We’d quickly made our way back to a set of seats so she wouldn’t know we’d heard, but just looking at her was like seeing a flashing billboard for ‘Just Been Fucked.’ It was goddamn beautiful. Her lips were puffy and red, her cheeks pink and flushed. Her hair was wild and her eyes were a little glassy. Otto’s fingers had flexed around his glass, and he’d swallowed the contents in one gulp, but no one said anything.
No, we ate and drank, Hendrick’s messy hair and shit-eating grin almost a taunt. But he was infectiously happy, and when Hendrick got that way, it was hard not to get caught up in the revelry. We were talking and laughing, even Aviva getting caught up in the excitement.
Soon enough, we were boarding the plane, and I tried not to laugh at Aviva’s wide-eyed wonder. “Otto! They give you pajamas!” she hissed across the aisle, and I heard Otto laugh.
“Put your belt on, Aviva,” I growled from the next seat over. There was hardly anyone in the first class section, only the four of us and a solitary gentleman in the front. Just how I liked it.
The attendant came over, smiling brightly. “Would you like a hot towel, sir? Or anything else?” I eyed the flight attendant in her form-fitting suit, with the bright smile that seemed to promise something more, and pointedly ignored what she was offering. I’d joined the mile high club years ago, and besides, that shit was cliché now.
I shook my head.
“Very well, sir. Let me know if you change your mind.”
Aviva was frowning at me. “That was a bit rude, Sampson.”
I gave her a droll look. I forgot how naive she was, despite the fact that Hendrick had just had his dick between her thighs. “She was politely offering to blow me in the first class bathrooms, Good Girl. I can take her up on the offer, if it would make you feel more comfortable?”
She flushed that pretty pink again, and I resisted the urge to torment her more. Maybe see if she wanted to take the flight attendant's place. But it was a long ass flight and I was tired already. I got jet lagged like a bitch, even in first class. Humans weren’t meant to skip across time zones like this.
As soon as we departed JFK, Aviva seemed to relax, like any other decision was impossible now, and by extension, we all relaxed. I hadn’t realized how much her mood had affected us all. Airlines kept you happy by feeding you constantly, and in first class, that meant constant refills of champagne as well.
A three-course meal, two more champagnes, a turndown service, and Good Girl’s enthused excitement over a set of pajamas later, she was asleep, curled in a tiny ball and snoring softly. I wasn’t far behind her, but first, we needed to talk.
Unclipping my belt, I stepped into the aisle between Otto and Hendrick. “You fucked her.”
Hendrick looked comically surprised by the flatness of my tone. “I did not. I ate her out.” Otto scoffed, and Hendrick gave us an innocent look. “She was having a panic attack. What was I supposed to do?” he hissed.
“I don’t know, how about talking her down? Your tongue isn’t just for fucking cunnilingus, Drix,” Otto said sharply.
“Who the fuck still calls it cunnilingus? What are you? A 1970s sex ed teacher?”
I lifted a hand to cut them off before they really got going. “Whatever. I don’t care if you fuck her into next week, Drix. What I care about is that you guys don’t have another lover’s quarrel over it.” I dropped my voice lower. “So here's the new rule. An addendum to Aviva’s rule, if you will. Do we all want her?”
Hendrick grinned and nodded, but Otto seemed more hesitant. Finally, he gave a short, sharp nod.
I sniffed. “She intrigues me too, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought of her stretched out beneath me. So, this is how it’s going to be. It’s Aviva’s choice—”
“That goes without saying,” Otto interjected. Fuck, he knew I hated interruptions.
“And we aren’t in competition with each other. We are family, brothers. Well, maybe not you two, because that’s a fucking weird analogy when you fuck, but still. We are a unit, stronger together. As long as she’s only with us, it doesn't matter which one of us it is, does it?”
Otto shook his head, and Hendrick shrugged. “Not to me.”
“Her enthusiastic consent rule still applies too,” Otto said, his eyes boring holes in Hendrick’s head.
