Thia settled against his warm body and went to sleep with the image of Mary, being filled in every orifice while others stood and watched. Including her.
She shouldn’t have, she really shouldn’t. But somehow, she was glad she had.
* * * *
Derek lay on his back with Thia close by his side. Slowly she climbed over him, positioning herself over his semi-stiff dick. She positioned him at her opening and stroked. Derek woke to his enlarging penis pushing into Thia. His eyes opened to see her eyes, looking down with a glazed expression.
“I hope you don’t mind. It was just too tempting.”
“Not at all. I’ve never been woken up like this. It’s fantastic.”
“It feels good to have a man grow inside me. What do you think is happening to Mary this morning?”
He ran his hands up and down her thighs, then pressed his thumb against her clit. “I imagine they all took a turn on her before they got dressed. They probably did during the night, too.”
“So she might be doing what we’re doing right now?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.” He stretched and reached around to caress her butt, paying attention to her smaller hole. Thia trembled at his touch. “I can do this for you, if you want.” Derek’s words were jerky because of the deep breathing caused by his approaching orgasm.
Her own words came out on ragged breaths. “Maybe, yes, maybe so.” Her body pulled tight as her orgasm took control. Derek held her hips tightly against him and she felt him pulse, releasing his cum deep inside.
Thia was happy she hadn’t been Mary, but knew the fantasy and images were ones she’d keep for a long time.
Chapter 10
The smell of loam and ocean mixed as Derek and Thia tramped through the woods the next morning. They skated the campsite from the previous night on their way to the back gate at the Oglethorpe’s, but the pickups were gone. Nothing remained of the night’s activities but a cold, burned spot where the fire had been.
Continuing on the track Derek set using the GPS, they came to the old logging road leading to a gate in a high chain link fence. About twenty feet on the other side of the fence, a large stone wall with another steel gate provided the second barrier to the Oglethorpe property. The chain link fence—which looked like something the park would erect—was peppered with warning signs.
“By my estimation, the house should be on the other side of that wall.”
“Gosh, Derek, what do you think those signs mean. ‘No Trespassing. Violators will be prosecuted.’ They couldn’t mean we could be in trouble if we cross this fence, could they? Hmm?” She raised one brow.
He simply smiled. Almost the same smile he’d given before he’d spread her on the table and eaten her instead of a hearty breakfast. He’d said she was a great “breakfast of champions,” and she’d loved it.
“I’m sure those signs don’t apply to us.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” Sighing, she faced the fence again. “How do we get in? I’m not exactly dressed for fence and wall climbing.” In fact, Derek had provided her with a pair of shorts that barely covered her butt and a halter top, designed, he said, for efficient baring of breasts.
Derek, in a T-shirt, Dockers and hiking boots seemed ready to climb, walk or kick his way through anything.
The park fence was not locked so he opened it for Thia and then closed it behind them before advancing on the steel gate in the wall.
“I wonder why they don’t have cameras on this wall,” Thia mused.
“Good question. Hell!” One of his burglar picks slipped his fingers and fell into the grass. Thia bent and retrieved it. “Thanks. I guess they don’t think anyone would know the road is back here.” The lock snicked open and he turned to her with a boyish grin. “That’s a mistake on their part, because here we are.”
With a flourish, he ushered her through the gate before closing it behind them, “It looks like we won’t need a key to open this one when we leave.”
They walked along the road for several hundred yards before the space opened.
“This isn’t at all what I remember. Are you sure this is the right place? I don’t see the swimming pool.”
Derek frowned. “It has to be. We arrived and left on the other side, so we never saw this side of the house. I’m sure this is the right place. I mean, how many houses on the Pacific coast also abut Golden Gate National Park?”
As they moved closer to the house, Thia’s heart pounded and she noticed Derek’s attention was solely on their surroundings. The sound of falling water struck them. They rounded a stand of bougainvillea and she discovered they were at the top of the cascading pools that ended in a beautiful swimming pool. The Pacific sparkled in the distance, and the house sprawled below them. Derek quickly pulled her back behind the cover of bushes.
