Seeing White

by Charlotte E Hart

  “I expect you to do as you’re told, Elizabeth. If you want to challenge me in this, please be my guest. We’re nearly there and the venue will offer plenty of tools for punishment.”

  I watch for any sign of possible joke in his face or amusement on his lips. There isn’t any, just his divine mouth that calls to me for something more than I’ve given before, so I gaze at his perfectly dishevelled hair and his piercing blue eyes that dare me to defy him and consider his request. He’s dressed in a black suit with a black, slim fit, open neck shirt that does nothing to disguise the incredibly firm physique beneath. The only splash of colour is a pair of gold cufflinks with a strange symbol embedded on them, hinting at something I obviously have no idea about. The effect in its entirety is striking, mysterious, undeniably delicious and not beyond the realms of Satan. He’s also deadly serious and I’m going to have to make a decision - no panties in a strange place or punishment in a strange place? Oddly, I find the decision easier than I thought I would.

  Leaning forward on the seat, I take another long gulp of my champagne and put the glass back into the console in a relaxed fashion, well, as relaxed as I can be around Alex. Then, reaching for my bag, I dab on some more lipstick while looking into my mirror. I look good and I feel sexier than I ever have before now. He does this to me somehow, gives me confidence to feel almost euphoric in my sexuality. So pouting my lips and smacking them together for effect, I close the compact with a snap and lean back into the seat, crossing my legs seductively in the process and gazing towards him with a look of complete defiance. His slight chuckle and raised brow as he licks his lips only intensifies my lust driven stupid thigh-clenching, which is still utterly ridiculous. I seriously need to get control of that at some point. No man should ever look that damn sexy. It should be law or something, and the instant visions of the things I’d let him do to me drifting through my mind do nothing to help me gain any sort of control whatsoever.

  “You have been warned, Elizabeth,” he says with a smirk.

  “Yes, Mr. White, I have been well warned and I’m still refusing,” I reply, hoping for nonchalant, probably not achieving it.

  “There’s no room for sentiment or remorse in there,” he says, gesturing toward the window as the car glides to a stop. “Are you ready?”

  A large black door stands outside the window with a burly man in a tuxedo standing at the side of it. Small gold letters mark the door, EDEN, and the same symbol that Alex has on his cufflinks lies next to it. I feel the panic rise a little but one look into his questioning eyes again and I know what I want. Him, and if that means entering the unknown, I’m more than willing to go. Just not entirely on his terms, but thankfully, my inner slut is feeling a little frisky and ready for anything.

  “Yes, I think I am,” I reply with a smile as I flick my hair over my shoulder. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a diamond bracelet - my diamond bracelet.

  Grabbing my hand smoothly, he links it around my left wrist and kisses the palm of my open hand.

  “Yes, I think you are, too. Now, do not take that off. It will show them that you are mine and they’ll leave you alone. Well, most of them will. I’ll deal with the others if I have to. Do you understand?” he asks with a slight frown.

  “Yours?” I question, because what does that mean? He doesn’t own me, for God’s sake.

  “Yes. Mine. Do you have a problem with that?” he says, raising an eyebrow and encouraging a negative response. “You could always go in there on your own and meet those sharks head on. I’ll very much enjoy watching the show.”

  Oh, I hadn’t thought about it like that and I definitely want to have him close to me for what I think we’re about to enter.

  “Okay, I don’t have a problem with that for this evening, but tomorrow may be a different matter entirely. I do not belong to you, Mr. White,” I reply as I look him directly in the eye and hopefully counter his expression.

  “Mmm... Feisty. You can’t help but give me leverage for later, can you?” He laughs as he opens the door and leaves me alone for a second. I narrow my eyes at his figure as he wanders around the front of the car. I’m not entirely comfortable with the statement at all, or what it might entail.

  “Here we go,” I mumble under my breath.

  As I step out of the car and accept his rather charming yet deviant hand, the cold wind whistles past me instantly, hardening my nipples.

