Penthouse of pleasure - uncertain desire (German Edition) (4 page)

Exhausted but happy we’re lying next to each other in the massive bed. Liam caresses my back. Your ex must be some idiot,” he observes. “Who in his right mind would voluntarily let a cute bitch like you go?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Andrew’s just a moron. And as far as the sex was concerned it was pretty dull!”

“Poor thing! You’ve got a lot to catch up on,” Liam smiles, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. “You seemed to enjoy the toy.”

“Yeah, that was pretty good,” I purr and nestle into him. “What else have you got in your magic drawer?”

“Quite a few fun things!” Liam replies and strokes my butt.

“And who’s all that for?”

“Take a wild guess!”

“For the women you pay for sex? Why? I always thought hookers are there to pleasure the men. Why are you trying to satisfy them?”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Liam seems annoyed. “We don’t pay the ladies for sex. Besides, it’s exactly about that: to give the women the utmost pleasure.”

I move slightly away from him and rest my head on my hands: “Do Alex and Marcus also have magic drawers in their rooms?”

“Want to have a look?”

“Well, do they?”

“Sure, of course they also have their toys. We all have our own preferences.”

“And they are?”

“I’m not telling you. You refused to see for yourself because you’re no prostitute, remember?” Liam says with a scornful look. 

“I still don’t understand, that’s why,” I defend myself. “It’s not exactly normal, is it? I’ve never heard of anything like it before!”

“You wouldn’t believe what else is out there. Our little arrangement is relatively harmless by comparison. A bit like a temporary commune with certain benefits.”

“And what would they be?”

“Christ, Katherine! Have you no imagination? Look at it from the women’s perspective. For many of them it’s a dream come true to live with three well-built men who spoil them sexually. And whenever they, the women, want it.”

“Bit more like when you want it,” I object.

“No, that’s where you’re wrong, Kate. Everyone living in this apartment has absolutely equal rights. I admit that the women who answer our ads are looking for an adventure and want as much sex as possible. It’s only for a little while after all.”

“And what kind of women are they?”

They’re all quite different, usually in their mid twenties to late thirties. That’s all I can tell you. It’s part of the agreement to protect the ladies‘ privacy.”

“Agreement?”

“Yes, we all sign a kind of contract with rules for both sides and the financial arrangements.”

I shake my head, still not comprehending.  “Why do you pay the women at all when they want to live here so much? Wouldn’t they do it for nothing?”

Liam spreads the duvet over the two of us. He’s apparently noticed that I’m freezing. Then he shrugs his shoulders and continues: “The payment is part of the agreement. After all, the women commit to being in this apartment, day and night, for the duration of the agreement and to dedicating every minute of their time to us.” 

I frown. “I still don’t quite understand it, to be honest. If the women agree to be at your service 24/7, they’ll hardly be in the mood for sex all the time. Earlier you said that they have the same rights as you and it’s up to them to decide when they want to sleep with you. Don’t tell me that they’re always in the mood for one of you.”

“Well,” Liam nods, “They actually are.”

“Bullshit!” I laugh. “You’re kidding! Of course they only do it for the money. Whichever way you look at it, they’re still hookers. And I still don’t understand why three good-looking guys need to do this.”

Liam seems annoyed. “Let’s change the subject. I think the whole concept actually turns you on, but you’re too gutless to admit it.”

I sit up and glare at him indignantly. “I’m definitely no coward! Or would I be here fucking a freak like you if I were?”

“No idea! So why are you here and why did you fuck me, ‘the freak’?”

I want to respond, but Liam won’t let me. “I know, why. You needed to prove to yourself that you can sleep with other people, too. You thought if your ex can screw around, so can you. Am I right?”

What can I say? Yes, he is right. So what? I bite my lip and say nothing. I’m slowly starting to get angry as well. What gives Liam the right to judge me?

“You know, Kate,” he continues, “I have to disappoint you. Your ex wasn’t here when we had sex, so you can’t provoke him with it. And I don’t think you should take all that shit from him without defending yourself?”

I wrap my arms around my knees. Suddenly I feel small and vulnerable and also somehow emotionally exposed. “No, I didn’t stand up for myself,” I whisper. “What could I possibly have done? Andrew and his new girlfriend are expecting a baby! His secretary broke the news this morning when she collected some of Andrew’s things from the apartment.”

“He took everything away from you: your job, your home and basically your life and you’re not going to do anything about it? If you were above it all, I’d say don’t bother. But it’s obvious that you’re hurt. It’s tearing you apart that he cheated on you. I think we should take some action!” Liam strokes my hair and kisses my forehead.

