The Haunting Of An Actor (A Thrilling Romance)

The Haunting Of An Actor (A Thrilling Romance)

By

Susan Hart

Copyright 2020 Susan Hart

Synopsis: This is the second story about Lili Foxworthy, FBI agent, and how she overcame all odds to enter the land of the living again, after surviving an incredible love affair with a serial killer. All novels about her, although stand alone, start with Serial Killer.

Chapter One

It was a year before Lili Foxworthy was able to walk past the old theatre in Santa Barbara where Alaric had performed so many times. Although she had never gone there again, his image and the thoughts of him never left her mind. Just the sound of a Mozart piece would bring tears to her eyes and a shadow to her heart. Everything seemed to remind her of Alaric; the good, the bad and the ugly.

She missed all of it about him.

At best, love is an intensely emotional experience; traumatic is the outcome of one like theirs. To have let herself become so invested in him and them was outside of her character, but Lili had done it willingly. She was so caught up in the passion of him that her senses had dulled; her training had lost to her emotions. Finding out her was the real serial killer and the events that followed had cut deeply into both her work and her emotional wellbeing. Lili had only just begun to find herself again.

Here she was now, determined to overcome the last of it, to fight her way through a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was to be preceded by a short program of Mozart’s best. The ticket was a gift from a friend who couldn’t attend. Lili had no idea why she had accepted the gift but finally realized that her mind was more in control of her future than she was.

This was a bold move for Lili, but she was going to do it. Tonight was her night out alone; she would face the images that were going to leap at her from the stage, and she would listen to the music that he cherished so much. This night was for her, though, not for Alaric. Everything would be at arm’s length; she needed to get a grip on things.

Here she waited, fifteen minutes before the Mozart presentation was to begin. Standing across the street in front of the glorious theatre, her heart pounding in her chest and her palms wet with sweat. The smell of hot fat coming from the nearby fast food restaurant did nothing to move her nervous self forward and calm her erratic stomach.

Finally, she stepped from the curb, her courage at its peak. Now or never, she thought, as she stepped off the curb. She was early with a little bit of time to kill, so she decided to just wander around for a bit.

For the past few months, Lili had categorized her life as being either With Alaric or After Alaric, like chapters in a novel. She’d moved to Santa Barbara After Alaric. The FBI had accommodated her request for a transfer by assigning her the management of their office in the charming city she had come to love.

The view from the upper floor of her building where her office was located provided her with a view of the ocean and the Channel Islands beyond. It was here that she reflected almost every day.

Lili felt close to his memories in this office with this unparalleled view of breathtaking scenery. She often found herself, too, waking in the middle of the night, tears flowing down her cheeks left from some dream that she didn’t want to recall. There had not been any other dates, no going out with friends and no desire to even be near a man for romantic purposes. When Alaric died, a part of Lili died with him.

Somehow, the thought of dating again was almost repellent. Lili knew the bar had been raised; a man would have to be damn charismatic to even come close to those feelings she had with and for Alaric. Once a woman finds and loses a man as complete as he was, it’s hard to be motivated to start all over again.

The renovation of the old theatre was almost complete except for one small part in the far corner of the structure. It was hidden from public view by a construction fence of woven metal strips. She desperately wanted a cappuccino before the performance, so she headed for the small coffee shop about forty yards from the fence.

As she passed by the metal strips of fencing, her ears picked up the sounds of groans and heavy breathing coming from the shielded construction zone. Her FBI instincts kicked in as a warning. Her hand felt through her jacket pocket for her gun.

Cautiously, she walked slowly over to the fence and peeked through the gaps between the covering. In the dim light, she heard what she assumed to be the voice of an actor speaking in a heavy Shakespearean accent: Screw me baby and Fuck me good, it was saying. She could make out the form of a man busily engaged in fucking a woman beneath him.

It was a sexy sight that, for reasons unknown to her, warmed Lili’s crotch. His voice captivated her, sticking her feet to the concrete sidewalk so firmly that she was unable to walk away and leave the lovers to their stolen moment.

