Bitter Sweet Rivals (Lady Bloody Ava & Fates.Gamble)

[Fates.Gamble]

Gabriella’s unexpected selfie certainly did not tide him over. His hungry green eyes drank in the image with a sound of discontentment. He wanted nothing more than to drive right over to her place and tear away that towel. He did have her address in his father’s malicious black folder, after all… But he thought better of it. He was worn out after the spending time with his family, and tomorrow promised to be no less busy. Before he could sleep however, he couldn’t help but succumb to Gabriella’s tease. A quick session with his hand left him relaxed enough to slumber, yet did very little to slake his lust for her.
The morning sun came all too quickly, leaving Devon to groggily snooze his alarm multiple times before finally getting out of bed. He had just enough time to shower and scrounge up a breakfast of eggs and toast, dressing in a slate gray suit with a black tie and heading out for the office. The better part of his morning was spent checking and doubling checking the proposal he’d drawn up for his newest potential client. When he was satisfied with the documents, he switched to checking applications for a prospective assistant. There were a few still in the system, but most were a couple of years old. He replied to a couple all the same, leaving them messages for an interview.

A couple of hours later and Devon was sitting across from his father, both men listening to a conference call. Devon was kicked back in an armchair, hands folded over his stomach as he looked at James with a cocky smile. So far, the R&D head of the Unilever US branch seemed to love everything Devon had drawn up in the contract. He was on the verge of landing something huge, and none of it involved his father’s usual underhanded tact. He simply jumped on the opportunity before the Beaumonts even learned of it. Though, remembering how his grandfather met Robert Beaumont was partly to thank for his success. It was a college friend that gave me the tip about the British company, after all.
“Well, we like everything we see so far,” their prospect said from the other end of the phone. “We’ll have to confirm with HQ before we can give the go ahead, but I think it’s safe to say we’ll be doing business together very soon.”
“Great,” James said, grinning along with his son, “And when can we expect to hear from you?”
“Monday at the latest. We may have a counter offer but, I think we’ve got some good foundations here. I look forward to working with you both.”
The meeting was swift and painless, their call ending in less than an hour. The victory left Devon feeling energized. He rose from his chair, already picturing the looks from the rest of the board when they learned of the latest deal he was closing. Until then, the impression of his father would do plenty well enough. “What’d I tell you?” he said, boasting. “Transcend Global Inc. and Unilever… it’s a god damn match made in heaven.”
“I agree. You did well son.”
“I mean this is huge, Dad,” Devon went on, excited. ‘Did well’ didn’t cover just how big this could turn out for them. “It’s one of the oldest multi-national companies in the world. They ship out to over 190 countries!”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” James cautioned. “We’ve only got Connecticut on the line for now, and we still have their counter offer to worry about.”
“Yeah well I wouldn’t be too concerned about that. Once they see how much money we can save them on plastics alone, their demand will be huge.”
“One step at a time, son. The ball is in their court, now we wait on Unilever and focus on winning the Johnsons over. If we can win both of these contracts we could be as big as Process Global ever was; perhaps even bigger. We may even have to consider expanding. You sure you’ll be up for running something that big?”
“It’s daunting,” Devon admitted, “But hell yeah.” There was a stern determination in his eyes. Now, more than ever, he was ready to prove his worth in running this company. “But like you said. One step at a time. We’ll see if we can get the Johnsons persuaded as well, but even if not dad, Unilever has just as much potential. True, most of it is overseas but… We’re gonna make a lot of money here either way.”
“Well. Stay on it, Devon. Now I’ve got a few other things to get done so we’ll have to talk later. Let me know the instant you hear anything else from Connecticut.”

Devon was riding the high all the way back to his office; this could be the biggest win he’d found the company in recent years. His elation only grew when he saw a couple of missed texts from Gabby. Her lunch invite had him smiling, though it was quick to fade by her cancelation. It was rather disappointing their plans had been dashed twice now, but such was life. ‘No worries,’ he texted her back, “Hopefully we can find time to enjoy each other soon. I’ve been dying to get a taste of you.” As much as he wanted to see her, it was just as well. His excitement over the possible Unilever deal would be hard to contain around her, but their war in the business field could quickly sour a good thing. It opened time for him to get something else done over lunch as well. When Zack came strolling into his office to bullshit with him, Devon decided to invite him along.
“Want to go look at suits? I’ll buy you lunch.”
“Uh, sure okay.”
They went to the store first, where Devon clued Zack in on the potential Unilever contract before trying on different tuxes for the charity event Friday. He was used to dressing well for work, but the black tie apparel looked especially dashing on him. He opted for pitch black tuxedo, with a single breasted jacket and butterfly bowtie. Matching slacks and a pair of sleek, formal oxfords completed the debonair look. Even Zack was left to whistle, impressed as Devon checked himself in the mirror.
“Looking sharp, there, boss. Maybe someday I’ll be able to afford a ticket to one of these fancy shindigs. I hear it’s almost a grand just to get in.”
“Well it’s for charity,” Devon pointed out.
“Cancer is too expensive for my blood. Be it fighting or donating. So I guess this new contract is gonna keep us pretty busy in the weeks to come, huh?”
“Hopefully. We’re still waiting to hear back. It’s looking good though.”

Devon changed back to his regular clothes before putting in an order to rent the suit. They stopped for wraps for lunch, though their time was cut too short to enjoy them. They got them to go instead, heading back to the office where Devon hastily ate before diving right back into work. He still had a few of his regular deadlines to meet, which Unilever kept him distracted from. Luckily, playing catch up kept him busy; though unfortunately beyond the point of meeting with Gabriella yet again. With almost 3 days of not seeing her, he was truly itching by the time Thursday came around.
And once again, it seemed fate would not give them a chance to meet. With his father’s surprise revelation that Devon was to drive out to the estate Friday night so the Buckholtz could depart and arrive together, it meant Devon would have to have to finish work early tomorrow. It left him with an unexpected time crunch that kept him working all Thursday. It was already well past lunch before Devon even had a chance to message Gabriella. ‘Hey babe. It’s looking like we might not see each other before tomorrow… We can maybe plan for something tonight but I don’t want to make any promises. I’ve got a lot of work to do. If not, I promise I’m yours all weekend.’
Devon sighed after sending her the text. He was already feeling anxious over the idea of seeing her for the first time in days at the gala. It was easy to keep their secret when they scarcely had time to see one another. How cruel that fate should deem to test the limits of their affair by shoving them together right in front of their feuding families? Just thinking of her had Devon burning with attraction. One thing was certain; being stuck on a boat with her was bound to be pure torture even if they did manage some alone time beforehand.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

Gabriella managed to sort everything with the Trifexis account and managed to even make possible deals with Johnson. These proposals were feasible with an added benefit that would tie in with her theme for the auction. If the auction was successful and Johnson showed more interest, maybe then she would propose it, but there was no fucking way in hell that she was going to tell her mother.
"Gabby... why not use the auction to spring an offer at the Gala? Kill two birds with one stone. Go for the kill, so to speak."
Gabriella was relaxing in the chair behind her desk when her mother had barged in. Now she was kicking herself for not having locked the door.
"Wow, that was inspiring, mom." The words dripping with so much sarcasm that it could choke a horse. Without even looking up at the papers she could tell her mother had an offended look on her face.
"Again, no ma'am. I am not doing that." After that, she placed the papers down and looked at her mother who made herself comfortable in a chair across from her desk. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say that this was my project? That I'd been doing rather good? Why are you being such a helicopter mom? Let me make my own mistakes."
Abigail looked at her daughter with a sigh. "We can't afford mistakes." Here is where Gabby laughed and picked up the papers that she had just been looking at and tossed them on the desk before her mother.
"We can afford to make several mistakes, Mrs. Beaumont, or have you not ran the numbers lately?" The mother looked at the paper and was too slow to hide the impressed look on her face. Gabriella had indeed been doing rather well with the big contracts and even ensnaring small ones paid off.

"Let me take care of this. Go relax and prepare plans to retire. You and Mr. Buckholtz can feud somewhere other than these buildings. I've got this." Gabby loved to tease her mother. The young business mogul stood up and fixed her tight pencil skirt before high heels walked her over to her mother's side and gifted the woman with a kiss upon the cheek. "Love you, mom. I'm out to lunch." Gabby walked her high heel clad feet to the hot dog guy not far from the front of their building.

"Hey, hun, where you been? Ain't seen ya in a week." The fedora-clad gentleman asked as he made her well-known usual.
"Aww boss man, it's been nuts! I needed this." She said as she took her juicy hot dog and her usual bottle of water. The old man watched her take a bite. Nothing my his day like watching his regulars enjoy his creations.
"Well, take it easy. The weekend is right around the corner. Now off to work with ya." Gabby nodded and handed him a five. As always she did linger to collect her change and saved her hot dog on a nearby bench. It was a busy and bustling day, as always and in this time alone she was itching for Devon. During her lunch break is when she got the text. The man always knew how to get her juices flowing, even with just a simple text. As she stared at her phone, of course, she got a call from another potential client. With haste, she walked back into the building to take it on her Bluetooth. The day got away from her. Between making plans for the auction, cleaning up ends with the Trifexis account, and managing the up and coming companies that she snagged she was growing exhausted. The poor girl was silently pleading for a foot massage and thought of Devon. He was such a sweetheart and she knew that he would have done it, were they together. Her phone announced a notification and she smiled when she noticed another text from Devon. Here she groaned. There was no way in hell they were going to be able to see each other and she already had to leave work early tomorrow to get her hair, nails, and makeup professionally done tomorrow for the Gala. 'Babe I don't think we're going to make it tonight. I am up to my ears in paperwork and deadlines. Seeing you tomorrow is going to be one hell of a test. Maybe I can redeem that full body massage this weekend?' It was a delicious thought, doing more harm than good, at this point.

It was eleven fifteen when she finally left the office and drove her ass and home. The woman stripped and threw her naked ass straight in bed. Friday morning started off hellish. She was in no mood to get up. Eventually, she took a quick shower, but on her minimal makeup, and headed out the front door with a coffee in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. Her hair was clipped back in a messy bun with a claw clip and lips painted a nice pink hue. The day at work went eerily smooth. She knew that this evening would be nowhere near as easy and good. She managed to leave work a little early than she had planned and drove to the beauty spa. Her hair was done up in a nice classy chignon bun, her make up was light, and her dress simple, professional, and sexy enough to fit the occasion. A set of classic black velvet ankle strap heels finished off the ensemble and her manicure was comprised of white french tips. Abigail met up with Gabriella at her place to kill time. Naturally, the mother was decked out in something a little more conservative. Both women were working on a glass of wine while each while Gabby went through the contents of her clutch. She had personally avoided texting Devon. Tonight was going to be stressful enough as is being stranded on a boat with him, and there was certainly no avoiding him if it were up to their parents.
"Gabby... Gabby... GABBY! Hello, anyone home?" Abigail sang to get her daughter's attention.
"Sorry, just deep in thought for a moment, ready to go?" She asked before snagging her keys and walking with her mother to the garage where they loaded up in each of their own cars. Abigail looked gorgeous her own damn self and on purpose too. Buckholtz was gonna suck it, tonight. If it were up to her the man would be having her size seven stiletto surgically removed from his ass tonight, but she promised to behave.

Gabriella was already on the yacht half an hour later. It was still docked and guests were still arriving. The air was filled with a lovely live jazz and people were dressed in their finest for the night. There were a couple of familiar faces, so it was easy for Gabby to converse with her attractive smile while Abigail wandered off and talked with an old friend who she bumped into.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

‘You got it hun,’ Devon promptly texted back, ‘Assuming we survive this gala anyway. It’s sure to be a hell of a ride…’ He was disappointed they wouldn’t get a chance to see each other, but he’d accepted it even before the confirmation. Things at Transcend Global were no less busy; paperwork kept him so preoccupied that he barely had a chance to think about the delicious time that might have been spent with Gabby. That was until the end of the night, when darkness had long since fallen over the effervescent metropolis. When there was little left to do but write his signature over and over upon document after document, it was hard not to think of her.

Almost four straight days apart was practically torture. So torturous, in fact, that another bout with his hand wasn’t even enough to get him off. Never in his life had the prospect of the real thing outweighed taking care of himself to the point he was unable to finish; but Gabriella had him that spun. He could scarcely close his eyes without picturing her beautiful face, captured in the sultry expressions of a deep moan. The memories were like a haunting at this point, and their extended lack of interaction had him in an irritable mood when Friday morning came.

The impending gala loomed over the day like a black cloud. On one hand, he was thrilled he would finally see Gabriella in person. On the other, he couldn’t shake the dreaded anticipation of the Beaumonts and Buckholtz clashing under one roof. Such ill-tempered thoughts came out full fold on a poor young employee. The girl made a simple filing error, yet the run-around cost Devon nearly half an hour of his already crunched schedule. He was afraid his tone might have sent the girl off in tears, but he left her too agitated to care. He began to feel guilty after a bit, however. He was too busy at that point to seek her out and make amends, but he made a mental note to make it up to her later somehow.



The morning passed in a flash, the late afternoon sneaking up on him. After wrapping up a couple of projects, he finally took a moment of solitude in his office. Days like this he wished he kept liquor on hand… He was more than a little stressed with everything. Worst of all, he wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to meet with Gabriella alone after the gala. His father’s instance that they all leave together from the estate was more than a little inconvenient. It would eat a considerable amount of time with tying to get back home. Though after practically a week of not having her, Devon was more than willing to make the effort to see her if it panned out.

Sitting back in his plush leather chair, Devon opened his briefcase and pulled out the black folder his father had given him last week. He opened it up and looked through the contents, a mixed emotion coming over him as he saw the large profile photo of Gabriella Eloise de Beaumont. It was strange to think how intimately he knew her face. He stared longingly into her beautiful emerald eyes, and couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened had he seen these documents before spotting her in the bar that night. What a twist of fate that their affair should unwittingly begin just before he received them?

Devon forced himself off of the page about Gabby, and to scour the one about Abigail instead. It occurred to him he’d never actually met the woman before, only ever suffered his father’s consternation over her. Tonight that would likely change. For the first time, Devon would have to look into the eyes of James Buckholtz’s most hated rival; and he would have to do it with the knowledge he was fucking her daughter. The irony would have made him laugh if there wasn’t this foreboding thought that his relationship with Gabby had a very real chance of being ruined tonight. The thought was almost too much to bear, but it had to be taken into consideration. The volatile reactions of their family could have devastating fall-out. It was one more reason they had to play their cards right tonight.



“I see you’re studying up for the gala,” interrupted a proud sounding voice. Devon looked up to find his father James, standing in the door way of his office. A rather smug look was on his whiskered face as he looked at the picture of Abigail on his desk. “She’s a crafty bitch,” he went on to say with a little scoff, “I know she’s guilty of something. Everyone is… We just have to find it.”

“Oh, really? Everyone? So what are you guilty for?”

“As long as the ends justify the means, it doesn’t matter. I’ll save my sins for confession, and let the powers that be judge the things I’ve done.” James spread his arms wide, breaking into a cocky smile as he invited the reckoning that would not come. “And what about you?”

“Religion’s always been more of your drug than mine,” Devon stated, gathering up the documents to return them to their rightful folder. “As for my supposed sins? I fuck up like everyone else, but I try to do the best I can. I like to think I’ve been more or less a good person over my life though. In fact I’d say the worst shit I’ve had to do have been some of the things you ask of me. Like spying on two women you harbor a grudge for.” Devon locked the folder back in his briefcase and rose from his seat.

