It was during the following morning, just after Esther had read the role of Carol in the first act, when she suddenly decided she was going to seduce Christopher Wheldon. Originally, it had seemed to her that simply by joining his company and becoming well known as an actress she would be getting her revenge on Marcus. However, after watching Christopher and the way all the girls in the cast were clearly fascinated by him, she decided it would be even more of a triumph for her if she were able to supplant Rebecca in his affections.
The problem was, it was Damon Dowden who really attracted her. There was something fascinating about him, something dark and forbidding, that made her want to learn what he was like in bed as well as an actor. Despite this, she decided it was Christopher she would pursue. In any case, Damon didn’t seem in the least bit interested in Esther. On the whole he wasn’t interested in anyone, but as the day wore on she did notice him exchanging a few comments and even laughing once with Ellie Ford.
To Esther’s way of thinking this was not a point in Damon’s favour. Ellie, although baby-faced in appearance, was clearly a very ambitious and sexually voracious young lady. Her light-brown urchin haircut and her wide round-eyed expression were effective with men but, whenever she was talking to any of the other girls, her face would change and it was then that the other side of her would show through.
Time and the Conways was a good play, but Esther thought it would be a difficult one to pull off successfully. Set in 1919, shortly after the end of the First World War, the middle-class Conway family epitomise everything that was solid about their kind at that time. In both Acts I and III the scene is consistent but, in the middle act, Kay, one of the Conway daughters, seems to have a vision about the future of her very English family. It is this vision that makes the play so special. If Kay’s apparent dream is indeed to become true then nothing the audience sees in the first and last acts is of any true and lasting importance. Values will change, and the young people’s lives will be blighted by tragedy and disastrous love affairs or marriages. The problem in Esther’s mind was whether or not a modern-day audience would accept the concept of this vision.
When she voiced this fear to Christopher he brushed it to one side. ‘A well-written play, acted proficiently, can’t fail,’ he assured her with one of his most attractive smiles. ‘I think that audiences today want the reassurance that this play can give them. They want to be reminded of a time when there were standards and morals because, despite our so-called liberal age, most people are looking for boundaries, you know. It makes them feel safe.’
Esther certainly wasn’t going to argue with him; she just hoped that he was right. Although most of the cast read several of the roles, Damon Dowden read only one. That was the role of the outsider, Ernest Beevers. In the first and third acts Ernest is an insignificant outsider not even considered worthy of the hand of the pretty and popular Hazel Conway. However, in the middle act, during the vision, when he is married to Hazel, his character changes entirely.
In the morning Damon read Ernest as portrayed in Acts I and III. In the afternoon he read the very different Ernest as portrayed in Act II, and Esther sensed that the entire company was startled by the powerful display he gave. Now she wished fervently that she’d been to see his Iago. She also understood exactly why Christopher Wheldon wanted Damon in the company. He would provide a marvellous contrast for Christopher, who was clearly – despite his protestation of uncertainty – going to play the rakish Robin. The contrast between the fair-haired, lively, anything-for-fun Robin and the dour, mercenary Ernest Beevers, portrayed by the dark and sinister Damon, would be wonderful.
It was a tiring day because, quite apart from reading for various roles in this play, all of the company performed small pieces from some of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. Esther was somewhat amused to see that Nicholas was given a role in Macbeth – but only as Banquo. She could tell that he was annoyed by this, but if he had seriously thought that Christopher was going to let anyone but himself play the title role then he had to be quite mad. She only hoped that Nicholas managed to keep his resentment under control during the forthcoming tour, especially since she couldn’t quite make out what part, if any, he was going to be given in Time and the Conways. It seemed most likely to her that he would finish up as an understudy and that Banquo was simply a consolation prize – and not a very good one at that.
During the lunch break, they all went their separate ways. Esther found herself with Rosie, Noel and Michael at a nearby pub. Rosie was good fun to be with; she had an excellent sense of humour and so far had been unfailingly cheerful. Noel and Michael made it obvious they were both attracted to her and, while Rosie clearly relished their attention, this did not stop her from including Esther in their conversation.
‘How are you coping with all the publicity you’ve been getting lately?’ Noel asked Esther when Michael was at the bar ordering a round of drinks.
‘It was pretty ghastly at first,’ confessed Esther. ‘Actually, I think some of the attention’s beginning to drift away now and I feel much better in myself simply because I’m involved in this project. There’s nothing like work to take your mind off your personal troubles.’
‘It must be difficult, though,’ sympathised Noel. ‘I make a point of never getting heavily involved with anyone. Michael and I are agreed on that. We don’t think that it’s possible to have a settled relationship with anyone in this profession. Let’s be honest, there are far too many temptations along the way. Isn’t that right, Rosie?’ As he spoke he squeezed Rosie’s right knee and she giggled.
When Michael returned from the bar he sat down between the two girls. One of his arms rested along the back of Rosie’s chair and she smiled happily, turning her head from one man to the other.
‘We share a flat near here,’ said Michael to Esther. ‘If you ever want to come back for a coffee one evening we’d be delighted, wouldn’t we, Noel?’
