by King Key
Why did he forget to take a condom to Jessica’s house? Was he subconsciously trying to botch their relationship?
Kurt recoiled at the thought. Jessica was wholesome and good for him. He’d see her again and set matters straight. But glimpses of Gretel kept flashing through his mind.
His cell phone startled him when it rang.
“Mr. Merchant? This is Hank, manager at Mr. Workman’s main shop. We replaced your tires and we’re working on the scratches. Somebody did a real number on your car. Looks like knife cuts instead of keying. Do you have any enemies?”
“Plenty. I’m on my way to your shop.” He hung up and dialed Gretel. “My car’s ready. Meet you there?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Her throaty voice sounded smug.
When Kurt arrived, Gretel was already there. A couple of policemen were talking to her chauffeur. Kurt said to Gretel, “Hope Bruiser didn’t get a speeding ticket.”
“May be more serious than that.” Gretel’s concerned expression looked sincere.
“I’ll be right back,” Kurt approached the man who exuded more self-confidence than the others in Workman uniforms. Verifying his hunch by the man’s nametag, Kurt said, “Hi, Hank.” He glanced around. “You really keep this place neat and clean.”
“Judd won’t have it any other way,” Hank grimaced.
“Is she ready to go?”
“Afraid not,” Hank said. “The police have impounded your Corvette. They wanna compare the knife cuts with the knife they found near your car. They’ve waiting until a lab technician can run his tests. Then we’ll have to sand the rough spots, repaint it, and keep it sheltered overnight until the paint dries.”
“I’ll go ahead and pay,” Kurt said.
“What method of payment? Cash? Credit card? Sorry, no personal checks.”
“I—Damn!” Kurt slapped his thigh.
“Is there a problem?” Gretel materialized out of nowhere to goad Kurt. He marveled at her knack for getting under his skin and yearned to get under her skin in quite a different manner. As if reading Kurt’s mind, she smirked at him.
Just then one of the police officers approached him. “Are you Kurt Merchant?”
“Yes. May I help you?”
He held up a paper bag. “We found your wallet near your car. We’re taking Brewster Blunden into custody for questioning regarding the damages to your car and the theft of your wallet.” He held the bag open. “Can you identify the item?”
Kurt looked inside the bag. The wallet lay open. “Yeah, that’s mine,” he said. “That’s my driver’s license.” He was dumbfounded. “Must be some mistake. I hardly know Bruiser. Why would he do this?”
“Jealousy,” the policeman said. “Ms. Fox indicated you and her got cozy. Maybe Mr. Blunden objected. A security guard identified Mr. Blunden. And the knife.”
“Are my credit cards still in my wallet?”
“Yes, but there’s no cash.”
“May I see one of my credit cards?”
“That’s highly irregular.”
“You can take the card out if you want to. I’ll handle it by the edges and give it back. Besides, whoever took my wallet probably wiped off any fingerprints.”
Despite a dubious look, the policeman carefully removed a Visa and handed it to Kurt. He gingerly grasped the card with his thumb at the bottom edge and his middle finger at the top. Walking over to Hank, Kurt said, “I’ll pay by credit card. Please enter the numbers manually.” He sneered at Gretel.
But she remained smugly confident.
Kurt’s stomach turned. Gretel must have outfoxed him. How? He told Hank, “Here’s the credit card number.” After he read the sixteen digits, he gave the expiration date.
Hank keyed in the numbers and waited. “Sir, your card has been rejected.”
Gretel approached and put her hand on Kurt’s arm, ostensibly calming him but actually enraging him. “Remember yesterday? You stopped charges on your cards.”
“You!”
“Just trying to protect you.”
One police officer approached with Bruiser. “This guy wants a word with you before we take him in for questioning.”
Bruiser stepped away from everyone else, and Kurt followed him across the linoleum floor with large, checkered black and white squares. “Don’t let them charge me,” Bruiser pleaded. “If they nail me for this, I’ll go to prison.”
“Did you do it?”
“Gretel told me to. Sorry, man. I can’t prove she made me do it, but I’ll pay for the damages. Just don’t press charges.”
