Beyond the Velvet Rope (39 page)

Nuzzling her with his nose, she lifted her gaze to the couple. Thandie could not take her eyes off them. Laney’s dress was tossed over her hips. Nick was on his knees, his face between her legs, his hands massaging her full breasts. So aroused, Laney’s back arched deeply as she threw her head back and moaned.

“Do you like to watch them?” He nibbled on her shoulder. “That could be you. I could be deep inside you right now.” He gave a soft chuckle when she moaned. “But you want to keep watching them, don’t you? Oh, pussycat—” he cupped her breasts, grinding his pelvis into her backside “—you want me to take you while you watch.” Elliot bit her shoulder, and she groaned in both pain and pleasure. “Wait until he gets her on her hands and knees,” he whispered. “She does this thing with her back that should be illegal.”

“You’ve seen them having sex before?”

He chuckled into her ear. “Wouldn’t you love to know?”

Without warning, Elliot lifted Thandie and carried her to the nearest lounge. He dropped her onto the lounge. Pulling her legs into the air, he easily turned her onto her stomach. He forced her onto her knees by pulling her hips into the air. In one fluid motion, he yanked her dress up high over her hips. There was no time for foreplay. He was inside her within seconds. Thandie’s groan came out as a scream. She was aching and slick with cream. A climax was rushing up her spine. She bit her lip hard as Elliot moved inside her. It was fast and hard, everything she so desperately needed right now. Her arms were shaking, and sweat gathered in the valley of her breasts and dripped off the tips of her nipples.

“Watch them, baby.” He urged. “Watch.”

The ability to concentrate on anything else but Elliot was absurd, if not impossible. She wanted only to climax. The need was so absolute it pained her.

“Watch them,” he demanded in a hoarse voice.

Panting, she lifted her head to the couple. Nick had somehow managed to undo his pants, flip his wife onto her stomach and free his engorged cock. Laney was on her hands and knees, her ass swaying in the air as he eased himself inside her.

“I love when she does that,” Elliot groaned.

With each inch, Laney’s back arched deeply, and by the time Nick was fully embedded inside her, he was wild with desire. Gripping her hips, he rammed her backside with long strong thrusts. Laney’s large breasts, now free of her dress, bounced and jiggled with every thrust. Their moans of ecstasy filled the room, and Thandie could feel herself coming.

A rush of cold white lightning rippled through her body. From her stomach to her neck, the spasms of pleasure rocked her body. She moaned as the feeling left her shaking uncontrollably. She was momentarily blinded by the sheer force of pleasure, and she fought to catch her breath.

She could feel Elliot’s body tense before going into overdrive. His cock swelled as he jutted his pelvis determinedly. He cursed as he was overcome. He rode out the sensation, his breathing labored.

When they were both spent, he pulled the condom off and tossed it into a nearby receptacle. She turned onto her side, and he lay beside her. Easing inside her, he rocked against her while they watched Nick and Laney’s lovemaking. Neither Thandie nor Elliot spoke. They kissed often and stroked each other passionately. In that moment, Thandie felt that something had changed between them. Something had happened, and they’d both felt it. She was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. She felt like laughing and crying at the same time.

She turned her face away from him so he wouldn’t witness the battle of feelings swimming inside her. Elliot ruined her plans by cupping her face and forcing her to look at him. He rolled on top of her and stared into her eyes, and for a second the world stopped. They were now playing on mutual ground. She saw understanding in his expression and yet he seemed distant at the same time. He lowered his head and kissed her. This was a kiss unlike any they’d shared before. It was both demanding and giving. It scared her. He scared her, and she had to close her eyes to stop from crying.

They came together this time. The moans and groans surrounding them became deafening, but they were in a world all their own. She became lost in their kisses, and with great panic, realized she had also become lost in him.

Chapter Twenty-Five

T
handie awoke in Elliot’s bed the next morning and was unclear on exactly how she had gotten there. She remembered random scenes from the night before. Laney and Nick’s naked bodies making endless love and Elliot and her taking each other over and over again, staring into each other’s eyes, saying nothing. It felt as if it was a dream, something that happened long ago.

