Agent kingdom of maidenh.., p.29
Agent: Kingdom of Maidenhead Book Two, page 29
Anne gives me a look that I’ve not seen on her face before. One that confuses me. One that makes me shiver. Before I can ask what’s happening, my two invited guests arrive. Saved from an awkward conversation, I pull my lovely Empress up into a kiss. Just to let her know my feelings for her haven’t dimmed.
“Welcome,” I say to Gunter and Marial. “We have a security issue we need to discuss. Both of you will have some involvement in helping me deal with it. We need to discuss the situation in a secure location. Charlie, Sal, I want both of you to come with us. Brenda, please lead us to your room. It is one of the most secure places in the penthouse.”
“Yes, Bethany,” Brenda replies.
“Bethany, meet Corporal Elle Drusen,” Anne says. “She is in charge of your security detail.”
“Elle, it is a pleasure to meet you,” I say with a warm smile. “Welcome aboard.
Elle actually curtsies to me.
“It’s an honor to meet you,” the shy-looking girl says to me.
She must be good as she’s a corporal and looks to be no more than twenty. I wonder if Anne’s and my playtime earlier has made her nervous.
“Please call me Bethany,” I tell her. “You can call me ma’am if you wish after we become lovers.”
Elle looks astonished at my forthrightness.
“Oh! I don’t do that with wo…” Elle starts.
When her mouth reaches the perfect shape, we share our first kiss. Well, considering her protesting mewl, maybe share is a strong word. It is a short one, and I lift my lips off of hers. She stares at me in wide-eyed shock.
“Ma’am, I’ve ne…” Elle starts again.
She said ma’am, that is enough permission for me. I told her when she could call me that. So our lips gently meet again. This time, the tip of my tongue softly explores the insides of her lips. I make sure this kiss is much gentler than our first. I don’t put a hand on the back of her head either, so she has room to pull back. She chooses not to.
When I pull back this time, Elle is looking at me with a smoldering gaze, her lips lightly parted. Elle’s arms are already around me, and I feel her hand on the back of my head as her tongue plunges through my smile. I don’t let her take too long, and her mouth pursues mine as I pull back.
“There is a first time for everything, corporal,” I say in a nubbin shuddering croon. “At least there is if you let there be. We’ll discuss this in much more ‘intimate’ detail after dinner. That’s also when you can introduce me to my new playto…er, friends.”
“Guards!” Anne insists.
“Yummy yums,” I snarkily cast back at her with a smirk.
“Unbelievable,” Anne harumphs. “I’m sending them here to protect you, not as bed fodder.”
“So, make sure they are all willingly indoctrinated into their enthusiastic nighttime collateral duties by the time you come back and join us for the night. Got it.”
Anne just shakes her head at me and says, “Unbelievable. It took you less than five minutes to seduce the most professional guard we have into being your personal love toy.”
“Be fair, I’ll be just as much Elle’s love toy as she is mine.”
Anne finally smirks, and says. “I guess that’s true, you do tend to share equally. But, you really shouldn’t seduce your entire detail.”
“I can’t think of anything smarter to do. If I have an off-duty guard or three draped across me at night, wouldn’t I be more protected than otherwise?” I innocently ask.
“Is there any bed you can’t justify your way into?”
“I can’t think of any way that I would get myself into the earl’s bed, but other than that, I’ll have to see.”
“Maybe I should find a way to isolate the two of you together for a few days. That would likely end the conspiracy.”
“Somehow, I doubt it. Brenda, please lead the way.”
She smirks at our byplay and leads us to her room. Brenda opens the door and goes to step aside. I gently guide her into her room. I plop down on Brenda’s bed next to her. Elle likely won’t ever figure out how she ends up in my lap, she tries to get up once, yelps, then plops back down. Elle tried once more. After, she gives in and snuggles into me. My hand high up between her legs has convinced her not to struggle.
