Her Alpha Avengers [The Hot Millionaires #7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (17 page)

“That’s good.” Fin took her hand and kissed the back of it, drawing intricate patterns on it with his tongue, as though setting up in competition with Gabe. “We all thought there was a tigress waiting to be released the moment we saw you.”

Sabine laughed, basking in their admiration, still unable to believe it was directed toward her. They were totally comfortable with one another, joking and trading insults as they jostled for the positions closest to her. They made sure she ate everything, refilled her coffee cup the moment she took a sip, and seemed to genuinely care about her welfare.

She cared about all three of them in return, perhaps a little too much. Hell, she was close to falling in love with them, which was just plain stupid. She’d finish up with a broken heart because they were total commitment-phobes. And even if they weren’t, having her love returned by just one of them would be an unattainable aspiration. Hankering after all three was lunacy in its purest form.

“Otto has news,” Fin said when she finally pushed the tray aside with a contented sigh.

“About Pearson?” Sabine snapped out of her sensuous languor. “You’ve found him?”

“Yep. Our guy followed Cavendish to a backstreet bar. The two of them met there and had a brief, animated conversation. I’ve got pictures on my computer that you need to look at, but we’re pretty sure it’s Pearson. He’s living in an upmarket condo in Bradenton under the name of Robert Pearce.”

“Then it must be him,” Sabine said, her heart rate increasing. “The name and everything—”

“He’s up to his old tricks by the looks of things, but he’s being clever and not targeting rich ladies in Naples or Venice,” Fin said. “He’s chosen someone in Bradenton who probably isn’t as wealthy as her Venice counterparts and so much less likely to suspect his motives.”

“He’s obviously done his homework,” Gabe said with a disgruntled sneer. “We’re still getting information about the woman he’s working his slimy tricks on, but she seems to be in a similar situation to your mother’s.”

“He fooled Mum and me because he lived in a nice flat, never seemed short of money, and always insisted on paying when he took her out.” She sighed. “Sounds like he’s doing the same thing here.”

“He’s too fucking slick for his own good,” Otto said, scowling.

“When can we go down there?” Sabine asked. “I need to confront him and find some closure.”

“Not yet. Let’s check out his routine first and think about how we’re gonna play it,” Fin said.

Sabine opened her mouth to argue, and then shut it again. If it meant that she could stay here for a few more days and got to find out what the rest of that stuff in their playroom was designed for, who was she to complain? Unbelievably, having sacrificed everything to track Pearson down, she was now happy to delay the final confrontation.

“Okay,” she said, wiggling into a more comfortable position against her pillows and allowing the sheet to fall away from her naked breasts. “What shall we do in the meantime?”

All three guys guffawed. “You’re insatiable,” Fin said, tweaking her nose.

“No, I’m just making up for lost time.”

“And you will,” Gabe promised, “later. Right now the three of us have to work.”

“Aw, you’re no fun.”

“Have a nice long soak in the bath. Relax and take some time for yourself,” Otto said, bending to briefly suck one of her nipples into his mouth. “You deserve it.”

“Don’t worry about the mutt,” Fin said. “We’ll look out for him.”

* * * *

Over the next few days Sabine felt like she had the starring role in a top-end movie. Her three lovers opened her eyes to an entirely new way of living and to a side of her own nature that she hadn’t been aware existed. She wasn’t allowed to lift a finger to help herself in any way whatsoever. They fed her, made her laugh, took her shopping, and insisted upon treating her to an entire new wardrobe of their choosing. They took her out in the boat, went for long walks with her and Mulligan, and best yet, took her to expensive restaurants where she received envious looks from half the women in the places they frequented. Sabine could hardly blame them. It wasn’t every day three such fine specimens of the masculine form congregated under one roof. The women must have wondered what they saw in an ordinary woman like her.

Except she didn’t feel ordinary anymore. She felt privileged, cossetted, liberated, and almost beautiful. Perhaps that was because every night they took her to higher and higher places in that playroom of theirs. Their demands became innovative, and Sabine loved every minute of it, willing to follow wherever they led, trusting them absolutely. Better yet, she no longer slept alone. Afterward, one or sometimes two of them came back to her room with her, and the fun continued in a different way. There was always a muscular chest on hand for her to use as a pillow, and she slept like a baby as a consequence.

Gabe worked fervently on the painting, which he told his agent was the best thing he’d ever done. When Sabine finally saw the finished product, she had to agree.

“I can’t believe that’s me,” she said in a tone of reverent awe. “That look on my face—”

“Is exactly how you look after we’ve fucked you,” the three of them said together.

“I’m gonna do a series,” Gabe said enthusiastically. “Your body painted in lots of different guises.”

Sabine wanted to ask him how that would be possible. It could only be a matter of a few days before they confronted Pearson and then she’d have no further reason to stay in America. But she didn’t ask because she didn’t want to break the mood by thinking about the time when she’d have to give them up. When once her every waking moment was given over to thoughts of demanding an explanation from Pearson, she now had three very compelling reasons to delay that moment for as long as possible.

Fin and Otto came and went during the day because they had clients to see, but all three of them were always there to share the evenings with her. Sabine, free to do as she pleased, did absolutely nothing that required any effort. She read endless books, walked Mulligan for miles, swam in the pool, and lay in the sun until her skin turned golden brown. She’d never had the time to do absolutely nothing before. She enjoyed her lazy existence, and told herself she’d earned it. The phones rang all the time, both the landline and the guys’ cells. She assumed it must be the women they usually dated, ringing because they weren’t getting to see so much of them, in the evenings at any rate. Sabine refused to torture herself by wondering if Otto and Fin really did only go out to see clients during the day.

