The Color of Sex Ch. 12-14

She took it, though it wasn't her favorite game. Candice didn't care. She wanted to keep Chris interested and the idea of having him guard her from all angles only added to her excitement. She held his cum in her ass; when she fell asleep, one arm draped over his body and one leg flopped heavily over one of his thighs.

In the morning, Candice was disappointed, but not surprised to see Chris was gone. She rolled over stared at the ceiling, sighed and felt the sticky fluids of sex still coating her intimate regions. She grinned at the fond memory before throwing her blankets off her well-used body and making her way to the bathroom.

Once she had taken care of her needs and showered, Candice made her way back to her bedroom and stopped short of her closet. She stared at it for a long time, mentally trying to gauge what seemed out of place. It wasn't until she looked up, noticed that the boxes she had used to hide her small safe were in disarray that panic suddenly washed over her.

She rushed over to the closet, tore at the clothes, lifted and tossed shoes, boxes, and various other oddities about until she came to the conclusion her safe was gone. Candice crumbled to the floor, covered her face and sobbed into her hands. Then she stopped as the realization of what was in the safe slammed into her. The flash disk, unprotected and easily accessible was in the hands of Chris, a man who was supposed to have been thoroughly checked out by her boss Ben. She had fallen for his tricks.

Quickly she rose from the floor and grabbed her phone. She began to punch in Ben's home number when her gaze caught her jewel box. Her jewelry was gone. The diamonds, emeralds, rubies - everything. Ben wouldn't have stolen her jewelry; what would it have accomplished? It was insured so he knew she'd get the money back.

Candice set her phone down and tried to think about what had happened. Why had Chris robbed her, if he was hopping to be hired by her? It was obvious she wanted him to work for her; she'd fucked him nine ways to Sunday, not to mention pretty much told him he had the job. He had rewarded her with a generous amount of cum, which she obediently swallowed.

So why steal from her - unless --- she took a deep breath, and sighed. Ben really didn't care who guarded her. He had most likely just tossed three hot looking men her way and knew she'd fuck whoever stirred her juices. But even that didn't make sense.

Ben and Jon had as much to lose as she did, so why hadn't he been more thorough in his investigations? Again she had her phone in her hand and was ready to call Ben; the idea of her secrets concerning the man's company ricocheted back into her subconscious. She couldn't call him, what if he had hired Chris to rummage through her belongings and Chris had taken the jewels to cover up his real purpose? Candice threw her phone on the bed, and pushed her fingers through her hair.

Chapter 13

When the buzz of her door broke into her subconscious Candice lifted her eyes and looked at the time. Her stomach pitched. She'd been sitting on her bed, in a cocoon like state for over an hour and was going to be late for work. She dragged her naked body from the bed, pulled on a robe and headed to the front door just as the buzzing broke through again.

Her head hurt and her eyes were swollen and puffy from her tears. She looked through the peep hole and stared at a middle-aged man. "Yeah?" she asked, through the door.

"It's Gregory Steele."

Candice's face contorted in confusion.

"Gregory Steele," the man said again. "Your boss Ben told me..."

"Oh fuck," she muttered, and opened the door. "Yeah, I know who you are; you're another guard, another guy my boss thought would keep me safe, well the jokes on me, isn't it. The last guy...." Candice stopped when she took in the safe tucked under the man's arm and the bag clasped in his hand, along with a manila envelope clutched in his fingers. "What the fuck?" She grabbed Gregory's arm and hauled him into her apartment.

Immediately she took the safe and hurried to her kitchen counter. She pulled a key from the top drawer, where her silverware was kept and used it to open the safe. Instantly it popped open and the contents were revealed. Everything was still inside, including her journal and flash disks.

The bag and envelope the man carried, landed next to the safe, on the counter. She opened the bag and dumped the contents. Her jewelry spilled out in a glorious, glimmering heap. Candice picked up the envelope and looked at Gregory.

He waited patiently at the end of the counter, while she put her hand inside and pulled out several photos of her and Richard, as well as her and Gregory. She also was rewarded with various pictures of her walking around town, making purchases, as well as snap shots of her apartment. Her gaze flickered from the photos to the man.