‘We certainly would,’ Noel agreed enthusiastically.
‘We like to share everything,’ continued Michael. As he spoke he glanced at Rosie and then his eyes met his friend’s over the top of her head. It was then that Esther realised exactly what he meant, and she wondered if Rosie realised too. If she did it clearly didn’t bother her. By the time they returned to the rehearsal room, Rosie was walking with her arms linked with both men.
Esther was secretly fascinated by the thought of two men sharing one woman. She wondered what it would be like to have two men attending to her, doing all the things she liked best at the same time. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine being able to take part in such a scenario but the idea was fascinating. She wondered if Rosie would tell her about it if she were to make up a threesome with them.
While Esther and her group had been at the pub, Christopher and Rebecca had taken Theresa out to a nearby cafe. Christopher had mentioned to Rebecca the previous evening that he found Theresa ‘rather fascinating’. Her mass of red curly hair, and the pencil-slim figure combined with exceptionally large breasts, had attracted his attention from the moment she had first auditioned. Occasionally, he and Rebecca had been joined by a second girl during one of their sex sessions and it had always proved very successful. Rebecca had quickly picked up on his hint and was now going out of her way to be friendly with Theresa.
Theresa, who desperately wanted to play the part of Madge – the one Conway girl who was not in any way a sex symbol – was flattered by the attention of the great Christopher Wheldon. She knew that he and Rebecca were an item and thought that Rebecca’s interest in her must be based on the fact that Christopher was impressed by her acting.
‘You know, Theresa,’ said Christopher as they ate toasted sandwiches and drank cappuccino, ‘there’s a great deal more to you than meets the eye.’
Theresa smiled shyly at him. ‘That’s very kind of you,’ she said. ‘I feel that I’ve been rather typecast in the past few months. If you’re built like I am then I suppose it’s only natural, which is why I’d really like to play Madge. I mean, no one can say Madge is glamorous; she doesn’t even get a man, does she? But the thing is, would the audience believe in me playing a part like that?’
‘Well,’ said Christopher slowly, ‘I think they might, but you’d have to put in a lot of hard work. The point is really, exactly how dedicated are you, Theresa?’
‘I’m a hundred per cent dedicated,’ Theresa said indignantly. ‘I’d do absolutely anything to get the part of Madge.’
‘Would you now?’ murmured Rebecca. She glanced across the table at Christopher and he nodded slightly.
‘You know,’ he said to Theresa, ‘I think that if you had some extra tuition, say from me, then I could almost certainly promise you the part of Madge.’
‘Extra tuition?’ asked Theresa in surprise. She was no fool, and knew perfectly well what that usually meant in the theatre, but this time she couldn’t believe she was hearing right. After all, Christopher lived with Rebecca and Rebecca was sitting there with them while he talked about extra tuition.
‘That’s right,’ said Rebecca. Reaching out, Rebecca caught hold of a strand of Theresa’s hair and she idly played with it. ‘You’ve got really beautiful hair,’ she said. ‘Christopher’s got a thing about red hair, haven’t you, Chris?’
‘I don’t know if it’s the hair,’ confessed Christopher. ‘Perhaps it’s the character of people with red hair that really fascinates me.’
Theresa felt her face going hot. There was no doubt that the pair of them were toying with her, and there was a definite feeling of sexual tension in the air. At first she felt slightly uncomfortable as Rebecca touched her hair, but when she released it she felt a momentary pang of loss.
‘If you did have extra rehearsals,’ said Rebecca at last, ‘then I’d be there too. I’d be putting the woman’s point of view, as it were.’
Then, Theresa understood what was being suggested. Like all the girls in the company, she was besotted with Christopher. She’d have given almost anything to have slept with him just once. What she hadn’t bargained on was sharing him with Rebecca. Now that the idea had been put forward, though, she couldn’t help but feel excited. She realised that the pair of them were waiting for an answer, and as she hesitated she felt Christopher’s leg rub against hers beneath the table. He was watching her intently and she shivered slightly with a mixture of desire and apprehension.
‘I think it sounds a super idea,’ she said at last.
With a sigh Christopher leant back in his chair, a smile of contentment on his face. Rebecca looked equally pleased. She looked like someone who knew she had played her part well.
Rebecca glanced at her watch and the three of them suddenly realised that it was time they were back at the rehearsal room. ‘Come on, Chris, we’re going to be late,’ Rebecca said.
‘You go on ahead,’ Christopher said lightly.
After Rebecca had left the café, Chris helped Theresa into her coat and then, putting an arm round her waist, squeezed her lightly. ‘I think you’re going to be an excellent Madge,’ he said reassuringly. ‘As for the extra tuition, well, that’s going to be a total delight.’
It was nearly seven in the evening before they were all finally told what parts they were to play in Time and the Conways. Everyone sat around the room trying hard to look casual but inside Esther knew that each of them would – like her – be feeling strung-up and anxious. If you’d set your heart on a part – and after her reading she had set her heart on playing Hazel – then it was horrible if you failed to get it. Normally this failure was never witnessed by anyone else but, in this case, the entire company would know full well whether or not each person was happy with the role they’d been given. Of course there would be false commiserations, or even false congratulations, but it wasn’t a comfortable situation to be in.
