by Tl Reeve
After regaining her equilibrium, she glanced up. She cursed when she couldn’t spot her date. Her heart plummeted. Damn it, she’d been so close to him.
“Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?” Thomas. She’d know his voice anywhere. As his arm wrapped around her middle, pulling her flush to his hard body, a jolt of awareness rushed through her.
A soft moan passed her lips, and she relaxed into his hold. “I can’t say that I have, but, then again, I’ve never met the devil before.”
Thomas rubbed his thick rod against her ass, tempting her. “You have now,” he whispered, before nipping the shell of her ear. “So, my pretty little virgin, would you care to dance?”
How he could talk coherently, she didn’t know. While they swayed together to the beat of the music, all of her brain-to-mouth functions stopped. With one touch, he’d singed all of her synapses, leaving her a pile of goo.
“I don’t think my papa would approve,” she gasped, feeling Thomas’s lips at the crook of her neck. Aggressive, thy name is Thomas.
“Do pretty little girls always do what their papa wants them to do? Or do you break the rules occasionally?” His voice became a sensual rumble as he led her farther out onto the dance floor. “I bet there’s a naughty girl buried deep under that good-girl exterior. Why don’t you let her out so we can play, and I’ll grant you your every desire?”
“My every desire?” She wrapped her arm around his neck, feeling empowered in his arms. The disguise made it easy for her to let her guard down and enjoy herself.
“Every single one of them, my pet.”
Katarina licked her lips. The apprehension which usually settled into her belly when she was about to accept a Dom’s proposal didn’t come. She relaxed even more into their little dance and grinned. “I accept, Mephistopheles. Show me what you’ve got, Master.”
Chapter Four
Fucking hell. “What should I call you tonight, sweetling?” Thomas ran his palm up her stomach, brushing the underside of her breasts with his fingers. “A boon to you, if you give me your name.”
“Sneaky, Sir,” she said slipping away. “What’s the boon?”
“A kiss.” He grinned, pulling her back into his arms.
“Only a kiss?” She took a moment to contemplate her answer. “I don’t know. What would Papa say if he knew I’d kissed the devil?”
“Papa never has to find out,” he growled into her ear. Thomas’s hand slid down her back, palming her ass. He gave her rear a quick squeeze then chuckled when she squeaked. “Tell me, do you always do what Papa says?”
“Yes. He is my papa. A good girl always does what her papa says.”
“But, you’re not a good girl, are you, baby?” It became a torturous game they played, when all he wanted to do was get her under him so he could fuck her all night. They continued to glide across the dance floor while he murmured in her ear. “There is so much I want to show you tonight. I have waited so long and been so patient. Tell me I can have you. Tell me you’ll allow me the pleasure of taking you to heights untold. I won’t let you fall, baby. I’ll always catch you.”
Katarina pushed back a little and gazed up at him. “But, you’re not supposed to like me…what you see,” she qualified. “I’m…disfigured.”
Thomas tightened his embrace. “I saw them, baby.” He knew she meant her scars. He’d seen them when he’d approached her. Deep grooves dotted her calves, and a longer, deeper scar marked her thigh. He knew her medical history. As a courtesy to her, since she had no other family, her commanding officer had called on Thomas after the IED incident, knowing they’d served together and were friends. He had to admit his heart lodged in his throat the few days he’d sat at her bedside.
Her knee had also been reconstructed. But those first days, no one had known if she would even keep the leg. The artificial knee became a Band-Aid of sorts. It gave her time to work on building back the muscle and tendons within her leg. If the surgery had failed…. Well, he didn’t have to worry about it anymore.
He’d left before she woke. The chickenshit he’d been couldn’t even tell her what happened. The higher ups told her about her injuries and that her team had died. “You have nothing to worry about with me. I have my own scars. We’ll compare them later.”
“On you, they’re rugged and sexy. On me, they’re disgusting and horrible marks.” Is that why she wouldn’t play with him? Why she didn’t like pain? It would make sense. Though he’d never suffered the way she had, he had taken his fair share of bullets to the shoulders and abdomen. He had a scar across his chest where a militant leader had decided to use him for carving practice. It had been, however, the only slice the bastard got in. Thomas had put him into a rear choke hold and snapped his lily-livered neck.
