Authors: Cleary James
‘What were you studying?’ Grayson asked.
‘Art.’ She glanced at Mark and she could see he was mad that this had come up. It was subtle and she knew she was the only one who would notice the flintiness in his eyes, the slight tightening of his jaw.
‘Oh?’
Isabel and Grayson both perked up at this, looking at her expectantly.
‘I was in my second year, but I – I dropped out shortly after meeting Mark.’ She realised how pathetic that sounded. ‘I didn’t finish my degree.’
‘That’s a shame,’ Isabel said.
‘She didn’t have the talent,’ Mark said bluntly. ‘It would have been pointless to continue.’
Something like annoyance flickered in Isabel’s face.
‘It’s true,’ Lisa said. She got the feeling Isabel was about to challenge Mark and she wanted to avoid any confrontation. She would only pay for it later. ‘I realised I’d never make it as an artist. I was wasting my time.’
‘There’s merit in knowing your limitations,’ Mark said, smiling at her.
Keen to change the subject, Lisa turned to Grayson. ‘This is a beautiful house,’ she said. ‘Did you design it yourself?’
‘Thank you. Yes, I did.’
‘You have some interesting art,’ Mark said, glancing around at the walls.
Grayson nodded. ‘It’s my biggest indulgence.’
Lisa was relieved as the conversation moved away from her to a more general discussion about art, a subject which they all had in common to some degree. Grayson was very knowledgeable about the contemporary London art scene. He was an enthusiastic collector and admired many of the same artists she did. She longed to join in more with the conversation, but she knew it would anger Mark if she drew too much attention to herself and risked exposing her ignorance or inexperience. So she said as little as possible.
Grayson, however, seemed intent on drawing her out. He made a point of asking her opinion about whatever was being discussed, and listened attentively to her answers. She felt his eyes on her constantly, and the intensity of his gaze made her a little uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to having a man other than Mark so completely focussed on her.
His whole attitude to her felt odd and inappropriate. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was flirting with her. But that was silly. He was clearly a courteous, considerate person, and she didn’t think he would do something as offensive as flirting with her right in front of their respective partners. She didn’t really know him, of course, but she couldn’t imagine him behaving so crassly. Probably he had simply sensed that she was shy and nervous, and was being a kind and attentive host, trying to put her at her ease. Besides, Isabel and Mark obviously didn’t feel there was anything amiss. They were perfectly relaxed and didn’t seem at all put out by Grayson’s behaviour towards her. She told herself she was imagining it and tried to relax. She just wasn’t used to mixing with such sophisticated people. That was all. She didn’t know the etiquette. Maybe that was what Mark had been trying to warn her about.
A different wine was served with the main course of beef fillet, the pale, crisp white replaced by a rich, earthy red. Lisa felt Grayson’s eyes on her as she tasted it.
‘What do you think?’ he asked.
She cast around for something clever to say, but could think of nothing. ‘It’s very nice,’ she said simply, smiling to show her appreciation in an attempt to make up for her lack of knowledge.
‘
Nice
!’ Mark scoffed. ‘It’s a
Château Margaux
, Lisa.’ He turned to Grayson. ‘You’ll have to forgive Lisa. She’s a bit provincial.’
She felt her face flame, mortified that Mark was apologising for her. How could he humiliate her like that? If he didn’t want her to show him up, why was he pointing out her inadequacies?
‘Sorry,’ she said to Grayson, her voice barely above a whisper. ‘It really is lovely, but I’m afraid I don’t know much about wine.’
Grayson glanced at Mark with a frown before turning to her. ‘It’s very kind of you to say so, Lisa,’ he said, smiling at her. ‘I’m glad you’re enjoying it.’
The warmth of his gaze immediately put her at ease, and she started to relax as they ate, and the conversation flowed easily around her. She liked Grayson and Isabel. They were knowledgeable and interesting, and she enjoyed listening to them. She didn’t say much, feeling a little like a child at the grown-ups’ table as the conversation turned to travel, and Isabel, Mark and Grayson chatted animatedly about cities she had never been to, restaurants she had never eaten in and experiences she had only dreamed of. She was happy enough not to take part, but more acutely aware than ever of the gulf between her and these people. They belonged to the world, while she had only skirted around its edges.
Isabel and Mark were discussing places they had both visited in Tuscany, when Grayson turned to her.
‘Have you been to Tuscany, Lisa?’ he asked.
‘No,’ she smiled sadly. ‘I’ve never been to Italy.’
‘That’s a shame,’ Grayson said. ‘I think you’d love it. There’s so much to see – particularly if you’re interested in art.’
‘I’d love to go there,’ she said wistfully. ‘I haven’t travelled much.’
