by Ivy Barrett
Two Masters and a Mistress had gathered around one flushed young woman. She was bound between two polls, arms and legs outstretched. Pleasure Master Seven commanded the action while the other two carried out his orders.
Blue selected the section with her fingertips and the computer zoomed in on the area. “Mute surrounding sound.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” the woman cried. “This isn’t what I want.”
Seven held up his hand and the other two paused. “Why? Tell me what you’re feeling.”
She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “I just want to stop. I…”
“You’re afraid, but why are you frightened?”
“I can’t do this. Release these cuffs!” She jerked against the restraints, her voice growing shrill.
He dismissed the other two with an impatient wave, but his voice was calm and caring when he spoke to the woman. “Nothing will be forced on you, but I’m disappointed with your choice. Don’t speak, just consider my questions. What is holding you back? Why are you suddenly so afraid?”
“Seven has things well in hand,” Blue said, desperate for her Pleasure Master to progress beyond this teasing limbo.
Paul returned the grid to its original configuration then urged her toward his desk. They usually started out each day with a leisurely session in their private playroom. He’d had an early meeting today, so she’d made do with her favorite vibrator. But a vibrator couldn’t command her, and it couldn’t combine pleasure with pain. Her submissive nature craved the aggressive pleasure while the phantom urgency demanded pain.
“Don’t move.” He left her beside the desk, with her hands crossed at the small of her back, as he opened the discreet compartment in the wall behind his desk and gathered what he needed.
He looked calm and composed, but the speed with which he moved told a different story. Was he as anxious to fuck her as she was to feel him ram his cock deep inside her, or did he simply know how badly she needed this? His chiseled features revealed nothing, but desire blazed in his dark eyes.
Turning his chair around so the tall back concealed his selections, he placed everything within easy reach. When he returned to her, he had a velvet cord and he quickly bound her wrists. A mirror hung on the wall in front of her, mounted adjacent to his desk for just this reason. He remained behind her, but their gazes locked in the mirror.
They’d been together for less than a year, but she couldn’t imagine life without him. She’d been on the verge of insanity when his strong hands pulled her back. He reached around her and pushed up her clingy tank top, exposing her breasts. They jiggled as he freed them, the nipples still tight and rosy from his pinches.
“Who do these breasts belong to?” He caressed their fullness without obscuring the tips.
“You, Master. Only you.” He rewarded her with a slow, twisting pinch as his gaze bore into hers. Pain sliced through the madness, bestowing another moment of blessed peace.
With one hand still working her nipples, he grasped her jaw and turned her head to the side. Her lips were parted and waiting for the bold thrust of his tongue. He gently sucked on her lips before his tongue pushed between them, possessing her warm, wet mouth.
The long, deep kiss left her breathless and pliant. He bent her forward. The cold glass soothed her stinging nipples, and she wiggled in protest. She needed the pain! Without it she was powerless against the storm.
He kicked her feet apart and shoved her skirt up around her waist. Her satin thong was no barrier against his possession, but he ripped it from her body anyway. “Tell me what you need.”
“Discipline.” She gasped, the urgency returning with a vengeance.
“Beg me.”
“Please, Master. Cleanse me with pain.”
His hand connected with her ass cheek and her passage clenched so hard she cried out. She pushed to the balls of her feet, offering him a better angle. He spanked the other side, pausing as she savored the spreading heat and purging pain. Skin on skin. They’d tried paddles and floggers, but the storm demanded a physical bond only attainable with his body touching hers.
Again and again, his hand connected with her ass. He paused to squeeze her cheeks, pushing the heat deeper and intensifying the sting. Gradually, her brain registered pleasure within the pain. The storm slowly receded, leaving her body trembling with need.
Her clit twitched and her pussy rippled, ready for the demanding thrust of his cock. She dug her nails into her palms and looked into the mirror. He was focused entirely on his task, jaw set, eyes narrowed and glistening. His business suit seemed at odds with his spiky black hair, and the elaborate tattoo that crept along his jaw to circle his ear.
