Sticky Fingers, page 21
That’s where Isabelle took over. She eyed each one of the lovely women, then went to work: assisting with colour choices; helping to fasten a wayward lace. She treated the women as if they were dolls or mannequins, taking in their hairstyles, eye colours, body types, and then nodding as she handed over outfit after outfit.
Jodie looked around the room, overwhelmed, and then realised that the host was gone. Mentally, she counted the women. None were missing: there was the blonde with spiky hair; the brunette with silky waves that cascaded almost all the way down to her perky ass; a redhead whose fierce expression was softened each time she laughed; a tiny honey-haired nymphet, who had chosen a polka dot number immediately and was now prancing around in a pair of pony-skin boots, tripping over herself to get to the champagne.
Without looking to see if anyone was watching her, Jodie made her way to the double doors. Maybe she’d be able to have a quick peek before someone caught on. What she wanted most was a glimpse of Cameron’s most famous collection of faux jewels. If anyone found her, she’d simply say she was looking for the ladies’ room. That was the plan, anyway.
But Cameron Sweeney had other plans entirely.
‘I didn’t choose anything for you,’ he said softly, coming up behind Jodie in the echoing hall.
‘Didn’t know my size?’ she asked, teasing as she turned to face him. Christ, but he was handsome, those dark green eyes and thick black hair, going silver in the most genteel way. He seemed unaware of how good-looking he was, which wasn’t really possible, she knew, for someone who was so often in the public eye. He must spend hours putting himself together, yet he looked rugged and uncomplicated. ‘Or weren’t you sure that I’d come.’
‘That wasn’t it at all,’ he said. ‘I simply didn’t want to hide your beautiful body beneath too much lace.’
‘You’re not really into lace, are you? From the things you’ve picked out there,’ she gestured towards the main room, ‘I’d have to say that leather is much more your speed.’
‘And yours? What’s your speed, Jodie Silver?’
She tilted her head as she looked up at him. There it was, the answer in his eyes. She’d known men like this before. Men who had a way with women, a special understanding, a bond, even. ‘You know, don’t you?’
‘I’d put you in something red. And let me see. You’re about –’ He took a step closer, as if to put his hands around her breasts to measure her.
‘You can eyeball my size, can’t you?’
‘But I could guess it correctly if you let me touch –’
‘That’s the question, isn’t it? Will I or won’t I?’
Cameron laughed. ‘Not much of a question at all,’ he said, ‘because we both know from pleasurable past experience that you will.’
Now, Jodie laughed. She felt more on his level than she had in the situation in Isabelle’s store. This time it felt as if they were on equal footing. As Cameron led her back into the large living room, Jodie glanced longingly over her shoulder at the rooms she’d been unable to see. But when she gazed at Isabelle, surrounded by the bevy of beauties, a brand new idea occurred to her. One of Jodie’s best abilities was to roll with new concepts, to shift her plans with ease when a new situation arose.
When the rest of the women had left, it was down to Cameron, Isabelle and Jodie, all crashed out in the multitude of pretty finery. Champagne bottles lay upended near the sofa. The girls had become rowdy by the time all of the clothes had been tried on. Few items remained on the hangers. The rest reminded Jodie of wrappings at Christmas time. Colourful bits of different items were draped and remained dangling all over the furniture in the room: a bra over one end table; a Merry widow wrapped around one leg of the sofa.
‘That was fun.’ Isabelle grinned, unconcerned about the way the room looked. This wasn’t her home, after all. And if this was the way Cameron wanted to spend his time and money, then let him. She was just along for the risqué ride.
‘Was it, Izzy? Was it fun for you?’
‘Of course. I like to see pretty women wearing the clothing that I pick out.’
‘So do I,’ Cameron said, nodding in agreement. ‘It’s one of my favourite sports. But I didn’t really get a lot of chances tonight.’
‘What do you mean?’ Jodie asked. ‘You were surrounded all night by all these beautiful girls in gorgeous styles of dress.’ She grinned at him. ‘And undress.’
