“Hang with us,” Roderick said.
“We don’t bite,” Maddie added. “Unless you want us to.”
Once again, my body was giving me mixed signals in response to her obvious advances. Not knowing what to say, I smiled.
“You and your guy are such an attractive couple. We’d love to have you at one of our parties,” Maddie said.
“Um, maybe. One day.”
“Maybe you should come and check out our place, where we host parties. You know, see if you and your boyfriend want to come by one day.”
“Yeah, well, I’m meeting him here later so tonight’s probably not good.”
“What time?”
“An hour and a half.”
“Oh, don’t worry. We have plenty of time. We live close by. We can walk there. Let’s go check it out. And we’ll come right back here. Just think of the little surprise you could give your boyfriend. What guy wouldn’t get excited about a suggestion like that!”
Roderick rubbed Maddie’s shoulders and then nuzzled her neck. “Every guy I know would be thrilled if his girlfriend was open to—options.”
Options, eh? Hmm. The last time I went home with someone, I had meaningless sex that threatened to ruin my relationship with Tristan forever. But this time, this encounter might lead to something spicy Tristan and I could do together. It might be something good for our relationship, right? Maybe they were right. Maybe I could present him with a sexy little surprise.
But we said we’d take things slow. Suggesting a couples party didn’t seem all that slow.
But it would be kind of a kinky surprise. Spice things up, perhaps. I didn’t know how Tristan would react about partying with another couple—or multiple couples—but why not find out more and offer up the option?
Head, head, I needed to stop thinking about it and get out of my own head! Stop thinking about the possibilities and just find out about them, butthead!
“Yeah, okay. Why not?”
On the way out, I left word with Byron. “If Tristan is looking for me, tell him I’ll be right back.”
Byron gave the couple I was leaving with a quick once-over. “Okay, see ya soon, Maya.”
Tristan
When I came upstairs, I was surprised to see Maya there already. She was talking to a couple at the bar. I walked over to say hello, but they got up and walked toward the exit.
Where was she going? And who was she with?
My imagination started to get the best of the situation.
She changed her mind. You hurt her too much. She made new friends and is going someplace with them.
Jilting you.
She’s just playing with you, you fool. Look how quickly she slept with someone else. She probably just agreed to come here tonight so you’d stop bugging her.
Shit, I ruined everything, didn’t I?
Not really knowing what I was doing, I walked down the stairwell to go back to my lab. But instead, I exited through a door downstairs. I followed around to the front of the building, staying close to the shadows. I could hear the women’s heels on the pavement before I could see them. They were chatting about something, but I couldn’t make it out. The guy walked quietly with him.
I scanned the couple. A curvy, dark-haired woman and a slim man with a pointy Van Dyke.
Did Maya know them? Or had she just met them?
I followed them through the alley. I stayed close enough so I wouldn’t lose them, but far enough back that I still couldn’t make out what they were saying.
One part of me was hell-bent on finding out what Maya was doing. If she had decided not to try again, she could have at least let me know.
But then why was she at Vamps to begin with? We weren’t supposed to meet for another hour or two. Why would she come early and then leave?
Another part of me was disgusted with myself.
You do realize that what you’re doing is stalking her? Like an obsessed boyfriend. Or ex-boyfriend. Or whatever the hell you are to her right now. Why don’t you leave her alone? If she wants to get on with her own life—a life without you—you ought to let her do it.
If that’s the case, why won’t she just let me know? I can’t let her leave, walk out of my life, without knowing.
They walked away from the warehouse district and the water to a residential neighborhood. They turned onto a street that appeared to be a cul-de-sac. It was harder to cloak myself as we moved into this area. I tried to stick behind trees large enough to conceal my presence, hoping that the shadows from the night would help. And hoping no neighbors peered out their windows to see some suspicious man creeping behind trees on their street.
The three of them walked into a white colonial with black shutters at the far end of the cul-de-sac.
Okay. Now what? What am I going to do now? Just sit out here and wait?
Wait for what?
I couldn’t really sit out on this quiet little road all night without arousing some suspicion. So I stuck to the main road that the cul-de-sac led off from. Walking up and down this road wouldn’t strike anyone as odd as much as if I paced around the cul-de-sac. Plus, if they came out, I should be able to see them when they emerged onto the main road.
If they came back out tonight.
You know, Tristan, you are really going too far. This is some serious, twisted shit. Following her? You should just go back to the club. If Maya wants to see you, she knows where to find you.
I decided to ignore the voice nagging me and instead focused on pacing the road, hoping to look like a pleasant chap out for a little stroll this evening.
Maya
Although the exterior of this house on this peaceful cul-de-sac looked welcoming, the second I stepped inside, I had second thoughts. Did I really just go home with a couple of strangers? Aren’t I a firefighter who should have a little more common sense than this? What the hell was wrong with me lately—I definitely wasn’t thinking straight.
Oh yes—lust. Or, I don’t know—more than that, I guess—whatever I had with Tristan. A relationship. Maybe even love?
No, I couldn’t think like that. He already broke my heart and I hurt him. I couldn’t think of the big L word.
“Make yourself at home, Maya.”