Several days after her first visit to the playroom, Sabine wandered downstairs late one morning, making no noise as she crossed the tiled floor on bare feet. Mulligan wasn’t about. One of the guys must have taken him out, but she heard Fin talking on his phone inside his office.

“No, sweetheart,” he said. “I promise it won’t be much longer.” He listened and then spoke again. “You know I will. Don’t I always?” He listened some more. “Okay, I’ll try to stop by this afternoon, Mimi.”

Sabine’s heart went cold. Knowing he had other women was one thing. Hearing him whisper endearments to one was entirely another. She slipped back upstairs, unwilling to face him until she’d gotten her jealousy under control. She sat on the edge of her bed, thinking things through. She’d fallen into a kind of routine that she’d always known couldn’t go on. It wasn’t fair. She was cramping their style. All she needed to do was confront Pearson. It was her only reason for being in America, and she’d always intended to do it alone.

“Time to stop leaning on them,” she said aloud.

Fin kept shooting her strange looks over lunch. She obviously wasn’t keeping her hurt feelings as well concealed as she’d hoped. That was probably because every time she looked at him or Otto, the thought of leaving them forever caused an acute pain to rip her heart to shreds. Thank God Gabe was closeted in his studio. With the agony of separation looming so close, the three of them together would be too much for her right now. It wouldn’t take much for her to lose her fragile grip on her self-control and make a right fool of herself.

“You okay, babe?” Otto asked.

“Oh, yes, fine.” She made a conscious effort to perk up. “What are you guys up to this afternoon?”

“I have to see a client,” Fin said.

Yes, I know you do.

“I’m working here on a website for a new client.”

“You wouldn’t take Mulligan out for me, would you, Otto?” she asked as soon as Fin left. “I’ve got a headache. I need to lie down for a while.”

“Oh, babe, you should have said. Let me get you some pills for it.”

His concern stoked her guilty conscience. “No, I’ll be fine.”

“You’ve had too much sun,” he said, kissing her. “Go and rest for the afternoon. I’ll take care of the mutt.”

“Thanks, I might just do that.”

Sabine swung into action the moment she heard Otto and Mulligan leave the house. The keys to her Jeep were in the bowl in the kitchen, along with the keys to all the other cars in their enormous garage. She grabbed them along with a gizmo to open the garage door and slipped down the internal stairs before her courage failed her.

“This is what you came here for,” she reminded herself as she slid behind the wheel and drove out of the garage.

She refused to think about the guys. It had been fun, but it was time to stand on her own two feet again. They’d talked about getting her money back from Pearson, but she knew that wouldn’t happen. Besides, that wasn’t what this was all about. She needed to confront the man and try to understand why he’d done what he did. Then she’d go back to England, put the whole thing with the guys down to experience, and get on with her life.

How hard could that be?

Im-fucking-possible!

But what choice did she realistically have?

She tried not to think about them as the GPS in her car took her right to the condo building where Pearson lived.

“Blimey,” she said, parking up and staring at the building’s prime location. “Crime obviously pays.”

Now for the tricky bit.
She knew which apartment Pearson lived in but had no idea if he would be at home at six in the evening. The investigator who worked for the guys had made a buddy of the doorman. Apparently, he didn’t think much of the guy he knew as Pearce. He tended to make all sorts of demands but was a lousy tipper. That sounded right. Okay, Sabine would just have to spin him a yarn and see if she could get him to help her.

She walked through the swing doors straight up to the doorman’s desk and smiled at the guy. Perhaps it was her tan, or her newfound confidence, but she appeared to make an impression upon him, which gave her the courage to go through with this. He jumped up, threw aside the paper he was reading, and took a good look at her cleavage. She folded her arms beneath her breasts and pushed them together as she leaned on his desk. No point in making him work too hard.

“Hi,” she said, “I wonder if you can help me, er…” She peered at his nametag. “Wayne.”

“If I can, ma’am,” he said with enthusiasm.

“I’m here to surprise my uncle Robert Pearce in 308. Do you know if he’s home?”

“No, he went out a few hours back.”

“Damn, just my luck. I wonder when he’ll be back.”

“Well, he doesn’t usually keep late hours.”

“He doesn’t know I’m coming.” Sabine reached in her bag and withdrew a folded twenty bill, which she slipped across the desk. “I don’t suppose you could let me in—”

“Sure.” The bill disappeared, and Wayne came round to her side of the desk. “Seeing as how you’re related, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

“You’re so sweet,” she said, following him into the elevator.

Wayne opened the door to Pearson’s apartment and stood back to let Sabine enter first.

“Thanks, I…oh, this is fantastic!”

“Glad you like it,” Wayne said, hovering in the doorway.

Sabine walked to the full-length windows with a view over the ocean and forced herself to smile. The furniture was sparse but good quality and obviously came with the lease. She knew from Otto’s research that Pearson had gotten it as a three-month let, tenants being hard to find in the current financial climate, and had negotiated very favourable terms. Well, he would.

“Er, I’d stay with you, but I’m not supposed to leave my desk.”

“No problem, Wayne, you’ve already done more than enough. Thanks again, and remember, not a word to my uncle when he returns.”

He winked at her. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

As soon as Wayne left, Sabine’s nerves kicked in. The moment she’d been working up to for two years had finally arrived. She had the element of surprise on her side and a pepper spray in her pocket.

Nothing could possibly go wrong.

The guys’ investigator had established that he never invited his less salubrious contacts to his home, always meeting them in public places. She had to believe that was true and take control of her own life again. Sabine was more than capable of confronting him on her own. He wasn’t violent, but left that sort of stuff to the people he paid to do his dirty work. This was her fight, it had taken two years of her life, and she needed to see it through on her own terms.