Arranged: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

by Lexi Blake

  He had a sudden vision of a young girl. She would have her mother’s silky hair and serious eyes. She would love science and she would be told to study housekeeping. She would be taught to wave and smile and defer to her younger brother because he would be king.

  He’d made progress. He’d been the one to push for women to get their degrees. It had been in his coronation speech. He remembered writing it even when his father’s advisors had told him not to push. He’d done it for Day. He’d done it because he’d been in love with a girl who’d wanted to discover the secrets of the universe.

  And then his lab had blown up and the guilt had eaten away at him for five long years. He’d turned away from truly leading, and a whole group of nasty old men had gained power in his absence. They’d tried to turn the country back, tried to tell all those little girls who they should be.

  The only person fighting them had been Dayita.

  While he’d been off drinking his guilt away, she’d been quietly fighting for the next generation. So that both boys and girls received everything their country could give them. So when they became men and women, all were strong.

  “Besides, dude, you’re like the king and shit,” Taggart pointed out. “What the hell does it mean to be the king if you can’t tell everyone to fuck off about a couple of things? I get it. You can’t behead people anymore, but you have some power. You can protect your wife. Unless you think your wife is wrong because she’s not a simpering flower who needs you to protect her from everything life throws at her. Unless you think she’s wrong for needing what she needs and being strong enough to ask for it.”

  Kash clung to the one thing he could be righteous about. “Ah, but she didn’t. She didn’t ask for it.”

  Why had he said that? He’d bloody well outed himself.

  If Taggart was surprised, he didn’t show it, which led Kash to wonder if this hadn’t been the point of his conversation all along. “She tricked you into submitting to her?”

  “Yes.”

  Taggart thought about that for a moment. “How does that work? Did she get you drunk? Blackmail you?”

  “No. She didn’t tell me what she was doing.”

  “She didn’t give you instructions?” There was a suspicious tone to the question, as though he didn’t really believe he had asked one at all. As though it all should have been obvious. “Because those are usually the norm in a D/s relationship. In vanilla relationships you sometimes fall into bed together and one partner naturally takes the lead, but you can usually tell who that is. Did she fight you for it?”

  Nope. He’d lain down the minute she’d turned that sexy-as-hell voice on him. “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Did she tie you up when you were asleep or something? You know that’s assault and we should really talk about that.”

  Taggart was twisting his words, the bastard. “No, she didn’t do that. And yes, she gave me instructions.”

  “She asked you to get to your knees? She asked you to let her take control? How was this confusing to you?” Taggart asked in a rapid-fire interrogation.

  “I understood the instructions.”

  “And it seems as though you followed them,” Taggart surmised. “Did she tell you she would stop the sex if you didn’t obey her? Is that how she blackmailed you?”

  He hadn’t even thought to ask the question. He’d been so enthralled by the way she took control, by the relief he felt at the idea of not being in charge for a few fucking minutes in his day. “I did what she required. It didn’t seem wrong at the time. But she didn’t tell me about her past. She didn’t tell me what she wanted from me.”

  “Did she require your submission outside the bedroom? Did she manipulate you into giving in to her when the subject wasn’t sex? Women can use any number of manipulative techniques to get us to submit to their evil wills.”

  He had the feeling Taggart was making fun of him. It made him think though. She hadn’t tried to manipulate him. She’d asked if he was going to come to her meetings with parliament, that he sit back and allow her to handle things, but that was her job. She understood it far better than he did. He’d spent the whole time getting hot because of the way she masterfully handled those men, but he’d also realized that she was competent.

  They hadn’t fought until that last day. They’d found a familiar friendship that had filled some place inside him he hadn’t realized was empty.

  “No, she hasn’t tried, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t part of her plan. She was grooming me.” It sounded stupid even to his ears.

  Taggart’s whole body buckled under the force of his laughter. He was red in the face when he came back up. “Kash, man. That is the best. For a hot minute there I thought you were serious. Oh, you got me good. That was hysterical.”

  He was deeply appreciative of the fact that his face was covered with a mask because he could feel his cheeks heating. It was ridiculous. “Yeah, I thought it was pretty good. You know me, I am an incredibly funny man.”

  Taggart gave him a wide smile. “I was worried there for a minute. She’s an amazing woman. Your girl is kinky and she’ll keep you on your toes for the rest of your life. You totally could have done worse. You should thank your momma for picking a wife who’s badass enough to be your queen. And Kash, it’s time to let go of all that other shit and get the hell back to work.”

  “What are you talking about?” He feared he knew. Taggart was one of the only men on earth who knew what he’d been working on and how wrong it had gone.

  “You’ve been hiding from that project for years. It wasn’t your fault some douchebag decided to kill your project, and it’s not your fault that your people died. And this time around, you’ll have me working security, and I’ve heard that queen of yours is pretty smart, too. You’ve fumbled around for years. It’s time to do what you’re supposed to do.”

  “What’s that, Taggart?”

