by Alexa Riley
“But you have the video?”
“I have it for now. As collateral.” He gives us a cocky grin, knowing he has the upper hand.
Suddenly, Cupid comes over and lays a sheet of paper on the desk.
“This contract states that Mr. Townsend would like to hire Mandy on a temporary basis at the Snake Eyes casino, and in turn you would hire me. Think of it as an exchange, but with a dramatic flair.” I’m surprised he doesn't throw glitter in the air as he says it.
“Why would we do this?”
I look at Aaron in shock. “Are you seriously considering this?”
He gives me a look, and I understand. That farm is everything to Stella, the whole reason she was even doing this, and burning it down would be the ultimate slap in the face after her years of dedication to it. Not to mention the media scandal it would cause if that video leaked. She has known enough pain, and the need to keep her from feeling any more of it is like a driving force for us.
Cupid lays three pens on the desk. “The terms are simple. Sadly, there are no sexual servitude clauses. I would’ve loved to have tried on the two of you.” He smiles at his own joke and continues. “One month of service to the casino. Mandy and I will be treated as any employee and made to do only the required tasks. At any time during the month, if either of us feels too much is being demanded of us or we are asked to do something we aren't comfortable with, we can terminate the contract on our own and go back to our previous employer. It’s that easy, and believe me, I know the demands you two make of Mandy, and I wouldn’t have agreed to it without a way to get out.”
I pull my arm out of Aaron's grip and pick up the contract. It’s one page long and easy to read. There are a few rules, but they are all standard and nothing looks out of the ordinary. Still, I don’t get it. “Explain this to me, Charles. Why are you doing this? I don’t understand why you want Mandy.”
“I have my reasons, and ultimately I want to make sure she’s happy where she is.”
Mandy’s been with us since she was nineteen, and though she’s been wonderful, we’ve been selfish. We’ve demanded a lot from her, and she’s sacrificed everything for us and our casino. Maybe Charles is right. Maybe we have enslaved her. It’s clear he means her no harm, maybe he just wants to be near her. I understand the feeling— being willing to do anything to just be near the woman you want. I’m standing here for that reason. Plus I know Mandy can hold her own. I’m not sure he knows what he’s biting off.
I look at Aaron and he nods his head, looking to Charles. “One month, she can leave anytime she wants, and we get Cupid as a replacement?”
“That’s the deal.”
I take the pen and sign the paperwork, hoping Mandy understands. Aaron grabs his pen and looks at Charles one last time. After a moment he must see something and decides to go ahead. Charles signs last and passes the contract to Cupid.
“Now, if you two will excuse me, I have some phone calls to make.”
Charles sits down at his desk, and Aaron and I turn to leave. Just as I do, I realize I’m still holding his pen in my hand and I turn back to drop it on his desk.
It’s then I see a picture of Mandy on his phone. Before I can comment, he hits a button and the image disappears. His eyes meet mine, daring me to say something.
No man would go to these lengths for a woman he doesn’t care about. I know because I’ve gone to these lengths before. It’s then I see what Aaron must have seen. His need for Mandy is raw and real, and if this were a poker game, I’d have his casino.
I just nod my head and go to the elevator, joining Aaron. Cupid stays behind and waves goodbye to us as the black mirrored doors close.
Once we are out of the Snake Eyes and in the back seat of the car, I look at Aaron and smile.
“Why are you smiling now?”
“You know, the answer to that question is another question.”
“Which is?”
“Think Mindy would enter the Mistress Auction?”
9
Stella
We spend the next three hours being pampered. I’ve enjoyed every second of it, except maybe for the bikini wax. Now we’re both sitting in massage chairs waiting for our nails to finish drying.
“God, that massage was to die for,” Mandy moans next to me as if it was still happening.
“It really was. I could get addicted to this,” I say, agreeing with her.
“Better get used to it. The boys spend a lot of time here, so I’m sure you will too. They hardly leave this casino.”
I wonder how close Mandy is to them. Maybe now that she is relaxed and has a few glasses of champagne, I could try to pull some info about them from her. That is what girls do at the spa, right? Gossip?
“Why’s that?” I question and try to sound as casual as I can, like I don’t really care if she answers the question. Just making conversation. It’s only natural, right? It’s the one thing we both have in common.
“They are like me, workaholics, but I think they will start to slow down now.”
I feel butterflies take flight in my stomach. It’s all the little things clicking into place. The comments from both Aaron and Justin and now Mandy. It all seems to point to them wanting to be with me. For something more permanent.
I decide to bite the bullet. Just ask what I want to know.
“Do you know they bought me in the Mistress Auction?”
“Yes, it’s my job to know almost everything they do. It’s what makes me good at my job.” She turns and looks at me. “And I love them, that’s also why I keep a good eye on them.”
My heart freezes at her words, but once again her face is warm, not filled with jealousy. It’s like that every time she looks at me. She likes me. Her love for them has to be affectionate and platonic.
“They want you. I see it in the way they talk about you. You're special to them. I think you’ll make them happy. You already have. Since you walked into their lives they seem to have come alive. The past few years have been dull. Something was missing for them, and I think they’ve found it. More importantly, they think they’ve found it.”