It did cross Esther’s mind that perhaps Christopher should have taken them to one side individually as he told them what parts he’d chosen for them, but clearly this was another part of his ensemble attitude. No one was to be kept in the dark; there were to be no secrets. Not that that were entirely true; there would be plenty of secrets and Esther thought that most of them would centre around personal relationships within the company. However, the facade of openness was to continue.
‘Here we go then,’ Christopher said cheerfully. ‘Quite a few of these parts have been cast against type. I think that this makes for a far more exciting production. Naturally, I haven’t gone to ridiculous extremes. I’m sure none of you will be surprised to hear that Mary is playing Mrs Conway. It would be rather difficult for any of you girls to play her, particularly since she’s in her late fifties in the middle act. There will be some other surprises, though, but I hope that none of you will be too disappointed and some of you should be very excited. I certainly am.’
‘I wish he’d stop talking and just get on with it,’ muttered Rosie, who was sitting next to Esther. Esther nodded in agreement.
‘The part of Kay,’ said Christopher, smiling round at them all, ‘is going to be played by …’ He paused for a moment and Rebecca sat upright, looking keen and eager. ‘Esther,’ he concluded.
Esther didn’t dare look at Rebecca. She knew only too well how the other girl must be feeling and couldn’t understand why she’d been given the role. Certainly it would stretch her to her limits, but she had the dreadful feeling that she might fail. She knew, as most actors and actresses do know, that the role of Hazel, the blonde beauty with the soft centre, had suited her down to the ground. Intelligent, sensible Kay, with her visions and her analytical approach to life, was simply not Esther.
‘Hazel,’ continued Christopher, apparently oblivious to the feelings of the people around him, ‘will be played by Rebecca.’ Again, Esther kept her eyes fixed firmly on the ground but she could hear some whispers among the group and knew that everyone was as puzzled as she was by his casting.
By this time Christopher was looking quite pleased with himself. He’d clearly intended to make an impact and had succeeded. He carried on casting the play and Esther was amused to find that Ellie was to play the impulsive, excitable sixteen-year-old, Carol. It was true that with her young appearance she was probably the best person for the part but her character was another matter. Rosie was to play Hazel’s friend, Joan – a pretty but rather foolish girl. Again, this piece of casting was not illogical. However, when it came to Madge – a girl who was meant to have been to Girton College, was brisk, bookish, self-confident and not very pretty with the air of a schoolmistress about her – there was a collective intake of breath when Christopher announced that Theresa was to play the part.
‘Well, I have to say,’ said Damon in a low voice to Ellie who was sitting on the other side of Esther, ‘she’s not at all like any schoolmistress I’ve ever seen depicted in the early twentieth century. I wonder how he intends to flatten her bust.’ Ellie snorted with laughter and quickly changed it into a cough when Christopher glanced her way.
When it came to the roles of the two brothers, the part of Alan – a lance-corporal, rather dull and introverted – went to Noel; Robin, a dashing good-looking RAF officer – charming and attractive – was, to no one’s surprise, to be played by Christopher. As expected, the role of Ernest Beevers – the socially awkward lower-class but upwardly mobile outsider – went to Damon. As he hadn’t read for any other role this was certainly not a surprise. Michael, the young man who shared a flat with Noel, was to play Gerald, the pleasant good-looking young solicitor, which meant that there was no part in the play for Nicholas Maxwell.
Glancing across the room at him, Esther could see that Nicholas wasn’t pleased. He had read for the role of Ernest Beevers and also for Alan. Neither of the parts had suited him in the least, but this hadn’t prevented him from making it clear he expected to be in the play. He was frowning now and Theresa, who was sitting on his left, was whispering what Esther assumed to be words of consolation in his ear. The only other member of the company without a part was George Hickey. This wasn’t a surprise to anyone, least of all George. There was no role suitable for him in the play and in any case he’d been promised Lear when Christopher presented his mini version during the tour. Obviously for someone like George this was the chance of a lifetime and next to it Time and the Conways paled into insignificance.
‘Right,’ said Christopher briskly. ‘I can tell some of you are rather surprised by the parts you’ve been given, but I can assure you I have every confidence you’re all more than capable of doing excellently in them. I’m sorry there’s nothing for Nicholas and George but later on in the season there will be times when none of us are acting.’
‘I’ll be astounded if Christopher’s ever not acting,’ murmured Damon.
‘The point of a company like this,’ continued Christopher, ‘is that even if you’re not on stage you’re part of the production. Everyone is equally important. After all, where would we be without the prompt, the props man, the publicity? No, as far as I’m concerned this company has no stars and no passengers.’
‘I wonder if he really believes that,’ Esther said to Rosie. Rosie looked a little uncomfortable. ‘It isn’t really true, is it?’ continued Esther. ‘After all, Christopher Wheldon is a star; he can’t change that.’
