A Gray Area

by Amy Sumida

  “Wow,” I breathed when I was done.

  “What's wrong?” Malik asked warily.

  “You look incredible, love.”

  Malik smiled; the one he reserved for the bedroom. “Do I, now?”

  I ran my fingers over his solid chest; forgetting about Cyprian completely. Malik's muscles looked like art; the stretch of them beneath his button-down and slacks made fascinating lines. I drew my hand down his thigh, and he shuddered; his instant erection pressing against his zipper insistently. But I didn't touch him there. I took off his shoes instead. Boots and socks both fell to the carpet and were forgotten. Then I ran my fingers along the top of his feet.

  Malik inhaled sharply and then let it out slowly as I kept venturing upward. I pulled his shirt out of his pants and unbuttoned it. The material fell to the sides, but I pushed it even further; revealing the smooth perfection of Malik's sculpted chest. I scraped my nails over his skin and then across his nipples. He was stunning; the combination of Bleiten genes and his years as a warrior giving him the kind of body that human men had to work hours for every day in a gym. And I got to touch it.

  “Try this,” Cyprian's voice had gone nearly as deep as Malik's.

  It jolted me out of my desire-haze. I blinked up at Cyprian in surprise, and he smiled sensuously at me. The tip of his tongue flicked out to lick his lips as he handed me a glove with steel points attached to the fingers. I held out my hand for it but instead of giving it to me, he slipped it on for me. His fingers smoothed the silky, stretchy fabric over my hand and then eased it up my arm before he moved away. Cyprian nodded at Malik's chest.

  “Concentrate on the areas he finds stimulating,” Cyprian instructed. “Go lightly at first and then increase pressure to suit his responses.”

  I trailed the glove over Malik and his stomach clenched; muscles tightening beautifully. I bit my lip as I drew the points across his nipples and then down toward his crotch.

  “Mara,” Malik growled in warning.

  “Are you going to allow that?” Cyprian lifted a brow at me. “Slaves don't give commands.”

  I slipped my hand down Malik's pants and lightly grazed him. He went very still; his jaw clenching.

  “I thought you said you could take it,” I teased Malik. “Do you really want me to stop?”

  Malik clenched his jaw but then shook his head.

  “Say it,” I whispered as I scratched his belly hard enough to leave red marks.

  “Don't stop,” Malik's voice dropped so low that I could barely make out the words.

  “Don't stop, Mistress,” Cyprian whispered in my ear. He'd shifted around the bed to stand behind me.

  “Don't stop, Mistress,” I repeated the command.

  “Mara!”

  “Mistress!” I leaned over and licked his nipple.

  “Mara,” Malik said firmly.

  Cyprian took the glove from me; sliding it off my hand as he pressed his body into my back. “This requires a different approach,” he laid his chin on my shoulder as he spoke.

  Then he moved away; leaving my back suddenly cold. Cyprian went to his table of toys and picked up a riding crop, but he didn't hand it to me. Instead, he motioned me over to him.

  “I'm going to show you how to use this on him if you'll permit me?” Cyprian asked carefully.

  “Show me how?”

  “On you.”

  I gave him a dubious look.

  He held up a hand. “I won't touch you; only the crop will come into contact with your skin.”

  “You had better not touch her,” Malik growled. “There's not a rope in the world strong enough to hold me down if you do.”

  “So aggressive.” Cyprian widened his eyes at me dramatically.

  I couldn't help laughing.

  “I'm fine, Mal,” I said gently. “Go ahead, Cyprian.”

  “Lightly at first, just as with the gloves.” Cyprian started smacking my hips gently with the end of the crop.

  It was just annoying, really. But then he made his way forward and flicked the crop over my belly. I inhaled a startled breath as he continued up, drawing it over my breasts before giving me a light slap.

  “Mara,” Malik growled.

  “Still fine,” my voice was breathless. “He's not touching me.”

  Cyprian smiled at me as if we were sharing a naughty secret, and I felt guilty despite the fact that it hadn't been a lie. No; Cyprian wasn't touching me, but he arousing me. My face heated.

  “Strengthen the blows slowly until you feel ready to deliver a nice solid—” Cyprian smacked my ass with the crop, and I gasped.

  “That's it.” Malik started to get up; the silk ropes creaked.

  “I'm fine; he just surprised me,” I reassured Mal.

  Malik relaxed, and I headed back to the bed.

  “Mara, your crop,” Cyprian whispered as he glided up behind me.

  I froze as the tip of the crop slid around my waist and then down, between my legs. Cyprian angled it forward to hand it to me but made sure to press it against my sex as he did. I clenched my teeth and gave him a warning look. Cyprian smiled and held his hands up as he drew away.

