Pleasure Extraordinaire 3 (PURSUIT)

by Liv Bennett

  “I’ll need at least two men to keep him in line if he protests,” Edward adds. “Make sure that they’ll keep their mouths shut. I don’t want anyone hearing about it, or else you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”

  Devora shakes her head with disapproval on her face. “Men and their violent ways. Will they ever figure out there are better ways other than violence to deal with problems?”

  “Exactly my thoughts.”

  As soon as Edward and his man leave, Devora grabs me by my elbow. “Come on. We took too long. Demyan will get suspicious that I’m testing the Pleasure Extraordinaire services.” She adds a contagious smile to her comment and urges me to hurry.

  As Devora suspected, Demyan eyes her suspiciously as we enter the suite and says something in Russian. I don’t understand what he’s said, but Devora responds to him with a giggle and sneaks her arms around his waist to give him a kiss. With that, the angry expression on Demyan’s face is replaced with a smile, and he calls his two brothers.

  Michael, meanwhile, completely ignores me and Ace’s existence and is busy talking with Edward. Taking advantage of my brief freedom, I find Ace arranging the stage and wink at him. Considering our fears, the first part of the evening has gone quite well. For one, no men took sexual advantage of the girls here, including me.

  “How are you doing?” I ask, carefully holding the urge inside me to give him a kiss. He straightens, looking down at me with lustful eyes, pushing back his shoulders to show me the endless chest of his, and my insides begin melting. Show off.

  “Not bad, except for the pain in the ass Edward Neuberger,” he whispers.

  “I didn’t know Michael had friends among politicians, but why am I even surprised. Do you know why he is here?”

  “He’s Michael’s lover.”

  I freeze with shock but move my eyes toward Edward to get a quick look at him. Not a quick look actually, because I start analyzing him as if I’ve seen him for the first time. Unfortunately for me, Edward notices my stare and glances back at me with a cold smile attached to his lips. I immediately return my gaze to Ace. “I had no idea he was Michael’s lover.”

  “Be very careful around him. He’s into all sorts of crime: drugs, human trafficking, blackmail,” Ace says in an almost inaudible voice.

  “Sounds like a man Michael would fall for.”

  “You got that part right. They’ve been together for as long as I can remember.”

  “Do you know where they’re going now?”

  Ace shakes his head no.

  “I’ve got a feeling they’re heading to the construction site. Devora mentioned a product they’re going to buy from Michael, but I have no idea how that product might be related to the construction. Ugh, I could just kill someone to figure out what this whole twisted plot is about.”

  “Calm down.” He hushes me with his index finger on his lips. “We’ll find it out sooner or later. I take it you won’t be accompanying Michael?”

  “I’d be lucky if he took me with him. At least I would get a chance to find out more about his plans.”

  He takes a cautious step toward me, still keeping a safe distance though, and casts his scorching eyes at me. “I’d be lucky if I took you to my office now and spread your legs wide over my desk.”

  I respond to his advance with a sharp intake of breath and a low-key squirm. Despite the stress and the potential dangers ahead, Ace’s words lower my guard and make my inside muscles clench reflexively. Particularly because he did actually spread me open on his desk with some mouth-watering results.

  “Devora promised to help us find Chloe,” I say in an attempt to avert my focus and his to something else other than the sexual need we have for each other.

  “Is that true? I guess I owe JJ a thank-you for getting into her, both literally and figuratively.” He winks and drops his gaze on my torso, well, below my torso. Between my legs to be exact.

  “Stop flirting with me. It’s not the time.”

  “I don’t care about the time. I need you, baby. It’s hard being around you and not being able to …” He doesn’t finish his sentence with words but his seductive stare conveys the unspoken words.

  “Not being able to what?” I ask feeling light-headed with all Ace’s flirts in addition to the stress I’ve had to deal with. “Not being able to hold my hand? Not being able to tell me how gorgeous I am?”

  “Those and more. Much more…” He widens his eyes with effect, his smile more dangerous than the entire group of men ahead of us.

