A Dangerous Legacy Pt. 01

For a long moment he held back. Our noses nearly touched and those gorgeous green eyes looked deep into mine. He had cat-eyes, exotic and beautiful. I couldn't hold back, finally, and so I closed the last two inches and claimed his lips.

Grabbing his arms I held him close and he pressed into me, settling on my lap. It was a novel position to be in, I was more used to sprawling across a man's lap, but I liked this. He felt every bit as powerful as Andre had, but if the other man was earth, Julian was water flowing over me.

He tasted of sweet and dark things, and I gasped when I felt one long-fingered hand claim a breast. Through two layers of satin he found my nipple with unerring ease. I arched into it, suddenly a dark hunger yawned awake, ready to devour him- and he pulled back.

Panting, I watched him stand, blatantly adjusting himself yet still wearing that shy smile.

"If that wasn't seduction, what was it?"

"Fun. Will you be having lunch at home today, or outside the house?"

"Outside the house," I said automatically, shaken by the level of temptation I'd felt. If the test was resisting them, I knew then I was doomed to fail. I just couldn't bring myself to care much, right then.

"Good, it's good to see friends. Dinner will be at six." With that, he left.

I drew a bath and soaked in heavenly scented bubbles until I was as wrinkled as a prune, but still I was turned on. I dried off and set the dog outside, then from my nightstand drawer pulled the little toy. I turned it on and covered the buzz with my little radio blaring classic rock. Pressing it to my clit I closed my eyes and whimpered.

Soon I'd work up the courage and take what so far the men had been offering, but not yet. I needed to know them better.

I had three leg-shaking orgasms in a row, biting my lip to keep my cries down, but it still didn't help. My body wanted more. It had been so long since I'd been filled, since a man's hands had covered my naked flesh and pushed my desire into dizzying heights. It had been too long since I was surrounded by hard strength and filled to my limit. Damn it, I was still majorly turned on.

I blew my hair dry and dressed, taking my time with makeup. I chose a wrap dress and lacy camisole, black over blue-green, and the knee-high leather boots. I called up my best friend Dianne and she was free for lunch, so I slipped out the back to the garage.

There Pierre was working on something. He was bent over using a wrench to secure a bolt to a strange box, and I took a moment to appreciate the view.

He looked over his shoulder as if he new he were being ogled and smiled. "Hello. I'm installing the charging station."

"How did you-"

"I told Andre you needed one for the roadster and he bought it earlier. It'll be ready this afternoon."

"Thank you," I murmured.

The garage was heated, and he'd removed his shirt as he worked. Andre looked to be harshly defined muscle, and Julian was wiry. Pierre was...perfect. With his dark hair falling to his shoulders and the short beard, he looked to me like how I'd always imagined Hades looking.

I was still keyed up, and watching him work, those muscles flexing, I felt the dark urge to go over and stroke my clean hands down the bits of grease and dirt on his tanned skin. There was just something about a man working with hands covered in sweat and dirt that called to the most primitive female part of my brain.

He glanced up again suddenly and winked.

Blushing furiously, I opened the door and got into my car, revving the engine. I couldn't speed into the alley, I had to save it for hitting the highway. Driving to the west side I got some of it out of my system. Some.

I came home feeling better. Dianne was truly a sister of my heart, my best friend, honorary family. Like me her life had been hard and she cared for her disabled father which took all he time and didn't allow for extra income beyond his social security. The look on her face when I drove her to the bank and deposited a check for fifty thousand was worth every worry of the last two weeks.

Then I drove her past the house that would be theirs and explained I had guests. I wasn't ready for her to meet my new roommates, so I used the excuse work was being done and just showed her the front. We went to lunch then drove by my future home down in loop.

I took her shopping for food and clothes and for once I didn't mind shopping. She had been caring for her father since high school, and like me her mother had passed when she was young. We had bonded originally over tragedy, but now shared joy. Feeling weight off our shoulders we did stop to cry several times. To her mind I had inherited this money and that I was sharing it with her meant the world to us both. By the time I dropped her off and helped her carry everything in, she was happily exhausted. I promised to have Andre secure a nurse to come by, one who would work during the day so the burden was lifted.

