The grandfather clock in the hall struck two. April sat in the dark, lost in her own thoughts. Jade and Lisa had come a few hours ago. Jade had seen April in the parlor and would have joined her, if April hadn't waved her off. For once, she needed to do her job and not get distracted by the sisters, so she had told Jade to go to bed, which she reluctantly did.
The rest of the night, April sat in a high back chair, close enough to the doorway to let her see the length of the hall and the front door. All night, her mind replayed the events of the last few days, each minute she had spent with the sisters, trying to figure out where, exactly, she had screwed up. Sensing movement, she forced her thoughts back to the present. There stood Jasmine, just a few feet from her chair, wearing a knee length silk, emerald green robe. She'd swear it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.
Jasmine stood, watching the shock leap into April's face. Ever since their fight earlier, she had sat in her room and stewed. Her mind reliving ever second she had spent with April, every touch, every word. When April admitted earlier to sleeping with Jade last night, Jasmine had felt betrayed. Oh, she knew they had spent the night together, that first evening, but she thought that that had been the end of it. It had come as quite a shock to realize that April's good mood this morning had been due to Jade fucking her blind the night before.
Jasmine had spent hours mulling over her time with April. Slowly, as the night wore on, she began to think that, even though April was sleeping with Jade, it was her that April really wanted. She just knew it. She had tried to go to bed, but finally, somewhere around one, she admitted to herself that she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. She had decided to put her theory to the test. She had taken a shower, put on body spray and changed into her favorite negligee.
April knew she should say something. At least tell Jasmine to go back to her room, but she just sat, frozen, like a deer caught in a pair of headlights, staring at Jasmine. Her hands were forming a death grip on the arms of the chair. Her heart was hammering in her chest.
Jasmine saw the heat, the desire in April's eyes. Slowly, she reached over to the belt on her robe. Untying it, she eased the robe off her shoulders, letting it slide down her body.
April watched the robe fall into a pool at Jasmine's feet. She suddenly felt so wired. She was riveted, afraid to move, afraid Jasmine would leave. For the first time all night, her mind was a complete blank. She let her eyes roam up and down the length of Jasmine's body, noticing how the nightgown clung to every curve.
"Make love to me, please," Jasmine whispered, her voice husky with desire.
Every joint seemed to ache as April pushed herself out of the chair. She just stood for a minute, drinking in the sight before her. Slowly, she inched closer, until she was almost toe-to-toe with Jasmine. She reached out a hand and let it hover just above Jasmine's breasts, and then slowly lowered it, running the tips of her fingers down Jasmine's body. It was almost as if she was making sure Jasmine was real.
Jasmine sucked in a breath at April's feathery touch. God, how she wanted this woman! At this point, her heart was ricocheting around inside her rib cage.
April stepped a little closer. She ran her hands down the side of Jasmine's body. Reaching her hips, April began pulling the gown up with her fingers, until she held the bottom half bunched in her hand. Shaking with need, she eased the gown up and over Jasmine's head, until she stood in front of April wearing nothing more than a matching thong. April felt the growl emerge from deep in the back of her throat.
Jasmine couldn't stand it. If April didn't do something soon, kiss her, touch her, something, she might just explode right here.
April cupped the back of Jasmine's head and eased in for a kiss. She just brushed her lips over Jasmine's, but Jasmine could feel April's body vibrating with need, even from that brief contact. April started to pull her head back, but just then, Jasmine's tongue darted out to graze her lips, as if Jasmine was trying to pull her back.
She went mad with need. Slamming her mouth against Jasmine's, she pushed her tongue inside and just devoured her. Never breaking the kiss, she spun Jasmine around and backed her towards the chair. Jasmine felt her knees hit the edge of the chair and suddenly she was falling back into it. April sank to her knees on the floor, grabbed Jasmine's thong at the hips, and yanked it off. She latched her hands onto Jasmine's knees in a fierce grip, yanking them apart, exposing Jasmine's neatly trimmed pussy. The fine mat of red hair was already drenched in Jasmine's juices, her nether lips glistening in the moonlight that poured through the window.