"Ben's an idiot. He grabbed a few good looking men, did some half ass investigating and called up the three most appealing to a young, ignorant young woman. Richard," he pointed to one photo, "is a wife beater. That's why he's divorced, and over time he would have fucked you, but only after he made sure you wouldn't retaliate when he pushed you, or nudged you during an argument."

Candice swallowed the lump in her throat.

Gregory picked up a snapshot of her and Chris, their bodies frozen in a frenzied display of fucking. She waited for Gregory's assessment of the man.

"Chris Alders, well it was pretty obvious Ben's plan was for this guy to keep you on your back, ignorant and happy. The only problem with Ben's shoddy investigating was that he missed the fact that Alders is a gambler. The man's so far into debt, he'll probably not be alive by the end of the week. Ben was the answer to his prayers and his offer had come at the right time. Only problem, Chris owes money to some big players and the big boys don't wait. Chris made off with what he knew was the mother lode and hoped to cash in with your jewels and," Gregory nodded to the safe, "whatever was in the box."

"And how did you stop him?" she asked.

"I've been following you for several days. I was one of the first men your boss called and when no one showed up, I thought I had the gig. Then those two pretty boys made an appearance and I knew Ben was looking for someone to fill your bed, not keep you safe."

She sneered, closed the box, and locked it tight.

"And that's what you want to do - keep me safe?" she asked.

Gregory shrugged his shoulders. "I'm here aren't I and you've got all your stuff back. I didn't even look in the box; you can choose to believe that or not. I don't care."

Candice heard her cell phone ringing. She looked at the time and ignored the vibrating intrusion of the caller, who she assumed was her boss. "Fuck I am so late for work; have some coffee, while I get dressed."

She gathered the jewels, the safe, and the pictures into her hands and went to her room. Everything was shoved into her closet. Candice tried not to think of the man in her kitchen. He had been in her house, had taken pictures of her, had obviously installed cameras so he could monitor her actions. Gregory had been watching her for several days and she hadn't even known it. He was conducting the interview for her, without her even being suspicious.

Candice dressed quickly, pulling on a navy skirt, white shelf bra, and tight fitting silk blouse. She slid on a pair of stilettos, and secured an anklet to her right ankle. A quick brush of her damp curls and a dollop of lip gloss made her look somewhat less than bedraggled. When she walked back into the kitchen, she was greeted by the aroma of fresh coffee, and Gregory saying goodbye to someone on his phone.

Gregory had watched her leave and as much as he had learned about her, seeing her face to face was a little unnerving. He had been studying her for almost two weeks and had already begun working on ways to get closer to her, talking with her landlord as well as the tenants across the hall. It bothered him that she was so clueless to her surroundings. He saw her as young woman about to be taken in by some corporate giants. Granted only one of the two men really had a set of balls and a brain to go with it, Jon. The other was just another one of Jon's pawns.

Gregory listened to Candice shuffling about in her bedroom and thought back about the intelligence he'd received concerning the activities of his sister's ex-boyfriend, Jon Adams. Jon had remained pretty quiet lately, only wheeling and dealing through the legal channels of the banking world. He had kept his nose clean after being ousted from one of the more lucrative businesses in Europe. The company had chosen to quietly push Jon Adams out the door; he had started a business of sex trafficking that had been discovered when one of his girls brought in a potential new hire.

The young woman had been found passed out behind one of the seedier nightclubs, and Jon had doped her up, and sent her to work. When she arrived on the doorstep of one client's house, all hell had broken loose. Unbeknownst to Jon the young woman was the President of the company's daughter's best friend. The girl had been reported missing over a week ago and her face had been all over the papers. Jon, hadn't known simply because he hadn't cared. He'd gotten sloppy.

Gregory had never met Jon and if it wasn't for Samantha, Gregory's half-sister, he never would have cared anything about the man either. But Jon had been the last person to see Samantha alive and it was Jon's fault his sister was dead. After all it had been Jon's who had supplied his sister with the cocktail of drugs she'd become addicted to. Gregory wasn't aware of any of this, until it was too late. He'd been overseas working on a mission for an old army buddy, one that was not quite legal.

