Chapter 23

Prying his eyes open, suffering the bone-deep fatigue of a night that hadn’t provided sufficient uninterrupted time for a full recovery, he grunted at the sight that greeted his blurred vision. Kathryn was atop Alejandro, and they were making out like young lovers who rarely got the chance. For a change, it didn’t appear that penetration was involved, though it was difficult to know for sure.

“Did you two get any sleep?” he grumbled.

“A question not unlike one I asked several times last night, and again this morning. Unfortunately, the answers provided were rarely satisfactory.”

“Hey,” she retorted, running her tongue along the tendons of his neck, “it wasn’t all my idea.” His extended silence finally guilted her into a retraction. “Okay, I guess maybe it was.”

When the Spaniard finally escaped to the bathroom, Kathryn rolled over and snuggled against Luke. His sleepy attempt at righteous pique endured for almost ten whole seconds before he relented and gathered her into his arms.

“I apologize for failing to provide your usual morning service, but under the circumstances...”

“No, no, it’s fine,” he chuckled. “I think I’m gonna need all the energy I can muster. Speaking of which...”

She tensed. “Luke, before you start, I have to tell you some things. You might not like all of them, but I want you to let me finish before you respond. Last night...”

He kissed the top of her head. “You and Alejandro had hours — quite possibly many hours — of sex, first here on the bed and then all over the bedroom. Maybe in the bathroom as well, though I think I slept through most of that. You said a whole bunch of things, both in and out of the heat of passion, that you think will worry me. You did things you didn’t do while I was awake, like sucking him off after he’d been in your ass, and a prostate massage that, as you correctly observed, I don’t particularly care for. And you even speculated about keeping him in your sexual orbit, which led to a long and difficult conversation about ... well, you remember what it was about. I have no idea how much I missed, but I still saw and heard a lot.”

In a flash, she was on top of him, her breathtaking green eyes searching his, searching for reassurance. “Oh god, really? All of that? You were awake for nearly everything I said or did! I didn’t realize. I’m so sorry, I was just...”

“ ... about to tell me everything that happened? Kathryn, my love, though there were occasional flashes of doubt and concern, each and every one was pointless. That the very first thing you’re moved to do this morning is confess means more to me than any of the actual words you were about to say. But you don’t need my forgiveness, because you didn’t do anything that requires it. I told you to enjoy yourself without restriction or restraint, and I meant it. Instead, you’ll have to settle for my love. I hope it’s enough.”

“It’s more than I’ll ever deserve,” she sighed, burying her face in his neck. She’s crying. This isn’t exactly how I thought today would start.

“Admittedly, listening to you describe just how much you love me with someone else’s massive schlong sawing in and out of your ass...”

“You doofus,” she laughed though her tears, playfully slapping his chest, “he wasn’t actually inside me while that part of the conversation was happening. I’m not that much of an unrepentant slut.”

“Really? I don’t know. I kinda think you are.” She trembled in his arms, and his organ swelled at the realization that she’d experienced another small climax in response to one particular word. That’s twice now. I really have to explore this with her.

“Okay, maybe you’re right. But no matter how much of a slut I am, it’s all for you, my love. All for you. You free me to be one.” She was reaching between them to introduce his cock into her hungry sex when Alejandro reentered the room.

“If you two are going to continue in this fashion, I suggest efficiency. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, after which I recommend a shower for everyone.”

“Wait a minute,” Kathryn objected, still holding on to Luke’s shaft and (for the moment) ignoring the photographer. “You’re being so accommodating and forgiving about last night because you’re about to be fucked eighty-five ways from Sunday by a supermodel, aren’t you?”

He grinned. “I admit it does put a rosy and optimistic glow on things. Out of curiosity, could you detail the eighty-five ways? I’d like to be prepared.”

“You didn’t hear that part?”

“Uh, no?”

“Oh, Luke. You have no idea what you’re in for.”

“Should I be afraid?”

“Only of dying from pleasure.” She kissed him and made her own retreat to the bathroom, pausing along the way for a brief whispered conversation with Alejandro. Luke gave him a questioning, curious look.

