Sharing Nicely

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Sharing Nicely Page 11

by Blisse, Victoria


  “Take a plate,” Greg whispered in my ear, “and some food, then stand right here, by the wall.”

  I didn’t know what he had planned but I followed his directions. One moment he was beside me then he wasn’t. I picked a few items off the table and stood, plate in hand, at the very end of the trestle, back to the wall and side to the table. I picked at the food before me. I wasn’t vastly hungry and even though the morsels were elegant and delicious I was too nervy to truly appreciate them.

  What was Greg up to? As I watched the party twirling around me I realised one of the things I loved about Greg was that he kept me guessing. He was definitely not predictable.

  I jumped when I felt my skirt being lifted at my side. I looked down and saw a blue shoulder between my dress and the white of the table. The pattern was very familiar and after a few seconds Greg was beneath my skirt.

  I didn’t know what to do. I tried to look nonchalant. I hoped no one had noticed what he’d done. I looked around me and conversations continued, the music played and dancers danced. It seemed that he’d pulled off the stealthy move.

  Warm fingers curled around my ankle and I tried not to move. A strong hand travelled up my calf, onto my thigh and higher. I glanced around and smiled. I tried to give away nothing as Greg’s touch rose between my thighs and he stroked over the crotch of my knickers.

  I held fast, braced myself against the onslaught of arousal that coursed through me from his continued stroking. I didn’t want to drop my plate, or knock the table or do anything else to draw attention. I remembered the food in my hand and decided I should at least try to eat something, just in case someone noticed.

  I lifted a crisp piece of bread to my lips, smelling the creamy mozzarella and sharp tomato that sat on top of my bruschetta, along with the herbal hint of basil. I just had the tempting bite at lip level when Greg’s questing finger found its way under the lace of my pretty underwear and into the warm cleft beneath. I moaned and hoped people would think it was at the delicious nature of the food.

  I put the bread down again without taking a bite because he pressed on. His fingers sank into my giving flesh and I stretched around to accommodate him. His fingers repetitively sank into me and with each thrust I was certain my knees were going to give way under me and I’d collapse down onto him. I felt the fine satin of his jacket against my inner thigh and was aware of him shifting beneath me. His other arm wrapped over my hip and his other fingers dipped down into the groove of my pubis. His face was pressed against my buttocks, I could feel his breath moistening the back of my knickers and combined with the pressure on my clit and his fingers inside me I was as close to undone as a woman could be in so many clothes. I had to hold myself straight and try not to pant or moan out loud. I prayed no one would approach me. There was a crowd around, a queue of people along the buffet and many of them were within earshot. It was almost impossible to control the ecstasy that whizzed around my body as I built speedily to a climax.

  I had to close my eyes when the orgasm overtook me. He bit my arse as I came and I bit hard down on my lip to stop from yelping. The pain of his teeth in my flesh carried the pleasure to the next level. I shook and shuddered and flicked open my eyes as soon as I could.

  “Are you okay, miss?” a tall, thin old man in a black plague doctor mask asked.

  “Oh, yes,” I said. “Just a little warm, that’s all.”

  The gentleman nodded. “You should get some fresh air, dear.”

  “I will,” I replied, aware of Greg pulling his fingers from within me and replacing the crotch of my underwear to where it should be.

  The kindly gentleman wandered off and I put my plate down on the table. I was sure I was going to drop it because I shook with the relief flowing through me.

  “Enjoy that?” Greg appeared at my elbow and made me jump.

  “Yes,” I said with a nod, “and no. You’re wicked.”

  “I am,” he replied with a huge grin and a gloating laugh.

  “I will have to plot my revenge,” I continued. “But right now I need fresh air.”

  Greg led me over to a huge set of doors at the far end of the room but just when I felt the stirrings of a cooling breeze through the open door, the Conte stepped out and stopped Greg in his tracks.

  “Greg, I’ve got someone I’d love you to meet.” The Conte smiled brightly and Greg looked at me then back at the man before him.

