Anything But Vanilla

by Ellis, Madelynne

  ‘He’d be one of the guy’s who satisfying me,’ Kara said, placing particular emphasis on the number. Yeah, she thought as Gavin’s eyes narrowed to slits, you just think on that. Contrary to what you’d like me to believe, other guys do appreciate me and don’t require me to be completely under their thumbs. Why she’d ever put up with him confounded her. He was an out-and-out jerk. They’d never suited one another. He’d always tried to make her feel bad about what she’d wanted in bed too. That was why she’d never quite managed to be entirely faithful to him.

  ‘If you need more than one guy, clearly neither is any good at satisfying you,’ Gavin scoffed.

  Kara couldn’t help it. She laughed. It was a choice between that or spluttering and choking on her own pent-up rage. ‘Oh, they satisfy me all right. I tell you what. I’ll send you some pictures so you can see for yourself just how well they manage it. Get lost, Gavin, before I consider posting them to your boss too.’

  She grasped hold of Zach’s wrist and dragged him inside the Bunker, slamming the door shut behind them. ‘Kiss me,’ she insisted. ‘Just do it.’

  * * *

  That slimy git was Kara’s ex!

  Zach held her. He accepted her savage kisses and returned them with equally ardent ones of his own. He only stopped her when she started pushing her hands inside his clothes. Until this moment, Zach figured he knew Kara. She was everything he admired in a woman: strong, independent, adventurous and capable of reducing him to a quivering puddle of bliss. Hell, she was prepared to take on Ric for him. But from that one small meeting he could see her life hadn’t been like that with Gavin. She was trembling now, even as she tried to wriggle her hands inside his jeans.

  What the hell had the guy done to her?

  ‘Kara, stop it. Ric uses me like this. Talk to me instead. What’s going on?’

  She edged slowly back from him, her hands raised so that they covered her mouth to mask her sobs.

  ‘Hug?’ Zach offered.

  Immediately, Kara returned to him. She buried her face in the wool of his jumper. ‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised a moment later. ‘He drains all the life out of me. I can’t believe he’s shown up. How did he know I was here?’

  Zach cradled her, and stroked the back of hair. ‘I don’t know. Someone must have told him. Hold out, eh? Eventually he’ll go.’

  Tears glazed the surface of her eyes when she tilted her head so that her chin rested against his breastbone. ‘This stuff between you, me and Ric, it’s not rebound stuff,’ she said.

  Zach nodded, then changed his mind and shook his head. Better that they were both honest about this. ‘Sure it is,’ he said, as if it didn’t matter. ‘You’re cutting loose. It’s allowed. It doesn’t mean what we have can’t develop into something special. Seriously, don’t worry about it. I’m Ric’s rebound too. So we can all bounce around nicely together.’

  A picture briefly formed in his head of them all in Ric’s bed enjoying vigorous sex. Kara was going to squeal the place down when she saw the restraints on Ric’s bed.

  Too late Zach realised he’d said the wrong thing.

  ‘From what – his wife?’ Kara gasped, Gavin instantly forgotten. Her eyes continued to shine, but with interest now, rather than unfallen tears. She wiped her face with her palms. ‘That’s one hell of a torch he’s burning if he’s still not over her yet.’ She pressed their palms together, and hooked her fingers over the top of his. ‘Is she why he refuses to commit?’

  In a sense, he supposed. Ric had said time and again that he’d done the life commitment thing once and had no intention of repeating the process. He wasn’t clinging to the memory of her, though, rather he seemed afraid of repeating past mistakes. Not that he knew a lot about Ric’s past. The guy rarely if ever opened up, but now and then titbits escaped.

  Zach remembered those moments because they were so rare.

  Kara thoughtfully pressed her lips to the back of his clenched hand. ‘Robin said they were pretty wild. That he used to chase her about, and that they’d have wild sex outdoors.’

  ‘How would she know?’ he asked. ‘She was only a kid at the time.’

  ‘Hardly. It wasn’t that long ago. She’s well into her twenties.’

