Sapphire (Steele Investigations) (21 page)

Breaking away, I whimper at the loss of him when he pulls
out.  He smirks at me and positions himself behind me so we are laying my back
to his front.  I wiggle backwards to snuggle in and a contented sigh escapes my
lips.  He inhales deeply in my hair and then rumbles, “Got great fuckin’ hair,
babe.”

“Mmm-hmm,” is my sleepy reply.  After all the orgasms I’ve
had today, I suddenly feel very sated and very sleepy.

“Tired, baby?” he asks through a chuckle

“Mmm-hmm,” I repeat

He kisses my hair and whispers right in my ear, “I love you,
beautiful.”

“Lub you too, Handsome,” I mumble.

I think I hear him chuckle again but I can’t be sure because
I fall into a deep sleep.

******

The next morning I kiss Elliott goodbye as I leave to meet
Kami so we can get prepared for the interviewees.  We have five girls and one
guy who we have chosen to interview, and hopefully today we’ll pick two them. 
Kami and I decided early on that we would employ staff, starting with two and
hopefully as our business increases in success, we’ll employ more.  Kami is
waiting for me when I arrive and she hands a coffee to me as I rush up to her
and plonk down opposite her. 

“Sorry I’m running late, Kam.  Traffic was a bitch,” I tell
her as I take sip of the delicious brew.

“No worries Sweets,” she replies as she begins organizing
papers on the table in front of her.  One is a questionnaire for the applicant
and the other is a checklist of questions for us to ask and it also doubles as
a place where we can take notes on the specific applicant.

******

“That was fun but intense,” I tell Kami when the last
applicant leaves.

“Uh-huh,” she agrees, chewing the end of her pen.

“It’s a shame we can’t afford to employ all of them.  They
were all fantastic.  Who are you leaning towards?  Who’s your two?

“Hmm well…I kinda liked Tom..like..a lot.  I thought he was
professional-looking, nice, knowledgeable, funny as all get out not to mention
that he dresses impeccably and he’s H.O.T,” she dramatically spells out the
letters and fans herself.

“Yeah, I liked Tom immediately.  I think we’ll all get
along, we have the same sense of humor and like you said, he knows his shit
when it comes to the “top four” - clothes, shoes, sales and service.”

“Okay.  So Tom is it?” She asks nodding her head and jotting
something down on Tom’s information sheet.

“Yeah, I’m happy with that,” I agree

“Hmm, what did you think of Jemma?”

I search through my notes and pull out the piece of paper I
had scribbled on during the interview.  I find just one word written on the
page.  In big black, chunky letters I have written
“YES”

“Loved Jemma.  I think Tom and her will work well together,
because I saw them chatting in the hallway each time I went out to call the
next applicant.  They were laughing and joking around so I think the dynamic
will work well.” I say enthusiastically.

“What did you think Kam?” 

She holds up her notes on Jemma. 
“YES”
is written on
the paper.  I hold my own piece of paper up in front of my face and we both
burst into laughter.

“Guess that settles it then.  Tom and Jemma are our new
employees….that is if they still want to be employed by us after those
interviews.”  I giggle at Kami as she turns serious, as if the notion suddenly
hits her that they might not
want
to work for us now they’ve met us.

“Nah,” she says, “they’ll love us…
everybody
loves us,”
she smiles sweetly and bats her eyelashes at me.

I give her a look with my best bedroom eyes and I slowly run
my tongue over my lips.  Kami stares, transfixed, gaping at me as I hood my
eyes and bring my finger up to slowly insert it into my mouth and suck on it. 
Unable to keep the game up any longer, a giggle erupts and I burst out
laughing.  I look over at Kami and she looks slightly flushed and
uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong Kam, did that gross you out?  I’m sorry.  I
was trying to be sexy ‘cause you were batting your eyelashes at me…I was just
being silly,” I say as I try to ease her tension.

“No, Rae, that was…God…So fucking sexy.  Holy shit. I was
about to turn lesbian, kidnap you and lock you in the basement so I could play
with you whenever I wanted.”

It’s my turn to gape.  My mouth falls open at her
admission.  “Really?  Was that really sexy?” I asked, shocked.

“Uh, yeah, Rae-Rae,” she says, in a tone similar to the one
she uses when she says ‘Duh’.

“C’mon, we’ve got swim-suits to buy,” she says as she hooks
her arm in mine and we make our way to La Dolce to spend Harley’s gift voucher.

“Now you just want to perve on my body, don’t you Kami,” I
say through my laughter.

She slaps me playfully on the shoulder and winks, “You know
it.”

