Riding High

by Zara Stoneley

  She turned around on wobbling legs and sank down with the building against her back. Tipping her head back, she let the warmth of the sun bathe her face and took another deep breath. What was she supposed to do now? Admit she’d seen them, or run away and pretend it hadn’t happened? She’d come down here for a reason, hadn’t she? To talk to them, find out more about their therapy business, about what was really going on. Was she going to run away at the first glimpse of what it was all about? She couldn’t back down now; she’d agreed to stay here, run her business alongside theirs. Manage them. Shit.

  ***

  “You don’t have to stand on ceremony, you know.” The dark-haired man spoke with a soft, knowing drawl as his black eyes burned into hers. “Just pop in any time you want.”

  Fuck, he knew; he’d seen her watching. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Her eyes were drawn down to his hands. The hands she’d been watching. She knew she was going beetroot red. She glanced back up, daring him to say anything, but he just looked, a knowing look that set off an uncontrollable flutter deep down in her stomach.

  All three of them looked respectable enough for a vicar’s tea party and here she was, feeling shagged out and disheveled. And they were waiting. For her to say something, like why she was there. And all she could do was stare at them openmouthed. While he stood there smirking. Bugger.

  “Come in and join us, Roisin. You’ve not met James yet, have you?” Dan’s voice broke into the tense air that hung between them.

  “You’re going to love James.” Marie stood up and moved over to wrap an arm around the man’s slim waist, looking up at him with adoration. “He’s our right-hand man, we wouldn’t be without him.” Double bugger.

  Roisin ran her tongue nervously over her lips, instantly regretting it. She risked another look at the enigmatic James, and a sudden grin broke the aquiline features, softening them. Right-hand man just about summed it up, unless you included the left as well. Which, to be fair, they probably should.

  “We’ve been filming a video.” James’s soft voice was as sensual as the touch of his hands had been and she was suddenly struck by how like a panther he was. Dark, graceful, and hidden. Something about him gave the impression you’d never know what he really was, who he was. He was watching her closely, and she knew her nipples were tweaking out at him, blaring out their own “touch me, touch me” invitation.

  “A video about just how much you can turn a woman on without even having sex,” James continued. “But I think you understand that bit, don’t you?” She was sure he was laughing at her, and Dan was looking from one to the other as though he could sense the undercurrent between them. She felt a shiver run through her. What would it feel like to have Saul sucking her pussy, kneeling between her legs as James sucked her breasts, teased her just as she’d watched him tease Marie?

  “Stop it, James.” Marie swatted at him affectionately and moved over to take her hand and pull her farther into the room. “If it wasn’t for Roisin we’d still be stuck in no-hope land.”

  “Ah, so this is the famous Roisin, and I thought it was just some girl looking for riding lessons.” Roisin felt the heat burn through her as James’s gaze wandered over her body as though he was working out just which bits of her needed attention.

  “Stop it, James.” Marie shook her head. “Not everyone gets your teasing, you know. Ignore him.” She smiled at Roisin again and pushed a chair in her direction. “I keep telling him his charms don’t work on everyone.”

  Mmm, charms, is that what they were called?

  “Sorry.” James grinned and held out a hand, but he didn’t look sorry. She stared at the hand, the hand she had just seen work its magic over Marie. She wasn’t sure she wanted to touch him. She gave in; she had to let him touch her, and it wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t that shock she got every time Saul touched her; it was just a warmth, a lulling warmth that held a promise of satisfaction, a growing heat of pure promise. She grabbed her hand back and stuck it behind her back, ignoring his look. “I’m just a man for hire, I guess.” Which took her right back to thoughts of brothels. And why this wouldn’t work.

  “He’s actually really experienced,” Marie said.

  Oh yeah?

  “He’s so good with people. They all love him. He can tell exactly what someone wants and then explain to their partner how to give it to them. God knows how he does it.” Marie was twittering on like so much background noise, and Roisin had to force herself to concentrate on the words.

