All the adrenaline left her body and she slumped into his arms, weeping. ‘Sorrysorrysorry…’ she was babbling she knew but the dream had so real. She still felt the pain of the knife, of her skin being torn open, her insides cut to pieces, her blood gushing out of her…
‘Sssh.’ Theo was rocking her and for the next few minutes, he just held her while she calmed down. Eventually, she wiped her eyes and smiled weakly at him.
‘Sorry. Stupid dream.’
His eyes were concerned as he brushed the damp hair away from her forehead. ‘Tell me.’
Jess drew in a couple of lungfuls of breath. ‘He had a knife.’
She knew she didn’t have to say any more than that. Theo’s arms tightened around her and he pressed his lips to her temple.
‘I will never, ever, let him hurt you again.’
She so desperately wanted to believe him.
Max had dinner done ready for when Josh came home – it was his turn and he’d missed the last few. So it was his turn and lord knew he wanted a quiet evening in with Josh after the day he’d just had. He poured himself a glass of wine, checking the chili was bubbling away nicely and headed into the living room. He flicked on the television, putting a comedy show on for background noise.
Max watched it for a couple of minutes, knowing he wasn’t taking it in then, sighing, he lifted the heavy file from his bag. The file on Julien Gachet. Since he heard what the old cop had said about Jules’ history, he hadn’t been able to get it out of his head. Max wasn’t stupid – he’d guessed Gachet’s preoccupation with Jess hid something far more insidious, far more disturbing. He’d talked a psychologist friend of his who had run several ideas past him. The one he couldn’t get out of his head was that Jules had made Jess his sexual obsession.
‘Not when she was a kid?’ Max had asked his friend, appalled. His friend had nodded, his eyes angry and sad.
‘Probably. Has she said anything of the kind to you or Theo?’
But he couldn’t ask Theo. Theo had expressly forbidden him to look into Jess’s background but without doing so, he wouldn’t have found out so much about that son-of-a-bitch Gachet. Max felt a roiling hatred inside of him for the Frenchman. How dare he treat Jess like that? Like what? his subconscious asked him. He had to find out their family dynamic before he would risk going to Theo. He opened his laptop and found the map to Jules’ home. The house where Jess grew up.
Max decided then and there to go there – and find out just what sort of childhood his friend had…and what Jules had done to her.
The room was dark, just lit by the warm, flickering candlelight. The glass doors to the beach were open and a hot breeze blew the delicate white drapes into the room. Soft music played in the background, Lana Del Rey playing her Video Games and Theo and Jess danced slowly to the slow, sensual tune. Jess’s head was on Theo’s shoulder, his arm wrapped securely around her, his other hand in hers as they moved. A day of sightseeing, glorious sunshine and sea and delicious food and now the inky night outside had lulled them both into a sensuous fog of desire. Theo stepped away from her for a moment and picked up his tie. He wound it around her eyes gently.
‘Ready?’ He whispered and she nodded and smiled. He ran his tongue gently along her lush bottom lip then kissed her. He stepped away from her and she continued to sway gently to the beat.
Theo watched her, his eyes blazing with desire. The red silk shift dress she was wearing clung to every curve of her, and as she moved, the silk embraced the full breasts, her soft belly, the long strands of the pearl necklace she was wearing moving counter wise to her dancing.
‘Jessie…’
‘Yes?’ Her voice was soft, dreamy, waiting to be commanded.
‘Jessie, run your fingers up the inside of your thighs for me and touch yourself. Let me see you.’
Still dancing, she did as he asked, sweeping his hands gracefully under the hem of her dress, pushing it up, tracing her fingers over the soft skin of her thighs. Theo watched as she stroked her hand into her sex, her movements rhythmic with the music. He watched her masturbate herself and thought it the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. His cock strained against the fabric of his pants and silently, he stripped off, moving so he could cup her buttocks his hand. Blindfold, she started slightly at his touch but then started to grind gently back into his hands. He let her push herself against him, his cock ramrod erect. He let it lay on her skin and she moaned at the feel of its warm length. Theo took the strands of pearls from her neck and wound it around her hands, binding them behind her. He pressed his lips down onto her shoulder.