Thandie stared at the ceiling, the familiar scent of clean linens and light fragrance of lemons she’d come to recognize as Elliot’s home filled her senses.

Elliot rested peacefully on his side. His dark hair hid his eyes and most of his nose. She figured she could gladly watch him sleep for hours. He was beautiful. As she stared at him, a strange feeling, identical to the one from last night, captured her. She felt happy and sad all at once. And again, just as it had the night before, it overwhelmed her. She turned away. There was something very wrong.

She managed to leave without disturbing Elliot. She had to put a little time and a lot of space between herself and him.

* * *

She loved him.

Thandie could hardly believe it, but there could be no denying what she felt. She was in love with Elliot.

She’d left his room, and returned to her own bed. She’d tried to get to sleep, but her mind was whirling. Then the revelation hit her.

Placing her hand over her heart, she tried to slow the erratic beating. It would do no good if she had a heart attack before she figured out what she was going to do about the mess she found herself in. She needed to get out of the house to clear her head. Throwing back the covers, she strode into the bathroom to clean up. After a quick shower and throwing on something clean, she headed downstairs.

Thandie was still in a state of shock when she drifted into the kitchen where Len and Raja were having breakfast. Over cold bowls of cereal and lightly buttered slices of toast, the girls were in the throes of another animated conversation. Some of their antics even made Thandie laugh.

“Sweet Jesus! All three of you together, and not arguing!” They all looked up to see Warren Radcliffe standing in the doorway, looking throughly pleased with the scene he’d just discovered.

Thandie, still laughing, rolled her eyes.

Len skipped across the room and wrapped her arms around Warren’s neck, giving him a light peck on the cheek. Then she squealed. “Look at her!” And she pointed out the window at the pool where a woman lounged. Aside from the thin gold chain around her neck, her oversize sunglasses, and the tiniest of thongs, she was completely naked.

Thandie and Raja stood to gaze at the mysterious stranger. They had to practically shove Warren out of the way to get a better look. He shoved back to keep his vantage point. For five seconds, the three of them struggled with each other, completely unaware they were doing so in their efforts to gain the best view.

The woman had a rich golden glow all over her body. Every inch of her tanned skin was lathered with shiny suntan oil.

After getting over the shock of a semi-nude woman sunbathing scant yards away, the woman’s other physical attributes became more defined. Her breasts were too perfectly shaped to be natural. Her chin was sharp, and her jawbones were uniquely high. Beneath her large sunglasses rested a long distinguished nose, which lay above full pouty lips. Tendrils of thick dark hair had escaped the knot of hair resting atop her head, causing them to fan the sides of her face. She was a very pretty woman...and very familiar.

Thandie gasped. She was the mysterious beauty Thandie had seen visiting Elliot at the club. And now she was here, in Elliot’s home, sunning herself by his pool. How had she gotten in? Did she have a key to the house? And if so, Thandie wondered exactly how well she and Elliot knew each other.

“What’s going on?”

Elliot’s low voice broke the silence in the room.

Thandie turned to face him and was immediately sorry she had. His hair, obviously wet from a shower, was raked back from his temples. He wore fitted jeans which hung low on his hips. His shirt had been thrown carelessly over his shoulder, allowing him to adjust his wristwatch with his free hand. But it was his eyes that held her prisoner. His gaze said he had forgotten nothing that had passed between them the night before. The devilish grin tugging at the tip of his lips told her he’d relish reminding her.

His eyes never leaving Thandie, he asked, “What’s the cause for all the pushing?”

“It looks like you have a visitor,” Len said helpfully.

“She’s making quite an impression on us,” Raja added.

At these words, Elliot finally tore his eyes away from Thandie. Tall enough to see over all their shoulders, he looked past them toward the pool. His gaze was fixed. Other than his lips drawing into a thin line, he gave no outward reaction, making it impossible to read his expression. Elliot stared a moment longer before saying, “Excuse me.”