‘Sssh,’ hissed Rosie. ‘You know what he means and I think it’s very sweet of him.’
Esther supposed that was one way of looking at it, but remembering Marcus she couldn’t help feeling that some of them were being patronised. This didn’t mean she wasn’t still eager to seduce Christopher. His ego didn’t bother her; in fact it was probably his ego that attracted her the most. After Marcus, it would be almost impossible to be attracted to somebody who had no star quality. In any case, Christopher was extraordinarily attractive. Unlike Damon, who was so good-looking in a dark secretive way that one found it difficult to see beneath the handsome mask, Christopher’s boyish charm brought out not only sexual desire but also a streak of maternalism. The combination was irresistible.
‘Well, that’s about it then,’ said Christopher. ‘If any of you want to discuss your parts with me then I think tomorrow morning would be the best time. Right now I think we should all get off home. It’s been a long day and you’ve all worked very hard. Thanks a lot and see you tomorrow, ten o’clock sharp.’
Damon immediately got up from his seat. Esther watched him stride to the far end of the room, pull on his long navy wool coat, throw a maroon scarf casually round his neck, and then, with Ellie close at his heels, he hurried out of the door. Nicholas Maxwell started to move towards Christopher but Christopher deliberately turned his back on him and became very busy talking to Theresa. Rebecca stepped forward and intercepted Nicholas so that within a few minutes the pair of them were talking in an animated fashion together.
Esther would rather have liked to have talked to Rebecca herself. She wanted to know how Rebecca felt about playing Hazel and whether or not her influence on Christopher would enable them to change roles. She supposed that was very unlikely. Christopher was not the kind of person who would want to be seen to be influenced by anyone. Besides, he clearly had very strong ideas of his own.
Noel and Michael got up and Noel turned to Esther. ‘Do you want to come back and have a coffee at our place?’ he asked. ‘Rosie’s coming, aren’t you, Rosie?’
Rosie nodded. ‘Do come, Esther, we can talk about everything. You must be very excited at getting the part of Kay.’
‘Not really,’ confessed Esther. ‘I thought I was going to be Hazel.’
‘Well, Rebecca thought she was going to be Kay so that makes the two of you equal,’ laughed Michael. ‘Are you sure you won’t come back with us? It must be a bit lonely going back to that house you used to share with Marcus at the end of every day.’
‘It’s really nice of you but I honestly don’t mind,’ said Esther. ‘I feel exhausted now. All I want to do is have a meal, a shower and go to bed. I’ll take you up on your offer some other time, OK?’
‘Sure,’ Noel agreed easily. ‘Come on, then, Rosie, let’s get going.’
Esther followed Noel, Michael and Rosie out of the hall and they all called good night to Christopher as they left. He acknowledged with a warm smile but as Esther looked back one last time he gave her a wink and a wave. To her surprise, she was quite excited by this. It hinted at an intimacy that had so far been lacking and gave her hope that her plan for seduction might not be so difficult as she’d begun to fear.
Once she was home Esther picked up the phone and rang Lydia. She’d promised Lydia that as soon as she knew what part she was to play she’d let her know. ‘Hi, Lydia,’ she said briskly. ‘Guess what role I’ve got?’
‘Well, I think I can safely say that I’d put money on it being Hazel,’ said Lydia with a laugh.
‘I hope it’s not too much money,’ laughed Esther. ‘I’m to play Kay.’
There was a long silence at the other end of the line. ‘Kay?’ queried Lydia. ‘Surely that’s not really you?’
‘Well thank you very much,’ said Esther. ‘That’s pretty insulting. Thankfully, Christopher has more faith in my acting ability than you do.’
‘Hey, there’s no need for that!’ exclaimed Lydia. ‘Only last night you were telling me you wanted to play Hazel. I know Christopher had mentioned Kay to you early on but once you’d read the play through you could see that you were made to play Hazel. Anyway, Hazel’s pretty and blonde and Kay’s not meant to be nearly as pretty. Who on earth’s playing Hazel?’
‘Rebecca Leslie.’
‘Who the hell’s Rebecca Leslie?’ asked Lydia.
‘She’s Christopher’s girlfriend. She’s tall and very dramatic-looking with long dark hair.’
‘Well she sounds as though she should be playing Kay then,’ said Lydia. ‘What on earth’s Christopher Wheldon doing?’
‘He said it’s very exciting to cast against type,’ said Esther, somewhat defensively. She was quite surprised to hear herself. If the truth were told she secretly agreed with Lydia but for some reason she wanted to defend Christopher’s actions. Also, she felt that perhaps Christopher was paying her a compliment. If he thought she could play Kay then he had clearly seen more depth to her acting than Lydia imagined she possessed.
‘Well, there’s no point in arguing about it,’ said Lydia. ‘At least it’s taken your mind off the ghastly Marcus. Tell me, who’s Damon Dowden playing?’
‘Ernest Beevers of course,’ said Esther. ‘The only problem is, in the play Ernest is described as a small thin man. Well, Damon’s certainly not small – he’s about six foot two – and, although he’s slim, he’s big-boned. Not that it matters; his reading was terrific.’