“It’s just business, Devon,” James said, walking over to clap a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good that you have a conscience about this sort of thing; but you’re a Buckholtz, Devon, and that means something. This is how the world works, son. On your way to the top, sometimes you have to step on those beneath you.”



His father’s speech did little to motivate him to the idea of blackmailing his girlfriend and his mother; but it did help him to think about how fucked up this entire situation was while he drove all the way back to his parents’ house for the second time this week. Normally the drive out into the countryside was something to look forward to; it gave him a chance to think and clear his head. Today it sucked. The whole way there, he was plagued by potential concerns. Even the minor details kept running through his head, like would the Beaumonts arrive first or the Buckholtz? What would happen if they arrived at the same time and had to walk the gangplank side by side? One careless bump and someone was bound to end up in the water…

Only time would tell, so he tried to drown out the thoughts with loud rock music for now. He was still feeling a little anxious by the time he parked next to his father at the estate, but it had to be put aside if he expected to get ready on time. Luckily he had his father’s assistant fetch his tux for him ahead of time; though the man wasn’t too happy about running double work for the Buckholtz sire and his son; one more reason for Devon to put a rush on finding his own assistant. He put a pin in the thought for now, but it would need to be a priority come Monday. Sophia and Elizabeth were in the midst of getting ready themselves at least, so Devon and James were able to dress up without further delay.

Devon quickly suited up in his tux for the evening, before brushing back his hair and checking that everything was on point in the mirror. It would be the first time he’d seen Gabby since their lunch date, and even if they couldn’t be open about their affections, he wanted to make sure he looked damn good for her. James seemed to have the same idea about Abigail; donning on of his favorite suits for the occasion. He may not have been attracted to the woman, but he damn sure wasn’t about to let his rival see him looking shabby.



Father and son waited in the entry-way of the extravagant home; Devon fiddling anxiously and James impatiently while they waited on the ladies of the house. The Buckholtz women took their sweet time before they finally came down the grand staircase. Sophia looked exceptionally beautiful in her rather simple black dress; as well as a little smug for a chance to make James squirm over waiting, Meanwhile, Elizabeth looked every bit as lovely beside her daughter. They joined the men in the foyer, ready for the gala at last.

When they stepped out into the cool, evening air, James revealed his surprise they’d all be arriving in a black, Chrysler 300 limousine. Their driver stood at the open door, waiting to permit each of them in turn. Sophia had a knowing grin on her face as she came in after her parents, sitting next to Devon across from them. “You know dad…” she couldn’t help but start to say, “For being so adamant that women are worthless in the work field, you sure are going a long way to impress Abigail Beaumont.”

“I just like to travel in style,” James assured his daughter.

“I thought you were just trying to roll like a gangster myself. James Buckholtz gets his scar face on. I think I’m gonna call you Heisenberg. I mean, you even picked the Chrysler!” Sophia chuckled next to her brother, the both of them beaming.

“Are you kids trying to make a jerk out of me tonight?” He asked with daggers in his eyes.

Sophie took it upon herself to answer. “Oh… I don’t think you’ll need any help with that, father dearest. So! Does this gangster bus have booze on it?” She asked, fiddling around with the many contraptions.

“Oh god, yes please let there be booze,” Devon pleaded, joining the search with his sister. He came across a couple of crystal glasses just about the time she found the brandy. The night was starting to look a little more positive when he heard the delightful sound of the cork popping out of the bottle.



“You two need to behave tonight,” Elizabeth quickly cautioned them, eyeing the heavy-handed pour Sophie managed to get into their cups. “Don’t forget why Gerry is throwing this gala. His wife is dying, lest you need reminding.”

“I don’t mean any disrespect to the poor guy,” Sophia started, only to pause for a sip of her drink, “But Gerald Ames is like a gazillionaire. Where were his donations to cancer before it struck his wife? It’s a terrible affair and my heart goes out to the poor woman… but I wish the rich weren’t quite so blinded to the world around them. It’s like they only give a damn when it matters to them. Kind of like a certain business mogul I know who is making sure he writes a much bigger check than another certain business woman.”

“Enough,” James demanded. “I’ll have to swallow enough bullshit from Abigail. I don’t need you adding anymore to my plate, Sophia.”

“Suit yourself Captain Capitalist,” she announced, raising her glass in a mock toast to him before draining it all and pouring another. Devon could only look on impressed by his sister’s brazen lack of fucks given. Maybe she had the right idea… she was the psychologist after all. If her brain wasn’t working right she was probably in the wrong profession. Best of all. she made good on keeping his secret about Gabriella. She’d spared no amount of time in teasing him over how he was gonna have to pretend not to know his fuck buddy tonight, but in the end he felt like maybe he would have an ally at this damn thing. And so he downed his drink along with her, making light of the tense situation the best he could.

The alcohol helped to steady his jitters by the time they finally made it to the quay. The Beaumonts were nowhere to be seen upon arrival, giving a pleasantly buzzed Sophie a snort laugh as James realized his glamorous entrance was lost upon a crowd who couldn’t care less to see him. All of Gerald’s guests were powerful or influential in some way or another; the rich Buckholtz family would appear just another drop of water in an endless sea of the upper class tonight. It was painfully obvious to Devon as they boarded the yacht. Personally, he preferred parties that were a little livelier. But it was all part of being in the business world.



Still, they were one attractive family; a picturesque American dream illuminated by the string light decorations. It was almost believable if you didn’t know all the inner chaos that existed within their daily lives. As things went they were fashionably late; most of the guests having checked in with the registry before them, including the Beaumonts. They’d barely had time to mingle in before boarding was closed off, and they were cast out for the open water. Devon stuck by Sophia’s side for the time, though it was impossible for him not to scan the crowd for any sign of Gabriella. Sophia meanwhile, was reading out the event schedule to him.

“So looks like there’s gonna be a word from the host and sponsors during the champagne reception which… I guess is now. Oh good at least they know everyone wants alcohol right away; followed by dinner and an auction during the post dinner reception. Oh look there’s a raffle for a trip to Tahiti. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Foundation. Hell yes I will donate to fighting cancer if it’s gonna get my ass a tan in the process. I mean buying a ticket is the right thing to do don’t you think?”

“Sure Soph sounds great.”

“Oh yeah? Cuz it seems like you’re too busy looking for your fuck buddy to even notice what I’m saying.”

“Would you lower your damn voice about that?” He scolded her quietly.

Sophia laughed, hooking her brother’s arm in hers. “Come on, playboy. Let’s get another drink and see if you can spot her. The longer you can keep me away from mom and dad the better. I hate meeting their creepy senator friends… they’re always so touchy.” True to form, James had been distracted by one of the politicians already, and his wife by effect. Devon went along with Sophia, the two of them getting a glass of champagne as the bled into the crowd of people. They barely had time to walk around however, before attention was drawn center stage.



“I want to thank you all for joining us tonight,” Gerald was saying into the microphone. Brother and sister stopped to look along with the crowd. “You’re all here because of a terrible disease that’s already claimed countless lives, and is sure to claim the lives of untold others without your support.” His speech went on about the importance of fighting and how strong his wife and others had to be against such troubled circumstances… but the words seemed to drown out as Devon’s eyes finally fell upon the woman he’d been searching for.

The stood several yards away, a mass of bodies between them, but her gorgeous face was like a beacon in the night. She hadn’t noticed him yet to his knowledge; her attention was captured by the speaker along with the rest of the crowd. In that moment Devon felt like his heart had nearly stopped. She was perhaps the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen; he couldn’t look away if he wanted to. It was like the air had been sucked out of the room, complete silence left in the vacuum behind. That was until a thunderous round of applause snapped him back to reality.

Devon cleared his throat, finally tearing his eyes away from Gabby and adding a half-hearted clap to the rest of the fanfare. Somehow he’d missed the end of the round of speeches, as well as his mother and father sneaking up to join them at their side. It wasn’t like James to have a short conversation with a powerful friend, but as he followed his father’s beady eyes, Devon noticed he’d spotted Abigail and her daughter as well. He no doubt had been so vexed over seeing his rivals, he left the senator hanging.

“There they are,” James said, nudging his son’s attention towards the women.

Devon used it as another chance to spy Gabby. “So they are,” he said, feigning boredom over the detail, “What do you want me to do? March through the crowd and say Abigail! Spill your secrets!?”

“They’re the next table over for the seating arrangements,” his father continued, glowering. “Gerry Ames has a sense of humor I think. The Johnsons are seated much further away, however. I haven’t managed to see them yet, you?”

“No.” Of course his father was neurotic enough to scope out all the seating placards. Though finding out he’d be seated so close to his flame after all, had him charged with nervous excitement. “Look, let’s just play it by ear alright? Where’s our table?”

“Yes, take us to our table father,” Sophia bantered, snickering, “I’d hate to point it out after you took the time to learn where it was relative to the woman you’re so threatened by.” James shot his daughter a warning glare, though the Buckholtz calmly migrated to their table without incident. Walking the whole way there and having to pretend Gabriella was invisible was perhaps the hardest damn thing Devon had accomplished in his adult life so far.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

Abigail managed to find her daughter in time for the speech. Both women appeared affixed to the host as he spoke, but Gabriella was aching to get a glimpse of Devon, but at the same time pondered whether or not it was best if they did not bump into each other at all. After the round of applause, she was curious to find their seats for future reference for when her feet grew tired. The gorgeous woman in the simple dress turned to find her mother looking afar with an odd degree of focus. When emerald eye looked in the same direction her heart skipped a much-needed beat, but then dropped to the floor. The man always managed to look good in any thin he put on, but tonight he was dangerously handsome.

"There they are. I always wondered how Elizabeth managed to stay married to such a prick." Abigail uttered to her daughter with a look of pity. "I love her dress though. She pulls it off rather well." Gabriella's jaw dropped to the floor in surprise. On the spot, she laughed louder than she had intended but resumed her conversation in a hushed tone.

"Did you, the queen of one-upping, just compliment Mrs. Buckholtz?" She wore a persistent smile when teasing her mother before Abigail scoffed and led the way to find their seats as she spoke.

"Elizabeth and I used to be friends, it's her pretentious prick of a husband that I have problems with and the way he runs a business. Ever since your father died, you'd think we were asking the man to offer up the soul of his first born when it was brought up that I was next in line and worse, when I brought up passing it on to you and even his own daughter when you were both much younger... oh.... he showed his true colors." A sigh and a set of rolled eyes later, Gabby didn't even know what she expected anything different.

"Haven't you ever heard of 'killing with kindness'? Go over there and talk to Mrs. Buckholtz. Can you imagine the annoyance it would cause if he watches you being friendly with his wife? Besides... what ruckus will he cause in this particularly important environment? There's also no reason for you to have ever relinquished your friendship with Mrs. Buckholtz due to your poor relationship with her husband." Unfortunately, Gabriella was shooting off at the mouth with her mother and not necessarily thinking of the actions she spoke of in long-term.

"Have you any idea how awkward that was? You youngbloods, just don't understand the ruthlessness of the business world, just yet." Again Gabriella scoffed.

"Seriously? Do you not recall consoling me numerous times when I lost a string of potential contracts one after another? Or how I overshot the off with that one guy and they ended up getting a deal that cost us far too much? Oh, please, mom. Call me back when you've joined me in the twenty-first century." Abigail nudged her daughter in the ribs with a bony elbow, fishing out and, "Ow!", and a laugh afterward.

The older of the two checked the time for the auction. There was quite the number of items and Abigail wanted to make a good impression while Gabby wanted to get some inspiration for her own auction.

"Oh, mom... look. A mini porcelain baby made by Kim Van Wetering, oh I bet it would be so adorable." Abigail sat in her chair with her daughter looking over her shoulder looking over the list of items being auctioned off. Some even had pictures of the items.

"I'm surprised you're not going gaga over the custom designed violin by..." Gabriella swiftly cut the woman off.

"By none other than world famous, Luthier Zhu Mingjang himself! Oh my... do you know how much that is worth? As badly as I want it, it is too rich for my blood. I'd feel bad for buying it." Now it was Abigail's turn to roll her eyes.

"It's an auction, child. The money is for a good cause. Go for it." There was an internal struggle, but for now, she set it aside. Abigail looked up from the paper and to her daughter who dawned a very impish smile that spoke a hidden message. "What?"

"Alex Gorsky 'aka Johnson' at twelve o clock. Alex Gorskey, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson and Chairman of the Executive Committee. There's your man, mom." The woman nearly gave herself whiplash turning around to see the military veteran with a beaming smile blending into the crowd like Waldo. Gabriella sat back with a patient look and sipped upon her flute of champagne.

It was almost too much to bear, with the lovely woman sitting in her chair with her cell phone in her lap she texted Devon while listening to her mother complaining as to why Gorskey was her man and not Gabriella's. 'Having fun? We gotta get a second to ourselves. You think I can redeem that full body massage, tonight?'

"I'll try and approach him after dinner, the man is currently swamped right now." Abigail was concerned was concerned about a certain rival beating her to the punch.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

After the rest of their party made note of where they’d be sitting, the Buckholtz family was content to wander the deck, mingling with the crowd. Devon and James came across one or two clients they were familiar with which caught them in conversation. Luckily, his father’s attention wasn’t on him nearly as much as Devon feared. He’d been worried James would goad him into trying to cozy up to the Beaumonts in some way at every possible turn. Instead, it seemed the business tycoon was far more interested in improving relations with anyone that might have an opportunity to make them more money.

After James managed to engage the owner of a prominent distribution company in a long conversation about binary options, Devon ignored the droll topic and scanned the crowd for the only person he was truly interested in socializing with tonight. He saw Gabby with her mother perusing the various items for auction. If only Abigail wasn’t at her side he could walk right up and banter with her as if they were two harmless strangers discussing an art piece. With the Globex matriarch so nearby however, it made things much more difficult. Surely, Abigail Beaumont would look on her rival’s son with instant suspicion.

James caught his son staring at the women after his acquaintance was drawn away by his family. The elder Buckholtz smirked at his son. “Thinking of a good way to approach them?”

“If the opportunity presents itself,” Devon said honestly. Though where his father wanted to make introductions with malicious intent, Devon just wanted to be as close to Gabby as possible. Seeing her here after so long apart had him burning with all sorts of anticipation. Oh how badly he longed to get her out of that frustratingly beautiful dress. His desire only grew worse as both families came to take their seats. Thanks to the seating plan, even though they were one table over Devon wasn’t sitting at an angle where he could see her. Spotting her just before taking his seat however, was all the tension he needed however, to be painfully aware of their close proximity.



James, sitting across from his son on the other hand, had a perfect view of the Beaumont women. And Devon could tell he’d seen something he did not like when he noticed the scowl on his father’s face. “There’s Gorskey,” he said at once, “The vulture’s already got eyes on him!” In fact, it was the fluid way Abigail’s head whipped around that brought his attention to the man. “What’d I tell you son? While you’re hesitant to make a business deal Abigail Beaumont is already thinking of what to say to the man. She’s already taken half my company she’s not nabbing this client too.”

“Half of your company, dad?” Sophie challenged. “It’s like you forget Robert Beaumont ever existed.”

James ignored her, too invested in formulating a plan to fall victim to his daughter’s incessant taunts. “Beth,” he said to his wife, “I need you to go and talk to Abigail.”

