The Alphabet Game the Complete Alpha Series a to X, Y, Z (31 page)

‘Are you threatening me?’

‘God, Stella, no. You are the most awkward woman I have ever encountered. Listen to me. You are fucking around with Arnie Gregory. He’s told me to get you in line. I’m telling you to back the hell off with anything you are doing, for your own good. That boy will be using you Stella.’

‘Gabe is not like that.’

‘He’s a Gregory. I told you what he did to Isabel.’

The words rush out before I can consider them, ‘Arnie fucked up Issy, not Gabe, she told me.’

There’s a silence.

‘You’ve seen Isabel?’

‘Yes. I saw her in New York. For all you think you and Arnie are friends Mitch, he’s known where she is all along.’

Mitch makes an odd noise in his throat,‘That’s not possible.’

‘Really, why?’

‘Because I made sure of it. I drove her away. He’d have told me if he knew where she was.’

‘Mitch, have you had any contact with Isabel at all since she left?’

‘No.’ He makes a small cough. ‘How is she?’

‘Why the fuck should you care, you just said yourself you drove her away. You abandoned her when she needed you the most. Amazing habit you’ve got there, getting rid of kids.’

‘It was for her own good.’

‘How could you have chased her away? Knowing she had a drug problem was bad enough, never mind the fact she was pregnant.’

‘What did you just say?’

‘I asked why you chased her away when she was pregnant? Or did your good friend Arnie pay you to turn a blind eye so he didn’t have to play Daddy again? What do you think of him now? Still best buddies?’

‘Stella. I need to talk to your mother and we need to come and see you. Do not, I repeat, do
not,
do anything stupid, and stay away from Arnie Gregory.’

He hangs up the phone.

I’m confused at the conversation, but I don’t have time for this right now. It’s our one chance tonight. Mitch and his estranged daughter problems will have to wait.

Chapter 4

I wait in the hotel room for Gabe to show and pace the geometric patterned floor. It makes me feel dizzy. I keep wringing my hands and having to drink water as my mouth is so dry. This of course makes me want to pee. The door sounds with a single knock, followed by a double one. He’s here.

Gabe’s hardly in the room before we’re tearing each others clothes off, falling onto the Queen size bed. Sorry Waldorf but it’s not a mohair throw I want on me right now, no matter how nice it is.

He breaks off from kissing me. ‘So what’s T because I’m not sure I can wait?’

‘Oh dear,’ I look up at him, doing my best doe-eyed impression. ‘That’s a shame because T is for Tantric.’

‘You’ve got to be kidding me, my balls are going to burst. I can’t make it last all day Stella, seriously. It’s just not going to happen.’

‘Relax, that’s a load of rubbish that the newspapers came out with when Sting said he did it. It’s all about connecting. I’ll guide you through it.’

‘I’d rather you guided me in you.’

‘Tut, tut, always so naughty. Anyway, I need something to distract me from the hours to come cos I’m bricking myself thinking about it.’

He shakes his head in agreement. ‘I know. Come on then, what do I have to do?’

The first part of Tantric we explore is just being in the moment. I explain my research that it’s about trying to make the feelings you usually obtain through orgasm exist throughout the experience, heightening your awareness.

I pull closed the blackout curtains and subdue the lighting, creating an ambience. Then I take a small plate containing chocolate covered strawberries and place it on the bedside table.

Climbing onto the bed, I make him face me so we can look into each others eyes.

‘Now I get the urge to laugh may be great, or to look away, but we have to try and maintain eye contact throughout.’

Gabe strokes his chin, ‘I don’t want to laugh Stella, though how I’m supposed to take my eyes off your tits I don’t know.’

I smirk, ‘Eyes up Gregory.’

I teach him about breathing. He exhales as I inhale and vice versa, the objective being that we share our breath, in order to bring about a new level of intimacy as if we are one being. The rhythmic slow breathing brings a feeling of relaxation over me and I begin to enter a different level of consciousness where the outside world ceases and it’s just myself and Gabe.

