The Love of Money II
Copyright© 2025 by MindSketch
Chapter 50: Dressing for the Occasion
Fiction Sex Story: Chapter 50: Dressing for the Occasion - Marcus and the others are no longer just surviving the world—they’re shaping it. Erin has always known what she wants. Now she’s orchestrating it. Helen is learning that submission isn’t surrender. Bobbi, stripped of her old identity, stands at a crossroads. New women cross his path. Old ones return. Some hand him their heart. Some, a leash. Some, a knife in the back. And then there are the ones waiting for him to stumble. It's hard to rest when you have a target painted on your back.
Caution: This Fiction Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Fa/Fa Mult Coercion Consensual NonConsensual Reluctant Romantic Lesbian BiSexual Heterosexual Fiction Rags To Riches BDSM DomSub MaleDom FemaleDom Light Bond Rough Sadistic Spanking Group Sex Harem Orgy Interracial Black Female White Female Oriental Female Indian Female Anal Sex Analingus Cream Pie Exhibitionism Facial Massage Oral Sex Petting Pregnancy Sex Toys Squirting Voyeurism Big Breasts Small Breasts Slow Violence
Sachiko had been lovely before, but holy shit.
The only thing keeping my brain from frying was the sudden surge of fight-or-flight. A Tanaka appearing without warning set off every alarm in my body. I didn’t see the delicate, sharp angles of her fox-like features. I barely noticed the way her skirt hugged her hips, showing just enough shape to tease.
All I saw was a threat.
Erin must have sensed my trepidation—she’d already taken a few steps back. I grabbed Natalie’s hand and did the same.
“Nope!” I said. “I’m out.”
At the same time, Sachiko narrowed her eyes, one hand bracing against the limo like she was ready to bolt.
“What’s he doing here?” she blurted.
My bodyguards stepped in front of me, still, silent, and non-threatening in a way that suggested they were ready to draw weapons if anyone breathed wrong.
“You didn’t know?” I asked Sachiko,
“What is this?” she asked at the exact same time.
Astrid was failing to suppress her delight as she stepped between us, hands raised.
“Easy, you two,” she said. “I thought we were all friends.”
“You thought wrong,” Sachiko snapped, her eyes locked on me. Her glare felt like a dagger tip at my throat.
“It’s a business transaction, Astrid,” I said. “We’re not starting a book club.”
“This is nonsense,” Astrid said, waving both of us off. “You’ve ceased hostilities. There’s no reason you can’t attend the same party.”
“He’s holding my brother hostage,” Sachiko hissed.
“He literally tried to kill me!” I shot back. “I’m not the bad guy here!”
“You cut off his finger and used it as some kind of message! How is that not villain behavior?”
“Marcus?” Natalie said, panic creeping into her voice.
Astrid turned to Sachiko and stepped toward her. “Need I remind you, dear, that Marcus wasn’t your brother’s only target?”
Whatever Sachiko’s reply, it was just a little too low for me to hear, and as Astrid advanced on her, their conversation grew even quieter.
“We should head back to the chopper,” Jon said.
“Maybe,” I muttered. “Just give it a minute. I want to hear her out.”
A few more words passed between them. Then Astrid turned and approached me, her hands deliberately visible for my bodyguards’ benefit. She wasn’t intimidated by them, but she knew better than to act carelessly when things were this tense. She stopped a few feet away, peering at me through the wall of muscle like I was behind a pair of stone pillars.
“Sachiko says she is willing to put aside your differences for tonight, but she needs your word that you will keep the peace.”
I glared at her. “You really expect me to believe she didn’t know I was coming?”
“It’s the truth.”
I peered around John’s hulking form to see Sachiko, standing there with arms crossed. She spotted me and gave me a sour smile. She’d never been openly hostile like this toward me—cool and distant, but professional.
Maybe my appearance had surprised her.
“It’s okay, guys,” I said, placing a hand on each of my bodyguards’ arms.
Jon glanced at me, but then they both stepped just wide enough to give me a clear view of Astrid.
“You invited both of us?” I asked Astrid. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because neither of you would’ve come,” she replied, and I could hear the silent ’duh’ at the end, as if my question couldn’t have been more stupid.
