Generosity Rewarded

* * *

"Good morning. Or should I say good afternoon?" Nikki said.

Brent cracked open one eye and saw her standing at the foot of the bed, hands on hips and smiling brightly. Although no longer the irresistible goddess that had ensnared him last night, she still managed to look incredibly hot in a tight, sexy exercise outfit.

Brent cracked a smile, "Good morning to you too."

Nikki said, "You will find clean towels and your duffel in the bathroom. I also put a fresh razor and a tooth brush out for you. I am going down for my work out."

Brent teased her, "Exercise? Why? How can you improve the body of Venus?"

Nikki smiled, "Cute. I only have the best body money can buy, and it won't stay that way if I don't work out. Make yourself at home. I'll be back in about an hour."

Brent started, "B-but...," not really knowing what he wanted to say.

Nikki walked over and stopped him with a kiss. "We'll talk when I get back," she said, and then walked out of the room.

Brent flopped back onto the bed and closed his eyes for a moment wondering if this was all just a dream. He was still too beaten down to think that maybe his luck had changed. Certainly meeting Nikki was very fortunate. She was an incredibly beautiful, intelligent, and sexy woman, and he sensed a powerful bond between them already. But when she learned he had no money, no job, no home, and no future it would definitely become embarrassing for both of them. The last thing he wanted was to cause her any pain, so he decided reluctantly it would be best for both of them if he was gone when she got back.

Twenty minutes later Brent came out of the shower, freshly scrubbed and shaved, wearing the last of his clean clothes. Hoping to pack and leave quickly, he was quite surprised to find the bed was made, the drapes had been drawn back, and his clothes from last night were missing. Curious, he walked into the living room and found a somewhat plump woman dusting and straightening up.

Brent said, "Oh, hello. I didn't know anyone else was here."

The woman smiled, "Good afternoon Mister Brent. Miss Nikki said I should make you some lunch."

The smell of fresh coffee wafted through the air. Brent said, "That coffee smells great. If you can put it in a paper cup I'll take some with me."

The woman looked puzzled for a moment, then said quickly, "Oh no. You cannot leave. Miss Nikki will be very upset."

"But, I need to be going."

The woman insisted, "No. You cannot go. Your clothes are still in the wash. Please, it will make Miss Nikki very unhappy."

Brent knew he should just walk out. As he slipped on his jacket, he suddenly felt Jacob's beads rubbing against his chest. Against his better judgment, he abruptly changed his mind and decided to stay.

He took off his jacket and asked, "What is your name?"

The woman said, "My name is Maria. I keep house for Miss Nikki. Please sit. I'll bring the coffee."

Brent sat at the table and Maria rushed off, returning a few moments later with a coffee tray. He poured himself a cup of the hot, black liquid and two sips later, he realized he was ravenous. Maria asked, "Will you have lunch now, Mister Brent?"

He smiled and said, "Only if you sit down and keep me company."

Maria nodded and said, "OK Mister Brent." She walked back into the kitchen and after a few minutes came back with a steaming bowl of hearty chili and some home made corn bread. She sat and waited while Brent had a couple spoonfuls, then smiled proudly when he nodded his head and said, "Very good!"

They started chatting and Brent learned that Nikki had rescued Maria and her three children from a shelter five years ago. Nikki had given her a job, helped her divorce her abusive husband, and then loaned her the money to buy a house. Maria told him proudly that next year her oldest daughter was going to UNLV on a scholarship that Nikki had helped her win.

Right after that Nikki walked in, "So I see you've met Maria. Be careful, that stuff will grow hair on your chest," she said, pointing at the chili. She snagged a little scrap of corn bread from his plate and said casually, "Don't go anywhere. I am going to grab a quick shower."

Brent relaxed and had another cup of coffee while Maria wandered off to finish the laundry and her other chores. When Nikki came back, she sat down at the table and poured herself a cup of coffee. There was an uncomfortable pause while she took a couple sips. Finally Brent broke the ice and said, "You are a very mysterious woman, Nikki Blake. You are incredibly beautiful, intelligent, obviously wealthy, and by far the sexiest woman I have ever met. But you take in strays and do volunteer work in a soup kitchen. How is it that a wonderful woman like you isn't married?"