‘He’s terrific in everything he does,’ said Lydia. ‘I think he’s incredibly good-looking. I wish I was in the same company as him.’
‘He’s a bit strange,’ said Esther. ‘I’m not sure why he’s joined us. He doesn’t seem to think very much of Christopher and he spends most of his time making sarcastic remarks in a quiet voice, mainly to Ellie Ford.’
‘Ellie Ford!’ said Lydia. ‘My God, I was once in some fringe with her. I think she slept with every male member of the cast and the play only lasted a week.’
‘How many men were in it?’ asked Esther with a laugh.
‘About two dozen,’ giggled Lydia. ‘No, that’s not true, but there must have been half a dozen. She looks such a girly type, you know all innocent, but apparently she’s a real man-eater. He’ll have his hands full there.’
‘Well that’s up to him,’ said Esther. There was no way she was going to admit to Lydia that she too found Damon Dowden extremely attractive. There was no point. Firstly, he wasn’t in the least interested in her and, secondly, she had her sights set on Christopher Wheldon.
‘Anyway,’ said Lydia after they’d chatted for a further twenty minutes or so, ‘I must let you go. I expect you’re shattered. I’m sorry if I sounded rather rude earlier; I just hadn’t pictured you playing Kay but I bet you’ll be terrific. Congratulations. Now, you go off and get a good night’s sleep and make sure that you let me know when and where you open. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.’
‘I’m sure you won’t need me to tell you,’ said Esther. ‘I imagine Christopher is going to make sure the whole itinerary is published in the national press. He isn’t going to bring the classics to the people quietly. There wouldn’t be any point, would there?’
‘There certainly wouldn’t,’ agreed Lydia. ‘Keep me informed how it goes, won’t you?’
Esther promised that she would and replaced the telephone. Somehow she didn’t think she’d be ringing Lydia quite so often in the future. Lydia reminded her of her times at drama school and days shared with Marcus. Now she was moving on. In any case, she had no intention of letting Lydia in on her secret itinerary. No, it would be better if she only rang her friend once a week during the rehearsal period and then, once they were on the road, she wouldn’t need to have any further contact with her until the tour was over.
Unusually for her, despite her exhaustion, she took the play to bed with her and read the first act through before falling asleep. Deep down she knew, even though Christopher had denied it, that she was going to have her work cut out playing Kay.
Noel and Michael’s flat was in total chaos. Rosie could hardly get in through the front door for discarded clothes, dirty plates, glasses with small amounts of liquid going mouldy in the bottom, and the almost inevitable overflowing ashtrays. She felt at home at once. This was a typical young actor’s flat. The fact that two of them were sharing it had compounded the problem but Rosie didn’t mind. Luckily, she wasn’t a tidy person herself.
‘Let’s see if we can find somewhere to sit down,’ said Noel. ‘Michael will fix you a drink, won’t you, Michael?’
‘Sure,’ Michael said agreeably. ‘What do you fancy?’
‘Have you any wine?’ queried Rosie.
‘Loads of red, but we’re out of white.’
‘Red’s fine,’ said Rosie, sitting down on the three-seater settee and nearly sinking to the floor. Either the springs had broken or it was a very soft settee.
‘You’ll be great as Joan,’ remarked Noel as she began drinking. ‘You’re certainly pretty enough.’
‘Well I hope I’m not as foolish as she’s meant to be,’ giggled Rosie.
‘Of course not,’ said Michael. ‘We both think you’re a very intelligent girl, isn’t that right, Noel?’
‘Anyone who likes us has to be intelligent,’ confirmed Noel.
For a while they chatted about the company and their parts but very soon Rosie realised that each of the men had their arms along the back of the sofa and that Noel’s hand was gently stroking the side of her neck. She snuggled up closer to him and, as she did so, Michael began to stroke her arm. She felt very warm and cosy between the two of them and, when Noel started to nibble her ear and blow gently into it, Rosie knew they were going to have a terrific evening. Within half an hour she was following them eagerly into a large bedroom. This was only slightly less untidy than the other room, and was nearly filled by the vast bed.
‘Which of you sleeps here?’ she asked with some amusement.
‘We take it in turns,’ explained Michael. ‘It rather depends on which of us has someone staying over. It’s also extremely useful for threesomes.’
There was a short silence as Noel and Michael looked intently at Rosie. Rosie knew this was the moment when she could choose. They were making their intentions perfectly plain and it was up to her to decide whether or not she wanted to enjoy them both. It really wasn’t a difficult decision to make. Rosie thought that most women, given the chance, would be delighted to have two men making love to them at the same time, especially when they were both as good-looking as Noel and Michael. Without a word, she began to unlace the trainers she’d been wearing for rehearsals and then, as provocatively as she could, she removed the baggy tracksuit bottoms that were traditional rehearsal costume.
