Charles Duchamp POV

I pinned Aloysius’ hands to the wall and above his head as I forced a kiss on his unresponsive lips. He tried to turn his head away but I wouldn’t allow it, he needed to be brought into his power before it went away completely. Diogenes had already had his audeur awoken a few years ago, but Aloysius had been keeping his sex-magic under-wraps. Their mother had asked me to awaken it before it was too late. Aloysius wasn’t so keen on the idea; he’d been pushing me away all night, even though I had explained the situation.

“I don’t want to be ruled by the audeur.” He’d said.

“You won’t be, but Aloysius, if you don’t come into your power you’ll be an empty thing; a...   read more »

She opened the door to allow her good friend, Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast, to leave as he usually did after the tea was drunk and whatever pastries she had baked for him were eaten. But this time, it seemed, was going to be different. He softly closed the door and looked her full in the face with an expression almost of pain mixed with weariness.

“Not tonight,” he murmured softly into her ear. “I’m not leaving tonight.”

She was surprised. After all this time, she knew he liked her as a friend — someone to talk to and share common interests with. But this was not what she had ever expected from the reserved and oh-so-proper Special Agent.

She sighed not quite sure what do to next. Or what to expect.

“I... I wasn’t... I didn’t think you... were interested in anything more than company,” she replied not daring to look into those incredible...   read more »

( 1 )

D’Agosta groaned audibly, his body quivering with the unspent tremor of boredom that was rushing through his veins.

Some f*ck was making a scene at the airport...his airport, today. Probably some payback for Southampton...Why did they always send...   read more »

Woke up in Pisa with a headache. Nurse was a very tall man in drag with mismatched eyes who kept poking me. V. gentle hands, though.

Got out of the hospital today. Yay! Sun very bright. Vincent ditched me and just realized nurse was my evil little brother. Bummer.

Arrived back in America today. Don’t think anyone saw through my disguise tho’ the Customs Agent made a pass at me. Spent an hour being strip searched. Not sure if it was legal but got his phone number when we were done. Guess I am hot no matter what I do.

Found Vinnie shacked up with Laura. WTF? After all we’ve been through... Laura outranks him so maybe he is being coerced. Have obtained a position as a doorman in his building and will observe. He looked weepy this morning so maybe a good sign.

‘Eau de Armpit’ is working wonders for me. Have only...   read more »

While she was waiting, the troll...   read more »

Ephram Taff depressed the security switch beneath his desk in response to the light rap on the studded, metal-banded doors of heartwood mahogany, breathing out a soft sigh as he did so. No one beat a tattoo quite like Georgia did.

The locks disengaged with a soft, well-oiled snick and she approached his desk like an actress on the red carpet, as poised as though a thousand eyes were on her with a dozen cameras capturing her every angle, her every move. Ephram watched her come. Well, she was right about the cameras; he’d monitored her ever since she entered the building, thirty-one stories below.

He waited for her to come to a stop before the massive desk where he sat silently studying her, one finger pressed to his lips. A minute passed but Georgia never flinched beneath his regard, displaying her characteristic preternatural composure. He spoke at last. “You know...   read more »

Pendergast watched as Morgana flipped through the new issue of the Museum Journal. She absently sought for the glass of wine he had placed before her on the cherry wood coffee table. With one long graceful hand, he took the glass and handed it to her, their fingers touching, causing their eyes to meet and she saw he was flushed.

“How do you find the wine?” Pendergast asked, not caring but not wanting Morgana’s attention to stray.

“It is very good Aloyisius. You have the finest taste as usual,” she said smiling, playful, wondering at his seeming discomfort.

Pendergast moved closer to Morgana, and cautiously, tenderly brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. Morgana’s eyes widened but he saw the desire in their deep brown depths, causing a stirring in his loins.

“This is hard for me Morgana, as you know we have an unusual history. Suffice to say I have not been...   read more »

Short backstory: The heroine (Sheridan Keyes) is an artist whose bread-and-butter work is restorations. She was hired to redo an 1890’s Museum painting on the ceiling of one of the halls. During her research, she went through some unmarked papers and unknowingly turned up a rough draft of Leng’s immortality formula. Fairhaven found out. He searched her apartment; kidnapped and tortured her lover, Jackson Lisle. When that didn’t turn up the formula, he went after Sheridan in the Museum in his Surgeon guise, but she escaped. He held Jackson as hostage, but she circumvented him by hiding the formula and turning herself in to a couple of cops sharper than Braskie. Unfortunately, Fairhaven killed them—and after a prolonged nasty chase through the Museum, grabbed Sheridan. She refused to reveal where the formula was, but was too badly-injured for him to torture her. Fortunately, his attention was distracted by Smithback poking...   read more »