The Devil's Daughter

by Ophelia Bell

  Celeste lets out a soft laugh. “Okay, just slow down and let me process everything. I think it’s wonderful that you have three men who adore you, who understand you. I’m a little envious, but I’ll be honest, even having two boyfriends is a challenge. It helps that Mad and Leo are as into each other as they are into me—it takes some of the pressure off. But as long as all three men are as devoted to you as it seems they are, and as long as you communicate, I think you can work any issues out.

  “Just remember to give yourself space to be you too, okay sweetie? It’s probably tricky, under the circumstances, but when this threat has passed, you don’t want to lose yourself. Hold onto what matters to you.”

  I heave a breath and nod. “That’s good advice. Thank you. Finishing school and getting my MBA means everything. I love working with Drake, so maybe I’ll keep doing that, but I’ll keep my options open if it helps balance things out. Assuming they want to stay in a relationship like this. It’s wonderful now, but I admit I can’t quite envision how it would work long-term.”

  “Well, you’d need to set some ground rules, for one thing. Each of you will need to maintain boundaries. As for dividing your attention, just try not to let any one man monopolize you, or the others will probably get jealous. Jealousy can destroy a healthy relationship. Also, stay hydrated and always pee after sex. And keep lube handy wherever possible.”

  My cheeks flame and I choke on my reply. “Ah… okay?”

  “You think I’m joking. If you want to keep up with them, you don’t want a UTI, and they’re going to want to do anal at some point. Chances are they want it already, but just haven’t told you.”

  “Well, Drake sort of not-so-subtly hinted at that. He gave me a butt plug.”

  She snorts. “Good for him. That’s a sign he takes it seriously and knows how to make sure you enjoy it. So am I allowed to ask what kind of kinky stuff this handsome billionaire you’ve bagged is into? Does he have a secret room decorated in red leather?”

  “Oh, god no. He’s not into BDSM. It’s more of a voyeur fetish. Maybe I’ll tell you more next time we’re together. Until then, will you tell Papá we need to talk to him?”

  “Absolutely, sweetie. Stay safe. I love you.”

  Her last words cause a lump to form in my throat, and I have to force out my response. “—love you too, Celeste. Bye.”

  25

  Elle

  I wait in my room, staring at the phone for several minutes and hoping Arturo will call. When the call doesn’t come right away, I sigh and go to the door, peeking out to see an empty hallway. My father’s obviously a busy man, and we haven’t really established a relationship yet, so I suppose it’s no wonder he’s not immediately calling me, but I trust my brother and Celeste to tell him I need him.

  I cautiously make my way to the elevator, and I’ve just pressed the button when I hear the rhythmic rumble of the helicopter’s rotors approaching. Drake doesn’t keep the helicopter on the yacht. Since Duffy has a life, he returned with it to the Typhon tower, and has been on-call in case we need him. I’m not sure what would have brought him back here today so soon after leaving with Ben. The gala isn’t until tomorrow, and I assumed we’d make a pit-stop back at the penthouse in the morning to get ready for it. Having so little time to prepare isn’t ideal, but I have a little black dress stashed in my closet for party emergencies that will have to do.

  Curious, I head to the upper deck and exit the elevator, wandering toward the noise. The helicopter lands while Drake stands under the awning, waiting with hands in his pockets. The wind whips his white linen shirt back, revealing his tan chest dusted with dark hair. I move up beside him and have to yell over the noise to ask what’s up.

  “You’ll see!” he yells back, giving a devious grin, and reaching out to pull me against his side.

  Baz arrives, scowling at me. “There you are! What the fuck were you thinking?”

  I just shake my head and cup my ears, then redirect my attention to the helicopter and pretend I can’t hear him. Drake shoots me an inquisitive look, but I shake my head and mouth “later” at him.

  A man and a woman climb out, protecting their heads from the wind as the rotors slow and finally stop moving. Duffy helps them extract several large trunks from the cargo hold, that they wheel into the lounge.

