Touch: The Complete Series

by Cara Dee

  Wonderful.

  *

  Rio insists I wear his jacket home and that I simply bring it on Saturday.

  I sleep in that jacket every night until I wake up Saturday morning.

  These past few days have been a blur of work, dissecting Rio's new civility—and did he really leave the lifestyle at one point?—with Kayla and Evangeline, learning the rules for the party, purchasing my costume, having coffee with Gretchen, and listening to Kayla's gossip about some of Switch's members. Apparently Cade—excuse me, Mr. Kingsley—is furious with Dylan for attending with Mistress Judy tonight, Gabriella's Daddy Dom is being a douchenozzle for whatever reason, Miranda is under Rio's care for a punishment we know too little about, and Mark's brother is refusing to face his family by taking his wife and daughter on an impromptu vacation to Aruba.

  There's some drama up in hea'.

  "Chelsea!" Robby hollers from the living room.

  "Yeah?" My mouth is full of bobby pins, so I pry open my door and repeat myself before returning to the mirror in my room.

  "Jase left us food before he went out. Want some?" His voice comes closer until he's standing in my doorway with wide eyes. "What the fuck are you wearing?"

  I grin and remove a bobby pin where I've measured the next leather cord to go. My too-long hair is in two low pigtails, and I'm tying the two together in the back with several thin, brown leather cords. They match my brown gladiator sandals.

  Though, I assume Robby's referring to my slave dress. Sheer, flimsy fabric in a muted purple color is wrapped loosely around my body, revealing pretty much everything. Including the henna-like tattoos I had done yesterday. In intricate designs, they follow from my left calf up to my ribcage where they tease my breast before continuing up over my shoulder.

  Gretchen will look the same, although her dress is greenish instead.

  "This is what slaves wore in Ancient Rome," I say with a shrug. "Well, house slaves that were used for sex, anyway."

  He hums and leans against the doorway. "Even the ink? Which I hope is temporary."

  I chuckle. "Of course it's temporary. And you're right. The henna tattoos are more Egyptian and Asian, but it fits with our roles for the evening. Dante is the barbarian who kidnapped us from a foreign land in the East and brought us to Rome." All done with my hair, I face Robby fully and curtsy, bowing my head. "How do I look, Dominus?"

  He smirks when I straighten. "Like I could be a little het for you."

  I crack up.

  "Anyway…slave, did you want food?"

  "No, thank you." I smile and put on a snug black trench coat. "We're eating at the party." We might even spend the night. Dante said it was a possibility, and apparently Rio has "slave quarters" in his basement. "Don’t wait up, by the way." I cross my fingers and wink at him.

  "Someone's gonna get laaaid." He laughs and leaves me to it. "Have fun and be safe!" he calls over his shoulder.

  Chapter 5

  We arrive at Rio's house outside the city just as a catering van and some other truck leave.

  "Of course he's hired party planners," Dante says, amused, as he parks in the large driveway. Looks like we're one of the first ones to arrive. Unless Rio has four cars. "You're in for a treat, Chelsea." He smiles at me in the rearview. "Rio's play parties are something else. Only Cade's would compete."

  I eye the massive house resting on a grassy hill, his land surrounded by a tall wrought-iron fence. What I assume opens up to the backyard is hidden as the hill dips, and all I can see are the tips of glowing heaters and a few trees with lanterns in them.

  "Damn," I mumble, more than a little intimidated. The house is modern, lots of windows and straight lines, and must've cost a fortune. "He's gotta be loaded, right?"

  "Like a Rockefeller." Gretchen snorts. "He bought this house right after his fiancée died, but he's barely lived in it." Kayla's told me about that. The fiancée died in a car accident some five years ago. Gretchen's eyes light up. "Wait 'til you see his basement. Oh, my God."

  "He has his own dungeon there," Dante supplies, and I nod in understanding. "We've borrowed it a few times while he's been on missions with Doctors Without Borders. In fact, I think others have played there more than he has. Such a shame." He opens the door and steps out, and we follow suit.

  The asphalt sparkles with frost, and I'm thankful it hasn't snowed. We were given the option to change here, but Dante said if it was possible, he wanted us to change before. The only one who needs a minute to fix his costume is Dante. He's wearing a Roman tunic but tucked it into a pair of jeans since he knew he'd be stopping for gas on the way.