  Zach shook his head. He didn’t want to discuss Robin. Mentioning anything to do with her or Ric’s private life were both fast exit routes out of his life. Zach had seen Ric cut ties with countless lovers over similar issues. It didn’t matter how much fun Ric shared with any of them, the moment they started digging, they were out the door. It was a mistake he had no intention of making. He didn’t want Kara making it either. ‘We were talking about your ex,’ he said, hoping to draw her away from the subject. ‘How belligerent is he exactly? Is he likely to stand out there all day?’

  Kara didn’t seem to hear him. ‘Long, long crush,’ she observed of Robin. ‘She’s been mooning over Ric a heck of a long time. I mean, I knew that, but I never really considered it. Why doesn’t he do something about it?’

  ‘Like what? She’s not doing any harm.’

  Kara gave him a look that made plain she didn’t agree on that point. ‘They’re connected somehow, aren’t they? I mean they have to be or else he’d have told her to eff off.’

  ‘Not that I’m aware of. Kara, can we get back to the present?’ Just speculating on this topic was making Zach’s skin crawl. ‘Much as I love this place, I don’t want to spend the day in here if I’m not open for customers, so tell me what the plan is regarding your ex.’

  ‘Fuck him,’ she said. Zach assumed she didn’t mean in a literal sense. ‘I’m through with him. You, Ric and I are going to party tonight.’

  Thank God, he thought. They were back on ground he was comfortable with.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  At seven o’ clock Kara sat on the edge of the sofa in her living room with the laptop perched beside her on the cushions, flicking through the images Ric had left behind, and a few extra ones he’d emailed her of them all together last night. Though it appeared Gavin had left the island, she didn’t trust him not to return, which meant she was arming herself. Any funny business from him, anything at all, and she’d send a selection of these beauties straight to his colleagues at the town hall. The resulting uproar would definitely keep him busy, and to hell with the fact that it’d get her labelled as a slut. Everything came with a price, and that was one she was prepared to accept.

  Five filthy images now sat on her phone in addition to the ones she and Ric had taken of one another on the beach. Her favourite amongst them wasn’t arty at all. It was crude, blatant, showed too much skin and a whole lot of cock stuffed into her pussy. Looking at it made her muscles quiver and prompted her to squeeze her thighs tight in anticipation of living such moments over again. She wasn’t even sure which of Zach and Ric it was that was fucking her. It didn’t really matter. What mattered this evening was that they’d all be together again. Her senses kicked into action every time she thought about it, so that a huge grin stretched her cheeks.

  Damn, anticipation of her two men meant she could hardly sit still.

  Ten minutes and she’d set off. Zach was preparing dinner for eight o’ clock. Kara flicked through more of the slideshow, until it was impossible not to lift her skirt and touch herself. Maybe she could send them a little aperitif to whet their appetites for the main course.

  It took seconds to angle the web-camera lens, and then she was staring at her own pixelated image on the computer screen. Kara coyly ran her hand up her inner thigh so that her skirt lifted, revealing the fact that she wore no panties. Ric was forever accusing her of leaving them behind, so tonight she was ensuring there was no possibility of that. She was going to walk over to the fort bare, the wind tickling her pubic curls and helping to maintain the simmer she was already rousing in her cunt.

  OK, enough with the tease. Now for the action.

  Legs spread wide apart, Kara held open her slit with one hand, while she rubbed her exposed clit with two wetted fing
ers from the other. Look at me, boys, she was saying. Look what I have to offer. She knew Zach had his doubts. He seemed to fluctuate between enjoying her company, and the prospect of the two of them winning Ric over, and being convinced it would all end horribly. She just wished he’d have a little faith in her; ever since she’d stopped listening to those around her and started acting on her own instincts, her life had drastically improved. That method could work for Zach too, she knew it. Plus, she refused to give up. She intended to hang on to Zach and Ric for a good long time. Where else was she going to find two men who understood her so well, and who were willing to accept her for who she was?

  Within seconds Kara’s clit grew tight and engorged, so that it peeped out from its protective hood. Of course this wasn’t the same as having the boys do it for her, but it wasn’t difficult to imagine Ric and Zach here lending a hand each, or her returning the favour, so that she held and masturbated both their cocks at once.

