Body Heat

by Mia Ford

  It seemed like paradise. We had Veronica at work and even at the hotel and some social events if the opportunity presented itself. I saw Carlie and a few other girls on a regular basis, keeping away from the party scene far more than I did before. I missed the traveling and all the fun without responsibility, but I missed Dad as well. I had to do all of this for him. We planned to take some time off to go to the Belize house with Mom and Ash come Summer, but it was still the beginning of Fall for us. Summer seemed like a lifetime away.

  I wanted to schedule a Winter getaway to Aspen, just Brent, me, and some friends. I hadn’t been skiing in a while, and it sounded great just to let loose for a few days. Now that everything was going smoothly at the office, I hoped that we could get away.

  The chance to go to a conference for work came up. It was all about the new standards to shipping and a lot of business talk, but I knew that it would be a good idea to go. I suggested bringing Veronica with us since it was in Los Angeles and we could have a little fun while we were there. Brent gave me a look, but I explained that she was our assistant. We’d book her a separate room even though we knew that she wouldn’t be sleeping alone. There were a couple of dinners and gatherings that we could all attend, and it would be perfect.

  Brent agreed and called her in to ask if she was interested in attending with us. We could send some of the managers, but as owners, we got the first shot. Veronica agreed, mentioning friends in the city that she could meet up with on her down time and I went online to book a hotel.

  I went with the Hilton in Beverly Hills. It was close to the venue, and I always liked that place, choosing three rooms, and finalizing the reservation. Dad always went to this and sometimes brought Mom, depending on where it was. The conference was at the end of the month, but the weather in Southern California was generally good, so it shouldn’t present an issue.

  We had a meeting with the managers, telling them about our plans. Ted glanced at us, verifying that we were bringing Veronica along. “Yes, she’s learning a lot about the business, and it would make sense for her to be up with the changes. She’s our go-to in the case of an emergency, though she would work with all of you in the process. I just don’t want to bother you unnecessarily.” Most of the managers were married with families and leaving for a long weekend wasn’t always possible.

  We had nobody apart from the casual sex partners we saw. We hoped that nobody knew about what was going on with Veronica, but she was a free woman and was passing through the office from person to person. She was perfect for a casual affair, but we had to always remind her that what happened with us was to be kept private.

  “I’d just make sure that she goes to the meetings. That’s a wild one,” Mark joked as he reached for his coffee. “She’s going to cause some issues if she keeps up the way that she is.”

  I glanced at Brent, and he sipped his water. “She’s a great help to us. That hasn’t seemed to get in the way of anything.” He spoke easily, and Mark chuckled.

  “I’m surprised that she hasn’t tried with you boys. All of the women are frothing over you around here,” he said as Ted laughed. “I think you’re going to be the newest bachelors in the magazines next year.”

  “They can long for us for all they want. This is Dad’s business, and I am going to treat it as such.” Brent left no room for argument in his voice, and I nodded as I glanced around at their faces. We went over a few other things, making a point of that at least once a month. Communication was essential even as we lied about our recreational relationship with Veronica.

  Brent sat down in our office, looking at me for a moment. “Do you think she’s causing herself problems?”

  I thought about the question for a moment. Veronica was sleeping with women and men, and if she chose the wrong person, it could get ugly. I was mostly bitter that I couldn’t join in with the girls that she was with per Brent, shrugging after a few moments. “If she does, it’s not on us. We replaced Cici, right?”

  “We can’t blow through assistants and have them keep being gorgeous women, Bran. It’s going to be so obvious at some point what we’re doing.” He gazed at me as I smirked.

  “Good luck telling her to change. She is happy being who she is.” I got off on the fact that she told me about the others, particularly the girls. Last night we’d been together at the hotel, just Veronica and I and the talk alone kept me going for longer than usual. She was a try anything kind of a girl, and the stories were fantastic. I was careful to use a condom with her every time, but the girl pushed my buttons.

  “Just be careful,” he reminded me as I nodded.

  “Always am,” I assured him before we settled back into the work day.

  CHAPTER 11

  Brent

  The weeks passed, and we were soon flying to California for the conference. Veronica left the day before to meet up with friends so it was just Brandon and I seated in first class that Friday morning. I thought about it, realizing that we’d never flown coach. Dad gained his wealth quickly and took good care of his family with it.

  Brandon sent one last text before takeoff, shoving the phone into his pocket as he leaned back. He was out late the night before, and I’d noticed that he was going towards his old ways a little more over the last few weeks. He was still actively sleeping with Veronica; we both were, but he seemed like he was moving towards the old lifestyle. “Where were you last night?” I asked him as he closed his eyes for a moment.

  “I met a new bartender at Scores. We spent the night at her place,” he replied as he settled back in the seat. “I knew that I could rest on the flight and we don’t have anything until the thing later.” There was an appetizers and drinks gathering tonight so everyone could get to know each other, but the actual conference didn’t start until the morning. “Hell, we could probably miss that.”

  “We should establish ourselves, Bran. Let’s go for a while and see who else is there.” I knew that we had some big shoes to fill. Veronica was aware of it as well, even though she sounded busy.