  “I like this dress, very thin. I can almost see through it.” He smirks as he moves his hand to my backside, squeezing firmly and sliding it downward, teasing the inside of my thigh with his fingers and trailing it upwards. “Remember that whatever you see in here and whatever we do, my eyes will only be for you, Elizabeth. You are fucking irresistible to me. I’m already hard just thinking about what I want to do to you.” He moves my hand to his crotch and I gasp at the rigid length that he pushes against it with a groan.

  I look up into his hungry eyes and am about to say something when the club door flies open and a man is quite literally thrown out of the door. He lands with a crunch about two feet away from us. I stare down to see the man rolling over, clutching his stomach and squealing like a pig. Turning to Alex, I see a small smile cross his lips. He moves me back a few steps and then looks up to the door. I follow his gaze to see the most fantastic man stalk out the door. He looks like he’s walked out of the eighteenth century, his dark hair tied in a short ponytail with a crushed red velvet suit adorning his lean body. Long black riding boots finish his look, with frills falling out of his cuffs like some sort of regency dandy. He’s holding a black walking cane over his shoulder that has a gold top, which glints next to his dazzling green eyes, and a cigarette dangle from his lips.

  He’s stunning, like nothing I’ve seen before, almost pretty in a manly sort of way. Nothing like Alex at all, none of his solidity or breadth. He’s more of a fantasy creature of some sort. He’s around the same height, although leaner and far more angular in his appearance, but there’s definitely an undeniable attraction because his whole being oozes sex and pleasure. He also knows it, and unfortunately I can’t stop looking at him.

  I watch in fascination as he wanders nonchalantly across to the man on the floor, unzips his trousers and pees all over him. While inspecting his victory and directing his pee, his eyes stray to my shoes and lazily draw their way up my legs. They stop briefly at my breasts as he licks his long lips then smiles and continues on to my face. His eyes hit mine in seconds and something about them immediately begins to hypnotize me. I feel myself getting lost in the liquid green pools of lust with no sense of my surroundings or thought of Alex. My mind rallies for a second as I try to pull myself together. Those eyes make me very nervous. He makes me nervous, so I instantly look down and then frown as I notice him put himself away and do up his trousers. Alex growls at my side and pinches my backside. “Head up,” he murmurs, so I lift my eyes and look back at the man as he opens his unfairly captivating mouth.

  “I have never seen such a morsel. My teeth are wet with want and I am so very hungry. Please, my dear, let me taste you - just one bite, maybe two,” he says, moving toward me and reaching out with his cane to my throat. Alex grabs at the cane before it touches me and throws it to the floor as he moves in front of me. The man laughs. “Oh, Alexander, now you have me intrigued.” He turns back to me. “You must be quite the indulgence, my dear. I have not known him to be possessive before now.” His eyes linger, but he’s distracted by the man on the floor, who is trying to stand. Taking a step back, he pounds the heel of his boot into his groin and leans down to whisper something in his ear while the man writhes in agony. The poor soul rolls over, picks up the cane, pulls himself to his knees and then bows his head, holding the cane aloft for him. I’m in utter shock. It’s like I’ve stepped back one hundred years to a different time. Some random thing is going on in front of me that I have no idea about. It seems there are a new set of rules to play with.

  “Wonderful, Marcus. I’m glad we’ve had thi
s little dialogue. Now go home to your beloved and tell her I will call her tomorrow. She may be more amenable now,” he says, retrieving his cane and wiping it down with a handkerchief. I notice the man on the floor start to stand. “I never said you should stand, Marcus. You will crawl home,” he barks at the man. The man nods and crawls down the street on his hands and knees. Oh. My .God. What the hell? My eyes follow him as he keeps crawling until he turns a corner and is gone from view. I snap my mouth closed again and look back at Mr Fantastical.

  “Now, Alexander, my dear boy, how have you been? And why would you bring such a delicacy here if you’re not willing to let me have her? It is too unfair of you,” he says, never removing his eyes from my face. It’s quite disconcerting because I can’t stop returning his smile, which is naughty to say the least, possibly lethal.

  “Pascal, you will do me the courtesy of looking at me when you talk to me or I’ll throw you back into the dungeon. You know how much you enjoyed it last time,” Alex replies from the side.

