The Shepherd's Crook Pt. 03

He glanced forward and saw Liliya settling into her own chair. She smiled at him, and he returned it.

"Sleep well, Liliya."

"Goodnight, Ben."

Closing his eyes, he realized he felt comforted by the woman's presence and not just from a security standpoint. He felt his face warm up and tried to put it out of his mind. Tomorrow would be a busy day.

Chapter 31

"From the examples we showed you today, you can see how Huen Kang Development Group is the leader in creating the grandest inspirational commercial and residential architecture. We stand above all others!"

The man delivering this pitch to Ben and the Klein Group was dressed immaculately in a very expensive and tailored suit. He practically gleamed with wealth, success, and power, but Ben was feeling a little frustrated by the excess glam and glitz the presentation had been surrounded by.

They were sitting in the penthouse meeting room of the company's headquarters, the jewel in their crown, the salesman insisted.

The three examples they'd been shown earlier in the day had façades that were lovely to look at, but they'd never looked past the veneer. That set Ben's nerves on edge. He wasn't sure how Louis would run this interview, so he'd tried to hold his tongue. So far, neither Louis nor Dan had interfered with the salesman's monologue, except for requesting a closer look at the infrastructure of the buildings they'd visited, but they'd allowed themselves to be dissuaded! Ben's patience was coming to an end.

He glanced around the room, and a pretty woman smiled back at him everywhere he looked. There had to be close to a dozen of them, but he wasn't sure of their function in the business if not to act as a distraction. They were all truly lovely, but it was a little unnerving to be the focus of their undivided attention.

He saw Louis and Dan still had their poker faces on, Mark was doing his best to emulate them, but Ed was equally distracted by the extra ladies. He caught the man's eye and saw a flash of embarrassment before he shared a smile with the younger man to let him know it was cool. Ed grinned back at him.

He took a deep breath and prepared to put the breaks on the pitch as he'd had enough.

A sharp knock on the door stopped him, and he caught a frown from the polished gentleman who nodded to the eye candy closest to the door. She opened it, and another lovely woman whispered something to the one inside. She turned to face the group. "There is a visitor to see Mr. Shepherd."

Ben's eyebrows rose in surprise as Tatiana moved into view in the hall with a redhead at her side.

He was on his feet and moving to the door before the salesman could make a peep as his eyes locked on the smiling features of Trish. He met her in the hallway. Liliya stepped out of the room behind him and shared some signals with Tatiana, who walked down the hall toward the elevators. Evelyn slipped by to take position down the aisle in the opposite direction.

"What's happened? Is everything alright?" he immediately gasped.

She patted his chest to calm him. "Everything is fine! I was in the neighborhood and have some papers you need to sign."

Ben blinked at her. "In the neighborhood?" he said incredulously. His mind spun at the distance she'd traveled to be in the neighborhood, then he remembered. "Oh! Shit! I forgot you said you were interviewing marketing companies." When Trish smiled and nodded, then he frowned again. "You could have flown with us if our trips were going to be to the same places."

"This is the only destination that matched, and I'm on a different schedule than you. It's fine." She looked around. "Is there someplace we can go to get some privacy?" She held up the dossier of papers for Ben to sign.

A junior exec in a less expensive suit stood by and looked at Ben questioningly.

"I need a room to sign some papers," Ben said. The man glanced to the open door of the conference room, but Ben shook his head. "I need privacy."

Looking a little flustered, the junior produced a key he used to open a door next to the conference room and gestured for them to enter. Trish led the way, and Ben stepped in, nodded to the man, and closed the door behind them.

Turning to face the room, he was surprised to see it was just a narrow closet with tall shelves to his left and a low row of cabinets with a countertop running along the wall shared by the conference room. The counter made an excellent surface to sign the paperwork, so Ben quickly completed that for her. He noted quite a few from Walter involving the properties, specifically Beth's old home. This was likely to protect him from the legal nightmare of the criminal case the property was currently linked with.

When he was done, he faced Trish, and his jaw dropped as her yoga pants and panties were down at her ankles, and she was rubbing her pussy in little circles with a grin on her face.

"What are you doing?" he gasped.

"You mentioned we could have shared a flight, which made me think about our flight to Germany and how hot the sex was. We're not going to see each other for at least a week, so we need to take this opportunity for a quickie!" she panted.