They watched silently as he crossed the room and stepped onto the elongated patio. His long strides ate up the distance to the pool’s edge, making a direct path to the woman. His back was facing them, but there was a stiffness in his broadset shoulders. They were too far to hear anything being discussed, but it was clear Elliot was not exactly thrilled to see her.

Apparently accustomed to his moods, the woman pulled her sunglasses above her head and gave him a slow smile. Elliot responded by saying something that unsettled her, because her grin faltered for an instant. Within seconds, it was quickly replaced. She slid her sunglasses back over her face and stretched her long limbs, doing so for his benefit rather than her own.

Elliot looked up and glanced over his shoulder toward the bank of windows that spread across the sunroom. When he turned back to the woman, he side-stepped a little to his right. His movement positioned his body so that her face and upper torso were impossible to see. With only her legs visible, Thandie, Raja, Len and Warren were no longer able to read their body language. Nor could they see her nudity. This only intensified their curiosity.

Warren swore under his breath. “The least he could have done was sat down and carried on the conversation like a gentleman.”

Thandie continued to watch Elliot and the woman talk. Unable to read their lips, she was reduced to guessing at their exchange. Thandie’s imagination ran wild.

Suddenly, Elliot handed the woman his shirt. The two of them traded words before she seductively pulled the dress shirt on, effectively covering her shapely form. Again, Warren swore under his breath.

Pasting a tight smile across her face, the dark-haired woman crossed the patio at an unhurried pace. The shift in position brought her closer to the windows and turned Elliot around so that he was now facing the group of onlookers. The woman picked up a set of keys resting on a patio table and slipped a vintage Hermes bag onto her small shoulder.

Elliot motioned to the shirt and said, “I’ll be expecting that back.”

The woman raked her fingers through her thick dark hair. “You know where to find me when you want it.” She brushed her hand along Elliot’s jawline, giving him another one of those suggestive smiles. “Feel free to stop by and...collect what’s yours.” Linking her arms around his neck, she pulled him forward for a slow kiss on the lips. The fact that he hadn’t wrapped his arms around her seemed only to amuse her.

Thandie stared at the beautiful couple a few seconds longer before finally turning away. It was hard to pretend indifference after witnessing such scene. Having seen quite enough, Thandie called out to the girls, “Let’s go.”

The girls shot curious looks at each other, before doing as they were told. The three were climbing into the car in less than five minutes. With Thandie behind the wheel, they were sped off Star Island.

* * *

Elliot gripped the steering wheel of the Aston Martin tighter as he approached the winding stretch of land ahead of him. I-9 was famous for its oceanic views of the Atlantic, but Elliot barely noticed the million-dollar landscape. It was a blur of blue as he sped along the pavement.

Had not Warren insisted on riding with him to the investors’ meeting this afternoon, Elliot would have made good use of this time, beginning with calling Laurent and reprimanding her for the performance she’d given his household this morning. No doubt her visit today had a double meaning. He’d known her too long not to figure out when she was up to something. Had it been strictly to get a good look at his houseguests or was there a more calculated motive involved? Knowing Laurent, he’d put his money on the latter.

They had an understanding that suited both of them. So why would Laurent step out of bounds? Whatever the reason, he intended to get to the bottom of it.

Visions of her naked body, slick with oil, flashed in his mind. He clearly remembered looking down at her, barely able to stop himself from shaking some reason into her. In a casually calm voice he’d asked, “What the hell are you doing here, Laurent?”

She’d given him an innocent smile as she spread her hands over her voluptuous body. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Very nice,” he’d agreed. “You’ve made your scene. Now get out.”

Her lips split into a wider smile. “Are you sure you want to go there with me?” she’d asked.

“Get your ass up, Laurent, or I’ll do it for you.”

“Now why would you want to do that?” she challenged.

“You know why.” He nudged his head toward the house. “I have guests.”

She shrugged her shoulders casually. “And?”

“Warren is here,” he said.

That actually invoked a reaction from her. A silent understanding passed between them, before Laurent moved. She swung her legs over the edge of the chaise, her small feet touching the smooth surface of the patio. Pulling herself up slowly, and ever so provocatively, she stepped close to him. A devilish grin snaked across her lips. “We’ll talk later,” she said.

