by Flora Dain
“Maybe you should ask.” I glare at him, exasperated. “You treat all your staff like this? No wonder she ran off. And it’s her week off, by the way.”
“So? She’s still on the payroll.” He’s pulling up his trousers. Now he pauses midway. They hang temptingly at his hips as his eyes narrow. “That hoax raid’s all my fault now, is it?”
I press my lips together. “She’s a human being, Cade. You could ask her how she feels occasionally, that’s all. If you scared her less, maybe she’d have asked you for some time off.”
With impatient fingers he swiftly fastens his trousers and reaches for his shirt. “And since when did you become such an expert on handling staff? The fact that your team is completely out of your control hasn’t quite sunk in yet? Even I can guess their plans before you do.”
With an angry jab at the button he summons the elevator to take us down to the ground floor of the tower. As the doors close, he turns to me with a look of steel. “I’m not finished with your friends yet. I still think they’re up to something. Maybe you should ask them how it feels to kick a gift horse in the teeth.”
On the ground floor he strides away the second the doors slide open. “Mason’s driving you back. I’ll walk.”
* * * *
Back in my room I head for the shower. Outside in the park, the sun’s already going down. As the sky darkens to soft mauves and purples, the fairy lights strung in the trees around the stage start to sparkle. Soon it’ll be time for the auction and I promised Mel I’ll be there to watch.
As I put the finishing touches to my makeup and pile up my hair, my phone rings. “Dad? How are things?”
For the next ten minutes I listen intently then put the phone down with a sigh of relief. For once he sounds pleased. The new medication’s doing wonders. For a few seconds I’m almost weepy.
“How is she? Your stepmother?” Cade’s leaning in the doorway, stunning in black tux and tie. Once again I’ve no idea how long he’s been there.
“Much better, thanks. Dad was just saying how grateful they are to you for the private nurse. She’s made a big difference—”
Cade’s done so much. I break off and turn away, suddenly overcome.
“What’s the matter?” Instantly he’s at my side.
“I’m okay. I still feel a bit…weird.”
He frowns, his jaw tense. “I’ve asked a lot of you this week. It takes time to adjust to this. Are you sure you want to come down tonight? I only came in to ask what you’re wearing.”
“I’m fine. Really. Wait. Wearing?”
What an odd question. I’m instantly on my guard. “Why? What do you suggest?”
“Our Slave Auction’s going to be Nera’s grand finale. It’s a formal occasion. Your dress sense is immaculate, so I leave it to you, but something simple, stunning…” He scans the rail absently and picks out a bright satin gown in rich kingfisher blue. “This?”
I hold it up in the mirror. The deep jewel color turns my skin to honey, my hair to gold. How does he know so much about clothes? “Sure. But if I don’t get a dance partner, I’ll blame you.”
He grins. My heart turns over. How boyish he looks—a long way from the stern man of business or the capricious, time-fixated Dom.
He takes me in his arms, his expression solemn. “You’ve worked hard this week. The first stage of our arrangement ends tonight, and there’s a surprise still to come. But whatever happens, I want you to have this. You’ve earned it.”
He produces a small velvet-covered box and flips open the lid.
“Cade… It’s beautiful.” Inside I see the flash and sparkle of diamonds on a small silver key. It nestles in the coil of a fine, diamond-studded chain.
He lifts it out and fastens it around my neck, his fingers warm on my skin. His lips touch my face in a soft, lingering kiss. “I guess you know what it opens.” His soft murmur is oddly husky.
I glance up in surprise.
“You’ve had the key to my heart since the moment you fainted in the rain on national television. Call it a memento.” He kisses me gently on the forehead, his lips lingering. “And a heartfelt thank you for a wonderful week. Enjoy your evening.”
I look up at him in dismay. “You’re not coming down?”
“I’ll be around. But I’ve got calls to make and people to see. Enjoy yourself.”
And all at once, he’s gone.
I dress quickly, trying to swallow my disappointment.
When I try it, the gown he picked out so casually looks stunning.
The diamond-studded key glitters in the valley of my breasts. Tonight I look like a princess.
