The Captive Conjuror

"Look, I'm gonna grab some lunch. You guys figure out the levi illusion and I'll take a look at it when I get back."

Once Henry had left, Derek and Chloe just stood where they were for several long awkward moments.

"Look, Chloe," Derek said, "I want you to know how much I respect and admire everything you've done for the act. You've classed it up in so many ways and I would never want to screw that up by putting the moves on you.

"But Henry is right, at least where I'm concerned. I go home at night and dream about you. Literally. That presentation for the Doll House illusion? That was a dream.

"If I'm honest with myself ... and with you ... I do have to admit that I think I'm falling for you, Chloe Fazioli."

Chloe stood where she was, staring at the floor and kicking at a piece of duct tape used to mark the location of a prop. She took a deep breath.

"Derek, if I'm honest with you, I have to say that I fell for you last year at the convention, the very morning I met you.

"I saw something in you that I still don't think that you see yourself. You have such authentic passion for what you do, but you never do it for yourself. You do it because you want to spread joy and wonder with people. You want to give everyone who watches our show a special treat that they'll remember for a lifetime. And that's extremely attractive and why I first fell for you.

"Well, that and that ridiculous sleeveless shirt that Deana made you wear. You do have sexy arms, Derek.

"Look, I moved half way across the country to work with you, but I've always hoped that maybe I moved for more than just the job.

They slowly walked toward one another and for the first time embraced like they really meant it.

For the next half an hour they talked about a great many things and when Henry finally returned he found them sitting on the edge of the levitation couch, lightly holding hands and chatting.

"Well, glad you two have finally figured out what I've known for months!" he proclaimed." Now let's get back to work!"

Chloe and Derek's relationship flourished as did the act. A year later they were married and neither could have been happier.

One day, Chloe came into the rehearsal hall with a new idea.

"You know, I've been reading up on some of the old-time classic magic shows, and a lot of them had something that I think we might do well with. They used to have a variety act or two on the bill."

"Sounds interesting," Derek said. Did you have anything special in mind?"

"Well, I never told you because I was kind of embarrassed about it, but when I was a teenager, I used to do a ventriloquist act."

"Really? How long would it take you to work up something? We could try it out in Phoenix if you think you could have something ready."

"I think my mom still has my puppets. If she could send them to me I could be ready by Phoenix. Oh, and we could put it in the show right after the Stretching illusion, which would give you a bit of time to change your costume for the Modern Cabinet."

"Great idea, hon!"

Chloe's ventriloquist act proved to be an enormous boost to the show. Audiences absolutely loved her humor and sparkling personality as she bantered with a rabbit puppet about the travails of working for a magician.

Classical Conjuring with Derek and Chloe toured the country for four years to great acclaim. Numerous agencies had been keeping up with the progress of their show, and not long after they were offered a nine-month contract at a theater in Branson.

A "sit down" show meant not having to pack up and move an entire truckload of equipment every few days. They would also be able to add a few larger illusions and even more production value to the show. It was a dream come true and they readily accepted the offer.

The family-friendly extravaganza proved to be an excellent fit in Branson, and their nine-month contract was renewed for the next three seasons.

****

Back to the Show

Derek had borrowed a shoe from the young man who joined him on stage. Offering to clean it, he placed it into the "Footwear Ablutionary Incendiary Loader" or "F.A.I.L." box, where it hilariously was not cleaned but "accidentally" incinerated.

Not to be daunted, Derek made the volunteer's shoe reappear in a box that had been suspended over the audience's head for the entire show.

Chloe stood in the wings where she knew only her husband could see her. The audience volunteer stood with his back to her and she seized the opportunity to drop the top of her gown, flashing her perfect breasts at Derek.

Derek's breath caught, and he stood frozen and silent for a moment, having to remind himself of his next lines before he could continue.

What has gotten into her? he wondered. She's never done anything like this before!

With each passing trick, Chloe found more creative yet subtle ways to taunt her poor husband.

During the Linking Rings she stood behind the curtain that he was performing in front of, and pressed her tits against his back through the heavy velour fabric.