Following this we feed each other chocolate covered strawberries. He licks the juices that run down my chin.

‘Next time,’ Gabe drawls, ‘forget the strawberries and I’ll lick the chocolate straight from your nipples and the juices straight from your hot pussy. Now can I shag you yet?’

‘Not yet, follow me.’

Taking his hand I get him to follow me into the bathroom where we make the most of the power shower and wash every part of each others bodies, briefly caressing each others intimate places but extending our touches all over the body.

I’m pleased that Gabe is fully participant and not trying to push me against the shower walls as I’m loving the feelings this intense process is having on my body.

Washed, we sit on the bed in our towelling robes. Afternoon tea is delivered and we feed each other small sandwiches and other finger food. We suck on each others fingers, touch the sides of faces, kiss, nibble, fondle, lick.

We move on to touch each other intimately, stopping when the pressure builds and letting ourselves ebb back away from orgasm several times through the afternoon.

‘Stella, I’ve really enjoyed this but please fuck my brains out now, or I’m going to get blue balls.’

‘I’m going to start fucking you now, but you can’t come straightaway. Not yet. Keep it at bay just a little longer.’

‘Give me a good funeral when I die through the torture.’

I smile and roll him onto his back and position the tip of his penis at my entrance. I tease him by rubbing it around my wetness, but not letting him enter. Then slowly, milimetres at a time I sink down onto his dick and raise back off. My clitoris is so sensitive by this point I am delirious with pleasure. We take our time. Again when I get close or Gabe warns me with his eyes that he is, I lift off and we return to the beginning. Its torturous and exquisite at the same time. Gabe decides we’ve waited long enough and says one word, ‘now.’

Again I move up and down slowly, in and out, creating a slow and steady rhythm and pressure. I am so sensitive that this now transcends any other feeling I’ve ever had. As my orgasm takes over in such an intense way, the chills and shivers reach out and tickle across my nerves to my hairline, down my back, through my legs. I scream as I come, lost in the sheer pleasure and hear Gabe groan, ‘Oh my fucking God.’ His own orgasm seems to last longer too.

We get under the duvet and fall asleep together, completely spent.

‘I gather you’re feeling okay today then?’ Gabe props himself up on one arm.

‘Yeah. No nausea at all the last few days. I feel really well, but so, so randy.’

‘Well hopefully after tonight I’ll be able to satisfy those urges. I don’t mind if you want me on-call for sex. It’s no hassle.’

‘I hope this works.’ I take a deep breath, ‘I’m so nervous about it all.’

‘Well time to get dressed and ready to see this through to the end. It’s time for a different kind of climax.’

I roll my eyes at him, both for the lame joke and because I’m not too impressed at having to get dressed.

Peter phones. ‘He’s arrived at the hotel and is seated in Homage for his dinner meeting.’

‘Okay, let me know what happens.’

‘Will do.’

We wait. I can hear the tick from Gabe’s watch, it’s annoying. There’s nothing to do. I read the hotel guest guide for something to pass the time whilst Gabe channel hops.

A while later the phone rings again. I snatch it up.

‘He’s at the bar. Target acquired.’

I smile at Gabe. ‘It’s on.’

Peter has been into the room Jasmine has hired and set it up with surveillance equipment. At the point where Jas and Arnie make a move, he retires to his own room to monitor the situation. Gabe and I sit on the edge of the bed. We barely say a word. I feel sick, knowing that the moment has come.

My mobile rings and I dive for it.

‘My screens gone black, fuck Stella, something’s wrong. Maybe he knows? Oh my God he knows. Get to Room one sixteen
now.
’

‘It’s gone to shit,’ I yell at Gabe, ‘He’s got Jas in the room and the recording equipment has gone off. Come on.’

We race down the corridor. Gabe keeping me behind him.

The door to room one sixteen is ajar. Outside is a burly guy. As Peter appears through the opposite lobby door he cries out, ‘Oh shit, Terry.’

