Winning Appeal (11 page)

Beth

6:45 PM

When we arrived at the Gerard estate, the usual group of reporters and photographers were there to capture the moment. Well, not the Oompa Loompa obviously. I noticed that her companion, the walking oil well, was there again, though. When we got inside, we saw that the reception was well underway. There were about twenty other guests all together, dressed up in all kinds of costumes.

As waiters made their way around the room handing out champagne flutes and hors d’oeuvres, Caitlin gave everyone the lay of the land and we tried to memorize where everything was. We would have to watch out for any servants that might be wandering around, and Gerard himself. That was something we hadn’t considered, what if he was
in
his study? We would just have to take our chances.

Looking over at Mark, my mind moved onto other subjects. He looked so cute in his Sherlock Holmes costume, and the thought of being with him somewhere new and different excited me. I couldn’t wait to get him alone later. I was surprised that Braden was acting so nonchalant about actually being present in the same house where Mark and I were sleeping together, but I suspected that Gabrielle had encouraged him to behave himself. Bruno was being a very good little doggie, as Gabrielle held him tucked under her arm. I assumed that he would be staying in their room as a lookout when we went on our little nocturnal adventure.

At seven on the dot, we were invited in to dinner. Bruno got his own little bowl on the floor, which seemed to make him quite happy. The food was quite good and a small chamber music ensemble played off to the side of the room. It was a shame that Gerard was such a sleazebag because he really did know how to throw a good party. At one point he stood up and proposed a toast.

“Here’s to great detectives. Maybe while you’re here, you’ll get to become ghost hunters too. The spirit of one of my long departed ancestors haunts this place at night.” A mumble went through the crowd and there were a few nervous laughs.

He was acting the part of the perfect host, moving from table to table, chatting pleasantly with his guests. How could he be so casual around Caitlin after what he had done? I wondered what had happened to the jealous former lover. I hoped she had dumped him.

He eventually made it to our table where everyone addressed him with cool politeness and I tried not to look disgusted. When he moved on to the next table Bruce spoke up.

“Well, he’s pretty smooth. He doesn’t seem fazed at all that his former teenage girlfriend, whom he burglarized, is sitting right at this table.”

“Hummus,” Caitlin said with a solemn nod.

8:00 PM

When dinner had been cleared away, we began the mystery portion of the evening. Mark and I got our clue card and looked over it together.

“I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old. What am I?” I read.

“Tall when I’m young…” he mumbled, knitting his brows. “I know! A candle, when it burns down it’s short.” I smiled, feeling impressed. He was so smart.

“There are two big candles on the table in the entry,” I pointed out and we were off on our mystery adventure.

As we traced the clues one by one, I noted other couples moving around throughout the house. Finally, two hours later, Gerard called time. We would get another hour the next morning after breakfast to wrap it up, but it was time for cocktails before bed. All of us gathered together into a little circle as everyone headed for the billiard room.

“Okay, we’ll do cocktails and then go to our rooms,” Gab said quietly. “Let’s set our alarms for two in the morning. Everyone should have turned in by then.”

“I asked and the guest rooms are on the second floor,” Lily added. “How about if we meet at the top of the staircase.”

“My phone, has a camera and a flashlight,” Cam chimed in.

“Pretty much everyone’s does these days Cam,” Mark replied. Having worked out our plan, we all turned and followed the crowd. Bruno yipped and Braden spoke up.

“I think he has to go out.”

“I’ll go with you,” Cam offered and the two of them set off as we headed for drinks and billiards. As the others headed for the bar, Mark stopped me.

“Let’s not stay too long,” he said quietly and the stormy look in his eyes told me clearly what he would rather be doing.

“You know tonight is the night…” I began.

“I know,” he interrupted in a husky voice, eyes dropping to my lips. I took a deep breath and felt my heart start to beat faster with anticipation. “If we turn in by eleven, I’ll have a good three hours to get you out of that dress and make us both feel really good.”