‘Are you mine?’ He whispered, his lips at her ear, his teeth nipping gently on her ear lobe.
‘Yes, sir.’
A thrill went through him but he kept his stern tone. ‘Correct answer, woman. But still I think you need to be punished.’
He heard her breath quicken, watched a scarlet flush cross her cheeks. He tightened the binding on her hands until he could see it was uncomfortable. He stood behind her, reaching around to run his fingers up and down her belly as he moved her towards the sofa.
‘Bend over and open your legs, girl…’
She did so and he thrust into her sharply from behind, feeling the soft moistness of her stretch and envelop his cock, which by now was so diamond hard he thought he might explode. Jess gasped at his force and he smiled.
‘Ask me…’
‘Fuck me, please sir, fuck me…’
He slammed into her, hearing her moan. He gripped her hips, digging his fingers deep into the soft flesh of them.
‘Ask me again.’
‘Please, sir, fuck me, fuck me harder…yes…god…’
Theo did as she asked, ramming his cock as hard as he could into her deliciously wet cunt. Jess moaned and he could feel her whole body trembling. He pulled out, flipped her and pushed her down onto the couch. He wanted to look at her, her lips, her breasts, her belly as he fucked her. Her golden skin shimmered with sweat and heat as he plunged into her again. He lifted her legs over his shoulders and pushed the blindfold from her eyes. He had to see the love in her eyes and now there was a fire too, a new fire, one of being possessed and wanting to be possessed. By him alone. She was his.
Theo came, his cum pumping into her so forcefully he shuddered at the release. Jess was panting beneath him and he lifted her into his arms. She leaned into his embrace and they were kissing. He released her hands and she wound her arms around his neck. Neither of them spoke – there was no need for words. Their kissing was tender, loving, tasting each other. Jess gathered her necklace into her hands and cupped his cock, running the pearls over his skin, stroking them against his sac until he was half-crazed with arousal. Jess straddled him and guided him into her, riding him slowly, teasingly, taking more of him into her every time she moved until their bellies touched. He felt himself swell and fill her entirely and then she was trailing her fingernails up and down his back. God, he wanted to consume her, be inside every part of her. He reached over to where he’d left the toys they had bought with them and grabbed a dildo, some lube. He covered the toy and his hands with lube and reached around her to part her buttocks gently. Looking into his eyes, Jess nodded, smiling and he began to push the dildo slowly into her ass as she rode him. Soon their rhythm matched and Theo felt an elation he’d never felt before. They were one person now.
‘I love you…’ He whispered and felt her clench her vaginal muscles around him. She was moaning now, and he felt the hot rush of her orgasm flood over his cock. He swiftly moved so she was under him, pulling out and ejaculating on her belly.
Finally, near exhaustion, they lay on the couch, wrapped in each other. Skin on skin, sated and delirious, they fell asleep in the others’ arms.
Max sat in his car outside the big house, waiting for any sign that Jules Gachet would be leaving for the day. He didn’t have to wait long. Jules’ gray Audi R8 sped out of the gates just after nine a.m. and Max wasted no time.
The woman at
the door had a kind face and a rounded, well-fed body. Max wanted to hug her immediately. He told her he was a friend of Jess’ from college. The woman – Camilla – had squinted at him doubtfully but invited him in anyway. He soon found he couldn’t lie to her for long, and gave a shrug of his shoulders.
‘I’m Theo Storm’s best friend – so that makes me a good friend of Jess too.’ He gave her the woman a grin and she smiled back, won over.
‘That’s better. There're too many lies in the world - and definitely too many in this house.’
She ushered him into the kitchen. ‘Have you had breakfast?’
She made him a huge stack of the most heavenly blueberry pancakes and sat down with him, a huge cup of coffee in her hand. ‘So, Mr…?’
‘Max. To tell you the truth, I’m not supposed to be here. Well, Theo would kill me. But he’s worried. We both are. There have been incidents between your employer and Jess that have left her scared and bruised. It has to stop but she won’t press charges. It would help to know how to help her if I knew something of her upbringing…what the dynamic here was.’
