Courting Crazy Read online

  I kiss her lips chastely, “Of course, Mari love. Work out some times you can be available with your Captain, and then we will choose a date together, okay?”

  She squeezes me hard with a squeal of pleasure. Her eyes are brimming when she looks up, “Thank you my Lord. I always feel like the last and least because I didn’t get to meet you when everyone else did. Thank you for making me feel special to you.”

  Trina walks up behind Marisol, and then Marisol jumps into me. “Wait until the date night, Mari. You’ll be ready to take a triple play and give up a pound of flesh rather than just a bite. It’s that awesome.”

  “Did you goose, Mari?” I ask. Trina just grins. “Katrina Laughlin, you are incorrigible.”

  Marisol says, “Don’t worry, my Lord. She never touched any of us before. I’m flattered for the attention she gives me.”

  “You poor broken bird,” I tell her.

  She gives me a saucy sideways look, “Not yet, but I’m hopeful you’ll break me the next time you fuck me!” She winks at me and skips off to the loo. Trina slides under one arm. Kristina joins us as I hear Solange’s urgent “Ravens, fly to me” from the front door. Tiffany steps in front of Christie and weapons appear in my ladies’ hands as they rush to the door.

  Chapter 5 - Laurel

  My pistol is in my hand and charged as I step towards the door. Corrina jumps in front of me and puts a palm in the center of my chest. “Please wait here, my Lord.” She looks past me to Myra, “You too, my Queen.” Then she takes my pistol and walks to the door.

  I hear a raspy voice crow, “You Ravens are pathetic! All of you together are no match for a single Valkyrie!” Corrina steps into the hallway holding my cocked pistol at her thigh.

  I look over at Tiffany, taking in her nervous demeanor, as I hear Corrina say, “Would you like to reassess that, Abraxas?” There is a pregnant pause before Corrina continues, “I am surprised. I thought you would go for the whole ‘you got lucky’ defense, but you would have to believe it to say it. Apparently you know I am just that good. Are you ready for a rematch, Abraxas?”

  Solange appears in the doorway and waves me forward, so I walk out into the hallway. “What’s going on, Corrina?”

  “Lord Jack, I was hosing down the fire that was threatening my team. Not to worry, sir. It doesn’t have much fuel. Lord Jack Jerome, allow me to introduce to you Princess Laurel ab Lochlin Mac Cavanaugh, the Summer Lady. Lady Summer, I introduce to you Jacques Guillaume Jerome.”

  Laurel Cavanaugh is a Sidhe princess, so it’s horribly redundant to say she’s beautiful. She’s a little shorter than her younger sister, with a generously voluptuous figure. She has the same heart-shaped face, but topped with curly golden tresses that are piled high on her head and then cascade down to just below her breasts. It looks like it took hours to pull her hairstyle together. Her pale blue eyes are like chips of ice in her face, and her bow mouth is pinched in disapproval.

  I extend my hand, “Lady Summer, please call me Jack. I find all the full names business tedious. How may I help you?”

  Laurel looks at my hand like it has dog shit on it. I can’t help myself, “Ah! I had heard the Summer Court were a pile of mannerless rabble, but I assumed it was parochialism. Apparently I was mistaken.” She slowly reaches out to grasp my fingers. I squeeze them gently, but firmly as is appropriate for a gentleman shaking a lady’s hand.

  “It’s my pleasure, Lady Summer. How may I help you?” I ask again as Megan appears at my right shoulder and hooks an arm through mine.

  “I have come to collect my wayward sister. Apparently she is here consorting with filth again.”

  Megan pipes up before I jump in, “She’s my date tonight, Laurel. This is a special event I’ve arranged for my client, Jack. Now this is the last time I warn you. You call my people filth again, I will call you out to a duel and you’ll find out just how hesitant I really am to kill a piece of shit like you.”

  Laurel is fuming, “You’ve done something to her. I know it.” She looks in the door to the suite, so I shift position to be a door. She turns to a male model in a tux. “Get her out here.”

  Pretty boy pulls out a pistol and moves toward the door. I put him and the other six models, four males and two females, to sleep. This is the ability I train the most. I got a lot of reps with the elves and during Thanksgiving with the ladies. I’ve also done it in Starbucks if I walk in and see someone sitting alone. I think to myself ‘L’ric is going to be so proud of me,’ as all six of them drop to the floor.

