“Also true.”
“Honestly, I think she can take it. She didn’t know anything when she walked into this office, yet she stayed,” Caleb mused. “She stayed and she listened. She seemed intrigued.” He looked up at me. “We should tell her everything.”
* * *
It was getting late so Caleb and I parted ways soon after our conversation. I was so happy to see that spark back in his eye, that look of excitement. I’d hoped Erin was the thing that would finally snap Caleb out of his funk.
But for as much as I liked her, I wasn’t going to expose Caleb to someone toxic, not when he was so fragile. I couldn’t risk it.
Though Caleb already gave her a card, I’d tell the bartenders not to let her downstairs and get the bouncers to show her out if she didn’t check out. I wouldn’t like it and Caleb might get pissed, but I’d do it to protect him.
When I got home, I sat on the couch and called an old contact of mine. Mike was in the marines with me and now worked as a private investigator.
“Do you know what time it is, Jackson?” Mike said without greeting. “I woke up at four for a stakeout and just got home.”
“Hello to you too,” I said, laughing.
A little antsy, a little stressed, a lot exasperated, Mike was always like this.
“Yeah, yeah,” he replied, though I knew he was smiling. “Hate to be rude, but why are you calling so late?”
“I’d wait until morning if it wasn’t important.” I needed info on Erin ASAP.
“Yeah, I know,” he replied. “So what have you gotten yourself messed up in?”
“Nothing yet. And I hope you’re able to reassure me that there won’t be a mess.”
“Alright, what can I do?” he asked.
“I need you to look into someone for me,” I began, giving him all the information I had on Erin. “And if you could get it done by tomorrow afternoon, I’ll send you a big fat check.”
Mike laughed. “Normally, I’d give you the friend discount, but now that you’re one of those high flying rich assholes, I’ll gladly take your money. Tell Caleb hi for me.”
When I got off the phone, I went to my bedroom and undressed. Lying in bed, I tried to get the feel of Erin’s body against mine and the way her lips felt when I kissed her out of my head, but it was futile. My cock was hard and throbbing and would probably stay that way until I did something about it.
I slid my boxers down my legs and grabbed the bottle of lube and I kept in the drawer of my nightstand. Picturing Erin’s face after I kissed her, I drizzled a bit of lube on my hand and coated my cock with it.
My hand slid up and down, my thumb swiping of the head of my cock each time it was close enough to.
Thinking of Erin’s long legs, of the way her breasts pressed against the front of her dress, of the way her hips felt between my hands, it didn’t take long before I felt that telltale tightening. I came moments later, catching my cum in with my other hand. Grabbing some tissues from the nightstand, I cleaned myself up.
My mind was quiet now, or at least quieter, and I was finally able to drift off to sleep.
* * *
Try as I might, I was unable to sleep in until my alarm the next morning. Through my blinds, I could tell it was still dark out. This late in October, the air was no doubt still cool.
Groaning and rolling over to bury my face in my pillow, I thought back on all the mornings I’d had like this lately. Mornings I just couldn’t remain asleep because I just had so much on my mind. Despite our success, the business was still brand new and required a lot of work. Not to mention the fact that we lived in Vegas. Everyone wanted a slice of the revenue tourists brought in. That meant we really had to stay on top of our game. We couldn’t lose focus.
That brought to me the other big thing preventing me from getting my full eight hours: Caleb. I knew I wasn’t his babysitter or his mother, but other than me, he didn’t really have anyone. He wasn’t close with his family and none of his relationships ever lasted very long. I could say the same about myself, but I’d never really had my heart in dating either. There was a time when Caleb had, when he would have done anything to meet the right woman. He was a romantic no matter how much he’d try to deny it. He wanted more than he would let himself believe in.
That’s why things suddenly felt so urgent with Erin. Caleb liked her, really liked her. As the one person in his life that completely knew him, I could see his interest in her written all over his face.
I needed Erin to be who she said she was. I needed her to be a good person. If she wasn’t, I needed her gone before she could do any more damage to my best friend’s heart. Caleb wouldn’t be able to handle it.
If Erin was a con, a liar, I wouldn’t be able to handle it either. I was already in deep.
* * *
When I finally gave in to the fact that I wasn’t going to fall back asleep, I rolled out of bed and decided to go for my run before it got too warm. Sure, running during the day was a good way to burn extra calories, but it reminded me too much of my time in the marines and wasn’t my preferred time of day to run. I liked getting to see my adopted hometown before it came alive for the day, before it became loud and boisterous. Las Vegas in the morning was weirdly peaceful. I loved the club, but my morning runs were the only time I ever felt any peace in the city.
Not that it ever lasted. By the time I jogged back to my street, the city was coming alive, people rushing from their homes to get to work or school or wherever else busy people went during the day. After living much of my life the same way, it was strange not living by the schedule anymore.
Once I was back inside my condo, I took a quick shower, toweling off and dressing in athletic shorts and a t-shirt. I snatched my phone from the charger and flipped through my notifications.
I saw I had a text from Mike and opened it.
Check your email, jackass, it read.
Chuckling, I jot off a quick thanks! and closed out of the app.
