As I stared briefly at the David head statue on the far side of the room, I pondered who on earth could live here. For some reason, I couldn’t see this infamous Mr. Gatsby guy as being as old as all these relics made him seem. Although everything around me screamed maturity, I had this feeling that he was quite young. It may have been the fact that all the people at the party seemed to be around my age. It may have had something to do with the fact I couldn’t imagine a very wealthy fifty-something having parties and lurking in the shadows, instead of being the host he should be.
Shaking my head, I put one foot in front of the other, only to hear a noise that stopped me dead in my tracks. Whatever it was, I had this sudden urge to either flee or jump, like an action film, towards the back of the desk. However, all I could do was stand there like an idiot, ready to face whatever could be behind that door.
No one came in, though, so I shrugged and made my way out the door and down the stairs so I could find Louisa. Hopefully Pete would have let her go by now. As I got to the bottom of the steps, a sound alerted me. It was muffled, like grunting. It sounded like it was coming from the basement, but I couldn’t tell. Like always, my intrigue got the best of me and I made my way down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, there was a closed door, but I knew there was someone behind it. The sounds were almost animalistic. It was frightening, but erotic at the same time.
In that brief moment, I wondered whether I would be brave enough to take a peak. I couldn’t be certain, but it sounded distinctly like someone was boxing. With my heart beating rapidly and my throat dry, I grabbed the door handle.
It was then that my heart shot into my mouth at the feel of someone’s hand on my shoulder. “Miss, you can’t go in there.”
Jumping, I swung around to find the butler staring at me with an unimpressed glare. It was also then that there was silence coming from the other side of the door. Whoever was in there must have heard us.
“I’m so sorry. I was just trying to find a toilet.”
I inwardly cringed. Way to go, Tyler. That wasn’t an obvious lie at all.
Looking in the direction of the stairs, he turned back to me. “If you go up these stairs, there is a door to your immediate right. That is where the toilet is.”
I took that as my cue to leave and did so as graciously as possible, my tail between my legs. As I got to the top, I briefly turned and saw that the butler had disappeared. He must have gone into the “grunting” room.
“There you are, Tyler. I’ve been looking for you.”
Louisa’s voice made me jump as I spun around. Everything was making me jump this morning. It may have had something to do with the fact I knew I was snooping.
“Hey, Louisa. Has Pete finally let you go?”
She laughed as her cheeks reddened a little. “Yes. We’ve said our goodbyes. Seen anything good?”
I knew Louisa would have been eager to come with me earlier, but sometimes your loins win out. They certainly did for me last night.
“Nah,” I stated with a shake of my head. “Not a damn thing. I looked in every drawer I could and couldn’t even find a single piece of paper. It’s almost as if this place is a museum, rather than a home.”
Louisa sighed a little. “Oh well. Maybe I’ll get the dirt on this elusive guy one day, but it doesn’t look like today is going to be my day. Are you ready to get going?”
I nodded. “Yep. Let’s go before the butler comes in.”
Within ten minutes, we were packed and placing our bags into Louisa’s boot. It was raining and I hated the rain but, for some reason, I was ready to curl up in my jim-jams, eat lots of chocolate, and watch the reruns of Suits. I loved Suits, especially Harvey. He could be my lawyer any day. Harvey could be anything he wanted to me any day. He was just so damn delicious.
“Are you daydreaming about him?”
My gaze drifted to Louisa. “Actually, I was just thinking that today would be the perfect day to curl up on the sofa, pig-out, and watch TV.”
Louisa stared ahead, but smiled. “Hmmm, okay…,” she giggled.
“Are you seeing him again?”
Louisa frowned a little. “Who? Pete?”
“Nah, the butler guy. He was kinda hot.”
We both giggled a little as Louisa continued to stare ahead. “I’ve given him my number. It’s up to him to call now. I have a feeling I’ll be hearing from him soon, though.”
Louisa smiled, then we both fell silent again. I started to wonder whether I would hear from my elusive caller from last night. I felt kind of disgusted with myself for letting a complete stranger into my room to do all those lovely, erotic things to me. But, then again, whoever it was tricked me. He didn’t say who he was in the beginning, so I assumed it was Brad. But having said that, did this stranger realise that himself? I could never know for certain. All I knew was that whoever it was gave me the best sex I’ve ever had. And I was just itching for more.
Chapter 16
Dean
Man must evolve, for all human conflict,
A method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation.
A foundation for such a method is love.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
When I heard her at the door, all my muscles tensed. I was working out, giving that punching bag all I had. Trying to ease the tension from this morning was working. With every punch, I felt more focused, more determined. Then I heard her. She was at the fucking door and could have blown everything if she had turned that handle. Luckily, Humphrey was on the ball and managed to catch her before it was too late.