“Oh, you do, do you?” Elizabeth scoffed, sounding incredulous. She looked across the distance to her old friend and her daughter. How long had it been since either of them actually exchanged words outside of the occasional ‘Happy Birthday’ and other such nonsense over social media? Unlike James, she never actually had a falling out with the woman. But there was a certain sense of rigidity when it came to the blood feud Abigail had for her husband. Beth knew James was no picnic; she wanted to crack his skull at the best of times. But she had a duty to stand by her husband…



“Yes,” James told her firmly. “Feud or no feud, you know as well as I we’re expected to make face with the Beaumonts. I’m no idiot, if anything is going to persuade Johnson and Johnson it’s seeing us put aside our differences and playing nice in front of them. But if Abigail and I just go up to one another we’re as liable to start throwing punches as we are insults. But everyone loves you, Beth. You’ve always been Switzerland in this whole thing. You have to be the one to make the first move and soften her up to the Buckholtz name.”

Elizabeth sighed heavily, downing her own flute of champagne. It was never a good thing when her husband started to make sense. It somehow always meant a lot of work for her. Yet, she was no fool either. “And I don’t suppose you have any other ulterior motives for me going over and talking to her this instant, hmm?”

“Of course I do. She can’t keep me away from Gorskey if her attention is on you. So?”

Beth was already rising from her chair. If nothing else at least the plan of attack would grant her a reprieve from her morally gray husband for a while. She carried herself with the dignity as she boldly left their table and approached the Beaumonts. “Abigail?” she asked kindly, smiling at the woman. “My god, it’s been so long! How have you been? You look so beautiful! My god, that dress!” She played the part well enough, but inside she felt twisted. What did you say to an age old friend who hated your husband so much it led to you barely acknowledging each other?

“Is this Gabriella?” She inquired, turning her attention to the woman’s daughter. “I haven’t seen you since you were little. I doubt you even remember me. You’ve grown into quite the amazing woman haven’t you?”



The sudden arrival of the Buckholtz queen at their table was more than enough to give James his in. “That a girl, Beth…” He said, slyly rising from the table. He couldn’t have planned it better himself, Gorskey was just shaking hands in farewell with the man he’d been speaking with. “You coming son?”

“I think it’s less forward if it’s just you,” Devon suggested. “We don’t want to make the wrong impression. I’ll wait and see if I can’t make a move on that other thing…” That was enough to convince his father, though Sophia was left to look at her brother skeptically. Devon may have confessed his affair with Gabriella to Sophie, but he neglected to mention James’ shady business dealings. Sophie’s relationship struggled with their father enough as it was, and Devon didn’t want to stress things any further; even if their dad could be a real pain in the ass.

James managed to snag the veteran’s attention easy enough. Both men shook hands; and while Gorskey didn’t specifically remember him, he knew the Buckholtz and Beaumont name well enough. The CEO put on all his charm as he conversed with the man. He knew better than to jump to the point of a contract right away, and stuck to winning the man’s good side. He was none too shameless about exploiting his service to the country, boasting of him and casually pointing out how they were in the talks of business with Unilever; a major supplier to the armed forces. Devon’s unexpected contract win earned the soldier’s respect, and just like that, James was winning the race for Johnson and Johnson.



Devon meanwhile, waiting with his sister, pondering his own plan of how he was going to get alone with Gabby. It seemed her ideas were along the same track as his phone vibrated and he read her text. He couldn’t help but look over his shoulder to spot her, smiling. His mom still had Abigail’s attention… maybe his father’s little ploy could work to their advantage as well. He texted her back right away. ‘Absolutely. I was hoping you’d ask. We’ll have to make plans to meet up after everything’s said and done.’ He could already feel his loins practically throbbing at the chance of finally spending a night with her. But the texts were like a morsel teasing his very big appetite. After a quick scan of their surroundings, he sent her a second message.

‘Why don’t you meet me at the bar in 5 mins? I think Mrs. Buckholtz can keep your mom entertained for a moment.’

There were plenty of waiters carrying around champagne, but Mr. Ames hadn’t skimped on the open bar either. Something a little stronger sounded exactly like what he needed. Surely he couldn’t be blamed if Gabby wandered up to order a drink beside him? He gave it a couple of minutes before rising from his seat. Sophia was quick to jump on him though. “Hey where do you think you’re going?” she demanded.

“The bar. I need some whiskey.”

“Oh great, I’ll come with you.”

“No! I mean uh… I’ll bring you something. No need for us both to go.”

“Oh…” Sophie said, grinning as she came to terms with what was happening. “Well excuse me. I’ll just wait here then. A Whiskey Coke sounds just divine… Have fun little brother.”

Devon was planning on it as he threaded through the crowd and stood at the bar. There was the perfect opportunity of an open space just beside him. It was down to Gabby now whether she got his text and could get away from her mother without incident. Dinner was due to start soon, so they wouldn’t have long to talk. But it could be long enough to plot out another time to meet over the event. Or at the very least, make a plan for meeting up after the event. The timing could be complicated with his vehicle being back at his family home after all; but all he was concerned with right now was finally having a chance to speak with her face to face.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

Gabriella's attention was snagged as a guest approached their table. She knew who the woman was. Abigail had shown her a few photos of the two of them hanging out before her father passed away.

"Beth..." Abigail was a little speechless and actually caught off guard while Gabriella was rather amused. She managed a quick glance at her phone and caught Devon's message.

"Thanks and I know who you are Mrs. Buckholtz. Mom showed me pictures of you two hanging out and being silly way back when. Funny..." She finished the contents of her glass before continuing, "we were just talking about you. I told mom to go talk to you. No matter the consequences you're still friends. Talk to each other. Hang out. There's no reason you can act like civilized adults and have fun around the ugliness that is the family business." Abigail was stunned at her daughter straightforwardness. Not at the straightforwardness itself, but the fact that she did it in this situation. Like her daughter had absolutely zero fucks to give as of lately.

"Your dress looks gorgeous as well and if you ladies don't mind I'm going to mingle and give you two some time to catch up, please, have my seat, Mrs. Buckholtz." With that the young confident woman walked herself away from the table, leaving her mother and Mrs. Buckholts with the tight of her shrinking silhouette and the gentle sway of her hips before disappearing into the crowd.

Gem-colored eyes looked around and instantly spotted her lover when honing in on the bar. Even from behind he looked so handsome. The professionally dressed bartender stood right before him too.

"A Moscow mule, please." With a polite smile and nod of his head, he went to make her drink. "You have no idea how hard it is for me to keep my hands and lips off of you right now. " Her drink was brought over and she thanked the man before continuing on. "Your mother's timing was impeccable." This time she looked him n the eyes with a soft smile. "I'm surprised a woman didn't make herself at home right next to you before I got here, you look so handsome."

 

[Fates.Gamble]

Yes, James certainly had a way with impeccable timing. Devon chose not to tell her the exact nature of why his mother had been sent over. He didn’t want to ruin their brief moment and besides; he didn’t care about the business world right now. Standing next to Gabby in that formal atmosphere was downright tantalizing. She looked absolutely stunning in the low light, all the more alluring against the soft jazz music playing in the background. Seeing her now felt just like that night they saw each other for the first time. It was not exactly one week to the day, damn near to the hour; and just like before he knew exactly what he wanted.

“Oh I think I have some idea,” he countered her, appraising her gorgeous body the best he could without being too obvious to those around them. “Did you have to make yourself look so damn good? I feel like a virgin on his prom date.” He was fully glad no woman had taken residence by his side; he only had eyes for her now. He looked at her with a wicked little smile, wishing they were free to tear the clothes off of one another here and now. The bartender had already served him his drinks, and soon returned with her order as well. Devon casually stirred the ice cubes around with his straw, biding his time. Sophia’s drink sat undisturbed; his lush of a sister could wait.

Devon took a sip of his drink whilst taking a quick glance, making sure no one was within ear shot. “So what are we thinking for after here? You want come to my place or you got something else in mind?” Devon turned around and leaned back against the bar, looking out into the ocean of people. He could spot their mothers still talking to one another. Despite the obvious reservations between them, it seemed like the women might have even been enjoying one another’s company. Maybe there was hope between the Buckholtz and the Beaumonts after all. He had to question it however, when his eyes landed upon his father shaking hands with Alex Gorskey. If the wide smile on James’ face was anything to go by, the conversation was going very well. Abigail was sure to be pissed when she realized what happened.



Devon could barely even process the business war happening between their parents right now though. Standing so close yet being unable to touch her had led him into a one track mind. “God you don’t know how bad I want to tear off whatever you’re wearing under that dress and take you on this bar,” he said. Waiting until after the gala just didn’t seem feasible. Maybe it was the lack of sex or perhaps the surplus of liquor he was having tonight; the whiskey sour he’d just ordered was almost half gone already after all, but whatever the temptation he found himself taking a very dark turn of thought.

“You know rich people love to measure their dicks,” he said, hinting. His eyes kept on the crowd, trying not to look directly at her for fear of being too obvious. The high slit of her dress teased him even from his peripherals though. “I bet they’re going to be so engrossed trying to outbid one another in that auction, that they’d never even notice if two guests slipped off.” Not like they could bail on the gala; there were expectations of them even if being on the open water wasn’t imprisoning enough. Sneaking away to a private spot on Gerald’s yacht where they could fuck out of earshot on the other hand… well that could be a little more manageable.

“Don’t you think?” he tempted her with a devious smile. There was no way she could misread his intentions. He looked at her directly this time, the daring proposal adding a certain fire to his vivid green eyes. It was a scandalous proposition to say the least; surely beneath such respectable executives of stature. But it sounded like just the sort of thing to give this party the sort of life he was looking for. Before she could really even have a chance to share her perspective on his bold invitation however, there was an announcement that dinner would now be served.

Devon gathered up Sophia’s drink and the remnants of his own. “Hope to see you soon,” he told her as a final note, before joining his family back at the table. Beth and James made it back before him, leaving the two to wonder why he returned from the bar with such an interesting expression. “Oh the bartender just told me something funny,” he quickly dismissed them, handing Sophia her beverage before taking his seat. He hoped none of the concerned parties had a chance to witness the last exchange between him and Gabby, but as perfectly presented meals were presented, no one at his table had any words about it. Devon ate quietly, staying on the tip of conversation as James queried Beth about her talk with Abigail. His only thought was, would Gabriella Beaumont feel as daring as her business rival when they had their chance?

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

The man had a talent for always making her smile and laugh. She took a sip of the contents within her cup and followed it up with a bit of sigh. "Decisions, decisions. I want to go back to your place. It's not like I don't know where you live and I think I'm spoiled with going to sleep with you." That pillow was just not cutting it. She wasn't aware of just how much she enjoyed feeling the warmth and security of Devon sleeping beside her. To hear him paint a picture of ripping off her clothes and taking her on the bar had her, if possible, even more drenched. Physically, the lust hungry businesswoman was forced to bite back the urge with her lower lip. "Talk about preaching to the choir, baby." This warranted another sip of her cocktail to wash away the edge, to little or no avail.

"Oh so true." A simple agreement to his observation. His words had a smile tugging at a corner of her lips. She got the hint and when her eyes met those of her debonair business rival, the heart and loins ached. There was no way that she could wait until the gala was over to get her hands on him. She needed another sip of her drink to stave off the nerves once again and before she could answer an announcement sounded. The moment it was done she smiled and watched as her lover walked off to join his family. Of course, she wanted to say 'yes', but the risk. Then again it was the same risk that had the two of them still seeing each other. To watch that handsome man walked away felt like quite the sin.

With the moscow mule in hand, she took her time walking back to her table. "So, did you have a pleasant conversation with Mrs. Buckholtz?" Abigail looked up from the face of her phone with a content smile before tucking the device on her purse and sitting back as the dinner was served. "Yeah, we were looking at old pictures on my phone. I showed her pictures of you. I asked her if I was just as bull-headed as you are, and apparently, I'm getting a taste of my own medicine." This made Gabby laugh. Her parents were deeply in love. It took a special kind of man to manage a woman like her mother. The man was rather comedic and even in arguments would throw in a joke. The little girl on the sideline would laugh and that combination melted her mother's heart. Dad often rising as the victor and her mother with a smile and a roll of her eyes at the silly family man.

Seated at their table was Ryan Peterson of Flexport, and his female guest and Kambiz Khadem of Aeronux Airways. These were two fast-rising businessmen. Abigail spent dinner talking to Ryan about his business and advertising her daughter as a successful woman since the woman that Ryan brought was is secretary. Meanwhile, Gabby found common interests with Kambiz, shared some laughs, and he even offered up a flight as a prize for her auction which was sweet. Numbers were exchanged and jokes made while the table enjoyed their meal. In the middle of her meal, Gabby fished out her phone and texted Devon. Despite her happy and carefree demeanor at the table, she was tense as all hell. Devon never once left her mind and the manner in which the people at her table spoke of the auction made her more convinced that Devon was right. Of course, he was right.

'I'm all aboard, handsome. The auction is rather lengthy, so let's take our time.' Looking at her phone she smiled that sinfully sweet smile at a thought. All kinds of trouble.

"What are you smiling at?" Abigail eyed her daughter and that look in her eyes.

"Jayme from high school just had her baby girl and she is so adorable!" The screen black out and the phone was tucked away as she went back to enjoying the dessert brought out.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

Sophia had a good idea of who might have been sending Devon messages, if his large grin was anything to go by. Honestly the poor kid had such bad tells around her; but it wasn’t surprising. Not only was Sophie exceedingly sharp and intuitive, she was probably closer to him than anyone else in this world. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder if that had changed right under her nose. Devon always was a little spontaneous and unorthodox when it came to managing their family’s business affairs. But she’d never seen him quite so flat out uninterested as he was right now. James had just spoken to Alex Gorskey and her brother didn’t even seem to care what he had to say.

Devon decided not to reply to her message yet, instead tucking away his phone once he’d seen it. Beth and James were sure to notice something was up if he made it too obvious. And with the thrill of their impending escapade weighing on his mind, it would be hard not to make obvious. Looking at his phone so much would only complicate matters. It was too late in the evening to claim business, and the smile spread from ear to ear would give it away besides. Luckily he had food to occupy him, and Sophia as a stauncher ally than he anticipated.

When James turned the conversation to how well the discussion with Gorskey went, obviously prodding at Devon, Sophie was quick to intercept her father and pull the attention away from her brother with a topic she could talk about for days. “You know, psychologically men like Alex Gorskey at a high statistic possibility for suicide.”



“Sophia!” Her mother chastised, looking horrified her daughter would just blurt something like that out. Of course, the brazen comment had done its job with perfection, drawing the attention on her instead of the obviously distracted Devon. “Why would you say something like that?”

“What? I’m just being honest. Veterans like him suffer from a lot of psychological trauma. It’s even worse when you’re rich and powerful like that. You come home and you’re surrounded by the faces of people who only pretend to care about you; surrounded by the monetary things you’ve now come to realize don’t hold quite as much value to life as you thought.”

She kept the ghastly details going, moving on to how military personnel needed to build psychological resilience just to survive the emotional turmoil of combat. Elizabeth wanted to change the topic to something more positive, but once his sister got going it was hard to stop her. Devon had to smile a little; he had a fair idea of what she was doing. He wasn’t so caught up in his thoughts of Gabriella that he did not perceive her bringing it up just as his father asked at him about his ‘special assignment.’ It became clear that confessing his feeling for Gabriella Beaumont to his sister might have been the smartest decision he made in a while.



