Escaped Brothel Beauty - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Running hell bent through the labyrinth of London, Marissa glanced back praying they weren't following her. Her breathing was fast and heavy, her boots pounding the cobblestone. Tears poured down her cheeks at the burning in her thighs and chest from the strain on her muscles and the cold air.

Coming around a corner, Marissa entered a main street. Running toward the docks, she cried out as she slammed into a brick wall. Where the hell had it come from? Falling she landed hard on her butt, her thigh being gashed as she landed.

Looking up at the 'brick wall' Marissa sucked in her breath. He was tall and wore a long greatcoat, the sleeves cuffed in silver. The clasps that rested close to his throat bore the sculpted heads of twin roaring jaguars cast in silver, the only difference in the eyes. One a small sapphire stone, the other an emerald. Between the gaping jaws sat the chain that helped clasp the man's coat. His hair was long, down to just above his shoulders, swept back into a ponytail and tied with an ancient gold hair clip in the shape of a Celtic shield.

Black trousers and a black silk long sleeve shirt over which sat a crimson satin vest with silver stitched fleur-de-lis patterned across it. The crimson silk cravat he wore was pinned in place by a massive diamond, and through it all, underneath it all, he wore boots that where more apt for sailing, complete with straps and buckles.

His face was shadowed as the lantern sat behind him. She didn't doubt he was handsome though. Although she couldn't see his face, his outfit was easily seen. He rushed to her side, his hand reaching under her elbow to lift her tiny body from the ground and puddle that had soaked the back of her satin gown.

It was low cut and bared the top half of her large breasts. She was petite, standing at only five feet five inches. Marissa couldn't stop staring at the stranger. Everything else was forgotten. Even that she was being chased by one of the body guards and girls from the brothel in which she'd just escaped.

"Good lord woman, what are you doing out so late?" the man looked rightly worried. Marissa must've looked frayed and close to hysteria by this point. "These streets are no place for a Lady like you."

Marissa began to struggle and jerk, pushing at the man. Trying to get him to release her as more tears poured down her face. He knew, he knew she'd come from a brothel and he'd turn her in to them.

Shaking her head violently, Marissa stumbled at the unbalance in her equilibrium. "No. No. Let me go. Please don't take me back there. Please!" wheezing still as she continued breathing heavily, Marissa barely heard the man's words. He was an enemy. Everyone was. Even her parents. Those heartless people she used to call parents. Selling her to a brothel. The horror of such an act. Fresh tears washed down her face as she remembered.

She stopped struggling as the man's grip loosened, his hand falling to his side as he stared at the hellish dame who'd slammed into him. He hadn't even budged. Her face was flushed and sweaty and she looked as if she was about to pass out.

"Are you alright miss?" his eyes went wide as he watched her fingers fly to the front of the corset gown that suited a prostitute rather then a lady. Yanking at the knot, she loosened the gown to help her breathe, the man staring in shock and stuttering about indecency.

Marissa began speaking more to herself than to him, forgetting he was before her as she turned and looked to where she'd just ran from, "Luck is on your side tonight Marissa. Damn family thinking they could sell me to a brothel. I'd kill them all if I had the bloody chance." her voice was calm despite the wide eyed horror that had her looking around in panic.

Looking back, a loud gasp escaped Marissa. Sweeping into a deep curtsy, she apologized, "I'm sorry sir. Thank you for helping me up. I'll be on my way now." she gave another, more quick and informal curtsy she walked around the man, heading the direction he'd come from. The docks. She was determined to leave London tonight.

His fingers curled around her wrist, making her turn to him and tug, helplessly in his grip, trying to break free of his fingers, "I'm not going to turn you in to anyone or hurt you my Lady. Please calm yourself." His voice was rich, deep, a soft baritone that hinted at hard sweet rock candy covered in caramel. A roughness like gravel, but sweet and covered in a soft, velvety richness.

He pulled her deeper into the shadows, the hanging lanterns highlighting his features for a second. Marissa saw him from chest to brow. His throat showed hints that he was indeed well muscled, but a thin scar ran almost parallel to his jawline. It rested halfway between his lower jaw and his collarbone and ran from just behind his right ear down to just a few centimeters from his adams apple, where it dropped down to end at the V of his collarbone.

His face was not cut square, but it was still strong and firm, his face just a little long to be called square, but definitely not long enough to oval. His mouth was pressed into a grim line, his lips, which hinted at being a bit full, were thin with stress. His nose was straight and just a tiny bit larger than might have been considered handsome. His eyebrows were dark bold slashes over his eyes and his eyes... his were those that would haunt, for they were different colored. His right was as blue as the Caribbean sea, deep and dark and rich, shining brilliantly like a sapphire. His left was the color of a deep rain forest. A deep emerald green, it shone brightly, but looked haunted, the green a shade like that of a clear gem, but dark and deep as well.

