you actually blushing?’
‘Just you wait,’ he said archly. ‘You’ll be sorry.’
‘Oh, I very much doubt that.’ She took a bite of her truffled pheasant and moaned theatrically. ‘I think what you mean is: I’ll get mine.’
Jake nodded, his eyes narrowing into a stern expression. ‘Count on it, bad girl. When you least expect it …’
The sexy menace in his tone made her lower her eyes submissively. Their games of sexual one-upmanship gave her the same heady thrill she’d got as a kid whenever she reached the front of the queue for the roller coaster. She desperately wanted the payoff but at the same time she was terrified. She knew she’d love it but in the moments before the ride began she regretted ever daring to join the queue. And every time, without fail, as soon as the ride was over, she was ready to go again.
They rounded off the decadent meal with baked figs and a snifter of cherry brandy. Then it was time to go. Jake helped her into a taxi and told the driver to take them to Notre Dame Cathedral.
Kelly lay on her back with her head in Jake’s lap and he stroked her throat lazily before sliding his hand down over her breasts. Her nipples stiffened instantly as he circled them through the silk with his teasing fingers. She gave a soft whimper as he pinched them one at a time. Then she caught the driver’s eyes in the mirror. He stared at her intently and she blushed, writhing a little on the seat.
Jake said nothing but continued to caress her through the filmy material as the car made its way through the city streets. Kelly parted her bent knees, silently begging Jake to turn his attentions lower. He seemed determined to torture her, however. He swatted her inner thigh and she yelped in surprise and closed her legs, pressing them together tightly as she arched her back, offering her breasts for more than just superficial attention. She didn’t care if the driver was watching and in fact she felt even more aroused at the thought.
‘Please,’ she whispered, not daring to follow it up with any kind of specific wish. She was both desperate and terrified that Jake would grant it.
He squeezed her breasts with both hands, drawing the nipples into hard little peaks with his fingers. Then he slid his hands down the plunging V-neck and into the lacy bra she wore beneath. He stroked her nipples with his fingertips, each touch making her cry out. They stiffened almost to the point of pain and she panted eagerly, willing him to lower his head and kiss her, to rip open her flimsy dress, peel down the cups of her bra and expose her breasts. To flick his tongue across each little hard bud, to caress them with his lips, to close his teeth gently over each one.
‘Oh, please …’
But Jake merely gave a low throaty laugh as he cruelly drew his hands away from her breasts. ‘Shameless girl. We’re on our way to a church, you know.’
Kelly whimpered and grabbed his wrists, trying to force his hands down the front of her dress.
Just then the taxi braked to a clumsy stop and the driver said something in French. For a moment Kelly was disorientated. Had he said something rude? Told Jake to bare the little whore’s tits so he could see them? Invited them to fuck in the back seat while he drove them all around Paris?
Ah, no. He’d merely announced their arrival and asked for his fare. He met Kelly’s eyes boldly as she sat up and adjusted her dress. She blew him a goodbye kiss as she climbed out of the cab, her legs now even more unsteady. Her nipples stood out like pebbles and she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to hide them. A breeze lifted the hem of her skirt and she felt the cool kiss of air against the damp gusset of her knickers. Her flushed arousal would be obvious to anyone who saw her. The thought made her dizzy with lust.
As Jake took her arm and led her away from the kerb they got their first glimpse of the cathedral. The grand gothic façade was imposing and elegant. Intimidating. The towers seemed impossibly high.
‘Wow, you really think we can climb all the way up there? On my shaky little legs?’
‘You’re just trying to get me to take you back to the hotel,’ Jake said, guiding her firmly towards the line of tourists snaking its way along the side of the cathedral. ‘Come on. You need to learn some patience, my girl.’
‘But the queue –’
‘– looks to be moving pretty quickly.’
She knew there was no arguing with him. And she really did want to see the view from the top. She had an old sepia postcard at home showing the cityscape spread out beneath the leering face of one of the cathedral’s famous chimeras. All her life she had dreamed of seeing the same view, of being close enough to touch the strange stone creature that had perched there for centuries.
Jake was right; the queue was moving fast. Twenty people were allowed up at a time and there was clearly a different route down, as there was no two-way jostling through the door. It wasn’t long at all before she and Jake were next. Their bunch included a group of Japanese university students who chattered animatedly behind them, snapping photos with their smartphones and exclaiming over texts they were apparently sending to one another.
It was a long, steep climb up a narrow stone spiral staircase. According to the notice outside, 387 steps was the official count and Kelly was panting for breath by the time they reached the gift shop at the halfway point. Jake was of course unfazed by the exertion. While the rest of their group took the opportunity for a break, he pulled Kelly towards the door to a further stairway.
‘Let’s keep going,’ he said.
Kelly was about to protest but the gleam in his eye told her it might be worth skipping the Victor Hugo display and the souvenirs on offer. And getting ahead of the others.
‘Yes, sir,’ she murmured, wiggling her bottom as she mounted the steps ahead of him. As they climbed he slipped his hand up under her dress, stroking her bottom and sending jolts of pleasure through her every time his fingers grazed her sex.
Along the way she thought of the hunchback capturing the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda and spiriting her away to the top of the bell tower. What wicked, delicious things he might have done to her in unprintable versions of the story.
At last they reached the Galerie des Chimères. As promised, the view was spectacular. A cage of wire mesh encircled the open gallery, as though to protect them from the fantastical creatures perched on the other side. One winged goblin looked bored, sitting with his elbows on the ledge, his head in his hands and his tongue sticking out. Others sat alert and eager, as though ready to leap from the tower.
Kelly squealed with delight when she finally found the one from her postcard. He had a single horn and long bony arms with claws. His back was hunched as he stared down at the tourists below and she imagined his little fanged mouth was drooling with hunger. Or lust.
Weren’t the creatures meant to represent sins? In that case this little guy was definitely the personification of hers. And no sooner had the thought crossed her mind then she felt Jake’s hand slide up under her skirt again, this time with more intent. A quick glance around reassured her that they were alone. The previous group had moved on and they had the narrow walkway to themselves. At least for the moment. She took hold of the mesh and bent forwards, arching her back.
‘Good girl,’ he said.
He lifted her skirt up to her waist and she trembled as he slid his fingers into the elastic of her knickers. They