‘Sorry man,’ the guy says and walks away, ‘just doing my job.’

We’ve been double-crossed.

All three of us walk into the room to find Arnie sitting in his hotel chair. His bespoke, navy Gieves and Hawkes suit is immaculate. The fixed smile on his face is like the Joker’s from Batman.

‘Dear, dear, dear. I set you a test. But you failed. Tut, tut, tut, tut, tut.’ He wags a finger at us. His voice cuts like ice.

‘Where’s Jas?’ I ask, seeing that she is missing from the room and hoping like hell she ran off.

‘Jas? Is that her name? Trashy, like she was. As if I’d be interested in a slut like her.’ He emphasises her name, ‘Jas fancied a trip to look closely at The Thames. I’m sure she’ll turn up sometime soon.’

He winks at me. My flesh crawls.

‘You.’ He points to Peter. ‘Get the hell out and take this as a warning. Today is your last day as a PI, or tomorrow your kid won’t have a father.’

Peter’s out of there in seconds. He doesn’t even look at me as he leaves.

Arnie folds his arms across his chest. ‘Now, my son and dear Stella. I’m quite disappointed you aren’t with child after all.’ I try not to let him notice my relief that he took the bait we threw him. ‘I’m going to look forward to your descents into hell.’ He laughs. ‘Consider yourself fired Gabriel. I have another heir.’

‘Christopher doesn’t want anything to do with you,’ spits Gabe.

‘Who said I was talking about Christopher? I think the time’s come to introduce myself to Samuel, don’t you?’

‘Leave him the fuck alone. I won’t let you near him,’ I shout.

‘Oh Stella, you’re going to be too busy to worry about Samuel. Now which of your family and friends shall I go for first? Maybe I’ll finish the job dear Harry was unable to manage.’

I launch for him but Gabe holds me back. ‘No,’ he says firmly, ‘Another way.’

‘Good luck with that son,’ adds Arnie. ‘Your tape was released an hour ago. Now both of you fuck off and die. Terry, see them out. Of the hotel.’

Terry comes towards us.

‘You can watch us leave, you can escort me out if you like, but touch her and I’ll break your nose, I don’t care who witnesses it.’

‘Your love is touching,’ says Arnie, ‘and means I have so much to play with.’

‘What do we do now?’ My hands are clammy and I can feel my lip and chin tremble.

Gabe is silent for a while, then he turns, giving me a watery smile. ‘You need to ring Issy and warn her. I’ll phone my mother. Then we head straight to your apartment, pick up Ronnie and we go to my place. We need to stick together.’

‘Then what?’

‘I don’t fucking know Stella. How do you handle a psychopath? If there’s a Dummies Guide, I’ve not got it.’

‘This is all such a mess. You told me not to do it.’

‘No Stella. There’s no time for regrets. It’s done. We’ve got to get a Plan B. Fast. Now let’s go.’

I feel dizzy and my legs feel weak, but I don’t say another word. I just carry on moving.

The next few hours are a blur of warning people and moving our stuff. It’s a living nightmare. Issy goes apoplectic and who can blame her. I’ve brought danger right to her door.

Gabe blows out a breath that rattles his lips, ‘Stella, you are not responsible for putting Issy in danger. She was involved with Arnie Gregory way before you were on the scene. She’ll calm down.’

‘But I’ve made everything worse.’

‘Look, lets just get to bed, it’s really late now. We’ll think about all this in the morning, we’ve the little one to think of now, you need some rest.’

I go to bed, but I don’t sleep one wink.

Gabe heads out to fetch the morning papers. I put the phone down as he returns, his arms full with papers.

‘Issy’s contacting her Lawyer to see where she stands in blocking access,’ I tell him.

Gabe spreads the papers across the table. Arnie hadn’t lied, the headlines are full of Gabe’s tape.

GREGORY HEIR IN SEX TAPE SCANDAL