Darren sighed and stretched. “I’m going to catch a nap.” He set the alarm on his phone for an hour and nuzzled down onto the comfortable bed.
Alicia kissed his cheek. “I’m going to get ready for tonight.”
When his alarm went off Darren was up and feeling very refreshed. Alicia had set an outfit on the chair for him and he could hear her moving around the outer room, humming.
“I spent some time talking to the other guests before I went shopping. Quite a few are regulars and they had suggestions for what we should wear,” Alicia said from the other room.
“We couldn’t get into the class, just the show, but I think that’ll work to our advantage.” Darren stopped talking long enough to pull on the loose fitting, lightweight pants she’d purchased. They were made of cotton, fit nicely at his waist and widened through his legs, for easier movement he presumed. “People had to sign up, so this way no one will be looking for us if we’re not there.” The shirt was the same clay color as the pants. Form fitting, stretchy material that felt nice against his chest.
Alicia had much the same sort of clothing, obviously cut for a woman not a man, but in a deep green shade. Her hair was held back with cute clips in the shape of dolphins. They had an opalescent finish, sparkling in various shades of blues, purples and silvers.
She held out her hand to him. Darren stopped long enough to put keys, phone and wallet in the pockets of his pants then took her hand.
“You know, I realize we’re here for a completely different reason than most the people at this place, but this rope tying thing sounds interesting,” She said and squeezed his hand.
“Well, after we get this sorted out, we can certainly spend some time at a place like this for a real mini vacation. Or come back here even if I can keep it open,” Darren said.
Alicia smiled that brilliant smile of hers, the one that told Darren he’d made her a very happy woman indeed. She might be at his beck and call twenty-four-seven but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t make an effort to keep her happy.
They walked hand in hand to the elevator and rode down with other couples. The elevator in this place was always full, the resort was full and people seemed to be enjoying this place. Darren had to keep it open or reopen it if necessary.
The rope tying demonstration was interesting. It featured both men and woman, some showing off their techniques for tying complicated knots all over their partner’s bodies. Others were obviously quite delighted and excited to be tied up. While Darren appreciated the skill and art, it wasn’t an activity he wanted to partake in. From Alicia’s expression and the way she remained relaxed back in her chair he knew she felt the same.
Finally the show let out and people flooded from the auditorium. There was the brief intermission for refreshments and mingling with the other guests before the classes would begin. From the chatter around them, Darren could tell people were excited about the night’s activities, public and private.
He and Alicia made small talk with some of the other guests, having a drink and snacking on the hors d'oeuvres offered, which were varied and abundant. Eventually they casually made their way to the back hall and Phil’s office. Darren slipped the key into the lock eased the door open, making as little noise as possible. Finally they were able to silently slide through the door. Alicia turned and very carefully pushed it almost closed behind her. There was a desk lamp and Darren opted to use that instead of the overhead lighting which could signal their presence if someone noticed the light under the door. Once the light was on and they could see enough to not break their necks falling over furniture Alicia shut the door all the way, making sure it was locked.
While Darren went through the file cabinet, Alicia booted up the computer. The monitor gave off some extra light as well. She began pulling out drawers and tapping at spots on the desk, every few seconds glancing at the computer. When her knuckles wrapped a spot under the computer that sounded hollow and different they both looked at one another.
Darren softly closed the filing cabinet and crossed to Alicia and the desk. “Keep watch,” he whispered.
She stood behind him and a bit to the side, tapping on the computer keyboard. Darren crawled under the desk, feeling around. It didn’t take long for him to find the panel, and the tiny latch holding it closed. He eased it open and set the fake panel to the side then pulled out several ledgers. Darren held them up for Alicia to take before shimming out from under the desk.
“I found his financials.” Alicia pulled up a chair and sat working at the computer.
Darren opened the ledgers and they began making comparisons. It didn’t take long for him to find what he was hoping he wouldn’t discover.
“Is this enough proof?” Alicia asked.
Darren sighed and said, “Yes, I think so. It also will prove I’m not involved, so I think I can salvage these people’s jobs eventually. We can take over this place and run it honestly. Let’s get copies of the computer files and get out of here before someone finds us.” He no sooner had those words out than the office door clicked. “Crap,” Darren mumbled. His attention was now riveted to the door.
Alicia put a thumb drive into the computer and wasted no time getting the transfer started on the files they needed as proof of Phil’s dishonest and illegal business dealings. Darren tossed the ledgers under the desk and out of sight before he grabbed Alicia’s hand and they ran around to the front of the desk.
As the door opened Alicia backed Darren onto the desk, pulled up her shirt and giggled like a drunken woman. Darren yanked his pants to his knees and Alicia climbed on top of him, straddling his legs. Two men barged into the room and Alicia slurred out in a loud voice, “Oh goodie, now we can have that orgy!”
The men wore the same outfits as the desk employees and had radios attached to their belts. Never a good sign.
“What are you doing in here?” The taller of the two growled. He grabbed Alicia’s arm and pulled her away from Darren.
