As consciousness dripped into my brain like a leaky faucet, pain was all that existed.
My shoulders hurt. My back felt like someone had taken a roller pin to it.
I’d never felt my eyeballs as a singular unit, but I fucking felt them now—throbbing like they suddenly had their own pulse.
And Jesus Christ, my abs… they were literally screaming at me.
I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet.
It didn’t occur to me to check the time when all of us finally crashed, but I remember seeing that faint pink across the skyline of New York from my bedroom window as I was fucking Charity doggystyle on my massive bed. We’d gone non-stop since the moment I emerged from that closet with Charity in my arms.
My nose itched, and without opening my eyes, I scratched it, thankful to be able to provide myself with some modicum of relief. Moving just that much hurt, though.
As I dropped my hand, it landed on something soft… and that’s when I finally noticed that someone was lying on top of me. Several someones, in fact.
Curious, I decided to undergo the monumental task of opening my eyes, which I hated. My eyeballs protested as I blinked, trying to make my surroundings come into focus. As they did, I saw a tangle of dark brown hair lying under my hand; the head it belonged to shifted slightly on my abdomen, and a faint groan came from… I think it was Shea.
She wasn’t the only one in my bed… or the only one on top of me. Lying unconscious to my right, her face less than a foot from mine, was Rose. Her long hair draped messily over her chin and mouth so that some of it fluttered with each breath.
She slept so peacefully, that innocent face hiding the devil that lurked within. Her Nubian nose had an upturned, button-like appearance that—combined with her full lips—gave her a cute, doll-like quality. Her arm was sprawled across my chest, and I could feel her leg lying across both Shea and me.
Curled up against my left was Charity, drooling a little on my chest. Rose’s hand rested on me just under her chin, and Charity had placed one of her hands on the dancer’s wrist. My head of PR was clinging to my side like a koala as she snoozed, which made me feel suddenly protective of her for some reason.
On the other side of Charity lay Helen—the big spoon to Charity’s little one. Her arm was outstretched, and I suddenly realized that I was resting my head on her palm. Her other arm was wrapped around Charity’s waist, the hand cupping a breast. Helen’s eyes were the only ones open, and as I looked at her, she gave me a small, contented smile and mouthed, ‘Good morning.’ Her thumb affectionately stroked along my cheek.
We were all very naked.
I closed my eyes, nuzzled into Helen’s hand, and began piecing together the events from last night—the teasing of Tara, the cum-swapping double blowjob from Shea and Charity, fucking Kelly…
From there, it had all devolved into even more debauched chaos. I’d already climaxed at least four times, but aside from Charity, the rest of my girls had only climaxed once a piece… or not at all.
After fucking Kelly, Charity ended up on the coffee table, with Erin on her face while I fucked her again. Then I fucked Erin’s pussy while Helen produced a strap-on. She ended up with Shea in her arms, fucking the masseuse in a standing position— relatively easy, considering how petite the flight attendant was.
Helen then ended up fucking Kelly while I fucked her. Then Helen and I spitroasted Erin, with Helen taking my tiny assistant’s ass. She wanted us to double penetrate her at the same time, and Erin had been willing to give it a try, but I wasn’t interested in trying with Helen’s larger strap-on, and she didn’t have a smaller attachment.
So, raincheck.
Instead, we ended up dominating Jess between the two of us. We started with her on a couch, on her back, with Helen fucking her cunt while I had my cock in her throat. Jessica’s reluctance was still present despite her getting more turned on with each passing hour. Her walls toward being intimate with the other women were dissolving, and the rest of the girls and I spent the next hour making her the center of attention.
I fucked her, Helen took another turn, Rose, Erin… most of us fucked her while others continued to stimulate her tits, kiss her, finger her, and anything else we could think of. By the time we’d finished, she was a barely coherent mess. Kelly ended up passing out as well, cuddled up with Jess, and the rest of us decided to go somewhere more comfortable, where we kept the party going until strands of purple began to creep along the night sky.
The last thing I remembered was curling up with Shea and falling asleep while watching Charity eat out Rose, my cock had finally deflated, sore and abused… and content.
To think I’d only been in Norway until a few days ago, cold and scared for my life. Oh, how easily things could change.
I sighed as I reminisced, and then realized I was missing someone. Erin had come to bed with us, but as I lifted my head and looked around, she wasn’t among the others. Instead, I caught sight of her in an overstuffed chair across the room, scrolling through her phone and making some notes on a tablet sitting on a table next to her. She was dressed in one of my shirts, with one foot resting on the cushion so that she was hugging that knee. It showed off the curve of her ass, covered in black French cut panties. A pair of glasses was perched on the end of her nose, and as I watched her, she pressed a dainty finger to the eyewear’s bridge and pushed it up.
A pot of coffee was sitting on another table nearby, with several empty mugs. And she had one sitting next to her tablet, steam wafting from it.
I slowly began to sit up, and a groan of protest came from Rose as I carefully extracted my arm from under her. One eye slid open just enough to peek at me, and when I gave her a smile, she reciprocated it with a curl of her lip in a silent snarl before turning to bite my arm playfully. Then, promptly closed her eyes and went catatonic again.
