Black Orchid (2 page)

She gasped as suddenly, unexpectedly, he turned his attention
to her naked buttocks. Instinctively clenching the muscles
there, she felt herself grow pink with mortification as her
resisting cheeks were gathered up, one in each of Alexander's
large hands, and squeezed gently until she felt herself reluctantly
beginning to let go, the final vestige of resistance
rippling away.

She was breathing in short little gasps, as she felt the
familiar, sexual warmth spreading through her body, radiating
from her centre. The indirect stimulation of her most intimate
places made her feel moist, the delicate folds swelling, anticipating
the touch that never came.

Alexander was scrupulous in his attention, not missing a
square inch of her bottom, kneading and squeezing until
Maggie felt the dampness between her thighs seeping into the
soft towel beneath her hips, mingling with the warm, slippery
oil which had been liberally applied over her tingling rear.

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 she 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.

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?

As if feeling her bemused eyes on him, Antony turned and
looked at her, his expression enigmatic. As the lift came to a
smooth halt, he ran his eyes very slowly down the length of
her body and back up again in a frank, unsmiling appraisal
which made Maggie's breath catch in her chest.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he noted the sudden colour
which flooded her cheeks, yet his tone, when he spoke, was
quite conversational.

'You've already seen the changing rooms and the gym,' he
said as they stepped out of the lift.

Maggie nodded as he opened the double doors of the
mirrored gym and she glanced around. Alexander was helping
a client master the bench press. He looked up as the doors
opened and smiled at her briefly before turning his attention
back to the woman on the bench. She was younger than
Maggie, but hard-faced, her efforts on the bench press perfunctory
as she leaned into Alexander's solid body beside her. Would
she be treated to a massage afterwards? Maggie wondered.
She turned back towards Antony and saw that he was smiling
knowingly at her.

It was at that moment that she knew for sure that she had
not made a mistake. A peculiar tension gripped her stomach
as, without warning, Antony suddenly reached out and ran
the pad of his thumb across her slightly parted lips. The contact
was brief, yet it sent an erotic charge racing through Maggie's
body. She bit down on her lower lip where he had touched it
as he turned away and they left the gym.

'What made you start this place?' she asked him in a bid to
recover her equilibrium.

'I saw the need. An old girlfriend of mine complained that
men never had to play games when they wanted sex – there
was always somewhere they could go to be satisfied with no
strings attached. But women are naturally more cautious than
men.'

'We have to be,' she replied sharply.

'Of course. That's why I had the idea of providing a controlled
environment with carefully selected staff – and equally carefully
selected clients. This way.'

He opened the double doors at the end of the corridor which
had so intrigued Maggie on her previous visit. She looked
around her eagerly and saw that they had entered a large
lounge area with a semi-circular bar at the end and a small
raised stage in the centre. It was dimly lit, but not excessively
so and the decor and soft furnishings were nothing short of
opulent. Large, comfortable sofas were covered in the same
fabric which curtained the floor to ceiling windows along one
wall. The curtain fabric itself was generously gathered and fell
in extravagant, expensive folds to pool on the floor with
contrived carelessness.

On the sofas and around the numerous tables some two
dozen women sat, alone or in small groups, drinking, playing
cards, chatting, generally relaxing. From their dress and attitude,
it appeared that most had come straight from the office
and were unwinding after a hard day. One or two were talking
with one or other of the young men who were in attendance,
waiting, presumably, until they were required.

The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. The predominance
of women put Maggie in mind of one of the better aspects of
the few remaining gentleman's clubs. As in those, everyone
here gave the impression that they felt as if they belonged and
could use the club as a home from home.

Antony was greeted by all the women there and he kissed
each one on the cheek, in turn, like a benevolent night-club
owner, passing a few words here and there. Maggie found
herself returning smiles, refusing the offer of a drink from one
woman when Antony urged her on.

'Is there anyone in the Exhibition Hall, Liz,' he asked the
woman.

'I think Tina booked it – she disappeared in that direction
with Judd.'

Maggie raised her eyebrows at Antony and he took her by
the hand.

'There's a lot more to see yet,' he murmured close to her ear,
'but I think you'll find this entertaining. I know I will.'

Intrigued, Maggie followed him into the next corridor. There
were several doors leading off it, some of which had 'Engaged'
signs hanging from the handles. Antony opened the first
vacant door and closed it behind them.

Maggie looked around her with interest. The room was
small, no more than a cubicle, really, with just enough room
for a large, cushion-strewn couch against the opposite wall to
the door and two easy chairs with a coffee table between them.
On the coffee table was a silver champagne cooler with a bottle
and two glasses at the ready.

The chairs were facing the far wall which consisted entirely
of glass, through which could be seen a larger room, surrounded
by mirrors.

'Each mirror represents a cubicle such as this,' Antony told
her as they sat down.

'Two-way mirrors?'

He nodded. Opening the champagne bottle with a discreet
'pop', he handed her a full glass.

'Watch.'

The room before them was empty apart from a huge unmade
bed. The unsheeted mattress was covered in a grubby, striped
ticking and there were several mismatched pillows piled up
against the peeling bedhead. A single light hung from the
ceiling, the red bulb casting a ruddy glow over the scene so
that it looked almost surreal, like a stage set of a seedy hotel
room.

The corners of the room were in shadow. As Maggie
watched, a door at the far side opened and a man and a woman
entered.

The man was big, at least six feet five, and solidly built. His
dark hair was cut aggressively round his ears and shaved at
the nape. Dark stubble patterned the lower half of his face and
crept over his jawline to his neck. Maggie could see the muscles
of his thighs bunching under his oil-smeared jeans as he strode
into the room and took off his leather jacket which he flung
on the bed. Underneath he was wearing a heavy denim shirt,
the top button undone so that a few coarse, dark hairs showed
between his collar-bones.

'Get in here!'

Maggie gasped as he snarled at the small, well-dressed
woman who she now realised was hesitating in the doorway.
She turned to Antony in some alarm and he smiled at her.

'It's all right. This is Tina's fantasy. Judd knows exactly what
to do.'

Maggie watched as Tina walked slowly into the room,
swaying slightly in her neat, high-heeled court shoes. She was
dressed in a well-cut grey wool suit, a dark pink blouse
buttoned demurely to her throat and fastened with a silver
brooch.