Temptation: A Reverse Harem Romance Page 17

  “I think Karlie shouldn’t have talked you out of leaving,” Emily says, speaking her mind, a touch of sadness in her tone. “I mean, it’s obvious that staying here doesn’t do you any good.”

  “Em…” I say on an exhale. “It wouldn’t have made any difference. I just can’t get them out of my mind.”

  At that very moment, the sound of a powerful, roaring engine makes me whirl my head to the right. A large, black van is speeding down the road, its tinted windscreen, and windows triggering my curiosity. I’ve only seen such tint on limousines and other, high-end cars. Smoke rises from all four tires as the driver steps hard on the brakes, just a few feet away from our spot. The side door slides open, just before three men dressed in black and in ski masks jump out of the vehicle. Their hurried footsteps lead them to us in almost no time at all. My skin quivers with tension as the stranger in front of me thrusts his hand up to my mouth. Throwing his free arm around my waist, he starts to drag me towards the van. I try to scream at the top of my lungs, and my eyes are wide open with shock and fear. However, he’s able to stifle out any noises I make. I feel a tremendous amount of force in my midsection. In a moment, I am flying into the back of the van. My forehead slams into the aluminum, the sheer pain forcing a scream of agony from me. The whole vehicle bounces up and down, once those thugs toss Karlie and Emily’s bodies in. I turn over on my back, catching the sound of the door being slid shut.

  “Go!” One of them shouts, tapping his hand on the metal shield between the driver and us.

  “What the fuck is this? Who the fuck are you?” growls Emily, leaning forward. One of them turns on a flashlight, and points it directly on her face. My friend squeezes her eyes shut first and then lifts her hand up to shield herself from the light.

  “You’ll find out soon, bitch,” He groans, shoving her head back against the aluminum.

  “Please, don’t hurt us!” I beg, scooting closer to Emily.

  “Shut the fuck up! All of you!” The same man cries out, reaching for a gun in his waist. My fear turns into a tidal wave of agony as I feel the cold barrel of the weapon on my forehead.

  “Put that thing away, man,” The guy next to him urges, giving him an elbow jab. “The boss wants them alive.”

  “Who’s…?”

  “Say one more word. I dare you,” He interrupts, pressing the gun into my skin.

  “Keep quiet,” His partner commands. “It’s all going to be over soon. Tie them up, boys.”

  Whatever relief I felt when the thug pulled his guy from me doesn’t last long. One by one, they flip us over and put our hands and ankles together. I feel duct tape being wrapped around my wrists first and then my calves. Every dreadful feeling stays within me, poisoning my heart and soul: fear; anger; frustration; and hopelessness twist my insides into knots while I wrack my brain as to what my friends and I did wrong. As much as I think about it though, I can’t find an answer. I’ve been splitting my time between three men and them, not caring much about anything else that’s going on around here. I know them both like the back of my hand. They may be entirely different, but they wouldn’t hurt a fly.

  More than an hour later, the van comes to an abrupt halt. Dim light is coming through the narrow gap between the door and the body. And, once it’s slid open yet again, I discover its source. It is a single light bulb, hanging on the ceiling of a massive warehouse. A young man is sitting at a table on the far wall, with three, empty chairs facing him. The three men put their hands under our armpits and yank us out of the vehicle. Leading us into the building, they shove us down into the chairs, obviously amusing their boss.

  “Well, well, well…” he says, his toothy grin fueling my anger. “Emily and Karlie; the blonde chick must be Stacy; I’ve heard a lot about you, darling.”

  “You know this guy?” I ask, turning my head right to face Karlie, surprise written all over my face.

  “Yeah,” she sighs. “He’s Darren Rayburn, the guy I went out with the other day.”

  “Yeah, that didn’t go well,” he cringes, putting his feet up on the table. “It’s funny. Your gal here called me ‘rude,’ but I wasn’t the one who got violent that night.”

  “You kidnapped us because she slapped you?” I shout, leaning forward. “Are you crazy?”

  “Of course not, sugar,” Darren claims, pulling a large cigar out of the pocket of his jacket. “You’re here because your girl likes snooping around in my business. Red, go ahead and tell them,” he encourages, lighting up his cigar.