  What? Where the hell am I? This is not normal. Mind you, nothing about Alex is so far. I really try for impassive but the man’s slow licking of lips does nothing to stop my rapid heartbeat as he narrows his iridescent green eyes and turns to face Alex.

  “Alexander, I would be happy to follow you back in there with my head bowed. You know how much you fascinate me. Such a beautiful specimen, don’t you agree, my dear?” he asks, turning back to me with another radiantly disarming smile. “Please allow me to introduce myself as this uncultured moron hasn’t had the decency.” He dips to his knee and takes my hand. “I am Pascal Van Der Braak, and I am your host and servant for the evening.”

  Of course it would be him, wouldn’t it? And servant? I doubt it somehow. The devil himself, definitely.

  I turn to see Alex beaming with delight at me. “I think he likes you, Elizabeth,” he says with a raised eyebrow.

  “Good evening, Pascal. And yes, I agree very much,” I reply as he kisses his way up my arm, and Christ, those lips are tortuous. I can’t stop watching them move their way along seductively.

  “Elizabeth, how very English. A rose amongst thorns. Do you bleed, my dear, when you are scratched? Or do you moan with desire?” he asks, now dangerously close to my neck. I still can’t deny my trembling at his touch as I’m drawn back into those eyes again.

  “Pascal, you are becoming a little tiresome already. Remove your tongue from her. I’ve told you she’s not available to you. Would you like me to emphasize the point a little more physically?” Alex growls out beside me, his body in its casually aggressive stance. I’m completely turned on. I’m just not sure who caused it first.

  Pascal immediately stills and let’s go of my hand, then turning toward Alex, he moves as quick as a flash and is in his face in a second. It’s almost super human speed. Alex doesn’t flinch in the slightest. In fact, he looks bored.

  “Alexander, you are delightfully spirited this evening and smell divine as usual, but do not push your luck, dear boy. I have half a mind to spank you for your insolence,” he rumbles, running a finger along Alex’s jaw and licking his lips again. I have no idea where to look, and can only assume that something sexual is going on that I’m not aware of. Actually, they might be bonding or something.

  “Try, Pascal... Please,” Alex retorts with a hint of anger looming. I have a feeling this has probably happened before and I watch on to see what happens next.

  They face off for a few minutes. Pascal is almost growling with the sexiest of smiles adorning his intoxicating face as Alex appears to be doing that growing while retaining his impassive stare. I can’t make my mind up whether they’re about to fight or not so I start to lower my head. This clearly isn’t going well. Then I think better of it and decide I’m not going to stand here for the evening while these two play who’s the bigger boy. It’s probably just a thing between them, some sort of dominance dance, and while it’s interesting, and bizarrely sexy in some sort of way that I’m not able to process, I’m bloody freezing in this dress.

  “Right, gentlemen, I am sure this is very entertaining for you both. However, I am a little cold and could do with a stiff drink. So could you drop the testosterone levels for a second and postpone your lover’s tiff so one of you can lead the way to the bar?” I state with more force than I had intended as I land my hand on my hip.

  Both men swing their heads around and stare at me. Pascal is the first to beam in delight as Alex calmly moves back towards me, grabs my hand possessively and kisses his way up the side of my neck.

  “Perfect,” he whispers. Pascal chuckles behind him.

  “Yes, she is. Well done, dear boy, and quite different for you. Wherever did you find her?” he asks, returning to the door and beckoning at me with his hands. I’m really not sure I should take them. They look far too dangerous and inviting. “Come, Elizabeth, enjoy my playground. When you’re bored with him do come and find me. I will be waiting. First, let me find you something stiff,” he says, smiling wickedly at me.

  I look at Alex for confirmation of how I’m supposed to respond to that. He smiles and nods, pushing me toward Pascal with his hand at my back but increasing his grip on my palm. Maybe I’m supposed to flirt a little? Who knows? The whole situation is weird. God knows Pascal is.

  “Pascal, my hands are full for the time being and I’m more than satisfied with my current situation, but I’ll keep your very enticing offer on the table. May I ask if you play chess?” I reply, smiling sweetly and hoping I can keep up with both of them for the whole evening.