Thomas took her hand in his and cupped his cock and balls, showing her with proof that he didn’t think her scars were disgusting at all. Her palm molded the thick outline of his erection and squeezed. “Fuck.” He grunted. “Do you believe me now, baby?”
“Yes,” she murmured.
“Now, about that boon, little girl.” He removed her hand from his crotch then tipped her chin up. “What would you like me to call you tonight?”
“Yours.”
His lips crushed hers. He swiped his tongue over her bottom lip. Peaches and cream burst on his tongue. Thomas chuckled. She’d used a flavored gloss. “Open, girl.”
She did so tentatively, while Thomas coaxed her bit by bit. When his tongue touched hers, she gasped. With gentle tugs, he drew her tongue into his mouth and sucked on it. Katarina shuddered in his arms, and her fingertips teased the hair at his nape. He rolled his hips against hers, losing himself to the heady exploration. An exhilarating mixture of lust and arousal thundered through his veins, but he needed to take his time. Soon. You’ll make her scream soon.
Thomas broke the kiss and nuzzled her nose with his own. From the corner of his eye, he spied a couple watching them. Carnal lust bloomed in the man’s eyes as his gaze touched every inch of Katarina. Jealousy didn’t prick at Thomas’s mind, just awareness and a hearty dose of pride. “I’m not the only one who believes you’re beautiful.”
The black man dressed in a butler’s uniform along with a smaller woman dressed in a maid’s costume stood by the drink table. The woman whispered something to her Dom, and he smiled, nodding at Thomas before turning his attention back to his petite partner. Their costumes were done in blacks and blues, with some purple embellishments for him and white accents for her. He had no clue what characters they portrayed, but, hey, whatever tickled their fancy.
“We have an audience,” he whispered.
Katarina followed his gaze and grinned. “That’s Sebastian Michaelis, the demon butler.” Thomas quirked a brow at her. “He’s a character from The Black Butler. The girl is Mey-rin. She’s his love interest. Super bad ass for a girl. If the costume is authentic, she has guns holstered on her thighs.” Thomas tipped his chin in their direction with a smile. “I have seen several anime costumes here, but they are the first Black Butler.”
“You enjoy anime?” He didn’t know for sure what The Black Butler consisted of, but if his girl liked it, he’d be willing to learn about it.
“Among other things. Oh, look.” She giggled. “Dracula and Jonathan Harker. Now that’s an unusual combination. I wonder who the dominant is in that relationship.”
Thomas watched the men wander past them. “If I had to guess, Dracula. Watch the way Jonathan gazes up at Dracula, even though they’re almost the same height. The way he tilts his head to the right, offering Dracula his neck as a sign of submission. The adoration in Dracula’s eyes when he gazes down at his partner. Jonathan is the sub in their budding relationship. But there is something missing. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear there should be a Mina.”
“You’ve read Bram Stoker’s Dracula?” A hint of surprise colored her words.
“Yes. It’s one of my favorites. I’m not a complete Neanderthal,” he tea
sed.
She stared up at him for a moment then laid her head on his chest. “This is quite romantic. There are so many couples here learning about their partners. Some finding that instant spark. I think it makes it easier because we’re dressed up. It’s…well, it gives you hope. You know? Like you’ll be able to find your special ‘one’ without pretense or getting in your own way.”
He knew what she meant. He’d already found his special one—had found her years ago in the desert.
From his peripheral vision, he caught a glimpse of black wings moving at a fast clip past them. “Shit.”
The big archangel stomped a path through the dancing guests, his fast pace carrying him across the space in no time. The stiffness in his spine denoted the anger vibrating through him. Next to the archangel stood Bonnie. She spoke rapidly. Her brows furrowed, and her lips turned down. When she touched his arm, Michael paused. Thomas swore he saw a thin sheet of ice spear the girl as the archangel gazed down at her.
