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Category: Erotica/Erotic Romance/Mainstream
Description: Maggie Winters blames Carter Enterprises CEO, Alec Carter for the death of her husband. She believes that revenge is the only way to regain the joy she once had in life, including an active and adventurous sex life. Lacking resources to match those of rich and influential Alec, Maggie plots lure Alec into a sordid sex scandal which will ruin his business reputation. Just as he puts plans in place to rescue his company from the brink of disaster, Alec Carter becomes obsessed with a mystery woman who lures him into a weeklong sexual tryst. Both Maggie and Alec are unprepared when lust promises to become love. Both must learn to trust if they want the promised lifetime of love and loving.
eBook Publisher: Red Sage Publishing/Red Sage Presents, 2011 2011
eBookwise Release Date: February 2012

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [212 KB]
Words: 46854
Reading time: 133-187 min.

Chapter One

New York City, October 31st

Maggie Winters searched the crowd for a Tarzan in a palm leaf loin cloth and a Jane in a leopard skin bikini. Tarzan, also known as Alec Carter and CEO of Carter Enterprises, was Maggie's target. Jane was the woman hired anonymously to help pull a joke on a friend. At least that was the story Maggie gave out. Her hired partner for the evening didn't need to know that the joke was really bait for a trap. A trap intended for Alec Carter and set under cover of tonight's charity masquerade.

Because Maggie wasn't a lesbian, she had some doubts about using a lesbian encounter as bait. The part of her life that enjoyed sex, especially adventurous sex, had been dead for the last three years.

She'd loved her husband, David, deeply. When he died at the hands of the terrorists Carter Enterprises sent him to do business with, she'd nearly lost her mind. Her body had shut down. Her once insatiably curious libido dried to stone that cracked under the strain of mourning so strong it crushed her heart and battered her soul to dust. Shattered, she went through the motions of living, unable to care if her grieving heart would heal or quit entirely.

Then a month ago, she'd seen an article containing the announcement of the charity masquerade and Alec Carter's picture. The full color photo showed a handsome man in the prime of life. He wore a tuxedo, and his long fingers lifted a champagne glass in toast to a woman nestled within the protective curve of his arm. An ordinary enough picture, Maggie thought, except for the predatory gleam in Carter's green-flecked, golden eyes. That tiger-eyed glance as much as his broad shoulders and lean hips made Maggie's breasts prickle and a flush of shock rise to her face. Sexually comatose for years, any sensual response to Alec Carter was as impossible as it was wrong. Surely, anger not lust had triggered her physical response. She'd been numb for so long that any strong emotion would make her nerves misfire. However, the intense rasp attacking her nervous system didn't fade. In fact, her anger grew.

Carter was responsible for a devastating loss. Why should he enjoy wealth, sex and life? Such a privileged man could not possibly understand the mind-deadening pain and grief his callous use of people had caused. He needed to learn, to experience firsthand every agonizing, soul killing moment she had suffered. Her mouth watered with an insatiable desire. She would destroy Alec Carter as he had destroyed her.

From her anger's unappeasable hunger sprang an outrageous idea. She could ruin his professional reputation. Alec Carter was rich, powerful, beyond any revenge she could turn on him save one--sex. Though Maggie wasn't vain, she knew men appreciated her. She had never understood women who thought of sex as a weapon, but now, for the first time in three years, she glimpsed herself as powerful. Justice for David's death might do what nothing else could. It might free her from the shackles of grief.

As she continued to stare at the photo, a plan developed in her mind. Carter's predatory gaze at the woman beside him suggested he appreciated women, and enjoyed pursuing them. An attractive and compelling man, he could more than satisfy a woman's most elemental needs, and his expression said he knew it. That certainty was a weakness, one Maggie fully intended to turn against him.

After careful preparation, she was ready. As she stood on the mezzanine, searching the throng in the lobby below for a nearly naked man, she experienced a moment of doubt. What kind of woman was she to need so badly to ruin a man? She knew the answer. She was a woman who deserved revenge, payback, for all that she'd lost, who deserved to live fully, unchained by immobilizing sorrow. If she found Alec Carter attractive, her physical desire was no more than the honey she needed to bait her trap.

A leering cowboy approached her. "Hey there, little lady, wanna ride a bucking bronco?" The words flowed toward her on a tide of bourbon scented breath. He swiveled his hips, giving a sample of the bucking he offered.

"I'm meeting someone." She shook her head and turned her shoulder to him. Once again she wondered if she could go through with the woman on woman encounter she believed would lure rich and powerful Alec Carter into the net woven to destroy his business reputation and private life.