  I started repeating the lesson on Malik; lightly slapping the crop over his legs and then his chest before dragging it down his erection. Malik moved against the folded bit of leather as he strained at the ropes. His breaths were growing ragged. I brought the crop down hard on his upper thigh. Mal jerked and hissed but his cock also twitched. I tapped it over the bottom of his feet, and he tensed. I drew it upward lightly and then rubbed my palm over his inner thigh. Malik moaned; his hips pumping in need. I moved my hand up under his balls and lightly squeezed them through the fabric of his pants as I smacked his stomach with the crop. Malik cried out.

  “Should I stop?” I asked him.

  Malik grinned devilishly.

  “Say it,” I tried again.

  Malik only licked his lips as a low rumble lifted from his chest.

  I kicked off my heels and climbed up on the bed. Cyprian moved toward the head of the bed so he could watch me. His eyes had gone dark and his aura was churning, but it didn't reach for me, and he didn't speak. He just watched—hungrily—as I straddled Malik. Part of me was embarrassed, but another part of me knew that this was minor for such a place as Dirty Nothings. And for such a man as Cyprian. Yet, this minor activity was turning Cyprian on—turning us all on, truth be told—and that made me feel powerful.

  I pressed myself against Malik and ground down on him. He groaned; his head rolling on the leather mattress. I smacked his face with the crop, and he bared his teeth at me. I smacked him again—harder—and rubbed my sex against his.

  “Mara!”

  “Try harder,” Cyprian's words carried to me faintly; a ghost in the room.

  I reached under my full skirt and undid Malik's pants. Malik's breath started coming rapidly; his entire body was tensed. His shaft sprang up against my panties, and I rubbed the wet silk of my underwear against him. He roared and lifted his hips. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cyprian rub his erection through his leather pants; his body lightly trembling. But I focused on Malik. I spread my skirts out demurely so Cyprian couldn't see the intimacy beneath and ground my throbbing sex against my lover. I started flicking the crop over his chest; lightly, lightly, and then hard! Malik jerked up against me.

  “Should I stop?”

  Malik's smile was wicked. His breaths came in pants. His cock pulsed against my panties.

  I reached under my skirt again and pulled aside my underwear. Malik groaned as I rubbed my sex directly against his. He tried to angle himself into me, but I kept pushing down until he stopped. I started flicking the crop on him again; his chest, his thighs, his feet, and then a hard hit to his nipple.

  I lifted up on my knees so that Malik could only feel the fabric of my skirt covering him.

  “Mara!” His cock was hard against my thigh; reaching for me.

  “Say it!”

  Malik groaned. I lowered eno
ugh to just barely brush my heat against his velvet tip. He shivered. I leaned forward and licked his lips. He opened his mouth and tried to draw me into a kiss. I ground my mouth over his and tangled my tongue with his for a few seconds before drawing back.

  “Say it,” I murmured just above his mouth.

  Malik was shivering; the tip of erection straining to penetrate my sex. I had to lean forward to keep from impaling myself on him. I glanced over at Cyprian for help. He had the button of his pants open and was about to unzip them.

  “Do not do that!” I snapped at Cyprian. “In fact; leave us!”

  “This is my room.” Cyprian blinked at me. “I'm your trainer.”

  “Get out!”

  “Yes, Mistress,” Cyprian murmured with wonder and hurried out of the room.

  Malik smiled victoriously.

  “Oh, no, my darling,” I whispered into his ear. “You haven't won.”

  I slipped him inside me; just the head. He tried to move up, but I held myself rigid above him.

  “Say it!”

  “Mara, we don't have to—”

  “Say it!”

  “Don't stop,” Malik murmured.

  “Say all of it,” I purred as I eased down further on his shaft.

  Malik groaned.

  I dropped onto him fully. Malik roared. I pulled away. He strained against the ropes and they started to snap. I smacked his face with the crop.

  “No cheating!”

  Malik went still. I tossed the crop over my shoulder and leaned on his chest with both hands. I placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

  “Say it.” I rolled my hips.

  “Don't stop, Mistress!” Malik shouted.

  I sank down onto him with ecstasy and something else riding me; something just as addictive. Sexual power. Malik growled and moaned as I slammed my hips onto him. He begged me to untie the ropes, but I didn't. I just kept working him at my leisure. I went slow and then fast. I ground in circles and then just laid over his chest and massaged his sex with mine. I took my pleasure exactly as I wanted to.

  Finally, when I was reaching my apex, I lifted my shirt and bra. I shoved my nipple in his mouth and ordered him to suck me. He did; eagerly. The wet heat of his mouth seared my tender flesh. That small act was enough to send us both into shivering, shouting orgasm. I collapsed over him with my breasts pushed against his face and my nipple still in his mouth. Malik sucked at me a few seconds more before he released me.

