“Not in this lifetime, James.” Alain turns his gaze away from me and focuses his sights on the stage because Lois has just stepped out wearing nothing more than a T-shirt. My mouth would gape, if I gave it permission to do so. Fuck.
On closer inspection, as she walks towards us, I discover that it’s supposed to be a dress, but it barely covers the parts that matter. The floaty burgundy chiffon dances across the tops of her thighs, and if she meets a gust of wind, it’s all over. I hope to hell she has some heavy-duty panties to wear with it.
Lois’s expression is priceless. As I drag my attention away from her thighs and make my way up the rest of her body, the look of utter disgust she is wearing makes me want to laugh out loud. It is clear she is not impressed with Alain’s wardrobe choice.
“Lois you look gorgeous. Come here, my sweet.” Alain beckons her over, and she moves forward woodenly. I can’t decide if it’s because of the five-inch red heels or because Alain is looking at her as if she might be dinner.
When Lois stops, three feet away from him, he grabs her arm and yanks her forward. A hand immediately goes up her thigh and she looks like she wants to vomit. Interesting. Although Lois is in league with the devil, it’s clear she’s not in bed with him - yet. I have a feeling that’s about to change this evening, unless I decide to offer myself as a martyr.
Alain’s hand creeps higher up her dress and I want to avert my gaze, but I can’t. Can I let her sleep with this monster? She made her bed, after all. It’s only fair I let her lie in it. Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. I’ve seen what happens to girls after they sleep with Alain, and so has Adie. It’s not pleasant.
“I look forward to taking that off you later, precious,” he says. Lois then shrieks and steps back. It doesn’t take a chess master to guess what’s just happened.
“If I lose,” Lois barks back, and she then turns around on her heel, and storms out of the room.
Alain smirks. “She’s a feisty one, isn’t she? Got to love her spirit. Thankfully, we’ve got three days’ worth of wardrobe to see.” He grabs his coffee again, inhaling the aroma as he stares straight ahead. I wonder what the bastard is thinking. On second thought, I’d rather not know.
“Want to know what I’m going to do to her tonight?” It’s as if the bastard can read my mind. Inclining my head towards the man, I watch as Alain runs his finger down the side of his creamy coffee mug, up and down, as if he’s caressing a woman’s body. It makes me go cold.
“Not particularly,” I reply, doing my best to retain my bored façade. The last thing I need to know are the details of this evening. I don’t want to feel guilty for what I’m about to put that woman through. She did this to herself. Hopefully, if I tell myself that enough, it’ll feel as if I mean it.
Alain ignores me as per normal. “I’m going to use the tank. Think she’ll freak out if I dunk her in a bit of water?” Staring straight ahead, not letting a flicker of emotion cross my face, I can’t believe what I’m hearing. My stomach feels like it’s about to lose breakfast and lunch, all at once. I can’t let Alain do that to her. He usually reserves that shit for someone who’s really pissed him off, and considering how Lois is doing his dirty work, I can’t fathom how that’s going to work. I know one thing. If she is working for him, she won’t be after that. Most of the girls are lucky if they come out of there alive. I need to think quickly.
Lois sweeps through the door again, stepping up onto the dais in a short black dress that looks as if it’s been welded to her body. Thin spaghetti straps, glinting with gold, caress her in all the right places, leading up to a studded black collar around her neck. Now there’s a party dress if I ever saw one. There’s not a man alive who could resist her in that, and I count myself in that number.
Lois hesitates before she comes towards us, and it’s clear she doesn’t want to be near Alain. This time, he humours her. “Go show James, darling. I want to make sure he’s happy with your wardrobe.”
Lois does as she’s told, but she glares at me. Alain is having none of this. “No, no, no, Lois. He’s your husband, remember. You’re madly in love. Show me that look. If you could get your ass into Carte Blanche without years of submissive training, I’m confident you can do this.”
Rolling her eyes into the back of her head, I could almost see Lois counting to ten. It would have amused me in another time and place. When her lashes flashed back upwards, she unleashed her smoky grey eyes on me, and the fire in them incinerated me as her mouth curled into a sultry smile.
