Velvet Shadows Read online

  Praise for the writing of Aubrey Ross

  Dance with the Devil

  You can’t stop there! I want more! Sure to make you squirm and grab your partner for a hot night of whatever! A definite gotta read!

  --Sheri Gilmore, author of One Thing Leads to Another (Loose Id)

  Dance with the Devil is now available from Loose Id

  Mystic Keepers 1: Cayenne

  Mystic Keeper 1: Cayenne is an erotic tale of mystic beings from a different dimension. Aubrey Ross has done a wonderful job of enticing the reader to continue reading just to answer the above questions. The characters are all realistic, the action is hot, and cold, and I can’t wait for the next one in this series!

  -- Chere Gruver, Sensual Romance Reviews

  Lilith’s Legacy 1: Adam

  Lilith’s Legacy 1: Adam is an intriguing account of the first man and demons. Aubrey Ross has given us a highly interesting look into the world when it was first created. I really enjoyed the look into the society of the demons. The characters all stay true to form, the setting is original and I really loved the serpent. I can’t wait for the next book in this very original series!

  -- Chere Gruver, Sensual Romance Reviews

  Mystic Keepers 1 and Lilith’s Legacy 1 are now available from Changeling Press

  VELVET SHADOWS

  Aubrey Ross

  Warning

  This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

  * * * * *

  This book is rated:

  For substantial explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations some readers may find offensive (violence, BDSM).

  Velvet Shadows

  Aubrey Ross

  This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Published by

  Loose Id LLC

  1802 N Carson Street, Suite 212-29

  Carson City NV 89701-1215

  www.loose-id.com

  Copyright © November 2004 by Aubrey Ross

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced or shared in any form, including, but not limited to printing, photocopying, faxing, or emailing without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC.

  ISBN 1-59632-051-6

  Available in Adobe PDF, HTML, MobiPocket, and MS Reader

  Printed in the United States of America

  Editor: Maryam Salim

  Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter

  www.loose-id.com

  Chapter One

  Do you like to watch?

  Drifting in a haze somewhere between wakefulness and dreams, Velvet Arceneaux tossed in her rumpled bed. Six days had passed since the Halloween party and still the events remained vivid within her mind.

  She hadn’t set out to watch the lovers, but the erotic beauty of their carnal abandon held her spellbound. Then ‘the Outlaw’ had caught her playing voyeur. The night of the party she’d been certain Trevor Sutton hid behind the mask and cowboy hat, but now she wasn’t sure.

  Why would Trevor have been at a party sponsored by the Depalma Modeling Agency? It didn’t make sense. She hadn’t seen Trevor in over ten years. Not that he’d been far from her thoughts.

  Memories twisted with fantasies, creating a dizzying kaleidoscope of impressions. She saw the man in the devil-mask thrusting his massive cock in and out of Selena Vannoy, while the model’s beautiful face contorted with passion.

  Velvet remembered the fullness of the Outlaw’s fingers as he thrust into her throbbing core. Do you like to watch? The phrase echoed again.

  With a frustrated moan, Velvet reached into the nightstand and found her vibrator. She’d used the silly thing so often in the past six days she needed new batteries. Trevor had always affected… The thought skittered to a halt. She couldn’t be positive the Outlaw was Trevor.

  She twisted the base of the vibrator and passed it lightly over her mound. Even through her panties the rhythmic buzz intensified the throbbing ache between her thighs.

  It had to have been Trevor. Only with Trevor had she experienced the sort of shattering release the Outlaw unleashed within her.

  She slipped her panties off, stifling a moan as her fingers slid against her swollen folds.

  My God. You’re so wet.

  Remembering the Outlaw’s throaty words made her nipples tingle and her core clench.

  Focusing her muddled thoughts, Velvet pictured Trevor beside her, stroking her breasts ‑‑ wielding the vibrator. His expression intense and demanding, he parted her folds and slipped the toy into her cunt.

  She arched, taking it deeper, pretending it was Trevor, wanting it to be real. Needing. Grasping the surrogate cock with inner muscles, she rubbed her clit and slid the toy in and out. Tension built, then a quick burst of pleasure erupted within her reluctant body.

  Chuckling in defeat, she took out the vibrator and turned it off. That sorry excuse for an orgasm only confirmed her conclusion. It took Trevor to set her senses on fire.

  She put the toy away and curled up on her side, blinking into the darkness.

  So much had happened at that horrible party. No wonder she couldn’t sleep. She’d unintentionally watched a sexual exhibition. A man she may or may not know caressed her to a breath-stealing orgasm. And one of her friends had disappeared.

  In the six days since the Halloween party no one had seen or heard from Jamie Lynn. Velvet’s hope that Jamie left with someone else proved incorrect. The young woman was missing, and the police had no suspects, no leads.

  And if all that weren’t disconcerting enough, tomorrow Velvet would turn thirty, a milestone she’d been dreading for months.