The butterflies take full flight now.
“They knew I’d be there last night at the auction, didn’t they?” I say. It’s not a question, really, because I already know the answer, but she nods, confirming what I thought. There was too much in place.
They must have found out I’d be there somehow. In an odd kind of way it’s sweet. Almost like they came in and swooped me away, and were willing to pay ten million dollars to do so. Just to finally get their date with me.
The nail lady comes back in to help me get my shoes back on. I got a color that matches my dress nicely. I wonder if we have plans tonight or something. My make-up and hair are fully done, and it’d be a shame to waste it.
Mandy’s ringing phone draws my attention back to her. She's signing a slip of paper for a member of the spa staff, and she deftly juggles her phone and the pen.
“Ms. Burch speaking,” she says in a professional tone. It seems like the phone is glued to her hand.
“Hello? Hello?” she repeats before canceling the call, a worried look on her face.
“Everything okay?” I ask, seeing that’s she’s somewhat disconcerted by the call.
“Yeah, someone just keeps calling but they never respond when I answer.” Doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but I can tell this bothers her.
“You sure you're okay?” I try again, not used to seeing the unflappable and unfazeable Mandy discomfited.
“Everything is perfect. I just need to clear out a few things. I'm sure my Inbox is overflowing by now,” she responds, a mask slipping back into place.
“Yeah, I'm sure you have a ton to do. I'll leave you to it. I know my way back to the room.”
“Are you sure? It's a big casino and it’s easy to get lost. I can walk you.”
“No, it's fine. I remember the way,” I reassure her.
“I had a wonderful time today. I hope we
can do it again soon.”
Nodding my head, I agree. “I'd really like that.” It was wonderful. I lost touch with so many of my friends when most of them went off to college. I don't have any girlfriends anymore. My closest friend at the moment is Tim, who doesn't really care to even talk. He more grunts his responses. It's sad when a twenty-year-old girl’s closest friend is a forty-five-year-old man.
I leave Mandy standing in the spa, typing away on her Blackberry. I didn’t even know people’s fingers could move that fast. I make my way back to the elevator that goes up to our room. Warmth floods my stomach at the idea of the room being ours.
I feel like my brain is playing tug of war with itself. One part of me is telling me not to get attached, but the other wants to jump in with both feet. I’m truly starting to think this isn’t a game for Aaron and Justin. Maybe they really want more, and I’m sick of not doing what I want to do, so I’m going to give this a try.
If worse comes to worst, I can cry myself to sleep on top of my ten-million-dollar bed every night. Pushing the elevator button, I can’t help but snort at the idea of sleeping on a ten-million-dollar bed.
“What’s so funny, Lucky?” I turn to see Aaron staring down at me. His eyes are filled with hunger. I’m starting to think maybe that’s just how his eyes always look.
I give in to what I want, doing what I told myself I would do. Jump in with both feet. Wrapping my arms around his neck, thankful for the wedges giving me the extra height, I pull him down closer. “Nothing,” I say, pressing my lips to his. Like all things I’ve noticed about Aaron, he doesn't really need an invitation. He jumps right into kissing me back. He doesn't start slow and try to work his way up. No, he pushes his tongue right into my mouth, demanding entry.
This isn't surprising. Even when both Aaron and Justin were trying to get me to go on a date, I could see their differences. While they were a lot alike, there were small things about them that I noticed were different. Justin always tried to charm me into dates, work up to it before he asked. Aaron kind of just demanded. “We’ll have dinner Friday. I’ll send a car for you at seven sharp.” An order to which I didn’t respond. I let the car show up at seven and promptly told the driver he wouldn't be taking me anywhere.
I hear the elevator ding behind me, and I pull my mouth from his. “Where’s Justin?” I ask, looking around for him. I wonder if they were both headed up to the room and that's why I ran into them. Still seems a little early for a date, but maybe they have something special planned. I look around to see if he is nearby, and I spot him all the way across the casino.
A blonde woman stands extremely close to him, and I feel my gut clench. She looks familiar, but I can’t place her. Aaron’s eyes follow mine, and I feel him still next to me. I watch as Justin leans into the woman and whispers in her ear.
“Who is she?” I ask, hoping for an answer that will help ease the heavy weight in my stomach.
“No one,” Aaron says, pushing me into the elevator, the door closing behind him. He slides his key in, giving him access to hit the button that goes to our room.
“Where was I?” he says, turning back to me again. “That’s right, kissing my woman.” He’s on me once again, kissing me, demanding entry to my mouth. I moan against his lips.
“Fuck, you taste good, and you smell like roses.” He buries his face in my neck, biting and kissing me there. Who knew you could get turned on by someone kissing your neck.
“The spa, they rubbed me down with all kinds of oils and lotions.”
He bites my neck in response, making me squeak a little.
“Male or female?”
“Male or female?” I repeat, not understanding what he’s asking. It’s hard to think with him doing that to my neck.
“Was it a male or female who rubbed you down?” I hear the jealousy in his voice, and I smile.
“Female.”
“They took our smell off you. We worked hard to put that all over you. I better check to see if it’s really gone,” he says, dropping to his knees in front of me.
