Black Orchid Read online

  She half opened her eyes and watched Alexander's face surreptitiously in the mirror as he rhythmically parted and closed her buttocks. He was watching the movement created by his hands, his eyes heavy lidded. So she wasn't the only one enjoying the massage!

  Closing her eyes again, Maggie tried to put herself in Alexander's place, imagining what he could see. Without conceit, she knew her body was good, the skin smooth and blemish free. From the back she knew she had a harmonious shape, her shoulders were straight, her waist small, her hips flaring gently outwards.

  The way Alexander was handling her now, she knew he would be exposing the dark, secret crevice between her buttocks with its small, puckered opening and probably, too, the soft, moist curls at the apex of her thighs. If it hadn't been for Janine lying on the next table . . .

  She glanced across at her colleague. The other girl was lying supine, her face twisted towards Maggie. Her eyes were closed and a small, blissful smile played around her soft lips. Maggie knew the expression on Janine's face was reflected on her own and she sighed.

  Closing her eyes she revelled in the delicious languor that had invaded her limbs. The silence enfolded her, soothing her mind so that she was conscious of nothing but Alexander's strong, knowing hands kneading her body.

  Only when she had totally let go of the tension in her muscles did Alexander begin to work his way back up her back to her shoulders. This time as he kneaded, Maggie knew that his fingers encountered none of the resistance they had before. Now his touch felt more like a caress and she felt a tingling running down her spine.

  He was leaning over her now, close enough for her to be able to feel the heat of his body. She wanted to roll over on the bed and reach up her arms to draw him down.

  She gasped as she felt his lips brush the tender place behind her left ear. The kiss was feather-light, fleeting so that she wondered if in her aroused condition she had imagined it.

  While she was still trying to decide, Alexander ran the palms of his hands down the sides of her body, smoothing the skin one last time. Maggie watched through hooded eyes as he walked past her to wash the oil from his hands at the tiny sink in the corner. She smiled as she caught sight of the distinct bulge in his shorts – she had always admired a man who enjoyed his work!

  Nevertheless, she was left with a definite sense of disappointment as she and Janine silently gathered up their towels around them and slipped off the tables. Her legs felt wobbly as she followed Janine into the steam room and she was glad to sink down on the hard wooden bench.

  The steam was fragrant and thick. So thick that Maggie could barely make out Janine's features as she sat down beside her, their bare shoulders almost touching.

  The massage had made her feel sleepy so Maggie leaned her head against the cold tiles and closed her eyes. She imagined she could still feel the brush of Alexander's lips against her skin and she reached up to touch the place where he had kissed her with her fingertips. Strange that such a small kiss had sent such a powerful erotic charge through her and she found she could not forget it. Images of Alexander, working out in the gym, entering the massage room, manipulating her body, filled her mind to the exclusion of all else.

  What if she had given in to the urge to reach for him . . . What would he have done then? In her mind's eye Maggie saw herself pushing him back on the table while she explored that strong body herself as he had hers. She shifted a little on the bench as she imagined fastening her mouth on his, tasting him, drawing his tongue into her mouth while she wrapped herself around him.

  It was some moments before she realised that someone else had entered the steam room. Caught up in the harmless fantasy, she was only vaguely aware of the soft swish of the door opening and closing.

  Her eyes flew open as she felt the firm, sure touch of masculine fingers trailing up her calf from her ankle. The steam was so thick now her eyes couldn't penetrate it, even though she could feel the kiss of warm breath against her shoulder.

  A small sigh from the girl beside her told Maggie that Janine was receiving the same treatment and she cooperated when the girl twisted slightly on the bench so that they were sitting back to back, supporting each other.

  Her initial alarm began to recede as the hand smoothed the hair away from her neck and arranged it across her shoulder. The fingers felt familiar, almost friendly and Maggie smiled as she recognised Alexander's sensitive touch.

