The Courts Of Pleasure Ch. 11

She looked down at Vi and her dark eyes wide with questioning. They rose together and crossed the room to the wall of windows beyond their bed. Below them lay a tropical paradise. Living trees, shrubs, flowers, vines twined over grassy paths, graveled walks and a stream converging on a large pond, beyond a sheet of water fell, cascading over rocks and rippling into the pool of water below. Here and there gardeners worked at their tasks and nude bathers sported and reclined upon the banks.

Sarah felt Vi's arms slide around her body and her nakedness cuddle up to her back as they viewed the scene two stories below them. They were to be spectators of this Eden, distant voyeurs to whatever passed below and a telescope offered itself on a tripod beside them. They stared in silence, awed by the magnificence and the beauty of this garden.

A melodious chime sounded in their suite, followed by a dulcet feminine voice. "The Patron requests the honor of your presence at breakfast. Eight o-clock sharp please. The time is now seven ten."

"Well we can't go like this," Sarah exclaimed.

"I don't know why not," Vi giggled "everyone else is in the buff. But c'mon let me show you our wardrobe."

A bank of doors in the hall leading to the bath opened at her touch, racks of blouses, pants, jackets, sweaters, dresses lay before them. Eagerly they sorted through the selection of elegant styles. The dresses were mostly ankle length, sleeveless, silks and rayons, often with deep slits up the front or side, in soft solid colors or gorgeous floral patterns.

There were sensuous jacket dresses that fell to just below the hips with backs that opened to the waist, long sleeved clingy sweater dresses that buttoned down the front and fell to their feet. For footwear everything from sexy sandals with heels to elegant loafers to refined calfskin boots.

And there were silk suits with long jackets draping over pencil pants, and endless tops and tees to wear with skirts and shorts, and glamorous camisoles in delicate lace. Whatever the occasion, whatever the mood, there was something here to satisfy it.

"God," Sarah groaned, "I could look at this all day."

"I know," Vi sighed "but we'd better shower." Soon washed, dried, and fluffed they made their choices for breakfast wear.

Vi chose a soft knit sleeveless tank sweater with a low-cut square neck and silk georgette wide leg pants in a luscious creamy color that set off her dark eyes and hair. Sarah settled on a white button-front linen dress with a dress collar and cut-away shoulders and a hem that fell to her ankles. She picked broad strapped dark sandals for her feet and left the dress unbuttoned to the middle of her thigh.

"YUM!" they murmured together, gazing at the effect in the mirrors. Their reflections were cut short by a gentle knock on the door. When they opened it a young man in white vest and dark trousers stood before them. To say that he was handsome was to say the least about his appearance. His allure smoldered in his jet black hair, his eyes even darker than Vi's, in the bronzed heft of his tanned bare shoulders beneath the stark white of his vest, in his taut muscular waist, and the bulk of his loins.

"My name is Alex, I've been assigned to see to your needs. If you will accompany me," he said with a smile that showed his even white teeth behind his chiseled lips. "The Patron will join you for breakfast this morning." An elevator door stood open directly across the hall from them and Alex beckoned them to enter. Sarah tossed a wry glance at Vi who raised her eyebrows in amused assent and they stepped into the lift.

"I trust you slept well," Alex offered politely.

"Under the circumstances I think we slept very well," Sarah shrugged with another wry glance at Vi who smiled maddeningly back at her.

Alex turned to face them. "If you require anything it will be my pleasure to be of service to you."

"We'll keep that in mind, Alex." Vi replied with a wry knowing glance up at Sarah. The elevator slid to a stop with an inertia that made their stomach's tingle. The door slid open and ahead of them, across the corridor, glass doors gave onto a broad open patio, and above it the clear blue sky arched overhead. A table had been set beneath the spreading branches of a large Japanese Maple and another young man in white vest and dark trousers stood beside the shinning utensils upon a buffet. Alex conducted them to the table and seated them.

"This is Stephen," he announced indicating the other young fellow who was obviously not only his counterpart as a waiting-man, but also his sensual alter-ego in dark good looks. Stephen nodded politely as he approached with the coffee.

"Would you care for cream or sugar?" Stephen asked, gazing down at Sarah, his eyes taking the measure of her bosom.

"I prefer mine black," she said glancing up into his dark eyes.