  The woman is a curvy, middle-aged redhead in a stretchy pantsuit, and the man wears a suit. They murmur to each other in what sounds like Italian as they open trunks and begin to set up. It isn’t clear for what until they tip one trunk up on its end and open it. The latch splits down the middle, the two sides parting to reveal a row of dresses secured on hangers. Then another trunk opens, revealing a set of tuxedos.

  “Come, come,” the woman says, motioning to me. “You try on dresses.”

  She sizes me up with crossed arms, then nods and reaches into the collection, pulling out a deep burgundy dress in a clingy fabric. She holds it by the hanger, draping the skirt over her other arm.

  “Dark colors for your complexion. Reds are good. Go put on.” She pushes the dress at me and gestures vaguely out of the room.

  I turn and blink at Drake. “Is this really happening?”

  “It wasn’t exactly safe to take you shopping. Severino and Ines are my personal tailors. They’ve dressed my family for three generations. They’ll fix us up for tomorrow.”

  Baz is already being assaulted by Severino, who shoves a tuxedo at him. “They didn’t take our measurements. Will these even fit?” he asks, looking skeptically at the penguin suit in his hand.

  “I had Duffy pull a suit out of each of your closets, and a dress from Elle’s, for them to get basic measurements. They’ll make any alterations needed right here. Lucky for Ben, the two of you are the same size. Go see if your new duds fit. You can use the dining room for changing. No one will bother you.”

  I slip past the partition and down the hall to the dining room. Baz joins me, and just as I pull off my shirt, he grabs my arm and spins me around.

  “Elle, quit fucking avoiding me. We don’t need Flores up our asses about messing around with you. Did you know he had a man murdered for touching Celeste when she was your age? Didn’t your brother ever tell you what happened to him when they were kids? Flores found out about them and had Gustavo beat him to a bloody pulp.”

  Yanking my arm out of his grip, I step back. “Is that why you’re so pissed? He’s not going to know. I haven’t actually talked to him yet, anyway. I just talked to Maddy and Celeste. They’ll feed him the details he needs to know. If anyone will have an idea about who would be after Drake, he will.”

  His jaw spasms, and I can’t deny the genuine fear I see in his eyes just as I turn away to take off my bra and drop my shorts, careful to keep my backside aimed away from him in case there’s any evidence of the plug visible through my panties.

  The dress I slip on is silky-smooth chiffon and drapes like a dream. There’s a zipper in back, and when I struggle to get it up, Baz moves in and takes over.

  His breath is a hot gust against my neck as he sighs. “I’m sorry. It’s actually a good idea.”

  “It’s a great idea,” I retort. “Do you really think he’d hurt you? You’re Elena’s sons! Toni’s brothers. I guarantee he still loves you two like his own sons, even though you hate him now.” I turn to face him, helping him pull on the tuxedo jacket over his dark T-shirt.

  “You look gorgeous,” he says, smiling as he lets his gaze slide down my body and back up. “But I admit I always pictured you in black. With a deeper neckline.”

  I glance down at the bodice of the dress. It’s modest, with gathered voile stitched into pretty swirls and tiny rhinestones peppered throughout like stars. Not an inch of cleavage can be seen.

  “It fits me, though. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find clothes that fit these things on the first try?”

  I grab my boobs and push them up. It’s one of the few features I don’t share with my mom. She’s tall and slender and willowy all
the way, the perfect physique for ballet. I’m all those things too, except for having breasts big enough that they’re hard to hide. At least now that I’ve learned Celeste and Toni are my sisters, I know where this particular feature originated.

  “I bet it’s not the only dress they brought that fits you,” Baz says. “Think how sharp we’ll look all showing up in black together. Also, it’s probably better if you don’t stand out too much. Black is less conspicuous.”

  “That makes sense. Okay, back to the rack.”

  When we return to the lounge, Drake’s holding his phone to his ear and giving me a funny look. It takes a second for me to realize it’s my phone he’s holding, and my stomach clenches. I stare in apprehension as I listen to Drake speak to who I’m sure must be my father on the other end.

