by Tia Siren
“No. It's fresh out of the cellophane. You don't have to worry.”
Avaline stood in front of the mirror and admired herself. Even the harsh fluorescent lights didn't show a single blemish on her skin. The bikini fit nicely. She took off the top but quickly pulled it over her breasts again when Raylene popped her head through the curtain. “Everything okay? Oh yes. I like those bottoms. Haven't got the top on yet. Shall I help you?”
Avaline declined and waited until Raylene had gone. Should she report her? How many women had she ogled, felt up, or raped in the changing room? she wondered She got dressed quickly and went to pay. Raylene gave her a wide smile. “Here's a voucher for twenty-five dollars. We've got an open evening next week. Come along and see if you can find anything you like. We've got more than swimwear, as you can see. Raylene pointed to an array of other leisure wear. “That will be ninety-nine dollars.”
Avaline paid and left the shop. Robert was waiting for her on the other side of the street. Unfortunately, she didn't make it that far.
*****
“More champagne please, Tony,” Colten said. He was sitting at the bar with his best friends, Sylvester and Chris. Both were self-made real estate dealers, but not quite as rich as Colten.
“I'm getting too old for this, Colten,” Sylvester said. “My body won't take it anymore.”
“Crap. You're not even forty yet,” Colten said.
“Thirty-nine and counting. You're only thirty-three, remember. Maybe you can drink champagne and get laid every evening, but I tell you, I'm beginning to feel my age.”
“Jesus, you're not going soft on us, are you? This place will be full of LA's most beautiful women in a couple of hours. Just think of that.”
“He's got a girlfriend,” Chris revealed.
“You what?” Colten asked. “You've got a steady girl? So it's not your old body letting you down. Some broad has got her thumb on you. Great,” Colten said despondently.
“It's time to settle down. I want a family. All this partying has been great, but it's time. You'll feel the same in a couple of years,” Sylvester said.
“No way. Forty-five. That's the age I've got in mind for settling down,” Colten said. “Well, old friend, good luck. I hope she turns out to be the one. Although when she sees how well hung you are, she'll probably run a mile.” He looked at his black friend and laughed. So did Chris.
“She already has seen it, and no, she didn't run. She liked it,” Sylvester replied, a sparkle in his eye.
“Here's to you then,” Colten said. There was a chink of glass on glass and then they all downed their drinks in one.
A group of scantily clad women came into the bar and looked at Colten. “Hi, Colten,” Nikki said. “Are you up for a good time tonight?” She was tall, blond, and well proportioned. Her black dress clung to her hips and buttocks as she walked across the room.
“Sorry, Nikki. Not tonight, darling. We had a great time on Saturday—it was really nice—but I'm a bit busy tonight.” Nikki pulled a disappointed face, turned around, and joined her friends again.
“Did you just turn her down?” Sylvester asked. “I've never seen you turn down a broad that hot before.”
“Avaline's my choice for this evening,” Colten said.
“Who's she?” Chris asked.
“My new, super attractive, sexy PA.”
“You're terrible. Do you know that?” Chris said. “You've tried it on with all your PA's.”
“She's different,” Colten said.
“How?” Sylvester interjected.
“I can't put my finger on it, but she's classy, intelligent, and so sexy you won't believe it. This one really does something to me,” Colten concluded.
“How old is she?” Chris asked, swirling around the champagne in his glass.
“Twenty-two,” Colten said.
“Ten years in it then. No too bad. She'll be able to supply you with innumerable babies.” Sylvester laughed. The thought of Colten changing nappies was too much for him.
“Funny,” Colten hissed.
*****
Avaline hadn't seen the man hiding in the alleyway next to Raylene's. As she made her way along the sidewalk toward the Rolls, he jumped out and grabbed her bag. Avaline didn't want to let go, so she put up a fight. Before Robert could get out of the car, the man hit her over the head with a club and ran off, leaving her unconscious and bleeding profusely.
