Seducing the Chambermaid [Notorious Nephilim 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (12 page)

He played with her nipples and stroked her pussy while she sucked, harder and harder, relaxing her throat muscles to take more of him in. By the time he came, shuddering and gasping as he did so, Blair’s mouth was sore, but she didn’t care. She swallowed every delicious drop and then curled up in his arms to fall back to sleep.

Just before she drifted off, Leo whispered something. She had to ask him to repeat it.

“I said, next time Andras and I both are going to fuck you in the ass, in that tight pussy of yours, and in that incredible mouth.”

Blair shivered. “Will you both flog me, too?”

Leo pulled her closer. “Count on it, beautiful.”

Andras knew Leo had been avoiding him for days. It was ridiculous, really. They had no reason not to speak to each other. He’d had dinner with Blair, so what? Leo shouldn’t be upset about that. Andras hadn’t gone behind his back, after all. He’d told him he was going to plan it.

On the heels of that thought came fresh guilt. He’d avoided speaking to Blair since taking her back to her room early the next morning. Wasn’t he avoiding her the same way Leo was now avoiding him?

The only reason he’d sent flowers every day to Blair instead was because he knew if he’d gone to see her in person they’d have ended up in bed together. Not that he didn’t want to make love to her again, but he’d been trying to let her rest. He didn’t want to hurt her, after all.

Early this morning he’d finally decided enough was enough and sought out Leo, only to be told by Zach that yesterday he and Blair had been out on a rowboat on Pine Lake for a couple of hours. Zach said when they returned to shore Blair’s hair was a mess and Leo was barefoot.

Zach had sneered at Andras until he finally left the office without responding. So what if Leo had taken her out on the lake? Had he also spent the night with her?

He should have gone to see Blair the morning after their dinner and explained why he’d taken her back to her own room. What if she thought ill of him?

“Fuck.” Andras was in way over his head, and he knew that. The only question was, what the hell was he supposed to do about it? He didn’t want to hear “I told you so,” but that’s exactly what Leo or Zach would say, and they were right.

He was no stranger to spending the night with beautiful, sexy women, but he’d never felt anything other than lust for them. Blair was different. It wasn’t just the sex. Her vulnerability touched a place deep inside him—a place he’d long ago forgotten existed. Had she told Leo about Lenny and her father yesterday? Was she still in bed with Leo right now?

Andras felt a need to rescue her from her father and Frankie, although he didn’t want her to believe she couldn’t take care of herself. She obviously could. The fact she’d had the presence of mind to run when Frankie’s men showed up at her house was proof enough of that. And she’d told them she tried to pawn some of the jewelry because she thought it was her ticket to freedom. She’d wanted to escape her life. Only a strong person thinks that way and formulates a plan to do so.

When he walked into Leo’s office, his eyes went immediately to the sofa where they’d first made love to Blair. The
Tribune
from this morning was on his desk. Every morning one of the staff drove to Chicago and bought several newspapers. Leo liked to keep tabs on the outside world, although most of the other owners didn’t give a shit. But some of their guests enjoyed having the newspapers available, so copies were also left at the front desk.

Andras frowned and rubbed a hand over the stubble on his face as he scanned the front page. “Shit.” He slapped the paper against the desk and headed for the elevators and Leo’s suite, no longer caring that he’d most likely find Blair there as well.

Leo answered the door wearing only his skivvies, looking like he’d been up most of the night. Andras’s stomach gave an odd lurch, and he realized he felt jealous.

“Well, look who decided to finally talk to me.”

“You’re the one who’s been avoiding me.”

Leo opened the door. “Come in, but be quiet. Blair is still asleep.”

Andras averted his gaze, instead thrusting the paper into Leo’s hand. “You need to read this.”

“Why?”

“Leo, wake up. Can I make you some coffee? This is serious.” He walked toward the kitchen, and Leo followed, the newspaper still unopened. “Did Blair tell you about Lenny Wilson?”

“Who?” Leo put the paper on the counter and rubbed his eyes then scratched his balls. Andras wanted to deck him.

“Lenny Wilson, the man Blair’s father tried to force her to marry. Did she tell you the story?”