“Dude, what does it look like?” Darren straightened and tugged his pants up. “Shit if my wife catches us…be a buddy.”
Alicia got loose and staggered into the other man, hung off him and ran her hands all over his chest. Darren couldn’t help but feel a stab of jealousy. “I like th-this one,” she drawled and planted a kiss on his cheek. She used her other hand to twirl her finger in his hair.
The two men exchanged glances. Ducking his head away and scowling the man Alicia hung off dislodged her, but kept one hand on her arm. “You two can’t be in here? How did you get in anyway? There are plenty of rooms in this establishment to use. These are private offices.”
“The door was open,” Darren said simply and pulled his shirt straight.
“We were looking for private, so perfect!” Alicia chimed in, throwing her hands in the air before dissolving into a fit of laughter.
For a minute it looked as if they’d get away without incident. Then the damn computer chimed. Alicia closed her eyes and bit her lip. The taller man pointed at Darren as he began to move toward the desk.
“Don’t move,” he snapped. Before Darren could do or say anything the man was on the other side of the desk, staring at the computer. Then he looked under the desk. Eyes narrowing, he slammed one hand onto the desktop and spat, “Son of a bitch!”
“What is going on?” The man holding Alicia grabbed her with both hands and shook her.
“A good question,” The other said. He bent down and pulled the ledgers up, dropping them on the desktop with a loud thud.
“That’s what we’re here to find out!” Alicia shot back and yanked away from him, slamming her foot onto his.
“You bitch!” The guy stumbled after her. He swung out with one arm and backhanded her. Alicia was sent spiraling to the floor.
“Hey,” Darren shouted and darted forward. He grappled with the man for a few seconds before delivering a hearty punch that knocked him cold. He went crashing into a small table, shattering it.
He spun around to face
the other man. The taller man was on him before he could catch his breath or get a good hit in. Darren got a glimpse of Alicia scrambling off the floor and to the computer.
The man and Darren exchanged a few punches. Darren was forced backward and nearly tumbled over a chair. He twisted away from another punch, regained his balance and was able to lay his hands on the chair. Lifting it, he shouted and swung the chair in a wide arc. It smashed it into the man, hitting him squarely across his head and shoulders. “Find something to tie them up with,” he panted. Standing between the two unconscious men he wiped his hands together. “No one hits my woman and gets away with it. And absolutely no one steals from me.”
Alicia grabbed a lamp and yanked the chord out. They used that to tie up one guy. Fortunately like most businesses the resort used landlines. That meant phone chords. Darren traced one from the phone on Phil’s desk and disconnected it then gave it a hearty jerk. It came free from the wall. He was able to use the line to make sure the other guy was securely tied up. Darren used his own phone to call the attorney general’s office. He had contacts there and no one would waste time with this once he told them what was going on at the resort. It was likely suspicions had already been raised and Darren was simply providing the proof. It didn’t take long before the sound of sirens were heard coming toward the Whipping Fern.
There was a lot of confusion for the next few hours. Darren and Alicia were right in the middle of it. Finally Darren got word his cousin had been arrested. He was sure there would be others once all the information he and Alicia found was investigated. As predicted the FBI was there in droves, boxing things up and removing them from the building.
Alicia and he set about the arduous task of getting everything sorted out for the guests. Since the resort would be closed for now they had to make other arrangements and find people places to stay. Luckily Darren had the resources and money to pull something like that off. Darren felt badly that so many people had their vacations cut short. He assured them they’d all have full refunds within the week, even if that meant money out of his own funds. It was good business, taking care and making sure that despite what happened the resort itself wouldn’t have its name too tarnished it couldn’t recover.
The next day, after the resort was cleared out he and Alicia met with the employees. As he’d suspected most of them had no idea there was any illegal activity taking place. Every one of them were worried about their jobs.
“I’ve asked you here so I can explain what will happen. From the little time my assistant and I spent here, it was clear to me all of you do a good job. This establishment is well cared for, the guests are treated wonderfully and the service is superior. I intend to reopen as soon as possible. In the meantime, I’ll cover your salaries for the month,” Darren said. He already knew a few of the employees were in jail, alongside his cousin, so he was fairly confident most the people here still needed work.
“Once you’ve all cleared your background checks, your positions will be reinstated. There will be some reorganization and I’ll discuss that with each of you as we proceed. Our plan is to have everything back up and running in about six weeks.” Alicia smiled. “With new management of course.”
“If anyone has something that is going to show up in your background check, I suggest you speak to me before I get the reports,” Darren added. “One of my management teams will be in town in a few days to start the ball rolling.
The next morning he and Alicia were packed and ready to take Darren’s private jet back home. “I think this place is a good investment,” he said.
“I agree.” Alicia started taking the ‘wedding’ rings off she’d been wearing. “I have to admit, even with getting clocked in the face that this was sort of fun.”
“Yeah, we’ll make a thing out of it. Become private corporate adult entertainment investigators,” Darren said and snickered.
“I have a job. Two if you count the extracurricular activities, thank you very much.”