  James was still smiling a lazy smile at her, his head tipped. “Just a knack, I guess.” He was the type of man you could love or hate. Her stomach tightened. The type of man who could give you pleasure but not love. A panther. She watched his face as she wetted her suddenly dry lips. She should have met him at the bar the other day, not Saul, not a man who already seemed to be getting under her skin in a way she didn’t want. “And I know exactly what you need.” A panther purring before the kill.

  She started guiltily, and his grin broadened. “You need a nice relaxing massage, darling.”

  “Yes, yes.” Marie had jumped up. God, the woman was hyper; maybe that was what lots of sex did for you. “That’s a brilliant idea, James.” She turned to Roisin. “He is so good at massage you wouldn’t believe it; he has such good hands.”

  Roisin felt herself tighten protectively, she’d just seen those good hands in action.

  “He is good, Roisin, believe us. No funny stuff, he just has magic hands.” Dan spoke for the first time, his soft, caressing voice breaking across Marie’s more excited tones. “This will be a welcome gift from us, a thank-you for having us. You’ll love it.” He grinned. “And you really need to sample the goods if you’re going to be overseeing the business.”

  She tried to stop doing her best goldfish impression, but her brain wasn’t cooperating and all she could do was squeak, it seemed. She didn’t want a massage; she so didn’t want a massage from this man.

  “You guys do that while me and Marie get some stuff together,” Dan said, “and then we’ll show you some of our plans for this place. You’re going to love it.”

  Love it. Christ, their enthusiasm was unending while her stomach was lurching like it didn’t know what to do next, and her pussy was positively purring. But their mood was contagious; she did feel more hopeful than she had for ages. More alive in a way. Maybe something as outrageous as this was what she needed. Let her body do the talking, or walking, or whatever.

  Everything in her life had always been so restrictive: her boarding school, her parents, her husband. All she’d known was expectations and proscriptions, and now this. No rules, it seemed, except the ones you wanted. For the first time, freedom. She stood up, aware of her legs still trembling. “I’m sure it will be great.” Aware of the catch in her voice.

  ***

  “Top off.” He was standing expectantly, hands on slim hips, waiting. She eyed the padded bench; well, it was just a massage. A massage, no toe- or finger-sucking. She lay down, face-first, trying to steady her breathing as he undid the clasp on her bra and the cool air snaked around her breasts. Firm hands eased her shorts farther down onto her hips, tucking a towel into the waistband as though he did this every day. Oh hell, he couldn’t smell her, could her? Smell that “I’ve just been fucking myself” smell?

  “Relax.” And then his warm hands were on her back with a touch of pure bliss as though they belonged there, and her body obeyed, even if her mind hadn’t caught up yet. He stroked upward, pushed her hair to one side with almost a lover’s caress, gentle and caring but a whisper away from sensual. Firm thumbs pressed up her spine as though they were reaching deep into her being and she closed her eyes so that she was more aware of his touch, of the feeling of letting herself be touched just for the sake of it. Thumbs rolled deeply across her shoulders, seeking out tension she didn’t know she had, the heels of his hands pressed firmly around her shoulder blades, across h
er back, and all she could hear was his steady, soothing breathing as she let her body sink deeper. His hand traveled lower, his thumb rubbing slow, firm circles at the base of her spine until she could feel the sensation spread down between her cheeks, feel the warmth build between her legs, the dampness build again in her pussy. But she couldn’t move, didn’t want to tense, just let the feelings build, swirl. His hands trailed slowly up her sides, skimming the sides of her breasts, leaving a tingle of awareness as he skated inward over her back again, large, sweeping motions that one second teased and tantalized, and the next moment soothed and caressed.

