“And just how much is Bianca going to cost us this time?” Jonathan asked.
“Doesn’t matter,” Cunningham said. He stretched his arms out to Elle, and when she placed her hands in his, he raised her up to sitting—ignoring her squeals of pain as her poor ass burned anew—then stood her on the floor.
Even with the crazy heels on, she was still several inches shorter than any of the men.
Cunningham lightly tapped her sore buttocks, and Elle jumped. Thank goodness he had a steady arm anchored around her, because one of her ankles turned. “You haven’t seen Nolan in several days. Aren’t you going to greet him?”
“Yes, of course.”
Cunningham stepped back, and Elle took a hesitant step toward Nolan. His gray suit was a slim cut, making it obvious to the world that his tall, lean body and broad shoulders were perfect.
His black, longish hair was messy in an intentional, carefully styled way. Nolan and Cunningham were cousins, but they weren’t related by blood, which explained why they looked nothing alike. Nolan had an aristocratic air, and while Elle loved him to death, she’d be the first to admit that he was spoiled, often reminding her of a prep school brat.
Though now that she thought about it, he’d changed since they first met.
Elle made her way toward him. Walking on the carpet was certainly a lot easier than Cunningham’s slippery desk. Elle suspected that Cunningham had made her stand up there for that very reason. Sadistic man.
Nolan met her halfway, swept her up in his arms and bent her backwards, down low. His beautiful eyes were just inches away from hers. “I missed you,” he said quietly.
Elle’s first reaction was to scowl at him, but then she realized that he wasn’t being sarcastic for once. There was need in him. Sexual, yes, but more than that, she saw that he really had missed her, had ached without her.
He kissed her generously. When he stood her on her feet again, the room spun.
“Turn around, palms on the desk,” Nolan rasped as he fought with the front of his pants. Elle complied, and Nolan grabbed under her hips and yanked her ass toward him. “You’re going to have bruises tomorrow,” he said, a question in his voice.
“I deserved the spanking,” Elle said quickly, hoping to convince Cunningham of her contrition.
She expected Nolan to take her ass. He loved anal, the rougher the better. So she was surprised when he guided himself to the entrance of her pussy. He let his cock nestle there. Her flesh quivered, but she didn’t lean into him. He wouldn’t have liked that.
Nolan entered her slowly. He was trembling. He leaned over and skimmed his hands over her breasts.
Then he pinched her nipples hard, and as Elle gasped, he drove into her.
“Don’t come, Elle.” Cunningham sat in his executive chair. To Elle’s dismay, he had gotten dressed. He took out a notepad. “Jonathan, pass me a sandwich.”
Elle tried to think about anything but Nolan fucking her. With each thrust, her body clamped around him. She wanted to keep him still, but he had his own objectives.
He was going to make her orgasm.
“No, Elle,” Cunningham said without looking at her.
How did he know?
A corner of his mouth twitched up as he turned a page in the notebook and began writing.
Elle groaned, Nolan’s thrusts making the sound come out in little bursts. Cunningham slid one of his large thumbs into her mouth, and Elle sucked him greedily, her eyes fastened on his face.
Cunningham dropped the pen and took a bite of his sandwich.
“I’ll see you pervs later,” Jonathan said. He grabbed a bag of food and went out, leaving the door open behind him. Elle tried to straighten.
“Submit,” Cunningham said, finally looking at her. “You’ll serve us until we’re done. I think it’s in your best interests to make Nolan happy.” He grinned. “But you’d better not come.” He pushed his thumb in deeper. “Suck me, girl.”
She did, and she arched her back, ignoring the searing pain every time Nolan ground into her raw buttocks. She undulated, working his cock for all she was worth while she sucked Cunningham’s thumb.
After forever, Nolan came, grabbing her hips and holding her steady until he was finished.
He eased back, skimming his hands over her chafed butt as he withdrew. Elle yelped.
“Get dressed,” Cunningham said. “There’s someone you need to meet.”
Elle gratefully removed the torturous heels. “Can I have some tissues?”
“No,” Nolan said. “I want you to feel me dripping into your panties throughout the rest of the day. I want your cunt bathed in my come. Can you be a good girl and do that?”
Of course it wasn’t really a question. She would do it, and he knew that.
“Tell him you want to be a good girl for him,” Cunningham commanded.
