She stiffened beneath me, and I was about to chew Drix out but Viva just gave him the stink eye. “The way you haven’t stopped touching me since we got to Paris. And you look at me with those big ‘fuck me’ eyes all the time.”
Hendrick rolled onto his hands and knees, crawling up over her body. “If anyone is giving out ‘fuck me’ eyes, Viva, it’s you.”
“You’re right,” she purred, and then bucked her hips, throwing Hendrick off balance so he rolled down the small embankment we were sitting on.
Sampson chuckled and I laughed, pulling Viva back up into my arms as Hendrick stormed back up the hill. She was laughing, crawling around my body to hide behind me. “Protect me, Otto.”
“Ha, no way. Between you two, I’m Switzerland.”
She sprung up, hurtling over Sampson’s body like a gazelle as Hendrick chased after her. When she ran behind Evan, who was sitting a little bit away, Hendrick stilled.
Aviva was oblivious to the tension though. “Save me, Evan.”
Hendrick narrowed his eyes, trying to judge the bodyguard's mood. Evan shook his head. “You poked the bear, Chaos. You’re on your own.”
Hendrick laughed, ducking around Evan and scooping Aviva into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his hips, and laughed. People turned to look at them, and god, together they were beautiful. Their moods fed off one another, so when one was joyous, so was the other, and it infected everything and everyone around them.
Knowing Hendrick, and getting to know Aviva, I knew that it would work the other way too. That when one spiralled, it would suck the other down with them. But right at this moment, they looked picture perfect, and everyone around us envied them—like they were some sort of golden couple—totally oblivious to their struggles.
“They look good together,” Sampson said in a low voice, as he watched Hendrick spin her around. “Like a magazine cover rolled up in the mouth of a Molotov cocktail.”
I huffed a laugh at the accuracy of that. I recognized that a normal man would feel jealous, but I didn’t. It was like, if it was hard for me to be everything that Hendrick needed, then maybe another set of hands would help. Especially if they were soft and sweet and attached to a smart mouth and beautiful brain.
Sampson groaned. “Stop looking at them like they’re a candy-coated wonderland, asshole. I’m going to puke over the sweetness.”
I kicked him in the thigh, but dragged my eyes away, looking up at the sky with a smile on my face.
Chapter 29
Aviva
The guys had been overwhelmingly protective since the first night in Paris, and being in India wasn’t going to make them relent on that. Evan had gotten two more bodyguards, including a woman who was around his age. She was pretty, with straight brown hair and a body like a fitness model. I kind of hated her on sight, but she was professional and sweet, and that made me hate her a little more.
The other bodyguard was built like an elephant, and I was pretty sure he could strangle me one-handed. Normally that would turn me on, but this guy just made me want to run in the other direction.
We still had to fly first class, and had to stay in the best hotel in Kolkata. When I screwed my face up, Hendrick told me it cost less than the apartment in Paris due to the exchange rate, and I found it hard to argue with that.
Driving into Kolkata from the airport to the hotel was an entirely unique experience. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen; it was both drab and vibrant. Poverty and glittering excess just right there on the street. Traffic was chaos, but the private driver hummed softly along to the radio like this was just another day.
Even pulling up to the hotel was unlike anything else, with hundreds of people milling about stalls that had been roughly constructed under the awning of the huge, imposing hotel. People were yelling, the smells were heady, and I could see why this country would be overwhelming. The entrance was clear however, with a guard standing at the wrought iron gates and ushering us through.
It was hot. So fucking hot. But inside those gates was a little oasis: palm trees, perfectly manicured gardens, and lawns that were clipped within an inch of their life.
The bodyguards stepped out first, their eyes roaming in every direction before we climbed out. It was overkill, but I didn’t blame the guys. If they’d been scared, I’d been terrified.
My phone chirped, and I realized I hadn’t checked in with my parents yesterday.
Aviva: Sorry guys. Forgot to check in with you yesterday. I’m in India, but don’t worry, I have security and it's beautiful here. Love you both.