“How?” I ask.

“Let’s fuck first and then I let you in on my plan!”

“What?” I stare at him in disbelief. “You want to go again?”

“Any objections?” he asks with an amused glint in his eyes.

“I don’t know,” I mumble, “I don’t think can.”

Liam laughs: “I think you have no idea what you’re capable of! But don’t worry. I leave you in peace for now. How do you feel about the two of us paying your ex a little visit? Do you still have keys to his apartment?” 

“I do, but Andrew won’t be there. Mrs. Harris told me that he’s taken time off work. He’s staying with my replacement and I’ve no idea where she lives! I don’t even know her name!”

“I thought we’d track down her name and address and then deliver your keys to your ex. And then you pretend that you’re really glad to be finally rid of him now that you have me. Your good-looking, rich new boyfriend who is a much better lover than he ever was!” Liam explains.

I frown and think about it. Perhaps we should actually put Liam’s plan into action. Andrew and I will never get back together anyway. And do I really want to look like a dumped loser? Definitely not! Andrew wouldn’t know what hit him if I turned up at his girlfriend’s with Liam in tow.

“Um,” I purr. He’s excellent at the whole fondling thing. “But how will we get her address?”

“I’ll take care of it. I‘ll call his secretary and pretend to be an important client.”

“Would you really do that for me?”

“Sure, at a price,” he replies brashly.

“How high a price?”

“Dinner at a restaurant of my choice and for dessert I want you – naked!” He glances at me lasciviously while his hand travels to my breast and caresses the nipple which reacts instantly. 

“Sounds good,” I agree. I like the thought of sleeping with Liam again after a nice meal and I want to make good use of the limited time we’ll be together.

“Deal!” Liam kisses my forehead again. “But first we dress you up a little so your ex can see what a hot lady he left!”

I would never have imagined that shopping with a man could be so much fun. Andrew always complained after a few short minutes, if he came with me at all that is. And he never commented on anything. Just a shrug and a: “Don’t know. Looks okay, I guess!“ was the most I could hope for.

Liam, on the other hand, really seems to be enjoying himself. He produces one outfit after the next for me to try on.

“I think that’s the one!” he declares appreciatively when I step out of the changing rooms in a short red cocktail dress.

“You think?” I doubtfully scrutinize myself in the mirror.

“Absolutely! The dress really suits you!”

But red? Doesn’t it look too vulgar?”

“No way! It will look extremely elegant with the right shoes and a stylish haircut. Elegant yet sexy. The perfect combination!”

“So you like it?”

“Are you kidding? If you want to find out how much I like it, just let me into the changing room and I’ll show you!” Liam pushes some stray hair from his forehead and blatantly examines me from head to toe.

I blush just a tiny bit. “You’re impossible.” I smile and I’m glad that a dream guy like Liam finds me so attractive. “Right‚ then I‘ll take it!” 

It’s actually not very sensible to buy a dress when I have to be careful with my money. But it’s worth it for my vendetta against Andrew. I still feel guilty, however, when I hand over 200 Dollars for the dress. This will be my last shopping spree for a while. I can’t afford new clothes without a job.

“What’s with the long face, Kate? The dress is gorgeous! If I were your ex, I would faint when I see you in that little number.”

I shake my head. “It’s nothing!” I’ll try to enjoy today without thinking about the future. Time enough for that tomorrow.

“And now?” I ask and take Liam’s arm. “What’s next on the ‘let’s-annoy-Andrew-agenda?”

“Hair salon?” Liam suggests.

That’s also going to cost me a lot of money, but if I really want to look perfect, the right hairstyle is part of the package. Besides, I can always gloriously relax at the salon. “Right,” I nod. “Are you coming with me?”

“Sure,” Liam smiles and scans my body with his eyes. “I’m getting paid for my services, remember!”

A little wave of arousal spreads through my middle. Liam looks so damn sexy. My vagina pulsates in happy anticipation. Who knows if I’ll ever meet such a good -looking male specimen again for uncomplicated sex with no strings attached?

“You shall be richly rewarded,” I wink and take his arm again. The store clerks look at me with envy. 

Tee-hee! He’s mine, I snigger to myself. Even if sadly for a short time only.

“Wow! You look fantastic!” Liam exclaims. 

“Thank you!” I take a few twirls in front of the large mirror in his bedroom and admire myself from all angles. Really not bad! The guy at the salon really excelled himself. My hair is styled in soft curls flowing over my shoulders; my face discreetly made up. And the red dress really sets off my blonde hair. I’m a little nervous. What shall I say to Andrew when I see him?  What if he isn’t even there? Then all the effort was for nothing. Or what if he is in and I freeze? Then I’ll look like a complete idiot despite my spectacular outfit.