Dinner went smoothly, more or less. Devon remained a bundle of nerves though. Most of it was excitement but there was still a little hesitation. He’d never done anything quite this drastic or bold. While Beth was commenting on her delight in their choice of menu, Devon was contemplating where might be best to have their little romp on Gerald’s boat. No doubt the cabins were exquisite on such a large and impressive vessel. But if they wandered too far it could raise their chance of getting caught. If they were going to pull this off they had to be smart about it. Somewhere they could get to and back from without being noticed, but far enough away that no one would realize what was going on. He just hoped there weren’t any guards around scoping the place out. Probably not, seeing as they were out on the water. Any guard deemed necessary would be keeping watch on the treasures for the auction.

“You need to go and talk to her,” Devon heard his mother say, and his head shot up as if she was reading his mind about formulating a plan with Gabby. He realized shortly after she’d been speaking to James. “You said it yourself,” Elizabeth continued, “You have to make face with her in front of Gerald and Alex.”

James grumbled, none too pleased with the idea of being polite to his arch-nemesis. Beth was having none of it. “I did not swallow my fears and say hello to that woman just so you could back out on doing the same you righteous old prick!”

“Whoa mom!” Sophia said, looking wide eyed.

“Yeah I don’t think I’ve heard you curse in years,” Devon pointed out. “And pretty sure it was never that word before.”

“Well pardon my language but I for one am sick of you these two acting like children. I know it’s too much to save get over your differences at this point James, but is it too late to say grow the hell up, dear?” She looked at her husband with a stern sour expression that said he was anything but dear to him right now.



“Alright, Beth. You’ve made your point. Devon, let’s go.”

“What? Why do I have to go?” he said perhaps a little too quickly. His mother’s announcement may have led to him talking to Gabby after all.

“Why do you think?” His father retorted, dumbfounded his son would even question the why of the matter. “You’re the future of this company, son. Time to meet the competition.”

Was there a suspicious look in his eye? Devon was pretty sure there was a suspicious look in his eye. But maybe it was just paranoia and his nerves getting the better of him. He certainly hadn’t anticipated on standing before Abigail and her daughter just before he snuck her away for the dirtiest things he could think of under the pressure of being caught. Talk about bad timing.

But he rose from the table, clearing his throat as he excused himself and followed behind his father. He did not miss Sophia’s all-knowing smirk. She looked at him sidewise, trying to hide her expression behind the rim of her whiskey glass. He could only imagine how fun this was for her. Maybe she lucked out if these were the sort of things he’d be dealing with running their father’s company. The short distance to the Beaumont table was already feeling like the longest walk of his life. When they arrived, Devon trailing up to his father’s side, James clearly announced himself to his rival.



“Abigail,” he said, as formal as could be, “And your daughter I presume? It’s been some time. You’ve been well I trust?” Not that he really cared to know the answer. His face could not have looked plainer as he stood before them, tall and stiff as could be. “I don’t know if you’ve met my son Devon before,” James continued once their initial greeting was out of the way. If she had, Devon was too little to remember it. He stepped forward to shake Abigail’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you both,” he said, while changing to shake hands with the beautiful Gabby this time. Feeling her soft hand lock in his firm grip reminded him all too well of the last time he had this hands pulled behind her body.

He met her eyes with an honest smile, but as their handshake ended he forced himself to look away from her, his eyes shuffling to her mother at once. He could not give this away; not now. If his father even guessed at how familiar the two of them really were already, well… probably best not to think about it. “We just wanted to come congratulate you ladies on that Trifexis deal,” he said, with much approval from his father. He was so busy hating Abigail he couldn’t think of a pleasant reason to speak with her. “It’s a big win for Globex.”

“Well isn’t this a surprise!” came the tired voice of Gerald Ames, who just happened to be making the rounds of greeting all the guests he hadn’t spoken to when he found James and Abigail speaking, along with their children. Right along with him was Alex Gorskey, wearing a kind smile as hands were shaken and introductions made between all present yet again. Seeing Gorskey just after the picture Sophie painted about the horrors possibly going on in his mind was a little awkward to say the least.

“The heirs of Robert and George, and Process Global all come together as one!” Gerald exclaimed. “I like what I see, ladies and gentlemen. I only wish it were not for so somber an occasion!”



They exchanged pleasantries for a while, though inevitably had to keep moving. There were a lot of guests to greet before the night was through. Before leaving, Alex shook hands with them all once again, addressing James last of them. “I’ll give some thought to what you said Mr. Buckholtz. I can’t make any promises, but you’ll definitely hear from me. It was a pleasure to meet you all.”

Knowing that Abigail would realize James beat her to the punch after that little exchange, the Buckholtz saw fit to bid their farewells just after. His father was cool and collected in wishing them both well, which was easy for him given what just happened. He couldn’t have planned it better himself; Alex Gorskey practically rubbed it in her face he was in talks with Transcend now. His smile couldn’t have been cockier; especially knowing she would find out about their Unilever deal sooner or later too.

Devon remained much more humble, just trying not to blow things in the tension. He didn’t have quite so much to celebrate as his father. While he was glad of his company’s success, it felt a little strange to one up Gabriella’s mother right in front of her. Not that he had anything to do with it so much as James. But as they were already at the post dinner reception, Devon hoped the display would not change Gabriella’s mind. After their second brief meeting, he wanted her now more than ever. The auction was just another 15 minutes away, and it would be now or never. After meeting back with his mother and sister, the Buckholtz family left their table and wandered the reception. While Elizabeth and James went to greet more guests, Devon sent Gabby another text.

‘Sorry about my dad. Hope we’re still on. Got an idea of how to get away/where to go? Figured I’ll make an excuse to slip away just before the start. Working on the where though.”

He would use the time left to look for good options. But as Sophie had taken to wandering at his side, it was a little difficult to go scoping out the yacht for secluded spots. As much as he trusted his sister he wasn’t so comfortable that he was about to tell her what they were planning.

“I can see why you like her,” Sophie was saying, having managed to spot the girl while they were talking. “She’s pretty hot. I mean, if I was a dude? Totally!”

“Oh yeah? You might be in luck. I hear she’s got a little thing for other girls,” he taunted her. “Or used to at least.”

“Oooh really? Tempting but not my thing, I’m afraid I like big ole’ throbbing…”

“Yeah okay I don’t think I need to know what you like, Sophie.” Devon quickly interrupted her.

“Penises!” she said loudly, careless of his interruptions. “I like penises, Devon. We should be able to talk about this sort of thing.” The surplus of alcohol probably enhanced the volume of her voice a little more than anticipated. She earned more than a couple of strange looks, but brushed them all off as she clung to her brother’s arm, laughing.

“You’re such an ass,” he told her, shaking his head as he quickly led them away from those who witnessed her confession.

“Ah whatever. I just wanted to rock dad’s boat party a little bit. These sheltered snobs could use a little scandal in their lives anyway!” Devon and Gabriella were about to give them plenty of that if things went wrong. With minutes to go until the start, this was their last chance to back out before taking their sinful plunge.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

"Gabby, when are you going to talk to Alex?" Again the woman was being harassed by her own mother. Green eyed bombshell couldn't even get through her cheesecake with being poked and prodded about work.

"Ma'am, I will get to it before we leave the yacht. For once, can we just stick to the events at hand without bringing up work? I've already spoken to these to gentlemen here before us." Gabby gestured a hand to Kambiz who was poking and prodding at his dessert like a science experiment, and Ryan. Ryan leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and laughed at the display.

"Pardon my saying, but you remind me of my father, Mrs, Beaumont. He didn't even start this company the man always had to throw in his two cents. You're going to run the business next, right Gabriella? Then sit back and watch her... in silence. You've taught her what you can." Ryan was clearly one to speak his mind and considering his young age and the supremely successful business that was started by himself, he had every right.

"Mmm...." Kambiz finally took a bite of his cheesecake and was delighted, damn near making love to the sweet treat. "If I may add, Gabriella won't walk in your footsteps, but rather at your side in hopes that she may even walk further that you both may have ever dreamed. Mmm.... do you think I can have some seconds? This is delicious." Gabriella felt flattered and couldn't help but laugh and smile at her new foreign friend.

"If you think that's delicious, then you need to stop by my place. I make THE best New York cheesecake and I'll bet my job on that." She held an air of confidence that caught the man's attention.

"Fine, I'll hold you to that, give me your business card." Kambiz was a connoisseur of sweets and never passed up an opportunity to try special treats.

"Hey! I love cheesecake, give me one too!" Ryan added as Abigail rolled her eyes. The younger generation was so weird to her.

"I don't run a cheesecake factory guys, just remember that. Give me your info and I'll give you my card." Apparently, the way to both of their hearts was through their stomachs, which would prove beneficial for Gabby down the road. The trio of young entrepreneurs was rounding up exchanging contact information when the most unexpected of guests appeared.

Naturally, Abigail dawned her resting bitch face and calmly replied. "I'm doing well, thank you for asking." Gabriella tried not to drink the handsome sight of her lover in for too much, so she looked at his father instead. The heat of his presence made it almost impossible to ignore him. "I saw him when he was but a baby and Beth showed me pictures."

"Hello Mrs. Buckholts, and it's lovely to meet you as well." t was hard not to imagine Devon yanking her up out of her chair and ensnaring her in the most passionate of kisses in front of everyone. That would shut everyone up. Alas, that was not going to happen. "Thank you, Devon. I appreciate that. Your company has certainly kept me on my toes, that's for sure, but it's not a game. It's not a competition. Just business. I, personally, don't see winning or losing."

As Gerald arrived Abigail dawned an instant smile. "Oh Gerald." In a tone of voice offering her condolences as to his wife's current condition.

"Hello Mr. Ames, Mr. Gorskey. I agree, but I don't see why the younger generation can not surpass the old, don't you agree?" Again, the girl was none too afraid to speak her mind, making a strike against her own mother and Mr. Buckholtz simultaneously. When all was said and done, Abigail nearly flooded her mouth with blood biting her tongue. Of course, she noticed James' sly hand. Now was not the time to make a scene and ripping her daughter a new one for not being fast enough was not going to look good. Gabby ready her mother like a well-worn book. The vein throbbing in her left temple and her silence as she drank said it all. As the auction was soon to start she excused herself from the table.

Alex had split up from Gerald and could be seen at the bar where Gabriella ordered another Moscow mule... right next to the man she was looking for. Her elbow bumped into his as they both waited for their drinks.

"I'm sorry Mr. Gorskey, it's rather crowded up here isn't it?" The man smiled and laughed with a nod.

"I've seen Black Friday's less crowded than this." The joke made Gabby laugh.

"Mr. Gorskey, I'm sorry to impose, but I am taking on my first big project and you were one of my inspirations. You give so much and if we have the power, why not? We have to power to invoke change. I am four months into organizing a charity auction for the children's cancer foundation. I've called upon singers, comedians, athletes, youtube stars and requested they donate something to the auction. Even their time, like a dinner or tickets to what they do. It's very hard, I have no idea how you do it. Sometimes the rejection can be a little heart wrenching, but I've got to see this through. My mother has no hand in it. It's my project to nurture. If maybe, you can lend me some advice in a different environment, I'd greatly appreciate it. Just advice."

Alex finally got his drink and patiently listened to the girl, occasionally nodding his head while not wanting to intervene until she was done.

"I've even vowed to donate five percent of the recievings from all future contracts signed under my name to organizations of the buyer's choice from a select list. I need more investors to make that part of the dream come true, but I'll work on that later. Here's my number..." She pulled out her card and placed it on the bar top. "... and sorry for taking up your time. Thanks for listening though." The bartender slipped her the drink and off she went. Damn her heart was racing. She had not lingered long enough to gauge his reaction, but damn she hoped it would amount to something. While James was brownnosing Gerald's ass, Gabby was laying her cards on the table with a hope and a prayer.

A heavy sigh later she fished her phone out of her clutch and read the text message. 'No worries. I have an idea. Keep an eye on me at the auction. Try not to lose me' Just as she pressed 'send' the announcement was made that the auction would be starting. The room would be packed. Each person handed a number for the event should they choose to buy something. Abigail dragged her daughter inside, though Gabby insisted on being near the middle. Her mother was okay with that, though many other people stood around her. There was chatter everywhere. With keen eyes, she spotted her lover. The woman eager to leave sooner rather than a few minutes later but she had to buy her time.

During her earlier browsing, she accidentally stumbled upon a furnished room while trying to find the bathroom. It opened up into a small foyer but expanded into a small room. There was a queen size bed off to the left side of the room out of eyesight of the door, a sofa against the opposite wall also out of eyesight, a dresser, and two chairs. The only reason she considered this room was because all the furniture was draped in white linen, as though the room was not meant to be used. It was on the port side of the boat where people had been gazing over the rail at the ocean. It was also where the closest restrooms were located so their presence in that area was not likely to be questioned.

A gavel struck and called for silence to begin the auction, but the auctioneer started off with a humble joke about the audience and garnered a few laughs before laying out the rules. 'Time to go', she texted him before excusing herself.

"Mom... I think something's not agreeing with me, I'm going to the restroom then to get some fresh air. I might just wait outside I don't want to embarrass myself if I get sick." Abigail looked at her daughter and nodded her head. "Alright, sweetheart. Go head." It was sad that she had to resort to such measures just to be with a guy that she fell for, but honestly, it was their fault to begin with.

She parted through the sea of people and made her way to the double door exit that they had entered through. She walked ten feet away and stood against a wall waiting for him to appear in sight. The second he appeared she would walk around the corner and trailed her hand along the guardrail until she stood outside of the door to the room. With a glance his way she would enter the room herself and wait on the concealed bed with legs crossed. A sexy leg completely exposed from the slit of her dress as she leaned back on the palms of her hand in anticipation and a burning passion in ehr eyes.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

Devon was trying to formulate a good plan for ditching Sophia. It might end up being his biggest challenge. He hadn’t intended on her hanging about for quite so long. But luckily his father proved himself useful to the situation, seeking out his children shortly before the auction. He point blank asked Sophia to leave, wanting to speak with Devon alone for a moment.

“Oh now I’m not good enough to hear what you have to say about the company as well as work at it?” She asked, glaring at her father. He remained equally stern in meeting her gaze. Sophia decided not to test her father more than that. She bid Devon good luck and slipped loose of his arm to find Beth so they could get a good spot for the auction she didn’t really have the money to care about. She would have just sat at the bar if she didn’t have to drive home later that night.

“So what’s up?” Devon asked his father when they were alone.



“Where has your head been tonight, son?” He demanded, sounding grumpy. “You left me alone to deal with Gorskey, haven’t sought out anything on the Beaumonts… this whole place is swarming with potential contracts and you haven’t moved on a single one of them! It’s like I’m the only one with the ball here.”

“Sorry I guess I just haven’t felt like there were any good opportunities,” he said, shrugging. But that would not satisfy his father. He sighed with frustration. “Look,” Devon continued, “I’ll try to move on the Beaumont girl at least before everything’s over, alright?” If only he knew the real moves he was making on her.

“Good. Get your head back in the game, Devon. You haven’t been yourself lately. Barely making it into work on time, staring out into the distance at meetings… you’re more in your head than usual. Your work will start to suffer if you don’t get it straight.”

“I just got us Unilever!” It was Devon’s turn to sigh. “Look, I’ve just been a little burned out lately. I’ve got this, alright? Just stop breathing down my neck about it.” His father was becoming a real pain in the ass with this impending retirement in the works. It was clear his dad was only really backing away from the company this soon because it was what Beth wanted, not him. It was making the whole transition tenser than it needed to be.