Ben stared at her incredulously once more. "We're in a-a supply closet of a high-rise in Hong Kong!" he said.

"That just makes it extra hot!" Trish dropped to her knees before Ben and quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. She tugged his clothes down and began running her tongue over his cock.

"Fuck!" Ben gasped.

Trish grinned up at him and took his swelling member into her mouth. She wasn't going for finesse as speed was more important right now. As he wasn't erect yet, she managed to get most of him into her mouth and slipping down her throat.

"Oh fuck, Trish! We-we shouldn't be doing this!" he said with a strained voice as she worked her magic on him. He was quickly becoming too hard for her to easily push into her throat.

With a satisfied smile, she pulled his rigid member from her mouth and licked the head, causing him to jolt. The intensity of his gaze sent tingles down her spine. She'd really charged him up.

Ben reached down and lifted her to her feet. Then he leaned her over the countertop as she gasped at the rough need in his grip.

When the thick head of his cock pressed against her wet opening, she cried out in surprise at how hot it felt against her. Then he was sliding it into her, gradually but with undeniable strength. He'd withdraw and inch, then reverse and slide in two.

"FUCK! Ben, you feel so fucking THICK!" she gasped as she reached back to pull at his body. She wanted him to drive that beast deep inside her, but he enjoyed making her squirm with need. She couldn't get mad at him as she knew he'd give her what she craved, eventually.

She began thrusting back, pushing against the wall before her as Ben gripped her hips.

"Trish, that feels so good, but we have to finish quick," he said, returning to his senses.

She looked back at him over her shoulder. "I've been trying to get you to move faster, but you controlled the speed! Fuck me, dammit!" She was grinning, so he knew she wasn't really upset.

Ben drew his cock out to the head and then slammed himself deep.

"FUCK! YES!"

-=-

Liliya was standing outside the door to the closet and was the first to hear the beginning of Ben and Trish's interlude. She immediately locked down her expression and casually scanned the faces of the junior executive and the pretty attendant waiting in the hall. Neither appeared to have noticed so far.

She glanced down the hall to see Evelyn's eyes turn in her direction. She passed a hand signal and watched the woman's blue eyes widen. The Sergeant moved closer and ducked into the washroom across the hall to return moments later with a nod for her. The woman returned to her position down the aisle.

The Russian blonde smiled as Evelyn had thought ahead perfectly. Now she knew she could direct Ben to the washroom without having to pre-inspect it. She wished Tatiana worked with her so smoothly.

There was a distinct thump from the other side of the door, and this time the junior exec and the lovely woman next to him heard it.

The young man went toward the door, but Liliya stepped sideways to block his access. He frowned, but she held his eye and just shook her head. Her steady gaze intimidated the man, so he stepped back.

Liliya hoped Ben finished up quickly.

-=-

"Oh fuck! Fuck! Fuck! YES! Ben! Fuck me harder!" Trish moaned as Ben stroked faster.

He was in heaven as well and began to pound her ass with his body, oblivious of the steady thump of the cabinet against the wall. He seemed unaware that it wasn't bolted down, and Trish loved his attention so much she ignored the movement in the wall she was bracing her hands against.

"You feel so good!" Ben moaned as his hips accelerated again.

'YES! FUCK, YES!" Trish cried.

-=-

Ed was sitting closest to the door and began to hear sounds through the wall. It'd started with a steady but quiet thumping, but now the pace seemed to be increasing. He wondered what mechanical system might be nearby to bleed its noise into the room. He knew they were on the top floor, so there were many things it could be, from the air conditioners, pumps, and diesel power generators.

When a muted but distinctly female voice cried out in passion, Ed recognized that sound immediately. His last evening with Rachel suddenly popped into his mind, and he felt a familiar tingle begin down below.

He quickly scanned the room to ensure no one was looking his way as he adjusted himself in his pants. Once the pressure was relieved, he looked up to see a knowing smile on one of the ladies standing by the door.

His face reddened as he directed his gaze elsewhere.

He hoped whoever was making those sexy sounds finished soon as his dress pants were becoming entirely too tight.

-=-

Ben was quickly reaching his release, and he could tell Trish was seconds away, too, as she was beginning to bear down on his cock. Her ass cheeks were red from the spanking he was giving them, but she seemed to need a little extra effort to hit her peak.

