Elemental Pleasure

by Lila Dubois

  “Now I’m nervous.” Carly put her hand on Lance’s arm. “Maybe I should have you look at my books.”

  “A forensic accountant would be better. I just noticed the repetition of the specific numbers.”

  “I’ll talk to my company president tomorrow to see if we can hire one. I really want this to be a mistake, and not someone stealing from us.” Preston tapped his fingers on the table. “Damn it, I knew our profits should have been higher.”

  Carly put her other hand on Preston’s arm, connecting all of them. For a few quiet minutes, they simply stood together, Lance and Carly offering Preston their silent support.

  Then Lance yawned, ending the moment. “Sorry.”

  “No, it’s late. I should go,” Carly pushed back from the table.

  Lance frowned. “Stay.”

  “My place is only twenty minutes away.”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Lance grabbed her hand. “Stay with us.”

  She looked from one to the other. “The three of us won’t fit in one bed.”

  “We should be together.”

  She nodded slowly. “All right.”

  Together they made their way upstairs to Preston’s room. They helped each other undress, clothes falling to the floor. Still satisfied from their earlier session, the touches were soft, meant to comfort, not arouse.

  They climbed into Preston’s bed, Carly in the middle. Lance’s hand brushed Preston’s as he laid it on her belly. Lance looked at the other man across her body.

  Carly yawned and stretched, putting her head on Preston’s shoulder and throwing her legs over Lance’s as she lay on her back.

  Despite their rocky beginning, Lance realized they were beginning to fit. The tension he’d felt since entering this odd union began to melt away, leaving him warm, complacent. Happy.

  “Good night,” Lance said.

  “Good night,” the others whispered.

  Smiling, Lance closed his eyes.

  *****

  Preston woke just before he fell out of the bed.

  Stumbling away from the mattress, he grunted. Sleeping together seemed so romantic. His parents had a large mattress, and always slept together when they could, though Imo had her own house, and Mom and Dad each had their own rooms.

  Preston looked at the bed. Lance was sprawled with his arms and legs at odd angles. He had one leg thrown over Carly, who had one knee bent, the same knee that had been pushing into his back and nearly sent him to the floor.

  He needed a bigger bed. Maybe they could have one custom built for the new house.

  While he was up, he went to the bathroom. Splashing some warm water onto his face, he studied his reflection in the mirror. He’d woken up enough to remember what Lance had discovered last night. His chest tightened and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to get back to sleep until he did something about it.

  Preston went to his office and powered up his laptop.

  Zeesh,

  A friend of mine noticed a discrepancy in the quarterly financial report. I’m back from my vacation and will come in tomorrow morning so we can talk.

  See you in a few hours.

  Preston

  With the message sent, he yawned and headed back to bed. In the few minutes he’d been gone, Carly and Lance had managed to lay claim to the entire mattress. Sighing, he went back to the office, intending to make use of the pullout couch.

  Kicked out of his own bed. He grinned. What a night.

  *****

  Wearing Preston’s button-down shirt, Carly rested against the counter, a cup of coffee in hand. Lance, naked except for boxers, poured a cup for himself and leaned next to her, snaking a hand under her hair to knead her neck.

  “Sorry about last night.” Carly watched as Preston finished his own coffee and then slipped on his suit jacket.

  “We’ll get a bigger bed for the new house. A much bigger bed.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I slept great.” Lance grinned.

  Preston folded the spreadsheets and tucked them into his inner coat pocket. “I’m sorry about having to leave like this. I should be back in a few hours. I want to get some things in motion now that I know there’s a problem.”

  “That’s fine. I’m going to check my email, but I won’t go into work today,” Carly added. “I’ve got my laptop with me. We can do a late lunch here when you get back. Maybe Lance can cook for us again.”

  Lance walked to the refrigerator, examining the contents. “I’m up for that. I’m here until my flight back tomorrow. I might take a nap in that nice big bed of Preston’s.”