“I didn’t know you guys were close,” I said.
“We’re not,” Astrid said, “but Sachiko has never been to this party, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to meet powerful people. Plus, the Tanakas know how close you and I are, especially after our near-death experience. She obviously sees this as an opportunity to keep me close, to make sure that I do not interfere with your precious deal.”
Which made sense. Erin had warned me that Astrid might have that effect.
“Okay,” I said. “But I’m about a second away from turning around and leaving. What’s stopping me?”
Astrid rolled her eyes. “God, Marcus ... why wouldn’t you want to go to an exclusive party that people would kill to be invited to? One where you could make connections that would change your life?”
“Because I can’t bring my emotional support bodyguards, and I don’t know if you’ve read the headlines lately, but I’m not about to win any popularity contests.”
“I know you’ve already had someone look into this party and the Wyns. If they hadn’t told you that it was safe, you wouldn’t have come this far. Besides, I don’t feel the need for protection.”
“Yeah,” I said, “but you’re insane.”
She laughed, light and carefree, like I’d just told a funny anecdote and not just insulted her mental stability.
“Marcus,” she said sweetly, “if you don’t come with us, I’ll have Sachiko to myself for the entire evening. Who knows where the conversation might lead? I’d hate to say something that might sour your already precarious relationship with her and jeopardize your deal.”
I studied her, trying to decide whether she actually knew anything about my plans for VistaVision and the Tanakas, or if she was just letting me know she could complicate matters.
“Blackmail? That’s supposed to make me feel better about this?”
“Consider it an incentive,” Astrid said with a smile. “Who knows ... maybe the three of us will get along well tonight and decide to go into a relationship together.”
Natalie squeezed my hand.
Astrid must have noticed a shift in her posture because she quickly added, “A business relationship, of course.”
I glanced at Natalie, who might have appeared to be doing well to an outsider, but I detected her lingering unease. She was chewing the inside of her cheek, her tell that meant something was bothering her.
I looked at Erin, who did a much better job of looking unaffected by the conversation as she stared at the approaching ship, which was slowing as it neared the docks.
“Can you give me a few moments?” I asked Astrid.
She nodded.
I retreated a few feet, tugging Natalie with me. Erin turned and followed. My bodyguards remained where they were.
“Well?” I asked the ladies.
“As far as I can tell,” Erin said, “she’s being honest. Sachiko looked just as surprised as you. And she’s right ... this party’s secure. I’ve never heard of guests going missing or turning up dead. If anything, the security is supposed to be top-notch. If Sachiko hadn’t reacted the way she did, I’d be worried, but as it stands ... I think it’s safe.”
“Physically safe, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous,” I pointed out.
“I mean ... yeah,” Erin admitted, “but there’s always some risk when you’re playing the game at this level. If you want to build something great, you’re going to have to get your hands dirty.”
Looking toward the shore, I watched as the ship glided into place beside the dock. People were already gathering ... some preparing to board, others just mingling—patrons of the arts, power brokers in politics, journalism, business, and every other form of cultural capital. The kind of people who never made headlines or appeared on television, yet pulled strings that shaped the world.
Erin continued, “Even after all the hits you’ve taken, you’re still worth more than most of them combined, boss, but money only gets you so far. You’ve isolated yourself from the rest of wealthy society. These people? They know people who know people. You’ll have a chance to share your story with them, and if you change their minds, they can change the hearts and minds of millions.
She paused, watching the people down at the dock with me, then added, “Astrid might be holding this deal over your head now. But if you meet the right person tonight, that might not even matter. There are more players than the Tanakas and Håkanssons. You just haven’t met them yet.”
So, Erin was all in.
“Natalie?”
She glanced back at Astrid and sighed. “I just wanted a nice night at a bougie party with my boyfriend.”
“Hey,” Erin said, taking Natalie’s other hand. She gave it a squeeze. “You’re with me, Nat, and if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s taking situations like this and spinning them into gold. Let’s go in there and make some friends. There’s enough wit, charm, and sexiness between the three of us that by the end of the night, they’ll be eating out of our hands.”
