STORY EXCERPT

When he entered the formal sitting room, Isaac was surprised to see just Lieutenant Weir and Nick there, both with open bottles of beer in their hands. In Isaac’s experience, policemen always hunted in pairs and didn’t drink while on duty.

“Oh, Mr. Drake.” Weir offered his hand, and the two men shook. “Glad to have caught you.”

“No problem.” Isaac took the chair opposite the lieutenant and accepted the beer Nick handed him with a nod of thanks. “Any progress?”

“Nice house,” the lieutenant remarked, adroitly avoiding the question.

Isaac didn’t repeat it, contenting himself with joining in the small talk that Nick was so adept at instigating. It was obvious that whatever the lieutenant actually wanted, it wouldn’t be broached until Paige joined them.

That happened just five minutes later. Her hair was damp and she’d changed into a fairly formal dress and almost-flat shoes. Even with no makeup she still exuded sex appeal by the bucket load. The lieutenant glanced at her, did a double take, and almost knocked his chair over in his haste to stand up.

“Ms. Fairfax, I assume,” he said, once again extending his hand. “My name’s Weir.”

“Lieutenant,” she said, taking his hand and as quickly dropping it again. “Any news on Ellie’s murder?”

“Nothing definite. As the saying goes, we’re pursuing several lines of inquiry.”

“In other words, you’ve got squat,” Isaac said, irritated by the lieutenant’s procrastination and the way his eyes kept returning to Paige’s tits. “So what brings you to our door?”

“I gather you now know the contents of Ms. Carter’s will.” All three of them nodded. “Wondered if you’d care to cast any light on that.”

“There’s no light to cast,” Paige said. “We were all totally astounded. We have no idea why she favored the three of us.”

“You were in London when Ms. Carter was killed I believe, Ms. Fairfax.”

“Yes, that’s right. I manage Carter Promotions’s field office there.”

“I’ve asked Mr. Drake and Mr. Fuller this question. Now I’m asking you. Do you know of anyone who’d wish Ms. Carter harm?”

Paige wrinkled her brow. “No, I don’t. Obviously, I’ve thought about it a lot over the past few days.”

“Did you know the deceased well?”

“Her name was Ellie,” Paige said in a clipped tone. “Or Ms. Carter. Calling her ‘the deceased’ makes it all sound so impersonal.”

“I’m sorry.” Weir spread his hands. “I should have been more sensitive. I guess in my line of work you—”

“It’s all right.” Paige waved aside the lieutenant’s apology. “What did you ask me again?”

“I was asking how well you knew Ms. Carter.”

“She was my boss. I’ve worked in the London office for four years. She used to pop over regularly, but I really only got to know properly when the manager had personal problems.”

“Mr. Drake’s brother?”

Paige sucked in a breath. “Yes, he was going through a rough patch. Business suffered, and Ellie flew over to sort it out.”

“She gave you Mr. Drake’s job, and Mr. Drake subsequently died, is that right?” he asked mildly.

Like you don’t know damned well it is! Isaac silently fumed, desperate to spring to Paige’s defense, knowing it would be a grave error to do so. The lieutenant was astute. He probably picked up on the sexual vibes between him and Paige straightaway. He wouldn’t be much of a detective if he didn’t notice the redness on her face where his day’s growth had rasped against it and her lips swollen from his kisses. Hopefully the way she sat down so carefully because she was probably still sore after the pounding she’d begged for and received did pass him by. Not that Paige needed any help from him. She was answering the lieutenant’s questions with straightforward honesty, never once breaking eye contact, her distress at Ellie’s untimely demise apparent to the slowest wit. And Lieutenant Weir was anything but slow-witted.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You and Ms. Carter were close friends before your promotion?”

“No, we barely knew each other.”

“Then she showed great faith in you. That was quite some responsibility for one so young.”

“I earned that faith, Lieutenant, and Ellie never had reason to regret her decision.”

