by Claire Angel
Why did I let her lead me around by the nose? I feared the answer was as simple as the nose on my face. Her smile and exquisite body with the curves to match made me hunger for a taste of the forbidden fruit. I could almost imagine plucking her cherry. I could tell in her eyes that her innocence had already been taken.
I pretended to rush to open the door and she breezed past me wearing this expensive perfume that had my head spinning. It was no wonder she had a line of young men vying for her attention.
The woman was in a league of her own. She was a trendsetter making waves with her own style. She would’ve been right at home in your own reality show playing to the audience with her unusual quirks. Leila would easily become a household name within moments.
She had this spark for life and this fiery disposition that made you unlikely to deny her anything. She believed that I was the only one that was immune to her young and impressionable charms.
She was wrong. I was just better at hiding it than most people.
Chapter 2
Leila
I was playing the part, but it was getting old quickly. The money and the notoriety came with several different perks including preferential treatment at a boutique that catered to those with money.
Frank was out there bored to tears, but having him around was giving me a reason to put on a show worthy of the price of admission.
I was finding these little outfits that would have given my brother Edward a heart attack. I wanted Frank to see the woman I had become. He still treated me like I was a little sister and I still acted like I was a pampered princess.
He was a friend, but there were moments growing up that I wanted something more. To even entertain the idea was not worth the problems. Edward and Frank had grown up together with our two family’s becoming quite close. They were inseparable and I watched them beg for my father’s attention.
I was quite smart, but nobody gave me the credit I deserved. My brother Edward was the only one that saw the potential and capitalized on it by giving me a job. I helped them cultivate a clientele database. I was quite good at having men and women alike eating out of the palm of my hand.
I looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror and I was never going to have the kind of body that Grace did. She had a certain something that made you want to root for the underdog. She was slowly becoming comfortable in a world that she had never known and I was right there to lend a helping hand.
The black dress was something that would be found in every woman’s closet as their secret weapon. I would make some alterations of my own. I had to admit that I was wrong about Grace and I mistakenly thought that she was in it for the money.
“I’m all atwitter out here waiting for you to come out,” Frank said.
I could tell from his tone that he would have rather been anywhere else. Why did he put himself through this personal hell? Could I even imagine that it had something to do with me?
“Frank, keep your pants on and I’ll be out when I am damn good and ready. I don’t just wake up in the morning looking like an airbrushed model walking down the runway. I’m not just going to choose anything off the rack. It has to send a statement that will have everybody eating their heart out. I want your honest opinion,” I challenged knowing that I would know the answer from the way that he looked at me.
I stepped from the changing room and saw him shuffle forward in his seat.
There wasn’t much to the material and I was practically busting out all over the place. It was the type of fabric that molded to my body like a second skin.
He swallowed hard.
He got up and circled me like he was the predator after his prey.
He took my hand and twirled me around to get a better look from every angle.
His whistle of appreciation had me flushing with embarrassment.
“I wouldn’t let your brother see you going out like that. I know you’re old enough to make your own decisions, but he still pays the bills. Don’t go biting the hand that feeds you by tempting him to cut you off at the knees,” He declared with his hand on the small of my back sending signals of persuasion in a southerly direction.
“My brother doesn’t know fashion,” I exclaimed with the heat of his stare making me feel like I was naked in his presence.
“That dress would make sure that you would never have to buy another drink in your life. It would be fitting in the color red and walking through the door would be like announcing to the bulls to come charging at full steam,” He expressed with a certain part of his anatomy becoming aroused by the way that I was putting it all out there.
“Do you think that he would buy this for me for my birthday?” I asked hoping that he would understand the hidden meaning behind my words.
“You would have a better chance of me buying that for you. I’m sure there are a number of men willing to throw their hard-earned cash down for something you want. You have to know that there’s always a price and sometimes it can be too high to pay.” The hand on my back was slowly creeping to the sculpted cheeks of my ass.
I pretended not to notice. It wasn’t easy when my whole body was vibrating with this electric energy.
“I have a few more that I want to try on. You know that you can leave anytime and I can find my way home on my own. I don’t need a babysitter. It does make me feel good to have somebody here to give me their unbiased opinion. Those mirrors can be somewhat misleading,” I said taking a few steps away from him knowing that he was admiring my posture and stance of confidence.
“I’m not going anywhere. Let’s see what you can do to shock me. I want you to try, but I warn you that it’s not going to be easy. I will say the black dress was a good start,” He said with a wink and then he sat down with his leg draped over the other hiding the product of his arousal.
I had recently begun seeing him in a different light. The crush of a young girl had turned into something of a sexual need that could never be fulfilled by another. I knew of his exploits and he wasn’t shy about extolling their virtues in explicit detail.