As if he sensed her gaze, he looked into the mirror as he pushed her legs farther apart. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want your cock deep inside me.”
“What will you do to get it?”
Excitement blossomed within her. It had been a long time since they played this game. He was usually so desperate for release that he didn’t hesitate. “Anything.”
“Anything?” He paused, one hand resting on her burning skin. “That’s a dangerous concession to offer me. Do you mean it?”
“Yes Master.”
“Swear it.”
He often pushed her boundaries, but she knew she could trust him. “I swear.”
“Speak the vow out loud. I will do anything my Master asks if he fucks me right now.”
Anticipation. He wanted her to wonder, to imagine and helplessly wait for him to make his demand. “I will do anything my Master asks if he fucks me right now.”
His hands drew her hips up as his cock found her opening. Teasing her with gentleness, he drove in centimeter by torturous centimeter. She craved aggression, needed his big body holding her down, slamming his entire length into her aching pussy, and yet he made her wait.
“Squeeze me hard, Blue. Let me feel that tight cunt welcome me home.”
She tightened her inner muscles and pleasure radiated through her abdomen. His cool skin pressed against her burning ass cheeks, the contrast soothing yet distracting. He pulled her back and slipped his hand beneath her, skillfully fingering her clit. Sensations burst from the sensitive bud, forcing her precariously close to climax.
“Don’t fight it. I want you to come.”
Surrendering her body into his keeping, she simply let go. Reality dimmed and she flowed with the sizzling currents rather than being consumed by them. He drew nearly out then pulled on her clit as he thrust back in. The contrasting motion shattered the last of her control. She came in hard, fast spasms, a startled cry torn from her throat.
While her body still pulsed and a surreal haze encompassed her thinking, he withdrew completely. She felt her ass cheeks pulled apart and something slick and cool circling her anus. His fingers pushed into her core while the toy spiraled ever deeper. Her sphincter spread, accepting the toy, completely surrendered to his will. His fingers curved, rubbing her G-spot as the toy drove deeper and stretched her tighter.
Her sphincter contracted, tightening around the narrow notch near the toy’s handle. A butt plug, her muddled brain finally registered. It was designed to remain inside her rather than be shuttled in and out. The fullness felt amazing, further suppressing the storm.
He drew his fingers out of her pussy and repositioned his cock. She braced for another slow, teasing entry, but he thrust hard, possessing her with breath-stealing force. Yes! Finally. She closed her eyes and reveled in the fullness. And he didn’t hesitate.
Fucking her in earnest, Paul rocked back and forth, his shaft gliding smoothly within her needful passage. Her torso slid against the desktop, her tender nipples echoing her racing heartbeat. The rush of wind and electricity surging through her being took on the rhythm of his powerful thrusts. She was one with the storm and one with her Master in a dance only they understood.
He moved his hands to her hips as his pelvis slapped against her sensitized cheeks. Each distinct con
nection maintained the heat and added to the intensity. He wasn’t gentle now. His cock rammed into her and his hands clutched her hips. But his aggression soothed her as nothing else could. Though the tempest raged all around her, she was safe within the storm, insulated and secure in her submission.
The wet slap of flesh against flesh echoed in the office, and she looked into the mirror. His features were tense, his head thrown back as he drove them both toward completion. For a moment, she stared into her own eyes and saw a shimmering swirl. It gleamed and curled, like a silver tornado trapped within her eyes. Then he cried out and shuddered against her back as his seed released deep inside her.
Pleasure swept through her body and she closed her eyes, breaking the hypnotic connection. She shook with her orgasm as he panted above her, his weight oppressive yet wonderful.
After long, silent moments, he pushed off the desk and separated their bodies. “It’s getting worse, Blue.” He gently removed the butt plug, leaving her empty and unsure. “We can’t keep pretending everything’s okay.”