  “Sure, Conte.” He smiled. “It would be a pleasure. Just one moment, please.” He turned to me and continued in a bright, light tone. “Go outside for a breath of fresh air, I’ll join you in a moment. Wait for me on the balcony, okay?”

  “Sure.” I smiled. “Don’t be long. I’m starting to tire, I think I need to go to bed.”

  I gave him a playful smirk and he nodded. Greg walked back into the push of the crowd and I headed out of the impressive hall into the cool of the Venetian evening.

  I was surprised by the length of the balcony when I reached the outside. It seemed to run the whole length of the building, with the one set of doors I’d walked out of and another farther along that could only go into a completely different room. There were a number of people on the balcony. A few couples cuddled together, oblivious to everything around them, and the odd single figure stared out over the canal below.

  It was quiet and cool and I found a space along the railing to look out over the water myself. The cold air soothed my burning cheeks. I took in deep breaths. It had been a risky manoeuvre, but Greg was a man who did such things without thought. He wasn’t the kind of person to let propriety dictate what he could or couldn’t do.

  I smiled. It might have scared the life out of me at the time, but it had also been one of the most intense orgasms of my life and it was certainly one I’d always remember. I was happy and I’d not even thought about work in nearly two days. I was mentally taking note to ring Taylor in the morning when I became aware of someone beside me.

  I looked to the left and a man dressed all in black leaned there. He looked a bit like Zorro, which really didn’t seem to fit in with the opulent, historical theme. I looked away again and a few seconds later I felt something hard poking at my side.

  “Fancy meeting you here.”

  I froze. I knew that voice but surely it was too much of a coincidence.

  “What? Cat got your tongue, Kerry? I know I have this stupid mask on but surely the ginger hair gives me away.”

  “Darren?”

  “One and the same.”

  I looked to the side and yes, it was him. The bright hair, the cocky smirk.

  “So, what are you doing here?” I started casually. I really wanted to run like billy-o to find Greg. If he saw me with his rival, God knew how he’d react.

  “I’m here for you. Let’s go.”

  “Darren, we’ve been over this.” I sighed. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m here with Greg.”

  “Except he’s in there and you’re not. So that’s not technically true. Also, I’ve got a gun pressed to the bottom of your ribs. I really don’t want to hurt you but I do want to talk to you, alone. So, I suggest you turn slowly and walk towards the exit over there.”

  My heart stopped, or so it felt, then leapt up into my throat. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t breathe. Suddenly my floaty frock was a prison and it constricted my chest painfully. All I could feel was that weight at my hip. All I could think of was that I was seconds away from being dead.

  I had no choice, I honestly couldn’t think of anything to do but to walk slowly towards the other door.

  “Good girl,” he growled, and I prayed that Greg would walk out and see. I prayed that something heavy would fall from the sky directly on his head. Anything at all to stop me in my tracks. Sadly, nothing happened. We negotiated our way through the house down to the canal. Of course, there was a water taxi waiting and no one, not a single person pointed out that I was leaving with a different man than I had arrived with.

  “What are you doing, Darren?”
I asked when finally the taxi pulled away.

  “I’m enjoying a little break in Venice, Kerry, what about you?”

  “Well, apparently I’m being kidnapped by a big kid who can’t take it when a woman tells him no.”

  “Who also has a fucking gun aimed at you, Kerry. You might want to take that into account before you throw insults about.” Darren waved said gun around and I shut up because I had no idea if there were bullets in it or not but I didn’t want to take the chance.

  My mind whirred. I didn’t have a phone on me—I was in an old-style dress and had had nowhere to put it. I certainly didn’t have any pigeons on me to send with a message and although I knew how to do an SOS in semaphore I had nothing to dot dot dash dash with. I was stuck.

  “So, I saw you and Greg in the newspaper this morning, here in Venice, enjoying yourselves and looking all in love. Up to that moment I’d almost forgotten about you, how you broke my heart.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I’d shagged him a time or two, yes, but there had never been the emotional connection between Darren and I that I enjoyed with Greg. How could he say I’d broken his heart?