When he'd gotten home there was a call from one of his friends who was a member of the SWAT team in Los Angeles. He only said he needed to reach him ASAP. He knew instantly that it had to do with Samantha even though the message hadn't mentioned her. He fell to his knees as his friend explained that her body had been discovered by a neighbor and that it looked like suicide.

It had taken Gregory several weeks to put the pieces of his sister's life back together again and Jon Adams was a big part of it. The more he uncovered about the man, the more his stomach twisted and his heart grew hard and black. When he finally found the man, he knew it would be only a matter of time before he slipped up and went back to making his money the old fashioned way - off another person's back - namely women.

Gregory took a deep breath and shook off the memories. He knew the girl who was currently employed by the two men had no clue she would not be the first of many, nor did he think she realized the toll her actions would take on her soul. He wasn't going to stop her - he needed her - but he would do all he could to protect her from becoming another victim. The first thing he had to do was get her to trust him. He picked up the phone and dialed her boss.

He knew after meeting with the man just once that Ben was easily swayed and manipulated. It just took the right type of person and the words had to be constructed in a way that made it look like everything was Ben's idea. It didn't hurt that Gregory outweighed the man by a good seventy-five pounds, all of it muscle, nor did it hurt that his demeanor spoke intimidation and Ben's was more docile when faced with a larger opponent.

When Candice appeared he ended the conversation and turned to speak with her. "I called Ben, told him you'd hired me and you wouldn't be in today because there were some security details we needed to go over," Gregory told her.

She stared back at him, dumbfounded. "And he was okay with that?"

Gregory shrugged his shoulders. "I'll deal with him later. He said something about you hooking up with Jon next week? What's that all about?"

Candice frowned. "Do you know what my job is?" she asked.

Gregory lied and told her it was the one thing he wasn't sure of. He poured her some coffee, which she drank after adding heaps of sugar. "I hate coffee," she told him. "I only have it here for mom and dad."

"Sorry," he said, "I can get you something else."

"No, it's okay. I'll drink it, after I can't taste it," she answered adding more sugar.

He chuckled. "So what is your job?" he asked.

Candice smirked. "I fuck - or will be fucking - clients for Ben, sealing deals that need a little extra something to cement the deal.'

Gregory chuckled. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" she said; her voice was full of offense. Candice had no real logical explanation for blurting out her profession to Gregory, when she'd said nothing to the other two men. She knew it was probably due to the fact that he had brought all her belongings back to her, as well as provided her with enough evidence that he knew what he was doing. She felt she could trust him and though she was new to the game of corruption and greed, she wasn't new to reading people. After all, she had quickly discovered who really wore the pants in the business --- Jon. Ben was the eye candy.

"Ben's starting his own little prostitution ring?" Gregory asked, though he already knew the answer. Jon was - not Ben.

"No, just me - though I'm sure if I prove to be a success, he'll expand his operation. I never really thought that far ahead," she said. "You say his name like he's an old friend. Do you know him?"

Gregory lifted one brow. "No, not really. I just know men like him. I've done a lot of underground work for various types of people and businesses. Ben's just another bottom feeder on the ladder of success. He's not really as important to this world of finance as he thinks he is, but I'm looking to semi-retire, and this seems like a steady enough job, and easy enough one too keep me happy."

"So you'll have no problem, standing off to the side while I fuck someone?" she asked.

"I didn't interfere when Chris was fuckin' you, did I?" he countered.

She blushed. "No, you didn't - and thanks for getting my stuff back. I woke up, realized what had happened and thought I was screwed."

"I could tell. I've got audio set up in your place too," he admitted. "I'm also looking into buying out the lease on the apartment across from you. I'm talking with the current tenants as well as your landlord. If I'm going to guard you, I'm going to do it all the way and," he sipped his coffee, "you don't have to fuck me, unless you want to."

Candice stared at the steam rising from her coffee, which she had only sipped. She didn't miss the offer to be his bed partner. It wasn't something she would dismiss, but right now it wasn't the focus of her thoughts. She needed to learn more about him and for once keep the bedroom out of the equation. "You said you didn't look in the safe, is that true?" she asked.

