Anything but Vanilla (17 page)

‘Why is it a problem?’ he shot back at her. ‘It’s meaningless after all.’

To Ric, maybe. But not to her. Sex had never been meaningless. It had always had a purpose, even if it was as simple as finding a release.

Beside her, Zach remained silent. He slithered from the chair, and sprawled with his head resting against a chair leg. He touched her ankle, but she didn’t look at him. Her gaze remained fastened upon Ric’s back.

‘There are some forms I need you to sign.’

‘Are there?’ He could stuff his consent forms where the sun didn’t shine. How dare he derail things like that, just because he hadn’t wanted it to happen? He hadn’t capitulated at all. He’d fooled them. And now he dared to talk business with her as if nothing had happened.

‘I’ll arrange payment for the modelling work the same as I do for Zach, but you forfeit all rights to the pictures, OK?’

No. It fucking wasn’t OK.

Despite her anger, desire still ran through her body in hot streams, but Zach lay spent and all the hints of a threesome happening had evaporated – assuming there’d been any chance of that in the first place.

Ric placed the contract on the edge of the computer desk along with a ballpoint pen. Something told her he wasn’t going to let her out of the building without signing. Kara gritted her teeth and scrawled her signature. ‘Tosser,’ she hissed under her breath as she made the final flourish.

‘What did you say?’

‘You heard me.’

‘My studio, my rules.’

Kara raised her hand to strike him, only for him to catch her wrist before she’d properly made a move. He backed her up against the wall.

‘Bastard,’ she cursed.

‘Rules, Kara. I make them for a reason. While you’re in here what I say goes, and you accept that or you don’t get invited back. Now, maybe you’d like to explain what’s got your knickers in such a twist?’

As if he couldn’t guess. They’d been just shy of penetration when he’d taken it upon himself to get Zach off; now her nerves were in shreds, her temperature was running hot and cold and there was no sign of satisfaction in sight, and that was before she got on to the derailing of her major fantasy.

Suddenly, Ric’s expression softened. His grip slackened a fraction too, although he still held her so close that his mouth lay just shy of her lips as he spoke. ‘The shots I have of you are good. This was always about work, Kara, nothing else. I’m sorry if you feel I’ve been cruel.’

‘You didn’t have to do that.’

‘No.’ He kissed her softly, thus transferring the taste of Zach’s seed on to her tongue. ‘Perhaps not, but I always like to incorporate a little of the unexpected.’

‘You weren’t trying to stop us?’

‘Of course not.’ The taste of Zach made her groan. ‘Why would I?’ His hand cradled the swell of her breast. He caught her nipple between the sides of his fingers and gave it a welcome squeeze. ‘You need to come. I understand that. There was never any question of leaving you wanting.’

Wasn’t there? She blinked at him, bewildered by the way he made her emotions ebb and flow. Ric turned her hand so that the swell of his erection pushed up against her palm. He was hot and needy too. Of course, he hadn’t come either.

Damn him! For someone so pretty, he was a proper devil, but she couldn’t … didn’t want to resist.

Arousal thickened once again between her thighs. The blunt tips of Ric’s digits speared between her curls, heading right to the source of her pleasure. He rubbed, focusing solely on her clit, until she was stretched up on tiptoe, one hand splayed against his chest as if to hold him back.

Kara released his fly. When he lifted her, she wrapped her legs around his waist, so that he could thrust right up into her, filling her in a way that caused a delicious rush.

‘Yes!’ This was what she needed, what she’d desired all along. Her heart flapped wildly. The pulse between her thighs grew ever stronger.

Ric moved a step further away from the wall, so that she was leaning away from him, her back supported by the brickwork. It was a position worthy of a circus performer. More acrobatic than she’d ever attempted before, and definitely somewhat precarious, but boy, did it feel good, especially when the head of his cock tap-tap-tapped against the front wall of her pussy.

His hands kept her steady. Kara’s muscles strained as her breathing transformed into a pant. She kept her eyes open, looking at him, loving the fact that he maintained her gaze, and that he was feeling the same build-up that she was.

‘That’s right, baby. Give it up.’

Her hand clasped and opened. Her fingernails tore against the wall.

‘Let go.’

Her head jerked back. She came hard, inner muscles squeezing tight his cock until she felt him peak too.

