Authors: Adele Dubois
The sight of Gunther’s glistening cock piqued Crystal’s
arousal and she surged toward another orgasm while she watched him pump. This
must be what she looked like with Gunther when he battered her from behind.
Gunther jerked forward, his face flushed while he slammed
into Yvette again. The agony of his expression told Crystal he was ejaculating
into the condom he wore.
She turned back to Tomas and leaned over to kiss him. His
eyes had glazed over and his jaw had gone slack, but he squeezed Crystal’s hand
reassuringly and met her halfway to touch her lips with his. The moment they
kissed, another climax hit Crystal. Brigit didn’t falter, but sucked Crystal’s
clit and let her ride it out. Crystal broke Tomas’ kiss and shouted with
sublime pleasure.
Tomas joined Crystal in her joyous cries as his climax took
him away. Kiesha licked his length and massaged his balls until the pressure
surpassed his ability to contain it. Semen rushed up his shaft and spewed over
the head of his cock into Kiesha’s mouth. She swallowed and licked and
continued to suck until every droplet had been spent. When his orgasm was
through, Kiesha sat back and wiped her mouth with the palm of her hand. She
smiled an impish smile at Tomas with glittering dark eyes.
Brigit and Kiesha stood wordlessly, finished undressing each
other and moved to the center of the living room floor. They kissed and fondled
one another while the music continued to play. Gunther and Yvette watched the
women with keen interest. The pair moved, naked, in a circle around the women
like hungry predators. Gunther slid his hands down the length of Brigit’s back,
massaged her buttocks and slipped a finger into her pussy from behind. Yvette
reached out to caress Kiesha’s breasts.
Tomas didn’t have to guess what would happen next.
He wanted to thank Kiesha for the blowjob, but that would
sound lame, and Crystal would probably get mad at his unnecessary expression of
gratitude. Though Crystal pretended to be unaffected by his orgasms with other
women, Tomas suspected group sex was beginning to wear Crystal down. Tomas
grinned. He had two reasons to be satisfied tonight.
He pulled up his pants and helped Crystal to her feet. She
grabbed her clothes off the floor. Then he took her free hand and led her to
her bedroom for reason number three.
* * * * *
When Crystal and Tomas returned to the living room, the
others were also dressed and sitting around, drinking and chatting like they’d
attended a book club meeting instead of an orgy.
Gunther stood when they made their reappearance. “Thanks for
the hospitality.” He grinned at Crystal and then shot a wolfish look at Yvette.
Crystal understood from the glance that Gunther and Yvette would be spending a
lot more time together. “I was concerned you’d be too upset for company. Thought
the champagne might help.”
Bells rang inside Crystal’s head. Uneasiness crept over her.
“Why would I be upset?” She worried, suddenly, that she’d misread Gunther.
Could she really be that clueless?
Gunther returned a chagrined smirk. “Guess I shouldn’t have
let that slip.”
Tomas strode across the room and grabbed Gunther by the
front of his cream silk shirt. Yvette and the other girls shrieked in protest.
“You’d better start talking, fancy boy.”
“What the fuck, Tomas?” Gunther’s face screwed up with anger
and flushed a deep crimson. He flailed his arms ineffectively against Tomas’
grip.
Tomas tightened his hold. “Answer me. Why would Crystal be
upset? What do you know about that?”
Gunther attempted to restore his dignity by raising his chin
and setting his jaw. “Take your hands off me and I’ll tell you. Christ, it’s
hardly a secret.”
Tomas let him go. Gunther smoothed the front of his shirt,
but it was hopelessly wrinkled. “Shit and goddamn. Look what you’ve done to my
best shirt.”
“I’m gonna match it to your face if you don’t start
talking.”
Gunther looked from Tomas to Crystal. “What’s going on? I
thought we were friends.”
“Are we?” Crystal replied. “I vouched for you when you
showed up tonight.”
“Why would you need to vouch for me? You know me.”
“Then tell us what you meant about Crystal having a reason
to be upset.” Tomas clenched his fists and Crystal understood the clock was
ticking. He’d either cold-cock Gunther for real or call his cop buddies. Or
both.
