Balm of the Gods Ch. 06

Author's Note

Last chapter had a lot of storylines and lore. This one is almost all about Cal and his super-scent shenanigans, so expect a lot of fun, fluff, and sexy indulgence. I do explore a bit of a new 'twist' to the magic soap's power and usage here -- you'll definitely see what -- but I don't currently have plans for it to shake up the story too excessively. I'm experimenting more with writing a bit from the women's perspective in this one, too. Hope that's something that resonates!

Thanks as always for reading -- more of this series (and my current other, Love and Fortune) is definitely coming soon!

6. Magic Matchmaking

Shaiden's little sports car was hardly built for three -- especially when one of said three was a six-foot point guard for a women's pro basketball team. But the half-Japanese model seemed determined to make it work, if only so both women could see him off at Mina's condo.

In a way, they had. The passenger seat, empty and rolled up all the way forward, left enough room for Kaiyah to stretch out in the back. Cal filled out the rest of the rear bench, riding behind Shaiden -- a little cramped, yes. But it was hard to complain with Kaiyah bent over his lap, head bobbing on his cock to the soft rhythm of the electro-pop playing on the radio.

Cal's head was on a swivel. Constantly scanning for other drivers who might be watching, or passers-by, or cops -- oh god, what happened if a cop saw? They'd get busted, one way or another, for this lewd and highly public act; that was what. But then, that just added a thrill to it, didn't it? Tingling, sensory magic reminded him to cut loose. As did Kaiyah's talented tongue and lips.

And he couldn't shake the feeling, either, that Shaiden was taking the long route on purpose.

"God," he sighed. "Kaiyah. I told you you didn't have to."

"Fuck that. I want to." A long, slurping lick from root to tip. "You've been amazing." Kisses on the glans. "If I've gotta let you go for now, then you can be damn sure I'm gonna kiss you goodbye." Back down on him, a moan vibrating through his cock. It was enough to make his hips buck up against her.

"We did this all morning... god, Kai. And a long while after lunch, too." His pointing it out wasn't a tell-off. His hand in her red dreadlocks, just there to ride her rhythm, wasn't asking her to stop.

"So? I'm a greedy bitch. And it turns out you never. Fucking. Run out. Of goddamn juice. How?" She suckled at the crown again. "Shai? Girl. Are you sure he's not some kind of robot? Some uber-lifelike, cocked-up pleasure droid?"

Shaiden laughed. "I can't really blame you for wondering." Her eyes flicked to Cal's in the rearview. "If he were, that'd almost be kinda hot. But I'm pretty sure he's just a normal guy."

"Yeah. Just a normal, totally awesome, totally fuckable guy with pornstar stamina, no refractory periods, no weird hangups, and no red flags -- yet." Kaiyah's lips brushed his cock with every word. "What are the odds? Mmm, can't be high. Part of me doesn't wanna say it. The other part thinks you gotta be magic."

Cal almost laughed. Kaiyah could be pretty damn intuitive.

Mina's building rolled into view before long, familiar amid the Midtown sprawl. As Shaiden took the turn into the parking garage, Kaiyah's head popped up. "Here already? Fuck. Looks like time's up. Unlucky me."

"Sure you don't want to come hang out with Mina and me?" Cal offered -- partly because he wanted that, partly because he wanted Kaiyah's mouth right back where both would've agreed it belonged. But the crimson-dreadlocked WNBA star was already tucking his cock away into his jeans and fixing up his belt. She patted his package with a soft, knowing smile.

"Another time. I gotta hit the gym for a bit. And as for you and Mina? I don't wanna weigh you two lovebirds down." Kaiyah grinned. "Take it from a gal in an awesome relationship. When you've spent some time away from your lover? You can't do nothing but get up in their business the second you see them again. I want you to make that awesome lady feel like the only one in the world."

"Deal, Kaiyah. Thanks for the pointer."

"Thanks for the dick." She winked.

Shaiden chimed right in. "Seconded."

Cal laughed, shaking his head. "You two. Really -- I appreciate everything. I had a great time. Hope we can get together again soon. All three of us."

"You won't have to wait long," Shaiden said. "Besides, Kai promised you an introduction to a certain shooting guard. But for now, out you go, mister. Before Mina comes down here and kicks our asses for hogging you."

"Right." Cal squeezed Kaiyah's hand, kissed Shaiden's cheek, then clambered out of the car. "Catch you both later."

Kaiyah moved up to the front seat before Shaiden drove off, the basketball babe's arm wrapped casually around her girlfriend's shoulder. The two women waved him off -- and then the car was gone. He stayed there, standing, watching; only long enough to wrap his head around all that had happened over the last day. Then he made his way into the building and rode the elevator up to Mina's floor.

He'd barely finished knocking when the door opened. "Cal!" Mina threw herself into his arms, kissing him full on the lips like she'd been longing for his return for months.

"Mina," he laughed into the kiss, embracing her back, tumbling into the condo with her like two parts of a whole reunited. "Fuck, I missed you." He pulled away enough to look her in the eye.

"Missed you, too," she breathed. She ground up against him, her body hot and welcoming, her breath heavy with desire. "Did Shaiden treat you well? Tell me all about it."

"I did. It was great, but... mm, I need you."

"You have me." Her lips nipped at his. "Bedroom? Living room? Kitchen? Right fucking here?"

His eyes flashed with mischief and want. "All of the above," he told her. And they shared a laugh that ended with another hot kiss. And they were rutting like animals in heat before another word was exchanged.

***

"So... hah. I kind of ended up with another woman last night."

They were both several orgasms in before Cal finally delivered on his promise to tell Mina everything. He did so while his buxom, raven-haired lover ground lazily in his lap, hips rolling, pussy full of his cock. "Uh. Her girlfriend. Kaiyah." His words came out in a breathy rush.

"That's what I hoped, babe." A squeeze around his length, muscles clenching in time with his heartbeat. "I'd heard Shaiden was dating a basketball player. Stalked her Instagram before the shoot. Aah... had a feeling she'd make an appearance. Shaiden had that look... ngh, like she was itching to spread the joy, and who else would Candidate Number One have been?" Cal thought he'd never seen Mina look prouder. "So, how was she?"

"Hot as fuck," he groaned. Pleasure brought out his truest honesty. "Just, wow. Super athletic. Amazing body. Mina, the stamina on her..."

"I bet. Sometimes I get thinking I should work out more these days just to keep up with you. But... ahh, I guess that's a moot point when you've got others to tap in after I'm all zonked out. Hahhh..." Mina laughed, putting a hand on his bare chest for balance. "Wow. Listen to me. You know, I never thought I'd be into anything but monogamy. But with you? Fffuck. Somehow it just turns me the hell on -- even just imagining you out there with these other women." A long, deep sigh -- then a wicked grin. "Speaking of. There's news. Wanna hear?"

"Ah, fuck yes."

"Remember how I said my interior designer is pretty damn hot?" Cal had no chance to answer; Mina didn't even wait for it. "Well, she and I got together while you were out. And we're meeting back up for dinner tonight. You're more than invited. You're expected."

His eyes widened. He got the implication. "Holy shit. That's..." Crazy? Sudden? Way out of left field? But wasn't that just the way with Mina, and with his whole new lifestyle in general? A grin spread across his face, and he thrust up into her in approval. "That sounds amazing. What's her name?"

"Ashleigh. I think she'll be real eager to see you, too. I might have gushed a bit." Her hips rolled harder. "Cal. Babe. I wanna see you make her night. She needs a pick-me-up. A really, really good one. And if I know you... hahh, I think you're going to have a great time delivering."

Cal's pulse raced, not even just for the feeling of the stunning photographer's body on top of his. "You really do love setting me up with other women, don't you?"

"You make it so damn fun. And I'm still just getting started." Her smirk was devilish. Her body was moving with a hungry, desperate need. "Remember how I said yesterday was a boring day for me? It mostly was... nghhh, but I did talk with some clients and book a few shoots over the next weeks -- with models I'm dying to get you to meet. Oh. Oh, god, babe. I'm close."

Her voice was a moan of impending climax. His cock was rock-hard inside her, and the feeling of her grinding against him was enough to make him groan, too. He kept his eyes on hers. He listened as her frantic voice just went on and on.

"There's this one... fuck, coming in from New Zealand next month. Babe, I know she's gonna fall for you. Hard. Fucking hell. She's got a real wild side, and you're gonna make her go fucking crazy, and... Jesus, Cal, yes. Mako. That's her name. Then there's this Brazilian goddess one magazine just linked me up with, and I really want you to be there when... oh fuck, yes, yes --"

Her words petered out as she came, body tightening, walls clenching his length like a velvet-gloved fist. Her tits bounced. She gasped, moaned, and shuddered in his lap -- and Cal felt his own orgasm hit, his cock spasming, emptying inside her with a load far more potent than he should have managed after a morning of wild fucking with Shaiden and Kaiyah. But he'd long since stopped questioning things like that.

"God, I love you." Mina's words were husky whispers as she came down from her climax, as she leaned in to kiss him. She didn't disengage. Just kept her pussy full of him as they caught their breath, as they shared kiss after kiss. "And I love that I don't have to hog this all for myself. Maybe... mmm, it's magic that makes sharing feel so good -- so exciting. But it does."

"No complaints here." He could have said he didn't believe it -- only the truth was, now, he really did. "Count me in as your 'assistant' anytime you're on the job, Mina."

They recovered. They laughed. Eventually, they rolled out of bed. And Mina popped a crucial question.

"When was the last time you soaped up, babe?"

Cal frowned. "Uh. Yesterday morning?" He knew what she was getting at. "I should freshen up. Before Ashleigh."

"Smart boy."

A quip about conserving water led to their decision to share the shower -- Cal's second time today with a beautiful woman, and he certainly wasn't complaining. The rounds he'd gone with Mina almost justified a second wash. But the main purpose this time was different.

His bottle of golden soap, still there on the shelf, was as great a source of amusement and fascination for Mina as ever. She loved watching him lather up. She loved putting her hands to work, too. Helping him get every last inch of his body glistening with iridescent suds. It was like a ritual of worship: a devoted priestess preparing her god's vessel for a holy rite. All the while, that intoxicating scent permeated the shower like the sweet smoke of incense during a prayer ceremony.

Of course, it didn't exactly help the two of them keep things platonic.

