Insurmountable (Serpentine #1)

by Skye Callahan

  Miles smiled and scanned his card again, sending the elevator back into motion. “Life would be boring if I didn’t.”

  A man bored in a sex retreat? Where he could have any fantasy fulfilled on a whim? How long did it take for that to become boring?

  The elevator stopped, and I followed Miles back to the door to his apartment. After he closed the door behind us, I looked around the room. He’d mentioned cleaning, cooking, I didn’t know where I was supposed to start.

  “What do you need, Little Dove?”

  “Where do you want me to start?”

  “Start?” He snorted. “I have to leave for a meeting this afternoon. Have dinner ready by seven.”

  “That’s it?”

  He put up his hands. “Does it look like anything else needs done right now?”

  I shook my head.

  “You’ll have to go downstairs to do laundry once a week. Keep the apartment clean. And make a list for anything we need in the kitchen. Aside from that, unless I ask you to do something, you’re free to do whatever you like. The TV is hooked up to satellite.”

  TV? It had been more than eight years since I’d watched anything on television.

  “I can pick up some books or anything else you might want. Is there anything you’re interested in?”

  I stood gawking for a second. “Nail polish?”

  He smiled gently and stroked my hair. “I meant for fun.”

  “I—” I shook my head. Did he forget where we were? He couldn’t have. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, if you think of something, add it to the grocery list.”

  “Why?” The word slipped out, but my head was spinning and I had to know.

  “Because you can’t just sit around here and twiddle your thumbs all day.”

  “No. Why me? Why are you doing all of this?”

  “You intrigue me, Little Dove. You’re a nice girl. Nice girls don’t survive this and yet you have.”

  Nothing I’d had to do in the last eight years had been nice.

  “You’re a survivor,” his voice softened, and he caressed my neck.

  Why did every encounter between us turn me on?

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, leaning over me and taking my earlobe into his mouth. “And I like the way you taste.”

  That final bit sent shivers down my spine.

  “I have to get ready.” He straightened, leaving me so suddenly, but he looked back and winked just before he entered the bedroom.

  “Master? May I take a shower?”

  “Of course,” he shrugged.

  * * *

  As I stood under the hot stream, I stared at the whirlpool tub. It seemed such a pity to not put it to use. I finished rinsing the shampoo from my hair, switched off the shower, and scampered across the tile floor to the tub. I let the water run hot, until the steam rose up out of it, and filled the tub until I could submerge my entire body under the relaxing liquid.

  I floated there. Relaxing in the silence. Alone. Quiet. Protected.

  There had to be a catch to this whole arrangement. More than cooking and cleaning.

  But until that point, I wasn’t any worse off than I’d been downstairs. This—even if it only lasted for a day or two—it was heaven.

  I opened my eyes and saw Miles standing in the doorway wearing a black fitted T-shirt and a pair of jeans. The first man I’d ever encountered who could make my mouth water. I sat up, in a wave of panic—I hadn’t asked to use the bath tub.

  “Relax,” he said. Then, he flipped a switch near the tub and the jets kicked on.

  Oh, my, god. I sank back into the water. The jets massaging every muscle, and the sound of Miles laughter caressing my ears. “What’s the catch?”

  Why was I letting my mouth get the best of me?

  “No catch. Do as I say and I’ll give you whatever you need.”

  Give and take. I had grown used to only experiencing one side of that equation. Every day men took whatever they wanted from me. They stole my energy, my mind, and my soul. Some of the overseers just gave us drugs to numb us and keep us under control. Some of them simply beat us into submission.

  “You’re not like the others,” I whispered. Comparatively speaking, the girls here were treated like royalty. Granted, I’d only been there for a couple of weeks and I’d spent most of that with Miles anyway.

  Miles sat down on the low wall next to the tub. “This world is all I’ve ever known. I watched it take my mother, and if I can help it, I don’t intend on watching it take anyone else.”

