The Baby Pact

by Riley Rollins

  And had him refuse me. It was that memory, more than anything, that was still painful. I’d acted cheap and wanton. How could I be surprised that he hadn’t wanted to see me again?

  I spread the last layer of thinned white chocolate onto the cake sculpture, smoothing it to the texture of glass. When it was dry, I would begin the airbrushing, creating highlights and shadows… visual texture. Without a doubt, it was the most incredible effort we’d ever achieved. I sighed and stood back, leaning my chin to one side, making mental notes. It was so large that the transport would be the biggest challenge. That’s why we’d created it in two large pieces. I’d need at least thirty minutes to assemble it on site…

  I wiped off my hands and rummaged for my phone. Punching in Sutton’s number, I leaned back and put my feet up for a blessed minute of relief. I listened to the ring, and the click as he picked up.

  “So, how’s my sweetheart?” he asked. I smiled, used to his casual flirtatiousness by now. “Is my Bacchus ready for his bacchanal?”

  “I think you’ll be pleased,” I replied confidently. “Just keep in mind, he’s not all in one piece, not yet. I can send photos by the end of the day.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” he said, his voice deep and teasing. “So what is it you need, right at this moment? What’s your pleasure…?”

  I ignored his tone. “I know we scheduled to begin set up at four. Is it alright if we come half an hour earlier?”

  “You can come as early and as often as you want,” he replied smoothly. I pressed my lips together, glad he couldn’t see the expression on my face. Then I heard a voice in the background. It wasn’t Chase, but it was male and it sounded urgent.

  “She’s threatening to go to the press,” the man said. “Apparently half a million wasn’t enough.”

  I heard a loud shuffling against my ear, as if Sutton was trying to cover the receiver with his hand. I had to strain to make out his muffled reply…

  “Then offer her more. Or buy her a fucking car. I don’t give a shit. They all have a price… Just find hers… and shut her up…

  I sat blinking for a second as he came back on the line. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’ve had something come up. Can I give you a call back?” He sounded casual, but not without effort.

  “Of course… no rush…,” I answered as the line went dead. I put the phone down and sat for a few moments longer, letting my aching feet rest just a little longer… and wondered…

  “You never introduced me to your young man,” Gran complained as I tucked her covers in for the night. It was late for both of us, and she was irritable. I was utterly exhausted. “It sends a poor message… He’ll think you don’t come from a decent family.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry,” I apologized, sitting down beside her. “He never picked me up here like we’d planned. At the last minute, we ended up meeting at his sister’s house and having dinner with her.” I looked away, remembering the rest of the evening, grateful for the dim light of her bedroom. “It wasn’t really like a date…”

  She made a soft clicking sound and I looked up to see her smiling. It was the first time in a very long time and she looked suddenly very different. Softer, younger… more like the kinder woman she had been in my childhood.

  “Well,” she said, looking at me and nodding. “He sounds like a gentleman,” she said approvingly. “His family clearly matters to him, and he made sure you were properly chaperoned.”

  I had to smile too then, at her old-world ideas as well as the irony. If she only knew how very improper we had been...

  “He is a gentleman,” I said, as she took my hand and stroked the back with the pad of her thumb. “And his sister, Amelia, is just a lovely person… She’s going through a hard time right now and he wanted to be there for her.”

  She nodded again and leaned forward to drop a dry kiss on my cheek. She smelled like lavender and baby powder, and the gesture nearly brought me to tears. It had been a long time since she’d made such a display of affection.

  “Well, just remember, I still expect an introduction the next time he calls for you,” she said. “Don’t forget. Since you’ve already met his family, we certainly want to make a good impression… And nice young men don’t come along every day.”

  I poured her water, and dropped her pill into her papery thin palm. All I gave in response was a smile, and a soft goodnight as I closed her door. I didn’t have the heart to tell her there might not be another chance. That I might have ruined my chance, my one chance, with the kindest and most exciting man I had ever met.

