Her Wanton Ways [Notorious Nephilim 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (8 page)

Joelle slammed her fists on the bathroom counter in her suite. What the hell was the matter with her? She’d come here for no-strings-attached sex and that’s exactly what Blade and Cristian were giving her. Why should it bother her that they’d obviously used condoms at first only to put her mind at ease? Cristian was right, of course. This is what they did—what all the owners did. She’d known that before she booked the vacation. It only made sense they’d never take a chance with anyone’s fertility.

So why was she so upset? What had she expected, chocolates and flowers? That sort of romantic crap was all bullshit anyway. Scott had proven that. All the roses and chocolate in the world couldn’t soften the looks of disgust on his face when she’d wanted to get a little kinky in the bedroom. They couldn’t erase the harsh words and insults he’d flung at her.

She’d lashed out at Cristian because she was angry with Scott, not because of anything Cristian had done or not done. The poor man had looked lost and confused as he’d tried to explain that she didn’t have to worry about getting pregnant. Well, was that so unusual? What man alive could talk about such things without becoming flustered or embarrassed? It was like asking your father to go to the store and buy your Kotex, for heaven’s sake.

This was ridiculous. How was she supposed to enjoy this vacation if she couldn’t get Scott out of her head? And now to find out he was trying to make trouble for this place was too much. She had to make sure he didn’t know she was here. Then maybe she could relax and enjoy herself. And after that she’d find Cristian and apologize.

She lifted the receiver off her telephone and dialed the front desk, asking for a long distance line. Peggy answered on the third ring. After explaining what Cristian had said about Scott showing up with a team of lawyers, she finally asked, bracing herself for the answer.

“Peg, he doesn’t know I’m here, does he?”

“What? Hell no. I’d never tell him that. In fact, I’d never tell him anything, except to go fuck himself.”

Joelle laughed. It was so good to talk to Peggy again, and her assurance helped calm some of Joelle’s anxiety.

“So, tell me everything. Who is this Cristian, and is he gorgeous?”

“Oh yeah. And that’s not all he is.” Joelle summarized the past day and a half, leaving out her recent outburst and the part about them both not wearing rubbers.

“I hate you. I’m beyond jealous. Not one but two men worshipping you in bed.” The two laughed, and then their conversation moved onto other things. As they chatted, Joelle’s mind wandered back to Scott and his political aspirations. She wished there was something she could do to turn his attention from this resort. After she promised to call Peggy every day and update her on Blade and Cristian, Joelle ordered a light snack sent up to her suite. She wasn’t ready to face either of them yet. She needed more time to think.

Even though the job she did as an administrative assistant didn’t involve working directly on ad campaigns, she’d spent a lot of time sitting in board meetings and listening to her father talk about his work at home. She knew the key to any successful campaign started with marketing research. Her father always said it was their job to convince the public they had to have the product, or in Scott’s case, the person, or they’d risk losing an immediate fundamental need in their life.

They’d only recently begun taking on high-profile people as clients. It was all about building an image, the same way marketing a household product was about branding. The image they were helping to build for Scott included rooting out immorality, apparently. That’s exactly how he would view this place—as the height of decadence and vice.

It was how he’d viewed her at times. When she’d given him back the ring, he hadn’t even been surprised, only angry. She’d made him lose face, and his only concern had been what he’d say to everyone. Just like her parents had been worried about what they’d say to their friends.

Joelle pushed away the plate containing her half-eaten sandwich. She’d lost her appetite. She rose and stretched, yawning widely. She was probably tired on top of everything else bothering her. It wasn’t as if she’d had a lot of sleep last night. She curled up on the sofa, intending to just shut her eyes for a few minutes. Then she’d find Cristian and apologize.

* * * *

Blade spent most of the afternoon staring out the window at the parking lot rather than working. He’d chosen this office on purpose so the breathtaking views of the property wouldn’t distract him the way they did the others, but today it didn’t matter that his office window afforded no view of the woods or one of the lakes. His distractions involved a vivacious redhead with big green eyes.