I pulled back into my garage with a smile and by the time the door was coming down the other door opened and Pierre stepped through, blessedly dressed.

"The charging station is ready to go. Have a good afternoon?"

"I had a great time. Got to see my best friend. Always recharges my soul."

His smile was genuine, and breathtakingly beautiful. "Great. Let me charge up the car."

"I've been taking it to the dealership and they fall all over themselves to do it for me. Can you show me how?"

"Certainly. Come here."

I leaned in close and watched him plug it in and set everything. He was a good teacher and I quickly picked up on what I needed to do.

Straightening up, he stood close. In my heels our height was dead even, and his bright blue gaze was direct.

"Anna, tell me something."

My pulse fluttered and I wondered if this was to be another discussion of my fantasies. "Sure."

"What will you do with your time?"

"Oh, write," I said quickly. "I've always been a writer, I'm addicted to it."

That seemed to surprise and somehow please him. "Are you writing anything now?"

"A biography of the Borgias."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you write non-fiction?"

I nodded.

"I'd love to read it."

"When it's finished," I said quickly.

He leaned past me to stroke the fender of my car. "She has beautiful lines."

"And handles like a dream. For an electric car she has a lot of power."

"Sleek and powerful, two very good things." The way he said it, staring directly at me, I knew he didn't mean the car.

I wasn't sure who reached for who, but in seconds we were kissing, locked into a tight embrace. He was raw passion, pressing me into the car he stepped between my legs and then his hands scooped my ass up, lifting me. I wrapped my legs around him as his tongue slid inside my mouth.

His taste was heady and yet light, and though he covered me and I felt surrounded by his strength, his lips were light, touching mine with the fleeting pass of butterfly's wings. Still I felt gently conquered, my head spinning with it.

When I melted he pulled back, and gently let me slide to my feet.

"Well," was all I could manage.

Smiling he placed a soft kiss on the bridge of my nose and stepped back. "I hope you're hungry, Julian has been killing himself to make chili. He found at least three recipes you wrote down all with subtle differences."

Laughing I fell into step as he closed up the garage behind us. Diego came running up and I stopped to pet him. "The real recipe is in my head. Family secret."

"You'll never share it?"

"I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you."

We laughed together as we entered to see Julian sighing dramatically over a pot. "Anna! This just doesn't seem right."

I set my purse down and peeled off my coat. Pierre took both and sauntered off, whistling.

Gently I pushed Julian aside and grabbed a spoon to taste.

"I know what it's missing. Go wash up. Family secret."

"But Alessandra doesn't cook," he said softly.

"Julian," Andre said sharply from the doorway. "Forgive us, Anna. I've set the table. Julian, you should change."

I nodded and watched them go, waiting for the door to swing closed. Once they were gone I removed the bottle of whiskey from the drink cupboard and put a splash in. I added a bit of fresh dill and some dried cumin. It would taste better the next day, but for now it was good. An extra dash of cayenne made it better.

"I'm done," I said, coming through the door.

Pierre and Andre were seated and stood as I entered, then Andre helped me into the chair at the head. Both were dressed nicely, their long hair tied back showing the clean lines of their faces. Both had trimmed their facial hair short.

Seconds later Julian brought out a salad bowl and basket of corn muffins, setting them next to a pot of honey and a pad of butter. There were three dressings in small pots next to the salad. Next came the large pot of chili, and finally a bowl of chopped onions, one of freshly grated cheese, and one of sour cream. Crackers had been waiting.

Andre served and I had my salad with honey mustard dressing. At his urging I explained what I had been up to, and then Pierre asked me about the new home. I knew I wasn't to talk about the past, so all I said was I greatly desired it and had big plans for the brownstone.

Then the chili was served and it was a messy affair styling our bowls as we liked. They watched in rapt fascination as I crumbled crackers in, swirled the chili with cheese, and smoothed sour cream over the top, sprinkling the onions there.

"I've done this since I was a child. It's really the best way."

Julian smiled and shook his head, Andre merely raised an eyebrow, and Pierre followed suit and made his chili the way I did. I noticed the house was sparkling and gathered they'd been cleaning all day. Pierre had installed surround sound in all the rooms and at my request put on some Beethoven. I liked classical when I ate, blues when I cooked, techno when I had chores or exercise, and metal and classic rock all other times. Now I'd always have music, and it made me happy indeed.