He frowned, watching them for another second. “Will you be okay for a moment, sweetling?”
“Yes. What’s wrong?” Her brows furrowed.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll be right back.” Placing a kiss on her lips, he ran his thumb over her bottom lip before stepping away. He cut a swath through the crowd and came up behind Michael. “Hey, man, what’s going on?”
Bonnie excused herself. Tears tracked down her cheeks, and Thomas’s jaw clenched. “Bonnie informed me that my submissive for the evening was intimidated in the bathroom. One of the club employees tried to get her to stay, but she left without giving anyone a chance to fix the situation.”
“What?” He couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “Did they say who caused trouble for her?”
“No,” Michael spat. “But if I had to guess….” He winced. “Anyway, I’m out of here.”
“Damn, man. That sucks. Look, my offer still stands. If you’re ever in Los Angeles, look me up.” The big guy nodded then stormed out of the ball, his shoulders hunched and his head had been bent in dejection. What a fucked-up situation.
“What happened, Sir?” Katarina wrapped her arm around his waist, turning his attention to her.
“Our friend had to leave. His partner for the night disappeared. Excuse me, was driven off, I assume by some jealous prat not too keen on the idea of him having a good time.”
“Well, if it had been the fucking troll who almost knocked me ov—”
“What?” Thomas growled.
“Some puta shoulder checked me when I saw you,” she snarled. “She had brown hair and wore a one-piece black outfit, but I didn’t get a good look at her or her costume.”
“Damn it. Come with me.” He laced his fingers with hers and hurried over to where Bonnie sat by the door. The tears had stopped falling, but her eyes were red rimmed and puffy. “Bonnie.”
She glanced up at him and pasted on a smile. “Mephistopheles, what can I do for you and your virginal maiden?” He knew she faked the pleasantry, but he didn’t call her out.
“My sweetling has something to tell you.” Bonnie turned her green-eyed gaze to Katarina.
“I think I know who chased off that girl.” She nibbled her lip and glanced up at Thomas before continuing. “I was approaching my partner when a woman came from the direction of the bathroom and shoulder checked me. When I said something, the puta flipped me off.”
“Did you see her costume?” Bonnie sat forward, grabbing the walkie-talkie next to her.
“No.” Katarina shook her head. “All I know is that she has brown hair and she’s wearing black. I don’t believe she stuck around.”
“Madame Evangeline is not going to be happy,” she whispered. “Thank you. I’ll report this information to security and the owners.”
Thomas nodded and guided Katarina back into the ballroom. “We still have a half hour before the real party begins. Why don’t we grab a few snacks, and we can talk before we take this to the next level.” He hated that Michael’s date cut out like she did, but he wouldn’t allow their situation to destroy his evening. Not when he had his perfect sub in the palm of his hands.
“Okay.” She smiled. “I hope Michael gets some kind of recourse. It’s pretty shitty this happened to him.” Together, they walked over to the table. “So, what do you want to know?”
“Well,” he started, tucking her into his side. “What you expect from me as your Dom, and what you are willing to give me as my submissive.”
She regarded him for a moment before she spoke. “I’m not sure. I know you love pain. But….” She grabbed a plate and picked up a couple of crab cakes and Italian mushroom caps.
“But?” He stood behind her, choosing different snacks from the table. “The pain, right?”
Her head bent. “Yes.” Her loose ringlets obscured his ability to see her face. “I’ve been through too much.”
Why hadn’t he ever taken the time to ask her about her knee while she worked with him? About the shrapnel wounds? If she had bad dreams? Why hadn’t he stopped her from running? Or suggested she see a psychologist? He could kick his own ass at the moment. With everything he knew about Katarina, he should have figured out why she never played with him. Had he been that self-centered? That closed off to what he’d witnessed in her hospital room?
He’d become so hyper-focused on her, he hadn’t taken a second to step back and see the forest for the trees. Shit. This is a clusterfuck. “What if I told you my brand of pain is different? Would that help?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I wanted tonight to be my chance to give over and try. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this. I’d been meant to do this.”