The Mis-Made Lady illusion consisted of Chloe entering a vertical cabinet which was then divided into four parts. When the boxes were re-stacked, the uppermost box was shown to contain her lower torso and legs. Her upper torso was in the next one down. But what got Derek into trouble was when Chloe's lovely face was revealed in the next box, at about crotch-level to Derek.

Through her unmoving smile Chloe whispered, "Ooooh! I want that yummy, yummy cock! I'll bet you wish it was sliding down my throat right now, don't you?"

Derek's brow broke out in perspiration, but somehow he managed to keep smiling.

But it was the show's encore finale that proved to be the most challenging test of Derek's concentration: The Table of Death.

The apparatus comprised a huge inverted rack of long spikes hung suspended over a thin platform. To prove the dangerous nature of the apparatus, a plywood cutout in roughly the size and shape of a man was laid upon the platform.

It was explained to the audience that the rope holding the spikes would have a propane torch lit beneath it. Derek would have approximately ninety seconds to escape from the manacles that would bind him to the platform before that torch burned through the heavy rope. If not, well then...

The rope was released and the heavy spikes came crashing down, rendering the plywood cutout into virtual swiss cheese.

Derek removed his tuxedo tailcoat as the slow and dramatic music began and the heavy rack was cranked back up into position above the table. He ceremoniously took his place lying back onto the platform. Henry began securing the shackles at the ankles while Chloe busied herself with the wrist restraints.

Derek breathed heavily, not as much for dramatic effect as he usually did, but because he feared what his wife could to do next. His fears proved to be well-founded.

"I think this might be where I want you when I slip the head of your cock across my tongue," she cooed without a trace of movement in her face.

Derek whimpered slightly and rolled his hips upstage as if struggling against the restraints, but in actuality he was trying to hide his pronounced erection. He hoped with all his might that his acting skills would draw focus to the premise of the dangerous escape.

At last Chloe drew the short curtain in front of Derek, concealing him from the audience's view.

"Swallow you soon, lover!" she whispered as she stepped back.

The propane torch was lit beneath the rope, and for ninety tense seconds a large timer clock ticked the time. After about a minute Derek's hands were seen to be free and reaching beneath the table to struggle with the chains that held his feet. The Ninety seconds ticked by and turned to one hundred ... one hundred and four ...

Suddenly the torch flared furiously when the rope was burned through and the spikes came crashing down through the table. Several women in the audience shrieked and the room went silent.

Just when many people were beginning to fear the worst, Derek stood quickly and triumphantly on top of the spikes, lifting the curtain by its rod. Ordinarily he would throw the curtain to the floor and step forward for one final bow, but this night he just remained on the table holding the curtain at waist level (for obvious reasons) in one hand and waved with the other.

Never before did Derek feel such a sense of relief upon the closing of the final curtain. Somehow he had made it through the entire performance, despite the many diversions from his darling wife.

Chloe knew she was going to have to answer for her behavior during the show. It's not that she had a cavalier attitude toward her work. Far from it! But on that particular evening she was just so racked with desire from the moment she had first laid eyes on her husband in his sexy tuxedo.

Knowing his body as she did, she imagined she could see straight through the starched front shirt so gleaming white, where she saw his firm pectorals with their coarse dark dark hairs sprinkled across them.

Through the perfectly cut sleeves she could see his strong biceps; the left one with a very small scar on one side.

Through his gleaming black shoes she could see his sexy sinewy feet. with perfect arches and strong toes.

Indeed sometimes fully clothed is far more tantalizing than completely naked. It teases with hidden potential. It draws the imagination to a heightened plane. It generates a searing anticipation.

Every time Chloe looked at Derek she became hornier and hornier, to the point she felt she was about to burst.

But now, even though the performance was over, they could not simply retire to their dressing room to tend to their blistering passions. No, to further prolong their agony, Derek needed to go over one or two bits of business with the stage manager and with Henry, then he and Chloe had to go out to the lobby to meet with fans, take photos and sign autographs.

After about a half an hour of greeting their enthusiastic audience, Chloe excused herself to go backstage while Derek saw the last few guests out. He said good night to the last remaining ushers as they gathered their belongings and headed out for the night.