I sat down on an oversized beige sofa. I looked around the living room. The colors were neutral, probably eggshell or some other poor excuse of a wall color that I hated. What was so wrong with putting some color into your world? It’s a living room, so live in it.
Maddie sat across from me and crossed her tanned legs. She noticed me glancing at them and took that as an invitation to appraise me from head to toe.
More questions swarmed around in my head. Would I be expected to fool around with Maddie? Or Roderick? Or both? Did I want to? Or maybe we’d just be fooling around with our partners with the excitement of being watched. That might be hot. That might be okay in my book. I didn’t know if I was ready to share Tristan yet. And he probably wasn’t ready to share me. But, how would I know how he’d react?
“I’ll get us all some drinks,” Roderick said.
“So how long have you and your boyfriend been together?” Maddie asked. “What’s his name?”
“Tristan,” I said. “Not too long. Once we got together, it just sort of got pretty intense pretty quickly.”
She smiled. “Maybe you realized you were right for each other.”
I thought about that. I did think that originally. But then again, I didn’t think he’d ever hurt me. Dump me even. Or I’d hurt him. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Roderick returned with some drinks in martini glasses. “For two beautiful women,” he said as he handed a glass to each of us. “How about a toast?”
“To the start of a new friendship,” Maddie said.
Friends with benefits was what they meant, I’m sure. “Cheers.”
We clinked glasses and took a sip. Ugh, whatever was in the glass was hard liquor and it tasted like ass. Okay, maybe not to people who drank it, but I’d grown
used to the girly drinks at Vamps, which were sweet and fruity. Hard liquor was definitely not my thing.
“Something wrong?” Maddie asked.
Forcing the horrid expression off my face so as not to appear rude, I said, “I’m fine. But could you excuse me for a moment to use your bathroom?”
“Of course,” Maddie said. “Right down the hall. First door on the right.”
Once in the bathroom, I emptied the drink down the sink and refilled it with water. They’d never know. And I wouldn’t have to force down that awful crap.
I checked my appearance and refreshed my lipstick. Then I returned to the living room. We sat down and chit-chatted for a while. We talked about Vamps, the music and so on. How it was the only club in the area that they really liked. We told each other about our day jobs. They were both in sales and marketing, but for different companies. They told me how long they’d been married and lived in the area. I evaded as many questions as I could about how long Tristan and I had been together, because truthfully it was just a speck compared to their eight years together. And then we got into the nitty-gritty of what really went on.
“So basically, Maya, we’re just a normal couple with day jobs who enjoy the company of other couples. Sometimes we’ll just have another couple over. Say for instance, like you and Tristan. Sometimes we’ll have four or five at a party.”
“And what really happens at these parties?” I forced the image of a wild gangbang out of my head.
“Well, we might have a couple of drinks, like we’re doing now,” Roderick said.
“And then we’ll go into another room. If anyone wants to play, we play,” Maddie finished.
I was pretty sure they meant sexually, but didn’t want to come right out and ask. I mean, how would I know what went on at parties like this? I’d certainly never been to one. I didn’t know if I’d like it, but I had to admit, I was a little curious.
“Could you show me the room?” I asked.
“Of course,” Maddie said. “Come this way.”
“Looks as if you finished a drink,” Roderick said. “Let’s get you a refill.”
“No. I’m good, thanks.”
“You sure?” He squinted as he looked at me.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
I followed Maddie down the hall and checked her out from behind. She was definitely attractive with her straight dark hair and shapely figure. If I was going to bat for the other team as they’d say, she’d definitely be a contender.
Roderick, well, I don’t know about that. His Van Dyke accentuated his pointy face. He was attractive but I found him creepy. He was one of those guys who had that scary kind of attractiveness. Was it his quiet nature? No, Tristan was also quite reserved when I wasn’t drawing him into an argument. I was drawn to Tristan’s reserved side. It attracted me and made me want to reach out, take care of him.
But Roderick and his black eyes. So different from Tristan’s dark ones. The way Roderick looked at me didn’t sit right. The first time I met them, I felt it subconsciously and chose to focus on Maddie instead. She was far more exuberant. In fact, I still focused more on her. Roderick, though, I don’t know what made his look so unsettling. Was it coldness in his eyes? Or was it lust? If the latter, I didn’t think I wanted to be any part of his shenanigans.
Maddie opened the door to a large room. Although it appeared to be a regular sitting room at first, it was without a doubt an adult playroom. There were a couple of mismatched couches and several cushions and bean bag chairs strewn about. In the corner on the left was a dark oak bar with several types of glasses on top. A few small tables around the room had baskets with condoms in them as well as various other products that appeared to be sex toys. In a far corner was a swing. I was pretty sure it was not your average playground type. A fireplace graced the middle of the long wall. Opposite the fireplace was a padded table of some sort, like the kind a masseuse would have. Only this version had restraints on each corner. Windows on two of the walls had dark curtains pulled shut, for obvious reasons.
Hmm. Maybe this is something that I’d find alluring one day. But seeing it here and now killed my curiosity. In a few years time, if Tristan and I were still together, we could consider exploring new sexual options.
We better still be together, a voice inside me scolded.
