EasterSpice
Page 10
I really wanted to know what Rick’s business was and how, or if, that woman I saw him disciplining had anything to do with it. The picture of him towering above that woman was still fresh in my mind. It’d been shocking, taking me back to another case where a woman had been chained to the wall for days on end, but intriguing nonetheless. What kind of “business” was he involved in? Was it legal? It wasn’t clear. Except for the flimsy curtain that had fluttered in the breeze of the ceiling fans, the whole thing had pretty much been out in the open and no one had even seemed concerned. Rick certainly had not offered an explanation, either, and he couldn’t really have expected me to believe his employee-problems story.
It wasn’t clear what Rick expected me to do while I waited. I wasn’t even sure he was coming back. The room seemed empty at first. It took me a moment to realize that the back wall of the room was actually a large screen. I looked closer. At first, I thought it was a soap opera, but this was too real to be anything on television in any country. This was real. I was watching someone somewhere else, perhaps in another room in the complex that I now knew to be much larger than it appeared from outside.
There was no sound, just a man and woman, both masked. A pang of guilt hit me. I was intruding, but by the same token, I couldn’t look away. The man came up behind the woman and stood so close to her, I imagined that she could feel his breath on her neck. He slid down and sucked on her toes, and then they were joined by another man.
“Whoa,” I said out loud. Not that any of this was normal, but I was certainly not expecting what I was watching to turn into a threesome.
The door opened and closed behind me. Mesmerized, I was almost unable to glance back over my shoulder. Rick’s confident stride seemed hurried. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I got sidetracked. I had to greet some of the guests.”
I nodded. “Of course. And Veena?”
“She’s fine. She is dining.”
I paused. I was full of questions, but I didn’t want my host’s trusting demeanor to disappear. “I didn’t think people still went on hunger strikes. And at work…?”
He narrowed his eyes. “People do many things for their convictions. It is not our place to understand them all.” He gave me a smile so weak it was almost a sneer.
I turned back toward the window. The people in my own personal movie were going at it. Both masked men were pleasuring the woman, and it appeared that she was taking matters into her own hands. She held on to the sofa with one hand while the other was down the front of her skirt. Her breasts were bare, and they were wonderful, not unlike Desiree’s.
Rick stepped to my side, his hands clasped behind his back. “Enjoying the show?”
“Does this happen all the time here?”
He nodded. “Our patrons find pleasure many ways. Some like to be watched, some watch. Everything is possible here.”
There was an awkward silence as I chose my next question. “So, is this type of thing legal here?”
Rick threw back his head and let out a belly-shaking laugh. “Mr. Comfort, this is India. Legality is directly proportional to the size of your wallet. This is an interesting place.” He paused. “I’m not the type of man to ask for permission first, and unless I was mistaken, I didn’t take you to be that type of man, either.”
I cocked my head to the side. He was sort of right. I didn’t ask permission, but I sort of obeyed most rules. “And just what type of man did you take me for?”
He stared into my face. I had to force myself not to look away. “I am a reader of people, Mr. Comfort. You are a man of integrity and adventure. You love to push the envelope.”
“Go on.” He was halfway right, but then again, everything he’d said so far could have come from a seventy-five-cent fortune cookie. He didn’t know me. He was reaching.
“Your honesty wafts from your pores. That’s how I know I can trust you.”
“Can you?”
A sly smile spread across his face. “I’m about to find out. I’m going to share with you the secret of my success.”
He was full of shit but I was curious. Maybe we wouldn’t have to uncover anything. Maybe he knew about the woman who’d died and would just tell me everything. Or maybe he was just an egotistical maniac who was going to try to sell me some magic formula for riches. “Don’t tell me you have a back room full of children in a sweatshop weaving rugs or something.”
“I promise you, I do not.” Rick walked to a control panel on the way and pushed a series of buttons. The picture in front of me changed. It flipped through a variety of rooms, most of them were occupied with two or more people, all engaged in various sexual acts. All of the occupants wore masks similar to the one I’d put on when I’d entered.
“So you run an orgy house? Is that what this is?”
“Orgies are a very primitive idea, Mr. Comfort. What I do here, on one hand, is fulfill fantasies for paying and consenting women. Women of means.”
I rubbed my chin. “So women roll up and just order off a menu?” How in the world did I get put on these cases? I couldn’t help but wonder what Elisheba had ordered. So many questions popped into my mind.
Rick’s lips curved into a smile. “Something like that. Does that surprise you?”
“A little. So every woman…”
“Of course not. Some are just here attending what they think is an invitation-only social club and have no idea what goes on behind the curtains.”
I was starting to get the picture now. “And on the other hand?”
Rick wagged his finger at me. “See? I told you. You are very astute.” He pressed buttons more quickly now. “On the other hand, we perform a very special service for families. Usually fathers. Sometimes husbands.”
Rick motioned toward the screen with his head. I turned my gaze where he indicated. The woman there was dressed similarly to the one he’d “disciplined” earlier. There were several people in the room with her. “What are they doing?” Women were sitting close to her, two by her feet.
“They are preparing her for an arranged marriage.”