Mina's eyes went from soft and reverent to hungry and lust-filled. The hand she had on Cal's cock took a firm, almost desperate grip. Maybe they'd restrain from fucking. Maybe they'd save it for the evening ahead. But she just couldn't just stop touching him. He could tell. And he wasn't going to argue. If he asked her to do anything -- anything at all -- she'd have agreed without hesitation, here with the scent of his magic balm driving her desire to fever pitch.

But the bottle itself stole Cal's attention from his rapt lover as he weighed it in his hands, accepting it back from Mina after a thorough rinse. What seemed strange was that it felt no lighter than he remembered. And, with a look through the glass at the golden liquid inside -- no less full.

Never -- not consciously -- had he noticed that.

"Does this thing never empty?" he wondered aloud, bewildered.

Mina blinked a few times. "Hmm?" She followed his gaze, fingers dancing up his forearm until she was touching the bottle in his hands. "Oh. Wow. You're right. That's..." She trailed off, then shrugged. Perhaps all means of words could have fit the sentiment.

"Odd?" Cal settled on that one. "Yeah. I've used this every day, just about. It's not that big a bottle. How even..." He shook his head. "Guess I've been too busy to question much. But this is pretty wild." He remembered his initial worries from the day he'd brought the bottle home from the grocery store. That he'd have to be careful. That he'd have to conserve and ration the precious magic liquid. Now here he was, tempted to think the exact opposite. That he could never run out. Evidence certainly pointed that way.

Mina's eyes were back on his. "Magic, right?" she suggested, her tone playful. "Maybe we're not meant to split hairs over it. Maybe this just means you've got a lifetime supply and you don't have to worry about lathering up every day. Maybe we could do a lot worse than just lean into this and enjoy the ride. I mean..." Her wet, hot body pushed against his like it was magnetized, like it belonged there. "It's not like we aren't already pretty much doing that."

He thought it over; really, just for a second. He didn't need much convincing with her hand on his cock and her tits against his chest. "Yeah. You're right. This is just a good thing. It's magic. So I'm gonna treat it like magic."

"Exactly."

Cal thought he saw a certain curiosity in her eyes, but just as he wondered what she might have been thinking, she voiced it.

"Cal, don't think this is a request. It's just me thinking out loud. But what would happen if I tossed out my body wash and soaped up with this stuff instead?" She put a hand back on the bottle. "Would it... make me the way you are?"

Cal blinked. Caught a little off guard by the question, he considered it. Mina didn't seem entirely serious. And she'd laid out clearly that it wasn't a request. Still, the possibility seemed to make her a little excited.

"Maybe?" he said at last. "I don't see why it wouldn't. I might have heard in that dream that the soap is bonded to me, but..."

"That dream?"

It occurred to him that he'd never told Mina. "Wow. Yeah. I never mentioned it. There've been dreams. Vivid ones. I think it comes with the magic. They're kind of like briefings, kind of like premonitions, but they're all..."

"Sexy? Yeah. Figures." Mina's smirk was broad. She squeezed his cock again. "Anyway, you think they told you you're the only one who can use this stuff?"

Cal had to think back. "Not sure what it meant, honestly," he said at last. "Whether that means other people can use it, too."

He considered the implications. What if Mina could lather up with his golden soap and step out into the world just as irresistible as he was? Would that make him jealous? Worried? Or would he just love it for her and embrace the new dynamic? In any case, with the way she'd just soaped him up with her body held close and her hands working over him, there was no way some of that magic balm hadn't ended up on her. And if there was anyone else he might ever comfortably allow to use it, surely it would be Mina.

"Would you want to?" he asked, taking one of her hands and squeezing. He knew she would understand the question was genuine. He knew her answer would be genuine, too. She paused. She considered. Then she replied.

"I think it could be kind of... dangerous for someone like me to do it." Her words were measured and careful, despite the clear effects of temptation. "For you, it's like a full-time career -- being an amazing lover for amazing women. Seducing. Fucking. Satisfying every single one. And I love that for you, babe. But me? I have my photography career. I have responsibilities. Schedules. Deadlines. I couldn't afford to get swept up by lustful admirers whenever I left my condo.

"Besides. It would ruin any and all attempts to be professional with clients or models or even friends." She laughed. "I'd just be driving them all wild. You're a little freer than me in that sense, Cal. You've got time and flexibility. Me? I have to keep my career going strong if I want to keep supporting and spoiling you like I am... and believe me, I intend to keep doing that." She grinned wide. Touched his face. Stroked his shaft. "You're worth spoiling. Always."

Cal nodded, taking it all to heart. "Makes perfect sense to me. I just don't like one-way streets. If I'm gonna reap all these magic privileges and live like this, then... I want you to be able to live a little, too. When and how you want. You deserve it."

"You're the sweetest. And I think I might, now and again." Mina's hand caressed the bottle, and she kissed his neck. "But I'm gonna do it all within the confines of the little world you're building with that magic soap. No need for me to go grab anything if it's not to bring right back for you. I don't want to... get involved with other men, if that's what you were wondering about. It's not that I don't have needs. In fact, I'm finding I have lots of them." Her eyebrows quirked suggestively. "But, babe, you keep me more than satisfied. As long as that never changes? I'm all yours."

Cal found himself smiling ear to ear. His feelings had never seemed so mutual. He'd never felt less worried about a relationship, less concerned that his partner was missing out or left wanting. He didn't feel selfish for amassing a small harem with whom Mina wouldn't always be present. She wanted this just how they were doing it right now.

"Other women aren't a problem?" he asked her, just to be sure. "Even when you're not in the picture?"

"Never have been, never will. Have fun. Sow some wild oats, hot stuff. With Shaiden, with Kaiyah, with whoever the two of them bring into the mix -- because I'm getting a sense how this works. Like a chain letter. Get one girl hooked, and she'll tell her besties. I know because I did that today." She seemed to pause. "About that, by the way."

Both understood where the conversation was going. Both recognized what had just been left unsaid. So Cal finished it.

"You smelled like me this morning. Like the soap. With Ashleigh. It got her... curious. But... holy shit, if it rubbed off on you from last morning and stayed potent enough to work like that? How long can it just --"

"Stick around? No idea. Maybe a long, long time." Mina's grin was downright devilish. "Anyway, conclusion's clear. The women you get involved with? You rub off on them. In a lot more ways than one. Forget chain letters. That makes me, Shaiden, Kaiyah, and whoever else hops on that cock all walking billboards for Calvin Robbins, Sex God. What do you bet this little ad campaign is gonna have a high conversion rate?"

Cal could only stare, agog. Somehow, he hadn't considered that yet.

"And on top of that, now..." Mina hit the clincher. "I just showered with you and got even more of the good stuff on me than yesterday. Straight from the source. Even if I'm not soaping up like you, I've gotta assume the effects are gonna be all over me. You wanted a two-way street? This is already feeling pretty damn close. I can't imagine I'll be irresistible to everyone. But I think I'll be set to make quite an impression if I want to."

"So, Ashleigh tonight..."

"Is in for some serious double trouble. Oh. Yeah."

***

Cal was still mulling over Mina's revelations while they got dressed for dinner. The implications of his soap's scent lingering on his lovers' bodies, turning them into promotional agents for his services, were profound. In a way, he felt as though his power had just gone from local to global. On the other hand, he was almost overwhelmed by it. The prospect of exponential growth seemed very real -- and, doubtlessly, much harder to keep in check. If Mina and Shaiden and Kaiyah were walking advertisements for his irresistible prowess in bed, what would happen as they went to and fro in their own lives? When Shaiden met with other clients? When Kaiyah trained with teammates, or even played against rivals? And as the whole thing grew and grew, like a pyramid scheme of seduction and pleasure...

How long until someone took notice? Someone who wasn't as keen on his modus operandi? Police. The government. Hell, who knew -- maybe some secret society that dealt with things like this?

But that couldn't exist. Could it?

"Cal. Babe. You okay?"

Mina was standing by the bedroom door, ready to go in a tight, charcoal-colored dress. One hand held a clutch purse; the other came to rest on his shoulder. Her touch snapped him back into the moment; he didn't know how long he'd been zoned out.

"Oh." Cal blinked, then looked over his outfit in the mirror. Mina had gone out yesterday and filled the closet with options for him. Combined with what Shaiden had already helped him pick, that meant he had a well-stocked wardrobe, all of which made him feel good. Clothes that flattered his body, his features, his natural appeal. He liked that. "Yeah. Better than good. Just still kind of amazed by everything."

"Understandable." Mina brushed up against him. She'd put on a pair of heels for their dinner with Ashleigh; the added height put them at an even eye level. "I didn't freak you out in there, did I? I guess I kinda talked up this whole magic billboard thing like it's the best thing ever. If it's gonna have you worrying... mm, we could figure something out. There'd have to be a way around it."

"No, no." Cal turned to face her. "I'm not worried. Just taking it all in. If there's any fallout, we can handle it. Right now?" He grinned and offered his arm. "I'm more interested in seeing what happens tonight with your hot interior designer."

"I think you know just what," Mina teased, perking up as she hooked an arm around him. "That scent's gonna hit her, and she's gonna want you, and you're both gonna love every second of it. I mean it when I say I want you to really show Ashleigh a good time. She's been through a lot. And she's done a lot for me. She'll deserve it and she'll adore it. Consider it... hmm, a mission? Would that be the right word?"

Cal liked the sound of that. "Wouldn't be the first time I've thought of this like that." He laughed. "Shaiden pretty much commissioned me to fuck her girlfriend six ways from Sunday."

"Well, then. If we can agree that being an awesome, mind-blowing lover is your job now, just think of tonight as your next gig, with a client meeting up front. You took one on for Shaiden. This one's for me."

"Hey, if it's a job, it's the best one I've ever had." Cal smiled. "Especially when my boss can also be my magical partner in crime."

"Come on, then." Mina smirked as she began to lead the way out. "Let's go get Ash. Together."

***

Mina drove them to the restaurant. Cal found himself watching her, admiring her easy confidence at the wheel. Tonight she had a swagger he hadn't seen before. Maybe it was true that his magic could rub off on her, granting her extra appeal on all fronts. Maybe she was already reaping the rewards.

His raven-haired lover noticed him watching, of course. She was sharp, and Cal didn't have much of a poker face. Not that he needed one with Mina. He just smirked back.