Nikki blushed. Then after a short pause said, "Just so you know, I didn't plan what happened last night, and I also don't regret a minute of it. Something about the kindness you showed Jacob last night touched my heart deeply. After that I felt a connection with you. I know you felt it too."

Now it was Brent's turn to blush. "So where do we go from here?"

Nikki sighed and got serious, "Brent, if you still want to drive out to your sister's place, I'll be happy to take you. But if you can stay for a few hours more, I would like to introduce you to someone first."

Brent asked, "Why?"

Nikki smiled, "Because I know you won't take charity from me, and because I think you need a job, and because I'd like to see you again."

Brent thought for a moment then said truthfully, "Nikki, that's very kind. But you don't know what you are getting into with me. I am still married, although not for much longer. I am not lazy, but my track record in business isn't so great. I am broke, unemployed, and lately my luck in everything has been just plain bad."

Nikki smiled softly, "I don't care about any of that. All I know is you are smart, honest, kind, and loving. Besides, maybe your luck is changing. After all, you met me didn't you?"

* * *

A couple hours later they pulled up in front of a small office building on the outskirts of the city. The sign on the building said 'JL Security Innovations.' As they walked inside Brent said, "Maybe this is a bad idea. I don't know anything about security. Who are we meeting anyway?"

Nikki said, "We are meeting Jay Levinson, the CEO of this business. I know he is looking for someone to head up a special project, and I think you are just the guy he needs."

Brent asked, "Jay Levinson...from here in Vegas? I went to grad school with a guy named Jay Levinson."

"Well, isn't that lucky. I had no idea."

"Well I don't know how lucky it is. Jay and I weren't friends. In fact we just barely knew each other."

Just then Jay's secretary greeted them and ushered them into Jay's office. Jay smiled and said, "Nikki, how good to see you again." Then he embraced her warmly.

Nikki kissed him on the cheek and smiled, "Jay. I would like you to meet a very good friend of mine..."

Jay finished the sentence for her, "Brent Spaulding. It's been a long time. What have you been doing with yourself?" He shook Brent's hand enthusiastically.

They all sat down and Brent said, "Since we last saw each other, I moved east and eventually got married. I've been working in investment banking with a couple of small boutique firms."

Jay said pensively, "That's very interesting. What brings you back here?"

Brent decided that the truth was the best approach, "I got fired last week and my wife left me. So I decided to move back here and start over."

Jay thought for a moment and then said, "Thanks for being honest Brent. It means a lot. And your timing couldn't be better. It just so happens that I am looking for someone with contacts in investment banking to head up a special project. Nikki knows this and that is obviously why she brought you here. If you are interested, I'd be happy to have you come to work for me. I can't pay you much salary, but I'll include some stock options that will be worth quite a bit if we are successful."

Brent couldn't believe his luck. There was only one explanation; Jay wanted to take his company public. In a flash it dawned on him; this was the big one, the big deal that all the elite bankers always talked about. For once he happened to be in the right place at the right time, and it was dropping right into his lap.

Jay looked at Nikki and said excitedly, "I have a really good feeling about this." Then he said to Brent, "Take a few days to think about it and get back to me. But don't take too long, I need to move soon."

Brent smiled and said, "I can let you know right now. I'll take the job."

Jay shook his hand earnestly and said, "Great. Come by next week and I'll have your contract ready. Welcome aboard Brent."

After they left Brent thought, "That wastooeasy." He asked Nikki, "How did you know Jay was looking for an investment banker? And how could you possibly know that was my business?"

Nikki said simply, "I was one of Jay's first investors and I am still on his board of directors, so I knew he was thinking of taking the company public. But I didn't know you were a banker."

"Did you ask Jay to hire me?"

"No. I absolutely did not. In fact, I haven't even seen him in a month. I just knew he needed someone, that's all. The rest is just a coincidence."

Brent was still a little suspicious, and thought "More like blind, dumb luck if you ask me." But then he decided that with all he had been through recently, he deserved a little good luck. He smiled and said, "Thanks Nikki. Thanks for everything."

She said, "You're welcome. Now, let's go and celebrate!"