  “Oh, God…” Karlie exhales, shaking her head in regret. “I googled him after our date. Officially, he’s a real estate developer, but I found reports on several blogs about his involvement in arms dealing. I called Hope Randall, a friend of mine in the ‘Miami Gazette’ and asked her to look into it.”

  “My people caught wind of that,” he winks at me, puffing smoke out of his mouth. “I tried to warn her by running you and your guy off the road, but she didn’t take the hint. Karlie never told Ms. Randall to stop trying to dig up dirt on me. According to my sources, she’ll be publishing her story pretty soon. Maybe sending her photos of your dead bodies might change her mind.”

  “You son of a bitch!” I growl, jumping from my seat. Before I can make a move on him however, I feel a pair of hands on either shoulder, pushing me back down into the chair.

  “Damn it, Karlie…” Emily bangs her head in a spasm of frustration. “Did you have to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong?”

  “I think I’m going to let the brunette live,” Darren smirks, throwing a quick glance down at Emily. I hang my head in sorrow, understanding that this might be the last day of my life. Part of me is desperate to get up and make a run for it, but I’m well-aware how this is going to play out. Three, armed men are standing right behind me. I’ll be dead before I even reach the main road. The stench of smoke is already filling the atmosphere when Darren rests his cigar on his bottom lip. At that point, a bullet smashes the glass in the window, littering the floor with hundreds of shards of glass. In a split second, it strikes the light bulb on the ceiling. I can feel the floor vibrating beneath my feet. Almost immediately, two police vans crash into the warehouse, sending chunks of aluminum, splinters of wood, and more shards of glass flying across the warehouse. Their high beams are turned on at the same time. The thugs reach for their weapons; yet, they’re not given the chance to fire. Four guns emerge from the windows of the vans, aiming at them. With the crackling sounds of bullets torturing my ears, I lean forward once more. Closing my eyes, I drop down and crawl under the desk, my heart thumping against my chest. A command in Greek signals the end of the shooting. The smell of diesel fumes overshadows every scent in the building. My eyes snap open as heavy, hurried footsteps echo back at the walls of the warehouse. Two, strong hands pull me out from under the desk. I turn over on my back, wondering about the identity of that man. He is no stranger to me. It’s Michael, with a blissful smile painted on his face. Bending down, he places his hands on my hips and pulls me back up.

  “Michael?” I ask, my voice breaking as he curls his arms around me.

  “Shhhhhh…,” He hisses, burying his face in my hair. “It’s over. It’s all over.”

  “I don’t understand,” I confess, struggling to control my breathing. “How did you get here?”

  “Good question,” He comments, leaning back. “Nothing would have been possible without Karlie’s help. You see, when I visited you back in the hospital, she asked me the weirdest thing. I didn’t understand back then, but I did when she called me. We had a video call,” Michael goes on, speaking much faster than usual. “She told me about that phone call she’d made to that reporter. She suspected who was behind that incident on the freeway, but she couldn’t prove it. The location indicated that he was based somewhere in Heraklion Karlie even went to the police, but they couldn’t help her, because they don’t have the proper software to track down cell phones. I recorded the call and took it to the police. When they repeated wh
at they’d told her, I stepped in. Hell, I can track down devices with my eyes closed. We knew where you guys were the whole time.”

  “Actually, Michael should get all the credit,” Karlie interjects, striding towards us. “He did all the work. I just left the GPS on my phone on, that’s all.”

  “Ladies, I’m Captain George Roussos,” A police officer introduces himself, flashing his badge. “I’m sorry, I know this has been a long day for all of you, but I need you to provide us a statement. Please, follow us downtown.”

  “We’ll be right with you,” Michael dismisses him with a nod. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

  30

  Stacy

  Luckily for my friends and me, the police officers are very understanding. They don’t have many questions and are very polite to me. For a little over thirty minutes, I’m in a well-lit office, trying to recall everything that transpired. In spite of my experience, I manage to block out every nasty thought. Just one image dwells on my mind: Michael’s smiling face. I still can’t believe what he did. He had every reason to abandon me to my fate; after all, I was the one who ended it between us. Nevertheless, he didn’t. He assisted the police in finding us, although he knew there was no future for us. Unbeknownst to him, he answered Karlie’s question outside my hospital room. “Yes” or “no” are nothing compared to such an act of selflessness. Because that’s what it was: selfless. He had absolutely nothing to gain, other than a pat on the back.