"What?" she said, a playful lilt in her voice.

"I like this. The two of us. Partners in magical mischief." Cal shrugged, grinning at Mina as the lights of oncoming cars flashed past them.

Mina's laugh was a throaty purr. "Yeah. I like it, too. I've liked sending you out after girls I know you're going to knock the socks off of. Or the panties -- guess that's more accurate. But this is a whole new kind of thrill."

Cal looked over at her again. Her dress, while classy, still clung to all her curves like a sexy dream. "How do you think it's gonna play out with her?"

"However we want, I think," was her immediate reply. "There's a lot of angles we can play. Maybe we'll be subtle. Maybe we'll lay the groundwork together, then leave it for her to take the dive into the deep end. Maybe I'll want to watch and just enjoy the show. Or, if we're all in the mood for it..." Her voice dropped an octave. "Yeah. Ash and I go way back. We haven't gone there before. But now? Who knows?" Her gaze flickered to him, then back to the road. "I've got at least some of the stuff that makes you irresistible."

"I hope we'll have lots of nights like tonight," he told her simply, putting a hand on her thigh. "Bonded to the soap or not, sharing it with you feels right."

"Agreed," she told him. "But for the record? Everything feels right with you."

Cal pulled his phone out at the next red light, catching the text messages that had buzzed through while they'd been on their way. The first, from Shaiden: "Know it's barely been long, but fuck, I can't stop thinking about you. Think I can still smell you, too. What a tease. Come over soon?"

It made him smirk knowingly. Of course Shaiden was well on her way to discovering the same thing Mina had. He fired back his reply. "Soon, for sure. Promise."

The next, from Kaiyah, came with a selfie that must have been taken at her team's training facility. Lightly glistening with sweat, Kaiyah stared into the camera with an intense, lustful look that suggested she had more on her mind than any basketball drills or weight-training routines. "Heyy, it's Kai. Turns out it's great workout motivation when I can still smell you all over. Can't wait to get that again. BTW -- Chantae's down for whatever, whenever. When you want me to set it up?"

He felt his cock twitch in his slacks. Kaiyah was taking to her new self-appointed mission with gusto. He replied quickly: "Let's do Saturday. Can't wait."

It amused him, thinking that this almost reminded him of scheduling meetings, calls, or site visits with clients back when he'd worked as an AV tech. With his calendar filling up fast with 'appointments,' it was hard not to think of his newfound vocation as a full-time job. Not that that bothered him. This beat his previous career by a mile. And the thought of a 'client meeting' with a stunning WNBA star -- a meeting that would, no doubt, end with them both tangled, sticky, and utterly sated? Yeah. That was a pretty sweet deal. He absently wondered if he could ever have too much of it.

"Ooh, arranging something?" Mina teased, eyes darting over as she noticed his smirk.

"Oh, just setting up a date with a shooting guard on Kaiyah's team. Know how you're setting me up with models? Kai took a page from your book -- only she's pulling her picks from the starting roster. There might have been some talk about making me kind of a good-luck charm for the whole team. I mean, if most of the squad is having the best sex of their life going into games, that's great for morale. Right?"

Mina whistled low. "Oh, fuck. Hot. Whatever happens, I want stories."

"You'll get lots. Promise."

They rolled into the restaurant parking lot before long. On a trendy side of town, the steakhouse was nestled among other high-end eateries and upscale shopping outlets, a popular spot for a night out among people with plenty of disposable income to throw around. Mina was certainly in the bracket. From the sound of it, so was Ashleigh. As Mina had mentioned, the place had been Ashleigh's choice. He hadn't met her yet, but he already liked her taste.

Maybe he should have been used to luxury by now. He'd spent multiple nights now in Mina's condo and Shaiden's house, both lavish properties that belonged to successful, self-made women. Maybe one day soon he wouldn't be so awestruck. Maybe it was that he was so new to it, or that it still all seemed like some wild dream -- or maybe he was always going to feel that sense of wonder as his new, magically-enhanced life just kept on expanding. In any case, it all still left Cal dazzled. This restaurant, well outside his usual price range, was no exception.

Mina passed her keys to the valet, then hooked her arm in his. Together, they stepped through the doors into the foyer, with Cal's eyes already scanning the dining hall beyond for any sight of their date for the night. Something Mina had mentioned came back to mind: Ashleigh had said she'd wait at the bar until they arrived.

And sure enough, Cal spotted her there.

How could he have missed her? A gorgeous black woman with legs that went on forever beneath a stylish dress and long, wavy hair that looked like it belonged on the cover of Vogue, the statuesque Ashleigh was a woman others might have made way for as she passed. She looked up, noticing Mina first. A bright smile broke over her features. Then her eyes shifted over to Cal -- and that grin turned downright sultry.

Oh, fuck. This was who Mina wanted him to sweep off her feet tonight? Yes, please.

Mina was tugging on his arm, and Cal was following.

***

Ashleigh had gotten here early. Sitting alone at the bar, casually sipping on a drink, she'd left herself plenty of time to contemplate what the night could bring. She wasn't nervous -- not really. Yet there was a definite anticipation that made her body thrum.

All Mina had mentioned was that this was an introduction. Just a chance for her best friend to show off her new boyfriend with the hopes they'd all get along. But Ashleigh was a sharp woman. She could pick up when a girl was dropping hints.

She was well aware: there was a good chance she'd be getting to know this man named Calvin Robbins a lot better by the end of the evening.

What was strange was that, of all things, the detail that had convinced her all the way was a certain... scent. Something Mina had seemed to carry. A new perfume? Or maybe it was like a kind of glow. Like that look a woman had when her sex life was particularly good, except it was olfactory, lingering in the air like the last notes of a symphony. Whatever it was, it had felt potent. More than just a good fragrance. So good, Ashleigh almost wondered if she'd imagined it.

But she already knew she hadn't, and she already knew she wanted to breathe in more of it.

Ashleigh shook her head. That was crazy to think. She shouldn't be this horny, least of all for some guy whose picture she hadn't even seen. It didn't make any sense. She'd never done hookups. She liked romance. A slow-burn; a gradual buildup to sex, and an even longer wait before she'd go for anything really adventurous. But here she was, wet and needy. And rethinking a lot.

Maybe it had been a mistake, not getting laid left and right all these years. With her looks, she always could have. Mina had told her that. So had other friends. Even a few trusted clients. It was hard not to wonder what she'd missed out on -- especially now. How long had she been this pent up? Maybe an offer like tonight, with all the sinful and delicious things it implied, was the perfect setup to let out all that built-up sexual energy -- because she sure did have enough of it, and goddamn, it was getting worse with every second she waited.

"Another drink?" The bartender, a well-dressed black guy, had noticed she was empty. That snapped her out of her lusty daydream for a moment.

"Oh. Sure." She would have to be careful not to drink too much. But she was starting to feel the urge to loosen up, at the very least. She watched the man pouring and wondered if, under different circumstances, she might have found him alluring, might have flirted. He seemed like the kind who might know his way through a long, thoughtful romance of slow-burns and build-ups. He finished his pour. She smiled, took a sip, and murmured a thank-you. But he was already on to another customer. And she wasn't even thinking about him anymore, because in the same moment, something seemed to light up her subconscious. Turning her head. Making her nostrils flare, even from the distance it came from.

That scent. God, yes. The scent that she knew, somehow, would change her life. The scent that was making her core heat up, making her breasts feel heavier, making her body feel like a vessel for sex just waiting to be filled up. Mina's scent. Yet not just hers. That couldn't be the whole story.

Because she only looked at Mina for a second before her gaze landed right on the guy on Mina's arm. And stayed with him.

Cal didn't look like the kind of guy she would have thought much about yesterday if she passed him on the street. Cute, maybe, if a little on the young side for her. Nice face. Good eyes. Tallish, leanish, well-groomed, sharply dressed. All good, if not earthshaking -- but he didn't seem her type, either. So what the hell was it tonight that made him look like he was sex incarnate?

She already knew what. He and Mina were on the approach. Ashleigh thought her heart might pound right out of her chest. Floating over with him, coming ahead of him like an envoy of a king, that scent just got more and more potent. That sensory allure that made her want to tear her clothes off for him right then and there. It was what she'd smelled on Mina, yet if that had been like hearing music outside a club, this was like being right in the center of the dance floor, with speakers all around and the bass pounding and bodies hot and writhing.

And even if Mina had introduced her to it, even if Mina still had some of it even now, she was pretty damn certain it belonged primarily to Calvin Robbins.

"Ash," Mina greeted, all smiles, eyes gleaming with mischief and mirth as she and Cal came up to receive her. Ashleigh left her drink sitting on the bar, untouched despite just being refilled. The glass was just about the last thing on her mind. Mina had to notice her reaction. Shit, anyone sitting close probably had to. But that didn't matter one bit to her. "Oh, wow. That dress is killer. Must be brand-new." Mina gestured forward. "Cal -- this is Ashleigh Alvers. She helped me put the finishing touches on the condo. Great to have talented friends, right?"

"I'd say so, yeah," Cal replied. He seemed to be taking in every last detail as his eyes flickered over Ashleigh. She could feel it. Like a physical caress, and one that was only getting more intense. God, Ashleigh wanted him to just grab her, bend her over, rip those flimsy fabrics apart and just fuck her brains out on top of the bar. And he was a total stranger -- and a friend's boyfriend at that! This was so not her. It couldn't be. Yet the lust was there, the need was there. Right there with that intoxicating scent.

Mina and Cal could both tell. Neither of them brought it up. But neither seemed to mind one bit.

"Cal," Ashleigh managed to say, offering a hand, unsure if she wanted to shake or to just hold on for dear life, savoring his touch. "Good to meet you. Mina says great things."

"She said great things about you, too. And the condo? That speaks louder than anything." His eyes held hers, his lips curved in an easy smile, and his hand held on. "Hope tonight's the first of many we get to hang out together. Mina's been really enthusiastic about introducing me to her friends." With that, he dropped the bomb. "I know it sounds like some kind of line, but... you're gorgeous. Wow. Can't believe I'm sitting down to dinner with two women this beautiful."

Ashleigh didn't know what to say. Instead, she just smiled, squeezed his hand, and hoped it didn't look obvious that her head was swimming. She tried to stamp down the sinful thoughts that came right back to mind, too. "We should get a table, then," she finally managed.

