"Oh, God." Renee pressed her fingers to her lips.
"Perhaps I can assist you now, ma'am."
Before she could protest, Victor, who was now kneeling in front of her, pushed her skirt up higher on her legs and gently touched her thigh.
Her heart pounded. She waited, curious to see if she'd have the same intense reaction to this man's touch as she had the bouncer. But there was nothing, even as he moved his hand higher in a feather light trail. Unease swelled inside her, along with the instinctive feeling that this wasn't right. He wasn't the one who should be touching her.
"No." She shook her head and pushed his hand away. "I'm sorry. I need some time to myself."
Before he could comment, she rose and walked quickly away from him. She raised the bottle of beer to her lips and took a long swig. Did her health insurance cover psychologists? She had a feeling she was going to need one after tonight.
Renee reached the edge of the room and glanced around to see if anyone was watching her. Satisfied that she could make her escape without any notice, she slipped out of the room and into the eerie silence of the rest of the house.
She moved through the dim hallway, and stopped at the first room on the right. Grabbing the cool brass nod, she twisted.
The door opened slowly and with a faint squeak. Once inside, a lamp in the corner shed a bit of light in the otherwise dim room. She fumbled along the wall for a light switch. There it was.
She flipped in on, flooded the room with light, and nearly fainted.
Chapter Four
"Hello again. Are you lost?"
Devon set down his book and unfurled himself from the couch. He approached her slowly, watching the panic in her already wild gaze grow.
She didn't reply. Just watched him with a mix of fascination and horror.
"Renee," he murmured, continuing his slow, deliberate advance.
She visibly swallowed and reached for the handle behind her.
"I hate repeating myself." He stopped just in front of her, placing a hand on the door above each side of her head, ensuring she couldn't escape the room just yet. "Are you lost?"
She smelled amazing. Some sort of light and delicate perfume that only made him want to discover each little erogenous spot she'd dabbed it.
"Uh...yes."
So she was going to run with that lame excuse, was she? He gave her a brief, cold smile that let her know he didn't believe her for a moment.
"Aren't you enjoying yourself, Renee?" His tone mocked, and clearly she didn't like it.
She tilted her chin up, giving him a derisive look. "I'm enjoying myself very much, thanks. If you'll excuse me, I'll try and find my way back to the party."
He made no move to step back. Instead he ran a hand over her bare shoulder and then up her neck. When his hand closed lightly around her throat, she grasped his wrist, her eyes going wide.
"Easy, Renee. I'm not going to hurt you," he assured her, lowering his hand down to her collarbone, then over the swell of her breasts. "I'm simply checking to see if you've been marked yet."
"Marked?" she croaked.
"Bite marks, bruises from sucking," he gave a casual shrug, "or maybe welts from a whipping."
She drew in a large breath that made her chest rise wonderfully against the restraints of her modern fashioned corset. He wanted to touch her. Feel the heaviness of her soft breasts in his hands again. Maybe this time suck on her nipples.
As if she could read his thoughts, she pried his hand away from her cleavage and slipped under his arms.
"I'm unmarked and am hoping to stay that way." She tossed her hair and gave him another wary glare.
"Hmm. But you're not completely unmarked. I gave you one earlier." He lightly touched the pink bruise near her neck and shoulder that he'd left earlier during the preparation. "Don't you enjoy a man's touch? Gentle or otherwise, Renee?"
He could see her struggling with frustration and her attraction to him. It wasn't that he was trying to be arrogant, but he was attuned to knowing when a woman was interested. Whether she admitted it to him-or herself-or not.
"Actually, not really." She glanced at him from beneath her lashes, her expression saccharine now. "Though men have their uses, I generally prefer women in the bedroom."
He released a slow, amused laugh. "Do you? I had a feeling you might say that."
Panic flashed in Renee's gaze, before he turned and opened the door to the room again. He glanced left and then right.
"Ah, Shauna," he called. "Come here a moment."
Renee's eyes widened with recognition as the other woman stepped into the room. They'd arrived at his house at the same time, so clearly she remembered seeing Shauna.
"Shauna, this is Renee." He turned again to face her. "Renee was just telling me she prefers women."
Renee's jaw dropped and she blinked. But before she could reply, Shauna had advanced.
"Isn't she pretty," Shauna purred as she drew a finger down the center of Renee's corset.
Devon tried not to smile while Shauna practically licked her lips as she circled Renee. He knew that Renee's body, young and full, was everything Shauna craved in the third party for her and her husband's threesome.
And poor Renee. So out of her element, it was painfully obvious. How far would she let things go before she called a halt to this tryst with Shauna? So far she showed no signs of stopping the woman, even as Shauna unhooked the first few clasps on the corset and pulled it open.
Renee's breasts pushed out of the opening and a hint of a plum colored nipple peaked through. Devon's jaw clenched and he willed himself to remain still.
Enjoy the show, don't partake in it.
"You have enormous breasts." Shauna sighed. "My husband loves bigger women."
Some of the shock left Renee's expression and the fire he'd seen earlier returned. Apparently she didn't like being called a bigger woman. Which, while curvy, he'd hardly classify her as such.
Devon ran his thumb over his chin. No, a man had to be a fool not to appreciate all her curves and softness. With no jarring bones to get in the way. She was the epitome of a sexy woman.
Shauna moved to stand behind Renee. "You have a nice voluptuous ass on you, too. I think my husband would very much enjoy you if I brought you to him." She gave a throaty laugh and placed a hand on Renee's bare shoulder. "And so would I."
Renee finally had had enough. "Sorry, but I'm not interested." She re-fastened the hooks on her corset. "Besides, skinny bitches turn me off."
Shauna's gaze narrowed and her lips twisted with contempt. "Your loss." She swept out of the room a moment later, but not without giving Devon a narrow-eyed glanced.
Renee spun on him now. "Did you find that funny? Siccing that woman on me?"
Devon laughed softly, surprised that the incident hadn't completely unnerved her. "You said you preferred women."
"Oh come on, you knew I was lying."
"Perhaps. Maybe you just need to be more open minded."
"And maybe I will be, but clearly not with a crazy bitch like that."
A smile twisted at his lips, and he watched her through hooded eyes. She truly did amuse him, which was also rare in the women he was generally attracted to.
"What are you doing here, Renee?"
He left the question open for her interpretation. He could have been referring to the room or the party. Either answer he looked forward to hearing.
She folded her arms across her breasts and gave him a fierce look. "Listen, bouncer, you're the hired help. I don't think Mr. Murray would appreciate his staff getting out of line."
"And you're concerned with Mr. Murray's," he paused, "staff?"
Renee gave a sputter of exasperation, her cheeks turning a marvelous pink, and went to sweep past him. He caught her arm and stopped her.
"You intrigue me, Renee."
She lifted her chin. "Deal with it."
"You should be warned that I will."
Devon laughed when she fled the room.
So sensual. What she'd seen so far was just the beginning, and by the end of the night she would be thoroughly corrupted.
So far, nobody had touched her tonight except for him. He didn't count Shauna's attempt, and from what he'd seen on the monitor, she'd also rebuked Victor's attempts.
Of course there was always the possibility Renee would go back out to the party and join one the fantasies. Yet his conviction that she wasn't here for the sexual fantasies had only grown stronger as the evening wore on.
No matter her purpose for being here, he knew how the night would end. And that would be with Renee in his bed. He wanted her, and he always got what he wanted. It was that simple.
If he hadn't been attuned to her awareness to him-her almost helpless response to his touch-he might've focused alone on why she'd crashed his party. Why she kept lying. And he would still do that, but only after the pleasure.