  Preston raised a brow. “If I wasn’t feeling eternally grateful to you for uncovering the problem in my financial statement, I’d be compelled to strongly object to that.”

  Carly laughed, enjoying the easy banter between them. It was amazing the difference a few days made. Spending the next five or six decades with these men wouldn’t be so tough after all.

  “I’ll see you both later.” Preston looked from one to the other.

  Lance swatted Carly on the butt. “Be a good wife and give him a goodbye kiss.”

  Carly glared at Lance over her shoulder, but went to Preston anyway. She wanted to kiss both of them, but in the cheerful light of morning, she felt a bit awkward again.

  The moment her lips touched Preston’s that uncomfortable feeling went away. It felt too good to be wrong. She reached a hand out for Lance, drawing him into the embrace. When he stood at her back, she took his hands, linking them with hers and resting them on Preston’s hips, so they were both embracing him.

  Preston’s eyes were dark when he pulled away. “Maybe I don’t need to go. The company president didn’t email me back.”

  “You need to go.” Carly eased from Preston to lean on Lance.

  “I’m coming back.” Preston’s gaze raked both of them. “Soon.” He grinned. “And remember, no sex if I’m not here.”

  “Damn.” Lance grumbled. “I forgot that rule.”

  “You’re the one who insisted on it.”

  Lance shrugged. “I really only meant it for you.”

  Preston laughed. “Too bad.”

  Preston left them in the kitchen. Carly watched from the window as he walked down the steps of the small condo to the tiny lot in front of the building. There were only a few spots—the condo was one of four in the building, which had been two different Victorians at one time. The buildings had been merged to form four spacious two-story apartments, with storage space on the ground level in what had once been tiny garages.

  “Are you going to show me your computer game?” Lance poured himself a fresh cup of coffee.

  “Sure, let me grab my computer.”

  She went over to her laptop bag—an expensive black briefcase style she bought to replace the battered, patch-covered messenger bag she’d carried in school. It had been part of her attempt to reinvent herself from gamer and programmer to CEO and businesswoman.

  She flipped open the bag and looked at the unfamiliar laptop.

  “This isn’t my bag.” A little flutter of panic went through her.

  “What?”

  “This isn’t my bag. This isn’t my computer.” She looked up, panic clawing at her. She lived and died by that laptop. “Where’s my bag?”

  Lance looked at what she held. “Don’t panic. I think Preston has a laptop case just like that.”

  Carly raced to look out the window, feeling instant relief when she spotted her case in Preston’s hands. “He’s still here.” She tapped on the glass and waved, but he was too far away, so she dashed toward the door.

  “Carly.” Lance set his mug down. “You’re not wearing pants.”

