“This is nice surprise,” she said.
“We don’t use it very often, but it allows for privacy,” he said.
Reeve lifted the lid off one of the tureens, and the aroma of crabmeat and mushrooms filled the small space. Sofia folded her napkin in her lap and smiled at Reeve as he placed a few stuffed mushrooms on her plate.
“Hope you’re hungry,” he said.
Niko poured them each a glass of wine and lifted his. “What shall we drink to?”
Sofia stared into his blue eyes. Candlelight flickered in them, further enhancing the previous image of them being deep pools into which she could dive and never resurface. “To possibilities,” she finally said.
He smiled as the three clinked glasses and Sofia sipped the most delicious Chardonnay she’d ever tasted. She sampled the appetizer. It was amazing, as was all the food here. “Reeve, this morning you mentioned you employ four chefs. Which restaurants did you steal them from?”
His laugh was easy and quick. “I can’t tell you that. It’s a secret and if you knew, I’d have to keep you here as my prisoner.”
A shiver ran through Sofia as she watched the light dance in Reeve’s eyes. “Well, we can’t have that, now can we?”
He leaned forward. “I treat my prisoners very well.”
“Yeah, he only beats them twice a day.”
Sofia laughed at the look on Niko’s face. It was a cross between contempt and disbelief. He and Reeve glared at each other. She took a few more sips of wine and finished her mushrooms, noting that the men barely touched their food.
“Question. That is, if you two can stop acting like playground bullies for a second.”
Both men looked guilty as they turned their attention toward her. “What’s your question?” asked Niko.
“You two don’t eat much. Why is that?”
A quick flash of trepidation passed over Niko’s face. “Sure we do.” He stuffed two mushrooms into his mouth and began to chew.
“Have more wine.” Reeve filled her glass. “It does magical things, including help you see that we eat like pigs.”
Sofia giggled as Reeve popped all three of his mushrooms into his mouth and made pleasurable noises as he chewed.
“You two are nuts, you know that? Seriously insane.”
“Damn,” said Niko. “She’s found us out.”
Reeve swallowed then nodded. “Yep. Now we’ll have to keep her here. We have no choice. She knows our secret.”
“So I’ll be prisoner to both of you then?” Sofia wanted to clamp her hand over her mouth as soon as the words left her lips. What a delicious thought, but she hadn’t meant to voice it out loud. What would they think of her?
“Oh, I can think of all sorts of possibilities to that scenario,” said Niko, giving her a look that would melt a polar ice cap.
Sofia sighed as she finished off her mushrooms, her gaze locked on Niko’s handsome face.
“So can I,” said Reeve. When he touched her arm she fought an urge to grab his hand and move it to her mouth. She wanted to gobble up both of them instead of the food. “But for now, let’s see what surprises our amazing chefs have cooked up for the entrée.”
He lifted the lid off a tureen and the aroma of lobster filled the room. Niko lit the cup of Sterno under the butter and soon the three were enjoying a feast of lobster, dirty rice, and steamed vegetables.
“Sofia, what do you like to do when you aren’t working?” asked Reeve, wiping butter from his mouth with a linen napkin.
“I go out with friends, mostly to movies and to eat. But we’re talking sports bars or chain restaurants, not lobster and Chardonnay.”
“Didn’t Rake take you out to dinner?” asked Niko.
“Not very often.” She didn’t want to bring down the mood by rehashing her sham of a marriage. “Tell me about the resort. You said it was opened in 1921, right? How did it come to be in your family? And how have you kept it so secret all these years?”
“We—our family, that is—wanted to build a place where people could come and escape from the real world for a week or two.”
She leaned back and regarded them both. “But whose idea was it to…how do I put this? How did it come to be a place where you offered such unique services?”
Reeve’s grin made her panties flood. “We can’t tell you that. That’s a secret protected by law.”
“Oh really, Reeve? By law?” Sofia laughed as Niko filled her glass again. She took a sip, but stopped because she realized she was quite drunk already and wanted to remember every second of this evening.
