Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 102

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Friday, September 13th, 6:06 pm

The sun was positioned low in the sky as I emerged from the rooftop garden—a blazing golden disk that hung low in the western sky. It cast long shadows across my roof so that the shortest objects seemed a little larger. The cottonball clouds floating in the air were blushing colors from peach to soft amber, looking absolutely breathtaking on a backdrop of deep cerulean blue.

Everything was bathed in warmth. Skin glowed. Fabrics shimmered. My friends sat in a loose circle, talking and laughing as chill beats drifted from a small setup in the far corner. A table stood half-laden with food, and Camille was adjusting platters. Her lush lips moved silently as she counted.

The pool erupted as Natashya broke the surface, her hair snapping overhead and slapping her back in a wet arc—every ripple and droplet catching golden light.

Emily and Charity leaned against the railing across the water, chatting softly. Charity’s honeyed complexion and my sister’s pale ivory practically glowed in the last gasps of sunlight.

It was like stepping into a painting.

“Eeeeyyy!” Dillon raised a glass in the air as I walked over to them.

He was sitting sideways in one of the loungers with Erin on one side and Helen on the other. I immediately felt a twinge of something that could only be described as territorial, which I immediately pushed aside. Charity and I had spoken of trust issues, but I didn’t need to worry about Erin or Helen. If I could be sure of anything, it was that those two weren’t going anywhere.

“There’s the man of the hour!” Dillon said and tossed back the rest of his drink.

A few more cheers rose from the small circle—Kwan, Jonah, and Honey.

Helen immediately rose from her spot next to my best friend with a drink in each hand and approached me, a sultry smile on her face. She looked resplendent in a bright red bikini that left very little to the imagination. Her hair hung in soft, golden curls and layers around her shoulders, partially covering the only other article of clothing she wore—the collar I’d given her.

The look on Dillon’s face as he watched Helen’s ass away from him telegraphed his thoughts perfectly.

Then I remembered…

Last time, Helen had been largely removed from my house party shennanigans. Roger had still been an obstacle between us.

I was glad that was over.

Reaching me, Helen offered one of the drinks. I took it, but the way she gazed at me with those ice blue eyes… I couldn’t resist a taste of her first. I grabbed her chin and brought our lips together, enjoying the feel of her tongue brushing against mine as they briefly danced together, and by the time the kiss was ended, we were inundated with whistles and catcalls.

“Thank you,” I said, taking a sip of Helen’s offering as I took another glance around.

Someone was missing.

“Where’s Bobbi?”

“In her room,” Helen sighed, as she looked around the rooftop. “At first glance, you would think she was a partier, but looks can be deceiving.”

“That won’t do,” I said.

Bobbi had been antisocial long enough. Part of her job was to sit around and be pretty, and she couldn’t do that if she stayed hidden away in her room. The look Helen gave me suggested that she knew what I was thinking.

“You want me to retrieve her,” she said. It wasn’t a question as much as a conclusion.

“I just want her outside for a while. At least an hour. If she still looks completely miserable, then I’ll let her go, but considering how little responsibility she has, I’m sure she can manage at least that much.”

“I’ll be back, then,” Helen said, giving me a vulpine smile that suggested she would enjoy toying with her pet while at the party.

She gave me one more kiss. Her fingers caressed my face as she walked by, her eyes holding my gaze a moment longer before breaking away to fulfill my request. I watched her firm ass sway as she left me.

I wasn’t the only one.

“Bro!” Dillon slapped me on the shoulder, having gotten up while I’d been distracted. “That’s your fucking lawyer!”

“Yeah,” I said distractedly, still watching her retreat.

“I had to hire a lawyer once,” Dillon went on as if he had my undivided attention. “She looked like my grandma.”

“Is your grandma fine like Helen?” Erin asked, finally pulling my attention away from the blonde.

“Nah!” Dillon said. “She looks like dried leather! Love her though! She can bake—”

He grabbed my arm, his eyes alight with what he thought was a brilliant idea. “Dude! You should hire my grandma to just bake for you all the time!”

“Fuck no!” I said, walking back to the rest of the group. “I’d be so fat…”

I’d had some of her baked goods before; they weren’t meant to be ignored.

I slid into Dillon’s vacant seat beside Erin. She looked up at me with the slow-blooming satisfaction of someone who'd just won a private bet. Her shoulder brushed me, and her face hovered inches from mine, dark eyes gleaming.

“Glad you could make it,” she said, voice low and warm.

“Thanks,” I murmured. “Did you send Jess to wake me up?”

“No. That was Emiko,” Erin replied, nodding toward the table where the elegant woman was mid-conversation with a young man holding a camera. Her hair was piled on top of her head, showing off a pale neck. She was laughing at something and lightly touching the man’s hand—the definition of charm.

“Why?” Erin asked, watching me watch them.

“Because, she gave me one hell of a wake-up…”

“Aww,” Erin purred. “Was she good?”

I turned back to her slowly, letting the silence stretch. “She wasn’t you.”

That did it. A flush rose in her cheeks, and her grin took on something more genuine and proud. “Charmer,” she said under her breath.

I took a moment to run my fingers through her hair as I pressed my forehead to hers, letting us settle into that sweet moment for a beat longer. Then I turned my attention back to Emiko. “We have a photographer?”

“Charity’s call,” Erin said, resting her hands on my shoulder so she could prop her chin on it. “She said you wanted this well-documented.”

