A Promise of Passion

by Maggie Carpenter

  “Now? Now I’m taking you down to my personal dungeon!”

  “Oh, my, gosh,” she whispered, “my legs just turned to jello.”

  “Just what I wanted to hear. What about Clark Kent?”

  “I met him down by the lake. He’s a quantum physicist. He helped me see that I needed to be straight with you.”

  “Did he make a pass?”

  “No, he certainly did not,” she said vehemently. “He’s got a crush on some grifter who tried to con him.”

  “No shit. Come with me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “I’ve got something for him,” Harry answered, and grabbing her by the hand he pulled her to her feet.

  In the lounge bar, Henry was nursing a scotch and soda, and when he saw Harry and Alana holding hands as they walked towards him, he raised his glass in a toast.

  “To the happy couple,” he smiled.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met, Harry Harrison,” Harry said, extending his hand.

  “Henry Gibson,” Henry smiled, accepting and shaking it firmly. “Care to join me for a celebratory drink?”

  “Not right now, but let’s get together before you leave,” Harry offered. “I came in here because I want to thank you for taking care of Alana this afternoon, and helping her see sense.”

  “I’m not sure if I had much to do with that,” Henry replied modestly. “All I did was sort of, guide her along.”

  “You did more than that,” Alana declared. “You know you did.”

  “I have something for you,” Harry said, pulling out the black velvet box. “I understand there’s a rather naughty young lady you might be searching out.”

  “Jury’s still out on that one,” Henry replied.

  “Hmm. Well, whether it’s her or someone else, when you’re sure she’s the one, give her this and tell her it’s the key to her future. It’ll blow her mind, whoever she is.”

  Taking the box, Henry lifted the lid and stared at the gleaming gold key.

  “I can’t accept this?” he exclaimed. “Good Lord, it must be worth a fortune.”

  “If it wins the woman of your dreams, it’s priceless,” Harry remarked, “and you helped me do that today, so please, take it, and put it to good use.”

  “Uh, thank-you,” Henry stammered.

  “Come along, young lady,” he said sternly, turning his attention back to Alana and grabbing her by the elbow, “you have a date with a dungeon.”

  Leaving the bar, they walked across the wide lobby to the elevator, but as the doors opened, they found themselves face-to-face with Gustav.

  “Where have you been?” he asked earnestly. “I’ve been waiting downstairs, then I came back up. I couldn’t find you, I couldn’t find Vivien. I went back down thinking I missed you. What’s going on?”

  “Gustav, I’m so sorry,” Harry said, apologizing profusely. “Vivien fainted, I think she had too much to drink, but the doctor was called and he’s with her now.”

  “Mon Dieu!” Gustav exclaimed. “This is all too much for me. I’m going to have a nightcap.”

  “Good idea,” Harry said, pulling Alana into the elevator as Gustav walked out.

  Shaking his head and muttering to himself, Gustav was almost to the lounge bar when he heard someone calling his name, and turning around he saw the desk clerk gesturing for him to join him at the check-in counter.

  “Oui? Is there a message?” Gustav asked, approaching the counter.

  “Mr. Dominic Dubois rang down and asked me to give you this when I saw you. He left it behind when Miss McKay fainted earlier. He’s in her room, Royal Suite, Number Two.”

  “Merci, I’ll take it to him now.”

  Deciding to take the stairs, Gustav walked them slowly, happy to stretch his legs and get the small amount of exercise.

  “I hope she is not too hung over for tomorrow morning,” he muttered as he ambled along the wide hallway. “Let’s see, Royal Suite, Number Two. Here we are.”

  He raised his closed fist to knock, but the door was suddenly opened by a middle-aged man with round, horn-rimmed glasses, carrying a black bag.

  “Excusez-moi,” Gustav said quickly.

  “My apologies, I’m just leaving,” the man said.

  “Are you the doctor?”

  “Yes, I am, Doctor Belfort.”

  “How is Vivien? Will she be all right?”

  “She’ll be fine,” the doctor nodded as he walked out into the hallway. “She is awake. You can see her if Mr. Dubois says it’s okay.”