‘I was the host. I never wasn’t moving.’
‘And now?’
‘That’s what he wants you to think,’ Isabelle laughed. ‘He wants you to think, “Poor Cameron. All these dolls to play with and he’s still a lonely boy.” My heart bleeds for you, baby,’ she said, tousling his hair.
‘No,’ Jodie said. ‘That’s not it at all. He wants us to put on a show for him. And that’s what he wanted the whole time, isn’t it, Cameron? Buying the lot of your back room supplies was simply his way of begging for a private show.’
The man nodded again, eyes focused intently on Jodie.
‘What type of show?’ Isabelle purred, getting in on the scenario.
‘A dress-up show,’ Jodie said, and she locked eyes with Isabelle and sent her friend a silent message. They would ignore the host, in order to give him the most pleasure. He liked to watch, right? All three of them knew that. Well, let him watch this.
‘I didn’t see anything I particularly liked,’ Jodie continued. ‘But maybe I missed something.’
‘Oh, you did,’ Isabelle said, catching on right away and hurrying over to the rack. ‘You can’t have seen everything I brought. Let me pick something perfect for you. I’m sure I can find just the right item.’ While Isabelle perused what remained on the lingerie rack, Jodie began to strip off her clothes, taking off her sweater and the thin black T-shirt beneath. She heard Cameron sigh behind her, but she refused to look in his direction. Moving directly next to Isabelle, she watched as her friend searched through the different lacy and racy items. Jodie got right next to Isabelle and whispered something in her ear. Isabelle nodded once, then said, ‘Take off all of your clothes, and I’ll give you something to change into.’
Instead of obeying, Jodie stepped on the hem of a lacy get-up, tearing the lace off the bottom. Isabelle heard the sound of fabric ripping and was on Jodie in an instant.
‘Clumsy girl,’ she said, immediately leading Jodie to one of the large, over-stuffed cream-coloured sofas.
‘It was an accident.’
‘Whatever,’ Isabelle said, ‘I’ll give you something to remember so that you’ll think hard before you make that sort of mistake again.’
Didn’t Isabelle always know exactly what to say? And how to say it?
Jodie allowed herself to be bent over her friend’s sturdy lap, and she sucked in her breath as Isabelle lowered her black slacks down her thighs. Beneath, Jodie had on a pair of leopard-print silk panties. Bikini style underwear, they completely covered her ass in a way a thong wouldn’t. Isabelle left them on for a moment, giving Jodie a sharp spank on top of her panty-clad bottom. Jodie groaned and rubbed her body against Isabelle’s lap. Yes, the two women were putting on a performance for Cameron’s pleasure, but that didn’t mean Jodie wouldn’t enjoy herself during the scene.
‘Such a bad girl,’ Isabelle murmured. ‘And you know I’m not just talking about tearing a little slip.’
As her friend continued the spanking, Jodie felt herself growing more and more aroused. Being on display made the punishment even more erotic to her. How much could she take? How far would Isabelle go? Oh, a bit farther now, Jodie realised, as Isabelle took the time to peel Jodie’s panties down, revealing her naked thighs and ass. Striking against her bare skin now with her open palm, Isabelle began to really heat Jodie up. Then, after only a few blows, the blonde dom spread Jodie’s ass cheeks and slapped with four fingers between, catching against the lips of Jodie’s sex.
‘That’s right,’ Isabelle murmured as Jodie raised her body up to meet Isabelle’s firm four fingers. ‘You reach up and get it.’
Was this what Cameron wanted? A private peep-view style show? It seemed that way, because even though Jodie wasn’t looking at him, she heard him sigh darkly, heard the sound of a zipper travelling down the familiar route to the crotch of his slacks. He was going to play with himself while Isabelle punished Jodie, and that was the image that brought Jodie to climax. To be used for another’s pleasure while she wrung her own pleasure from Isabelle’s lap made her cream. Because, for Jodie, a spanking wasn’t the same without someone watching.