  I mulled over his words. His mother was one of us? In some of the Retreats, children weren’t uncommon—but they usually became slaves themselves.

  “I’d like to draw,” I said, sinking chin deep into the water. “Maybe paint.”

  “Then, I’ll get you some supplies.”

  Too easy. It won’t last.

  Set Me on Fire

  Miles

  Having a soft spot would get me killed—Ross had been right about that. I’d lose my position and the respect of the men I commanded. They could smell blood from a mile away, and knew exactly where and when to strike. In a world where men get all the sex and worldly possessions they can ask for, power is the only thing left to fight for. And they all put up a damn good fight.

  Especially Gabe. I couldn’t turn my back on him for an instant without expecting to be stabbed.

  And now, I had Alley.

  She could potentially be a sign of my strength or weakness, depending on how I played it. I needed her on my side—I needed her docile and agreeable to my orders. If she questioned me, there was no way I could play this off as a power trip. But if she became the obedient, perfect slave, she could well be a testament of my growing power to the men below me.

  But they couldn’t think I cared about her.

  Did I?

  I cared about all the women more than was healthy. I couldn’t turn it off. I’d experienced too much first hand. I’d almost become a slave alongside them. And if the women didn’t last long as slaves, that was nothing compared to the life expectancy of a male slave. Milo would have auctioned my virginity off to the highest bidder—that is if someone else hadn’t beaten him to it—and he was usually the highest bidder. I had a feeling that’s what had happened to Alley. And Milo wasn’t known for being gentle. Far from it. He usually fucked the girls up beyond repair on the first night.

  The ones who survived were then carted off to his locations around the world or kept in his private stash.

  Enough thinking.

  I had a meeting to run. A meeting with all the dipshits who could easily be out to take me down, and I was about to kick it off with a bang.

  “As of today, any member of this team caught fraternizing with the slaves—even in his off time—will face immediate and severe disciplinary action. Depending on my mood, you’ll be demoted, transferred, or dismissed.” The final option had a very different meaning in our world.

  Gabe dropped his fist against the table. “You can’t do that.”

  His complaint was one of a dozen others that echoed through the room.

  “Quiet,” I yelled, slamming both hands on the table. “I can do that. And I will. Unless you do your job, you’re of no use to me at all.”

  “What are you going to do when you have no security team?” Gabe asked.

  With a grin, I leaned over the table toward him. “I’ll set up my new team with a nice little break room adorned with your head on a mount.”

  Gabe snapped his mouth shut and sat back.

  “If you think I’m kidding,” I said, rising to my feet. “Consider how I got this job. If we have another incident like Friday night,” I looked toward Dig, “I will fucking castrate whoever dropped the ball. Think about that as all the blood rushes from your brain and down to your dick.”

  Dig stood up. The gutsiest move he’d ever taken, but then I’d just cut off his favorite pastime. “You can’t actually do that either.” He looked around the tab
le. “Come on, guys, Ross won’t let him get away with this.”

  Everyone else sat in their seats, eyes down on the table. I shoved the table in Dig’s direction, knocking him back in his seat, and before he could react, I darted around the table, pulled him to his feet and belted him right in the nose. “Meet the new daytime gardener.”

  * * *

  I smelled something burning as soon as I stepped off the elevator. Alley’s first attempt at making dinner, I assumed. At least she hadn’t set off the smoke alarms. I would have never heard the end of that.

  She waited for me in the kitchen, where she’d plated one serving of food—a couple of fried chicken breasts, green beans, and bread. “There’s more Sir—Master. I didn’t know how much—”

  “How about you put together another plate,” I said peeking past her to see if I could figure out what she’d burned.

  She pulled a plate from the cabinet, filled it with food, then turned and waited for my instructions. I pointed to the table across from where my food sat and she rushed over and put it down.

  “Have a seat,” I said.

