Pendelton Manor (5 page)

With relief, he finally got his zipper down, his cock tumbling into his hand as it stood straight up in rigidness, his semen already seeping from the tip. With a familiarity born of experience, he gripped his shaft tightly as he slowly stroked himself, took his time palming his damp, plum shaped head before coaxing back down. Nora was sandwiched now between his cousins, her slim body damp, her short hair clinging to her neck, her eyes closed in bliss as they rode her slowly, moving in tandem in and out of her orifices one at a time with slow practiced strokes.

Watching them, he wondered for the umpteenth time which cousin had been his wife’s lover, which one had met her that fateful night, which one had been responsible for her fall and for betraying him. It had taken him months to come to terms that it had to be one of them, months to admit that no one else had a motive strong enough to warrant such a betrayal. And still, even now, he shied away from coming right out and accusing them even though they knew he suspected one of them. Seeing the tender way they held Nora, how they fucked her with her pleasure utmost in their minds, he found his suspicions difficult to rationalize. But after the sex, in the cold light of day, they would return, driving him to distraction as much as his new employee was starting to.

Thinking of Sophie, his cock stiffened further, his oozing tip squirting its pleasure at the picture he conjured of her being sandwiched between him and someone else as they drove into her over and over, her face revealing the same pleasure she had shown this afternoon when she had climaxed while watching them.

Cupping his sac with his free hand, he rolled his balls softly, his eyes glued to the writhing threesome as their orgasms peaked. Within seconds his balls drew taut and his cock jerked in his hand as his own climax drew up his spine and erupted with a force that would have knocked him on his ass if he hadn’t been sitting. Closing his eyes, he let the flood of pleasure drown his senses, the consuming ecstasy as welcome as last quarter’s profit report. Nora’s sweet cries and Adam and Ash’s deep groans filled the room, but he managed to suppress his groan and enjoy his release in silence, much like he suppressed his suspicions, keeping them silent for the time being.

Chapter Three

After managing to delay going down to breakfast long enough to avoid seeing any of the Pendeltons the next morning, Sophie grabbed a cup of coffee and her cleaning supplies and went to the elevator at the end of the hall. Adrian’s office door was open and there was no sign of him in there or downstairs, telling her he had left already and it was safe for her to finally tackle his suite. The elevator went directly to the third floor and when the silent doors swooshed open, she couldn’t prevent her gasp of appreciation.

As large as an entire house, the whole floor had an open concept allowing her to see the entire suite except the bathroom as she entered the living area. Against one wall was a large screen television with theater style seating for twelve arranged in a semicircle before it. On the other side was a sitting area with four plush rocker recliners separated by end tables, each with a lamp, arranged in front of a black marble fireplace above which sat a huge portrait of a stunning blonde woman. Reclining on a settee, she was dressed in nothing but a sheer shift of pale green, her voluptuous body clearly visible, her dark brown eyes gazing longingly toward the camera, a small secret smile playing about her full lips. Assuming this was the late Nicole Pendelton, Sophie could see why Adrian had loved her so much. The woman exuded a love of sex and, if Adrian had been the one taking the picture that this portrait was painted from, a love of her husband.

When she realized she was feeling a spark of envy toward this woman whose life had ended so tragically, Sophie continued on into the suite. A bar and game table as well as a small kitchen area completed the living portion of the space, but there was no wall separating it from the bedroom. A massive four poster bed was bracketed by French doors that led out to a balcony that held a small table and two chairs and looked out over the courtyard below. Looking at the stunning view of the cliff beyond and the rocky shore below it, she knew she could easily spend hours sitting out there, idling the day away.

Moving away from temptation, she carried her supplies into the bathroom that was the size of her bedroom and began to make the gorgeous marble counters and shower shine, immersing herself in physical work as she tried to keep her mind off the master of this floor and how she was drawn to him despite his surly nature.