  “That was the best sex of my life,” he declared in a deep purr. “But if you don't take this fucking blindfold off me right now, I'm going to tear apart these ropes and tie you up with them.”

  “You can tie me up next time, darling,” I purred as I pulled off the blindfold.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “You're a fast learner.” Cyprian was leaning against the wall outside the bondage room. He looked me up and down and then noted Malik's satisfied smile. “I have never been so envious.”

  Malik smiled wider.

  “Now, we'd like to watch,” I said with a naughty look. “Could you help us with that?”

  “The main room has—”

  “No; we don't want to see performances,” I cut him off. “We want to see the private rooms. The real sex.”

  After we'd had our fun, I had whispered my plans to Malik. Basically, I thought we could speed up our search by getting Cyprian to let us take a peek at his security cameras. I hadn't spotted any cameras in Cyprian's private room, but I'd seen one in the Fire Room, and I was certain he had them all over the club. Under the premise of voyeurism, I was betting our new friend would let us take a look.

  “I have to protect my clients' privacy,” Cyprian said with a twist of his lips that said otherwise.

  “Can't we just take a tiny little peek?” I smiled sensuously at him.

  “I'll let you look at my security feed if you promise to return tomorrow for another session,” Cyprian bargained. “If you get to watch my patrons, I get to watch you.”

  I looked back at Malik. We wouldn't keep that promise. Once we knew how to get into Cyprian's security room, we wouldn't need him anymore. I could hide us under an illusion of invisibility, and we could return as many times as we needed to until we found the Aura Man. If I had to, I could simply coerce Cyprian right now. Although, some supes were harder to manipulate than others and trying to not only alter Cyprian's aura but also compel him to do something against his will might not work. And then we'd be screwed. Sorry; bad choice of words. Suffice it to say that it would be far better if Cyprian showed us his security willingly.

  Malik nodded; almost as if in response to my thoughts.

  “All right,” I agreed.

  “Right this way, my little voyeurs,” Cyprian cooed as he led us down the hallway and out of his private suite.

  We went down another corridor and came to a steel door with a keypad. Cyprian punched in the digits quickly, but I could see the heat of his fingers lingering behind, and I easily memorized the code. We entered a small room with a wall of monitors set above a desk with four office chairs in front of it. Only two of the chairs were occupied; the men who sat in them were watching the screens intently.

  “Take fifteen,” Cyprian said to them.

  The men looked at their boss in surprise, shrugged, and then slipped out past us. Cyprian motioned to the chairs; allowing Malik and me to choose our seats first. Malik made sure that I was in one of the seats at the end. Cyprian chuckled at that and simply rolled one of the other seats to the other side of mine. Malik glowered at him, but Cyprian ignored the dark looks.

  I had to hand it to the Faulin; he didn't scare easily.

  Frankly, I didn't care where Cyprian sat; I was too absorbed in scanning the screens. There were things happening in those private rooms that made me blush and some that made me cringe, but far more of them that made me angle my head and frown.

  “Um... is that... ?” I stared at a screen.

  A woman was tied up at her wrists and hanging from a rope in the middle of a room while a man in a dog collar and nothing else rubbed a thick paste on her upper body and between her legs. As soon as he was finished, the woman was lowered to her knees and a bunch of other men in collars crawled up to her and started licking the paste off.

  “Peanut butter, I believe,” Cyprian said. “I think they're pretending to be dogs.”

  “People are so fascinating,” I murmured as I looked away and went back to concentrating on finding the Aura Man.

  Auras didn't translate well on video. Sometimes they were strong enough that I could spot them but at other times they were too hazy. I was betting that Aura Man's would be strong enough to spot, but even if it wasn't, I remembered his face clearly.

  He wasn't there; not in any of the rooms on the first floor or the fantasy ones on the second.

  “Excuse me for a minute.” Cyprian stood; his eyes glued to one of the screens. “I need to speak with someone. You two stay here and enjoy.”

  I followed his gaze to the upper left monitor that showed the main room. A man was striding through the crowd. He didn't even glance at the sex on display... and his aura blared around him. Mr. Aura was in the house! And Cyprian knew him just as I suspected.

  I nodded as Cyprian left, and then I stood up and drew closer to the screen.

  “Is that him?” Malik asked as he stood with me.

  “That's him,” I confirmed. “Do we wait here or do we go invisible and try to eavesdrop?”

  “Let's see where they end up first,” Malik suggested. “I think I've got a clear map of the club in my mind. I should be able to find them.”

  “All right.”

  We watched as the men drew together; Mr. Aura heading for the upper floors as Cyprian walked down the hallway and went to wait in front of the door to his suite. The man strode up, nodded to Cyprian, and then they went into his quarters together.

  “All right, let's go.” I grabbed Malik's hand as I wove color wavelengths around us to create the illusion
that we weren't there.