Unscrupulous (33 page)

Authors: Avery Aster

Taddy glanced at him as he picked up Vive’s drinks. The natural warmth had returned to her face. She was beginning to relax after this morning’s fiasco. “Thank you again for coming with me.”

“Any regrets seeing Irma?” Kissing her, Warner took his place by her side.

“No just sadness. I’m not sure why I expected today to go any other way. I should’ve known better.”

Warner held her hand, playing with her fingers. “I can’t imagine how you feel, but I’m here for you. I love you.”

“I love you too.” She crossed her legs. “My talk with the countess may help me move forward. Am I making any sense?”

“Perfectly.”

“There she is.” Vive pointed to the door.

Warner followed Vive’s direction, catching a glimpse of an elegant woman making her way over. She motioned a hello to the barmaid. He was taken aback at how much she resembled Taddy. She had honey-blonde hair instead of fire-engine-red locks but both their faces were picturesque and striking.

The woman held her arms wide as Taddy stood and hugged her. Warner didn’t approach at first. The lady cried and Taddy wiped her tears then pulled her hair back behind her ears. “Irma’s in my past,” he heard Taddy say. Nodding her head in agreement on something, they faced him and stood side by side.

“Lex Easton—pleasure.” Her handshake was firm. Similar in their sophistication yet different in their mannerisms, Taddy and Lex could be sisters.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lex. You were a major topic this morning.”

“My ears have been ringing since I woke up.”

Taddy held her hand. “Lex, I’d love to see Birdie today. Please invite her. I need to tell her a few things.”

“Such as?”

“I want to give her an apology for starters, followed by a thank you. And I could use a Birdie hug.”

“I’ll make the call. Be right back.” Lex smiled as if she understood.

“You’re remarkable.” Warner pulled Taddy in close and they sat back down with Vive and Blake. “You know that?”

“You bring it out in me.” She kissed him.

“Wow!” Vive shrieked, breaking their sweet talk. “Who the fudge balls is that stud?”

Motorcycle helmet in hand and covered in more tattoos than Warner remembered, his brother walked up.

“Hello, Manhattanites,” Sheldon greeted. “Brother.” He nodded.

“Meow,” Blake hissed playfully.

“Everyone, this is Sheldon.” Warner pulled up a chair for him to join them.

“Sheldon, this is Vive, Blake. You passed Lex at the door on her cell, and my girlfriend, Taddy Brill.”

“Shel! Come sit next to me,” Vive demanded.

Taddy’s friends laughed.

Epilogue

Neve Adele’s Candy Land Reality

Later That Week

Upper East Side, New York City

Let’s party!

Up in a swing, Taddy hung from her ballroom ceiling over the crowd, playing her part as Princess Lolly. She threw glitter dust out at the dancers below.

On the dance floor, shirtless, in a white fur thong that covered his cock, Warner carried a large lollipop scepter whirled in colors. On his head was a gold king’s crown. A sash across his chest read “King of Candy Land”. He was such a good sport.

God he’s fucking hot! And he’s mine!

Gyrating their hips around him in a small circle were Lex and Blake. Lex had been iced from head to toe in crystals. Taddy had convinced her to get vajazzled at the Exhale Bliss Spa, hoping she’d get laid tonight. Lex played Queen Frostaine better than anyone. Blake held his hands up, clapping. Dressed in purple tights as Duke of Swirl, Blake had the legs to pull it off.

Instinctively she searched for Vive then remembered that Miss Farnworth had hosted a pre-Candy Land Ball cocktail party and may have been too trashed to make it. Damn her.

The music’s volume lowered as did her swing. Yellow lights focused on her in the middle as she descended over the audience.

She held on to a microphone. “Good evening, New York City.” Her voice boomed surround sound from the Candy Hearts Room to the Molasses Swamp and created feedback noise in her earpiece. “Thank you for coming. We’ve raised three million tonight for charity.”

The crowd screamed.

“My Brill girls have been working their asses off to bring you a new accessories lifestyle line inspired by an iconic reality TV star. She’s a reigning Miss Glamour USA who’s captured America’s hearts.”

A build of anticipation filled the room. No one knew who the surprise guest was except for Blake and his team. They’d kept it a secret.

“Some of these treats are in your goodie bags tonight, darlings,” Taddy continued.

“Brill. Brill. Brill,” the audience chanted.

Taddy pressed on. “America’s number-one reality TV star is in Candy Land to make her music debut with her new song, ‘I’m A Reality’. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Neve Adele.”

Going bonkers, the audience screamed, “Neve Adele!”

The swing came all the way to the floor and dropped Taddy off in Warner’s arms.

“You were amazing.” He hugged her tight as she handed her microphone to a nearby stageman.

The lights focused on the stage. Neve Adele came out from a curtain singing to her track. She wore an Easton Essentials gown made by Lex in her signature color—lilac.

“Is she lip-synching?” Warner asked as he wrapped his arms around Taddy. He pulled her in to him as they listened to the synthesized song. Neve’s verses were about her life as a beauty queen spouting off in a monotone lisp.

“She sure is,” Taddy whispered in Warner’s ear. “She’s our manufactured superstar.” Taddy smiled and put her hands out, cheering Neve on, and danced.

Warner grabbed Taddy’s hips, pulling her in closer. It made her happy to be with him. She put his arms around him. “I love you, Warner.”