They’d made a cursory attempt at eating breakfast, but Joelle had been more interested in tasting him than the food. Blade leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. He couldn’t help but smile as he pictured her bright smile and eager expression. He’d seduced a lot of guests since they’d opened this resort thirty-one years ago. It’s why they came. But in reality, very few women were as uninhibited in bed as Blade would prefer or enjoyed themselves without guilt or regret. Either that or they were cold and aloof. Blade had been used as nothing more than a body with a big dick more times than he cared to count. What he really wanted was to find a woman who would both enjoy him and care about him.

Joelle had noticed at dinner the night before that he and Cristian were facing off, and instead of encouraging it to stroke her ego so they’d both vie for her attention, she’d drawn all three of them together in a common purpose. He admired her directness and her ability to see a situation for what it was, and make it a win for all parties involved.

He’d retrieved her questionnaire from Zach’s files earlier while Zach was out of the office, and now he slid it from beneath the blotter to read again. Normally he didn’t look at them, but this woman intrigued him. She read
H&E
and hadn’t been the least bit shy about asking him and Cristian to have a threesome. Despite the fact the guests here knew what to expect, they usually weren’t so forward. Or if they did agree to a ménage, they usually didn’t care for it. Joelle was one of the most adventurous women in bed he’d ever met, and Blade couldn’t wait to explore all her fantasies.

He scanned the questionnaire. Her father was an ad executive at a firm in Chicago whose name Blade recognized, but not because of the work they did. It was the same firm that creep Scott Malloy was associated with. Blade frowned as he read the rest of the questionnaire, hoping Joelle wasn’t somehow associated with that asshole. He didn’t see anything that would lead him to believe that, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Scott Malloy was potentially more trouble for Lilith’s Playground than Frankie Fillipone, a one-time mob boss, had ever been. That whole mess with Blair, the woman who had eventually chosen to stay at the resort with Leo and Andras, was over now, but at the time all the owners had been worried they would lose the business. Blair had come here to hide out from Frankie, but none of them knew that at first.

Now the owners were worried once again, and it was because Scott Malloy was trying to mimic a certain senator in Washington who was currently trying to expose alleged Communists inside the federal government. Blade snorted as he wondered if Mr. Malloy had ever thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of his fellow aldermen, at least three of whom Blade knew had direct ties to Frankie Fillipone.

“Start with the mote in your own eye, asshole,” mumbled Blade, pushing the questionnaire back under the blotter. He glanced at the clock. It was almost dinnertime. If he wanted to spend more time with Joelle, he should find her and invite her to dinner. But this time they would eat in private, without Cristian.

Joelle woke up three hours later and called the front desk, asking if Cristian was around. The front desk clerk who’d identified himself as John told her Mr. Neville wasn’t in any of the offices behind the desk, and he didn’t see him in the lobby, but invited her to leave a message.

She didn’t want to apologize in a message that anyone could read, and she had no idea where to look for him, so she sat down to write out her apology. She could place it in a sealed envelope and ask that it be delivered personally to Cristian, if push came to shove.

The note written, she was about to leave the suite and give it to the front desk staff when someone knocked on the door. Thinking it was Cristian, she opened it without first asking who it was. Blade stood there grinning and holding something behind his back.

“I was hoping I could persuade you to have dinner with me,” he said. “Only me, this time.” Blade pulled his hand from behind his back to reveal a vermilion rose.

“Oh…” She took it from him, bringing it to her nose to smell.

“I thought it suited you,” he said, his blue eyes smoldering with lust. “Bright red, to match the fire inside you.”

How could she resist such a compliment? “I’d love to have dinner with you, Blade. But if we go to the dining room, we won’t have any privacy.” And Cristian might be there, which would be awkward considering how she’d behaved earlier. If only she hadn’t fallen asleep for so long. She hated having to say she was sorry in a note.

“That’s why I’ve arranged for dinner in a place a bit less crowded.”

“How intriguing.”

