by Tara Rose
“I love being your wench,” she whispered.
Brett pinched her nipples once more. “Make us believe it.”
“All right…stop hurting me…I love being your wench.”
“What do you want us to do to you, wench?”
“Fuck me. Hard and deep. In every hole.”
They pulled her to her feet and dropped her onto the bed. She couldn’t even find the strength to pretend to fight them now. And when Brett lay on top of her and gazed into her eyes, just before he kissed her, she swore she glimpsed the same love in his eyes.
Either she was hallucinating or this was way beyond anything she’d expected from either man. She didn’t care. Brett kissed her, tongue and all, and she was aware that next to her Mark had put on a condom, but her thoughts were all mixed up and she only knew she wanted them again. As sore and tired as she was, she couldn’t get enough of either man.
Brett moved off her and put on a condom, and then Mark lay on his back and pulled her on top of him. He helped her sheath his dick with her pussy, and then he pulled her close so she lay against him, and fucked her like crazy.
Behind her, Brett filled her ass with more lube, and when he slid his dick into it, Nita cried out as the most exquisite pleasure imaginable filled her body and mind. She gave over to it, unable to speak.
“Oh, man…that is so fucking tight!” Brett caressed her sore ass cheeks as he slowly fucked her asshole.
“Feels pretty fucking good at this end, too,” said Mark, brushing his hands up and down her back. “What do you say, little lady? How does it feel having a pirate cock in your ass, and another one in your pussy?”
“Heavenly, Sir.” She knew she’d slipped out of character, but she didn’t care. She only hoped they didn’t stop for a long, long time.
They changed places after a few minutes, and now the guys were out of character, too, but it no longer mattered. Everything hurt, and Nita didn’t care about that either. They turned her on her side and entered her that way, too, with one of them behind her and the other lying in front.
When she came, it was loud and proud. She no longer felt self-conscious about voicing her pleasure. She wanted them to know how incredible this was. How she could even climax again was beyond her, but it didn’t matter. She was with them, and they were perfect. Everything she’d ever wanted was right here, in both of these sexy, gorgeous, charming men.
She slowly realized they hadn’t come yet, and thought they must have gone through an entire box of condoms by now, they’d switched places so many times. When they both finally took them off, they sat her at the edge of the bed. Mark pulled her arms behind her and held them while Brett stood in front of her and grasped her head. “Open your mouth, beautiful.”
She did so, and it barely took any time at all before hot cum filled her mouth again. This time, she swallowed it all, and then they switched places and Brett held her arms behind her back while Mark fucked her in the mouth.
When he came, she swallowed his cum, as well, and then the men once again took turns holding her and stroking her.
“Did you have fun?” asked Mark.
“It was perfect. Sir. Please tell me you both liked it, as well.”
“Heavenly,” said Brett. “Your word for this, and it was spot-on.”
“Can we do it again?” asked Mark.
“Every night, if that’s what you want, Sir.”
They chuckled. “I don’t think we’d be walking after a couple of days,” said Brett.
“Walking is overrated, Sir.”
Nita drifted off to sleep, sated beyond anything she’d experienced before, and happier than she’d ever thought possible. She also knew without the slightest doubt that she was officially head-over-heels crazy in love with Brett Durante and Mark Raleigh, and nothing or no one would ever change that. Not ever.
* * * *
Nita found it difficult to concentrate at work on Saturday and Sunday. Memories of Friday night washed over her several times an hour, and she smiled and hummed tunes all day long. On Saturday the guys came into the shop around noon, bringing lunch for her and her grandmother. Sunday, they did the same thing, and then hung around until they closed the shop. They came upstairs and helped Nita make dinner, then stayed for a few hours before taking her back to Brett’s house to spend the night.
There was no play Saturday or Sunday, as they said she needed to recover from the intense impact play they’d done to her on Friday, but both nights the men made love to her with wild abandon and romantic words. She could still hardly believe this was real. It was on the tip of her tongue at least once an hour to tell them that she loved them, but she held back.