"Oh, we've already got one." Mina waved down a server who gestured to their reserved spot.

In no time at all, the three were seated, the waiter pouring water and asking about drinks. Mina ordered a bottle of wine to start the evening. Ashleigh nodded along. She couldn't have cared less what she was served, as long as Cal kept paying her attention. Mina, too, honestly. They were friends, yes, but somehow seeing Mina here with Cal... put her in a new context. Ashleigh's eyes looked longer at Mina's body in her tight cocktail dress. She would have paid compliments, maybe even shared a bit of playful envy, on a normal night. Now? Oh, she was staring. And thinking that perhaps playing around with other women -- maybe even specifically Mina -- was another thing she'd been a fool not to explore.

"So. Ash. Tell him all about yourself." Mina had to see her looking. Had to be able to read the look. But if it was a surprise to her, she wasn't letting it show. "And Cal. Same to you. You know the deal. You're both on my good list. So the more you can get to know each other, the better."

Ashleigh's throat felt thick as the words tumbled out of her. "Well, Em and I go back to college. Em -- that's what I call Mina. Just so we're clear." The black woman's head swiveled back to her. "Uh. That okay to share?"

"Oh, of course," Mina grinned. "Em's just for people I like; that's the thing. In fact, Cal? If there's anyone in the world I'd give the green light to call me Em, it's you. Feel like that's kind of implied by now."

"Sounds like a rule worth knowing." Cal nodded along. "But Ash -- go on. You were saying?"

Ashleigh didn't miss a beat. "Em and I met in this art class. Turns out she was actually really damn talented. I remember going up to her after class to chat about some of her stuff. We just got to talking, and..." She laughed. "Well. We've stayed close since then. Both ended up staying local. It's been great having a friend this close. Most of our others scattered."

"And boy, without Ash, my place in Midtown wouldn't be half what it is." Mina was quick to jump in with the flattery. "I used to think I'd hate living in the big city. Not very homey. Turns out, when you've got the right friends to help you get the vibe you want? A place can feel a lot more welcoming. Ashleigh here knows that better than almost anyone else in the city."

"Oh, stop," Ashleigh chuckled. "You're giving me too much credit. You're a creative genius, too, Em. Those photo prints and the art on the walls? Those bring the place to life in ways I just don't think interior design can." She looked over at Cal. "And she's a damn great hostess, on top of all that."

"I'll drink to that," Cal concurred, lifting the wine glass the server had just set down. He clinked it with Mina's, and Ashleigh was quick to follow suit, still wondering how Mina could be so casual when her boyfriend was practically eye-fucking Ashleigh. Mina couldn't have been blind to it. Ashleigh wasn't sure if she should feel guilty. All she was feeling was that same powerful, heady anticipation -- maybe the kind that could lead her into trouble. But a kind that would pay off big-time either way. Intuition seemed to assure her of that. Another deep breath of that scent, still just as potent, helped seal the deal.

"You never mentioned all the art in your place was your work," Cal noted to Mina. "Makes me wonder how much more of you there is to discover."

"Oh, it's just something I used to like doing, that's all." Mina shrugged, looking almost bashful. It was cute on her, Ashleigh realized. "Don't get me wrong -- I'm proud of my artsy side. It's just that photography's been what's taken off. No complaints."

"So, Ashleigh -- what's the best part of your job?" Cal asked. "You love what you do. It's easy to tell."

"Oh, yeah." Ashleigh's laugh was rich. "I do. Every project is new and exciting." Her voice was getting a little breathier, a little faster, like she was caught up in her own passion and just had to share it. "There are different kinds of people, I think. There's the kind who loves routine, and there's the kind that has to have a challenge. And, well. You can tell which one I am."

"Reminds me of somebody I know. An athlete." As Cal spoke, Mina's little nod made her recognition clear. "Different gig, but I think it's the same deal. She's a professional. She's good at what she does. But I think she'd say... the only way she'll stay at the top of her game? Keep getting challenged. She needs a hurdle now and then. Maybe even a shake-up."

"Sounds like I'd get along great with her," Ashleigh agreed, beaming at him. "That's exactly how it is, though. Every day, I'm meeting new clients. Different needs, different budgets. I've kinda gotta reinvent myself and my style for every single project I work on. I'd say that's a big reason I've gotten good. And..." She blushed a bit. "I'd say that's what made it so fun when Mina asked for help with her place. Sometimes there's nothing quite so intimidating as having to really impress a friend."

They bonded over small talk. They ordered their meals, and they chatted about their jobs, their hobbies, the world, their lives. Cal and Mina talked with Ashleigh a lot about the condo, the photo shoots they'd worked together on, the places Cal had gotten to see around Midtown. They got Ashleigh's input about some new ideas for the place, too.

"Lived there alone for so long, it's hard to know what's best for two," Mina told Ashleigh with a grin, twirling the wine glass in her fingers. "Maybe we need a little expertise on how to spice things up for the space we've got."

Ashleigh listened to everything with rapt attention. All the while, Cal learned what a charming, intelligent, amazing person she was. Mina just watched the chemistry unfold. Dinner was delicious. Before they knew it, they'd polished off dessert and were chatting over after-dinner drinks. That was when Ashleigh couldn't hold back from mentioning the obvious thing a second longer.

"Okay. I'm sorry if this is really direct, or weird, or even kind of rude. I'm sure you're both aware, but... you both just smell so damn good." Ashleigh shook her head as a nervous giggle bubbled out. She was a little flushed and a little tipsy, but she didn't feel anything but good. The wine was helping her loosen her lips a little, too. She could feel it. But maybe that wasn't all it was. "It's been driving me a little nuts all evening. Since you two walked in. What is it? Some new cologne or perfume or something? Or a shampoo? A lotion?"

She didn't miss the look Mina and Cal exchanged. She also saw how the two of them looked back at her with a kind of warmth. They weren't laughing at her or mocking. If anything, they seemed delighted.

Cal spoke first. "You like it, huh?" He took the last sip of his drink and leaned forward. Ashleigh, in spite of herself, was leaning in too, her body seeming to respond on instinct to his. "Guess it's hard to explain. You're close, though. A little something we've been..."

"Experimenting with," Mina finished, smiling at the pair. She'd been content just watching them all night, taking in the chemistry between them, savoring the way Ashleigh's gaze lingered on him, how her body language spoke of more than friendly interest. "That's fair to say, right, babe?" She put her hand on his thigh under the table.

Cal's voice dropped. "More than fair. If it's an experiment, it's really been working, too."

"Working how?" Ashleigh whispered. She could hardly speak above that. Her mouth felt dry, her body felt hot, and she couldn't look away. "If I can ask. I'm just curious. Just..."

Mina suddenly stood. The surprised expression on her face looked feigned, but Ashleigh didn't have time to consider the implications before her friend reached into her purse and grabbed her phone. "Oh, shit! That's a big client. Fuck, of course he'd call this late. You'll both forgive me if I step out?"

"Go. No problem," Cal replied. He smiled over at her, but there was a playfulness in his expression -- like this was rehearsed, and he was playing right along. "I'll take good care of our date."

Ashleigh blinked, watching as Mina hurried out of the room. Our date? Another little detail she barely had any time to comprehend. That, and... had Mina's phone even been ringing? Had she just wanted to let the two of them have a moment alone together?

She was still looking off after her friend's departure, her mind still whirring with questions left unanswered, when she noticed Cal leaning in close again. As he reached across the table and squeezed her hand in his, she didn't balk. The warmth of his grip, the soft, steady firmness, brought her back into focus. She met his eyes. All the questioning and wondering seemed pointless now, faced with that gaze. And, of course, with that scent. All hers now. All of him was.

"Mina's a busy woman, huh?" Cal said softly, not looking away from her. His hand squeezed a little tighter.

"Um. Always. Yeah. That's her life." Ashleigh's voice sounded so strange in her own head, all husky, breathy, eager. She managed a little laugh. "But hey. I guess this gives us a little chance to..."

"Talk alone? Yeah." Cal chuckled. "Not that the three of us having dinner together hasn't been fun. I'm glad Em introduced us." She found herself not objecting to his use of the personal nickname she'd used with Mina for years. "I can tell you matter a lot to her."

Ashleigh smiled back. "It's the same with you. She really loves you. I'm glad. She's needed someone like you. And -- well, maybe if I can be open about some things..."

"Be as open as you want. I'm listening."

Ashleigh swallowed, then started. "Cal, I was married. It wasn't good. I thought I'd really found 'the one.' He wooed me, courted me, that whole thing. And we went all in. Everything. For a while we had our whole future planned. Like it was actually gonna be happily ever after, or some shit. But... fuck. You know how it ends."

"How'd it happen?"

"He got bored, or frustrated, or had second thoughts, or... I don't know. I'm still not totally sure." She let out a bitter little laugh, shaking her head. "But it fell apart. No cheating. I maybe could have dealt with that. Maybe. But when he just started taking shit out on me... snapping, belittling, getting passive-aggressive, or sometimes just aggressive... that hurt. Bad." Her sigh was deep, and her eyes fell away. "It wasn't like I didn't stand up to it or call it out. I tried to. But trying to hash things out that way just made it worse. It got ugly. So ugly I had to go."

Cal's sympathetic nod told her he understood, and that made it a little easier. Maybe a lot easier. "God. Sorry, Ash. You didn't deserve that."

Ashleigh shrugged, a little half-hearted gesture. "I've gotten past it. Thanks to Em, really. She got me. She'd been through her own shitty breakups and betrayals. She helped me through."

"She's amazing like that," Cal agreed, his voice tender. His hand gave hers another squeeze.

"She is," Ashleigh said with a nod... then a sigh. "You know, I've been jealous of her for a while. She's got this great life, this amazing career, this swanky Midtown condo... now you. And me?" She looked back up at him. "I've kinda had nothing worth bragging about. I'd lost touch with a lot of friends. I only just reconnected today with a few I've really missed. My work life's been steady, but my love life... well. Let's just say I'm missing a lot there."

"Em might have mentioned that."

"So, are you two, like, serious?" Oh, fuck. Ashleigh had just blurted it. So much for subtlety.

Cal's eyes gleamed, the question seeming not to throw him in the slightest. "Serious? Yeah. Not sure about exclusive, though. I think that's already a thing of the past." His eyes flicked for just a second to the empty seat Mina had left, then right back to Ashleigh's. Her pulse pounded.