‘That’s an understatement,’ Mark said. ‘Lisa didn’t even own a passport when I met her. Like I said – provincial.’
‘My grandparents weren’t well off, so we never had holidays abroad when I was growing up,’ she said.
‘Your grandparents?’ Isabel queried.
‘They raised me after my parents died,’ she explained.
‘Oh, I’m sorry.’
‘Poor Lisa had never been further than Scotland when we met,’ Mark said.
‘It was fine,’ Lisa said, feeling defensive. Her grandparents had always made such an effort to take her on holiday and to make it special for her, and she had nothing but happy memories of their summer trips. ‘We went all around Britain, visiting different places, and we had some really lovely times.’
‘You didn’t travel when you were a student?’ Grayson asked.
‘I never had the money,’ Lisa shrugged. ‘And besides, my grandparents were elderly and incapacitated, so they needed me at home–‘ She stopped abruptly, realising Mark was scowling at her. Her sorry tale obviously wasn’t in keeping with the glamorous, successful image he wanted to present. ‘Sorry,’ she said, biting her lip. ‘Boring story.’
‘Not at all,’ Grayson said, frowning. ‘But it’s a pity you didn’t get the opportunity to travel.’
‘I’ve been to Paris,’ she said.
‘Paris is my absolute favourite city in the world,’ Isabel said. ‘Did you like it?’
‘Yes, I loved it.’
Mark had taken her to Paris the year they met, just after she’d dropped out of college – a reward, she now realised, and an inducement to bend to his will in the future. It had been first class all the way, and Lisa couldn’t deny she had been seduced by the luxury – the five-star hotels, the chauffeurs, the expensive restaurants and ritzy shops. Mark had swept her off her feet. She had been so excited to be in love and abroad for the first time. Everything was new and wonderful, and she could hardly believe her luck that such a wealthy, charming and urbane man had chosen someone as ordinary as her. Mark’s luxurious lifestyle was just the icing on the cake. It was bliss not worrying about money for a change, and she had enjoyed letting him spoil her. The contrast with her old life was so dramatic, she had felt like she was in a fairytale.
Maybe she had been, she thought now bitterly – except her fairytale had worked the opposite way to most. Her handsome prince had turned out to be a monster in disguise.
‘Anyway, that’s the only time I’ve been abroad so far.’
‘But we’re going to make up for that now, aren’t we?’ Mark said, smiling across at her. ‘I’m going to show her the world – starting with Mauritius next month.’
‘Yes,’ she said animatedly, trying to sound excited about the trip. The truth was, the thought of two weeks alone with Mark, without even a few hours’ respite while he was at work, filled her with dread. She would be at his mercy twenty-four hours a day for two whole weeks. She took a sip of wine, trying to dispel her gloomy thoughts.
‘Where are you from, Isabel?’ she asked, anxious to divert attention away from herself again. They had all finished eating, and without the food to focus on, she started to feel self-conscious. She was aware of Grayson’s eyes on her and fought the urge to fidget, wishing she had something to do with her hands.
‘I’m from Costa Rica,’ Isabel answered.
‘That sounds so exotic. I’ve seen pictures – it looks really beautiful,’ Lisa said wistfully.
‘It is, incredibly beautiful,’ Isabel said.
‘Like the women who come from there,’ Mark said, turning to Isabel, his eyes glowing with admiration.
Lisa’s stomach lurched as he lightly brushed a finger down Isabel’s bare arm. The gesture was unmistakeably intimate and sexual, and Lisa didn’t know where to look, shocked that Mark would be so inappropriate. It wasn’t like him. However brutish he could be towards her, he never behaved boorishly in company. Had he had too much wine? She didn’t think so. He didn’t like to lose control, and she had never seen him drunk.
‘Don’t you think Isabel is beautiful, Lisa?’ he asked.
‘Y–yes,’ she whispered, looking at him. His fingers were moving up Isabel’s neck now into her hair. Lisa waited for Isabel to push him away, but to her amazement, she seemed to be enjoying Mark’s attention, smiling calmly at Lisa as their eyes met across the table. Why were they acting like this, she wondered, her mind racing. Why didn’t Grayson do something? Were they having an affair? Did Grayson know?
She had been avoiding looking at Grayson, but she turned to him now, desperate to cover her embarrassment and confusion. ‘Have you been to Costa Rica?’ she asked, her voice sounding shaky and panicked.
‘Yes,’ he said, glancing at her briefly. ‘It’s an amazing place.’ As he turned back to Isabel and Mark, Lisa followed his gaze, and was horrified to see Mark pulling down the straps of Isabel’s dress and dropping kisses on her bare shoulder. Isabel let her head fall to the side to give him more access as his lips moved to her neck, while his hands slid to her breasts.