  After providing my statement, I head for the exit of the police station, with a spinning head and a heart in a dilemma. On one hand, I’d love to spend one more night with him. On the other, I’m certain that it will make things even harder. And finding him under the doorframe, chatting with two police officers makes my decision all the more difficult. I pass them by, in the hope that he won’t notice me. All the same, the sound of his deep voice tears that hope to pieces.

  “Hey, girl,” he says to me in a relaxed tone, trotting off behind me. “You’re done already?”

  “Yeah,” I nod, keeping my gaze down on the staircase in front of me. “They had mercy on me, I guess.”

  “Where are you going?” Michael asks, catching up with me.

  “Nowhere,” I retort. “I’ll stay here and wait for Karlie and Emily, so we can all return to Falasarna together.”

  “At 1:30am?” He cocks an eyebrow. “Are you serious?”

  “Well, what choice do I have?” I wonder, pretending not to know where he’s going with this.

  “You still owe me an explanation, Stacy. We had a deal, and you never said why you wanted out,” Michael begins using a commanding tone, moving around me. “I’ll tell you what. Text your friends, tell them that you’re going back there tomorrow. We’ll go to my hotel, I’ll pour you a drink, you’ll talk to me about what I want to know and you’ll spend the night there. How does that sound?”

  What are you doing to me?

  Yes, that’s what I mean to say to him, but I can’t. Doing so will bring that conversation much closer, and I’m not ready or willing to have it.

  “Okay,” I accept with a nod. “By the way, how’s Dean?”

  “He’s fine,” he announces, a smile of joy spreading across his face. “Ray picked him up from the hospital this afternoon. They’re out for drinks, so, I’m guessing they won’t be bothering us.”

  “That’s good to know,” I return his smile. “Look, can we talk about it in the car? I’m pretty beat.”

  “Sorry, I can’t do that,” Michael rejects that notion. “I have a few things I want to say to you, and I can’t discuss them in a car. Besides, a drink will help you relax. You’ve been through hell. Come on, let’s go.”

  Without uttering another word, I follow him to his car. His request has put me in an awkward position. Explaining to him why I decided to end our crazy arrangement will be complicated and embarrassing for me. How will he react upon learning that I have feelings for him and his friends? One thing’s for certain: he’s not going to like it. This will probably be the last time we see each other. I don’t want this night to end with a huge fight. There’s only one way for me to avoid this conversation, a way to shut him up and take his mind off it. It’s also been swirling in my mind since he saved my friends and me tonight.

  The living room of his suite awakens senses, emotions, and memories alike. My three men and I have gone wild in almost every corner of the room. Now, I need to focus on the one who brought me here first, the romantic soul who goes by the name “Michael Donovan.”

  “Man, I’m dying for a shower,” he confesses, making his way across the hall. “I’m sorry. I should have asked if you wanted to go first.”

  “Thanks, I’m good,” I reply, glancing up at him over my shoulder.

  “I’ll be back in ten,” Michael states, turning away from me. Once he clears the room, I put my plan into action. Jeans, t-shirt, shoes, and underwear come off in minutes. I seat myself in the middle of the couch and spread my legs, imagining water flowing over the defined ridges of his abs. Six feet and three inches of pure sexuality are getting soaked, less than thirty feet away from me. Before long, my fingers circle my breast. I reach my free hand down between my legs. I feel moist warmth on the tip of my middle finger, my thigh muscles flex as a low whimper flees my lips. Just when I’m about to close my eyes though, I spot Michael standing beside the counter to the left, with a white towel wrapped around his waist.

  “Stacy, what the hell…?” he says, his voice high-pitched. “I thought you’d decided to…”

  “I changed my mind. Get over here,” I command, lust darkening my gaze. Locking his eyes with mine, Michael obeys. When he’s close enough, I reach forward and yank the towel off his body, a mixed scent of lavender and almond storming into my nostrils. “You’re all about making memories, aren’t you?” I whisper, the moment he sits down next to me. “Now’s your chance,” I add, leaning over towards him.