“You’re frowning again,” Liam interrupts my thoughts. “What’s up?”

“Perhaps we should just go out to dinner and forget about Andrew,” I start.

“Nonsense!” Liam is adamant. “We’re going through with this. You’ll feel a lot better after, believe me!”

“But I’ve no idea what to say,” I tell him.

“Then we’ll think of something now and practice. Okay?”

“Right, if you say so,” I grumble with little enthusiasm.

For the next half hour Liam coaches me. He shows me how to stand to appear more confident and how to hold on to certain words in a speech so as not to freeze in mid-sentence.

He seems to know a lot about assertiveness. I wonder what he does for a living. He’s bound to be some kind of executive. I’ll ask him later, over dinner.  When Liam is finally convinced that I’m ready, he puts on a stylish black suit. It’s perfect on him and my mouth feels all dry for a moment. Andrew won’t believe his eyes when he sees him and neither will his girlfriend. I doubt if she’s ever met someone as attractive at that. Andrew’s not anywhere near Liam’s league.

The doorbell rings. I look at Liam.

“That’s our limo,” he explains.

I’m stunned. I’ve never been in a limousine before.

Liam laughs. “Come on, get your coat. You’re going to enjoy the ride.”

Liam greets the waiting driver like an old acquaintance. The chauffeur gallantly opens the door and Liam and I sit down on the back seat.

“Do you have the keys?” Liam wants to know.

I nod. “They’re in my purse.”

“Great! Let the show begin!” He does actually seem to look forward to our performance. I don’t. I’ve got a big lump stuck in my throat.

“Christ, Kate, relax!” Liam has noticed how tense I am.

“Easy for you to say,” I reply. “It’s all just a funny little game for you, but for me it’s hell!”

Liam’s beautiful blue eyes look at me with compassion. He presses a little button and a partition pops up, dividing the back of the car from the driver in the front.

“What are you doing...” I start, but Liam presses his lips to my mouth and cuts me off right in the middle of my sentence. His tongue’s playing with mine while his hand is holding my head.

“Don’t! My hair,” I pant when he releases me for a second.

“You’re far too nervous,” he says. “That ‘I’ve-just-been-passionately-fucked-look’ will make you even more sexy!”

“No, please don’t! Not now!” I beg him and push his hands away. As much as I want to enjoy every minute with him, this is not the right time for sex. I’m so shaken and confused right now, I can hardly think straight. When I imagine seeing Andrew again, my heart’s doing summersaults. A few days ago everything was still alright. And even if Andrew wasn’t the world’s greatest lover – I loved him. I can’t forget all that so quickly even when I’m being fucked senseless by someone like Liam.

“Sorry, I was just trying to help you relax. It’s true, this is not the right time. Do you want to go back? We don’t have to go through with it if you don’t want to.” Liam tucks an errant curl behind my ear. I snuggle deeper into the seat and into my coat. 

“No, let’s do it,” I decide, but my voice betrays me. I sound anything but determined. 

“You will be fine,” Liam encourages me, pressing my hand.

I don’t really get this guy. At times all he can think of is sex, sometimes he‘s understanding and sensitive and then very distant again. But I can’t analyze his personality right now. My thoughts are preoccupied with Andrew and our imminent encounter. 

The chauffeur parks the limo in front of a handsome little family home in one of the more respectable suburbs. Majestic oak trees line the street, their by now nearly leafless branches reaching towards the sky. It’s all very idyllic. Idyllic and just perfect for a family with children. I sigh. This is exactly how I envisaged my future with Andrew. Living in a pretty suburb; enriching the world with our adorable offspring. I feel cheated and, what’s worse, that that part of my life has been robbed. I would have been far better off investing my time in finding a suitable and faithful partner instead of wasting it on Andrew.

“You holding up okay?” Liam is concerned.

I shake my head. “Not really!”

“Do you want us to drive on?”

“No, we’re doing it,” I decide and straighten my shoulders. I won’t let Andrew off that lightly. And I don’t want to be poor, dumped Katherine. Absolutely not! He needs to remember me as a proud and beautiful woman who captured a far better guy than he will ever be. Hopefully Andrew will never know that it’s all just pretend.  

“You can do it!” Liam kisses my forehead. “I’m right here with you!”

The driver opens the door and we get out.

“Are you sure this is the right house?” I ask.