  “But I saw you and I knew I had to have you. So I jumped on my jet and kept checking my Twitter. I saw you get your designer frock and your hand-crafted mask and I knew you’d be going to one place tonight, and I was right.”

  “Look, Darren, I don’t want to upset you, but why? Why’ve you done all this?” It was a long shot, but I wondered if maybe I could talk some sense into him.

  “Why not? I tried my best to win you back, Kerry. I sent you so many gifts, I tried to show you just how much I cared, but you ignored it and you ended up with him. You chose that dull prat Greg over me. Clearly I needed to do something to prove to you that I love you more than he does.”

  Darren sat beside me, uncomfortably close. I didn’t look at him, I kept looking straight ahead. I could see buildings, their shadows and the lit windows as they passed and I could hear the roar of the engine and the gargle of the water. I had no idea where we were going and had no way to escape.

  “Look at me, Kerry,” he demanded. I turned my head. “I’m here to claim what is rightfully mine. I’m here to claim you.”

  He pushed his face up against mine and kissed me. I kept stone still. I didn’t move forward or back but I did not return the kiss and he growled in frustration after he pulled away.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “What’s wrong?” I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me over the fear. “What’s wrong? Where the fuck do I start?”

  “Language.” He pushed the gun into my side again and I sighed. I really wanted to give him a damn good tongue-lashing, but I couldn’t. I was at his mercy and that scared me to death. I swallowed down my anger and answered plainly and as dispassionately as I could.

  “I don’t love you, Darren. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth.”

  “How do you know?” he replied, his Scouse accent getting thicker with every sentence he uttered. “How can you say that when you’ve not even given me a decent chance?”

  “Look, Darren, I know it’s difficult for you to see me with Greg and all but—”

  “You can say that again,” he exclaimed. “That greasy bastard is no good for you, Kerry, trust me. He was my best mate once, did you know that, eh? Did yer?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I didn’t.” I hoped that if I kept him talking he’d drop his guard and I could grab his gun. Then the tables would be turned and maybe I could escape and make things all right again.

  “Well, we were. We went to uni together. I helped Greg produce his first bit of useful code. A game. We were supposed to split the proceedings fifty-fifty but the bastard shafted me on it. Not only did he steal my game and my royalties, he was sleeping with my girlfriend at the time too, the girlfriend he knew I was going to propose to. So you know when I found out? On the day I was going to propose. He was making out with her on the beach where I’d arranged to meet Paula. I had the ring in my pocket and everything and Greg stood there and kissed her. He never even apologised. He just shrugged.”

  How did I answer that? I didn’t, I kept quiet.

  “So, you see, I’m doing you a favour. He didn’t stick with her, no, he threw her to the side once he’d ruined things for me. Can you see what he’s capable of? He’s only going to break your heart.”

  “People change,” I replied succinctly.

  “He hasn’t changed, Kerry, he’s just a charming git. He’ll be nice as pie while he wants something from you, then when he’s got it, he’ll leave you high and dry.”

  “Well, thanks for the info, Darren, but I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions.”

  “Clearly not,” he snapped back. “How could you pick him over me?”

  “So it does come down to that, then. I picked him over you and you can’t stand it.”

  “Yes, yes, it does. He’s a prick, Kerry.”

  “Well, you’ve kidnapped me at gunpoint, Darren, what am I supposed to make of that?”

  Just then the boat engine silenced and the taxi pulled up to a stop. Darren dug the gun into my side.

  “Move it,” he growled.

  I wondered if Greg had discovered I was missing as I stepped off the boat and walked just ahead of Darren who pressed his hand into the bottom of my back and his gun into my hip. I wondered what he’d be doing. Would he be looking for me? I had to hope so. I couldn’t see any way to save myself.

  Darren led me to a house, nothing special, and he unlocked the door. I wondered about making a run for it, but it was too risky. My elegant skirts would hamper me and I was sure they’d be little protection from a speeding bullet.