“Huh?”

Andras started the percolator then told Leo what Blair had said about Lenny Wilson and her mother, trying to keep the smirk from his face. Blair had trusted him with her past, but she hadn’t told Leo. The smirk faded as he realized that was probably because they’d been too busy fucking each other’s brains out.

Leo sipped his coffee and stared at the wall behind Andras’s shoulder. “Fuck. I had no idea it was as bad as all that.”

“That’s why she was in the alley the night she found the jewelry. She was trying to avoid Lenny.”

Leo glanced toward the hallway and lowered his voice. “I’m ashamed to admit this, but I actually believed she knew that jewelry belonged to Frankie, and that story about the pawnshop was just an excuse.”

“Well, now you know the truth.” Andras handed him the newspaper. “She saw an article about Lenny’s death in the
Trib
the day she took Mrs. Stanton’s necklace. Front-page news. That’s what distracted her and why she forgot about dropping the necklace into her pocket.”

Leo looked at the paper in his hand. “Is this another article accusing her of stealing?”

“Read it.”

Leo read out loud. “Police believe Wilson may have been connected to a recent string of jewelry store robberies on the West side. An unconfirmed source indicated Frankie Fillipone had given Wilson’s name to the police as the mastermind behind the thefts, while another source has pegged Fillipone himself as having orchestrated them.” Leo looked up. “So what?”

“That doesn’t bother you? Frankie and this Lenny Wilson are fingering each other for the stolen jewelry Blair found, Wilson ends up dead, and then someone leaks stories to the
Trib
accusing Blair of theft.”

“If I remember correctly, they accused her of stealing more than the jewelry.”

“Leo, they never mentioned the jewelry. They only said she’d been stealing from her father and his clients.”

“But you said Blair told you Lenny offered to pay off her father’s debt to Frankie. That makes it sound like Lenny and Frankie were bosom buddies.”

“Exactly. I think they didn’t mention the jewelry because they know she still has it.”

“Of course they know. They came looking for her, remember? Couldn’t they have simply planted those stories to flush her out?”

Andras pointed to a paragraph near the bottom. “I’m sure they did, but read this.”

“It’s also believed Lenny’s ex-fiancée, Blair Lorring, may have had a hand in his death.” Leo looked up. “You said she was being forced into the marriage. Were they actually engaged?”

“No, that’s bullshit. She wasn’t his fiancée. From what she told me, he was a pig. Keep reading.”

“She is currently wanted for questioning by the police concerning several reported thefts. This reporter has recently learned she may have fled north with jewelry belonging to Frankie Fillipone.”

Leo looked into Andras’s eyes for long moments. “Holy fuck. How the fuck do they know she’s here?”

“I don’t know, but we have to tell the others.”

“I agree. And one of us has to stay with Blair at all times.”

“Leo, we have to tell her about this article.”

“Shit, Andras. She’ll be scared to death.” Leo glanced toward the hallway again.

Andras nodded. “Yes, but she has to know. And we have to tell her what we are.”

“What? Andras, how much do you want to pile on her?”

“Look, I’ll admit that before I read this, telling her about us was the furthest thing from my mind. But we won’t be able to convince her she’s safe with us unless we tell her why.”

“She might leave if we tell her what we are.”

Andras’s stomach roiled at the thought of her out there, on her own. But he knew what Leo said was true. On the other hand, if they didn’t tell her, Blair would think that by staying she was placing them in danger. He and Leo had inadvertently given her the impression she’d done exactly that by bringing the jewelry here.

“She can’t leave if we stay glued to her side. Besides, I think she already suspects something is odd about us. She asked me about condoms the night I had dinner with her. I pushed pretty hard and told her she didn’t have to worry about it, and asked her to trust me.”

“Did she let it go and trust you?”

Andras nodded. “She melted like butter. Nothing to it. But then sometime in the middle of the night she asked me another question, and I didn’t have the energy to push her. I evaded it, but I could tell it was still on her mind.”

“What did she ask you?”

Andras tried not to grin. “She wanted to know how I had so much stamina. Seems a few of her friends aren’t sweet and innocent any more and told her quite a few details, including the fact most men fall asleep after coming.”