“So, this morning, I noticed two watchers who were observing my patio,” I start. “Empress Anne and I have done our best to deceive the watchers as to our lack of ability to do anything but pleasure each other. We, um, deceived them through several observable rooms throughout the penthouse. I found three more watchers during our antics, but there are seventeen empty rooms that allow observations into the penthouse’s windows.
“Gunter, I’m guessing you have some Married PCI folks who are living in the PCI buildings.”
“We do,” Gunter replies. “They are accepting of the quarters they have in our building.”
“Good,” I say. “I, however, don’t think of those quarters as somewhere to build a life. The quarters are fine for a couple just starting out. Those who have been together longer and may want to start raising a family will want a better, larger place to live.
“I would like Marial and her people to show some of your folks the rooms with a view. I’ll let the watchers keep some poor angle view rooms so we can monitor them. But I want you to fill up the rest of them. I will have the PCI guards pay some rent, but it will be heavily subsidized.”
“Are you sure the building owners will lower the rent?”
“Oh, I think I can convince myself to do that. I bought all the buildings within easy view of my penthouse over the last several months. As you grow the PCI, I would like your guardsmen to start taking over any vacancies in them.
“When the PCI couples are shown the room, don’t bring light, as any watchers will be hiding in shadows. If the couple is interested, tell them on the spot that we’ll have workers in there by the next day. Position some PCI observers to note how many slink out of the building after that. Better yet, get some observers in the rooms around there and have them watch the empty apartments for movement after the agent and PCI couples leave. I’d like to know how many watchers he had.”
“And you want all the rooms rented?” Marial asks.
“As I said, I’m going to leave a few open for now. When this is over, I want them all full up to three buildings in all directions. As PCI folks move in, let’s try to find some auxiliary or support work for their partners that we can pay them for if they aren’t active PCI themselves. If they have kids, try to find something they can do from their new homes.”
“Why did you buy all those buildings?” Anne asks.
“Mostly just in case.”
“Is that why you have bought up half of the city?”
“I haven’t bought much more than ten percent so far.”
“Why did you buy all that?”
“Most of it was either in self-defense, I woke up owning it, or purchased it strictly by accident.”
“Those seem odd reasons,” Anne retorts. “Self-defense, really?”
“After I bought what became my pastureland straddling the Palace Creek, I contained the creek in its current banks through my land. The landowners up and downstream complained my improvements had negatively affected their swampland. So, I started buying land in both directions to prevent lawsuits until I owned the entire creek.
“I needed a dinghy in the north docklands, which required me to buy a bunch of buildings and docks. I had a mind to improve the harbor, but anything I did could backfire as the rest of the owners of the waterfront could take advantage of my improvements, resulting in a net loss. So, to defend my potential profits, I ended up owning the entire harbor.
“A friend of mine lives in a quad of apartment buildings in the Central Creek Neighborhood. There were only a few people in her complex, and she was worried about the building being shut down. I asked my agents to inquire about purchasing the quad so I could refurb a penthouse for her.
“My team ended up buying the entire neighborhood for less than I expected the quad to cost, so I woke up with that one. That neighborhood included a good portion of the royal promenade, so I went ahead and bought the rest of it up to the palace district. That’s why I’m the one who is reworking the promenade to truly be royalty-worthy. I’ve promised myself it will be ready before your jubilee.
“Now, my buying all the buildings on both sides of Palace Creek Park and Central Creek was totally on purpose, as was buying the portions of Central Creek I didn’t already own.”
“Why were those on purpose?”
“Since I’m having small luxury townhouses and apartment buildings built on the park side of the roads, I didn’t want complaints from the business owners. The few businesses that opened on either side of the park were doing exceptionally well. Most of the buildings were rundown, so businesses didn’t want to rent space in them. I’m refurbing everything on both sides to be desirable residence, office, and business rentals.
“As far as Central Creek goes, I’ll do the same things there I have done and I am doing with Palace Creek. I just need to get some more work crews back from the North Harbor work.”
