Previous Chapter: Home At Last!
I have what I need. I quietly walk down the hallway, balancing my equipment. Habits of a lifetime mean I make almost no sound. It’s still early. The newly risen sun’s light is shining close to horizontal. It casts a long shadow in front of me. Though I know there’s no risk, I’m still aware that my shadow telegraphs my presence to anyone further down the hallway. Careful not to make any audible disturbance, I open the door to the bedroom. Briskly stepping inside, I silently close it behind me. Despite my expectations, they’re both awake. Further, they’re engaged with one another!
“Oh, fine, start without me, eh? I thought you two were asleep.”
Isabel and Tessa look up from the bed. They’re intimately intertwined. Very little left to the imagination. I set down the tray with the coffee and admire the view. Their intensity reducing, they sit up and reach for my offered cups.
Tessa got in late last night. Since we were still recovering from our travels, she barely got to see the living room before we flopped on the bed in a puppy pile and passed out.
“I left you sleeping soundly just a few minutes ago. Did I make that much noise when I left?”
Tessa takes a sip of her coffee. I get an approving glance.
Isabel says, “We did get a fairly decent night’s sleep. After you left, it got cold, which woke me. Then I got Tessa up. It seems like it’s been forever since she and I have been able to be like this. I’ve missed it. Not to take anything away from you, but she has a different smell, taste and feel. Something I missed as much as yours. This is the first time I’ve been able to spend more than a few seconds enjoying her since I was in that warehouse.”
Isabel looks directly at Tessa, “Seacay and I discussed this and we need you to know. As we’ve come to realize and accept our love for each other, we’ve also realized and accepted we love you as well. We believe the feeling is mutual, but want to get it out in the open for everything to be crystal clear.”
Tessa has a warm smile, “I didn’t want to get in your way if you felt three was a crowd, but I’ve loved you both for a long time. I was worried you’d be uncomfortable if I expressed it. I love the idea of a menage a trois. The sexual connotation as well as the ‘household of three’ aspect.”
I add, “We’ve been in reactive mode for a while, now we can relax. We can think about our present and future and get proactive. My career has made me wealthy. We needn’t worry about money. We can take as long as we need to plan for the future.”
Tessa looks away distantly. After taking another sip of her coffee, she says, “I have enough money squirreled away to live comfortably for the rest of my life.” She looks sideways at Isabel through her hair, “I was one of those people who skimmed from my jobs and set up accounts all over the globe.”
Now Isabel looks away. She sighs, “Well, my involvement in that’s behind me now. I suppose it’s a common thing to do. We deal so much with cash and there’s so little accounting.”
Tessa adds, “And the pay and hours suck. Not to mention getting shot at all the time!”
“Yes... I suppose I was heavy handed when I was in Internal Affairs. I must have made a lot of people upset. Well, I’m not going to hold any of that against you now.” She looks at Tessa and gives her a kiss.
I ask, “Are you up for the official tour?”
Tessa’s eyes brighten, “Certainly! When I arrived, the only impression I got was this place is huge. All I’ve really seen so far is this bedroom and bathroom. Which are amazing!”
We head out to the living area. I show off my giant video projector. I can tell from Tessa’s expression she’s looking forward to watching movies here.
We don’t spend much time looking at the kitchen. They aren’t inclined as chefs either, though I know Isabel can do much better than microwaving. Isabel does say she looks forward to trying out the incredibly expensive stove at some point.
I take them out on the wrap-around deck. About half of it’s covered. The deck is so huge, it more than doubles the number of square feet of the interior. I have infrared heaters so I can enjoy sitting out here even in the dead of winter. They go to the railing and look over the edge. The house is built on a slope, and the drop off from the rear porch is about forty feet. The view here is amazing. We’re on the edge of the Rockies. Trees only grow in patches where there’s enough water, thus there are lots of open spaces. We can easily see the snow-capped mountains from here. There’s even a lake glinting in the distance. Over the years, I’ve smoked many a cigar gazing out on this vista. I find it very calming and relaxing. I step back to let them drink in the view and to take in the view of them leaning on the edge of the railing. Both of them look really good in their short nighties; their white panties admirably showing off their tan skin. However, I find my eyes irresistibly drawn to Isabel’s magnificent rear. They both have nice legs and muscular thighs. My view is no less impressive than the one they’re enjoying.
