The Mount Series Boxset

by K D Grace

  ‘We need to be able to smell them.’ She kissed him and pulled away, off his lap, shoving her skirt back in place. ‘We need to be able to smell them,’ she gasped again, and with an effort that felt like it ripped him open, she scrambled to the far side of the bed near the headboard. Her chest rose and fell as though she were about to hyperventilate. She closed her eyes and struggled for control, and fuck if he wasn’t more than half tempted to go grab her and take her right there next to the bed – fuck the experiment, fuck it all. Christ, he wanted her!

  A few deep breaths and she once more focused her attention on the trio in the bed. David had thrust up into Livi’s pussy and Pietro knelt behind him, rubbing saliva over David’s anus with one hand. He spat onto his other and stroked his cock until it glistened in the subdued lighting, then he thrust home, and even Paulo could sense the edginess, the shift in scent. As far as he knew, these two men had never had any encounters that weren’t strictly hetero until now, but he was pretty sure Liza Calendar had just inadvertently opened a whole new vista of lust for them. His own cock ached under its heavy weight, and he struggled to concentrate.

  ‘It’s the edge,’ Liza said, breathing heavily. ‘It’s crossing boundaries and playing it a little dangerously, that’s the scent of sex Martelli needs to strive for. That’s the driving force, the creative force, and, God, it’s good. It’s so good.’

  It was a domino effect with Livi coming first, driving her heels into David’s ribs, then David following suit, with Pietro pumping out his wad into David’s ass. Paulo watched stunned as Liza’s whole body quivered in sympathy. Dear God, she was coming! The scent alone was making her come. And Goddamnit, he wasn’t going to come in his trousers again like some teenage boy, but hell he was close.

  ‘That was amazing,’ she said. ‘Is there any paper to write on because there’s something that happens with a ménage that makes for a base note that’s not there when there are just two people, not that I’ve had that much experience, but it’s something different and it’s almost like someone is … Paulo? Paulo what are you doing?’

  He ploughed around the bed and grabbed her arm, then he dragged her into the bathroom and slammed the door. ‘You know exactly what I’m doing. If you want me to think,’ he said, shoving his hand up her skirt and tugging the crotch of her panties aside until he could finger the swell of her. ‘Then you’re gonna have to help me out a little bit, because I’m way past thinking at the moment.’ He fumbled with the condom from his pocket and reintroduced his mouth to hers for the few prickly awkward seconds it took them to sheath him, then he lifted her against the wall, shifted his hips forward, and drove into her, both of them growling like wildcats. Her arms encircled his neck and her fist clenched at the back of his shirt until he could feel the gouge of her nails. The harder he thrust, the harder she took it and gave it right back, spurring her heals in his hips like he was a stallion she planned to ride and tame, and fuck if he didn’t believe she could do exactly that. It was over way too soon, but the need was too great, and they did have a job to do. He convulsed his load into her until he thought his back would break while she clenched his cock in the strangle hold of another orgasm. Then she kissed him hard. ‘Damn, you smell good,’ she whispered against his neck.

  ‘Damn, we smell good together,’ he managed between gasps for breath.

  She laughed a low, raunchy chuckle. ‘You’re learning, Mr Delacour. You’re learning.’

  Chapter Eleven

  In spite of the late night past, Jim was in early. He’d just made himself coffee in the kitchen after yet another intimate session with his cock in the bathroom. And he hadn’t slept much. He just couldn’t get what he’d seen at The Mount’s villa out of his head. He’d known coming in what to expect. Coraline had given him the heads-up and told him that if he didn’t want to be a part of the very unconventional experiments for the new line, she would understand. But if he were actually going to earn his place at Martelli Fragrance and earn the respect of Coraline and Paulo, then he’d have to grow a pair. Coraline Martelli didn’t get where she was by playing it safe and with the competition being so stiff in the perfume industry, and considering the difficult situation Martelli Fragrance was dealing with, innovation was essential for survival. Still, he’d never expected anything so bold and brash. Beyond that he’d never expected straight-shooting Liza Calendar to roll up her sleeves, jump right on in, and take control of the situation.

