Penthouse of pleasure - uncertain desire (German Edition)
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Authors: A.J. Blue
-Erotic Romance-
Uncertain desire
Series 1
A.J. Blue
Kindle Edition – 20.09.2014
Copyright © 2013 by A.J. Blue
Cover Image: © konradbak - Fotolia.com
Cover Design: © A.J. Blue
Editing: MaKr
Translated by Martina Lammers
All rights reserved. Reprints – including excerpts – only with the express written permission of the author.
Contact: [email protected]
A.J. Blue is the pseudonym of a successful German author. “Penthouse of Pleasure” is her first erotic novel and also the first in a series of sensual love stories. More about A.J. Blue and her current projects can be found on her Facebook site:
https://www.facebook.com/AJBlue
Index
Penthouse of Pleasure
About
the Author
“Hello? Who is it?“ I keep pressing the intercom button waiting for a reply.
“Courier service. I’ve got mail for you!“
“Just a sec.“ I press the buzzer to open the door.
I’m not usually a great fan of couriers. They generally don’t deliver nice things. But today they definitely will. Because today is my 29th birthday and the package will surely be a present from Andrew, my boyfriend. Right now he’s on a business trip and I don’t expect him back until this afternoon. How thoughtful of him to send me something this early in the morning. It may be a gorgeous dress for me to wear when he takes me out to dinner. Or perhaps a string of pearls or earrings?
I’ve taken the day off to really treat myself on my birthday. I’m working for the marketing department of Andrew‘s company, so it won’t be a problem. The boss’s girlfriend enjoys certain privileges.
“Are you Mrs. Katherine Thompson?“ The courier extracts a large white envelope from his pouch.
“Yes,” I say while wondering what could be inside it. It’s too small for a dress and far too flat for jewelry.
“Can I see some ID, please?”
“Sure,” I nod and grab my purse from the little mahogany table beside the door to get my passport. “There you go!”
The courier carefully studies my ID and then concedes: “Okay, that’s fine. Just sign here, please!”
After I sign on the allocated line with his digital pen, he hands me the envelope. “Have a nice day!” I cheerfully call after him before looking for the sender.
Andrew Peters, Management Consultants.
I knew it. A gift from Andrew. But it’s very flat. I carefully touch the envelope for a hint. Maybe it’s a voucher.
I excitedly open it to reveal a document wrapped in a plastic cover.
Termination of Contract
Dear Ms. Thompson,
We herewith terminate your contract as per section 9, paragraph 3 as of…
That’s as far as I get. What the hell’s going on? A bad joke? My hands trembling, I pull another piece of paper from the envelope.
Kate,
Please forgive me, but I can’t and don’t want to do this in person.
You’re dismissed with immediate effect and you’ll receive a month’s wages as a redundancy payment. I am kindly asking you to vacate my apartment within the next forthnight. I’ve met someone else and we would like to move in together as soon as possible. My secretary, Mrs. Harris, has a key and will collect some things for me in the meantime. She will also drop off your personal belongings from your office. Please respect my decision. I wish you all the best for the future!
Andrew
Whaaat?
I feel like someone has pulled the rug out from under my feet. Has Andrew gone insane? A new girlfriend! I don’t believe it! And he tells me on my birthday? In a letter?
Sure, today is the 31
st
, I think acrimoniously. The last possible day of the month to fire me. I’m well aware that our relationship isn’t what it used to be. We haven’t had sex for ages. But that was certainly not my fault. Now I know why he hadn’t been in the mood lately. He’s seeing someone else. Aaaaaah!
I should have listened to my mother, who hadn’t liked Andrew right from the start and hadn’t approved of me quitting my well paid job in an advertising agency to work for him and move into his apartment over a hundred and fifty miles away from my hometown.
“You’re getting too dependent on Andrew,” she had warned me. “Why don’t you at least keep your job?”
Of course, I didn’t listen then. I just wanted to spend every free minute with Andrew and see as much of him as I could. For that reason I didn’t think twice when he offered me a job in his company and suggested I move into his posh designer apartment...
That was a year ago. I haven’t made any friends in the city yet and I’m not particularly bothered either. All my old girlfriends still live in my hometown and I don’t really have time for any new ones. Up to now I reserved all my time for Andrew.
I hadn’t anticipated that my decision would so soon turn out to be downright stupid.
I am gutted; far too shocked to cry. How could he do this to me? This is the worst birthday I ever had. How can I find a new apartment that quickly? And where? Will I have to move back home? And what about work? Where am I going to find something at a drop of a hat? I won’t get very far with a month’s redundancy. The deposit is sure to gobble up most of it. And I don’t have any furniture, not even a washing machine. Everything in this apartment belongs to Andrew. I can’t count on financial support from my parents. They’re pretty broke themselves. I slide down along the wall to the floor and bury my head in my arms in desperation.