“She asked after a larger range of preparatory supplies than she employed last night.”

“Ah, right. That makes sense. What time is it, anyway?”

“6:47!” Kathryn called from the bathroom. Luke cackled as Alejandro’s brow furrowed.

“Would one of you please do me the courtesy of...?”

“She has a frighteningly accurate internal clock. I try not to investigate too closely, because it’s more than a little creepy. For example: last night, when she said you were only in the shower for four and a half minutes or whatever? She not only meant it, I guarantee she was right.”

“It is a most distressing talent, and one she could never display in my industry. Expressing power by being late in a calculated fashion is very nearly the bedrock of our profession. Nonetheless, I understand now. Kathryn also told me that you overheard much of what happened last night.”

“Maybe not much, but at least some, and...”

“We should continue this conversation later, though I do indeed wish to continue it. If there was anything we did or said that you found hurtful, I apologize. However, I also assure you that you have nothing to worry about.”

“I’m not worried about anything I wasn’t worried two days ago. Well, actually I’m worried about one thing: if your guest is arriving as early as you said she would, are you sure we have enough time for three showers and breakfast?”

“Perhaps not, but there is sufficient time for breakfast and one shower. As you may or may not have noticed, it is quite large, includes multiple shower heads, and can easily accommodate far more than three people. You may also be unsurprised to learn that it has.”

Luke chuckled. “I’m not sure the three of us in the shower at the same time is more efficient.”

“In this case, we will need to be. But do not be too disappointed. My guest has a great love of showers and their erotic possibilities. I am sure that we will be invited to explore them with her. Now, take this,” he insisted, reaching into a closet and handing Luke a robe, “and I will meet you downstairs. If Kathryn wishes for a robe of her own, tell her she can find one in the closet on the opposite side of the room. Unfortunately — or not, depending on your perspective — it will be sized for fashion models, which means that she will have difficulty concealing her vastly more generous curves. Not that I think any of us will mind very much if she cannot.”

By the time Luke descended the stairs, the room was filled with the enticing aroma of bacon. Eggs sizzled in a well-buttered pan, and the counter was covered with a formidable assortment of fruit, bread, even more butter, honey, and assorted fruit-based spreads.

“You are good at breakfast. How did you assemble all this so quickly?”

“As previously noted, it is my sole culinary skill. I have not made coffee. While the caffeine would be welcome, it...”

“Yeah, I know about the aftereffects. No worries. I’m a little tired, but given what’s coming I don’t think I’ll be falling asleep anytime soon.” Alejandro was already nibbling on the first batch of cooked bacon with a look of rapture on his face. He’d finished a slice, and was halfway through his second when he noticed Luke smirking at him as he reached for his own. “The Spanish love for all things porcine?”

“Indeed, but there is more to it. Like many models, my guest is a vegetarian. Well, strictly speaking she is a vegan, but I promised her that, while I could occasionally give up meat and fish for the pleasure of her company, I could not simultaneously abandon eggs and dairy. Long pursuit of her diet means she cannot digest most dairy products aside from well-aged cheeses, but she has learned to endure eggs on occasion, as long as I promise not to tell anyone. On the other hand, if you open the freezer you will encounter a truly depressing supply of tofu sausages, lentil burgers, and other atrocities I cannot bring myself to describe.”

Luke gave him a sympathetic pat on the arm. “I’m sorry, man.”

“I appreciate your sympathy, though as you will soon learn for yourself there are compensations. While we have a few minutes to ourselves, however, I would like to continue the conversation we began upstairs. Are you still okay with everything that happened, both yesterday and this morning?”

“At certain moments I was a little bit worried by what she was saying to you. But with more time to think about it, I’m fine. It’s just ... I’ve watched her have sex with someone else, but there’s an intimacy between the two of you that’s unsettling to witness. I suppose she might’ve gone through something similar last week while I was with my friend Wendy, but that’s ... well, it’s a long story, but it’s different. Thank you for what you said to her, by the way.”