“Yes, by law. I’m surprised you’ve never heard of it, having been married to a cop and all.” His grin was teasing, but the look Niko shot him was anything but.
“Okay, look you two. We may as well address the elephant in the room. Then we can all get it out of our system and move on. What would you like to know about my marriage?”
“We don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” said Niko.
“I’m more uncomfortable trying to avoid the subject, to be honest. I’ve already lied to all of you. Let’s not make it worse. If you have concerns or questions about Rake, let’s get it out in the open so we can enjoy this time together.”
* * * *
Niko wanted to whisk Sofia away and make love to her again. She looked beautiful tonight, and he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about their afternoon together. Was there any hope of repeating it? He and Reeve needed information about her ex-husband, but it wasn’t right that they’d invited her to dinner for that reason. Talking about him would more than likely put a damper on any chance of seducing her. Niko wasn’t sure which he felt guiltier over—wanting to seduce her or needing more information about her ex.
They had also thought they’d have to use their powers to get any information out of her about Rake, but here she was offering to talk about him so they could move past the subject. When he and Reeve had gathered Zach, Emmett, Demetrius, and Gregory together and told them everything Sofia had said, it hadn’t taken long to realize they were the only two who believed Sofia was telling the truth. Gregory had wanted to kick her out of the resort immediately and Demetrius had suggested hypnotizing her so she’d tell them everything she knew about her great-grandfather.
“Okay,” said Niko. “What can you tell us about Rake? You mentioned he has his hands in everything. Are you saying he’s on the take?”
Zach and Emmett shared Reeve’s notion that her ex-husband might be trouble, but Gregory and Demetrius had brushed aside that idea. They’d been in business for over ninety years and had weathered plenty of interference from politicians and mob bosses. A vice cop wasn’t about to bring them down.
A shouting match had then ensued, ending with Zach calling Gregory a fuckhead, and Demetrius accusing Emmett of being in league with politicians. The only thing that had calmed the storm was Niko telling them that he and Reeve were having dinner with Sofia that evening. When Zach and Emmett tried to pry, Niko had deftly sidestepped their pointed questions about whether he or Reeve had seduced her yet. It was none of their fucking business.
“Rake’s as dirty as they come,” she said. “Internal Affairs has investigated him so many times they were practically house guests.”
Niko had tried to explain to the others that if Sofia’s ex was so hell-bent on making life miserable for her, and if he found her here, he could easily make trouble for this place. They barely skated under the radar these days as it was.
“And what were the outcomes of those investigations?” asked Reeve. He was no longer grinning like the Cheshire-Cat, and Niko knew they were both thinking the same thing. The others should worry less about a dead mob boss and more about someone who had enough influence to shut them down for good.
“Are you kidding?” She shot Reeve an incredulous look. “Chicago vice cops take care of each other. Rake has friends in high places. He’s never going down.”
Niko leaned closer and inhaled her perfume. Her dark eyes shone with lu
st. It was all he could do not to kiss her. “Sofia, are you sure you never heard Rake mention this place?” He pushed with his powers, just a little. That and the wine should jog her memory and loosen her tongue a bit more. He watched her eyes cloud over with confusion for a second. She frowned and stared at a spot behind his left shoulder, as if she were trying to remember something.
“It doesn’t have to be anything obvious,” said Reeve, his voice soft and monotonous. “You may not have even thought it was important at the time.”
“Who was Scott Malloy?” she asked in a faraway voice.
A shudder ran through Niko. Scott Malloy was the alderman to whom Joelle had once been engaged. He’d targeted Lilith’s Playground during the days of Senator McCarthy and his infamous investigations.
“Why do you ask?” Niko kept his voice calm and impersonal.
“A group of Rake’s fellow cops were over watching football one afternoon, and one of them mentioned a group of aldermen who had gone after sex clubs in and near Chicago. Scott’s name came up because apparently he was caught in some sort of sex scandal himself. The men were laughing at him.”