Raylene heard the screams and ran out of the shop. Robert dashed over the road and squatted next to Avaline.
“Call an ambulance,” he said to Raylene.
He took out a clean handkerchief and pressed it to the wound on her head. A crowd of bloodthirsty spectators gathered around them as Raylene shouted into her cell phone.
Robert had spent long enough in the army to know that Avaline had now stopped breathing. He let go of the handkerchief, pressed her nostrils together, and gave her the kiss of life, followed by three sharp presses to her chest. He waited, but nothing happened. He repeated the process and waited again. This time, Avaline spluttered and began to breathe. Shortly after, the ambulance arrived and took Avaline to UCLA Medical Center.
Colten was halfway through his seafood platter, wondering where Avaline was, when Robert called him. He left the restaurant in a taxi and hastened to the hospital.
“How is she?” he asked Robert.
“I don't know. They told me to wait for her while they do the tests they need to do.”
“First day at work and mugged. Did you see the man who did it?”
“Not that well. There were some parked cars between me and the incident.”
Colten felt responsible. He'd sent her to town, and all because of a bikini. His thoughts turned to his sister, who had been raped in a park in LA. She'd also just run out to do something trivial. The rapist had been sentenced to just six years, but Colten had made sure his life inside was unbearable. He hadn’t been able to believe how cheap it was to have someone's legs broken, although having the man raped in the showers had cost considerably more.
The doctor came out of intensive care and looked at Colten and Robert. “She's concussed, but we can't find any lasting damage. We'll keep her in for observation for two nights, and after that she can go home. But she'll need to rest. A couple weeks off work should do it.”
“All right doctor. Thank you,” Colten said.
“I believe you are to thank for saving her,” the doctor said, looking at Robert.
“I gave her mouth to mouth, if that's what you mean.”
“Yes. Well, you did it very well. She's got a lot to thank you for. Does she have any relatives we need to inform?” the doctor asked.
Robert didn't have a clue, so he looked at Colten. “No. She's alone in the world,” Colten said. “Can we see her?”
“When we get her onto the ward, in an hour or so.”
It was two hours before Avaline was on the ward, by which time Robert was snoring in a waiting room arm chair and Colten was checking his bank accounts on his cell phone. A nurse came and fetched them. Avaline was sitting up in bed with a bandage on her head. The first thing Colten noticed was how pale she looked.
“So you didn't want to come back to the Hopeless Sinner?” Colten asked jokingly.
“No. I decided to get myself bashed over the head instead,” she replied. “I'm sorry.”
“What for? It wasn't your fault. You'll be back in the saddle in a couple of weeks. You need some rest,” Colten said. “You're coming to stay with me.” Robert flashed him a glance and mentally questioned Colten's motives.
“No. I'll be fine at the apartment. Penny can look after me.”
“I'm not taking no for an answer. I won't have you sitting in some tatty apartment while you're ill. There's all you need at my house. You can swim, sun yourself, go for a sauna, and walk the grounds. It's very relaxing.”
“Thank you, Robert,” she said. “I heard you saved me.”
“It was nothing, miss. I'm glad I was there. My
army training came in useful for once. If you'll excuse me, I'll leave you two to talk.” Robert left the room, and Colten pulled a chair up to the bed.
“You've got one hell of a bump on your head,” he said.
“A hell of a bikini bump, you could say. I'm not coming to your house to recover. It's not right. I'm one of your employees, not your wife.”
“I don't give a damn about that. You're coming back with me, and that's the end of it. This happened when you were working for me, and I'll look after you. You've got nobody else except that porn star.”
“How do you know about Penny?” Avaline hadn't told anyone about Penny's occupation.
“I know everything. You are my PA, and you will be handling very sensitive information. Did you think I'd employ you without doing some checks on you?”
“Jesus. I'd never given it any thought.”
“I also know you're alone in the world. I know you were left at a hospital as a baby and brought up in three foster families.” He looked at her and saw how amazed she was that he knew her most intimate secrets. “I know you did okay in high school and well at secretarial college. I also know you're way too intelligent to work as a PA, but you underachieved at school because you found boys more interesting than Pythagoras or Shakespeare.”