  She laughed. “I don’t care.”

  ~~~~

  Chapter Nine

  Preston looked up as Carly came tearing down the stairs. Her legs were bare, her hair spilling over her shoulders and wearing nothing but one of his button-down shirts.

  “Carly?”

/>   “My bag.” Her feet were bare and she winced as she walked across the parking area. “You took my bag.”

  Preston got out of his car and grinned. “Nice outfit.”

  Another car pulled into the drive, stopping just behind Preston’s. Carly looked at the vehicle, then down at herself. “I think your neighbors are going to know you had a lady friend over.”

  Preston looked at the car that was blocking him and frowned. “They don’t live here. They’re probably just turning around. Besides…” Preston pulled her against him, rubbing her bare ass through the fabric. Carly was vaguely aware of the sound of a car door opening. “I don’t mind making my neighbors jealous.”

  “Hey, buddy.”

  They both jerked and turned. Two men had emerged from the other car.

  “Can I help you?” Preston asked as they advanced. When they positioned themselves to fill the gap between Preston’s car and the car next to him, warning bells started going off. His alarm grew when he realized the taller man was wearing a stocking over his face, obscuring his features.

  “Give me your bag.” The taller of the two men took a knife from his pocket.

  “You’re mugging me in my driveway at nine a.m. on a weekday?” Preston’s voice was more curious than concerned. He lived in one of the safest neighborhoods in the city.

  “Fuck this,” the shorter man shouted. “Just do it.”

  They lunged, reaching for Preston. Carly screamed. This was a nice residential street with Victorian homes all around them on a rare sunny morning. It made this scenario so ludicrous that Preston was slow to react. He pushed Carly behind him, desperate to protect her.

  One of them grabbed the bag from Preston’s shoulder. He released it, more focused on Carly’s safety. The taller man held the laptop bag. Opening it, he looked inside, then looked at Preston before passing the bag to the other man. “Hand over the coat too.”

  “We don’t want any trouble, so I suggest you leave now. My neighbors will have already called 911. Leave now while you still can.” Preston didn’t know about the neighbors, but he hoped Lance was looking out a window and could see what was happening.

  “Give back that bag.” Carly came out from behind his back, leaving the shelter of his protection. Her voice was panicked. “I’ll go get my purse and you can have money. Just give me back that bag.”

  Preston looked at her. Panic and anger were written on her face. The bag they’d taken was hers, and from her expression, he could only assume there was something in there she couldn’t afford to lose.

  The shorter of the two men glanced around. “We’ve got it. Let’s go!”

  The men scrambled for the car.

  “No!” Carly ran after them.

  “What are you doing? Carly, leave it!” Preston was a step behind her, but Carly moved fast.

  She grabbed the strap of the bag from the shorter man who was getting into the backseat of the car. She pulled hard, but the man held onto it. There was a moment where they were locked in a desperate tug-of-war.

  Then, time stood still for Preston as he saw the man reach up and grab Carly, dragging her into the vehicle and slamming the door.

  One instant she was there. The next…she was gone.

  *****

  The man dragged her into the car with him.

  “Let her go!” The closed car door muffled Preston’s shout.

  “What are you doing?” The man in the driver’s seat sounded as panicked as Carly felt.

  “I’ve got her. Let’s go!”

  Carly had fallen awkwardly onto the floor of the backseat. Struggling to sit, she swung at the man who had grabbed her, punching him in the nose. He cursed as blood poured down his face. She scrambled toward the door, reaching for the handle as the engine roared to life and the locks engaged. Before she could escape, the man grabbed her arm and folded it back, wrenching it up. Every move she made put terrible pressure on her shoulder. Tears streamed from her eyes. It felt like her arm was being pulled from its socket.

  She glanced outside, praying for a way out.

  “Carly!” Lance was running down the steps, shouting her name. Preston banged on the window as he yelled his address into his cell phone.

  Lance was nearly to the vehicle. “No! Carly!”

  Her gaze met Preston’s, and in his eyes, she could see the startled horror she felt. This couldn’t be happening.

  Then the car was in motion, bouncing as they sped out onto the street. She looked out the window, catching a fleeting glance of Preston and Lance running after her, their faces set in grim, dangerous lines. The man grabbed her, forcing her down with a knee on her back as the car turned a corner, taking it so fast it was on two wheels.

  Preston and Lance were gone, out of sight. Carly was alone with her kidnappers.

  *****

  Preston stared at the street in shock. Carly was gone. It had taken only minutes for an already strange day to become a complete nightmare.

  “Carly,” he said. “They took Carly.”

  Lance was beside him, breathing heavily from running after the car.