Mornings here start out cool, and they’re standing in the house’s shadow. Since they aren’t wearing much, and have been adapted to the south, they decide they need more clothes to enjoy the view. I assure them that the afternoons during the summer get quite warm, particularly when the sun gets higher in the sky.
We walk down the hallway to the other bedrooms. Each has different lavish appointments, complete with a huge bathroom and closets. But a bedroom is a bedroom, so we don’t linger. We head downstairs, where I hope things will be more interesting. I show them the large gym. It’s fully appointed, and even has an area for sparring, though I’ve never had anyone to use it with until now. It has the typical exercise equipment as well as a wide variety of free weights and the usual treadmills, etc. for the long winters, when outdoor activities are precluded due to the weather. Then there’s the two and a half story climbing wall and adult-sized jungle gym. Ropes for climbing and swinging. A giant cargo net with holes a variety of sizes hanging away from the wall. The floor is well padded so an inadvertent drop won’t require a visit to the hospital.
In another room I show off the full-sized pool table, “I practice occasionally, I find it sharpens my aiming skills, but I’ve never had anyone to play with.”
Isabel says, “I used to play in college, but haven’t held a stick in a long time.”
Tessa, “I’ve played a few times over the years, but never enough to develop any skills.”
They each grab a cue and knock a few balls around. I enjoy watching them. Their nighties ride up most provocatively when they bend over for the longer shots.
I show them my indoor shooting range. It’s built into the hill under the circular driveway and extends under the garage. It’s about one-hundred and fifty feet long and can simulate a variety of lighting conditions. I’ve also arranged it to have the ability to generate cross winds. Important for practicing long shots. The armory at one end is well appointed. One of my hobbies is collecting firearms. Isabel isn’t that interested, though Tessa lingers appraisingly. Tessa is even more interested when I show them my collection of throwing implements and show her how to tell the range to configure itself for that sort of practice. At the push of a button, a wall of Kevlar fabric will descend and capture anything that misses the targets, which also drop with the same button. A variety of the targets are human-shaped, though some are just simple bullseyes. I show them how to command the targets to move. Either side-to-side, up and down or randomly. The targets for the firing range can also be programmed to move about the same way. There’s also the switch that produces random flashes and loud sounds to simulate the racket of combat. Finally, there’s the enhancement I made a couple of years ago: rubber balls that can be fired at the shooter hard enough to hurt. A variety of sizes and weights; it really takes concentration to accurately hit the target under these conditions.
“Now for the pièce de résistance: my indoor lap pool.”
I get more oohs and aahs as we step into the swimming pool room. It’s long and narrow. Ideal for laps. Though there’s a wider section for lounging. There’s a large hot tub that spills over into the pool, producing a nice waterfall look and sound. The room is set up like a greenhouse and is partly exposed to the sky through armored glass. Lots of tropical plants, ferns, mosses, etc. growing in rocks set to look rustic. As I wave my arms around describing the place, I hear giggling behind me. I turn around just in time to see them dive into the pool, their nighties in a pile on the ground. Wasting no time, I take my clothes off and dive in as well. Both have started swimming down the length of the pool. I stretch out and follow. It feels good to swim. I haven’t done this in a while. All this stuff is maintained automatically, though I have to check on things several times a year. Since it was just me, the pool never got very dirty. With three of us now, I’ll have to pay more attention.
