by Brynley Bush
“How can you be sitting here calmly eating dinner?” she demands. “I’m literally dying having to wait until tonight to find out if you guys get to stay, but at the same time I’m totally dreading tonight because I can’t bear it if you leave.”
Ava opens her mouth to answer, but I squeeze her knee under the table in silent warning. The results haven’t been made public yet. She glances at me before returning to Tessa.
“Hopefully we’ll get enough votes to stay,” Ava says to her friend. “To be honest, I think we’re going to be okay.” She stresses the word honest as she shoots me a pointed look.
“I hope so,” Tessa says. “I can’t believe Rebecca set you up like that. She and Megan totally planned that.” She looks at me. “Can we report her? She shouldn’t be able to get away with it!”
Luke tugs his submissive’s hair affectionately as he slides into the seat next to her. “Who’s getting away with what?”
“Rebecca!” Tessa spits the name out vehemently.
Luke looks at me. “Do you really think she tried to get you guys eliminated on purpose?”
“It certainly looked that way, although we don’t have any proof. It would be hard to call her out on it publicly if we can’t prove it. It would just be our word against hers, and we’d end up looking like sore losers if we get voted off and petty if we stay on. It’s a lose-lose situation.” I glance at Ava. “I could talk to Emmett about it, though,” I suggest.
She shakes her head.
I frown. “Or you could,” I add reluctantly.
“I think we should let it go,” she says. “I don’t want Emmett to be affected because of Rebecca. Now that we know what she’s capable of, we’ll just have to be more careful around her.” Turning to Tessa, she adds, “I saw her trip you at Western Night. I think she wasn’t happy that you were talking to me. I don’t want you to become her target because we’re friends. I’ll totally understand if you want to distance yourself from me.”
Tessa looks at Ava in surprised indignation. “What? I’m not going to be bullied by her. She doesn’t get to decide who I’m friends with. Sorry, Ava, you’re stuck with me!”
A little later, as we’re getting ready for the show, Ava says quietly, “Why did Logan tell you we hadn’t been voted off if the results hadn’t been officially released? You know an awful lot about what’s going on with the show, and you and Logan seem to be very friendly with each other for having only met a few weeks ago.”
I sit down on the bed and gesture for her to sit next to me. She obediently perches on the edge of the mattress and looks at me expectantly. “Honesty, remember?” she says softly.
I sigh. She has a point. I can’t expect her to be honest with me if I’m not willing to do the same. “Logan has been my best friend since we were ten. He’s the friend who talked me into coming onto the show.”
Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Seriously?”
I nod. “But I can assure you that I’m not getting any special treatment because of it, and neither will you. Logan and I agreed that if I entered, I’d be like any other contestant on the show. I earned my points for the auction fair and square, and audience vote has always dictated our position on the show, not Logan. We aren’t going home tonight because the pay-per-view audience voted for us. In fact, we’re somehow in first place after last night.”
“What? How?”
“Hell if I know,” I say with a shrug. “Maybe they just like to see you defy me.”
A tiny smile crosses her face as she looks down.
“Speaking of the audience,” I continue, “I’ve been thinking about your inexperience with BDSM, and I think if we’re going to stand a chance on the show, we have to let the audience in on that and use it to our advantage. The rest of the submissives have experience on you, so we have to use what we’ve got, which is your innocence and naïveté.”
“How can my inexperience be an advantage?” she asks dubiously.
“There’s something both intriguing and provocative about seeing a natural submissive like you experience dominance and submission for the first time as you explore your boundaries and embrace who you are, and in watching the right Dom uncover it. And I am the right Dom,” I assure her confidently. “If we can pull the audience in on the journey along with us, they’ll become invested in seeing us make it on the show. Plus, there’s a raw emotional reaction you exhibit that can’t be duplicated. It’s why your photos in the Helix Room were so powerful. The viewers love your innocence and the sheer, brutally honest way you respond to things. That can’t be faked, and it’s priceless. We should use it to our benefit.”
“I don’t think I’m a natural submissive, but if you think this will help us win, I’m all for it,” she agrees reluctantly. “How do we do that?”
“I was thinking we could have lunch tomorrow off-site but on camera, and go over my expectations of you as my submissive and review the hard-and-soft-limits list you filled out. That will take care of some necessary business we have as well as let the audience in on the new dynamic.”
“Why review my limits list?”
“For one thing, one significant hard limit has changed, hasn’t it?”
She bites her bottom lip and nods, and I have to remind myself that we have to leave for the Cirque show in five minutes. Otherwise I’d have her facedown and ass up with me buried inside her in two seconds flat.
“Maybe some of your other limits have changed too,” I suggest.
Her eyes flash. “You are not using a cattle prod on me!”
My lips twitch. “If I remember correctly, that wasn’t just a no, but a hell-no. I was actually thinking the opposite. Given your inexperience, I’m not sure you knew everything you were agreeing to when you filled it out the first time. I have to know you’re going into this with your eyes open before we continue.”