Natalie bit her lip, trying and failing to suppress a smile.
Hell, even I felt better.
And she was right. I needed to take some risks. After fucking up so badly with the Tanakas, getting iced out by the Gerrards, and being globally smeared as a walking disaster, I needed more powerful allies.
If it had been anyone other than Natalie by my side, I wouldn’t have been as worried. She was clever and resourceful, but this was a completely different experience. I was afraid it might eat her alive.
Damn Astrid for insisting that I bring her.
Natalie looked back at me, her gaze lingering on me for a long moment. Then she said, “Okay.”
Erin grinned and squeezed her hand, then looked back at me. “Boss?”
My eyes stayed with Natalie for a long, silent moment, making absolutely sure she meant it when she said she was okay with moving ahead.
Then I sighed and said, “Okay.”
“Fuck, yes!” Erin said.
I turned and made my way back to Astrid.
“They’re starting to board,” she said, a touch of impatience in her voice.
“We’re coming,” I said.
Astrid broke into a wide smile, transforming in an instant from a conniving snake to the kind of girl next door you’d ask to watch your kids. It was uncanny how she could slip between masks.
“Splendid!” she said, then turned toward the limo and called out. “Lara?”
Another woman stepped out of the car, wearing an off-white sequined dress that left one shoulder bare. The skirt stopped just past her knees and had a split on one side that ran up her leg and ended halfway up her torso. The entire thing would have flapped open with a strong breeze had it not been cinched together at the waist with a matching belt. It still looked on the verge of showing more than it should.
Lara stood as tall as Astrid, but while her employer was willowy and lean, Lara was textbook femininity—an hourglass figure with full breasts, probably just a fraction smaller than Natalie’s, and an ass that could go toe-to-toe with my girlfriend’s. Raven-black hair spilled in loose waves down her back, making her cream complexion appear paler than it actually was. Her heavy eyeliner and deep crimson lipstick made the whole look seem like something out of a pin-up calendar.
Erin’s breath hitched the moment she saw Astrid’s attendant, and I couldn’t blame her.
“Marcus,” Astrid said, “you remember Lara. Lara, this is Marcus’s lovely girlfriend, Natalie, and their attendant, Erin.”
Lara’s light blue eyes scanned us, her smile warm and inviting in all the ways that made my blood run hot. I remembered how her hands felt during the massage she’d given me ... soft enough to make me wonder how the rest of her might feel.
Get it together, Marcus. You’re about to drool on your girlfriend.
Sachiko stepped up next to them, keeping her distance as she eyed me.
“We should get going,” Astrid said, taking Lara’s hand. The two of them headed toward the dock, with Sachiko trailing behind them.
“Come on,” Erin murmured to Natalie, still clasping her hand. “I’ll fill you in a little more about Sachiko.”
Natalie looked up at me, silently looking for reassurance, her smile tinged with anxiety.
I released her hand. “Go ahead. I’m just gonna have a couple of words with the guys. I’ll be right behind you.”
Her smile grew a little more uneasy, but she nodded.
Erin spoke softly as they followed Astrid and the others. “So, Sachiko’s actually spent most of her time in...”
I stood by my bodyguards and watched as two of the women I cared about most trail out of earshot as they headed toward the docks. I took a moment to just ... admire them.
“You sure about this?” Jon asked, interrupting my quiet moment.
“No,” I said, “but we’ve done about everything we can short of calling it off.”
I pulled a pen from my pocket and held it up. It wasn’t an ordinary pen; it had a small slider on the side. If necessary, I could flip it on and press the clicker; instead of exposing the nib, it would call the cavalry.
“If all goes well,” I continued, “this will be a boring night for you. Hope you brought a good book.”
“More of an audiobook guy,” Jon said, “but I have it.”
“You?” I asked, looking at John.
“Phone game,” he said.
“What game?”
He looked a little sheepish. “Pillager: Dark Heroes.”
I blinked in surprise. I hadn’t thought him the type to play games. I’d pegged him as the type to sit motionless for hours, optimizing his macro intake or tweaking his workout schedule.
“The ads got me,” he said.
“Okay,” I said. “Not sure there’s anything to be embarrassed about.”