"And you ma'am?" he offered with a smile at Vi.

"The same," Vi replied, "Her name is Sarah and mine is Vivienne. We may as well all be on a first name basis as it appears we may be here for some time."

"As you wish, Vivienne." Stephen poured expertly and slowly, his lean hip but inches from her face as her eyes modestly turned away from the evident bulge in his crotch.

Glancing past them Sarah observed the two canvases she had sent to The Patron racked on an easel next to the tree, and others stacked beside it. She studied her works anew in the sunlight finding again with satisfaction the sensations that had inspired her to create them.

'The Kiss' had bloomed after that first caress upon Vivienne's neck, and the floral abstraction was inspired by that first night when she had made love to Vivienne's vulva. Everything she had felt was there in the sumptuous shapes and sensuous colors that had flowed from her brush.

Catching her absorption Vi turned to follow her gaze and then looked back at Sarah with a smile. "They're so beautiful," Vi whispered, her hand squeezing Sarah's arm enthusiastically.

"Ah! The artist and her model." The voice intoned and they glanced up to see The Patron standing beside their table. "Please forgive my disguise," he offered seating himself between them, his eyes bright behind the soft mask that covered his upper face. "but I prize my anonymity."

The women studied what they could see of him, his trim but average body and height, the pleasant but unremarkable features of his mouth and chin, his neatly trimmed dark hair, the paisley cravat beneath the light silk shirt, the white linen trousers and dark shoes. His manner and dress were refined but there was little about him that was distinguished, except for his eyes. And if anything the mask heightened their brilliance. It was as if the man's entire being centered itself in these portals on the world.

Sarah found herself realizing that in addressing him she would be speaking to his eyes, and without seeing his whole his face it would be virtually impossible to judge the effect of her words upon him. Increasingly she must listen to the tone of his voice and to the feel of his body language for her understanding. Stephen approached with the coffee and the breakfast began while Alex hovered behind them.

"I must tell you Sarah that I am intrigued and impressed with these canvases, and I detect something fresh in your work," The Patron opened. "Alex would you display the other paintings please."

Sarah watched Alex turn her works out to them, his back with its trim tight buttocks reminding her of the young men who had posed in her student days, his rear every bit as enticing as his frontal view. Wrenching her eyes from him to study her older paintings the difference between them and her new works was immediately apparent. She nodded, "Yes. These paintings are not that old. In fact I painted that piece in the center only a few days ago." She nodded at the portrait of Vi's lovely countenance.

The Patron nodded. "That's how I recognized you yesterday despite your masks. And how do you account for the difference?"

Sarah hesitated. The answer was right in front of him, but she didn't look at Vi. Something dark and unspoken cautioned her. He would see only Vi's beauty not her 'being' as a woman. This was something she wanted to treasure for herself, to realize in her own time. It was not for sharing.

"It's an understanding that comes to one after a while," she replied.

"A sensual understanding," he probed, "and what is the inspiration?"

"It's a feminine thing, a femaleness."

"It's a particular kind of beauty," he asserted.

"Yes," Sarah qualified, it's female beauty. It's something all women have."

"All women?" he questioned.

"Yes! You of all people should know the answer to that," she said evenly. "Ingres' Grand Odalisque captures it perfectly. I once had a discussion with a fellow whose eye for beauty had been conditioned by the prettified pin-ups of such artists as Adolphe Bourguereau, whom I see well represented in your collection by the way.

This fellow said that when he looked at the Odalisque all he wanted to do was give her first aid. He couldn't bend his eye around the sublime shape of that huge hip that Ingres worked for so many years to bring into realization. He couldn't see the inherent loveliness in the utter femaleness of that form. It is an abstraction of the essence of woman. It's what turns everyone on when they are around us. All of us!" Sarah finished emphatically.

The Patron's mouth smiled as he stared again at Sarah's fresh canvases. "Well, I leave you to your work. And I await the final realization with great expectations. I can see the commission is in good hands."

Sarah heard the satisfaction in his voice. "If I'm going to accomplish this, Vivienne and I must go back to The Court. There are too many distractions here," Sarah protested.

"But surely you realize how unwise that would be. You've apparently come to the attention of the Slavers, and they are after you Sarah. They can't touch you here. Out there," The Patron jerked his head meaningfully, "anything can happen."