  “I’ve missed you,” He breathes, tilting his head up to bring our faces nearer to each other. Curving his right arm around my upper back, he eases me closer. His tender kiss sears my lips as I press my hand against his chest. My flingers slide down his pecks, collecting tiny drops of water. There’s no urgency in his moves, but a will to take his time with me and make me feel special, like he’s always done.

  “I’ve missed you, too,” I whisper in his mouth, his rock-hard abs filling my hand. I squeeze hard and make my way down as he caresses my shoulder blade. Within moments, I feel his long fingers traveling down my spine. He smooths his hand over my ass, the tip of his tongue brushing my upper lip. I feel the hardness of his shaft on my fingertips. I wrap my hand around the base in my eagerness while he grabs and holds onto my ass cheek. I breathe harder, putting my legs together. What happens next sends a wave of tension coursing down my spine. I hear the door clicking open, and right after that, a key falling on the floor. Opening my eyes, I notice Ray and Dean, staring down at us, mouths agape. My mind is screaming at me to get up and run out of their suite. Yet, my body craves their touch, one last time. I let go of Michael’s cock and curl my index finger, hoping they won’t yell at me. And, much to my satisfaction, they accept my invitation. Ray walks off towards me, whereas Dean rushes past him. He climbs onto the couch behind me, his friend’s eyes settle on my face.

  “I want you all so bad,” I whimper, kissing my way down Michael’s neck.

  “Here we are, you sexy little thing,” Ray grunts, halting beside me as he undoes the button in his pants.

  “Oh, God, yeah!” I moan, biting my lower lip as I feel Dean’s mouth on my ass. I bend toward Michael’s tool, reaching up. In a quick move, I swallow the head, his deep groan reverberating through my skull. Ray’s cock nudges my cheek, begging for my attention. Meanwhile, Dean is planting hungry kisses all over my mounds, making my pussy throb with desire. Michael runs his hand up my back, his inches silencing my groans. His left one cups my breast and squeezes with vigor. Gripping Ray’s length, I release his friend. I
guide him into my mouth, twisting the base of Michael’s shaft.

  “Fuck!” Ray hisses, squeezing his eyes shut as I take more than half of his inches down my throat. I hum around him, loving the sensation of Michael’s stiffness in my hand. Dean’s lips trail across my ass, sending my senses into overdrive. My whole body tightens as he slaps my cheeks at the same time. He cups my flesh, snaking his tongue out. The wet tip teases my clit, but doesn’t stay there. Instead, he slides it up my slit while I bob my head up and down on Ray’s cock.

  “Awww, baby!” I moan, tossing my head back at the sensation of his full lips on my entrance. A passionate kiss shortens my breaths and sends me reeling. Michael rubs my nipples, leaning in towards me while I jerk him and Ray with long, hard strokes. Thick drops of pre-cum drench my fingers, their grunts audible over the sound of Dean’s kisses. Once again, my studs are spoiling me, pampering me as they’ve done so far. Their dicks are hard like steel for me, seeking the delicious friction that will leave them aching for more. I flick my tongue across the hole on the head of Michael’s cock, feeling Dean’s mouth going further up. He pushes his middle finger deep into my pussy, while Michael shoves himself between my hungry lips, stifling my cry of pleasure. Ray’s hand dives into my hair, massaging my scalp as the taste of pre-cum fills my mouth. Dean digs his fingers into my flesh, his tongue wriggling against my asshole. The mere thought of having them all filling me up at the same time makes my body tingle with anticipation. More than twenty-five, juicy inches of cock are at my mercy, desperately needing release. Hollowing my cheeks, I suck, coaxing more of Michael’s cock onto my tongue. Dean’s index finger is teasing my forbidden canal, my hand smearing more pre-cum all over Ray’s shaft. I hear another zipper being pulled down. I cup Michael’s balls as Dean rolls his pants down his thighs. Grabbing me by the hip, he sits up. I growl, feeling the head of his cock against my entrance.