Camilla was silent for a moment, looking out of the window, then she sighed. ‘Jess came here fifteen years ago when Mr. Gachet Sr. married her mother. Julien was away then but he came back a couple of years later. He claimed Jess straight away, was possessive, drove her friends away, was always with her. We just didn’t realize how bad his…fixation was. When the parents died and Jules was left to run the estate…that’s when things got really bad. He tried to control every part of her life and she had to move out. He still never leaves her alone. He uses money to control her – which makes it worse and the other day, I found him…’
She fell silent and Max waited, patting her hand. The woman struggled to speak for a time.
‘Camilla?’ Max’s voice was gentle. ‘Do you think he abused her? Sexually? Physically?’
Camilla burst into tears. ‘I should have protected her…I should have…’ She was sobbing now and Max put his arms around her to comfort her.
Driving away from the house a short time later, Max’s heart was thumping unpleasantly against his ribs and he felt guilty about invading Jess’ privacy. But Julien Gachet was a sick and twisted fuck that she’d been forced to live with and who was still trying to control her. Max was betting that once Theo Storm – international billionaire came along – Jules had panicked at the thought of losing Jess to someone who could help her gain freedom from him. He smirked humorlessly – Jules was exactly the kind of misogynistic asshole who would think Jess would find ‘someone better’ just for the money Max may not have known her long but he knew for sure that Jess loved Theo despite his great wealth.
Max decided he would try and warn Julien Gachet off. If he’d learned anything growing up a fat gay Jewish kid, was that bullies were ultimately the worst kind of coward. Theo’s wealth and influence far outstripped this little piece of human crap.
I owe you, Theo, Max thought, this one’s on me. He pressed his hands-free on the dash. His assistant answered.
‘Jenny? I need you to arrange a meeting.’
They ate breakfast in a comfortable silence, Theo lacing his fingers with hers as they sat at a little table on the deck outside. The ocean crashed sedately onto the white sand a few feet away and Jess sat back, shaking her head slightly and smiling.
‘What?’ Theo grinned at her expression.
She turned to him, her eyes shining. ‘This week has been heaven. Actual heaven. You know something? I never wanted money, it wasn’t something that we ever had before Mom married my stepfather. She didn’t marry him for it, she fell in love and it actually took him three attempts to get her to say yes. She was worried we’d get too attached to the good life, that it would make me lazy and unambitious as far as my education went. It didn’t, of course, she’d raised me right and despite our new wealth, we didn’t do over-the-top stuff. I mean we got to travel and I’m so grateful for that but today, here with you, I can see how having money can give you little peeks at what the good life could be. Of course, if we came here too often, it would ruin it.’ She glanced back at Theo and grinned. ‘Sorry, I’m rambling. What I meant to say was thank you. Without you, it would mean nothing.’
Theo was moved beyond words so he leaned over and kissed her. ‘Want to go for a cheesy romantic walk on the beach?’
‘Hell yes, I do.’
Theo laughed and stood, offering her his hand. ‘Come on then.’
They walked for miles along the bright white sand, Jess taking in the wild beauty of the hills that rose in the center of the island, seeing tiny houses dotted occasionally amidst the palm trees.
‘Is there a town here?’
Theo nodded. ‘A small one but it’s pretty lively. They have a great little music venue of you feel like dancing…again.’
She laughed and hugged him. ‘Always…in fact…’ She grinned wickedly and skip away from his reach.
Theo gave her a bemused smile. ‘What?’
She kissed him. ‘Take me dancing tonight and you’ll see…’
Jules Gachet waited at the restaurant of Theo Storm’s new boutique hotel, feeling edgy and irritated. Camilla had given him the message quickly then made herself scarce without explaining who had called and why.
But it piqued his interest. ‘Your presence has been requested for lunch at the Stormfront Seattle Private Restaurant at 1pm, Thursday. I look forward to meeting you. Maximillian Zeigler, Vice President, The Stormfront Corporation.’ For a second he’d been confused until he remembered it was that bastard’s company, the one who was screwing his Jessica. Still, it was free lunch and he’d listen to whatever empty threats Storm’s muscle made and then ignore them. He’d punish Jessica for the threats when she returned from wherever she’d gone with that asshole. Maybe his goon he was meeting would tell him where.