Chapter Nineteen
From an article in the San Francisco ART Weekly:
Transformed Treasures has finally made its way to San Francisco! These pieces, all of which have been stolen at some point in their ‘lives’, are travelling together in a single display. The transformation in the title refers to the way the jewels had been hidden – reworked, re-faceted, reset from their original placements. When possible, pictures show the original settings. If not, drawings and written hypotheses accompany the items.
Several famous thieves have been arrested during different eras for attempting to steal the items on display. Police records accompany some of the pieces in the exhibit. Mug shots from the 1920s show a group of thieves who succeeded in stealing the Unforgiving Heart, but who failed to get far away from the site of the theft. The ring, which was hidden for two months in the bottom of an apple cellar before being recovered, is now the centrepiece of the display.
Additional pieces on display include:
The ruby stone from the sceptre of King Wallace the third
The diamond believed to be the engagement setting of Dame Judy Lawson, stolen from her finger on her wedding night
The Deathstone, an opal named for the fact that so many women met their untimely deaths while wearing it
Yet most of the crowds will be there to see the Unforgiving Heart –
Jodie stopped reading the article. She scanned the notes she had about the exhibit. There were several private security companies in charge of added protection for the jewels. But she knew something that they didn’t. She knew the curator. And she had an idea of how to make this exhibit the best in the world. A memorable situation, that would drive up the press and bring the crowds in force.
Elizabeth Carson had been Jodie’s friend since college. She was one of the people like Jodie who also shunned the ‘Greek system’, in search of a more eclectic university experience. Now, Jodie called Liz on her private line and asked her to meet her for lunch. There was a cafe around the corner from the museum. When Liz agreed, Jodie ensured she arrived promptly. She wanted to have a few moments to gather her thoughts; this was an important presentation.
‘You want to what?’
‘Have the jewels stolen.’
‘Come on, Jodie,’ Elizabeth murmured. ‘You’re talking crazy.’
‘I’m talking instant publicity. You won’t believe the write-ups in the paper.’
‘And then what?’
‘You have one of the private security companies “find” them.’
‘With no jewel thief. No arrest?’
‘Remember when the Oscars went missing? Everyone was up in arms. Then that man found the statues in the dumpster, and they flew him to the show to watch the award show in person. It was revealed later that his own brother might have been in on the heist. Nobody was arrested, but the publicity for the Oscars that year was amazing.’
‘But the Oscars don’t ever need added press. I think that everyone connected to that scandal was more embarrassed by the end of the day.’
‘Right. That’s true. But the audience loved it. They liked every single part. The heist. The loss. The recovery. The aftermath. Something like that wouldn’t hurt you, would it? Even people who aren’t interested in museum exhibitions would pay attention.’
‘How would I make out? Supposedly, we have the tightest security in the museum system. I’d be the curator at the only museum to have lost a piece during this show!’
‘Lost and found.’
Liz hesitated, obviously liking the way that sounded. ‘I’ll think about it.’
That was all Jodie wanted to hear. She had plans within plans and, for the first time in months – maybe years – the need to thoughtlessly lift items from every shop she went by subsided. She made it all the way back to the office without stealing one thing. Then she collapsed in her leather chair, feet up on her desk, and waited for the phone call she was sure to receive. Elizabeth would be too intrigued not to follow up. Jodie was sure she could win her over. When the phone rang, she gave herself several seconds, then answered with a smile.
‘Tell me more,’ Liz insisted.
‘I can give you someone. But the thing is, you won’t have a person, just a name.’
‘Go on.’
‘Max Sterling.’
‘Max? Are you serious?’
‘Don’t worry. He’ll outsmart your team. You’ll find the jewels and Max will return to Europe, undetected.’
‘That actually sounds OK. We can pass the buck to the European police. But you have to tell me this. Why are you doing it?’
‘The thrill,’ Jodie said.