“I was not surprised by her offer, for I have heard it at similar moments many times before. I know better than to agree, but it was hard-won knowledge. The first time I was invited to continue indulging in a woman with or without her primary partner, I made the mistake of saying yes to a notion born in passion without understanding what I was putting at risk. It ended badly for all of us. I am making an exception to my usual restraint because I judge the situation to be manageable and her feelings for you resolute, but to attempt to extend it further under her current circumstances would be a mistake. It is true that I would relish the opportunity to be with her again, but she either needs to be completely unattached, or in a secure non-monogamous relationship. There is too much uncertainty otherwise, and uncertainty leads to entanglements that cannot be undone.”

“Well, if you change your mind, just know that I’d be okay with it.”

“While I thank you for your trust, you cannot necessarily keep speaking for her in this regard, and in any case the validity of the warning against it remains.”

“You’re right, and I know. I suppose we’re both using sex to run and hide, in a way.”

“So you heard that conversation as well? It was considerably more intense and revelatory than I expected, but it must have been much more so for you.” Alejandro was staring intently at Luke, attempting to assess the wisdom of probing more deeply. “It is probably not my place to say this, but given that my relationship with Kathryn precedes yours and the openness the three of us have shared, I am going to take the risk. You hold in your hands a very powerful but fragile situation; one that grows more fragile by the day, even as the strength of your feelings may seem to belie that characterization. She loves you, and you love her, but after her confession last night I am not sure either of you fully comprehend the stakes inherent in pursuing or abandoning that love. The road to togetherness will be difficult, as I think you would acknowledge. But even if you choose to part, this does not end with you returning to your life and her settling back into her marriage as if it has all been no more than a beautiful dream. Though it may appear otherwise, that is no longer one of the options before you. If you would heed my advice, be very, very careful, but do not be neglectful. Do not act in haste, but you must act.”

Luke really didn’t want to be having this conversation, especially when there was a day of exotic sex with a mysterious supermodel in front of him. And also, because I’m still in denial. Still running away. Still trying to evade responsibility for doing the right thing, whatever that is. “The only thing I’m sure of is that I don’t want to hurt her.”

“That may no longer be avoidable.”

“So everyone’s lining up to tell me.”

“There is often wisdom in crowds.”

“Plotting my sexual demise, gentlemen? Or commiserating over your own inevitable decline in performance?” Kathryn was sauntering down the stairs in a white silk robe that, as threatened, managed to conceal almost nothing. The bottom ended about an inch below the lower curve of her buttocks, the front was so loosely tied that both her sex and a fair portion of the inner swells of her breasts were exposed, and the material was so transparently thin that her erect nipples were fully on display.

“Well, we know which nympho-insomniac to thank for that, don’t we?”

She laughed. “I am a little sleepy, and I’ll certainly pay the price for all this excess tomorrow, but I’m still far more horny than I am tired. Sex is always better than sleep, anyway. Especially with you two studs.” Walking straight to Luke, she wrapped her hands around his head and planted a heart-stopping kiss on his lips, turned and offered the same to Alejandro, and then ... with a salacious glint in her eye ... dropped to her knees, fished out his shriveled (but still massive) cock, and gave him a lusty slurp. Luke’s turn came next, after which she stood with her back against his chest, idly caressing his shaft with one hand and popping orange slices into her mouth with the other.

“Just how horny are you?”

“Think about the most worked up you’ve ever seen me.”

“There are so many options to choose from.”

“Think of all of them put together, then. And multiply that by ten. That’s how horny I am.”

“Alejandro, we’re going to die.”

“I fear you are correct. Thankfully, formidable reinforcements are on their way.”

“You told me all sorts of enticing things about her last night, but are you ever going to tell me who she is?”

Luke was about to offer up a guess — an impossibly aspirational one, though everything he’d heard seemed to git — but Alejandro shushed him with a gesture. “I am quite sure she will prefer to craft her own introduction. I will not rob her of that pleasure.”

“But you told Luke?” she pouted.