Niko and Reeve exchanged a quick glance.
“Why were they talking about something that happened so long ago?” asked Reeve in the same flat voice. Niko had a moment of panic when he realized Sofia hadn’t told them the year the incident happened, and she might wonder how Reeve knew, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“A retired cop was among the group at our house that day. He started talking about the good old days and Scott’s name came up.”
“Thanks, Sofia. You’ve been a huge help.”
She smiled sweetly and picked up her wine glass. Blinking a few times, she put it back down and glanced around as if she wasn’t quite sure where she was. “I think I’m done with this stuff tonight. I sort of missed a few beats there. Did you ask me a question?”
Niko forced a grin. “No, love. Nothing important. Ready for dessert?”
He didn’t have to use his powers to read Reeve’s thoughts. One quick glance at him told Niko that Reeve was thinking the same thing. If Rake knew about Scott Malloy’s involvement with Lilith’s Playground sixty years earlier, he’d be more than interested in the place now. The most important thing now was how to find out if Rake knew where his ex-wife was hiding out.
Chapter Eight
Sofia couldn’t seem to stop giggling all through dessert. She should have stopped at two glasses of wine. And she couldn’t shake the vague feeling that she’d missed part of the conversation. The air in the room felt charged, as though a storm were coming, and every time she glanced at Reeve or Niko, their eyes appeared large and full of light. Maybe this had been a bad idea?
She still had no clear plan how to handle Rake’s constant harassment, and her passionate tryst with Niko earlier that day wasn’t helping matters any. She couldn’t keep her eyes or her lustful thoughts away from him. A lock of hair kept falling onto his forehead, and Sofia’s fingers itched to touch it. He looked delicious in khakis and a fawn suit coat that matched his hair color. Every moment of their lovemaking played itself in her head, and by the time she scooped out the last of her crème brûlée, her pussy was soaked and her nipples tingled.
Reeve was even more handsome than she remembered him earlier. He also wore khakis, but his sport coat was chocolate-colored and matched his eyes. Every time she looked into those eyes she wondered if his lovemaking was as amazing as Niko’s, and if she’d have the chance to find out.
She’d never had such wanton thoughts, but she liked them—more than she should. She was supposed to be hiding out here to make life-altering decisions, not throwing herself at two gorgeous men who hung on her every word. Things like this didn’t happen in real life. “Thank you for this. For dinner and…everything.”
“It’s our pleasure,” said Niko, taking her hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it in a sweet, old-fashioned gesture that forced another giggle up Sofia’s throat. He’d think her a prize idiot at this rate.
“Do you two have more questions for me?” She wasn’t sure what else she could tell them about Rake. He’d never discussed work with her. She only knew a few things because of conversations she’d overheard when his friends came over to watch sports or from the rare times he’d said something to her about a case he was working.
It had been the late-night phone calls with other cops that had first led her to wonder if something out of the ordinary was going on. When she began to find e-mails he’d forgotten to erase, she was confronted with concrete proof that he was dirty and had his hands in things that were none of his business.
When she finally filed for divorce, her attorney had first assumed Rake had cheated on her. Sofia had laughed and said he wouldn’t have had time. He was either on the job or tying her to their bed. Another woman would have been easier to understand than his being a dirty cop, but it still would have left emotional wounds. She couldn’t help now but wonder if they’d ever heal.
“No more questions tonight,” said Niko. “I think we should talk about more pleasant things.”
“Like what?” She leaned forward so they could get a better shot of her cleavage. Granted, there wasn’t much to see, but she might as well show off what little she had. The lust shining from both their faces encouraged her to behave as though she were beautiful and sexy, even if she didn’t believe that of herself deep down in her soul.
Niko grinned. “Like what the three of us should do with the rest of our evening.”