Max Zeigler was impeccably dressed in a suit that was tailored to fit his slightly rotund body. His face was soft, doughy but there was no mistaking the steel in his dark gray eyes. He shook Jules’ hand very briefly then gestured for him to sit.
Jules smirked, picking up the glass of Lagavulin he’d ordered and draining it. ‘So, how I can I help you, Mr. Zeigler.’
Max’s smile was chilly. ‘Mr. Gachet, I’m not one to mince my words so here it is. You will end each and every claim you think you have to Jessica Wood. You will not contact her at any time in the future. You will continue to honor the commitments you have made to Jessica’s chosen projects.’
Jules was almost speechless then he burst out laughing. ‘Did that actually just happen? Or is this some elaborate joke? What possible business is my relationship with Jessica Wood of yours? I mean, apart from the fact your boss is screwing her. What on earth makes you think you can tell me what to do?’
Max leaned forward and the anger in his face made Jules rock back a little. Max cleared his throat. ‘Because, Mr. Gachet, if you don’t then I will have no option than to ask the police to investigate you. You, Mr. Gachet, are an abuser, a manipulator and I’m pretty certain you’re a pedophile. You have repeatedly assaulted Jessica over God knows how many years. I believe it began when Jessica was twelve years old? Statutory rape would give you twenty-five to life. Attempted murder – sorry, I mean repeated attempted murder, man, you would never see the outside world again.’
Jules stared at the man in front of him, barely believing what was happening. That fucking bitch. He gritted his teeth.
‘Whatever Jessica has told you…’
‘She has told me nothing. Mr. Storm asked me to have you investigated after the last time you tried to kill Jess.’
‘’Jess’ now is it? You screwing that whore too?’
Max went dangerously quiet and Jules noticed his fingers tapping the table. For once in his life, Jules was actually scared. ‘Fine,’ he said, standing. ‘You get your way. She’s pretty much all used up now anyways,’ he added spitefully and was gratified to see Max’s expression of disgust.
He stalked out of the restaurant, snapped at the valet to bring his car around. He’d never felt this kind of smoldering white hot rage before. Of course Jessica had told Storm everything; she clearly had some sort of death wish. I’m going to help you out with that real soon, Jessica…
Whatever. Right now, he wanted to get trashed and laid and forget everything about this afternoon’s humiliation. There would be plenty of time to plan his revenge.
Max needed three showers to get the lunch meeting off of him. He dried himself off, listening to the television from the other room. He’d just grunted at Josh when he got home, his mind still whirling, and now he felt guilty.
His husband was sprawled on the couch and Max bent over and kissed him.
‘Sorry.’
‘Forget about it. I ordered pizza, come sit with me and chill. You look like Frodo at Mount Doom.’
Max snorted with laughter and slumped into the couch. Josh threw his arm across his shoulders and studied him.
‘What’s up?’
Max was silent for a minute then grabbed the t.v. remote, muting the sound. ‘I need to talk this out with someone but I need to know it won’t go any further until I say it can.’
Josh, his usually merry eyes flat and worried, nodded. ‘You have my word, babe, always.’
Max drew in a long breath and told him everything from Theo telling him of the attacks on Jess to the meeting with Jules Gachet this afternoon. Josh listened with obvious horror in his expression. When Max finished, he got up and grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge, pouring them each a glass. After a moment, Josh looked at Max.
‘You have to tell Theo. Even if you did overstep the mark. Jess could be in serious trouble if this asshole decides to punish her for involving you and Theo.’
Max rubbed his hand over his face. ‘I know, I know, it’s just…crap, Josh, should Theo really be dragged into something for a girl he’s known for so little time? No, don’t answer that. The bottom line is he loves Jess – hell, I love Jess and unless this asshole is removed from her life once and for all, I can’t see them being able to live happily…’
The Billionaire Bad Boy Club: A Bad Boy BDSM Holiday Romance Page 37