Thia ducked low and peered around the lower branches, feeling like Jane Bond. “That looks like where the slave auction was held.”
Standing above her, Derek narrowed his eyes and scanned the area then checked the GPS. After scribbling in a small notepad secreted in the leather pouch, he stood back. “That is where the auction was held. There’s not much activity, which is how I thought it would be.”
Thia took another quick look. “Isn’t that somebody by the pool?”
“Yeah, I saw. There’s a housekeeper and gardener who live here. Maybe it’s one of them.” He moved farther from the protective cover. “Shit. I think she’s seen us.”
“She looks like a child.”
Frowning again, Derek said, “My information doesn’t mention children in this house.” He smiled and waved to the girl. The youngster did the same.
“How do we just walk down there?” Thia asked. “We’re not supposed to be here.”
“You’d be surprised what people accept. Just smile and wave, sweetheart. Smile and wave.” And he started off down the hill.
The person by the pool stood, quickly put on a robe and waved back.
“Good morning! I’m Derek Anderson and this is my friend, Sin. Are Sylvester and Lilly around?”
The girl was Oriental and much older than she looked at a distance. She replied in perfect English, “I’m Lei and I’m sorry to say they are at sea.” She looked at them suspiciously. “By the way, how did you get in?”
“The back gate was ajar, but don’t worry we closed it after we came through.”
Lei hesitated then said, “Oh, dear, that’s never happened before.”
“Well, I’m sure it was an accident when it was used last.” Derek leaned forward, sharing a smile and a conspiratorial wink. “I wouldn’t want to get anyone in trouble.”
Lei didn’t smiled back. “Well, still, I must tell someone. Thank you for closing it. Is there something I can do for you?” She hadn’t relaxed, and glanced again at the house, as though she thought she might need help.
“I’m creating the artwork for the house and wanted to find some good backdrops for my work. Sin and I attended the masquerade a few weeks ago and Sylvester invited me to come back if there was anything I needed for the work.”
That did the trick. Lei smiled warmly this time. “You paint! Of course you must see the property and the house. Yes, yes.” She gestured toward a table near her chair. “Would you like some iced tea?”
“That would be nice, thank you.” Before Lei could leave he asked, “Are you alone here?”
Lei’s size made Thia think of a child, though she obviously wasn’t. But her manner enhanced the impression. There was a trusting sweetness about her.
“Yes, the gardener and housekeeper had pick-ups to make in town. They invited me to go with them but I don’t like it in town. I’m always afraid we will get separated.”
Thia moved forward smiling. “I’ll help you with the tea.”
“That’s okay, it isn’t a problem. There is some made up in the kitchen. Just make yourselves comfortable.” Lei picked up her glass and went into the house.
“I hope you don’t mind that I used S
in but it is how you are known here.”
“No, I’m just glad you remembered. I didn’t. Besides when we’re together it seems appropriate.”
Derek chuckled and gave her a kiss filled with promise. “Later I’ll prove that, but for now I need to take a look around the house. When I go inside, find a way to keep Lei occupied. It’s a good break that everyone else is gone.”
Lei came out with a tray of glasses, ice bucket and a pitcher of dark red liquid. She set it on the table between two deck chairs. “Mr. Anderson, did you find some good scenery for your pictures?”
“Yes. The view of the house and ocean would be perfect for what I have in mind. Have you ever been painted, Lei?”
She hid her face and giggled. “Oh, no. There are more beautiful women than I to paint.”
“You’re wrong,” he said gently. “You’re gorgeous.”
Lei lowered her eyes. “Thank you. Would you like tea before you go into the house to measure?”
Derek glanced at Thia. “We have plans for the afternoon, so I’d better take care of work before pleasure.”