Then she was gone. My uncle had managed to get her out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind. I could get back to working out. It just meant I had to start my regime all over again. I needed to punch until my lungs ran out of air. I needed to carry on until all my muscles cried out in pain. I had to rid myself of the memory of her from last night. The way she felt when I was inside her. The way her hair caressed my arm so gently that it made my body shudder. I didn’t want her affecting me that way, but it seemed she was just as fucking toxic as she was thirteen years ago. She was seeping into my pores, entering my head, and the last thing I needed was for her to think she had a way into my heart. She would only find coldness there. The ice there would sting her. For her, it would be unbearable to the touch. I was not a nice man. I didn’t do relationships. I wasn’t the lovey-dovey, make-yourself-sick-to-the-stomach cuddly kind of guy. I could have been once. I could have given everything to Tyler if she had let me. Not now, though. Not after what she did. I toughened myself up. I had to. After what happened all those years ago, I had no other choice.
“Dean, I don’t think it was a good idea letting her come here.” Humphrey stood there, tall and straight. Although he was in his late fifties, he was surprisingly sturdier then he seemed. He was tall, just a couple of inches shorter than me. His hair was greying and he sported a little moustache which curved up at the edges. He reminded me of Terry-Thomas because he looked just like him. Of course, Humphrey realised that and got annoyed when I’d call him by that name. He got even angrier when I called him an old man. He called me names, too, so I guess we’re even on that score.
All dressed up, he looked every bit the part he played. It was Humphrey who suggested he play the butler. He had been a constant presence, especially in the last thirteen years. I owed him a lot. The only problem was he did take his role here a little too seriously. He even joked at times and called me Master Wayne. I was no superhero, though. I was the villain, and my nemesis was Tyler.
“It was necessary, Humphrey. I needed her to feel comfortable.”
“By pretending you were someone else so you could fuck her? I don’t think that would be a very comforting thought.”
I stopped punching and looked at Humphrey. “If I would have gone to her in her own room at her own home, she would have freaked. I had to make sure she was ready for me. By tonight, she’ll know who entered her room last night. I’ll make fucking sure of it.?
??
I carried on punching and Humphrey left me alone. He knew I didn’t like being disturbed when I was down there.
After another half-hour, I was done. My muscles were burning, my breath was coming in short bursts. I stood in front of my mirror, studying my frame. I was built for this sport. Built for any fucking shit who wanted to cross me. And many had wanted to cross me. If I learned anything in life, it was that having money attracted unwanted attention. Especially when it involved some lowlife from my father’s past who had lost everything and thought he could come to me to take what the fuck he wanted. I wasn’t a fucking charity, and I wasn’t a fucking pushover.
Unwinding the tape from my hands, I watched as the tattoo of a lotus flower danced on my shoulder. It was the second tattoo I had ever gotten. I’d gotten several since, but the first one I will always remember for reasons which now make me sick. I was only eighteen when I had it done, getting piss-assed drunk before I went in. I might be tough, but I have never been a fan of needles. Call it my one weakness. The only thing was I couldn’t afford to be weak. That was why I went back several times and got several more tattoos. I needed to break myself of that one fucking phobia. That way, nobody could get to me. I was invincible.
*****
A little after midnight, I knew it was time to get going. Tyler, if I knew anything about her, would be sound asleep in her bed. She was like clockwork—a little bit too predictable.
Once I got to her car park, I smiled. I didn’t think she had been anywhere today, but her car was pulled, just like it always was, into the space. I had to break her out of that habit. If you were ever in an emergency, getting away as quickly as you could was paramount. Trying to get away as quickly as possible in a car that wasn’t backed into the space was impossible. Trying to shuffle your way out just wasted too much time. Call me a little OCD, but that was me. It was just common sense.
So, I did what I normally did and backed my car into the usual spot and got out. It was a typical, quiet Sunday, people readying themselves for the work week. When I got to Tyler’s car, I fished her keys out of my pocket. I had always made sure I kept a spare key. With easy access to her home, I had everything at my fingertips. I must admit, I thought it would be a lot harder to integrate myself into her life the way I did. I figured I could just play on her fantasy, the one Justin told me about over a drink one night. It wasn’t hard getting the information out of him. Everything about him screamed desperation. He wanted friends, no matter how pathetic he looked. He was eager to please, and I was eager to keep plying him with drink, as long as I got what I needed from him.
Smiling and shaking my head, I got into Tyler’s car and did what I had to do. It was something that had to be done, no matter how much I wanted to get to her.
After reversing her car into her spot, I got out and locked the door. I walked a few paces and found my usual entrance in. I was the only one who used this entrance.
You see, the thing about me was that I had been planning this whole thing for years. Tyler was my puppet and I was pulling all the fucking strings. I owned this building she lived in, and I made sure she couldn’t refuse. It was the lowest rent for something so nice in this area. I knew she would want to be close to work, so I used it to my advantage. I had every key for every apartment, but I was only interested in entering one.
Once I got to the top floor, I turned right to Tyler’s door. There was only two other apartments on this floor and both of them were empty. I couldn’t risk being caught by someone. Plus, it was handy knowing I had somewhere to escape to quickly if things got a little out of hand in her flat. If she would ever chase after me, I would be able to enter the other flat as quickly as possible. Besides, she would never dream I would be right next door. The first place she would look would be the fire escape or the lift, both of which were away from the apartment doors.