  Taggart’s eyes went to the stage and they lit up as the lights came on. “Well, well, there’s some manipulation. I should have wondered why Charlie was so hot to help set up. See, not all plots are bad things. Some end up leading to happy endings. You wanted to know how it would work with two tops, you can find out tonight. Or you can play with your girl and be happy and tell anyone who thinks it’s wrong to go straight to hell. It’s your choice.”

  Taggart started walking away. Kash put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “You didn’t answer my question. You said there was something I was supposed to do.”

  “Yeah, man. Some asshat who’s no longer alive thanks to a badass babe set you back. Now it’s time to step up again. Time to change the world. The world needs visionaries. You can’t be a visionary if all you do with your life is worry about what other people think. Be brave. Be the fucking king, my man.”

  He glanced up and saw what Taggart had seen. A gorgeous woman wearing a black catsuit that clung to her every curve was walking onto the stage. Walking? That woman didn’t merely walk. She strode. She owned the ground she walked on. A black mask covered her face, but there was no question of who she was. Between the long, midnight black hair that nearly reached her waist and those gorgeous lips of hers, he knew his wife. Although he’d never seen her look so confident, so secure in who she was than that moment she walked onto the stage.

  Day was done waiting for him. She was here in the dungeon and she would move on.

  Charlotte Taggart took the stage as Day looked over the ropes that had been left for her. Charlotte stepped up and looked out over the small crowd. “Thank you all for joining us tonight. We’ve got a special treat. A friend of ours is here in town for a few days. She’s considered an expert at both bondage and suspension play, and she’s going to give us a demo tonight. She’s going to show you that with proper technique, a tiny Domme can handle her big, burly sub.”

  Was that what all that rigging was for? There was an elaborate system of ropes and pulleys connected to an apparatus obviously meant to suspend something in midair. It looked like she w
ould be suspending a man there.

  “Please welcome Mistress D.”

  There was clapping and shouts of hellos from the couples around him. They were all shapes and sizes, all colors and ages. There were men with women clinging to them and women with men resting at their feet. Some of the couples were same sex, and then there were the threesomes. Not a one of them seemed uncomfortable.

  No one cared here. They were all seeking the same thing—to be happy.

  Day took center stage. She didn’t need a microphone to be heard. “Thank you so much for having me here tonight. I love rope. I love how it feels in my hands and how creative I can get when using it on a partner. I love suspension play as well because when my lovely sub is trapped in my web and suspended off the ground, he is completely vulnerable to me. There isn’t a part of him I can’t torture and touch, no ground beneath him to keep him from me. Of course, I prefer submissives who enjoy the sensation, and not all do. As with any play, this should be consensual and kind…even when it’s quite cruel.”

  Because the cruelty was nothing more than a game. Because Day wouldn’t want to hurt anyone. She merely sought to give her partners a space to explore their fantasy selves, to be someone different than they were in their daily lives, to give up control and feel free for a few hours.

  Why should that be forbidden to him?

  He saw what could be their lives flash before him. If he chose to stick to this path, they might very well find some friendship, but she would need this. If he forced her away from this lifestyle altogether, a piece of her would be lost, hollowed out. Or if he allowed her to play quietly, she would eventually find a man who wasn’t intimidated, who wouldn’t allow some societal norm to take away his choice, to define his masculinity.

  What right did anyone have to choose who he would be?

  He was the fucking king.

  “I want to show you some of my techniques,” Day continued. “I know the big Doms of the room have no trouble at all suspending their dainty subs, but I prefer my men with muscle. I want to show you how a smaller top can safely suspend and play with her bigger, heavier sub. Can I get a volunteer?”

  Three other men held their hands up, one trying to crowd the stage as though willing to physically block out the other men.

  He could sit back and watch. He could think this through and make a rational decision.

  “I volunteer. Me. And if any one of you touches my wife, I swear I’ll kill you where you stand, is that clear?”

  Taggart gave him a big thumbs-up as he moved toward the stage.

  Chapter Nine

  Day frowned as she watched the man shove his way through the crowd. She hadn’t been able to hear exactly what he’d said, but she’d gotten the gist. He was selecting himself and taking the choice from her.

  He was about to find out she didn’t play that way.

  She looked over at Charlotte and Kori, who were standing off to the side, waiting to see if she needed any help. Serena Dean-Miles had been assisting until her big gorgeous brute of a Dom had explained that she had a meeting in the principal’s office.

  “I want that man taken out of here,” she said to Kori. “Do we have bouncers?”

  Kori nodded. “Sure we do, but I think they’re going to make you take care of this one.”

  It wasn’t her club, but this was her scene and she meant to make things clear. She was in charge and she would select her volunteer. It certainly wouldn’t be some mouthy brat of a beast with no manners.

  Oh, god, it was Kash.

  She turned and there he was, stepping up the stairs. Another man put a hand out. She’d been introduced to Harrison Keen only moments before. She’d thought she would probably use him as her test subject. He was a lovely man, six foot with plenty of muscle. He was perfect to show her techniques off on.

  “Hey, the Mistress gets to decide, asshole. Have you ever been in a club in your life?” Harrison was asking.