  She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and grimaced.

  It was twelve twenty-one.

  “Happy Birthday,” she whispered to the shadows and stubbornly closed her eyes.

  * * * * *

  “Why is the life of the party hiding in the dark?”

  Despite her somber mood, Velvet smiled. She sat behind the desk in her home office, the only room of her Bel Air mansion not overrun with guests. “I never claimed to be the life of the party.”

  “Isn’t that a song or something?” Gwen Mueller lounged in the doorway, a mixture of amusement and irritation obvious in her expression. An office manager of sorts for the Depalma Modeling Agency, Gwen scheduled appointments, managed the accounts, and offered free advice to anyone willing to listen.

  “You tricked me!” Velvet narrowed her eyes in playful menace. “You invited me out for a nice quiet dinner and had half of LA waiting at $my@@ house when we got back.”

  “I had to have it here or you’d have found a way to screw up my plans.” Gwen held a small plate of miniature creampuffs, and she popped one into her mouth as she rested her hip against the edge of Velvet’s desk. Gwen’s bright blonde curls and sky-blue eyes fit her effervescent personality. Her plump figure and rounded cheeks displayed her love for sweets. “If I’d set it up somewhere else, you’d have figured it out and insisted on going home. If Muhammad won’t come to the mountain…”

  “You bring the mountain to Muhammad,” Velvet responded on cue. “And when Muhammad has lost her taste for mountain climbing…”

  “You leave her alone
to wallow in self-pity? I don’t think so, Vel. Lots of people get divorced. Elliot’s a jerk. You’re better off without him.”

  “Elliot is the least of my worries.”

  “Hiding from the world isn’t going to help Jamie either. The police --”

  “Are aware of her alleged disappearance, have a team of experts working the case, and will get back with me as soon as they have something to report. Yes, I know.”

  Gwen shook her head. “I shouldn’t have let Selena talk me out of a stripper. You could definitely use some entertainment.”

  “You would have wasted your money. A naked man holds no appeal for me right now.” Her mind immediately filled with images of Selena’s mouth stretched wide around her lover’s massive cock. His disturbing choice of costume hadn’t hindered Selena’s enthusiasm one bit. She’d been more than willing to go down on the devil.

  “Where’s Dillon?” Gwen asked.

  Dillon, Velvet’s nine-year-old son, had thoroughly enjoyed the ruckus for about fifteen minutes. “He retreated to his bedroom about an hour ago.” She missed his carefree smile and his precocious sense of humor. Neither one of them had much to laugh about these days. Her separation from Elliot was taking its toll.

  “And you would like to do the same?”

  Velvet smiled at the subtle reprimand. “What I would like is rather moot, don’t you think?” She heaved an audible sigh and pushed away from the desk. “Let me put my shoes back on and I’ll rejoin the party.”

  “You have five minutes, and then I’ll be back ‑‑ with reinforcements.” Gwen left Velvet alone in the office.

  Velvet wiggled her feet into the high-heeled sandals as the doorbell chimed. The front of the house was visible from the office. No one responded to the bell.

  The wooden banister and every doorway had been swathed with decorations. Balloons and streamers hung from light fixtures, but everything was either gray or black. Velvet smiled as she remembered her initial reaction to the odd color scheme. Gwen had cheerfully informed her that this was a wake commemorating the demise of her youth.

  The doorbell chimed again.

  This is your house, Velvet. Who do you expect to answer the door?

  Reluctantly, she left her private sanctuary and walked across the foyer. With a half-concealed grimace, she pulled open the door.

  Elegance. Velvet could think of no other word to adequately describe the man standing before her. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, as were many of the men here tonight. But his features were anything but ordinary. Raven-black hair swept back from a high, noble forehead. The silky arch of his brows drew immediate attention to his wide, dark eyes. Angular cheekbones combined with a firm jaw and a faintly aquiline nose. Apparently amused by her obvious interest, the man smiled. He was beautiful.

  “May I help you?” she managed to ask, but her voice sounded thin and shaky.

  “I’m sorry I’m late.” He spoke in a clear, well-modulated tone. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

  He sounded as if he knew her. Velvet searched his features again. Something about him seemed familiar and yet, if she’d seen this face before, she would have remembered. His bone structure was stunning and… Her mind suddenly filled with an uninvited image. She saw his dark head bent over Selena’s naked breasts and her startled gaze flew back to his eyes. “Oh my God,” she whispered.

  His slow, wicked smile assured her he knew what she’d realized. “Enjoyed the show?” He slipped past her and into the foyer.

  She hadn’t been sure if the lovers knew they were being watched. Apparently they had. “Do you often perform such shows?”

  “Do you like to watch?”

  The question sent tingling heat all through her body. Had he seen the Outlaw touching her? He couldn’t have; he’d been too busy pumping away between Selena’s thighs!

  “I don’t need to explain myself to you. You’re the one --”

  “I bet I can guess what you do need.”