Sadly, my prince forever eludes me…
* * * *
“Tunis? Where’ve you been? You missed all the fun.” Mel greets me with a squeal of pleasure as I make my way through the crowd to the seats near the stage. The final act has just finished to rapturous applause, a group of female subs whirling around a single fearsome Domme. They might be dancing around a maypole except they move only at the flick of a whip. They end up on their knees in a rosy ring, foreheads pressed to the floor facing her, their pink, punished bottoms high in the air.
Ben looks at me anxiously. He’s still in harness, smiling idiotically and flushed with endorphins. “You look pale, Tunis. You okay? Not really your thing?”
Mel instantly looks contrite. “Poor Tunis. But did you see us?”
Their excitement’s infectious. I nod. “I saw you both on the screen. It was…really moving. Congratulations.” I feel a sudden wave of emotion.
I’ve got my own endorphins to deal with, plus I always cave in after a performance. Now the afternoon’s catching up with me big-time.
“Hey, that’s really sweet of you. Don’t cry, Tunis. We loved doing it, truly. Ben, have you got a tissue?”
I perch gingerly on the edge of a seat as Mel puts her arm around my shoulders. She looks anxiously at Ben but he’s staring wide-eyed over her shoulder as a shadow falls between us.
“What’s the matter with her?” Cade’s voice breaks into the sudden silence.
Mel’s eyes narrow. “Tunis is a bit shaky. That’s all.”
“She is? Why?” He sounds harsh.
Mel glares at him, tightening her grip. “You should know.”
Alarmed, I sit upright.
Mel’s eyes are blazing. “She’s edgy about all this. It upsets her. Remember?”
I breathe again. “Mel, I’m fine, truly.”
Cade is standing behind me, his face creased into a worried frown.
Mel gives him a fierce look. “You heard her. She’s fine. And she’ll feel a whole lot finer if you’re not crowding her.” Mel’s getting into her stride now.
Desperate to break this up I rise quickly and turn to face him. People are beginning to stare.
He ignores them, his eyes fixed on my face. “You’re okay? Are you sure?”
I whisk away another tear. “I’m always weepy after… I’m fine, truly.”
He turns away. “Keep an eye on her, you two. We can’t have guests taken ill during the finale.”
He strides casually away, the image of a polite, concerned host. Mel glares after him as the onlookers drift away in search of cocktails.
I stay close to Mel and Ben during the buffet supper and learn that a host of new celebrities have turned up during the afternoon. Now there’s a real buzz in the air.
Some of the Hit’n’MissTrix stars have evidently given enthusiastic whipping displays. Many faces are flushed and excited as the afterglow sets in.
“Look, that’s Izzy Bash, the pop promoter. He flew in from L.A. this afternoon and came straight here. Cool or what?” Mel digs me in the ribs as a gangly, wrinkled figure appears at the edge of the crowd and gives a wave as a cheer goes up.
Izaak Bashnikov, the self-styled Bad Old Man of Rock for over forty years, is causing quite a stir. A startling figure in white leathers and flashy scarlet boots, his dyed scarlet hair sculpted into a blow-wave, he fla
shes his trademark lopsided grin over the crowd.
He’s surrounded by some of the Bash Babes, part of his original stage act, dancers who double as session singers and bodyguards and accompany him at all times. As I watch, he greets Cade with a slap on the back. He takes him aside to talk for a few minutes before the crowd, herded into line by the Babes, push forward for autographs.
“And Garth Delaney’s back, too. Isn’t it terrific? They’ve come for the grand finale. It’s starting in a few minutes. Come on, Tunis. Even you mustn’t miss this. I only wish Jake was here to cover the Slave Auction.”
As I follow Mel back toward the stage, I feel a hand on my arm as the crowd surges around me.
“Are you really okay?” Cade holds my arm in a fierce grip, his eyes blazing. “When you left earlier, you said you were fine.” His low growl draws curious looks.
I try to pull away but he holds me fast.