Anne mulls that over for a bit. Then she decides she needs to get back at me for something or other.
“So, when are you going to tell your good corporal how difficult you are going to make her professional life?” Anne asks.
Elle stiffens as she looks at me, looks at Anne, then looks back at me. She opens her mouth to speak, and I kiss it.
“There are times one of the personae that make up me will have to do some covert work,” I say. “That persona is named Bit, and he is a master thief.”
“Grandmaster thief,” Charlie helpfully says.
I’m not sure who he thinks he is helping.
“When Bit has work to do, he will leave the penthouse unescorted,” I inform Elle.
“But it is my job to protect you!” Elle protests.
“Mmhm, lovely as you are, I don’t want to upset you. But I could probably protect all of you better than all of you could protect me at this point.
“I doubt that.”
“Bit is also known as The Cat. Another of my personae is Betsy James,” I tell her with affection as I use a finger to move some hair off her face. “Do some research, and you’ll understand. Starting tomorrow, I’ll start making the nine of you the most fearsome guards in the Queen’s service. I’m also going to turn you into the most fashionable. We really have to do something about these utterly unflattering uniforms.”
Elle’s mouth drops open when she finds out I’m also Betsy and The Cat, and then her jaw wags up and down a few times as she tries to figure out what to say.
“What are you going to do, try and turn us into fashion plates?” Elle finally says out of self-defense, if nothing else.
“Absolutely, at least as much as I can, and keep you looking like royal guards,” I say.
“No one will take us seriously.”
“First lesson. The number one rule of battle is to kill your enemy before they know you are a threat.”
Elle looks at me as if I’ve grown a third eye.
“Do you really know about killing?” she asks.
Now I know she’s been in the palace too long. I’ve been there enough to know what she’s really asking. She’s clearly not certain if the reports she’s heard are true.
“I don’t recall if I’ve killed anyone as me or Elizabeth,” I say. “As Betsy, though, I’ve been forced to protect myself. As Bit, I’ve done that, protected others, and protected our country. As The Cat, well, I’ll let you find out about him on your own. So yes, I know what I’m talking about when it comes to killing.”
A tremulous smile starts to quiver across her face as she turns to the others to see if I’m joking. When she sees the looks on everyone else’s face, hers pales a bit. She still shows a smile, a smile that disappears when the ever-helpful Charlie tells her that The Cat is the assassin for the master thieves council. He must be more upset by me playing with Sal than I picked up on. I’ll soon let him know he is still my number one beau.
I cup Elle’s cheek and turn her face to mine so I can kiss her.
“You needn’t fear me or fear for me,” I tell her. “Soon, I will have you and my other new girls trained up to protect our family. A family that very much includes our Empress.”
I hear something that sounds suspiciously like a swallowed sob from Anne’s direction. This is almost starting to get annoying.
“Know that I love as fiercely as I protect those I love,” I say to Elle.
Then I kiss her in a way that shows her my fierceness. Then I pull back, and Elle is happily flushed. She tries to compose herself but fails miserably while deeply laughing in her throat. This might have something to do with the arm I have wrapped around Elle’s back. The fingers of that hand are covertly tickling the bottom of her breast.
“Do I get to help you, erm, initiate your new staff tonight?” Anne asks.
“I wish I would be able to do so myself,” I say. “But I just remembered, Bit has work tonight, so I’m afraid the initiation will have to be delayed.”
It takes another two days before I start learning the intimate details of my guards’ physiques. Several days after that, everything changes.
Chapter twenty-seven
Two Dreams Come True
Iknow I shouldn’t, but I actually feel the need to be around some people I know, even the odious jerk. Bit told me he will be busy and won’t be able to see me for a while, no matter how much he wants to. I still think he should have at least sent me a message or something.