“Hey!” Jonah interrupted, leaning closer to me. “We all want to know what happened in Norway.”

“Yeah,” Honey said, leaning forward along with her boyfriend. Her massive breasts threatened to spill out of her tiny, sky blue bikini top—they looked more like undersized hammocks precariously holding watermelons. “Erin and Helen were telling us you were in a gunfight?”

Dillon settled back down to listen as I began recounting to them the events that transpired in the forest. I told them about being shoved out of a helicopter after it had been hit with a rocket… how I’d parachuted to the ground, fought some mercenary, found Chloe being held by other mercs, and how we’d spent days there trying to stay dry and warm.

Halfway through my retelling, Vikram was led onto the roof by one of my security along with Venus. They were another couple who were quickly becoming a serious item thanks to attending an event at my house. Both seemed really interested in my story, so I started it over. Obviously, I left out certain details like having sex with Chloe, flirting with Astrid, or confronting her after we were rescued. Most of it was safe, though, and I enjoyed their reactions.

As I settled back in the seat and regaled them with the tale of my near miss with death, more people showed up. Helen had returned with Bobbi, who looked less than pleased to be there. However, I watched as she flounced over to the pool where Emily and Natashya sat talking, wearing a skimpy but tasteful red-and-white two-piece. Chandler showed up and was immediately intercepted by Helen, who had him charmed and laughing in moments. Even Jessica made an appearance, looking like she’d freshened up before taking on the classic role of the maid. She walked around with a tray and asked guests if they needed anything.

Eventually, Erin got up from her position and left, saying she had some things to take care of. Honey, Jonah, and Dillon decided to freshen their drinks.. That left me, Vikram, Venus, and Kwan.

My Korean American friend had just been asking me about the castle, and since this was one area where Vikram could contribute, I let him take the reins.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” Vikram said. “There are so many rooms on the top two floors alone!” He looked at me and shook his head. “I honestly don’t know what you’re going to do with all that space.”

“I can’t believe you got to stay in a Scottish castle!” Venus said. “You guys get to live such a glamorous life.”

“Weren’t you doing a shoot in Spain six months ago?” Vikram asked.

Venus waved him off. “That was for work! I barely saw anything while I was there! It’s not the same.”

Her English was good, but I picked up a hint of an accent. Greek, maybe?

Before I could ask, a body dropped into the space Erin had vacated—Rose. She gave me a brilliant smile as she leaned in so close that I thought she was about to kiss me.

“Well, hello, world traveler,” she teased.

I couldn’t help but grin. I liked Rose. She was always so easygoing—never a hint of drama from this one. She was slender with subtle curves... breasts that were barely a handful, hips with a gentle slope, and a small, shapely ass. Her skin was the color of dark chocolate, with eyes even darker.

“Hey there,” I said back.

Vikram was still going on about the castle. “Seriously, you should see it at sunset.”

“Vikram,” I cut in, “why don’t you show her instead of just telling her about it?”

Vikram just stared at me blankly.

“There’s probably some more work that needs to be done on the finalization of the purchase,” I shrugged. “Why don’t you take Venus and go out there next week? Show her around.”

“I don’t think the partners would appreciate me leaving the country so suddenly.”

I leveled my gaze at him and said, “Vikram, I own your bosses.”

Well, I owned one of them anyway…

Vikram stared at me blankly for a moment, then shot a look at Venus, who appeared to be on the verge of coming out of her skin.

“Seriously?” he asked.

“Seriously,” I replied.

Venus literally squealed, stood up, and dragged Vikram off as she said something about celebratory drinks while they planned their trip. My lawyer friend gave me a dopey grin as his girlfriend hauled him off.

I felt Rose slip an arm through mine. Her long nails drew light patterns over my wrist as she batted her eyelashes up at me.

“Did you really buy a castle?”

“I did,” I said. She was only a few inches shorter than me, so our gazes were nearly level with each other. Our noses were inches apart as she leaned back in, conspiratorially.

“I should be mad at you,” she purred.

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“I didn’t get an invite,” Rose said. “Natashya got one.” She shrugged one shoulder, one corner of her mouth quirking in mock disappointment. “Guess I just don’t feel the love.”

I could tell she was messing with me, but I still felt bad. Natashya and Rose were relatively close, and inviting the former while ignoring the latter must’ve felt like a little bit of a slight.

On the other hand, I couldn’t take my sister without taking her girlfriend. Maybe Rose should’ve just gotten to my Emily first.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. It was a last-minute thing. Some stuff happened at a vacation home I own, and I just needed to get the hell out. You’re not the only one mad at me. So is my mom.”

Rose twisted her body, facing me a little more as she slipped her arm out from under mine so she could wrap both of them around my neck. She pulled me closer so that our noses brushed each other. I felt pulled into those sultry, dark pools staring up at me.

“Well,” she said softly, “I guess you’re just going to have to make it up to me somehow.”

“I’ve got a couple of ideas for my mom,” I said, unable to keep the amused smile off my face. “Think they’ll work on you?”

Rose gave a subtle shake of her head, returning my grin as she snorted, her warm breath on my face. “No… I’ve got something else in mind.”

A throat cleared, interrupting any chance I had of responding, and I turned to see who was trying to get my attention. Rose’s arms slowly slid from my shoulders as she straightened.