Leo shook his head and tried to give Andras a disgusted look, but it quickly turned into a lopsided grin. “What excuse did you give?”

“I don’t even remember. I mumbled something about her being so beautiful I couldn’t help myself.”

“Right. I’m sure she bought that. But seriously, Andras, she’s too intelligent not to figure out something is off-kilter here. We may as well tell her everything and be done with it.”

“Tell me what?” Blair stood in the archway, wearing nothing but a man’s shirt. Her hair was in tangles, and she was barefoot. Andras’s cock jumped.

“Have some coffee, Blair,” he said, feeling like an idiot. He hadn’t spoken to her in days, and that was the best he could come up with?

“I don’t drink coffee.”

Leo reached for an unopened bottle of wine on the kitchen counter. “Then have some of this. You’re going to need it.”

After Blair put on her clothes and tried to comb her hair, Leo led her into the sitting room. She took a seat on the leather sofa, and Leo sat next to her. Andras pulled a chair over and sat across from them. She looked from one man to the other then tried to smooth her hair again. She hadn’t seen Andras since their night together, and she hated that she looked like this now, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Blair,” Andras cut his gaze to Leo before continuing. “I’m sorry I took you back to your room the morning after our dinner. I…I didn’t want to hurt you. Physically, I mean.” He cut his gaze to Leo again.

She shook her head. “No, it’s all right. I understand. Thank you for the flowers, by the way.” She glanced at Leo. “Both of you. Thank you.”

Andras glared at Leo. “You sent flowers, too?”

Leo’s sheepish grin would have been charming under other circumstances. “Only after I found out you had the first day.”

Blair squirmed in her seat, trying to read their expressions. Were they simply engaging in good-natured ribbing, or could it be true they were each jealous of the other? Were two gorgeous men vying for her attention? It was too much to take in this morning. Every inch of her body ached, but the memories of pleasure outshined each twinge of stinging pain.

“Blair, since this directly concerns you,” said Leo, pouring fresh coffee for himself and Andras, “Andras and I agreed we needed to tell you what was in the
Tribune
this morning. We also agreed it’s time you knew our history.”

Blair pulled her wine glass closer, wishing she drank coffee. It would be better to have a warm cup to wrap her hands around right now. Her entire body suddenly felt cold, which was unusual whenever she was near Leo or Andras. What had he meant by saying it was time she knew their history?

Leo unfolded the newspaper. “I think it’s important you know up front that Andras and I both believe you didn’t steal anything from your father or his clients.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“And we also don’t believe you’ve stolen anything from Frankie Fillipone.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “At least, not intentionally.”

“This morning the
Trib
has run an article about Lenny and Frankie putting the blame on each other for the stolen jewelry. We’re assuming it’s the same satchel you found in the alley. They also reported that you may have had a hand in Lenny’s death.”

“What?” Blair stood up so fast she bumped the table, and the contents of their coffee cups sloshed onto the polished wood surface. “I was already here when he died! I saw the headline that morning in Mrs. Stanton’s suite.”

“It’s all right, Blair.” Leo’s voice was soothing and his touch on her arm warm. “We know you didn’t have anything to do with his death. You should also know they refer to you as Lenny’s fiancée.”

Blair made a sound of disgust. She took her seat again, keeping her eyes riveted to the paper spread out in front of Leo. “Does it say anything else?”

“Yes. The article concludes by saying you’re wanted for questioning, and it’s believed you’ve fled north with the jewelry.”

Blair couldn’t stop the tears that welled up in her eyes. “No,” she whispered. “This can’t be happening. How do they know where I am?”

Leo fixed her with an intense stare. “I told you, you’re safe here.”

“How can you say that? They obviously know where I am.” She glanced at both of them, willing the answers to reveal themselves. “Who told them?”

“We don’t know that anyone told them,” said Andras. “Someone may have seen you walking, or they may simply be guessing. But you are safe here, and we’re about to tell you why.”

Leo rose and went into another room. When he returned, he placed a mug in front of Blair. “Drink it. It’ll help.”

“What is it?” The smell of cloves and licorice wafted from the cup.