Charity didn’t stir at all as I shifted. Shea barely seemed coherent as she peered around through her mess of dark brown hair, and then immediately began crawling up the hole I’d made between the girls as I sat up. She promptly buried herself in Rose’s arms and also went back to sleep.
I climbed over Charity and paused, straddling her and Helen, and my beautiful blonde lawyer rolled over on her back as I hovered over her. She reached up and stroked my cheek, and I leaned down to capture her lips in mine. Her morning breath was strong… and very real. I loved it and wanted more. I lapped at her lips with my tongue, and they parted, allowing me to dip between them to taste her even more. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into her as we kissed, humming against my mouth.
I indulged in her lips for another few moments before breaking the kiss to explore her cheeks, her ear, and then down her neck.
A contented smile graced her lips. “Mmhhm… you’re going to start something.”
“Shhh,” I murmured into her neck. “Sleep.” I reached up and kissed her ear again and whispered, “I’ll deal with you later.”
With her arms still around me, she pulled back just enough to meet my gaze, her electric blue eyes rimmed with red… hungover and still tired. I wasn’t sure what time it was, but none of us had gotten enough sleep.
“Is that a promise?” She asked.
“Of course,” I said, and kissed her once more before extracting myself from her embrace. She didn’t protest. Instead, she simply rolled over on her side, wrapped both her arms around Charity, and pulled her close. I grabbed the edge of the large comforter and tossed it over all four of my girls before slipping out of bed and grabbing a robe that I was pretty sure Erin had laid out for me.
Throwing it on, I approached Erin, who had been watching me interact with the girls as I’d gotten up. The look she gave me was thoughtful as she rested her head against one hand.
“Coffee?” She asked quietly, as I cinched the robe at my waist.
“Please,” I said, still keenly aware of the throbbing in my skull.
Erin set her phone down and poured me a cup while I scrubbed at my face and ran my fingers through my hair. By the time I was done, she was standing up with a fully-made cup and a pleased little smile. She handed it to me, glanced at the bed full of women, and jerked her head toward the door where I had a smaller receiving area. “Want to let them sleep a little longer?”
I followed her through the door into the sitting room, and Erin started to close the door behind me.
“Oh, wait,” I said, suddenly remembering that I hadn’t grabbed my phone.
“It’s over there,” Erin said, pointing to a table next to a chair.
Best assistant ever.
I sighed, dropped into the chair, and took a sip of the coffee, noting that it seemed to taste better than usual.
“Mm,” I said, glancing at Erin. “New beans?”
“Emiko found them,” Erin said, taking a chair opposite of me. I took a moment to appreciate how fucking sexy she looked in my shirt with those glasses. With her silver hair thrown up in a careless bun, she was every man’s wet dream.
Very aware that I was admiring her, Erin sat back in her chair, spread her legs a little more, and gave me her signature Cheshire grin.
“How long have you been up?” I asked, not bothering even to hide the fact that I was staring at her long, slender legs.
“An hour,” Erin said.
“Jesus, Erin,” I said, shaking my head. “How do you do it? It must have been around six in the morning when we all fell asleep.”
Erin shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. “I’m one of those lucky ones who only need roughly five hours of sleep.”
“Those people aren’t real,” I groused.
“Those people are rare,” she corrected. “I’m living proof. Most people need at least seven hours. There’s a tiny percentage of the population that can thrive on less.”
“Well,” I said, “Your math’s off. Three hours isn’t five.”
“I’ll probably sneak in a nap this afternoon,” Erin said. “I needed to take care of some stuff this morning, though.”
“Like what?”
“First off,” Erin said. “I looked through the news to see if Desai or Hiro decided to call your bluff and drop some major bomb on you. You’re in luck. All I found were crickets. No kidnapping of Ryo Tanaka… no ‘Marcus Upton is a war merchant’ or anything like that.”
I let my head fall back against the seat. “Good.
“Indeed,” Erin said. “Then, I got Bobbi to bed.” She cocked her head to the side. “Did Helen leave her there all night on purpose?”
I pressed my thumb and forefinger to my eyes and rubbed them. “Fuck… I don’t know if she did, but I wouldn’t have let her if I’d thought about it.” Looking back up at Erin, the stars in my eyes from the massaging began to clear. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. Not very talkative and a little worse for wear… the Sybian wasn’t running. Helen must have had it set on a timer.”
“At least she’s not a total psychopath, then,” I said.
“Yeah,” Erin said. “She was asleep when I found her, but she looked grateful to see me, which is a first.”
“Yeah. I’ll tell Helen to leave her alone for a couple of days. She was being a bit of a brat to Natalie, but I don’t think she deserved anything like that.”
Erin smiled thoughtfully. “Getting a soft spot for her?”
My response was knee-jerk. “No! She still rubs me the wrong way. I don’t hate her like I once did, but that doesn’t mean that I like her or anything.”
“Mmhm,” Erin said.
I eyed her over my coffee cup, telegraphing my disapproval of her using that kind of disbelieving tone, suggesting that I was actually starting to like Bobbi.
“What else?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Phoebe left this morning about forty minutes ago,” Erin said.
“Oh…” I said, a little surprised. I thought I’d have a chance to say goodbye to her before she left.