“Maybe you should leave the rings on.”
Alicia stopped and stood staring at Darren, eye brows raised. “Why?”
“Unless you’d like something flashier.”
She looked down at the rings, then put them back on her finger. “I think I like these just fine. Sentimental value.”
“I think an autumn wedding, what do you think?” Darren asked. They waited outside the now closed resort for their limo.
Alicia nodded. “I like it. What is your family going to say about you marrying a black woman and one who is your secretary no less?”
“Are you kidding me? I just had my cousin arrested, closed down his business for money laundering, and beat up his thugs. They’ll be delighted I’m preoccupied with something besides what they’re doing,” Darren said and laughed. “We can stop on the way home from the airport and pick up Milo. I’m sure he’s missed you.”
“That would be very wonderful,” Alicia said as she climbed into the limo. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I’ve said this before, and I mean it: You’re a good man Darren Smythe and I’m very lucky to be yours.”
Darren leaned back against the plush leather, closed his eyes and enjoyed the ride.
Couples club of some sort—we’ve over dressed, I think we’re very underdressed
Stupid thugs
Knife to Alicia’s throat---you’re not batman.
--THE END--
Burning Desire: In the Thick of It
Brianne could not believe what was happening. How was it possible that her relaxing evening had turned into the biggest nightmare of her life? She had set out to spend time relieving stress by having a much-needed extended bath with candlelight. What she had never expected was for her house to go up in flames. Well, that was an exaggeration but it is how she felt. Luckily, the fire had been contained rather quickly and the damage was minimal. But it was still a headache to deal with and she would have to be out of her house for a few days while repairs were underway. Thankfully, she was able to count on time off from her job to deal with this fiasco.
What added insult to injury was that the fire was, in theory, entirely preventable. So not only was her head pounding and her shoulders were knotted and tense, but she also felt extremely foolish. She did not even want to think about what the firefighters thought of her.
“Excuse me? Miss?” A friendly looking firefighter was approaching her, warm smile on his face and concern in his eyes. He did not appear to be judging her at all.
“Oh, sorry. I’m a bit preoccupied… Lost in my thoughts.”
He nodded and replied, “Totally understandable. Just wanted to let you know we’re just about done here and will be clearing out. Do you have any questions for me before I go?”
Brianne looked around wearily before shaking her head.
“Alright, well, if a question pops into your mind feel free to call me.”
She took his card from his outstretched hand and waved a friendly goodbye to him and the others. She watched the fire truck drive off, leaving her with the charred house and a long list of calls to make. She sighed, locked up, packed her bags into the trunk of the car and drove off to the hotel. She was thankful, now more than ever, for having purchased such great homeowner’s insurance. They had made the transition into hotel lodging smooth for her. If only they could take over everything else I need to do, she thought.
After a couple hours of grueling phone calls, information exchange, and scheduling chaos, Brianne finally had everything settled. Her house repairs would be starting the next day, this would be her hotel room until she could go back, and the costs were covered. She threw herself onto the plush bed and breathed out. She did not even know how to relax now. Was this even something she could ease away? Despite having sorted everything out, she could not feel entirely settled down. She supposed this was normal given the situation. Instead of fighting it, she took a sleeping pill and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Brianne decided to spend some time indoors reading a
nd watching television. She had thought of working but her mind was not in the state to do so. She needed to decompress. She had been through quite an ordeal, after all. About two chapters into her book, she got a call. She was startled for a second by the ringing that echoed off the walls in her quiet room. She looked at the screen but did not recognize the phone number. Thought she normally did not like to answer calls from people she did not know, she took this call because it could have easily been anyone she needed to talk to regarding her accident or house.
“Hello, Miss Callahan? This is Cole, the firefighter you spoke with yesterday.”
The image of his warm smile flashed into her mind. “Oh, yes, hello. Is everything alright? Did something come up? Do I need to go down to the station or call my insurance company?”
“No, no. It’s nothing like that, I’m sorry to alarm you. I just wanted to check on you, see how you’re holding up. Make sure you don’t need help or anything.”
Brianne was touched but slightly confused. She did not think this was the usual protocol for a firefighter but, then again, she could not be too sure. It was not as if she had a lot of experience considering this was her first, and hopefully only, house fire. She must have stayed quiet for a few seconds too long because Cole cleared his throat on the other end of the line to get her attention. “Oh, I’m sorry. Got lost in my thoughts again. Yes, everything’s fine. I was able to sort everything out yesterday and now it’s just a matter of waiting.”
“That’s great to hear. Well, feel free to contact me for anything. Have a great day, miss.”
“You too,” she said quietly before ending the call. Something in her could not help but feel there was something slightly off about that call. She did not think it was the norm but he could also just be extra amiable. Or maybe he had thought she looked extra shaken. Either way, it did not really matter. She shook her head and picked up her book to continue reading.
Interracial Romance: Gay Romance: Bound By His Own Desires (MMM Endowed Black Men Bondage Threesome Romance) (A Billionaire's Freedom Book 3) Page 52