Gunther shrugged and spoke to Crystal. “Sandra told me she
overheard the two of you talking inside your dressing room. Said you were being
threatened. Last week another assistant told her she’d seen a short stack of
letters in your vanity drawer while searching for lipstick. The letters scared
her. Sandra has been waiting for you to take action, but you’ve done nothing.
She’s been worried.”
“Which nosy bitch read my mail?”
“Aw, c’mon, Crystal, don’t be like that. Our group is like
family. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”
Crystal had no idea how families functioned, so she
dismissed the notion. “I guess that makes us kissing cousins. Or incestuous
siblings.” She’d never had sex with Sandra, but assumed Gunther had given her
juicy details of their former encounters. Discretion wasn’t one of Gunther’s
strong points.
Gunther waved away her jibe and continued his defense.
“People are concerned about you. They don’t understand why you haven’t come
forward. I told Sandra to talk to you about it, but instead, she went to Marv.”
Crystal blanched. “She told our
producer
? Is she
nuts?”
“No, Sandra is your
friend
. Protecting you. She
doesn’t want you hurt. Or worse.”
All Crystal’s indignity rushed out in a resigned sigh.
Gunther had disarmed her. “Damn.”
“Right. We’re your friends. So stop acting all paranoid and
let us help you.”
Crystal threw up her hands. “If the secret’s out, I guess
I’d better talk to Marv.”
Gunther nodded. “Guess so.” He turned to Brigit and Kiesha.
“Ready, girls? I think we’ve overstayed our welcome.” He glared at Tomas and
his nostrils flared with enmity.
Tomas had the good grace to concede his mistake. He thrust
out his hand for a handshake. “Sorry, man. I’m worried about Crystal too. After
all, she’s my girl.”
Gunther shook Tomas’ hand, but he didn’t seem mollified.
“Forget it.” Crystal had the distinct feeling it would be a long time before
Gunther let the incident pass.
“Let me buy you a new shirt.” Tomas reached for the wallet
in his back pocket.
“No way. I don’t want your fucking money.”
“I said I was sorry and I meant it. Try to understand. I’m
with the Military Police. We don’t trust anybody.”
For some reason, that seemed to smooth things over.
Gunther’s expression and body language relaxed. He offered a tight smile. “I
guess Crystal isn’t the only one who’s paranoid.”
Tomas grinned back. “You’re not paranoid if they’re really
out to get you.”
Gunther turned again to Crystal. “If someone wants to hurt
you, you’d better stop pretending a problem doesn’t exist.”
“That’s what Tomas said,” Crystal replied.
“Well, Tomas is right.” It seemed to take effort for Gunther
to side with Tomas, but Crystal respected him for doing it anyway.
“You’ve shamed me into agreeing with you,” Crystal replied.
“I’ll talk to Marv. We’ll decide what to do.”
Tomas and Gunther nodded almost in unison.
Brigit went to the front window and peeked behind the
curtains. “Our cab is here.”
“That’s our cue,” Gunther said. He, Brigit and Kiesha moved
to the front door. Yvette came up behind them. Gunther kissed her cheek before
heading down the front steps behind the girls.
Yvette stopped at the door and turned back to Crystal. “From
now on you’ll get a rental discount if you invite me to all of
your…get-togethers.” She smiled a wicked grin. “I want to make sure you don’t
move away.” Yvette closed the front door, but opened it two seconds later, like
she’d forgotten something. She stuck her head inside the entryway. “Take care
of yourself, Crystal. I have a vested interest in your well-being.”
Crystal chuckled. “Your concern is heartwarming.”
Yvette gave her the thumbs-up. “I’m a warm and fuzzy kind of
girl.”
Crystal stared at her trashed dressing room in horror. Tears
welled as she scanned the open drawers, overturned containers and tossed
clothing. Luckily, from what she could tell, nothing had been damaged. Someone
had simply been looking for something.
The letters. There could be no other explanation.
