BodyVibe was a transparent black Lycra mesh bodysuit with five intriguing wire leads attached to an assortment of electrodes. Two of them were flat and reminded her of a stripper’s pasties. One was the size of the discreet lipstick-shaped vibrator that Alisa had tested a few weeks ago. The fourth wire led to a small, round ball, roughly the size of a large grape, and the last wire was attached to a two-inch black plastic strip with a small, flexible cup near one end.
Alisa was excited to begin. Her nipples were pretty pink beads, and she knew if she pinched them, sharp pleasure would shoot from her nipples to her clit. If she put her fingers between her legs and explored her soft folds, she would find them slick, velvety, more than ready to accept a dildo or vibrator. Thanks to SoloPlay, she had a drawer full of both from which to choose, but tonight was dedicated to BodyVibe and exploring new territory.
She dropped the directions next to the bed for easy reference, but it wasn’t as complicated as it looked. She stood to slip into the stretchy bodysuit. Alisa admired her reflection in the full-length mirror on her closet door. The suit was high-cut on the legs, low-cut across the cleavage, and scandalously see-through. She moistened the round black electrodes with the supplied lubricant and tucked them over her nipples.
BodyVibe was definitely one of SoloPlay’s more bizarre items. She wondered if it would sell. It required a little bit of faith to go through all this rigmarole for an orgasm, and SoloPlay products weren’t cheap. She double-checked the directions to make sure she understood what was supposed to go where.
Alisa squirted a line of lube along the black plastic cylinder and pulled aside the crotch of the bodysuit. The gel was cool against her vulva as she slid it inside of her.
The most unusual-looking attachment was definitely the black strip. It was a flexible silicone cup, a little smaller than a thimble, mounted to a curved piece of soft, black plastic. Inside the tiny cup, miniature plastic ticklers waited to come to life. She filled the tiny cup with lube and pressed the plastic strip against her pussy. Alisa did a little grind to settle the juicy cup around her clit.
At last, she pulled the smallest vibrator out of its plastic sleeve, coated it with a serious amount of lubricant and pushed the small, round ball slowly into her ass. She bit her lip and shivered as it passed the tight ring of muscle.
All bases covered. She tugged the bodysuit back into place. Almost ready.
Alisa gathered the leads into her hand and eased herself down on the bed. The plastic stimulators warmed against her flesh and became less noticeable. As instructed, she tucked the wires into a metal clip and picked up the wireless remote control.
Since she was unfamiliar with the device, she chose a preprogrammed setting for her first experience, already wondering how she would describe it to Mark. She punched the sequence of buttons for a program named “Shy Virgin” and lay back against her pillows to see what happened.
Chapter Six
Mark leaned back in his desk chair and read it again, just for pleasure.
Sologirl’s BodyVibe review affected him in the usual way—like a punch in the gut and a cattle prod slightly lower. The way she described her adventures with each prototype gave him an instant hard-on every time. Like him, she was serious about her sexual adventures. He admired her tight focus on pleasure and the lengths to which she was willing to go to find satisfaction. This one began, I’m no shy virgin, but it was fun to pretend…
He shuddered in reaction.
His cell phone rang and he picked it up off his desk. “Hey, buddy,” he greeted his financial advisor, best friend and college fraternity brother.
“What’s up, bro?” Ryan asked.
“My dick. I’m reading product reviews for BodyVibe.”
“Shoot ’em over here. I could use a thrill.”
Mark chuckled. “How are the numbers looking?”
“Solid for the first quarter. Definitely high enough to launch the rest of the Originals line, but not high enough for DoublePlay. You need cash, my friend,” Ryan informed him.
“Bullshit. BodyVibe was the last prototype. We’re ready to rock.”
“It’ll cost twice as much to test your DoublePlay designs.”
“Damn.”
“Let me give you the money.” Ryan’s voice sounded serious, for him. “Your designs are fucking awesome, and so far the testing has been smooth sailing. Let me throw a million into SoloPlay—we’ll make a killing. There’s nothing like your Originals on the market, but if you screw around, somebody will leak something about DoublePlay. Patents or not, you’ll lose your golden ticket. Time is money.”