Sofia held her breath. His meaning was clear. If the emotion pouring out of his eyes wasn’t enough to convince her, the air in the room was. It was as if she could read his thoughts, and they were filled with erotic images of the real-life fun they’d had earlier in the day, only now those pictures included Reeve. All she had to do was say yes. Sofia had fantasized about making love to two men at once, but she’d buried her fantasies for so many years it was difficult now to imagine the possibility of them coming true.
“We could show you some of the resort,” said Reeve. “The parts our guests don’t usually see, that is.”
“I haven’t seen much of it as it is. I’ve kind of hidden in my room since I got here.”
“Do you really want a tour?” asked Niko. “Because I was thinking we could all go back to my suite and see what happens.”
Sofia looked from one man to the other. They weren’t even trying to hide their desire for her. That was sexier than anything she’d ever experienced. Most men she’d dated tried so hard to disguise what they really wanted that it became tedious to watch them engage in small talk and pretend to be interested in what she had to say. The fact that Niko and Reeve were upfront and honest about what they wanted made her respect them even more.
And they obviously were no longer upset that she’d come here under a false identity, but what about the others? “Did you tell the others my real name? Are they all upset with me?”
Niko’s eyes clouded over for a brief second. “Don’t worry about that. No one is going to hold that against you. And remember, we’re owners, too.”
Sofia smiled and allowed herself to relax. She stared at her half-full wine glass. No use in letting it go to waste. She drained it then stood up. “I’d love to go back to your suite with you, Niko.” Her gaze traveled over Reeve’s face. “With both of you.”
Reeve’s grin was instantaneous and spread across his face. “How can I say no to an offer like that?”
Niko stood and offered his arm. Sofia wrapped her hand around it, surprised to find him so warm. The man was like an inferno. Would Reeve’s skin be that warm as well?
When they reached Niko’s suite, he pulled Sofia into his arms and kissed her tenderly. His soft tongue probing was more enticing than if he’d simply shoved it into her mouth. She opened her lips to let it inside, sighing in the back of her throat as he cupped her face.
Behind her, Reeve cradled her from behind, pushing against her ass with his impre
ssive erection. A thrill ran through Sofia at the thought of him being as big as Niko. Two huge cocks stuffed into her holes were exactly what she needed to forget reality for a while. She’d come here knowing exactly what went on. Why shouldn’t she enjoy these two sexy men who found her attractive? She wasn’t tied to anyone and had no obligations, at least not for eleven more days when she had to return to her job.
Niko moved his hands from her hair to her shoulders and down the front of her dress. Reeve’s touch ran down her back to her ass. He lightly smacked her cheeks through the dress, and Sofia stifled another giggle. Niko gently cupped her breasts, rubbing her nipples through the fabric.
When Niko released her mouth, Reeve turned her face toward his and kissed her. His lips were full, and he tasted delicious. Sofia turned her body so she could wrap her arms around him. She pushed against his bulge, wanting more. Behind her, Niko massaged her ass cheeks, slapping them harder than Reeve had done. It didn’t hurt through the dress and panties, but it heightened her arousal.
Her pussy was sopping wet now, and all she wanted to do was get out of her clothes. Her excitement spiraled out of control as Niko reached under her skirt and ran his hands up her thighs. Sofia moaned into Reeve’s open mouth. She clutched at his hair, delighted to find it so soft. His hands moved to her breasts and kneaded them through her dress and bra.
Niko slipped her panties down and caressed her legs, all the way down to her ankles. He lifted each foot and slid her panties off one leg at a time then planted kisses on her calves. Sofia squirmed in Reeve’s arms as Niko’s lips and tongue traced a line up each of her legs, then down again.
“Spread them apart a bit.” His voice was raspy and low, so sexy it sent shivers up and down her spine. She moved her feet apart to let him lick her upper thighs then her ass cheeks.
Reeve grasped the edges of her dress and pulled it over her head. As Niko continued to lick and nip at her ass cheeks, Reeve removed her bra. He gazed at her breasts then looked into her eyes with so much tenderness Sofia nearly came.
Cherished by Two Angels [Notorious Nephilim 5] Page 6