  “Do you want me to carry on?” His soft voice was in her ear, but far away, and she knew she gave only the slightest nod, not wanting him to stop; this was too nice. This was heaven without the fight to get there. Strong fingertips circled over her muscles, deeper, lighter, until her body responded, lifting and falling in time. So lightly she almost thought she imagined it, he traced small circles over the sensitive skin of her waist, sending tingles down her spine, all the way deep into her core. Heat emanated outward until it surged through her body. She heard a murmur of pleasure she knew came from her, felt him move closer to her. His featherlight touch on her waist deepened, his hand drifted firmly in, down her spine, pressing more firmly until she could feel her pussy start to throb, feel the waves spread as she relaxed her legs and felt them fall farther apart. His soft, damp lips were on her back, his tongue making a trail down her spine, then back up, tasting her, sucking her skin, his thumbs circling, fingers massaging. And then the soft waves that had been building started to roll through her body and it felt like her pussy was opening up with each pulse, the orgasm spreading to every bit of her. She was dimly aware of him pulling the towel higher over her back, dimly aware of his murmur soft against her cheek. Then nothing mattered anymore.

  ***

  “Hey, dozy, I think you needed that.”

  Roisin’s eyes flew open and she went to sit up, but Marie put a steadying hand on her. “Whoa, slow down or you’ll get dizzy. James said you were out like a light as soon as he finished. Some people do that.” Marie gave a friendly grin. “He’s got magic hands, hasn’t he? We’re in the office when you’re ready.”

  Magic hands. That was one way of describing them. She’d just had an orgasm. A mind-blowing, rolling, whole body orgasm with a man she was fairly sure she didn’t fancy, and he hadn’t touched a single erogenous zone on her body. Well, definitely not any of the obvious ones. And now she felt spaced out.

  She reached back to do her bra up and then sat up gingerly. She did feel spaced out—spaced out and utterly relaxed, like she’d done a hard day’s work then had a good night’s sleep.

  ***

  “Better?” Three pairs of eyes were on her as she walked into the office she’d once called her own.

  “Much, er, thanks.” Yay, she was much, much better.

  “You need one of those every week; I’ll put you in the diary, shall I? Perk of the job?” James sat studying her through hooded eyes that almost saw too much, but he’d lost the smart-ass edge, looked ever so slightly less the predator.

  “Thanks, yes, it was great.” As long as he didn’t mind her rolling over and begging for more next time.

  Dan looked up from his laptop. “Maybe you should bring Saul along next time.” She felt the warmth creep into her face. Why the hell did she feel guilty? His tone was open, deceptively light, and she wasn’t quite sure if it was directed at her or James.

  “I’m not sure he’ll be around.”

  “Oh? I got the impression he was going to be sticking around. I thought you two—?”

  “Us two? We’re not a couple.” They weren’t. He’d made that more than clear, hadn’t he? Not that she wanted to be part of a couple, not that it had ever been anything more than a one-night stand that had stretched into two, that had morphed into a business agreement that would tie them together for months. Bugger.

  “Really?”

  This was getting annoying; she would not be lumped together with him and if, for some weird reason, that’s what they thought, then they had better stop. “Really.”

  There was one of those glances that flicked between Marie and Dan and she could feel herself getting all prickly inside.

  James stood up. “I’ll be back later, guys, I’ll leave you three to”—he quirked an eyebrow—“work things out.”

  “Look, Roisin, I’m not trying to interfere here, but the way he was looking at you yesterday…”

  “It’s business. We’ve—you know, but now it’s just business, okay?”

  Dan raised an eyebrow. “You know?”

  Why did everyone in a couple always think that was what the rest of the world wanted or needed? Unless…She paused. Unless something else was bothering him? “Look, I’m sorry, but you’re just working with me. Saul is out of the picture. Is that a problem?”

  “No.” Dan shrugged, his voice as even as ever. “Not a problem. It’s just…” He seemed to hesitate, glanced over at Marie as though to get her permission to continue. “It’s just we know Saul quite well, we like him, and…”

  “And the way he was with you seemed to be more than just a ‘you know.’” Marie finished the sentence.