April dipped her head down to meet Jasmine's sweet pussy, inhaled, and then began licking up every drop, keeping Jasmine's legs spread as wide as the chair would allow. She drank her fill, and then began flicking Jasmine's clit with her tongue. Jasmine's hips bucked, trying to deepen the contact, but April jerked her head back, having none of it.
A moan tore from Jasmine's throat, her every nerve ending quivering. This teasing was almost cruel, April knowing full well that she was begging for release.
Hearing Jasmine's moans was like waving a red flag in front of a bull, spearing April on, making her desperate to push Jasmine to the very edge, and over. Her tongue began tracing circles around Jasmine's swollen clit, the little nub standing at full attention. Then April laid her tongue flat against Jasmine's clit, pressing hard against it, and she licked upwards, like licking an ice cream cone, but she never eased the pressure she was applying.
Now it was Jasmine's turn to clench the arms of the chair. She began to writher, not sure if she was trying to get closer to April's tongue, or pull away, in an effort to ease the ache of pleasure/pain coursing through her body.
Just then, April buried her tongue inside Jasmine's pussy, shoving her face into Jasmine's slit as far as it would go. She started twirling and jerking her tongue around in an effort to hit every inch of Jasmine's channel. She still hadn't released Jasmine's knees, keeping them spread wide.
Jasmine felt her legs start to spasm, her legs desperate with the natural need to wrap themselves around the source of her pleasure. But April wouldn't give, keeping her spread eagle in the chair. She screamed as April's tongue began to work itself furiously in and out of her tunnel. Her orgasm built to a fever pitch, then exploded, her body convulsing as wave after wave of aching pleasure poured through her.
April felt Jasmine's body explode, pushing her own need to dizzying heights. As Jasmine's body started to settle, April refocused her attention on her clit. Still, she never released Jasmine's knees. She latched her mouth onto Jasmine's swollen clit and began to suck. Occasionally, she just held the nub clamped between her lips and jerked her head back and forth.
Jasmine's body was practically rocketing out of the chair. Her voice was a mix of screams and pleas, begging April to stop. She didn't think she could take much more. All of a sudden, a light exploded behind her eyes, her body jerked upward, held for a split second, and then sank lifelessly into the chair.
April looked up, watching as Jasmine passed out cold. Still on her knees, she leaned back until her butt hit the floor; then she scooted until she was laying flat on her back. She was wound so tight, her body was jerking as she lay on the floor, orgasms ripping through her even though Jasmine had yet to touch her. She folded her forearms over her face, sinking her fingers into her own hair, and just laid there, convulsing, praying her body would eventually calm down.
A few minutes later, Jasmine began to resurface. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, she began to hear mewling, like an animal in pain. Looking down at the floor, she saw April laying there, trembling. Jasmine realized that April's body was so tight with need; she was in pain, small orgasms tearing through her body.
Jasmine quickly reached down and unfastened April's jeans, tugging her jeans and panties until they were down around her knees. She stood up, almost fell over because her legs felt like jelly, and then finally managed to stand over April's body, one foot between her legs and the other on the outside. Jasmine squatted down and wiggled, pulling April's legs up, and finally got herself into position, so that they were pussy to pussy. Jasmine leaned back on her hands and, using her arms for leverage, began bucking against April.
April screamed at the contact. Her nether lips and Jasmine's sliding over and in between each other, their clits pushing against one another. Instinctively, she knew what Jasmine was trying to do, and began to help as much as she could, but she had very little control over her body at this point. Finally, her first real orgasm broke, and she screamed loud enough to wake the dead. Wave after wave continued to course through her and she fumbled to help Jasmine, her desire so painful at this point, she just wanted it over.
Finally, she collapsed against the floor, her body throbbing, her chest heaving in a desperate attempt to suck in air. Jasmine leaned over her, feathering kisses all over her face and whispering in her ear.
"It's ok, cher, it's ok. There now baby, just relax. Let your body relax." Jasmine could hear her own voice beginning to quiver with panic. She'd never seen anyone have this intense of an experience. She was terrified April was going to have a heart attack, or something.
Slowly, April began to get a grip on her body, struggling to get her breathing under control. Gradually, she felt herself calm down, her breathing even out. Jasmine slid off to her side and wrapped an arm around April's waist, pulling her lover close against her, still whispering encouragements in her ear and gently spreading kisses over her face.