“Hey, I think we can all agree she was very enthusiastic in her willingness.” He winked, the fucking gloating asshole, and I resisted the urge to punch him.
Rolling my eyes, I looked at Otto. “Of course.” I hesitated. “And when this trip is over, we forget about her. Because a girl like that can only lead to heaven or complete and utter ruin, and I refuse to take that chance with you guys.”
Hendrick shrugged again, just happy to get his dick wet. He was having a good week, but I knew those wouldn’t be around forever. With Hendrick, you just had to wait for the inevitable fall back to earth.
My eyes moved to Otto. He was frowning at her sleeping form, her hair spread around her face like a chaotic cloud. He looked back at Hendrick, then nodded. Self-sacrificing bastard. Today, it worked in my favor though.
Good. We could fuck her, have fun with her, but eventually we’d have to forget her. Hell, maybe she’ll actually track down this mysterious book guy, though I doubted it. This was like a modern day wild goose chase. All pretty lies and tantalizing promises. I doubted this guy even existed. I really doubted he’d made it to Europe and was just waiting around in a bookstore for some depressed little Good Girl to come and find him.
However, I knew desperation when I saw it—a need to escape—so I was happy to humor her for now, and maybe get a taste along the way. She let out a little snore, and I held back a chuckle. I was Sampson fucking Rubio; I couldn’t afford to love anyone.
“She is cute though,” Hendrick said softly, and I couldn’t disagree. Cute and sweet.
I wanted to ruin her completely.
I slept for most of the flight, the attendant touching my shoulder lightly to tell me that they’d be serving breakfast soon and then preparing for descent. I stood, heading to the bathroom to change out of the pajamas and into fresh clothes.
I was stopped by the same attendant near the front of the plane. “Do you require any assistance, sir?” Yep, there was that purr again. Fuck, she definitely knew who I was.
It happened too often. Everyone wanted that fairytale, where the rich billionaire swept them off their feet and away from their mundane job, and made them a princess. I didn’t want to burst her bubble, but this wasn’t a fairytale.
Most rich people married other rich people. It was the only way you knew they were marrying you for you and not your money. But even then, you couldn't be sure.
“No.”
I slammed into the bathroom. While it wasn’t as small as the bathrooms in economy, it wasn’t huge either. Throwing on my clothes, I brushed my teeth and wet my hair, combing it back into something that resembled a style. I didn't look too bad, considering I’d barely slept before this flight.
By the time I emerged from the bathroom, a sleep-tousled Aviva was standing outside, her clothes clutched to her chest. She was frowning, and I paused in the doorway.
“What’s wrong?”
She screwed up her nose. “I didn’t bring fresh clothes on the plane with me.”
I shrugged. “Just wear yesterday’s. We’re going straight from the airport to the hotel.”
She sucked her lip between her teeth. “I don’t have any clean underwear.”
She’d been wearing an adorable skate skirt yesterday, and I desperately wanted to see her in a pair of lace thigh highs, legs wrapped around my hips as I buried myself deep in her—
“I don’t actually have any underwear. Hendrick didn’t give them back yesterday. After…” She trailed off, her cheeks so red I thought they’d catch on fire.
Which meant I couldn’t help but needle her a little. “After Drix ate you out on the bathroom counter like you were the breakfast buffet?”
Her lips parted, and she gave me a short nod. I grinned. I could ask Drix to give them back to her, but I kind of liked the idea of her sitting across from me, her bare ass on the plush leather seat.
“Well, looks like you’re shit out of luck because there’s no way he’s giving them back. I’d be surprised if he didn’t hug them to his chest like a teddy bear while he slept last night.”
“That’s gross,” she huffed, and pushed past me into the bathroom. I stepped to the side, but didn’t move out of the way, so she had to squeeze that delicious, panty-free ass against me before she could slam the door shut.
Otto looked at me suspiciously as I sat down opposite him. “What are you so happy about?”
As the attendant wheeled breakfast down on a polished silver trolley, the red Occupied light above the bathroom caught my eye. I slid him a grin. “I’ll tell you all about it later. Let’s eat.”
