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  When I round the bend in the hedges, Mia is seated on what appears to be a throne made of grass and wood in Victorian/Grecian fashion. Her right leg is nested upon her left thigh, and she’s holding a glass of wine in her left hand, as if magically appeared out of nowhere.

  Behind her is a podium of some sort, crested with the same eagle insignia as is on the gate, and gleaming from the midday sun.

  Around her… is something I didn’t expect.

  Well, around her, are three clean-cut, well dressed, handsome men, men I have never seen before, all looking at me like I am a steak, and a rare one at that.

  My first thought is that this explains where the glass of wine came from. These attractive men must wait on her hand and foot.

  But after that I’m unable to think about Mia, because the men are still staring at me as if I’m the most delicious thing they’ve ever seen.

  All three continue to smile at me.

  Mia sips her wine casually, as if she does this every day, which for all I know, she does, and smacks her thin, lightly rouged lips.

  “I never did say anything about the reward being candy.”

  She and the handsome men laugh.

  “What’s going on, Mia?” I ask her, with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

  She sets down the crystal glass on a colorful and convenient table beside her, grabs hold of the lion emblems on the throne-like arms of her chair, and rises so efficiently that it looks like she levitates.

  Her eyes, simply put, flow through to me in prime fashion, a look I once knew to be sobering and calm, one that seemed understanding and cruel in the subtlest of manners and means, and one that silently lets me know that I’m safe.

  “It’s a treasure hunt, dearest Stephanie. A special treasure hunt,” she hints, with a wink.

  One of the gentlemen, softly bearded and sparkle-eyed, walks up behind the empty seat and holds his hand out.

  And I take it.

  I don’t know why I do, but I do.

  It all feels mysterious, yet safe, because Mia from church and school is here – even though this is the last place I would have expected her to lead me.

  He guides me forward, up onto the patio and to the throne-like chair. I take a seat and lean back on the surprisingly comfortable backrest.

  There is a word for this… this feeling burgeoning through my veins. I’m sure there is. I just can’t think of it right now.

  “By day, I work for the higher good. I help people out, plan events to bring everyone joy.”

  Mia stands upright as she speaks. Her hands clamp together in a triangular shape, and the black suit she wears, almost resembling a black shade, seems equally befitting for the serious tone she expends.

  “When the sun is gone and the night is upon us, however,” she mischievously winks, “I plan an altogether different kind of party. An adult event, for a special kind of man. Who wants to hunt virgins. It’s a very different take on a treasure hunt.”

  Now it’s my turn to stare.

  “That’s right. But Take it in gently, love,” she adds, noticing the jump from my midriff that stops at my neck.

  Okay. I was not expecting this.

  “And why am I here?” I ask sheepishly.

  Deep down, I think we all know, but I can’t quite admit it yet.

  She leans her neck to the side and gives me a slightly annoyed smile.

  “Stephanie, for the treasure hunt I just mentioned, silly! Don’t make me ruin the magic and mystery of my spiel. That’s why we’re here, aren’t we?”

  “Of course,” says the cute man with a goatee.

  “Indeed,” sighs the blonde-haired one.

  The third, the one who held my hand as I sat, the one with a clean-shaven chin, simply nods.

  “Exactly!” says Mia, with a sudden clap of her hands. “Introductions should be in order now. Well, you all know me. Stephanie, may I introduce to you the three fine gentlemen who are sponsoring this stylish event? From my right to my left, we have William, Nathan, and Frank. Quite simple names I know—”

  “And handsome too,” I utter.

  But I wasn’t talking about their names.

  The turn of their heads to me signifies that I might have said those three words out loud.

  Yep. I did.

  But nope. I’m not taking them back.

  Mia clears her throat girlishly and purses her lips.

  “Good. Now that we are all caught up with the small bits, why don’t we have a lecture on the rules of the game? This treasure hunt is unlike any other you have been on before, and that goes for all of you. There is a golden bracelet somewhere in this mansion, hidden from view and sight of all. Now, whoever finds that bracelet, which is worth a million dollars, just so you know, gets the chance to have sex with our dear guest here: Stephanie.”

  Wow. Am I going to lose my virginity today?

  I wave my hands, stopping her words.

  “Hold up, Mia,’ I start. “Who’s having sex with who now?”

  She seems annoyed with my slow attempt to understand what’s going on. The thing is, I have always been picky with my boyfriends. Maybe it’s the trauma of my parents’ failed yet still superficially intact marriage or something else, but having lived three long years of legal adulthood with no sex at all, not even masturbation, can make a woman tighten the space between her thighs.

  The farthest I have been with a man is a light kiss on the cheek. And no, I am not frigid or scared of sex. I just don’t want to lose my heart.

  But a million dollars?

  To be able to leave the cold house that is my current home and finally live abroad... and the chance to have sex with someone I will never see again? This might be an opportunity I can not walk away from.

  “You will help whomever of the three gentlemen you choose to find the bracelet. Do you agree to the terms of the hunt and the reward?” Mia asks.

  Mia has her wine in hand once more. Part of me wants to know how she knows I have never had sex. The other part of me is actually awed at her zeal for such a duplicitous life.