“I did not, but I should be more specific: while she will most certainly enjoy introducing herself to Luke, it is you upon whom she will wish to make the greatest impression.”

“Me? But why?”

“You will learn soon enough. Now, let us enjoy breakfast and finish making ourselves ready. She will be here within the hour, and it would be better were there no visible reminders of bacon.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Luke mumbled through a mouthful of half-crisped pork fat.

They wolfed down their repast, chatting animatedly about everything but sex, then efficiently tidied the kitchen and raced upstairs. While their joint shower wasn’t exactly free of fondling or groping — mostly of Kathryn, who was delighted and aroused by the attention — nothing got too far out of hand, and they were soon toweling themselves off and reaching for their robes. Kathryn wrapped and tied hers as tightly as possible around her succulent curves, though it still didn’t hide much.

“It’s already seven ... uh, it’s about quarter to eight.”

“What time is it really, dear?” Luke’s voice dripped with affectionate sarcasm.

Blushing a bit, she murmured, “7:43. Anyway, I was afraid that we missed her arrival because we were messing around in the shower. I wouldn’t want to keep her waiting.”

“She has the codes for both the main door and the elevator. If she is here, I suspect she has already let herself in and will be waiting for us downstairs with great impatience.”

Kathryn looked anxious, but Luke was curious. “Based on what you’ve told us about her, I’m surprised she didn’t come up and join us in the shower.”

“I assure you that, while she has considered and reconsidered that option several times since her arrival, she deemed the opportunity to feel put out and ignored more satisfying.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“And now, Luke, you begin to understand what it is really like dealing with models.”

An notably slender woman with medium-length black hair paced back and forth in front of the windows, her clunky platform heels beating a rigid tattoo on the wooden floor. She was dressed simply and casually, yet it was clear that a fair bit of thought had gone into her attire, as it was clothing designed to deflect notice and allow her to blend into an anonymous crowd. As a disguise — for that’s what it was — the entire ensemble was extremely effective; one would have to stare at her for a long while to realize that her studied anonymity couldn’t permanently obscure her stunning beauty.

Her smoky brown eyes were wide-set, the whites surrounding her irises so pure and vivid that they were almost luminescent. Her nose, forehead, and cheekbones were patrician and unmistakably Nordic, but her lips (even devoid of makeup) were considerably more generous, suggesting a decidedly more southerly origin. At the moment, those supremely inviting lips were curled into a disapproving frown. Her complexion offered the uninitiated no obvious clues to her ethnicity; too light to be olive or brown, too dark to be pinkish and pale, yet utterly without blemish or flaw.

My god. It’s her. It’s actually her! I can’t believe it.

Faith Anderssen was a supermodel. Of that there was no doubt. She could have rocketed to stardom on the strength of her unique and manifestly appealing looks alone; half-Norwegian and half-Persian, she existed in a visual universe all her own, and year after year she was universally acknowledged as one of the most beautiful people on the planet. But she was so much more than that; an up-and-coming actress of surprising talent, an inventive clothing designer, a nascent entrepreneur, and an international icon whose given name was almost never accompanied by her family name. There was no need. Everyone knew Faith.

But there was something else unusual about her, especially given her profession. She’d achieved her iconic status and worldwide fame without ever once appearing fully nude, nor even completely topless. Not even the most ambitious paparazzo had managed to catch her relaxing sans suit on some remote beach, and they’d certainly tried. To be sure, there were enough essentially transparent meshes, dangerously parted shirts, and other see-through clothing — whether on runways or in the pages of fashion magazines — for any dedicated admirer to have a very clear idea of what she was hiding, at least above the waist. But for a model of her immense stature, her career had been remarkably demure. And though she’d been photographed on the arms of countless actors, fellow models, and titans of industry, whether or not she was actually with any of them was a subject of endless but frustrating speculation, for another thing that had never been captured was her offering even the slightest sign of physical or romantic affection to anyone, aside from her family. The whispered, never authoritatively confirmed or disputed, belief was that she was manifestly beautiful but asexual. Nor did she do or say anything to contradict such rumors.