Whatever fantasies I might have entertained on the way over here were squashed by the reality of the room and all it had to promise. I was not yet ready for this kind of lifestyle.
All I wanted was Tristan. I wanted to be with him and only him. More than anything, I wanted to be back at Vamps with him right now.
Why did I come here?
“As you can see,” Maddie said, “there are different things for different tastes.”
“I see.”
“Do you see anything you like?”
“Umm—it’s all very interesting.”
“What do you think? Would you like to come back with Tristan?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’d have to talk to him about it.”
“Oh Maya, you seem so shy all of a sudden. Don’t be.”
“We’re all adults,” Roderick said.
“No, no, I’m not being shy,” I said. “I’m just not sure I’m ready for something like this.”
“Oh come now. Surely you are. You were interested enough to come back here with us,” Maddie said. “So of course you’re ready. You’re just a little nervous. Don’t worry, I was too, my first time.” She sat on one couch and patted the cushion next to her for me to sit. “Why don’t we just get to know each other first—just the three of us? It’ll be easier for you, I think.”
“No, Maddie. I’m sorry. But this isn’t for me. Not yet anyway. What time is it anyway? I need to get back and meet Tristan.”
When Roderick stepped up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders, I cringed. “You have plenty of time. Relax.” His grip and his tone set my senses on alert.
“No. I need to go. Now.”
Maddie stood up and walked up to me. “Loosen up, Maya,” she whispered. Then she put her hand on my breast and leaned forward to kiss me.
“Stop it!” I said, swatting her hand away. “I said I’m leaving.”
Maddie looked past me at Roderick. She nodded her head to the left.
I don’t know what Roderick was doing behind me, but he took her nod as direction. He wrapped both arms around me and picked me up, carrying me further into the room. I tried to wiggle my arms free and escape his grasp, but it was futile. So I kicked back at him repeatedly until one of my spiky heels made contact with his shin.
“Aghh!” He dropped me onto the floor. “Bitch! You made me bleed!”
“Good! Don’t fuckin’ touch me like that again!” I ran toward the doorway to escape, but Maddie stepped in the way. I pushed her to the side hard enough that she lost balance and almost fell, but then Roderick grabbed me from behind. I flailed my arms and legs trying to make contact with him, but he had embraced me tighter this time with a bear hug grasp and I could barely breathe. He threw me onto my back on the table. Maddie grabbed one arm and fastened it to the table before I even knew what was happening.
When I reached over with my other arm to unfasten it, Roderick sat on my upper legs, pinning me down. He then held my free arm down so Maddie could fasten it in.
“Get off me! Untie me, you fuckin’ assholes. Who the fuck do you think you are!”
“I thought you gave her the drink,” Maddie said to Roderick.
“I did. She drank the whole thing. I don’t know why it’s not working yet.”
“It better. She needs to be more compliant.”
“I don’t know. I kind of like it feisty like this.”
“Roderick, we don’t want her to remember any of it. It better work.”
“It will, Madeleine. It will. It just might take a little longer.”
I was so glad I tossed the drink. And I wasn’t going to mention it lest they give me whatever the hell they tri
ed to drug me with.
“Madeleine? Roderick?” I said. “The Fall of the House of Usher.Those aren’t even your fuckin’ names. Who the fuck are you? And what do you want from me?”
“We told you already,” Roderick said. “We want to play. And you want to play too, or you wouldn’t have come back with us.”
“I want to leave. Now.”
“But we haven’t even started yet,” Maddie said, running her hand across my breast.
“Don’t touch me, psycho.”
She laughed. Roderick said to her, “I’m going to start a fire.” Then he turned to me. “I love to fuck in front of a roaring fire.”
Fuck! I’m so screwed. What the hell is wrong with me? Why would I leave with two strangers?
“I have no desire to fuck you, Roderick, tonight or any night.”
“Don’t act so prim,” Maddie said. “We saw you leave with that blond guy the other night. Looked as if you had a fight with Tristan and went off to screw some other guy.”
Eek. Busted. But it was more than just a fight. My heart was broken. No, my entire soul felt crushed that night.
“I don’t care what it looked like to you or if I fuck every other guy and girl who comes to Vamps. I don’t want to have sex with either one of you. Ever. This is me saying no. No, no, no, no, no. Is that clear?”
“Don’t worry, sweetie. You won’t remember much, if any, of it.” Maddie then stuck her hand up my dress and felt my panties. “She has underwear on.”
“Get your nasty little hands off me!” I buckled on the table to jar her hand off.
Roderick said, “Fuck yeah. I like her feisty like that. Even though she hurt my leg. Dammit, it’s still bleeding. I’ll get you scissors in a minute. Let me just get the fire going.”
Roderick put some logs into the fireplace. I watched as he moved kindling and logs around to place them where he wanted. Maddie slithered her fingers inside the seam of my panties and felt me there.
“For someone who says she’s not interested, you sure seem more than ready.”
“Don’t touch me again, you twisted fuck.”
She smiled coldly as she pulled back. “Careful or I’ll get a gag.” She then twisted a nipple through my dress. “But maybe you’ll like that.”
Fiery Nights Page 14