We swim laps for a while. As I enjoy peeking at them as they go by I’m winding up with more resistance than usual. After thirty minutes or so, they decide to try out the hot tub. I finish my lap and join them. Isabel figures out how to turn on the jets and they’ve both sunk up to their necks in the bubbles. As I slide into the water, they separate and motion for me to join between them. I put an arm around each. This is great!
We aren’t in the tub very long before we start to hear each other’s stomachs growl, so decide to get some breakfast. I show them the shower room, so we can rinse and dry off, then head back up towards the kitchen. I introduce them to the pantry. It’s almost as large as the kitchen. There are a couple of chest freezers, along with a huge amount of shelving with all sorts of materials. Most of the stuff I have keeps for a long time. Because my schedule is so irregular, I don’t care for getting stuff that spoils quickly. I work to rotate my inventory, so things stay reasonably within their expiration dates.
I suggest steak and eggs for breakfast. They both nod their heads in anticipation. I have a freezer full of vacuum packed meat and I’ve found over the years that eggs last a lot longer than the sell-by date indicates. As I start to gather things for breakfast, Isabel takes over and says she’ll manage the kitchen. She knows Tessa and I don’t care for cooking. I guess she wants to ensure the meal is palatable.
Though I have to tell her where things are, she’s capable of managing everything else. Tessa and I watch as she expertly prepares the meal. We sit around, enjoying the food and each other’s company. As we finish up, Tessa asks about the security.
“This place has a lot of early warning systems and there are a couple of panic rooms I’ll show you later. They’re disguised, intended to fool even professionals. The cameras can be accessed from any of the TVs scattered around the house and I have a motion detection system that uses soft artificial intelligence to know the difference between deer, bears, et cetera, and humans. Generally, there’s no reason for anyone to be here. The surrounding land is all private and there are no hiking trails nearby. Though I have no personal knowledge of the neighbors, I have extensive dossiers on them all. My cover is I’m a rich businessman who uses this as a retreat and rarely has company. The neighbors know to leave the area alone.
“Occasionally I see hunters, but so far they’ve been careful to stay on the land they have permission to use. When my system detects something it produces this sound.” I demonstrate for them. It’s somewhat like a creaking floor or the house settling, “If you hear a series of these sounds at random intervals over a period of thirty to forty seconds, it’s something to be interested in. The false positive rate is high. I have it tuned to minimize the false negatives. Once or twice I’ve had guests from the neighbors near the gate in front of the property and I have the system tuned to report that activity. Be sure to check the visuals before assuming it’s something to worry about.
“Inside the exterior walls is ballistic nylon and will stop up to fifty cal ball rounds, but not armor piercing. The windows are all bullet resistant, but won’t stop fifty cals. The water supply is managed within the footprint of the building and the HVAC system has a very paranoid chemical detection system. So paranoid, it tends to go off several times a year, particularly in the spring pollen season. I’d rather have to reset it than have it miss something. Inside are the usual optical and sonic detectors, though mine are much more sophisticated and will detect and report the typical methods of bypassing them.”
They look like they like what they hear. I spent a lot of money on this system and have faith in it. I show them where the control room is, how to bring up all the various cameras as well as the remotes for the guns I’ve installed. Lastly, I show them where my escape tunnel is and describe where it comes out.
“At the end of the tunnel there’s a room with a small armory as well as various camouflage outfits. I’ll have to ensure that there are sizes to fit you and give you the access codes. Enough of this for now.”
We stroll back to the bedroom. They’re chatting about needing to go shopping. Tessa brought a few things with her, but Isabel has almost nothing. We pass my office and they’re curious to see. I open the door and usher them in. On one side is a wonderful view of the mountains. On the other is a large blowup of the Isabel-on-the-beach picture Tessa sent me years ago. Tessa smiles when she sees it. Isabel has a non-committal expression.
She looks at Tessa, “I think I know when you took this. I recall thinking you were trying to get shots of me, something I normally detest, but this looks really nice. Better than many of those posters adolescent boys put in their rooms. I’m OK with seeing it in such a prominent spot. More evidence, as if it were needed, that Seacay really does love me.”