“You’ve got better things to do with your trust fund, my friend, but thanks. I’ll figure it out. It’s what I do best.”
“Don’t make me fly back to New York to kick your ass.”
“Go right ahead. I’m bigger than you are, and let’s not forget that, technically, you work for me. I’m not taking your money.” Ryan might be his financial consultant, but Mark was no slouch in the numbers department, himself. “I’ve got it under control, but I appreciate the offer. Was that all you wanted to tell me?”
“Yeah,” Ryan grumbled.
“Then I better get back to work.” Mark ended the call with his friend’s curses in his ear and turned his attention back to his computer where Sologirl’s review was still glowing on the screen.
Speaking of golden tickets, statistical analysis showed that Sologirl could pick a winner. If she liked a product, then so did the rest of the toy testers. Every single one. It was uncanny. The customers seemed to agree with her too. SoloPlay had already released the Vibrating Double Dildo in the U.S. market and it had sold out overnight in the stores and gone top ten on the website within three days. Would her other favorites do that well too?
An idea popped into his head. If Sologirl and her partner could test all of the products for DoublePlay, he wouldn’t need a product evaluation department. He’d save a bundle of cash right there. Maybe even enough to launch the DoublePlay line early. With the money he would save on testing, he could leverage the slowly rising SoloPlay Originals profits against the cost of producing the DoublePlay products and come out on top. All he had to do was convince Sologirl to test DoublePlay.
Excitement made his fingers tremble as he began to compose the e-mail.
Alisa logged into her e-mail account when she got home from work, excited to see a message from SoloPlay Enterprises. Mark must have really liked her survey.
She read the e-mail. Frowning, she read it again with disappointment.
The SoloPlay Originals testing was finished but Mark Winters wanted her to test sex toys designed for two? She thought of Crystal with a flash of longing. Crystal would have been more than game for such an adventure. Another woman? She sighed. Try as she might, she could not seem to spark an attraction to any other woman. Crystal had been special.
Of course, if she really wanted to test the DoublePlay products, she could give men another try. There must be a man on earth capable of eliciting a response from her. They couldn’t all be like Eric.
She hit reply and stared at the screen, stretching her lean arms above her head until her spine popped. Her long blond hair, released from its twist, fell about her bare shoulders when she shook her head.
It wouldn’t be worth it, she decided, rolling her neck to lessen the tension in her shoulders. Too complicated. Too risky. No matter what Crystal said, she wasn’t ready to get back out there again. She was happy with her life as it was. In fact, as soon as she composed a suitable reply to Mr. Winters, she was going to slide into BodyVibe, crawl into bed and forget all about DoublePlay. Why bother with men or women when she had a whole drawer full of toys and a stockpile of batteries?
Mark scooted his leather chair closer to his desk and stared at Sologirl’s polite refusal. He felt a headache start to pound between his eyes as he concentrated on the screen. Nothing in the text gave him a clue as to why she had refused. He had tripled the money, after all. Even if she was
as ugly as a post, a woman as sensual as Sologirl must have a dozen lovers willing to play with her. What was her problem?
He double-clicked into her file and scanned her information, most of which was useless. He knew she had been referred to the company by Crystal at Come Again, but he had no other real contact information. It was wildly frustrating to think that he knew her favorite way to make herself orgasm was facedown, with her ass raised by three pillows and the Vibrating Double Dildo strapped between her thighs, but he didn’t know her name or have any way to find her.
He scrubbed his hands over his face. This opportunity was too perfect. He couldn’t let it go just because she said no. Sologirl was ideal for DoublePlay, and he would do anything necessary to convince her. First he would talk to Crystal. If that didn’t work, he would stake out Come Again if he had to. With that decided, he jerked his suit jacket off the back of his chair and headed down the street.
Mark reached the shop door and ducked through the doorway. He made a beeline for the counter where he was glad to see Crystal, basking in the morning sunshine.