  She was going to do that – that and every other delicious thing that entered her head. There’d be no coyness or restrictions between them. They’d all express themselves, and get what they needed, especially poor Zach. He especially needed to know that he was loved.

  Kara closed her eyes as she sank into the rhythm of her daydream. She lifted her top and squeezed her nipples, imagining the pinch of Ric’s hands while Zach attended to her clit with his mouth.

  What would they think of her little display? Would it get them all hard and ready for her? Would it prompt them to a little warm-up action of their own? Maybe they’d strip off right there in the kitchen where Zach was preparing food, and Ric would go down on Zach even as he stirred the cooking pot. She could picture them so clearly, their lean bodies straining against one another, Ric blond and smooth, Zach dark and covered in all those masculine hairs. God, she loved the fact that he was so rugged and manly, and that his scent clung to his chest hair. In her mind, too, she could smell the food bubbling on the stove, tomatoes and basil and a hint of garlic.

  Tonight she was going to make sure that Ric was the centre of things, but come morning she was also determined that she was going to have had them both at once; one in her cunt, one in her rear. She knew it was possible. Ric had those photographs. She couldn’t wait to be filled by two men.

  Kara’s orgasm broke sharp and swift. It trembled down her thighs and in her belly – satisfying, but only enough to slake her need until the main act. She attached the recording to an email and pressed send. With any luck, they’d view it just before she arrived.

  It was dark out, cloudy, but relatively still. Only an occasional gust caused the nearby grasses to rustle and sway as she made the trek across Liddell Island.

  The fort formed a dark blot against the twilit sky as she approached, and from it two bright spots of warmth glowed like lighthouse beacons. Kara’s heart rate accelerated as she trudged up the slope towards the rope bridge. She’d worn flats to walk over in, but a pair of stiletto-heeled sandals swung from her fingertip ready to slip on once she got inside. The slender heels emphasised the length of her legs. She’d also worn her favourite party skirt, an itty-bitty little thing that resembled a gymslip, and that Gavin had refused to let her wear. It was black with silver pinstripes, and only just skimmed her upper thighs. Below it, she’d remained bare. Her naughtiness in doing so added an extra spring to her step.

  She sped up when she reached the bridge. The bottom of the gorge was all too clear tonight – a long, long way down. Its sides were covered with nettles and moss. At the bottom a small brook tumbled over craggy rocks.

  Kara was three-quarters of the way across the bridge when a shadowy figure appeared between the two gargoyles on the bank nearest the fort. She stopped. Only for a second did she think it was Zach, come to meet her and light her way up the steep steps. Then she recognised the boxy silhouette.

  ‘Kara,’ Gavin said, stepping fully into the moonlight. He wore the same clothes he’d had on earlier. ‘You know we need to talk.’

  She’d known in her heart that he wouldn’t give up so easily, but she’d thought he’d approach her again in daylight. Kara glanced back to the start of the bridge, wondering if there was another route into the fort, or whether she could get far enough away to call Rich and Zach and have them come out and meet her.

  Gavin stepped forward on to the bridge, and began walking towards her. This wasn’t the place to engage in a struggle. It was too narrow, the fall too far. Immediately, she backed up.

  ‘What do you want?’

  ‘To talk, that’s all. Just discuss things with me sensibly. Why are you here on this rock playing perverted games? What are you trying to prove? This isn’t you, Kara.’ He reached out to her beseechingly. ‘It’s not the woman I intend to marry. She has more sense. Can’t you see that what you’re doing is dangerous?’

  What was dangerous was the way the bridge swung after he made each step. Couldn’t he learn to walk on the balls of his feet instead of stomping everywhere? He was right that she was no longer the woman he’d asked to marry him, as she was no longer prepared to put up with his shit. Matter of fact she’d decided to stick with giving orders rather than taking them, both in and out of the bedroom.

  ‘Kara, I can’t let you ruin things like this.’

  ‘What exactly do you mean by “can’t”? You don’t own me, Gavin. I’m a grown woman; I can make my own decisions. And this is who I am. The only thing that’s changed is that I’m no longer being cowed into silence. I’ll thank you to get off the bridge and let me pass.’

  ‘So that you can go in there and behave disgracefully? No, I don’t think I will. Think of your mum, your family, do you think they’d approve of this?’