  I climbed into bed and pulled up my own covers, a thousand questions racing through my mind. About the party tomorrow, and if Reese and I would be able to manage it on our own. What it would be like...and what might happen… at the most exclusive and decadent party the city had ever seen. It was frightening, but it was exciting too. The idea of being somewhere, even for just one night, where there weren’t any rules… I couldn’t sleep as my imagination ran wild.

  I wondered if Chase would be there. What would it mean if he wasn’t?

  And what it might mean if he was…

  29

  Chase

  The party was already in full swing by the time I arrived, and my patience pushed almost to the breaking point. I’d wanted to be early enough to keep Emily in site from the very beginning. But Ben had called me in to help him manage one of Sutton’s problems. Pamela, the girl in the pink Prada heels from weeks ago. The daughter of the fucking senator…

  “Word’s gotten around this time,” Ben said quietly. “And he still went on with this…” We were standing in a quiet spot on the second floor landing. From there, we could overlook most of the entire first floor. Emily’s Bacchus masterpiece stood in the center on an ornate table decorated with heaping grapes and tangled floral vines. Wine flowed from the goblet in his hand into a pool at his feet. His sculpted features smiled, leering at the guests as they filled their glasses. And lining the circular foyer like a backdrop were nude young women, standing like statues, their bodies highlighted in glittering gold paint, They too, were draped with garlands and grapes, but they were warm, living… I watched one of the guests reach out and cup a round breast.

  “He doesn’t care, Ben,” I said. “He never did. And short of barring the doors, we couldn’t stop him tonight. But I’ll tell you this. I’m only here to keep Sutton from making things any worse than they already are.”

  Ben shook his head, looking as disturbed as I felt. “Just like you, Chase, I’m done with this shit…”

  “So we’ll do what we can to keep Sutt contained,” I answered, nodding. “I’m putting… pressure… on Jason, to end the wagers.”

  “Blackmail, you mean…?”

  “Whatever works,” I replied. “He’s already backed down.”

  We shifted out of the way as a couple made their way past us to find an empty bedroom. The girl’s top was unbuttoned to the waist and her breasts spilled out, jiggling as she stumbled by. “If they want to have fucking orgies, we can’t stop them. But the competition, the game… and the wagering have got to stop.” The couple disappeared, not bothering to close the door behind them. “I haven’t said anything yet, but I’m working on a contract to buy Sutton out of Envisager. Let him live his life however he chooses, but I don’t want his choices putting the company at risk anymore. Not one more day.”

  “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m behind you,” Ben said. “I just hope we can wrap this evening up tonight without any more crises to handle. I know your honesty went a long way with Pam, but she was still pretty upset…”

  “Just keep your eye on Sutton,” I replied. “Do what it takes to keep him from fucking up tonight.” I felt a rising sense of urgency inside, disturbed that I hadn’t yet seen Emily. I looked down at the throng of dancers and the couples who’d moved toward the corners of the huge room. Some of them fucked discreetly… some of them displayed their pleasure for all to see. There was a woman kneeling by Emily’s centerpiece
, sucking a man’s bared cock… smears of gold paint glittered from his loins… and her face…

  “But one thing has to come first…”

  When I found her, she was wearing that fucking hot little outfit she’d had on the first time I’d seen her. Lacey frills just skimming the sweep of her ass… and the same black net stocking made my fingers itch to tear them off. She was standing at the end of a short hallway with a tray in her hands. The drinks on it tipped precariously. All her attention was focused on something only she could see. I took a few more steps and looked through the open doorway. I was only a few feet behind her, but she stood riveted, unaware.