Avaline felt as if she were naked. Was there anything he didn't know about her? “Do you know my bra size as well?” she asked.
“No. That's still a secret I haven't gotten to the bottom of.”
“And you never will. I work for you.”
“That’s never stopped me before. You know you're very beautiful. I could give you all you want in life.”
“Do you think I'm stupid? You would soon get bored of me and discard me. Then what? Being fired without a reference wouldn't look good on my resume.”
A nurse came into the room and checked Avaline's blood pressure and temperature. “Your temperature's up a little. She's tired now; perhaps you can come back tomorrow?” the nurse said.
“Sure. Remember, Avaline, you're coming back with me. I always get what I want.”
The nurse looked at him as he left the room and shook her head. “Is he bothering you, Avaline? He seems awfully pushy.”
“But hot, wouldn't you say?”
“Yes. I would say hot but dangerous,” the nurse replied. They both laughed at the sisterly joke.
“Yes. The dangerous bit hadn't escaped me,” Avaline concluded.
*****
When Robert picked Avaline up, he was worried he was taking the fly to the spider’s web. But those were his instructions. He knew what his boss was like. He'd ferried lots of women to Palmer Court, Colten's massive mansion in the hills around LA. None of them had stayed very long. He'd also taken most of them away again, in tears. Colten was a hard bastard. It didn't matter whether it was business or women; he applied the same principles. Robert remembered when Colten had told him about his philosophy. Colten saw life in terms of deals. He'd said a good deal is when you get out more than you put in. When Robert had told his wife what Colten had said, she'd laughed. He recalled her exact words. “That may work great for business, but it's absolutely the wrong attitude for relationships.” But Robert was convinced Colten didn't give a damn.
“Here we are, miss, Palmer Court. What do you think?” Robert said, pulling the Rolls up outside the mansion.
“My God, it's huge,” she said. “I had no idea. Maybe it won't be such a bad place to recuperate after all.”
“Miss,” Robert began. He had to choose his words carefully. “I've brought a lot of young women here, to this house. None of them stayed very long, and most of them left with a broken heart.” Avaline listened intently to what he had to say. “I like you. You're bubbly and beautiful. I don't want to see the same thing happen to you.”
“Robert, as well as a lifesaver, you're a star for thinking of me in that way.” She reached from the backseat and patted him on the shoulder. “But I want to tell you there is no way I'm entering into any kind of relationship with Colten. I'm his PA, not his mistress, despite what he may think.”
“Good for you, miss.”
Avaline took her handbag from the seat and put her hand on the door handle. “No man has ever played around with me, and I don't intend to let him do so.”
But he's gotten you to come to his house already, Robert thought. He wasn't convinced Avaline could hold out against the firepower Colten could muster. Power and wealth were strong persuaders as far as women were concerned.
“So here you are,” Colten said as he walked down the stone steps that led from the front door.
“It's some house. I love the peacocks.” Avaline gestured to the two birds walking across the lawn.
“They are great, aren't they? Come on. Let me take your bags.” Colten and Robert carried her bags up the steps and into the house. Inside it was cool and roomy. Avaline had thought it would be tacky. She'd had images of gold and marble, but it wasn't like that at all. It was exactly as she would have furnished it. It was colonial, just like the restaurant, the Hopeless Sinner.
Robert left, and Colten showed Avaline to her room. It was the biggest bedroom she'd ever seen. The bed alone was large enough for four people.
“This is yours for as long as you want it. It's south facing, so you'll get lots of sunlight.”
“Colten,” she began. He looked at her. She was more beautiful than any woman he'd ever had at the house. So beautiful he felt the beginnings of an erection when he looked at her. She was dressed in a floral dress that showed off a good amount of cleavage. All he wanted to do was rip the dress off, throw her on the bed, and take her. “I'm grateful to you. This is a very relaxing place to rest. But I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm not here to share your bed. I hope you understand.”