Chapter 17
Aviva
“Why is there always so much marble?” I whispered, and Otto stifled a laugh.
Hendrick waved a hand. “It’s usually because these places are old as fuck.”
Men in red uniforms gathered our bags onto gold luggage trolleys, and Hendrick swaggered up to the reception desk, giving a broad, good ol’ American boy next door grin to the receptionist, who had an honest-to-goodness chignon.
I stood sandwiched between Otto and Sampson, both of whom looked bored. Well, maybe not bored, but like they’d done all this before. It wasn’t new and exciting.
I was in fucking London. England. Holy shit. My whole body felt tingly and electric, and I felt giddy.
Otto’s phone chimed and he stared down at it, before stuffing it back in his pocket. “I hope Hendrick got us a suite. I want Aviva with us.” He looked down at me, a soft smile curling his lips. “You’ll be better company than these two assholes. You definitely smell prettier.”
I snorted. Doubtful. These guys smelled like six-hundred-dollar cologne and sex. If there was a better scent than that, I was yet to find it.
Hendrick tilted his head at us, and Otto placed a hand on my spine, gently guiding me to the elevators. Or lifts, as the sign said. All my awareness narrowed to that one spot, to the touch of each fingertip through my dress.
It didn’t help that someone opened the front doors right then, allowing that London breeze to sweep up my skirt. I’d made a grave error letting Hendrick Kenley between my thighs, and I didn’t think it was something that could be undone. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to undo it.
Being crowded into the elevator together felt different this time. The energy around us felt fraught with tension, and I didn’t know if it was just me and Hendrick, or Otto as well. I turned my head and caught Sampson looking down at me. It was definitely Sampson too.
We were going to have to talk about Rule No. 1 again. This time, I was going to have to follow my own rules though.
The elevator doors slid open and Hendrix strode forward, flinging open the hotel room door. I stepped through and gasped. We were in the goddamn penthouse.
“Holy shit.” My eyes flew to Hendrick. “This is too much.”
He shrugged. “Two rooms would have cost more. This is better.”
No. No, no, no. “How much does this place cost per night?”
He was saved from answering by a knock at the door. A young man in a finely tailored suit stood there smiling. “Good afternoon, sirs, miss. My name is Jonathan, and I’ll be your butler for the duration of your stay.”
Hendrick let the man in, while I continued to gape. Behind Jonathan the Butler were more of the red-suited bellhops, who carried in our bags and distributed them to the different bedrooms. A maid appeared behind them, apparently to unpack the clothes from the suitcases and into the fancy walk-in wardrobes.
I grabbed Hendrick’s hand and dragged him out onto the balcony. The view of Hyde Park was amazing, but I didn’t let it distract me. Both Otto and Sampson slipped through the door as well, and Otto shut it softly behind him.
“Seriously, Hendrick, how much did this cost? Two thousand bucks a night?” Sampson snorted, and my jaw unhinged. “More?” I looked between them all, and while Sampson and Hendrick gave me blank looks, Otto relented under my stare and nodded once. “Holy shit. No. New rule. No more hotels that cost more per night than my family's monthly mortgage repayment. We stay in normal hotels, in normal rooms.” I paused and sucked in a deep breath. “I can’t pay this back in a million years. Not this level of luxury. I want to be able to pay you back. This is insane.”
“Good Girl, don’t be fucking ridiculous. No one expects you to pay back the cost of a fucking week at the Mandarin Oriental. It costs more than your college education.”
“Not helping,” Otto muttered after I gasped.
“It’s a waste of money,” I argued, spinning to face Hendrick.
He looked aggravatingly chilled out. “It’s my money to waste.”
I huffed, storming back into the suite and then into the closest bedroom before slamming the door. It was too much. How much could you accept from strangers without giving anything back?
I stared at myself in the full-length mirror. “Am I about to be human trafficked?” I asked the stupid girl staring back at me. “Let’s look at the evidence, shall we?” The girl in the mirror quirked a brow.