I snapped a quick picture of myself in the courtyard, sent it off, and then shut off my phone. I couldn’t answer their questions any more today than I could two weeks ago.
A beautiful receptionist greeted us and led us to what I learned was the Presidential Suite. I gave Hendrick the stink eye, and he just grinned. Four-poster beds, overhead fans and an insane amount of flowers and fruits greeted us. It was gorgeous.
I flopped onto a bed, tired from the long flight, despite the fact it was another first class trip where I’d slept most of the time.
Evan and the new bodyguards had the suite beside ours, so it really just was the four of us, alone. Excitement built in my stomach about what we could do, and when Hendrick dropped down on the bed beside me, I resisted the urge to grin. I rolled over until I was straddling him, and he looked up at me with a comical look of surprise.
“Hendrick Kenley, I just realized something.”
“Flying makes you horny?”
“No. Well, maybe.” I leaned closer until my lips were just an inch from his. “I don’t think you’re such an asshole after all.”
He laughed, leaning up to capture my lips. His hands ran down my sides as he gripped my ass, pulling me firmly against his hardening dick. He fucked my mouth, grinding me down on his cock until I was panting.
“Fuck me,” I moaned in his ear, and he groaned. He rolled me onto my back until he was poised above me.
“Aw, Viva. I’m not going to deny us both the best part.” He scooted down the bed until his head was between my thighs. “I’m going to eat your delicious pussy like it's dessert. God, I’ve missed you,” he told my vagina.
I laughed, but it cut off quickly as he tore off my underwear, which probably cost more than a month's waitressing pay. Still, I didn’t complain as he bit my thigh with a growl.
“Promise me that one day you’ll smother me to death with these.”
I gripped his hair that was just enough to be a fistful, and pulled his face up. “Not funny, Drix.”
His eyes hooded at my use of his nickname. “Not joking, beautiful. Now let go, I have a mission before the main course.”
Couldn’t argue with that, I guess. I relaxed my grip on his hair as he ran his tongue over my folds, sucking and nipping and literally making nom-nom noises over my clit. The man was ridiculous, but he soon had me coming all over his face.
He lifted himself up on his elbows, staring smugly down at me like he’d just done a good job, his grin ridiculously wide. He unbuttoned my linen shirt dress like he was unwrapping a present, kissing each inch of skin as it was revealed. I felt worshipped by the time he got to my breasts, sucking my nipples into his mouth through the delicate lace.
“Fuck,” I breathed, clawing at his shirt to get it off. He happily obliged, and he was goddamn beautiful. All that smooth golden skin—like he never spent any time with a shirt on—and hard muscle. I wanted to taste every inch of him. “Pants off,” I said quietly, and he rolled up from his position, making his abdominals flex. Ooh, pretty.
He stood back, peeling off the last of his clothing, and my mouth went dry. No one had any right to be that pretty.
“Gimme, gimme.” He laughed and dived onto the bed, making me bounce. I rolled, so I was straddling his hips, and ran my hands down his chest. “These are nice.”
He lifted his arms and grabbed my boobs. “So are yours.” I ground down on his cock, and he threw his head
back, closing his eyes. “Fuck, that feels good, Viva.”
It felt so good, so right, and my good sense left me. I wanted to bury him inside me, feel every inch of him stretching me wide.
A condom flew out of nowhere and hit Hendrick in the forehead. I looked over my shoulder at a grinning Otto.
“Uh, sorry to interrupt, but remember the manwhore conversation?”
Hendrick huffed. “Seriously, man?”
Otto nodded, and left. I was laughing beneath my breath as I grabbed the condom and slid it on. Hendrick was still grumbling. “Mood killer.”
I leaned forward, kissing him softly. “He’s just looking out for you. Out for us. An STD or a baby would make this experience really, really permanent.”
Hendrick frowned, opening his mouth to say something stupid, so I grabbed his dick and held it at my entrance. He couldn’t help himself but thrust up until he was deep inside me. We both groaned, and I sat up, riding him in a slow, leisurely manner.