“Why the fuck didn’t you come to me right away?” Marv
growled behind Crystal as he took in the mess and her theory. The producer ran
a stubby, thick-knuckled hand over his balding head. The gold on his pinkie
finger shone against his perspiring scalp in the light of Crystal’s dressing
room. All he needed was a cigar to complete the comic book sketch of an
overweight, old-time newsman. Minus the porn.
“I was trying not to make waves.” Crystal clutched her
terrycloth robe tighter around her. She still needed to shower off the bed of
roses painting on her bare stomach, chest and neck. Long, green stems with
leaves circled her breasts. Gunther, in a noticeably good mood since their
get-together the night before, despite his clash with Tomas, had also brushed
bright red roses over her nipples. The process had taken over two hours.
Crystal was tired after her segment and wanted to go home.
“You let me worry about waves. You just keep looking sexy
and delicious. Keep the cocks and the ratings up. I do my job, you do yours.”
“Sorry.” Marv was the only man in the world who could make
Crystal feel five years old again. She was used to men ogling her, not glaring.
It was useless to work her limited charm on her boss to soften him up. When it
came to his employees, Marv was strictly business. Like he always said, “I
don’t know from charm.”
He shook his head and screwed up his mouth. “If you’d come
to me before someone got desperate, I might have been able to keep the
situation under control.” The big man let out a weary sigh. “Now I got no
choice but to call the police before someone else does. This is a
news
station, honeybunch. Remember? Getting the word out is our job.”
News with a happy ending.
The tagline popped into her
head. Crystal thought that line would make great advertising for the station,
but kept the conversation on topic. “Tomas was going to help me. Maybe get his
brother at the FBI involved.”
Marv turned white as a sheet. “F-B fucking I? Have you gone
nuts? I don’t want the feds in here, Missy!”
“Not the feds. Just Antonio.”
“No!” Marv roared back. “End of discussion. Let me handle
this.”
Crystal demurred. What else could she do? Marv paid her
salary.
She must have looked scared, because Marv’s features relaxed
and he took on a fatherly demeanor. “I didn’t mean to yank your chain. You’re a
huge asset to the organization. I just want to keep things under control,
that’s all.”
Under
his
control, apparently. She liked hearing the
asset
part, though. “Okay. Thanks, Marv.”
He reached out to pat her shoulder in an obvious effort to
comfort her, but dropped his hand to his side before his palm made contact.
Marv was supersensitive to anything that might be construed as sexual harassment.
“Go home and get some rest. We’ll clean things up here. I wish I could give you
the day off tomorrow, but you know that’s impossible. The show depends on you.”
Crystal nodded. “I have my car. I’ll just grab some things
and shower at home.” When Marv strode off down the hall, she dropped her robe
on a chair, pulled a sundress over her head and slipped on sandals. After
collecting her purse, she headed straight to her convertible. The police would
want a statement later and she’d rather talk to them without painted roses
peeking from her clothing.
Inside her car in the employee parking lot, she pulled out
her cell phone and called Tomas. He had double duty and wasn’t able to join her
at work. He’d planned to pick up the letters tonight and show them to Antonio
over the weekend.
Crystal considered. How convenient for the perpetrator who’d
tossed her dressing room. Theirs was a crime of opportunity, probably because
Tomas hadn’t been around.
Who had access to her private quarters while she taped her
show? Crystal frowned. Everyone. When she returned to work, she’d insist Marv
have a proper lock installed. She doubted he’d balk at the request after what
had happened.
Tomas didn’t answer his cell, so she drove straight to her
apartment. Her hands shook on the steering wheel as she replayed the scene in
her dressing room in her mind. Her appetite disappeared. She was usually
starving after a performance.
Weariness dragged her down. She could hardly wait to get
home.
She pulled into her one-car garage and entered her place
through a back door to the kitchen. She dropped her purse on the counter. When
she stepped into the dining room on her way upstairs, Crystal stopped dead in
her tracks and screamed.
Her apartment looked like a tornado had hit.
Yvette was at her front door in minutes. “What’s wrong?” she
shouted, her eyes shot with fear. “I heard you scream. Are you all right?”
