Clifftop Fantasies [BDSM Menage Fantasies] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Cassidy Browning Page B

Allie repeated, bewildered.
    “Charlie and Karl.” Jane leaned in to whisper in Allie’s direction but fluttered her eyelashes at Karl as she said it.
    “What do you mean, leave me here with them? Brad’s here, too,” Allie said, looking between the other two, trying to decipher what was going on.
    Jane gave her a quick, pitying glance then pulled her in for a hug. “Of course he is, dear. I didn’t mean that. I’m sure he’ll come home tonight. I just meant that during the day , you’d be all alone with these two heathens. God knows what they might try.”
    Karl snorted, brushed off his hands, and took a long swig of coffee. He gave Allie a meaningful look as he dumped the rest down the sink and turned for the back door. “Just be careful who you trust,” he said in parting as he pushed through it and disappeared.

Chapter 9
     
    Allie listened to Karl clump across the back porch and down the steps, wondering what his warning had meant. At the moment she didn’t really feel like she could trust any of the people who were staying in her house. But Jane seemed to be the least likely to have an ulterior motive. Karl was in possession of her father’s pictures, Charlie wanted the rights to hers, but Jane just seemed to want to help. She had the least to lose there. Plus, she was a woman, and that in itself was a point in her favor.
    Allie turned to Jane, who was taking a delicate sip of coffee, and said, “I need your advice.”
    Jane brightened as if that was the best news she could have possibly heard. “Of course! I’m happy to help you in any way I can. Is it about Brad?”
    “No,” Allie said quickly. Something about the way Jane had been talking about Brad made Allie nervous, although she didn’t have time to analyze what it was. “It’s Charlie. I need to figure out a way to get him to leave me alone.”
    “Ah.” Jane nodded, looking thoughtful. “What would make him go away? Could you get a restraining order on him?”
    Allie frowned. “Probably not without going into the whole story, and I don’t want to do that. And it’s not like he’s been threatening me or anything.”
    “Okay. I guess that’s out. Maybe we could give him food poisoning?”
    “I wouldn’t do that!” Allie protested. “Besides, if he was mad enough he could give me some really bad publicity.”
    “Ah, yes,” Jane said, narrowing her eyes. “He could, couldn’t he? So that’s out. What else could we do?”
    “About what?” Charlie came sauntering into the kitchen then. He put down his camera bag and helped himself to a cup of coffee. It was like suddenly having a large, annoying family, Allie thought. She’d gone in two days from wanting to fill her house with guests to missing the peace and quiet of her uneventful life. Maybe having a family was overrated.
    “Nothing,” she began guiltily, when Jane cut her off.
    “We were just discussing how to make you go away and leave poor little Allie here alone.” She smiled brilliantly at Charlie while Allie gaped at her in horror.
    Charlie laughed. “I’ll just bet you were,” he said. “Don’t worry, Allie. I have to go take care of a few things. But I’ll be back. You and I need to come to an understanding. But now that Brad knows your deep, dark secret, you two can work out what that means for your relationship and your business here. I understand it’s going to take a little time to let him get used to the idea. Don’t give up on him, though. It came as a shock, but if he has any sense he’ll see it for what it was, a smart decision to use the assets God gave you to support yourself. You don’t mind if I take my breakfast up to my room and eat while I get ready to leave, do you?”
    Allie mutely shook her head, trying to digest everything he’d said. He was leaving—that was good. He’d be back—that was bad, but at least it gave her a little breathing room.
    Jane got up, following him toward the stairs. “I need to talk to you before you go.