“I love you too.” Swinging his hips with hers, Warner’s cock grew hard against her. Tonight, Taddy wanted to celebrate for having Warner in her life. She knew it would be hard to let go of her past completely but with such a wonderful future ahead of her, she focused on the good.

“Going to get a drink. Catch ya later.” Blake held on to Lex as they left Taddy and Warner alone.

“I’m real, I’m a reality, I’m beauty. I’m a beauty queen,” Neve sang her chorus. Catchy, it would be a hit with the gays.

The lights spun around the ballroom with a flash. Then everything went dark. Pushing her body against Warner’s, Taddy felt his chest and rested her palm over his heart.

“I know what you want. It’s real. It’s a star. It’s a reality star.” Neve’s song sped up.

Taddy’s body vibrated to the music, but it remained impossible to keep up with Warner’s insatiable pace. Everything on King Candy danced. She stepped back, letting him get into his groove.

The music changed out as Neve’s song came to a close. DJ Dejon, who’d flown in for the night from Utah with Kiki, spun a remixed ‘90s classic. Taddy had convinced them to come back in time for the ball.

Techno pulsated through her body. It was time to show Warner who she really was. She pulled his head down to hers and whispered. “I want to show you something.”

“What?”

“It’s a hidden room. But you have to promise you won’t judge.”

“I swear.”

Taddy led Warner through the dance floor. It was staged to resemble the Lollipop Woods. She waved and introduced people to Warner as they weaved their way through the crowds at the Gumdrop Mountains. The marble floors dusted a luminous green. The Baccarat chandeliers dangled from the ceilings.

She spotted Lex and Blake at the bar. “Did Vive seriously miss this?”

“Afraid so.” Lex sighed.

“I don’t mean to sound like a hypocrite as I chug this cocktail—but we need to send her back to rehab.”

“Yeah, she’s off the pills but I don’t know how you get a Farnworth to quit booze,” Lex confessed. She of all people should know after living with Birdie.

“Let’s discuss Operation-Vive-Intervention tomorrow,” Taddy said and turned toward her bedroom. She knew Vive could do it. She’d just need a little motivation.

“Where are you two going?” Lex asked, raising her voice as they started off.

“My dungeon,” Taddy shouted after pushing Warner farther. He walked slowly on purpose, she could tell.

“Dungeon?” He froze.

“You’ll see.” She grabbed his hands. “Come on, Big Daddy. Come on!”

She picked up speed, taking him down a long hallway. They passed a roped-off area away from Candy Land and headed into Taddy’s personal living quarters. The penthouse walls were decorated in large-scale photos. Most were of her and Lex as young children.

“You’re taking me to your bedroom?”

“Sorta.” Taddy opened the double doors.

“Why didn’t I see this the other night?”

“Relax.” She led Warner into a large shoe closet. They stood before a mirrored wall. The Shih Tzus were sound asleep in their little beds.

“You wanna tell me you have a shoe fetish?” Warner asked.

“That’s obvious. But watch.” She slipped the key into the hole.

The walls separated. A vacuumed suction released, and the air streamed a new draft from one room to the next.

“Wow.” Warner stepped into the room. Red leather adorned the walls. There were gadgets and gizmos Taddy guessed he’d never seen.

She kissed his cheek, feeling her naughty girl coming out. “I know you’re not into the rough stuff. But—”

“What?” Warner had to have known she was a bad girl.

“I was hoping we could try.” She tempted him.

“No.”

“Oh come on, a lil’ BDSM play is fun!” Taddy would only accept yes as his answer.

A couple’s laughter came from the corner. They turned around to see up against the far corner. Kiki was spread out on a bed. Her eyes wide, her mouth hung open in a gasp.

“Kiki.”

“Miss Brill!!! We weren’t doing—anything.”

“Ahuh.”

“Mr. Truman, you remember Dejon.” Kiki tried to smile. Her face red, she covered herself with a sheet.

“Hi, Dejon.” Warner laughed.

“We’ll leave you two to get back to whatever it was that you were doing.” Taddy grabbed her boyfriend’s hand and left her dungeon.

* * * * *

Taddy took the week off to enjoy Manhattan with her new boyfriend Warner Truman. They spent seventy-two hours at her penthouse, locked in her pleasure room, ordering French food from Daniel’s restaurant. She’d showed him her toys. The remainder of the week had been spent at Warner’s penthouse in the Tribeca. He’d shared his dungeon with her and barbecued for her on his balcony.

To his surprise, the Jacqueline Truman Foundation received an anonymous donation. It was for three million dollars. When Warner asked Taddy if she’d made the gift, she said a lady never revealed her philanthropic ways.

The following week she went with Warner to Hong Kong scouting locations for Brill, Inc. Warner had bought land to build a new luxury resort and spa on Connaught Road in the city’s fashion and business district. The lot overlooked Victoria Harbour. The hotel was slated to feature five hundred rooms and be called Forever Red.

The End

About Avery Aster

Avery Aster pens erotic romance for Ellora’s Cave. As a resident of New York’s Upper East Side and a graduate from New York University, Avery gives readers an inside look at the city’s glitzy nightlife, socialite sexcapades and tall tales of the über-rich and ultra-famous. “I write about what I see in my metropolis that never sleeps—Manhattanites on the quest for a passionate thrill,” Avery says. “By and large, my characters are drop-dead gorgeous, ripped straight from the headlines and on the hunt for their next conquest.”

Undressed
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