He released his grip on her hips and reached forward to cup and squeeze her heavy tits. That did it.

"FFFFUUUUUUCCCKKK!!! COMMMMIIIIINNNNGGG!!!" Trish cried out, and her hips began to shake.

Ben slammed into her three more times, but without a firm grip on her hips, his thrusts slapped her ass with extra strength, bouncing her against the cabinets.

Trish's ecstatic cries cut through the noise of his pounding heartbeat, and he finally heard the start of a deep rumble. Dust and bits of crumbling cement began to fall from the wall before them.

Ben's eyes widened as the wall began to collapse. He pulled Trish back against his chest and turned them towards the door, which suddenly swung inwards, Liliya reacting to the sharp sounds of cinderblocks falling. She leaped back as Ben rushed out into the hall with his pants down around his ankles. The junior exec and the lovely assistant got a surprisingly clear view of Trish impaled on Ben's still hard cock. The young woman swooned and fell into the arms of the exec.

Trish was still going through her release and seemed oblivious to everything else.

Liliya pushed the washroom door open, and Ben immediately carried Trish inside.

He moved to stand before the sink and saw Trish's eyes fluttering as he was supporting her entirely with his cock and his grip on her breasts. He was so deep. He carefully moved his arms to wrap his left around her body, freeing up his right hand to lift her from his cock. Her legs wouldn't support her weight, so he held her until she began to return to her senses.

"Holy Fuck, Ben... that was the most intense yet. You surprised me!" she muttered as she trembled through an aftershock. She licked her lips and frowned as she tasted gritty dust. Her eyes opened, and she saw in the mirror that the two of them were streaked with the stuff. "What happened?"

Ben scowled. "The bloody wall collapsed. Can you take a seat on one of the toilets so I can get cleaned up and go back out there?"

She nodded, but he had to help her into one of the stalls. He did his best to brush the dust from himself and saw his jacket was torn, and he had a nasty scrape on his leg from a falling block. He cleaned himself, then pulled his underwear and pants back up. Once he was presentable, Trish left the stall on her own. Her panties and yoga pants were back on as well.

"Freshen up and come out when you can. I'll see if I can dig out the paperwork I signed," he said.

She nodded to him, then got a quick kiss. "You were incredible! That should last me until next week."

Ben snorted in frustrated amusement but moved toward the door.

When he stepped into the hall, he was faced with several angry older gentlemen yelling at him in a language he didn't understand. He glared at them, and they lost a little steam as his facial scars flared white.

Ignoring them, he stepped across the hall into the storeroom. The door was now wedged open behind the fallen blocks. He began picking them up to examine their tops and bottoms. As he saw a minimal mortar application, he tossed them further in. Doing this repeatedly, he managed to clear the countertop nearest to the door and uncovered his signed paperwork. He carried the docket back out into the hall with two of the cinderblocks. Evelyn took the docket as he pointed the bottoms of the blocks at the men who'd been shouting at him. They shut up quickly.

He tossed the bricks back into the storeroom and faced the salesman, whose expression indicated he knew exactly what Ben was about to say next.

"This is the jewel in your crown?" Ben growled. "If you cut costs by skimping on the mortar between the bricks, how strong can your foundations be? Your little show was very pretty, and the buildings you took us to appeared nice, but you're wasting my time. If you can't show pride of craftsmanship in the smallest details, the integrity of the entire enterprise is put into question."

Ben looked at Louis and Dan and saw they were struggling not to smile. Mark was definitely giving him a hero-worship expression, while Ed's face was just red with embarrassment for some reason.

He'd had enough. "We're done here."

Trish joined them in the hall, and all faces turned to her. She flashed them a brilliant smile.

"Good meeting?"

-=-

Louis leaned back in his chair at the hotel restaurant and sighed happily. He gave Ben a contrite smile. "We knew this developer wasn't going to work out once they refused to show us the bones of the buildings. Letting him continue allowed us to see how you reacted to the dog and pony show. When they filled the room with beautiful women, I was slightly concerned as you like to surround yourself with beauty." He nodded toward Evelyn, Liliya, and Tatiana sitting by themselves at small tables on three sides around Ben's larger central table.

The Sergeant seemed a little flustered to be included.