Baffled, Sarah could only stare disconsolately at him. "In any case," he went on, "we have enormous resources here for your work. Please feel free to use the studios, the galleries, the libraries, the gardens and any of our 'entertainment's'. These 'distractions' may prove more useful than you now realize." He stood and signaled to Alex. "He will be your guide. I must leave you for now, but I shall send you some items of interest later. Please enjoy yourself." And with that he crossed the patio and disappeared into the corridor as Stephen appeared with plates of crepe's, a luscious fruit compote and the flakiest of croissants.

From across the table Vi shrugged resignedly as Alex leaned between them to fill their coffee cups, "Who knows he may be right."

"Are you going to give us a tour of this glorious prison, Alex?" Sarah pouted.

"It would be my pleasure, Sarah. Do you think you would find it inspiring?"

"I thought you were going to say 'up-lifting'," Sarah returned with a glance at the front of his slacks.

Vi choked back her little giggle as Alex smiled agreeably down at them and waved his hand casually in Stephen's direction. "We are at your service, ladies. What would you like to see first, the galleries, the gardens, ...or...?" his hands spreading meaningfully over the generous bulge swelling in his loins.

"I just want to finish this delightful breakfast and then we will put ourselves in your hands," Vi murmured popping a morsel of crepe' into her mouth and rolling her eyes wisely at Sarah.

"Take your time, we've got as much of it as you want," Alex replied, his voice heavy with meaning.

"That I can believe," Sarah finished soberly.

They had already toured the gallery last night, there was a sumptuous studio in their suite, and the gardens drew them, but most of all Sarah wanted to get an idea of the lay of the land after they finished their breakfast.

Afterwards, while Alex toured them through the corridors and up and down the elevators, she made mental notes of the access she had to the four floors open to them. But there seemed to be no way down from the Grotto Theater to the lower floors and freedom, nor any way up into The Patron's Penthouse.

After an hour of strolling The Galleries with Alex they found themselves in a maze of marble passages and alcoves beneath it in which beautiful young women reposed upon couches either singly or in pairs, and sometimes in groups of three or more. The girls studied them as they passed and the looks they cast their way were utterly seductive and inviting.

This 'gallery' opened onto another one peopled by young men and women, and beyond that a third only by men. All three galleries it developed led to an utterly impressive re-creation of a vast Roman bath where both sexes sported together in the steaming waters or reclined about the pools in every stage of undress.

From there they passed by a series of stairways into the tropical paradise of the forest they had glimpsed this morning from their suite. Sarah tried to find the windows from which they had observed this garden but they were obscured by treetops and it was only when they emerged onto the pool by the waterfall that she realized her windows were lost in a solid bank of mirrors when viewed from this side.

Again beautiful young women of every race graced this garden, wandering leisurely over its paths or posing languidly about the waterfall. Many of the girls were utterly nude while others offered themselves in exotic jewelry and veils or period costumes. Occasionally visitors like themselves had paused to chat with these maidens and here and there they seemed to be wandering off together.

Sarah looked at Vi and raised her eyebrows. Clearly they were living in a vast and luxurious bordello staffed by only the choicest of young women and men. And if they chose they could be its patrons. Or on the other hand they might find themselves as part of its offerings.

So this is what happened to the young women who vanished into Bountiful Towers. What would it be like Sarah wondered to be on display like that, to be chosen by utter strangers for endless intimacies? Her first tastes of it she'd had in the last weeks with her pond lover, and then shoe clerk, and last night in with that fabulous phallus in the hidden gallery, the first a delight, the others glimpses into the overwhelming power of sex in her life.

Vi's gaze rested upon Alex leading them up a winding path to the terrace above. He was even more of a stranger than Cliff, and an utterly irresistible hunk as well. The thought trickled into her mind and she pushed it away. What was she thinking of? Besides Sarah would be shocked. Vi shrugged her bare shoulders. Her bosom seemed suddenly unbearably warm under her sleeveless tank top sweater.

They neared the top of the terrace and Sarah glanced back at the movement that caught and held her eye. She paused, a familiar form had detached itself from the greenery at the edge of the pond. A round blonde head over stout shoulders and bronzed arms that cradled dark crowns of flowing hair on each side of his broad chest loomed into her view. The girls, nude in his embrace, were looking up at Cliff and laughing, his hands cupping their bare breasts.