  “Yeah, sure,” he grumbled as he let out a sigh. I knew that he was tired and I dropped the subject as we took off for the flight, thinking about the last several months. It had moved so fast even though I still missed Dad so much. Mom seemed to be easing back into life, spending time with friends and laughing a bit more. I never expected her to date, though, which was a shame. She was beautiful and had a lot of life left, but she and Dad were in love. She couldn’t replace that, and he saw that she would be set up for any kind of life she wanted years ago. I knew that she wanted to focus on Ashley and the fun things that were scheduled for the next couple of years of her school, not making her lose out on anything.

  I yawned and closed my own eyes. My sister was at a party, and I didn’t sleep until she got home, well aware of the types of guys at those parties. Brandon and I were them once, and we didn’t always have a lot of compassion for the girls that we hooked up with. She came in at one as expected to find me on the couch, shaking her head with a scowl on her face. “Waiting for me?” She asked in a low tone as I rubbed my eyes. “I’m sixteen, Brent.”

  “You know that he always did, right?” I asked as we shared a sad look. “I just like to know that you’re safe, Ash. I worry about you.”

  “I know to stay away from the kinds of guys that you and Brandon were…are…whatever.” I gave her a sharp look, and she shrugged, a frown marring her beautiful face.

  “What? You have a reputation.” I shrugged, knowing that she was right. “I don’t see Brandon waiting for me.”

  I’d made her promise to be careful. I told her to call me if she needed anything and I would drop everything to help her.

  We left the conversation on a positive note, and I finally collapsed into bed for a few hours of sleep.

  We landed just after noon and rented a car to drive to the hotel. I think we were both still tired, but we had time after we checked in to rest if necessary. I was surprised when the rooms were three right beside each
other, with doors in between. That would be convenient, reminding me to send Veronica a text to see when she would be arriving.

  I selected the room on one end to get my things put away, hanging some things up and putting stuff into the drawers. This was a luxurious room, spacious with a huge bathroom that offered a bathtub meant for relaxing. It would be a nice place to rest with Veronica later, a thought that made me laugh. Would we take turns? I dropped onto the bed after piling up the pillows, closing my eyes again as I wondered how this was going to go.

  I woke up to laughter coming through the door, blinking as I looked around. I looked first at the clock, seeing that I had over an hour to get ready as Veronica laughed again. I stood up and walked into the other room, seeing her straddling my brother on the bed as her fuchsia-tipped hair brushed against his shoulders. She was wearing a pair of tight denim pants and what looked like a white shirt as he pulled her face to his for a long kiss. “Nice hair,” I remarked as she giggled against his lips.

  “I think it’s hot,” Brandon murmured as he kissed her again. He let his hands drift down to her back, sliding up under the shirt as he pushed it up over her body.

  “Don’t we have something to attend?” Veronica asked as he laughed. He unclipped her bra and pushed that off, revealing her firm pink nipples as I walked over to the bed.

  “Plenty of time,” Brandon assured her as he rolled her onto her back. He leaned down to suck on her neck as a hand unbuttoned her jeans, that I tugged down her legs as she laughed at us. This woman drew me in no matter how many others I slept with and Brandon gave her one more kiss before he scooted up her body. She took him into her mouth eagerly as I crawled between her legs to taste her, finding her already wet for us. I made her come as Brandon shot into her throat before moving beside her on the bed. Veronica rolled to her knees, offering herself to me as I reached for the box of condoms and slipped one on before taking her.

  We got ready for drinks after we rushed it along, and Veronica dressed in a black cocktail dress and heels, fixing her make up as Brandon and I slipped into suits. We left our individual rooms to keep things looking normal and headed down to the bar, where I recognized a few faces from the magazines. While there were a lot of shipping companies in the world, only a handful of them were as successful as M&P. There were about fifty people there, and my brother and I made the rounds, meeting a lot of friends of Dad while we watched Veronica flirt her way around the room. She was beautiful with the bright hair, charming the room as we talked shop and sipped whiskey.

  It wasn’t the party that we were used to, but it was pleasant for the few hours that we were down there. I felt like we knew enough about the other attendees to have a good weekend of this before we headed back to the room. The next morning started early, and we wanted some rest, hearing Veronica slip into her door. We were in the middle bedroom, feeling enough of the alcohol to want her again when she walked into our room dressed in a something lacy and tight. “Do you know how many men were drooling over you in that bar?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” She asked as she closed her door and walked over to us. “I have to hear it from every woman in the office at home about how gorgeous you boys are, you know.”

  “You don’t tell them anything, do you?” I asked as she walked towards my body, staring into my eyes.

  “No, not a word,” she promised me before pressing her lips to mine. It deepened quickly, and I slipped my hands down to cup her ass, feeling her hands move up my back and around my neck as we kissed harder. She groaned and rubbed herself against my hard shaft, wrapping her legs around my waist.

  I brought her to the bed, pushing her back as I covered her with my body. It seemed like it had been a while since Brandon and I shared her, and we made out for a while until he told me to move away. He wanted her to do something, and I sat beside her feeling horny as hell when my brother asked her to touch herself.