Jon smirked. “Ask him how much money he’s spent on it.”
“Do I want to know?”
“No, sir,” John said flatly.
I laughed. “Hey, man. We all have our distractions. Just ... hope that’s all you’re doing tonight.”
“We’ll be here if you need anything, sir,” John said.
“Thanks,” I said, then I left to catch up to the girls.
As it turned out, I was right. The boat on the dock was there to take us on the twenty-five-minute journey to a small island owned by Nicholas and Aurelia Wyn. No tickets or QR codes were needed to get on. The large man standing beside the gangplank seemed to recognize everyone’s faces and let them on with a friendly greeting.
“Miss Hakkanson. Mr. Upton.” He touched the brim of his hat with a gloved hand big enough that I was sure he could grip a basketball in one hand. The man was huge and probably experienced more than ten different ways to immobilize a person, with or without a weapon. “Our hosts are looking forward to seeing you again,” he said to Astrid.
“Thank you,” Astrid said politely. “I can’t wait to see their new place.”
He looked at me. “And to meet you, Mr. Upton. Mr. Wynn wanted me to tell you that they were especially excited when they heard you were coming.”
“Thanks,” I said, feeling well out of my element. “I can’t wait to meet them.”
He gave a slight nod of his head as I moved on, following Astrid up the gangplank and entering the interior to escape the cool night air—and was shocked
Never mind the party or the island. The journey to the island was an experience all its own.
The boat’s interior was a spacious, two-story affair. The lower level featured an expansive floor lined with large couches arranged in semicircles around low tables. A fully stocked bar anchored one side, six mixologists hard at work—shaking, stirring, and garnishing custom drinks for thirsty patrons.
Most of the guests were scattered across the space, mingling, laughing—almost all with colorful cocktails in hand.
What stood out most, though, was that about two-thirds of them were dressed in Roman or Greek garb.
Men and women wore traditional togas draped off one shoulder, while some opted for variations that wrapped around the neck, leaving backs and shoulders bare. Several of the men had gone shirtless, clothed only from the waist down in white cloth that hung to their shins.
Some of them, frankly, had no business being shirtless. Potbellies hung over their waistbands, confidence apparently unbothered by mirrors.
Others, especially the men, leaned into the warrior look—outfits that resembled Roman or maybe Greek soldiers. Some had breastplates in leather or metal. A couple even wore helmets with crests.
Not that I was an expert in ancient fashion, but the vibe was unmistakable. Leather skirts ... sandals. It all looked authentic and high-quality to my untrained eye.
“Oh good!” Astrid said, delighted. “A toga party! And they’ve really upped their game from the last time they did this. These costumes are stunning.”
“You told us we needed to dress nice,” I said, eyes drifting up to the second floor, where most of the costume changes were happening. “Why bother if we’re just going to change again?”
“First impressions, darling,” Astrid said, giving me a smirk and a little wink as she grabbed Sachiko’s hand and pulled her toward the stairs. “Come!”
From the look on Natalie’s face, any lingering doubts had evaporated. Her eyes were wide with awe as she took it all in.
She’d been floored by the orchestra stunt—but this? This was another level. A deeper plunge into my world ... with a much different flavor.
I reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You good?”
“Oh my god ... Marcus,” she whispered. “This is ... amazing.”
Erin appeared beside her, nudging her arm. “Want to go put on a costume?”
Natalie grinned. “Yes.”
Erin took her hand and led her across the room, trailing behind Astrid and Sachiko.
Which left me with Lara.
“Hey again,” I said.
Her smile could’ve made a priest reconsider his vows. “Hello, Marcus. It’s good to see you again.”
I blushed. Couldn’t help it. Last time I’d seen her, she’d had my dick in her hand—and the way she was smiling now suggested she wouldn’t mind doing it again.
“Yeah ... you too.” I glanced over her body. “You look gorgeous, by the way.”
Her smile deepened. Those bright blue eyes, framed by thick dark lashes, warmed me straight to the core. “Thank you. Hopefully, I’ll find a costume just as lovely ... so you can keep enjoying me the rest of the evening.”