Sarah was totally prepared, after all what else would he do in this place? In fact she knew just what those girls were feeling right now and the thought had a certain excitement in it. He was certainly fulfilling his threesome fantasies in spades. She shook her head with a wry smile and turned to Vi and Alex who were waiting above for her.

That boy was a handsome stud for sure, and so was his buddy, Stephen. 'Some-day, Sarah, I'm going to give you what you want. All the cock that you can handle.' Cliff's words from that night in the parking lot at the Mall echoed suddenly within her. She looked at Vi and smiling prettily mounted the steps to them. I think that 'some-day' has just dawned she marveled to herself taking Alex's arm. "So, how do we find our suite from here?" she murmured up into his smile.

"It is my pleasure to show you, Sarah, Vivienne?" he queried extending his other arm to her. After a little hesitation Vi slipped her hand over his forearm and they matched their strides to his, leading them to their door.

Vi felt the harmonious movement of Alex's body next to hers, the way he accommodated himself to her steps and the sway of her body. She wondered if Sarah was feeling the same rush of pleasure from this closeness, but of course the inevitable result of this sensation was simply too preposterous to think about when the door of their suite stood finally before them.

"What time is it Alex?" Sarah asked.

"It's two-thirty-seven, Sarah."

"Oh it's way past lunch-time." Sarah looked up into Alex's dark eyes and her hand lifted to the top button of his vest. "I'm just ravenous, aren't you Vi?"

Reading the gesture Vi nodded incredulously, and heard her own voice respond weakly, "Yes, I could use a bite."

Sarah watched her own fingers slip Alex's top button and felt his silky mat of chest hair tickling them. Should she? Vivienne would be scandalized, but it was now or never. And never was forever. Sarah took a deep breath and steadied her voice. "Has Stephen got a friend?" she asked.

Alex lifted his eyebrows agreeably. "Yes. His name is Jefferey."

"Well ask him to help. It's going to take all three of you to serve this meal."

Alex nodded, and his smile left nothing to the imagination as he stepped into the elevator across from them and disappeared. Sarah turned to Vi with open mouthed astonishment on her lovely blushing face. "What are you up to, dear?" she giggled.

Sarah put her arm around her and they entered their suite. "I'm up to whatever you're up to, darling. No more, no less. I just thought we could use some extra help. We can do twosomes, or we can do twosomes and threesomes. With three guys nobody gets left out when we do threesomes. Or," Sarah hugged Vi excitedly, "we can just have lunch."

"I've thought about doing something like this, but I never thought I really would get the chance," Vi's blush had bloomed upon her bare shoulders now, infusing her olive skin with a rosy glow. "It's crazy!"

"I know!" Sarah laughed going to the windows and pointing the telescope at the pond. Cliff was nowhere to be seen.

Vi laughed nervously. "I mean what do we do first? Just spread our legs or what?"

"These guys are experts, sweetheart. They're here to pleasure us. They'll know just what to do." Sarah moved the scope slowly, searchingly, over the garden.

"God!" Vi sighed. "Do I look all right?"

"You're gorgeous. They'll have hard-ons just looking at you. Did you see that Stephen at breakfast this morning. I've been crotch watching ever since we came here. He's absolutely stunning."

Vi watched Sarah stop panning the scope and begin fiddling with the focus. "Speaking of crotch-watching, look at that!"

Vi peeped into the eyepiece and caught her breath. The woman's vulva pumped slowly and luxuriantly up and down over the erection thick and shinning with her juices. "Ooooh!" Vi groaned tweaking the focus out a bit. The fellow lay on his back and she had straddled him with her back to his head obscuring his face. The woman dismounted then and holding his erection in her hand she slid the bulbous end into her mouth.

Fascinated Vi watched. She could almost feel that luxuriant shape in her own mouth. The woman took him out and licked slowly up between the lobes of his penis to the dark little eye dripping with fluid. She held him in her hand then just to look at him and Vi gasped. The sight was so familiar that her palm twitched. She had caressed the head of that very cock with her own mouth!

"It's Cliff!" she stuttered looking at Sarah who nodded, a bemused smile on her face.