Owned (Office Intrigue Book 8)

by Nicole Edwards

  Micah’s eyes opened, his hand pausing on his hard, ridiculously thick cock.

  “Don’t mind him,” Zion told Braelyn. “He’s following my instructions. I find I relax more when he’s around.”

  Braelyn was still staring at the naked man affixed to the wall. Micah’s arms were free, but his thighs and torso were bracketed with steel braces that were attached to the wall, his heels precariously perched on shallow metal steps protruding out of the wall, to counterbalance gravity, of course. His balls were hanging lower than normal thanks to the weights dangling between his legs, but his cock was iron hard, held firmly in his fist.

  “I didn’t mean to intrude,” Braelyn said, her eyes snapping back to Zion’s face as though she was embarrassed to have witnessed a naked man jacking off.

  “No need to apologize. Micah goes where I go,” Zion said, as though that would reassure her. “And I use him at my leisure.”

  That he did. And since Micah had been Zion’s possession for nearly five years, I figured it worked for the two of them.

  “Zion is one of Owned’s very first clients,” I explained to Braelyn. “It took him some time, but he finally found Micah.”

  “After several attempts, mind you,” Zion said, his rough, raspy voice sounding strained although it was not. The man’s vocal cords had been severely injured thanks to a bullet that, according to all the doctors and surgeons, should’ve killed him. I was grateful it had not. I considered Zion my most valued employee, as well as my closest friend.

  Braelyn glanced from Zion to me then back again. “That’s what you do? You … what? Sell humans?”

  I laughed. “Not exactly. However, I do cater to those who want to own and to be owned. I simply provide an unparalleled service for them to get acquainted.”

  I was not surprised when her jaw fell open and she was speechless.

  I got that a lot, actually.

  EIGHTEEN

  Braelyn

  Try as I might, it was difficult not to let my gaze stray back to the naked man strapped to the wall.

  For one, he was a naked man. Strapped to a wall.

  Seriously.

  However, I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was disturbing. No, there was something extremely provocative about the scene. Zion sitting at his desk, working away while his … possession … stroked himself.

  How in the world did anyone get any work done like that? I mean, Micah was a fine-looking man. His body was a complex mix of hard angles and chiseled muscles. And yes, I was the sort of woman who could appreciate such a thing.

  But there was a time and place for everything, right? And to have your play toy jacking off in the office… Seemed a bit distracting to me.

  “Miss Bishop?” Zion said, his raspy voice low.

  I glanced back at him, hating that I’d been watching Micah.

  “Shall I have him return to what he was doing?” Zion asked, a teasing note in his harshly rasped words.

  I swallowed, forced a smile. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to stare.”

  “He’s quite impressive, no?”

  “Yes,” I admitted, refusing to look over at Micah again.

  “Micah, resume.”

  Yep, my head swung around once more as Micah began stroking his massive erection. The instant his actions registered, I pivoted toward Talon, urging him with my eyes to take me elsewhere.

  Clearly he read my silent plea, because, after exchanging a few words with Zion regarding whatever was on the computer screen, he led the way out of Zion’s office, back through the rest of the space. It was a nice layout, I had to admit. Everything one would expect in an office setting. Naked men strapped to walls notwithstanding.

  By the time we reached the stairs, my head was spinning.

  And here I thought nothing would shock me. Considering I’d heard plenty of stories from Ransom regarding the ins and outs of BDSM, the fascinating tales about the clubs catering to those in the lifestyle, as well as some glazed-over details of his exploits, I figured I’d heard it all.

  Nope.

  Talon was right. Tame by comparison.

  Ransom had failed to mention there were people who strapped their human toys to walls and had them jack off while they worked.

  Sure, I knew what a submissive was, and there’d been mention of sexual slaves a time or two, but I’d always thought those were in reference to playtime. Those intimate sexual encounters where one pretends to be under the Dominant’s spell. Not some twenty-four-seven ordeal.

  And no, I wasn’t a prude, didn’t think sex was resigned to the bedroom, but this seemed a bit extreme.