“I want to be a good girl for you.”
Cunningham nodded just a little. He massaged his pelvis with one hand, then leaned back in his chair and exhaled. “The sooner you meet Bianca, the sooner we can start tonight’s festivities.”
Elle didn’t bother asking who Bianca was or why she needed to meet her.
Anyway, she had a hunch that Bianca was someone who’d previously dated the three men. Cunningham wanted Elle to get a fuller picture of what this sort of relationship entailed.
To Elle’s relief, Nolan accompanied her to the Shangri-La. They sat in the back of the car together, their knees lightly touching. Elle was too nervous to make small talk, and Nolan was a master of silence, so they sat quietly.
Like it wasn’t bad enough having to meet the woman who had most likely broken Cunningham’s heart—Elle wasn’t sure about this, but it was the best theory she had for why Cunningham was so closed off—but she was sure that she smelled like sex.
And her butt hurt enough that she winced whenever she moved. Hard to believe that her punishment hadn’t been nearly as bad as it felt at the time. No broken skin; Cunningham knew what he was doing. Though Nolan was right—bruises were already blooming by the time she’d dressed.
The driver pulled over in front of the modern hotel. Nolan hopped out, then extended a hand to help her exit the car.
“She’s waiting for you at the bar,” he said.
“Can’t you come with me?” Elle didn’t bother disguising her worry.
Nolan inhaled, and Elle was sure that he was going to say no. Finally he shrugged. “I’ll do the introductions, but it’s best if you talk to her alone.” The adamant look in his eyes brooked no argument.
“Thank you.” Elle straightened her shoulders and tried to muster up a degree of confidence that she certainly didn’t feel.
The hotel’s lounge was empty except for a tall, willowy blonde at the far end of the bar. Even at a distance, Elle could tell that she was beautiful. An empty, lipstick-covered martini glass sat in front of her, and as Elle and Nolan approached, the bartender poured it full.
The woman picked up the glass and took a deep sip. Her long, slender fingers were covered in gold and diamonds, and the face of her watch sparkled like it was imbedded with a thousand small stars.
“Bianca,” Nolan said.
The woman swung around, and Elle’s heart sank. She had beautiful green eyes, chiseled cheekbones and full, pouty lips that were so perfect, they had to be real.
“Nolan,” she purred as she stood a bit unsteadily. She looked at Elle. “So you’re the new victim.” There was an open curiosity in her gaze, a vulnerability, too. Elle wanted to hate her, but she couldn’t. At least, not yet.
“I’m Elle.” They shook hands, and Elle couldn’t help but notice how soft Bianca’s skin was. She tried not to think about those smooth fingers stroking her lovers. She resolutely stifled the little voices that chanted that Cunningham must surely want Bianca back.
“I’ll be in the lobby,” Nolan said. He took Elle’s face into his hands and plunged his blue gaze deep into hers. His thumb caressed her cheek, then he brushed his lips over her mouth. It was too chaste for Elle’s liking; if ever there was a time for a passionate kiss, this was it.
Bianca watched Nolan walk away, a mixture of regret and relief in her eyes. Then she turned to Elle. “What’s your poison?”
“Oh. Um … I’ll just have a glass of white wine.”
“You’re very pretty,” Bianca said before taking another deep sip of her martini. “Of course, I knew you would be.” She nodded, her smile genuine.
Elle had to admit that Bianca was perfect. She was friendly and seemed to be confident in who she was. And she was gorgeous. If the men weren’t motivated to make things work with Bianca, then what chance did Elle have?
“Where do you live?” Elle blurted out.
“London.” She toyed with her glass, then added, “I needed a change of scenery. Cunningham was kind enough to help me get a starter job there, and …” she trailed off with a little shrug. “I love London. It gave me everything I needed at the time. New friends, new life. New me.”
Elle’s stomach churned. “Was it that bad?”
“Bad? No. I wouldn’t say anything about it was
bad.
” Bianca laughed, then took another sip. Her glass was almost empty.
The bartender placed a glass of wine in front of Elle, then poured Bianca another martini. “You mindreader,” she said to him with a wink. She reached her perfectly manicured hands into a designer purse and pulled out some money. “Let’s go sit on the roof. It’s too sunny of a day to be in this gloomy room,” she said, tossing the bills onto the bar.