"How do you mean?"

He played it cool, but he made it clear. "I mean like I spent all of yesterday and most of this morning with two other women. And I'm going to be spending most of Saturday with another one. Yes, Mina is aware. She's encouraging, actually."

Ashleigh could have found that crazy. She could have had questions, concerns, doubts, maybe even reservations. She didn't, though. Because her arousal was hitting new heights. "So -- what is it? You're... what, open? Poly?"

"Maybe so. It might be more nuanced than that. Hard to put into words. We've got a good thing, and we want to spread it around. Hope that doesn't sound nuts."

"Not to me." She was surprised by her own answer. "You're making Em really, really happy. That's plain to see. If it's that easy for you to do that to her... why can't it work for more people, too?" Fuck it; she was just going to lay it bare. "Lots of shitty men out there. You get that; I've lived that. Maybe the good ones are worth sharing. And... she totally just set the two of us up, didn't she?"

"Guess she did. She's a pretty good matchmaker."

They just held eye contact, silent and still. Finally, Ashleigh broke the quiet. "If I told you I really want you... like, here and now... would I sound like some crazy sex maniac? Like, would you tell me I needed therapy or a psychiatrist or something?"

"I don't think that's crazy at all," he told her. And he stood up from the chair, leaning over the table, his free hand brushing her cheek as his face moved in close. His scent went from present to overpowering, like the most intoxicating drug Ashleigh could imagine. Her eyes shut; she breathed it deep. Their lips brushed. Fuck. He tasted amazing, too, even for just that tiniest sample.

For a second, just a second, she wondered if she was being too bold. If she should take this down a notch and wait it out, like she was used to. If it was unbecoming of her to have such a serious public display of affection in the middle of a restaurant -- let alone with someone who was, at the end of the day, a stranger.

But then she decided to stop giving a fuck.

She kissed him, mouth pressing against his, tongue slipping in and tangling. Oh, shit. So good. She didn't care if the entire restaurant was watching; even less if Mina walked back in. If this was a set-up, she was damn glad to have been set up. It felt perfect.

As they pulled apart, almost reluctantly, they both just looked into each other's eyes again, breathing hard.

"Shit, Cal. Can we... Mina is..."

"Out taking an important call. She could be a minute. Want to pass the time?"

For the second time tonight, he extended a hand to her. This time, not in greeting, but in invitation. Just down the hallway, the restrooms were waiting for them: all-gender, single-person rooms. Ashleigh didn't need to hear a word; not after that taste. She took the offered hand. They went.

***

Cal didn't even check if anyone was watching as he slipped into the bathroom with Ashleigh right behind him. If anyone saw, they would surely know exactly what was happening. His arousal and her desire were plainly broadcasted. They were going to fuck. There was no point trying to deny it. But no one was going to stop them.

Part of him marveled at how easy and smooth the seduction had been, even if it was far from his first. It was still just too amazing. Just a week ago, a gorgeous woman like Ashleigh wouldn't have given him the time of day, even after a big upsell from her best friend. She'd have been friendly, perhaps, if a little wary. Held a brief, polite conversation, if she was feeling generous. He'd have been left to nurse a painful crush on an untouchable beauty.

Now, here they were. He was pulling her by the hand, shutting and locking the bathroom door, turning her to face him and kissing her, their hands grabbing greedily at each other's clothes. A past version of himself would have asked how the hell this could be. Presently, he understood exactly what had drawn them together, what was heating up the black woman in his clutches and what was going to bond them for good as they went at it in a fancy restaurant bathroom. For what it was worth, he didn't feel guilty. Not nervous, either.

He felt like the luckiest man alive.

"Oh my God, Cal," Ashleigh whispered into his ear, full lips grazing over his skin. A moan followed. Cal took his cue. With a handful of her gorgeous ass in both hands, he hoisted her effortlessly up onto the sink counter. As he tugged the hem of her dress up to her waist, she spread her long legs for him, giving him plenty of space to get in and grind. She met him there in equal measure. Her body ached for him; he felt that in every gyration. The tight bulge in his slacks, pressing into her panty-clad crotch, communicated he felt the same. "I haven't even known you for more than an hour, but this is... fuck, don't stop."

"Believe me. I wasn't about to." His fingers went higher, tugging on straps of her dress, pulling it down off her shoulders until he could expose the lacy bra beneath. C-cup mounds like chocolate heaven spilled out, begging for his touch. He didn't hesitate. Ashleigh groaned, head lolling back as he kissed down her collarbone and over her chest, right to where her dress remained, bunched around her waist. She felt the heat of his lips against her skin and shivered.

"Oh, you have to fuck me. Just like you've gotta be fucking Em. Ahh. No foreplay. Don't need it. So wet... hah."

She was tugging on his slacks, unzipping, unbuckling, eager to see the package underneath. Cal's own hands were on her panties now, tugging them aside. She could hear her own heart pounding, feel her lust soaring beyond levels she'd ever known. Was it the alcohol? Or just that scent? Or something more about Cal? Or did it matter?

"I should say this is fucked. But I don't even care. Ahh."

"You don't usually do this?"

She couldn't help the laugh, though it quickly became a moan of need as she felt his bare cock glide against her pussy lips. He was hard and hot and the contact made her tremble with need. And with his manhood free... oh, god, the scent just got stronger.

"I... always take things slow. I like romance, I like build-ups. Or, I'm supposed to. Maybe I don't anymore."

Cal looked at her intently. But he didn't stop running that tool along her slick folds. "We can still do the romance," he promised her. "I like that too. I'm just finding these days that it's better to jump straight to the really good part. Call it working backwards."

Her laugh was low, throaty, breathy. She didn't have to say anything to make it clear she was on the same page. She spoke up anyway. "Work me any way you like."

He kissed her deeply as his tip speared through her entrance, with the rest of him following fast. "Oh," she breathed out against his lips, shivering as her eyes went wide with joy. "Oh, fuck."

There was nothing else to do but hold on for the ride.

She understood why he wanted to lead with this. Fuck slow builds. This made all that seem like a distant, ridiculous past; like something archaic. Maybe it was his scent -- even more potent now that more of him was exposed. It was certainly doing things to her mind. Maybe rewriting all her internalized rules and reservations. Maybe just convincing her really well toward this new outlook. It let her leap straight past all stages of courtship without regret, without fear that anything of value had been lost. It guided her straight into the throes of lust and passion. The best thing first. God, yes.

Fuck. That cock. If the scent hadn't already won her over, that cock would have. Working in and out of her, hitting all the right places. Making her feel him. Sex with her ex-husband had never once felt like this. Maybe there'd been passion once, before it had all gone wrong. But this dwarfed anything that had been. This felt like something she could get right forever. And with Mina's encouragement... why not? It wasn't cheating. Wasn't poaching. Wasn't a slight to her best friend. No; it was a gift from her best friend. The best, most thoughtful one yet.

Ashleigh couldn't think anymore. She was so fucking wet, her juices slicking him up and helping her take every last inch. He was just the right size, just the right girth... just what she wanted. Head rolling back, hands clenching the edge of the countertop, she hooked both her long ebony legs around his waist and tugged, urging him in deep, wanting more. She felt more than passionate. She felt insatiable. That was new. She loved it.

"Ashleigh," his voice rumbled against her. "You feel fucking amazing."

"Unghhh, so do you," she grunted. Squeezing his arm, riding the waves of his thrusts, she took a long, slow breath. Drinking in that sensory aura he exuded. Savoring the way it made her clench around his shaft. "Tell me... please tell me this is just the start. Fuck. Don't make me a fling, make me your girlfriend." As Cal bent low over her, her lips moved to his neck. Kissing. Licking. Her tongue found as much to love by taste as her nose had already discovered by smell.

Cal's thrusts didn't slow down one bit. "Girlfriend sounds amazing. Fuck yes."

Ashleigh swelled with pride and happiness. "And... Mina?"

"We'll talk. But I know how she feels. Ngh. So do you, I think."

"Aghh, right. Two others besides her already. Mmm, just make me lucky number four. Hah. Fuck." Her eyes squeezed shut. "Cal. I'm close. Don't pull that thing out. Fill me up. Oh, god, Cal."

Cal felt her ankles pressing against the small of his back, urging him in harder. Deeper. The slapping sound of their hips got louder and more frequent as their intensity rose. He wondered only for a moment if anyone would hear them outside the thick wooden door. He wondered in the next moment why that mattered one bit.

Ashleigh's tight pussy spasmed and clenched. He felt it in a way almost spiritual: they were going to cum at the same time. She threw her head back, her mouth opening, her hands gripping the counter's edge, squeezing so hard her knuckles turned white. The pleasure took them. Cal muffled her scream of delight with a deep kiss as he pumped her full, his cum gushing into her rippling cunt, marking her as his. She felt the bond forming even as their climaxes peaked and subsided, and the certainty that she wanted this only strengthened after that.

Cal stayed buried within her while they kissed their way through the afterglow. It was like he didn't want to let go. Neither of them did. They were panting. Breathing hard, chests rising and falling in tandem, their bodies pressed close and intimate.

"I've... hah. Had good sex before. Or thought I had," Ashleigh murmured. "I... fucked in Maui on my honeymoon, in this amazing hotel suite, and yet... shit, Cal. This? This just made that feel like nothing worth remembering. And we did it in a restaurant bathroom." She had to laugh.

"It's just the start. Promise." His voice was low. "Fucking you in Maui sounds like a must-do, though. Someday."

"Forget someday. The way I'm feeling now? Tell me so, and I'll get us on the next flight there." She laughed louder. "But for now? Ahh. We should probably..."

"Not hold up this bathroom. Right." Cal chuckled back. "And get back to Mina, too."

Ashleigh grinned, kissing his neck and running a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Don't want to leave her out of the fun, either." It surprised her how much she meant that. How much, in the throes of a wild, kinky, unexpected first encounter with the most incredible man she'd ever met, her friend had been in the back of her mind, waiting. Because of course Mina could be part of this for her, too, if Ashleigh wanted. "She... would join the fun. Right?"

"Maybe we all head back to that condo you helped her decorate, and we'll see." Cal's grin was wide, infectious. Ashleigh didn't think she could have suppressed hers if she'd wanted to.

"Alright. Sold," the interior designer murmured. She reached down, squeezing his hand. "Thank you, baby. Now, be a good boyfriend and help me clean up a little?"