What if they got weird about that? What if they thought she was only saying it, and didn’t really mean it? How did a person know they really meant it? She’d never said the words, except to her grandmother, and that was hardly the same thing. How could she even be sure of what she felt if she didn’t understand what it was supposed to feel like?
And was she truly over her past? She’d never gone to a counselor. Once they’d told her grandmother, most of the pain and anger had simply faded away. But was it really gone for good? Could she love these two for the rest of her life, or would those memories surface once again, ruining everything, when the bloom of this new relationship wore off?
By the time Monday rolled around and the guys drove her back to the apartment, she was filled with more questions than answers. Nita wanted to spend the rest of her life with Brett and Mark, but she had no clue if they wanted the same thing. She’d have to be brave and tell them, but not right now. Not this morning.
She was tired. They all were. It had been the most exciting weekend of her life, and maybe once she got some rest she’d find the answer. Because she knew that there was no way she could ever give them up now.
Chapter Twenty
Monday morning, Brett had just turned on his computer when his desk phone rang. It was Mark, so he answered it, hoping everything was all right with Nita. She’d seemed distant this morning when they dropped her off, and Brett had chalked it up to her likely being as exhausted as he and Mark were.
“Hey, can you come to the sales department? Alaina has some fabulous news for us.”
“Sure. On my way. Should we call Nita and Phyllis?”
“Not yet. Sallyanne called a sales meeting in half an hour, but Alaina said this information about the curse couldn’t wait.”
Alaina looked like she was ready to jump out of her skin by the time Brett got to her office. She closed the door behind him and perched on the edge of her desk, holding a piece of paper. “Jan just e-mailed this to me. She was right about the language. Not only was it a mixture, but she figured out the key rather quickly. I’m not saying they didn’t try to hide it, only that she’s really good with stuff like that.”
“Did the diary help?” asked Brett.
“Oh my goodness, yes. That pulled it all together because Shona practically spelled out the key in it.”
“What?” They asked it together.
Alaina laughed and began to pace the room. “She had a story in there that Iago and Agapito told her when she was a little girl. It’s a folktale I never heard, but basically it’s a rhyme with repeated imagery. As soon as Jan found it, she tried it out as the key, and voilà! She had the last piece of the puzzle.”
“So…who is the demon?” asked Mark. “Did we get that far?”
Her eyes flashed with excitement. “We did.”
Brett jumped out of his hair. “Holy shit, Alaina. Why isn’t everyone in here?”
“Because everyone didn’t bring all this together. And I wanted you two to hear it first because without Nita’s and Phyllis’s help last week, this wouldn’t have happened at all. They’re the ones who steered us away from looking for specific loa and instead led us to use the diary for assistance.”
“Does Graham know?” asked Mark.
“Not yet. He and Jagger are busy with a project that Asa told m
e he doesn’t want them distracted from until it’s done.” She glanced toward her closed door. “And I have no clue what’s going on in this department, but Sallyanne insisted her entire staff be here for this meeting. That’s not like her, so whatever it is, I’m dreading it.”
“Okay,” said Brett. “I’ll get out of yours and Mark’s way for that, but please tell us who the demon is.”
“Demons. Four of them. All associated with local practices.”
They exchanged a glance. “Phyllis was right.”
“Partially,” said Alaina. “She hit the tree but missed the target. None of the possible names she sent me were correct. However, Jan was able to find the right names by using the diary once again. So really, the credit for this does go to Nita and Phyllis. I can’t believe no one on this island thought to ask Phyllis for help before now.”
“They did,” said Brett, “But until we had all the clues together, there was nothing Phyllis could tell us other than each clue had powerful magick. For the most part, we’d already figured that one out on our own.”