She sensed that both men were somewhat surprised by the fact that beneath the sensible clothes she was wearing black, high-cut, all-lace briefs. They too began to strip, but they watched her keenly as she removed the clothes from her upper body until she was down to her black lace under-wired bra. Her pale full breasts spilt out of it and Noel gave a low whistle of appreciation. ‘God, you’ve got a fantastic body,’ he said, his voice thick with desire.
‘You certainly have,’ Michael agreed whole heartedly.
Rosie felt a surge of power at the expressions on their faces. She clambered on to the middle of the bed, spread her arms out on each side of her, and sat looking at them. ‘Right then, who’s first?’ she asked with a grin.
‘I don’t know about first,’ said Noel sliding naked on to the bed next to her. ‘What we’d really like is to make love to you at the same time.’
‘Providing that’s all right with you of course?’ added Michael.
Rosie sighed with contentment. ‘It all sounds fabulous,’ she said, taking her glass of wine from Noel’s outstretched hand and draining it.
Within a few seconds the two men had stripped Rosie so that she was lying naked on the bed between them. Noel was behind her, his erection brushing against her buttocks, while Rosie’s breasts were pressed against Michael’s chest. For a few minutes they lay pressed tightly together, and then both the men moved away from her a little as Noel propped her up on her right-hand side. This lifted her body up, thus freeing her breasts for Michael. Michael cupped them between his hands and then buried his face between them for a few seconds before starting to lick at the underside of one breast while fingering the nipple of the other.
While he was busy, Noel was reaching round her and slowly gliding his hand along the smooth skin of her slightly rounded belly. He raised himself up off the bed and she then felt his hand going lower until it was playing softly with her pubic hair. He moved his hand in easy circular motions, tugging on the flesh beneath so that it pulled the skin between her thighs, moving it over her slowly swelling clitoris.
Just as she felt the first tingle of excitement in both her breasts and her vulva, Noel removed his hand and started to pat and stroke her buttocks. At the same time Michael, while still keeping hold of each of her breasts and gently massaging them, started to trail his tongue down the middle of her ribcage until he reached her bellybutton. Once there, he poured the few remaining dregs of red wine from her glass into the cleft and then, as her body jerked, he lapped it up and the whole of her belly quaked with excited anticipation.
After continuing this stimulation a little longer the two men, moving in rhythm, rolled over so that Michael was lying on his back. Noel then rolled Rosie over until her back was on Michael’s chest. Her head was tucked into his neck, and she felt his arms go round her so that his hands could continue teasing and titillating her burgeoning breasts. Her nipples were already rigid and had nearly doubled in size. Michael’s fingers kept pulling and stretching them, although occasionally he would massage her whole breasts.
Noel arranged Rosie so that her legs were lying directly on top of Michael’s. He then fastened a hand round each of Rosie’s ankles and, as he did so, Michael moved his legs apart. This meant that Rosie’s legs were parted and the sensation that she was being manipulated by the two men in order to give her maximum pleasure was so exciting that she felt herself becoming very damp between her thighs.
Rosie started to lift her head to see what Noel was going to do but Michael pulled it back again so that she was once more lying with her head in the hollow of his neck. Suddenly, she felt Noel’s tongue on the inside of her thighs, and she drew in her breath sharply. As she did so, Michael pushed her breasts closely together, rubbing them so that the inner sides stimulated each other. Tiny sparks of pleasure shot from her breasts down between her thighs where Noel was making tiny circular motions as he eased his way upwards.
Rosie’s clitoris felt hot, and she could feel her sex lips were swelling. She gave a sigh of satisfaction when she felt Noel’s hands gently parting them and then, very lightly, he started to trail his tongue around the highly sensitive flesh that surrounded the nub of nerve endings. However, he didn’t allow his tongue to touch it and she started to strain her lower body upwards and move her hips to get some stimulation there, where she most craved it.
With a soft laugh, Noel pushed her back down so that she was again flat on Michael’s body. ‘Michael likes to feel skin against skin,’ he said seductively. ‘See if you can keep him happy, Rosie. If you keep your body against his he’ll be perfectly happy, won’t you, Michael?’
Michael gave a murmur of agreement, and Rosie realised they were playing a game with her. A game that would tease and torment her but which only increased her excitement.
Michael suddenly bent his legs, which meant that Rosie’s legs were lifted into the air as well. But for Noel’s helping hand her legs would have fallen off and back on to the bed but he managed to drape them over Michael’s knees so that she was now wide open for him. It was at this moment that she fully expected, indeed longed, for his tongue to touch her aching clitoris but, instead, he used it to trace a slow path along her perineum. At the same time his fingers were teasing her buttocks and the rim of her anus. Then Michael suddenly tweaked hard on her right nipple and, as Rosie gasped at the searing flash of pleasure that coursed through her breasts, Noel popped his tongue into her vagina and used it as he would his penis. Suddenly, Rosie felt her belly start to contract and she heard Noel murmur, ‘She’s coming, Michael,’ just a split second before she had her first orgasm.
