by Vivian Ward
“I am. I told you that I was,” I say, taking a drink of my champagne. “But you never wanted to believe me, so I’ll just keep taking all of your money.”
He laughs, and when he does, I can see that he’s completely relaxed. For a moment, he almost looks carefree. The hardened expression on his face softens, making him appear a few years younger.
“Don’t get too cocky,” he says. “You and Logan might play a good game, but I’m going to bet that your luck is about to run out.”
I look at Logan who gives me a sly grin. He knows that Oliver’s words will only make me play that much harder. I’ve been taking it pretty easy on him up until now, letting him win some and lose some, but that’s all about to change. It’s time to start playing for real.
“Whatever you say, Olly,” I giggle.
The champagne is starting to hit me, but I’m not giving up so easily. I know I can take him and beat him, it’s just a matter of time.
“Do you want to make things more interesting?” he asks.
His foot comes across the table, and he begins rubbing up and down the length of my calf, and it makes all of the blood rush straight out of my brain. I do my best not to let a reaction slip, but I can’t help it. My mouth has already popped open.
“How’s that?” Logan asks as he looks at me, trying to figure out why I’m suddenly so quiet.
He knows there’s something going on; he just doesn’t know what it is.
“What if we upped the ante?” Oliver asks.
“To what?” I ask, trying to steady my breathing.
“How about if we play strip poker?”
Logan and I look at each other in shock.
Is he out of his mind?
“I don’t intend on losing,” I answer. “You’ll feel foolish when you’re the one without clothes on.”
“But what if I don’t lose? Will you play?”
I lean back in my chair and observe Logan and Oliver. Neither of them is saying a word. They’re both waiting for my response.
I must admit that I find Logan’s silence surprising.
Why is he not saying a word?
Usually, he’s so defensive and protective of me. He doesn’t even like it when we go to the lake and guys look at me in my bikini. Maybe it’s that Oliver holds the key to his future and that’s why he’s being quiet.
I think about my answer long and hard before I give it because this could go one of two ways.
I could lose my ass off to appease Oliver, which might be what he’s banking on.
Or I can up my game and make him feel foolish, but quit before things get too far.
Before I answer his question, I turn to Logan who sits quietly, showing no emotion.
“Can I have a word with my fiancé?” I ask.
“I’ll give you two a minute while I go make us some drinks,” Oliver smiles and pushes his chair out. “But I won’t be gone long.”
Chapter 17
Logan
Is this a dream?
Did my managing partner really just ask the woman I’m about to marry if she wants to play strip poker? I’m crazy, right? Or is this some sort of prank?
I can’t even respond to the conversation that the two of them are having right in front of me. It almost feels like an out-of-body experience. How am I supposed to respond?
My soon-to-be wife and my managing partner are negotiating a game of strip poker while I sit here and they act as though everything is completely normal? Ever since we got here, I’ve thought things were funny, but this is just nuts.
As soon as Oliver leaves the room and it’s just Piper and me, she gets up and closes the door before coming back over to me.
“Logan, are you okay?” she asks.
“What? What do you mean am I okay? What the hell is going on here? First, you two seem awfully friendly, and then you’re practically flirting right in front of me, and now you two want to play strip poker?”
Her eyes scan my face, searching for something but I don’t know what it is. I’m still trying to put all of the puzzle pieces together because none of this is making any sense.
“Babe, listen. I’ve got to tell you something.”
Oh shit, here we go. It’s never good when your woman starts off with a line like that.
“I met with Oliver at The Indigo Room to talk to him about making you partner because I wanted to explain to him why I couldn’t be here tonight so he wouldn’t take your invitation away.”
“When?” I ask her.
“Remember the night you brought home the chocolate cheesecake?”
I think back to the night that I went to the bakery and remember how she’d asked me countless times about my schedule that day. Something told me that it wasn’t right because she’s never that obsessed with my schedule, but I blew it off and didn’t listen to what my gut was telling me.
“Yeah? Is that why you kept asking what time I’d be home that night?”
She nods.
“Yes, I met him for drinks. Originally, I was going to beg him to let you come to the party alone, but once I got there, he became very persuasive. I couldn’t tell him no, so I agreed to come.”
“But why? I mean, why didn’t you just tell me about it? Why did you hide it?”
“I hid it because I knew you’d never agree to me doing your bidding. There’s no way you’d allow me to talk to him myself because you’re too proud so I did it in secret. I’m sorry.”
“I can’t believe you did that. Knowing how Ford is, I can see why you came.”
I can imagine how he might have talked her into coming. I’ve heard stories around the office, but I thought most of them were just talk; gossip. Now I know better.
“Let’s do this, Logan. We should play. I want to play.”
“So what are you saying, Pipes?”
“All I’m saying is that we’ve come too far to let this all go down the drain. Let’s just play. You know how good I am, I won’t lose.”
“But you’ve lost quite a few hands to him. I can’t let you play. You’ve had too much to drink, and it’s clearly impaired your judgment.”
