Recourse 2 (The Arrangement) (4 page)

Sensing that I was close, Chase pulled his legs up from under me, folded them up and quickly rotated his body around. He pushed off the headrest and slid under me, his face now directly below my wet. He moved the string to the side as I maintained the pressure on my sensitive bud. His warm tongue parted my lower lips as he met my fingers. He quickly began darting it right on the other side. My eyebrows drew in as I felt the orgasm within my grasp. I wriggled against him as the double pleasure rocked me from both sides. My breath turned quick and shallow as I let out a barely audible yelp and felt my abdomen quake. I propped my hand on his muscular chest and rode the wild and wonderful waves of sheer ecstasy as I erupted in pleasure.

I reached down and embraced his face between my hands, letting him know I came. Chase slowed down the licks to a slow motion, as if he was tasting an ice cream. I felt a couple more quakes through my body as I lifted up my hips and smiled at him. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” He winked at me, lifting himself up and turning around again. I let out a breath and with satisfied smile on my face looked at his throbbing erection.

“I hate to leave things unfinished.” I said and put my hands on his chest while pushing him back into the chair.

Leaning over him, I slowly slid my hips down as I felt his rock hard staff ease into my hot pool. I let out a soft moan as his erection slowly brushed past my every nerve ending causing a jolt of electricity to rush up my spine as he filled me to the brim.

I felt the full length of his swollen flesh as I started to slowly rotate my hips in circular motion, gyrating myself against his tight abdomen. Chase let out a moan as I lifted myself up, and then slammed my body down hard. He reached over and gripped my hips in his powerful hands, then followed my movements as I increased the tempo and came down harder and harder on top of him. Feeling the arousal build up again, I reached down and started massaging my bare flesh. The residue of frenzy from the wild night together started to come over us again as I felt him thrust himself up to welcome me with more intensity. I lifted my arm over my head and bit the inside of my bicep as I felt the pleasure start to spill over and drive me towards doom. Chase plunged his manhood with more force, causing me to want to scream in sweet agony. I rubbed my free hand over my throbbing peaks as I lowered myself fully down and grinded my loins on his hard pelvis, sucking breath through my clenched teeth as his flesh pulsated inside me.

Chase leaned in, cupped and squeezed my breast, sucking hungrily on my bare tips. I trembled in his arms as I felt myself reaching the peak. “Come with me.” He stared into my eyes. I grabbed the back of his head and brought him closer into me, as I felt his flesh expand and pulsate deep inside my hot core. Our molten juices intermingled as he exploded within me with a cry of passion. His seed spilled inside me as I stiffened in climax and grabbed onto his neck with both hands, ready for the sweet release. I felt the wild eruption of pleasure flow through me and collapsed on top of him, as he sucked a panting breath and relaxed his body and dropped back. We laid there for a while, with me on top of him and him stroking his hand on my moistened back.

CHAPTER 7

The next day as Chase went downtown for another round of meetings Amy asked if I’d be interested in seeing her horse stables. I said ‘Yes’ immediately as I’ve always admired horses and saw exactly none during my years in NYC. Two hours later, we pulled up to a big wooden structure that housed a large white fence in the back and a Valley Rose sign above the entrance. She said a quick hello to the keepers as they came out to greet her, and after a few pleasantries led me to the stables. There were ten magnificent horses there, in different colors. Some were marble, others dark as the night itself. A couple were chocolate and one almost pearl white. Amy gave me a few carrots and I felt the horse’s mouth tickle my hand as it took the treats. Amy walked through the stable and gently brushed each one’s mane, baby talking each horse.

“Laura, I have to talk to you about something.” She said as we walked out of the stable back into fresh air.

“What’s on your mind?” I looked over at her.

She seemed to try and find the words as she played with a single piece of long straw in her hands.

“Do you remember what the arrangement between Chase and I was?” She started.

I raised my eyebrows. “That your politician father wanted a strong business partner, so he married you while basically having no idea who his own daughter is? You said OK meanwhile hoping he dies soon so you can be free?”