“I, uh ... think I’ll have plenty to enjoy,” I said. “With my girlfriend, I mean.”
Jesus. I sounded like a high school virgin. I really needed to get over this awkwardness around Natalie.
Maybe Erin could help.
“She’s welcome to enjoy me too,” Lara said, slipping her arm through mine as we followed the others.
“Have you been to one of these before?” I asked.
“I’ve never been to this party,” Lara said. “I don’t know what to expect.”
“Me either,” I said, glancing back at her.
Her expression sobered. She glanced around the room, making sure no one was in earshot, then met my eyes again.
“Mr. Upton,” she said, suddenly formal. “Astrid asked me to deliver a message: you are to participate in tonight’s events—no matter what they are.”
My heart skipped.
I slowed, turning to face her. “What?”
“I’m just the messenger. She thought she might be too busy to tell you herself.”
“What kind of events?” I asked, letting go of her arm.
Lara shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve never been to one of these. But Astrid said she would be disappointed to waste an invitation on someone so boring they wouldn’t participate.”
She paused, then added with a perfectly polite smile: “And she mentioned that she gets ... talkative when she’s disappointed.”
I glanced around at the party-goers, trying to decide how to react. Obviously, I needed more information, and I didn’t want to upset anyone unnecessarily ... especially Natalie and Sachiko. Natalie just wanted to have a good time, while the last thing I needed was Sachiko asking questions.
Erin needed to know, though.
“Okay,” I said, giving Lara back my arm. “Thanks.”
“Are you furious with me?” she asked as she took my arm again.
“No,” I said as we continued toward the stairs. “Like you said, you’re just the messenger.”
With Lara this close, weaving through the crowd beside me, I caught the scent of spicy honeysuckle laced with something deeper, like sandalwood. Her dark crimson fingernails brushed lightly along my forearm, reminding me that she was more than just arm candy.
I started wondering how open Natalie might be to a little ... experimentation. Because ignoring my attraction to Lara was getting harder by the minute.
And it wasn’t just her.
Even Sachiko, for all her hostility, was hard to ignore.
By the time we reached the second floor, three of the women were already waiting.
Sachiko was deep in conversation with a slender, bald man who was enthusiastically offering wardrobe advice.
“Oh, honey! The off-the-shoulder look is so traditional,” he said. “But with your posture and that figure? Girl ... you would absolutely kill in one of these!”
I gave Natalie and Erin a questioning look.
“We’re waiting for a private room to open so we can try on costumes,” Natalie explained.
Her eyes flicked to where Lara’s arm was still looped through mine.
I couldn’t tell if she’d just noticed or if she was feeling a certain way about it.
I decided not to risk it and gently disentangled from Lara as I stepped toward my girlfriend.
“Cool,” I said. “Do you know what you want to wear?”
Her eyes met mine, unreadable. They lingered for a beat, then she turned back to the rows of costumes.
“God, I have no idea.”
“Monsieur.” A clean-cut man, much less flamboyant than the bald one, approached me. “We have a room available, if you and your party would like to change.”
The room turned out to be a massive walk-in closet. For the next few minutes, the girls dove into every piece of fabric they could get their hands on, debating, giggling, and throwing costume suggestions back and forth.
Meanwhile, I took one look around and decided on something that looked like a Roman centurion’s outfit—breastplate, helmet, the whole deal.
Both Erin and Astrid vetoed it immediately.
“You should wear something shirtless,” Astrid said, rifling through togas. “You’re one of the more fit men here. You should be proud of that.”
“Close!” Erin said, then held up ... straps. Just straps. “But maybe something like this?”
“What the fuck is that?” I asked, stepping closer. “Is that supposed to be ... slave attire?”
Erin grinned and nodded. “You’d look so hot in this.”
“What about this?” Natalie said, holding up a leather skirt with matching sandals—something vaguely Spartan.
“Sold!” Erin announced, dropping her find.
Astrid weighed the choice and then nodded in approval.
Then they all stared at me, waiting for me to say something.
“Um,” I said. “I guess I can wear this?”
They were still staring.
I looked around. “Wait—am I supposed to change in here?”
“We all are,” Astrid said.
“How about no?”
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