***

Cal and Ashleigh couldn't keep their eyes off one another even as they freshened up, righted their clothes, and walked out of the bathroom together. Or their hands, for that matter. Even now, walking back to the table, Ashleigh's fingers traced up and down his back, feeling out the contours, reminding them both how good their bodies had felt together. She couldn't help it. She just couldn't stop touching.

Mina was already back from whatever had taken her outside. Certainly not any phone call; Cal and Ashleigh both understood that. They didn't even feel a little bit bad for keeping her waiting. Not with the sly, knowing look on the photographer's face as they came back to join her.

"Em, you fucking sly devil," the designer teased. "You planned all this."

"Planned what?" Mina feigned incredulity. "Wait, did you two..."

Cal's hand settled on Mina's shoulder as he sat. "Like we could stop ourselves."

"That's what I was hoping to hear." She grinned, leaned over, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. She eyed Ashleigh next. "Not sorry for any of that. And you loved it. So. Am I forgiven?"

Ashleigh's eyes flicked over to Cal's, then back to hers. "After that? I might forgive a lot worse."

"Good. I went ahead and paid the bill. Meet us at my place?" The wink Mina shot her way was so casual and so natural. It made the designer shiver with delight and anticipation.

"Don't have to ask twice."

***

With Ashleigh's car riding behind them, Mina and Cal took their time on the way back. In the darkness of the vehicle, the heat between them seemed all the more intense. Mina didn't have to ask him what had transpired, or how it had gone, or whether they'd made things official. It was clear in the way Cal looked. And the way Ashleigh had looked, for that matter. It was just as clear, too, what would happen when the three of them got back to the condo. She could hardly wait for that.

When Cal felt his phone buzz, he almost feared Ashleigh was risking life and limb to text him while driving, all just to tease him. But the number wasn't one he knew, and the message clearly wasn't Ashleigh's.

"So Kai tells me u got a dick that could turn a lesbian straight. Boy, that's a lot to live up to. U sure u can deliver?"

He didn't have to ask who it was from. He tapped back a reply. "Guess we'll find out Saturday, Chantae."

"Guess we will." Her response seemed to sizzle on the screen. For a moment, he imagined what her voice might be like, whispering that into his ear.

What came a second later took away part of his need to imagine. The bathroom-mirror selfie was just a teaser -- but what it revealed made his heart pound. Athletic underwear clinging to a dark-brown body well-honed in the gym and on the court. Taut abs. Perky breasts. Toned thighs and arms. And an unmistakable, smoldering expression that laid out her clear challenge with cocky, self-assured certainty.

Cal couldn't help his smile. Chantae was going to be worth the wait.

"Thinking about u till then," came her final message. "Hope that helps u do the same."

He didn't even need to reply. Smirking, he put the phone away, looking back over at Mina.

"God, this is hot." His raven-haired girlfriend didn't even ask what he'd been texting about. She could guess well enough -- and besides, her mind was elsewhere. "My ploy back there really worked, didn't it? Knew things would escalate fast if I left you alone with Ashleigh." Her pause was brief. "Did you like her? Please say yes. Maybe I'm just biased because this is my friend, but I really do want to watch the two of you go at it."

"Fuck, Em. Yes." He didn't hesitate. "And if you have any other amazing friends like this that you aren't telling me about..."

"Count on that, babe." Her voice dropped to a sultry murmur. "Don't get ahead of yourself, though. First, when we get home, I want you to fuck Ash's brains out all over again. And I wanna watch. Job's not over yet. But don't worry. I'll be helping this time."

He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. They were both more than ready.

Soon the two cars were parked beside each other. Soon the trio had made it to the elevator, Cal's arms around both women. As soon as the doors closed, the three fell together. Lips on lips, and on cheeks and throats and ears, nibbling and licking and tasting. Hands on hips and waists and shoulders. Mina and Ashleigh's bodies pressed together, their dresses rustling as they felt one another out, with Cal there to hold them both and enjoy the show and take part at every opportunity.

It wasn't a long ride, but they made the most of it. And they didn't miss a beat once the doors opened.

Cal guided both his beauties inside. Clothes were coming off piece by piece as soon as Mina pushed the door shut behind them. In the restaurant bathroom, a lot had stayed on; par for the course, perhaps, for a semi-public quickie. Here, they had time and privacy. Here, they could cut loose and indulge all the way. That meant not one stitch of clothing would remain.

Which also meant Cal's scent would be freer and fuller than ever.

Ashleigh discovered that as he pushed her against the wall, hands working fast to undo her bra. Mina was concurrently helping him out of his last layers, too, working on him like a king's attendant, leaving him free to focus on the curvy, luscious designer under his attentions. "You smell so fucking good, Cal," Ashleigh said, gasping as he tugged her panties off her hips. They were on the floor and forgotten a second later as she kicked them off almost subconsciously. "Ngh... fuck, Em, you too. I should be asking so much. I should be making sure this isn't all just some fever dream, or a scam, or a cult thing, or... fuck it, I'm not asking. Holy shit, I need you both."

Mina took that cue. As she slipped around Cal to get closer, she made a clear show for Ashleigh, unhooking the clasp of her own bra. Mina's creamy, full bust fell out, nipples perky and aroused. It entranced Ashleigh in an instant.

"Ahh. Last time I saw those tits was..."

"Too long ago," Mina finished. "But I guess that makes tonight special."

The dark-skinned beauty shook her head and grinned, her gaze wandering over her friend's body, her mind going places it probably never had when it came to Mina. "It's been that way for a while already. Oh. Fuck."

"Kinda dying to know the rest of that story," Cal said with a little smirk. "You can't leave it at that." Ashleigh shuddered as he slipped his fingers down to stroke at her pussy lips, spreading the wetness, making her bite her lower lip. "But then, maybe the present is even more important."

It proved to be so as they hurried forward to the couch in the living room ahead. The bedroom would be too far to go. Cal, Ash, and Mina needed one another too urgently to make it that long.

They tumbled onto the cushions, Cal's arms wrapping around Ashleigh and tugging her in so she ended up atop him, legs splaying on either side of him, pussy hovering over his manhood. Mina was quick to get close and lend her support. She reached down and grabbed Cal's cock, guiding it up to Ashleigh's cunt while her other hand went up to stroke and caress the black woman's cheek.

"Cal. Mina. Shiiit." It was all Ashleigh could muster before Mina leaned in to kiss her. That took her words and her breath away. It also buckled her hips, sinking her onto Cal's steel-hard shaft. Ashleigh shuddered. Breathed in hard. Let that aroma that clung to her best friend (or was it girlfriend now?) and their mutual lover fill her mind and body. It made everything better. Like a magic spell. "Hah."

"Fuck her, baby. Fuck her." Mina was the one to speak. She pressed herself close to her friend, her own body warm, soft, sensual, the fullness of her pale curves molding against Ashleigh's. Ash's mind swam. She felt so good right now. This had been a crazy ride, a crazy night, but thank God for crazy if it took a little crazy to lead her here. She was grateful for Mina, who'd played matchmaker, who'd given her this with no fuss, no strings attached. Who was giving her even more now: letting her take all of Cal while she supported and encouraged, lending caressing hands and tender kisses. Not at all jealous. Not anything but elated to watch and be close and be part of it.

Part of Ash couldn't believe that this was her best friend she was kissing and stroking and touching. And that this amazing guy she was riding was the boyfriend Mina had told her about earlier today. That they could all be together, sharing all this pleasure, so soon after that.

But it was true, all true, and there wasn't a damn thing to regret about it.

Cal acted on Mina's instruction with a will. His thrusts rose, meeting Ashleigh's grinding hips, filling the room with the slap-slap-slap of their bodies, the sound of a passionate new connection deepening all the further. Magic made him feel every part of that process. A ritual of love and pleasure. He hardly cared anymore whether Mina had pitched this to him as a job or a commission or a kinky favor. Because it felt too natural and easy now. Far from just a client, Ashleigh felt like something much more. Something real, and something special.

"Thank you," was all Ashleigh managed now. "Thank you, thank you." It was addressed to both of them. Mina answered first, kissing her friend's shoulder blades, the nape of her neck. Her hand squeezed one of Cal's. Her gaze was a wordless invitation: Thank her back by fucking her harder.

"Ah! Ah, hah! Ahhh!"

Ashleigh's eyes squeezed shut, her hips slammed harder, and she felt herself rise, and peak, and crash. An orgasm like nothing she'd had before swept through her in waves. It went on, and on, and she rode it the whole way, crying out, her voice mingling with Cal's own as his release joined hers for the second time tonight. She didn't get the impression it would be the last. She didn't get the impression he ever ran dry.

Maybe she still had a lot to figure out about Cal Robbins, but she'd already put enough together to make it abundantly clear he was something special. Something rare. And worth it. And more than enough to make up for a lot of past shit. Because here she was now: finally getting the good stuff she thought she never might. Finally, finally. She couldn't have been more glad to have Mina to share it with, either. Maybe others, too -- but that was more surprises for another day.

And as for tonight?

Cal didn't look spent or weary. He didn't look like he was done with her, or with either of them. And when his hips just started up again, his manhood stiff as ever inside her, his grip tight and possessive and showing her he wanted a lot more, Ashleigh let out a breathless laugh of glee.

Tonight had just begun.

***

It was somewhere in the small hours of the morning. Ashleigh hadn't looked at a clock in hours, nor had the urge. Cal's lips played against hers as she lay in bed with her legs opened wide. Not quite lazily, though slower now; not without passion, though less ferocious than their earlier needy kisses had been. This was indulgent. Like the last of a nightcap, sipped slow before drifting off to slumberland.

But that wasn't all Ashleigh was experiencing. Mina made sure of that.

"Fuck," she groaned into Cal's mouth, feeling her best friend's tongue and lips between her thighs, kissing and licking at her nether lips with an eager devotion and skill Ashleigh could never have suspected of her. One hand squeezed the black woman's thigh while the other slipped fingers up into her entrance, stroking and curling and teasing.

"She's good." Like Cal had to tell her. Still, she liked his tone of appreciation for Mina. There was a sort of pride there: 'yeah, that's my girl, she's fucking amazing, right?' She was. Ashleigh had known that for a while. All those nights Mina had kept Ashleigh company through the drama of Ash's divorce had shown that to be true. But it was something else to discover that Mina could also eat pussy like a damn professional.