"The ride I got in mind won't take long." Pushing on her shoulder, he forced her to face him and reached for her wrist.

"I said, no!" She evaded his grasp, put steel into her voice, and shifted to walk away.

He reached for her arm again. This time he caught her wrist and started pulling. "Aw, you don't mean that. You're dressed like that prostitute, Camille. You'll put out for anybody if the price is right. And I can pay better than right. Now come here."

She dug her heels into the plush carpet. Making out with a lesbian can't be as bad as fighting off a drunken aggressive male.

The tug of war was short-lived.

"Leave the lady alone. Or would you prefer I feed you to the lions?" The voice resonated in her bones, and the quiet menace in the cultured tones freed her wrist.

Maggie soothed her reddened skin with one hand, raised her head to thank her rescuer and gawked while fine tremors shook her body.

Before her stood the Tarzan she'd been searching for. The announcement photograph definitely did not do Alec Carter justice. That photo showed him to be handsome. In the flesh he was beautiful in all the ways that made male different from female. Lips shaped for kissing. A narrow nose. A broad forehead. A head of lush, black hair. Green lights flecking golden eyes surrounded with a thicket of night dark lashes. That same predatory gleam that she'd seen in his picture threatened even as he protected.

Determination lived in the glided gaze. Command rode in the knife sharp jaw darkened with a dusting of black whiskers. And sex. Sex. Sexual prowess vibrated in the wide shoulders, the taut, sculpted muscles of arms and legs; the narrow hips and what appeared to be a generous genital package, if the lift of the palm leaves were anything to go by. An earthy scent mixed with his male heat skittered along her skin and sank tendrils of longing deep in her belly. She licked her lips. On a purely elemental level she wished she could spend the entire night tasting him, savoring him.

And how wrong was that? Deriving pleasure, even physical pleasure, from the man who'd killed her love and her life felt wrong. What other option do I have? I can't ruin him financially or with influence. Sex is my only weapon. I'll have to find a way to keep my emotions and physical pleasure separate. Sex with Alec Carter is simply a means to an end. She fed her unwanted physical responses to her anger and kept her outward emotions in check.

Towering above the shorter man, Tarzan bristled at the cowboy and gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. The gesture broke the spell of Carter's physical allure, and she realized that behind Tarzan stood two huge men dressed as African lions. The cowboy backed off. At a signal from Tarzan, the lions eased into the crowd.

Carter definitely knew how to get his way without a lot of fuss and bother. She'd expected that kind of autocratic behavior from the man who without a qualm sent a scientist with minimal negotiating skills to inspect a factory for sale in a terrorist infested country. The deadly result had been inevitable, and Maggie's anger had grown to encompass her husband's loyalty to Carter Enterprises.

"Alec Carter." He held out his hand.

"Alec," her husky whisper echoed. Maggie nodded and extended a hand. She tried to stay in the character of a prostitute and give a suggestive caress that could pass as handshake. However, keeping track of anything, let alone the role she should be playing, was difficult with his tawny gaze penetrating every pore. Heat pooled low in her body. Why did the ghost of her senses rise for a man she hated?

He clasped her palm firmly then quickly released her.

He'd been easier to find than she expected, almost as if her thoughts conjured him. However, now was too soon to get this close. Tonight she was supposed to bait the trap. Instead, she felt as if he had snared her.

"And you are. . . ?" He waited, quiet and insistent, for her to exchange courtesies and give her name.

"The lady's with me." A six foot, coffee-skinned, flame-haired Jane interrupted, saving Maggie from having to answer. The woman muscled her way between Maggie and Tarzan-Alec then slid an arm around Maggie's slim shoulders, pulling her close to Jane's side.

Rescued again, but Maggie's rebellious sex drive questioned which was better--her lesbian partner for the night? Or the intimidating male animal poised before her?

The shock on Alec's face when confronted by an unabashed lesbian might have been amusing, if it weren't also insulting.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry. I didn't know. Didn't mean to intrude." To his credit he didn't try to run away while he stammered his apologies.

"No problem," Jane replied. She gave him a toothy grin, perused his tall muscled body then licked her lips. "We were about to find a little private time in the conservatory. You could join us if you like."

Maggie watched his nostrils flare, saw his respiration rate escalate and observed his avid gaze slide over her and Jane. He was more than a little interested. He was hooked.

"Uh, thanks, no. I have other commitments."

He was too smart to risk exposure at an event like this, but his physical response told Maggie he wouldn't mind watching someone else play exhibitionist.