  “You’re wrong.” Her voice sounded taut even to her own ears, but they were wrong. She knew. Anything more would have been wrong for both of them. She needed to be in control of her own life for once, and he’d made it more than clear that he didn’t want any ties. No promises. No hanging around.

  “Sorry, then, our mistake.”

  “But you do know him, don’t you? What was that video I saw all about, the one of him spanking his wife?”

  “You’ll have to ask him, Roisin. He was our client and we don’t discuss what happens in sessions. It’s a matter of confidentiality. Sorry, but I’m sure you understand.”

  “But you said you knew him well.”

  “We knew him as a client, and then when things went belly-up he just happened to be the first person who came along. We discussed the business with him, but he didn’t think he could take it on, didn’t think he could help.”

  “Until he got this place?”

  “Until he met you. It wasn’t the place that gave him the idea. It was you, Roisin.”

  “Rubbish.” She bit her lip; whatever he was playing at, it wasn’t being cozy with her.

  “You know it’s not rubbish. Saul might be a hard-nosed businessman, but he’s not ruthless. He wanted to help us, and I think he wants to help you. He could have easily broken this place up, sold it for redevelopment, and made a killing.”

  “I know.” That was the bit that really bothered her. “So why didn’t he?”

  “Exactly. You tell us.”

  She sank down into the chair. “I don’t know, but he’s moved on, gone.” Probably because I told him I don’t trust him. She looked from one half of the couple to the other and saw something that could have been sympathy. “I want to work this out, I want to keep my home, and he’s thrown me a lifeline and that’s all I know. I don’t know why he’s doing it, but it’s not because there’s something between us; it’s really not. I want us to get on and make a go of this, and it isn’t just because I want to keep the place. I like you.” She shrugged; she did like them, and already she felt like she’d known them for years. “I don’t know a thing about your business but I want to, and maybe”—she glanced down self-consciously and then back up to meet Dan’s gaze—“maybe you can help me out a bit too. I think I need educating.”

  The self-deprecating laugh rang out and for a moment they just looked. Something gripped at her stomach; were they going to say it wouldn’t work? Did they want Saul here as well; was that the deal they’d bought into?

  “That’s fine.” Dan stood up and moved over to put an arm around Marie. “We like you too, Roisin, you’re good, alone or with Saul. Though
I think you’re wrong about him.” He paused and they swapped that look again. “But we usually help couples together; we’re all about couples, really.” He shrugged and looked down to Marie for her to finish off what he was saying.

  “But, before, I, um…”

  “Ah.” He smiled, as if reading her mind. “What you saw was something quite a few couples fantasize about, a third person joining them, but that’s about consent, that’s about them both wanting it. We do it quite a lot because we both like it, Roisin, although we’re never unfaithful, and what James told you before was right. That was a video aimed at showing pleasure without penetration.” She felt herself squirm inside slightly at his matter-of-fact tone. “We just thought we’d make it more interesting by adding in a few things like an extra man, like the ties.”

  “It’s not that I want”—oh, life must be so much easier if you’re not a prude—“a threesome or anything. I just meant it’s not just couples, I just thought if you did…”

  “We want to make people’s sex lives better, and that means different things to different people, but it isn’t about a step-by-step guide to orgasm.” He sighed.

  “I know, I’ve just never…Before Saul I…”

  “We can help you find out about yourself and what you want, but the hardest part is telling someone else, hun, which is why if Saul…” Marie was looking at her as if she got it, but she didn’t. As though the only solution was Saul. Which figured, seeing as she’d never had a man bring her to a knee-trembling orgasm before she met him.

  “No.” Her abruptness surprised even her, and she forced a softer tone into her voice. “No, it’s me, just me, and I don’t need anyone else right now. Saul and I haven’t got a problem because there is no Saul and I.” A phone rang out into the silence, and it took a moment for her to register that it was hers.

  Saul.