  “Thank you,” Gustav said, and tapping softly on the door he poked his head inside. “Dominic? Are you in here?”

  “Gustav, it’s so good to see you,” Dominic exclaimed, hurrying across the room to greet him. “Come in.”

  “What happened to my star?” Gustav asked.

  “Harry gave her some codeine for her headache, and then she had some wine. It made her really sick. She’s sleeping now.”

  “Ah, yes, she was drinking at dinner, and also she was acting very strangely. Here is the package you left.”

  “Merci, I was worried,” Dominic said gratefully, unwrapping the pink paper. “I hope the glass didn’t break when I dropped it. No, it did not.”

  “May I see this?” Gustav asked as his eyes fell upon the picture.

  “Of course. It’s for Vivien. I started it the first night I arrived, and finished it just before I came here.”

  “This…this…it is…magnifique. It is my label. It is for every box, every jar, every bottle. It is the face of Bare Beauty.”

  “I was going to call it, Naked Face,” Dominic said. “She wasn’t wearing a stitch of makeup.”

  “Voila!” Gustav exclaimed. “The missing piece! The cosmetics…they will be called, The Naked Face, by Bare Beauty.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  One Week Later

  When Harry had called his high-powered contact, Dudley Simington, the man who had threatened to put pressure on Walter Fairmont if Fairmont had not cooperated, Dudley told Harry their deal was no longer in play.

  “Sorry, Harry, someone has trumped you. The permit has already been granted. They’re breaking ground any day now.”

  Harry was startled by the news, but it explained Dominic’s unexpected appearance at the Chateau.

  “That someone must be a very important someone,” Harry remarked.

  “An old school tie,” Dudley replied.

  “I didn’t know Dominic Dubois attended school in England?” Harry said, believing it had to be Dominic who had stepped in.

  “Dominic Dubois? The portrait painter? To my knowledge, he didn’t. I certainly don’t know him. Why are you asking about him?”

  “My mistake,” Harry said quickly. “I thought he might have been the one who contacted you, or was the power behind the person with the power, if you understand what I mean.”

  “No, I can assure it, as far as I know, Dominic Dubois was not attached to the phone call I received, and that is all the information I’m able to give you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really must get back to work. I have a dozen people waiting for me in a conference room.”

  “I know that feeling. I’ll speak to you later.”

  Harry had been disgruntled, but he knew when he was beaten.

  With no reason to remain at the Chateau, he had whisked Alana away to his private island in the Caribbean where a cornucopia of delights awaited, including a balm that he intended to rub on her sex, and just inside the hidden portal between her bottom cheeks. He’d watch her writhe, begging him for relief as her erotic hunger grew, and in bringing her relief, he would teach her the joys she’d been denying herself. It would be a week of decadent, tropical pleasures, and she would leave well-trained and happy.

  It was the toxic combination of codeine and wine that had made Vivien so sick, but as she’d recovered, it became apparent that her initial headache had been the first symptom of a nasty flu. Sniffles, a sore throat, and a fever, became the order of th
e day, but the doctor checked on her regularly, and Dominic nursed her with tender loving care, plenty of immune boosting remedies, and bowls chicken soup. When she was finally sitting up in bed and feeling better, he told her about Harry’s blackmail attempt on Walter. How it had been devised to clear the path for Harry to seduce her, and how Robson had stepped in and saved the day.

  “That’s why I couldn’t tell you anything. If you had known what Harry was doing, you would have acted differently around him,” Dominic said earnestly. “He has the instincts of a wild predator, he would have sensed something was off. I couldn’t take that chance. I also couldn’t leave London until everything was cleared up, because Harry had to think his plan was still in effect. Do you understand?”

  “I totally understand, and what a conniving, manipulative, jerk Harry is,” she frowned, “and what a miracle that Robson showed when he did. After everything Harry did, I almost don’t want the Bare Beauty job now.”