Crystal turned and swung out her arm. “Someone ransacked my
apartment. The same thing happened to my dressing room.” She walked back inside
and went straight to the dining room breakfront where the doors and drawers
hung open. Linens, napkin rings and tapers lay in haphazard heaps on the floor.
The hand-dipped candles were broken. She went to the spot where Tomas had
hidden the letters. “Seems whoever it was found what they wanted.”
Yvette swayed, held her chest and sat down hard on the
single couch cushion that hadn’t been overturned. She covered her eyes with her
hands and moaned into her palms. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”
Crystal went to her friend. “Did you see anything? Hear
anything?”
Yvette looked up at her with an expression of deep remorse.
Tears ran down her face. “This is my fault, Crystal. I’m so incredibly sorry.”
“What do you mean?” She kneeled and took Yvette’s hands.
“Tell me what happened.”
Yvette took a shaky breath. “A woman came by. Said she was
your assistant and that you needed something for work right away. I looked at
the clock and knew you were about to go on the set, so I couldn’t call to
verify. But the woman had WCNT identification and seemed completely on the up
and up. Earnest and sweet.” The landlord gave a brief physical description. She
smacked her forehead with the heel of her hand. “How could I have been so
gullible?”
Crystal could hardly blame her, especially when she’d had a
string of visitors since the day she moved in. Yvette probably thought the
woman was one of her regular sex partners. Crystal sighed. She only had herself
to blame for being so freaking accessible.
She squeezed Yvette’s fingers. “I’m not mad at you. It’s not
your fault.”
Yvette gave her head a vehement shake. “It
is
my
fault! I shouldn’t have let her in. This will never happen again, so help me.”
She wrapped her arms around Crystal’s neck and hugged her tight. When she sat
back she asked, “What’s going on? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
Crystal shrugged. “I didn’t think so, but apparently I was
wrong.” She really needed to stop minimizing pressing issues. Her gaze tracked
the scattered music and movie collections, open books and riffled desk. “Guess
this person is tired of being ignored.” She racked her brains trying to think
who could have been at her place. The woman had long, straight dark hair. Thin.
Twenties. She could have been any one of half a dozen staff members fitting
that description.
Why did that person want the letters back?
Moments later the doorbell rang. “Police!” a voice shouted.
Crystal turned to Yvette. “Did you call the cops when you heard me scream?”
“No. I should have, but I ran here straightaway.” She ran
her hands down her bare thighs below her shorts as if smoothing a nonexistent
skirt. Her hands trembled with the movements.
Crystal moved to the door and invited two male officers
inside. Their badges said
Jefferson
and
O’Connor
above their
shirt pockets. “Who called you?” Crystal asked. “You got here at warp speed.”
She introduced herself and Yvette to the police officers and explained Yvette’s
presence.
The officers glanced around at the mess and turned back to
Crystal. “Your boss, Marv, reported that your dressing room had been ransacked.
We came by to take your statement. Save you a trip to the station.” Jefferson
offered a tight, knowing smile, and Crystal understood the officers were Tomas’
friends. As an MP, Tomas knew everyone on the local force.
O’Connor shook his head. “Looks like you got troubles, Miss.
Any idea who did this or why?” He scribbled a few notes on a pad he pulled from
a pocket.
“I’ve gotten threatening letters at work. Whoever came in
here, took them. I think it was a station employee.”
Jefferson eyed the rose petals painted over her chest and
neck, but didn’t comment. “Sounds like they were recovering evidence.”
Crystal shrugged. “I guess.”
The officers walked around the rooms, observing and taking
notes. “Have you checked the upstairs?”
“No.” Crystal moved toward the steps, but O’ Conner extended
a hand to stop her. “We’ll do that. You stay here.” Crystal returned to the
couch and adjusted the cushions beside Yvette.
The cops returned a few minutes later. “The upstairs is
clear. You can check to see if anything is missing.”
“I will. Thanks.”
“Do you have someone to stay with you? Will you be okay
after we leave?”