In the quiet darkness he made his way through the darkened auditorium toward the backstage area. The stage was now lit by a single light on a stand, the "ghost light", which cast its long shadows to the farthest corners of the theater. The ghost light meant that the entire crew had already gone home, and that he and Chloe would be the last ones out for the night. Perfect.

Already Derek was anticipating ravaging his dear, sweet wife for taunting him so mercilessly all night long.

He shed his tailcoat as he made his way into the dressing room, fully expecting (hoping!) to find his wife lying naked on the sofa. But instead he found only an empty room.

He hung up the coat while peeking about the costume rack, wondering if Chloe was perhaps hiding from him there. But again he found nothing.

He slowly crept into the backstage wings, winding his way between the many props and illusions used in the show, each stored carefully in its designated place. He peered behind each one, wondering where Chloe might be hiding.

Not in the Crystal Casket. Not behind the Mis-Made. Not in the Shadow Box.

When he arrived at the Table of Death he recalled the words Chloe had spoken as she was fastening the chains, and he had to reach down to adjust his hardening cock.

At that moment Chloe's silhouetted form stepped out from behind the Assistant's Revenge prop. Still in her long blue gown she held chains and locks dangling from her delicate fingers. Derek could only moan softly at the sight.

Without a word Chloe approached him and wrapped her arms around Derek's neck, kissing him deeply. His hands effortlessly found their way to her hips, splaying his fingers across her backside.

"I meant what I said on stage tonight, you know. I also know that I have been torturing you all night, so this is going to be all for you."

It was refreshing to hear her sultry voice but finally now with her lips moving sensuously as she spoke.

She kissed him again and again, guiding him slowly to sit on the edge of the Table of Death. Its spike rack had been cranked back up to the upper position, and Derek could see that the double-safety latch was securely in place. Though the prop looked menacing, the danger factors were carefully controlled to prevent any true mishaps.

Chloe crawled on top of Derek pressing him onto his back. Her hands grasped his wrists pulling them above his head into their usual position used during a performance.

"Well now, this is a little kinky, don't you think?" Derek inquired with a broad smile on his face.

"Maybe a little. But I promise you'll enjoy it."

Derek could feel the familiar sensation of chains wrapping around his wrists, but when he heard the loud clicks of the locks something seemed ever-so-slightly different. His eyes widened and he raised his head off the cold, hard surface of the table.

"Wait. That didn't sound like the trick locks."

Chloe learned into his ear, whispering softly, "They're not."

She sucked his earlobe into her mouth and grazed it between her teeth eliciting another moan from deep in Derek's throat.

Her hand glided down his chest as she continued to kiss him, and came to rest squarely on his throbbing erection. She cupped his balls through the midnight blue tuxedo trousers before sliding her hand up his entire length.

"Time to start getting you undressed, big boy," she purred.

With that she slid down off the cool black table and set about untying his shoes which she dispatched to the floor. Next she peeled off his black silk socks.

She always found Derek's feet to be extremely sexy, and she took extra time to knead and rub them tenderly which she knew he loved, especially at the end of a long day.

Chloe came around to the side of the table for better access to unfasten his trousers. She reached inside them to stoke his thighs, purposely avoiding the heat emanating from his erection.

Derek's head was rolled back and his chest heaved with each ragged breath. He could feel Chloe tugging at the cuffs of his trousers and in just a few seconds they were gone, followed by his crisp, white boxers.

Next he felt his wife's hands nudging his ankles apart and he felt sure that his suffering was about to come to an end, but instead he felt more chains being applied to his ankles.

"We're almost there, sweetheart," she said. "I just have to do one more thing."

She vaulted up onto the table's surface and straddled Derek's shackled body, her hands grasping a couple of the spikes that hung overhead for balance.

She marveled at the sight of his form, still clad in white shirt and ascot and his double-breasted champagne-colored brocade vest, its decorative watch chain spilled to one side.