"It's true. I didn't. I take it there are things in there that tie you to Ben's company?" Gregory spoke the truth. He had decided early on that he didn't want to violate the young woman's trust, unless he had to, so he would only delve into her life if it was absolutely necessary. He didn't want another Samantha on his conscious. He would intervene as soon as he felt he had to - pulling the plug on his plans and on Candice's whatever they might be.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"It's what I'd do - what I am going to do. I'm not new to this game, Candice. I'll protect my ass, and yours, but don't ever think I'm not gathering intel too. I'll save my ass, right after saving yours. Now, do I have the job?" he asked.

Silence greeted him, while Candice mulled things over. He certainly seemed genuine and had, from what she could tell been honest with her, so why shouldn't she hire him? She studied his expression as he waited patiently for her answer.

There was nothing overly attractive about him, with the exception of his demeanor. It spoke confidence and strength, two things she found desirable. He would now how to handle whatever situations she found herself in and for that she was thankful. She knew that if she ever did fuck him, it would be because her whole body wanted to, including her mind. He wouldn't be a casual fuck and for that she found him appealing. He had also come right out and told her he would be watching her and keeping his own log of her and their activities.

He was putting himself in the same deceptive boat as she was and if it sprung a leak, both were going down. She pushed her coffee away and offered Gregory her hand. "You're hired," she told him. They shook hands and for the first time since getting on this sexual roller coaster, Candice found herself feeling a little more at ease.

"Now, about Jon and you being at his disposal," Gregory asked.

"I'm supposed to live with him all next month. He's supposed to train me as a submissive," she told him.

His lips moved to the left, then right as he thought of her confession. Gregory wanted to vomit, but he knew that wouldn't look very manly. The idea of Candice - any woman really - being in the arms of Jon and his perversions made his stomach turn and his fists curl.

"What?" she asked, sensing his unease.

"I can't protect you if I can't see you," he told her.

"Protect me? Jon's not going to hurt me," she said. "He's as deep into this as Ben."

"Perhaps so, but you're my job and that means my eyes need to be on you whenever possible," he answered. He couldn't tell her the truth. He couldn't tell her about his sister and how she had fallen in love with someone that she hoped to one day introduce to her big brother. Nor could he tell her that he never met Jon because Samantha knew there was something off about him. When she decided to investigate him herself, she had uncovered secrets that had put her in danger. He took a deep breath and pushed back the memories of pills, needles, and sex - tales he'd discovered in his sister's diary.

"Well, I'm pretty sure Jon isn't going to let you stand guard while I'm being trained," she told him.

"No, he won't; but don't worry. I'll take care of it. You won't see me, but I'll be there," he answered, pushing all thoughts of Samantha away and focusing his attentions on the woman across from him.

Candice already knew what that meant. He would make sure it was wired for sound and surveillance. She said nothing, instead rose from her seat and began to make them both some breakfast. The rest of the day was spent learning about each other or at least as much as either one was willing to reveal.

Gregory left later that afternoon, and Candice reported to work the following morning. The week moved swiftly and she didn't hear from Gregory again, until Saturday morning. "Your ride is here," he told her over the phone.

Chapter 14

She opened the door and walked out, said goodbye to her body guard and knew another adventure was about to begin, but this one would have an audience unknown to either Jon or Amelia. Candice got into the Lincoln's back seat and noted the envelope addressed to her. She picked it up, told the driver to go, and as the car sped off down the road, Candice opened the envelope and dumped the contents out onto the back seat.

Her lips rose in a smirk as she took in the sight of a small strip of red elastic material; she picked it up and toyed with the stretchy G-string. It was red, with a silver circle that kept the strips of fabric together. A small rhinestone dangled from the bottom strand, where it had been sewn, most likely by hand, against the base of the loop. Once on, the tiny gem would lie at the top of her slit.

Candice glanced at the driver. Their eyes met and held for a moment before she turned and picked up the sterling silver remote and two bullet vibes. Each vibe was plugged into the controller. She flicked the handheld device on and the little toys came to life.