He said nothing in response.

Her smile turned predatory. “Don’t be so cruel, my love. I would hate to respond in kind.”

Pulling the dress shirt off his shoulder, he handed it to her. “Get out, Laurent.”

Refusing to be ruffled by his rejection, she made a show of slipping on his shirt. She was toying with him, entering his home with an air of authority that annoyed him. It had always annoyed him. And she knew it.

What had gotten into Laurent? It was unlike her to goad him like this. And she’d never felt the need before to mark her territory over him. In truth, he should have seen this coming. She was curious about Thandie. She wanted to know who she was, and the depth of his involvement with her.

Sure, he could taunt her with the erotic details, but that had never been his style. Besides, it was the “not knowing” that would drive Laurent crazy. For a while, he’d enjoyed responding to her questions with vague noncommittals. But it would seem Laurent had taken matters into her own hands. By coming to the house, she’d upped the stakes.

And then there was Thandie. He wasn’t sure exactly how much of Laurent’s performance she’d witnessed. Apparently she’d seen enough, because when he’d gone looking for her, she was gone.

That had been the tipping point. He was frustrated with her for leaving before he’d had a chance to explain Laurent’s visit. And that opened up a whole new can of worms. Why the hell did he feel obligated to explain anything to her? He enjoyed sleeping with Thandie, but that was it. What they had together was just sex. Elliot Richards was beholden to no one. So why did he have an undeniable impulse to set her straight?

Shaking Thandie from his thoughts, Elliot focused on the winding road before him. He had a busy day ahead of him. It would serve no purpose if he ran off the road before he had a chance to clean up Laurent’s mess.

As if reading his mind, Warren found the courage to speak. “So, I see Laurent still takes good care of herself.”

Elliot shot him a stony stare. “Do me a favor, Warren.”

“Anything,” he said eagerly.

“If this is going to work, stay out of my personal business,” he said coldly.

Warren blinked a few times before nodding. “Of course,” he mumbled. “If that’s what you want.”

“Yes, Warren,” Elliot said sharply, “that is exactly what I want.” Returning his full attention to the road, Elliot was pleased Warren hadn’t made another attempt at conversation. Instead, they sat in stony silence while Elliot navigated the car.

Eventually, they arrived at the hotel. Handing the valet a twenty dollar bill, he and Warren entered the grand foyer, which had been painstakingly designed to impress any guest. Recognizing Elliot, the concierge greeted them energetically before personally escorting them to a room near the back of the building. The conference room had three wall screens. Nico’s face loomed on the center screen. His hair was tousled, and he’d obviously not shaved.

Elliot glanced at Eddie, his accountant. “Are we live?”

Eddie nodded. “Nico’s mic is online. We’re waiting for the D.C. office.”

Elliot turned toward Nico’s screen. “Long night?”

Nico grimaced. “Hit me on my cell later. I’ll tell you all about it.” Nico’s face split into a wide grin. “I’ve got pictures.”

Elliot lifted his dark brow in question.

Nico nodded. “Quality.”

Everyone laughed, but before Elliot could properly reply, the far-right screen flashed to life. The image of a handsome black man appeared. Behind him, in large gold letters, read The Law Offices of Winthrop & Assoc. “Good morning everyone,” he promptly greeted.

“Good morning, Adrian,” Elliot said.

Adrian frowned. “Why is everyone laughing?”

Elliot waved his hand in the air. “Nico,” he answered.

Adrian smiled. “I’d ask why, but my door is open and I’m afraid what my secretary might overhear.” Checking his watch he said, “I’m on a tight timeline this morning, guys. I’m due in court by 2:00 p.m. and Dad has summoned me home for dinner.”

“How is Senator Winthrop?” Warren asked, eager to make his presence known.

“Dad is good. Thanks for asking, Warren. Mom, on the other hand, remembers you from the Christmas party last year.” Adrian shook his head. “Please don’t be offended when I tell you she’s banned you from all future parties.”