Both men waited until her body was still again then, after allowing her a few seconds to recover, Noel moved his tongue so that it descended on her clitoris with a feather-light touch. She thought that she was going to climax again immediately, but Noel prevented this by switching to a gentle sucking motion with his lips. It was absolute bliss, and she felt as though the hot tightness that was again building in her lower belly and breasts would never end. Michael’s hands were constantly busy with her breasts and, as her muscles grew tight with an impending second orgasm, Noel suddenly withdrew his head from between her thighs and instead inserted two fingers into her and started to slowly massage her G-spot.
Rosie felt like screaming. It was a glorious sensation, but it had spoilt the build-up to her second orgasm. She murmured her frustration, but Michael whispered reassuringly into her ear, promising her that it would be worth waiting and that they both knew what they were doing.
Noel repeated the exquisite torture several times, working on her with his tongue and his mouth and then, every time she reached the brink of orgasm, withdrawing his mouth and returning to her G-spot. It was only when both men seemed to sense that she could take no more that he finally used both tongue and lips on her clitoris at the same time. As her body began to buck, his fingers returned to her vagina so that as she came she felt as if her entire sex was being plundered.
Her moment of ultimate release was shattering, and she cried out with delight. When it was over, Noel carefully rolled her off Michael and they returned her to her original position, sandwiched between the two of them. ‘There, wasn’t that great?’ asked Noel.
‘Incredible,’ murmured Rosie, still in a daze and with every nerve ending alive and tingling.
‘Now I think it’s time we had some fun as well,’ said Michael. It was then that Rosie realised, with a surge of excitement, that the evening was far from over.
‘We want to make sure you go on enjoying it as much as you have been,’ said Noel quickly, ‘so we’ll get you thoroughly prepared first.’ The way Rosie’s body was feeling, she thought that she was probably already very well prepared. That, plus the additional excitement of knowing that she was going to satisfy both men at once, was driving her into a frenzy. Clearly the men had further delights in store for her before they finally gained satisfaction for themselves.
They both moved away from her slightly but each of them kept one hand reassuringly on her body so that she never lost complete physical contact. After a few moments, Noel straddled her upper abdomen and, while Michael licked gently around the nape and side of her neck and her ear, Noel – his hands well oiled – began to massage her breasts.
First of all he slid the flat of his right hand diagonally across her right breast, trailing it towards her left shoulder. Then he slid his left hand across her left breast in the same manner. The sensation was exquisite and he repeated this movement time and time again until she felt she could no longer stand it. As her breathing quickened, Noel smiled down at her. ‘Time for a change I think,’ he said seductively.
Next, using one well-oiled fingertip and the lightest possible touch, he drew a spiral on one of her breasts, beginning on the outer side and moving inwards until he reached the nipple. She had never been touched on her breasts so delicately before, and when he repeated the stroke on the other breast she gave a tiny cry of delight. ‘Does it feel good?’ he queried.
‘It’s absolutely fantastic,’ whispered Rosie. ‘Don’t stop, whatever you do.’
‘I’ve no intention of stopping,’ he assured her. ‘In fact, there’s plenty more to come.’
Rosie shivered. This was proving to be the most exciting evening of her life. Next, Noel, his eyes narrowed slightly in concentration, carefully squeezed a little skin on each side of her right nipple then, very lightly, he slid his fingers outwards moving along the ridge of flesh that he had raised. Streaks of excitement and pleasure were coursing through Rosie’s breasts and she could feel her nipples hardening once again. After endless repetitions of this, Noel, noticing her rigidly erect nipples, carefully squeezed the right one between his oiled forefinger and thumb and slid his fingers up and off the nipple. Rosie’s breathing was now audible in the otherwise silent room and, just when she thought the sensation couldn’t possibly be bettered, Noel began to use both hands alternately on the same nipple, sliding each hand up and off.
The searing pleasure was no longer confined to her breasts alone but was shooting down between her ribs, through her abdomen and into her vulva. It was only after Noel had repeated the movement on her left nipple so that both breasts had been equally stimulated that she was finally allowed a moment’s breathing space. Her senses had never been so heightened and, when Michael rolled her on to her left side and gently pushed her knees up towards her chest, she gazed into Noel’s face, her eyes shining with excitement and sexual desire. ‘What’s he going to do?’ she asked.
‘Wait and see,’ said Noel. ‘I know you’ll love it.’ As he spoke, he started to massage her breasts again and instantly every nerve ending leapt beneath his skilled touch.
When Rosie felt Michael start to part her buttocks she tensed slightly, wondering what was about to happen. ‘It’s all right,’ Michael assured her, ‘we’d never do anything to hurt you. This is just to make it easier for all of us to climax together.’
For some reason, Rosie trusted them completely. She felt the rim of her rectum being touched with a well-lubricated finger and then the finger was inserted very gently just inside the opening, spreading some gel inside her. After that, she heard Michael get off the bed and move around the room but, when she tried to turn her head to see what he was doing, Noel clasped her face between his hands and bent down to kiss her. His tongue licked and teased the corners of her mouth, and his lips were firm and demanding against hers. She responded instantly, forgetting about Michael, and it was only when she felt the weight of his body on the bed again that she remembered he was there.