As Nikki drove them back into the city, Brent had a chance to think. It did seem like an odd coincidence that his luck had suddenly improved. Everything had changed for him right after he met the old man, Jacob. He put his hand on his chest, feeling the worn string of tiny beads under his shirt and for the first time sensed something; a force from within himself that he had never felt before.

It was still only early evening but a slight overcast was bringing with it a spectacular sunset. They crested a small hill and saw the last streaks of sunlight dance over the tall steel and glass structures of the strip, combining with the bright, multicolored lights of the hotels and casinos. It was a beautiful sight and Brent felt a surge of energy flow through him, almost like he was drawing strength from the lights.

Then he recalled that Jacob had mentioned something about the lights providing for him before he had given Brent the beads. Brent wondered if the two things were somehow connected. He quickly asked Nikki, "Can we swing by the shelter? I want to talk to Jacob."

Nikki smiled, "That's really sweet Brent. But you should know that they don't always stick around. Sometimes they only stay a night then move on."

"Well, I want to stop and check anyway."

"OK. Sure. It's only a few minutes away."

Father Hackett was apologetic. "Sorry Nikki, but Jacob left early this morning. And despite my best efforts, I couldn't get him to take the money."

Brent asked anxiously, "Did he say where he was going? Did you see which way he went?"

Father Hackett replied, "He only said it was time to go home."

Brent sighed, "OK. Thanks Father. Please keep the money to help with the shelter."

Father Hackett said, "Oh, I can't. Jacob made me promise to return it to you. He was quite insistent." He handed Brent the $100.

Brent felt bad about taking the money, but he felt even worse about Jacob. The old man was out there somewhere, wandering around in the cold. He wanted to do something but had no idea what.

Nikki pulled his arm and said, "Come on Brent. You've done all you can for him."

As they walked out of the shelter he asked her, "How do you do it? How can you come here and see these people and feel like you've done enough?"

Nikki sighed, "I do all that I can and sometimes more. But giving them every penny I have won't even come close to solving the problem. When you have worked with the homeless for a while you find that they don't expect you to suffer just because they are suffering. A lot of them don't really want any help at all, and the ones that do, don't usually want a handout. At the end of every day I ask myself, 'Did I help someone today?' And if the answer is yes, then I know I made a difference."

Brent realized Nikki was rationalizing. It was obviously her way of dealing with the frustration of not being able to fix something that seemed unfixable.

Nikki brightened, "I thought we were going to celebrate."

Brent shrugged, "OK. I guess you are right."

She smiled, "I know the perfect place."

Nikki drove to a little Italian restaurant just off the strip where she was obviously a regular. They were escorted right to a secluded little table away from the bustle of the main dining area. Once their order had been placed, they chatted idly, sipping wine while the chef prepared their meal. Nikki was an enchanting date, and Brent soon forgot about Jacob and the shelter. A couple hours later, his appetite sated and a little buzzed from the wine they walked out of the restaurant.

Brent's thoughts were thoroughly indecent as he pulled Nikki into a warm embrace and kissed her. He asked, "How can I ever thank you for all that you've done for me?"

Nikki kissed him back and than said, "I can think of a few ways..." She slid her hand down over his stiffening penis and said, "And I think I just found one." Then she giggled and pushed him away, "But not just yet. Let's go do something fun."

Brent gazed at the skyline and focused on a nearby casino, which just happened to be the same one where he lost all of his money only a day earlier. He felt a sudden rush of excitement and a bold, new confidence compelling him to try his luck. He nodded at the casino, "Want to try your luck?"

Nikki smiled, "Is that $100 burning a hole in your pocket?"

Brent laughed, "I guess it is." Then he said more seriously, "I really want another crack at that place."

Nikki smiled, "OK. But you are on your own. I never gamble."

Brent couldn't believe his ears, "You live in Vegas and you don't gamble?"

She snuggled up against him, "Nope. But I do like to watch. Let's just see how far you can play that $100."

* * *

Brent sat down at the very same Blackjack table, in the very same seat where he had lost $5000 only yesterday. Nikki was standing close behind him, sipping on a drink, looking like one of those fabulous women you always see wrapped around James Bond. She kissed him for luck and he placed his single, $100 chip on the bet circle and waited for the cards to be dealt.