“Who says you’ll go to prison?”
“Prior conviction. Look, defacing your car was terrible. But don’t send me back.”
“Why didn’t you refuse Gretel’s order?”
“She would’ve told Sidney about my criminal record, and he would’ve fired me.”
“Probably. Wait here.” Kurt walked back to Hank. “Bruiser will pay for the repairs.”
Gretel glared at Bruiser and then at Kurt. “That is unacceptable, Hank. I’ll settle the charges with Mr. Workman. Do not take any payment from Bruiser. Call Mr. Workman if you want to confirm my orders.”
Stress pulled Hank’s face taut. Getting embroiled in a power struggle caught him totally by surprise.
“OK, Hank, let her settle with Judd,” Kurt acquiesced. “Like she said, call Judd if you want to get his approval. I’ll reimburse Gretel.”
“Are you sure?” A triumphant smile flickered across Gretel’s face. Kurt’s voluntary step into her snare reminded her of Judd kissing her ass.
“I’m beginning to feel like Judd. I’m too weary to fight you.”
“You don’t have to pay me back all at once. Consider it a loan.” She hurried out to her Lincoln and returned with a nine-by-twelve-inch envelope. “Just sign at the places indicated by the x-marks.” She took half a dozen pages from the envelope.
Kurt sat at one of the tables in the customer waiting area. “I presume ink is acceptable in lieu of blood,” he said dryly. He dutifully signed in all the indicated places and handed the stack of papers to Gretel.
“This is your copy.” She returned several pages to him.
He looked at the company logo on the first page. “Do you work for LAIR?”
“They work for me.”
Kurt’s mouth dropped open in a total loss of self-composure. “Pardon me, your highness,” he said facetiously. “I had no idea I was in the presence of royalty.”
“I’ll make you remember in the future.” She gave him a supercilious look.
Kurt walked over to the police officers. “Can you release Bruiser if I refuse to press charges? I think he was framed.”
“What makes you think that?” the senior policeman asked.
“He couldn’t have stolen my wallet. Somebody else planted it near my car.”
“So, who took your wallet?”
Kurt glanced at Gretel. “I don’t know. But I noticed it was missing when I left work last night. Bruiser didn’t rob me.”
“What about your car?”
“Maybe Bruiser defaced it. I don’t know. If he did, somebody coerced him. Anyway, I prefer not to press charges against him.”
The senior officer glared at him. “Don’t leave town. We need to stay in touch.”
“May I have my wallet?”
The officer handed it to him without a word.
Kurt took one of his business cards from his wallet and gave it to the officer.
“You know how long it took us to catch him? Don’t let him off the hook.”
“If he acts like a criminal, he’ll end up in prison,” Kurt said. “But don’t make me send him there.”
“People like you help crime spread,” the senior officer said. To his partner, he commented, “We’ll turn in a full report at the precinct. Did you get everything he said?”
“Yeah.” He slapped his notepad against his open palm.
The senior officer turned to Bruiser. “You were on the scaffold
, but the rope broke. Next time you won’t be so lucky.”
“Lucky?” Bruiser repeated. “I’ll swap places with you.”
The senior officer glowered at Kurt before he and his partner departed.
Gretel, clearly vexed, sidled up to Kurt. “When will you men learn?” she asked sweetly. “Judd tried to protect you, but I outsmarted him. You can’t save Bruiser.”
“He’s paid his debt to society. Lighten up.” Kurt forced a smile. “Please.”
Gretel peered into Kurt’s eyes. “Bruiser’s dangerous,” she said. “I like him. I don’t want him in prison, either. But he gave Rich that shiner last night.”
“Somebody was bound to,” Kurt said philosophically. “Rich is a prick.”
Gretel strained to act coy. “Need a ride? I guess you’re at my mercy. Again.”
“Maybe not,” Kurt smiled. He flipped his cell phone open and dialed. “Hi, Jessica. My car’s still at Workman’s Auto Repairs … No telling how long. Look, could I impose on you to pick me up?… I’m at Workman’s main location… Maybe you could model that black leather dress some more. And feed me spaghetti… Or whatever you want me to eat. Warning: I’m prepared this time. I brought some balloons. Bye.”