‘You still might get caught. I can only protect you so much.’
‘I know. All I want is a shot.’
Chapter Twenty
At the next high-society event, Nick found himself not only slightly confused but more than a little aroused. He was captivated by the tantalising tango performed by the character he was watching, but each time he felt as if he had a handle on the situation, something happened to shake his confidence. There was Jodie, looking stunning as always, refined and elegant with her gleaming dark hair up. Her make-up was so subtle that she simply looked as if she possessed a warm, healthy glow, the type won from a day basking beach-side, or an afternoon romping bedside. And he knew what she looked like in the midst of a powerful, passionate clinch. Even now, simply watching her glide through the crowd was enough to give him an instant erection.
This evening she had on a violet cut-away dress that fitted her body in a way that only a very beautiful woman could carry off. The back featured a large oval opening that dipped low enough to show what he had heard was called rear cleavage. No way was she wearing panties this evening – not only weren’t there any panty lines to give her away, but another cut-out shape high up on each thigh left no question about the fact that she was bare down there.
It was obvious from the way she moved that she knew all eyes were on her. When she strode across the room, both men and women turned to check her out. Risky, he thought, especially with this type of stuffy crowd. It was why he admired her even more. She didn’t let social protocol impede her from dressing how she liked. Not all the women in the room were as appreciative as Nick. He saw the scowls, the head-shakes. But he would have bet money that the men all wished Jodie was their date. Even momentarily.
But who was she with? The blond Adonis at her side resembled her date from the previous event, to the point that, for a moment, Nick had assumed he was the same man. But, on closer inspection, this date looked different. Same body type. Same sharply cut blond hair. Same expensive tux, even, if Nick could believe his eyes. So on the surface, Jodie had found the exact same date. Yet, to Nick’s trained eye, the man wasn’t the same person at all. What was different? Nick didn’t really know. A sense. A look in the man’s eyes. A subtle change.
As before, Jodie and her date split off into two directions, both observing the various articles out for auction. For a moment, Nick wasn’t sure which person to follow. After a second, he chose the man, since he still couldn’t be sure that his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. Was he the same date or wasn’t he?
He followed the tall man into the great room. There, the evening’s wares were on glorious glittering display. Diamonds caught the light and sent rainbows dancing around the room. Ropes of rubies dangled from the necks of antique mannequins. Other guests were busy checking the items out, as well, and it was easy for Nick to stay safely within a little crowd of people. Easy, at least, until Jodie’s date turned to face him.
‘Come here often?’
Nick smiled at the pick-up style question. ‘To this mansion?’
‘To this event?’
Now, Nick shrugged. ‘I’m just learning about the scene. Getting a feel for how it works. This is my first time here.’
‘It’s easy,’ the man said. ‘You covet an item. Someone else wants it, too. You both make greedy fools of yourself and one walks off the winner. In fact,’ the man said, speaking a little softer, ‘it’s kind of like a dating triangle.’
‘Dating?’
‘Never easy. Usually, there are several people involved, right? And one makes a play, the other counterplays, complicating the situation greatly.’ Here, the man put his hand on Nick’s shoulder and squeezed hard. Nick’s eyes opened wide. What, precisely, was going on?
‘Like I’m doing right now.’
‘Excuse me?’ Nick said, taking a step back. The man didn’t seem to mind. He simply came forward, now even closer in Nick’s private space. Nick’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t figure out what was going on, and he felt lost. This wasn’t the way a private investigator was supposed to behave, he knew. But he couldn’t help himself. There’d been no clues that something like this would take place in Jodie’s world.
‘Making a play for something I covet –’
‘I’m sorry,’ Nick said automatically. Sure, men had come on to him in the past. He lived in San Francisco, after all, and he had the strong, magazine-quality good looks that many gay men appreciate. Yet he’d never fully got used to the concept that he was attractive to other males. This fact played out in a light flush over his cheekbones that Jodie’s ‘date’ instantly took as a sign of encouragement.