Marissa was lost in his features. What an amazingly handsome man. So different than any other man her eyes had beheld. He was worried, but a sense that he wouldn't harm her filled her bones with a gentle stillness. His hand moved to her shoulder, resting on the bare skin with a firm but gentle hold, "I think you should come with me. You'll be safe. I can take you to my ship if you wish to be away from London. But in order to do so, you must come with me."

Marissa stared at him in surprise. Wasn't it unlucky to have a woman aboard a ship? Staring up at the man, she gasped stupidly at him, "Your ship?" He was a captain? Snapping her mouth shut, she tilted her head, raising a perfect arched brick red eyebrow as his hand extended toward her.

She'd been turned down by many a captains. Most telling her how bad of luck it was for a woman to be aboard their ship because the female spirits of the ships got jealous and caused trouble to them and their sailing patterns. One captain had offered her passage though, telling her he'd have her aboard his ship if he could have his way with her 'sweetness'.

Her virginity, amazingly was still intact even after three months in a brothel. One had almost succeeded by getting her wildly drunk, but she still had her innocence. Keeping her a child until she gave it up to the man she felt deserved her sweet love. Her body was stiff with fear as she remembered escaping the brothel.

"Why are you doing this?" she studied his face in the darkness, naturally curious as to why he really WAS offering her passage aboard his ship.

"Two reasons. One, I believe you are in a truly desperate need to get out of London, and two, I am not like other men. Now, come along. Let us get out of the streets here. I am already late for my meeting." Touching her shoulder, he turned her and led her along with him down the road.

It wasn't long until two figures burst from an alleyway a few streets ahead. Marissa and the man were lit by a streetlamp. His arm looped around her shoulders protectively, whispering harshly, "do exactly as I say and keep in the role I assign you alright?" Marissa gave a short nod as her body stiffened beside him, her arm looping about his waist, gripping his greatcoat in her small fingers.

The two figures had spotted them and were hurrying toward them. "I believe you have something of ours." the woman, obviously a prostitute, spoke as they got close enough to not shout. Her eyes were black daggers.

Marissa's companion smiled, shaking his head as he looked from the approaching woman to the large body guard who resembled a troll. "No, I do not believe so. You see, I found this girl to be just to my liking. I am taking her home with me, to be my maid and mistress. My wife need never know." His left hand was hidden in the folds of Marissa's dress, hiding his ring finger from them. Her gown was bloody at the hem, from the scrape to her thigh she'd received after slamming into him.

"If you look to her hem, you can see I have already enjoyed her gifts once. Now if you shall excuse me, I have just come in from checking on a shipment my company controls and long to be in a good bed with this woman to slake myself upon." His smile was cold, his eyes held traces of laughter at the two figures, staring dumbstruck at the two of them.

Marissa clung to his side, watching the two sent to retrieve her. She gave a confident smile as the two looked at her after her companions words. Her body was beginning to shake but she kept her smile steady as fear over took her small body at being dragged back to the brothel.

She watched the prostitute's face contort in rage, then vanish to its soft, seductive smile. Raising an eyebrow, Marissa knew that she was about to offer herself to him, saying she was more experienced and could offer him more pleasure than the young inexperienced girl he had close to him. Rolling her eyes, Marissa simply raised her head defiantly and looked at her new companion, "shall we go then?" a sweet seductive smile curled her lips as she ran her fingertips down his chest slowly. Giving a soft giggle she kept her eyes on him, her confidence being only that he was beside her, "I want to get those clothes off you and see all of the man who took me." she'd picked up the way the whores had spoken well. Winking at the other two, she gave a warming smile and looked up at her companion her arm still wrapped about his waist to keep from being pulled and dragged off like a rag doll.

Her companion walked beside her. He'd been worried sick when Marissa had shrank against him for the briefest moment. Then she'd said what she shouldn't have! He'd meant for her to bat her eyelashes at him, not stir his imagination wildly. Looking at her, he smiled but his eyes held a warning. He had supreme control, but he was also a man. Her skin, so pale and milky whit, was never the less dusted with a trace of freckles across her nose. And damn but he loved freckles. So when he gently squeezed her hip, his voice was soft as goose down, she would be able to know that yes he had immense control, but he was also a man with needs, and he would not enjoy loosing his mind too much to her.

"Mmm. Yes, and I should very much like to see every willowy curve that wrapped around me this night my dear. Come, we do not want to interrupt our company from their quest." Chuckling softly, he stepped beyond the two dumbstruck brothel workers and whispered in Marissa's ear once out of range. "Do not over do things my dear. I have an overactive imagination. So now, we go to my meeting. You will remain hushed, and I shall deal with what happens from any man. Understood?"

His fingers wound and ran through her mid-back length brick red hair. It hung in soft waves, thick and heavy as he held it in his hand. Nodding at his words in understanding, she gave in to the tremors that had started a few minutes before. Her eyes shifted up to him slowly, "I'm sorry. I knew it would be the only way to keep her from tempting you. That girl has slept with more men than I can count. And more than once too!" Marissa relaxed, still shaking slightly at his side. Her arm dropped from his waist, "my name is Marissa."

Continued in Chapter 2