  ‘She’s a natural, Dom,’ Coraline had said proudly when she’d viewed the video, with Jim sitting next to her blushing like a lobster and shifting from ass cheek to ass cheek hoping his boss wouldn’t notice his hard-on. When Coraline reached the part where Paulo had pulled Liza Calendar off the bed, she brought her fingers to her lips with a little sigh. ‘On the other hand, as well as she handles Paulo’s dominant streak, it’s more likely she’s a good switch.’ That had sent Jim scrambling to the internet later to find out what a switch was. Christ! Sometimes the world of The Mount scared the shit out of him, but most of the time it had him slapping the monkey until repetitive strain syndrome was a real concern. He’d been given an open invitation to check it out, but he hadn’t managed to get up the courage. He wanted to. He really did, but he supposed his Midwest upbringing was just prudish enough that he struggled with the idea of sex on demand with different, even multiple partners. Was too much of a good thing really even better? And why wasn’t he brave enough to find out? Jim resisted the urge to view the video again. He’d already watched it three times, and each time he’d ended up with his cock in his hand.

  There was a soft knock on his door and Vera Bellini sauntered in. He tried not to notice how the round tops of her breasts played peekaboo from beneath the one-too-many open buttons of her siren-red blouse, but it was difficult when she laid a folder on his desk and leaned down until he could practically bury his face in her cleavage. She opened the folder. ‘I need these signed.’ She pointed an apple-coloured nail to where the document needed his signature, then offered a smile. ‘I’m filling in for Alessandro today. His mother’s having surgery – nothing life-threatening, but they’re close and he wanted to be there.’

  ‘Hope everything goes well,’ Jim mumbled, as he scribbled his signature, glad that she couldn’t see the swelling in the general area of his fly.

  She leaned closer, her voice nearly an intimate whisper. ‘I don’t know what went on last night with Ms Martelli, but the woman’s actually smiling. Ear to ear.’ She batted her lashes at him and leaned a little closer. ‘You don’t see that very often. You have a meeting with her this morning, don’t you? Any idea what’s going on?’

  ‘If I told you, I’d have to kill you.’ He offered her his best James Bond smirk.

  She responded with a wicked smile. ‘Well it must have been very good for business to make her smile like that. I’d love to have been a fly on the wall.’

  She had no idea, Jim thought.

  As she turned to go, she stopped at the door and stepped back to face him. ‘What does a girl have to do to get you to go out for coffee with her after work this evening?’

  He blinked, and it took him half a second to realize he was staring at her with his mouth open. He quickly recovered and offered a lazy smile. ‘All a girl has to do is ask.’

  ‘Good,’ she said. ‘Consider yourself asked. I’ll stop back by your office say a little after five?’

  ‘I’ll be here,’ he said,’ leaning back in his chair as though he were suddenly king of the universe. To be honest, seeing the way Paulo had dragged Liza into the bathroom after last night’s session had left him a little discouraged. He’d been in Rome nine months now and hadn’t actually dated anyone. Though in all fairness, his position with Martelli Fragrance had an extremely steep learning curve, and it had only been in the last few weeks that he started to feel he had a handle on things enough to breathe, enough to consider at least some semblance of life outside Martelli. He considered a date for coffee with the very well-endowed Vera Bellin
i a great beginning.

  Liza had been up since five. Though some of it was probably jet lag, most of it was the buzzing high that last night had given her. She’d not actually gotten to bed until two. Her mind had been too busy with ideas, with notes and observations about the night. She had written them up and sent them off to Coraline, Paulo, and Jim, and then from those notes she put together some thoughts and observations for the story she would do for High Rising. All that before she’d gone to bed. She’d had no idea what to expect, and would have probably opted out gracefully if she had, even though it was exactly the kind of experiment she would have dreamed up for the best way to link sex and fragrance. She was amazed at how easy it was to follow her intuition and her nose. In spite of the arousal such an atmosphere generated, she had not been nearly as uncomfortable as she would have thought – at least not once she let her nose take control.