Only Nora could make him feel guilty for not personally making sure Sophie was welcome to join them in the evenings, Adrian thought irritably as he took the elevator up to his suite where he knew she was. Her chastisement last night had irked him, but since she was right he had refrained from telling her to butt out, even though he really wanted to. Since Sophie hadn’t come down in time this morning for him to issue that invitation, he surmised she was avoiding them even though she didn’t know they had been aware of her presence yesterday. A presence that had seemed to add to his pleasure, he thought with a wry twist of humor. He wondered how long it was going to take for someone to persuade her to join them sometime.

The thought of Sophie naked, writhing in orgasm as he sank his cock inside her, had his pulse picking up speed, his long denied senses imagining how her pussy would feel around his cock, how her white skin would look with a pink tint brought on by his hand or one of his paddles. Forcefully, he turned his thoughts to the reason he hadn’t indulged in intercourse since Nicole’s death. It was his fault they had argued that night, his fault his temper had gotten the better of him when she refused to name her lover, his fault that he had said the one thing he knew would cause her to panic and his fault he hadn’t chased after her when she fled the house that night in tears. Maybe if he had, she would still be alive. Most assuredly they’d be divorced, but at least she wouldn’t have ended up broken on the jagged rocks, the cold rain washing away her blood as her life slowly drained out of her.

His cousins, James, Nora and Rachel had stood by him in the cold gray dawn the next morning as paramedics brought up her lifeless body, the girls faces ravaged with tears, James trying stoically to hold his back and his cousins looking on with bleak sorrow. Watching them, he had wondered which one she had been sleeping with, which one had met her that night, which one had been responsible for her going over that cliff. If there was one thing he knew for certain, Nicole’s fall was not accidental. She knew this coast too well, had grown up running up and down the cliffs, had been a frequent, welcome guest on the estate for fifteen years and could traverse the property at night without error. He had vowed then and there not to rest until he knew who was responsible, even if it meant turning on the people he cared most about, the people he grew up with and called family.

The first thing he saw when the elevator door opened was Sophie standing on the fireplace ledge, her buttocks showcased temptingly in tight jeans as she stretched up and ran a dust rag around the frame of Nicole’s portrait. Her wavy, caramel hair was pulled up into a swinging ponytail and her body was swaying slightly to whatever tune she had playing in her earplugs from her iPod. His mouth split into a rare indulgent smile as he watched her, listened to her sing out of tune as he again wondered why this one woman tempted him to stray from his focused course of drawing out Nicole’s killer.

Sophie hopped off the fireplace ledge, took a step back to check her handiwork and bumped into a hard, masculine frame. With a sense of déjà vu, she turned to look up into her employer’s handsome face, only this time those obsidian eyes were merely cool instead of cold. Removing her earplugs, she turned off her iPod and smiled tentatively.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t know you were needing in here this morning. I’ll get out of your way and finish later.”

“Quit apologizing every time you run into me, Sophie. It’s irritating and unnecessary. It’s after twelve, so technically it’s not still morning. I stopped in to talk to you a minute, so you don’t need to run off.”

“Oh, okay.” Sophie watched his look shift from her to the portrait and his eyes return to that frosted state she had come to expect as he looked at his deceased wife. Tentatively, she said, “She was beautiful. You must have loved her very much.”

“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” he murmured quietly. “Unfortunately, my wife’s beauty was only skin deep and by the time she died, so had any love I had had for her. Did you know it was my announcement that I had filed for divorce that made her flee this room that night? Bastard that I am, I knew telling her she was about to lose everything she had craved since she was eighteen would devastate her.”

Sophie heard the pain in his voice as he spoke of Nicole and saw the guilt in his face as he remembered the cruel words that he knew would upset her. “You were upset and hurt. It was only natural to lash out. You can’t blame yourself for an accident, Adrian.”

Adrian looked from Nicole’s image into Sophie’s haunted blue eyes wondering why she would bother trying to placate him when he had been anything but genial towards her all week. “And you, Sophie, do you blame yourself for your loss?” The instant the words were out, her face paled and she took a step back from him and Adrian could have kicked himself. Losing an unfaithful wife whom he no longer loved to a tragic death couldn’t compare to watching a beloved child suffer for months before passing away.