  “Harry is happily attached to Alana, and from what I have learned, Harry can be as kind as he is cruel. Bare Beauty is still an excellent opportunity, and it will be Gustav you’ll be dealing with more than anyone else. Besides, the sketch will be on all the labeling. It’s almost as if you can’t pull out now. Bare Beauty…it’s you!”

  “That sketch,” she sighed, staring at the framed drawing sitting on the bedside table. “It’s one of the most beautiful pieces of art I’ve ever seen.”

  “I did it for you, ma chérie.”

  “I know,” she’d said wistfully, “and it is now my most precious possession.”

  It was two days later that the doctor gave her the all clear. Dominic wasn’t the only one who was overjoyed. Gustav was thrilled to finally have his star healthy again, but he hadn’t wasted the week, finishing Franco’s solo shots, and saving precious days by finding locations on the Chateau’s grounds, eliminating the need to travel elsewhere for the outside photography.

  It was the morning of Vivien’s first day of work in the dungeon, and as she entered, Dominic at her side, Peter King hurried over to be the first to greet her.

  “We have all been so worried about you,” he declared giving her a warm hug. “Are you sure you’re better? We don’t want you fainting half-way through.”

  “I’m one-hundred-percent,” she promised.

  “She wouldn’t be here if I had any worries,” Dominic said protectively, “but I will be watching her closely in any case.”

  Patty, the wardrobe woman, bustled forward, and as she led Vivien into wardrobe, everyone they passed made it a point to welcome Vivien back from her sickbed. Peter left Dominic to continue his work with the lighting, so Dominic grabbed a chair and moved it into a corner out of the way. Moments later Gustav arrived, and with a happy wave at Dominic, he walked through the set, talking with the crew on his way to speak with Peter. A few minutes ticked by and the room began to settle. Everything was set. All they needed now was their sexy model.

  Dressed in a provocative black leather top with a choker collar that sported several chrome rings, and tight jeans with wide strips of leather running down the outside of the legs, Vivien walked on to the set. The room fell silent, and Dominic stared lovingly at his beautiful girl.

  The night before, with Vivien’s clean bill of health, they had entwined their bodies for the first time since Dominic had arrived. Not only were they both filled with longing, but as Dominic slid inside her, skin against skin, their urgent, unbridled coupling swept them away into sudden, powerful orgasms. Completely spent they had surrendered to sleep, and upon waking, though Dominic was aching to ravage her, Vivien had no time to loiter. The camera was waiting.

  Staring at her as she moved around the erotic props, his cock already at half-mast, he wondered how he would get through the day. She was alluring enough, but wearing the salacious outfit made her even more captivating. Hoping for a distraction he turned his attention to the crew, and noticed Peter handing his camera to an assistant, then moving across to join Vivien on the set. Lowering his head, the photographer shared some private words, then with a wave of his hand the room was filled with music. It was upbeat, electronic and sexy, then returning to his camera, he lifted it up and started clicking.

  An entire section of the dungeon had been cordoned off for the shoot, allowing Vivien to roam between the chains hanging from the ceiling, several pieces of exotic BDSM furniture, shackles attached to the wall, and a huge replica of a parrot cage. It had been Peter’s brainstorm to give her the freedom to wander, and as she moved, striking poses and flirting with the camera, Peter’s assistants were shifting the lights, scurrying to keep up with her. Every so often she would find a particular situation that Peter found enticing, and he would shout for her to stop, moving forward and circling her as he photographed.

  Dominic was utterly intoxicated. As she appeared in a string of evocative outfits, draping herself over and around the tantalizing props, his craving to see her at his mercy was consuming him. By the time they wrapped for the morning, Dominic was aching to take her into one of the other dungeons, lock the door, and devour her.

  “This will be the longest day of my life,” he muttered, but as she disappeared with Patty to change, Peter clapped his hands and called for attention, bringing silence to the room.

  “This morning was fantastic. Thank you. We have a change in our schedule. There will be a full moon tonight. The Chateau will look amazing, and there are some trees I want to shoot around. We’re going to start at sunset on the terrace, and work into the night. Arrangements will be made to use the salon for wardrobe and makeup.”