  The very literal climax, of course, was Paulo taking her in the bathroom against the wall. She couldn’t think about it without feeling the tension below her belly. God, the man smelled amazing, and he was right, they smelled amazing together. When she was unable to go back to sleep at five, she put on shorts and went out for a walk. She knew Paulo wouldn’t approve, but she loved the feel of the city when it slept, or came as close to sleeping as it ever did. She hadn’t showered when she got home last night. She couldn’t bear washing the smell of Paulo off her body, and after the walk, it was with a sigh of resignation that she’d showered and gotten ready for the early morning meeting at Martelli. She straightened her skirt as the lift closed and she ascended to the Executive Suites of the Martelli Building. Her heart did a somersault. This was not at all what she had expected of her time with Martelli Fragrance, but she was pretty sure no one turned down Coraline Martelli. And in all honesty, as intriguing as the situation and working with Paulo Delacour was, she didn’t want to.

  ‘Good morning, Ms Calendar.’ A woman who looked well turned out enough to be a movie star addressed Liza as she got off the elevator. ‘I’m Vera, and I’m filling in for Alessandro, Ms Martelli’s PA. If you’ll –’

  ‘I’ve got it, Vera. No worries. I’ll escort Ms Calendar in.’ The wave of lightning storm and forest floor scent arrived before Paulo as he emerged from the kitchen and motioned Liza inside. Even as the muscles in her stomach did their version of a happy dance, she didn’t miss the tang of displeasure that suddenly rolled off Vera’s perfect body, and there was definitely an undertone of acidic jealousy even though the woman offered both of them a cheerful smile.

  ‘Very well then. Let me know if there’s anything either of you need.’ She gave them both a little nod of her perfectly coiffed dark hair and turned to go, her very expensive, very high heels click-clicking on the marble floor as she went.

  Before Liza had time to dwell much on Vera, Paulo nodded her into the small kitchen. ‘It was a short night. I need coffee,’ he said, as the mocha maker began to bubble out the elixir of life. ‘Want some?’

  ‘No thanks. I’ve already had enough to make a bull moose twitch.’

  ‘Then I would say you’re good for at least another cup. Everyone knows moose don’t handle their caffeine very well.’ He raised an eyebrow and nodded to the pot.

  ‘Well, OK, but only so you don’t have to drink alone.’

  For a moment he went about the business of making and pouring coffee and the air felt tight with the mineral scent of awkwardness. Then he handed her a cup and his gaze became serious. ‘You all right?’

  ‘Yes! Yes, I’m fine. Still amazed by last night’s experience.’

  He dropped his gaze to his coffee. ‘I gathered as much from the email with attachments that you sent out this morning at, what was it? Two thirty?’

  Her laugh came out nervous and high-pitched. ‘And you were up at two thirty in the morning to receive it?’

  ‘Believe me,’ he said in a scuffed velvet voice that made him sound like he’d just gotten out of bed, ‘after experiencing you in action last night, I had a lot of things on my mind but sleep wasn’t one of them.’ The look he raked over her body was so brief anyone observing would have missed it, but she felt it from the crown of her head to the crotch of her panties and all the way to the tips of her toes. And she felt the aftermath of the blush that climbed her throat, but before she could respond, he spoke again. ‘I won’t even pretend that it was just because the experiment was … stimulating. And don’t you pretend you don’t smell me right now, because I sure as hell smell you.’ Like something predatory, he was in her personal space before she could do more than offer a soft gasp of surprise. Then he brushed a wisp of a coffee-scented kiss across her lips with just enough of an intimation of tongue that she’d have dropped her coffee cup if she’d not been close enough to the counter to set it down with an aromatic splash. His warm breath feathered across her throat and her neck until she could feel the heat of his lips against her ear as he whispered. ‘Coraline tells me I can fuck you if I want, as long as I get your nose to work for Martelli.’ Before she could protest, he ran fingertips along her bare arm leaving a trail of goose flesh. ‘I’ve got news for Coraline, I would do whatever it takes to stay close to that delicious nose of yours …’ his tongue flicked over the seashell hollow of her ear ‘… and the rest of the irresistible woman that goes with it.’

  Oh for fuck sake, please say she didn’t just whimper. He stepped back, offered her a lazy cat-got-the-cream smile and handed her back her cup. ‘Best not keep Coraline waiting. She’s as anxious to talk about what you sniffed out last night as I am.’ He nodded toward the door.