  “Yes. I understand, Mr. Flores—Arturo. No, Celeste is right, we’re not at the penthouse. Elle’s safety is paramount, which is why we relocated. I apologize for not letting you know sooner. We had it under control. The twins are on it.” He grimaces and nods. “You’re right. I should have called. It was an oversight. You don’t need to come…”

  He pauses, a look of sheer panic crossing his face, and then he swallows and nods again. Beside me, Baz utters a string of profanity in Spanish. Then Drake says, “We’re anchored in Cat Harbor. Okay, see you then.”

  He drops the phone and stares at us without speaking. Then, after a breath, he says, “Well, that just happened.”

  “He’s coming here?” I ask, incredulous.

  “He’s joining us for supper tonight.”

  “What the fuck?” Baz blurts, sounding as if Drake just committed the ultimate betrayal.

  “What the fuck?” Drake parrots. “We’re supposed to be protecting his daughter, not fucking her! I couldn’t exactly say no, especially since I should’ve called him days ago to let him know our plans. You should’ve called him too,” he adds, glaring at Baz.

  They stare each other down for a few seconds before Baz curses and turns away. He tries to leave, but Severino diverts him with a soft tutting sound, making him stand still to check the fit of his tuxedo jacket and trousers. After a minute, he slips out of his jacket and pants right there while Severino heads to a sewing machine on a small cart by the window to make alterations.

  “Did he sound mad that you didn’t call?” I ask.

  Drake’s shoulders drop. “No, just his usual businesslike self. He said he might be able to help find out who’s behind this, but he didn’t want to talk about it over the phone, hence the last-minute visit. He knows waiting until after the gala will be too late—we’ll be exposed while we’re there.”

  I take my phone when he hands it to me and glance at the time. It’s still early, so I sigh and make a pose, cocking my hip out and spreading my arms with a coy smile.

  “Well, what do you think?” I ask, twirling around so the flowy skirt of my dress flares. I flutter my eyelashes at Drake when I face him again, and am gratified when he lets out a breath and finally smiles.

  Drake has the sexiest smile, especially when it’s accompanied like it is with that slightly mischievous glint in his eyes. Like he’d enjoy nothing more than to watch me do another striptease for him. Like he just knows I have his gift buried in my ass right now.

  “It’s beautiful, but I don’t think this one suits you. It’s too girlie with the sparkles. You need black.”

  “See!” Baz calls from the dining room. He emerges after donning his shorts again. “Black is better for you. Let’s see what they’ve got.”

  He goes to the trunk of dresses and flips through, then finds a sleek black chiffon dress with wide straps. He tilts his head at me to follow as he heads back to the dining room.

  My body’s on fire with arousal now, and when I move my hair out of the way for him to unzip me, his touch is electrifying. I tamp down my desire as much as possible, trying to focus on our latest dilemma instead.

  When Baz doesn’t move away from my back immediately, I say, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect him to want to come for a visit. I thought we’d just talk and he’d give us a name or something.”

  Turning to face him, I peer into his eyes, anxious that he’s more pissed than before. He just presses his lips tight and shakes his head.

  “Not your fault. Ben’s going to shit himself, but we’ll just have to deal with it.”

  “It is kind of my fault,” I say, stepping back to slip out of the dress and hang it back up on its hanger. His closeness has my every nerve ending lit up. It’s even more of a struggle to focus now.

  “No. Drake should’ve called him on day one. It shouldn’t have fallen to you. And when he didn’t, Ben or I should’ve. We both knew better. But we thought we could handle it.”

  “Well, for the record, I think we were handling it. We just ran out of time. If we could skip the gala, we’d be fine.”

  “Temporarily, sure. Whoever this is has a serious beef with Drake, and they aren’t going away, and if he’s in danger, so are you. So… it’s good that you called. I’m just not looking forward to the dressing down Papá’s going to give Ben and me when he gets here.”

  I close in again, wearing only panties and driven by a deeper need. “Well, I am more than happy to kiss it better after he leaves.”

  Baz’s eyes go heavy-lidded and his gaze drifts down to my bare breasts. He slides his arms around me and accepts my kiss, and I can feel his tension shift and ease as our tongues tangle. After a few seconds, he groans, then pushes me away, shaking his head to clear it.