  She held her breath as for one long, exquisite moment he left her alone. Allowing her heavy lids to fall closed, she was unprepared for the sudden, shocking press of his thumbs against her erect nipples.

  It was as if an electric charge had flashed through her. Touching her nowhere else but on the very tip of her hard nipples, it felt like Alexander had flicked the 'on' switch to her desire. Her mouth felt dry, her throat constricted, the tender places between her legs swelling and moistening in direct contrast.

  The bare skin of Janine's narrow back was damp against hers as Maggie leaned her head to one side, using the tiled wall as a support, and thrust her breasts forwards, yearning for more than that brief, shocking contact.

  Alexander's breath was hot in her ear as he moved his hands to the soft skin of her inner thighs. She was unresisting as he parted them, bending her knee so that her left foot was flat against the bench, the other just touching the floor with the toe.

  Maggie braced herself with her hands against the wall and bench as he began to describe small circles on the tender flesh of her inner thighs, slowly inching closer to her swollen labia. The wait was unbearable, her clitoris straining towards his teasing fingers, quivering in anticipation of his touch.

  Her entire body, awakened by the long, sensuous massage and her ensuing fantasies was burning with the need for release. Nothing mattered but the satisfaction of the desire that gripped her. In a voice which she didn't recognise as her own. Maggie heard herself whisper, 'Please . . . Oh please!'

  The backs of his fingers brushed almost fondly against her damp curls and a hoarse groan escaped her lips. It was hard to breathe in the steamy atmosphere and she let her mouth fall open slightly as she found herself struggling for air. He made her wait a few seconds more until, at last, with unerring accuracy, he took her burgeoning pleasure-bud between forefinger and thumb and tugged gently.

  Maggie felt the warm flush race through her body, spreading more slowly right to the tips of her fingers as he gently rolled the engorged flesh between finger and thumb. His breath was hot in her ear as he whispered,

  'Wider.'

  Maggie obeyed automatically, spreading her legs as wide as she could. She gasped as he used his free hand to push her right knee even further away from the left, still bent on the bench. When he was sure she could hold the position, he caught her left leg by the ankle and straightened it so that her foot was braced against the wall.

  Feeling as if she would be split apart by the pressure, Maggie cried out as he suddenly plunged three fingers into her hungry sex, curling them upward whilst at the same time pressing her quivering bud with his thumb. Maggie could hold back no longer. As spasm after spasm passed through her, she held her legs up in the air, opening herself as wide as physically possible.

  Just as she thought it had to stop, Alexander removed his hands and she felt his hot, wet lips close over her clitoris, sucking every last quiver of sensation from her.

  When at last the orgasm ebbed away she collapsed, exhausted, against Janine, her legs flopping down, her body bathed in perspiration. Janine's skin was slippery against hers and Maggie clung onto her as the girl turned and put her arms around her. Opening her eyes Maggie saw the ecstasy glowing on Janine's face and smiled.

  The steam was beginning to evaporate now and she realised that Alexander and the man who had been with Janine had melted away. She felt a sharp stab of disappointment that she had not been given the chance to pay Alexander the same compliment he had paid her. She would have taken great pleasure in bringing him to the same feverish pitch of mindless ecstasy as s
he had experienced.

  Gradually she became aware that Janine's small breasts were pressing insistently against her own, the erect tips rubbing hers back to hardness. Janine's fingers were tracing a path around her hairline and for a moment Maggie did not know what to do.

  The other girl's face was so close to hers she could smell the sweetness of her breath. Her parted lips were so near, Maggie could see the moist, pink tip of her tongue as it snaked out and licked at the beads of perspiration on the soft down of her upper lip.

  She had never been kissed by another woman before and she held her breath as Janine moved her soft lips across hers, backwards and forwards, coaxing her to open her mouth. Maggie's eyes fluttered to a close as the other girl's tongue probed her own, her sweet, warm mouth closing over Maggie's. Shifting her weight, Janine straddled Maggie on the bench so that she was sitting astride her lap, her knees either side of Maggie's legs.