  She bent her knees to kneel on the floor, but I caught her arm. “No, Alley. Sit with me at the table.” I pulled out her chair, set out another set of silverware, and took my seat.

  I took a bite of my chicken, but she sat and waited. “Eat, doll. This whole thing is going to get rather exhausting if I have to order you to do everything.”

  I had enough of that with my motley crew downstairs.

  Contrary to my fears when I’d stepped off the elevator, dinner tasted good. A little bland for my tastes, but not bad for a first attempt. “I have to pay someone a visit tonight,” I said, clearing my plate and silverware out of habit. “Be ready for me when I get home.”

  “What time?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure,” I said with a wink. I definitely had a new opening on my staff and an idea of who I might get to fill it, but I had to do some research first.

  * * *

  Alley was asleep on her stomach on the couch by the time I returned. Considering it was almost one in the morning and she’d had a long day, I couldn’t blame her, but that didn’t mean she could simply get away with it. I pulled out a small bag of sex toys that I kept in the top of the closet and sifted through the trinkets—clamps, plugs, rings, vibrators—until I found the medium sized plug. I squeezed some thick lube on it, making sure it was completely coated. I didn’t want her waking up until I was ready.

  Carefully, I pulled the throw off of her legs and inched my hand up the back of the long shirt she wore. I really needed to get her some clothing of her own, but I got hard just seeing her in my shirts. Sometimes that was sexier than the most expensive lingerie.

  I pushed the tip of the plug into her tight hole. She moaned quietly and shifted just an inch. So, I pressed it deeper, slowly teasing her with small, gentle motions.

  Her breathing quickened as the plug slid into place, with just the base sticking out between her perfect little cheeks. I pressed at the base so it wiggled slightly inside of her.

  She groaned into the couch again and rolled to her side. I sat back, letting her move freely until I could determine whether she had woken. Her eyes remained closed, and her breathing even, although faster than normal.

  I pushed her top leg until she rolled to her back. Her eyebrows furrowed for an instant, and then her face relaxed. I slid my fingers between her legs, stroking her sensitive clit.

  “Miles,” she whispered on a breathy exhale.

  I leaned forward so my lips pressed against her ear. “Alley.”

  She startled and sat up as soon as I pulled away. “Master. I—” she squirmed, noticing the plug in her ass. “I’m sorry.”

  “Are you ready to take your punishment?”

  Her head dropped forward. “Yes, Master.”

  I slid out of my pants and took a seat next to her, pulling me to her knees so that she straddled me. Her tight, wet hole taking my cock until her hips rested against mine. I rocked her back and forth a few times. “Then, I want you to ride me, but I don’t want you to come until I say so. If you have to stop to keep from coming, I’m going to look in that bag and find a new toy.”

  “Yes, Master.” She lifted herself and came down on my cock slowly.

  “Faster, Little Dove.” I moved her hips until she hit a rhythm and speed I liked—one I knew would quickly push her to the edge.

  I watched her face tense every time she came down. It wouldn’t be long. She moaned and her hips twitched and rocked erratically against her motions, and then, squeezing at my shoulders, finally her motions slowed.

  “Keep up, or stop,” I said, pressing at the plug in her ass.

  She whimpered and dropped her head, stilling on my engorged dick. I felt every twitch of her struggle to sit right there at the edge and not come.

  I reached into the bag and, although her head didn’t move, I could feel her watching me. My fingers closed around a small chain, and I pulled it clear of the bag. Weighted nipple clamps. A perfect addition.

  Her nipples were already erect and waiting, so I positioned one of the clamps over her right nipple, gave it a pinch, and then twisted the bolt to secure it. She groaned and twitched with the added sensation as I repeated the process on her left nipple. I released the chain to hang down, connected at the center with a small weight that would rock with her motions and pull on her delicate nipples.

  “Again,” I said.

  She lifted herself and returned to the pace I’d set earlier, but I could already feel her struggling to stay in control.