My cell’s ringing. Must be people wanting to wish me a happy birthday. But I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone. Let them leave a message on my voicemail. I’m going to bed now. I’m not feeling very well.
After switching my cellphone to silent and taking the landline off the receiver, I watch a few schmaltzy romantic movies in bed. Then I shed one or two tears of disappointment until I fall asleep, exhausted.
It’s already dark outside when I wake up. I reach for my phone. Fifteen missed calls but not one of them from Andrew. He didn’t even bother congratulating me on my birthday. What a dickhead! How could I’ve ever fallen for him? I’m starting to feel really angry. Here I am on my 29th birthday with my life in tatters while Andrew is presumably screwing his new girlfriend. Andrew was certainly no god in the sack, but I was so in love that I didn’t care. I hadn’t even worried when we hadn’t had sex for weeks. I furiously bang my fist on the bedside locker. Now I’m going to go out and grab the first guy I meet for some unbridled passion. That’s my birthday gift to myself!
An hour and a half later I’m sitting at the counter of a trendy cocktail bar sipping an apple martini. I’ve put on some discreet make-up and I’m wearing a smart little black number, a super-duper push-up bra and high heels. I’ve arranged my blonde hair in an artistic bun. My mirror image tells me I’m looking good. I energetically down my martini and order another. I need to imbibe some Dutch courage. It’s been forever since I’ve been out on the town on my own and I’m a little out of practice when it comes to propositioning men.
Your cocktail, Madam. Enjoy!” The bartender smiles at me. Pity he’s so young. I guess twenty at the most. I don’t really go for younger men. My ideal would be someone roughly ten to fifteen years older than me. But if I can’t score anyone else today, I’ll settle for this one. Let’s hope he has his own flat and doesn’t still live with his mummy. There’s no way I’ll have sex with another man in Andrew’s apartment – I’d only end up thinking about him all the time and would most likely be far too inhibited. And today I really feel like letting my hair down. I forcefully skewer the little piece of apple floating on top of my cocktail.
“I’d say that apple is quite dead already!”
I turn around on my barstool and simply gape when I face this incredible looking guy. Square chin with a sweet little dimple. Blue eyes and dark, slightly curly hair. Muscular body and exquisite hands! Elegant, long fingers, perfectly manicured. I wonder what these fingers can do.
“Hi, I’m Liam.”
“Kate, I mean Katherine,” I reply, not exactly brimming with wit. I bite my lip in frustration. Why couldn’t I have come up with something more original? Liam takes my hand and presses it lightly. I stare at his chest in the tightly fitting turtleneck jersey that shows every muscle. Sweaters like that should be forbidden! At least when someone looks as good as this in them.
“Why are you sitting here all by yourself? Are you expecting someone?” Liam wants to know.
“I shake my head. “No, I don’t actually.”
“Your boyfriend must be pretty dumb to let you go out by yourself in a dress like that.” The way he glances all over my body makes me shudder. His eyes linger on my cleavage.
“I... I don’t have a boyfriend,” I stammer. I seriously have to address my chat up lines. I’m acting like a complete novice.
Liam doesn’t seem to mind. “May I buy you a drink?”
I nod. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
He stares at me with his blue eyes and I blush a little. Quite unlike me, he’s pretty good at the flirting game. He exudes unbelievable self-confidence and it really turns me on. I bet guys like him always get what they want.
“I’d sit down with you, but I’m here with some other people.” Liam gestures towards the right hand corner in the back and I follow his index finger with my eyes. But the table is too far way, and there are some potted plants obscuring my view, so I can’t really see anything. I sigh inwardly. What a shame! He’s bound to be in female company. A guy like this couldn’t possibly be single. But why is he offering to buy me a drink then?
“Why don’t you join us? It can’t be much fun here on your own.”
“If your girlfriend doesn’t mind,” I say.
Liam is amused. “Do you really think I would ask you over to my table if I had my girlfriend with me? I’m here with two close friends and they always enjoy pretty company.”
I quickly think about it and then agree. I would have preferred him being here on his own, but I might still be in with a chance after all. Visibly disappointed with my newly acquired male companion, the barkeeper hands me my drink.
“It’s on me,” Liam explains and pays for it. Then he picks up my glass and skillfully balances it across the room. I follow.
After having successfully negotiated the annoying greenery, I finally spot Liam’s table and what I see takes my breath away. Liam’s friends are also extremely attractive. Not quite as much as he is, but still better looking than any other man I know. One of them is blonde, tanned and muscular. A surfer type with a charming smile. The other is dark haired like Liam, but he has gentle brown eyes and is a little less muscular. He looks like a famous pianist or opera singer. The men are wearing expensive suits and are well groomed. I’d safely guess they are well to do business executives or heirs to some fortune.