  ‘I don’t need their approval, and I don’t need yours. It’s my life. I intend to live it.’

  ‘For heaven’s sake, Kara, they’re dangerous. Alaric Liddell probably killed his wife. Yes, I know that’s who you’re seeing,’ he hissed. ‘Think about this. Is that the sort of man you want to be with? He and his wife were both notorious users and deviants. Her death was almost certainly a result of a drug-fuelled sex game gone wrong. Is that what I’m supposed to leave you to walk into? What if you’re his next victim?’

  ‘That’s bullshit,’ she yelled. Admittedly Ric had commitment issues, but she didn’t believe for a minute they were caused by murdering his wife. Yet again Gavin was resorting to mind games in order to control her.

  ‘Is it? Are you so sure?’ he wheedled, still moving towards her with his arms outstretched. ‘What do you really know about either of them? What sort of life are you going to have with an ice-cream seller? Come home with me, Kara. Stop behaving like a child.’

  Kara stepped back again. The minute she had solid ground beneath her feet she was going to run. It didn’t matter what she said any more. The concept of listening bypassed Gavin entirely. And, if he caught her, there’d be no fighting him off. While his brawn was of the gym-built variety, he was still double her weight, and he’d thrown her over his shoulder before now to stop her going somewhere.

  Kara’s hand reached the end of the rope. She stepped back, limbs taut and ready to spring, only for two slender arms to wrap around her waist.

  ‘Got you,’ Robin squealed in delight. Her corkscrew curls blew in front of Kara’s face. ‘I warned you that if you didn’t co-operate I’d see you off the island, bitch.’

  Kara twisted and turned, but couldn’t quite shake off Robin’s tenacious hold. ‘You contacted Gavin?’ she questioned.

  Robin’s delight ran through her voice. ‘Your mother actually,’ she boasted. ‘It wasn’t difficult to dig up the details of the Beachcomber sale, or to get through to his next of kin. Your mum was really interested to learn where you were and all the sluttish things you were doing to demean yourself. You can’t blame her for sending him here to haul you home. As she said, he’s the best person to sort you out. He’s the only one who has any control over your wilfulness.’

  Gavin sprinted over the l
ast few yards of the bridge. ‘I’m sorry, Kara, but you have to see reason.’ He grabbed hold of her legs, so that he and Robin lifted her between them. They lowered her on to the ground, only to pin her and wind gaffer tape around her wrists and calves.

  ‘Get off me,’ she squealed, lashing out with her elbows as best she could and attempting to roll.

  Gavin went through her pockets, turning her house keys, a couple of mints and her mobile out on to the grass. Robin immediately claimed the latter. A taut grin stretched across her heart-shaped face as she raced through the list of contacts.

  ‘Give me that back.’

  Robin laughed and tucked the phone into the pocket of her sou’wester. Then she slapped a piece of tape over Kara’s mouth.

  ‘I’ve done my bit,’ she said to Gavin. ‘May you have great joy of her. I’ll send you a wedding card.’ She stood and saluted him, before darting on to the bridge. ‘Oh, and Kara, don’t worry about Ric. I’ll make sure he has a good time. I’ve lots of plans for him. Really wild plans. I know he’s going to enjoy them all.’

  ‘Let’s go.’ Gavin hoisted Kara upright, and then set her across his shoulder. He gave her bottom a friendly pat. ‘It’s time we went home, babe. I’m sure you’ll admit this was all a mistake once we’re back to civilisation.’

  Her mother! Her mother was as bat-shit crazy as Robin, and so was Gavin if they thought for one minute that abducting her was going to mean the wedding was back on. The minute Gavin put her down, she was going to knee him in the balls and then call the cops with his phone.

  * * *

  Zach stood hunched over a chopping board in the fort’s basement kitchen. He glanced up from the selection of peppers when he heard the patter of Ric’s feet on the tiled floor. His lover had discarded his woollens since he’d arrived home, returning to his usual black jeans and bohemian range of T-shirts. The curves of his biceps bulged from beneath the short sleeves as he sauntered into the fort’s converted basement towel-drying his long hair. His feet were bare and left damp imprints behind on the tiles.