And just how did that happen? Arranged marriages still happened in India? “I thought all modern Indians left the country or something and married whomever they wanted.”
“Some do.” Rick sensed my confusion. “This is a culture steeped in tradition. Many families still wish to go by the old ways. They believe that an arranged marriage is better for the family. Other people, even if they live abroad, still desire the traditional ways.”
“But what about the couple? Don’t they matter?”
Rick shook his head. “Not so much. Arranged marriage is about the overall welfare of the family. The long-term well-being of the woman, or that is how they see it. Today’s modern couple, often the woman, doesn’t always agree. That is where I come in.”
“When modern clashes with ancient ideas?”
Rick’s smile was smug. “Exactly.”
To my ears, it sounded as if the man really benefitted here. My mind whirled. I knew better, but it was hard not to impose my Western ideas here. My inner Ugly American was rearing his head. There was no way that something like this could work in the west. “I have a hard time wrapping my head around something like this—the arranged marriage part.” I shook my head in disbelief.
“That’s because you are American to your core.” He thumped his chest as he spoke. “Your traditions are very young. I have found a niche that has been very lucrative for me. This isn’t so different from the other parts of my business. It’s what the people want so I give it to them.”
“And when people don’t want to cooperate? What then? Do you hold them prisoner or something? I just don’t understand how people don’t just walk away.”
Rick’s face darkened. “No one is a prisoner here.”
* * * * *
Arranged marriages. Group sex. When I finally left Rick’s, I wanted to be next to Desiree so badly, there was no doubt in my mind that I would break my own rules. The attraction between u
s was so strong, I couldn’t imagine someone telling us we couldn’t be together because we weren’t who our parents had chosen for each other.
I made my way to her hotel and used all the tools in my arsenal to bypass security quickly. They wouldn’t even realize I’d been there. No one even looked up as I made my way to her room and let myself in with the passkey I’d bought off the front desk manager.
She was sound asleep when I entered and didn’t budge. I frowned. So much for being on alert. I could deal with her inattention to detail later. If I could get this close to her, someone else could, and who knew what their intent might be. The thought of her not being safe was too much for me to handle so I pushed it out of my mind. Anger was not the feeling I wanted to feel right now.
By the time I got to the bedroom, Desiree had turned over. She still wasn’t fully awake but at least I knew she was living. I wasn’t exactly being quiet. My body immediately responded to the sight of her lying there. My heart quickened and my pants were suddenly tighter than they were before.
Anxious, I shed my clothes and let them drop to the floor, then slid in quietly between the sheets next to her. She moaned.
“No sounds,” I whispered. “Someone might be listening.”
She was fully awake now. “How—?”
I put my finger to my lips, silencing her. I kissed her ear and then pulled myself on top of her, hovering on my knees. I was well aware that women appreciated foreplay, but this was purely a selfish visit. I had no idea what means Reed was using to keep tabs on us, and he might be watching right now, but I didn’t give a damn.
The heat from Desiree’s body rose to meet mine. I was immediately exponentially harder than a minute before. She lifted her head and kissed my neck. I had to stifle my own moans. Her touch was magic. Her lips on my neck were heavenly.
Gently, she reached between our legs and touched me. “It’s not fragile,” I said. “Grab it. Rub it, hard.”
She obeyed me, wrapped the full extent of her hand around my shaft, increasing the pressure in her grip. She moved her hand up and down my dick forcefully. I gasped. “My balls. Don’t forget.” I had to force the words out. “You know how to touch me.” With each stroke, I became more breathless. Desiree rubbed my cock and at the bottom of the stroke, she fondled my balls, driving me wild.
I pushed her hand away and fingered her pussy, pushing my finger into her up to the last knuckle. She was soaking wet and I wanted to fuck her bad. She gasped at my touch and tried to push my hand away. “Stop teasing me. Now.” Her breath was heavy. It excited me when she begged.
Slowly, I removed my fingers and gave her what she wanted. Her back arched as I pulled away. I paused as my dick touched her opening, savoring her wetness. She gasped and I drove into her, and then waited again, enjoying the feeling of her body as close to mine as she could possibly get, melting into her and enjoyed her scent. I was home. Desiree wrapped her legs around my back, pulling me closer and lifting her hips at the same time.
The sensation was so good to me, I knew I wouldn’t be able to take much. Desiree tightened those tiny inside muscles that drove me wild and I began to thrust, slowly at first and then harder. Our breath grew heavier. She was as impatient as I was. I’d seen so much tonight that went against what I knew, I needed to come home to this woman, even if it meant my job was in danger.
The intensity grew. “Give me all of you,” she whispered. “Spill into me. Fuck me.” Her words were magic. I pulled from her and she gasped. “No, don’t stop.”
“I’m not stopping.” I stood up and flipped her over onto her stomach, pulling her to the edge of the bed and angling her ass upward. I thrust myself deep into her pussy. She arched her back like a cat as our bodies met.
I grabbed onto her hips holding her ass in the air. This position gave me the most control. She pushed her hips back to meet me and moaned. Slowly, I began to thrust, letting our bodies slap together at the bottom of each movement.