Mike’s email was waiting for me at the top. There was nothing in the subject line to indicate what he’d found during his investigation.
My finger hovered over the email. It was as if I was daring myself to open it but was too chickenshit to do it.
Sighing, I walked out to the kitchen decided to make a cup of coffee first. I needed a damned cup of coffee in my system before I could read anything.
We hadn’t even known Erin for an entire day, yet so much was weighing on Mike’s findings. Depending on the outcome, our lives could change. If Erin really was no good and she didn’t show, Caleb’s depression could get worse. He liked her so much.
I thought of last night before Caleb and I left the club for the night. He’d smiled more in that short amount of time than he had the last several weeks put together. Maybe longer.
“Wow,” he’d said, a look on his face I’d never seen before. “She’s really something, isn’t she?”
I was prepared to be there for him if Erin’s background didn’t check out. But if Caleb found out I was the reason Erin didn’t show? He’d be furious. Maybe he’d come to realize I’d done it to protect him, but in the throes of his depression, I couldn’t be sure.
If Erin turned out to be the incredible woman she seemed, well, maybe Caleb would change too. Maybe she could help him through the fog that clung to him. Maybe she would love him.
I knew she was on vacation and this was all so soon, but I was hopeful. Probably too hopeful for my own good.
When my coffee was done, I poured a cup and took a swig. I winced as it burned my mouth, but I couldn’t wait. I needed to know.
I opened the email and clicked on the attachment Mike included. A PDF opened and an image of Erin filled my screen. She gave the camera a cheesy smile and had a puppy cradled in her arms. She had on no makeup, her pale hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and she wore a loose t-shirt and jogging pants.
She looked so different than she had last night and yet there was still something distinctly Erin
about the photo, that same curiosity she exhibited last night.
My breath caught just looking at her, the joy evident on her face.
I had to force myself to scroll down. I needed to know.
The document read:
Born December 23, 1993, Erin Blaire Bellose is a 26-year-old law associate with Carrigan, Hernandez, and Jones law firm. She was born, raised, and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, the daughter of lawyers Joe and Mary Bellose. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and from the University of San Diego with a Master of Law in Business and Corporate Law.
I read a little bit about Erin’s childhood and college days, all the clubs and organizations she’d participated in over the years. Pretty typical stuff like Habitat for Humanity. The fact that she had a black belt was impressive.
I looked up from my phone and briefly wondered what it would be like to take her on in a fight. Would we reach a point where, sweaty and breathing hard, our proximity became too much and we just gave in to the heat between us? Would we end up fucking right there, so overcome by lust that we wouldn’t make it to a place more private?
A shiver ran down my spine, and I forced myself to keep reading.
The last paragraph of Mike’s report caught my eye.
After scouring social media and chatting with a rather talkative intoxicated acquaintance of Ms. Bellose, she and longtime boyfriend Braxton Sewell recently broke up after she caught him cheating on her. It seems Ms. Bellose kicked him out of her condo after witnessing the indiscretion. Based on her recent posts on social media, she appears to be disenchanted with men for the time being. Currently, she is staying at the Golden Gate Hotel as a member of her close friend Greer Walsh’s wedding party. The wedding will take place on Wednesday, October 30.
I let out a huge sigh of relief at the fact that there weren’t any huge red flags in Erin’s background. Sure, she’d implied that she was only in town for a limited amount of time for a wedding. She likely was on vacation from work, meaning she didn’t lie to us outright. Talking to two men she hardly knew, I couldn’t really blame her for not being completely truthful. It was self-preservation.
Everything I read about Erin made me like her even more. She was shrewd and intelligent and went after what she wanted. Mike made it seem like she wasn’t the biggest fan of men at the moment, but the time Caleb and I spent with her last night in our office said otherwise. Sometimes people needed a distraction to move on. What better distraction was there than being introduced to BDSM?
And the fact that Erin was local, well, that changed everything. Maybe she really was the answer when it came to helping Caleb find himself again. Only time would tell.
Exiting out of the PDF, I made sure to Venmo Mike a hefty chunk of change.
Later that day, I head into work early so I can get my duties out of the way before Erin’s arrival sometime in the evening. While I’ve always had some difficulty staying cooped up, I found it impossible to stay focused on what I was doing. My mind kept wandering and I found myself reopening the PDF Mike sent just so I could look at Erin’s picture again. I was starting to feel like a schoolboy with my first crush.
On my way down to the Dungeon, I ask the bartenders to keep an eye out for our guest, and go into the private room in the Underground to wait. I spend nearly a half hour messing around on my phone before my phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Hey boss,” Grey replied, “your guest is here.”
Finally, I thought, though it was still fairly early in the evening. “Could you have someone escort her down, please?”
“On it!” Grey said, disconnecting the phone.
It felt as if I held my breath the entire time it took for Erin to get downstairs. I started to feel a strain in my chest by the time I heard a knock on the door.
Standing, I ran my hands down my suit, smoothing any wrinkles that may have formed. “Come in!”
The door opened and Grey said, “Erin is here to see you, Sir.” I saw a small smirk on his face and could tell he was hamming it up for Erin. We’d never made our employees talk to us with any formality.