Thia nodded. “If you don’t need me, it’s warm and sunny, and it would be nice to sit and relax for a while.” She looked at the Oriental girl sitting beside her. “If Lei doesn’t mind, that is.”
“You’re welcome to stay and enjoy the pool if you like, Sin.”
Thia thought if she was going to distract Lei she should engage her in conversation. “How long have you lived here?”
“For a long time. I lived on the Natant Revel but about a year ago they brought all my stuff in and told me I would have to stay here for a while.”
From the corner of her eye she saw Derek slip away. Lei settled into her chair, seeming perfectly relaxed.
“I liked it better on the Natant Revel. It gets lonely here when the ship is at sea and it is just the three of us.”
“Where did you live before the Natant Revel?
“At a school in North Korea.”
North Korea ? Wasn’t that a country the US had no dealings with? “So you’re Korean?”
Lei laughed. “Oh, no. I just went to school there. I’m American.”
That didn’t ring true. “My parents sent me away when I started high school. Like you, probably. Where do your parents live?”
“Somewhere in China. I don’t remember them. I went to the school when I was very young.” She sighed. “I liked it there, but sometimes it was hard for me. I didn’t always understand the other girls.”
“How did you meet Sylvester and Lilly?”
“From the school, a nice man took me to a ship. It was the Natant Revel, and there I met Lilly and Sylvester. Lilly told me I was special and asked if I’d like to help her on the ship. I was happy when they took me.”
Thinking of the girls in the slave auction, an idea began forming in Thia’s mind. “What happened to the other students?”
“You were here for the auction at the masquerade?”
“Yes.” Thia held her breath, knowing what was coming.
“Those girls were from the school.”
Oh my God. Were Lilly and Sylvester running some kind of slave factory in the Orient? “What happened to the boys?”
Lei got a puzzled look, “There weren’t any boys. Parents wanted boys.”
Parents wanted boys. Thia had read about the one-child policy in China , where boys could work and serve the family but girls were seen as worthless. Is that the culture Lei had escaped? But escaped into what? Being a household servant, or a sex slave? What choice was that?
Well, she is alive, a contrary voice whispered in her mind.
“After high school I went to college where I studied accounting. I run the firm my husband and I started. What did you study at school?”
“Mostly languages and the culture of countries around the world where the languages are spoken. I also learned accounting, but only after Sylvester and Lilly bought me. I keep their books. Unfortunately, that doesn’t keep me busy.”
Bought her? I don’t even want to go there. “Do you ever see your parents?”
“No, they don’t want me.” Lei said it as though it was no problem. “In the village where I was born, girls are often killed or abandoned and left to die. I was lucky the school picked me up.”
“I guess you were lucky.” Talk about a rock and a hard place. “So, the people from the school find unwanted girls in China, educate and care for them until Lilly and Sylvester buy them and bring them here, where they sell them to someone else?”
Lei brightened. “Yes, that’s it.”
“But, what happens if no one buys a girl?” Thia swallowed. She couldn’t believe she was having a normal conversation with someone about buying and selling women. She must be delusional.
“Oh, everyone is sold. If the original price is not met, it goes down until somebody gives in. If the price goes too low, the situation might be very unpleasant. Lilly and Sylvester would not be happy and neither would the girl, so they work hard to keep prices high.” She smiled brilliantly. “They are good at keeping everyone happy.”
“I can see why you like it here.”
“Yes. Lilly says it’s hard for Americans to understand, but they take care of us.”
Sure they do. While lining their own pockets. Oh, if only she’d known this at the party, she would have given Sylvester a piece of her mind. They deal in slavery. Only for Derek’s sake did she maintain an attitude of calmness. Obviously, Lei was childlike and didn’t understand the concept of slavery.
Her hands clenched into fists on the chair arm. “It sounds like you have a nice life here. What do you do when you aren’t keeping the books?”
“I like to read. There is an excellent library, and I order books from Amazon. I also help Mike and Judy with the yard and housework, and of course there is the pool and hot tub. Sin, why don’t you join me in the hot tub?”