She reluctantly opened her eyes and met his gaze in the mirror. “We’ve been to half the doctors in New Shardrake. According to them, there’s nothing wrong with me.”
He righted his clothing then untied her hands and helped her up off the desk. She pulled down her skirt while he smoothed her tank top over her tender breasts. “We both know that’s bullshit.” He turned her to face him, stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “If you’re crazy, baby, so am I. My skin tingles when you’re battling the storm. I can feel it radiating out of you.”
“We’ve found ways of managing the—”
“No we haven’t. I have to hit you harder each time this happens. If we allow it to escalate, I’m going to hurt you badly. Spanking is one thing, but I won’t risk damaging you.”
She threw up her hands in exasperation. “We’ve tried everything else. Pain is the only thing that gives me any relief.”
“I want to take you to a mystic healer.”
“No!” She twisted away from him, furiously shaking her head. “You know what they did to my sister. You know what they did to me! How can you even suggest it?”
“That was a small group of twisted fanatics. All mystics are not like them.”
She took a deep breath and glared at him, unwilling to bend on this topic. “My answer is no. Don’t bring it up again.”
Defiance gleamed in his dark eyes. He was the powerful Master Z. No one dared to deny him anything. He took a menacing step toward her and their safe word echoed in her mind. But half an instant before she spoke, his gaze softened. His jaw was still set, his lips thinned, yet tenderness eroded the sharp edges of his determination.
“I only want what’s best for you.” He tucked the silky strands of her pale blue hair behind her ear. “I can’t stand watching you suffer.”
She laughed and arched her brow as she stared up at him. “I’ve seen you swing your whip often enough to know you enjoy inflicting pain.”
“Only when my partner craves the pain I inflict. You don’t enjoy pain. You allow yourself to be hurt to achieve a temporary reprieve from whatever is growing inside you.”
Before she could reply, a rhythmic beeping signaled that someone was waiting for admittance into the room. Paul turned toward the security grid and said, “Display zone eight.” The main floor image disappeared and the staircase outside their office came into view. “Where the hell is Kelly?” The guard station at the base of the stairs was empty and a middle-aged man in a cheap suit stood on the other side of the door. “May I help you?”
The man held the back of his hand toward the camera, displaying the badge tattooed into his skin. “Officer Mercer, Interplanetary Affairs. I have a few questions for you, Mr. Zettalli. I promise it won’t take long.”
“Give me just a minute. I have a vidcom on hold.” The officer nodded and Paul quickly gathered the evidence of their play, tossing everything into the compartment behind his desk.
His actions amused Misty Blue. This was the Comet Coalition’s most notorious sex club. No one would be surprised to find sex paraphernalia lying about in this office. Paul slipped in behind his desk and straightened his tie.
“Ready?” She waited for his nod. “Release privacy hold on office door,” she told the computer.
The door slid open and Officer Mercer strode into the office. His steps faltered as his hazel eyes took in the security grid. “That’s quite a view you’ve got there,” he muttered. “Do your guests know you spy on them?”
“My guests expect discretion and an environment in which they can explore the full range of sexual expression. Feeling safe is the first step along that road. I can’t ensure their safety if I’m not able to detect trouble and defuse dangerous escalations.”
“I didn’t ask for a justification. I asked if your clients were made aware of the surveillance in seemingly private areas of the club? Such infringements are against the law.”
Paul crossed his arms over his chest and met the officer’s antagonistic stare without hesitation or hostility. “All safety precautions are covered in the new member orientation. Warning placards are also posted in all private rooms. What does this have to do with interplanetary security?”
“Nothing.” Mercer approached the desk, his gaze fixed on Paul. The arrogant jerk had obviously dismissed her as incidental. “I’m searching of Tamara Owens. Do you know how to reach her?”
“Petra’s daughter?” Paul looked at her, his confusion obvious. “She’s sent me several textcoms, but I’ve never been in the same room with her.”
“I’ll need a copy of those messages.”