“She wasn’t sure what Nate would have with him, so she wanted to buy him some new stuff. I sent a couple of the Johns with her and five thousand dollars in cash.”
“Cash?”
“No paper trail. Helen told me you guys agreed that she should keep a low profile.”
“Oh. Yeah. Good thinking.”
“Why the low profile?” Erin asked.
I gave her the Cliff’s Notes version of the conversation I had with Helen and Psalter last night.
“Ah,” Erin said. “You’re afraid of someone like Hiro or Tyler weaponizing Phoebe’s husband.”
“Exactly.”
“Why not just pay him off? What’s his name? Jim?”
“Yeah,” I said, considering the suggestion. “I mean… I guess I could, but Jim’s not exactly the most honorable guy. What keeps him from rolling over when someone just offers him more money? Besides, if it gets out that Jim did receive a suitcase full of cash, someone might put it together.”
Erin shrugged. “I guess it makes sense to keep her off the grid for a bit. Not a lot of people know about the Catskills spot, and I imagine very few would think to check there… not when they all have their eyes on you here.”
I nodded.
Erin stood up and approached me. “She seemed upset that she wouldn’t get to say goodbye to you. She told me to tell you, ‘thank you.’”
She bent over at the waist, putting her hands on my knees as she leaned in close. I felt my heart skip a beat as her face came within inches. Erin’s brown eyes flickered over my face, and then she husked, “She also told me to give you this…”
Leaning in the rest of the way, Erin’s lips brushed mine. The coffee on her breath was strong and warred with the typical flowery scent I’d come to associate with her. Her lips were free from lipstick—soft and moist as they closed on mine. Her mouth remained closed as she moved it against mine, only parting near the end so that I felt the briefest press of the tip of her tongue on my upper lip.
And then it was over. Erin pulled back just enough so that I could see her entire face. The pleased look on her face suggested I was a little dumbstruck at the implication.
“She…”
I cleared my throat, making her smile widen.
“She told you to give me that?”
“Just the thank you,” she flirted. “Trust me, though. Phoebe Lucas wanted to kiss you.”
Erin didn’t know just how right she probably was. I didn’t think she knew that Phoebe had kissed me in my old apartment… nor that we’d almost had a repeat performance in this very building the night we returned to New York.
“And the last bit of business,” Erin said, still hovering oh-so close to me, “You have two missed calls from Miss Natalie Bander.”
She stood up and took a step back as I lunged for my phone. “Wait… I do?”
“I answered the second call,” Erin said, “and told her you were busy in a meeting and that she should expect a call back from you after you’re done. That was about thirty minutes ago.”
“What did she want?”
“To talk to you,” Erin said, amused.
My heart started racing. I knew we had promised to talk today, but with everything that happened after she left, Natalie had slipped to the background of my mind. Besides, part of me thought her interest might cool after a night’s sleep… considering what I’d exposed her to. No one could blame a girl for wanting to run far away after being introduced to a sex dungeon where the man she was interested in dating played with other women. Doubly so, given the hardcore bondage lesbian show.
The fact that she called at all gave me hope.
I opened my phone, scrolled to my call history, and confirmed: Natalie had indeed called me twice. Two texts waited for me as well. The first read, Call me when you wake up. The second, Hey, I know you’ve got a full morning. Just checking to see if you’re busy.
I looked up at Erin. “Looks like I’m getting that date.”
“It sounds like she’s interested in more than just a date,” Erin said.
“Yeah,” I said. “But I’m talking about our date.”
Erin was quick-witted. I rarely caught her off balance. This time, though—her mouth opened, shut, and then opened again. A subtle flush crept over her cheeks, and then I was rewarded with a pleased smile she immediately tried to hide by dropping back into her chair. She stretched with feline grace and grinned, tongue running across her teeth like a vampire checking the sharpness of her fangs. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, sir. You still have to cross the finish line.”
I held the phone up. “Speaking of which…”
Erin’s eyes lit up. “Want to bet on which ring she picks up?.”
“Hm. What are the stakes?” I asked.
“A blank check.”
I gave Erin a skeptical look. “A metaphorical one, right? A literal blank check doesn’t mean much to me.”
“Yep,” she said. “An IOU.”
“What kind?”
“What kind do you think?” she snarked. “Sexual.”
I studied her, trying to find the angle. Erin was more intelligent than I was, and she already had several plans in the works—some obvious and some I only suspected. Tara… Natalie… she was the one who hired Camille, and she’d brought on an ex-brothel madam to run my household.
“Don’t you have enough webs to weave?”
She bit her lip, leaned forward, eyes glinting playfully. “Never…”
Moments stretched on as we stared at each other, neither of us blinking. Finally, I decided to play the game. Erin had never steered me wrong, after all.
“Sure,” I said. “Two rings. She’s too classy to pick up on the first one.”
“Three rings,” Erin countered. “She knows you’d think that. Three feels natural for a busy person.”
We continued our staring contest, as I pressed my thumb to the screen, called Natalie, then put it on speakerphone and placed it on the table next to me. I wouldn’t have her accusing me of cheating.
