Holiday Home (A Harem Fantasy #5)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Clink

T he meal was spectacular, but the company was what made it a five-star experience. Clinking their glasses together—at Avril’s prompting, of course—they dove into their meals. As it had been last night, everything was delicious. He went with the lobster risotto tonight, and he wasn’t the only one at his table eyeing the bright red tail sitting on top of his bowl. Avril stole a few bites before all was said and done.

She also used their mealtime to finally grill him about how he’d “landed” Victoria. Supposing it ought to be fine by now, he offered her a general summary of events. In doing so, Liam acknowledged the perfect storm of circumstances that had allowed him to end up where he now stood. There was Avril’s vacation voting thing, of course, but there’d also been Victoria’s bad date, which had synced up remarkably well—though he still knew it’d be bad form to celebrate Victoria having a lousy date—with when he’d initiated his ploy. One that had Avril grinning when he finally revealed it to her.

“The pupil becomes the master,” she teased, though there was a hint of truthfulness behind her smile. She seemed earnestly impressed that he’d risked such a bold gambit. And a mix of shocked and intrigued, much as Tess had been when she’d learned about these same things, that Victoria had responded positively.

“Do I get a championship belt or golden plaque?” Liam asked.

“And what should I have inscribed on it? ‘For excellence in seducing four gorgeous women with his big cock?’”

Liam’s face heated up, though he grinned at Avril. He’d allow himself at least that much pride. His situation allowed him a little bit of hubris, didn’t it?

“Keep that momentum strong,” Avril said, winking. “We’re not even halfway through the trip. There’re plenty of sights and activities left to experience.”

“And then the summer,” Liam said, nearly trembling with anticipation.

“Where you’ll spend all your days gardening, from the sound of it,” Avril said, sipping her drink.

“If you swing by, maybe we can get done faster, then move on to other things.”

“Yeah?” Avril asked. “Have you swung that idea by Professor Moreno?”

“Not yet.”

Avril’s emerald eyes flared with heat. “If you do get me permission to come over on one of those days, I will get you that plaque. And probably fuck your brains out as many times as you want for the next week.”

“I’ll see what I can do, Miss Knight,” Liam said.

And he would. Oh, he would. Not just for her benefit, of course. He was easily as excited by the thought of a threesome between Avril and Victoria as Avril was. How would it turn out, he wondered? Now that he knew Victoria’s sexual preferences a little better, though still not well enough for him to consider himself an expert, a few thrilling ideas coalesced in his mind.

Of the delicious variety.

He and Avril made it back to her bure when the sun was about halfway into breaching the horizon, hurling out what light it still could. Even if they had stuck around long enough for it to vanish, the brilliance of the moon and stars would have illuminated their path. It just didn’t get dark here. Not in the way he was used to, at least.

After finishing their meals and sharing a chocolate-drizzled dessert, they’d let themselves digest at the restaurant for about half an hour. Discussion about tomorrow’s snorkeling had risen to the surface during that time, and they were both excited about the novel experience. They chatted about how they might spend the day after that, where Avril might guide them to another island, another unique and memorable activity. Therefore, the tennis match, which also came up, would probably end up getting pushed until one of the later days of the week.

“That gives me time to think about what kind of reward I should offer the winning pair,” Liam mused.

“And for the losers?” Avril asked, clearly not as confident about winning now that she’d failed to fix the teams in the way she’d hoped.

“They can hear about what the winners will get,” he said, grinning as she scowled at him.

“Rude boy.”

“Beautiful girl.”

“I know.”

Liam chuckled. “I know you know. But I’m still obligated to say it.”

Avril grinned. “At least a few times per day. I guess I’ll have to keep you close so you can whisper it in my ear. Otherwise, those other beautiful women you’ve got wrapped around your finger might think you’re saying it to them.”

“Sometimes, they’ll be right. Sometimes, it’ll just be for your ears. Like the things I’ll be saying once we get out of here.”

Avril wasted no time standing, intensifying his heartbeat with her eagerness. “Then let’s go. I’m ready for my second dessert.”

As Tess had promised, neither she nor Anna were around when he and Avril returned to their bure. Climbing onto the deck, whose lights had been flipped on before the other two women made themselves scarce, Liam glanced toward the sliding doors separating them from the bedroom. The pillow on the right. What had Tess left there? Lube? It seemed like the most obvious option, given how well things had worked for them yesterday. A bit of a callback, as well.

Only one way to find out, Liam told himself.

“Avril,” he said, which drew her focus. “Come here.”

She did so, then grinned as he scooped her into his arms. Wrapping her legs around his waist, breasts pressing into his chest, she brought their foreheads together.

“Someone likes that they’re able to hold me up,” she said.