Silence fell over the table, the atmosphere suddenly charged. All Lisa could hear was the hammering of her heart and the rush of blood in her veins. She felt hot and clammy, wanting to run but finding herself frozen, glued to her seat. She was unable to to tear her eyes away as Mark nuzzled Isabel’s neck and slowly unzipped her dress. The top fell away to reveal a sexy black lace bra. Mark kissed her on the mouth as he unhooked it, slid it off and tossed it onto the table. He lifted his head then, a challenging gleam in his eyes as he eyeballed Lisa while he caressed Isabel’s bare breasts.
‘So beautiful,’ he murmured. Isabel lifted her arms above her head and arched into his hands as he stroked and pinched her nipples until they were hard.
Lisa was struck dumb, her face on fire. She was shocked to discover that she found the sight erotic. She wanted to get up from the table and run away, but at the same time she felt paralysed. She was aware of Grayson beside her, but she couldn’t look at him. She waited for him to react, but when she finally risked a sideways glance at him, she was amazed to find that he wasn’t angry at all, and seemed completely unfazed by what was happening. In fact, he appeared to be enjoying the performance. There was the hint of a crooked smile on his lips, and his eyes glittered with excitement as he watched Mark and Isabel kissing and caressing.
As if sensing her watching him, Grayson turned to her then. Lisa looked away, unable to meet his eyes. She leapt when she felt a warm hand on her leg, gasping involuntarily as it slid up her thigh under her dress. Her head spun back to Grayson in shock, and she instinctively moved to slap his hand away. But then she caught Mark’s eye. He gave her a warning look, and she stopped herself. Suddenly she realised with a jolt that he wanted this to happen. He wanted Grayson to touch her in front of him the way he was touching Isabel. He wanted to watch. Her head spun and she felt dizzy as she realised the full meaning of his words earlier –
whatever happens
. This was what they had come here for – and she had promised to go along with it.
She looked across at him, desperately hoping for some shred of sympathy or understanding. But he wasn’t even looking at her, completely oblivious to her distress as he kissed and caressed Isabel. Her attention was drawn back to Grayson with a start as his fingers slipped inside her thong. Her eyes automatically flew to his before she dropped her head in embarrassment, trying to quell the heat that was building inside her as he touched her naked flesh. Grayson took her chin in his hand and lifted her face to his, his eyes glittering with excitement as his fingers stroked her gently. He leaned in to nuzzle her face, his mouth almost touching her, but not quite.
‘You’re so wet,’ he murmured into her ear, his breath hot as it whispered along her skin.
She shivered.
‘Are you cold?’ he asked, pulling back and withdrawing his hand. Without waiting for an answer he lifted her from her seat and pulled her into his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her into the heat of his body, and she felt the hardness of his erection against her back.
‘Better?’ he asked.
She nodded, unable to speak. She had never felt so bewildered in her life, completely overwhelmed by the strange mixture of emotions she was experiencing. She was shocked, a little frightened, and more turned on than she cared to admit. It was very confusing. But it was oddly comforting being held by Grayson.
He dropped his head to her shoulder and nuzzled her bare skin. ‘May I?’ he asked, his hands going to the tie of her dress at the nape of her neck.
‘Oh!’ Her hands flew up instinctively to stop him, but then she caught Mark’s eye across the table and he threw her another warning look. ‘Yes,’ she said in a choked whisper, resting her hands in her lap.
He quickly undid the shoelace ties and Lisa felt everyone’s eyes on her as the thin strip of silk fell to her waist. She instinctively covered her breasts with her hands before she could stop herself.
Grayson dropped a wet kiss on her shoulder. ‘Please don’t,’ he said, his hands resting over hers. ‘Let me look at you.’
‘Don’t be such a little prude, Lisa,’ Mark said impatiently.
‘She’s shy,’ Isabel said. ‘I think it’s sweet.’ She smiled encouragingly at Lisa.
‘Not everyone is such a natural exhibitionist as Isabel,’ Grayson said, and Lisa felt an unexpected pang at the fondness in his voice.
‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it, right?’ Isabel said with a toss of her head. Lisa envied her confidence.
‘Well, Lisa doesn’t have a lot to flaunt. Not like you,’ Mark said, his eyes dropping to Isabel’s breasts. ‘But she makes up for it with her mouth,’ he told Grayson. ‘Get her on her knees and I guarantee you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.’
Lisa cringed at his crudeness. There was no warmth in his tone, none of the affection with which Grayson spoke of Isabel. She might have been a hooker he had hired for the night for all the care he showed her.