  Chapter Nine

  I was a little surprised when Darren locked me in the upper room in the not-so-grand house and left me there. I did a thorough sweep of the area but found no way to escape or anything to use as a weapon. All that sat in the threadbare prison was a bed, just a simple divan, so no spindles to break or metal poles to unscrew. It didn’t even have a pillow or a duvet.

  I sat on it once I’d worn myself out trying to open the window, a stupid plastic double-glazed affair that was disgustingly well fitted. I tried the door too, but it was thick and locked with several bolts, which I’d heard when he left and clicked them all shut.

  You never expect to be kidnapped, I’m sure, but I certainly hadn’t been expecting my perfect, fairy tale trip to turn into a crime thriller. I was petrified but I knew that panicking and getting het up wouldn’t help me. I wanted to scream and shout and bawl—I did for a little while—but with the double glazing, thick doors and walls I was sure no one would hear me.

  I didn’t know what Darren would do with me. I didn’t think he would be capable of killing me, but then he was the one with the gun and the plan. Would he hold me here against my will forever? Would he rape me? I’d taken a self-defence course when I first established Diamonds and I was pretty sure I could inflict some pain on him if I got the opportunity to do so, but if I did escape would I live forever in fear of him?

  I had no way to record what was happening to me. The only people who’d seen us on the way out of the party had probably thought we were an average couple. There hadn’t been any hint that I was being forced from the party. The only person who might have seen anything was the guy who had picked us up in the water taxi, but I was sure he’d have been concentrating on steering and not looking over his shoulder to see what was happening in his boat.

  I had lost all track of time. It was still dark out when Darren returned so I knew he’d not been gone for more than a few hours.

  “Sorry about that.” He smiled menacingly when he came into the room. He locked the door behind him. It was just one key, one lock from the inside I noted, Maybe that would be my way out. “Business called, you know how it is.”

  I didn’t answer. I didn’t even look up at him.

  “So, where were we?” He came over and sat on the bed b
eside me.

  My heart raced, my mouth felt dry and I felt a sudden stab of cold on the bottom of my back that seeped up through me to saturate my limbs. I shivered.

  “Oh, are you cold?” Darren put his arm around me and I didn’t feel any warmer. I wanted to pull away but I could see that damn gun in his lap, grey and menacing.

  “Darren,” I gasped, “what are you doing? I don’t understand.”

  “I’m making you change your mind,” he said.

  “Look, I can’t talk to you with that gun pointed at me. Take it away, please? Lock it away somewhere. What harm can I do you? You’ve got the upper hand even without the weapon.”

  He looked at me, then down at the gun he cradled.

  “Right, fine. I’ll be back in a minute.” He stood up, walked over to the door and let himself out. I let out a heavy sigh of breath. It wasn’t much more of a chance, but without the gun, I could talk to him and at least know I wasn’t going to end up instantly dead. I still wasn’t sure I could overpower him. Though I’d done that self-defence class years ago, I wasn’t a kung fu master by any stretch of the imagination.

  When Darren returned he once again sat on the bed with me. “Right, go ahead. Talk.” He turned to me.

  “Okay.” I worried my fingers together in my lap as I searched for what to say. He might not have a weapon pointed at me, but he was still an impulsive man well capable of striking out if he heard something he didn’t like. “I just want to know something first—do you really think this is a good way to persuade me I picked the wrong guy?”

  “Well, clearly this is not the avenue I’d have chosen if you weren’t so damn stubborn. You wouldn’t answer my calls or emails and you’ve not been in your club for days. I was waiting there for you, I wanted to talk to you. I needed to get you alone. That is what I’ve now done.”

  “But, Darren, you’ve violated any trust I had in you. You brought me here against my will. You could have talked to me at the Conte’s party.”

  “Where he could walk in at any minute? I think not.” Darren scowled. It made him look truly ugly. I saw years of bitterness etched on his creased brow. “No, I needed to get you away from him.”

 

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