Chapter 25: Truth and Consequences

As I watched Linda and Li drive away, another car pulled into the spot they had just vacated. I turned to go back to my other guests and a voice called out to me. I turned to find Chloe bounding in my direction. She nearly bowled me over as she leaped into my arms, wrapping her legs around me. Her lips locked to mine and her hands clung at me like a life line. I held her for a second, letting her maul me while I steadied from the imbalance.

Chloe pulled her lips from mine long enough to ask, "Where's your bedroom?" Without waiting for a reply, she resealed the lock.

I struggled with her for a moment, not only trying to remain standing but to breathe too. Steadily, her intensity fell away and she finally pulled back. Her eyes searched mine like she was trying to understand what happened. Her craving was still there, just toned way down. I was actually surprised. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. I ... I just never felt so ... Kissing you made me feel so..."

"Relieved?"

Her eyes widened. "Yes. Usually kissing gets me all hot and ready, but with you it's like I've been ... I don't know. Dowsed?"

I offered, "How about momentarily sated?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I still want you, but I feel like I actually have some control."

I smiled and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Good, because I have company."

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

I shook my head slightly. "No. Actually, I'm glad you're here. This involves you too."

She pulled back. I let her slide down to stand on her own. "Involves me how?"

Truth. I had to stick with the truth. "You know about the serial kidnappings?" She nodded, apprehensive, but she didn't pull away any further. "I've been asked to help keep you and several others from becoming victims."

Her expression shifted. "How?"

"Actually, that's what we're going to discuss. I already know that I can't keep all of you safe constantly, but I have something that will help safeguard all of you when you're at work, out shopping, whatever." I started guiding her toward my front door and she held onto me like she was almost afraid of what was inside. "This isn't going to be just me keeping you safe, but all of us working together to make it happen."

She nodded and seemed to relax a little. I held her hand, giving her a reassuring squeeze before opening the door. She had showed up ready for some steamy bedroom action, but fear had doused her fires far more efficiently than my touch. All I could do was offer support and hopefully between all of us, make them as safe as possible.

I reached for the doorknob but the door opened before us. Renée stood there.

There was history between them but I didn't know if they would wait on it or tell me right away. Chloe looked at me and then back at Renée. She smiled slightly and, without saying a word, passed Renée to go inside.

"Would you like to tell me now?" I asked softly.

She shook her head slightly with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She was being brave for all by not allowing her emotions any room to interrupt why we were there. Hopefully, she would tell me later.

As I took Renée's hand and gave it a squeeze, she visibly relaxed a bit.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I just feel better when touching you."

I had to admit, I felt better touching her, too. It had to be an effect of this connection forged when having sex. The others probably had it too, not to mention the underlying feeling of desire. But what about what had just happened with Chloe?

Renée noticed my withdrawal as I thought about what happened with Chloe. "What's wrong?"

I wasn't sure how to explain. "All day, I've been drawing women to me, right?"

She nodded with a slight smile and a slight squeeze from her hand. "Yes. So many women wanted to be with you."

She didn't need to say more. It was true. However, "So, how is it that when Chloe touched me just now, she cooled down from already burning with need?"

Renée's head tilted. She almost looked at me like she didn't recognize me. "I don't know. Maybe you calmed her because you've already had sex?"

"That doesn't seem right. You weren't cooled by my touch. You've been just as ready as everyone else."

She thought about it and then lifted my hand to her face and cupped her cheek in my palm. "You're right. Now, I'm not feeling that need. I still feel good, just like before, but I don't feel like stripping you down and doing things with you. It was still present when we got to my apartment." Her eyes focused and found mine. "What's changed?"

"If it was something I did then the only difference was being with Linda and Li. Otherwise, it's another change that's out of my control. Just like being a super sex magnet."

"Well, since you're calming women down now instead of heating 'em up, maybe you should get inside. All that noise you and the twins made got some of them kinda anxious. I know I did, but now that I'm touching you, I'm cooling down."

I nodded and we went back in.

Looking over the others, I didn't know if I should try a group hug or let them watch me one at a time. I still wanted all of them and that desire was present in their eyes as well. If touching and kissing had helped cool Chloe's fires after what she told me about herself with her previous boyfriend, then maybe it would help the others too. It seemed contradictory to what had been happening throughout the day, but there was only one way to be sure.