The next two days fly by and before I know it, I’m sitting
on a very plush seat in a private jet, owned by Hamilton Hotels of course. 
Elliott is beside me, looking as hot as ever in a khaki colored shorts and a
short sleeve button down shirt that fits him perfectly – stretching tight
across his shoulders and skimming his hard body down his stomach.  Kami bought
Will along for the trip, as it turns out Elliott knows him from a few years ago
so they spent some time catching up before we boarded, Carter is here with
Harley but the tension radiating from the two of them has me constantly
averting my eyes. 
I hope Harley’s okay.
 I let a deep breath go in a
whoosh
and give Elliott’s hand a squeeze.  He shifts his gaze to me and I whisper, “Do
you think Harley’s okay.”

He releases my hand and uses it to smooth away the worried
crease on my forehead, before he answers, “He’ll be fine, baby.  Enjoy the trip
and talk to him when we get to Hawaii, okay.”

“Okay,” I acquiesce.

Before I know it, we’re settled into our rooms at the brand
new Hamilton Hotel in Hawaii.  Each couple has their own room, although ‘room’
is not a word to do the space justice.  It’s plush, elegant and enormous.  The
King size bed is so soft I contemplate spending my entire stay in it.  Then I
remember the bathroom, and I change my mind, deciding to spend my stay in the
giant spa.  Then I look out the wall to wall windows and wonder if I could just
split my time between the bed, the spa and the balcony…That seems to be the
perfect solution.  I laugh to myself and shake my head at the idiocy of
ditching everyone I came here with, just to spend time with a bed, a bath and a
view!

******

Kami and Will, Harley and Carter and Elliott and myself
spend the next two days sightseeing, shopping, swimming in the beach and the
hotel’s pool and of course relaxing and gossiping.  I finally fill Harley in on
my inheritance/Grandmother’s letter plus all things Elliott and everything else
I’ve been holding off on telling him, “when the time’s right”.  Kami also
catches him up with all things in Will and Kami world.  In return, Will spills
the beans on him and Carter.  Things are not going well at all.  So not well in
fact that Harley thinks he’s going to pull the plug on the relationship when we
get home.   I feel bad for my Spunk, but he seems a little lighter now he’s
made the decision.  Perhaps it’s for the best. 

I close my eyes and listen to the waves crashing into the
shore.  I’ve bought a towel down to the sand by the water, and I’m lying on my
back in my bikini, attempting to tan.  Tonight is out last night in Hawaii,
we’re leaving tomorrow lunch time, so I wanted to make the most of it while I
could.  Kami and Will have gone snorkeling or on a Dolphin Sighting tour (they
weren’t sure which one they wanted to do, but if I know Kami, they’ll be doing
both), Harley is having a brief meeting with the manager of his hotel, just to
check the progress and basically ‘check in’ with him, I have no idea where
Carter is and Elliott has gone ‘somewhere’ to do ‘business’.  He was very vague
about what his plans for today were, and while it worried me that he wasn’t
being forthcoming, I decided to trust him and not stress about it.  If he
wanted to tell me what he was doing, he would.  Until then, I wouldn’t pry. 
Instead I was going to enjoy the sunshine.  

** Meet me at the hotel restaurant at 6. Don’t be late. x
E**

**Okay x R**

“You’ll get burnt you don’t be careful, Baby Girl,” the
sound of Harley’s voice startles me as I’m starting at my phone after replying
to Elliott’s cryptic text. 

“Hey, how was your day?” I ask as he flops down next to me.

“Good.  I’m happy with the way things are running here.  I
even had the chance to speak with a few random guests and I also took some employees
by surprise to ask them a few questions; the guests all seemed very happy with
the service and the employees loved their jobs, so all in all, I’d say it was a
success.

“That’s great,” I smile.

“So, you going to share what’s got that confused look on
your pretty little face?”. 

‘Oh, Elliott just sent me a text, is all.  And I don’t
really know how to take it.”

“What’s it say?”

I show him the text and he shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly
and guesses that Elliott must want to take me to dinner at the hotel’s
restaurant tonight, most likely because it’s our last night here. 

“Okay, so what should I wear than?  Kami’s out with Will for
the day so she can’t give me clothing advice, you’ll have to do it,” I inform
him.

“Better get started then,” he says as he springs to his feet
and tugs my hand to help me up.

******

“Oh my
Gawd!”
I hear Harley’s excited screech come
from inside Kami’s closet.  We texted her on the way back to the hotel and she
gave Harley permission to raid her closet to find me something to wear
tonight.  “You have to wear this, Baby Girl.  This is smokin’
hot,
” he
says as he comes out of the closet.  I chuckle at my pun, causing him to ask
with a scowl, “What’s funny, miss?” 

