From out of nowhere, a voice replied. The driver moved the craft to a smooth corridor, and the craft accelerated.
“Whee!” said Kady. “This is fun!”
Brett wasn’t all that sure about the situation. He wanted to ask the driver where they were going, but he could see an opening ahead of them.
“Holy shit!” he shouted. “We’re going to go straight out into the ocean!”
Thinking the driver was going to kill them, he began to lurch forward, when suddenly the harness gripped him more tightly. He was pinned, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not move from the seat.
The craft shot out of the cliff face, and floated towards the ocean, almost four hundred feet below. It pirouetted, and Brett and Kady were awestruck by what they could see.
The cliffs were probably seven or eight hundred feet, from the base near the ocean to the top, which was crowned by a crystalline tower. It looked like a gigantic glass pillar had been fused directly into the rocks.
“That’s impossible!” said Brett. He was now able to move around a little and peered beneath the craft, which apparently was being held aloft by magic. Kady was speechless, looking at the intricate patterns inside the building, watching people float up and down weird tubes. They looked like elevators, without an elevator actually being there.
The driver / pilot maneuvered to the beach, and the craft floated over the waves, and then the sand, with no noise save the wind. A gull flew past, so close Kady could have touched it. The craft came to a stop at the base of the giant structure.
“I apologize for the inconvenience during the trip, Sir,” said the Voice from Nowhere. “But, your restraint system automatically prevents sudden movements during flight. Please don’t be embarrassed, as this is a common occurrence to first-time visitors to Ocaba.”
Another trio of attendants helped Brett and Kady exit the vehicle, which then sped off to get another load of passengers.
It took them a few moments to get their bearings, and as they did, a servant came over with two goblets of pinkish, clear liquids, with a small carbon-fiber umbrella poised in each.
“Compliments of your host, Mr. Walter Reighland,” she said, offering them the drinks. They went ahead and accepted them, and she walked away. Kady could not help but notice as Brett’s eyes followed her shapely form. A twinge of jealousy hit her, unexpectedly.
What right did she have to dictate with whom Brett slept, or even fell in love, she wondered. The rapid escalation and admission of their feelings for each other didn’t necessarily mean they were going to run away and get married, after all. She found herself reflecting on just how much Brett meant to her, and his declarations of love only managed to fuel her confusion.
She knew she desired him, but wasn’t it all just a futile act? Were they doomed to a Romeo and Juliet existence? She hated her mother just then, remembering how happy she had been when marrying Brett’s father. Her own emotions had crashed down upon her then, and she had fled the wedding, not able to bear the grief she felt from knowing Brett could never be hers to marry. It just wasn’t done! It was taboo! Forbidden.
Yet, being near Brett was intoxicating to Kady. She loved him with her entire being, and the moments apart from him were tortuous. She doubted whether she were good enough, or pretty enough. Kady bore no illusions that she was a model. She wasn’t exactly a fatty, but she was full-figured.
Apparently, Brett had not minded, especially when her mouth was crammed full of his eager young dick. He had certainly wanted her then, and his ardent tonguing of her hot snatch and hard clit made it evident that he wasn’t put off by her figure.
No, Kady decided that, for now at least, Brett did love her, even if he could be easily distracted by eye candy. Now that she thought about it, even she found the woman easy on the eyes, and wondered a bit at how it might feel to kiss her.
“Penny for your thoughts?” asked Brett, as he smoothly moved back to her, and gave her his full attention. He put his hand to the small of her back, and the sensation of his contact loosened something in her thighs. She wobbled, unsteadily, maybe as much from the journey down the cliff face as anything. Brett sipped his drink, and smacked his lips.
“Nice!” he said. The beverage had a unique, fruity taste. It probably had some booze in it, he thought, but he couldn’t taste any alcohol, not even an aftertaste. In fact, it left his mouth tingling and feeling fresh. He took another long draught, and gulped the delicious liquid down.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” said Kady. “Just girlie stuff.”