“ Alex, Marcus, this is Katherine. I just met her at the bar. Katherine, meet Alex and Marcus.” Marcus the surfer and Alex the pianist flash me a friendly smile. They appreciatively scan my body and I feel myself blushing again. A bit too much attention for my liking. I’m not used to it anymore.
“Take a seat,” Liam invites me, puts my martini down on the table and straightens my chair. I sit down.
We chat about anything and everything. The boys are real nice. Time flies and the apple martinis are just wonderful. How many did I actually have already? I don’t really tolerate a lot of alcohol very well...
My bladder promptly agrees. “Excuse me,” I mumble and head for the restroom, already feeling a slight bit dizzy. I really shouldn’t drink any more. I open the door to the ladies‘ room and perch down on one of the johns.
Wow. That feels good. The tension leaves me right away.
I keep sitting there for another little while, trying to compose myself. Perhaps it would be better to grab a cab and go home. Home – I sigh. I don’t really have a home anymore.
“Are you okay, Katherine?” I hear Liam’s voice outside the door. How sweet! He wants to know if I’m alright.
“Yes, thank you. I’ll be out in a second,” I reply, adjust my dress and restore myself a bit in the washroom. My mirror images stares back at me through glazed eyes.
“Perhaps it would be better for you to lay off the booze for a bit,” Liam comments when I finally come out of the john. He’s casually leaning against the wall; toying with his wristwatch.
I nod.
“You’re obviously out of training.” Liam shoots me another of those smiles that make me blush right away. I’m not quite sure if his comment refers to my alcohol intake or something entirely different.
“I am, actually,” I reply. “I don’t usually drink this much, but today I have a good reason.”
“What reason might that be? Trouble with your man?” Liam asks. He appears so genuinely interested that I start telling him all about Andrew, getting fired and what a shitty day I had. I know that the topic isn’t exactly sexy, but right now I couldn’t care less about sex.
“... and on my birthday of all days,” I conclude.
“Really? It’s your birthday today?” Liam seems amazed. “Your story is unbelievable! Listen, if you don’t fancy going back to your ex’s apartment, you’re more than welcome to stay with us for the night.”
“Us?”
“The guys and I share an apartment with a nice guestroom. It’s not far from here.”
“An all male commune?” I mock.
“Something like that!” Liam grins. Out of the blue, he grabs my arm, pulls me to his chest and kisses me on the lips. “Happy birthday.”
“Tha- Thanks,” I stammer.
“Don’t worry, that’s all you’re getting from me tonight,” Liam says, winking at me. “I only get involved with women when they’re sober so they can appreciate me properly.”
“You seem to be pretty sure of yourself,” I let slip.
Liam grins again. “Oh, yes, I am.”
Gee, he’s smug. But sooo sexy. I think about the little kiss and can feel my nipples getting hard. Now I’m in the mood for sex again. Very slowly I run my index finger over his muscular chest. “Are you sure you don’t want more tonight?”
Liam grabs my finger and holds it.
“I’m certain. At least not tonight,” he smiles. Then he gently pushes me away. “You’re staying in the guestroom.”
Wow! The boys‘ apartment is a dream. Over two thousand square feet of a penthouse with a gigantic terrace surrounding the lot. The furniture is exquisite and must have cost a mint. I’ve only ever seen places like this in the movies.
Who would have thought that a day that started so badly could end so well?
I’m sitting here with three stunning guys in an incredible penthouse sipping my birthday champagne. I definitely won’t finish my drink. The apple martini is still in my system, but a tiny sip of champagne won’t hurt.
Initially Marcus and Alex don’t seem all that happy with the idea of me staying over. But when Liam briefly fills them in on what happened to me, they eventually agree. Perhaps I should get with one of those two. It’s Liam’s loss if he doesn‘t want me. I also quite fancy his friends. Or could the three of them be gay?
I sigh. Of course, they must be. Well dressed, great taste in furniture, quite nice to me but noncommittal. And they all share the same apartment. But Liam
did
flirt with me, didn’t he? I mean the signals were obvious, right? He kissed me after all. Maybe Liam is bisexual and the other two are a couple?
“Hey Katherine, what’s up? You look like one those Chinese Shar-Pei dogs when you frown like that!” Liam remarks.
I shake my head. It doesn’t matter. I don’t actually want to know. I’m just glad that I don’t have to spend the night alone in Andrew‘s apartment and I’m not really the kind of girl who has one-night-stands.
“It’s nothing. I’m just tired,” I reply. “Where’s the guestroom?”