She was grateful that Grayson ignored him. He turned her slightly in his lap so she was facing him and gave her an earnest, pleading look, his eyebrows raised. Slowly she let her hands fall and Grayson looked at her, his gaze was so intense that Lisa had to force herself not to cover her breasts again.
‘You’re beautiful,’ he breathed, his hands cupping her breasts. ‘You have amazing skin,’ he murmured, his gaze on his hands as he gently caressed her breasts, his thumbs brushing lightly over her nipples. He smiled as they hardened to his touch, and Lisa felt herself blush furiously.
She was aware of Mark watching her and tried to swallow down her panic and shock. Just go along with whatever happens, she reminded herself. There would be hell to pay later if she did anything to spoil Mark’s plans for the evening or to ‘show him up’ in front of his sophisticated friends.
‘Well,’ Isabel said, pulling away from Mark, ‘you guys don’t want to spoil your appetite for dessert. I have something very special planned.’ She pulled her dress back on and zipped it up. ‘Lisa,’ she said with a smile, ‘will you come and help me prepare it?’
‘Yes, of course,’ Lisa said, relieved for the excuse to escape. She wasn’t naive enough to think she was off the hook completely, but at least it would give her a breathing space to regroup and prepare herself for whatever came next. Grayson released her and she retied her dress, glad of the chance to cover up again. She felt Grayson’s eyes burning into her as she followed Isabel to the kitchen. It was another large airy room, a more contemporary interpretation of the classic Spanish style of the entranceway and dining room. Hexagonal terracotta tiles covered the floor and the white ceiling was crossed with dark wooden beams. A table and chairs of dark wood stood in the centre of the room, surrounded by painted white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
‘So, what’s for dessert?’ Lisa asked as Isabel opened an enormous fridge.
‘Strawberries, cream, chocolate sauce,’ Isabel said as she removed containers and placed them on the worktop. ‘And you, of course.’
Thankfully she was too focused on what she was doing to notice Lisa’s shock.
‘Maybe some ice cream too. How do you feel about that?’ she asked, turning to Lisa, her perfect eyebrows raised in query.
‘About ice cream? I– I like it,’ Lisa said hesitantly.
‘Mmm,’ Isabel gave her a conspiratorial smile. ‘The cold can be rather delicious, can’t it?’
‘Um ... what would you like me to do?’ Lisa asked, trying to ignore her misgivings as Isabel busied herself assembling the ingredients.
‘You could get undressed.’
‘Oh.’ Lisa felt her skin burning. What the hell was going on here? ‘Yes, of course,’ she said, trying to sound as if this was what she had been expecting all along. ‘Should I ... take everything off?’
Please say no
, she begged silently.
Isabel turned to her, looking her up and down thoughtfully. ‘I think you should leave the shoes on,’ she said, nodding to Lisa’s feet. ‘They’re very sexy.’
Lisa nodded, grateful when Isabel turned away again and began preparing strawberries. Her hands shook as she untied her dress, and she tried to quash the curling fear in her stomach as she let it fall from her shoulders to pool on the floor at her feet. This night wouldn’t go on forever, she told herself. No matter what happened, whatever she had to endure, in a few hours she would be home again, safe. She just had to get through it.
Nevertheless, she struggled not to cry as she slid her thong down her legs and stepped out of it, feeling utterly miserable. As she straightened up again, she found Isabel watching her. She felt so exposed, and more than a little ridiculous standing in the middle of the kitchen in nothing but her high heels. She fought the urge to cover herself with her hands as Isabel looked her up and down.
‘Very nice.’ Isabel gave her a warm smile of approval. ‘You have a fantastic body, Lisa. Lie on the table,’ she said, nodding to it.
Lisa clambered onto the table and lay down on the cold, hard surface. She closed her eyes and concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She felt Isabel’s hand in her hair and opened her eyes to find her standing beside her with a small pillow.
‘Lift,’ she said softly. When Lisa did so, she slid the pillow under her head. ‘We don’t want you hurting yourself when things get ... intense. Comfortable?’ she asked, smoothing Lisa’s hair behind her.
Lisa nodded, her throat too tight to speak.
‘So, do you play much with other couples?’ Isabel asked conversationally as she took a tub of cream and a spoon from the worktop.
Lisa wasn’t sure how to answer. She didn’t know what Mark had told Isabel. Would he want her to pretend they did this sort of thing all the time? Or was it okay to admit she was new to all this as long as she joined in?
She gulped as Isabel came to stand beside her and spooned two dollops of cream onto her breasts.