James did not seem convinced, though he did not argue further as the start of the auction was called. He tried getting Devon to go along but he declined. “I need another drink first if I’m going to deal with all that.” He said for an excuse. The best lies were the ones that were true, though a drink didn’t sound half as good for clearing his head as the sinfully delectable woman he would soon meet with. He went for the bar, as promised, only to read Gabby’s texts en route. He stopped after, looking up through the shuffling bodies to find her going through the door to wait for me. A quick assessment of his family told him they were too involved to notice, and the chase was on.

He waved his way through the crowd of finely dressed denizens, passing unnoticed all the way to the double doors. He stepped through without so much as looking back, an eager smirk painted on his face as she playfully went on ahead of him. Against his desires, he trailed behind deliberately slow. He wanted to make sure there was enough distance kept between them that they no one assumed them together if found. He kept her just within sight though, tantalized by the way her body moved in that sexy dress. Enticement turned to pure torture when she turned to look at him just before entering the room.

With his heart drubbing, it felt like every nerve was burning with desire by the time he followed her inside. He didn’t think he wanted her quite as bad as he did in that moment, seeing her waiting on the bed. Had he not been so distracted by what he saw, he might have seen fit to close the door more properly; though he remained unaware of the gap that blew it slightly open in his wake.

“Hey Gabs,” he greeted her with a wicked smile. He looked her right in the eyes as he approached, slow and deliberate. As soon as she was within reach he came in for her lips. It felt like a balance long since missing was returned to the world as their mouths met. He moaned with relieved delight as he found her soft tongue and maneuvered himself into the bed with her. Buttons couldn’t be removed fast enough, a task made all the more fumbling in his refusal to relinquish her lips. But eventually he got his tuxedo jacket off and discarded, freeing his hands so wander up her gorgeous legs and under her elegant dress as they finally succumbed to their cravings.

~

James meanwhile, had a very different sort of frustrated angst. He was feeling gruff and irate, twice as much with Devon nowhere to be seen. But what truly bothered him wasn’t so much the absence of his son so much as his fear of losing his ground with Gorskey. His head was kept on a swivel all night, watching Abigail and her daughter consult with the other guests. Admittedly his obsession to see the women out of the running may have cost him the opportunity to mingle with a few business men himself. But his obsession to detail did permit him to spy Abigail’s daughter approach Gorskey and force her card upon him.

He’d kept quiet about it so far, but the idea of them muscling their way in on his potential business could get his blood boiling. Hot headedness was a trait anyone could expect from the Transcend CEO. He wasn’t known to be the most diplomatic sort of person, so needless to say he found himself surprised when he considered talking to the Beaumonts again. While the very idea of it put a bad taste in his mouth, Gerald’s reaction to seeing them together could not be shaken from his mind. The picture was practically paved with dollar signs.

Loathe as he was to admit it, he would rather have a share of the Johnson & Johnson contract than lose it to Globex all together. Maybe just once he could be diplomatic about this sort of thing. At least that’s what he was trying to tell himself when he made an excuse to Beth and made his way through the crowd where he found Abigail alone without her daughter. Trying to ignore the rambling voice of the auctioneer, he leaned in close to Abigail’s ear and told her “We need to talk.” After gesturing to the other side of the room, he escaped the confines of the crowd and waited near the double doors their children had gone through just before.

~

The sounds of the auction were mute until the first item sold and there was a round of applause. The clamor might have clued him into the fact the door wasn’t shut all the way had he not gone deaf from the blood rushing to his ears in excitement. His lips traversed Gabby’s neck and all the other tender places her dress offered up as he found himself kissing down her body. To see her sitting like such a delicious treat for him to devour was hard not to succumb to, and they had a little time after all.

He was between her legs in no time, dress hiked up and out of his way where he didn’t even take the rip to rip off her undergarments as promised. He simply shoved them aside and dived in, his wet warm tongue lapping up at her sweet womanhood with a gusto that told of how much he missed this. He moaned against her pussy, sending out sweet vibrations as he licked kissed and sucked with ravenous desire. “Mmm!” he proclaimed, pulling away to look up into her green eyes with a sexy smile. “You’re better than the cheesecake baby,” he complimented her, before going right back to it.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

Although a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach said otherwise, Abigail figured that her daughter was probably acting a bit out of character due to not feeling well. Besides that, she was mulling over the big deal with Johnson & Johnson. While she was proud of Gabriella, she was itching to involve herself in this deal and it nearly killed the proud woman to think of losing such a deal to that sexist man. It had been so nice catching up with Beth, though now she wondered if she was being used for James' selfish endeavors. Gabriella's hard and harsh comments to pretty much make amends may have actually sunk in for a moment. Both businesses were supremely successful and itched for more. The drive was never dead.

It was after this thought that Abby nearly laughed. There had to have been one too many drinks in her system to have actually thought that James Buckholtz would actually acknowledge working beside anyone with ovaries. This thought followed by the sound of her rival's oh too familiar voice in her ear nearly scared the shit of her, purely because of the timing. Her visage remained cool though she threw him a rather curious look before following him. One more glance around, and Gabriella was nowhere to be found. Of course, Abigail would have to tend to a Buckholtz by herself, but the last thing she expected her business-minded daughter to be doing was tending to a Buckholtz herself in a completely different manner.

The woman parted her way through the sea of people and reached the double doors and walked out of them, only to be greeted by a fresh ocean breeze and a much more peaceful place to talk, though you could still hear the auction proceeding. "What's wrong?", she asked as she continued to casually walk away from the auction. "And I ask what wrong because we both know that you want nothing more than to wipe me under the table and I don't see any wealthy benefactors to be won over in sight, so something must be wrong."
___________________________________________

Seeing Devon had the woman visibly biting her lower lip in blatant desire. "Hey, handsome." When he drew close enough she met him halfway with the kiss and felt as though he were breathing life into the previous dead days. She could find another handsome guy and it just wouldn't cut it. To say that Devon had ruined her for other men was putting it lightly. She enjoyed him as a whole. Sure, they didn't talk about work but knowing that they both busted ass for the same thing, had her giving him an ample amount of credit and respect. His sense of humor and overall personality won her over and yeah... he was handsome in all the best ways.

A moan was fed to the man and a heated sigh escaped her lips as the kiss was broken and those lips trailed down to her collarbone. All of her attention was focused on the man assaulting her senses. The bottom of the dress was hiked up around her waist like a belt with lengthy legs parted and at his disposal with a simple black laced g-string being the only thing standing in his way. The speed and fervor with which he dove in literally stole her breath away. Lips parted wide and stayed that way. Her head leaned back and eyes shut with another delicious moan being bitten back with the help of her lower lip. It was simply divine. He always had that voracious appetite. Green eyes looked back down at the man that stole her heart and his greedy appetite. His silly compliment had a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Mm... Devon..." She wanted to protest. She wanted to tell him how much she ached to taste him again, but he left her no room with his talented ways. "Baby..." The word a mix between a whine and a compliment. How could she not relish this feeling that rattled her body?

"Baby.... please...you can feast to your heart's content tonight, but I will literally die if I don't get..." A sharp gasp followed by a moan was ripped from her lips as the man hit a spot that rocked her world and cutting her off from what she was trying to say. If there was one thing about them, it was that they could kill so much time entwined with one another so sought every inch of him on her tongue... when he would allow her.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

James was perceptive enough to notice the little start his sudden appearance gave Abigail. It was hard not to smirk a little while he back was to her, taking it as a personal win no matter how meaningless. Of course his satisfaction was short lived, as the proposal forming in his mind was of much bigger concern. James wasn’t typically one to get seasick but just thinking of the conversation that would ensue had him feeling particularly nauseous. The open air and humid breeze helped clear his head some, but he still felt like he might be sick standing next to her alone, without all the lawyers to dictate who got what when it came to their inherited businesses.

James gave her a critical work as she saw to throw salt right away. He decided not to take the bait; if he lost cool now he might never get out what he needed to. “Johnson & Johnson,” he told her plainly, cutting right to the chase. “I saw your daughter shove a card into his hands. She practically prowled right up on a hunt, demanding him business.” Of course he had no idea she’d actually intended to get his help in an auction of her own, but that seemed of little consequence. Surely it was just a ploy to win him over. “Obviously I did the same thing,” James unabashedly admitted. “The point is, Gorskey and Ames took themselves off the table because of our refusal to work together. It seems to me if they realize we’re fighting over their business again, we both walk away with nothing,”

The endless stream of calls and dollar amounts from the auctioneer was beginning to grate him. It was turning this tense proposal even edgier, and as the crowd applauded over another item sold he couldn’t take it anymore. He irately dragged her away from the spot, bringing her further down the path their children had walked not minutes ago. He kept walking, trying to get them out of earshot while he continued speaking. The longer he waited the more this would seem like a bad idea.

“I’m not saying I have any interest in having you for a partner, but I am saying it would benefit me if we at least pretended to play nice this one time to get the ball rolling on a very potentially big deal.” It took a moment before he finally added, “And you as well.” As though her benefit in the deal didn’t matter so much as whatever he got out of it. He certainly wasn’t thinking along the lines of 50/50, though he was painfully aware that was what it might take convince her to this deal. “So, should we talk this over? I’m sure we could go right back to hating each other after.”

~

Devon was anything but hating the Beaumont in his company right now. Her sexy moans and pleadings had an extra sense of urgency tonight. She could drive him wild anytime but after four sex starved days it was particularly arousing. His dress pants were feeling all too tight against his engorged length, but he ignored the urge to free it in his voracious assault on her womanhood. She was as mouthwatering as he remembered and he absolutely loved seeing her succumb to his skilled mouth. He knew her well enough to realize exactly what she wanted. He also knew her well enough to know how to stop the words dead before she could complete them.

He grinned, his wicked eyes looking up at her most devilishly as he teased her. Oh he would give her a taste of him in due time, but he had a habit of torturing her from their very first encounter and he didn’t intend to slouch in his conducts now. His tongue played with her clit as though it were an instrument to a most skilled musician, drawing a symphony of sweet moans from deep within her. He soon pulled away however, cutting off the pleasurable sensations all at once. “Oh you’ll literally die, huh?” He taunted her, smirking. “Mm, well we don’t want that do we?” Despite his promise he denied her anyway, going right back down with the intentions of cutting off any retort she might have, strangling her voice with the intense pleasure once more.

Of course Devon was not so cruel to refuse her for long. She soon found him coming back up, seizing her mouth in a kiss lingered with a taste of her own delectable nectar. He pulled away quickly after that, stepping off the bed and standing near its edge. He gently coaxed his lover into rolling over to face him, leaving her to lie on her stomach with her face just inches away from the marble hard length hidden abaft his slacks. He stared down at her while his hands worked upon his belt, unable to get over how god damn beautiful she was. The classy hairstyle matched with the long dress and heels was just more than he could bear.

The look of her alone was enough to have him throbbing by the time he finally freed the object of her desire, his pants simply tugged down to allow her access. He put his hand to the back of her head, careful not to disturb her perfect hair as he guided her forward and fed her cravings by guiding his hot, hard cock right past her lips and into her wet mouth. He moaned deeply, absolutely loving it at the warm sensation was enough to make his knees feel weak. He kept his footing though, standing tall above her as he released her head to let her enjoy however she so pleased.

He couldn’t decide what was a better view, the scene of his inches appearing and disappearing between her plush lips, or the way she looked laying in her outfit, dressed still hiked to just below her hips. Devon couldn’t help but reach out, careful not to disturb her activities, to take hold of the fabric and hitch it up even higher. A warm hand came to caress her tight little ass as it was revealed, looking particularly tempting donned in her small black g string. It was a sight to cherish, though he was forced to tear his eyes away and throw his head back and pleasure as she swallowed him right down her esophagus.

“Ugh, fuck… that’s good.” he couldn’t help but grown out, finally able to force his emerald eyes open to drink her in again. “God damn, you’re bad girl!” He said, the complaint more a compliment than anything. His mind was blown that such a beautiful, successful business would be so dirty as to sneak off just to satisfy her need for him. But the same could be said of him, the irony not lost even as he smirked and suddenly brought his hand down in a hard smack on one of her exposed ass cheeks, emphasizing just how bad he thought she was.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

Gabby damn near lost all sense when Devon showed no signs of letting up and instead continued to rain pleasure down upon the lust drunk woman. It was like taking your first breath of air after being submerged underwater for so long: much needed. When her lover snaked his way back up and stole a kiss from her, she couldn't help but smile. It was so sexy and flattering to know that he loved watching her squirm in pleasure as he ate her out, just as much as she enjoyed the feeling. Eager to feast upon her treat, she rolled onto her stomach, legs bent at the knees and idly waving back and forth as their owner watched with green eyes and a wicked smile for her treat to be set free.

When every inch of his marble hard length disappeared past soft kissable lips, she couldn't help but moan. His symphony of arousal did not go unnoticed and it got the woman dying to hear more. Back and forth her head bobbed while her tongue glided and circled the saliva slickened surface of the cock well nestled in her gullet. There it lingered and it earned her another sound of approval from the man who held her eye. There was something truly addicting about Devon for the usually staunch heir to the Globex Corporation to be taking risks that did not directly benefit her family business. Men came and went, but the business was her passion. She thought that nothing would ever come close to rivaling that passion, but leave it to her rival to prove her wrong.

If she wasn't soaked before, she sure as hell was when her ass was shown some sweet attention. This scene was like something out of a romance novel. The woman was unrelenting in her endeavors to have Devon aching for more of their intimate antics, just as he had done to her. His hand was larger than hers as it skimmed the smooth flesh of her ass and drove her mad. Calling Gabriella a 'bad girl' was an understatement at this point and Devon was no better. They were practically Bonnie and Clyde. Green eyes looked up at the man risking so much for this moment to be with her. Both were skating on thin ice and Gabby wasn't sure how long she could take it. For now... she was focused on testing her lover's limits and seeing just how long he was going to last with her happily feasting upon him.

______________________________________________

Now Abigail as surprised to hear what her daughter had done. Now this shock was nowhere to be seen in any form on her person. She would have to question her daughter later. The same daughter whose whereabouts were still unknown. Abigail let the man continue to talk. A single eyebrow raised in disbelief of what she was hearing. Did her ears deceive her? The male chauvinistic pig was actually contemplating working together to get the Johnson deal? The noise of the auction was touching a nerve, but James beat her to the punch of walking further.

"Trust me, the feeling is mutual." It nearly had her keeling over in laughter to even think of working with this egotistical man. Of course, she rolled her eyes upon hearing how it would benefit him. Naturally, the old man was only thinking about himself. "You know what this deal would entail." Of course, it would be 50/50 or no go. "No questioning that or else it's every man for himself. Gabriella is a rather manipulative, smart, and judicious girl. She's practically out of my hands, but she knows how important this deal is." A single handful of people were strolling around the yacht and to get out of earshot of a couple nearby, Abigail continued to walk closer to their children's destination, unbeknownst to them.

"This will be easier said than done, no doubt." A heavy sigh escaped red painted lips as the very thought of playing nice with James started a small migraine in her temples. "We should talk this over on Monday. We need to give them opportunities to see us playing 'nice'. Beth and I can easily do that, but us? It might be more convincing to use the kids. Fresh young faces of both corporations would seem like a worthy investment were I in his shoes." Just an open thought. She cared little about his opinion and always had, but this was for her business as well.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

Gabby’s eagerness had Devon reeling. Her mouth was a warm, wet paradise that he couldn’t get enough of. The way her tongue undulated around his thick shaft had his eyes practically rolling back in pleasure. He could hardly contain the deep, seedy moans that surfaced with every slick plunge down her throat; her plush kissable lips slipping down to the base of his cock almost too much to handle after their sex starved week. “Oh, you’re fucking amazing,” he couldn’t help but say in a sudden, wobbly breath. Devon could barely even think straight with her darting back and forth so masterfully.