  "Do you girls need any reminders of the protocol?" He eases into Master mode.

  "No, Sir," I reply as Gretchen says, "No, Master."

  "Good." He reveals two brown leather collars and fastens them around our necks. I shiver, and not just from the cold. "What will you call me when we step inside that house?"

  "Dominus," we answer.

  He nods and attaches a rusty-looking chain to the rings on our collars. The authenticity only makes it more enticing. "And a Mistress?"

  "Domina," we say.

  "Good slaves. I have your limits for the evening right here." He pats the pocket of his jacket. "I'll give them to your new owners after the auction."

  Grabbing our bags in one hand and holding the end of the chain in the other, he takes the lead up the path toward the house.

  Anticipation surges through me at the thought of tonight's events. Approximately ten Tops have been invited, all of them bringing one to three bottoms. In addition, each Top has been given a certain amount of fake currency, which is to be used during the auction. Afterward, there are different tasks that will need to be completed throughout the night. Meaning, it's important they use their money wisely and invest in as many slaves as they can in order to finish the tasks well and quickly.

  Dante has barely lifted his finger from the doorbell before Miranda—naked as the day she was born—opens the door, averting her eyes to the ground once she's seen who it is.

  "Welcome to the domus of Dominus Kelly," she says softly and opens the door wider. "The guests are gathering in the atrium out back. Please allow me to show you the way."

  Atrium?

  Some jealousy lingers, and I can't help but sneer at Miranda as I pass her. Like Gretchen, she's a redhead and incredibly gorgeous.

  "Where do we put our belongings?" Dante asks curtly. I sneak a glance at him, a little confused when I see he's practically glaring at her. "I hope you won't be in charge of them…thief."

  Gretchen and I exchange a brief look, and I wonder if that's Miranda's role or something. Thief? How odd.

  "No, Dominus." Miranda's voice cracks, and she gestures down a hall to our left. "Everything will be stored safely behind locked doors."

  Dante grunts then orders us to stay here while he follows Miranda down the hall. "You can remove your shoes, slaves," he adds over his shoulder.

  "That was weird," Gretchen whispers as we obey his command. "I don't remember seeing thief as one of the parts."

  Same here. Gretchen and I are foreigners, kidnapped by Dante, and our specialties lie in housework, sexual pleasure, and mending clothes and rope. Our weakness is our language barrier; we're not supposed to understand our owner's words very well. Dylan, I recall, is an injured gladiator, now being sold off as a common slave. He's been instructed not to use his right foot much. Another sub is to play the part of a former teacher who got his tongue cut off for teaching his Domina's children the wrong things, and therefore he's not allowed to speak tonight.

  The list goes on.

  No thief, though. Either we missed that one, or something else is going on.

  The confusion grows when Dante returns. Miranda scurries toward the back of the house with tears streaking her cheeks, but no explanation is offered.

  Dante grabs the leash again, and we follow Miranda past the large living room and out onto a patio. Wow. A huge tent covers the area, and now
I see what Miranda meant by atrium. Heaters, richly colored fabrics, low sofas, cushions, and small fire pits make up the framework, and a rectangular waterhole sits in the middle. It's shallow with blossoms and candles swimming in the water. Just like I've seen in TV shows and documentaries about Ancient Rome.

  It also reminds me of the Chamber—the new playroom added at Switch.

  A couple subs are kneeling near the little pool while three Doms are chatting in a corner. There, two more subs are making sure their owners have drinks and snacks.

  Rio is one of the Masters, and he rises from his seat as he spots Dante. The Tops are all wearing pretty much the same outfit, a Roman tunic in various colors, with or without metal ornaments. Dante's tunic is green to match Gretchen's dress, and he only has a simple rope around his midsection. Rio…oh, fuck me twice. Please. He looks primal in his dark red outfit with some kind of armor over his chest, cuffs on his wrists, a leather strap tied to his bicep, and a short-stranded flogger attached to his belt.

  I'd hit that.

  I stifle my grin and lower my gaze.

  "Dante, my friend." Rio and Dante greet each other warmly and talk about this and that as if Gretchen and I aren't here. And it works; it changes my mind-set. I sink into my submission, the place I love the most.