“You don’t have anything to be jealous about, Sis,” said Brett.
He moved close to her, folding her into his arms. He kissed her trembling lips, and she surrendered herself to the gorgeous sensation of his tongue exploring her mouth. She sucked him gently, now also tasting the freshness from the drink. It was intoxicating, and almost an addiction, how much she needed to feel his strong arms around her; how she desired and coveted the touch of his hands, as they lovingly embraced her. She was crying a bit, from the tenderness of his caress, of the feel of his fingers stroking her long hair, and the tear dripped from her cheek.
“Are you ok, Kady?” he asked.
“Oh, darling! Please don’t worry about me,” she sniffed. “It’s just me being a typical girl. I can’t believe our good fortune! You and I, together. Your success. The fact that everything seems to be going so well is just unbelievable to me after all we’ve been through.”
An attendant, noticing her discomfort, approached them. This one was a fabulously beautiful woman, who was wearing a very formal uniform. She had a small case on her side, unobtrusive but professional.
“Is everything to your satisfaction?” she asked. She found some tissues, handing them to Kady.
“I’m all right,” said Kady.
Smiling at the woman she said, “Really, it’s nothing. Just a touch of melancholy, but I am sure it will pass.”
She blew her nose gently into the tissues, which were amazing. They had a marvelous odor, and they cleared up her sniffles instantly. Her smell was enhanced, suddenly, and she wondered when the air had ever been so clean. She could even smell the ocean, and the scents of delicious foods caressed her nose. She was suddenly ravenous, and thirsty, all at once.
“Is that better, Ms. Markland?” asked the woman. “If there is anything you require, including medical attention, please do not hesitate to just speak it out loud.”
“Excuse me?” said Brett. “What do you mean by that?”
The woman, gorgeous and tanned, with smooth skin and pert breasts beneath her relatively austere garment, laughed lightly. Her laughter was like the tinkling of ornaments on a Christmas tree, as the winter winds moved them against each other.
“It will be easier to just show you by example,” she said, her wide smile and perfect teeth gleaming at him. “A glass of water,” she said, directly.
Immediately, an attendant appeared next to her with a selection of mineral waters, a crystal pitcher of water, and several small glasses, all appearing to float beside her on a tray.
“I’m sorry, I meant to say ‘Lime Perrier, on the rocks, in a Steuben vase,” she said to the attendant, who turned and walked off to another part of the beach. The tray followed him like an obedient dog.
Almost simultaneously, another attendant appeared, with a silver tray that floated alongside. On it rested an empty Steuben crystal vase, with an unopened bottle of Lime Perrier. A second vase was next to it, filled with the bubbling mineral water, apparently poured from the opened bottle beside it. It was full of sparkling ice cubes, and the water burbled around them.
“Oh, forgive me!” said the woman. She waved the man away, and said, “Here is how to get the best experience! After a short time, you can simply say ‘Water’ or ‘the usual’ and you will be provided your refreshment.”
She spoke again to the air.
“Perrier, Lime, Steuben vase, chilled, 4 balls of ice, three-quarter full, lime wedge, no bottle,�
� she intoned. “My favorite water, save.”
“OK, now watch. My favorite water,” she said, and immediately an attendant appeared with the exact drink. He handed it to her, and she sipped it demurely. Her lipstick, wet and slightly bubbly, shone from the slick thin coating of the Perrier.
“It’s really that easy, and you can do this for anything. Anything at all,” she said, smiling again.
“But, he didn’t even have time to, I mean…” said Kady.
The woman laughed again.
“You get used to how quickly things are done. In fact, most of our guests simply take it for granted after a few hours. Don’t worry about getting it perfect that’s our job! May I assist you with anything else? No? Well, then, you enjoy your stay, Ms. Markland, and Mr. Ghent.”
The woman walked away, and this time they both ogled her ass as it went away from them.
“I just love watching her go,” whispered Brett.
“Amen,” said Kady.