"God damn you, baby girl! You just have to fucking have everything, don't you!"
Jasmine and April both jerked up at the sound of Jade's voice. They both scrambled to stand up, fumbled, and finally Jasmine was on her feet. She hurried to put her robe on and turned to confront her sister.
"Jade, I'm sorry, but I'm in love with her." Jasmine felt horrible that her sister had found her and April like this, but she wasn't going to back down either.
"In love? Love, or lust, or is it just that you couldn't let me having something good in my life. Everything has to be yours. It's always about sweet, poor little traumatized Jasmine. I am so fucking sick and tired of everyone tripping over themselves to please you." Jade was screaming by now, working herself into a rage.
Jasmine was mystified as to where all this anger was coming from. Jade wasn't making sense.
"You're right, I didn't ask, but you didn't say anything either. I just figured April was another conquest for you, a challenge, like all the others. It never occurred to me that you were in love with her."
April was still trying to stand up. Her whole body felt like it was boneless, her hands shaking so bad she was having a hard time getting a hold of her jeans, much less pulling them back up. Finally, she was able to sit on the edge of the chair and get her clothes back on.
Just then, her cell phone started ringing. She fumbled with the phone, finally answering it, then couldn't hear over the sisters' voices. She managed to walk towards the back of the room, stuck her finger in her other ear, and shouted into the phone.
"Hello? Hello?" The sisters kept fighting, paying no heed to April what so ever. Eventually, April heard Mason's voice. She listened intently, then slammed the phone shut with a snap. Her temper was at full throttle now. The sisters were still at it.
"How could you Jasmine? I love her," Jade kept screaming.
"The fuck you do," April roared. Both sisters went still. April advanced on Jade, would have been on top of her in a few more steps if Jasmine hadn't reached out and stopped her.
"Go ahead, cher. You get caught with your pants down and suddenly I'm the bad guy," Jade snapped at April.
"If the shoe fits," April growled.
Jasmine could see April was shaking, as much with anger now, as she was from spent passion. Jasmine felt like everything had turned into some kind of Twilight Zone episode; only no one had bothered to tell her about it.
April was still glaring up at Jade. "Now would be a good time, Jade."
"Good time for what, cher?"
"A good time to tell your sister what happened."
Jade knew damn well what April was talking about, but decided to play dumb. "What happened is that you've been playing Jasmine and I off of each other."
"Bullshit!" April took a deep breath. She couldn't let Jade twist this to her advantage. She turned slightly, so that she was addressing both women at the same time. "That was Mason on the phone, just now. I know who your thief is."
"My God! Who?" Jasmine demanded.
April turned to look pointedly at Jade, her expression one of "now or never". Jade finally took the hint.
"Me, baby girl," Jade answered Jasmine, sounding bored.
"You!! What...what...why!?" Jasmine sputtered.
April listened while Jade spewed at her sister. The two were six years apart, Jade being the oldest. Apparently, their mother had had a secret lover for years, a woman. One fateful summer afternoon, their farther had found out. He had come home in a blind rage and carrying a .38. He had found their mother and her lover in the kitchen, while the girls were swimming out back. Confronting his wife, the two engaged in a very ugly argument. Their mother's lover had tried to intercede and he shot her. Their mother attacked him and he had shot her as well, finally turning the gun on himself. Jasmine, eight years old at the time, had silently witnessed the entire incident, hiding behind the counter.
John had taken custody of the sisters and immediately sent them to a therapist. Jade, 14, began acting out, constantly in trouble, both at school and with the authorities. Unfortunately, Jade's therapist had written off her behavior as mostly teenage rebellion, and their uncle hadn't questioned it. Jade loved her sister, but had also begun harboring some resentment, due to the preferential treatment Jasmine always received from their uncle.
Jade had spent the last year listening to their uncle rave about Jasmine, telling everyone how she was due to come home from college, with her Master's degree in accounting, and lead the company into the future. Tired of coming in second, Jade decided to siphon some money from the company accounts, hide it, then sit back and watch Jasmine fall on her face.
April watched as a myriad of emotions rolled across Jasmine's face. She felt deflated. She couldn't fix this for either one of them. They would have to work it out themselves. Right now, she was just another wedge between the two of them.
