by Leah Brooke
“I don’t want to talk. Please go away.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks, surprised to discover that she’d stopped crying. “I’ve already made a fool of myself. I just want to be alone.”
“I’ll leave you alone as soon as we’ve talked. Now, open the door, right now. Your wine’s here. You can’t stand there holding the door closed all night.”
Realizing that he spoke the truth, Brenna closed her hand around the lapels of the robe at her throat and stepped back from the door.
Turning her back to the door as it swung open, she moved to the window and curled herself onto the window seat there, pulling her robe tighter. From the corner of her eye, she saw Royce coming toward her, grateful that he stopped at the round table that stood several feet from where she sat. She heard the sounds of him opening the bottle of wine and pouring a glass, but she didn’t dare look in his direction.
Several lights illuminated the parking lot below, where some cars were already parked, and another pulled in as she watched.
Two men got out, but from where she sat, she could see little more than the tops of their heads. They walked briskly, though, as though rushing to get inside, making her wonder just exactly what went on downstairs.
A glass of wine appeared at her shoulder, forcing her to turn toward him to accept it. “I thought you preferred beer to wine.”
“Thank you.” Careful not to touch his hand, she took the glass from him and turned back to the window, just in time to watch a pickup truck pull in. “Some occasions call for wine.” She took a healthy swallow, hoping the wine would help her settle.
Royce lowered himself to the cushioned seat, running a finger over her toes that peeked out from beneath the hem of the robe she wore.
“You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Brenna.”
Snatching her foot away, Brenna took another sip of her wine. She let her gaze slide to his reflection in the window, unable to ignore him, but reluctant to face him after what had happened.
“That’s bullshit and you know it. I was supposed to be in charge, and within just a few minutes, I completely lose control, like I’m a virgin or something, and start coming before you even touched me. You must be very proud of yourself.”
She must have seemed so easy to him—just another in a long line of women who couldn’t resist him.
Royce sighed, touching a finger to the underside of her chin. “Look at me, Brenna.”
She pushed his hand away. “No.” She just wanted him to leave so she could get dressed and get the hell out of here.
His tone softened, but still held a slight edge. “I learned early what I needed. I don’t apologize for it and I won’t accept anything less. You shouldn’t either.”
Brenna held her breath as he traced a finger over her cheek. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re a Dom—the one in charge. There’s nothing embarrassing about that.” Coming to her feet, she moved away, taking another sip of her wine, too restless to sit any longer.
Royce touched her hair, a slight brush of his fingers that made the back of her neck tingle. “There’s nothing for you to be embarrassed about. You had the courage to experiment. Now you know what you need. I’d call that a success.”
Brenna snorted inelegantly, whirling to face him. “Yeah, sure. What I need is to be some man’s slave. Look, just because you have a never-ending string of women coming through here to give you what you need, it’s not like that in the real world—at least not in mine.”
“Tell me.”
Closing her eyes against the silky persuasion in a tone she suspected he’d mastered over the years, she swallowed heavily. She took another sip of wine, knowing that the effects of it had begun to loosen her tongue, but at this point, she figured it no longer mattered. “I’ve had a few boyfriends in the past. When sex was…lackluster, at least for me, they accused me of not liking them anymore, or worse, accused me of being too outspoken and demanding. When I tried to add a little…spice, to hint at them to be a little more active, I got shoved around and taken so fast that it was over before I could even become aroused. If I got aggressive, they just lay back and let me take over without a protest.”
She took another sip of wine and shrugged. “I guess they didn’t get it and I only have myself to blame. It’s hard to explain what I want when I don’t even know myself.”
She took another sip of wine, liking the way it warmed her belly. “So, I find that I want something, hell, apparently need something that’s nearly impossible to get, or explain, and you call that a success. Remarkable.”
Royce came to his feet to stand behind her, his hands settling on her shoulders. “People like you—and me—are the reason we opened this club. There are a lot of people out there looking for something that they can’t seem to find anywhere else, or are too embarrassed to ask for.”
Unsettled by the way his light touch reawakened her desire, she tried to step away.
“I don’t want just sex, Royce. I’m not like that.” Remembering what had happened only a few minutes earlier, she stared down into her glass, even more depressed. “Hell, maybe I am. I don’t know. I want more. There always seems to be something missing.” She shrugged, trying to hide the hurt and confusion. “Maybe I’m some kind of freak.”
Royce took the now-empty glass from her hand and set it none too gently on the table next to her before gripping her shoulders and spinning her around to face him. The anger on his face sent a chill through her, making her wish she’d just kept her mouth shut.
“You’re not a freak, just because you need something more. Jesus, I’m so sick of that attitude.” Running a hand through his hair, he sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly. “There’s nothing wrong with going for what you want. We all need what we need. It’s just stupid to settle for less. People like Donner give the rest of us a bad name, and then you go and compare us to him. Then, you learn that your suspicions were true, that you do need to submit, and you call yourself a freak. I’ve got news for you, Brenna, a relationship between a Dom and a sub is closer than most marriages. There’s a level of caring and trust involved that most people don’t experience in their entire lives.”