I’m still reluctant as I clump my way up the stairs to the office, but I don’t pause. I open the door, step in, and see Bit sitting in Muns’ lap, sharing a deep kiss with him. A strange, complex set of feelings comes over me, feelings I’m not sure I’ve felt before.
When Bit’s head turns toward me after their kiss, I see his glowingly happy eyes light up even more in delight.
“Murmur!” Bit exclaims.
Then he leaps out of Muns’ lap and gracefully rushes over to me like he is flying. Bit slams into me just slow enough to not be painful and holds me tight.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Bit says. “I’m so happy you came here today. Now I don’t have to go looking for you.”
He pulls back, parts my hair, leans in, and kisses me with a burning passion. When he finally pulls back, I realize I’m holding him as tightly as he is holding me. I can’t keep the smile off my face. I hear the jerk’s sharply indrawn breath.
Bit hasn’t covered my face back up!
This is the first time Hedry’s seen my face uncovered. At this point, I couldn’t care less. The love I see in Bit’s face trumps all feelings of inadequacy I normally feel. Bit sees something in my face, and her smile widens in delight.
He leads me out the door, calling back over his shoulder, “We’ll be back in a week or two.”
Then he leads me down the stairs onto the sidewalk, where I stop. One of my hands is still clasped to with Bit’s, so he spins to face me and his free hand goes behind my head. I know he is going to kiss me.
“Wait,” I hear myself say. “Why where you sitting in Muns’ lap kissing him?”
“Oh, I stopped by to see if any of them knew where you might be today. I haven’t been to the office since before I saw you last, so Muns is way behind on his quota of kisses. I was giving him the chance to start catching up.”
My heart lurches. Does Bit want Muns more than he does me? Aren’t I enough for him? Has he already been with Muns? Does Muns not like women? I see Bit smile at what must be a kaleidoscope of expressions flickering across my face. He stills my thoughts with a gentle kiss.
“I know you fancy Muns,” he says.
How can he know that? I’ve never hinted at my attraction to Muns. What he says next makes me weak in the knees.
“He fancies you back,” Bit says. “Muns doesn’t care what someone has between their legs as long as he likes the person. I’ve given him every chance to ask me out. I’ve practically told him to. I know he wants to. I expect it is his desire for you that has kept him conflicted enough not to ask me out.
“Now I’m going to take you home to my penthouse and seduce you.”
My heart lurches in at least seven different directions at once. What I don’t do is deny him. I want nothing more in life than to have Bit seduce me right now, except maybe to have Muns seduce me. I’m so desirous of Bit, I’d let him seduce me right here on the street.
“Are you Helladane?” Bit asks with clear amusement after watching my face for a few moments.
“Half,” I admit.
“That’s good. I’m going to make love to you for the rest of the morning, then all through the afternoon and evening. After that, I’m going to continue making love to you late into the night. I’m going to wake you up in the morning by making love to you some more. Then we are going to get into my bathing pool, and we are going to wash each other with our soapy bodies, then wash each other again after additional lovemaking soils our bodies all over again.”
Each declaration is punctuated with a kiss. I’m so excited by this point, that I wonder if my dark long skirt is hiding a small puddle on the sidewalk.
“After we finally compose ourselves,” Bit continues. “I’m going to take you over to Miss Millie’s shop on Prince Street. There, we’re going to make you over into the incredibly beautiful woman you are. Once we’ve taught you the basics of how to walk, talk, dress, groom, and act like a lady of substance, you and I are going to go back to the office. There, we are going to collect Muns, drag him back to my penthouse, and the two of us will ravish him together.”
“What if he protests?” I ask.
“Oh, he won’t. With just a single beckoning finger, he’ll follow us like a lovesick puppy. Now, come on, we need to get to the penthouse so we can get started on each other.”
Now I’m wriggling like a puppy. We get on a trolly and ride it a short way to the west. We leave the trolly and walk the short distance to a very nice-looking building. When we get on the elevator, I smile. I’m so happy the owner of my building put some of these elevators in my quad.