The phone rang once, and I took the time to enjoy a sip of my coffee as I watched Erin. She sat back in her chair and threw a leg over one arm, giving me a beautiful scene to look at—her panty-covered crotch. The strip of thin black material barely covered the treasure underneath. Even though it wasn’t transparent, I could still make out the indentations her pussy lips made in the fabric. She took a sip of her coffee and just smirked at me.
I looked down at the phone, expecting the second ring any—
“Hello?”
Erin and I looked at each other in complete shock, and for the second time in a matter of minutes, I got to see Erin’s mouth work wordlessly.
“Nat!” I said, leaning in so that I almost sandwiched my full coffee cup between me and the arm of my chair. I placed it on the table carefully before I actually spilled it. “Hi!”
“Marcus!” She said, sounding delighted. There was a moment of hesitation, and then she continued, “I’m so glad you called!”
“Yeah,” I said. “Sorry it took so long. I was… busy this morning.”
“Am I on speaker?” Natalie asked.
“One second,” I said, picking up the phone and turning off the speaker as I held it up to my face. Erin’s delight turned into a bratty pout, glaring at me over her coffee cup as she took another sip. Her legs stayed completely spread.
I turned and took a few steps away from her. “My hands were full. Did you get enough sleep?”
I heard her snort on the other end. “No.”
“No?”
“I was too busy thinking about everything from last night.”
“Ah. Yeah.” I turned back around to see Erin still watching me, her lips pursed prettily as she blew on her coffee. Her free hand was draped between her legs, lazily dragging her middle finger up and down her cloth-covered mound.
“I hope they weren’t bad thoughts.”
“No!” Natalie said quickly. “They weren’t! It was just… a lot. I think I finally got to sleep around three-thirty.”
The first question that crossed my mind was whether she had gotten off on the memory of what she saw, but I was hesitant to ask. Trying to work out how else to respond, I stood there, spaced out as I stared at the little show Erin was giving me. She tilted her head to the side, looking up at me, her smile a gentle question that I couldn’t quite understand.
“I…” Natalie hesitated, sounding unsure about her next question. “How late did stay up last night?”
Lying to her seemed like the easiest response, but I decided against it. I’d shown her the dungeon last night. She’d seen me interact with Bobbi and Helen. Even before that, I’d danced with girls in ways that no man should in front of someone they were trying to date.
She’d been relatively cool about all of it. There had been moments of doubt—especially in the dungeon—but compared to the average girl, Natalie had proven herself open-minded. On top of that, I didn’t know what was in store for us, but I knew with absolute certainty that I didn’t want it to start off with a lie, and was there even any point in lying? If she couldn’t handle my lifestyle, there was no future for us.
Like I said last night—radical honesty.
“I might have seen the sun come up,” I said.
Erin’s smile slowly faded as we watched each other. Her expression went neutral as she watched me, and I was sure she could see the feelings painted all over my face as the anxiety began to boil in me with each passing moment of silence. Natalie had to understand the implications behind telling her that I stayed up all night after a party like that.
“I… see,” she said, her tone neutral. “And did you spend it alone?”
I steeled myself—radical honesty.
“No,” I said. “We had something of an afterparty.”
No response.
“You there?” I finally asked.
“Mmhm,” Natalie said. Her tone gave me nothing to work with.
Another moment passed, and then she said. “Who was it with?”
“Nat,” I said, turning away from Erin as I began to pace. “You sure you want to know?”
“Yes. I want you to be honest with me. Was it Bobbi and that other woman? The blonde one? Erin?”
I sighed. “After you left, the party ramped up. It was a lot of fun. Eventually, Rose brought me to the game room.”
“Rose,” Natalie said. “The really skinny one? The dancer?”
“That’s the one. She uh… Charity was there, and we went to a closet for a little bit and did some stuff—”
“You fucked her?” Natalie asked, still carefully neutral.
“Yeah,” I said. Then we came out, and Rose, Helen, Erin, Shea, and Tara were all there.”
“Tara… your personal trainer?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“She’s a lesbian, right?”
“She mostly watched,” I said.
Natalie snorted, seeming to find my phrasing funny. “Mostly.”
“Then… Kelly came in,” I said, “and Jessica.”
“Your ex!?”
I winced at that. “Yeah.”
“That’s happening?”
“Some,” I said. “Not a lot. It’s not a relationship. It’s just sex.”
Natalie grew quiet again, and I let her take her time. She’d been through a lot with Tyler, and now she was possibly becoming entangled with his brother, whom she had seen with his submissive just the night before, and now was learning that he was fucking his ex-girlfriend.
If I were in her shoes, I would have probably run away screaming.
After nearly a minute, though, the silence became a little too much to bear. “Nat?”
“I’m here.” Her tone was soft.
“Okay,” I said.
“It’s just a lot.”
“I know. Are we okay?”
“Yeah. I just don’t know what to think. Last night… and now this…”
“I want to take you out tonight,” I blurted, half afraid she would end the call. “Would you let me?”
“Out where?”
“Say yes and find out tonight,” I said.
More silence. Then, “Marcus, I’m scared.”
“I know,” I said. “You don’t have to say yes if you don’t w—”
“I want to,” Natalie cut in over me. “It would just be us, right?”