‘No,’ she said finally, deciding honesty was the best course. It was probably obvious what a clueless newbie she was anyway. She licked her dry lips as Isabel swirled the cream around in concentric circles until only her nipples were left exposed. ‘This is our first time. At least, it’s my first time.’ She suddenly realised she had no idea if Mark had done this sort of thing before with other girls.
‘Well, we’re honoured,’ Isabel smiled as she moved downwards, spreading more cream across Lisa’s stomach and into her belly button. ‘I thought you seemed a little nervous. But I hope you’re enjoying yourself.’
‘Yes. It – it’s fun,’ Lisa said, hastening to assure Isabel that she was having a good time.
‘Good. I’m glad. Maybe we can do it again sometime.’ She got a carton from the counter and placed a strawberry over each of Lisa’s nipples and another in her belly button, looking appreciatively down at her handiwork. ‘I’m sure Grayson would like to see you again. He’s very attracted to you.’
‘Oh, I’m sure he’s not,’ Lisa gasped, horrified that Isabel would think that. ‘It’s obvious he really loves you.’
But Isabel just smiled. ‘That’s sweet of you,’ she said with a light laugh, ‘but you really don’t have to worry on my account. I’m not jealous. Grayson and I don’t have that kind of relationship. But I’ve known him a long time, and he likes you a lot – I can tell.’
Lisa smiled weakly, not knowing how to respond to this. She shivered as Isabel smeared cream along her thighs.
‘It’s good that you’re bare here,’ she said, nodding to Lisa’s newly waxed pussy. ‘Bend your knees and put your feet flat on the table.’
Mortified, Lisa did as instructed, her ass lifted into the air as she planted the spiky heels on the polished wood. Isabel nudged her legs apart, then grabbed a small, heart-shaped mould from the worktop and placed it over Lisa’s crotch.
‘Now for the pièce de résistance,’ she said with a smile. She filled the centre of the mould with cream, then arranged strawberries artfully on top. ‘There,’ she said, taking away the mould and pulling back to survey the effect. ‘You look good enough to eat. I’m not going to bother with ice-cream – too messy. So we just need some chocolate sauce, and we’re done.’
She took a bottle from the worktop and drizzled sauce over Lisa’s body in a random abstract pattern of squiggles and splashes. Lisa shivered as the cold, thick liquid trickled onto her bare skin.
‘Try to stay still,’ Isabel said. ‘You don’t want to ruin my handiwork.’
‘Sorry,’ Lisa said with a blush.
‘There,’ Isabel said, standing back and brushing her hands. ‘You’re quite a work of art, if I do say so myself.’
Lisa forced a smile, feeling completely ridiculous.
‘Just one last finishing touch,’ Isabel said, plucking the last strawberry from the carton. ‘Open your mouth.’
Lisa obeyed, and Isabel placed the strawberry between her parted lips.
‘Keep it there,’ she said. ‘Don’t bite.’
Lisa did as instructed, holding the fruit lightly between her lips.
‘I’ll go and tell the guys dessert is ready,’ Isabel said, moving to the door. ‘I hope Mark likes strawberries. They’re Grayson’s favourite.’
When she left the room, Lisa closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, but all she could hear was the pounding of her heart. She willed herself to lie still, though every instinct was telling her to make a run for it. She wanted to jump off the table, wipe all this food off her skin, get dressed and beg Mark to take her home. Her every nerve was on edge, and she felt sick with tension, her stomach churning in anticipation when she heard the door open with a soft click.
There was the sound of footsteps crossing the tiled floor, and when she opened her eyes again, Grayson and Mark were standing either side of the table, gazing down at her.
‘Wow, you look gorgeous,’ Grayson said, his eyes dark with desire.
‘You’ve done an amazing job,’ Mark called to Isabel, who was hovering by the door.
‘Thank you,’ she said, crossing the room to join them. ‘But I had fabulous ingredients to work with.’ She smiled down at Lisa.
‘The best,’ Grayson said admiringly, his eyes devouring her as they swept over her body.
‘Well, enjoy,’ Isabel said, spreading her arms as she backed away.
‘Aren’t you going to join us?’ Mark asked her.
‘No, I don’t have a sweet tooth. And besides, we don’t want to overwhelm the poor girl. I’ll go and get the hot tub ready while you guys have your dessert.’ She winked at Lisa. ‘Have fun,’ she said to her, then turned and left the room.
Lisa swallowed hard as the door clicked shut behind Isabel and she was alone with the two men. For a moment time seemed to stand still, the atmosphere charged, electric. Then Mark trailed a finger through the cream at her breast, and put it in his mouth, his eyes closing briefly as he sucked. ‘Delicious,’ he murmured, breaking the silence.