“Okay. So, the names of them are Succorbenoth, Verin, Xic, and Nybras.” She handed Mark the paper she’d been holding since he was closest to her. “Succorbenoth punishes damned souls and protects bridges and gateways. Clever, no? He protects access on and off this island. Verin is the demon of impatience, and our four original kings had it in spades. Xic is a minion of a larger group of deities called Xibalba. As far as Jan can tell, Xic is part of a group of demons who bring sudden death to man. Get it?”
They both nodded.
“And Nybras publicizes the pleasures of hell. Fitting for this bunch, wouldn’t you say?”
“Wow.” Brett stared at the paper then raised his gaze toward Alaina. “It all fits so perfectly I feel as if we’re idiots for not finding this sooner.”
“Maybe you weren’t meant to? I mean, perhaps your generation was the one who finally redeemed the original four, and that’s why you’ve found this now?”
“What do you mean?” asked Mark.
“Think about it. Asa and Tim are assholes. We all know that. They’ve done more rotten things than their own sons can keep track of. But Arizona and Dallas are nothing like them, and most of you aren’t ruthless and evil. This company has given back so much to the island, and business is conducted above board now.”
“But we still have ruthless family members,” said Brett.
“Yes, of course. All families have them. But compared to the original four, you all are saints now.”
“So who cast the curse?” asked Mark.
Alaina frowned. “She hasn’t figured that out yet, and I need your help with that. If anyone else has a clue with writing on it, I need it. Jan wants to see everything. And, she wants to see the actual diary because Graham only gave me partial pages. She’s missing too much. She’s determined to unlock this mystery once and for all.”
“But if we know who these demons are now, can’t we simply…I don’t know…ask them to lift it?”
Brett laughed. “Sure, dude. Go ahead. I’ll watch from a safe distance.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “All right. I get it. We need more info first, right?”
Alaina nodded. “I would say that’s probably safe to assume. Ask around, okay? I know there are more clues out there.”
“We will,” said Brett. “But as the for the diary leaving the island, that’s up to Graham.”
“I know. But I wanted to let you know that Jan would like to see the actual book, not only scanned pages. She said some of them were too hard to read that way.”
“Thanks, Alaina. This is pretty damn awesome. I’ll get out of here now so you two can get to your meeting. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” said Mark. “Can’t wait.”
He and Alaina both laughed at the sarcasm in Mark’s voice.
“Hey, can I tell Nita about this?” asked Brett.
Alaina smiled. “Sure. Go ahead. And Phyllis, too.” She gave them a curious glance. “So…you’re both with Nita now?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Are you kidding? You’ve been seen all over town with her, and you drop her off at home every morning. Come on. You guys know how this place is. No one makes a move without the gossip machine kicking into high gear.”
They exchanged a glance, and Mark shrugged. “Sure. Okay. I’m not ashamed. Yes, we’re with her.”
“We’re seeing how things go,” said Brett. “No need to jump to any conclusions yet.”
Alaina put up her hands. “None of my business.” They all glanced toward the closed door at the sound of Sallyanne’s voice. “And that’s our cue, Mark. See you later, Brett.”
* * * *
Mark stared at Sallyanne, unable to believe what he’d just heard.
“Can you repeat that?” asked Alaina.
“I said, I’ve resigned from my position, effective the end of the year. I’m leaving Phoebe’s Playthings. I’m going to the mainland for a while to work in New Orleans. Not for a competitor. I’m going to work for a software manufacturer. Tim and I talked about it, and we agree a change of venue, plus working in a different kind of business, would do me good.”
Tim was Sallyanne’s uncle and had practically raised her and Jeff. He thought of Sallyanne as his daughter more than his niece and had saved her ass from getting fired by Asa more than once. But never in all these years had Mark believed she’d willingly leave her position, or the island. This was huge, and he wondered what was actually at the root of it.
But more importantly, he wondered who was slated to take her spot?
He and Alaina exchanged a glance, and then Mark caught Billy staring at him. While everyone else gathered around Sallyanne and began to talk at once, Mark sought out a quiet corner so he could observe the dynamics better, but unfortunately, Billy followed him.