  Maggie could feel the wet, open mouth of her vagina against her own primly closed thighs, and she tensed. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, but Janine's softness was very different to the feel of a masculine body which she craved. Right now Maggie wanted the hard, musky strength of a man and, though she did not want to offend Janine, she gently pulled away.

  Janine's violet eyes stared back at her reproachfully and acting on impulse, Maggie kissed the end of her nose. Janine smiled and climbed off her lap with a little shrug.

  'Ready to go?' she asked ruefully and Maggie nodded.

  They dressed in silence and by the time they emerged in the now pitch black street, Janine was her usual self again.

  'So – what did you think?' she asked Maggie as they reached the car-park

  'It was . . . different!'

  'And would you like to join?'

  Maggie thought of Alexander's enigmatic smile and did not hesitate.

  'What do I have to do?'

  'You have to convince Antony to let you in.'

  Antony. Maggie recalled the way he had looked at her and felt a small frisson of excitement race up her spine. She caught Janine's eye across the roof of the car.

  'Antony? How do I apply?'

  Janine smiled her confident, cat-like smile.

  'You don't. I'll set up an interview.'

  Maggie nodded before slipping into her car and firing the engine. She had a feeling Janine would consider she was owed a favour if she got Maggie into the Black Orchid Club. She thought of her unfinished business with Alexander and smiled to herself. That was another debt she owed.

  As she drove home Maggie wondered how long it would take Janine to organise her interview. A vision of Antony's glowing, muscled body pushed its way into her mind and she shivered deliciously.

  2

  For two long, frustrating weeks, Janine answered Maggie's enquiry with a shrug of her shoulders and the same reply.

  'It all depends on when – and if – Antony can fit you in.'

  The memory of Alexander's clever hands haunted her and Maggie found herself daydreaming in the middle of a working day, imagining their next encounter. Yet, now she came to think of it, she realised that not a word had passed between them. She was both intrigued and vaguely ashamed that she could have become so excited by such an impersonal encounter.

  Just as she was beginning to despair that Antony would ever deign to 'fit her in', Janine stopped by her desk one lunchtime and mentioned, quite casually, that an appointment had been made for seven that evening.

  'This evening?' Maggie's mouth fell open and Janine laughed.

  'Yes – aren't you free?'

  Maggie thought of the long, lonely, frustrating nights she had spent waiting for this appointment and almost laughed aloud.

  'I'll be there,' she promised and, before she realised her intention, Janine leaned across the desk and kissed her, smack on the mouth.

  Maggie was so stunned that she watched her walk away without a word. She could feel Bob at the next desk looking at her in total disbelief, but when she finally plucked up courage to meet his eye, he looked away hurriedly and began to fiddle with something on his desk.

  'What a sense of humour!' Maggie said shakily and Bob laughed politely, without looking up.

  The incident so unsettled Maggie that she found she could not concentrate any longer, so she left work early and hurried home. Making time for a long, hot soak in the bath, she wallowed in the scented water. Closing her eyes, she ran her palms along her slippery skin and imagined they were Alexander's. Or Antony's.

  How could it not matter which? She frowned as she realised she wanted to be accepted as a member of the Black Orchid Club more than she could ever remember having wanted anything. She wanted to have the right to see what went on behind the heavy oak doors at the end of the corridor.

  She had the feeling that Antony's selection procedure would be nothing if not inventive and that the forthcoming interview would be a rigorous one. She couldn't remember feeling this nervous about anything, not even when she had applied for her current job.

  After her bath she moisturised and powdered her skin before easing herself into a pure silk basque which had been a Christmas present from an old boyfriend. Until now it had languished, unworn, in the back of a drawer. There had never seemed to be an appropriate time to wear it and as she adjusted the straps, Maggie was glad she had saved it.