“Yep, I think so. 225 Oak Tree Close,” Liam says. “Mrs. Harris told me that Andrew’s girlfriend’s surname is Potter.“

Potter, I think. That’s a far more suitable name for a sweet little old lady than a man-eating witch. I can’t wait to see what the slut looks like.

We open the gate and step onto the small front yard. Dressed as we are, Liam and I look totally out of place. As if we’d just been beamed onto a lower middle class property from some VIP event. The waiting limousine only adds to the impression. I ask myself what Andrew’s doing here. I could easily imagine living in a house like this, but for Andrew the suburbs had never been an option. Who would have thought that he’d exchange his posh apartment for this. But he’s presumably just waiting for me to be gone to convince his girlfriend to move back to the city with him. I, in her position, wouldn’t do it. Especially with a baby on the way. Andrew’s apartment isn‘t exactly child friendly.

“Kate?” Liam’s voice tears me away from my thoughts.

“Sorry, what?”

“Aren’t you going to ring the bell?“

I feel a little adrenalin rush. It’s show time! I’m very tempted to run back to the limo and the only thing stopping me is Liam’s hand holding mine. 

I take a deep breath and extract Andrew’s keys from my purse. Then I press the bell with the label
A. Potter.
For a second I hope that nobody’s in when the door suddenly opens. 

“Yes, what can I do for you?”

We’re staring at a small, brunette women with wild curly hair and freckles. She’s wearing denim dungarees with a striped top under it. Quite cute, but certainly not sexy.  She looks like someone who spends a lot of time in the garden, owns at least six cats, drinks gallons of herbal tea and favors biodiversity. Is that supposed to be Andrew’s new girlfriend? She doesn’t suit him at all.

“Hi, I’m Katherine Thompson. Is Andrew in?” I enquire, desperately trying to keep calm.

The woman raises her eyebrows. “What is it you want from Andrew?” she asks. But before I can answer her the monster himself suddenly appears.

“Kate!” Andrew gasps. His eyes move from me to Liam, then to my outfit and eventually take in the waiting limousine. I silently thank Liam. Andrew is confused enough to stutter: “Wh... what are you doing here?”

I hold up the keys. “I’ve still got something belonging to you!”

Andrew seems shocked. All the color has drained from his face and beads of perspiration start showing on his forehead. He’s desperately trying to get rid of dungarees woman when he says to her: “Go back inside, Anne. I’ll be right back!”

But Anne has no intention of following his instructions. She folds her arms over her chest and looks at me defiantly. “Who are you?” she wants to know. I’m suddenly struck by the thought that Andrew hasn’t told her about me at all. Could he really be that shameless? I look at Liam who nods at me encouragingly. So I take a deep breath and say: “Up to a few days ago Andrew and I were a couple, but I’m sure you know that anyway.”

Anne looks absolutely stunned. “What!?”

I ignore her and turn to Andrew: “Know what, sugar,” I chirp. “You couldn’t have done me a bigger favor than sacking me and sending me that note to tell me it’s all over between us.”

I point at Liam. “We’ve been an item for a few months. I just hadn’t mentioned it because I didn’t know how to let you down easy. But, hey, you
made
it easy for me!”

I stand on tippy toes and kiss Liam who responds with a grin and proprietarily puts his hand on my behind. “Come on, darling,” he says. “Just give him the keys. We don’t want to be late for the gala.”

If Andrew wasn’t such a jerk, I’d nearly feel sorry for him. The color of his face quickly changes from red to white and back. I’ve rarely seen him this lost for words. I give him the keys and turn to Anne with the words: “Good luck with the baby. God knows it will need it with a father like that!” Liam puts his arm around my waist and we retreat together.

“What the hell was that all about, Andrew?” I can still hear Anne’s nagging voice. Then we get into the limo and stretch out on the back seat.

“Phew,” I sigh. “We’ve done it!”

“Are you okay?” Liam asks.

“Not too bad,” I reply.  And I’m chuffed I went through with it. I think Eco Anne didn’t even know that I exist. Andrew will have some explaining to do tonight.”

“He certainly will,” Liam laughs. “The look on his face was priceless! And when we kissed, ha! He couldn’t believe it. What a great performance!”

Yes, I agree. Apart from the fact that everything was a lie and I have neither a job nor a new boyfriend. But I’m certainly better off without a partner like Andrew. What an asshole! He actually entertained two girls at the same time. And he may just have kept stringing us both along if one of us hadn’t become pregnant. That Anne lady presumably pressured him into suburban bliss.

I huff in disgust. My mother was right. Andrew is a jerk. Whatever did I see in him?