  “Have you ever been thrown into a damn hellhole of a prison because you touched a powerful king’s wife? I have this prison. Well, they might have turned it into a tourist attraction, but I can build a new one.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Keen shook his head.

  That was her Kash. He could make some of the oddest threats she’d ever heard, and he didn’t mind going medieval on people. Was he here to haul her off the stage? When she’d agreed to do the demo, she’d chosen to do it for herself, to have some fun and relax. Not to give Kash the middle finger. She’d thought about it and decided she wouldn’t do it for revenge. Only for herself. She’d suspected he wouldn’t even realize she was here. She’d thought he would have found some delicate sub and settled in for the night, and seeing them together would finally make her understand that her marriage was over before it had truly begun.

  Of course, she might find out her husband was here to treat her like some child who couldn’t make a decision for herself.

  Kash hoisted himself up onto the stage, his body moving with the elegant grace of a panther. How could he seriously think that a tiny mask could hide his beauty? Anyone who knew him would know the brilliance of his eyes, the straight, square line of his jaw, those sexy broad shoulders.

  She put her hands on her hips, completely unwilling to give up her space. He could reject her, but he wasn’t taking this from her. She leaned in, making sure she couldn’t be heard. “Kash, I’m not hurting anyone. I’ve got my mask on. No one knows it’s me.”

  “I know it’s you. I’ll know it if you play with another man, and then I think our cover will be blown because I will kill the man. I have diplomatic immunity, but it could still cause problems and Big Tag would be upset. No one is getting topped by you but me.” He loomed over her.

  She wanted it more than anything, but how could she believe it? “You’ll hate me when it’s over.”

  His jawline softened. “I could never hate you.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that. “I think it’s a mistake. We don’t have a contract. You were right. I should have sat down with you and explained everything.”

  “That seems dull. If you had tried that, I would have gotten bored. I am easily distracted these days and it’s all my own fault. I’ve let my mind go to waste. I know it’s an easy thing to do when you’re in a body this beautiful, but it’s been pointed out to me lately that I let the world down when I don’t also exercise my gorgeous brain. I will stop playing so many video games and join you in your morning reading.”

  She shook her head. “Kash, everyone will be watching you.”

  He frowned. “Of course they will. Have you seen my body? It’s stunning. I am a man in his peak physical condition, and more than that, I am a king, blessed with the body of a god. I’ve been told I have a glow about me.”

  Who the hell was this? This was the Kash she remembered, the Kash who joked about his own arrogance. The Kash who’d been such a good friend, who’d caught her heart. Still, he couldn’t have changed overnight. “I can’t go through that again. I’ll go up to our room and we can talk about this. It’s what we should have done the first time.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk. I won’t understand that way. I have to see a thing, to feel it, to experience it. I might get angry later, but I won’t be angry with you. I’ll be irritated with myself. I wasn’t raised to be comfortable with something like this, but I don’t want to take this from you. Let me be your submissive tonight. We’re among friends, and none of them will talk. I don’t have to be the king. I can be someone else, someone who can give you what you need.”

  It was all she could ask for, but she still found it hard to trust. “Why are you really doing this? You know I’m not going to have sex with another man.”

  His lips curled up ever so slightly, and he stared at her with something akin to wonder on his face. “Because I never thought you would look so beautiful, so sexy as a Domme. Because I want to be what you need, even if it’s only for an hour or so. I want to pretend we’re
not fighting and that I can let go for a while.”

  There was a tension to his shoulders that told her he was still worried about it, a stiffness to the way he held himself that let her know the fight wasn’t over. But if they never tried, if she didn’t let him bend because she was so afraid he would break, they couldn’t possibly know if it could work.

  She could go easy on him. After all, this was merely a demo. She wasn’t about to lead him into some crazy sexual sadism. She was teaching other club members how to safely secure their subs. She didn’t need to make him kiss her feet or to slap his ass.

  She turned to the crowd. “Thank you all for your patience and thank you to all who were willing to volunteer. This lovely man will serve as my submissive this evening. Let me start by showing you how I’ve set up the rigging. Darling, you can kneel in the middle of the stage and wait for your turn.”

  His eyes tightened as though the command rankled, but he turned and took his place. Kash dropped to his knees and she began.

  Four hours later, she walked through the dungeon, her mask off finally. It was funny how when she’d taken it off in the locker room, she’d barely recognized the woman looking back at her from the mirror. That woman seemed to have aged a bit, her glow dulled by regret.

  She should have stayed in her room, given him more time.

  The club was closed and the space quiet now. She wondered if Kash had changed and gone back to his room. He’d been quiet, too. Contemplative. During the demonstration, he’d been completely compliant, offering her nothing but his obedience, but she hadn’t felt any joy from him. There had been no relaxing into the moment. He’d been an automaton, easy to use, but there had been no connection between them.

  She stopped at the stage where she’d briefly had some hope. It was gone now, and she had to ask herself some hard questions.

  Could she live without this the rest of her life? Could she give it up and truly be happy? Could she be happy without Kash?