“A little harsh, but close enough.” She swallowed hard. “My father is a complicated man. One one hand most of France admires him for his efforts to bring the country back to financial prosperity. On the other,” She sighed, “He can be a very stubborn and greedy man.”

“Isn’t an honest politician almost an oxymoron?”

“I suppose. There is something you need to know though. Chase is not the only owner of Matrox.” I kept silent as she bit her lip. “Back when the whole thing was just a pipe dream, my father provided a lot of political influence to help Chase move the project though the bureaucratic tape. May be it was the wrong move, but Chase believed at the time it was absolutely necessary to seek his help.”

We walked over to the fence by the stables, and watched the men lead out the horses for their daily exercise. Their shiny coats majestically glistening in the red desert sun.

“My father assured Chase it was all just family looking out for one another. Chase is smart, and he knew that legally he protected himself enough to ensure that if anyone tried to get in on the action, they would find no ways to do so. My father didn’t seem to be interested in the project at all as it went from the nebulous fantasy to something much more concrete over the last couple of years. He always said he was just happy to see Chase work on something he was passionate about.”

I turned my head. “But now he had gotten much more curious?”

She glanced my way, showing the tension in her eyes. “Laura, you’ve seen Chase be a little edgy lately. The meetings are not going well.” She bunched her eyebrows, causing a small wrinkle to appear in between. “From what I’ve been able to gather, Matrox is having a really hard time getting the results published as legitimate proof the trials were successful. The other thing is, I have this really bad feeling that someone is trying to pull the rug from underneath Chase.”

“Cut to the point,” I said sternly. “Do you think it’s your father?”

“I have no proof,” She sighed. “But I am afraid my father
is
somehow mixed into this. I usually don’t talk to him more than once every two or three months. Lately, he’s been calling me every other week, somehow always managing to drop a few questions about what Chase had been up to.”

“Could he be just curious? Everyone else seems to be.”

“If he was curious he would call Chase. I think he knows exactly what’s going on.”

“Did you tell him?”

She shook her head. “I wanted to get some proof Chase was about to run into a wall before I said anything.”

My eyes widened, “The convenient escape to Loushen’s office during the party?”

She let out a small smile, “That was blind luck. I actually wanted to get you alone in the dark.”

I shook my head as the corners of my mouth curled up.

The smile faded from her face a moment later as she pressed her lips tight and looked ahead.

“What do you think your father would want with it?” I said.

“What does everyone want?” She raised her eyebrows. “Power. Whoever will control this will control the world.”

I shrugged, “A little dramatic, don’t you think?”

“Think of it this way,” She said, “You have a way to extend someone’s life by three to five years. You could do what Chase is trying to do, give it out to the hospitals and work with institutions to mass market and mass produce it.”

I ran my hand through my hair, “Wouldn’t they need to regulate it somehow? Not everyone should get the drug.”

“Smart girl, I see.” Amy glanced at me. “That’s the problem, I can see a lot of red tape, tons of regulation even worse than before. What would be the criteria for selection?”

I lifted my eyebrows, “Can you imagine the outrage if you didn’t get it? I would be livid, like, ‘They’re stealing my life!’

Amy nodded. “You see why it is a very complicated issue. I would venture to say some governments would rather avoid dealing with it altogether. That is Chase’s biggest fear.”

She clenched her jaw. “There is the other, much more dangerous factor that I am worried about. Imagine Matrox is called a complete failure in future trials on purpose. They bury it and ridicule Chase for believing it might ever work.”

“That would be terrible.” I nodded.

“Now, what if in reality it actually works all along, but a few years later, after it is off everyone’s radar, it finds its way into private hands. And it is effective, really effective, only the people who have it don’t want anyone to know that.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” I rubbed my chin.

“Exclusivity. Control. Power.” She ratted off, “Imagine being in the right circle, and knowing some very important people who, in their old, prominent age begin to realize that without health power is nothing. How much do you think they would give up to have another five years at the top?”

My eyes widened. “Sounds like your father has a good motive.”

Amy nodded, “Control that, and you control the world.”