When Kurt looked up, he hoped to see anger etched on Gretel’s face. Instead, she regarded him serenely. “While you love birds were exchanging sweet nothings,” she said, “I told Bruiser to bring the car around. I’m returning to the hotel.”
“Have fun.” Dark had settled on Baltimore.
“Enjoy Jessica. After you make love to her, Kurt, I will ruin you. I will utterly corrupt you and make you pay for my wickedness. You’ll be so addicted to me you can’t help yourself. Every time I swindle you, you’ll beg for more.”
“You’re repeating yourself.”
“It’s still true.” She turned to walk away, but glanced over her left shoulder in her classic pose and let the shop lights dance off her emerald eyes. The black night sky framed her golden hair and erotic face. “I will own you, Kurt. I give you my word. Tomorrow, I’ll back up my word with action. And you’ll give me your soul.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Forbidden Bliss
Kurt silently confessed that even after Gretel left his sight, she stayed in his mind. Despite her ego—no, because of it—Gretel showed flashes of embodying Kurt’s ultimate ecstasy. The worst sex he ever had, to coin a phrase, was wonderful. But Kurt kept seeking that piquant zest he had tasted in the distant recesses of his past, and he sensed that Gretel held the key to rediscovering that lost paradise.
But Gretel’s promise to destroy Kurt genuinely endangered him, and he longed for sanctuary and salvation in Jessica’s wholesome arms. And loins. Kurt knew he’d find more than bliss and safety when he joined flesh with Jessica: Indulging in forbidden bliss with Jessica would defy Gretel and, ideally, eradicate her from his heart.
Kurt frowned. If he wanted to be free of Gretel, why did he keep defining his hopes and dreams in terms of Gretel?
When Jessica drove up in her green Saturn, she was wearing her black leather dress.
Sliding into the passenger seat, Kurt said, “I could make love to you right here. Is black leather really the essence of who you are?”
“This dress puts me in control. If you want me to take you right here, I’ll charge the bystanders admission.”
“Are you Gretel, disguised as Jessica? She’s the mercenary.”
Jessica laughed gently, shifted to drive, and drove off. “There’s some of our mother in both of us. But more in Gretel.”
“You looked so incredibly sexy and beautiful this afternoon, I forgot to thank you for the fabulous meal. Everything tasted delicious. Especially you.”
“We’ll do that again,” she said. “But not the spaghetti. I’ll make you do it over and over until you get it right.”
“Let’s make love the old-fashioned way, too. I brought some condoms.”
Abruptly she clutched his groin. “Aren’t you happy to see me? Your cock would be hard as a rock if I were Gretel, wearing one of her sleazy dresses.”
Against Kurt’s wishes, his cock began to swell. “Oops,” he said.
“Gretel’s really got you.” Despite the evenness of her voice, Kurt sensed Jessica’s brittle mood. Jealousy magnified the beauty of her flashing brown eyes, flushed cheeks, and delicate mouth. Although her mouth was wider than Gretel’s, her lips were thinner.
When Jessica reached her house, she eased into her driveway and parked. Without warning, she leaned over, grabbed Kurt brusquely, and gave him her hardest kiss ever. “Let’s go.” She grabbed her pocketbook, jumped out of the car, and ran up the walkway to her house.
Kurt followed in hot pursuit. “You look splendidly sensual in leather.”
“Thank you.” She fumbled with her keys at the door. “Damn!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Gretel and I both have the keys to each other’s houses, in addition to our own. And they look just alike.”
“Is that wise?”
“No!” Jessica sorted out the correct key and unlocked the door. Once they were inside, she locked the door and said, “Take your clothes off.”
“What about you?” He pulled his coat off quickly, put it on the coat rack in the hall, and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“I’ll indulge your leather fetish awhile. Are you ready for a night of forbidden bliss?”
“Yes!” Off came his shirt. He put it on the back of the nearest chair and sat in the chair. Pulling off his shoes without unlacing them, he placed them in front of the chair. He shucked his socks and stuffed them into his shoes. Standing, he removed his pants and put them in the chair.