“Hello, Mark, what brings you in here today?” Her smile was silky as she leaned across the glass display case. “Are you looking for some nipple rings to match that adjustable leather cock ring I sold you last month?”
A female customer, browsing in the bondage aisle, glanced up with interest. Mark scowled. “I sold you the cock rings, Crystal.”
She returned his glare with a benign smile and a gentle pat on the arm. Mark’s skin tingled from her touch. She reached toward him again to smooth the prickles from his arm. Crystal’s jet-black hair, full lips and exotic makeup weren’t motherly in the least, but the look she was giving him reminded him of the way his mom used to look at him when he skulked in the door five minutes after curfew—reproving, yet indulgent. Her vaguely maternal manner was completely at odds with the spiked leather bustier she was modeling, the popular favorite from his Hellcat line. It fit her as if it had been designed with her breasts in mind, lovingly gripping her firm curves with just enough give in the material to bare them almost, but not quite, all the way to the nipple as she leaned toward him. It was impossible not to look, and as he did, something jogged loose in his memory. Mark filed it away to examine later.
Crystal pulled a product off the display shelf and set it in front of him on the counter. She nudged the box toward him.
“What’s that?”
“Something new. Condoms, lubricated with the highest grade silicone available on the market.”
“I know what they are, Crystal. I sold them to you. Why are you giving them to me?”
“Alisa loves silicone. I guarantee she hasn’t seen these yet.” Crystal smiled slightly.
“Who’s Alisa?”
She frowned. “Please don’t be coy, Mark. It doesn’t suit you.”
He stared, comprehension dawning.
“Alisa Mane,” Crystal repeated. “She works at the central library.”
“How do you know why I’m here?” Mark demanded.
“I’m psychic.” Crystal dropped the condoms into a bag and handed it to him. “She’s ready for you, Mark. Make sure you tell her I sent you, okay?”
“You’re really freaky, Crystal,” he said.
“Yes, dear, I know that.” She swept around the counter to kiss his cheek. Her firm, leather-encased breasts pressed against his arm. He forced himself not to look down this time. “Too bad for you, I’m not your kind of freak.”
Chapter Seven
Alisa toyed with her mouse, watching the cursor dart across her screen, unable to concentrate on the actual data. Ever since Mark Winters’ DoublePlay e-mail had arrived, she couldn’t stop thinking about sex with a partner. But which kind? On the one hand, her fantasies were always about men. On the other hand, no man had ever managed to give her an orgasm, so maybe she should stick with women.
Crystal had been able to make her come. Of course, she was also psychic, totally tuned in to what Alisa was feeling at every moment. With her, she had never had to say a word. Crystal had insisted on drawing the words out of her, but there had been no real risk. That was really the crux of the problem, wasn’t it? Sex with a partner required communication, and Alisa didn’t like to volunteer information. Still, unless she wanted to spend the rest of her life communing with silicone, plastic, metal and rubber, she should probably try dating again. She giggled as the image of entertaining her visiting parents at a fancy restaurant while she held hands with a vibrating dildo popped into her head. She had been dodging her mother’s calls, but inevitably, they would have to set a date.
“Hey, Beth?” Alisa swiveled to face her desk mate’s chair. “Do you know any nice guys?”
Beth muttered something incomprehensible. She appeared to be on the search for an elusive title, and unless someone dropped a bomb on her keyboard, she wouldn’t give up the hunt any time soon.
Alisa kicked her chair. “I need a date.”
No response.
She sighed.
The first set of automatic doors swung open in the foyer and Alisa glanced up at the security gate to see who was coming in. Sunlight bounced off the second set of glass doors into her eyes, momentarily blinding her. When the spots cleared, she saw a man. And not one of the old guys who liked to read the free newspapers in the armchairs by the windows, either. This was a tall, blond iceberg of a man wearing a dark suit with a white shirt. His tie was pulled away from his neck, as if he had loosened the knot as soon as he’d pushed away from his desk. His hard features looked carved from cold stone. Alisa shuddered, her breath rushing out of her body.
His pale blue eyes zeroed in on the reference desk, and Beth finally glanced up from her screen. “Check him out,” she said under her breath. “Hot date, twelve o’clock.”