Whatever Elle had been expecting of a roof, the top of the Shangri-La wasn’t it. It was like a tropical island under a dome. Palm trees swayed in a gentle breeze that sure felt real. A few people floated lazily in the pool.
She followed Bianca into a small gazebo, all the while trying to decide which questions to ask first. She was dying to know how Bianca had ended up with the men, but maybe that was a little too personal. She sipped the crisp, mouthwatering wine. It was ok. Not nearly as good as what Cunningham would have ordered. Maybe he was rubbing off on her after all.
Finally she settled on a question. “How long were you with the company?”
Bianca smiled, her perfect white teeth dazzling. “Only a few months.”
When Elle frowned, Bianca said, “Have they really not told you about me?” She leaned forward, her green eyes filled with curiosity.
Elle shook her head. “Things with us are pretty new, though.”
Bianca raised an eyebrow. “Maybe. But Nolan wouldn’t have flown to England to entice me back if the situation weren’t serious.” The wistful look on her face only made her prettier.
“Guess I’d better start at the beginning,” she said as she delicately kicked off her high heels and folded her long legs underneath her. “I met Jonathan first. I’d just gotten out of a bad relationship and was looking for some uncommitted fun. We messed around for a few weeks and one night, I went to his apartment and met Cunningham and Nolan. I suppose I don’t have to tell you what happened next.”
That wistful note had crept back into Bianca’s voice, and Elle forced herself to remain calm.
“The four of us continued to see each other several times a week. We weren’t exclusive. I wasn’t looking for that, so I was surprised when Jonathan asked me to come work for them. At first I said no, but then my boss passed me over for a promotion, so I figured I’d go for it.”
Bianca was staring off into space, lost in her memories. “And then what happened?” Elle asked gently.
Bianca shook her head, and for a moment, she looked bitter. “Then I fell in love. No one was more surprised than me. If I hadn’t, maybe …” She stopped herself and gulped down the rest of her drink. “Where are all the danged waiters?”
“I’ll let you know if I see one,” Elle promised. “So you fell in love?”
“Yes. With Cunningham. Well, mostly with Cunningham. I didn’t mind the menage-a-gogo, but I wanted more. Of course I was very confused,” she added quickly. “Anyway, Cunningham made it clear it was a package deal, so the four of us went on as before. But over time, I got resentful.”
Elle nodded in sympathy.
“Anyway, I probably could have dealt with all the little inconveniences, but Cunningham …? Hot and cold. He’d look at me like I was his world, then the next minute I was invisible. He tried to love me, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. It got so that his touch hurt, you know? I couldn’t ever really submit to him. My heart was elsewhere, locked away where it was safe. We continued on fucking.” She pronounced the word precisely, the sounds harsh in her mouth. Then she tilted her empty glass over and swung it back and forth. “Eventually I couldn’t stand it anymore.”
“So you went to London.”
“Not right away. I tried to carry on with Nolan and Jonathan, but that hurt, too, so I started avoiding them all. Nolan seemed to take it personally. And then one day Cunningham called me into his office. I thought maybe he missed me. Instead he asked what would make me happy.”
Elle’s drink had given her enough of a buzz that she said, “What did you say?”
“New job, new city, relocation costs. I was hurt and angry, and I named an obscene figure.” She snorted. “I’d secretly hoped Cunningham would say no, but apparently he was so anxious to get rid of me that he agreed to pay it without blinking.” She sighed and settled back in the chair, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. “Questions?”
Elle only had about a million, most of them wildly inappropriate. “I guess I’m supposed to be learning about the challenges of dating three men.”
“Oh, but that’s not the difficult part.”
“It isn’t?”
“Not if they love you.”
Stunned by the raw pain in Bianca’s voice, Elle took a moment to pull herself together. “I’m sure they cared about you.”
“Seven figures in my bank account say they didn’t.”
“Seven figures?” To go away quietly? Did Cunningham think he was being kind?
“Oh, yes. I figured if they were going to treat me like a whore, I might as well be a well-paid one.” She opened her eyes, tilted her head and studied Elle. “Can I offer up some advice?”
Chewing on her lower lip, Elle nodded. “That is why you’re here.”
“Imagine the pain of a breakup, but tripled. The heartbreak is unbearable. Your life goes from full to empty in a flash.”