“Everything,” Jessica said.
Kurt pushed his boxer shorts down, stepped out of them, and pulled his T-shirt over his head. Placing his underwear in the same chair with his other clothes, he even added his wristwatch to the collection. Kurt yearned to comply with all of Jessica’s wishes—in hopes that she’d fulfill his reckless desires. “Your dress is like a second skin,” he marveled. “Smooth, with a minimum of stitching. The simple design showcases you, not the designer’s skill.”
“You hate S&M accoutrements, don’t you? Like spikes and studs.” Still carrying her pocketbook, Jessica walked close to him.
“Can’t stand them. Maybe they make women look tougher. But the beauty of a woman’s body has enough power to overwhelm me.”
“Do I overwhelm you, Kurt?”
“In that dress, you do.”
“On your knees.” She didn’t raise her voice, but her words unmistakably commanded, not requested.
He knelt and rubbed the leather stretched across her thighs. “Soft and tight,” he nodded. “That’s how I like you. And your dress. Not stiff or loose fitting. That would detract from your shape.”
Jessica smiled. “What about the smell?” She turned her back and bent over slightly.
Kurt patted her rump. “Beautiful ass.” He moved his fingers along the curves of Jessica’s posterior, as if reading Braille. Sadly, Jessica’s derriere fell short of Gretel’s excellence. “Only one smell sexually aroused me,” he returned to her question. “Years ago a woman wore a sweet, flowery perfume.”
“Older than you?”
“Yeah.” He sighed. “Jessica, I appreciate your interest, but I’m ashamed of that period of my life.”
She turned to look him in the eye, took his head in her gloved hands, and pressed his face gently into the leather covering her delta. “You have to face that crisis some day. But not tonight. It’s OK, Kurt.” She leaned down and kissed the top of his head.
He kept his face in her crotch and hugged her thighs. He rubbed his nose up and down, trying to follow the line of her vagina.
“You tease,” she chided gently. “Stop that unless you’re ready to eat me.”
“I want to fuck you while you’re wearing your dress.”
“No,” she declined. “Screw me or screw my dress. Pick one. Could
you turn around for a moment and put your hands behind your back?”
Kurt figured Jessica was joking and played along. The closing tightness on his wrists and the two clicks startled him. “Handcuffs!”
“A present from my mother. One of her exes used to be a policeman.” She walked in front of him. “I was serious, Kurt. Tonight, I will make you practice cunnilingus on me until you learn how to thrill me perfectly.”
“I’ll make you deliriously happy. And maybe you’ll satisfy me?”
She leaned close to provoke him with the luscious vision and nearness of her shiny leather dress. “And how would you like for me to satisfy you, Kurt?”
“You know how, Jessica. Make love to me while you’re wearing your dress.”
“No,” she smiled, savoring her denial. “Love me on my terms or not at all.”
“Your body is beautiful, but your dress adds a wicked flair.”
“How about this?” She crouched and rubbed her leather-clad buttocks against his cock. His cock reached for her immediately. She rose slightly, keeping her ass inches away from his desperate cock. He tried to arch his back, but his cuffed hands prevented him from bracing himself. Jessica stood completely and smirked at him.
“God, Jessica, you’re as sadistic as Gretel.”
“Thank you. Lie down and I’ll give you a hand job.” She knelt beside him.
“Bless you!” He lay on his back and closed his eyes.
Jessica touched him softly, delicately teasing his cock to its rigid best. Her hand closed around his cock tightly, and she stroked down on his shaft in one swift, aggressive motion. Noticing pre-cum oozing out, she tut-tutted. “Kurt, you’ll have to exercise more control than this. I want to make you feel good all night, right on the verge, but you can’t cum until in the morning. I have to teach you discipline.”
“Please touch me again! Please! I’ll do better.”
She rubbed her gloved hands back and forth in opposite directions against his cock, as if trying to start a fire. “Makes you forget all about Gretel, doesn’t it?”
“I can’t forget her. Sorry.”
Jessica gritted her teeth. “Pretend I’m Gretel.”
Kurt closed his eyes and smiled. His cock swelled proudly.