Crystal sighed with relief at the thought of Tomas coming by
after his shift. “My boyfriend, Tomas Alvarez, will be staying with me until
this situation is resolved.”
“Glad to hear that. Tomas knows what he’s doing,” Jefferson
said.
“Mind if I sit?” O’Connor asked. “I’ll give you a copy of
our report.”
“Of course not.” Crystal motioned to the dining room table.
The officer completed a form and tore off a copy, which he left for her on the
table.
“We’ll look into this, Ms. Miller, and get back to you.”
“I appreciate that, Officers.” Crystal walked them out.
It took over an hour for Crystal and Yvette to straighten up
the apartment, but when it was done, Crystal heaved a great sigh of relief.
Even if normalcy was an illusion, it felt good to have her apartment back in
order. Nothing had been damaged except the candles, so she figured she’d gotten
off easy. She said to Yvette, “Thanks for your help. If you don’t mind, I think
I’ll shower and change. Tomas will be here soon.”
“Of course.” Yvette hugged her and saw herself to the door.
“I’ll call you.”
Crystal scanned her apartment and threw up her hands. “Screw
it. Whoever wanted those letters can have them.”
* * * * *
Rose petals washed down the shower drain in whirlpool wisps
of pink. Crystal shampooed her hair and glided a soapy washcloth over her nude
flesh to smooth away the body paint. Leaning back, she let the warm jets splash
rivulets the length of her body. Moment by moment, the steam and moisture
soothed her tense muscles and eased her worried mind.
“Crystal!” The bathroom door muffled the sound of her name,
but Crystal would have recognized Tomas’ voice anywhere. Footsteps rushed up the
stairs and down the hall. The bathroom door burst open. Heavy shoes plunked on
the floor. Clothes ruffled. The shower stall opened.
Tomas stepped naked inside the oversized square of cool,
amber tiles and wrapped his arms around Crystal’s waist from behind. He kissed
the curve of her shoulder and trailed his lips up the length of her neck. “I’m
so glad you’re all right,” he whispered into her ear. “The police told me what
happened.” He took the washcloth from her hand and draped it above the shower
nozzle. “Let me do that.”
After filling his hands with liquid body wash, he smoothed
his palms over her torso and up over her chest. Her nipples grew tighter at the
circular movements on the slippery skin of her breasts. Tension trickled from
her neck and she relaxed her head against Tomas’ shoulder. His fingers pinched
and pulled her nipples, shooting pleasant sensations down into her groin. The
steel-like hardness of Tomas’ cock pressed against the tip of her tailbone and
between the cheeks of her ass.
While she enjoyed the feel of Tomas against her and
delighted in the magic of his hands, something she’d said to the police
officers brought an inward smile. She’d called Tomas her boyfriend. That was
the first time she’d described him that way.
She shivered lightly after he rinsed his hands and then slid
his fingers between her legs and into her passage. Was it possible? Could she
be…falling in love? The concept both fascinated and terrified her. What did she
know about healthy relationships?
Absolutely nothing.
“I’m going to make you come. Hard.” Tomas said against her
hair. “Then I’m going to fix you something to eat and put you to bed. I’m off
tomorrow and can stay with you.” His fingers started to move, sending lightning
strikes through her body. “You’ve had a tough day, but you’ll feel better after
you’ve gotten some sleep.”
When he dragged his fingers to her clit, his erection slid
between the slick cheeks of her ass to the underside of her pussy. She clenched
the tops of her thighs around his girth to hold him steady while his hips began
to move. He pumped his shaft against her labia, opening her slit with his
cock’s head. The silken tip stroked her sensitive folds, sending shudders
through her. She let out a moan and he did too.
He circled her clit with two fingers, then three, fast and
hard until she could barely catch her breath. When her head lolled forward,
Tomas slid her wet hair off her neck to nibble and bite the back of her
shoulder. With each nip he murmured an endearment.
As her orgasm rocked her, she cried out his name. Tension,
fear and weariness seemed to seep from her pores and wash down the drain with
the body paint and liquid soap. Spasms gripped her, rippled through her body
and then released. Her hands clenched and relaxed.