Andre had installed a gym in the basement for them and took the liberty of selling the discarded beds, using the money from that to pay for the gym. My stocks were doing well, Andre added.

Julian suggested a party. I'd been so happy coming in from seeing friends, and he volunteered to organize it all. He also made suggestions for decorating and fixing up the house to make it safe for my god daughter when she moved in.

I heartily agreed.

When I asked Andre about finding a nurse to help relieve Dianne, he whipped out his phone and wrote a memo, asking the right questions. A clean house, new gadgets, good food, well-managed accounts, and a hefty task for a friend under control. Perhaps I could get used to servants after all, but I didn't think I'd ever see them that way.

Talk turned to politics and entertainment, and I found we had a good mix of liberal and conservative views, but each one like me was easy going enough not to go to the mat over an opinion. Nor did we automatically empower any opinion with belief and trump it up into a hotly disputed "fact."

Each one had a fine mind, and it was easy to see Pierre was the jokester, Julian the artist, and Andre the general. Each intimidating in his own right, they seemed familiar and comfortable to me though I hadn't known them a full forty-eight hours yet.

"Let's go out. After I walk the dog," I said as Pierre and Julian began to clear the table.

"Certainly, where?"

"Bowling."

That stopped them all. "Bowling?" Julian ventured softly.

"It's something fun, something without pretense or snobby people."

"Sounds good," Pierre said with a wink. "Why don't you two go on ahead and walk Diego?" He nodded to me and Andre.

At his name Diego perked up, tail wagging, from his now-empty chili bowl where he'd eaten almost as much as the men and three pieces of cornbread.

I smiled at Andre. "I'd better change into something more practical."

"Take your time. I'll see Diego outside."

"Thank you."

Diego trotted behind Andre to the kitchen and back door, leaving me to climb the stairs. I brushed my teeth and selected a good outfit. Another pair of tight designer jeans, and over my lacy green camisole I draped on another black cardigan, designed more to show off my body than keep me warm.

Not even forty-eight hours, and in the back of my mind I'd decided to allow myself to be seduced. I was so rusty, and they were so intimidating, that I wouldn't be able to seduce them even if I knew how. Oh, men are easy, I knew that. Generally walking up to them and saying "want to fuck?" is all you have to do, but I wasn't ready for that. Something about this insane situation called for more...class.

I put on hiking shoes to protect against the slush and came down to find Andre ready to go, Diego on the leash. Pierre was there too and helped me into my coat with a smile.

"Shall we go?"

"After you," Andre murmured and held the door.

We walked in silence for a bit, heading for the park. Half a block away, he spoke.

"I'm forbidden to ask you about your past, but I'm curious to know something. You're nothing like I expected."

"What did you expect?"

He thought about it as we walked up to the gate, waiting to reply until after I'd unclipped Diego's leash and tossed him the ball so he could amuse himself.

"I suppose I expected a spoiled, pampered, bossy brat of a woman. But you're considerate, you don't act entitled, and though clearly we're your servants so far the only order you've made was for Julian to let you finish making dinner."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at all. You're a sweet soul, and there is this delicious flash of innocence in you."

I laughed at that. I'd lived a life of darkness, spending most of my years doing what I had to do, not all of it good. Hell, most of it bad. I personally thought if I ever had been an innocent, it was merely in the first few days of my life. "Innocent?"

He put his hands on my arms and drew me close. "Surely you know what I want to do to you. I want to fuck you, Anna, like no man ever has. I want you to scream my name and shiver on my cock as I take you. I want you sweaty and begging, dizzy with pleasure. You know this, and that's what makes you nervous."

Nervous, anxious, dizzy with arousal...I couldn't speak. I did expect it when he kissed me but this time it was desperation I tasted, need and lust and something deeper. We were still strangers but there was a connection there, and it was mutual need.

I buried my fingers in his hair, working it loose and free. It felt like cool silk on my bare hands, cold from the air around us, but he was burning hot. We remained locked for long minutes as his clever tongue did things to me my body wanted done lower. I throbbed with arousal in time to my heartbeat, and then I felt a cold wet nose snuffle my leg.