“Guess one of us will take over now.”
Mark didn’t want to talk to Billy. The man was creepy even on a good day.
“I heard we’ll each have to interview for it, including Alaina.”
That’s interesting. “Where did you hear that?” Mark still hadn’t forgiven Billy for his part in what he and Keith had done to Nita. Surely the man knew that, which made Mark more than curious why he bothered now to talk to him. Did Billy think Mark had a chance at the top spot? That was unlikely. Everyone in this department knew that Asa and Tim would give it to Alaina.
“I have sources,” said Billy. His ferret-like grin made Mark’s skin crawl. He’d never liked him before, and now he loathed him.
“What sources? The same ones you used to ruin Nita’s good name in school? You’re so full of shit.”
Mark started to walk away because he had better things to do with his time, but Billy caught his arm. “Funny you should mention her.”
Mark stared at Billy’s hand until he moved it, and then he glanced around the room. No one was paying attention to them. “Meaning what?”
“Meaning I was just thinking about her over the weekend. Rumor has it you and Brett are spending a lot of time with her.”
“Go fuck yourself, Billy.”
This time, he was nearly out the door when Billy’s voice stopped him.
“You will be fucking yourself. You and Brett, before I’m done.”
Mark turned around and strode toward Billy, but stopped when Tim and Asa came into the room. Everyone quieted down instantly.
“Looks like we missed Sallyanne’s announcement,” said Asa. “So I’m sure you’re all wondering who will take her place. Some of you know this already…” He fixed Billy with a baleful glare. “Because you like to sneak around in corridors and listen to private conversations, but it shouldn’t come as a shock to any of you, regardless.”
Mark bit back a laugh. It wasn’t a surprise that Asa had caught Billy snooping. It’s what he did best. And Mark loved it that Asa hadn’t been shy about outing that fact in front of Billy’s peers. That was what Asa did best.
But then Asa nodd
ed toward Tim, which Mark found interesting. Tim rarely spoke up at meetings. Was Asa trying to change that, or had he deferred to him in this matter because of his relationship with Sallyanne?
“We’ve decided that although there are standouts in this department, we want to give everyone a fair shot at this. So each of you will interview for Sallyanne’s position, starting today. My administrative assistant is sending out a schedule as we speak, so check your e-mails for your time slot, and be prepared to show us why you should run this department. We’ll choose a replacement as soon as we’ve spoken to each of you.”
Mark grinned as the room became so quiet he could hear the HVAC system as air rushed through the pipes. This had just become what he was certain would be quite a circus. When everyone found their voices again, he left, intending to return to his office so he could call Nita and then Brett. But Billy followed him once more.
Mark whirled around. “What the fuck do you want?” He wasn’t worried about anyone hearing him. The rest of the staff was focused on sucking up to Asa and Tim right now.
“You’d better watch your steps. You and Brett both.”
Mark blinked a few times, convinced he’d just hallucinated. “Are you threatening me?”
“You and Brett caught me off-guard when you confronted me about Nita, but now the game has changed. We’re up for the same position, and when I get it, I’m canning your ass for what you did.”
Mark didn’t bother holding back his laughter. “Billy, you have about as much chance of landing this spot as Phyllis does. Threaten me again, and when Alaina lands it, as we all know she will, I’ll go to her, tell her you made threats against me, and then I’ll let her fire you.”
Mark turned around to leave one more time. Now, on top of everything else, he felt a headache coming on.
“What makes you think I don’t have something on Alaina that will ensure she doesn’t get the job?”
This time, he didn’t give a shit if someone came out of the conference room and caught him. He pushed Billy against the nearest wall and wrapped his hand around the weasel’s throat. “That is it. I have had it with your bullshit. Leave Alaina alone. Leave Nita alone. Leave me alone, and leave Brett alone, or I swear to all that is holy, I will fucking kill you.” He watched fear creep into Billy’s eyes, and only then did he let go of his throat. “Got it?”