“Oh,” she says, her eyes widening with surprise. “Okay.” She reaches up to tentatively trace the line of my jaw with her finger. “You are a nice guy whether you acknowledge it or not, Roman Castile.”
I turn my head and catch her finger between my teeth, biting down before I release it. “Don’t forget that I bite,” I warn softly. “The limousines are downstairs waiting. We should go.”
Her brow furrows in thought. “Can I ask you one more thing about your friendship with Logan? Had you two planned the photo shoot in the Helix Room ahead of time?”
I shake my head with a rueful smile. “No. That was completely impromptu. But I’m glad it worked out for you. Although Logan still isn’t happy about me driving up the price.”
She smiles at me then, a bright, dazzling smile that makes me want nothing more than to make her smile again. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. Speaking of my pleasure…”
Her smile falters slightly, even as her eyes widen.
“Your training begins tomorrow.”
* * * *
I leave Ava to her own devices the next morning until the limousine picks us up in front of the Helix. I want this meeting to be symbolic of the beginning of Ava’s true submission to me. I’d told Logan what I wanted, and he’d arranged a private dining room at Lemongrass in the Aria Hotel so the crew could set up their cameras and then leave while Ava and I discuss the details of our new agreement uninterrupted.
When she meets me downstairs in the lobby at noon, she’s dressed in a short, gauzy, floral sundress with spaghetti straps that reveal her creamy shoulders, and white wedge heels that make her several inches taller, although still not quite tall enough to look me in the eye.
“Not a wise choice of outfits,” I comment as I climb into the limousine after her.
“Why? What’s wrong with it?” she asks in surprise, smoothing the skirt down self-consciously.
“It makes me want to push you back against the seat and fuck you senseless.”
Her pupils dilate. “Oh,” she says, but there’s a small smile of satisfaction on her face.
I’m not joking. She looks fuck
ing gorgeous, and her dress laces provocatively up the back, inspiring me with visions of the numerous ways I could get her out of it.
A few minutes later, we pull up in front of the Aria, and she turns to me with a hint of misgiving in her eyes. “You’re sure this is what we should do?”
I nod. “Positive.”
“But we didn’t talk about what we’re going to say, or how we’re going to handle it,” she begins.
I silence her with a finger pressed to her lips. “Trust me, Ava. Let’s go.”
The Aria is almost as luxurious as the Helix, and Ava gapes at the huge butterflies hanging overhead as I guide her through the glass-walled lobby with my hand pressed firmly against the small of her back. Inside the restaurant, which has a sleekly sophisticated decor inspired by a Thai silk factory, we’re immediately shown to a private dining room that’s dominated by a large round table. I pull out a chair for Ava and take a seat on the opposite side of the table. She watches me warily. I order iced teas for both of us, and as the waiter leaves, Ava looks around the small dining room. Her eyes fixate on the two cameras blatantly positioned in either corner, and she takes a deep, nervous breath.
“Ava!” The sharp command brings her gaze back to me. “Forget about the cameras. Just focus on me.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
We order food—spicy papaya salad, steamed rice, and wok-tossed lobster—and once it’s been served, I pull out Ava’s checklist.
“Do you know why we’re here?” I ask her.
She looks across the table at me in surprise. “To go over my checklist,” she says matter-of-factly. Then she glances back at the camera, and comprehension flares in her eyes.
“Yes, to go over your checklist, but also to go over my rules and expectations of you as my submissive. Since it’s recently come to light that you’re completely new to BDSM, I want to make sure everything that happens between us is safe, sane, and consensual. That means we will discuss exactly what I expect from you so that you know exactly what you are agreeing to. Open honesty is essential. No more surprises.” I look at her pointedly.
“After this meeting, once we’ve negotiated your limits and you’ve accepted my rules, we will continue with the games in a true Dom-and-submissive relationship. I will train you, discipline you, and use you as I see fit, and while I promise to stay within the limits you set, I won’t stop unless you use your safe word. Do you understand?”
She looks pale, but she nods.
“However, you can use the word yellow if you become extremely uncomfortable, either mentally or physically, and want me to slow down or stop something without stopping the scene. I will then stop and check in with you to see what’s going on, and we’ll discuss it. After that, I may or may not continue, depending on what I deem appropriate under the circumstances. That’s what should have happened during Western Night,” I add firmly.
“Okay,” she murmurs contritely.
“All right, let’s move on to my rules. First, until we are voted off the show, I own you. Your body is mine to use as I wish. You now agree that will include sexual intercourse. Is that correct?”
She looks at the cameras.
“Avalon! Eyes on me!”
Her gaze returns to mine, but she looks like she might bolt at any moment. “Do you now agree to sexual intercourse?” I ask more gently.
She nods. “But only with you.”
The thought of her with someone else makes my blood boil. “Only with me,” I confirm tersely. I make a note of the change on her contract and push it across the table for her to initial. With a furtive glance at the camera, she hastily scrawls her initials next to the change and pushes it back to me.