The sad truth is that I wouldn’t mind watching her play strip poker, but with my managing partner? What if things went too far? I don’t know about this but what I do know is that he would love to see her in next to nothing.
Hell, so would I. All I’ve thought about all night is lifting that little black dress of hers and having my way with her.
Maybe that’s what Ford’s been thinking about, too.
The idea of all of this is beginning to turn me on, and I feel sick to my stomach. Why am I getting so damn turned on about thinking about her and Ford? What the hell is wrong with me?
Maybe I’ve had too much to drink. Maybe we should just go home.
But something about the look in her eye is begging me to go along with all of this.
Maybe she wants it, too.
And let’s be honest here. If clothes end up falling off, I don’t know how things will turn out. Will I be able to keep my hands to myself? Will Oliver be able to keep his hands to himself?
There are too many unknowns here, and that’s what scares me the most.
“Piper, I want to ask you something and I want you to tell me the truth. Will you be honest with me?”
Reluctant to answer my question, she finally nods knowing that we’re almost out of time and that he’ll be coming back soon. He’s waiting for an answer, and our answer might also depend on whether or not I make partner.
Everything relies solely on his approval.
Mitch might have given me the recommendation, but until Ford finally gives it the okay, I’m dead in the water.
“Yes,” she whispers.
I look her right in the eye and ask her a question that I never thought I’d ask.
“Are you attracted to him? I mean, do you….,” my words trail off as I fail to finish my sentence.
I’m afraid to ask her if she wants something to happen. I’
ve seen that look in her eyes before, and it’s the same look that she gets when we’re together. She gets this glint in her eyes that I only see before we have sex. It says that she wants me and that she wants to have me.
She looks away, seemingly focusing her eyes on the cards that are scattered about on the table.
“Yes,” she bites her lip. “But it’s not like that Logan. I don’t…I know what you’re thinking. I’d never leave you for another man. You have to know that, but I—I want to do this.”
We both know—no, we all know—what’s going to happen if she loses.
Before either of us can say another word, Ford walks back into the room with a brand new bottle of champagne and a bottle of whiskey.
“I didn’t know what everyone would like,” he says holding up the bottles. “Have you two had enough time to discuss things?”
I wonder if this is what all of the other partners have done. Is this how they all became part of Ford and Associates? That’s when the realization hits me.
The rumors around the office about Ford aren’t rumors. They’re the truth. He’s probably banged every single one of the wives.
“We’re good,” she says, smiling and nodding. “Let’s play.”
Ford smiles like a predator who’s just locked in his weak prey.
“Your confidence is going to get the best of you,” he smiles, licking his lips.
He’s so fucking eager that it’s sick. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and all I can do is watch it all unfold. I hope Piper knows what she’s getting herself—and us—into.
“No, I think your confidence is going to get the best of you,” she retorts with a bit of a snicker.
“Ahh, a woman with an attitude. I love it,” he pours us all a drink. “Give it your best shot,” he says as he begins to shuffle the cards.
“Dare me?” she asks.
“I double dog dare you,” he winks at her. “If I remember correctly from grade school: once someone double dog dares you, there’s no turning back.”
The way he says it makes the three of us laugh.
“Consider it a done deal,” she tips her glass and polishes off the rest of her alcohol.
Chapter 18
Logan
She’s lost the last two hands, and she should have won them. Between the three of us, I’m already pushed out of the game and am sitting in my boxers watching my fiancée slowly lose her clothes.
I guess when Ford wants to play for real, he can. But it doesn’t make any sense. Piper is so damn good at cards, and she knows when to, or not to, bet.
Sitting back, I watch the two of them go back and forth, calling, raising, and betting. It’s an intense game.
Ford has had to remove his tie and shirt. She’s had to remove her stockings and bra, allowing her breasts to lazily sway beneath the thin fabric of her dress each time she shifts in her chair. That’s one of the unfortunate pitfalls of her playing this crazy game; she has on far fewer clothes as it is.
But it’s the hottest fucking thing I’ve seen in my life.
I don’t know what it is about watching her play and make these heated decisions while removing her bra or one stocking at a time, but it has got the blood rushing from one head to the other.
For the last half an hour, I’ve been trying to hide the bulge in my boxers by pushing my cock down between my legs and squeezing my thighs shut, but I feel like I’m about to get blue balls.
It’s driving me wild, and all I can think about is how good it would feel if I were inside of her.
“Are you sure you want to raise?” Ford asks, arching his eyebrow.
I don’t know why but I get the feeling that he’s cheating somehow. If he is, I don’t know how he’s doing it because he’s only wearing his black slacks; he has nowhere to hide any cards, but he’s got to be doing something.
She looks down at the cards in her hand and carefully thinks about her next move. I can tell that she wants to bet him, but she’s down to only her dress. After that, all that will be left is her G-string.
“Hmmm,” she says, contemplating what she wants to do.
Piper looks to me for guidance, but I’m not the one to ask since I was the first one out and I’m watching the two of them play with a stifled erection that my boxers can barely contain.
