Rumor Mill, page 3
Realizing that I only had a moment, I scanned her figure with a satisfied glance. There was something about her that was different from other women. Even without the artificial trappings of polite society, the way she held herself spoke volumes.
I helped her step over the lip of the tub and held on to her arm as she eased her way into the heated water. She pressed her eyes shut in delight, her lips curling up at the sides. I could tell it was hot, but not too hot. She waded to the center of the pool before sitting down, immersing herself in the soft liquid.
I stripped hastily and joined her, the water accepting me with steaming hands. Before getting down to business, I reached for the hose, spraying my arms and chest. She smiled, sliding up against me to accept some of the generous rain.
I eased the spray around her head, soaking her hair with gentle strokes. Turning the spigot off, I set the hose down and reached for the shampoo. Holding her steady between my knees, I lathered up and ran my fingers through her hair.
She sighed happily, losing some of her fervor for lovemaking. I spent a good five minutes working soap and water through her tresses, just feeling her body close to mine. When I was done, it was her turn. It was sweet and seductive to feel her fingers massaging my scalp.
We each slid beneath the surface of the water to rinse off, filling the bath water with shampoo residue. When I popped back up, she was waiting for me. I took up a spot at the far end of the tub, opening my arms. Teddy relaxed against me, and we sat for a long moment, staring off into space, before resuming our previous activities.
She rolled around, splashing the water up the sides of the bath. Finding my mouth with her own, she settled into the most luxurious kiss imaginable. I slid my palm beneath her wet hair, touching the heated skin on the back of her neck.
Drawing her close, I kissed her softly, feeling the spark ignite between us once again. The bath had washed away the stress of the day, and we were free to explore each other openly. I ran my hands down her shoulders and deep into the steaming pool. Her bottom was twisted away from me, arching nearly to the water’s surface.
I gathered her into my lap, and she spread her legs across mine. Emerging from the water on top of me, her tits glistened in the firelight. Planting my hands on either side of her hips, I went in for the feast.
Sucking one nipple into my mouth, I rolled it around on my tongue. It tasted like fresh water and soap, a perfect chaser to the evening’s wine. She nearly floated in my lap, the meat of her core hovering above my cock.
I felt myself grow hard in anticipation. The way she ground herself into my chest was intoxicating. She gripped the sides of the tub near my ears, sliding her belly against my abdomen as I worked on her delicate flesh.
Reaching up to slide my fingers deep into her sopping hair, I pulled down gently. She moaned, turning her face to the ceiling. I had waited so long, and it was time to claim my prize. Gripping myself beneath the waves, I pointed my instrument toward her. She didn’t wait for permission before lowering herself on top of my rod. The heat of the water nearly masked the heat of her body, except for the glorious pressure coming in from all sides.
She rode down until my pelvis bone connected with hers. I released my hand, floating it up to cup her rear end. She rose up, getting settled before launching into the rhythm that I was looking for. The water splashed around us, working itself into a tidal pool that splashed up onto my chest with a regularity that was exciting.
Each time she drove down, there was a vacuum before the water rushed in between us. Then she rose up, and her intimate skin gripped my dick, her breasts crushed to my rib cage. I closed my eyes and just concentrated on the sensations. She was riding me like a champ, playing in my lap with all the enthusiasm of a woman on her wedding night.
I lowered my guard and let her steer the ship. My muscles tensed, the activity pushing me over the edge. I had just a few seconds left before I was going to come, and I wanted to make the most of them.
Taking her by the hips, I eased her off of my joystick. Rotating around behind her, I waited until she braced herself against the edge of the tub before fucking her again. On our knees, we slid back and forth with every movement. I stretched my hands across hers, digging deep into her soul.
The orgasm hit me sooner than expected. I had no choice but to thunder my way through it, building up the pressure until it released in a glorious rush. She answered me with a cry of her own, her inner walls spasming.
I put my head down, thankful that we’d managed once again to bring each other pleasure. We slid around, back into the embrace of the bathwater. I hugged her fiercely, not knowing what I would do without her. She was beautiful and hedonistic, a perfect combination for any man.
We luxuriated for a few more moments, washing each other’s arms and legs. It felt silly, but also sexy, and by the time the bath cooled, I had forgotten all about Nikki and her lawsuit. Teddy and I toweled off and moved the party back to the bedroom. It almost seemed like we were going to make it through all the drama with our love intact. If we could just focus on each other and how we felt when we were together, nothing else seemed to matter. If I thought the scene in the bathtub had been hot, Teddy had something more in store for me when I emerged in my towel.
Chapter 4
Theodora
I WANTED TO GIVE BRAD a treat. The whole hair washing scene had been spectacular, and I wasn’t ready to call it a night yet. I hurried to the nightstand to grab my sexiest lingerie. It was something I’d bought for myself when I realized that Brad and I were almost living together. I never owned a teddy before then, but it seemed appropriate.