“I was, then. It came later.” I glance round but no one’s paying much attention as they push past, crowding to fill the seats closest to the stage, where Nera’s introducing Garth Delaney as the on-stage co-host.
Cade glares down at me. “You should have warned me. You’ve taken a lot this afternoon. I’d never forgive myself if—”
At that moment his name comes over the loudspeakers. Nera’s just announced him as the chief sponsor and all at once we’re flooded in dazzling light as spotlights sweep the crowd and pick him out.
It shines on me as well.
“Catch up with you later.” He abruptly lets go of my arm and steps in front of me, shielding me from the glare as he smiles round to acknowledge the applause.
I slip back into the shadows and make my way quickly to where Mel and Ben are sitting.
“You will stay for the auction, Tunis? All the trainees are up for sale for slots of an hour. The money’s going to the Wannabe Fund.” Mel’s sparkling eyes hint she’s still flushed with her success in the Beat Fair.
“Wannabe?” At my puzzled expression, Ben leans over. “Izzy’s charity. Gets young hopefuls into the music business. That’ll be why he’s here. It’s his pet project.”
The Bad Old Man of Rock is up on stage now, beaming his trademark wrinkly grin as Nera starts the bidding and the Babes look on.
The bidding’s brisk. A blushing extra is offered as the first lot. Her dainty French maid’s costume proclaims her a sub. As she parades around the stage showing off her pert little rear and her plunging neckline, the bidding becomes frenzied, not all of it from men.
“Two hundred? Who’ll give me two hundred pounds for an hour with this cheeky little sub? Come, ladies and gentlemen, think of all the naughty things you can do with Lina in a whole hour.”
Nera’s in her element. She taps Lina briskly on the rump, making her trot and giggle. Soon a pink, excitable businessman near the back of the crowd carries the bidding at six hundred. He beams as Lina trots over to him and bobs him a curtsey.
Mel winks at me as the next lot clambers up onto the stage, a pale, bearded technician. He’s tightly trussed into a bondage harness and a loincloth. He flinches as Nera taps her riding crop absently against one boot.
At my side, Ben stiffens.
He catches my eye, his expression pained, and hisses in my ear. “He trained with me. There’s nothing he can take that I can’t. It’s so unfair.”
The auction’s clearly going well but I lean back and try to shut out the sickening excitement building all around me. I want no part in this. It’s unnerving to see how eagerly the trainees parade themselves, hoping to get an offer from the highest bidder. I know it’s all in fun and for charity, but still…
I look anywhere but at the stage and think instead of my emotional afternoon. Maybe after all I’m not so very different…
“It’s me! It’s me!” At my side, Mel leaps to her feet as her name is called. She pushes eagerly up to the stage.
Startled out of my reverie, I give Ben a reassuring smile and lean forward to watch.
Nera welcomes Mel up on to the stage with a rare smile. “And this is Mel, famous from TV and the media. She’ll give you a spanking good time, guaranteed—as I’m sure you all saw during her spectacular display this afternoon. What am I bid for an hour with the lovely Mel?”
“One hundred pounds.” Ben’s arm shoots up, and Mel blows him a kiss.
But bids pop up from all over the crowd. She’s clearly an even bigger hit than we thought.
“Seven hundred.”
“Seven fifty.”
“Eight hundred.”
By now Ben’s slumped back in his chair with a sullen frown. I reach over and pat his hand. “Bad luck, Ben. Don’t let it get to you. It’s only for an hour. And hey, you get it for free, right?”
“Five thousand, for a whole night.”
The marquee suddenly goes very quiet. Mel’s jaw drops as Garth Delaney strolls confidently up to the stage. Nera glances round at the crowd, now stunned to silence, waits a moment and bangs her gavel. “Sold, for one whole night, to the star of our movie.”
To wild applause, Mel, eyes shining, slowly walks down the steps and takes the hand of her heartthrob. She’s led away blushing and triumphant while I try to console Ben.
I fail spectacularly. With a bitter smile, he jolts to his feet and blunders away through the crowd, leaving me sitting on my own.