I pulled back laughing as Diego wagged his tail, offering us the ball.

"Just as well. I don't intend to take you here in the cold where anyone can see."

I couldn't speak as I threw the ball and for long moments we played fetch, laughing at Diego's antics. I burned with arousal, but now I wondered as I felt slight guilt, how could I handle three men? More so, how could they handle sharing me?

When at last our flesh cooled I clipped the leash and we left the park.

"Do you still want to go bowling?"

"I have to," I said.

I couldn't explain it but it felt wrong to move so quickly with one man and not with the others. I had to get to know them all. Out of the house they would not be expecting to be commanded as servants, and I would not feel lost.

"Fair enough."

Back inside the other men had changed into less formal wear, and it struck me how it was true, the rich did live differently. It felt perfectly natural to wear four outfits in a day, suited to the occasion. But damn, did they look good in jeans and t-shirts.

"I'll change as well and join you shortly," Andre said.

I let Diego go and kept my coat on, walking the dog back to the kitchen where I made sure his food and water dish were filled. We played tug for a long while and then Andre joined us, hair still loose, dressed as the others.

Julian's hair was tied back, his shirt a green that brought out his eyes. Pierre had let his hair loose and wore navy, making his eyes look as deep as a stormy ocean. Andre wore maroon, making his auburn hair appear more brown and his eyes bright.

"Shall we go?"

"I'll drive," Pierre said happily.

Julian held the door for me on the Cayenne and I slid into the front passenger seat while Andre and Julian got in the back. I set my purse on the floor as Pierre climbed in, and we were off.

"Get to Western and go south. We're going to Waveland, it's near Addison."

"All right. Pick a radio station."

"What does everyone like to listen to?"

"Anything, not pop," Andre said.

"I agree, rock is good," Julian added with a nod.

"Classic rock, yeah," Pierre said.

So I picked the classic rock station and Lynyrd Skynyrd came on with That Smell. I loved the song and turned it up, but not so loud we couldn't talk.

"When was the last time any of you bowled? It's been about five years for me," I said.

"It's been-ow!" I looked back at Julian who rubbed his elbow. "Sorry. It's been a long time."

"Well the point is to relax and have fun."

"And that is a very good goal to have," Pierre said. "The world would be a better place with more fun."

"It can't be fun all the time," Julian spoke up. "If we had no hard work, nothing to strive for, fun would cease to be fun."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Fun is a break from routine. Without routine to break from there is no point."

"Artists," Pierre said with a wink.

When we arrived Andre insisted on opening my door for me and escorting me in. It all felt very strange, particularly as they seemed to present themselves as my servants, but they apparently didn't need direction.

Andre paid as we got a lane and shoes, and I could only laugh the way he and Julian wrinkled their noses at communal shoes. Pierre seemed a good sport and so we found our lane and got our shoes on first. I entered our names as Pierre went to get a pitcher of beer and the other men put on their shoes with a show of distaste.

I could only smile at their heaving sighs as I selected my ball. Thank goodness the first spell had made me stronger, my hands were large and previously finding an eight pound ball my size was a challenge. Now a twelve was not a problem at all, and I had to wonder if my grace meant my score would be better than it ever had been before.

They elected to let me go first and as Andre poured the beers I switched the names around and grabbed my ball. I'd always been a straight bowler and kept to it. I got a strike, and jumped up and down grinning.

Three dazzling grins looked back.

"My turn," Pierre said and jumped up.

I sat down at the seat where in the old days I would have had to record my throw as well as everyone else's. The modern age was nice in many ways, but having something to do would be good. They still made me nervous and more and more I couldn't get Alessandra's words out of my head. Three lovers, all under one roof. Even through all my escapades of sin, I'd never attempted anything like that.

Wouldn't there be jealousy? I'd never hated anything more than the thought of two men fighting over me. Any that had ever tried both felt the sting of my rejection. Now there could be three. I couldn't handle too many complications, but...it was just a week. Maybe I was over thinking things, maybe that was the real test. Maybe it was time for the brainiac to get back in touch with animal instinct.