I had a performance I wanted to put on for him, one that seemed almost too racy even in the face of what had just happened in the bathroom. There was a lap dance I had been practicing at home in my spare time that was just perfect for that evening. It was courtesy of a pole dancer who’d developed an at-home workout using all the sexiest moves. I wanted to see if Brad would appreciate it, and since we were both fired up, I thought it was a perfect time to trot it out.
Brad arrived on the scene dressed only in a towel. My hair was still damp, and I needed it for effect. So I eased my way back into the bathroom behind him, shutting the door. He watched me go, intrigued by my outfit. He could sense that something was happening, but he wasn’t sure what.
“I just need ten minutes,” I promised him.
With my volume of hair, ten minutes wouldn’t exactly dry it, but it would come close. I didn’t want to torture him by taking too much time. He gave me a satisfied grin, planting one hand on the door frame.
“What are you up to?” he asked suspiciously.
“You’ll see,” I promised.
He slid his eyes down my chest to where my breasts were gathered up in the sexy red lace. I wiggled them provocatively, thrilled to no end when he bent his head to kiss me. I had to fight to close the door or else lose my agenda. If I wasn’t careful, he would just carry me back to bed and skip right to the grand finale.
I heard him groan and nearly jumped with delight. It didn’t actually matter how good I was with my little routine. He was going to appreciate whatever I brought to the table.
“Why don’t you go get us something to drink?” I suggested.
There was silence from out in the bedroom, which I could only interpret as his acquiescence to my request. Turning to the mirror, I examined the mess of hair sitting on top of my head. I needed to be able to run my fingers through it. That was a major part of the act.
Reaching into the cabinets beneath the sink, I retrieved my blow dryer. There were plenty of things I’d left at his house because more often than not, this was where I got ready for work. It seemed like only yesterday I had been living in my apartment above Corey’s garage. My bathroom there had been less than half the size of Brad’s palatial room.
The steam from the bath had dissipated, but the warmth remained. I plugged the hair dryer in and went to work. Grabbing a comb, I brushed clumps of hair out, doing my best to finish in record time.
The weight of the water evaporated as I worked, revealing my greatest asset. I didn’t typically have a lot of volume, but since it was freshly washed, it bounced. When I was finished with that chore, I applied a little bit of makeup. Not much, but enough to make my eyes pop. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I thought I looked like a vixen, all dolled up with nowhere to go. But that wasn’t true. I was going out into the bedroom to make love to my man, and that was precisely why I wanted to look my best.
Drawing a deep breath, I opened the door to reveal myself. Brad sat on the bed, two glasses of wine beside him. I strode forward urgently, reaching for one and finishing half of it before he could stop me.
He looked up, pleased by my appearance. I could tell that he knew something was coming, but also that he didn’t give a shit what it was. Just seeing me dressed that way was enough to get his motor going.
“Okay,” I said, setting the glass down. “Don’t laugh.”
“Never,” he promised.
“I’ve been practicing this,” I told him, feeling a little silly.
“It looks great,” he replied.
“You haven’t even seen it yet,” I objected.
“It still looks great,” he said.
I reached for my phone, switching on some seductive music. Setting the device down, I closed my eyes. Starting with my head, I slid my hands down my body, rotating my hips in the precise fashion my workout video had taught me.
When I reached my hips, I popped them out to one side. Dropping to the floor, I eased my way back up, getting into the groove. Brad shifted, rising up from the pillow and throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He reached for his wine glass, his gaze intent.
I eased my way around to face the opposite wall, pointing my rear end at Brad. Reaching behind me to lift my skirt, I gave him a quick flash of things to come. He stifled a laugh, and I felt my cheeks flush. But there were a few more minutes left to the dance, and I continued as if I hadn’t been interrupted.
The next part was a lap dance. I had never done this before, though I had practiced several times with a chair. Striding over to him, I gave him a playful shove. The bed was kind of in the way. I was supposed to throw one leg over the side, but there wasn’t space to do that. So I made up the next set of moves on my own.
Facing away from him, I wiggled my way down into his lap before popping back up again. Pretending that I had dropped something, I bent over and worked my way up, inch by inch, until I was standing.
Tossing my hair, I whirled around, placing one hand on his shoulder. He didn’t let me get any further. Reaching out, he pulled me into his arms and flipped me onto my back. I hit the mattress with a thud, sending excited shivers through my chest.
“You’re not supposed to touch the dancers,” I whispered.
“Not even if the dancer is my girlfriend?” he replied, kissing me soundly.
“I guess that’s okay,” I answered, circling his neck with my arms. “I didn’t even get to the best part.”
“I think I know what the best part is,” he teased, reaching for my breast.
I closed my eyes, undone by his touch. There was nothing left but sensation; no words could express my longing. Brad nuzzled my jaw to one side, sucking my earlobe into his mouth. Chewing gently, he sent electricity sparking down to my toes.
I allowed him to take over, deciding that my dance had been a success. The satin and lace of the teddy was the only thing between us, and it swished deliciously against my skin. Brad peeled the bodice away so he could reach my breasts.