His mouth opened, gasping her name. He panted throughout the whole ejaculation. Then, all done, he closed up the gap between her upper bodies and gave her a long deep kiss.

It was only when Ric lowered her back to the floor that Kara realised Zach had watched the whole performance. His dark eyes were two shiny black pools that writhed with shadows. It didn’t take a genius to work out that this hadn’t been the outcome he’d been looking for when he’d suggested they got it on.

‘I’d better go,’ Kara said, not sure what else to do. Tension saturated the air, producing a static-like charge that caused prickles right along her spine. She didn’t want to be here for whatever row was about to break out. ‘I’ll see you both soon.’

‘Count on it.’ Ric guided her towards the stairwell.

‘Zach?’

He nodded, and managed to form a tight grin.

Kara shakily trotted down the steps. ‘Are you two going to be all right?’ she asked Ric as he showed her out of the front door.

‘Of course.’ He kissed her. ‘Goodbye, Kara. I’ll bring some of the photos over to show you.’

‘Thanks. See you soon.’

Ric closed the door behind her.

Zach went up to the battlements when Ric and Kara left the studio. He needed air. It didn’t matter how hard he rubbed, he couldn’t work all the cricks out of his face. Hunched into a wind-resistant ball perched beside the canon emplacement, he watched Kara worm her way down into the valley.

It was his own fault, what had happened. What the hell had he expected? He’d foolishly thought he could provoke a reaction out of Ric. Well, he had. Just not the one he’d wanted.

The idea was to incite jealousy, not to have Ric turn the tables on him.

He’d always hoped that Ric felt more for him than he let on. Now he was no longer sure. Things had gone to plan to begin with. Ric had seen how much fun they were having, and had probably realised that they were both into the idea of having one another. That’s why he’d got down on his knees and given Zach head. He’d come – man, had he come – and Ric had supped him right down. That should have been the end of it. Point proved. Ric cared enough to act. They could squabble over the details later. Only Zach hadn’t properly factored Kara into the plan.

Ric had soothed her.

Ric had fucked her in front of him. Something he never ever did. Ric had never hidden the fact that he had other women, even sometimes other men, but he’d never flaunted that fact quite so brazenly in front of Zach.

It cut. It hurt like he was being stabbed repeatedly in the guts. He’d watched them both come and then share a post-orgasmic kiss. He’d realised as their tongues tangled and they clung to one another that Ric really didn’t care. No, worse than that. He didn’t care for Zach, but he did care about Kara.

Ric had spent the night with her. Something he never did with any lover. Zach could count on his fingers the number of nights he’d spent in Ric’s arms. All of them had happened by accident because they were too exhausted to move. Maybe that had been the case with Kara last night and maybe not. Not being sure was eating him up.

Reviewing things again in the light of the fact that Ric seemed to prefer Kara, well, the whole scenario took on a different aspect. Suddenly it wasn’t a case of Ric blowing him in order to stop Kara having him. Rather, Ric had done it to stop Zach having Kara. The difference might seem small, but it was significant.

The stairwell door creaked as it swung open to let Ric on to the battlements, carrying two bottles of beer. ‘What have you come up here for?’ he asked, as he passed one of the drinks to Zach.

Zach tactfully kept his silence. He took a sip of beer and watched Ric rest his bottom against one of the crenellations. His lover tucked his legs up against the side of the cannon so that he hung in mid-air with minimal support.

‘I could still use a few more shots of you.’

‘Tough.’ Zach rubbed his nose. ‘I’m going back to work.’ He stood, only for Ric to stand too.

‘Are you going to tell me what the problem is?’

‘Why did you interrupt, Ric? It’s not your usual way.’ Normally Ric let things develop naturally when he had a camera in his hand. He believed in fluidity and rarely got involved once the action was underway. Today, his direction had crossed that boundary and they both knew it.

‘Isn’t that what you wanted – me to show you some love?’

‘It wasn’t me you were loving.’

Ric flicked his hair away from his face. He lifted his beer and took a quick swig while watching Zach closely. ‘I must have imagined swallowing your come,’ he remarked.

‘You only did it in order to stop me having Kara, not because you wanted me. Couldn’t have me actually fucking her, could you? Not when she’s your precious new playmate.’