  Mom, Dad, Anna, Mrs. Carmen, Miss Lestrade, Miss Smith, Miss Ulman and all the people I have ever loved and hated on this floating planet do not give a fuck about my life and never have. They won’t start now. So, I should do what I want.

  “Let’s do this.”

  I look around and wonder who will win, whose dick I want to feel ravaging through me and taking my innocence.

  Mia gulps her wine and gives what I believe to be the first honest smile of her day.

  “Fantastic! The hunt is on!” she says.

  Frank, William and Nathan place their wine glasses gently on the table and walk away, each taking his time to look at me sparingly. Eyes fall and shivers wave trough my body. I feel a word for all of this in my mind, but I cannot yet place my thumb on it.

  Mia holds my hand just as I’m about to walk away after them.

  With a cheeky smile, she whispers, “By the way, they’re all billionaires. Have fun, love.”

  Chapter Three

  Frank

  Let us step back to that moment I first met Stephanie.

  The woman Mia has brought to The Hunt takes me by surprise, not because of something as superficial as her physical beauty — which she certainly has: she’s full of curves in all the right places, and her face looks as sweet as a doll’s.

  But no. It’s not that. It’s something else, something hidden in her eyes, that sparks the desire in my chest.

  This young woman looks lost, like she is wandering and silent among the events of the daily struggle of life. I sip my red wine and watch her as she eyes each of us.

  I wonder, does she know what she’s here for?

  If so, why would she offer up her virginity?

  Her features are enough for marriage to some young and budding businessman, office-man, or manly man, a guy who buys her flowers and holds her hand while she walks.

  And yet, the lost look, the wounded soul before me, salts m
y appetites, appetites I thought lost in years prior.

  Mia rises from her seat, a show of dominance over all of us. I must say how much I admire the balls on her: running events like this is not something that just anyone could do. Even if it does pay very handsomely.

  She steps to the lawn and starts explaining the situation to the woman she brought. The chair is empty, and the young woman seems not to know what to do.

  I walk to her gently and hold her out my hand. She takes it. She sits in the chair and Mia goes on to induct her into the proceedings.

  I nod to Mia’s question, and sip on my drink some more.

  Stephanie is her name. A soft and balanced name, it is.

  The talk is done. I look to the men beside me. We are captains of industry and lords of our universes, men who take what we want, never committing for more that a night or two, and here we are, searching for something unexpected and exciting.

  Do they have stories of the past, things they would never speak out loud, but wish to convey through the act of winning and fucking the brains out of Stephanie?

  We three place our empty glasses on the table by the oddly shaped throne-chair and walk out of the garden.

  I walk quietly.

  Nathan hums.

  William discreetly rubs the finger and thumb of his left hand together.

  “Feeling excited?” I ask, as we stop by the huge intricately carved doors opening up to the mansion.

  Nathan rubs his goatee and smirks.

  “I wouldn’t be human if I wasn’t. What say you, Will? Feeling excited or like a loser?”

  William strikes me as a man who always knows what he wants — what he desires. Even now as he taps his watch gently with the tip of a fingernail, his stiff demeanor and the fashionable style of his blond hair scream nothing of losing. He is very serious.

  I, on the other hand, prefer to have some fun for the remainder of the evening. The blonde man licks his lower lip and tilts his head to the left, a sure sign of wanting to take the lead.

  We’ll see about that.

  “I’ll win. Getting the bracelet means a lot for me,” says Nathan, patting twice on the lower zipper of his fly.

  He steps up from his position close to the fountain and heaves the heavy door open.

  “See you across the finish line, gents,” he smirks, as he disappears behind the magnificent, opulent and scandalous doors.

  William, devoid of conversation, gives me a grin and then walks in behind him.

  I stretch my wrists and breathe, getting ready to have some fun. A gentle tap on my shoulder from behind startles me and gets at my curiosity.

  I turn and see her.

  Stephanie.

  “Hi,” she coos, pouty red lips molding around the word.

  I suppose it’s the way she says it or the way she has her hands held behind the small of her back. Or the smile that perches on her lips when she looks at me. Or the way my blood stops in my veins where it shouldn’t.

  But truly, it’s in the way her eyes pierce through me without an ounce of effort from her that holds my body stiff, almost trapped by the mere sight of her.

  “Hey Stephanie. I’m—”

  “Frank. I remember,” the smiling beauty says. “Where did the others go?”

  I point towards the open doors.

  “With a prize this extraordinary, I’m afraid they could not wait to start,” I say, with a quick laugh. “Shall we look for the bracelet together?”

  Her eyes flutter downwards, and I notice how very long her lashes are.

  Then, almost like they’re made of light air, she lifts them up to me and says, “Yes, please.”

  Stephanie and I engage in light conversation as I guide her through the doors, up the stairs, and past several rooms.

  I find her to be quite talkative, despite being thrust into a world she had never known when she woke up this morning.

  Behind the old grandfather clock at the corner of three flights of stairs leading to the drawing room, she turns and touches me lightly on the arm.

  “Have you done this before?” she asks, with a slight shift in tone, almost caring.