She takes me by the arm and gives me a warm hug and kiss. Tessa goes to the other side and does the same. Man, I like this!
The girls decide that they really need to do some shopping. I’m sure I don’t want to join them. Even though years ago I wound up enjoying shopping with Isabel, when I was a child, I remember shopping with my mom and being bored out of my mind. I feel sure that’s what’ll happen if I join them. Isabel has no IDs, credit cards, etc. I tell them I’ll work on those while they’re gone. Tessa has appropriate credentials and money, so I’ll let her manage things for now. Tessa’s here in a rental. They take that and I’ll meet them later at the drop off place in one of my cars (I have a five car garage, though there are a couple of empty spaces.)
I work on setting up a new identity for Isabel, creating a legend, setting up accounts and transferring money to them. For the parts I lack expertise in, I make use of my many contacts who specialize in this ‘biz. I spread the elements around so no single person knows the whole picture. It doesn’t take that long to make arrangements, but it will take several days before everything becomes part of official records. Though this process takes a few hours, it surely must be more interesting than watching women shop.
A couple of hours after I finish, I get a call that they’re ready. They tell me to bring my largest car. I get a small sense of foreboding. Sure enough, they have a huge pile of boxes and bags. I hope my SUV can handle it. Isabel insists on getting some fresh ingredients for meals, so we stop at a grocery story on the way back. I caution her not to get excessive, there’s barely enough room for us in the car.
Back at the house, we make several trips carrying the shopping booty to the bedroom. I tell them how much of the closets I need, which isn’t a lot. They go to town laying out their stuff. I take the groceries and put them away, then return, standing in the doorway watching them unpack. I see some things whisked around that I look forward to seeing on the flesh, and think about suggesting some fashion modeling. Like what Isabel did for me all those years ago. After a while, though, it’s clear that the putting-away process may wind up being as long as the purchasing. I decide to have a cigar on the deck. I’m almost done with it when they discover me. I get an appreciative look from Isabel, but Tessa wrinkles her nose at the smell, “I promise to brush my teeth after I smoke!”
They join me in chairs and I tell them what I’ve been doing, “I created an identity for you today. I wasn’t sure about a name, so I stuck with Isabel.”
Tessa looks at Isabel and smiles. Maybe now I’ll get an explanation.
Isabel looks sheepish, “When we first met, and you had me tied up, I was flashing my sex appeal non-stop. I was confused, because you weren’t responding in the manner I expected for a heterosexual, yet it was clear you enjoyed looking at my body. Over the years, I’d grown to depend on my sex appeal and was flustered that it wasn’t working as expected. When it came time to offer names, I hadn’t yet recovered my equilibrium. I used my real name because I couldn’t focus enough to select a cover name I’d be able to remember.”
Tessa laughs. Isabel looks even more sheepish, hanging her head.
“Well, I love that name and think it fits you perfectly.”
I offer them my real name. It’s a bit pedestrian. Tessa gives hers, but avows that she never liked it and would prefer we stick with “Tessa,” which she always considered short for “Contessa.” I guess that says something about her psychology.
I ask, “Sorry to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I’m really curious: why me? What’s special about me that gets two beautiful women to be willing to leave their lives and start over?”
Isabel looks surprised. Tessa smiles and starts, “You’re an original ‘bad boy’: a killer. Women love that a man would kill for them. So romantic. Like the Knights of the Round Table. Psychopathic killers are such a turn on.” She smiles even more broadly.
Isabel, “Yeah, but don’t forget that he’s a warm-hearted cold blooded killer! And he _did_ rescue the damsel in distress!”
Tessa agrees and adds, “Women like strong men who are capable, have opinions they defend without being assholes, can physically sweep them off their feet in passion, yet are willing to make us coffee in the morning, give us back and foot massages and open doors for us.”