It was completely true. It reminded him of the work he’d put in over the past few months, as he did so without hardly any issue. Just as he intended to keep working on improving the ease with which he could hold her, he intended to end up in a position like this with the other three women at some point. And fuck them while doing so.

But that wasn’t why he’d picked her up. This was his diversion, as any good card handler knew how to perform. Distract with something obvious, then enact your plan more subtly.

“I love it, in fact,” he said. “Your big tits feel super nice against my chest.”

“And my ass?” she asked, wriggling her hips.

He nodded and gave it a loving squeeze. “As amazing as the rest of you.”

Avril chuckled and kissed him. One hand on his cheek, another running over the muscles of his arm, she breathed him in. Their body heat began to mingle, growing at the same rapid pace.

Liam walked ahead carefully, tilting his head so that at least one eye could be sure he was on a safe path forward. Advancing across the deck, he inserted his hand into one of the door’s slots and slid it open. At the same time, Avril fished around behind her back for the other door, then slid it somewhat open.

There was more than enough space for them to slip inside, trading wood beneath Liam’s feet for white tiles. Eyeing the specific pillow he’d been informed to check, Liam opted for his second diversion. Moving toward the bed, he angled things to deposit Avril onto her back. Pinning her under his body, he swept a hand under her shirt and moved it up, baring much of her stomach. That hand would stay there, skimming across her smooth skin.

Next, he broke off their kiss. Avril’s eyes gleamed with excitement, however, as she knew where his lips would head next. She tilted her head to the right, glancing toward the deck. Perfect! Liam hastily thrust his mouth to her neck, and in moments, he had her arching into him, burning with desire as his lips worked upon her skin.

“Yes, there,” Avril whispered, shivering as he bit her neck and sucked. “There’s no reason to need to hide all these hickeys anymore. I just realized that. So go fucking wild.”

“Aren’t you and Evelyn trading pictures?” Liam teased. “Won’t she wonder why your neck looks so… attended to?”

“I’ll, mmm, take pictures from the right angles,” Avril said, clutching his shirt tightly as he sucked on her skin. “Trust me.”

Liam responded by sucking just a little harder. At the right intensity to force Avril to squeeze her eyes shut. Now was the time. Having properly drawn her attention toward her sensitive neck, Liam removed a hand from her body. Sliding it toward her pillow, he stealthily slipped his hand under it.

Where it met… metal?

Not just metal, he realized, fishing his hand about to get a better understanding of what Tess had hidden beneath it. There was only a little metal, in actuality. His fingertips brushed firm material, familiar but not what he’d expected to come across after touching something metal first.

So confused was he that he stopped giving Avril’s neck as much attention as he should have. She noticed. She felt his hand shifting about as he fished around beneath her pillow. Before he could pull it back, her head rotated from her right to her left.

“And what are we doing with my pillow, Liam?” she asked, eyebrow arched. “If you wanted to play with something cushiony, I’m sure my body could accommodate that desire. I know it’s a nice pillow and all, but you’re going to make me feel self-conscious.”

“I highly doubt that,” he said. “But… well.”

Knowing his act of subterfuge had failed, he decided to reveal what Tess had left for them. He’d figured out what was under the pillow, at least.

Without further ado, Liam revealed a pair of handcuffs. The kind with thick leather restraints, sturdy straps, and a brass chain linking them together.

Avril didn’t seem shocked by what he revealed, only that it had ended up beneath her pillow. She made a face as she huffed.

“And just how did that get there? Just wandered out of my suitcase and decided to nap under my pillow?”

“So, it’s yours?”

“Sure isn’t Anna’s,” Avril snorted. She moved her mouth from side to side, thoughtful. “Though she did know I brought a pair. So did Tess. So, which one was it?” Before he could even say something, she snorted again. “What am I even saying? It has to be Tess. Anna blushed the color of your lobster tail when she saw me packing it. No way she’d ever go digging through my suitcase, either.”

Liam merely shrugged, but then a thought dawned on him. “How’d you get these through customs?”

“They’re a sex toy, not actual handcuffs. They got barely a second glance.” Avril reached out and collected the cuffs from his hand. She stared up at him, dangling them by the chain on two of her fingers. “Now that they’re out, with Tess having meddled in my evening plans, what now? Are you going to make good use of them?”

“I’m going to try,” he said. He took them back, then let Avril push him away enough for her to reach a seated position.

“Think about it for a minute,” Avril said, grinning in her knowing way. She knew he was a bit out of his depth, and she wasn’t willing to immediately toss him a life preserver.

You could have, though, Tess, Liam thought. A little more warning about what to expect, and he might have used some of his dinner figuring out what he wanted to do with a pair of handcuffs. Obviously, they would end up around Avril’s wrists; that wasn’t in question. But he felt he should add at least one more spice to the dish.