  “Lady Summer, I don’t want any trouble, but I will insist on courtesy. If you are concerned about your sister’s welfare I am happy to extend hospitality to you long enough for you to step inside, have a glass of champagne with us, and assure yourself to her welfare. I will insist that you conduct yourself with manners and breeding rather than like a gin-swilling dogsbreath. Do you accept my hospitality?”

  She looks at her six escorts all lying on the floor, then back at me. Her eyes glow the blue of a summer sky, “Jacques Guillaume Jerome, listen and obey. Undo what you have done to my people and bring my sister to me.” I feel the compulsion knocking on my brain. I feel where it’s going and what it’s trying to do. It’s a little different from what Trina tried in Cottonwood, which may explain the strength of the Summer Court. I think I could teach my ladies how to do it this way. Oh well, maybe another time.

  “No, Laurel. You lost your opportunity.” I reach into her brain and throw the ‘listen and obey switch.’ “This is what’s going to happen, Laurel. You are going to pull your dress up to show the world your goodies, march downstairs and make your way to the stage, and sing ‘Tisket-tasket’ at the top of your voice. Then you will forget everything from the time you walked into the arena. Run along, Princess.”

  She nods at me and walks back to the elevator. I thought, ‘She doesn’t deserve that, Jack.’ “Princess Laurel, come back here.” She stops, holding her skirts above her waist. I see she favors garters over stay-up stockings. “Let your your skirts drop, Laurel.” She does. “You may continue, Princess.” She heads to the elevator.

  I look at the Valkyrie watching her with confusion on her face. “Is your name Abraxas, Valkyrie?”

  She spins to look at me with suspicion. “Yeah-yes.”

  “Abraxas, please go with her and ensure she doesn’t get hurt or arrested. If you wait until she starts singing and then tell her to ‘wake up,’ she will snap out of it. She will not know how she got there. Tell her she wandered off and lost her escort, which is true. Also tell her she is over-stressed, and that you need to take her home. That is true, too. I haven’t met anyone wound that tight since my fiancé tried to kill me. If you bring her back here, I will have to be more forceful, and I’m afraid someone will get hurt. I can guarantee it won’t be one of the ladies here or myself. Are we clear?”

  Abraxas nods, “What do I call you?”

  Tiffany’s voice comes over my shoulder, “Abraxas, you call him Jack as he asked, or Lord. I think both are too informal by far, but it is his wish to be called Jack.” I see Abraxas’ eyes bug. I turn and see Tiffany is standing there in all her glory without her illusion. She smiles at me and places her slender hand on my shoulder. “You can tell your princess that my princess is safe, happy, and I am protecting her.”

  Abraxas nods as she stumbles over a couple of supine bodies on her way to catch her princess.

  Corrina turns to Solange, “Let’s police up their weapons, all of them, and then sit them against the walls on the floor, so they’re not blocking the corridor. When they awake, tell them their princess left without them.” She turns back to me, “How long will they be out, Jack?”

  I shrug, “I have no idea. I just flooded their brains with sleep chemicals. I suspect a couple of hours.” I think for a moment. “Call building security and tell them that the disgruntled sister of one our guests arrived and tried to do some mischief with a weird chemical cocktail to another guest, but it backfired. Her entourage all
fell asleep as a result of her mischief. We expect them to sleep it off in a couple of hours, but the troublemaker left in a hurry when her plan went sideways.”

  Corrina says, “Lord, there are no chemicals involved.”

  “Actually there are. The whole ‘listen and obey’ is basically a command to the brain to release a bunch of chemicals that make you highly susceptible to suggestion. So what I told you to say is true. She left no chemical dispenser. I don’t know offhand what chemicals are involved, but that makes it all the more believable. No lies involved.”

  Corrina nods with a big smile, “Okay, my Lord!”

  Megan is in awe, “Damn, Jack. That is misdirection worthy of Sidhe royalty. I’m gonna want a baby from you!”

  I kiss her quickly. “Count on it, sweetheart.” Then I go back into the suite.