The look he was giving me though, it was making me feel… something. He was looking at me like I was the best thing since porn, his hands on my hips guiding my movements so he could bury himself balls deep.
He looked worshipful. Is this why he got so many girls? Did he look at every girl with this kind of reverence?
“Mmm, get out of your head, Viva. I have about four more minutes until I blow my load inside your fucking gorgeous body, and I’ve never come first.” He slipped a hand around, his thumb tapping my clit, and my thighs turned to jello.
Sweat slicked across my body as I moved to my feet, pistoning my body over his at the perfect angle so he was hitting all the good places inside me.
“Fuck, Viva,” he grunted, thrusting up, meeting me movement for movement. “Come for me, beautiful.” Another stroke of my clit. “Now. Come.”
I did as I was told, impaling myself tightly on his cock and falling forward to kiss him hard as he held my hips, thrusting up into me until he too was coming with a groan.
“Best dick ever,” I murmured, and he chuckled.
“Hear that, guys?!” he yelled toward the door. “Best dick ever!”
I slapped his shoulder with a laugh. This was nice.
Chapter 30
Sampson
Whose fucking idea was this?
Aviva was buffered on all sides by us, but still, people were too close. I wanted to take her back to the hotel, seclude her in her room, maybe give her a few dozen orgasms until she forgot about all this. Forgot about this stupid trek around the world, forgot about Nemo, forgot about everything but us.
On the flip side, her absolute wonder was addictive. She stopped at every stall, touched a flower of every shade, talked to every vendor even though she didn’t understand what they were saying.
The food stalls at the end of the market smelled amazing, and we watched as one street vendor cooked dumplings, folding them in front of us before putting in a large steamer. “Oh man, I love dumplings,” Aviva said, her eyes wide with delight.
I held up ten fingers to the vendor and he nodded, fishing out the dumplings and piling them high on a rough foil plate, a little dollop of chutney beside them. “Momos,” he said with a grin, smiling widely and missing more than a few teeth.
Aviva thanked him and took a bite of one of the dumplings. “Holy shit, this is so good. Try some?”
I shook my head. Street food had never been my thing. Hendrick had no qualms whatsoever, plucking two from the plate and eating them in one bite. “They are good,” he said around a mouth full of food. He looked at Otto. “You should try one.”
Otto shook his head. “You’re gross, Drix. I’m good.”
We headed to Penny Lane bookstore, which was a short ride away from the market. Most of the people who worked this market lived here too, in makeshift tarpaulin tents, and they bathed in the Hooghly River. It made me appreciate what I had, even with the risks of being tortured to death for my money. Again.
The bookstore was a weird little hole in the wall, filled to the brim with engineering and science textbooks. “Are you sure we’re in the right place?”
She shrugged. “It's what it said in the book.”
We walked in, and the owner didn’t even look up from his lunch. Okay, that was fine; I didn't want him hovering anyway. Curmudgeonly bookstore owners were a cliché that crossed the cultural divide, apparently.
Books were stacked floor to ceiling, and while they were loosely grouped into subjects, I couldn’t find anywhere with fiction novels. “Find a translator. We’ll start from the back and work our way forward,” I told Evan, and he nodded, stepping back out onto the street.
Aviva reached behind me and squeezed my hand. “Thank you.”
We set to work, and I silently began to curse out this Nemo guy. Fuck, I should just get a private investigator to find the guy, go straight to the source so Aviva could see he was just some self-obsessed asshole like the rest of us, and then we could all move on with our lives.
The other side of my brain knew that if this ended now, she’d go back to school, become beige again. She wouldn’t stay with us. I couldn’t blame her, really.
Three hours later, we were no closer to finding the book, and it was so hot I thought I was going to pass out. Aviva was looking pale and sweating profusely, and I decided that was enough.
“Good Girl, we’ll come back tomorrow. Let's head back to the hotel.”
She shook her head, looking at a stack of books but barely staying upright. “We have to be close.”
