by Julia Sykes
He pressed two thick fingers against my entrance, testing my arousal. I gasped and arched toward him, inviting more.
“That’s what I want,” he praised. “You, wet and needy. You’re much better behaved like this.”
He didn’t give me the chance to get indignant. His fingers slid through my soft folds, penetrating me to the hilt. They curled inside me and found my g-spot. I cried out as ecstasy shot through me, and I ground my hips against him. My orgasm was so close…
He withdrew his hand.
“Wait!”
He shook his head with a slightly cruel grin. “You don’t get to come yet. You have to be good for me to earn that.”
“I’ve been good,” I protested. “I haven’t slapped you or anything.”
He laughed. “We have different definitions of good.”
He reached to the table beside the couch and retrieved a toy I recognized immediately. Ben Wa balls.
“No,” I said, aghast.
“Yes. These will stay in your pussy until I decide they can come out. Then you’ll get an orgasm.”
“They’ll drive me crazy!” I objected.
“That’s the idea. You’ll have to obey me if you want any relief at the end of the night. These will keep you focused on following my instructions.”
“Nope. Not happening.”
His expression turned grim. “You’ll accept them, or you won’t accompany me to the party.”
“I agreed to punishments, not torture.”
“You agreed to be my sub. I’m taking this very seriously. You’re not just posing as my sub at the club. For the duration of this op, you are mine. All of you. It’s my job to keep you safe, and that means keeping you under my control.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he continued on over me. “And don’t tell me you wouldn’t try to defy me if I were to go easy on you. You’ve obviously walked all over Dex. I won’t accept you running off on your own and making yourself vulnerable.”
“You’re making me vulnerable,” I grumbled.
He smiled, sensing his victory. “And that’s making you wet.” He raised his fingers to my lips to brush them with my arousal. My cheeks heated at the brazen evidence of my desire for him.
He held up the Ben Wa balls. “So. Are you coming tonight or not?” His eyes glittered at his little joke.
“I’m coming to the party,” I said defiantly.
“If you behave, you’ll come all over my hand at the end of the night.”
“Yes, I got the joke the first time.”
“Just wanted to make sure my British humor wasn’t flying over your head,” he said with a smile.
“I’m not an idiot.”
“No,” he said more seriously. “You’re not. But you are reckless, and I won’t tolerate that. And you don’t want me to, not really.”
My eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, your legs have stayed open for me this whole time. You were always going to agree. You want me to dominate you. You wouldn’t have hit subspace otherwise.”
I thought about telling him I hadn’t hit subspace, but that would be such a blatant lie even I couldn’t make the words form on my tongue. Accepting his punishment had been nothing short of blissful.
I blew out a breath. “Just put them in already.”
“As you command, Mistress,” he mocked. My cheeks burned, but I still didn’t close my thighs.
The first red rubber ball pressed against my entrance. He guided it in with his finger, pushing until it popped past my tight muscles. The second one followed. Once they were in place, he tested their security by pulling against the thin string attached to them. Something that sounded embarrassingly like a whine tickled the back of my throat as they bumped inside me. He grinned.
“You don’t have to look so pleased with yourself,” I said darkly.
Stinging pain flared on my pussy lips when he delivered a reprimanding slap. I tried to shift away from him, but the movement just made the Ben Wa balls slide across my g-spot. I shuddered and went still in his arms.
“But I am pleased with myself,” he remarked.
I opted to say nothing. I had a feeling that course of action was in my best interest.
Hugh suddenly gripped my waist and sat me upright. I squeaked in surprise as the toy jostled in response. His low laugh both infuriated and enflamed me.
“Time to get dressed, pet. And I want those panties.”
“What for?”
“A souvenir.”
“And what do I get?” I asked.
“The pleasure of my company.”
“I’m the one visiting a foreign country. I should get a souvenir.”
“I’ll get you a Big Ben figurine.”
I rubbed my ass against his erection. “Big Ben? Is that what you call him?”
He growled and gripped my hips, stilling my teasing motion. “He doesn’t need a name.”
“Oh, I’m sure I could think of something fun.”
His hand wrapped around my neck. “Don’t even think about it. You won’t like the consequences if you try to belittle my dick.”
“There’s nothing little about it,” I said honestly.
His grip on my throat loosened. “That’s a more appropriate attitude.”
“Right. Respect the Dom’s cock. Duly noted, Sir.”
“I’d prefer if you worshiped it, but your respect will do for now.” He laughed at my shocked intake of breath. “I guess my little Dominatrix isn’t quite as jaded as she likes to pretend.”
I went cold. “Don’t call me that.”
“Sorry, love. I wasn’t thinking. I’m nothing like Abramovich. You know I respect you.”
“Do you?” I asked softly.
His face was almost harsh with his seriousness. “Yes. Just because you’re my sub doesn’t mean I don’t respect you. I know you haven’t been submissive with another man in a while, and I know it makes you uncomfortable sometimes. If you want to talk about that, we can.”
“I already told you this isn’t a therapy session,” I said stiffly. I didn’t want to talk about my ex-husband.
“All right, love. I’ll leave it for now. We really do need to get ready to go or we’ll be late meeting up with Finlay and Dex.”