“Have you been seeing anybody?” I blurted out the question that was on the tip of my tongue.
“I was in Chicago last week and you know all about Cassandra. She’s the only one that has four stars in five different categories in my book. The girl took my breath away literally and figuratively. I’ve never met anyone that has that much enthusiasm when they go down on a man,” He said comfortably knowing that I wasn’t going to judge him this way to Sunday.
“You will never nail her down. Pardon my use of language. What I mean is that Cassandra is never going to be of one man woman,” I warned thinking that maybe he would turn his attention to something that was right in front of his face.
I came out this time wearing a white leather dress. There were no straps and the only thing holding it up was the gravity of my breasts.
“Is it getting hot in here or is it just you?”
“Is what I’m wearing bothering you? I would hate to do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. Is it the cut or maybe the way that it moves when I bend over to retrieve something?” I asked with this innocent pout.
I bent over and the material revealed how I wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
“A man can take only so much. It’s a good thing that I think of you as my little sister. If I was any other man, I would be hell-bent on seeing that dress on my floor in the morning after a night that would put a smile on both of our faces,” He chuckled, but I didn’t see anything amusing.
I had to leave him and go back into the changing room before I said anything I was going to regret.
“You mentioned something about meeting Cassandra in Chicago,” I said not meaning to give him an opening but the words were out of my mouth before I had a chance to take them back.
“She used to be a gymnast. I was able to place her feet behind her head locked at the ankles. She is very responsive and her vocal range is something that only dogs woul
d be able to hear. I think you get my meaning,” He said with his voice cracking from the way that he was over exaggerating his time with her.
“Do you have a type? Would you put me in that category?” I asked with this awkward silence in the air that followed.
I stood in front of the mirror looking at my body. I remembered those guys that were fortunate to be with me and how my experience had changed from virginal to having a few tricks up my sleeve.
I had never gone all the way. Nobody was worth the effort.
I thought about it and it was quite obvious that I was using them to substitute for the real thing.
“You have blossomed and I hope you didn’t think that I didn’t notice. I will always be there to protect you from those guys with only one thing on their mind. Say the word and I will find whoever hurts you physically or emotionally and put the beat down on them,” He flatly stated and it touched me deeply to know that he would be there when the chips were down.
I felt like the walls were caving in and there were moments that I wanted to give up looking for my prince by kissing too many frogs to count. It was in my blood to be personable with this creative flair for the dramatic.
“You don’t want to give me a swelled head,” I said wondering in the back of my mind whether or not his condition had subsided.
This dress was going to make him burn out of control. Revving his engine and sending him into the arms of another was raising a few questions that I was afraid to answer.
I knew that his favorite color was canary yellow. His prized collection of cars had several in that color. He was a rebel without a cause and that bad boy quality that made things hot and hazy when he was around me.
“You know how I feel about you. I’m wondering what I should get for the girl that seems to have everything for her 21st birthday. I have this delicious idea that will get underneath your brother’s skin,” He said with this impish little catch in his voice.
I came out and this time there was a deep breath that caught me off guard. It wasn’t like the others that were for mainly shock value. This one was just for him and I could tell that he was affected by how far I was willing to go to get his attention.
“I do believe that I have found the one I’m looking for. Do you think that it’s too much for what you have in mind for my birthday?” I asked tempting him closer with the yellow color.
“You’re going to have to give me a moment to pick up my tongue from the floor. It’s nothing like what you normally wear and it’s definitely a departure from how you like to give guys a sneak peek behind the curtain. You do know what guys will be thinking,” He implied that this dress would be something of a conversation starter.
“You didn’t answer the question. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but I would like to know how to dress for the occasion.” I asked with him looking at the dress and those that I had already planned to acquire.
“I’m going to buy you all three of them on my dime. I want you to bring each one with you as your only wardrobe for the weekend.” He picked up the two and motioned for me to change before meeting him at the counter with his credit card in hand.
This was the first time that he had bent over backward to please me. It could be that I was starting something that I was willing to finish with a happy ending.
Chapter 3
Frank
I was wrong to propose such a thing to a woman that I considered to be my little sister. Things were changing and our witty banter wasn’t the same. I was focused on pleasing her and buying her those dresses had sent an interesting message.
“I can’t believe you were able to convince him to come to our firm. The Michael’s fortune is renowned the world over. There have been many setting up camp in their office trying to get their business.” Edward said with the Angelic Grace standing behind him massaging his shoulders in the library of his home surrounded by dusty books.
He tried to avoid going to the office and could get more done with his laptop from anywhere.