  Kristina throws herself onto me, worry painting her pretty face. “Jack! I was so worried about you!”

  “I’m good, my Love. Thank you for your concern.” I grab her ass with both hands and pull her up on me. Her dress parts to allow her to wrap her stocking clad legs around me as we kiss deeply. I hold her with my right hand and slide my left along her stocking-clad thigh to caress the bare flesh above it. “I love you, Krissie. Therefore, I can’t let anyone hurt me because that would cause you distress. So, I really hate what will happen to anyone who tries to hurt me.”

  She giggles. I ask, “Uh, no panties in evidence down here, Krissie. Are you observing your Sidhe heritage, sweetie?”

  She giggles again, “If that’s the part that makes me want to always be naked to your touch, then yes, my Lord. I am.”

  I squeeze her naked ass and caress her sweet pussy gently, before setting her down. I figure I better stop or I’ll end up taking her in the suite in front of everyone. “Down, you minx!”

  Once she’s stable on her feet she drags me to the bar to retrieve my champagne. I see Christie is barely tasting hers. “Oh shit, I’m sorry, Christie. I didn’t think about you drinking with the baby.”

  She kisses my cheek, “The doctors tell me that an occasional glass is not going to hurt anything. I’m basically just wetting my tongue. I doubt I’ll finish half of this.” She raises her flute to mine with a ‘clink’ and then demonstrates.

  I lean and kiss her below her ear. “I’m so glad you came back to me, Christie.”

  She whispers into my ear, “I will not voluntarily leave you again, my Lord, Love, and Master.”

  I gently bite her earlobe before backing away and turning to Kristina. “Honey, are you about ready to take our seats? I owe a couple more dances, but I think we can take a seat until then.”

  She points to the barstools. “Right here, Jack.” I nod and sit, placing my glass on the counter. I pick Kristina up by her waist and sit her on my left knee, leaning back against the bar. She lays her right leg across my right thigh. We sit there kissing as I caress the tops of her stocking, her bare thigh, and her nearly exposed pussy.

  The talking head on stage is done thanking donors and asking for more donations, just as Laurel does her command performance. Megan sits on the bar behind me and straddles Kristina and myself as she runs one hand over Kristina’s bare shoulders and combs the other one through my hair. “You know, Jack. We could become a corporate donor for PBS if that is something you would like to support.”

  Kristina pants, “Yes, we should do that, Jack.”

  I kiss Kristina’s cheek as I turn to Megan. “Definitely. I’m a fan. I frequently donate, but not religiously. They do a lot of good, and in general I like their programming better than the major networks. Please add that to the list.”

  She leans in and says “Yes, my Lord” before she gives me a deep wet kiss.

  “Hey, hey, hey! You have to kiss me too if you interrupt my necking with my man!”

  Megan kisses her too, “Actually, I thought I might crawl under your dress to see what has him so fascinated under there!”

  “You’ve seen that,” Kristina says with a smirk.

  “I’m thinking another look and fresh taste. I’ll give my girlfriend a fresh taste of you afterwards.”

  Kristina’s eyes pop as she whispers a response, “Why does the thought of sex with you make me so horny? I was never into girls much. I had a couple of ‘girls nights in’ when I was in college, and Annette and I have scratched each other’s itch for years when we were between boyfriends, but I’ve never considered myself lesbian or bi. Ever since Trina, I think about one or the other of you frequently, usually accompanied by soaked panties and rubbing one out. I want to kiss you, hold you, and love you. All of you!”

  Megan caresses her face, “I don’t know, Krissie. I’ve been drawn in both directions my whole life, so gender figures into it less for me than whether the individual person excites me. I happened to fall in love with Christie at a young age. As I’m four years older than her, it was a little tricky at boarding school, but we managed. We have both had boyfriends off and on, but I think she was a virgin when she captured Jack. I have been with a couple of guys prior to Jack. I would say that I even loved one of them. It’s just more person-based. I think ‘panamorous’ is the label that’s currently en vogue for someone with my preferences.”

  Kristina says, “I’ve heard it’s an Unseelie thing, that the Seelie don’t do it.”