“Okay,” I agreed, moving to slide carefully off his lap.
His arm formed an iron band around my waist.
“Wait. I have one more thing for you.”
“What now?” I griped. “A butt plug?”
His eyes sparked with interest. “No, but that could be arranged.”
“I’ll pass, thanks,” I said drily.
He reached to the side table again and picked up a thin strip of black leather. I tried to scoot away.
“Uh-uh. I am not wearing a collar.”
“What else will I clip your leash to?” he asked rationally.
“I thought you were using that as a figure of speech!”
“Did I sound like I was joking?”
“I don’t know. You Brits are so deadpan with your sarcasm. It’s hard to tell sometimes.”
“Well I wasn’t being sarcastic, pet. Dex tells me you have a habit of running off on your own. So yes, I’m literally keeping you on a short leash.”
“I was usually running off with you,” I grumbled.
“If you like my company so much, then you won’t object to sticking by my side tonight.” He brought the leather up to my neck. “Lift your hair for me.”
“I want you to know you’re driving me crazy,” I informed him, but I did as he instructed. I knew the only way I was going to the party was on his terms. I refused to allow him to bully me off the op.
He gently kissed my exposed nape, and I couldn’t help shivering in response. “Likewise.”
The collar encircled my neck, and my heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, Hugh seemed to surround me completely; his powerful aura nearly overwhelmed me. The silvery buckle clicked softly as he drew the leather through it and then secured it in plac
e.
He kissed my neck again, nipping at my delicate skin.
My breath hitched, the entire world centering to him. His blue eyes threatened to swallow me up. The sensation of being collared was something I had almost forgotten. Had it always been this shockingly intimate?
He ran his finger along the line of the leather. “Very pretty. It suits you.”
“Thank you.” The words came naturally.
He grinned. “Keep up that sweetness, and I’ll have to let you come before we go.”
I laughed. “Nice wordplay. You could always just remove the Ben Wa balls altogether, you know.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly,” he assured me with a wicked grin. “Not when they’re so effective.” He rocked his hips against mine, making the balls roll inside me. I gasped and gripped his shoulders for support.
“You’re an evil bastard,” I panted.
“Cheers,” he thanked me with a sardonic smile. “I do try.”
The night ahead was going to be torture. And he would relish every second of my erotic suffering. The truly frightening thing was I suspected I would enjoy it too.
Chapter 13
“Holy shit.” Dex’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he saw my submissive attire.
“Wipe that gormless expression off your face, caveman,” I growled.
“I don’t even know what that means. Is it some sort of Britishism?”
Hugh tugged on my leash, forcing me closer to him. His hand snaked beneath my short skirt to pinch my bruised ass, and I yelped in pained protest.
“It’s an insult,” he informed Dex. “And she’s very sorry for her rudeness.” He shot me a hard look. “Isn’t she?”
“I don’t have to apologize to Dex,” I said, feeling mutinous. “He’s my friend.”
“He’s a Dom. When we’re in public, you’ll be respectful. Tell him you’re sorry.”
I glared at Dex. “Oh, you are getting an earful in private,” I promised. Hugh pinched me again. “Damn it! I’m sorry, okay?”
“No. Not okay. You’ll have to do better than that, pet.” He fixed me with that stern stare, and I knew this was one battle I wouldn’t win.
“I’m sorry, Dex.”
My friend’s brows rose higher. “Jesus. How hard did you hit her, Sullivan?” He turned a disapproving frown on Hugh. “Not too hard, I hope. For your sake. I might have agreed to this arrangement, but I won’t stand by while you abuse her.”
“He didn’t hit me too hard,” I assured my friend. “He’s a bastard, but not an abusive bastard.”
“Good,” Finlay chimed in. He had been watching the two of us carefully. “Because I’m not sure how I feel about this arrangement, either. It’s kind of fucked up, mate.”
“Easy for you to act all noble,” Hugh said. “You’re not the one responsible for her.”
“Can we stop discussing me as though I’m not here?” I requested. “I might be a sub, but I’m still a freaking person. I agreed to this. Hugh and I are working things out. It’s none of your concern.”
“You heard the lass,” Hugh backed me up.
“So glad you’re on my side,” I said drily.
He quirked an eyebrow at me. “Keep up that attitude, and I’ll lay into your backside.”
I winced. “It’s quite bruised enough, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You’re infuriating.”
“And you’re misbehaving already. Do you want me to take you back to the flat?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and pressed my lips together, silently fuming.
“Wow,” Dex drew out the word under his breath. I aimed a glower in his direction to let him know I had heard. He simply held up his hands in a semi-apologetic gesture and looked away.
“Let’s go in,” Hugh urged. “Everyone ready? Dex and Finlay, you two good to partner up while Clara and I split off?”
Finlay snorted. “So long as you two are actually working and not going off to a private room.”
“I’ve had quite enough punishment for today,” I told him. “There won’t be a need for us to go to a private room.”
“There had better not be,” Hugh warned. “But we won’t,” he assured his friend quickly. “I’ll keep a tally of her infractions to deal with later.”
“Hey! How do you know there will be infractions?”