  There was a smattering of murmurs, and looking at their faces, Dominic could see the crew was excited about the change.

  “The sun doesn’t set until around 9 p.m., so we will meet on the terrace at 8:30 p.m. We’ll break for lunch now, and you can start organizing everything when you return. I’m sure eight hours will give you plenty of time.”

  Dominic watched the enthusiastic group began to file out of the room for lunch, including Gustav and Peter, who were engrossed in an animated conversation, and when Vivien and Patty appeared from wardrobe, Patty hurried to catch them up.

  “So,” Vivien smiled, walking up to him. “What did you think?”

  “Mon Dieu,” Dominic grinned, “there are no words. If you are on billboards, there will be many traffic jams, but you, ma chérie, how are you feeling?”

  “Honestly,” she whispered, sliding on to his lap and moving her lips against his ear, “being in this dungeon, and wearing those clothes, I want to be helpless and…you know.”

  “Oui. I know,” he murmured. “Wait for me. I will be right back.”

  “There’s a shower here. I’d like to quickly rinse off, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course.”

  Impulsively she pressed her lips against his with a fervent kiss, before slipping off his lap.

  “You make me so crazy,” he groaned, and rising to his feet, he hugged her tightly before heading from the room.

  Vivien needed the shower. The theatrical makeup felt thick on her skin, and as the shoot was winding down, she’d started sweating under the hot lights. Walking briskly through the wardrobe area, she entered the dungeon’s well-appointed bathroom, turning on the faucets in the shower before taking off her clothes.

  Standing under the hot stream, using makeup remover foam on her face, and letting the water splash it away, she began to feel rejuvenated. As much as she wanted Dominic to do wicked things to her, she felt weary from the morning’s work, but the shower was reviving her. She lathered the fragrant bath gel over her body, rinsed off, and stepping from the stall and toweling herself dry, she was completely refreshed.

  Donning the red bathrobe she found on the hook behind the door, she gathered up her things and stuffed them into her bag, then padded back into the dungeon. Dominic was waiting, and she couldn’t help but notice the look in his eye.

  “I’ll take that,” he offered as she approached, “and come
with me.”

  Handing him her bag, and tingling with anticipation, she followed him to the end of the hallway, stopping at a door with a brass plaque that read, Boudoir Dungeon.

  “What’s this?” she asked, feeling her butterflies popping into life.

  “It is the only dungeon that has a bed,” Dominic smiled as he unlocked the door. “I have booked it for the afternoon.”

  Walking inside, she stopped and stared. It was like a BDSM Honeymoon Suite, complete with a four-poster bed with leather straps attached at various points, a mirrored overhead canopy, and floggers hanging on either side of the headboard.

  “I’m speechless,” she declared, moving slowly forward.

  He deposited her bag on a chair, dimmed the lights, then walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulder.

  “We have unfinished business,” he said soberly.

  “Am I in trouble?” she murmured, staring up at him.

  “You lied to me.”

  “Oh, that,” she sighed, dropping her eyes.

  “Oui, so it is serious. You lied to me, it means I must punish you.”

  “I only told you I was feeling fine because I didn’t want you to worry,” she protested. “Is that so bad?”

  “It is very bad,” he scolded. “It is my job to worry. If you had told me, I would have called Gustav and told him to watch out for you. You are not allowed to lie, Vivien.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Tell me, what must I do?”

  “Punish me, Sir.”

  “Oui, and I will make your bottom sting. This I will do first, then I will give you pleasure, but if you lie to me again, I will punish you and there will be no pleasure afterwards. You understand?”

  “Yes, Sir, I understand.”

  Slipping the robe from her body, he took her hand and began to walk her to a bizarre piece of furniture.

  “Must we use this thing?” she mewled.

  “You do not deserve the comfort of my lap.”

  “But-”

  “Lying is a bad crime, Vivien. It must be dealt with properly. See those two small padded ledges, place your knees on those, then bend over and grip the bar on the other side of the panel.”