“Yes,” I said before the question had dried. “I wouldn’t do that to you. I really like you, Natalie. I’ve liked you for a long time. If you’re not busy or anything, just come out with me tonight. It’ll just be us. On a date. No one else and no expectations.”
She was quiet for a thoughtful moment, and then said, “I wouldn’t mind a little expectation.”
That answer felt like she was running hot and cold, which was frustrating, but despite it, I couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t hate me. That was a good sign.
“So… tonight?”
A beat of silence. Then she asked, “What time?”
By the time we got off the phone, we had made plans for me to pick her up at seven this evening. Most of her caution had melted away, and we ended the call with a little flirtatious banter.
As soon as I hung up the phone, I turned to Erin. “I need some suggestions on places to go tonight.”
Erin was still lazily playing her fingers over her mound as she stared up at me. “She didn’t run, huh?”
“Not yet,” I said.
“Alright then,” she said, and slapped her mons with her fingers once before sliding her leg off the arm of the chair and rising to her feet.
“I’ll put together some options for you,” she said.
I closed the distance between us until she was pressed against me. “You don’t have to right this second,” I said, suddenly feeling amorous as I slid my hand under the hem of the shirt she wore and palmed her tight little panty-clad ass.
“I don’t,” she said, looking up at me with big doe eyes. “But I have to get some things together for Emiko and Psalter. Breakfast should be ready for you in about thirty minutes. You might want a shower before then.”
She quirked an eyebrow up at me. “After though…”
“It’s a date,” I said.
She grinned. “Two dates in one day. Careful, sir. You’ll make the girls jealous.”
I kneaded her ass in my hand as I stared down at her, a serious thought crossing my mind. “You’re telling me Natalie isn’t a problem for you? Helping me fuck a girl is one thing, but this…” I held up my phone, which still showed Natalie’s name on the screen where my call had ended.
Her smile softened. “Seriously, Marcus. I’m fine.”
“You’ll let me know if that changes, right?” I asked.
“What would you do?” she asked. Her smile was there, but the look in her eyes sharpened.
Truth be told, it depended on who it was. Someone like Rose? I’d cut them loose in a heartbeat if it meant that much to Erin. Helen or Bobbi? That was a much harder question to answer. Natalie was in between the two. “I don’t know… I guess it depends.”
“Then I guess we’ll cross that bridge if we ever come to it,” she said, that sharpness fading.
I pulled her tighter into me and kissed her softly on the lips. “Okay,” I murmured against her mouth, “but you have to let me know if something’s bothering you.”
“I will,” she murmured back, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing into the kiss.
And then a thought struck me.
“Hey!” I said, suddenly pulling back to look her in the eyes. “Who was in the closet with Charity and me last night?”
Erin snapped at my chin with her teeth and slipped free of my grasp. “Not for me to tell!” She turned and picked up her coffee as she made her way to the door out into the hallway. She opened it halfway and then stopped to look back at me. “Downstairs in thirty minutes?”
Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared, leaving me alone with my question unanswered. “Not your secret!?” I called after her as she disappeared through the doorway.
Why the fuck was that some kind of big secret?
I shook my head. It was a dumb one. Considering everyone who was there last night, I had a pretty good idea of who it was—someone who had every reason to fool around with me in the dark.
And I had a feeling that if I said anything to her about it, she’d leave for real this time.
***
Saturday, September 14th, 11:25 am
“So, they’re taking Nate straight to the airport and out on the helicopter,” Erin said. “He should be there within the next two hours.”
“Why so long?” I asked between bites of eggs Benedict. “It shouldn’t take that long to fly back private, should it?”
“It was a small town,” Erin said. “It took them a while to get back to the plane.” She consulted her notes. “Oh, apparently, they filed a flight plan and flew to San Antonio before changing planes and flying back to New York. I guess to make it harder for anyone to trace their activity.”
Erin looked at Emiko, the only other person eating with us. “And you’re going out there this week?”
“Yes,” Emiko said, carefully placing her cup of tea back on the table. “I will leave to train her on Tuesday. I should be back on Thursday.” She turned her gaze toward me. “If that pleases you.”
“Of course,” I said. “Give Phoebe a hug for me.”
Emiko gave me a graceful nod. “I’m sure Miss Lucas will appreciate it.”
“Well,” Erin said, slapping her planner shut. “If that’s all, I’m going to leave you guys to it.” She shot me a meaningful look and said, “I might see if I can locate Tara for a workout.”
With that, Erin got up from her chair. First, she stepped over to Emiko, leaned in, and kissed the older woman on the cheek, which was returned—it reminded me of something they did in old European movies.
When had that become a thing?
Then, Erin came to me and nudged my chair. I scooted away from the table just enough for her to drop into my lap, place a hand on my cheek, and give me a heated kiss with tongue that must have lasted about thirty seconds before our lips finally parted. It was then that I noticed Jessica had emerged from the kitchen with a pitcher of water. She was placing it on the table at a painfully slow pace, eyeing us without trying to be obvious about it. When she hesitated a beat too long, Emiko cleared her throat, which made her jump.
Jess straightened, muttered something that sounded a little like an apology, and then quickly fled the room.
Erin placed a hand on my face and directed my gaze back to her. “Did she leave anything for me?”