“Yes, yes. That’s the one, Lois. She’s good, isn’t she?” Curling her tongue around her lips, I was beginning to think she was a little too good, but I didn’t mention this out loud. “Turn around for him, Lois. Show him the back.”
Lois does as she’s told. The back is a mass of more spaghetti straps, which cover very little. In fact, the dress dips so low, the crack of her ass is only just hidden. The whole ensemble is completely indecent, which is exactly what Alain is aiming for.
“Like it?” Alain’s smile is smug.
I sneer my nose up. “On a whore it’s acceptable, I suppose.” I don’t know why I say the words, but I do know I want a reaction from her, and I sure as hell get one. Her hand cracks around towards my face, but I’m ready for her. I catch it neatly and I twist it backwards, so she cries out. Standing up, I tower over her and slowly bring her to her knees. This is not going to be Lois’s day, so she might as well get used to it. Besides, I owe her for earlier.
I need to become the cold-hearted bastard that once upon a time walked these floors with no thought for anyone but himself. Then, and only then, might we stand a chance at getting out of here.
Chapter Nineteen - Lois
Staring down, with no emotion on his face, James says, “Apologise, darling, or I might have to get nasty.” He continues to twist my hand in his fierce grip until I am virtually crying. This isn’t the James I know and love, this is someone else.
“Alain,” I whisper. Turning my head, I plead for help with my eyes. I should know better. Alain is thoroughly intrigued by the exchange and shakes his head. He is not getting involved. He wants to see how this plays out.
“Apologise.” James drowns out everything in the room as he says that one word and my panties flood with heat. How completely fucking inappropriate. James is being a bastard and I love it. Memo to me: your therapist will have a field day with this one.
“Fuck you,” I gasp, as shards of ice crawl up my arm.
“Oh, you will be shortly. Count on it.” He raises his eyebrows, but doesn’t let go of my wrist.
“Let me go,” I moan.
“No. I rather like you down there on your knees.” He smiles at me coldly. “Why don’t you just open that tight little mouth into a nice ‘O’ shape and beg me to fuck that face with your eyes. I know you can do that, Lois. You don’t mind an audience, do you?” His gaze flicks over to Alain, who is now sitting up a little straighter in his seat. Things have just got interesting.
Lurching forward, my head aims for his stomach, but James is already up on his feet, and now my hand is behind my back. Bending it at the elbow, he yanks it up towards my neck and I shriek.
“Apologise.” I’ve never heard his voice this flat before. It sends goose bumps all over my body.
“You want me to suck your cock or apologise? I will only do one of those, so you’d better choose wisely,” I reply, hoping to hell he doesn’t break my arm. He’s more than capable of it. I’ve seen him in action.
James tugs my wrist upwards until I sob, and still he doesn’t release me. What on earth is going on here? For a minute, I wonder if Alain has shot him up with something.
“I want an apology, Lois. Alain doesn’t want to watch us fuck,” James drawls. At the moment, I can’t speak regardless, so if he wants his apology, he will have to loosen his grip. Unfortunately, he does no such thing. Wrenching my arm up high against my shoulder blades, I scream out loud.
“You fucking bastard,” I hi
ss, when my voice allows it.
James’s eyes are like shards of glass. “That’s how it feels when you sink your knee into my balls. I’d remember that the next time you think about doing something naughty. Now fucking apologise.” Each word sinks like lead to the bottom of my stomach. What is going on here?
“Wait.” Alain’s voice stops us both in our tracks. I don’t look at him, mostly because I can’t bear the sight of him, but James does.
Releasing his hold, so I can breathe once again, James says, “Is there a problem?” I don’t understand what’s going on between the pair of them, and quite honestly, I’d rather not know. Now my curiosity is piqued, however, I steal a glance at Dumortier. Draining the last dregs of his coffee, he is now tapping a solitary fingernail against his mug as he thinks. James waits patiently for him to continue, but I want to curse out loud. My arm is throbbing.