Jasmine stared at Jade in total disbelief. Several moments passed, the house thick with tension, before she found her voice. "You could have destroyed us all, Jade. Do you really hate Uncle John and I that much?"
"Oh, please," Jade scoffed. "Always the drama queen, aren't you, cher?"
"She's not being dramatic, Jade. Don't you understand what could have happened? What could still happen." Watching Jade, April could see that she wasn't able to see past her grand plan of bringing Jasmine down a few notches. April walked up the steps until she stood just a few steps below Jade.
"Jade, what do you think is going to happen when your stockholders find out half a million dollars has disappeared," April asked, making every effort to keep her voice normal and even.
"But it hasn't. It's sitting in a bank, downtown. All I have to do is transfer the money back and no one will ever know it was gone."
"If you can transfer it in time, if word hasn't already leaked out about the embezzlement. Why do you think John hired me? If he had gone to the police, the story would have hit the media. Missing funds tend to make stockholders nervous. They get nervous, they start selling shares, like rats deserting a sinking ship." April watched as her words finally started to sink in. She went up a few more steps, passing Jade. She turned around so that she was standing sideways on the staircase, keeping a close eye on Jade and Jasmine.
Jade just stared, dumbfounded, at Jasmine. "Oh God, Jasmine! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean.I didn't think."
"No, you didn't think at all, did you? You were so involved in making sure everyone saw me as a screw up, that you didn't stop to think that you're little scheme could destroy our family. Not to mention the countless families that depend on us for their incomes." Jasmine felt fury and confusion pour through her. She couldn't believe her sister, her own blood, could have been so short sighted, so self-absorbed. And she felt betrayed, hurt, that the sister she thought she was so close to, had hated her all these years. She ran up the steps, afraid that in one more minute, she'd do something she'd forever regret.
April watched, helpless, as Jasmine disappeared up the steps. For the second time that night, she listed to the sound of Jasmine's bedroom door slamming shut. Jade looked devastated, stunned, as the enormity of what she had done began to sink in.
"Jade," April said softly. Not getting a response she raised her voice. "Jade!" She watched as Jade slowly came out of her trance, finally noticing April standing in front of her. "Jade, go to bed. We have to talk to John in just a few short hours. You need some sleep."
Jade absently nodded her head and started up the steps. April watched her disappear around the corner. A movement near the bottom of the steps caught her eye and she turned her head in time to see Lisa step out of the parlor, holding two tumblers of bourbon.
April sank down on a step as Lisa came up to join her, the bodyguard handing her a glass as she sat down beside April.
"Where were you hiding," April asked.
"Well, I came running down, same as Jade, when I heard you screaming your head off. When I realized what was happening, and then heard Jade yelling at Jasmine, I just slid into the background. Two things you never want to get in the middle of: a lovers' quarrel and a family feud," Lisa explained, looking pointedly at April.
"Now you tell me," April returned dryly.
Lisa laughed. After a few moments, she turned serious again. "Now what?"
"Now? Now I take Jade and Jasmine into their uncle's office tomorrow, and try to explain to him why his company almost folded."
"After that?"
"I have no idea." April tossed back the last of the bourbon and headed for bed.
Morning came too soon, and April found the sisters sitting in the kitchen, staring at the food in their plates. Neither woman would look at the other, let alone speak. April ducked out of the room before either of them saw her, and went out to pack her rental car.
One would have thought they were going to a funeral, as silent as the car was during the ride in. No one said a word and no one made eye contact. April let out a heavy sigh as she followed the sisters into John's office. She stood back near the door as Jade made a tearful confession to her uncle, Jasmine standing as stiff as a board the entire time. John stared at Jade for a few shocked moments, then just turned in his chair, staring out the window, obviously at a loss as to what to say. Jade took it as a kind of dismissal, and started yelling at him. Jasmine jumped in to defend their uncle, and everything went down hill from there.
Knowing it was a family situation, one that she had no right to interfere with, she let herself out. No one noticed. She left her card and contact information with John's secretary and headed for her car. She had about three hours to gather her things from the little apartment and catch her flight home.
THE END
(If you enjoyed the Jade/April/Jasmine triangle, these characters will return in a new story. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you.)