“You’re coming out of the closet,” I say as I erupt in fits
of giggles.

“Hardy-har. Now, this..is..
the
..dress!”

I look at the gorgeous sapphire blue mini dress he’s
holding, like it’s the Pulitzer prize for sex-on-a-stick. 

“Uh..okay,” I reply simply.  If he thinks it will look good,
who am I to argue? Shoes are my thing, not clothes so I will trust his
judgment.

He grabs my hand and tugs me out of Kami’s room and into my
own before shoving me in the bathroom and closing the door.  I take that as a
sign to shower, so I do, making sure to shave my legs and my under arms
carefully.  The last thing I want is a shaving cut on my legs or my armpits. 

“Get a move on, Baby Girl.  You’ve got hair and makeup still
to come. Chop, chop,” Harley yells from the other side of the door, clapping
his hands loudly.

“Yeah, yeah,” I mumble under my breath.

“Don’t give me cheek,” he chastises.  I spin around in shock,
wondering how he could hear me from the other room.  Then I hear him laughing
as he walks away from the door and I have no doubt he had an upturned glass
pressed against the wooden structure with his ear pressed hard up against the
base of the cup.  “Bastard,” I whisper, this time, in case he’s listening
again.

“How do I look,” I twirl around, asking Harley as he gasps
and fans himself dramatically.  “Are you sure you’re not related to Kami,” I
frown, thinking how alike their mannerisms are.

“I think I’ve got half ‘a chubby.  You might have turned me
straight, Baby Girl.”

My face heats and I’m sure it’s bright red as I think of
Harley and a ‘chubby’.  I quickly redirect my thoughts, I’m mortified I’ve
thought of Harley that way.  I have never thought of him in a sexual way
before, maybe because I’ve always known his gay, or maybe because he’s always
been ‘family’ to me.  Either way, I do not want to be consumed by thoughts of
anything south of Harley’s waistband.  He laughs at my reaction and I blush harder. 
“Harley, please tell me you did
not
just say ‘chubby’?” 

“What’s wrong with chubby? Would you prefer me to say ‘Rae,
you just gave me half ‘a boner? Or you just caused all my blood to rush to
penis and I now have a semi-erection? Or -,”

“STOP!!! Lah-lah-lah-lah,” I cover my ears and yell as loud
as I have to, to block out his penis talk.

I open my squeezed tightly shut eyes cautiously, half afraid
that I might find him with his pants down or something equally as
embarrassing.  I don’t.  Instead I find him bent over double, clutching his
stomach and laughing so hard I think he really might bust a gut. 
Did I just
see drool fall from his mouth. Gross!

I leave him as he is and make my way out the door to meet
Elliott.  I grab my clutch on the way past and shut the door behind me.  Harley
is still in the same position when I chance a glance over my shoulder before
the door closes.  I shake my head and chuckle a little before composing myself.

Butterflies swarm in my stomach as I make my way toward the
elevator.  I haven’t seen Elliott since this morning when he was vague about
going ‘somewhere’ to ‘do business’, so I’m not sure what I’m going to find. 
I’m equal parts nervous and excited.  The elevator doors ‘
pings
’ and
opens into a hallway.  I walk out and turn left heading towards the
restaurant.  It doesn’t take long and I approach the well-presented woman at
the entrance nervously.  “Hi,” she smiles brightly, “Can I help you? Table for
one?” she asks

“Uhh..”  My voice comes out broken so I clear my throat and
start again “I’m meeting someone.  Elliott Steele,” I explain, suddenly even
more nervous that for some reason she’s going to escort me from the premise.  I
have no idea why until I catch her eye.  The vibe coming from her is no longer
bright, cheery and helpful.  It’s bitchy, venomous and hostile.  She gives me a
once over with a sneer and turns, strutting, toward the glass doors to my
right.  I am hoping that the restaurant dining room is behind those doors. 
Assuming she wants me to follow her, I do.  She opens the doors and sure
enough, it’s the dining room.  I follow her to a secluded table at the back and
my heart thumps loudly when I spot a very handsome looking Elliott sitting at
the table.  He stands when he sees me approaching and I let my eyes travel his
body.  I can see his suit jacket hanging over the chair so he must have gotten
a bit hot in it.  He has on a crisp white shirt, no tie and the top few buttons
are undone.  My mouth waters as my eyes travel south.  His black dress pants
fit him snug in all the right places and I resist the urge to clench my thighs
together at the thought I know
exactly
what he can do with that taut
body and its appendages.  He gives me ‘my smile’ when my eyes find his.  I
smile back and notice Miss Hostile has become Miss Happy…
Hmm maybe it’s The
Elliott Effect…