  “Honestly, no. I’ve had my reservations on this for a good while now.”

  “Reservations?” she asks with a smile, almost different from a few seconds ago.

  Her feet gingerly step on the stairs and brush round the carpet in a dance-like motion. The feather dress on her curvy body sways and twists beautifully, like a magician’s treat to a waiting audience.

  “You are a man of layers, I see. Mystery, if I may say so. I wonder...” she begins.

  The chance to ask what is on her mind is quickly taken away from me when both William and Nathan ambush us tactfully. The former is at the bottom of the staircase, while Nathan is at the top.

  They both enact the faces of thespians in a dire scene, and just as suddenly as they appear, Stephanie’s attention is whisked away from me.

  “My lady,” calls Nathan, arms raised up dramatically.

  “Mi amor,” whispers William seductively, his brows raised.

  He winks at her.

  “Bella,” I say and kiss her hand, not wanting to be left out of the dramatics.

  She giggles.

  “You guys are too much. You do know I don’t care which one of you actually wins, right? I like you. All of you,” she adds, putting her hand on my arm.

  “Then I suppose that is astonishingly open minded,” says Nathan, wide-eyed.

  His face changes thoughtfully when he adds, “I suppose there is no luck with finding that bracelet anywhere in here. Shall we try the grounds?”

  “Through three acres of land and trees and bush?” smiles William. “I thought the challenge wouldn’t get better at all. I love a hunt through the woods.”

  He blows a kiss towards Stephanie, and she catches it in her palm. I feign disgust with my tongue out as we all head down the stairs and walk past the doors to the back of the mansion.

  “This should be fun,” I remark. “The grounds here are exquisite.”

  “May the best man win the lady’s favor,” calls William.

  The blonde man dashes into the flat grass field, arms open and determined. Nathan laughs wildly and follows. I, enjoying the fresh air and energy of the troupe, grab hold of Stephanie’s hand and run with her. The two other men have no idea where they are running to, but I do.

  An afternoon sun is perfect to reveal any golden sheen hidden in the greenery, and when William dashed onward with his arms flailing about, his watch reflected the light onto something in the far left of his trajectory, almost half a mile away.

  The bracelet.

  And I run for it with my waiting prize running by my side, hand in hand.

  I see it placed carefully within a bush designed and cut like the letter ‘M’.

  I am so close.

  So close.

  I can feel Stephanie’s hand’s grip grow tighter in mine. She sees it too. I can tell from her excitement that she is ready for the sweetness to come.

  And in our excitement, the blurry rush of two feet passing us is almost unseen. Will dashes hard and jumps at the bush, grabbing the prize and yelling at us all that he is the winner, and that he is victorious.

  He holds the golden bracelet high above his head, smirking at a baffled Nathan, and me, a crushed man with his lost prize still clutching to his hand.

  Chapter Four

  William

  “Congratulations to our winner!” announces a close-to-tipsy and excitable Mia. “William, if you would step up to the front, please.”

  I rise and walk proudly, though scraped and still panting from the run out there, to where Mia stands on the patio of the mansion. The golden bracelet is in my hand, and my blood is rushing through my body, down below, in anticipation of what is to come.

  “Right here, in this makeshift garden within the walls of this mansion, you will take your prize. Stephanie, please join us here.”

  My lady rises, a smile pe
rched on her red lips.

  I know I could have privacy. But I signal to Mia, and she knows what it means.

  A sick part of me wants her here. Now.

  Even with the rest watching.

  “You and William will have sex right here, on the plushy grass and under a bright sun, which is quite romantic if you ask me. Do you have any requests?” asks Mia, looking at the two of us.

  Stephanie shakes her head.

  She catches me looking at her, bites her lip and blushes.

  I have a few suggestions.

  “I always make my terms clear up front so that there are no misunderstanding or hurt feelings,” I start out.

  One would think that the payment of money and the type of game that this is would ensure that there would be no hurt feelings. But if one would think that, one would be surprised. Because on several occasions I have had women who have participated in the Hunt think that the fact that I paid a pretty hefty sum to take their virginity means that I’m in love with them. I prefer to dispel any such notions from the get-go.

  “This is a no strings attached, one time occasion,” I tell Stephanie. “I’ll enjoy my prize and then we’ll go our separate ways. Is that clear?”

  “Yes,” she answers with a smile, almost impulsively.

  I turn around and place the golden bracelet — a proper investment in my eyes — on the table.

  Frank and Nathan look at me, the former edgy with a smirk, and the latter smiling sheepishly at me. Mia has her hand on the podium, watching over the proceedings.

  Then she teasingly smiles and says, “Don’t mind us, dear William. Bon appétit.”

  Well, fuck it.

  Gently I grab Stephanie by the collar of her dress and pull her in for a kiss. She does not resist. Her lips are soft, untouched and tasting of strawberry and watermelon.

  Good taste.

  The small of her back is tight and warm as I snake my hands across it, heading for her ass cheeks. Gently, I squeeze what feels like smooth skin covering a thick feather pillow.

  She takes the cue and opens her lips just a tiny bit more. I search for her tongue and dip into her mouth. Her arms feel so thin under mine.