  I managed to hold my tongue while we headed back up to the main floor, escaping the inner sanctum of Owned, Incorporated. But my silence didn’t last once we were out of earshot of the others.

  “When you refer to a possession being owned…?” I swallowed as I glanced back toward the stairs. “I mean, Micah for example. What exactly does that entail?”

  “Zion controls every aspect of Micah’s life. What he eats, when he eats it. What he wears, what he does, what he says. If Zion wishes for silence, Micah will not speak. If Zion wants Micah to jack off…” Talon grinned.

  “No questions asked?”

  Talon’s head cocked slightly to the left. “No questions allowed.”

  Who would want that? To be at the beck and call of another person at all times? And what sort of traumatic life experience had them taking a drastic turn in that direction?

  As we stepped out onto the veranda off the enormous living room, I considered my next words carefully. “Fine. Say there are people who enjoy that sort of thing—”

  “There are,” Talon confirmed. “This island’s full of them.”

  Right.

  “There has to be an upside. For the possession? They’re getting something out of it. Money?”

  “Personal satisfaction. Would you like something to drink?” Talon offered.

  “Yes. Something really strong,” I sputtered before tacking on, “I’m kidding. I’m good. Thank you.” It was way too early to be indulging in alcohol. Later, though.

  Turning to face the beautiful pools and the exquisite flora below, my thoughts drifted to Micah once more. Not only had he been completely naked, he’d been pinned to the wall by steel shackles, put on display for anyone who stepped into that office. Not that he seemed to care. Not if the way he had been—

  Yeah. I needed to get my mind off that and fast.

  “Personal satisfaction,” I echoed his response. “So you’re saying they simply want to be berated and used.”

  There was a hint of disapproval when Talon replied with, “A little harsh, don’t you think?”

  “Was that not what it was?” I asked, spinning to face Talon. “Micah was strapped to the wall, forced to…” I waved my hand for Talon to fill in blanks. “While Zion pretended he wasn’t there.”

  Talon moved closer, peering down, his eyes seeming to stare deep into my soul. “Possessions aren’t like submissives, Braelyn. They have one single goal: to please their Owner. That means a command from the Owner is gospel, something they cherish and revere. There’s trust between the two of them, and the possession knows when he or she is issued a directive, it’s for a reason.”

  It sounded so simple, but I knew it couldn’t be. Nothing in this world was simple.

  “And that’s what goes on here?” I asked, turning around again to face the grounds below.

  “Yes.”

  I shifted my attention to the cascading waterfall in the distance. It was a beautiful design. The trickling water flowed over several levels of stone, filling small pools along the way, continuing until the water flowed into the main swimming pools.

  “How exactly does someone buy another person?”

  “Money does not exchange hands between the Owner and the possession. The Owner pays fees for a service, for the ability to find someone who suits their needs, someone who’s willing and able to fulfill their need to dominate and control.
Someone who wants the same thing they do.”

  I pivoted to face him, inhaling sharply when one of Talon’s possessions—Ari, I believe—stepped forward, holding up a tray with a crystal flute perched on it. I hadn’t realized he was there, but clearly he’d been waiting for me to turn around.

  “Mimosa,” Talon informed me. “Might take the edge off.”

  I wasn’t a big champagne drinker, but I accepted it. I was on edge, and right now, I needed to chill, because I got the feeling this was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

  “How does it work?” I asked after I took a long swallow, surprised by how smooth it was. In my experience, the champagne always overpowered the orange juice. Not the case here. “Obtaining a possession?”

  “I’m more than happy to share all the details, but I find it’s easier to understand if you see it firsthand. Please remember, it’s not information I divulge to just anyone. As you can imagine, what we do isn’t something that’s public knowledge.”

  That I believed. Far too much risk. Especially in the public eye.

  I took another drink. “As you can see, I’m not in a position to alert the media.”

  His eyes narrowed. Clearly not amused.

  “If you want me to work for you, it’s important I know what it entails, right?”