I get up and follow slowly, sad for him, glad for Mel. She’s always had a thing for Garth Delaney. She’ll dine out on this for years. Ben will come round eventually.
But my evening’s not quite over. As I reach the edge of the crowd Nera’s voice rings out behind me. “And our final star lot this evening, ladies and gentlemen, is a delightful former dancer, now a rising star in the world of TV and the arts. What am I bid for one whole week with the lovely Tunis?”
Chapter Twenty
I turn slowly, blank with shock as the onlookers cheer and clap.
There’s a surprise still to come. Is this it?
I’ll panic later. Right now, I’m faced with an audience. Instantly I beam round at the crowd like I knew about this all along and I walk confidently up on stage.
Nera gives me a chilly smile but her eyes look wary, like she’s unsure how I’ll react, telling me instantly that this must be someone else’s idea.
Cade. It has to be.
She leans away from the mic to whisper a greeting. “Hope this is okay, Tunis. You looked scared there for a second.”
The whispered words, like her tight, crimson smile, are meant to be friendly but I sense something held back. There can be only one reason. She’s jealous.
I give her a brief, non-committal smile as if I’m up for auction every day of the week and at that moment, I see Cade at the fringes of the crowd talking to some Japanese businessmen.
He glances up with a smile and a half-wave and instantly I relax.
He’s here. He’s in control.
Everything will be fine.
While I compose myself, Nera’s been pitching my charms to the crowd. Now she pauses for bids. “So, what am I bid for a whole week with the lovely Tunis? That’s one hundred and sixty-eight hours, ladies and gentlemen. Who’ll start us off at the bargain price of ten thousand pounds?”
How much?
The bidding starts well, the first for eleven thousand shouted out by one of the movie producers. My head spins as more bids fly, even one from Cade’s group. He stays noticeably silent.
But soon the bids thin out as the sums rise to crazy levels. The crowd grows quiet.
“Any advance on thirty thousand for this lovely celebrity presenter? Going, going—”
“Thirty-one.” The crowd gasps as Cade coolly steps forward. The businessmen with him exchange worried looks as the bidder in their midst weighs his options, fearful of offending his host.
They’re now in close discussion and one of them raises his hand. “Thirty-two.”
I shiver.
Maybe this is a group bid. Are the men planning a share? All at
once this is no party game. I face a week with a group of strange men, doing goodness knows what…
How could he? If this is Cade’s idea of a joke…
At this point Nera holds up her hand for silence. One of her assistants is walking quickly across the stage toward her, waving his phone. He whispers something in her ear.
I freeze as a murmur runs through the crowd.
Now what?
“Ladies and gentlemen, at this point I have to tell you that a new bidder has joined us and is bidding by phone. I have a bid of thirty-three thousand pounds from none other than our guest celebrity Dom, the Panther.”
What? I stand very still.
The audience is equally stunned. After a few seconds, a buzz of excitement ripples through the crowd and the onlookers break into loud applause.
This is my worst nightmare.
Minutes ago I’d no idea I was even on sale. I was heading for bed.
Cade’s steady gaze keeps me calm. I let out a deep breath as he steps forward.
“Thirty-four.” His bid silences the crowd as they sense a real contest.
I can hear my heart thumping against my ribs in the agonizing wait as I scan Nera’s face, creased into a frown as she listens once more to her assistant.
It seems an eternity before she looks up. “The Panther bids thirty-five thousand.”
“Thirty-six.” Cade bids again, his tone casual, his voice low in the tense silence all around us.
But Nera’s frowning at her assistant. This time she makes him repeat what he said.
My mouth goes dry.
“The Panther bids fifty thousand pounds.”
There is a gasp from the crowd as Cade smiles lazily at me.
I’m safe.
But I rejoice too soon. His smile slides over to Nera and he gives a slight shake of his head.
He’s pulling out? He’s handing me to the Panther on a plate.
I feel the universe spin.
I’ve known him a week. I feel like I’ve loved him a lifetime.
In just seven days we’ve scorched through all the emotions from lust to fear, ecstasy to despair. Now he’s turning away…?