“Put that rose in some water and come with me, if you please.” Blade bowed in an old-fashioned gesture, and Joelle giggled. A shiver of anticipation coursed through her. She ran some water into the first tall glass she found and dropped the rose inside.

“Give me five minutes.” Joelle went into the bathroom and tried to formulate a plan. This was what she’d come here for, after all, but how was she going to apologize to Cristian if she spent the night with Blade? It shouldn’t wait until morning, but she couldn’t very well drop off a note for one man while she was with the other, could she? Yes, she could. It was the right thing to do. Blade would simply have to deal with it.

She walked back into the sitting room, smiling. “I hope you don’t mind a little detour. I need to drop something off at the front desk.”

“No problem.”

When they got to the front desk, Joelle placed the note on the counter then addressed the young man whose nametag said John. “I need an envelope for this, and I need it given only to the man to whom I’ll address it.”

John reached under the counter and pulled out an envelope. Joelle placed the note in it, took an ink pen with a chain attached to the end from a brass stand on the counter, and wrote Cristian’s name across it.

“Can you assure me he alone will read this?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She watched while he placed it one of the cubbyholes where they put mail and messages. The owners’ slots all had little doors with combination locks on them, and their names in brass plates on the doors. After he closed and locked the door to Cristian’s cubbyhole, Joelle turned toward Blade and linked her arm in his. “Now I’m ready for dinner.”

He led her to the second floor then down a series of hallways and finally to a door that opened to the outside. They were on a patio decorated with wicker furniture and fresh flowers in vases set in wrought iron plant stands. Flagstones lined the patio and walkway leading out into a courtyard, surrounded by a tall brick wall.

“It’s beautiful.” Joelle twirled in a slow circle so she wouldn’t miss anything.

“And very private.”

Two staff came outside, pushing a cart loaded with silver serving dishes. They set two place settings on the table then opened a bottle of wine.

“Thanks,” said Blade. “Give us about an hour then come back to clear.”

After they left, Blade pulled out Joelle’s chair for her. She took a seat, smiling at him. “This is very romantic, Blade.”

He chuckled. “That’s what I was going for.” He took a seat across from her and folded his hands under his chin. “You’re not too cold out here, are you?”

She shook her head. Sunshine and rising temperatures had warmed the day, so the snow from the night before had already melted. The evening air was cool, but she didn’t mind.

“So, are you going to tell me what that secret note to Cristian was all about?”

“Were you watching over my shoulder?”

He didn’t even try to hide his grin. “Yes.”

“I felt I owed him an apology.”

Blade poured them each a glass of wine. “For what?”

“For something I said to him this afternoon.”

“You were with Cristian this afternoon?” Blade tasted the wine. “Mmm. That’s wonderful. I hope you like it.”

Joelle took a sip. “It’s delicious. And yes, I was with Cristian this afternoon. He showed me the billiards room.”

“Oh? What did you think of it?”

“It’s going to be amazing when it’s finished.”

He lifted the lid off a tureen and the aroma of oysters filled the space between them. “This is one of our specialties.”

“Oh, goodness. I haven’t had oysters in a dog’s age.” They were beyond delicious. Joelle ate five of them while Blade watched with a smile on his face.

“I love to see you enjoying the food here.”

“Aren’t you going to eat any?”

He sucked one in and made soft noises in the back of his throat. Joelle squirmed in her seat. The man was so sexy and the sounds of pleasure he made only enhanced the image. She was still sore from her romp with Cristian earlier, but it didn’t seem to matter. All she could think about was getting under the sheets with Blade.

“I hope you’ll like the salad I chose.” He removed the top off another serving dish and picked up salad tongs to place some baby spinach leaves, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese, walnuts, and raisins on her plate. “The dressing is a vinaigrette.”

Joelle tasted the salad. “It’s wonderful. Thank you for this, Blade.”

“My pleasure.”

Joelle felt like a glutton compared to him. She finished her salad before he’d taken no more than a few bites of his. Had he eaten this little at dinner? Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure she’d noticed him or Cristian eat very much the night before. How did they find the strength to make love for hours without eating?