“Okay,” I answered breathlessly, swallowing hard. He smiled his naughty smile and I felt butterflies in my tummy. He put his hand on my back and guided me toward the bar where the others were waiting for us.

Braden and Cam rejoined us after having put Bruno in Braden and Gabrielle’s room. As they did Braden said quietly, “We took a walk around the side of the house where you said the study was and we think we saw a weird shadow moving around out on the porch.”

“Maybe it was the ghost,” Adam said with a smile.

“Not unless he smoked,” Cam added. “Looked like somebody lit a cigarette.”

“Gerard might have security stationed out there,” Lily suggested.

“We can go through the house,” Caitlin spoke up. I wasn’t sure how much faith I had that she would be able to find the study in the dark in this labyrinth, but it seemed like we didn’t have any other choice if Gerard had security outside.

We went on to discuss the details of our individual clue cards for a while, and then Gab and Braden decided to turn in. That was the signal for the rest of us to do the same. Mark and I glanced at each other and smiled with lusty anticipation.

Mark

11:00 PM

As soon as our bedroom door was locked behind us I took Beth’s hand and pulled her into my arms. It had been one long, stressful week, and I needed to relieve some tension. Knowing that I was about to take her without anything between us, made me impatient and more aggressive than usual. I leaned down and kissed her hard, urging her lips apart and sweeping my tongue into her mouth. She melted and kissed me back eagerly, letting me know with her body that she would give herself to me willingly. She tasted good, like brandy, and I groaned as she pushed her hips up against me.

I wrapped her hair around one hand and held her head firmly in place, grabbing her ass with the other and grinding into her. I could tell already that tonight would not be my best example of restraint; I wanted her underneath me as soon as possible. Luckily, that seemed to be her plan too.

Pulling her body back, without breaking our kiss, she started unbuttoning her blouse. I tossed my hat and cape on a chair and started undoing my own buttons. To my relief she was out of that damned dress in record time. I finished the job by quickly getting her out of her bra and panties and practically knocking her onto the bed. She didn’t seem to mind at all, though. In fact, she was pulling me on top of her very impatiently, like she couldn’t wait to take my cock. Her skin was warm, soft and smooth, and the way that she squirmed underneath me was making me almost painfully hard.

“We should slow down,” I said kissing her neck as she tilted her head back to give me better access. “You won’t be ready.” With just a tiny moan that made my dick jump, she grabbed my hand and guided it between her legs, where I discovered, to my delight, that she was definitely ready. “Oh fuck,” I mumbled and pushed her legs apart further, positioning myself between them. She helped to bring me to her entrance, and when I felt that wet heat against the head of my cock I breathed in sharply and forced myself to hold back.

“I want you inside me now,” she said in an almost pleading tone that drove me nuts, and that was it. There was no holding back anymore at that point. I thrust into her and felt the most incredibly intense sensation I had ever encountered. It’s funny how you never know what you’re missing until you actually experience it. The problem was, that it was so intense, that I wasn’t sure I could control myself for long. I could feel everything for the first time, the heat, the velvety, wet softness of her clenching against me. It was pure ecstasy and I realized that all of my experiences before this had been like taking a shower with my socks on.

“I don’t know how long I’ll last,” I admitted, in a strained voice, breathing raggedly, my muscles tensed. I felt like I was seventeen again, like I might explode at any moment, even though I never wanted this to end.

“It’s okay,” she said soothingly, rubbing my back and wrapping her legs around my waist. “Just stop when you need to.” Her voice was so warm and sweet; she took the pressure to perform away, and it almost overwhelmed me.

At that moment, I felt something just as intense on the inside as what I was experiencing physically. The first time with her had been fantastic, but this was something beyond even that. I had never felt that kind of intense intimate connection with a woman before. I wanted to be inside her, connected to her and claiming her like this forever. She was mine and I never wanted to let go.