  "A shame Mark didn’t join us tonight," Dante comments as the doorbell rings.

  Miranda hurries out.

  "Aye," Rio chuckles. "He's never had a problem sharing before."

  Dante huffs a laugh. "That’s what love does to some."

  Me, included. Sharing is fun on occasion, but when I'm in a committed relationship, I have a rule that turns me into a hypocrite. Sharing my Master with a male sub is hot because we can offer the Dom different things. But sharing him with another woman would turn me into an insecure mess. I honestly don’t know how Gretchen can handle it. Not only that, but she loves it. She and Dante are perfect for each other, their love and bond so strong.

  "Yeah," Rio replies quietly, almost as an afterthought.

  The silence that follows doesn’t last long. Miranda comes back, this time with six or seven guests, and shortly after, the doorbell rings a final time. Over thirty guests fill up the patio nicely, and everyone finds a seat as Rio takes a stand in the middle.

  Gretchen and I kneel on the wooden floor next to Dante.

  "It's been a long time since I hosted regular play parties," Rio says, and a few Doms holler in agreement. Rio grins. "No dramas, mates. I'm getting too old to hike through jungles with too few supplies and too many rebels, anyway. I hope to make this a quarterly event, at least. Jeremy, you requested a university theme—perhaps for the next party we'll have a bunch of students and professors running around here."

  It's definitely more than just the Doms exclaiming their approval this time, though the subs pipe down quickly.

  University theme… Heh. Would Rio turn rooms into lecture halls? Hot. Maybe the dean himself would roam the halls and make sure no student was left behind.

  "But let's focus on this party first, shall we?" Rio lets out a whistle, summoning Miranda. "Tell the kitchen slaves to start bringing out dinner." He faces his guests again. "In the meantime, we have an auction to attend. Every Dominus and Domina have received the list of tasks for the evening, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of our slaves. Keep that in mind when you make your bids."

  Dylan is in the first group that gets called to the middle. A DM from Switch—Master Hill, I think—stands up and receives the bids, slave by slave.

  Dante bids on Mistress Judy's sub, Elysia, but not high enough to win. Rio bids on her too, though it appears it's only to raise the cost and cause the final buyer to lose more money.

  In the end, a Dom whose name I don’t know buys her.

  Dylan is next, and Rio's quick to make a decent bid. At Dylan's subtle eye-roll, it dawns on me that Rio might be bidding on him as a favor to Cade.

  "Fifteen," Jeremy bids.

  "Twenty." Rio smiles.

  It goes on like that until Dylan is Rio's for twice that much.

  I sit close enough to hear what he murmurs in Dylan's ear. "Don’t roll your eyes at me ever again, slave. Yes, Cade asked me to buy you, but don’t you worry. Play your cards right, and I just might arrange so you get that ass full of cock. Your Daddy only wanted a say in who gets to use you."

  Umph. That begs the question…is Rio straight? Bi? Watching him fuck Dylan would be sexy.

  "Understood, Dominus." Dylan ducks his head, his cheeks red.

  In the next round, Gretchen is sold off to Master Hill. Mistress Judy buys two boys.

  "You're up." Dante releases the chain from my collar.

  I exhale and join three other subs in the middle. And like with the others before us, Master Hill takes care of introductions, which is followed by a low murmur from the bidders who compare our strengths and weaknesses on the cards they have.

  A petite brunette next to me is first, and she's sold after two Doms almost argue over her.

  "And here we have a beautiful little blonde," Master Hill says, motioning for me to turn around. Little blonde? I'm five foot six, dammit. "Long, thick hair to grab on to." He gives my leather-bound hair a tug. "Experienced with rope and pleasing a Dominus's cock. But…foreign. Doesn’t understand our language very well."

  "Ten," Dante offers with a smirk.

  "Fifteen," another one says gruffly.

  I'd rather not go with him! First, I don’t know his name. Second, I've seen him use a single tail.

  "Twenty," Dante outbids.

  "Forty-five." Rio. His smooth voice silences everyone else.

  My pulse quickens. He warned me, said I better pray he doesn’t buy me as his house slave, but how can I not want this?

  "Sold—to Dominus Kelly."