Thomas smiled and pulled her into his arms, uncaring if she dropped her plate. “You can do it. I’ll be with you every step of the way. I promise, sweetling, you won’t regret it.”
Chapter Five
The music and dancing had slowed for the evening. The food and drink tables had been broken down and removed from the grand ballroom. The waiters and waitresses had been replaced with Dungeon Masters and Mistresses. When the lights dimmed, Katarina watched as a pair of rather muscular Dungeon Masters carried two small desks and placed them by the back wall. On the left side, a thick black velvet curtain draped over the wall while a white velvet curtain hung on the right.
Katrina peeked up at Thomas and studied his strong jaw sprinkled with a dusting of silver stubble. Her gaze traced the shape of his full lips and the way his nose curved to the left a bit. She remembered the day she’d first noticed him as though it was yesterday. He’d been out in the field working with a local tribe, loading up their pack mules for the short trip they took to safety. The damn animal wouldn’t move. So, he whipped it and paid for it. Between laughs and teary eyes, one of the guys in their detachment reset it, and they went about their business.
“Looks like they’re about to start.” Thomas’s voice cut through her musing. He bent his head down to her and cocked his brow. “What are you thinking about?”
She opened her mouth to tell him when the whir of pulleys engaging and the ceiling opening cut her off. The ethereal glow of the full moon bathed everything in liquid silver. A quiet rumble turned her attention from the skylight to the floor. The star in the middle of the dance floor also opened. What in the world?
The place seemed to be full of all kinds of secrets, which brought her attention back to where the two small desks sat. A man, tall with dark hair and dark sinful eyes greeted them. Shirtless, a black leather harness covered his defined chest, and his muscular legs were encased in black leather pants. A blood-red-and-black cape with gold accents billowed as he crossed the space.
“Asmodeus,” she whispered. By his side stood a petite blonde wearing a thin translucent frock, belted at the middle, exposing her lush, sun-kissed curves in the most delicate, but tantalizing, ways. “His Sarah.”
Thomas glanced down at her and chuckled. “Fascinating.”
“When you send me on bimbo ca
ses, I read.” She shrugged. Bimbo cases was their code for socialite girls whose parents had more money than brains and wanted daughter dearest protected.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the grand opening of the Devil’s Playground. I am your host for the evening, Asmodeus. As the Demon of Lust, appointed by the owners, my love and I have many treats in store for you. In fact, I do believe that I will allow my sweet Sarah to tell you more about our themed rooms. Just remember, she’s mine. If you have any nefarious intentions, I shall remind you it didn’t end well for her past bridegrooms. The Demon of Lust keeps what is his.”
Sarah rolled her eyes at his antics. “As my lord and master suggests, I’m taken, but it will be my pleasure to tell you about the many accommodations awaiting your pleasure. Located through the various archways, each suite has its own private changing area and shower. These play areas can be reserved by the hour. Shortly, there will be DMs stationed at each archway.” She rubbed her hand up and down Asmodeus’s leather gauntlet. “I know I’m hoping that Master will take me to the Medieval Torture Chamber.”
Excitement pooled low in her body, slickened her panties. The idea that they would act out some of the most erotic acts deep within the subterranean earth seemed wicked and sinful. “The devil is in the details,” she murmured.
“Indeed,” Thomas said, wrapping his arm around her. “The devil will be in many things we do tonight.”
At the double entendre, a soft moan passed her lips.
She imagined what it would be like to have Thomas fucking her from behind while he whispered, “You’re so fucking tight,” forcing her to clench her thighs in hopes of relieving her achy clit. Or the way her skin would blush after a good spanking, or how he liked hearing her screams for more. She shivered. “I can’t wait.”
“While there is a time limitation on the themed rooms, the main event of our night will be the opening of the Devil’s Playground. Our newest dungeon has been designed for those who love to watch—and be watched. In a few minutes, DM’s will man the desks behind me. Those who are submissive will register at the desk under the white curtain, while those who are Dominant shall be directed to the black side. Please make sure you have your checklist available to register.”