She kept her eyes focused on something off in the distance. We stood side my side resting our arms on the freshly painted fence. The horses played in front of us, gracefully trotting and bucking around before breaking into full gallop.

I drew my eyebrows in as I hit her arm. “Hey, if your father gets his hands on it, doesn’t it mean that he’ll be first in line to take it?”

Her green eyes turned cold as she closed them and slowly nodded.

“But then, your arrangement…” I muttered feeling my stomach drop.

“Laura I need to ask you a favor.” She raised her voice as she kept looking straight ahead.

“Anything.” I said.

“If anything happens to me, please promise me you’ll look after Chase.”

My eyes narrowed as I studied at her face.

“What…” I cleared my throat, “What?”

“I have a feeling this thing will turn ugly.” She let out a deep sigh. “I think people will get hurt. There is too much at stake and too many sharks circling the waters.”

I felt the skin on my neck raise up. I chewed on the inside of my lip as I thought it over. “Do you think it would be better if I leave?” I said.

She tightened her lips, “That’s entirely up to you.”

I contemplated that advice many times since. Her words forever etched in my memory.

CHAPTER 8

Chase and Amy were requested at their trustee’s office in Chicago on short notice. The trip would take two days. They offered to take me with but I decided to stay, figuring that being near the beach was a better choice in early April. I’d have a fun time checking up on my website and browsing through new client inquiries. Not that I was going to definitely get back in the business, but it was always good to have a backup plan.

I ran through a bottle of very delicious early twentieth century wine Chase left to keep me company, and passed out before heading for a swim. When I opened my eyes it was already dark outside. I stretched on the soft cream sheets and let out a deep yawn. The windows of the guest house faced the mansion from the back, and I made a note of how dark a white building could look in the night when the decorative lights were switched off or just forgotten about.

I took a stroll barefoot through the thick shaggy carpet and turned on the small sound system. The soft music filled up the room as I shook my hips to a couple of familiar beats and danced over to the TV. I pressed a button on the wall and a part of it slid sideways, revealing a glossy black screen. I didn’t care much what was on and just wanted a little company. I kept the lights off and with a deft scoop picked up the half full wine glass and the yearbook as I crawled back into the bed.

With an excited flutter in my belly I lifted up the cover. The white page stared back with big blocked letters. “Addison High, class of 2002.” I wondered where the hell Chase dug it out from. I had absolutely no idea where my own copy could be. As I turned the page, I did know exactly where his picture would be though. Adams, Chase. The very first person in the first row. Always ahead of the pack. His confident face looking back with a broad smile and those devastating dimples. My breathing slowed as memories took over.

We were at house watching the Gladiator a couple of weeks after we first met. He was so excited about the movie and tried to fill me in on the interesting tidbits. “Did you know they threw bread into the crowd so the people felt happy about their lives?” He’d say. “Did you see there is a guy wearing jeans in one scene?” I feigned impressed and would overreact by digging into my own Roman knowledge. “Did you know Romans were the first to build roads so they could expedite the troop movement?” He’d raise his brows and reply with “You are so smart, Laura, I bet you’ll be a doctor or something.” but then keep silent for a little longer than before. I let out a shallow sigh as I stroked the page. There was I, Bishop, Laura, too smart for my own good, three rows down and opposite of him. A soft smile came across my lips as I slowly ran my index finger down from his picture to mine. I took another sip of wine as my eyebrows drew inward. Who was I kidding? Even here and now, welcomed in his mansion and with Amy being the most amazing girl I’ve met, the peg still didn’t fit the hole. A month here, and then what? My tiny love from eleven years ago, magnified by the excited and sudden surprise and fueled by pure passion of years lost was up against a world much too far removed from mine. Their world was full of strategic partnerships and important influential families, and creating things that made people not die. The best thing I’ve created within the last three years was the large maroon stain on my bedroom wall when I threw a bottle of wine against it in desperation. As much as my artist friends liked the rawness of the expression, such contribution to the arts was just too far from the secluded reality of those who would never have to regret not drinking that wine first.