“Too bad I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
Lei stood. “Oh, you don’t need a swimsuit. I never wear one. Will Derek mind?”
Damn! Derek had told her to keep the woman occupied. “Well, as long as not wearing a swimsuit won’t be a problem.”
“Come along.” Lei started off at a fast clip and Thia rushed to keep up.
The hot tub was nestled near the cascading falls. Bougainvillea and other flowering bushes cast off their heady fragrance and tumbled over the retaining wall that backed the tub.
Lei was out of her robe in a heartbeat exposing a petite figure. Then she looked at Thia. “Sin?”
Thia craned her neck, checking all directions to make sure they were alone. Except for gym class, she’d never come close to being naked with another woman. Oh, Derek, where are you when I need you?
He’d asked her to distract Lei and keep her out of the house, but would he want her to do this? She was trapped.
Turning her back on the tub, Thia slipped the halter top over her head.
“Come on, Sin. The water is wonderful.”
Right. Nothing to it. Thia shimmied out of the shorts. Funny, with Derek she’d felt she had practically nothing on, but now she wished she could leave on those tiny scraps of material so she would be somewhat covered.
She side-stepped into the tub and then immediately sank to her chin in the warm bubbling water. If she wasn’t so uptight about being in the tub naked with another woman, the kinks in her muscles from hiking, climbing and too much sex in strange positions would have uncurled. But she couldn’t get past the idea of Lei being there with her. Naked.
Lei leaned against the side opposite Thia. Her eyes were closed, her body under the water, as Thia’s was. This might be okay after all.
The churning warm water started to do its work. Against her will, Thia began to relax. Her eyes drifted shut. Her arms floated to the surface and she propped her head against the padded edge.
The water soothed her and even tickled a little. The rush coming from one of the jets swirled around her nipple and massaged her breast. Another
caressed her thighs and eased her legs apart. How cool was that?
She eased her lids up to see if Lei looked as languorous as she felt. Lei wasn’t across the pool, though.
“Oh, my God!” Thia sat straight up and scurried to the other side of the hot tub. More than the jets of water had been caressing her. If only she weren’t naked, she’d jump out, but she was naked and she couldn’t bring herself to run away, exposed.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
Lei backed up, startled at Thia’s rejection. “You were tense. I was only helping you relax.”
“Relax?” Thia gave a nervous laugh. “No way. Not with you, uh, doing what you were doing.”
“But Sin,” Lei coaxed, “you were beginning to let go of your tension.” She shrugged. “I felt it—” she held up one slender hand, “—in the tips of my fingers. You know what I mean?”
“Well, I think you need to keep your fingertips to yourself.”
Lei shrugged and then smiled. “I’m sorry I could not help you relax. I think you’ll unwind better if I am not here, so I’ll go inside and see if I can help Derek.” She stood and began to climb out.
“Wait!” Thia didn’t know how her palms could sweat while submerged in water, but they were. Whatever she felt about Lei, she couldn’t let the little Oriental woman interrupt Derek. “Um, I just wasn’t expecting you to, um, you know. I-I was shocked, that’s all. Please stay.”
What had she done? She’d sacrificed her personal feelings in order to help Derek with his investigation. Stopping the drug smugglers was very important. Or was it she cared that much for Derek?
Just relax, she told herself. Just go with the flow. It doesn’t mean anything, and you’re helping Derek.
“Are you sure?” Lei stepped back into the tub. The woman’s body was exquisite. Delicately shaped, with dark, almond-shaped eyes. Shining black strands of silky hair were clipped up on her head.
“Yes,” Thia whispered and held out her hand.
Lei sat beside Thia then leaned over and kissed Thia’s cheek, letting her tiny nipple buds brush Thia’s arm. Lei draped Thia’s arm over her shoulders and placed Thia’s hand on her breast.
She Shouldnt, But She Will Page 16