“Because I know you pretty well now, love. You’re incapable of keeping that sassy mouth shut for more than five minutes.”
“Can you two stop flirting and focus?” Dex asked.
“We’re not flirting,” I told him flatly. “He’s driving me nuts.”
“Fine. You’re bantering. Whatever.”
“And that’s already five,” Hugh informed me. “Once we’re inside, I don’t want to hear one word out of you without my permission.”
“I don’t need your permission to speak!”
“I think you’ll find you do. Unless you want another five every time you open those pretty lips.”
“You totally suck sometimes.”
Finlay sighed. “I have a ball gag in my kit if that will hurry this along.”
I tensed. Hugh’s hand settled on the small of my back, his warm strength reassuring me.
“She’s mine to discipline,” he told his friend coldly. “I don’t want to hear another mention of gags.”
Finlay looked from Hugh to me and back again. “Okay. Sorry, mate.”
“Stick close to me.” Hugh’s voice was gentler this time, his voice soothing rather than commanding. It was kind of nice.
“All right,” I agreed.
Dex shook his head in bafflement at my easy compliance. It struck me that I had given him a really hard time. I should probably be more cooperative with my partner. I gave him a small smile. He appeared even more surprised. Had I been that much of a bitch?
“Thanks for sticking with me, Dex,” I said with genuine gratitude.
“I – uh.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks coloring. It was sweet. “You’re welcome.” He turned his eyes on Hugh. “Did you give her a personality transplant or something?”
I punched his arm lightly. “Don’t ruin the moment, Neanderthal.”
He grinned. “That’s more like it. You had me worried for a minute there.”
“This has all been very touching, but can we go already?” Finlay interrupted. “The party’s starting.”
We stepped from the relative privacy of the foyer and climbed the stairs that lead up to the club. The heavy beat of the music pounded through the stairwell, pulsing through my body in time with the bumping of the Ben Wa balls inside my pussy. They shifted with every step, teasing me mercilessly. My eyes seemed glued to Hugh’s hand where he gripped the leash, tethering me to him. That hand would make me come at the end of the night. The knowledge that my sexual torment would end eventually was all that got me through.
I did my best to ignore the lust building at my core. I had to stay focused on my mission, but Hugh had ensured I would stay focused on him. I really would have to pay attention to his every word, even if I would rather pretend he didn’t hold any sway over me.
“Excuse me,” a soft, strained voice penetrated my lust-fogged brain. “Clara Peterson?”
We had only just crossed the threshold, but a woman was waiting for me. Recognition hit as soon as I laid eyes on her, and I forgot all about my erotic torment.
“Alicia Camden,” I said with surprise. Fear came next, and my eyes frantically searched around her for Dimitri. If his slave was here, he wouldn’t be far away.
“I’m alone,” she assured me quickly. Then she swallowed hard, her gaze darting to the stony faces of the three hulking men who accompanied me. They fanned out, hemming her in.
“Ease up, guys,” I ordered. “Dex, Finlay. Check the club. Make sure Dimitri’s not here.”
“He’s not,” Alicia insisted, her tone rising with anxiety. “I came here on my own.”
Dex and Finlay were alr
eady moving through the crowd.
“And how did you manage that?” Hugh asked skeptically. “You’re his prisoner, aren’t you?”
“I… It’s not that simple,” she said, her brow knitting with distress.
“Why are you here?” I prompted.
Her expression firmed with determination. “I came to warn you to back off. Dimitri wants you. He knows everything about you, every move you make. He takes what he wants. Always.”
“Yes,” I bit out. “He’s made that attitude clear. I don’t intend to let that happen.”
“You don’t understand,” she insisted. “You have no idea what he’s capable of.”
“So you’re here to help me take him down,” I concluded. “Come with us, and we’ll take your statement. With your intel, I know we can get to him.”
Her lips pressed to a thin, angry line. “I’m not here to betray Dimitri,” she said hotly. “I’m here to tell you to back the hell off. He can’t have you.”
I caught a flicker of the animosity I had seen in her eyes on that first night. Was she jealous of Dimitri’s intentions toward me?
“I’ve looked into your history,” I said gently, trying to reason with her. “I know he took you against your will five years ago. You were dating him while you studied abroad in St. Petersburg, but then you disappeared when it was time for you to return home.”
She flinched.
“So you’re not with him willingly,” I pressed on. “Come with us. We can keep you safe.”
“It’s not like that,” she said harshly. “I love him.”
“Then why are you betraying him?” Finlay chimed in. I looked back to see him and Dex flanking us again. “Abramovich isn’t here,” he confirmed when I shot him a questioning look.
“Why aren’t you listening to me?” she demanded. “I’m not here to betray him. I’m here because you need to leave him alone.”
“So you’re trying to save him from justice,” Dex said darkly. “Sorry, but no deal.”
I tried a softer approach. “He abducted you, Alicia. I don’t know what he’s done to you, but it wasn’t your choice.” She stiffened, and I continued on quickly. “He’s doing the same to other women. You can’t possibly be okay with that. I’m trying to save them. I want to save you, too. Please come with us. Tell us how we can find those women.”