  “Enough. Goddamn, you’re like a fucking drug, Elle. We’ve gotta keep clear heads for the next couple days, so maybe stay dressed as much as possible until we figure this out, okay?”

  “Baz…” His name comes out as a plea as I clench my thighs together, my engorged pussy so wet and throbbing I can’t think straight.

  “Elle, are you all right? What’s wrong?” he says, closing in again with concern. He lifts a hand to my cheek and I turn into it, kissing the center of his palm, then biting.

  “What’s gotten into you?” he asks, a deeper hint of interest in his tone now.

  I lean closer and kiss him again, this time with every ounce of need that’s built up in me since I inserted the plug this morning. “It’s Drake’s fault,” I say when we part, and I cling to his shirt. “He gave me something.”

  Baz frowns. “What did he give you? A drug?”

  I shake my head. “No… a… plug.”

  He stares at me unblinking for a second, then clears his throat and glances down. “A… plug. As in… it’s in you right now?”

  “Uh-huh.” I nod. “Since this morning.”

  “Fuck me,” he mutters. “And you like it. Obviously you like it.” He idly drifts his knuckles over my nipples, and I shudder from the intensity of the pleasure that casual caress drives through me. “This is so not fair. I’m going to have to have a word with that asshole.”

  “Please not now. I need you.”

  “Elle,” he warns under his breath, “I can’t fuck you here, and it wouldn’t be right for us to run off to a bedroom at the moment.”

  “Just touch me, please.”

  “Christ,” he mutters. “Come here.”

  He grabs the back of my neck and hauls me close again, shoving his tongue in my mouth like he wants to eat me alive. At the same time, he cups my crotch, rubbing at the wetness soaking through my panties. With a groan, he shoves them aside and plunges his fingers into me.

  I gasp and bite my lip against the outburst as he begins to finger-fuck me, first with just two fingers, then three when I lean back against the table and spread my legs wider.

  “Don’t make a fucking sound,” he warns, and I whimper out my assent, bucking my hips desperately against his thrusting fingers. He thumbs my clit then, and I emit a choked noise that he muffles with his mouth, capturing my groan as he rubs in tight, hard circles. He releases my lips, then presses them to my ear.

  “You are so fucking wet
. Tonight after Arturo leaves, I’m going to nail your ass to the fucking bed for what you did. But you’ll be ready for me, won’t you?”

  I bite back a moan as my pleasure begins to crest. My ass is against the lip of the table, the pressure directly against the plug so it rocks inside me with every undulation of my hips. I wish he could fuck me, but the need to come is too urgent to wait.

  When he impulsively drops his mouth to my breast and gives one nipple a hard suck, I lose my mind. An inhuman noise escapes my throat before I can hold it in, but I manage to quiet myself to nothing but panting gasps as he brings me over the edge.

  I collapse against him, breathing heavily and clinging with both hands to his shirt. He chuckles against the top of my head.

  “Feel better?”

  “Yes and no,” I groan. I ease onto my feet, moving gingerly because the plug is still there, and I don’t dare take it out until I’m in a safe place where I can deal with it. My panties are soaked, but I obviously don’t have a spare pair up here either. I slip them off and use them to wipe myself up enough for comfort, then shove them into the pocket of my shorts, which are folded on one of the dining chairs.

  Baz lets out a strangled sound when I turn and reach for the dress, and I realize he must be able to see the shining base of the plug protruding from my ass. “I’m going to fucking kill Drake,” he mutters.

  “This is for you as much as him,” I say over my shoulder.

  “This is fucking torture.”

  I roll my eyes as I slip the new dress off its hanger and pull it over my head. Every cool inch of it is a sensual delight to my heated skin. This one has a zipper on the side of the bodice, since the back is a band of silk with a window pane to the center, revealing a diamond-shaped expanse of my back. The bodice plunges low, showing off the tops of my breasts and an impressive amount of cleavage that will likely scandalize my brothers. The straps begin at the very edge of the bodice and flare wide over the peaks of my shoulders, framing my chest.