I glance up to find Gregory with his tie undone, his forehead creased, holding Helena’s wrap. It looks strange in his hand, the feminine, pretty cashmere wrap.
I pick up the whiskey and pour him a glass.
Helena gets up, takes the wrap from Gregory.
“I’ll go upstairs and let you two talk.”
“Stay,” I say.
My brother takes his glass, sits.
Helena watches us, sits on the hearth with her back close to the fire. Her little toenails are painted a muted pink. I wonder when she did that.
It takes a few minutes before we start talking. We’re both looking into the fire and not at each other and not at Helena. And neither of us mentions what just happened. What’s been happening for a while now.
“You believe Gallo?” Gregory asks.
“I don’t know. It makes sense that Lucinda would bully the girl into giving her a copy of the key. I just wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t realized his key was missing in the first place. What would have happened if the girl had put it back and he never noticed.”
I see Helena is watching me from my periphery. She knows what I’m talking about.
“I don’t think she meant to kill her,” Gregory says. He turns to Helena. “Sorry.”
“Who knows with her. She’s just crazy enough and she had nothing more to lose. Not after trying to shoot me.”
“Get you out of the way before you share your information and out Ethan. Take away any claim he has to the Scafoni inheritance.”
“I wasn’t ever going to out him. That was the point. That was why I went to her in the first place.”
“Yeah, well,” Gregory starts, emptying his glass. “Lucinda’s got history with the Willow Girls.”
Helena shudders.
I turn to Greg, put my hand on his shoulder. This next part I say in Italian. I don’t want Helena to understand. “I stand by what we agreed. I don’t ever want you to bring up the alternative.”
Helena perks up, her forehead creases in annoyance.
Gregory nods and we drink a second glass.
I look at Helena.
“I want to watch,” I say.
Her skin flushes and her gaze drifts to Gregory who is gazing into the fire.
“Same rules. No kissing on the mouth,” I tell Greg, then turn to her. “And if you come, I’ll punish you.” I know it’s not fair, but I don’t care.
Her throat works as she swallows, and Gregory takes one more sip before getting to his feet. Helena looks up at him and I like this difference in size. She’s so small next to us. So fragile.
He holds out his hand.
She studies it for a long minute before placing her smaller one inside his and rising to stand on her bare feet.
Greg walks her to the long table.
I lean back in my chair, cross one ankle over my other knee.
He noisily shoves a chair out of the way and tugs Helena to stand before it. He doesn’t bother to strip her, just pushes her sweater way up, slides the cups of the bra under her tits and drags his nails across them before turning her so she’s facing me and pushing her to bend over the table.
He then unceremoniously shoves her jeans and panties down and off, and nudges at her knee with one of his so she spreads her legs.
She steps out of both jeans and panties and complies, and he looks down at her and I know what he sees. Her perfect ass, round and full, her long slender legs.
Before touching her, he takes off his jacket and tosses it over the arm of the chair he just shoved aside, then tugs his tie off and drops it on top. He unbuttons the top buttons of his shirt and pulls it out of his slacks before undoing his belt, letting it hang open as he nudges her knees wider and steps between them, leans over her for a moment, taking her arms and stretching them out to either side.
She turns her cheek and he first kisses it then her neck.
“Eyes on my brother,” he whispers loud enough that I hear it.
She does as he says, and I hold her midnight blue gaze, my dick hard when she licks her lips, anticipating.
It’s going to be very hard for her to not come.
Gregory straightens, puts his hands on her ass, draws her open. He looks at her, and I imagine him seeing her pretty little asshole, her cunt which, from the look on her face, is already wet. He runs his fingers over her clit up through her pussy and if I know my brother, he’s smearing her juices onto her asshole.
Helena shifts from foot to foot and arches her back. She’s gripping the sides of the table.
“Remember, Helena. If you come, you’ll be punished.”
She makes a sound, nods, looks away for a minute.