  Veronica smiled and removed her gown before she dropped onto the pillows and spread her legs wide. She started by rubbing her pussy slowly, making eye contact with both of us before she grinned wickedly and rubbed her fingers over her nipples. I lunged forward to suck one of them, looking down to see her stroke herself again, circling her clit as she moaned. Brandon took the other nipple, making her cry out as he took her between his teeth.

  When she came, Veronica was clinging to three fingers as she cried out. I took her hand, and Brandon moved between her legs to clean her as she dropped weakly on the bed and allowed us to use her. He fucked her first, hard between her thighs as I kissed her deeply, holding her face in mine as our tongues met. It wasn’t even awkward in the least anymore, seeing my brother with another woman. It was hot.

  I’d found a couple of girls outside of work that were willing to be with me together, and while it was erotic; it wasn’t Veronica. There was just something free about her that kept me coming back for more. I watched as she jerked against him right as he stilled, a perfect beat between them.

  She demanded that I get on my back before she crawled over me, hungry for more. Her eyes were intense as she crouched over me, licking my nipples gently as I hardened against her. Veronica knew that I loved it and she teased me with kisses and nibbles before she slid her body over mine. I groaned as she rocked against me, leaning up to bite at her body as she whimpered.

  For the first time, nobody left. We all fell asleep in a tangle of arms and legs right there, sleeping soundly through the night until the alarm woke us up.

  I asked her about her hair as she dressed in a gray pencil skirt and a lavender blouse in the middle bathroom. Brandon and I were sticking to that room as well, drifting wherever needed to get the clothes that might not be in there.

  Veronica leaned forward and applied some dark liner to her lid before she smiled at me. “My friend Rain wanted to go and I thought that it might be fun. Do you like it?”

  “It really brings out your eyes,” I told her before I went into the room for my coffee. Brandon and I were in suits again. She was like sunshine as she slipped her feet into heels matching the skirt, running a hand through her loose waves. Admittedly, there was a not a lot of women here, and Veronica was popular among the group. I reminded myself that we were the ones fucking her as she walked through the door and she started calling out greetings immediately.

  We sat down around the long table, getting coffee and bagels before it was time to settle in, and I watched Veronica slip on the glasses that she sometimes wore as she got the tablet ready for notes. It was a long day, breaking for an hour lunch and then finishing for the day at dinnertime. People were splitting up into groups to go out to dinner, and I watched as Veronica smiled at someone before glancing at us. I was in the mood for some room service and just being alone, but a group of guys that we’d spoken a lot to came over as the crowd was dispersing. “Join us for dinner?” Michael asked as Brandon looked at me. “There’s a great steakhouse around the corner.”

  I could see that Veronica was making plans and nodded at him, accepting the offer. She gave me a rueful look as she left with two of the women and a man as if she promised us later tonight. Brandon and I walked out of the room and down to the steakhouse, discussing what we learned today. It was mildly entertaining, but I kept thinking ahead to the hotel later.

  CHAPTER 12

  Brandon

  I had a few more drinks than I should have at dinner, but we all did. The food was good, and the company was all business as I looked around the restaurant from time to time. There were some gorgeous women here, many that were looking our way with shy smiles and pink cheeks. I knew that Brent and I could have any one that we chose and it seemed like the others noticed the looks as well, nudging us as they chuckled.

  I remembered Dad saying how many of the men didn’t respect their marriages on these trips, though there was no doubt in my mind that he never touched another woman once he met Mom. I wondered if that would ever be me, or even Brent as I glanced at him.

  The conversation turned to V
eronica, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Yes, she was beautiful and far wilder than these guys would probably ever know. Probably being the key word. We headed back to the room later and found it empty. Brent went off to his room after a little while, and I dropped into bed to watch some television before falling asleep.

  I didn’t know much later it was when I woke up with the television off and a warm body in my bed. “Just get in?” I asked as I caught the sweet scent of Veronica’s hair.

  “We went to a club after dinner. I am going to regret that in the morning,” Veronica murmured as I let my hand run over her bare back.

  “Anything happen?” I asked her, finding the soft skin of her ass as I squeezed gently. I liked hearing about the others, for the most part.

  “Lydia tried, but I just wanted to get back here. I wanted to sleep here.” She snuggled close to me, wrapping her leg around my thigh. She found my lips in the dark and kissed me as I came to life at her touch. It was just us as we moved together, fucking slow and hard as she breathed out my name.

  Brent came into the room in the morning to make coffee, looking us over. “Morning.”

  “Hey, you. I got in so late last night,” Veronica told him as she looked at my brother with smoldering eyes. She kicked the covers back and walked over to him, naked. Brandon pulled her into his arms and kissed her as I let my eyes close slowly.

  They disappeared into his room, coffee and all. I could hear them through the wall, but I was satisfied and still a little tired. We had about two hours before we had today’s brunch presentation, so there was time for everyone to get what they needed. We all dressed for the day’s event after they spent time together, us in slacks and collared shirts while Veronica wore a plum dress that flared around her lower thighs and heels, making me want to taste her all over again.