His hand came down in another potent slap, stinging the other side of her ass to even things out a little bit. The sound bounced off the walls, leaving them none too stealthy in their ministrations. But he couldn’t even process that as his strong hand switched to a kinder treatment instead, squeezing and caressing around the hot red mark he’d given her. His grip tightened as she continued to suck his throbbing cock with such a skill he could spill out in her mouth any moment. This was all too much. The mischief of it all had him feeling like it was his first time with her all over again. Even then he didn’t think he was as turned on as he was now. He was practically flowing with pre-cum, wetting her tongue as he felt himself building quick to a release. And as good as that sounded, her mouth wasn’t nearly enough for him right now and they didn’t have the time for a second round.

He pulled Gabriella’s treat away from her suddenly, holding her back gently by the shoulders as his stiff dick popped free of her lips to hang in the air. It was swollen and red, twitching with irritation over the very sudden denial. He moaned even as he felt the buildup subside, having been right on the edge of an orgasm when he finally forced her away. It made him even more voracious as he took her by the hands and helped her out of bed and onto her feet. He met her lips for a kiss, but briefly switched to her neck which he bit down on in playful need. All the while his hands had snaked around her, finding their way up her dress to grip her panties and pull them down. Once past the obstacle of her heels and tossed aside, Devon spun them around to face the other direction, and Gabriella found herself being driven back.

As soon as her back hit the rear wall, Devon seized her in a much more heated kiss than the last. His hands slid down her fit body, one of them grabbing her right leg before hooking it below the knee in his arm. His sweet breath was hot and heavy against her lips as he used the other hand to take hold of his marble length and guide himself to her wet entrance. There was none of his teasing this time, just a nice slow push until he had every last inch swallowed up. He moaned heavily as he felt himself finally plunged within her depths again. His hand pressed against the wall, giving him leverage as he began to move his hips. Loving kisses were given as he started slow, but before long he needed his breath as his patient movements turned to a hungry, driving force that had the wall shaking with every thud.

~

James leased a sigh at Abigail’s initial response. It was a sound somewhere between frustration and acceptance. “I do,” he told her flatly. Oh he knew what the deal would entail alright: The loss of his dignity. If anyone on the board found out he’d gone to the Beaumonts with this kind of proposal… That was an unfortunate reminder when they saw the other guests wandering nearby. It didn’t seem to be anyone they knew, but he was glad Abigail had the sense to move on. Odds are she didn’t want to be seen with him anymore than he did with her. He kept his eyes averted from the couple as they ventured further down the path.

They stopped to speak just before the door to the room Devon and Gabby had secretly absconded to. He could hear the rhythmical thudding caused by their activities, but it was quiet enough that it was easy ignore. Besides, with far greater issues to worry about, he chalked it up to a maintenance worker or some such person nearby. “An understatement,” he told her, “But when there’s enough money involved I can manage.” It was a sad but true fact. Abigail probably wasn’t quite as bad as him, but odds are she was along the same lines.

James couldn’t say there was much he liked about Abigail, but he had to admit her idea had some merit. He scratched his bearded face, putting thought into it. This could be a twofold opportunity if he played his cards right. One copasetic deal wasn’t enough to end their rivalry. If Devon had a reason to work closely with the Beaumont girl, perhaps he would have even greater opportunity to find something against her mother. It was a devious thought as he stood here making peace with her, but James couldn’t help the way his mind worked.

“You’re right.” Words he never thought he’d say to Abigail Beaumont. Even after the proclamation, it was surreal to think he uttered them. “Not to mention our son and your daughter doesn’t have nearly as much bad blood. We should make them the face of this. Loathe as I am to say it, if we have to corroborate on everything together we’re bound to fuck it up eventually. We’ll save it for Monday then. I’ll make sure my son knows what we’re getting into. If I can even find where he’s run off too…”

What a twist of fate it was, that Devon should choose then to moan out his lovers name in a passionate fit. You could barely making out the word ‘Gabby’ from where they were standing, but with thoughts of his son in mind it was all too easy for James to pick out the sound of the voice he knew so well. His brow furrowed as he looked at the wall, finally realizing the source of direction of the steady drumming. Surely it couldn’t be…

James didn’t even waste time announcing his pause for concern to Abigail. He walked right past her, wordlessly to the door of the nearby room. He went to grab the handle only for the partially open ingress to waft open on oiled, silent hinges. James stepped one foot into the room and froze at the sight he found. His son had Abigail’s daughter pinned against the wall, clearly working on more than a few things with her already. The two lovers were so caught up in their passionate encounter they weren’t even aware of the intrusion. James wasn’t even sure how to react as he drank in the sight. His face was a wash of shock and anger, the moment so bizarre he could scarcely believe it.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

I save her a headache to know that James was not going to argue the obvious fifty-fifty split of their agreement. It made her smile to know that he was nowhere pleased with the deal. The man could suck it, but Abigail was only okay with the situation. Abigail noticed the annoying noise and chose to ignore it when they stopped just outside of the door that harbored a grave site. There was something about James' presence alone that made Abby's asshole itch. Now it was her turn to utter words that were not expected in this present company. "You're right. We would royally fuck things up." The noise seemed to become all the more prominent, the longer they stood there.
__________________________________________

Gabby loved how Devon was none too afraid to take what he wanted but was also generous when repaying kind acts forward. The sting of her ass had her sex gushing with arousal and even she felt a little disappointed when he pulled free from her lips. A string of saliva linking the hot and ferociously stiff tip of his cock with the warm lips that it had previously made home past. Eager to have more of him, Gabby gripped her lips with obvious greed. That wicked smile appeared once more at how turned on her lover was and when he pulled her off of the bed and onto her feet to enjoy another of his breathtaking kisses. She remembered when this confident man coaxed her with a kiss on the night that they first met. Just like that night, he left her wanting more. It was never enough.

It was a reason she moaned softly as his lips peppered a kiss along the curve of her neck and bite her lovingly. "Yes..." She whispered in want and desire. Her panties couldn't have been more of a nuisance at that moment and Gabby was more than eager to toss them aside. The build-up was driving her insane! That wall was so inviting and her leg found it's happy place as she silently ached for him to buried in her loins. Her head tossed back as she took in the familiar and much-needed sensation of their union. It was so needed and only now did she realize just how much. A delicious moan was swallowed by his kiss before they both needed that much-needed air to breathe through the pleasure coursing through both of them.

Gabby was so lost in the bliss that she did not even notice the extra presence in the room. She didn't notice Abigail walking in right behind James to see what he had suddenly parted ways for. When those eyes saw what the source of the noise was, the mother's jaw damn near dropped to the floor. To say that she was dumbfounded would be a massive understatement. With a manicured had held to her chest to still her rapidly beating heart she walked out of the room with the sight burned into her retinas. Further down the walkway, she walked, towards where the auction was. Hands gripped upon the rail as she leaned over it with that flabbergasted look, all the while shaking her head. "No... no James, what the hell is your son doing?!" Obviously, she did not shout this to rooftops, but in her hushed tone of voice, the woman's concern was apparent. "If I confront her with this it will only drive her further into his arms! We have to do something!" No way in hell could they let this be. "Is this your doing? Did you tell him to go after Gabby, James, because so help me God you'll be surgically removing my size seven heel from your ass." A calm demeanor was kept as more people split from the auction and walked about.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

Needless to say, James was surprised by Abigail’s agreement. She’d sent so long trying to prove herself his better that he assumed her too narcissistic to see her own faults. But then again, the same could probably be said for him. Yet of course none of this was quite as astonishing as the revelation they’d chanced upon. James couldn’t force himself to look away from the scene, disgusted though he was by it. Beyond anything, his rage was boiling; driving him to the point of announcing their presence and demanding to know just what the fuck was happening in front of him. But he thought better of it, his attention turning back to Abigail as she fled the room.

He followed in her wake, carefully pulling the door as near to closed as he could without making a sound. The last thing he wanted was for a curious stranger to come along and find them after. If the wrong eyes saw this it could ruin him. The board would be furious to learn the impending CEO was fornicating with the daughter of their arch nemesis. But he tried not to think about that, following calmly behind Abigail as she breathed in the fresh air, clearly trying to still her own thoughts and emotions. He gave her a moment, making sure the coast was clear before coming up to her side. Yet he couldn’t even stand the look at the woman right now. He stared out at the roiling waters, black in the dark of night.

“What my son was doing?” he recoiled at once, struggling to keep his voice low. His hands were practically shaking as he held onto the railing, grip so firm his knuckles were losing color. “Your daughter didn’t seem to be fighting him off very hard!” Doubtless the little trollop seduced Devon, looking to get everything she could out of him. It was all the more reason to reaffirm his position on women in the workplace; nothing but treacherous snakes. He kept the thoughts to himself though, knowing it would not serve them to do this. Not here; not now.

“What?!” he rebounded, finally turning to face him at the accusation. “Are you out of your mind? Why would I want this? Of course I didn’t send him after her!” I sent him after both of you. That’s the words that came to mind, not that he would utter that bit. He was on the verge of losing his temper now, and with so many people breaking away as the auction drew nearer its close this was becoming a dangerous conversation. Whatever they planned to do about this situation would have to wait for a more opportune moment. So he gestured for her to walk with him once more, keeping away from the stragglers.

“We keep it under our hats for now,” he told her firmly, “Obviously I agree, this can’t go on but…” He chewed over his words for a minute before sighing irritably. “If we’re still going to work on getting Johnson & Johnson, then confronting them now could jeopardize that.” It was sobering to think he might be choosing this contract over his own dignity as a father, but James was a man who saw the potential in every situation good or bad. And he couldn’t ignore that if the two of them were this close already, it could make them a powerful force in winning this contract. Of course, he wasn’t blind to the risk either. Depending on just how deep this intimacy between them went, it could cause a huge fucking mess of it too.

“We’ll speak more of this on Monday,” James had to decide at last. There were just too many potential witnesses. “We decide what to do then, agreed?” Though, he didn’t give her time to argue about it. Spending any more time with Abigail was liable to pop a blood vessel, and he didn’t want to think about what would happen if their children finished up their lecherous iniquities and wandered out to find them. So as soon as the declaration was made, he split off, taking his leave to seek out his wife and daughter. He could only hope he wouldn’t find the remaining members of his family in equally precarious situations…

~

“Oh fuck, baby…” Devon moaned out, his lips dangerously close to hers. He’d meant to seize them, but her tight sex felt so damn good he could hardly even concentrate at this point. He had to lower his head instead, nestling into her shoulder as he grinded in and out of her nice and slow. Every delectable inch of movement wracked him with intense pleasure. In the heat of the moment he was as clueless to the departure of James and Abigail as he was of their arrival. “God, I’ve missed you so much,” he managed to whisper out, his head popping back up to kiss near her ear. It’d only been four of five days but it felt like a damn eternity.

He’d never been this way with any woman before; so lust drunk that he could barely even concentrate on his work. But it wasn’t even about the sex; amazing as it was. He couldn’t stop thinking of the little things… like the glow of her smile or the feel of her hair brushing against him as they kissed. Even as they fucked like sex-starved teenagers with rich clientele all around to find them, it felt like more than wanton desire. Devon found himself staring into her eyes, captivated by her beauty as powerfully as her loins ensnared him. The sensory of it all was all-pervading, bringing him to the cusp of pleasure all too quickly, especially after nearing the brink between her sweet lips.

Devon didn’t even try to fight it. He spent so long away from her that he couldn’t even if he wanted to. A series of delicious moans built up with his carnal pleasure, and before he knew it he was at his edge. “Oh fuuuuck,” he groaned, coming in to bite on her neck again, “I’m gonna cum,” he managed to groan out; a heated breath between nips before his hard cock pulsed, and erupted inside her. He tried to keep himself buried deep within, hoping to avoid any unfortunate mess to their fine garments. His breath was labored after such an intense experience, but he still found enough air to catch her lips, before finally slipping back out of her and letting her leg back down.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

Devon was driving her insane in the best of ways. She too was completely oblivious to the intrusion of their parents. Head leaned back against the wall and eyes so laden with arousal that she could hardly stand it! This man had methods that always made her want to melt in his arms. Devon had a sensual appetite that resembled her own and it was far more attractive how easily he could make her smile and laugh. Devon was fun and actually understood her complicated life because his life was just as complicated.

A sharp gasp escaped parted lips as she teetered on the edge of sweet Nirvana. Arms wrapped around his body with french tipped nails digging into the fabric of his shirt as the pleasure intensified by tenfold. Her breaths grew jagged and his nips to her neck stirred her on even more. This session was a sensory overload. Was it the risk factor hyping up her senses or the fact that she had been deprived of his touch for what felt like an eternity? Either way, she never wanted this to end, but her body was building up the sexual pressure to an immense degree until she simultaneously cracked with him. Her world shattered into a million pieces and though she tried to bite back the cry of bliss by biting down on her lower lip, it sounded like a war horn to her own ears.

The only symphony left in the air were the sounds of two lovers trying to breathe as though there was not enough oxygen in the room to sustain them. "Oh God..." She managed to sigh with eyes closed and her forehead resting against his own before his sweet lips seized hers in a rather endearing kiss. This was not just a temporary moment. As much as Abigail may hope that this was just her daughter being a rebel, she also knew that her daughter was never one to fool around and jeopardize work for the sake of one guy. Gabby was falling head over heels for the guy and although it was frightening to think that it had happened so fast, she would have done it all again, if she got the chance.

"Baby... I don't want to go back out there." The ravished woman wore a very exaggerated pout as she looked her lover in his devilishly handsome eyes. Ironic since those were similar features that her lover's father used to label her a witch. If Gabby knew that, she would surely laugh. "I want nothing more than to go back to your place, get out of these clothes, and fall asleep in your arms again." It was a sweet picture. One that could come to reality, but not as soon as Gabby wanted it. With a sigh of defeat, she sealed their moment off with another tender kiss. "I better fix myself up." One more kiss and she ducked from between his arms and walked over to her lace panties and slid then back on. She was thanking the designer gods for whatever material this dress was made of because it fell back to her feet and looked as wrinkle free as when she picked it up.

A modern gold flaked mirror hung on the nearby wall and from a glance she fixed up her hair a bit and reached into her clutch and reapplied her lipstick and freshened up her light makeup in less than a minute. Green eyes looked over Devon with admiration. There was no denying that this man had something so precious in his hands and she was so scared to admit it. He held so much in such a short amount of time. Was this unrealistic? Again, she found herself overthinking things. The Samsung was fished out of her clutch and she noticed one missed call from a minute ago.

"Damnit... the auction must be over." Another kiss was snatched from his lips. "Text me about tonight." She uttered before slipping out of the room. There were far more voices beyond the door and the noises of the auction disappeared. Around a corner, she was faced with many people. At her table sat her mother. With a sigh and a lax smile, she approached her mother. "Sorry, mom. I'm not feeling this yacht and this yacht isn't feeling me. Did you get anything?"

Abigail sat with her arms crossed with an empty cocktail before her. It was amazing how easily a lie could roll off of her daughter's tongue. The woman damn near visibly cringed at the thought of her daughter having sex with the Buckholtz boy. The urge to confront Gabby on it was so deadly close, but if they wanted things to work out then she had to bite her tongue, no matter how painful.