On the very first hand Brent drew 20 on three cards and beat the dealer's 19. On the very next hand, the dealer busted and everybody won. An hour later, he was up $1,000 and clearly on a roll. When there was a pause while they switched dealers, he turned to Nikki and said, "I feel much better now. If you are bored, we can go someplace else."

Nikki's blue eyes were sparkling and she exclaimed, "Are you kidding? You haven't lost more than a three hands in the last hour. This is very exciting."

Brent grinned, "OK. But as soon as I lose two in a row, we are out of here."

The lucky streak persisted and Brent continued to win. At one point when he was up $5,000, he considered cashing out, but Nikki convinced him to stick with it. When he finally hit $15,000 he decided that it was enough for one night. He tipped the dealer $200, and a moment later a casino security man showed up with paperwork for him to sign. The security man left with his chips and returned a couple minutes later with a check for his winnings.

As they drove the short distance to Nikki's place, they laughed and talked excitedly about how Brent had played hand after hand, marveling at how he always seemed to make the right moves. He had never experienced such a run of luck in his life, and he hoped it would continue for a while longer. In the elevator on the way up to her condo, he pulled Nikki close and said, "I couldn't have done it without you." Then he kissed her passionately until the elevator doors opened on her floor.

Nikki opened the door and pulled him inside, kissing Brent with an intensity that surprised her. "Give me a few minutes," she whispered and then disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Sitting on the bed for a moment, she tried to catch her breath, confused by the excitement she felt. Ever since meeting Brent yesterday, Nikki had noticed that her heart seemed to beat a little faster whenever she was near him.

But tonight she had sensed something in him that was especially attractive and incredibly arousing. The whole time she had watched him in the casino; her pussy had been wet and throbbing. And when Brent had kissed her in the elevator she had experienced a short but powerful orgasm. No one had ever made her cum by just kissing her before.

When Nikki walked into the living room again, she found Brent standing by the large picture window, looking out over the skyline. She snuggled up against his back, put her arms around him, and started to kiss his neck. He felt warm and tingly, almost electric and she gasped softly as she felt another wave of excitement course through her body, ending up in her already wet pussy.

Brent never took his eyes off the lights as he said, "I can't believe how lucky I got tonight. First thing tomorrow I am giving half of this money to Father Hackett."

Nikki kissed his neck again and whispered, "The night isn't over baby. I think you are about to get lucky again."

Brent turned, seeing for the first time that she had again transformed herself into Nikki Lust. Her golden hair was cascading down over her perfect breasts which were practically spilling out of a sexy, sheer mesh babydoll nightie. The tiny g-string panties she wore underneath left just enough to the imagination to entice and arouse, drawing attention to her long, shapely legs which were perched on top of three inch spiked slippers. But it was Nikki's deep blue eyes, smoldering with desire and her highly sensual mouth, painted a deep ruby red that riveted his attention.

Soundlessly Brent picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, kissing her hungrily, matching her raging desire with his own. Nikki let out a low, whimpering moan as his tongue parted her hot lips and slowly explored her mouth. She gently responded with the longest, sweetest, most sensual kiss he had ever experienced, slowing him while still fanning the flames of his desire. Reluctantly, he laid her gently on the cool, crisp satin sheets, overwhelmed by her incredible physical beauty and powerless to resist her.

Without a thought, Nikki assumed an alluring, highly erotic pose; becoming a living, breathing, sculpture; an incarnation of pure lust, every glance an invitation, every movement a temptation. It was pure instinct for her, ingrained in her DNA and as natural as breathing. She was simply reacting to his intense need and strong male presence; as powerless to stop it as he was to resist it.

"My God Nikki, you are so beautiful."

Never taking his eyes from her face, Brent slowly removed his clothes and then dropped his boxers; his long, purple headed shaft jutting out sharply from his body and bobbing in time with his racing heartbeat. Nikki slid her tongue slowly across her lips and Brent groaned as he felt himself stiffen and stretch even more. Aching for her touch, he moved to the side of the bed, throbbing with anticipation.

Nikki never did anything sexual with haste. To her, every position, every activity was an opportunity to savor, to prolong the pleasure, and delay the inevitable. Even her orgasms were long and drawn out; tremendous releases of pent up tension resulting in indescribable delight and unbelievable gratification for both her and her partner.