“Since your body is mine, that also means that your pleasure is mine, which means you may not come without my permission, ever, or touch yourself without my permission,” I continue strictly. “If you do, you will be punished. Do you understand and agree?”
She nods again.
“I will strive my hardest to know you and know what you need, and in return you will trust me to take care of you. Accordingly, I will expect you to obey me at all times without hesitation. Your focus should always be on pleasing me.”
“What?” Her voice is tinged with outrage. “That’s so…archaic. All I should care about is pleasing you?”
“Yes.” Those green eyes slay me. “I’ll see that you get your share of pleasure as well,” I add softly.
She blushes. “What if it’s something I don’t want to do?” she presses.
“You’ll obey me anyway. That’s part of being submissive. You give the control to me. As your Dom, I will respect your limits, but I will also push them.”
I lean forward intently. “You know what I am, Avalon. I’ve been very up-front with you about what I like. I’m a sadist; I want your pain. At times I may bring you to tears, but if I do, it’s because they please me; your tears are mine just the same as your body is. I will give you pain, and I will enjoy it, but you will too. You’ve already had a taste of it.” I lower my voice seductively. “I want to show you the powerful pleasure that can coexist with perfect pain.”
She glances up at the camera again. “I don’t cry,” she murmurs defiantly.
We’ll see about that. I continue. “I will set the rules, and if you violate them, I will punish you. Afterward you will thank me for the punishment.”
That gets her attention. “I’m supposed to thank you for punishing me?” she asks, flabbergasted, and I have to fight back a smile. “What kind of punishment?”
“Punishment can be anything—I may spank you, whip you, give you a writing assignment, or take away a privilege. And sometimes I’ll spank you simply because I can and because I enjoy it, and to remind you of your place.”
“This doesn’t seem fair at all,” she huffs, folding her arms across her chest.
“It’s not meant to be fair,” I say.
“Isn’t this supposed to be negotiable?” she asks a little wildly.
“The fine points are negotiable. The basic rules are not. If you want to be my submissive for the remainder of the games, you’ll agree to them.”
“Well, fuck,” she grumbles.
“This is what you asked me for, Avalon,” I remind her softly. “You said you wanted to be my submissive and give yourself completely to me. This is what that means. Do you still want this? Now is your chance to quit if this isn’t what you want.”
“I don’t want to quit,” she whispers, her gaze flitting back to the camera briefly.
“You will wear a collar as a symbol of my ownership and your submission to me. You will do what I command you to do, immediately and unquestioningly. Do you agree?”
Ava’s quiet for a long time, worrying her lip so much with her teeth that it’s all I can do not to reach across the table and kiss her until she can’t breathe or think or do anything but give in to me. But this has to be her decision. I’ve never taken a woman unwillingly before, and I’m not about to start.
I can tell by her expressive eyes that she’s shocked and outraged and maybe even a little appalled by my words. But while her mind seems to resist everything I’ve suggested, her body clearly craves it. Her skin is flushed, her pupils are huge, and the tablecloth rustles as she shifts in her seat, her thighs no doubt pressing together tightly under the table. I would bet my entire company that her panties are damp beneath that tantalizingly short little dress.
Finally, her gaze meets mine. “I agree.”
Thank God. She had mesmerized me before I ever touched her. Now that I’ve had a taste of her, the thought of initiating her into my world and molding her into the perfect submissive for me is downright intoxicating.
“Thank you, Avalon.”
She colors prettily and then looks at the cameras again before looking back at me. “Should we discuss the hard and soft limits now?”
I stare at her, wanting to savor this moment.
“Or not,” she adds belatedly when I don’t answer. “
Um, what do you want to do?”
“I want to unlace you out of that dress and have you right here on the dining room table,” I growl honestly.
Her eyes widen. “But the cameras…” she whispers.
“I don’t give a damn about the cameras, and neither should you. Focus on me, Avalon.” I raise one eyebrow. “Unless you’d like a little taste of punishment right now?”
She swallows audibly before shaking her head. I pass a copy of the contract she filled out before the show across the table to her. “Turn to the second page, please.”
She obediently turns the page.
“You’ve indicated you’re okay with any and all kinds of restraints and bondage,” I continue. “Do you want to go over any of these? Do you have any questions?”
She shakes her head mutely.
“So no changes?”
“No.” Her answer is barely audible.
“All right, the next page covers toys. Anything here you’re unfamiliar with?”
She laughs. “I’m unfamiliar with all of it!”
“Okay, let’s start at the top. You’ve experienced clamps. You’ve also worn a plug, so I’m going to assume you’re okay with that. How about dildos and vibrators?”
“Can we just not do this?” she begs, her voice ragged.
I look up at her in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“This!” She gestures at the paper in front of her. “I don’t want to go over this again; it was hard enough the first time. If you make me go through this item by item, I’m going to run, and I probably won’t stop until I get back to New York. I don’t know what anything is or whether I would like it or not, other than the things I’ve already listed as hard limits. You decide. I trust you. That’s what this is about, right?”
I sit back, stunned. “You’re willing to agree to whatever I want, carte blanche?”