His eyes moved around their room. He saw the same things he saw in his bure: the open doorway leading to the bathroom, the small flight of steps heading down to the dining room. Neither inspired him.

His eyes swept over the open doors leading back to the deck multiple times. Twice, they didn’t even consider what was out there. On the third roundabout, however…

“Wrist,” Liam said, nodding at Avril.

“Just one?”

“For right now,” he said.

Curiosity mingled with amusement in Avril’s verdant eyes. She lifted her right arm, putting it parallel to the ground. Liam wasted no time fitting one of the restraints around her wrist.

“This feel right?” he asked after tightening the strap enough to keep her wrist snugly squeezed by leather.

“Feels sublime,” Avril teased. “What next, sir?”

She batted her eyelashes innocently, though that was the last word he’d ever use to describe her. He was swimming in unfamiliar depths, hoping he might intrigue her with the choice he’d made. He also knew he should get moving, as he’d start doubting if he’d made the best choice if he stayed still for too long.

“Yes,” he grunted. “Come with me.”

Her curiosity expanded as he led her back outside. Into the night, the fresh air, and the possibility of discovery. A subtle smile curved the corners of her mouth.

“Interesting.”

Well, that was what he was going for, so he continued advancing. Where to? To the nearly identical sibling of an object that he hadn’t yet used at his bure. And what he had in mind with this one definitely wasn’t its intended purpose.

“Very interesting,” Avril said, realizing where they were headed after only a few steps.

Toward the deck’s hammock, where it hung still and asleep, propped up by two thin palm trees. Near the end of the deck, where it had been hung, there was an intentional lack of plants blocking the view. Anyone who used it could sway peacefully as they stared out toward beautiful white sand and a calm ocean lapping inward. That meant that anyone on those sands or in that ocean would be able to stare right back.

“You okay with this?” Liam asked, partially because he needed to absorb some of her courage to go through with this.

“Fuck yes,” Avril said, grinning. “I’m impressed, Liam. Seriously impressed.”

Gladdened by her response, he led her toward the front end of the hammock. Next, he nodded above her. Her eyes went up, and she finally understood his full intentions.

“Fuck,” Avril whispered, biting her lip. “Are you going to hold me up?”

“For some of it,” he promised.

Excitement burbled like a geyser about to erupt within Avril’s eyes. Without a moment’s hesitation, she raised her arms. Each ended up slightly above and beside the thin palm tree directly above her head.

Liam did the rest, moving the chain and unused restraint over it, then tightening the latter around Avril’s left wrist. Once everything was secure, Liam took a step back. Avril Knight, his “prisoner,” though she looked anything but unwillingly incarcerated, glanced up to admire her current state. She grinned at the cuffs, then at him.

“Well fucking done,” she purred. “This is going to be so much fun.”

Liam hoped so. Drawing in a deep breath, aware that he wouldn’t be capable of seeing if anyone ever walked into view behind him, he reapproached the captive redhead. She still had her clothes on, but that was also by design. He didn’t rush to take them off, either. Nor his.

He kissed her passionately, hands on her hips. The palm tree he’d selected bent at maybe a forty-degree angle, tip extending toward the ocean, but more importantly, had a small area where the wood bowed downward, making it nearly parallel to the ground. Without that minor imperfection, this probably wouldn’t have worked. Even with it, Liam worried about relying too heavily on the tree’s sturdiness.

For now, however, it did its job. It kept Avril Knight relatively imprisoned. And so, Liam took charge.

As their kiss deepened, Avril’s excitement felt supercharged. That was enough for him to relax his worries. Moving things ahead, he delivered his fingertips to her shorts. He undid the button, lowered the zipper. But that was all he did there. Anticipation was the weapon he needed to wield if he was going to meet Avril’s hopes. Which meant he needed to stay patient.

Avril’s shapely hips were more than enough to keep her shorts up. He left them to their task, then slipped a hand under her shirt. His warm hand met her warm stomach, slightly more taut than usual because of the core strength involved in keeping her arms up in the air. He ran his hand over her skin, tracing the curve of her side like a sled heading downhill, then somehow having enough momentum to climb up the next hill.

After that indulgence, he lifted her shirt. As it went up, he pulled his mouth back. Avril stared hotly at him, eager to see what he’d do with it.

Obviously, it wouldn't be coming fully off with the order of operations he’d selected. There was a palm tree in the way. But he could lift it above her head, revealing so much of her gorgeous body that he couldn’t help but delay himself with a long, hungry stare, and twist it into a second restraint just above her elbows. As he did so, Avril climbed onto her toes so she could look over his shoulder. Suddenly, her eyes widened.

Panic lanced through Liam as if a sharpened piece of glass had just shoved its way into his back, and he hurled his attention in the same direction. Where he found literally no one standing on the beach.