“Thank you, Grey,” I said, stepping forward. He nodded and left, closing the door behind him. “It’s nice to see you again, Erin.” I gently grabbed her right hand and brought it to my lips, pressing just the ghost of a kiss to her skin.
“It’s nice seeing you again too, Jackson,” she replied, her face flushed. Tonight Erin had her hair styled in long, loose waves and wore light makeup and a deep purple dress.
“You look exquisite,” I murmured.
Erin’s eyes fluttered at the compliment. “Thank you. You look incredible too.”
I grew a bit warm as her eyes roved over my body. Attempting to delay the lust that was already starting to seep through my veins, I gestured for her to have a seat.
“Drink?” I asked, heading for the bar cart.
Erin scanned the bottles on the cart. “That bourbon looks good.”
I smiled at her. “It is,” I said, pouring us each two fingers.
I join her on the couch, sitting close enough that our thighs touch, and hand her a glass. We smile at each other as we clink our glasses together and sip.
The bourbon seems to relax her a little. “Thanks,” Erin murmured. “I needed that.”
“Oh?”
She looked a little sheepish. “I’m nervous,” she admitted. “This is all so new to me.”
“That’s understandable,” I reply, taking her hand in mine. “What can I do to help ease your nerves?”
Erin thought for a moment. “I can tell you and Caleb are close and seem to have known each other for a while. How did you meet?”
“Good observation,” I said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “We were in the marines together and ended up bonding the way only two people in the armed forces can.”
Erin’s face remained passive yet attentive as I talked.
“After we got out, we both needed something to do with our lives, so Caleb asked me if I wanted to start a business together.” Chuckling, I added, “I thought he wanted to open a garage or something.”
She laughed. “This is a far cry from a garage.”
“No kidding. Anyway, Caleb got into BDSM after we got out and it really helped him cope. I’d just come into a bit of inheritance money so he came to me with the idea of starting our own dungeon here in Vegas. He took me to a few dungeons so I could see what the deal was, and I turned out to really like it. I liked the idea of opening a place people could have fun upstairs, but could get what they need downstairs. So many people look down on folks that practice BDSM, and we wanted to give them a safe, quiet place where they can be themselves.”
A small smile graced Erin’s face. “I like that.”
The door opened and Caleb walked in. I watched as he quickly looked around the room, his entire face transforming when his eyes landed on Erin. He walked toward her and, like I did, kissed the back of her hand.
“It’s great to see you again, Erin,” he said.
She smiled back at him. “It’s nice to see you again too, Caleb.”
“You both already have drinks?” he asked, heading over to the bar cart.
“Just waiting on you, man,” I joked.
Caleb got his drink and sat down on the other side of Erin. “So what have we been talking about?”
“Jackson was telling me about why you two opened the club.”
“Good,” he said, taking a sip of his bourbon. “Do you remember what you asked us yesterday?”
Erin looked thoughtful. “Oh, you mean about sharing.” She gulped. “Sharing everything. Women.”
Caleb and I glanced at each other over Erin’s head. It was now or never.
“Neither of us has ever had feelings for men, or each other, but there are certain things we do like,” Caleb said.
“We’ve lived out of each other’s pocket since for nearly fifteen years,”
I explained. “We’ve shared tents and food and clothes in the marines, all out of necessity. It bonded us.”
Caleb added, “Now we share a business with each other. And yes, sometimes we share women. Sometimes we just like to watch.”
I chuckled and said, “You have no idea how hot it can be to watch a woman experience complete ecstasy.”
“Does any of that appeal to you, Erin?” Caleb asked, leaning closer to her.
Erin’s voice cracked when she said, “Yes. Yes, it does.”
I leaned in too. “Are you ready?”
Erin nodded. “Yes.”
“Then it’s time for your first scene.”
Erin
Then it’s time for your first scene. Caleb’s words echoed through my mind and I could feel a flush rise on my face. I wanted this so badly, wanted to know how it felt to just be taken by Jackson and Caleb.
After I left the club last night, I’d barely made it back into my hotel room before I’d lifted the skirt of my dress, moved the crotch of my panties to the side, and sunk my fingers into my wet depths. I was soaking wet, my clit swollen and hard. I imagined what it felt like to be sandwiched between Jackson and Caleb, reimagined the way they touched and kissed me. It didn’t take long until I felt myself cumming hard on my own fingers.
Then I stripped out of my clothes and started to research.
I spent hours reading about BDSM, about the different things that could take place during a session. A lot of it didn’t appeal to me at all, but some of it made me want to slip my hand back inside my underwear.
“BDSM is pretty misunderstood,” Jackson explained, breaking through my thoughts.
I focused my attention on him, knowing what he had to say was important.
He continued, “A lot of people think it’s all about a dom’s pleasure, but that’s far from the case. A sub gets pleasure from their domination. At the same time, the sub determines their own limits and controls the scene, not the dom. A sub can tap out using a safe word at any time or for any reason at all.”
Two Billionaires in Vegas: A Halloween MFM Romance (Love by Numbers Book 1) Page 4