  Talon moved forward again, this time close enough I was forced to look up to hold his gaze. I could feel the heat of his body against mine, felt my knees turn to jelly at my body’s insane reaction to him.

  His finger glided along my jaw slowly, back and forth. “Working for me’s not the only thing I want from you, Braelyn.”

  “What do you want?” My words were so softly spoken I was surprised he heard them. Surprised I spoke them.

  Talon leaned in, his lips brushing mine. “Everything.”

  My belly went topsy-turvy, my skin heating, my respiratory system kicking into overdrive. No one had ever said something so … seductive to me. I probably should’ve felt like one of his playthings, but oddly, I didn’t. Well, maybe a little. Regardless, I was intoxicated by the rush it gave me.

  That rush intensified when his hand covered my throat, his long fingers cupping my jaw and holding me securely so that I couldn’t move. There was no pain, just a clear delineation between our roles. He was in control.

  Our eyes remained locked, and I could see the intensity swirling in those molten gray orbs as Talon leaned in. When his lips came over mine, I inhaled before giving myself over to his kiss.

  At that moment, my world spun and shifted, every single molecule in my being focused solely on how dominating his tongue was as it took what it wanted, licking, tasting. My breasts were hypersensitive, my pussy throbbing, and I had this overwhelming urge to climb his body, to hold on for dear life and let him take me for a ride that I knew would alter my life forever.

  Part of me expected the kiss to be quick, but it wasn’t. In fact, it intensified even more when Talon pressed me into the rail, his hard body pinning me in place as his hands moved, roughly gripping my head in a manner that told me he couldn’t stop himself. I understood all too well because no one had kissed me like this.

  “Kissing you…” Talon murmured, “it’s my new addiction.”

  That pretty much said it all. This wasn’t a simple mating of tongues. It was a clash of energy that caused vibrations to radiate through my nerve endings. It was a violent hunger that couldn’t quite be sated. I went with my instinct to reach for him, gripping his hip with one hand, sliding my thumb into the belt loop on his jeans, and securing myself to him so he couldn’t get away.

  Not that he was trying. No. Not Talon. He was in full control, inhaling, devouring. And here I was, on the opposite end of the spectrum. I’d never felt so out of control, so dangerously close to losing myself.

  It wasn’t until the glass I was holding in my other hand disappeared that reality came back. Thinking I’d dropped it, I expected the glass to shatter, but it never did. That was when I remembered Ari was there. He’d taken it. He was watching us.

  “Talon,” I mumbled against his mouth, attempting to break the spell because we had an audience.

  To my surprise, his lips retreated, but he didn’t release me, pulling back just enough to stare down into my eyes.

  “I want you,” he growled softly.

  “I want you, too,” I admitted, surprised by my boldness as well as my sincerity.

  “Fuck.” Talon jerked me into him, once again crushing his mouth to mine. His hands slid beneath my arms, lifting me like I weighed nothing, until I was suspended, my legs dangling. Without thought, I wrapped my legs around his waist, hooking my ankles so that my body was as close to his as it could possibly get.

  While I kissed him, I ground myself against the iron-hard length of him, trying to get the friction necessary to ease the ridiculous ache building inside me. It wasn’t enough, but that didn’t stop me from dry humping him as I threw myself into the kiss.

  The next thing I knew, he was moving, walking away from the railing, back toward the house; all the while, he ate at my mouth.

  When he stopped, I held on as he leaned forward. A few seconds later, I felt a cushion at my back, realized he was laying me out on the plush outdoor sofa that was set off in a corner section of the veranda. It offered no more privacy than what we’d had before, but it felt more intimate.

  “I. Want. You,” Talon bit out, coming over me. “Like I’ve never wanted any fucking thing in my life.”

  There was so much conviction in his tone, it should’ve scared me. It probably would have if I hadn’t spent the past twenty-four hours thinking about this man, about how badly I wanted him. Fantasizing about being at his mercy. And here I was in that exact place I’d imagined myself being.