  Sutton had a new girl with him… a redhead this time. She was nude except for the thin leather strap that bound her wrists. Sutton had tied her hands to the top of one of the polished wooden posts of the heavily carved bed. Her back was to him and deeply arched. She leaned her chest against the post, her heavy breasts straddling the ribbed wood, as he held her by the hips and drove himself into her from behind, over and over again. I heard Emily’s breath catch in her throat as Sutton lifted the girl by the knees. He drew her body up tight like a bow, spreading her legs wide. He gripped her, using her legs as levers to lift her body up and down on his cock. Her entire weight was suspended by her wrists and his dick. It looked impossible…

  “Emi…,” I put a hand around her to steady her, anticipating the jolt that ran through her body at the sound of my voice, so close behind her. “Come… please… Come with me…”

  I took the tray from her and put it down on a narrow table. Her eyes were huge, no doubt from what she’d just witnessed, as well as from the shock of getting caught. But she let me lead her into a short, dark hall. At its end, a pair of black wrought iron doors opened to a small balcony. I led her out under the night sky. Stars sprinkled the sky like diamonds, flickering with color… watching us…

  “I wasn’t sure I’d see you again,” she began. She smiled up at me and I could see her lips quivering with the effort. “I’m glad to have the chance to apologize,” she went on. “The alcohol’s a poor excuse, I know… But I’ve never done anything that before.” She looked down, then back up to me, her brows furrowed. “The last thing I wanted to do was offend…”

  I pulled her to me, molding her body to me, crushing her mouth with mine. I burned a trail of kisses down her throat, tasting the sugary dust on her skin. “I told you once I’m no fucking gentleman,” I ground out. “And there’s nothing that could make me stop wanting you…” I lifted one of her legs by the knee and wrapped it around my hip. She sucked a shivery breath through her teeth and the sound cut deep inside me. “I couldn’t fucking take advantage,” I said, my own words coming out rough and breathless. “But I do want you, Em…

  Now… more than ever…”

  She made a sound in her throat, like sweet relief mixed with desperation. Then she leaned into me and the last of my good intentions fled. Desperate, needing to see her skin, I pushed her luscious breasts up, until rosy pink nipples popped over the top of her neckline. Her bodice was tight and held her up high, pushing the her breasts together and making them even rounder. They spilled out, creamy and sweet, quivering with her movements. I groaned, unable to hold back and took each hard peak into my mouth, rolling and sucking each in its turn until she was moaning as well. When she wrapped her legs tight around me, I lifted her ass, resting her on the balcony rail. I reached to the heat between her legs, pausing only long enough to look in her eyes. It lasted only a second, but it was the only chance I had left to give her… one last chance for her to stop this. Her stockings stopped at the very top of her thighs. There was nothing but a thin layer of lace covering her…

  “Don’t stop,” she whispered. “I couldn’t bear it… not now…”

  She wrapped her arms around my neck as I freed myself. A second later, lace pushed aside, I was buried inside her. Hard and huge, but slippery wet, I’d hilted myself in a single strong thrust. My mouth was on hers swallowing the cry she made… and her whole body shuddered, working to take my length and girth. I waited until I felt her breathe… That’s when I drew a long stroke back, only to push back in again…

  “God… Chase… oh, god…,” she was gasped, frantic. She was tight inside. Sweet and hot and tight…

  I heard voices below us, on the deck, and took her hips in my hands, pulling her against me. I lifted her away from the balcony, away from prying eyes… and pressed her back to the wall of the house. She wrapped her heels around my waist and in that moment I wanted nothing more than to have her alone, all to myself, up at the cabin. And then she moaned again… and writhed on my rock hard shaft… “Fuck me…,” she whispered against my ear, unleashing the fury of my own pent-up needs.

  She clutched at my back, digging her nails into my back as I drove into her. I felt her pussy clench my cock, driving us both to the edge in the same instant. It was fast and it was powerful. One last hard thrust and she held me tight, squeezing me as I emptied myself into her. We rocked together, our faces buried in each other’s shoulders, muffling the sounds of driven ecstasy as we came…

  But from somewhere far below us, another voice rose up… shrill and furious. I lifted my head, still lost in the last waves of orgasm. I looked into Emi’s sweet, innocent eyes and recognized…

  Pamela’s voice. She had lost all control. And she had come to make good on her threats. She had come to tell the truth. And I knew in a single second,

  the game was up.