  Megan bounces her head back and forth as I keep caressing Kristina and listening. She says, “I think there are many more sapphic love affairs in the Winter Court than Summer. We have a higher percentage of women to men. The men seem to be fairly resentful in our court because we are much less likely to allow a male to rule. I think there have been only two in recorded history. Add to that the greater than 3:1 ratio of women to men, and women are frequently the matriarchs of their clans. The Winter Men have gotten a bit of a chip on their shoulder, and the women are not willing to put up with their shit. Since there are so few men, the women began to look towards each other for comfort, and the men tend to keep company of their own to commiserate how those evil females are ruining their lives. Therefore, more homosexual liaisons. There is no stigma associated with it on either side. It’s not unheard of for someone in a committed same-sex relationship to start a hetero relationship to create children and then treat the other parent like a valued business partner. In most cases, the children are created naturally. Sometimes both male partners share a female, too. That seems wasteful, but there really are no strictures. Vice versa happens, too. My mom and Trina’s have done that several times.”

  Megan takes a sip of champagne before continuing, “In the summer court, there are about 1.75:1 males to females?” She looks to Christie’s confirmation. Christie nods. “The women are less likely to take sexual comfort in the arms of a BFF because the men are competing hard to get a female to mate with. They only go sapphic if a natural attraction occurs. Same applies on the male side over there, too - they only go same-sex if there is a true inclination that way. I think because it’s considered a status symbol to earn a female mate. On our side, I think we have more due to opportunity and convenience amongst the ladies and the prevailing male attitude towards the females. The Summer like to talk about how decadent we are due to the comparatively high percentage of same-sex couples, but they don’t stigmatize their own. Laurel is an interesting case. She chastises Christie for letting herself be corrupted by ‘that Unseelie bitch,’ yet her BFF is an openly goldstar lesbian.” She shrugs.

  “So, bottom line, Krissie, I don’t have an answer for you. Maybe some of our Lord’s magic is rubbing off on you. His love and attraction for Myra, Christie, Trina, the Ravens, and myself is coloring your own perceptions and desires. Maybe just being surrounded by so much willing prime female flesh is awakening new or hidden desires. What I have observed is that you are reticent until you build a relationship with one of us. Once the relationship is there, then you seem to lose your hesitation to love on the ladies.” Kristina nods through glazing eyes as I continue to gently stroke her and nibble her neck.

/>   Megan asks her, “Do you have many same-sex relationships in the Miners?”

  Kristina shakes her head, “They’re pretty rare. We have a heavy emphasis on bearing children. My aunt Henrietta says she is an ‘old maid,’ which was a common euphemism for ‘lesbian’ when she was young. Traudl is the name of her partner, and the two of them have seven children between them. Auntie Henri explained that they all have the same male that gladly filled up a turkey baster whenever she or Traudl were ready to have another baby. There might have been some pressure if she didn’t figure out how to have children, but she had that part well in hand. The last time I talked to her she said she was thinking about having another before she turns 100, but the father is proving reticent. He’s 130. Traudl declared herself done at 80.”

  Megan pulls Kristina’s head into her bosom, but I follow to keep the stimulation on her neck. Megan whispers to her, “So Krissie, would you like me to inspect your stockings?” I push a knuckle into her.

  Kristina gasps, “Yes, please.” Megan kisses her and gently pushes her back to my waiting lips, then crawls off the bench and squats between my feet. She kisses my thigh and then lifts the hem of Krissie’s dress while looking into her eyes. She folds the skirt to lay it open. The cut doesn’t expose Kristina’s treasures, but it doesn’t miss it by much. Megan’s mouth disappears, and I feel her tongue tickle my fingers. I slide out and up to raise Kristina’s hood to expose her love button. My fingers get licked a little, but Kristina is obviously getting the benefit of Megan’s attention.

  After a couple of minutes, the lights dip about the time Kristina bucks a couple times. She gasps, “Megan, get out of there, or I’ll squirt all over you!”

  Megan backs off, and I give her a hand to stand while holding my date close. She leans in, cups Kristina’s breast and tells her, “I’m open to trying that when I’m not wearing fancy dress, Love.” They kiss, and then Megan walks over to Christie and kisses her. Christie is smirking at the start, but she turns wild after a taste of Kristina from Megan’s mouth. I don’t blame her. Kristina has the same impact on me.