  I allow the powerful shudder his presence is causing to go through my body but keep my mouth shut to keep the forceful moan inside. My brain shuts down and resigns from all logical processes. I can’t think straight even if I wanted to.

  Michael and his threats? Who was he again?

  Ace is making me crazy for him. I’m like a drug addict and need my Ace-fix so I can get my brain back. “You’ll have to wait until later. It’ll be dangerous if we both disappear at the same time.”

  “You’re playing hard to get, lady. But I won’t fall for those games.” He gathers the mic and the other equipment in the cases and together with a waiter, carries them out.

  I walk around the suite, unsure what to do. Michael seems to be busy with Edward; the Russian guests are in a deep discussion about God knows what. I remember having not called Taylor although she made me promise to call her before the evening. It’s long past the evening hours now.

  I retrieve my purse from my chair by the dinner table, glance at Michael, and when he looks back at me, I lift my hand up to my ear and make a phone call sign. He simply nods his permission and resumes his attention back on his dear Edward.

  I can’t believe he’s being so civil about everything today. It’s like the Michael who blackmailed me last week was a product of my imagination. But the reality is dark and unforgiving. He’s probably putting on a good face for the sake of his guests and will show his real side, the evil one, whenever things don’t go as he planned.

  The Shocker

  I lock the door that separates Ace’s office from the attached bedroom to have some privacy as I call Taylor. She’s at her sister-in-law’s, Adriana’s place for a dinner party but doesn’t sound exactly thrilled by it. She keeps our conversation brief in order not to attract Adriana’s attention and ends the call with the promise to call me tomorrow with the details.

  I lean back against the door, feeling grateful the evening I was dreading all week has turned out to be actually a nice get-together. The guests haven’t done anything outrageous, and to my surprise, Devora was a delight to be around. She might even provide me with information to help rescue Chloe and end this mystery behind Michael’s games.

  If everything goes smoothly and Chloe is free again, I’m going to lock myself and Ace into a hotel room and won’t let him out for a full week of non-stop indulgence until I have my fill of him. My sex throbs with the thoughts of the hot encounters I had with him until now, and I feel those were just appetizers in comparison to what I have in mind for him in our Michael-free times.

  The high levels of adrenaline running in my blood due to the stress of the evening must be causing me to have such high levels of arousal. I wonder if I’ll cool down and become my boring self again when —if—I leave all the drama behind.

  I reach down and squeeze myself between my legs. I seriously need to be filled with Ace’s cock to take the edge away. I’ll wait for him here and surprise him for a quick love session. It’ll help us both focus on the important things ahead.

  I unzip my dress half way, slide out of my bra, and zip it up back again. My nipples poke out immediately through the soft satin of the dress. I won’t be able to take off my dress because of the time limitations but I want Ace’s hands on my nipples without the barrier of the push-ups. I slip my fingers beneath the seam of my panties, over my clit, enjoying the tingles building up with my touch, and tease myself around my entrance. I’m worked up just with my fantasies and my fingers, how
much more will Ace’s able hands and lips drive me crazy?

  My heart skips a beat when I hear Ace’s office door open, and I almost unlock the deadbolt but come to a sudden halt as a man starts talking. Edward.

  I pull my hand down and push it against the door together with my ear to hear what he’s talking about, unable to believe this is the second time I’m eavesdropping on him in less than an hour.

  “Long time no see,” Edward says. “Apparently you make it your mission to avoid being seen with Michael publicly.”

  Before I can even wonder who he’s talking to, Ace replies. “That’s definitely not my intention. My work keeps me pretty busy. I have no off hours, no weekends as you can guess, due to the nature of the business I’m running here at Pleasure Extraordinaire.”

  “I hear your business has turned out to be a success. It’d be a pity if it ends up as a failure,” Edward says.

  “Why would it end up as a failure?” Ace echoes my thoughts. Why indeed? As long as the economy stays more or less stable, and the employees are dedicated to their work, Pleasure Extraordinaire should stay as a money-making machine. Unless, of course, an outsider deliberately tries sabotage it.