“Why? Tell me what this is about or I’ll com my lawyer.”
Mercer reached into his jacket and Paul tensed, rolling back his chair as he jerked open the top drawer of his desk. The officer laughed. “Easy there. I went through the munitions scanner just like everyone else.” He withdrew a photo and placed it on the desktop. “Do your recognize any of these people?”
After studying the image for a moment, Paul rattled off, “The man with his cock in her mouth is Morton Tulain. He’s one of our Pleasure Masters. It’s hard to tell for sure, but I think the man on his knees is Mort’s younger brother. I don’t remember his name.”
Intrigued by the description, Blue moved up beside Paul and looked at the photograph. “The one behind her is Kacey Lennon or Lemmone. Something like that. His first name is definitely Kacey.”
Mercer looked at her for the first time, his gaze narrowed and assessing. “And you are?”
“My business partner,” Paul supplied. “This wasn’t taken in the Dark Star. Looks more like a hotel or a cheap apartment. But even if it had taken place here, they’re all obviously of age. What’s the issue?”
Reluctantly shifting his gaze back to Paul, Mercer almost smiled. “You honestly don’t recognize the woman?”
They exchanged confused glances before Paul asked, “Is there some reason we should?”
“That’s Tamara Owens, your new boss.” He withdrew a folded document and handed it to Paul. “I have a warrant granting me permission to search the premises. That will doubtlessly disrupt business and make your clients feel—unsafe? It will be better for everyone if you just take me to her room. I promise I’ll be discreet.”
Paul’s brows knitted for a second, but the rest of his features remained still. “You’re going to arrest her for participating in a quad? There’s no law against having an adventurous sex life.”
Mercer was unmoved by Paul’s argument. “A security camera caught Ms. Owens getting off a tram not far from here, so we know she’s in the area. Your loyalty is commendable, but there is no need for you to become involved. She owns this establishment. It only makes sense that she’d hide out here. Now take me to her room or I’ll call in the Enforcers and we’ll conduct a room-by-room search.”
“What do you think she’s done?” Blue asked. The picture was evidence, but this was obviously not abo
ut sex.
“Morton Tulain is dead, and according to Kacey Lemington, Tamara Owens is the one who killed him.”
* * * * *
Tamara stared out the wide picture window in her suite at the Fantasy Forum, transfixed by the flickering skyline of New Shardrake. The urban towers and dramatic spires, though impressive and exciting, were so different from the lush parks and stately academic halls of d’Arrest that she felt completely out of place. Isolated and abandoned.
What had she been thinking coming to Halley Prime? Jericho James was part of her mother’s world. They’d both built empires on the backs of pleasure givers, and Tamara knew little more about him than she knew about her mysterious mother. As current owner of the Dark Star, Tamara was technically Jericho’s competitor. He had no reason whatsoever to help her.
And yet he had helped her once before.
He’d sheltered her when she had nowhere else to turn, kept her safe until the danger passed. But the danger hadn’t ended. And her life would never be the same.
She was the daughter of Halley Prime’s most notorious madam. And now everyone in the Comet Coalition knew it.
Turning from the window, she kicked off her shoes and took off her jacket, laying it neatly over the back of a chair. Then she wandered around the luxurious suite, feeling lost and powerless. The plain truth was she’d had nowhere else to go and no one else she could trust.
But could she trust Jericho? What motivated a man like him to help someone like her?
He’d gained nothing by helping her before. Was he hoping for a payoff this time? She doubted that wanting her body was enough of a motivation to make him risk his safety. He could have any woman he wanted. Still, he didn’t seem like the type to take advantage of a vulnerable woman. She didn’t know him well enough to guess at another motivation. All she could do was be aware of the possible dangers and proceed with the utmost caution.
The visitor alert sounded and she moved toward the door. “Display corridor.” A small security screen activated beside the door, revealing the domestibot waiting with its hover cart.
“Room service, courtesy of Mr. James,” the sleek, silver robot announced.