“That’s not fucking funny,” he growled at Avril, who couldn’t keep her laughter away.

“It’s a little funny.”

“I will leave you like this,” he said.

“That’d be kind of hot, too, I suppose,” Avril said.

He grunted, realizing how futile it was to try and make Avril self-conscious, and finished tying up her shirt. Then, he made her pay a bit.

She had plenty of weak spots. Her neck was her weakest point, and he gave it plenty of attention. Her laughter soon transitioned into breathy moans, especially with his hands roaming across her voluptuous body in their practiced way. With this body, in particular, he’d had a lot of practice. He touched, kissed, and whispered sordid thoughts against soft skin, causing numerous shivers. More.

Avril unfurled like an awning being raised, trembling in anticipation when he finally pushed her shorts down. Stepping out of them, she kicked them away, then leaned into his hands as they squeezed her butt. As a small act of vengeance, he acted as if he planned to pick her up, only to release her once she began returning to her toes.

Of course, Avril found his tactic amusing. Though he was no expert when it came to BDSM, he knew enough to understand that this wasn’t the usual dynamic between a woman chained up by handcuffs and the man who’d done it to her. Still, Avril was enjoying herself—in more ways than one—so he supposed he was doing an okay job.

Her bra came off next. Well, “off.” Unclipping it, he lifted it in the same way he’d lifted her shirt. Avril wiggled her shoulders as he maneuvered it up by her shirt, then pushed it behind her head. Out of the way. Revealing more of the beautiful women he wanted to kiss all over.

So, he did. His fingertips found her breasts first, hefting them, circling them, delighting in everything about their shape and feel.

“Still not bad, right?” Avril asked. “Now that you’re getting to play with Victoria’s unfairly perfect pair.”

“You tell me,” Liam said, lowering his mouth to Avril’s left breast.

Fifteen minutes later, he believed he’d proven how much he loved her breasts. How much he loved all of her. He showed some slight preference toward her breasts, but he made sure his mouth moved around. He made sure all of him moved around. After leaving her breasts glistening in his saliva, he moved around behind her. Like the rest of her, her back was toned, smooth, and alluring. He ran a trail of kisses down her back, then back up, then back down, pressing his lips forward far enough to feel her lean muscles.

“You’re more addicting than any drug,” Liam absentmindedly whispered, caught up in the endless number of places his hands and mouth wanted to roam across Avril’s body.

After exhaling contentedly after he kissed her spine, she glanced over her shoulder. “No shitty side effects, either. You can take and take and take me, and everything will turn out fine.”

“More than fine,” Liam said, straightening up. He maneuvered to Avril’s side, kissed her shoulder, then repositioned himself in front of her. “How are you doing?”

“Arms are just fine,” she said, wiggling her wrists to prove it. “But if you’re asking about how wet I am, well, go find out.”

Two of his fingers did just that. Slipping under her panties, they found this part of her as eager as the rest of her body seemed to be. After slicking two of his fingertips with her wetness, he gently swirled her clit them. Immediately, Avril’s jaw flexed tight. Nodding quickly, Avril bit her lip as he added a touch more force to her sensitive pearl. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her breathing grew even rockier.

Liam leaned into her, letting her rest her cheek on his shoulder. They stayed like that, sharing the comfort and heat of their bodies as Liam caused Avril to unravel. She squeezed out a few whispered “yesses” in between throaty moans, unable to keep her body still. Returning his mouth to her neck, though to a spot he hadn’t given as much attention yet, he created two points of attack on the gorgeous redhead.

She didn’t stand a chance.

Proudly, Liam finally felt like he was good at this. At measuring Avril’s needs, determining the right rhythm, the right pressure, the right timing. Not just hers, either. If anyone else had been here in her stead, he was confident he could have brought the climax building within Avril’s curvaceous figure crashing down upon them too. Even Victoria. He’d likely get a chance to prove if his assumption was correct later tonight.

“So good,” Avril whispered. Lifting herself onto her toes, her tremors grew even more noticeable. She leaned further into him, needing the support of his body. Liam stayed the course, causing Avril to flood his ear with compliments. Like warm water filling a pot, Avril’s body reached its point of overflow. She didn’t fight the inevitable. Instead, she gleefully drowned in it.

Her voice cracked as a powerful moan fled from her lips. It reverberated against his ear, loud enough to reach any nearby ears. His name, practically a plea, chased after it, imbued with all of Avril’s releasing bliss. She shivered and moaned and begged for his continued efforts, all of which jumbled together as her climax crashed against her.

At that precise moment, someone, having been listening in for a while, it seemed, rather than having innocently overheard Avril’s boisterous climax and come to investigate, chose that moment to make her appearance.

Liam’s eyes went wide.