  “I’d hate to see it ruined, but even the most successful ventures can go downhill one day,” Edward says, and I can easily picture his menacing face accompanying his discouraging words. He sure doesn’t mean to warn Ace to be careful with his business and make wise decisions. “I’m sure you’ve heard how Berensons lost their country club within months. They thought it was a sure thing, made hundreds of thousands of dollars from it for generations, but couldn’t prevent its collapse.”

  Just as I expected, he’s indirectly threatening Ace, bullying him perhaps to squeeze money out of him, like the Mafia does.

  “We all know Michael had something to do with the end of the Berensons Club,” Ace answers, sounding casual.

  “That’s precisely what I meant. Be careful who you’re dealing with, or you might end up filing for bankruptcy.”

  “I’m a little lost here. What exactly are you trying to say?” Ace asks, impatience written all over in his words.

  “You want me to be clear? I will be clear,” Edward says. “I want to use the services you provide here, and I want it to be you who pleases me sexually.”

  My hands reach up the deadbolt with the desire to grab Edward by his collar and punch him in the face. How dare he threaten my man to get him to submit to Edward sexually? Ace is his lover’s son, for fuck’s sake. Doesn’t that mean anything?

  I stop myself as soon as I hear Ace yell, “What? This business is only for men wanting women and women wanting men, in case you haven’t noticed, and I most certainly don’t work as an escort. You surely don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “I know what I am talking about. You seem to have forgotten our past. Let me remind you how well you served me as a little kid. Don’t you remember how much you and I enjoyed each other’s company during those young years of your life?”

  My body shakes with a sizeable amount of bile rising up in my throat. Did Edward sexually abuse Ace as a kid? Oh, God, his nightmares. Ace mentioned he dreamed of being suffocated. Was he remembering bits and pieces of the trauma he had experienced while being raped by Edward? This is outrageous. How old was he? How can someone find a little child sexually attractive, let alone force him into sex? What kind of beasts am I dealing with? One kidnaps his own daughter; the other one molests his lover’s kid. What’s wrong with this world? Wherever I turn, I see dirt and ugliness.

  Ace as a little child, all sweet and innocent appears in front of my eyes. How someone can even think about hurting a kid is beyond my comprehension.

  Didn’t Michael notice it? Perhaps he knew it all along and pretended not to have seen anything. And worst of it all, Edward very likely will win the elections, and then even go up as high as the presidency. Will our future lie in the hands of a child molester?

  I don’t hear any sound, not even a creak or footsteps. What must Ace be thinking? Have the memories started coming back? How old was he when he was exposed to one of worst things a child can experience, if not the worst? My beautiful man. He has seen life in its ugliest form from early on. Lost his mother to suicide, had to watch his sister being beaten up, been beaten up himself, and this too. That’s too much. Just one of those has the power to push someone into inescapable depression; he had to go through them all. As a child, no less.

  I wish there were a peephole for me to see what’s going on on the other side of the door. For all I know, Ace went into shock and that bastard Edward is taking advantage of his unconsciousness. I decide to mentally count until ten and if I hear no sound, I’ll burst inside. I don’t care if the most wanted criminal is waiting inside. I have to be with Ace.

  “That’s insane. I don’t remember a thing,” I finally hear Ace speaking. “You didn’t touch me really, did you? You’re just talking bullshit to make a point. I’ll never find you or any other man sexually attractive. And definitely not as a child. If you really did anything to me, I’ll sue you.”

  “Please, go ahead and do it. You’ll lose your business and your credibility in a matter of hours. Not just that, I’ll make sure your sister and your little slut suffer in ways they haven’t even thought of. Is that what you want? You’ll end up being a gigolo, sucking men’s dicks to survive instead of running a million-dollar business, without knowing what happened to your sister. If it’s what you really want, just go ahead and sue me.”