  Alex lets go of my hand and exhales as if I’ve passed some test that was necessary before entry was allowed. Was it? Or it could be nerves. But why would he be nervous of anything?

  Pascal takes hold of my left hand and pulls it into the crook of his arm, patting my hand and pointing at the door with his cane. The doorman opens it and we walk through as he fiddles with my bracelet and gazes back at Alex for a moment, raising an eyebrow quizzically. I get the feeling that the diamonds sparkling on my wrist explain something I’m not aware of. Eventually the man talks again in that smooth European accent of his. I can’t place it but it could be German under an Italian top layer, as if he’s been here for a long time.

  “Please don’t tell me she’s intelligent as well, Alexander. You know how I like them to challenge me. Oh, what fun we could have, my dear. I bet that smart mouth gives incredible head. I can just imagine bending you over a bench and...”

  Oh dear god, who speaks like that in front of someone’s boyfriend? If that’s what he is.

  “Pascal, once more and I will-” Alex warns from behind me. Well, here goes nothing. Time for me to perform, I think.

  “Really, Pascal, must you be so basic? I’ve heard wonderful things about you and you’re really not living up to expectations at all. I believe the terms Alex used were astonishing and brilliant, and that no one had ever turned you down. I’m afraid you’ll have to work a little harder than that for me. Alex is, as you say, a beautiful specimen and I’d hate to lose something so precious because of something less worthy,” I state, smiling and licking my lips out of nerves more than bravado, hoping desperately that it was the right tactic to go with.

  Pascal stops and turns me toward him. His eyes narrow to an evil glint and his smile disappears as he lifts his finger to his mouth and frowns at me. It’s deadly, almost crippling. I feel my whole body wobble a bit as his prolonged stare reduces me to an internal wreck in seconds. Christ, he’s as good as Alex and I’m not even sure he’s giving me the full effect. Shit, I may have gone too far. I mean, I really don’t know anything about the man or what his version of a game is. What I do know is that I’m beginning to tremble again.

  I feel my chin dip and then remember to lift it up. I can feel Alex’s smile beside me as he fingers my hipbone then wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me back toward him. Pascal’s gaze follows me so I try to keep my eye contact steady with his. Thankfully, Alex kisses my shoulder and s
trokes the back of his fingers along my arm, filling me with confidence, so I turn my face to his and beam up at him. He licks his lips and looks across at Pascal.

  “Enough of this now. She’s mine and you will stop. You’ve had your fun. Find someone else to play with,” he says with a finality that we all feel and a smile that would captivate the gods.

  “Astonishing, you say?” Pascal replies as he looks over my shoulder at the stunning man behind me with his eyes sparkling to life again. “Alexander, you bewitch me once more,” he says as he returns his smile to me. “Really, my dear girl, you are truly beautiful and utterly tempting. However, it has always been him that I wanted. Why he continues to resist me, I do not know,” he muses, taking my arm again and leading me along a corridor towards an inviting sound. “Now, what would you like to drink, my darlings? I think we will have such fun this evening.”

  Did he honestly just say that? I’ve clearly entered some sort of twilight zone or something equally bizarre. Alex is relaxed and calm as if none of this is anything unusual at all. Well it might not be to him but it damn well is to me. The music in front of us somewhere is thumping away with a bass rhythm to die for and I listen to Pascal talking smoothly as he grips my upper arm and leads me towards God knows what.

  “Champagne, please,” I reply, because I really do need it, possibly lots of it. He smirks and keeps walking.

  The door in front of us swings open and a stunning, raven-haired woman dressed in little more than a few leather belts and thigh high boots wanders towards us, her bright red lips singing along with the music behind her as she gazes at the floor, swinging a chain from her fingers. She’s utterly beautiful and I immediately feel awkward and completely out of place. Her eyes notice our shoes, and as she looks up at us, she instantly drops to the floor on her knees and scuttles to the side to give us room to pass. Pascal brushes his hand over her head and chuckles as we continue onward. I turn to see Alex glance down at her. She stiffens considerably and nervously flicks her eyes to his then away again.