for too long.
It was the perfect melody: it spoke of a journey that had finally come to an end and the promise of a serene and spectacular landing at the same time.
Under its influence, finally, the wonder of that place managed to breach even Azuki's dark mood.
She was on the umpteenth floor of a fifty-million-dollar penthouse. The night was warm and calm. The pool water was heated and illuminated with a dreamlike light show. Around her, the skyline of the City of Angels was breathtaking, and from her privileged vantage point, she could drink it in as if it were Ambrosia: a nectar not permitted to mortals.
Only a handful of people on this planet could savor such an intense and gratifying experience. And it was all for her.
And she was home.
Here, high almost above the clouds, wrapped in opulence so lavish it made her seem immensely distant from ordinary mortals, she could finally slip away from the world.
Forget what the day had brought and would bring.
Make her heart beat softly yet vibrantly, as if from that dreamlike night she would never awaken. And, as her heels tapped the song's very rhythm on the pool tiles, Cassandra made her entrance right on cue.
With the regality befitting the high priestess of a temple, she slid the patio doors aside, revealing herself in all her sensuous elegance, her perfect form wrapped in a scandalously erotic swimsuit, worn with the unabashed confidence of one who knows their own beauty.
As the doors continued to open, her slender legs proceeded along the poolside with a firm, majestic stride befitting one embarking on the most sacred of rituals.
By her side, a step behind and in perfect sync, with their gazes fixed on the horizon like obedient vestal virgins, Brittany and Ulrika followed suit. They held their chins high, pride in their eyes for having been chosen for this ritual, their provocative bodies encased in bikinis as indecent as their Mistress's. On their feet, in deference to their host's lasciviousness and in contempt of all caution, were high-heeled sandals that gave their eager stride a swaying motion, purposely designed to flaunt their perfectly sculpted, restless hips.
As the beat of the song strengthened alongside the beating of their hearts, the three women moved in unison towards their eagerly awaited host, their steps so perfectly coordinated they seemed choreographed, their eyes growing more passionate with every inch they closed the distance between them and their profane deity.
Azuki, upon seeing them, was struck even more by the force of that enthralling vision than by the opulence of such an exclusive setting. Her own walk took on their frenzied rhythm, shifting her aim from the pool waters and putting her on a collision course with her three worshipers.
She felt their desire beneath her skin. It beckoned her more than any wealth could. It warmed her more than any earthly warmth. It made her feel at home more than any place could. It made her feel wealthy and safe more than any palace or fortress could.
Their gazes met, and in that moment, they exchanged a promise of how much they wanted each other. Their eyes sparkled, eager to reach each other, to wrap around, to lose themselves in each other, to turn the night into a moment outside time, into another universe—a dream, a divine longing lent to them by the infinite for that brief spark that would be their evening, their lifetime.
It was only out of respect for the sanctity of that moment that they did not break into a run, though they quickened their pace as much as the formality of the ritual would allow.
Finally, like a wave crashing onto the shore, the three vestals enveloped her. Cassandra immediately slipped behind her, a hand languidly and adoringly sweeping around her shoulders, giving her free rein, as if to offer her the two far-from-virginal sacrificial offerings.
Without saying a word, as if it were as clear as an immutable and preordained destiny, as if it were certain what was about to happen, the other two pressed tightly against her sides, their eyes, full of lust, locked onto hers, making no attempt to hide their desire to be torn apart by her insatiable depravity.
There it was. Her paradise. Her forbidden dream. In that tiny infinity that was the eyes of those girls, there lay her happiness—the place where all that made her monstrous was instead desired... Appreciated... Accepted... Understood.
She desired it immensely more than they could desire the carnal pleasure she could grant.
Almost like a wolf salivating, Azuki's lips parted in small, famished kisses that resembled bites, seeking those of the two young women.
Brittany, of course, was the first to advance, boldly displaying the same reckless hunger for her kisses, bold enough to flick her tongue in search of her lover's.
Azuki slipped away, though, greedy, after just a couple of fleeting thrusts, wanting to feel the other girl immediately, finding her just as ready, the lesser boldness more than compensated by the devoted submission that the plump lips showed in welcoming her with a wet embrace.
The caresses she offered with the tip of her tongue found Ulrika's waiting eagerly, ready to prove her submission, in perfect contrast with the blonde's nature.
Azuki pulled away from her as well, but only to drink in the light of the young Dark's dark eyes, swollen in the moonlight, offering her a universe of obedience and desire.
That very longing was the magic word that seemed to sync the deep and intense rhythm of their hearts with the bass of the melody, making their breaths deeper, as they waited for their appetites to be unleashed.
In that magic, Azuki's senses were lost. Reality melted away, finally setting her free, lifting her from the curse of being always so damn aware, constantly on guard, finally delivering her to the present, the moment, pulling her away from the past and the future she was ceaselessly forced to watch, predicting their whims, escaping their floods.
With perfect timing, Brittany pressed herself against her, shamelessly squashing her large, soft breasts against Azuki's arm to get her attention. Azuki immediately caught the indecent invitation and, turning, found the blonde's hand offering her a champagne glass overflowing with bubbles and, behind it, a gaze just as hungry and lost in the moment as hers.
As if to honor the immense contribution that alcohol had made in finally driving away that oppressive daytime, Azuki took the flute between her fingers and flipped it into her mouth, downing it all in one gulp, toasting to that vanishing world.
Damn, Cassie brought out the good stuff!