“I thought you weren’t paying attention,” Alisa accused.
“Well, I am now.”
Alisa felt frozen to her wooden chair as the man’s eyes dropped to her nameplate. He began to walk toward them with measured strides.
“May I help you?” Beth asked, flipping her shiny red hair over her shoulders and giving him a smile that showcased every one of her perfect, white teeth.
“I’m looking for Ms. Mane.” His slight smile barely thawed his features.
Alisa eyed him cautiously. “How can I help you?”
“I hope you can help me find Sologirl.”
Her eyes widened, then shot over to Beth.
“I’ve never heard of Sologirl,” Beth chirped. “Is it fiction or nonfiction?”
“I’ve got this one.” Alisa jumped up from her chair and raced around the desk, ignoring Beth’s surprised look. She took the stranger’s arm and pulled him firmly toward the stacks. “I think I’ve seen it in the graphic novels.”
When they reached the cover of the tall shelves, Alisa dropped his arm. “Who are you?”
“Mark Winters,” he said, holding out his hand. “SoloPlay Enterprises.”
“Holy shit,” she whispered.
His laugh was loud in the quiet room, but not as loud as her thudding heart.
Alisa shushed him. “Nobody knows about SoloPlay here, and I want to keep it that way.” Her whisper was sharp. “You shouldn’t have come here.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have said no,” he replied, taking her hand.
Mark watched the creep of red on her pale skin. His blood was rising in his veins too. Crystal’s cryptic comments and Sologirl’s sexy e-mails notwithstanding, he hadn’t expected Sologirl to be so hot. Alisa Mane looked like a delicate china doll, all pink and white and blue-eyed, her long, dark lashes blinking furiously against her rosy cheeks as she tugged her warm hand out of his grasp.
“Is it a question of money?” he asked.
“No! Don’t talk about that here! This is a library—” He watched her lips move as she searched for the right words and imagined them parted, showing even, white teeth as she pleasured herself with a SoloPlay toy.
“That’s such a
stereotype.” Mark ignored her fierce glare. “I’ve definitely seen a few movies where the staid librarian whips off her glasses, takes down her hair—”
“Shut up!”
“What’s the matter, Sologirl, can’t take the heat?” he challenged.
Mark knew what kind of a woman was hiding out under the hands-off librarian outfit. The low heels, modest neckline and the skirt cut precisely at the knee did not fool him. Alisa whirled and beckoned him deeper into the stacks. As she turned, he saw a quick flash of bare flesh above her knee and maybe the hint of a garter. His cock jumped. Nope, not perfectly prim and proper at all. He thought of the money he would have to shell out to multiple DoublePlay testers until his cock finally cooperated and he could follow her without embarrassing himself.
When they reached the back wall of the library, Sologirl stopped and whirled to face him. “You aren’t supposed to know who I am! What about SoloPlay’s privacy policy? Identity protection? How dare you come here! If anyone overhears us—” she hissed.
“What are you afraid of?” he asked. “No one will guess what we’re talking about.”
“I’m afraid one of my very perceptive colleagues will figure it out! Librarians are information specialists, and the library world is not exactly a hotbed of liberal sexual politics, either. One keyword search on the Internet and I can kiss my job goodbye. If I hear you say the words,” she lowered her voice, “Sologirl or SoloPlay again, this conversation is over.”
“Fine. Can I say DoublePlay?”
“No.”
“That makes my pitch a little difficult.”
“You chose to come here, buddy.” She crossed her arms.
“It was the only address I had.”
Sologirl’s gaze pinned him to the stacks. “How did you get it?”
He hesitated. “Crystal said to tell you she sent me.”
He watched emotions play across her features. Shock. Then anger. The idea that if Crystal knew what sort of lube Sologirl preferred then they might have been lovers raced through his mind. Just as swiftly, he rejected it and repressed the stab of accompanying jealousy. Mark would stake his life, his health and the success of the DoublePlay line on the fact that Sologirl liked men.
SoloPlay: Come Again, Book 2 Page 5