"No, nothing. We should be rounding off the night soon." Abigail uttered with an annoyed tone to her voice. Gabby chalked it up to her mother just being irritable and competitive and left it at that. If she asked what was wrong she may be faced with a story she would regret asking.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

“Neither do I,” Devon confessed, even as he adjusted his own attire. The high society crowd was the last thing he wanted to deal with after an encounter like that. Out there they had to don their masks; pretend they’d never even met despite how intimately they now knew one another. It was exhausting to think about, but also a necessary evil when it came to maintaining their public image. “You’ll get your chance,” he promised her of their night together. Though, he too had to admit it was too far away. He watched her pull the lacy black undergarments back on with a triumphant smile; this was a night he wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon. Taxing as the rest of the gala might be, it was all worth it for the moment with her.

Devon’s mind was running along the same thoughts when their gaze met as she’d fixed herself up in the mirror. He was falling for her hard; no denying that. As thrilling as it all was, it was somewhat terrifying. The greater their magnetism became, the more likely this thing was bound to make waves. They’d only been together a week and already they were sneaking off for affairs in a public place right under their parents’ noses. Would it only get worse over time? Maybe Sophia was right… maybe it wasn’t a matter of if they’d get caught so much as when. He tried not to think about it too much; averting his gaze as Gabby’s attention was drawn to her phone.

“We’d better get going then,” Devon agreed when she announced the end of the auction. He returned her brief kiss, promising to send the text before watching her leave. He thought it best to give her a little bit of a head-start to lessen their chances of being seen together. After a last little sweep of the room to make sure they’d left no evidence behind, Devon followed in her footsteps and snuck back out of the room, carefully shutting the door behind him. A few stragglers were walking the deck but no one seemed to pay him any mind as he passed, returning to the throng. His eyes immediately fell on Gabby sitting with her mothers, but he tried not to be obvious as he shifted focus to his own family instead.

He was surprised to see his father sitting with four fingers of brandy, downing the drink with an irate sigh. James loved alcohol as much as the next Buckholtz, but usually reserved it for home. Of course Devon’s suspicions had to jump to the idea he was aware of what transpired between his son and the Beaumont heir, but it never came up. So he was left to assume his father’s temperamental shift had to do with his disappearance and lack of focus throughout the night. Now that he and Gabby finally had time together he could think more clearly; but an attempt to enthuse James to the idea of snagging a new client didn’t go anywhere. His father only gave him a promise that they would be working on something come Monday. So Devon dropped it, bantering with Sophie until the event rounded off.

No one had much energy for conversation by the time they’d finally made it back to the docks and piled into their limo. It was a long drive yet; even longer for Devon before he would actually make it back home. After texting Gabby to let her know the situation and an estimated time, he merely sat back into the soft leather seats and rested his eyes. It had certainly been a long work week, and he was looking forward to it finally being over. At least a weekend with his new flame would make it all worth suffering. Even though they’d just seen each other at the gala, he could not get her out of his head. Just the thought of seeing her again could elicit him with such excitement.


It felt like an eternity before they finally pulled up to the estate. Devon came inside briefly; changing back into his regular clothes and carefully stowing away his tux before bidding goodnight to his family and hurrying back out to his car. He sighed at the long drive yet ahead before jumping in and pulling out of the drive. He gave Gabby a call when he was getting near his destination, making plans to meet with her there. After parking and finding her outside his building, he embraced her with a deep kiss before leading her inside; back to their safe haven at last. Needless to say he couldn’t keep his hands off her once in private; though after another passionate encounter the lovers found themselves lying in bed together just as she requested. Their bodies were a tangle in the soft sheets as he held her, letting his mind drift off.

“I wish we didn’t have to wait so long to do this,” he found himself saying as they relaxed in the dim light of his bedroom. “This past work week felt like the longest of my life.” But it was all over for now; and hopefully after a second weakened together the following week would not seem quite so tedious. Still, it was hard to believe when their relationship had to navigate around such a stressful feud. Devon soon dropped that subject thought, silencing himself by pressing his lips into hers, where the heat took off between them like an untamed force yet again. It was ridiculous how insatiable he was for this woman; but he loved every minute of it. Being with Gabriella was the most alive he’d felt in a long time; and as they succumbed to another bout of their lust and were left holding each other once again, Devon realize he wasn’t about to let a bitter rivalry get in the way of that.

Morning seemed to come before Devon even realized he’d fallen asleep. Golden light spilling in through his curtains prodded his eyelids until they fluttered open. It took him a moment to register everything as he found himself staring at a mess of Ebony curls. When he realized who it was he grinned a little, his warm hands drifting up her body as he snuggled in closer to her. “So this is what it’s like to find you in my bed the next morning,” he said approvingly before pressing a soft kiss into the back of her neck. When Gabby was fully awake he coaxed her into rolling to her other side to face him, where he wasted no time in seizing her lips and kissing her good morning.

Their kiss broken, he pulled away with a big yawn and a bigger stretch. The lazy morning with no need to rush off to work or deal with anyone else as good a prospect as having Gabriella here; leaving him all smiles as their bright green eyes met one another. “So,” he started to say, his fingers trailing down her smooth, honeyed skin. “Anything you’d like to do today?” As far as Devon was concerned, he was all hers and vice versa. He didn’t intend for anything or anyone to interrupt them; not after they’d just spent the entire week pining for one another’s company.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

Gabby just couldn't seem to get her mind off of Devon, no matter how hard she tried. It was a massive breath of fresh air when the two of them met at his apartment and were together once more. If she hadn't gotten that moment with him on the yacht then she would surely have found herself ripping his clothes off in the elevator. Spectators be damned. It was another amazing night and it was satisfying to have her wish come true. Flesh to flesh and their clothes scattered about, she was content to lay in his arms forever. Their lust for one another seemed endless and during a momentary break, he even had her throwing a pillow at him. She was very ticklish and it was knowledge that he now had. After being subdued with kisses and another round, she was happily well worn.

As morning arrived and the half sleeping woman awoke to Devon's words, she couldn't help but laugh at the irony. This is the first time he had ever awoken to find her still in bed with him. She hummed softly in appreciation of his kiss and happily turned in his arms to face him and relish that sweet kiss. "Good morning to you too, handsome." It felt so nice not to be in a rush or have to hide her affections for him. "You mean other than you?"As she laid on her side she propped her head up on the palm of her hand and buried her elbow in the soft surface of the pillow. "Well... I run the risk of sounding like a Debbie downer by pointing out that it is a great risk to leave your apartment together. Hand in hand, without a care in the world who sees us. If that weren't the case I'd love to go out and have breakfast, but... given our circumstances, you may have to find out early just how good I am in the kitchen. That is... unless my host has a culinary flare that I am unaware of." They had a way of teasing one another. There was always this smile that was reserved for Devon and Devon alone. A sweet and naturally sultry look to her eyes that could not hide her feeling for the man even if she knew about it.

"So... what do you say? Breakfast and then we'll plan it from there. Where's your sense of adventure Devon? No need to plan ahead. Just know that whatever we're doing, we're doing it together." Half a pout dawned those soft pink lips as her mess of tousled curls framed her lovely face. "Do you remember when you warned me about becoming addicted you and you basically said that the withdrawals would suck? Yeah... I hate it when you're right." Just like that damn kiss in the bar. He knew that she would want more of him after that lovely attraction and dance of affection. "Let me get dressed before you decide to tickle me to death again or start you bedroom antics again." Not that was complaining about that last part, but she wasn't to get to know Devon outside of bed, a little more.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

Devon cracked a grin at her retort, stretching out in the lavish comforters of the bed. Honestly a day of doing nothing but each other sounded more than a little tempting after their chaotic work week. It wasn’t often enough that he got a chance to just relax; doubtless it was much the same for her. And nothing sounded more relaxing than a lazy weekend locked in the passionate embrace of his newfound flame. So needless to say he wasn’t too disappointed, nor was he surprised by her reluctance to go out. It was an unfortunate side effect that came with their secret affections. The two of them were too high profile; with far too many connections with too great a number of people to risk alerting any one of them. It was hazardous enough the couple times they’d dined in public. But at least on those occasions they’d arrived separately; perfectly capable of feigning some customary business meeting if they absolutely had to.

“I’ll have you know I’m not half bad with a skillet actually,” he teased her right back, “Though I’d love to taste anything you’ve got for me as well.” He grinned, a malicious smile to match that sultry glint in her gorgeous eyes. Food sounded pretty damn good; he’d scarcely been able to enjoy dinner with all the tension on that boat. Yet it was hard to decide if his hunger for food was stronger than for the woman displayed before him. It was definitely a hard choice, made all the more difficult as he propped up beside her and ran a free hand up the side of her warm, bare body. Though, her chastising distracted him from his lustful thoughts as he laughed. “Well I’m just trying to be a gracious host to the beautiful woman I’ve awakened to find in my bed,” he said, smirking. “Well don’t you worry. I’ve got plenty of adventure left in me if sneaking away on that yacht wasn’t enough for you.”

Devon had to agree with her assessment. Being away from her all week was beyond taxing; if their dangerous and lusty romp from last night was anything to go by. He’d become a victim of his own words as well, hooked on her as firmly as she on him. He smiled, fiery green eyes staring into hers. Truly he wished they didn’t have to be so secretive or wait so long to indulge like this. The time apart made things more difficult, but it also made things that much more intense when they finally met. “Well we’re together now, so damned be the withdrawals. We may as well get our fix.” Luckily she made her request beforehand, as Devon had no qualms about pinning her down in bed and getting right back to that sense of adventure she so craved. It was a wonder he still had the virility after all the times they’d mauled each other just the night before. But one insane weekend followed by a week of neglect would do that.

“I suppose I can allow that,” he taunted her, looking smug. “Though, it’ll be a shame to cover up such a lovely view.” His eyes drank in her bare form while he could; finding her particularly divine what with the way the morning light bathed her soft skin. It was hard not to feel a sense of thrill and adoration just in watching her. Even the smallest gesture could stoke him with a spark of passion; a flame unlike any woman had ever ignited. It almost took effort to avert his gaze and find the will to get out of bed and follow her example in dressing. “So what’d you have in mind for breakfast?” he asked while absently pulling on some clothes. Considering they weren’t planning on going anywhere he dressed modestly in a pair of lounge pants; though he barely had them on before any reply Gabby might have had was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

Devon stopped in his tracks, exchanging a mildly concerned look with Gabby. It seemed staying in would be just as precarious as going out. He certainly wasn’t expecting anyone, and given their circumstances it was hard not to automatically assume to worst. If his father had decided to drop by for any reason… Well he preferred not to think about it unless he had to. “Um, I guess… maybe you should wait here,” Devon told her uncomfortably, unsure of what else to say or do exactly. He wasn’t a fan of having to hide her upstairs, but it seemed far more agreeable to the wrong set of eyes seeing her. No sooner than his announcement did the doorbell ring again, hurrying him into action as he slipped on simple black t-shirt and made for the door. “I’ll try to get rid of whoever it is as quick as I can,” he promised before leaving her alone in the room.

Devon hurried down the stairs, his heart practically fluttering over the thought of who might be waiting for him outside the penthouse door. He tried working out a plausible story he could use to dismiss the person; particularly if it was James. But his normally quick-witted was too hazy to focus. Not only had he just woken up, but every lie felt too hollow when weighed against the secret he was keeping upstairs. So, drawing a blank, he took a deep breath when he reached the door and swung it open to face whoever had decided to interrupt him. His exhale was a sigh of relief when Devon realized who it was. “Sophie, what are you doing here?” He asked, brows furrowed as he sounded clearly irate, no matter how relieved.

His sister was wearing a big grin as he appeared. “Hey little brother; kind of a rude way to answer the door don’t you think? Especially after I came all this way just to see you.”

“Didn’t we spend enough time together last night?” Devon grumbled, sharp enough to realize exactly what she was up to. If it wasn’t obvious enough, he couldn’t help but notice she came baring coffee; three cups of it in fact.

“Oh, did we?” Sophia mused, feigning ignorance as she casually pushed by her brother to enter the lavish home, “Oh yeah… the boat thing right? Sorry it’s hard to remember you were there with all the sneaking off you did.”

Devon sighed again, this time irritably, as he relented to the intrusion and shut the door behind her. He knew his sister well enough to know there was no way he was going to ditch her this time; it was obvious this would be Sophia’s revenge for abandoning her at the gala for his devious encounter with the woman lying in wait above them. Sophie was too keen not to realize that little tidbit, and she was just as keen to grieve him over it, it seemed. “Gee why such a cold welcome, Devon?” she said, tauntingly extended her voice to carry upstairs, “It’s almost like you don’t want me here. I hope you’re not hiding another woman upstairs or any sordid business like that…”

Devon glared at his sister and her cat-got-the-cream look, only able to imagine what sort of things would be running through Gabby’s head after she heard the voice of an unknown woman make a comment like that. He didn’t give her long to ponder though, as he reluctantly caved to Sophia’s little game. “It’s alright Gabby,” he called out to her, still glaring as his sister, “You can come down here.”

“You’re such an ass,” he said much more quietly, this time for Sophia. He had definitely come to regret cluing her into their affair now. Worst of all, Gabby had no idea he’d even confessed their secret to anyone; least of all someone so close to the people they were hiding it from. He only hoped that Gabby wouldn’t be upset over it, but as Sophia handed him a coffee with a smile sweet enough to provide all the sugar, it seemed his sister was more amused with her victory than the potential consequences of it. Nothing to do but see how it all went… but in his experience it was never a good thing for the man involved when women met up. Either they’d hate each other or get along so well he’d be outnumbered… so much for a quiet weekend alone with his flame.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

Who wasn't even slightly impressed when a man could cook? It was just another bonus to the handsome and fun man. That smile never left her lips even as she slipped on her purple cozy sleep shorts and a simple purple v-neck t-shirt. Considering it was only the two of them, she didn't bother with panties or a bra. Before she could even tell her boyfriend that it depended on what was in his fridge, she discovered that her heart could have probably been stopped by the mere sound of a doorbell. The greens of her eyes met that of Devons that they were both not expecting company. A simple nod was the answer to his words and as that devilishly handsome man disappeared, the woman with the slightly tousel locks decided to hurriedly put on a bra.

The curiosity was eating at her and an ear was pressed to the door to see what she could hear. Oh, if it was Buckholtz Senior then this was going to be one hell of a rush. The voice that she heard struck her. It sounded so familiar. Gabby was surprised when Devon called her out. That lower lip was tucked between her teeth and a deep breath was taken as she walked out of the bedroom of her lover and descended down the stairs. What awaited was the face of a person that she certainly recognized.

"Sophia?" Even as she said the name she looked to Devon. "Your sister?"

The smile may have been far from what he was expecting. "Well... that makes me feel better." She swiped the coffee right out of his hand and pressed an innocent kiss to his cheek as she stood at his side facing the guilty man.

"Do you remember that gay friend of mine? Well... he knows too. Looks like we both can't keep a secret." Both hands savored the warmth of the cup of coffee as she held it and turned her attention back to their guest.

"I'm actually not surprised you told your sister. I've heard a lot about Sophia Buckholtz. Brilliant woman. It's a shame that your father can't see the potential right under his nose. " She took a sip of the coffee and the caffeine was clearly appreciated.