“I met him when I was smoking cigars at the club. Most people think of him as unapproachable, but he does love Cuban cigars. I took a chance and had a box sent over to his table and he invited me over to enjoy one with him. Sometimes it takes research to find common ground,” I pointed out with my hands in my lap trying to remain secretive about what I had planned for Leila on the weekend when he was out of town.
I could tell Grace had gotten this inkling that I was up to no good and was using her feminine charm to give me a warning without saying anything at all. I had to wonder what the girls had talked about when I wasn’t around.
I knew that Edward and I could talk openly about our conquests. I knew women weren’t exactly as tight-lipped as I was led to believe. I had overheard many chatty conversations and I was stunned to learn how vocal they could be.
I was known to hunt down a suitable companion and eat them alive. I could be like an animal on the prowl and no woman was safe when I set my sights on them.
How could I look my friend in the eye with these budding feelings for his sister?
Were they strictly physical and could I lead her down the path of temptation with encouraging words?
I was known to talk my way into any woman’s panties and I would make them part of my harem.
“I have a proposal that is going to knock them off of their feet. The rate of return from this investment portfolio I have put together will have them rolling in cash. In return, we will reap the rewards of not only their money but of their reputation.” Edward said with his fingers typing madly across the keyboard.
“I sometimes wish that I had your knack for numbers,” I said meaning every word from the bottom of my heart.
“It’s funny that you would mention that and I was thinking the same thing about the way that you can read people like a cheap novel. I do believe we will always make a good team and my sister has a keen sense of organizing. The three of us along with Grace have learned from our mistakes,” He said making me realize how far we had come in such a short period of time.
I wasn’t completely on board when he mentioned that he wanted Grace to join us in our pursuit of the American dream. She turned me around by how easily she became the glue that made everything come together. I hated to admit it, but she was good at balancing the scales with good judgment.
“I do like having my extended family around me. We have never forgotten where we came from and never will. I don’t think our fathers would allow us the luxury of getting too complacent. I can hear his voice in my head every time that I think about doing something crazy. Speaking of doing something crazy, I was wondering about what you have planned for Leila for her birthday,” I said seeing this bewildered look in his eyes.
I was stunned to learn from that expression that he had forgotten.
“This business has distracted me, but that’s no excuse. I won’t be around to celebrate, but I want you to do something special for her. Take her out on the town and show her the time of her life. I will bring back something with Grace’s help. Having a woman’s point of view has been a godsend without relying on my sister’s unique taste in clothing and jewellery.” He lowered the laptop and had this smile on his face.
“You don’t leave until the weekend. We could have a family dinner in her honor.”
“I like the way you think. Celebrating early will be a huge surprise. I will make her favorite meal and dessert.” Edward said with this gleam in his eye from how he had become quite accustomed to being in the kitchen alongside the love of his life.
I wasn’t about to talk him out of the engagement and they married with me as his best man. He deserved to be happy even though it was killing me a little more inside each day to see him slowly slip away from me. I was glad that business would always keep us together, but it wasn’t the same as when we were carousing like teenage playboy’s looking for the next score.
“We will have to keep our distance from her. We both know that she can spot when we are lying
from 20 feet away,” I warned, but I could tell that he was already way ahead of me.
“I’m taking Grace to Santa Barbara for the night. We leave in a few minutes on the family jet. I usually say goodbye in person, but I would hate to ruin a surprise birthday celebration dinner by blurting out something that I shouldn’t.” He took Grace by the hand and kissed her with a passion that made me feel like I wasn’t even in the room.
Their laser beam focus was on one another for almost a complete minute before coming up for air. They were both breathless with this desire no doubt looking for some intimacy after being subjected to the office without a breather for the past week.
“That might work for you, but what about me?” I asked.
“Call one of your lady friends and get out of the house for the night.” They walked right by me and I felt like the third wheel.
“I do know that Cassandra is in town for a photo shoot. I should really touch base and it would seem rude not to reach out when she is in close proximity,” I said with my mind conjuring up all those different positions that would leave any man completely frazzled by the time she was done with them.
I dialed her number and she picked up on the first ring knowing my number by heart.
“Frank, I was wondering when you were going to get in touch. I picked up the phone twice, but I didn’t want to be presumptuous. Are you calling for business or pleasure? Please be about pleasure and you know that you have ruined me for other men. I get bored quickly, but you always find a way to make things interesting in and out of the bedroom,” She quietly inferred that I could be the life of the party.
“Edward is out of town and I was wondering if you could use some company. Cassandra, a woman like you should never have to contend with second best. We can have dinner and see where the evening goes from there,” I said with my heart skipping a beat and for some reason, I felt like I was cheating on Leila.