Shrugging my shoulders, I raise my hands in the air. It’s her call.
A devilish grin spreads across Ford’s face. It’s so obvious that he can’t wait for her to lose the dress. The bad thing is I can’t even say that I blame him. I want it off of her just as bad. With the amount of booze that we’ve had and as horny as I’ve been all night, I can’t take it much longer.
“Yep,” she finally answers. “I’ll raise you.”
Ford’s grin becomes a beaming smile, and he shows his hand; a pocket pair of queens.
An ‘oh shit’ look spreads across Piper’s face as she tries to catch a pair of aces on the river and loses.
“Well, shit,” she whispers.
Like a kid in a candy shop, Ford impatiently waits to watch her remove her dress. He’s even rubbing his hands together in anticipation, which I find a little unsettling but I can’t lie, the anticipation is killing me too.
Piper stands up, pushing her chair back and reaches behind her back, brushing her long cascading locks away so she can access the zipper to remove her dress.
I gasp for air, not realizing I’d been holding my breath as the sound of the zipper fills the void in silence in the room.
The two of us watch her in all her glory as she slips the straps off of her shoulders and lets her dress float to the floor.
Her nipples instantly harden and break out in goosebumps as they’re exposed to the chilled air conditioning. Sucking in a deep breath, she pulls her long hair over her breasts in an attempt to conceal herself.
“You’re a lucky bastard, Logan. She’s got a spectacular body,” Ford says.
I nod in agreement, unable to say much.
“Thanks, I know,” I mumble.
He gets up and walks around the table, stopping behind Piper’s chair and places his hands on her shoulders. Surprisingly, she doesn’t flinch or move a muscle when his hands land on her skin. A faint smile pulls at the corner of her lips as she looks up at me, then turns her attention to him.
“There’s one way to make this a bit more interesting,” he pauses as he massages her shoulders. “And ensure that you, Logan, make partner at Ford and Associates.”
He doesn’t have to say another word. I know from the hungry look in his eyes exactly what’s coming next. It’s the same look that I’m sure I get right before I worship her body.
Ford wants my fiancée.
She sheepishly turns away from me for a second before making eye contact. No words need to be spoken. It’s written across her face; she wants it.
Badly.
And as much as I should be angry or want to get up to knock the hell out of Ford, I can’t. Not because I’m not angry or jealous because I’m both of those things, but I’m also incredibly turned on.
The chemistry in the room is supercharged, and you can practically smell her pussy. Its light musk scent is floating through the air, lingering at my nostrils. It’s begging to be fucked, and my cock is aching for release.
Ford can probably smell it, too. For a second, I laugh at the thought that he knows what my girl’s pussy smells like because it’s that obvious how bad she wants him.
My cock is throbbing, and I don’t notice until I look down at my erection but pre-cum is pooling at the tip, soaking my boxers.
“And what’s that?” Piper asks in her most innocent voice.
“You. Me. Logan. In the hot tub. Why don’t we take things outside to discuss how we can all benefit from this situation.”
Piper smiles as she looks over at me and shrugs her shoulders.
“I’m sure something can be arranged,” she comments.
Ford sweeps her hair away from her breasts, exposing them for his viewi
ng pleasure.
“Good,” he leans down and plants a soft kiss on her neck.
The way her body reacts to him is insane. Her nipples instantly turn into hardened pebbles as she sits up straight in her chair. Her body’s response to his touch is instant.
It kind of worries me for a second until we lock eyes and she blows me a kiss.
“Let me dismiss the help, and then we’ll take things a bit more private,” he says, tossing his white dress shirt on and buttoning it as he exits the room.
“Piper, you don’t have to do any of this,” I blurt out the second he’s out of the room. “Me making partner isn’t worth wrecking what we have.”
She laughs as she gets up and begins to make her way over to me.
“Relax, babe. I’m not going to do anything I’m uncomfortable with,” she sits on my lap.
Her eyes grow wide with excitement.
“Oh, someone seems aroused by all of this,” she says as she feels my stiff cock.
Hanging my head in shame and embarrassment, I don’t know how to respond to her. She shouldn’t know that I’m enjoying every bit of this, but she does. The evidence is poking her right in the leg, and there’s nothing that I can do to stop it or make it go away.
“I’m sorry. You probably think I’m a disgusting pig,” I say to her. “It’s not like that. It’s just that you turn me on so much.”
I reach up and stroke her hair as I wrap my arm around her waist. She’s so damn pretty.
“The thought of you—the idea of watching you getting fucked is so hot.”
The mere mention of watching her getting fucked by another guy makes my cock jerk, and it involuntarily moves against her outer thigh.
Running her hand through my hair, she smiles and kisses my earlobe before flicking it with her tongue. It sends chills down my spine.
“Well, it’s no secret that that man has some sort of hold on me. I’m more than willing to take one for the team,” she crinkles her nose and grins at me. “Let me do this for you—for us. For myself,” she says, turning her head away from me.