  “We’ll get her back. Come on.”

  Together, they returned to the house at a run. Preston found his cell phone, which he’d dropped as the car pulled away. As he dialed 911 for the second time, he heard sirens in the distance. He told the operator they’d taken Carly.

  “Did you see the make and model of the car?”

  Preston blinked. He’d been so focused on Carly, on what was going on, he hadn’t noticed anything about the car. “I don’t know. It was a dark color, maybe black.”

  “Was it a large car like an SUV or a smaller car?”

  Lance took the phone from his hand. “It was a navy blue Ford Focus. It’s a hybrid, meaning it’s a later model. The license plate started with 6KFT. I didn’t catch the last few, but I think I saw a rental sticker on the window.”

  Lance passed the phone back as a police car pulled into the lot, lights and sirens on.

  Preston stayed on the phone with the 911 operator as Lance spoke to the cops. It took everything he had to remain calm. He was shaking with adrenaline.

  Lance, however, looked composed. He spoke to the cops in short, hard sentences, pointing toward the street. The next minute they peeled out of the parking lot, sirens blaring, taking off in the same direction the kidnappers had.

  “More officers will be with you shortly,” the operator said. “Stay on the phone.”

  “Let’s go.” Lance headed for the stairs. “Hang up.”

  Without questioning Lance’s directive, Preston said goodbye to the operator and followed the other man inside. While he could barely think, too shocked, angry and scared to focus on anything, Lance seemed to know exactly what to do.

  When they were inside, Lance bounded up to the second floor.

  “I can’t believe that just happened.” Preston followed him. “I can’t believe they took her. This must be a nightmare.”

  “It’s not a dream. It’s too fucking real.” Lance’s voice was grim. “What did they say to you?”

  “They wanted my laptop bag.”

  “I saw you give them the case.” Lance started pulling on clothes while Preston stood in the doorway. “Carly tried to get it back?”

  Preston nodded. “They’ll find her, right? I mean the cops were right behind her.”

  Lance folded his arms. “Let’s work under the assumption that this was not a random act of violence. Whoever came here this morning was targeting you.”

  “No.” Preston shook his head. “That’s crazy. No one would attack me. I’m a chemist, for God’s sake. They must have been druggies looking for something to steal and sell.”

  “First, you’re a chemist who just uncovered an embezzlement scheme. Someone has a motive to shut you up. Druggies wouldn’t have been driving a rented hybrid, and they would have asked for your wallet and phone too.”

  “No one knows about the embezzlement but us.” Preston cursed when Lance raised a brow
. “I emailed the company president and told him I wanted to meet with him, but it wouldn’t be him. The majority of his money comes from the company profits, same as mine. He’d have no reason to embezzle money from us that might hurt our productivity.”

  “You emailed him?”

  “Yes.”

  “That makes it a bit more complicated.”

  “What are you talking about?” Preston shook his head. “This is nuts. I’m going outside to talk to the police. They’re going to find her, bring her back.”

  Lance dug into his backpack and pulled out a Toughbook laptop. “And you’re willing to bet her life on that? You’re sure this was random, and not a targeted attack on one of us?”

  The cold ball in Preston’s belly solidified into ice. “No. I’m not.”

  Lance nodded. “I know some people who can help us.”

  “I thought you were a mathematician.”

  “I am, but I’m a United States Marine, too. Once a Marine, always a Marine.”

  There was a knock on the front door. “That will be the police,” Preston said.

  “You deal with them.” Lance cleared a space on the desk and opened his laptop.

  Preston turned to leave, then paused. Emotion made his throat tight. He didn’t turn to look at Lance. “We can’t lose her.”

  There was a pause, then Lance’s hand dropped on his shoulder. “We won’t.”

  *****

  Carly landed hard against the door. Her face ached from where she’d been hit. After a wild, quick ride, they’d pulled into a parking garage. The shorter man used the stocking the other man had been wearing to bind her hands behind her after they dragged her out of the car. She heard police cars go by, and hoped—prayed—they would come rescue her. Screaming had resulted in the short man taking off his jacket, then t-shirt, and using the tee to gag her.

  She sagged against the car door. Luckily, the wadded fabric tied around her face softened some of the blow.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” The taller man freaked out, waving his arms, agitated, furious. “You kidnapped her!”

  Carly studied them, trying to memorize their faces. The taller man was blond with a high forehead that showed a receding hairline. He looked as if he was in his early forties. The shorter man, who seemed to be in charge, had medium brown hair, a lean face, and tattoos on his shoulders, arms and back. She’d seen them when he stripped off his shirt and used it to gag her. He stood with his arms loose, almost like a boxer or fighter.