"Fuck yeah, she's good. Mmm."

Ashleigh loved this new dynamic. It must have been Cal who enabled it. Must have been that scent, and whatever magic or power or influence it represented, that could push her and Mina toward intimacy this fast. On their own, they'd barely experimented together. One drunken kiss, once. Another daring moment where they'd changed into bathing suits together, half-jokingly checking out and complimenting each other's assets. But they never would have gone here. Not on their own.

But now? Holy shit, now. Her body trembled, her hand going down to rest against Mina's head. No more barriers between them. If Cal had brought this to them, then he was an angel for that. She wanted him, too; wanted more, and had already taken plenty. But as his cock throbbed against her leg, still hard but not currently demanding her attention, she found she didn't mind the wait for that. Cal wouldn't mind that, either. Right now, Mina had the floor. And Cal wanted it that way.

"Em. Mina. Shiiiit," the ebony beauty groaned. Her hips rocked as Mina's fingers worked faster. As Mina lapped her tongue up and down Ashleigh's slit. "Oh. I... ahhh, I never thought I wanted... fuuuck, how long have you wanted to do this to me?"

Mina looked back up with an expression of bliss. "I'd say since Cal, but if we're really honest? A lot damn longer than that." She dove back in, tongue pressing harder, fingers slipping in deeper.

"You could have told me." Ashleigh's words were broken up, punctuated with shallow breaths as pleasure rose in her core. "Fuck, you really could have. Hahh. We should have done this... long ago... oh god, Em, that feels..." She found her eyes snapping back to Cal's. "I've said thank you too much already. But I mean it. Thank you. So much."

"Never too much, Ash," he said, kissing her throat. "I like hearing it."

"Ahh. I'm glad. You might... hah. Never stop hearing it. You? You're amazing on your own. But when I get to have this too? With Em? The three of us? Aghh. Too good. You've gotta be... fffuck, an angel, or a sex wizard, or some shit. This is some kinda magic, isn't it? Oh." He didn't reply, but that look in his eyes wasn't a denial. Fuck it; she could work with 'angel.' Or 'sex wizard.' Either of those explained a lot.

"We're gonna do this a lot," he bid her, murmuring into her ear, hand cupping a chocolate-brown tit and kneading gently. "So much of it. Ash, say the word, and Mina and I will come over and make it happen." Ashleigh could tell he meant it. "Or you can just show up here and jump in. Doesn't matter how late, doesn't matter how sudden. You're welcome. Anytime."

"Y-yeah? You're... ahhh, you're sure about that?" She shuddered. Mina's intensifying treatment seemed to be a wordless agreement. Cal kissed her again.

"Never been surer. There might be others. You might meet them. Might not. Maybe you'd like them. But I promise, you're always gonna have this." Ashleigh's hips rose, pressing her cunt against Mina's face, and Cal's voice grew huskier, hungrier. "Just consider us here to erase every shitty memory with that shitty ex you had. Let us be the future. No selfishness. No passive aggression. No playing games or keeping you from anything you want. Say it, and you've got it. And if you ever decide, for any reason, you want to leave or move on or take it down a notch? You won't have any drama on your way out, either." His eyes flickered to Mina's; the photographer nodded. "I promise, Ash. You deserve so much more. And that's what you're going to get."

"Cal. Ahh, oh, fuck." The words seemed enough to send her over the edge, or at least push her close enough that Mina's enthusiastic lapping and stroking finished the job. Her back arched, her breasts thrusting out and filling Cal's hands, her hips quivering, mouth opening and then clamping shut. Ashleigh came. She'd already done so a lot tonight. It never got less intense or less amazing. "Fuck it. I love you. I fucking love both of you. Fuck, oh fuck."

Cal's voice was soft, but the promise behind it felt ironclad. "Then I think we just made this official, Ash. Welcome to the girlfriend life."

***

"What the hell kind of money is that?"

Memories kept flashing back through Kjelle's head: how the big, balding, sunburnt man at the motel's check-in counter had looked at her like she was crazy. "This is America, lady. We use dollars here. Not whatever kinda Monopoly crap that is."

"Oh. Um..." Kjelle had frowned, dumbstruck, looking at the colorful paper notes in her hand. "I didn't..."

"You got a credit card or something?"

"Um. Sorry. I'm sorry. I'll just... go."

And so she'd left. Feeling like an idiot. How hadn't she guessed that the currency she'd taken from Pim wouldn't work on the other side of the giant fucking ocean she'd just spent so many Earth hours crossing? It had been a stupid assumption. Now she was as good as moneyless. That drained her options nearly dry.

The day had not been productive, nor comfortable, nor pleasant. The city was dingy and unfamiliar. Kjelle had wandered through it, aimless, trying to think, but finding the most she could do was keep walking -- it was that, or panic. Now, as the day came to a close, here she was: quite literally in the gutter, curled up in an alleyway behind a restaurant. Trash bins were her only company. She felt like an idiot. A failure. A lost little girl.

Moments of lingering motivation did come, here and there. They made her think things such as "What would Sariel do?" or "What would Vythia do?" Hell, the more relevant thought was probably "What's Vythia doing right now?" Kjelle didn't have an answer to that one. But she knew that, whatever it was, it was probably a lot more productive than anything she'd done today. Vythia was probably already hot on the elixir's trail. Not that Kjelle hadn't already been -- but a head-start was no good when you wasted it by being a fucking idiot.

"At least she's an alchemist. Not a messenger. She's no good at dreaming. Won't lock onto it the fast way. She'll have to use her tools. That'll take time." Kjelle tried to convince herself that was a good thing. It was true -- wasn't it? Alchemists weren't dream-workers; not necessarily. Their work was all recipe books and science; no part of it required them to reach into the dreaming planes like Kjelle's messenger duties required her to do all too often. Perhaps Vythia wouldn't think, or wouldn't know, to use the currents and connections of dreams to find what she sought. "I can still get there first. I just need to figure something out."

But what could she possibly figure out?

A yawn interrupted her thoughts. She was tired. She'd been tired all day. She hadn't slept in a real bed since the night with Pim. Everything past that had been a blur of activity and travel. If she was really going to sleep here now... fuck, it looked like she was...

Even that would present the opportunity to dream again. To spy and snoop again, for however that might help. On Vythia? On that agent?

On the man with the golden elixir?

No. Bad idea. Last time she'd done that, things had almost gone very badly. Even in a mere remnant of a mere dream, that scent and that magic were too powerful. Even now, in desperation, Kjelle had no reason to put herself at risk like that; not again, not after...

... She was going to do it. What else was there to do?

The young woman curled up tighter. Closed her eyes. Breathed slow. Tried to forget her surroundings and focus on what she needed to do. She was dead-tired. That would help. Though without physical comfort and safety, she could still access the dreaming plane. She still knew how. It took time. Long minutes. Too many. But eventually she drifted off.

It happened almost without intent. Still she dreaded it, but there was no stopping her own dreaming mind. Her consciousness was drawn right back to the thief. Back to the man, in his city not so far off now. A city that lay at the end of her journey; a city where his power would surely be absolute. She saw it for a second. Moonlit skyscrapers. A dark and winding river in the distance. And there he was. Currently dreaming. Presenting a dreamscape she could latch right onto and watch real-time.

Kjelle slipped in like an uninvited guest before any type of rationality could stop her.

She could still tell herself off. She probably should have. But the draw was just too strong. Maybe it was morbid curiosity. Maybe it was curiosity of another kind. A part of her was screaming in protest -- but the rest was burning to see more. What else was there to do now? Kjelle was out of options, and this was the only thing that could possibly help. A look, at least, at what she'd be up against when she made it to him, if she made it to him...

His dreams felt different from last time. Not even just for being a currently sustained dream rather than a remnant left in the ether. It was stronger. Realer. Did that mean he'd grown more powerful? That didn't matter. All that mattered was what Kjelle saw. And how it made her feel.

The visuals were familiar. Same apartment-turned-palace she'd last spied him in. Same situation: surrounded by women. But they were different. Not just figments of his dreaming imagination -- real energetic echoes of real people, all currently dreaming, all really tied to him by emotional bonds forged in the waking world.

As Kjelle hovered and watched at the edge of his mind-space, terms filled her head and brought context, though much of it confused her. Descriptors for each woman as she was to the man himself. A model who posed for photographs by day, slim, seductive. A designer of interior spaces, dark of skin and curvy of figure. A tall, dusky athlete with dyed red locks, whose toned frame suggested an active life, even while draped in the dream-world's luxurious finery. And the fourth, the most familiar: curvy, creamy-skinned, raven-haired. His first. The one whose echo Kjelle had already glimpsed once. But she was all the more vivid this time.

All of them were on him. Kissing, licking, touching him. Falling to his worship. Letting him have them however he wanted, and enjoying every moment of it.

Some remnant of rationality reminded Kjelle that was a bad sign. Four real consciousnesses, imprinted here in his dream, sharing in the magic he'd stolen. That meant he was pushing out his influence fast -- to a lot of women. That meant a lot more would be quick to follow them into his sway.

Reminding herself that if she'd come this far -- if she'd taken the plunge to view him remotely with all the implicit risks -- she should at least try to gather as much information as she could, Kjelle focused on each woman's own mental signature and followed it for a moment to their own dreams. All were physically asleep near the man, in his city if not in his bedroom right then, so these detours cost Kjelle little more than seconds. What she found in each dreamscape was almost perfectly concurrent with the man's dream. Small details or setting differences, but the activities, and the participants, were the same. As if the man's dreamscape was a focal point, a hub, around which they all revolved.

A hub she, too, found herself drawn right back to as soon as she'd finished assessing the others.

Kjelle knew it would be perilous to come any closer. She could hover here on the edge of his consciousness in relative safety. Maybe even learn more while she did. But as soon as she registered that overpowering, tantalizing scent, the hook was set. She let the current pull her closer. And she left all caution behind her as she stepped into the scene -- feeling her body materialize in the dreamscape as though she were one of its natural participants. As though she had every right to be here.

For a moment, Kjelle stood in that golden, transfigured living room and simply took in the sights and sounds and sensations of it. The warm lights. The rich fabrics. The luxurious furnishings. And the erotic sounds. The women moaning and whimpering; the hints of soft music coming from everywhere and nowhere. And above all, that intoxicating scent.