After leaving my room to take a shower, I’d decided to take a detour and see Bobbi, only to discover Jessica in there, delivering my food to my little submissive. After being teased by Erin, I’d decided to utilize them instead and relieve some of that pressure. No doubt, seeing Erin in my lap so soon after fucking her was probably still a little strange for Jessica. Having random orgies was one thing, but the way Erin was sitting in my lap implied other… more intimate things.
“I’ll always save some for you,” I said. “Let me know how things go with your ‘workout.’”
“I will.” Erin grinned as she slipped free of my lap and left Emiko and me to finish our breakfast.
“Miss Malik is very fond of you,” Emiko said.
I blinked and realized I had been staring at the spot where Erin had disappeared as I turned my attention back to my housekeeper. “Uh… yeah. I’m pretty fond of her, too.”
Emiko gave me a knowing look as she took a dainty bite of her food. “A woman like that is hard to come by for people in your situation. Finding someone to be your gatekeeper, right-hand, and to engineer events like the one you had last night? All while genuinely having your best interest at heart? I would do everything to keep that one close.”
As I pondered Emiko’s words, I recalled that she had been in the game room at the very beginning of the orgy. My steward had seen me completely nude, holding a naked Charity in my arms. I couldn’t remember what else she witnessed before leaving, but that had to have been enough to make most people in her position uncomfortable.
“I hope nothing you saw offended you,” I said, a little worried that might be the case since she left so suddenly after I appeared. I didn’t want to assume that just because she used to work in a brothel, she would be comfortable in that kind of situation.
And, for some reason, I cared what this woman thought about me.
She looked amused. “Admittedly, I didn’t expect anything quite like what I saw, but I was not unsettled. I have seen far wilder things than a simple orgy.”
“What kind of things?”
Emiko hid a smile behind her cup of tea as she took a sip and looked away. Her expression made me think that she was peering into some hidden window that displayed things best left secret.
“I’m afraid I cannot tell you,” she said, replacing her teacup. “If I were to betray the confidentiality of past clients and girls, would you not have reason to distrust me?”
I couldn’t argue there—and my respect for her grew tenfold on the spot.
“I have worked around women,” she continued, “who were considered some of the most beautiful in the world. I consider myself something of an authority on beauty. Some of the women in your coterie are among the most beautiful I have ever seen. And not only that—you command their respect and loyalty. They genuinely like you. That is not an easy thing to accomplish, surrounded by so many who want you for more than the platonic.”
I snorted. “Have you met Bobbi?”
“From my understanding,” she said smoothly, “Bobbi once despised you. She would have sooner bitten you than kissed you. She has come further than most.”
Another good point. God, Emiko had the wisdom of three lifetimes. Where did she get it? Did managing women who serviced the wealthy elite really impart that much worldly knowledge?
“All that to say,” she concluded, “I am honored to be part of such a household.”
“Thank you.”
She dipped her chin in a single shallow nod. “I assure you, I am here to serve—not to judge. What I saw last night does not change anything.”
I nodded.
“Now,” she said, setting her cup down, “since we are on the subject, I would like to discuss the members of your staff.”
The kitchen doors swung open, and Camille stepped through. She offered me a sweet smile—different from the one she’d given me last night… the one heavy with unspoken promises. She stopped beside Erin’s chair to clear dishes, but even without that predatory look, I felt the sexual energy crackling around her. Nothing had changed since last night.
“Good morning, monsieur. Madam.”
“Where is Jessica?” Emiko asked.
“I sent her to the master’s room with fresh food and coffee for his guests.”
Emiko gave her a subtle nod. “Thank you, Camille. The food was excellent.”
I raised my cup. “Could I get a bit more?”
“Of course.” Camille approached and leaned in, plates balanced in one hand.
As she reached for my coffee, her fingers brushed mine. Judging by the heat in her eyes, it was no accident. Her touch lingered a fraction too long before she plucked the cup from my hand. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
When she was gone, Emiko picked up the thread as if she hadn’t been interrupted. “Jessica seems a good place to start.”
“Jessica?”
“Yes. Are you satisfied with her performance?”
Images surfaced: Jessica’s thighs spread as I drove into her, Bobby’s face pressed against her stomach as I made her watch. Jess’s lips wrapped around my cock as she woke me yesterday before the party.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’d say I’m satisfied.”
“Including yesterday’s… incident?”
I blinked. I’d asked Emiko about Jessica visiting my room, but I hadn’t given her details. Jessica must have. “Yeah,” I said. “That wasn’t a problem.”
“Good.” She folded her hands. “I have ensured she won’t do that again without your permission.”
“…What did you say to her?”
“I would rather keep that a private matter. Only—please let me know if she continues.”
I wanted to press Emiko on what had happened between her and Jessica, but something about Emiko made me want to respect her wishes. “Sure.”
“She’s adapting,” Emiko continued. “However, there are risks with her being your ex-partner. Yesterday’s behavior is one example, but there have been and will continue to be others. I believe she is beginning to understand her place here and accept it, but I worry that whenever you show her tenderness, she mistakes it for a chance at what you once shared.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“The intimate looks… the familiar manner… then the humiliation and coldness—it could turn volatile if not carefully managed. My recommendation is that you decide the role she will have here. Will she simply be a servant you are occasionally intimate with? Do you wish to pursue something more personal with her? Or will she fulfill a role in a manner similar to Bobbi?”