‘Zach. Hello.’ Ric snapped his fingers under Zach’s nose. ‘Are you suggesting what I think you are? That I acted out of jealousy? When have you ever known me to be jealous? It’s no skin off my nose if you want to fuck her.’

Just as well, since he already had, and he was going to make a point of doing so again at the first opportunity, like right after he left here.

‘I figured it wasn’t such a problem since you were quite happy to have her in front of me. That’s a bit of a turnaround from your position of yesterday, when you were demanding exclusivity. Would you prefer I’d left her wanting? You weren’t really in a position to satisfy her any more.’

‘Because of you,’ Zach growled. Prior to Ric stepping in, he’d been perfectly positioned to give Kara exactly what she’d been looking for. ‘You didn’t need to step in. You could have stayed back and kept taking pictures.’

Ric shook his head. ‘You’re talking such shit. I already told you that she’s angling for the three of us getting it on. I was just testing the waters, to see how you both reacted. I didn’t see any objections arising from either of you.’

‘I don’t want a threesome,’ Zach said. ‘I want you.’

‘And we’ve already had this discussion. I’m going back in.’ Ric turned around. He pushed open the stairwell door. ‘Follow when you’re finished being dumb.’

* * *

In the silence that followed Ric’s departure, Zach remained cocooned in his coat. Doubts still riddled his mind and brought a hint of bile to his tongue. What if Ric really was more interested in Kara than he was in him? What did he do then? Could he use that desire somehow, transform it into something else, so that he didn’t get left out? Maybe if he wasn’t asking Ric to come out as gay then he’d relax more of his guard. Then again maybe Ric was just fucking him about and he was allowing himself to be walked all over. Maybe what he ought to be doing was issuing ultimatums or proving to Ric that he really didn’t need to fuck anyone else.

The rage Zach had felt when he’d realised that Ric had sucked him purely to stop Kara having her way with him flared white-hot again. Agitated, he jumped up and began to pace. They needed to have this out properly. The problem was that Ric knew Zach’s threats were idle. He wouldn’t walk away. He couldn’t. He just didn’t want to.

There had to be some other way around the situation, but he was damned if he knew what it was.

Right now, he was going back to his van, where maybe, just maybe he’d find some clarity.

Zach got as far as the first turn in the stairs before he ran straight into Ric on his way back up. They glared hostilely at one another. ‘Why did you do it?’ Zach demanded. ‘Why did you need to rub it in my face that you fancy someone else?’

Ric mounted the next few steps so that they stood more on a level. ‘Why did you need to fuck her? That was never part of that shoot. What am I supposed to think, Zach? One minute your giving me the whole “let’s commit” spiel and then you’re all up for shagging Kara. Seems to me you’re not entirely sold on the notion of commitment yourself. It wasn’t the first time with her either, was it? When were you going to mention that? Fast work on your part, don’t you think, considering you only met a few hours after you told me we were done.’

Zach didn’t correct Ric’s assumption. Pinpointing the exact start of his relationship with Kara wasn’t relevant to the issues of the moment. He ran his tongue over his teeth instead. ‘Kara and I just happened to cross paths and hit it off.’

Ric’s blue-grey eyes narrowed, while his lips formed a thin line. ‘Doesn’t explain why you needed to make a repeat performance in front of me.’

‘Well, maybe I was trying to fucking provoke you.’ An irritating tingle filled Zach’s sinuses. He pinched the bridge of his nose hard. ‘Hell, it’d be nice to think you cared. It wasn’t why you stopped us, though. You proved that fast enough when you stuck your dick in her.’

‘She needed the release. It’d have been cruel not to oblige,’ Ric said.

‘Bullshit!’

‘Well, maybe if you hadn’t looked so irate, she might have stuck around and we all could have had some fun.’

That was it. He’d had enough. Ric just refused to see his point of view. It was like talking to one of the dopey Dalmatians that lay all day before the study hearth. Zach took a step forward, meaning to push past Ric and leave the building. Only Ric grabbed hold of him instead and shoved him up against the curved wall.

‘Do you want to know why I like Kara?’ he growled into Zach’s face. ‘It’s because she gets it, that’s why. She’s not constantly mithering me over whether I want to hold hands in public –’

‘I never –’