‘I’m going to use this to open you up a little bit more,’ Michael explained quietly. ‘It should feel really good; if it doesn’t, let me know.’
For a moment Rosie felt anxious but Noel reassured her at once. ‘It’ll be great,’ he promised her. ‘Honestly, it’ll drive you out of your mind with pleasure.’
His words alone were almost enough to do that; she had never before been to bed with someone as skilled, as creative, as these men.
In the meantime, Michael fitted a thin ribbed latex wand on to the end of a vibrator and then, with the greatest of care, began to ease it into the already lubricated opening between Rosie’s buttocks. Once it was in past two of the ridged marks he turned the vibrator on to a low setting. As it began to move, Rosie felt the most incredible sensation as the fragile, nerve-filled walls were stimulated and shafts of pleasure shot through her. At the same time, the nerve endings behind her clitoris began to tingle so that suddenly she was desperate for stimulation between her thighs. Noel seemed to understand how she was feeling.
‘Touch yourself there,’ he suggested. ‘We don’t mind; in fact we’d love to see you masturbate.’
Rosie wondered briefly where all her inhibitions had gone, but she was so carried away by the sheer sensual delights of the evening and the incredibly relaxed atmosphere that there no longer seemed to be any limits to what was acceptable. Quickly she lowered her hand between her thighs and began to move her fingers in slow circles over her outer sex lips so that the clitoris was indirectly stimulated.
Noel could see the muscles of her abdomen tightening and rippling. ‘You can come if you like,’ he assured her. His words, together with the magic of his hands and the fantastic sensations between her buttocks, were enough to tip her over the edge and her whole body shivered and shook as once again she reached the pinnacle of pleasure.
When her orgasm was over, Michael turned off the vibrator and very carefully removed the plastic extension from her rectum. As he did this, Noel stopped massaging her breasts and kissing her and gently sat her upright on the bed. A somewhat dazed Rosie watched as Noel positioned himself on the side of the bed with his feet on the floor. He then lay back flat. His erection was very impressive. ‘Time for you to do some work now, Rosie,’ he said with a grin.
‘What would you like me to do?’ she asked with a smile.
‘Just sit on it and then lean forward with your arms each side of my shoulders,’ said Noel.
Rosie needed no second bidding. She positioned herself above his swollen penis and then lowered herself slowly down on to him until she was fully impaled. Then, remembering his instructions, she leant forward and her breasts, well oiled from his earlier massage, were within easy reach of his mouth. She tipped herself lower still, desperate for him to take one of her aching nipples into his mouth, which he obligingly did.
It was then that she heard the sound of a condom being unwrapped and, glancing over her shoulder, she saw Michael preparing to enter her from behind. Rosie had never tried sex this way before, but she felt certain that it was going to be terrific. Noel’s lips were clamped tightly round her left breast and he moved his head up and down so that he was stretching her nipple to its fullest extent and then releasing it, just as his fingers had done earlier.
By now Rosie was trembling, tense with rising desire and in keen anticipation of what was about to happen. She felt Michael part the cheeks of her bottom and then, very, very slowly he was easing himself into her. The incredible sensation of fullness in both her vagina and her rectum was as exciting as Noel had promised. Once Michael was fully inside her, he stopped moving.
‘It’s up to you now,’ Noel said gently. ‘We can’t move; you have to. If you thrust your hips backwards and forwards you’ll be bringing us both off at the same time.’
She began to move, slowly at first but then, as she heard both men’s gasps and groans of mounting excitement, she quickened her pace. She could tell by the expression on Noel’s face when he was about to come and, just seconds before he reached release, she froze in mid-movement. Noel’s eyes widened in astonishment and he stared up at her. ‘Don’t stop now, please,’ he groaned in mock despair.
‘I thought you’d like to wait a few more seconds,’ laughed Rosie. ‘After all, you only get the one chance, unlike me.’
Behind her Michael too was groaning with exquisite frustration. They both knew that Rosie was playing with them as they had played with her but knew also that she wouldn’t keep them waiting very long. She couldn’t because her own climax was building so rapidly that she would be prolonging the agony for herself as well as for them.
To encourage her, Noel managed to reach down and his oiled finger located the centre of her pleasure. He tapped very lightly on her clitoris and then slid his finger up and down the side of the small shaft. Almost immediately Rosie felt everything inside her start to bunch up in a pre-orgasmic spasm and, in order to stimulate herself beyond the point of no return, she started to move her hips frantically faster and faster with complete disregard to the men.
Within seconds the wonderful hot melting feeling was beginning and the dreadful tightness suddenly exploded into flooding release that surged through every part of her. At the same time both the men uttered huge groans and gasps as they too reached shattering orgasms.
When the last tingling sensations died away, Rosie felt utterly exhausted. She had never been so sated, and was grateful when the men withdrew from her and she was able to collapse into a heap on the bed. She was vaguely aware that both of them were climbing on to the bed with her, then one of them drew a duvet around them all and they fell into a deep and satisfying sleep.