As they began to walk along the beach, towards the entrance, Kady thought she saw her mother. That was just ridiculous, she thought.
They walked, hand in hand, sipping at their drinks and trying to take in all the marvels that they were seeing. Small objects flitted about. They seemed to be hummingbirds, but when one landed close to them, Brett could tell it was artificial. It took off again, joining a swarm of similar devices as it rose and fell around the room. They were all silent, but their elegant ballet of flight caused their shiny bodies to glint light in kaleidoscopic patterns. They watched them fly out of site.
The crystal structure extended from the sea to the mountaintop, and they watched as people ascended and descended between the floors.
There appeared to be five distinct levels; Brett couldn’t be sure if there were more, as there was an illusion of vast spaces behind the glass walls. He thought it might actually be embedded into the rock for a very long way. Perhaps, he thought, it might even go as far as a mile back into the stone.
They strolled leisurely across the marbled floors, with granite inlays, and patterns that appeared to be cast in solid gold and silver. Precious jewels dotted columns and balustrades, and everything was pristine and clean. They watched as robotic devices polished and buffed the surfaces, leaving everything looking new.
If something was spilled, or broken by accident, it was given immediate attention by a roving swarm of the hummingbirds, and shortly a robot would come and either remove or repair the offending item.
The other guests, noticed Kady, paid no attention at all, either to the small machines nor even the attendants. Occasionally, one might ask an attendant for something too personal to say out loud, but even these requests were rare.
“Isn’t this weird,” said Brett. “I mean, have you ever heard of such a thing? This building, this resort - why isn’t it all over Entertainment Tonite, or the Travel Channel? Have you seen anything about this at all on the ‘Net? I can’t believe this is a secret! How?”
“I know. I haven’t even imagined something like this could be real. I keep expecting to wake up in my bed,” said Kady. “Alone…” she whispered.
“Now, Sis, don’t you worry about that at all! I’m here, and I meant what I said in that awesome limo!” he said, passionately. Brett’s features were chiseled and his eyes intense as she looked into his face, searching for signs of his playing her. She breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing onto him, hugging him. She had seen the depth of his love for her in his eyes. She knew she was safe with him, and she thanked Providence that he was with her.
They continued walking for a bit, looking at some of the other guests, who were engaged in all manner of diversions. There was a spirited game of some kind or other being played, and shouts and cheers could be heard as one player made a shrewd move against his or her opponents.
“Why, it’s a steeplechase!” shouted Kady. Brett, looking puzzled, followed her to the gaming area. The people were crowding around a track, that had miniature horses engaged in racing against each other. The guests were placing bets, drinking and having great sport as the horses flung themselves around the small course. The track was seven meters long, and four wide, and had jumps that appeared to be bonsai, spaced evenly around the course.
Kady and Brett watched for a few laps, and suddenly Kady gasped.
“Oh my God! Those are alive! They’re real!” she said, pointing at a horse that stood only a few inches high.
“Genetic modification of select equine stock, my dear Ms. Markland,” said a refined voice.
Brett and Kady looked at the man who had made all of this possible.
Walter Reighland stood there, looking for all intents and purposes, like God himself, come down from the mount, to lay claim to his realm.
He shook Brett’s hand, laughing, and then turned to give Kady a warm hug. She could feel the man’s charisma coming off of him in waves. His very presence eclipsed Brett. She didn’t know what was happening, but she suddenly wanted very much to have this man’s child.
When he released her, he stepped back, waving at the surrounding resort.
“Well, my boy, and my dear girl,” he said. “What do you think?”
“It’s fantastic. It’s unreal,” said Kady.
“I can’t get my head around it, how advanced and out of place it seems. It’s unearthly,” said Brett.
“Well, get used to it!” laughed Reighland.
“From now on, it’s yours!” he said.
Chapter Eighteen
Ted Ghent was a proud man. He knew he had climbed the ladder of success many times, and fallen off as well. But, he was never afraid to get back on the horse, and try again. He would have been the first to admit that he wasn’t perfect. His ego had stymied his progress many times, but it also allowed him to push forward and win through adversity. He had won more than he had lost and had very few regrets.