  On legs that were none too steady, she followed Paulo into a corner conference room with an incredible view of Bernini’s angels gracefully flanking the Ponte Sant’Angelo that spanned the Tiber to Castle Sant’Angelo and Vatican City beyond. Paulo motioned her to sit across from Jim, who blushed and offered an overly enthusiastic good morning. Clearly last night was as much of an eye-opener for him as it had been for her, and he wasn’t stupid: surely he knew exactly why Paulo had dragged her, more than willingly, off to the bathroom after their little experiment. Paulo sat down next to her just as the not-overly-happy-smelling Vera delivered coffee and the morning’s selection of Italian pastries. She was just about to sit down next to Jim when Coraline blew into the room looking like she’d just been shopping on the Via del Corso.

  ‘Vera, I need you to take care of a few items for me while I’m in this meeting. I emailed a list to your computer.’ The dirty dishwater smell of malcontent bloomed so strong with the woman’s own damp root scent that it nearly made Liza’s eyes water. And beneath that there was something basic, something acidic hidden under buttercream. She was always amazed that no one else could smell such strong swings of emotions. The look on the woman’s face didn’t change. She offered Coraline an enthusiastic smile and nodded her good-bye to everyone at the table. Truly, no one had noticed but Liza.

  Everyone waited in silence until Coraline had opened her laptop, sipped her coffee, and carefully chosen a sweet roll, all of which she did as though she were completely alone in the room and in absolutely no hurry. She straightened her jacket of sea green linen, offered an angelic smile, and then turned her full attention on Liza, who suddenly felt like a rabbit in the headlights.

  ‘Liza Calendar, I know you’re still jet-lagged, and I am very aware of what jet-lag can do to one’s ability to focus and process information in a coherent way.’

  Lisa felt heat rush to her face and her whole body tensed. Here it was, another person telling her that her olfactory sensitivity was really something she needed to see a shrink about because it was just a figment of her imagination. She tried not to clench her hands where they lay folded in front of her laptop. Beneath the table, Paulo move his thigh just enough to touch hers, an act that felt like the completion of a circuit, and the scent that peaked between them was electric. She held her breath as Coraline scrolled through her notes, shaking her head as she did so. In her mind’s eye, Liza was alrea
dy slinking back to the Martelli flat to pack for the next flight home to Portland.

  ‘Yes, jet-lagged.’ Coraline spoke as much to herself as to anyone at the table. Then her gaze locked on Liza and held. ‘I can only imagine what brilliance you might have come up with if you’d been well-rested and if I hadn’t played the bitch and dumped such a shocker in your lap so unexpectedly. Liza, darling, this is bloody brilliant.’

  There was a collective sigh as Coraline’s face broke into a broad smile and Liza nearly slid out of her chair from the sense of relief that rolled over her.

  ‘You didn’t waste any time, did you, Ms Calendar,’ she said. ‘And neither have we,’ she nodded to the two men who sat po-faced at the table looking down at their own laptops and the copies of the presentation. ‘I dare say we’ve had even less sleep than you last night, Liza. Scent excites us at Martelli, and what we observed with you last night excited us in the extreme.’ She nodded to Paulo and offered a wicked quirk of a smile, ‘Some of us more than others.’

  Liza blushed, but Paulo only smiled to himself.

  She continued. ‘I had Vera put together a couple of slides for us this morning just so we could all look at the plan and brainstorm together. But before I did that I called human resources who are liaising with my lawyers, here and in the States, to put together a contract for you.’ Before Liza could respond, Coraline raised a hand to stop her. ‘I know you run your own business, and I also know that your partner is quite capable of taking care of things on US end until we’re finished here. Also, as I’ve said before, I’m very happy for you to take a story away from your experience with Martelli, minus anything that involves The Mount, and Paulo will explain to you about The Mount later. Now …’ she ploughed forward without asking if Liza would accept Martelli’s offer. ‘… here’s the plan. Feel free to suggest any improvements.’ She pulled up the first slide, and in typical Coraline Martelli fashion, steamrolled right on in to the main event.