‘Come and have something to eat, babe.’ He followed me out onto the landing. ‘You don’t look well.’

‘I don’t want something to eat.’ I turned round to face him. ‘I want you gone.’

‘You can’t be serious,’ he said with a short, hard laugh.

‘Oh, but I can.’ I glared at him. ‘You said I needed time to calm down.’

‘Yeah.’ He was starting to look angry, now. ‘But I didn’t think you’d take it.’

‘I want you gone now.’ I walked into the bathroom, and stood in front of the sink.

Leo followed me, and stopped behind me, staring into the mirror at me.

‘We just need to talk, Grace.’ He spoke quickly, desperately. ‘You don’t understand. I’m probably going to lose out on the transfer window, after everything that’s happened. I need you, babe.’

There’d been speculation about him moving up the Premiership, to one of the big clubs, at the end of the season. It was all he’d talked about recently. This would come as a major blow to him, I could see that, and it almost made me feel sorry for him. Almost. ‘It’s your own fault,’ I said, with a shrug. ‘You didn’t need me in Hull.’

‘It was nothing, Princess.’

I turned on the cold tap. If he calls me Princess one more time, I’ll end up pushing him down the stairs. ‘You need to go,’ I said, splashing water over my cheeks. I hadn’t realised how sore and swollen my eyes were until I felt the fresh relief of the icy water.

‘I’m not going anywhere.’ He folded his arms, a mulish expression on his face. ‘My place is here, with you.’

I dabbed at my face with a towel. ‘Fine,’ I said. ‘I’ll go then.’

The words came out unbidden. I had no idea where I’d go – I just knew I couldn’t spend another minute under the same roof as the man glaring at me, over my shoulder, in the mirror. ‘My place is anywhere, as long as you’re not around.’

‘Fine.’ He raised his eyebrows in challenge. ‘Off you pop, then.’

I decided to bluff it out. ‘I need to pack. At least give me time on my own to do that.’

‘Whatever you say.’ He shrugged, and looked at his watch. ‘I’ll give you till lunchtime. But Princess…’

‘What?’ I walked back out onto the landing and stopped by top of the stairs.

‘Don’t stay away too long. I don’t want to have to come looking for you.’

At this, he strode down the stairs and out the front door. As soon as it slammed, I sat down on the top stair, trembling with misery and relief, and wondering, yet again, what I was going to do.

Ten

‘Dear God.’

I was in Giles’s chambers, the following lunchtime. I’d called him the previous night, on the way back from the nature reserve, to give him the joyful news. I think the tone of my voice must have alarmed him, because he’d cut the conversation short before I’d had time to fill him in on any details. Instead, he’d demanded I stop by his office with the tape.

His chambers were typical of someone in his office. The high ceilings and oak-panelled walls were straight out of the Victorian days, and stank of whiskey and old books. They were like the rooms of every master I’d ever had, at school and university, but scaled up to something approaching magnificence. The TV in the corner looked out of place; the image frozen on the screen, even more so.

Giles had just been watching Felicity, being eaten out pretty thoroughly by Rick, and he was sitting with his head in his hands, staring down at his desk. Rick had just got up, leaving her totally exposed; lolling back, tits out and her pussy spread wide. It wasn’t a sight to delight any father, and I hastily clicked the remote, trying to find a slightly less indecent frame to pause it on. It wasn’t easy.

‘I can leave it there, if you want.’ I pointed the remote at the screen again, ready to switch it off.

No.’ Giles looked up, sharply. ‘I need to know it was handled in the correct way. I see no evidence of that so far. Continue.’

I sighed, and pressed the remote, rewinding it by mistake, so that we were subjected, once again, to the sight of Rick’s ass, his head buried deep between Felicity’s thighs.

I was furious with him. He’d put himself, and the others, at risk for no good reason. Worse than that, he’d disobeyed a direct order. I’d have to deal with him later.

I watched the tape intently now. I hadn’t been able to face watching it all the way through the night before, and had left it to Alex to sift through. Now I was hoping it’d come out as well as he’d claimed.

When Rick finally pulled away, Felicity just lay there for a few moments, rubbing at her clit. Then she put two fingers into her mouth and sucked on them coquettishly, before sliding them into her cunt. She lay there, frigging herself, her eyes closing briefly in ecstasy.

The guys were too fired up by now to put up with that for more than a few moments.

‘Come on, gorgeous.’ Rick leaned forward again, holding out his hand. She pulled her fingers out and took his hand with her free one, allowing him to drag her out the car. Once she’d got her balance in her heels, she held her other hand to his mouth, and pushed her wet fingers in past his lips.

He sucked on them, pushing them deeper inside, then put one hand behind her and, clasping her bare ass cheek, pressed her naked pussy up against his crotch.

The others had had enough by this stage.

‘Come on, guys,’ said Matt. ‘Let’s get this little beauty laid.’

‘Gorgeous?’ Giles no longer seemed so defeated, more irritated. ‘Little beauty? What the hell is this?’

‘Bear with me.’

I watched as the guys dragged her into a copse of trees. She kept stumbling, her heels getting caught in the mud and the tree roots. They were all laughing; the guys grabbing at her ass and tits every time she fell into them. I was sure was doing it on purpose. She was certainly enjoying it.

Giles stood up. ‘I’ll be in my antechamber,’ he said. ‘Call me when it’s worth my while watching.’

And he left the room.

I didn’t blame him. I could only imagine how soul-destroying it must have been for him, watching it. I could understand his irritation, too, and I felt responsible. I hadn’t been able to follow his instructions to the letter. It wasn’t in me. She’d given no hint that she wanted to be treated in the way Giles had requested.

At least let her enjoy it first, I’d told my men. Even the entitled deserved their moment of happiness. Sometimes they needed it more than most. I should know.

I turned back to the video, hoping the grand finale would wipe that dissatisfied look off his face. The copse opened out into a seating area, and they were pushing and cajoling her towards a picnic bench. Once there, Matt sat down, pulling her onto his lap. I could see her wriggling to get his cock inside her. Once she was firmly impaled, she began riding him like a stallion. Rick - who’d seemed pissed off, at the time, at getting ridden out of it, rather than ridden - came up next to her, pulled her head around to face his crotch, and sank his cock into her mouth, pushing her head back to get it throat deep.

She gagged, and I was suddenly relieved Giles was out of the room. Rick pulled out and gave her a moment to get her breath back, before shoving it back down there, and this time she took it gamely, gazing up into his eyes and clearly aiming to please. In fact, everything about her seemed designed to draw the guys in, to make them adore her.

‘I want it all the way down,’ said Rick, between grunts. ‘I want that little head tipped all the way back. Get her up on the bench, guys.’

The whole group of them surrounded her at that, and she was pulled off Matt’s cock, and dumped on her back, spread-eagled on the picnic bench. The rough wood must have been splintering her back and her ass cheeks, but she didn’t seem to care. She didn’t even seem to notice. Matt couldn’t wait to get back inside her, climbing up on the seat, and crouching on his haunches in front of her open pussy, the better to ram himself in.