  I look helplessly to Master Hill, given the role I have to play, and then to Rio, who smiles darkly and crooks a finger at me. Come.

  Dante slides over my card of limits to Rio, and I walk around two "kitchen slaves," who I assume are waitresses from Switch or something, as they bring in trays packed with food.

  "Kneel." Rio taps two fingers to the floor near where he's sitting on a low couch. I tilt my head at Dylan, and he nods at the floor where he's kneeling, too.

  Mirroring his position, I kneel down and sit back on my heels, my gaze firmly glued to the ground.

  "Such pretty slaves." Rio cups our faces and makes us look up. Behind me, the auction continues with the last group while Rio inspects his new wares. "I hope you'll prove to be useful, too." He sits back as he's served with wine and food, though his eyes never leave me or Dylan. "I think I want you both naked. Strip."

  I make it my thing to look to Dylan for instructions since I'm not supposed to understand English. So when he stands up to remove the leather piece covering his privates, I take the hint to do the same. Rio nods at me in approval.

  The wispy fabric falls from my body, but instead of cooling down, I feel hotter with Rio's predatory gaze on me.

  I want him to like what he sees. I want him to see a grown woman, not the sixteen-year-old girl he met in New York ten years ago.

  "Fucking flawless," he murmurs, leaning close to slide a hand up my thigh. A shiver runs through me as he traces the designs of the henna tattoo. "Come here." With a single pull, he has me down on his lap.

  I freeze momentarily. Fuck, this is new. My hands flatten against the armor across his chest, and he tugs me even closer. One hand on my right butt cheek, the other cupping my left elbow.

  "No game, Chelsea," he whispers in my ear. "I need to know if this is okay, that I bought you. The correct response ends with 'Master Rio.'"

  He's giving me a choice.

  I nod jerkily, willing my breathing to even out. "It's more than okay, Master—" Before I can voice his name, he pinches my ass hard enough for me to gasp.

  His eyes spark with something I can't decipher. "Good girl. You've pleased me."

  Swoon.

  *

&
nbsp; Dinner passes in a haze of decadence. Wine, wandering hands, the finest meat, salads, laughter and conversation among the Tops, fine cheeses, pasta, servitude, and teasing drops of juice from berries and fruit.

  Rio decides when Dylan and I eat, and every now and then, he feeds us from his hand. In return, we make sure his plate and cup stay filled.

  "I believe they're sending out invitations within a week or two," Rio tells Master Hill, who was wondering about Nicholas and Kayla's plans. "Their closest will be invited down to the wedding in Mexico, and the rest to the ceremony at Switch shortly after their return." He holds out his fruit plate to me, and I'm quick to fill it with grapes, sliced pears, and plums.

  "Definitely a feast to look forward to." Mistress Judy raises her glass.

  They toast to Nicholas and his little one before moving on to the next topic. Entertainment. They want something tantalizing to watch while the kitchen slaves clear the dinner and make room for dessert.

  "I'm happy to volunteer one of my slaves." Jeremy orders a male sub to stand up and then turns to Rio. "How about your gorgeous Chelsea?"

  The exhibitionist in me gets a thrill at the prospect, but I don’t even know the sub in question, and…dammit, I want Rio!

  "A fine idea," Rio replies with a tight smile, "but I'm afraid I need her assistance on a surprise I have for all of you." He begins to rise. "In fact, we'll go prepare that right now. Slave," he addresses Dylan, "you stay here and talk to no one."

  "Yes, Dominus."

  Rio nods and gestures for me to follow him.

  Chapter 6

  Keeping my head bowed, I follow Rio into the house.

  "We're going to get a cross from the basement." He stops at a door in the foyer, opening it to reveal a staircase. "Have you ever been crucified?"

  I open my mouth to answer, but then I remember I'm not supposed to understand everything.

  Rio looks back at me and grins.

  The bastard's testing me.

  "Cross, Dominus?"

  He chuckles and descends the stairs. I follow and stop waiting for a reply; it's obviously not coming. Instead, I scan my surroundings, the glossy, black concrete floor, red-painted walls, heavy wooden doors leading to God knows what. One has a barred hatch in the middle with the sign "Cell" above it. Another two have the signs "Dormitory," which I think might be the slave quarters.