It was eerie. She had voiced some of the same questions I had. I wasn’t quite sure what Jess’s long-term role was. I’d enjoyed getting my pleasure out of making her squirm, but that wouldn’t last. Eventually, it would no longer be something I could justify… or even enjoy. Now, Emiko had come along and articulated that dilemma better than I ever could. If I couldn’t put it into words, I sure as hell couldn’t answer it.
“You don’t have to decide now,” she said gently, reading my silence. “But in the meantime, set clear boundaries. If you don’t want her harboring hope, maintain a strict demeanor. Better she understand now that she may never have your heart than to believe otherwise and be crushed later.”
Fuck. She was right. I hadn’t realized I might be giving Jessica false hope in those soft moments.
“Yeah,” I said. “Okay.”
It felt like a lame response, but Emiko seemed pleased, as though she heard all the things I’d been unable to say in that short answer.
“Now,” she said, “Bobbi.”
“Are we going through all of them?”
“If you don’t mind. I would like to make this recurring—a weekly alignment, for the good of the house.”
I didn’t answer, and she pressed on.
“Bobbi.”
“Bobbi,” I echoed.
“Pairing her with Helen was a brilliant move.”
Camille reappeared, setting my coffee directly into my hand rather than on the table. Testing something, I caught the mug by rim and base. It was uncomfortably hot, but manageable. As it slipped from her grip, her fingertips grazed mine beneath the porcelain—so fleeting it could have been missed, if I hadn’t been watching for it.
“Thanks,” I said, giving her a smile.
She returned it, dimples deepening into something almost girl-next-door sweet. “My pleasure.” She put just enough weight on the word to make it suggestive, then turned and left.
Emiko’s eyes followed her retreat, sharp. Then she turned her attention back to me.
“As I said—brilliant move. Helen’s presence is a strong influence, and I believe it will continue to shape Bobbi for the best. She has come a long way, but that strong hand must be tempered. Bobbi is emotionally fragile. She needs reinforcement, not just discipline.”
Silence stretched. Just when I thought it might break, Emiko spoke again. “I’ve noticed Natasha and Emily paying her special attention.”
I sighed. “Yeah. Emily and I had a falling out after she learned what Bobbi was. We made up, but I think she’s taken it on herself to play that tempering hand.”
“Precisely,” Emiko said. “I know the nature of your relationship with the girl, but if you wish to nurture her mind as well as her subservience, I suggest giving her a day of freedom each week. Make her leave the apartment, still under orders, of course. Let one of the others accompany her. Give her an allowance. Let her treat herself. I believe you will find her continued development to be all the more effective.”
“I’ll tell Helen—”
“Respectfully,” Emiko cut in, “I think you should tell her. Helen is a wonderful mistress, and their bond is powerful. But Bobbi is yours. My recommendation is that you not surrender too much responsibility or power.”
It felt like I’d just been reprimanded by my mother—and yet… not.
I nodded. “You may have a point.”
“Ultimately, the decision is yours. I’m honored you value my opinion.”
“I’d be a fool not to.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” She gave a light, tinkling laugh that warmed me all the way through. “But I do have years of experience managing women. I’d like to think I’ve cultivated at least a modicum of wisdom.”
She did—that much was clear. With every passing moment, I felt direction forming for the women of the house.
“What are your thoughts on Helen?” I asked.
“Helen is… an interesting case.” Emiko leaned forward. “I misjudged her when I first arrived. The collar threw me, but a few minutes speaking with her told me the relationship wasn’t just submissive and dom. She commands authority among the others. You’re shaping a hierarchy. Where do you see her in that hierarchy?”
I sighed, considering. I hadn’t thought much about an “official” hierarchy. “If I had to, I’d put her near the top. Not under Erin, not over her either. Most of the others definitely look up to her.”
Emiko steepled her fingers around her teacup. “Helen is wise, but prideful. Stubborn. Sadistic at times.”
The housekeeper had her number. “I’m not going to argue with you on any of that.”
“I don’t believe she needs constant supervision, but there may come a time when she takes things too far or oversteps. If you are unavailable, do I have the authority to take the necessary actions?”
“This stays between us?” I asked.
“Anything you say to me is held in the highest confidence. In this house, my loyalty is to you.”
As I studied her, I found that I believed her. Completely. Something deep down told me I could trust this woman. Besides… wasn’t this what she was hired to do? Manage my household?
Didn’t my household include Helen?
“Yeah,” I said. “If you feel Helen’s being too harsh, or overstepping in a way that hurts the house, you have authority to intervene.”
“I’ll need you to tell her that.”
I hadn’t expected that. Helen and I had come a long way, and the submissive dynamic felt real… but telling her the new housekeeper outranked her in my home wasn’t something I relished.
Once again, though… Emiko was right. That news should come from me.
“I’ll do it,” I said.
“Very good,” Emiko replied. “I like Helen, and I think she is good for you. Good for this house. That goes doubly for Erin.”
“Do you need to manage her, too?”
Emiko shook her head. “Erin is a special case. I manage the household. Erin manages you. She answers to you.”