But, Ted wasn’t a jealous man. He had many loves during his life and tried to treat all of them fairly. He was not the kind of person to allow an excellent opportunity to pass him by, and his marital status never hindered his pursuit of a lovely bit of tail. He was discrete, but he was also smart enough to realize that women had the sixth sense of when their man was being pursued by another.
His first wife had endured his affairs until she had decided she’d had enough. She took his son, Brett, and left him with his latest conquest, an administrative assistant with more cunning that brains. The divorce was amicable, and he maintained joint custody of Brett.
He realized that remarrying his assistant so soon was a bad decision, and had rectified it within only a couple of years.
Since that second divorce, he had remained a player, devoting himself to growing Ghent International, Inc. with the help of his right-hand man and friend, Martin Freiberg. Martin had helped Ted shepherd Ghent International, Inc. into one of the premier construction software companies in the world. He kept his eye on the competition, and could spot trends better than anyone else Ted had ever known. This synergy that the two men had allowed them to make the company strong and agile, and they had both profited handsomely.
Ted didn’t often seek out Martin’s counsel on personal matters. He didn’t realize it, but Martin screened almost all of Ted’s conquests and tried to keep things compartmentalized. Martin didn’t want Ted’s success with women to influence his ability to make keen business decisions.
He had long ago exhausted any method to keep Ted celibate, but at least they were moving in the same general direction. Pussy apparently relaxed Ted. Martin had a sixth sense about when Ted had reached some internal limit that required a release.
While he didn’t exactly pimp out women for his boss, he did manage to find likely candidates for trysts and invited them to after work events, or along for convention duties.
None of these women were ever employees of Ghent’s company, nor even its vendors. This was sometimes tricky to work around, but Martin had been successful in insulating the man v
s. his business. As a result, Ghent International, Inc. had been recognized as being progressive, and a safe place for women to work. The company had won prestigious Human Resources awards for diversity and being a harassment-free workplace.
So, Ted’s meeting of Sarah Markland had been divine providence, for both men. Martin knew from the moment that he saw how Ted fell for her at a conference that he needed to vet her and make sure she wasn’t going to harm their business. But, he was surprised to find out that she was one of those Markland’s. They were a very old-money family. Martin suddenly found himself worrying that Ted may have been the partner in the relationship that might be perceived as not having the social status or resources to play in that league. Ted was successful, to be sure, but Sarah never needed to work at all. Her trust fund more than covered her living expenses, and the care and feeding of her daughter, Kady. Martin investigated and found she had been widowed and was very careful in her social life. There were rumors of an affair with a man named Robert Fisher, but nothing substantive could be uncovered. Mr. Fisher had been dead for some time, the victim of an apparently failed marriage and business. He had taken his life, according to the police reports.
There was just a hint of scandal, and Martin looked as deeply as he could into it. Finally, he was satisfied that Sarah Markland, although she maybe had slept with the man, had not been in love with him. There was a suspicious trip to Paris that they had made together, but nothing to indicate it was the cause of Fisher’s downfall.
Satisfied that Sarah was legitimate, and knowing how much Ted cared about her, Martin played a bit of the matchmaker. He had cleared Ted’s schedule to allow for a carefree time for his boss to pursue courting Sarah properly.
Once they had married, Martin was careful to keep a discrete eye on things, but he was satisfied that Ted had finally found the woman who could tame his wilder tendencies. They were delightful together, and Martin was happy for his friend.
As the years went on, he saw how close Ted’s son and Sarah’s daughter had become.
He put it down to puppy love and knew that they were both smart enough to deal with their feelings appropriately. Brett had gone off to college, eventually and had a few girlfriends under his belt. Not one to pry, he assumed the young man was sowing at least a few wild oats.
Billionaire Stepbrother - Addiction: The Complete Series Page 11