His hands circled her neck, his thumbs under her chin keeping her face raised to his. His eyes glittered, holding her mesmerized. “Maybe that’s part of what you’re looking for, Brenna. The connection. You want to lose yourself with a man, or men, you can trust to keep you safe—trust to care for you enough to give you what you need. You’re a passionate woman, a very passionate woman. You need someone you trust to help you explore that passion to the fullest.”
She knew herself well enough to know that she wouldn’t have responded to just any man the way she had with Royce. She’d felt a connection with him, and with King, from the moment she’d met them. Scared of what they might think of her if they suspected, she kept the knowledge to herself.
Her experience in the other club gave her enough insight to know that he and King could have their pick of the submissives that came to the club looking for satisfaction. She could never compete with that. She’d never wanted a man she’d have to share, knowing that when they went to work, they would be fucking other women. She knew enough about herself to know that she could never live with that.
Shrugging, she lowered her eyes and turned away, picking up the bottle of wine and refilling her glass before moving back to the window.
“Maybe you’re right, but finding such a man could prove difficult.” Hoping to change the subject, she gestured toward the window, half turning to look at him. “The club looks busy. Is it always like this?”
“The club is usually busy with people like us looking for satisfaction. Tonight, though, there’s an auction.”
Brenna whirled, almost spilling her wine. Shock and lust slammed into her, along with no small amount of alarm. “Do you really auction women off?” She’d found herself drawn to a world she didn’t understand and to a man she couldn’t seem to resist.
Crossing his arms ov
er his chest, Royce regarded her steadily. “Yes. Once a month.” His lips twitched. “There’s a waiting list.”
A mental image of being stripped and inspected by potential bidders raced through her mind, sending a surge of lust through her, one so intense she nearly doubled over. In her mind, though, the man running his hands over her and forcing her to comply with his demands looked like Royce.
Shaking her head to get rid of the image, she opened her eyes, gasping to find Royce’s face only inches from hers.
He’d moved without her knowing, his footsteps silent on the plush carpeting.
“That excites you. Interesting. Would you like to be auctioned off?”
Lifting her chin with a firm finger, he held her eyes with his. “Many women do this in order to live out their fantasy, and some even find permanent Doms. The arrangement is for one night only, but after that, who knows? It’s entirely up to them.”
The wave of longing inside grew with a force and speed that staggered her. Still shaken from what had happened earlier, she jerked away from him, her breathing labored.
“No. I couldn’t. I can’t just sleep with anyone.” She gulped down the rest of the wine in her glass and set it aside, her hands shaking so hard she feared she would drop the delicate glass.
“What would it be like?”
The words slipped out before she even knew she would utter them, and with a strangled cry, she whirled away, gripping the back of the large chaise for support. “No. I don’t want to know. Forget I asked.”
She sucked in a breath when Royce crowded her from behind, a low moan escaping when his hands went to the belt of her robe.
“You do like that. Is that one of your fantasies? To have a man want you so badly, he’d fight others to have you? To belong to him? To be helpless? Inspected? Explored?” He worked the belt of her robe loose with slow, deliberate intention, holding on to the ends.
“First, King and I would prepare you. We’d take all of your clothing, blindfold you, and tie your hands together behind you. You wouldn’t be able to cover yourself at all, or stop anyone from touching you.”
Brenna watched his hands, fascinated at the smooth strength in them, lost in a web of seduction as his cool, silky tone poured over her.
He let the robe part, still holding the ends of the belt.
“You would have already bathed in scented salts, and would be required to have your pussy shaved. Have you ever had your pussy shaved?”
Brenna sucked in a breath when the robe parted even more and fell from her shoulders to puddle at her feet.
“Once. I—um—did it for a b–boyfriend. As a surprise.”
Royce stilled behind her. “Why did you do that? Did he ever ask you to?”
“No. I just thought it would—um—inspire him.”
“I take it from your tone, it didn’t. Pity. If you belonged to King and me, you would be required to keep your pussy waxed and smooth at all times. I want nothing hidden from me.”
His lips touched her ear. “I’m already inspired.”
Warm heat flowed over her, like the thickest honey. Her skin suddenly felt too hot and tight to contain her excitement. Her imagination went wild, wondering what it would be like to be Royce and King’s possession—to have them touch her and do things to her she’d only dreamed about.
Royce touched the ends of the robe he still held against her nipples. “Tell me what happened.”
Struggling to concentrate, Brenna gripped the back of the chaise until her fingers hurt. “He—he liked it—but then it was over so fast—I didn’t bother anymore.”
The feel of his cock pressing against her back made her weak at the knees. Her ragged breathing sounded loud in the room. She didn’t care. She just wanted to feel. More. Anything he would give her.
Using the ends of the soft belt, Royce traced a pattern over her belly, making her stomach muscles quiver.