‘What are you doing?” I try to halt him from lifting my dress. “There are cameras in here.” I nod towards the black ball in the ceiling of the elevator.
“I’ll have them wiped.” He gives me a cocky grin. “And I won’t let them see anything.”
Before I can respond, his head is under my dress and my leg is over his shoulder. I should stop him, but all rational thought leaves my head when his mouth touches my pussy.
“You went out without panties. You’ll pay for that later.” I barely understand his muffled words from under my skirt. I want to tell him to shut up, that the panties they gave me aren’t even panties, but the only thing that pours from my mouth are moans of pleasure.
Using the flat of his tongue, Aaron licks me back and forth, as far as he can reach, before focusing on my clit. He torments the bundle of nerves, making me cry out for more. I jerk against him, but his hands on my hips hold me in place, his fingers digging into my curves. His lips lock around my clit, sucking it softly into his mouth, sending me over the edge.
The orgasm shoots through me, all the way to my toes. It’s so intense it forces my eyes closed. When I finally open them, I’m no longer in the elevator. I’m lying on the sofa, Aaron looming over me beside it. His lips touch mine, softly this time.
“I’m going to run back downstairs, sweetheart, I’ll be back in a few. Then it's just you, Justin and me for the night.
“Mmky,” is all I can say. His lips touch mine again, but he pulls away before I can try to deepen the kiss. I can tell it takes everything in him to leave me, and the feeling of power I had this morning comes back full force.
I watch him leave, excited for his return with Justin.
I wonder about the blonde woman again. Maybe it was nothing. They could be close friends like they are with Mandy.
Going to the entryway, I grab the phone off the table and call Tim. I should have done this hours ago.
“Hello,” Tim answers on the third ring.
“Hey, it’s Stella,”
“Hey Stella, I was starting to worry.” I feel guilty at his words. I’ve been lying like crazy to him. I made up a story about there being a farmers’ convention out in Los Angeles that I was going to this weekend. I told him I was going with the hope of meeting some investors who might help pull us out of the hole we were in. Tim is still kind of stuck in the old ways and barely uses a computer unless it’s to order something we need, so he didn't really question me much.
“Sorry, I got caught up but I’ve got news. I got an investor, so anything you need for the farm right now you go ahead and get. The money should have been deposited, so just charge whatever to the company card that’s in my desk top drawer.” I tell him this knowing the first five million should have been deposited this morning.
“That’s great.” His tone might seem low and flat to anyone else, but I’ve known Tim since I was little. I can hear the relief in his voice.
“If you need any help tending to the extra work, go ahead and bring some people on. I’m going to be gone for a little longer but everything is fine now.”
“Sounds good. I’ll hire the Wilks boys to come over and help. They are always looking for extra work,” he says, talking about the family that lives down the road from the farm.
“They do pretty good work. And Dad?”
Tim goes silent, and I know he is thinking of a way of telling me something, a way to phrase something without lying, but without telling me the honest truth either. This is something he never does. He’s always honest with me. Guilt weighs a little heavily on me for the lies I’ve been telling him.
“He was home last night. He’s just still sleeping it off.” I glance over at the clock and see it’s already three in the afternoon. Jesus.
“All right.” What else can I really say? “You can reach me at this number if you need me.” We say our goodbyes, and I feel a little bit calmer. Almost like something has been lifted off my
shoulders.
I look back at the clock and see that only a minute has passed. I wonder when they will be back. I should have brought some books or my Kindle. I make my way to the kitchen and grab a banana out of the bowl on the counter. I sit down at the breakfast bar and open the paper.
Flipping through the pages, I stop cold on page six.
Looks like the rumors are true! Casino hot-shot Justin Cortez and Reality Star Natasha Woods are hot and heavy.
It’s then I realize who the woman is. She’s a famous reality star who lands on the covers of magazines around Las Vegas all the time. The same woman I saw Justin with downstairs only moments ago.
The picture shows him leaning in close, whispering in her ear, with her pressing her body into his. She’s smiling right at the camera. The article goes on to talk about the event they were at. The one that was hosted at this casino last night. Where they went last night after they left the room.
I can’t bring myself to read it and I drop it back down on the counter. I head back to the living room and plop back down onto the sofa.
The mistress contract said we weren't to ask the clients about where they spent their time; it wasn't our business, but Justin made it seem so different this morning. Or maybe that was their game. They wanted a woman at home but wanted to do whatever they wanted when they were out and about. It wasn't an unheard of arrangement in Vegas.
They are rich men who want to have their cake and eat it too. Or maybe they think since I got both of them, they should get other people too. I drop my head in my hands and force myself not to cry. I feel like I’m drowning in the grief of losing something I never even had.
I should have listened to myself in the beginning. Men like Justin and Aaron are too good to be true. Yeah, they may want me. They may even want to keep me, but I wouldn't be the only one they spent time with and that just isn't something I’m cut out for.
Back to plan A, which would be easier this time. I know the game for sure. Do your thirty days and be done. Put your walls back up, Stella. Guard yourself. Do as they command, and walk away with what you came for.