He smiled at her. He loved her resistance. So many of the others had just lay down and spread their legs in the belief that that was what would keep Colten interested. But it wasn't. He needed sport. He needed a chase, someone to say no to him. He knew he'd get what he wanted from her in the end. The only question was when.
“Sure. Of course. I understand,” he replied. “Anything else would be unprofessional. Freshen up and I'll show you around. Come downstairs when you're ready.”
Avaline took a shower in the en-suite bathroom and then dressed in a pair of shorts and a yellow blouse. She tied her hair in a ponytail and decided not to bother with makeup. Colten heard her coming down the stairs and shouted to her, “I'm here.”
Avaline followed the sound of his voice. It took her down a corridor and into a small room that was breathtakingly beautiful. It was a sort of conservatory but used as an office. There were pictures of buildings she assumed Colten owned on the walls and a superb view of the yard. The water in the pool, which was just outside the doors, reflected the evening sunshine onto the ceiling, making a wonderful shimmering effect.
“Oh, it's lovely here,” Avaline said.
“It's even better with a glass of wine.” He rang a bell and a tall man appeared. “A bottle of Rojo please, Edwin.”
“Jesus. Is he a butler?” she asked, open mouthed, once Edwin had gone.
“I suppose so. He's Dutch and as gay as they come. I've got a cook as well.”
Colten opened the doors and stepped outside. “It's been damn hot today, but it's great now,” he said. “Come and sit here by the pool.”
Avaline sat down on a rattan garden sofa and looked across the yard. It was simply the most beautiful place she'd ever been to. Not that she'd made a habit of visiting expensive houses before. Edwin arrived with the wine and poured them both a large glass.
“I think I'll cool off a bit,” Colten said. Without a care in the world, he began to undress in front of her. She took a sip of wine and sighed as she felt its relaxing effect. When Colten took off his shirt, she stared at him. Gorgeous muscles, dark skin, and a smooth chest with a hint of hair around his navel. She couldn't bear to watch as he slipped his pants off. When he steppe
d from the dark material, all that was left was a pair of tight-fitting shorts and the most impressive male behind she'd ever seen. He walked around the pool and stood on the diving board. No Olympian had a better body, she thought as he raised his arms and dived into the pool. When he reached her end of the pool, he stopped and grinned. “Coming in?”
“No. I'm fine here with my wine.” Until that moment, she'd been amused by his flirty behavior, but now it was more. He'd undressed in front of her, knowing full well that it was bound to turn her on. Add the wine and it was a very dangerous cocktail indeed. Be strong. Don't give him what he wants, she thought. Christ, you've only been working for him for a day. Who does he think he is?
Colten swam a few lengths and then pulled himself out of the pool. As he did so, she saw the large muscles in his back flex. When he walked toward her, she saw a faint hint of a six pack. She didn't like the body builder type, but she did like men with well-defined muscles, just like Colton had. He was dripping when he stood next to her to take a gulp of wine. Water ran down his chest and dripped onto the floor via the considerable bulge in his shorts. She tried not to look at it, but he was standing so close that it was unavoidable. He lay down on a sun bed next to her sofa and closed his eyes.
“Perfect,” he said. “What a great evening. I've got all I want: the pool, wine, and you.”
She looked across at him disapprovingly. You haven't got me, she thought. I'm just a guest. But she couldn't help but look down his chest and stomach to his bulge once more. She was sure she saw his manhood twitch, and she turned her reddening face away.
“Tell me about yourself,” she said. “You know everything about me, but I know so little about you.”
He put his arms behind his head and looked at the sky. “Not many people have asked me to tell them my life story.”
“I'd like to know.”
“My mom and dad live in LA, in the same house they did when I was born. I've offered to buy them a new house, but they won't budge, so why waste my money. I've got a sister who has three kids and a man who hits her, and a brother who is bipolar. He lives in a mental hospital most of the time.”