“Rich guy with connections plucks you from a mental institution, and flies you out of the goddamn country. That should be red flag number one.” My reflection seemed unconvinced. “Then, they completely makeover your entire wardrobe, so you look like pretty cattle for the rich mafia dude who’s going to keep you in the basement of his stone mansion, where no one can hear you scream. That shit is hot in fiction but I don’t wanna be someone's chained-to-the-wall fuck-doll.” I pointed at my reflection, and she pointed back. “They put you up in a fancy hotel so you feel like you owe them something and boom, you’re a high price escort being trafficked across international borders. Plus, your parents think you’ve run away so you don’t even get your damn face on a milk carton. You’re an idiot, Aviva.”
“Do they even put missing kids on milk cartons anymore?”
I whirled around to see Sampson leaning against the doorjamb. “That was a private conversation.”
“With yourself?” His lip quirked but he was trying to keep a straight face.
I crossed my arms and glared. “Yes.”
“I’m gonna be real with you, Aviva. You’re right. We are here to sell you to the Russian Bratva.”
My heart plummeted to my gut, at least until he burst out laughing. I took two steps toward him and punched him in the chest. “You fucking asshole. Don’t say shit like that.” I punched him in the tit again. “God, you guys are about as sensitive as a fucking freight train.”
Sampson caught my hand as I went back for a third punch. He held my fist easily, staring down at me. “You want the actual truth?”
I nodded. Yes. I needed the actual truth, because this shit didn’t happen. I hadn’t wanted to look at the truth back in the States, but there was no safety net here; I couldn’t blindly follow my delusions with no thought for my safety.
“Truth is, Hendrick wants to fuck you. Ever since you said no, that you had no interest in him, you’ve become a bit of an obsession. You’re prey to him, a challenge that he’s been missing for a while.” I went to open my mouth to say fat fucking chance, but then I remembered he’d already been nose to clit with my body, and I’d left my high horse parked in the first class lounge at JFK. Using my fist, Sampson dragged me closer. “The truth is, Good Girl, he’s not the only one. Otto out there? He’s basically coming in his pants at the thought of you, him and Hendrick alone in a room together, skin to skin, fucking each other until you can’t breathe air that doesn’t smell of sex.”
I dropped my eyes to the floor, trying to get myself back under control. My whole body shuddered, partly from his words, and partly from the fact that he was so close I could feel the warmth of his chest against mine, the rumb
le of his words against my nipples that were already hard.
“And you?” I whispered, not looking at him or those dark eyes that threatened to drag me down into madness.
“Oh, Good Girl, you can’t fathom the bad things I want to do to you.” He leaned down until his lips were close to mine. “I want to make you beg for me. I want to be your whole fucking world.” His lips brushed mine ever so softly as he whispered, “I want to consume you.”
My whole body began to tremble as I arched toward him, reaching for its inevitable doom. He turned his head slightly and nipped my lower lip at the very corner of my mouth, hard.
Then he stepped away. “Get changed. I’ll take you to find your Iron Nautilus.”
As he left, I stumbled on shaky legs to the bed and collapsed down on it. Well, I’d wanted the truth and I’d gotten it. I was going to be a sex slave alright, and I had a feeling I would be down on my knees, begging for the privilege before the week was out.
Just like the good girl Sampson had accused me of being, I picked out an outfit that had been chosen for me, went into the ensuite and showered.
Did I touch myself to relieve the ache? Yes.
Did I think about Sampson’s dark voice, Otto’s sweet touch and Hendrick’s filthy mouth? Absolutely.
Did I regret it? Not the shower rub, but this whole fucking circus? No. And that was the scariest part of all.
Self destruction could be such a fucking beautiful way to go.
Chapter 18
Otto
Aviva still wasn’t speaking to Hendrick when she emerged from the bedroom she’d chosen. Sampson gave us a confident look, but she looked flushed. He’d taken her to the London bookstore, this Iron Nautilus, and I guess she wanted to get it out of the way. I hoped she wanted to stay in London for a couple of days at least, because I hadn’t been here in years.
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