The wine and the heat from the bath combined with our previous lovemaking session to render me near orgasm already. I was wet when he slid inside, lording over me like the boss that he was. We didn’t bother to remove the teddy, since there was easy access on the lower end. It made me feel a little bit like a tramp, having wiggled my way into his bed.
Nailed to the mattress over and over again, I rode the waves of sensation until they crested violently. Reaching around to grasp his butt, I pulled him deeper, driving his rod home in the most exquisite way possible.
We rose up on our elbows to finish the wine when we were done, diving beneath the sheets to cuddle for the rest of the night. Brad slid two fingers beneath the spaghetti straps of the teddy, kissing my shoulder.
“I like this teddy,” he said. “Teddy in a teddy.”
I laughed, kissing him on his nose. My last thought before I fell asleep was how much I wished I could stay in bed forever. If we could just shut out the world and make love all the time, I would never have to face Nikki in court.
The whole experience soured, and I pulled Brad’s arm across my chest. With him, I felt safe. I didn’t want to face the morning, but I knew I would have to. Maybe we could get through the next week or month and see a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe we could survive the battering at our door and emerge even stronger. I hoped that was the case, but I had a sinking feeling that we hadn’t seen the worst of it yet. Nikki was determined to destroy us, and the only thing we could do was hope that our lawyers knew what they were doing.
I closed my eyes and tried to lose myself in Brad’s proximity. It felt wrong to worry while we were entangled beneath the sheets. If only sex could last forever, and I never had to think about anything else for the rest of my life. Drifting off, I imaged myself stranded on a desert island, alone with Brad. That was exactly what I needed, just a bit of alone time with someone I truly cared about. Unfortunately, that wasn’t about to happen. The cold, hard reality was waiting for me when I finally opened my eyes again. And it wasn’t pretty.
Chapter 5
Brad
AFTER ONLY TWO DAYS without Teddy in the office, I was ready to find someone permanent to fill her position. The woman sent by the temp agency was friendly enough, but she didn’t know anything about Retro. There didn’t seem to be any reason to train her, either, since she wouldn’t be there very long.
I tried to feel her out to see if she was interested in a permanent position. Not that I knew anything about her skills; I just wanted to know what her motivation was. She explained that she was a new mother and wasn’t looking for anything more than a temp job at the moment.
The new mother thing rang true, because in two days, she had been absent at least half of the time due to baby matters. She told me the day care center ran out of diapers, which didn’t seem plausible. But she claimed she had to pick some up at her place and run them over to the center. It was an emergency.
I let her go. What else could I do? But the reality of the situation hit home when I had no one to answer the phones for me. I called the temp agency and explained that I would need someone different. To their credit, they sent someone new the next day, but that still didn’t solve the larger problem.
I needed a real assistant, someone who could learn about Retro and who would stick around for more than a few hours. There were literally hundreds of resumes to go through, and after a while, they all seemed to run together. There was no one who stood out the way Teddy had in the beginning.
A few of them attached photos to their resumes, giving me a glimpse into who they might be. There were a few guys as well, and I wondered what it might be like to have a male assistant. There was certainly something to be said for hiring the best person for the job, rather than sticking to outdated notions of gender stereotypes.
The problem was that I needed a rock star, and most of the resumes seemed to be folks just looking to pay their rent. I understood that a job was a job, but I didn’t want someone who would be so cavalier with the company.
There were a few who were overqualified, and while it might have been nice to share the job with someone who had a master’s in business, I didn’t think they would actually stick around. Most likely, they were looking to make connections and weren’t really interested in being an executive assistant for very long.
I sent an email to the admin account that the temps were able to access, asking them to make appointments for a few interviews. There were three top contenders, and I looped my one HR staff person into the task. She could sit in on the interviews with me and help me decide on Teddy’s replacement. It was one hundred percent appropriate and got me out of doing all the heavy lifting myself. Win-win. Except that the real win would have been to have Teddy back, and in her absence, I found myself getting a little distracted.
By the time three o’clock rolled around, I was done. One of the perks of being in business for myself was being able to walk away when I wasn’t productive. I spent so much time behind the desk, in meetings and out in the field meeting with people, it wasn’t like I was shirking responsibility.
If I was a nine-to-fiver, I would have had to put on my big boy pants, eat a granola bar, and power through. But since I was the boss, I just told the temp I was leaving and to contact me if there were any problems.
Sitting in my car in the parking lot, I wasn’t sure what to do. I could go home and work out. That might help my state of mind. I couldn’t go surprise Teddy at work for another two hours. Checking the clock on my dash, I saw that it was visiting hours at Alec’s residential treatment facility. It was a perfect way to kill some time before reconnecting with my girlfriend.
I drove all the way out to the hills where the resort was located. Having visited three times already, I was kind of getting a flavor for the place. It was hot and cold: Sometimes security was tight; other times it seemed looser. Sometimes Alec roamed the grounds with little to no supervision, and other times they wouldn’t let me in the front door without an escort. I had a sense that there was some method to the madness, I just didn’t know what it was yet.