Chewing his lip for a moment, Alain runs a hand through his black, wavy hair and draws in a deep breath. “I want to watch you fuck her.”
James lets out a bark of laughter at that. “You’re very funny, Alain. I’m not allowed to fuck her. You made sure of that. I wouldn’t fuck that woman if she were the last person on earth due to the curse you’ve heaped upon me, and after her behaviour of late, I’m not even sure I could get it up. I’d rather have my apology, if it’s all the same to you.” With his other hand, he grabs a handful of my hair and pulls my face up, so I have no option but to look at him.
“Why, you bastard,” I spit, but my arm is immediately yanked, and I go silent. He has me right where he wants me and there is nothing I can do about it.
“Lois, I’m waiting,” he purrs, seemingly oblivious to Alain’s request.
“Wait. I just want to see you fuck her mouth. What if I make it worth your while?” James finally releases his grip on me and shoves my body backwards. Rubbing my arm, which is now feeling decidedly sore, I glare at them both.
Turning on Alain, I explode. “You can’t make me fuck him,” I scream. As soon as the words have left my mouth, I know them for the lie they are. He has absolute power over me at the moment and he knows it.
“Oh, I absolutely can, sweetheart. If I want you to bounce upside down with his cock down your throat, believe me I can arrange it.” Alain is not looking at me though, he’s looking at James.
Speaking to me over his shoulder, he says, “Get the next outfit on, and make it snappy. This is all very well as an appetiser, but we’re here for the main course, and that involves you without very many clothes on.” He then throws his coffee mug in my direction, and I scarper, wincing as it shatters on the tiled floor.
Back in the wings, which is basically a small storage room filled with reams of A4 paper, ink cartridges and ballpoint pens, three women are anxiously waiting for me, so they can drape me in yet another slutty dress. Thankfully, I am indifferent to my nakedness now, which is just as well, as they strip me in seconds and leave me to stare at my toes as they undo the zips and fasteners of the new garment.
This one is scarlet red and even worse than the last. It’s made entirely of latex and features a ribbon corset at the back. The front of the dress has an in-built bra and hook and eye fasteners, so you can whip it off quickly. Lucky me. James can’t stand to be in the same room as me at the moment, so how we’re supposed to be husband and wife next week is beyond me. The thought of us getting intimate again scares me. James will want to get his own back. I know I would.
When the girls have undone the fasteners, they come at me like animals. It takes them less than a minute to shove me into the new monstrosity, but a further two to suck all the air out of my body. Pulling on the ribbon cords behind me as if they are climbing ropes, they somehow manage to squeeze my figure to half of its original size, and it wasn’t all that big to begin with - especially as I haven’t been able to eat all week. If that weren’t bad enough, they place a black lace fascinator upon my head, twisted at a jaunty angle so it comes down diagonally across my face, while my feet are shoe-horned into black, six-inch platform heels. I hate to think what I look like. The final touch is a slash of red lipstick and a spot of blusher. Now I really do look like a whore. Closing my eyes in horror, I count to ten.
“Go, go, go,” one of them says, pushing me towards the door, and I lurch forward dangerously. If those two men out there expect to me to wear this while on assignment, they must be completely nuts. Where am I supposed to hide anything? I can’t even strap a knife to my thigh because my legs are being squeezed together with so much force, I fear they might crack. Running will be virtually impossible, too. The thing is so tight I can barely move. Gah.
Shuffling down the middle of the room, my heels clicking against the wooden platform as I do my best to move forward, I scowl at the men before me. If they want me to wear this, I will, but under duress. We might be going to a sex club, but this is a little over-the-top, isn’t it?
My admirers don’t seem to think so. They can’t take their eyes off the dress, and their gaze is constantly wandering up and down. Alain is frank in his appraisal, and I can see lust resonating out in spades from his inky black eyes. James, however, is more reserved. He tilts his head and keeps his gaze locked on me, neither approving nor disapproving. After the last disaster with my arm, which is still throbbing, I don’t want to go anywhere near him, but Alain isn’t much better. Standing between them, I try to figure the exact moment my life went to shit.