  30

  Emily

  “Stay with her, Ben… please.”

  We’d barely had enough time to straighten our clothes before he had suddenly appeared in the doorway. But the startlingly loud sound of the woman’s voice had pulled us apart pretty fast. She’d been screaming Sutton’s name… and something about the press…

  “Stay with Ben, Emi. I’m sorry… I’ll be back as soon as I can. And I’ll explain somehow… I promise you.” Chase’s face was white. He turned to Ben. “Get her out of here,” he said quietly. “Take her to the office…. The cabin. Anywhere but here. Just get her out of here.” He took hold of Ben’s arm and I could see his knuckles whiten. “And no photographs.” Ben nodded and in the next second, Chase was gone.

  “What is it… what’s happening? Ben… tell me.” He had me by the elbow and was guiding me fast, past open doorways, down a narrow set of stairs that led to the kitchen. I glanced in one of the rooms and caught a flash of a naked woman. She was bent forward, sucking the man sprawled on the bed. Behind her another man was holding by the hips, fucking her in hard, short thrusts. Her breasts hung down, swinging with his movements…

  “The woman you work with… Where is she?” Ben’s voice startled me as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked back.

  “I sent her for another case of champagne…,” I replied, pulling against his grip on my arm. “She isn’t back yet. I want to know what’s happening. And why Chase told you to take me…”

  “Not now,” he cut me off firmly, but his face was lined with concern. Something inside told me to trust him… I just needed to know what I was trusting him with. “I’ll explain what I can in the car, but I need to get you out of here… please…”

  “It’s no good. Not here…”

  Ben had pulled the car in across the street from Envisager. The tower was lit to the top, and the main entrance thronged with news cameras and reporters. Vans lined the street, and glaring light were being set up to illuminate the glass lobby.

  “That woman, the one who was upset…” I felt foolish for being so slow to put the pieces together. “She did it… she told the press, right? That’s what this is all about… She’s trying to create a scandal about the party…” I flashed back to what I’d overheard on the phone, and Sutton talking about giving a woman more money…

  Ben pulled back out onto the road. “I’m sorry, Emily. But if they’re here, they’ll be at his townhouse, too. It’s gonna have to be the cabin.” He shifted gears and accele
rated as we hit freeway traffic. “It’s not much more than an hour. But it’s private… not even a handful of people know where it is.”

  “I don’t understand all the cloak and dagger, Ben,” I said, watching the side of his face as he drove. “I get it, that this girl can cause a huge scandal, especially if word gets out about that party… Was she his girlfriend… or his ex?”

  “They were involved,” he said, shifting again and speeding up. “Briefly.”

  “And she wanted to make a scene… but that’ll blow over. The publicity’s bad, but it has nothing to do with the company. Nothing to do with Chase. And less than nothing to do with me.”

  “You’re involved because you matter to Chase,” he replied. He gave me a quick, sideways glance, enough for me to see that he didn’t like our situation any better than I did. “I’m sorry, I can’t explain any better than that, Emily, but it’s for him to tell, not me.” I saw kindness in his face when he smiled at me. “But I’ll stay with you until he comes… And I know he’ll do his best to help you understand.” He turned his eyes away and slowed the car as we turned off onto an unpaved road, lined with trees. In the darkness, they loomed over us, narrowing the road and the sky ahead into nothingness. “If you need to let anyone know you won’t be home tonight, call now,” he said. “Cell coverage can be spotty out here.”

  I reached for my bag and shuffled inside with unsteady hands. I should call Tam… have her tell Mrs. Williams I’d be spending the night at Reese’s… The thought of worrying Gran made my hands shake even more… Then Ben’s hand rested, warm and unexpectedly comforting, on my shoulder. “Chase will come as soon as he can,” he said reassuringly. “It’s gonna be okay… at least, I hope it will be.

  Chase is an unusual man, Emily. And he’s led an unusual life.” He shot me a glance filled with concern. “I also know there are things he would change… if he could…”