During his restaurant career, Luke had served a fair number of celebrities, and while many tended to be fairly down-to-earth people ... and often extremely generous tippers ... they were rarely as attractive in real life as they were in print or on the screen. Such was most decidedly not the case with Faith, who was even more radiant in person than she was in her work, even while deliberately downplaying her beauty. It was impossible to avoid staring at her, and so Luke didn’t even try. He did force himself to close his mouth, surreptitiously stroking a finger across his chin to ensure he hadn’t actually drooled on himself.

“It smells like a slaughterhouse in here.”

Her accent was as mysterious as her visage; deep, sultry, and vaguely exotic, with every syllable forged from hidden reserves of razor-sharp ice. That she was whip-smart, and legendarily impatient with anyone who assumed that someone in her field couldn’t be, was also well-known.

Alejandro just laughed, crossing the room and taking her into his arms, waiting out her annoyance until she relaxed enough for a kiss; one she returned with obvious affection, weaving her fingers through his unbound hair. Finally, she laughed and shoved him away.

“You made me wait.”

“You know you enjoyed it.”

“I did. I love everything you make me do. Since you’re all lounging about in your robes and it’s pretty clear none of you are wearing anything underneath them, these must be the friends about which I have heard so many scintillating things.”

“They are. Luke Bronson, Kathryn Lloyd Maddox, I would like you to meet...”

“Faith. Faith Anderssen,” she unnecessarily clarified. “Though I suspect, by his obvious signs of discomfort, that this deliciously handsome man has already figured that out. Both of you, please come nearer the window and into the natural light so I can see you more clearly. A lifetime of trying not to unattractively squint into photographers’ horrible lamps has rendered me a little bit blind.”

Luke staggered forward, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that a woman who’d featured in more than a few of his most unlikely fantasies was not only standing right in front of him, but was here — at least in theory — to join their orgiastic festivities. Faith looked him up and down, appraising him like a freshly slaughtered side of beef hanging from a meathook. (Or whatever it was that a vegan might imagine in such a situation.) And then she grabbed his head and captured his lips with hers in a fiery, carnivorous kiss. At first he was too shocked to move, much less respond, but eventually his instincts took over and his tongue emerged to duel with hers. To his surprise, he was even bold enough to run a hand down her back until it rested atop the taut, athletic upper curve of her buttocks.

“Mmmm, that’s much better,” she purred as she pulled away, swiping a stray drop of saliva from the corner of his mouth and feeding it into hers. “Luke, darling, please relax. I eat, drink, sleep, and most importantly fuck just like any other woman. All my holes are in the same place as everyone else’s, they’re not made of hand-blown crystal or virgin unicorn skin, and you’re going to be inside each and every one of them today, as often as you can manage. There’s absolutely no reason for hesitation, and certainly not awe. Do you know why? Because you can do absolutely anything to me. Anything you want. No restrictions. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?” Numbness extended from the top of his scalp to the ends of his toenails, yet he somehow managed a nod. “Excellent. I can’t wait.” Offering him another kiss, this one only slightly less heated than the first, she finally turned her attention to Kathryn.

I’ve never seen her look shy before. Indeed, for the first time in his experience, Kathryn appeared tentative and uncertain, all her usual swaggering sexual confidence drawn inward like a protective shell. Faith was staring at her like a predator visually dissecting a trapped insect, lips pursed and arms akimbo. Luke noted that her fingers were twitching, as if she was agitated. He glanced at Alejandro, surprised to see the photographer wearing a broad smile and radiating something between glee and amusement.

“And you’re Kathryn.” Her tone was so outrageously neutral that Luke couldn’t even begin to interpret it.

“Faith, it’s very nice to meet you. I apologize if I’m a bit speechless. I can’t believe how beautiful you are.”

The model twisted her head around to look at Alejandro, incredulity written all over her face. “Is she serious?”

With a puzzled frown, Kathryn protested, “Of course I am.”