  Ace remains silent for an eternity. I wish my phone could record the conversation from this far, but even if the recording had good quality, Edward would claim it was tampered or adulterated. Criminals and their methods. The innocent ones don’t have much resistance against them when they know the system so well and can easily manipulate it to their benefits.

  “What do you want from me?” Ace asks.

  “Like I said earlier. I want to have you for myself for a few hours and it’ll stay as a secret between us.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  I hear the legs of a chair scratching against the floor and footsteps follow. “Well then, feel free to expect the worst. I know where Michael keeps Chloe. She’s been in great condition so far, in comparison to what I’m planning to do with her if you decline my request.”

  “Please, leave her alone.” Ace’s words come out as a whisper. Is he crying? Very likely. I can easily picture how lost he must be feeling. Just like I did last week when Michael threatened to hurt my own sister if I didn’t obey him. I can’t believe the exact scenario is playing out for Ace too. Michael and Edward are truly a perfect match for each other, both using people’s weaknesses to get what they want. It doesn’t matter how decadent their desires are.

  “I’ll gladly do that, if you spare a couple of hours for me in the morning. Michael and his crew will be gone. You and I can revive the lustful times we shared in the past. I’ll be here at ten on the dot. If you don’t show up, I’ll have my men take care of your sister.”

  The door of Ace’s office bangs shut, and I assume Edward has exited. I’m so shocked and full of rage, I can’t move a limb. Ace doesn’t know I’ve been hiding out here, eavesdropping on probably the most repulsive conversation of his life. I want to seek him out and embrace him to remind him I’m with him in this, that he doesn’t have to fight alone. However, what can I do? I’m here because I’m trapped in the exact same situation by Michael. He will most likely choose the same decision I did. Go with the flow and follow the orders of the evil to protect his loved ones.

  I can’t look him in the eye and see the hurt, the hopelessness, the degradation. Seeing me won’t do any good for him either. His pride must be bruised; his confidence in himself—in everything—ruined. Is there a way out of this?

  A loud thud behind the door startles me, and I have no explanation for that noise. Unlocking the deadbolt slowly, I open the door to see the entire content of Ace’s desk, including his desktop and laptop, on
the floor, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Where has he gone? What’s he going to do?

  I have to do something, and I know whom I can ask help from although Ace will hate me for this. I get my phone out and dial Zane.

  The Inevitable

  “You’re a wise woman to turn to me for help,” Zane says as I nod at his bodyguard before closing the door of the Summer Suite against him, hoping he won’t eavesdrop on my conversation with Zane. “I’ve been working on a plan to destroy Michael for a long time. I was going to start my campaign in a week, but I can start it tomorrow to help you out.”

  “Oh, my God. Really? That’ll be fantastic.” I turn around to face him, excited and nervous in equal parts. He has the power to help Ace, Chloe, and me out of this mess.

  “But it won’t be for free. I want something in exchange.” Zane hums letting his eyes sweep me up and down, and I’m starting to guess what he might want in exchange. Oh, no! “I want to re-live that afternoon in your apartment. I want you weak and wet for me. I want to feel you convulse around my cock while you scream my name.”

  “Please, don’t ask me for that. I can’t … I can’t do it,” I say when I turn around and stroll to the center of the suite. When I was contemplating the worst that might happen to me with the Russian guests, how could I know the real degradation would come from Zane, the guy who promised to help me against Michael? Why can’t he just help me out without asking for anything in return?

  “Why not? You had the hots for me before. Remember?” He takes a step toward me, furrowing his eyebrows and widening his eyes in an angry, hostile way. “Are you saying I just imagined how you flirted with me the first time we met, then at the lunch? If I’d thought you had no interest in me, I wouldn’t have signed up to pleasure you as an escort.”

  Oh, we all know why you signed up to pleasure me. I keep that thought hidden at the back of my mind, though, and remain silent.

  “I’m sure I wasn’t wrong with my assumption,” Zane continues. “You wanted me as much as I wanted you. That’s why you didn’t turn me down when I came to your apartment unannounced. Isn’t that true?”