The dark-skinned woman had her lips wrapped around his shaft, suckling the head while the raven-haired photographer applied her own mouth to the base, tongue bathing his balls and shaft. Meanwhile, his hands, and those of the other two women, roamed freely, caressing and stroking everywhere they pleased. Kjelle watched it like holo-porn.

And recognized she could join in.

The scent laid a clear invitation. Maybe she'd just pass as a figment of his erotic imagination, and go undetected, and... fuck, no. That wasn't wise. The magic was playing tricks on her. Making her want things she shouldn't. She shook off the urge and tried to think clearly. She could still watch, right? Just watch. Learn what she could. And try to ignore the heat between her legs.

But the longer she waited, the more the scent kept on working at her. The more she wanted to replace those beauties working him over. To get down on her knees, licking his beautiful cock, letting it fill her mouth. She could show this Earth man and his stolen cosmic magic what a real High Cosmos woman was capable of. She could be for him like any of the Goddess Nymphadottir's most elite handmaidens. Suck his soul right out through his dick, and then keep sucking...

Kjelle blinked. She managed a step back. Just as the dreamscape shifted.

She was sure she hadn't prompted it, but the change seemed to come right on cue. That spiked her fear. But she still wasn't noticed. Not yet. The man's imagination had just taken him elsewhere, to new fantasies. Kjelle had just come along for the ride. The analytical part of her mind was only barely functioning now, but she picked up that this new setting was born from the dreaming man's anticipation of the future. It was what looked like a large, indoor sports arena, lights bright, rows and rows of seats currently empty.

He was still getting his dick sucked.

The tall athlete, whose fit body now seemed so much more appropriate here, was down on her knees, right at the center of the empty court. No longer dressed in flowing silks, but now in tight-fitting sportswear. A number on her back; a team insignia. The man had one hand in the woman's scarlet dreadlocks, encouraging her, coaxing her. And Kjelle had a literal front-row seat, crouching just at the edge of the playing field behind a low barricade. Still far enough away to avoid notice. Close enough to take it all in, though. To watch the other woman's lips work up and down that shaft, hear the sounds of her efforts echoing impossibly through the cavernous space, see her eyes looking up at the man like he was a god.

His sporty slut got up. She took his hand, guiding him off the polished court, through an exit and down the empty halls beyond -- and Kjelle was following, up and over the barrier, all the way into a dim but comfortable room full of what looked like tall storage compartments. She picked up the term 'locker room' from the dreaming man's subconscious. She hovered at a distance and spied.

Soon he had the tall athlete bent over a chair, her ass upraised. He pulled down those skin-tight shorts, exposing her bare pussy. As he speared her and began to make her his, right there at the center of the room decked out in her team's colors, Kjelle was once again taken aback by how powerful he felt. How virile, insistent, and demanding. And he knew how to use that power; that perfect tool. It looked like it felt so good inside that tall, tattooed slut that Kjelle swore she almost felt a phantom tingle from watching.

And other women were appearing. Drawn by the sounds of the first -- their teammate -- and by that scent. They came out from unseen entrances and halls, some wearing the same numbered sports uniforms, some already nude or nearly so, all their bodies in top form, lean and limber. Each one incredible and desirable in their own way. Some came from behind Kjelle, edging past her to join in, but none of them acknowledged her, the out-of-place High Cosmos voyeur. Fitting, Kjelle vaguely thought; these women weren't exactly real, not like the one in the center. These weren't the imprints of anyone's actual dreaming minds. Just his fantasy -- but a real, plausible one he seemed to expect in the future. As though it had already been promised to him.

Dozens of women. All his.

Kjelle could feel a growing sense of danger. A recognition and fear of the influence he was building through that stolen elixir. It could make things like this happen. Disrupt so many lives, all just to fuel his desires and his ego. Already, two of the athletes, one light-skinned and one dark, had come forward to flank the tall redhead -- still being taken with the same steady, confident strokes of his cock -- to kiss him and let him touch them. His hands brought them equal joy as they explored and fondled breasts, slipped down to tease and stroke pussies. Other women who couldn't get at him either watched raptly, or kissed and touched each other -- their lust becoming shared and mutual, all inspired by the man and the power of his stolen magic.

So, so many.

What would be left in his wake as things kept on going? When his influence was creating scenes like this all the time -- scenes that dwarfed this one? How many women would lose their will to his spell before he was done?

Would he ever be done?

Kjelle wasn't sure how long she watched -- maybe a minute, maybe an hour -- before the next shift occurred.

Though just as sudden, it wasn't as jarring this time. The sense of power turned less overwhelming with the transition out of that steamy locker room, though hints and promises toward the erotic seemed to remain. They were in an open, spacious home, with people all around. A party. Something else the elixir-thief anticipated. Some guests were eating and drinking, laughing and talking in groups. But none were naked yet, or coupling. The step down in intensity helped Kjelle restore a grip on her own senses and will, if just for a moment.

But it wasn't long before the man spotted a figure across the room. Someone significant from his past. Maybe an old lover. Maybe an unrequited one. Auburn hair, freckled face, round eyeglasses. He went right to her. It wasn't a matter of if they were going to kiss. The girl couldn't possibly resist. Soon, in an available bedroom, she was all his. Dress pulled down, breasts exposed, body laid out on the bed. Kjelle, unable to help her own desire to be a witness, edged up to the door to watch as the woman opened her legs. No one else at the party saw what she saw. They were all shadow-figures anyway; just faint memories of people from his present and past. Not important.

This woman was important. Kjelle felt that. She also felt a powerful, resurgent desire of her own. How would it feel to join them? Maybe she wasn't relevant to this fantasy... but she was the only one real besides him. She could certainly add to it. That auburn-haired girl looked sweet and tempting. Just like Pim. Kjelle could kiss her. Maybe help to finish undressing her. Help the powerful Earth man enjoy his prize even more. Then, when he'd satisfied her... he could have Kjelle, too. Yes.

Just as he began to penetrate the freckled beauty, Kjelle took a step closer. One step through that door. The scent was so strong, the magic so tempting, the lust so real and powerful.

Just a bit closer...

Something happened in the dreamscape. A flash of recognition. The young man turned his head, looking right at her. He said nothing. Didn't even pause his slow, easy thrusts; still enjoying his freckled conquest as though nothing at all was wrong. But Kjelle was noticed. Caught.

She froze, eyes wide. For a moment, everything came back. The fear and the dread and the knowledge of the risk. She hadn't meant for this to happen! But she'd been so stupid and careless and wantonly horny, and that scent had made it impossible to stay away, and... she needed to run. Get out. Leave. Escape. Now!

"Fuck!" the High Cosmos courier shouted aloud. She took a step back, then another. He was still staring. She turned. She fled. She willed herself away, back through the ether, far away from his dreamscape until she was shooting back awake.

Kjelle bolted upright in the dark, dirty alley. Her heart pounded; her head swam; her nerves were on fire. How could she have been so damn reckless? So desperate to indulge herself, she couldn't stop at spying safely from a distance, but had to dive right into his dream and get noticed?

She groaned. Her hands went up to cover her face, trying to block out the world. But the momentary darkness just made her mind spiral back to how that time in the thief's dreamscape had made her feel. Deeply, primally, despite all rationality, she ached to be touched, caressed, fucked... just like the dreams had promised her she would be, if she just gave in.

That was an option. Forget the futile mission she was so desperate to carry out -- for what? To save her reputation and career as a humble courier at the bottom of the High Cosmos ranks? Why fret about that? She could just show up on his doorstep, let herself become the next one in his harem of adoring lovers. She'd never need to feel lonely or guilty again -- just let herself go and enjoy a life of endless bliss. The man and his magic could slut her out. Ravish her. Make her his toy, his fuckdoll, his woman, his lover.

Maybe even make her his queen.

Kjelle's hands fell from her face. Her stomach roiled in disgust with herself. She'd really, actually considered that? What the fuck was wrong with her? She was so damn weak. If Sariel were here, there'd be choice words, surely -- as biting and brutal as they'd been during the break-up.

"You were just so determined to clean up your stupid mess that you got yourself in way over your head. And instead of stepping away and fessing up to what you couldn't handle, you just kept going and fucking up more. You went and got yourself noticed by the damn thief. So much for getting the jump on him... if that was even ever your plan. Goddesses, K! Are you fucking happy? Are you going to be happy when this Earth-man is fucking you in front of his little harem, making you into his personal sex queen, showing how slutty you are to anyone and everyone he pleases?"

"Shut up." Kjelle said it aloud, to no one. "Shut up, shut up, shut up." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the mental image of Sariel standing over her, judging her, calling her out on all her bullshit. Just a bad memory; just a scar from the past, not the present. And in the present, right now...

She could still see this through. At least get out of this nasty, dirty alleyway. Get moving somewhere, even if she had to hitchhike, or take buses, or just fucking walk all the way to the thief's city. Beat Vythia to the punch -- she could still get lucky enough to do that, couldn't she? Maybe even lucky enough to get at the elixir without confronting its wielder.

"Find a time or place it's unguarded," she muttered. "Sneak in. Get it back, and get out. Don't get noticed." It wasn't as though the thief kept it under one arm at all times, if his dreams had been anything to judge by. Surely it was sitting somewhere, unattended. Maybe left in some room Kjelle could break into -- while he worked, or while he slept. Maybe even while he was busy fucking someone. He seemed to do a lot of that.

"There. Almost a plan." She sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Still time. Just gotta stop fucking wasting it. Onward, courier. Onward."

Kjelle trudged through the night, leaving the alley behind. She didn't stop to rest or worry. She walked down roads until they led to a wide, straight highway going east. Keeping to the shoulder, she watched each four-wheeled Earth car pass by, wondering if she should try to flag one down. There'd be no explaining. But if she could just get a lift, somehow...

A vehicle slowed. A van. The window rolled down, and a man's voice, friendlier than most she'd heard today, called out to her.

"Need a lift?"

Fresh motivation surged through her. "Yes! Yes, I do! Please."

"Where're you headed?"

The same direction he was, as it turned out. And moments later, she was moving again, trying not to think about what she'd soon face. She couldn't, wouldn't, fall to that scent. She would avoid. Resist. Stay away.

Only a part of her, a part that wouldn't soon forget those dreams, wondered why she'd even want to.