With the key to her flat in my hand, I entered and held my breath. These moments always had my heart pounding, no matter how many times I did it. It wasn’t because I was frightened. I could handle Tyler if I had to. It was just such an adrenaline rush knowing I was doing something I shouldn’t be. Tyler needed to be punished after disobeying me last night. Tonight was about teaching her a lesson. Tyler was about to enter Lotus’ classroom.
Chapter 17
Tyler
Buckinghamshire, 1995
I heard tapping at my window. Lately, Dean had been climbing up to my window and sneaking into my room while my mum and dad were downstairs. He would never stay long, but I always enjoyed his company.
I had to smile to myself as I got off the bed to open my window. I was ten and Dean was twelve. He and Ian were still my best friends, but in a completely different sense. Dean and I were closer—much closer. I didn’t know what it was, but I felt things around Dean that I never felt with Ian. Things I never felt with anybody.
As I opened the window, I looked down at Dean with a smile. He looked really nice with his hair all spiky and his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight.
When he saw me, he did his usual thing of waving me back so he could climb into my window. He was becoming an expert at it.
“Where are your parents?” he asked as he pulled one leg in after the other.
“They’re downstairs watching Law and Order,” I whispered back. It was their favourite show, so I knew we would be okay for at least the next forty-five minutes.
“Good,” he smiled. “I brought some Gobstoppers with me. Let’s see who can talk first after chewing one of these bad boys.” He started laughing and my heart sped up. It was such a strange reaction, but one I was used to by now. I didn’t need a Gobstopper to stop me from talking. Just looking at Dean did it.
“Does your mum and dad know you’re here?” I asked, as Dean tried to open the packet.
“Of course they do. They think you’re my girlfriend.”
Gasping, I held my hand over my mouth. “They don’t, do they?”
Dean looked up at me, a confused look on his face. “Would it be that bad to think other people thought that?” His face looked sad and I hated that look on Dean.
“No, I don’t care what people think. It’s just, well… We’re just friends, right?” I bit my lip and Dean noticed straight away.
He smiled. “Of course we are.” I sighed in relief and Dean carried on, opening the packet, “But you’ll be my girlfriend one day.”
*****
I could feel him stroking my arm again. It was so tender and erotic, I couldn’t help but moan.
“Tyler,” he whispered into the dark. “Tyler, it’s time to wake up and receive your punishment for disobeying me last night.”
I woke with a start, panicking in the darkness. “Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered in my ear as he sat beside me. “I’m only here for pleasure, Tyler. Always pleasure.”
“It’s you? My stranger?”
He trailed a finger down my arm, making me shiver. “Yes.”
I should have been scared. I should have been screaming but, for some reason, I was rooted to the spot. In the end, I had my suspicions about what happened last night, but I put it down to me just being paranoid. It was my stranger who came to me last night. It was my stranger who fucked me, made his mark, and left without a trace.
“You marked me.”
I felt his nose trail up and down the base of my neck as he circled my breast with his finger. Within an instant, my nipples reacted to his touch, just bursting for him to feel them.
“It was necessary to let everyone know who you belong to. Who do you belong to, Tyler?”
His finger was suddenly there, brushing up against my nipple as I caved into his touch. I’m not sure what kind of power this man possessed, but all he had to do was open his mouth and the fires burned like nothing before. I couldn’t understand how he could make me feel this way. I didn’t even know what he looked like, but something was telling me he was powerful, raw, tough, and so fucking sexy. My body insisted on telling me this. It was the only thing
that gave me away to him every time he touched me.
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I managed in a shaky voice.
My stranger giggled into my neck, making me shiver again. His hands were masterful as he caressed every inch of me. He seemed to know exactly what parts made me go crazy.
It wasn’t long before his hand trailed from my breast to my pussy. He tenderly stroked my clit before pushing a finger inside me. I couldn’t help the gasp that escaped me.
“So ready for me already, aren’t you, Tyler? You may deny me, but your body doesn’t. Your body gives you away every time. It wants me to touch it. It wants me to send it to fucking heaven. Isn’t that right, Tyler? Do you want me to send you to heaven?”
I couldn’t help the moan that escaped my lips as he brushed his thumb against my clit. His arm was strong and straining against my entrance. As I caressed my hand across his arm, I felt every muscle, every tweak, and every flex as he pushed his finger deeper. “Yes,” I gasped breathlessly, unable to hide my desire.
“I can show you all there is to know about desire, about need. I can show you the world if you let me, Tyler. I can show you just how fucking good it feels. I can make your dreams come true, fulfil every fantasy. Would you like that, Tyler?”
His thumb brushed my clit again as his lips found the base of my neck. He was pushing every one of my buttons. “Yes,” I said, unable to hide how fucking turned on I was. I didn’t know this guy, but that only heightened my desire for him.
It wasn’t long before his beautiful onslaught started taking its toll on my body. I could feel the build-up, feel the climb as my orgasm was about to rip me apart at the seams. My stranger seemed to sense my impending explosion, and sped up. This was only our second encounter, but he seemed to know my body.