  “Now, Braelyn.”

  Oh, God.

  I knew I should’ve held off, delayed somehow so that I could get my bearings. It would’ve been the smart thing to do.

  But smart wasn’t an option because my brain was mush. I was ruled solely by my hormones, my desperate need to feel him inside me. I ached in a manner that was painful, and I knew the only way to alleviate the devastation was to give myself to him.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  From that moment, there was no finesse. Talon’s mouth was once again on mine, hard and hungry. He levered himself over me with one hand while his other yanked and jerked at the button on my shorts. Desperation drove me, had me helping him until my shorts were off, his jeans were unbuttoned and shoved down his hips.

  Talon pulled back, staring down at me as I felt his flesh pushing against me, sliding into my slickness. There was something we were forgetting, but for the life of me, I didn’t know what.

  My hands went to his back, sliding beneath his T-shirt, pulling him closer. And when he drove into me in one soul-shattering thrust, I dug my nails into his skin, arched my back, and came with a vengeance.

  “Christ,” Talon exclaimed, his hips retreating.

  And then he was fucking me. It was wild, it was spontaneous, and it was the most satisfying feeling. To be at his mercy, to have him filling me, taking me, owning me. In that fraction of a heartbeat, I belonged to him in every way, and it was a rush so intense I felt my head spinning once more.

  “Braelyn,” he whispered against my ear as he slid his arms beneath me, holding me so that our bodies were pressed together intimately from chest to knee. “God, baby.”

  I came again and again, crying out each time, not caring who heard me, because the only thing that mattered right then was Talon.

  When he gripped my hair, yanking my head back, I cried out again. Not from pain but from overwhelming pleasure. The way he manhandled me … there was a lack of control to it that told me he couldn’t restrain himself. That was a power I wielded as far as I was concerned, and it was a heady feeling.

  His other hand slid beneath my knee, lifting my leg, changing the angle as he rocked in deeper than I thought possible. Another orgasm crested, and my body was begin
ning to wear down, my energy flagging, the intensity of the orgasms zapping my strength.

  Talon’s voice lowered to a guttural growl, his next words spoken directly into my ear. “I’m going to come inside you, Braelyn.”

  It wasn’t a request and it wasn’t a warning. It was merely fact.

  And I couldn’t see beyond the exquisite feeling he drove into me. There was no rhyme or reason. I was motivated by sheer sensation and obliterating pleasure.

  “Yes,” I pleaded. “Yes, Talon.” I whimpered, the pleasure cresting once more, another orgasm building.

  Talon groaned long and low, his hips slamming forward one final time.

  His release triggered mine, this one wringing me out completely and leaving me sated for the first time in my entire life.

  *

  TALON

  An out-of-body experience.

  That was the only way I could describe that overwhelming, vicious need that had consumed me. It had driven me right to the point of madness, made me do something I’d never before done: lose control.

  Now, as I remained buried inside Braelyn’s silky heat, I had no desire to withdraw, to walk away, to go about my business, which was my usual MO. When it came to sex, it had always been a means to an end. With my possessions, it sated an urge, relieved stress, even passed the time. With Braelyn … hell, I didn’t know what happened, but I knew I wanted it to happen again. And soon.

  Lifting my head, I studied her face. “Did I hurt you?”

  Her smile went right through me. “Only in the best possible way.”

  I feared she was lying, but I couldn’t see any untruth in her eyes. It wouldn’t have surprised me one bit to find out she was a virgin based on how fucking tight she was.

  “Ari, bring me a washcloth.”

  It was then Braelyn’s expression shifted to one of embarrassment. She’d clearly forgotten Ari was there.

  I didn’t give her time to think about it, settling my mouth on hers, sliding my tongue inside, rocking my hips gently as my cock thickened once again. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d kissed someone. Certainly not my possessions, nor any of the submissives I’d been with over the years. I’d never considered kissing to be something I might enjoy. Not until I’d kissed Braelyn. Now I wasn’t sure it was something I could live without.