"Oh my God, thank you for the coffee. Let's take this confession slash introduction to the kitchen. I was just about to make breakfast." Perhaps her reaction may not have been what was expected, or maybe it was. No sense in lopping off heads when all seemed okay so far. Devon had never given her a reason to question his trust so far and what was a relationship without risks? Especially theirs. Bare petite feet walked to the kitchen. Clearly, this was not her first time in his home as she knew just where it was.

As Gabby opened up the fridge to see what she was working with, she spoke. "So, what do you think about this 'sordid' affair?" The smile could be heard in her voice as she pulled a few eggs out of the fridge. "I'll spare you the details, but your brother started it and I don't know if he told you, but neither one of us knew who each other were for damn near twenty-four hours after the initial meet up. It's interesting what momentary ignorance can put in your lap." A few eggs were cracked and scrambled with a cap full of milk. Half an onion was cut and sauteed. A tomato was diced, and the woman continued to converse, drink coffee, and listen to what Sophia may have had to say along the way. "Thankfully, in my case, I lucked out." Something was slipped in the oven after a moment and Gabby sat upon the counter's edge with her precious coffee in hand.

"You okay Devon?" Gabby politely asked with a lax smile upon her lips. She knew that he was not planning on entertaining anyone but her this entire weekend, so this had to throw a wrench in his plans, but she didn't mind and she wanted him to know that she wasn't going anywhere. Long bare legs hung from the counter's edge as green eyes glowed with a relaxed warmth as she enjoyed the company. As her creation baked in the oven a delicious aroma would slowly wafter through the air. Fluffy eggs, cheese, onions, and sausage comingling into a delectable aroma.

"Will you be staying for some crustless quiche Sophia? After busting my ass all week I figured I would spend some time with your brother, provided he doesn't get bored of me." She teased as she eyed him from over the rim of her coffee cup as she took another sip.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

Devon’s eyes fell upon Gabriella as she descended to join them, a shy sort of smile worn across his handsome face. He was still a little unsure how this would go… Exposing the secret of their affair to a friend who didn’t associate with their business circle was one thing. Telling the daughter of the man he so desperately sought to hide things from was on another level; at least that’s how he would have seen it from her position. But Devon knew his sister well enough that he did not think she would betray his trust. Besides, her relationship with their father was strained at best. It was hard to believe that Sophia would sit James down just to reveal the truth, but after all the years of suffering his father’s favoritism, there was always a small twinge of worry she’d like to knock him down a peg.

His worry seemed to be for not as the ladies came to meet. He had just opened his mouth to introduce them when Gabby surprised him by coming to the conclusion before he even had a chance. Judging by the look of recognition in her eyes, Devon had to assume she’d seen Sophia at the gala. Even more surprising, was the smile that lit her face. He couldn’t help but return it, relieved of the outcome. “So I guess you see I’ve let our little secret slip; sorry,” he said, apologizing all the same. But no harm was done, save the theft of his coffee and a swift kiss on his cheek. The loss was quickly replaced by his grinning sister, handing him the second cup and taking the third for herself.

“If it’s any consolation he didn’t mean to,” Sophie told her, “I basically called him out on it. I’ve always been good at seeing through Devon when he lies.”

“A little too good if you ask me,” he chimed in, which she ignored.

“Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet you Gabriella.”

With the pleasantries out of the way, Devon was yet again taken by surprise when he learned that Gabby had also spilled on the affair. He laughed some at the revelation, having figured she’d have been better at keeping the secret than him. Instead they’d both given it away on the same night. “One more thing we have in common I guess,” he mused, considering her with admiration.

“Have you now?” Sophia asked, a flush of embarrassment bringing light color to her cheeks at the unexpected praise. “Of course I could say the same about you! Not very many women have made such a splash in the business world, especially so quickly! My brother here better watch out… a talented woman might run him out of business.” She smiled sweetly at Devon as he narrowed his eyes at his sister, though she moved on before he had a chance to sharpen his wit in reply, “Honestly though, our father has never been very good at seeing anything right in front of him. Unless there are dollar signs of course, then he has a hard time looking away.”

As the coffee was brought up, Devon seized the lost opportunity to goad his sister. “Yeah as you can see she somehow knew to bring enough for three. Despite a lack of any invitation…” Though by the mischievous smirk on Devon’s face, it was clear he was more interested in giving her shit about the intrusion than he was actually concerned by it.

“Sorry! I couldn’t help myself,” she said, moving to follow Gabby’s direction to the kitchen. “And why are you letting her do the cooking anyway?” she complained, jabbing her brother in the side. “She should be the one getting spoiled for having to put up with you.”

“We should BOTH be pampered for having to put up with you.”

It appeared Sophia did not hear him. “You know Devon here actually wanted to be a chef before he decided to handcuff himself to a desk and briefcase like dear old dad. We used to have to fight to get the TV on anything other than the cooking channel. He even insisted on making dinner most nights… it took a long time before anything was good enough to eat though.”

“That was a long time ago,” Devon grumbled, embarrassed over the story of his childhood, “And I think you’re exaggerating a bit. I never wanted to be a chef.”

“Yeah, whatever. You know you did. And you still do if your Pinterest board is anything to go by.”

Sophia settled into one of the chair’s at the kitchen’s island while Devon went to help Gabriella with breakfast. It quickly became apparent however that she had things fully under control, taking free run of the kitchen like she’d been living there for weeks. It made him grin a little bit as he resigned to let her do her thing and sit with his sister for now. His emerald gaze watched Gabby, drinking in her every move with a sense of adoration as worked. It was almost silly to think how watching her do even the simplest thing such as cooking could fill him with a swell of warmth. The woman had a way of captivating him, something that was not lost on Sophia as she smiled to herself a little, glancing between her doting brother and his girlfriend when she asked her thoughts on it.

“No he wasn’t very forthcoming with details actually. Nothing more than who you were.” It was a pretty ironic way to meet, she had to admit. “I’m surprised you two didn’t recognize each other. As bitter as this feud is, my dad’s always had a ‘know your enemy’ sort of mentality. I would have expected him to have drilled your face into Devon’s skull by now… fortunate for you two it didn’t work out that way I suppose. Things don’t appear all that sordid to me… I think you seem good together. Devon never looks this cute!”

“Oh gee thanks Sophie,” he complained, coming to realize he’d been a little awestruck by the woman cooking him eggs in her little workout shorts. He sat up straight and took a drink from his coffee. “For now anyway,” he grumbled in faux complaint as Gabby teased him too. It looked like he was going to be outnumbered after all… That became all too clear as Sophia exuberantly accepted Gabriella’s offer. “Oh,” Devon said, looking at his sister seriously, “Please don’t let us impose on you. If there’s somewhere you need to be we’d hate to keep you.”

“Okay first of all Devon I love quiche enough that it’s never an imposition. Secondly, I’m gonna need you to check yourself little brother because I’ve got a few hours to kill and I have been told that my company is fucking delightful. So you can just park yourself right there and enjoy it.”

Devon sighed, shaking his head at his sister as he submitted to her determination to play third wheel. It was all in good fun though, he tended to enjoy when Sophia was around. And in a way this was good for them. There was only so much they could do when they were forced to stay in for fear of being seen. Having a guest helped to change things up a bit, and as long as Gabby was content with the intrusion, then he was perfectly happy. “That smells great, babe,” he complimented her as her handiwork came together. His stomach growled at the delectable breakfast to come.

“Yeah if it tastes half as good as it smells you’ll have just as much trouble in the restaurant world after she runs you out of the business one,” Sophia pointed out, weathering her brother’s sudden glare with an innocent drink of her coffee.

 

[Lady Bloody Ava]

The brother and sister duo were too cute as Sophia pointed out how good she was at reading her brother. As the conversation was moved to the kitchen a pleasant smile and a laugh escaped her lips.

"I had my reasons for wanting to cook. You can find so much about a person by the contents of their fridge and how clean it is. Needless to say, I'm impressed, but not surprised." As the siblings spoke Gabby found herself admiring the duo. She was a tad jealous. As an only child, she didn't have a partner to nag, share secrets with, or get into fights with. When she was much younger she often wished for a sister or a baby brother, but the family business was booming and there seemed to be no time with both parents invested in it.

Soft hands encased the warm coffee cup and she sipped while leisurely enjoying the new knowledge being share about her boyfriend from his hilarious sister. Gabby was mid-sip when Sophia made it very clear that she wasn't going anywhere and the whole moment had her audibly choking back a laugh and hiding behind the act of drinking her coffee. "Thank you, babe." The woman replied before hopping off of the counter to check her creation in the oven. The creamy and cheesy creation was pulled from the oven and placed upon a trivet to cool.

"Sophia, you truly hold no punches." The creation needed to set for a minute and in the meantime, she pulled three plates and three forks, along with a pie serving knife.

"I don't know, Sophia... your brother is a very intelligent guy that has managed to keep me on my toes and up many nights to get work complete....before I met him." The quiche was sliced and placed upon the plates. The ham, cheese, and green onions making a stark contrast on the plate. As she placed Devon's plate before him, she stole a kiss from his lips and offered him a not so apologetic smile before fetching her plate and sitting between Sophia and Devon.

"Quiche sounds fancy, but it's so easy to make. Tomorrow... maybe you..." Those warm eyes looked at her business rival and lover, " you can show me your culinary skills tomorrow, or maybe tonight."

The fork sunk into the soft and creamy surface of the quiche and strings if cheese stretched and eventually broke as she sampled the warm creation. She believed that an environment or company could make things take even better and this was certainly no exception.

"You know what would be a funny scenario? If your father saw me and Sophia hanging out." She let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "Someone would be livid, but that would be putting way too much strain on Devon." It was her turn to tease and she laughed lightly while looking over to Sophia. The quiche sat in the middle of the table, looking oh so inviting, and Gabby was tempted to have another slice. Her mind drifted before she spoke on a more tender topic. "We know that this is so not going to last." She looked up from her plate to the siblings. "Not, the relationship... I mean the secret." A slight groan escaped her lips at the very thought. "It's only a matter of time before someone finds out and I don't even want to imagine the repercussions. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't give two shits what anyone else thinks, but this business is in some stern hands, but your father..."

She was more concerned about how it would impact Devon more than herself. The urged for the second slice of quiche was nowhere in sight anymore." Last week was, I'll admit, ridiculously harder than I thought it would be. It makes no sense that a grown ass woman can't openly date who she wants because their parents are fighting." There was a little laugh of disbelief afterward.

 

[Fates.Gamble]

“I never found much point in holding punches,” Sophia admitted with a little smile, “Especially when it comes to my family. You have to be that way if you’re going to get anywhere when dealing with our dear old dad.” Devon had to admit that was true enough. He’d had to stand his ground and speak his mind against his father more than once; though, never to the level of Sophia. Practically every time she spoke to or of James, it was in defiance. He couldn’t blame her. It must have been tough playing second fiddle all this time.

Devon was unable to help the smile that spread as Gabriella came to his defense, praising him. Though, his smile became more of a smirk as she added the jest at the end. “Well, I admit you do keep me pretty distracted.” Case in point as he hardly noticed the food amid her stolen kiss. Even after they parted, his vivid green eyes lingered on her, appearing as enamored as ever even as she teased him. “Thanks babe, it looks amazing,” he told her, turning his attentions back to the concoction placed before him. Sophia concurred, thanking her as well before sinking into her own portion with gusto.

“Sure,” Devon agreed to her suggestion. “I’ll think about what to make. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to cook, anyway. Between this,” he said, motioning his fork to indicate their newfound relationship, “And the office I’ve hardly had time for anything else.” He contemplated a few recipes as he cut into the quiche, finding it every bit as delicious as it looked. Perhaps she could have him fighting to keep up in the kitchen after all.

“See I told you, Devon. You want to be a chef, you’re already pining over not being able to cook for a couple weeks.”

“I’m not pining,” he grumbled to his sister.

Sophia didn’t tease him further though, her taste buds ensnared by his girlfriend’s cooking. “This is great!” she commended her. “Unlike you and Devon I’ve never had much skill over a stove; unless you count grilled cheese. I’m pretty much a cheese addict; hence my love of quiche.” But Sophie’s attention was drawn away from the delicacy before her when Gabby put forth her imagined scenario. “Oh that’d be great,” she said, wearing a wide grin. “Anything to drive my dad crazy. But you might be right, I’m not sure my little brother’s poor heart could take the scare!”

“Oh I’m sure I’d never hear the end of it,” Devon said, yet still smiled over the idea. “I’ve always been dad’s go-to guy for listening to his complaints. Still, I’d rather see how he reacts to the two of you out together than the two of us.” And just like that, things had taken an unfortunate turn. Devon felt a little struck by Gabriella’s words at first, uncertain of how she meant them until she clarified. But even so, her ominous proclamation gave him a downcast expression, leaving him to gaze over the remnants of his food as he pondered her words. She was right, of course. They were simply too high profile, this feud too deep. Not to mention, if all they could do was sneak around and never leave the house… well they’d likely go crazy before too long. He was glad that Gabby announced she could care less what people thought if they were exposed. When it came down to it, Devon wanted to say he felt the same. But… He loathed to think of the fallout should it happen.

Sophia looked between the two for a moment, wearing the soft ghost of a smile as she considered their plight. “Might I make a suggestion?” she said, just before Devon could open his mouth to comment on the topic. “It might not be a popular opinion….” She started slowly once she had their attention, “But you should just tell them yourselves.”

“That,” Devon started, a serious tone in his voice, “Is not an option.”

“Why? Because you’re chicken shit of what dad might think? Come on Devon, grow some balls. And besides, you think it’s going to be bad if you tell dad you’re dating his rival’s daughter? Imagine what it’ll be like if he finds out some other way. Best it comes straight from your mouth.”

“You don’t understand, Sophie. It’s easy for you to rebel against him. You’re not part of the company. You don’t have the kind of responsibility to this that I do.”

She seemed a little stung by that, her eyes growing sharp as she looked at her brother. “Easy? You think it’s been easy? Ha! Pulling myself up without dad’s advantages has been some of the hardest shit I’ve ever done. Nothing worth doing in life is easy. If you think your relationship is worth saving then you should take this into your own hands rather than leaving it in the wind. You’re just asking for more chaos.”

Devon wasn’t really sure what to say about all of that. He passed a wary glance at Gabriella, wondering how she felt about all this. Before he could inquire of her feelings however, Sophia had further suggestions. “Gabby, your mother has always come off as a little more level headed than my father. I think to be a successful woman in such a man’s world, you have to be. If I were you, I’d break the news to her first before my father. Gauge her reaction and see what happens. If nothing else, that’d prove a good warm up for breaking it to my father, because I promise you, she’ll handle it better than him.”

Devon sighed, wanting to cut off this conversation before it went much further. They’d waited all week to get this quality time together, and the last thing he wanted was to have it ruined by talks of impending doom. “Sophia, I appreciate the advice but we didn’t really ask for a therapy session.”

“Just trying to help,” she said with a shrug, before returning to her quiche.

Devon wanted to take her words to heart. He knew it would probably be best if he manned up and confessed all this himself. But the prospect was too dangerous. He wanted to say he could imagine his father’s reaction, but in all seriousness he couldn’t. Anything felt possible in that scenario. Above all he feared losing his standing with the company he was meant to inherit. He cared a great deal about Gabriella, but if it came to choosing between her and family, could he really do it? Despite his better nature to end the discussion, he found himself breaking the stony silence that had fallen. “What do you think about all this?” he said to his rival, and lover. He had to take how she felt into account above anything else.