Otto stepped toward her, holding her shoulder as she weaved on her feet. “Then we’ll be just as close tomorrow. Come on, you’re looking a little pasty.”
She stood up, and I got a good look at her. She was worse than pasty. She looked gray. “I’m fine,” she argued, which would have been a hell of a lot more convincing if she hadn’t buckled over and puked on my shoes.
Fuck.
“Viva, are you okay?” Otto asked, as the owner of the store finally emerged, yelling angrily.
I spun around to him, pushing my finger in his face. “Fuck off.” I looked past him at the bodyguards. “Get a car, now.”
Aviva was swaying softly, and I scooped her into my arms. “Sam, I don’t feel good.”
“I know, Good Girl. We’ll get it figured out.”
Evan appeared from nowhere, directing us to an idling town car. I climbed in, and Otto and Hendrick climbed in beside me. She was sweating so badly now that she was shaking in my arms.
“Let’s go!” I demanded.
Evan climbed in the front, and slipped the driver a stack of bills to hurry. “I’ll call the hotel, tell them to get a doctor.”
I nodded, but my eyes were back on Aviva. “How are you feeling now?” I asked softly, pushing back the curls that suddenly sat limply around her face.
“Feel like shit,” she said, panting. “Like I’m going to puke, and my stomach, argh…” She moaned, curling into a ball on my lap. I rubbed her back, feeling fucking useless as she groaned. Eventually, her groans turned to sobs. “I’m gonna throw up.” Hedrick yanked off his hat and passed it to her, and she vomited in great heaves.
“No sick in the taxi!” the driver yelled, and Evan growled something in a low voice that I missed, but had the driver weaving in and out of traffic. Hendrick threw his vomit-filled hat out the window before we rolled through the gates of the hotel. Otto hopped out first, and I passed him Viva.
“Get her to our room. I’ll see where the doctor is.” He took off into the hotel, his eyes wild with worry. I strode up to the reception desk. “I need that doctor now.”
The employee nodded. “One is en route now, sir. He should be here any moment.”
I wanted to yell at her that ‘en route’ wasn’t good enough, that I wanted him here now. Instead, I calmly said, “I need bottled water and some kind of electrolyte replacement liquid sent up to my room. Soup. Anything you can think of that might make her better.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied
, but I was already striding toward the elevator. I mashed the button, and Evan slid between the doors before they closed fully. We stood there in silence, my heart pounding at how sick she was, and how fast it had happened.
“I shouldn’t have taken her to that market. We shouldn’t have come to this country. I should have sent her home after Paris.”
Evan shook his head. “I don’t think you have as much control over her as you’d like to think. But I agree, you should have sent her home. You never should have brought her in the first place.”
I pushed open the door to the suite, and was greeted to the sound of dry retching and moaning.
Otto appeared in front of me. “She’s still throwing up in there. She’s pale and sweaty, but freezing cold. She has a fever.”
“Virus?”
He shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know, I'm not pre-med. How far away is the doctor?”
I shook my head. “They said he’s en route.”
Hendrick stumbled out of the bathroom. “She kicked me out. It’s, uh, coming out from the other direction now.” He screwed his nose up. “I, uh… I think I might love her.”
I gaped, and Otto took a significant step back. “What? Why?”
Hendrick stumbled forward and puked into the fruit bowl. Otto reached for him, rubbing his back, and he lifted his head out of the bowl. “Same reason you’re trying to make me feel better right now. I just saw a person I’ve had sex with vomit and shit at the same time, and yet I’d still fuck her once she feels better.”
I let out a strangled laugh, but he continued vomiting.
“Come on, Drix. Thank god this suite has two bathrooms.” Otto managed to get a shoulder under Hendrick, and led him toward the bathroom. “You go and check on Viva. I got Drix.”
I nodded, making my way to the other bathroom. “Good Girl, are you okay?”
“Go away. I’m embarrassed enough.” There was more moaning, and I opened the door. Aviva was curled in a ball on the ground, her eyes wet with tears.
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