“What do you know of my loss?” she asked hoarsely.

“Surely you didn’t expect me to hire you from across the country on just your word, did you? I did a background check, a thorough one that noted the death of your daughter nearly two years ago. I’m sorry for bringing up that painful memory, Sophie,” he said stiffly, unused to apologizing to anyone for anything. But the stricken look on her face pulled at him and reminded him he hadn’t exactly welcomed her here with open arms.

“No parent should outlive their child. In that respect, yes, I blame myself for letting my daughter down,” she answered just as stiffly, her emotions feeling battered as he brought memories to the surface where she struggled daily to keep them away from. “What did you need to see me about?”

Changing the subject was a sign of defense he recognized only too well. The loud growl from Sophie’s stomach made her blush and broke the tension. It also reminded him of why he had sought her out. “Nora pointed out how remiss it was of me not to invite you to join us in the evenings for dinner. Please, feel free to do so as well as afterwards. Who’s around each night differs, but there’s usually one or two of us at home if you want company.”

“Thank you. I’ll think about it. I better get back to work.” Her stomach reminded her once again that she had skipped breakfast and it was past lunch already.

“Take a break, Sophie, and go get something to eat. I’m not a damn slave driver. Whatever you don’t get done in here today can wait.”

“I’ll take a break, but I’ll be able to finish afterwards.”

“I’ll ride down with you. I have to pick up some papers in my office and head back into town.”

The ride down was silent and Sophie realized that was the longest conversation she had had with Adrian all week. Stepping out of the elevator, she said, “I’ll see you later,” then headed towards the kitchen.

“Sophie.”

Turning, she looked back at him to see him staring at her with a brooding expression she couldn’t read. “Yes?”

“My wife’s fall was no accident. Remember that.”

Adrian’s last comment made Sophie toss and turn all night, wondering who he suspected had a hand in his wife’s death. Surely not one of his cousins or James, she thought. They, as well as Nora and Rachel all seemed to be a close knit group, people who had known each other for years and cared for each other as only people in long term relationships did. How Nicole could have cheated on Adrian was beyond her. If she had a man who loved her as much as he seemed to have loved Nicole at one time, she certainly wouldn’t have jeopardized losing that love by having an affair. But since she didn’t plan on leaving herself vulnerable enough again to love someone, thus risking the heartache of losing that person, having a relationship such as theirs was a moot point.

By the time Sophie was headed into town the next morning, she had firmly shoved aside all thoughts of Nicole’s death and simply kept her mind on getting her shopping done so she could enjoy her time off. She hadn’t seen much of Pendelton when she had stopped for gas and directions on her way in last Monday, and as she navigated the winding coastal road with much more ease than she had during the storm, she planned to enjoy part of the sunny spring day by driving around town enough to learn where all the shops were that she would need to frequent. Now, she could enjoy the scenery Maine was known for, its rolling mountains, forests filled with mixed oaks that were abundant along the Northeastern coast as well as the jagged, mostly rocky coastline and picturesque waterways. It seemed whatever your preference, Maine had it.

Pendelton was a mid-size town located mid-coast and was named after the first Pendelton, Adrian’s great-grandfather and founder of Pendelton Mills. Not only the largest employer in Pendelton, the company had grown over the past several generations to include mills, wood working shops and stores that sold their products exclusively located throughout the northeast. Despite the prosperity the company and the Pendeltons brought to the town, the town itself managed to keep its historic charm. Cobblestone and brick-laid streets ran in front of well- preserved historic homes and buildings. Taking her time, Sophie drove around the business district, spotted the company’s main offices as well as the city buildings, before finding her way to the shopping area.

Parking, she fed the meter enough to give her a few hours and started out on foot window shopping, noting stores she wouldn’t mind visiting and restaurants she’d like to go to to indulge in some of the seafood the coast was known for, especially lobster and clams, when she had more time. Stopping to look at a display of summer dresses in a shop window, she was surprised to see Nora inside behind the counter, waving at her to come in.