Isabel again, “What about his body?!”
Tessa nods, “Women love having their cake and eating it as well, no different than guys. If you have to choose between two otherwise perfect women, one hot and another one not, and all other things being equal, wouldn’t you want the hot one? You have a great body, hard and muscular. Just the sort of thing we like.”
Isabel adds, “Then there’s the love making.”
Tessa sighs happily, “Yes, the love making. When Isabel initially told me about your first encounter, I was supremely jealous. Though my experience with boys hasn’t been quite as depressing as hers, one of the reasons I make love with Isabel and other women is I have so rarely found a guy who would treat me as more than a sperm receptacle. Sure, they talk a good story when they’re on the prowl, and I admit I’ve been suckered in more than a couple of times, but to have a lover who cares about my pleasure and is also a magnificent specimen of manhood? The Holy Grail! And Isabel had that for several days! I got to see what I was missing when we were at that bed and breakfast, triggering even more pangs of jealousy when you and she ran off to spend that week together. She and I had a great time talking about it afterwards, in minute detail, but I wanted some myself. It took a while, but finally I was able to be with you in person and steer us into lovemaking. While I don’t think I got as many orgasms as Isabel did in her first encounter, our lovemaking was entirely satisfying because you are attentive and dedicated to ensuring our pleasure isn’t just an incidental thing that happens by accident. Despite the number of times we’ve been together, I have a nagging suspicion that Isabel has had more orgasms. Something I intend to even out now that we’re going to be together regularly.”
Isabel smiles, “I accept that challenge. Let the games begin!”
Our short-term needs dealt with, we start to discuss long-term plans. Since they’re professionals, I doubt they’ll enjoy being idle for long. Even when I’m off the job, I’m rarely idle. I have covers to maintain and for many years I worked on building my houses. Smoking cigars on the porch, watching the light play over the mountains, is only relaxing for a short period. When it goes on forever, it loses its luster pretty quickly. We discuss some alternatives. I outline the general way my business operates. Ultimately, we decide to relax for a few weeks before trying to settle on things. During that time, we can discuss a wide range of options and allow the various ideas to percolate in our subconscious.
Later that evening, I’m working in my office, going over what's transpired since I was gone. The girls are out in the living area. I hear them talk from time to time. I have some messages I need to attend to and it takes a while to prioritize them and get the responses in order. At some point, I notice a change in the sounds behind me. Isabel is looking in from the side. All I see is a hand and her head leaning in.
“I don’t want to bother you if you’re busy.”
“You’re never a bother! What can I do for you?”
“Tessa has found your movie collection and the popcorn and is ensconced in front of the TV, but I’m not really in the mood for watching anything. Remember back in Rio when I said I wasn’t ready for any sexual contact? I think I am now.”
She fully steps into the doorway and reveals she’s in a very sexy dress.
“I know you like to unwrap presents. I hope you like this one.”
She turns slowly in the doorway, so I can see her from all sides. It’s clingy, coppery and shimmery; more like a gown. It’s backless and has a slit on the side reaching up to her waist. It's clear the gown is all she’s wearing. Her hair is brushed until it gleams, cascading over one shoulder. The front of the dress is low cut, held on by a spaghetti strap tied at her neck. She’s wearing heels, which do interesting things to her calves. She’s still sporting bruises and some of the cuts are still healing, but I easily look past that.
She seems tentative, almost as if she isn’t sure how she’ll be received. I stand up from my chair and take her in my arms. She puts her head on my shoulder, giving me a chance to inhale the bouquet of her hair. I lift her and carry her toward the bedroom. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tessa giving an approving look. I wink at her as we go down the hallway.
I’m not sure what Isabel needs, so I’ll proceed slowly, gently. I suspect first she needs to feel feminine and beautiful, after being trapped in that warehouse, raped, beaten and starved. I plan on providing everything she needs for the rest of our lives...