  I had to fight it too. I’d been waiting for this ever since I’d gotten her off in the elevator, and all the waiting and wanting was doing a number on my self-control.

  After a long shaky moan, she paused again. Her tight opening spasming around me and begging for final release.

  I reached into the bag again, but Alley closed her eyes. Instead of pulling out another toy, I dug the remote for the plug out of the side pocket and flipped it on high.

  Alley screamed and jerked, taking my cock even deeper in surprise. The intense pressure and vibrations almost sent me over the edge with her.

  “Fuck.” She arched her back and looked up at the ceiling. Every muscle straining to stay in control.

  I loved watching her like that. Seeing her realize that she couldn’t fight me. She couldn’t fight the intense sensations I gave her. I lifted her hips and pulled her down on me.

  “Master?” she squeaked. “Oh, please, Master. I can’t stop.”

  I forced her up and down—her light body so easy to manipulate however I pleased.

  She tightened, holding her breath.

  “Let it go,” I said, pulling her close and pushing my dick deep inside of her. I just held her there as her climax did all the work, squeezing my cock until I came deep inside of her.

  She dropped against my chest when the orgasm faded. I pulled out the plug, setting it to the side. Then sat her back so I could remove the clamps.

  She groaned, pain pinching around her eyes as the blood returned to her nipples, and I pulled the throw from the back of the couch, wrapping up her quivering body and holding her close to my chest.

  Dream Forever, Never

  Alley

  Hold me.

  All I wanted to do was be held. And suddenly there I was, wrapped in a blanket, exhausted from the most intense orgasm I’d ever experienced and curled up in his lap with his warm arms around me.

  Even his punishments pulled me deeper under his spell muddling my sense of reality. The extreme culmination of emotions and endorphins burned my eyes with tears. Tears I refused to let fall.

  Never let them see you cry. But Miles already had. He’d already seen me at my lowest and for some strange reason, he seemed to want to pull me back up.

  Probably just to send me back to work.

  But even with the doubts nagging at me, I couldn’t resist him. He made me too weak. Weaker than I’d ever been
. More vulnerable than I’d ever been. How long would the facade last? Days? Weeks? A month?

  I couldn’t fathom any time frame longer than that.

  How could it be possible?

  Miles carried me to bed, placed me under the sheets, and laid down next to me. So foreign. So strange.

  I couldn’t fight it. In fact, even though I knew better, I did just the opposite. I pressed my body closer to his, wanting his heat and comfort even though I expected rejection.

  Instead, consistent with the conundrum he was, he rolled to his side and put his arm around me.

  * * *

  I somehow managed to sleep so long that Miles cooked breakfast before I woke up—or maybe he just didn’t want me burning the eggs like I’d burned my first attempt at rolls. Whatever the reason, he didn’t mention it, he just sat a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of me and dared me to apologize or ask permission to eat.

  “Master,” I scooped up a fork-full of eggs. “Can you get me a cookbook?”

  “Of course,” he said, chuckling.

  “And some Miracle Whip.” Why did my mouth always tempt me to test him?

  Likely because he always let me get away with it. And so far, I had enjoyed his punishments.

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “Okay. For what, may I ask, are you specifically requesting Miracle Whip?”

  “My scrambled eggs.”

  He dropped his fork and folded his hands in front of him. “Are they that bad?”

  “No,” I whispered, hoping I hadn’t actually gone too far this time. “Me and Mom used to eat them that way. I miss it.”

  “Weird,” he shook his head and went back to his own food. “But whatever you like, as long as you stick to the cookbook for my food.”

  I smiled and shoved another bite of eggs in my mouth.

  * * *

  After we finished eating, Miles went to the bedroom to get ready for another meeting. It seemed like he was always running off for one thing or another.

  “You’ll have access to the laundry room between one and five today,” Miles said, straightening his tie. “I have things to take care of in town all day, and a security problem to straighten out.”