“Well, that one was easy.”
“Shea, I believe, you are underutilizing.”
Honestly, Shea hadn’t really been all that close to me until Europe—especially that night on the Eiffel Tower with Erin. It was after that night that I began to consider her a more integral part of the group. Still… she was something of an outsider compared to Helen or Erin.
“You should keep her closer. There are many rooms here that are still unused. Make one a massage parlor. Encourage the girls to get regular massages. Shea has a calm, healing presence. She is a gift—and one you need to use.”
She moved on. “Charity… is new. I’ve known her for the past week as your public relations officer. I have only known her for forty-eight hours as a potential lover. She’s eager. Sweet. But you must manage her emotions, or you risk breaking a young girl’s heart.”
I sat up straighter. “You think she’s—”
“No, sir,” Emiko said firmly. “But I don’t believe it’s impossible. My advice: Be careful with her. Unless you wish to pursue something deeper, remind her casually what this relationship is. She has the maturity to accept that—so long as you set the expectation.”
Emiko suddenly grew silent, her thoughtful expression hardening ever so slightly as her eyes flicked toward the kitchen door. “That will be all for now. Please leave us.”
I turned just in time to see Camille standing in the doorway. She glanced at me, then quickly slipped back into the kitchen.
“That one,” Emiko said, still watching the door, “lacks subtlety.”
“I don’t think that’s technically true.” I leaned back in my chair. “When we first met, she was a lot less obvious. I didn’t bite because she has a fiancé, but since I’ve returned, she’s decided to turn up the heat.”
Emiko’s lips thinned, her eyes still fixed on the door.
“What’s her deal?” I asked.
“She has… unusual tastes.”
“…What?”
“I’d rather not say more. It is not my place, but I can assure you, she means no harm. My recommendation is that you have a frank conversation with her—along with Mr. Wiggin. Make sure you understand what she wants. If you need further advice after, I am at your disposal.”
“That wasn’t cryptic at all.” I glanced toward the heavy wood of the kitchen door, as though she might pop through it again at any moment.
When I turned back, Emiko was sipping her tea, watching me thoughtfully. “I would also recommend you meet with Carla Tanaka soon. I’ve spoken with her once already. If you put it off much longer, she may do something… rash.”
“I’ll meet with her tomorrow.” I scrubbed my eyes. “Right now, I think I need a nap. Plus, I’ve got a date tonight.”
“With Miss Bander?”
This woman seemed to know everything.
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“Ms. Malik informed me. We’ve already arranged a dress for your date—it should be delivered an hour before you pick her up.”
“Oh? What are we doing?”
“Miss Malik is handling that. She said she would present you with three options. Unfortunately, I don’t know what they are.”
I exhaled, relieved Erin would boil it down to three choices. It felt like the perfect marriage: narrow enough that I wasn’t drowning in decisions, but still leaving me the final call—sufficient for it to feel like I’d had a hand in making the night a reality instead of leaving the entire thing up to my staff.
“Thanks, Emiko. Narrowing things down like that helps a lot. I’m nervous about tonight. I’ve liked this girl for a long time.”
My housekeeper set her teacup aside. She made doing something as mundane as that seem graceful. “Have you discussed your lifestyle with her?”
“I have,” I said.
“And she accepts it?”
“That,” I said, “remains to be seen.”
“Well. If she is aware, yet open, then give her room to dwell on what you offer—and what she can tolerate. She’ll be grateful you allowed her space to think.”
“Thanks.” Her advice made me feel a little better. I was glad I’d been honest with Natalie from the beginning. All I had to do now was go on this date and be the same Marcus I’d been when we first met. She’d decide for herself where to go from there.
“Well,” Emiko said, rising, “this has been enlightening. I think this is a suitable place to stop. Perhaps we can follow up after my trip to your vacation home later this week.”
“What about you?” I asked.
“Me?”
“We haven’t talked about you at all. I mean, I know you used to work at a brothel. You said you were—” I made air quotes. “Unattached. You really don’t have anyone over here?”
Emiko gave me a calm smile and a soft shake of her head. “I have all of you to look after. I am far from lonely.”
“What about parents? Siblings?”
“No,” she said simply.
When she didn’t elaborate, I decided not to press.
But we’d been talking about love—or something close to it. My next question didn’t feel too far out of left field. “What about outside this house? Do you have any plans? Are you going to be dating, or…”
I wasn’t quite sure how to end the question. It felt intrusive, but I couldn’t help it. This woman had moved halfway around the world to manage my house and my harem. I was curious.
She fixed me with a gaze I couldn’t read if there’d been a gun to my head. “My work fills my time… and most of my needs.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant by that. Did she mean she got companionship from this job? Sex? Was she becoming involved with one of the girls? Was she hinting at something else? I wanted to ask, but then the door behind me opened—not the kitchen door, but the one to the main hallway.
I turned to see Erin heading toward us at a brisk walk, phone in hand.
“Hey,” she said. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“We were just finishing up,” I said.
“Good.” Her face was devoid of color, and she looked worried.
I tensed. “What is it?”
“It’s Rajesh Desai.” She handed me her phone. “The police just found him in his hotel room. He’s dead.”
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