Erin was first. Holding out my hand, I helped her up when she took it. Bits of tension seeped away from her eyes and her shoulders relaxed. We moved together and shared a good long kiss. Her body molded to mine. She didn't try to rip my clothes off as she had the night before, but I could tell deep down that her deeper instincts wanted to. It was present, but content for the moment. She sat back down with cool eyes.

Next was Nadia. She had made my primal desires come alive much like I affected Erin and Chloe. Somehow, I knew she was still waiting for me to disappoint her in some way. I didn't want to. I enjoyed the feeling of craziness I got around her. Watching her move and the way she looked at me. My blood started to pump harder and I had to rein in that eagerness. She accepted me just as Erin had, and though I thought I was even more eager for her, I felt the tremble of her body against mine. She had her own eagerness. As our lips pressed together, I inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent, her need, her. It was invigorating and I felt better for it. Once we both came up for air, we let each other go and she sat again before we got out of hand. Maybe cooling them down required more than just touch, but what?

Chloe was seated next to Nadia, and even though we had a nice tongue tango outside, this was a display of how I treated everyone equally. I wanted all of them to see that they each held some part of my need as I held part of theirs. So, I pulled her up, but she took it a step further. Up, that is. She stood on the couch, looking down at me. Being the shortest of the group, it put her eyes just above mine. I held her and laid into our kiss just as passionately as each of the previous ones. With her shorter body, however, I ended up hugging her hips and butt rather than her waist. She was smiling once again as she sat back on the couch. The fire in her gaze was a nice soft cinder for the time being.

Tabitha was by herself on the love seat. As I stepped over to her, she stood on her own. I thought she might offer up some kind of jealousy, but like all the others, she took me, held me and kissed me. No complaints, no chastisement. Her tongue danced in my mouth as I perused hers. Though Nadia brought out my deeper instincts, Tabitha would find ways to make our get-togethers very straight-to-the-point. She ran her hands down my body as she sat down again, lingering as much as possible. I still thought she might have been clingier if the others weren't present.

Renée had stood in front of the love seat next to Tabitha, but out of reach. I hadn't given her the same public display as with the others, and I knew that they knew that she was also a part of our family. Again, it was a ritual. She deserved the same as all the others, even if she seemed to find more time alone with me. I snagged the front of her dress and pulled her to me. She grinned and stepped into my welcoming arms. Her more familiar kissing felt different only in that she was different. My need for all of them was still present. Only my need for Renée had met more satisfaction. I would have to find a way to correct the imbalance.

When we parted, Renée sat next to Tabitha. I stepped back and looked around to find all eyes on me. It felt like I was back in the mall. Only these eyes held knowledge, a connection, something more than just the distant want for what I offered. They had firsthand experience with me and understood how I felt for them. Whereas they were okay with it, I wasn't sure I was yet. For the time being I would have to make due.

The really scary part for me was that wasn't all of them. Linda and Li had left not that long ago, and Yvonne and Jeri were out there somewhere.

Thinking about those others, emotions and images swept over me. At first, it was like when I had seen Renée's memories earlier, but not as intense. Those images weren't memories though; they were more like seeing what each of the girls was doing at that very moment.

Jeri was carefully navigating her way along a busy street. Yvonne was sitting in a room, curled up and lonely. Linda and Li were in line in front of a movie theater.

Then the wash of insight was gone.

None of them seemed to have noticed me. It was as if I had been watching very short movie clips that had more depth than any movie could ever achieve. I smiled. Not because of any silly perverted ideas of watching them in showers when not present, but for the mere fact that I liked the idea of being able to see and feel them even when they weren't present.

Whether they knew I was there or not was okay. I didn't want to disrupt their lives more than necessary. Mine was already way beyond anything I recognized as normal. A few days prior, I had been depressed because I didn't have the courage to talk to Renée, much less approach her at the time. Now it felt as if that was a lifetime ago. Gone with the ancient civilizations that had conquered the world, extinct in body but not to history.

I pulled one of the new dining room chairs Erin had bought for me around to sit on so I could see all the women watching me. It was a dark brown, straight backed chair with carved flourishes along the uprights. It looked brand new, but I was sure she had found it at a used furniture store. I wondered briefly how much she had paid for the set.