"Louis, I'm a mechanical engineer. You want to dazzle me in a demonstration? Show me the infrastructure, the guts of the building!" He saw Ed nodding with a grin and gestured to the man. "He knows! As for beauty, I do truly appreciate it, but I've just been fortunate to circumstantially find myself surrounded by it." He noted that Ed was nodding to this as well. He'd have to share stories with the man when they had time.

"I have to admit, it took every bit of my willpower not to explode into laughter when Ms. Campbell asked if we'd had a good meeting," Dan said, then burst into chuckles. "She's priceless!"

Ben chuckled as well as a warmth spread through his chest as he thought of the feisty redhead. She'd given him a kiss outside the building, then rushed off to catch a cab to take her to her meeting. She was hopping on another flight to head to Singapore tonight, so she couldn't stay for dinner. The paperwork he'd signed would be couriered back to Walter.

"Tomorrow's developer should be much better," Louis said, and Ben nodded in relief.

"Will you be testing the architectural integrity of any other buildings during the trip?" Dan asked with a cheeky smile.

"Trish and I won't cross paths again until I get home, so no. That woman pushes me outside my comfort zone like no one else," Ben sighed and saw Ed was nodding thoughtfully again. Maybe he also had someone like Trish in his life? Curious.

"I'm going to check out the hotel's gym offering before heading off to sleep. I'd like to get a workout in first thing tomorrow," Ben said.

"Me too!" Ed chimed in with a smile.

"Would you like to join me to see what they have to offer?" Ben suggested.

Ed nodded. They waved to the others and followed the Sergeant to the elevators, where they and Ben's security detail rode up to the tenth floor. They spoke to the facility manager and were given a brief tour of the machines available and shown the pool and steam room.

"So, what do you think, Ed? They're a little light on the free weights, but I can make do with the functional trainers."

"That would work for me too. See you here tomorrow morning at six?" Ed asked.

"Sounds good! Sleep well!" Ben said.

"Oh! Thank you for giving me my own room. This is the first time I've ever had one. I usually have to share with Mark, and he talks in his sleep," Ed said.

Ben nodded to the other man. "It's my pleasure, but Evelyn made the arrangements." They looked at her, and she nodded.

"It was better for us to book a larger number of adjacent rooms," she said.

Ben grinned at Ed. "There you go. Security and efficiency worked in your favor!"

Ed smiled and nodded to Evelyn. "Just the same, thanks!"

They took the elevator up to the fifteenth floor and walked down the hall to their rooms. Waving to them, Ed opened his door and stepped inside.

Ben looked to Evelyn. "Do you think I might be able to get these pants washed tonight and returned in the morning?"

"Did you spill anything on them?" she asked as she looked down. She frowned as she spotted a stain on the side of his leg. "What is that?"

"Blood."

That caught the attention of all three on his security detail. "You got hurt in the wall collapse?" Tatiana asked crossly.

Ben nodded, ignoring her tone. "It's just a scrape, but it's pretty wide. After the collapse, I cleaned it in the bathroom, but I didn't have time to treat it after we got back from the developer's office before dinner. I'll need to deal with it now. We have bandages?"

Evelyn nodded but pointed to his door. "Let's get inside, and I'll take a look. We may need to call up the front desk to get them to bring in a doctor to do the first aid."

Ben found himself standing in the living room before the couch with his pants off as Evelyn examined the wound on the outside of his left thigh. Liliya and Tatiana were watching from the side.

"It's a bad scrape, and some of these are deep, but you seem to have done a good job cleaning it. We need a larger gauze pad than I have. I'll call down to get you a proper-sized bandage," Evelyn said and moved off to make the call.

Liliya smiled at Ben and shook her head. "How are we supposed to keep you safe if you're the one causing yourself injuries?"

Ben snorted. "I know. Sorry," he said with a small grin.

"You shouldn't strain the injury tomorrow on the machines. No leg work," Tatiana insisted.

Ben looked at her and nodded as she was right. She looked smugly pleased with herself, and Ben did his best to ignore her condescending tone.

Evelyn returned. "They'll send one up as soon as they can get one. In the interim, I've put a towel down on the sofa. Have a seat. We can watch some TV while we wait."

She walked away, and Ben smiled with Liliya at the Sergeant's take-charge attitude. He joined her on the couch as she turned the large flat-screen TV on.