But below the vest he was fully, gloriously naked. There was tension present in every visible muscle from his ankles to his thighs. His erection strained and pulsed like she had not seen since early in their marriage seven years earlier. It glistened in the half-light as it flexed up and down, yearning for relief.

Chloe locked her eyes to Derek's as she wordlessly unfastened the clasps on her dress. He already knew that she was not wearing a bra beneath her costume, since she had flashed him from the wings earlier. Her perfect breasts swayed slightly as she shimmied the garment down her gorgeous body, pausing briefly at her hips.

"I guess I was in too much of a hurry to get my costume on tonight, and I forgot a couple of things," she teased.

She released the dress whereupon it pooled onto Derek's thighs and revealed that Chloe had in fact worn nothing at all beneath the slinky dress.

Derek's brow was covered in sweat now, as he watched Chloe's hands glide up her taut torso, cupping her perfectly rounded breasts and flicking her nipples briefly before continuing up to fluff her long blonde hair.

Unconsciously she caught her lower lip with her teeth as her hands slid down her sides and met in the soft downy tufts of blonde curls between her thighs. Slowly her fingertips began to tease at the delicate folds until her arousal exposed her shimmering pussy.

Her hips undulated as Derek watched in helpless fascination as her own fingers explored her depths, causing her own breathing to come in short cries and gasps.

Suddenly she stopped her ministrations, shaking her head slightly to clear her thoughts.

"Sorry, I promised this was going to be all for you," she said.

"Baby, that definitely was for me! But honestly I think I'm gonna have a stroke if you don't do something else and quick!"

Chloe knew that the time for teasing was truly over. It was time to make good on her promise.

She climbed down off the table and stood to the side. How fortuitous that from that position she could lean forward from the waist and perfectly line up her lips to Derek's very, very hard cock which was lying against his abdomen, looking quite regal upon the elegant fabric of his vest.

Using only her mouth she drew his balls into her mouth, first one, then releasing it in favor of the other. Derek's legs quivered violently, causing the entire table to shake and the chains to rattle.

As much as she wanted it to make it last, Chloe knew she needed to give her husband the release he had been aching for the past few hours.

Her lips languidly kissed his throbbing flesh from base to tip where she allowed her tongue to swirl around the tip just once before drawing it in between her lips.

Ever since their wedding night Derek's cock had always given her the most exquisite pleasure. She adored every contour, every texture, but the bulbous head had always been her favorite part. It was perfectly rounded for her tastes; neither too pointed, nor too mushroom-shaped, but just pleasantly domed.

She slowly allowed it to slip out from her lips, tracing its contours as it did. Derek moaned very loudly and she knew he would not last much longer at all.

Again she drew the meaty head of his cock into her mouth, but this time she continued to slide down as much of his length as she was able to. Her tongue fluttered along his underside and his hips began to buck slightly.

Oh, how he wished he could bury his hands in her long blonde tresses, guiding her ministrations. Instinctively his hands tried to move there but of course he was not able to budge an inch.

Every muscle in his body tensed simultaneously and his cries echoed though the empty auditorium signaling his imminent orgasm.

Chloe popped her mouth off of him and for the first time brought her hand into play.

She rested her head on Derek's stomach and opened her mouth wide while her hand furiously stroked his thick shaft. His cum spurted more forcefully than she had seen in a number of years, and she was glad that her aim was perfect as it gathered into her waiting mouth.

Having aroused Derek so many times over the course of the evening, he delivered about twice, maybe nearly three times as much cum in his load as usual. Chloe cooed her own pleasure as she collected the thick semen on her tongue before swallowing it all most eagerly.

Derek's spent body finally relaxed onto the table and his chest heaved mightily, trying to catch his breath. Chloe relished watching the aftermath of his efforts as she continued to coax the last drops of his seed into her mouth.

Standing, up she walked slowly to the head of the table where she leaned over Derek's face. From her inverted vantage point she suddenly had the idea to lean forward until her right nipple was poised above Derek's still-panting mouth.

She lowered it onto his lips which devoured it greedily. Chloe savored his inability to use his very deft and nimble hands as he normally would, and the concentrated efforts of his tongue caused her knees to buckle slightly as her own orgasm swept over her.