I started slowly rolling my hips and sliding in and out of her incredible pussy, stopping when I needed to and then beginning again. She kept whispering gentle loving encouragement and rubbing my shoulders and my back. We made love slowly like that for a long time and finally I sensed her getting close. She was breathing hard and moaning quietly, pushing her hips up against me and arching her back. I couldn’t think clearly, but I also couldn’t look away from her. She was so beautiful. Finally her muscles tensed and she cried out and went still, squeezing her eyes shut and then opening them and giving me a look that guaranteed that she owned me.

I couldn’t hold back anymore. I needed to come desperately and I started thrusting faster and harder feeling the pressure rapidly build. Then there was the tingling and I let go with a gasp. It was absolutely gut wrenching and there was something primal about it as I exploded inside of her, claiming her and marking her as mine. I collapsed on top of her with my heart hammering in my chest and blood rushing in my ears. Exhausted euphoria overtook us both and we fell asleep still joined together.

2:00 AM

We met at the top of the stairs like we had all agreed upon. Everyone was there, everyone but Bruce and Bruno that is.

“Where’s the Diva?” Lily asked.

“He must still be asleep,” Gab answered. “We’ll go without him.”

“Where’s Bruno?” Adam asked.

“We left him in the room,” Braden replied.

“Okay, Caitlin, show us the way, honey,” Jess said and Caitlin started down the stairs, with the rest of us following as quietly as possible.

A couple of times we thought we heard something, so we froze and waited, but it turned out to be nothing. After what felt like an hour, we finally made it to the hallway where Gerard’s study was. We kept watch as Caitlin tried the door. It was unlocked, and she opened it a crack. It was dark inside, and I let out a breath. I had been worried that Gerard would be in there doing something. Caitlin pushed the door open and we all slipped inside.

Shining our lights ahead of us we headed for the alcove. And there it was, the painting. I took a step forward and almost tripped over something in the dark. I shone my light down onto the floor and froze.

“Hit the lights somebody,” I ordered. There was some scrambling as everyone felt around for a switch, and then suddenly the room was illuminated and I squinted, letting my eyes adjust.

“Oh my God!” Beth exclaimed.

“Ew!” Caitlin added. It was Gerard and he was very obviously dead with a bullet hole in the center of his forehead.

“Step back,” a strange voice commanded. Looking up I saw that greasy paparazzo that was always covering these fundraisers. Instead of a camera, though, he was holding a gun.

“You!” Beth said sounding surprised.

“Me, and you have very bad timing.”

“This guy is a photographer from the tabloids,” I explained. “I assume he heard us talking about the painting that night and he wants to steal it for himself.”

“Yeah, both Elaine and I heard you talking, but whereas she was just interested in a scoop, I had a bigger interest. That painting was supposed to be mine a long time ago.”

“What do you mean
yours
?” Caitlin asked sounding petulant.

“Mine. Paul distracted everyone the night the old man died, and I went in and got it. He was supposed to find a buyer for us. The money was going to go to setting me up with my own gallery. I should have known that unfaithful bastard would double cross me.”

“Wait, you’re not saying
you
were the one that Gerard was seeing?” Beth asked, sounding shocked.

“Ew,” Caitlin added again.

“I don’t have time for this. I’m taking that painting and I’m getting out of here, and I’m taking her with me,” he grabbed Caitlin. There was a moment of silence while we all just stared.

“Okay,” I said and shrugged.

“No! Not okay,” Beth said scowling at me. “Take the painting but leave…”

Before she could finish the lights went out again and a shimmering figure seemed to glide across the room. Just then a ferocious sounding growl came from somewhere, and our thief yelped out in what sounded like pain and terror. Holy shit! This place
was
haunted!

There was a clattering sound and a thud as he hit the ground and let go of the gun. Then there was more scrambling, and the lights came on again. I don’t know what in the hell I expected to see, a ghost I guess? What I actually did see was Bruce, still in his Charlie Chan outfit, and Bruno with his teeth buried in the photographers ankle. Braden had grabbed the gun and Adam was already calling 911.