Statistically, watching two women make love ranked high on the list of popular male fantasies, just below participating in a menage a trois. While Maggie wouldn't object to the latter, arranging a tryst with three people in a public place was more complicated than necessary. All she had to do tonight was catch Alec Carter's interest. Making love with one woman should do the trick. So despite her personal preferences, she began to look forward to her sexual encounter with the stunning Jane.

"Too bad," sighed Jane. Her lips formed a sexy little moue completely out of character with a jungle heroine. "Perhaps another time."

Alec nodded. Sexual desire intensified the hunter's gleam in his eyes.

Maggie turned with her hired date and sashayed in the direction of the conservatory. Jane bent and put her lips next to Maggie's ear. "We got him, Babycakes."

Maggie smiled and nodded. "Yes, I think we do."

They stopped beside the elevators and waited. The conservatory was on the next level down. "You sure you want to go through with this?" asked Jane. "I saw how you looked at Tarzan. You don't normally swing my way. Do you?"

"No, I'm about as heterosexual as they come, but my friend back there needs to be taught a lesson in humility. This will definitely make him re-think his priorities. Besides, we aren't exactly going to run naked through the halls sexually attacking everyone in sight. This is a public place, and we do have to keep most of our clothes on."

The elevator doors opened. They entered the empty car, and Maggie pushed the button for the lobby floor.

"True, true," sighed Jane. "Although, the spot you selected for our little show is fairly secluded. Too bad about you being heterosexual, I could go for you in a big way."

"Sorry."

"Well, I'll have tonight to remember, so let's enjoy the ride." Jane smiled.

Committed to the imminent encounter, Maggie turned her thoughts to the biggest gamble of the evening. Would Alec Carter take the bait? They'd let him know where they intended to be. Only one spot in the conservatory would be private enough. Only one other spot provided an unobstructed view of that semi-private location. She had cameras placed to catch every lurid act as well as Carter's voyeurism. But he had to be there, or the entire plan would fail. She was gambling not only that Alec Carter would want to watch, but that he knew the masquerade venue well enough to watch from exactly where she could catch him on video. The purpose of the video was twofold--first to provide a record of Alec Carter's promiscuous and irresponsible behavior, second so she'd know that he'd taken the bait. If he wanted her enough to watch her have sex with another woman, then he'd want her more before Maggie was finished with him.

From the mezzanine Alec watched as the two women exited the elevator and made their way to the conservatory. The scent of ginger and oranges lingered along with the vision of lake-deep blue eyes, a lush pink mouth and creamy skin. He didn't really have any immediate commitments. He'd be meeting friends for drinks in about an hour. Until then he was on his own. Good thing he hadn't brought a date. He doubted any woman he knew would be interested in watching two other women, strangers, get it on. But he was interested, very interested, especially in Camille. As arrestingly attractive as Jane was with her cafe au lait skin and fiery hair, it was the blonde Camille, delicate and pale, her breasts nearly spilling out of that low cut gas-light era gown, who intrigued him most. He wouldn't mind having a piece of her himself, but since that wasn't an option, watching would be almost as much fun.

His gaze tracked the women until they disappeared beyond the conservatory doorway.

Alec hurried to follow. He'd been attending this charity event for years and knew the building. He had a solid idea just where in the conservatory the ladies were headed. The far corner with a long leather lounging chair flanked by potted palms that arched over the chair and screened it on three sides. He also knew the one place where a person could watch that chair virtually unseen.

Slow and quiet he made his way through the dimly lit space and headed for a small bench on the narrow room's near wall. This side of the room was always in shadow because the lights set high in the ceiling faced out toward the tall glass windows. At night the effect from outside was stunning, but inside, anyone on Alec's side of the room was walking in darkness. He approached the bench, careful not to stumble against a plant or pot. Pausing as he neared his seat, he checked to make certain the women were well occupied and wouldn't notice him moving around in the dark.

He shouldn't have looked.

The blonde, her skirts and petticoats foaming around her waist and hips, sat sideways to his view, cradled on the lap of the redhead who faced the bench where Alec would sit. The top of Camille's dress was pushed off her shoulders. Her elbows were bound in the sleeves, and her back arched. Jane's dark hands splayed over Camille's pale ribcage, lifting the smaller woman up for easier access to her breasts. The dark woman's tongue licked and swirled at Camille's taut pink buds then closed over one glistening nipple to suck loudly. The blonde woman moaned and tore her arms free of the restraining sleeves. She grasped the red-head's hair and thrust her chest at the woman's mouth, forcing her breast deeper into the sucking lips.

Alec stumbled to the bench. Fortunately, he didn't knock anything over on his way.