In addition, she knew why she was plastered to the scene. The man was blond and built like Charles Atlas, his muscles flexing with every push he made into the lucky woman underneath him. His eyes were closed in passion as he drew near his climax. Lili watched with an envy she had never felt before.

Just as his cum was about to release, he looked up and stared directly at her. She recoiled, but she couldn’t move an inch.

The man smiled at her, knowingly, his icy blue eyes continuing to pierce through to her cunt. It was such a seductive look that she found herself returning the smile. Immediately an understanding formed between them in the moment of climax; they understood each other in silence and in need. The only other time this had happened with Lili was when Alaric fucked her the first time.

She felt the wetness between her legs and forced herself to step back from the fence. Lili ran the short distance to the coffee shop, trying desperately to shake the images from her mind. However, the blue eyes continued to haunt her.

Suppressed emotions and desires wrapped themselves around her thoughts; it was sensuous to see a couple in the final moments of hot sex. Lili had never witnessed that before, but she had experienced it. She sat on a bench drinking her coffee while she tried to flush the images of Alaric’s naked body and erect dick from her mind’s eye; trying to calm herself before entering her memory bank in the theatre.

Once inside the beautiful Spanish-styled interior of the theatre, Lili rode the elevator to the second floor where the bar was located. Using the expertise she had learned from Alaric, Lili selected a glass of Chardonnay and moved to stand by one of the huge pillars that flanked the beautiful walls. From her vantage point, Lili watched the energy build among the attendees, all waiting in anticipation of what was hailed as a superb performance by a talented cast of actors. The audience was made up of Santa Barbara’s richest, most elite members of society. She felt out of place, but Lili knew how to blend it. Her training always provided a way.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her back. Lili was shocked because she knew of no one who would be at the performance that might know her. Turning quickly, her eyes looked straight into the blue ice she had seen behind the construction fence. It was the actor, the other Alaric.

Sorry, he said through the broad smile. I didn’t mean to startle you. She couldn’t take her eyes off his face. The resemblance was even more startling than his touch had been. I’m sorry about what you witnessed outside, too.

She blushed quickly.

It’s okay. I was being nosy, she said quietly, hoping to stop him from saying anything else about what she saw him doing.

Yes, you were, he answered quickly, chuckling. But, that’s okay. He offered her his hand. My name is Peter, he said. Peter Hawking. She noticed a slight English accent in his voice.

Lili shook his hand quickly, knowing that if she lingered, her pussy would respond. I’m Lili, she said, not offering her last name. Aren’t you one of the actors, she asked clumsily, not knowing anything else to say.

Performer, he corrected. Yes, I’m one of the performers tonight. I don’t like the term actor, because it implies a falsity I don’t like.

She faltered. It was the exact thing that Alaric had said to her once; that he was a performer. Well, shouldn’t you be backstage getting ready, she asked. I’m a clumsy oaf, she thought to herself, but she couldn’t take back the words.

Peter laughed aloud. How did you know I was in the show, he asked, out rightly curious. The two-minute warning lights flashed in the theatre.

It’s your accent, I think, she offered, sitting her empty glass on the available tray stand. Sounds English. Are you?

Well, I wasn’t born there, but I lived there with my grandparents after I was orphaned at a young age. We lived in Leicester for a while, in the Midlands. Do you know that area?

Oh, no, I don’t, she replied. I have never been to England, but the accent is hard to miss.

He smiled. You should know the Midlands, he said, because it’s where Robin Hood and his Merry Men used to hang out. She laughed and he continued.

Then, I came to America in my early twenties after studying with the Royal Shakespeare Company, so I kept the accent. It works for my career, because I am a Shakespearean actor. He laughed lightly, but richly.

I see, she said. "Well, I believe I should find my seat and let you get to work. It was nice meeting you, and I look forward to your performance this evening. She put an emphasis on the word intentionally for him.

He laughed aloud.

The lights in the theatre flashed again. That’s your cue, Peter said. "I’m not on for half an hour, but when I spotted you standing here, I