  “A private performance of what I saw on Halloween?” She returned without missing a beat. “I’ll pass.”

  “Your loss.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “That sounds like a challenge,” he pointed out with another grin.

  “Who are you?”

  “Anthony Depalma.”

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  This couldn’t be happening. You finally meet your illusive employer, and he turns out to be a perverted exhibitionist.

  Everything she had ever heard about Anthony Depalma came rushing back in a barely intelligible buzz. He was gorgeous; that was certainly true. His fortune was rumored to be enormous, but no one asked too many questions about his financial opportunities or the sorts of people with whom he associated. Brilliant, shrewd, ruthless, were all qualities attributed to this Adonis.

  “Do you realize one of your employees disappeared at that party? No one has seen or heard from her --”

  “Why do you think I’m still in L.A? I know about Jamie and I’m doing everything in my power to find out what happened that night.”

  “Chyna said Jamie left with a man in a caveman costume. Do you know who he is?”

  “I spoke with Chyna.” Confusion creased his noble brow. “She said she doesn’t remember anything.”

  “She didn’t remember anything after she sobered up. I saw her at the party and she told me Jamie left with Tarzan or a caveman.”

  “I know nothing about that, but I’m doing everything in my power to find out what happened that night.”

  Her eyes narrowed as he repeated the phrase. His words sounded hollow, rehearsed.

  “Tony!” Chyna sailed across the foyer and into Anthony. “We’d about given up on you. What on earth took you so long?”

  “I got here as soon as I could.” He kissed Chyna on both cheeks, then gently pushed her away.

  He’s probably been pushing women away his entire life.

  “Have you met our birthday girl?” Chyna asked.

  Anthony shifted his dark gaze back to Velvet and reached for her hand. Raising it to his lips, he brushed her knuckles with a brief kiss. “Velvet, I presume.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She immediately pulled her hand away.

  Why did he make her want to squirm? It wasn’t just their little secret; there was something about Anthony Depalma that bothered her. He was perhaps the best looking man she’d ever seen, and yet he made her ‑‑ anxious.

  The dark brilliance of his gaze remained on her face for a moment longer, then he turned back to Chyna. “Where is everyone?”

  “I’ll show you.” With a smile that hinted at more than a tour of the house, she led him toward the family room.

  Velvet fell into step behind them, feeling restless and annoyed. A cluster of people crowded around the pool table, where Selena had just begun a game with one of the other models. Velvet quickly looked away from the sultry blonde only to encounter Anthony’s mocking stare.

  “Do you think Elliot would let us do some shots out at the beach house?” Chyna asked.

  Evidentially they’d been discussing the summer layouts while she was gone. “I don’t see why not. This house is actually closer to his office anyway. I’ll just ask Elliot to switch for a week or two.”

  The conversation continued, yet Velvet couldn’t concentrate. Anthony’s presence brought the poolside incident back in shocking detail. Had Trevor really been there that night? If not, who in blazes was the Outlaw?

  Every touch, every whisper replayed within her mind.

  Do you want me to do that for you? the Outlaw had asked as they watched Anthony devour Selena’s pussy.

  Elliot hated oral sex. He ‘allowed’ her to experiment a couple times, but he’d seemed disgusted when she suggested he go down on her.

  Let me. I want to.

  Her imagination happily took over where reality left off. She turned, lifted the skirt of her costume, and brazenly offered herself to the glorious attention of the Outlaw’s willing
mouth.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  She gasped and scooted against the arm of the sofa as Anthony sat down beside her. “What do you think I’m thinking about? That party was… I would very much like to pretend it never happened.”

  He stretched his arm along the back of the sofa, smiling at her. “Are you really as pure as you pretend? You’ve never wanted someone so badly it didn’t matter where you were or who was watching?”

  My God. You’re so wet. The Outlaw’s words said it all. She’d been so turned on in that moment he could have done anything to her and she’d have let him. Shame rolled through her, making her feel dirty, shallow, cheap. She’d stood there with her legs spread while a masked man thrust his fingers… “We aren’t talking about me.”

  “Did that reporter ever find you?” Gwen asked from behind them.

  “Reporter?” Velvet and Anthony asked in unison.

  “Is something going on that might interest the paparazzi?” Gwen laughed. “Don’t worry. This guy wasn’t that kind of reporter. He wants to interview Velvet for a trade publication.”

  “And you invited him to the party?” Velvet pivoted on the sofa so she could see Gwen without twisting her neck.

  “No. He had no idea the party was going on when he rang the doorbell.”

  “A reporter rang her doorbell?” Anthony asked the question a millisecond before Velvet.

  “He said he knew you from way back, went to school with Elliot or something. His name is --”

  “Trevor Sutton.” Velvet finished for her.

  At least her Outlaw hadn’t been a complete stranger.

  Trevor Sutton was in L.A.

  Chapter Two