Faith was still looking at the Spaniard. “You told me she was remarkable, and that I’d be jealous. I didn’t believe you, of course, because I maintain a thick armor of self-regard to help mask my raging insecurities. But now...” She turned back to look at Kathryn, but kept talking to Alejandro. “The next time you tell me I’m incomparably beautiful, I’m going to remind you what a fucking liar you are.”

“I have never once failed to mean it, Faith.”

“Oh, shut it. Look at her. Look at her! My god, she’s ... by the way, you also forgot to warn me that I’m an emaciated stick figure compared to her.”

“I assure you that...”

“Shut up. How the hell did you manage to let her slip through your fingers?”

“Faith, I...”

“Romantically, sexually, professionally, I don’t care. She’s ... sorry, Luke. But seriously: how?”

“Our romantic and sexual destinies were fated to be forever sundered, and after yesterday I am even more assured that it was for the best. As for her profession, I cannot exactly blame her for choosing law over modeling.”

“A lawyer. So she’s brilliant, too. Great. Thanks for making me feel stupid and decorative.”

Luke was looking back and forth between the model and the photographer, trying but failing to understand the drama playing out before him. To his surprise, the latter just winked as if this was a script he’d already written; one that was playing out exactly as predicted. “You are very, very far from stupid, though I will admit that you are a most enticing decoration. If you would like to dangle prettily for a while, I believe we can arrange that later tonight.”

For a moment, Faith closed her eyes and shuddered. It was nearly identical to the reaction Kathryn experienced when he called her a slut. Was that ... did she just...?

“Oh, you silver-tongued photographers always know the right thing to say. Happily, your tongues can be put to even better uses. Now, my darling Kathryn, I’m so terribly sorry for being rude to you. I’m a bitchy, selfish dilettante who can’t deal with people unless they’re constantly kissing my delectable ass, and I can only ask you to forgive what will be many hours of petulance, mood swings, and childish competitiveness. Let me make this very clear, however: loverboy over there warned me that I might be envious of or intimidated by you, and he was not wrong. I have no doubt you’ve been told how beautiful you are on more occasions than you can count, because men somehow think that the absolute least meaningful thing they could possibly say to us is some sort of key to unlocking our vaginas, but I’m going to beg you to take it from an expert: you are a goddess incarnate. And you ... wait a minute.” Turning back to Alejandro, she demanded, “It’s her. She’s the one, isn’t she?”

Kathryn, despite being more than a bit stunned at Faith’s barrage of praise, managed to ask, “The one what?”

“There was a photoshoot fairly early in my career. I don’t remember who it was for, but I wasn’t wearing very much, and the client wanted me to wear even less. If Alejandro hadn’t been there to defend me — he even threatened to walk off the set if they didn’t stop pushing — I probably would’ve had a very different career, because I was on the verge of capitulating. But he did, for which I’ve been forever grateful. This was before he and I became lovers, but we’d already worked together often enough that I was trying to figure out how to get him inside me. Though I’ll admit it was also before I fully understood just how enormous he was, which was probably for the best; if I’d known, I might’ve fled in the opposite direction, and that would’ve meant the terrible loss of many years of really fantastic sex. Well, I was young, foolish, and a lot tighter back then.”

“Anyway, I left the shoot feeling bloated and ugly and used ... all the typical model bullshit, especially when it’s not true ... and I made him take me out to get absolutely shitfaced drunk, which — ulterior motive — I kinda hoped would end with him taking advantage of me. We went back to his apartment and he spent about an hour rejecting my rather determined advances, which was the noble decision even though I loudly and drunkenly resented him for it at the time. The next morning, after coffee and a whole hell of a lot of Advil, he stripped me naked and held me under the shower for a while. That seemed promising, despite my raging hangover, except that he still wouldn’t have sex with me. I was feeling sorry for myself — I couldn’t even get laid, for god’s sake — and I asked him if I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Yes, it was as pathetic and needy as it sounds. I really, really wanted him to say yes. But he said no, and I lost it. Crying on the shower floor, breaking shit, smashing his mirror, all of it pure cinematic overkill. I’m still sorry about that, by the way.”

“As I have told you over and over again, you have more than made up for it.”