“My turn, Lois.” Alain beckons me towards him, and I move forward, exhaling slowly. “Turn around,” he says, twirling his finger in the air as if I’m a puppet waiting on his every command. In actual fact, I am, but it’s never nice to have it rubbed in your face. Doing a slow turn and feeling a lot like Jessica Rabbit minus the enormous tits, I wait for his verdict.
“No man alive will be able to resist that, James.”
“Mmm. You’re probably right.” James tries to appear unconvinced of the fact, but the bulge in his pants says otherwise. What is he playing at now?
“How’s Adie doing with the girls?” James keeps his eyes on me as he asks the question, and he’s watching Alain’s hands as they trace a path across my ass. I wish I could read him better. The man is a constant enigma.
Alain undoes the top two fastenings of my dress, smiling when my tits bulge over the top. I teeter on my high heels but hold myself steady. “He’s struggling, but there’s no surprise there. You were always the best at that kind of stuff, James. When you go into Dom mode, there’s no one that compares.”
“Except you,” James replies.
“That goes without saying,” Alain retorts. “Back in the day we used to see how fast we could break a woman, and we got pretty good at it. What was your record again, James?” I can’t breathe. James told me he wasn’t a sadist, but Alain seems to know otherwise. For three days, I have to get into bed with this man, and I don’t think this will be a walk in the park. Wherever we are going in Italy, I get the feeling that the rules won’t be the same as at Adamantines. These men know something I don’t.
Placing two hands around my ass, Alain drags me forward in between his legs, and I can see that he is also aroused. I swallow tightly.
“Do you mean reduce them to tears, or get them to obey every damn thing I say? Tears take seconds, but if you want to break them in properly - that takes a little longer. So, if you’re talking about training the girls up, I think it usually took me about two or three hours before they were obedient to my every word. The work was done in the first two minutes, though.” His eyes are like icebergs that can pierce unsinkable ships. If I’m not careful, I am going to sink into the deepest depths of the ocean with this man.
Alain nods, then grabs a handful of latex on either side of my dress and yanks the front apart. There’s a series of pops as the hooks and eyes come undone, and then the dress lands at my feet. It leaves me standing there in nothing bar a small red G-string. Resisting the urge to cover myself up, I wonder silently if this day could possibly get any worse.
<
br /> “Are you looking forward to playing with me this evening, Lois?” Apparently, it can.
“Who says I will lose?” I am going to lose, as I’ve lost every other single time I’ve tried to spar with James, but I don’t like the fact I’m a foregone conclusion. There’s a chance James might suddenly be struck by lightning, or something.
Alain smiles. The fucker is so smug, you’d think he’d just been invited to the Playboy Mansion. “I’ll take that as a yes, then?” I don’t respond. He’s currently focused on my crotch, anyway, and it’s weird talking to the top of someone’s head.
“Come closer, Lois. Spread your legs.” Those are the last words I want to hear, but I obey him to the letter. James has taught me well.
Alain feathers his palm over my lace-clad sex, but I don’t move a muscle. I’m damned if I’ll let him know how aroused I am. Besides, the little pool of molten wetness that resides inside me isn’t for him - it’s for James.
“Lois, you didn’t answer my question. Are you looking forward to playing with me this evening?” He cups his hand around my clit, and I squeak, tottering forwards on the tips of my heels. I avoid landing in his lap by the skin of my teeth, but it’s a hard-won battle. I know Alain wants fear in my eyes, though, and I will not give that to him just yet.
“Oh absolutely,” I moan, shocking the hell out of him as I lean forward so my breasts press into his chest and my breath fans over his cheek. “As long as I don’t have to fuck James, we’re good.” I wink at him. Two can play this game. I’m in no position to win, of course, but that has never stopped me before.
Alain’s eyes narrow. “Go get some of that kinky lingerie on, Lois. I’m losing patience with you.” Happily, that is not the response he wanted. Score one for me.
Fire (A Special Agent Novel Book 4) Page 21