  Over the top she wore a plain navy shift so that, from the outside, at least, she looked her usual efficient self. Inside, though, she was quaking as she approached the club. Taking a few deep, calming breaths, she parked the car in the private car-park and checked her make-up in the driving mirror before going inside.

  * * *

  Antony watched through the window of his third floor apartment as Maggie strode across the car-park. She looked cool, self-possessed, her elegant features calm. He imagined those same features screwed up with passion and felt a stirring in his groin.

  'Is she here?'

  He turned away from the window as Alexander, bleary eyed and dressed in black shorts, meandered across the room, drink in hand. Antony frowned.

  'Champagne for breakfast?' he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Alexander smiled, unoffended.

  'But of course. Breakfast, dinner and tea. I'm on duty in half an hour so I'll have to sleep during the day tomorrow, too. See you later – have fun!'

  Antony watched him as he pulled on his singlet and bounded across the room and out the rear entrance. He shook his head ruefully. No one could ever stay mad at Alex for long, least of all him. Alexander was simply one of those rare people who loved to give. He had no concept of exclusivity when it came to his sexual habits and he gave equally willingly to anyone who wanted his company. Which is why he was so popular, Antony reminded himself, turning his attention back to the matter in hand.

  He smiled as the door opened and Maggie was shown in.

  'Hello!' he said, going forward immediately to take her hand in both of his.

  It trembled slightly in his grasp, betraying her inner agitation. So she wasn't quite as self-possessed as she appeared. Alexander had been right – he was going to enjoy introducing this one to the club. He smiled.

  'Glad you could make it. Drink?'

  'Yes, thank you. A dry Martini please.'

  He poured her a Martini and champagne for himself, using the glass Alexander had abandoned on the coffee table. Maggie sat warily on the white leather sofa. As she sank down on it, her skirt rode up over her thighs, offering Antony a tantalising glimpse of firm, white flesh above her stocking tops. He allowed his eyes to linger, enjoying the spectacle until she selfconsciously smoothed the skirt down to mid thigh.

  'So – you'd like to become a member of the Black Orchid Club?'

  He watched her moisten her throat with the Martini before she spoke.

  'I don't know for certain yet,' she told him, her tone businesslike. 'Janine recommended you and, since I enjoyed my first visit two weeks ago, I thought I'd find out more.'

  Antony watched her, spinning
out the silence between them. He remembered the visit that she mentioned and wondered what she would say if he told her he had heard about everything that happened in the steam room. She was trying to sound so cool, so nonchalant, yet Antony could see her desire to join the club burning in the depths of her bright hazel eyes.

  Very slowly, he reached along the back of the sofa and trailed his fingertips along her naked collar-bone. Her skin was cool, smooth to the touch. He felt her shiver and knew that, if he made a move now, he would not be rebuffed.

  It took an effort to hold back. He wanted her, but he had learned to wait until he could be certain that a potential client knew exactly what kind of a service the Black Orchid Club provided. Besides, with what he had in mind for Maggie, it wouldn't pay to rush things.

  Removing his hand, he put down his glass.

  'Right. I'll tell you more about the club while we're walking round.'

  * * *

  Maggie followed Antony along the hallway into the lift at the end. She had been sure he had been about to make a pass at her a few minutes ago and she was puzzled that he hadn't followed it through. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but wasn't sure of the etiquette involved in this strange place.

  He was wearing casual taupe trousers and a short-sleeved shirt this evening, so his sexuality was more muted than the first time she had seen him in singlet and shorts. Nonetheless, in the cramped confines of the lift she could feel the heat of his skin through the thin cotton of his shirt.

  She had never considered herself to be a small woman, yet Antony seemed to tower above her, making her feel tiny, vulnerable. The long period of anticipation which had preceded this interview had made her edgy, a two-week hiatus in her sex life making her impatient. Perhaps she had been wrong – perhaps the vibes she had picked up from Janine, and Alexander's outrageous behaviour, had not been a taster of what the Black Orchid Club had to offer?