Camille squirmed in Jane's lap. "That feels so good. Let me touch you."

With one hand she pushed the bikini bra away, exposing generous dusky bosoms with large rosy nipples. Camille palmed one breast then pinched the nipple, pulling the bud and scraping her nails across the tip then repeating the process.

Jane growled and released her hold on the blonde woman's torso only to plunge her hand into the frothing cloth and between Camille's legs.

The blonde moaned, arched higher and raised her far knee.

Alec was close enough to see pearly liquid glistening on Camille's hair free crease. Open mouthed, he watched Jane's long fingers plunge repeatedly between the swollen red lips of the pussy and her thumb stroke the clit that hid from his view.

Camille spasmed. Her legs flailed wildly, and she cried out as she came.

Jane shifted quickly to kiss Camille and take into her mouth the climaxing woman's vocal ecstasy. All the while, Jane's fingers worked at her partner's steamy slit.

Long shudders raked Camille's body as the constant stimulation drew out her orgasm.

Finally, her body stilled and lay limp in Jane's tender clasp.

The redhead kissed the blonde's cheek and eyelids, uttering soothing murmurs to the shaken woman. "Ssh, Babycakes. It's all right."

Tears gleaming on her cheeks, Camille lifted her head and smiled at Jane. "That was more than all right. That was beautiful. Thank you."

Jane placed her cum-shiny fingers against Camille's lips. "Thank you."

Together the women licked the fingers clean.

Camille rose up between Jane's spread legs, placed her hands on the taller woman's shoulders and kissed her with a wild tangle of tongues and lips. "I want to do something to make you feel just as good as I feel right now."

Jane resumed the kiss. Finally they parted for breath. "You'll do a lot for me, Babycakes, just as soon as we get home." Wearing a lust filled grin, Jane eased her hands under Camille's skirt.

From the side, Alec got a glimpse of a pale pink ass cheek being squeezed by dark narrow fingers.

Camille pouted. Her responsive body lifted upward, putting her champagne glass breasts at her partner's mouth level. "Why not now?"

Jane chuckled quietly and kissed each perky nipple. "Because we are still in a public place, and what I want you to do for me I want you to do completely naked. Now let's put our clothes back together and get out of here. I'm hungry for some wet pussy. How about you?"

Jane's hands reappeared from under Camille's skirts. The darker woman restored her bra to its original position.

"Sounds great." Camille stood, poking her arms back into the sleeves of her dress.

Jane straightened the voluminous skirt and petticoats then helped to button the top. Giggles and quick caresses accompanied the dressing.

Patting their hair into place the two women left the conservatory.

On his bench, Alec panted, shoved his hands inside the band of the thong beneath his loincloth and squeezed his cock in an attempt to get his rampant erection to subside. His brain was so full of breasts, asses, lips, tongues and pussies, the attempt failed miserably. He had to do something, but moving would be painful. Finding a men's room or some other more private location was out of the question. The need to cum was too great to tolerate delay. Knowing that it wouldn't take long, he risked exposure and spent the next few minutes mentally reliving the scene he'd just witnessed while he jerked off into a nearby potted plant.

He thought of Camille and how much he wanted her. His attraction was greater and more immediate than his usual response to a beautiful woman. Normally he could count on a leap in his pulse and respiration, but he rarely had difficulty controlling his body. He'd had trouble with his loincloth at the first sight of the blonde's slim figure encased in an armor of cloth, the swell of her pert breasts plumped by corseted satin, the curve of her hips and thighs emphasized by a sweep of material drawn tight against her skin and upward into a tiny bustle perched on her sweet little ass. Then he'd seen her eyes.

The drunk annoying her should have died from that slashing lake-deep blue glare. Every line of her body had been steel taut, ready to batter the drunk to a pulp if he didn't let go. That's when Alec's protective impulses had kicked in. He'd told himself at the time that he only wanted to prevent a scene and save the charity any negative publicity. But he knew better. He'd been attracted as much by her strength of will as her beauty. That wasn't normal for him.

He usually went for pretty women, easy-going women. He wasn't interested in women who wanted to be his equal or worse his superior. No ball-breakers for him. Camille was more than pretty. But she was also far from easy-going. She would have kneed that drunk in the balls, if Alec hadn't interfered. Making love with a powerhouse like Jane, in a public place no less, took a kind of strength so far from easy going that Camille was in a different universe.

Yet something about her, something in the tenderness that conquered Jane, drew Alec to Camille. She was unlike any woman he'd ever met. He wanted more of her, wanted to find out who she was and what made her that way. He always got what he wanted.