“Pity. A woman like you needs to have her passions explored—needs to have her boundaries crumbled and pushed beyond what she thinks are her limits. You need to be taken, Brenna, in ways that you’ve never been taken. You need to belong, as you’ve never belonged to anyone before.”
No longer caring about anything but pleasure, Brenna fell back against him—drawn in—connected—in a way she didn’t entirely understand.
“How? How can I do that? I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
“You begin right here. Let’s begin to explore together, Brenna.”
Not sure she understood exactly what he meant, she sucked in a breath, gripping his forearms as the belt moved lower and caressed her mound. She’d give anything to be his right now, knowing that belonging to him, even for a short time, would go a long way toward fulfilling her fantasies.
Struggling to keep her voice steady, Brenna took a shuddering breath. “What do you mean? Are you asking me to stay until the next auction?” She closed her eyes against the tears that stung them, hoping with everything inside her that he would pull her against him and tell her she belonged to him.
Just the thought of any other man touching her filled her with revulsion. She wanted Royce. Her body knew its master, and her soul knew that this was the man she’d been waiting a lifetime for.
Royce tensed behind her.
“If that’s what you want.” His cool tone had a bite to it that sent a chill running up and down her spine.
“You stay here for the next month and King and I will teach you all you need to know about submission. When the auction comes up next month, you’ll be auctioned off to the highest bidder. That is what you want, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” But only if it’s you!
Brenna wanted to cry. Feeling bereft at the distance in his tone, she tried to move away, but Royce used his body to crowd her against the back of the chaise.
Trembling, she swallowed a sob. “None of the men there will be anything like Donner, will they?”
“No. They won’t. The man—or men—who buy you will give you everything you need.”
Fisting her hands on the back of the chaise, she stood stiffly. “I still don’t understand how a woman can enjoy being beaten.”
“Not beaten. Whipped. Spanked. From this minute on, you’re a submissive in training. You obey King and me to the letter. Believe me, we’ll spend the next month putting you through your paces, and teaching you to submit completely to us. By the end of the month, you’ll beg to be spanked, whipped, restrained, and made to do things you’re not going to be comfortable doing. And you’ll beg for more. Do you know why?”
If he spoke to her in that erotically silky tone, she’d do anything he asked.
“W–Why?”
“Because you’ll become addicted. Once you experience the pleasure of surrendering, you won’t be able to live without it. It gets in your blood. You’re already beginning to crave it, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
He turned her in his arms, wrapping a hand in her hair to pull her head back and staring into her eyes, his own dark and hooded. “So it’s agreed. You’ll belong to King and me for the next month. You’ll be ours to do with as we please. We’ll teach you to submit, and the rewards to be gained from surrendering yourself completely. Agreed?”
God help her, she couldn’t deny this chance, one she may never have in her life again. She’d fill this month with memories that she could carry with her. She’d never forgive herself if she walked away now.
She’d know if this was what she’d been missing.
She had to lick her dry lips before speaking. “Agreed.”
Royce released her with a speed that stunned her and stepped away, leaving her feeling bereft.
“Get some rest. Tomorrow, Sebastian will come up with a contract for you to sign. Once you sign it, we begin.”
Brenna watched him walk away, fighting not to run after him.
He turned at the doorway. “You’ll be locked in. If you need something, pick up the phone and Sebastian will get it for you.”
�
�Why are you locking me in?”
Royce raised a brow, his eyes unreadable. “You’re my possession now, Brenna. I always keep the things most valuable to me under lock and key. Sleep well. You’re going to need your rest for tomorrow.”
Brenna watched him go, her body still trembling with need. Turning, she went to the table to pour the last glass of wine from the bottle, not even bothering to put on the robe.
It would be too hot anyway.
Feeling more sensuous than she’d ever felt in her life, she took another sip of wine and let her fingers trail over her breasts and lower.
Maybe if she masturbated, she could relieve some of this tension and get some sleep.
The ringing of the phone startled her. Jumping to her feet, she raced to it, lifting the receiver with no small amount of trepidation.
“Hello?”
“Keep those hands away from that pussy and clit. Since you’re my property now, I’ve turned on the camera in your room. I’ll be watching you. That body belongs to me now and I haven’t given you permission to touch it.”
Brenna blinked, setting the glass of wine on the end table for fear of spilling it.
“What?”
“Your orgasms belong to me as well. You won’t be permitted to come without my permission. Go to bed. Now.”
The phone clicked in her ear before she could reply.
Not daring to defy him for fear that he would change his mind, she hurriedly scrambled into the bed, pulling the covers high. Reaching over, she turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness. She needed release desperately, but she needed Royce to give it to her.
It was a long time before she slept.
Chapter Four
“Nice.” King’s grin widened. “Very nice. That gives us an entire month with Red.” He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head, surreptitiously attempting to ease the knots that had grown steadily tighter all evening.
He usually enjoyed the auction. He looked forward to the sexual tension in the room and the thrill of heightening the women’s arousal by allowing the other men to inspect what they bid on. He loved the teasing, loved whipping the men attending and the women into a frenzy.