I raised my hand and spanked Desiree on her ass. She moaned. “Again, please.”
When she begged it drove me crazy. “Since you asked so nicely.” I raised my hand in the air and brought it down sharply, on the other cheek this time. I thrust harder and faster, slapping her ass every third pump.
She cried out gently. “Harder.” I’d never been able to deny my woman what she wanted. I slapped her once more, thrusting myself inside her as far and as hard as possible. The pressure mounted. I couldn’t hold back another minute. She reached back between her legs and fondled my balls. We exploded together, rocking forward as wave after intense wave cascaded over me.
I stayed with her a few minutes, until her breath slowed and I remembered myself. There was no way I could stay long. Her breathing fell into a rhythm that indicated she was relaxing toward sleep. I let her slip from my arms and back onto the bed.
Reluctantly, I disentangled myself from Desiree, then pulled on my pants. I was quiet as I exited the bedroom and made my way back to the front of her suite. Something glinted by the table in the entryway, catching my eye. A mask sat on the corner of the table, one similar to what I’d seen at Rick’s place. My heart sank. Desiree had been there. Had her fantasy been fulfilled without me by her side?
Chapter Thirteen
Desiree
The alarm on my phone went off and I touched myself. My lips still swollen. I stretched, smiling. So, it hadn’t been a dream. Sam had been here with me last night. I’d thought I wasn’t going to see him while we were in India, so it had been a pleasant surprise. My body still tingled from the memory, and it was good to know that Sam wasn’t going to let a few rules keep us apart.
Although I wanted to, I didn’t have time to linger. I had to get to the office. There were things I needed to find out. I never did see Elisheba or Bala again last night. I had no idea where they had gone, either. I would let Elisheba tell me before I checked the video recordings. I also had no idea if there was more to Rick’s business. There were so many questions without a clear path to the answers.
The idea of a fantasy house was eyebrow raising, or at least it would be back in the States, but it wasn’t anything I could imagine would have someone turn up dead. And the intelligence said that Rick was definitely involved somehow. I would be surprised if Reed and his minions were wrong.
My phone rang, vibrating my purse. I’d thrown it in the corner last night, and the shaking moved the whole bag as if there was something alive in it. There were only two people who would be calling me on that phone, and I hoped with everything I had, that it was Sam. It would be good to hear him. I missed talking to him as much as I missed the feeling of his thickness between my legs.
I didn’t even have a chance to say hello. Reed’s voice boomed into my ear. My heart sank.
“I hope you enjoyed yourself last night.”
I took a deep breath. He was not as intimidating thousands of miles away. “I make no apologies for anything I did.”
He seemed surprised. “What are you? Taking lessons from Sam now? I wasn’t asking you to make any apologies. It was a general, rhetorical question.”
I blushed. “I did enjoy myself then.” I had no idea what he knew or didn’t know. Was he aware of the fantasy palace offerings?
“I’ll cut right to the chase then. Elisheba is in the middle of something. Again. We tried to view her video and there were a lot of blank spots.”
“The woman has to pee, Reed.”
“No one pees this much.” Paper-shuffling noises crunched in the background. “Find out what she’s up to.”
That was odd. There were only a few things she could be up to that would make her turn off her video unit, and after my encounter yesterday, I could only imagine what a few of those might be. “I doubt it’s much. She was never—”
“Time changes people, Desiree. You have no idea how she’s changed over these past months. All we really know is that she’s easily swayed by a pretty face. Your job is to find out which face she is looking into.”
* * * * *
The office was eerily deserted. Instead of the throngs of people that were inside the gates and lobby last time, there were only a few. The floor we worked on was worse. I could actually hear the shush of the air-conditioning units in the alien silence.
There were only two other people in the work area. I went to my desk and powered up my computer, not really expecting much. I’d have to look busy and then sit and wait for Elisheba and Bala to arrive. I didn’t wait long.
After about twenty minutes, Bala showed up. She was so noisy, it was jarring. She pulled her chair back and snatched her top drawer open, dropping her purse into it. She slammed it shut with so much force that the desk shimmied.
“The desk did nothing to deserve that,” I said.
The levity was lost on her. She glared at me, but didn’t even give me so much as a hello.
“Bala, where is everyone today?”
She rolled her chair around to face in my direction. “There is a public transport strike today. Everyone who takes the bus to work can’t get here and is working from home.”
I nodded. “I wish someone had told me. I would have stayed in bed.”
“Traffic was more nightmarish than usual. My driver could barely get through. People are just milling about. It’s crazy.” The look on her face said it all. She was disgusted.
Why did she have a driver? I knew next to nothing about Bala. Was that something her family provided, or was she being that much more cautious than everyone else? “You are very lucky to have a driver. It seems as if few of your colleagues have that same luxury.”
“Yes, I am very fortunate.”
She was giving away no clues, that was for sure. “Have you seen Elisheba? After she left me with Rick last night I never saw her again.”
Bala gave me one of those weird neck bobbles. I hadn’t been able to make out what that meant. “I’m sure she is fine. Rick’s parties are very safe for single women. We go all the time.”