“So, you’re saying you didn’t know Ms. Carter socially?”

“What do you…ah, I understand what you’re asking. Why didn’t you just come right out and ask me if Ellie and I had a sexual relationship?” Paige arched a defiant brow. “I believe that’s what you want to know.”

“I am aware of her other…er, interests.”

“I’m not a lesbian, Lieutenant.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Tough, it’s all you’re getting. I’m not prepared to reveal anything further about my private life, unless you can prove that it’s germane to your investigation, and I can’t see how it would be because this tragedy has nothing to do with me.” Paige sat a little straighter and tilted her chin. “I want whoever did this brought to justice, but I didn’t do it and have no idea who did.”

ADULT EXCERPT

She walked up the stairs with Nick on one side of her, Isaac on the other. Nick’s cock throbbed so hard he wondered if it was possible to actually come when still walking up the stairs. He prided himself on his control. He could usually fuck for ages and couldn’t remember feeling so wildly abandoned, so close to the edge, before. It was all Paige’s fault, and she’d be punished for being such a tease. His hand caressed her ass fondly, found the end of the butt plug, and gave it a nudge. She gasped and then smiled over her shoulder at him, covering his hand with her own so that he wouldn’t stop tantalizing. She was so hot, so uninhibited, that he wanted to bend her over the banister, remove that damned plug, and fuck her senseless. Another part of him wanted to treat her tenderly. To kiss her slowly and deeply until she understood just how profoundly she affected him. With Paige it was always going to be more than sex, a damned sight more, and he wasn’t afraid to let her know it.

They reached the double doors to Ellie’s room before he could put either plan into action. Ever since the others had arrived those doors had remained firmly closed, and they’d all instinctively crept past them, as though afraid to disturb the dead. Nick knew he was right to suggest they use it tonight for a purpose that Ellie would have so thoroughly approved of. Isaac shot him a knowing glance, as though reading his thoughts, and threw the doors open with a theatrical flourish. Nick took Paige’s hand in his and stepped inside, sensing that she was suddenly nervous about this, too.

The drapes were closed, but the room wasn’t in darkness. Candles burned from every surface, the comforter was covered with fresh rose petals, and there was a bottle of champagne in a cooler beside the bed. Nick had seen to all that when Isaac had been occupied with the cooking. Isaac caught his eye and nodded his thanks.

“It feels different,” Paige said softly. “The same but emptier.”

“Then we’d better do something about that.”

“Yes, sir.”

She turned to face him and, hands clasped in front of her body, meekly bowed her head. Her submissive pose almost did it for Nick. He stripped off his shorts and stepped out of them, completely naked beneath. He stood in front of Paige as her eyes feasted on his nakedness, clearly approving of all she saw. They lingered on his erection, causing him to clasp it at its base and hold it close enough for her to touch. She didn’t, of course. No well-trained sub would dare without being invited to.

“Like what you see?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

Isaac stepped out of his shorts also and stood on her other side, cock in hand, massaging it gently.

“Want this one, too?”

“Yes, sir, rather badly, as it happens.”

Nick unzipped her skirt and pulled her panties down. She stepped out of them and then submissively turned her eyes toward him once again, awaiting his instructions. Isaac groaned as he looked at her, obviously close to losing control. Nick wasn’t much better off.

“Turn and look at yourself in the mirror,” he said.

Paige did so. Nick wondered if she found the sight as erotic as they did. She now wore nothing except the karada and Isaac’s butt plug. Her nipples, he could see, were rock solid, and moisture seeped from her cunt.

“Touch your tits,” Nick ordered.

Her hands moved to them and squeezed. She threw her head back, closed her eyes, and pinched the nipples.

“That’s enough. Now drop your hands to your sides.”

As soon as she did, Nick took over with her tits, gouging, pulling the nipples through his fingers until she softly groaned. Isaac moved to the side, still rubbing his cock through his hand, his eyes never wavering from the two of them.

“Get a paddle,” he said to Isaac.