Toymaker's Pet (Dark Star Doms Book 2)

by Ivy Barrett

  He paused, rubbing his jaw as he studied her expression. “How long ago did your employer pass beyond?”

  “Seven months, fifteen days.”

  “Do you miss him that badly, or were you unhappy with his son?”

  “My happiness has never been a concern. I was trained to give pleasure, not receive it. I find contentment in my employer’s satisfaction.”

  A smile parted his lips. “That’s your training, not your personality. Tell me more about Levon. He seemed to be the only one in this scenario who gave a damn about your pleasure.”

  “He was wonderful. We understood so much without having to say a word. I don’t know that I could have adjusted to the situation if it hadn’t been for him.”

  “Were you allowed to spend time with him away from your employer?”

  “Of course not. We were only together when we performed for our employer.” Akim’s cruelty made her long for his father’s carelessness. At least as Fahbit’s favorite she’d enjoyed some measure of control. “Are we almost finished?”

  “Yes.” He folded his hands on the desktop, his gaze searching hers. “Were you aware of the transmitters implanted in your possessions?”

  “Transmitters?” Thorne had given her a tiny audiocom, but Slade made it sound like there was more than one. “Thorne scanned my bag before he brought me down here.”

  “One of the devices was standard Dark Star issue. The other was unfamiliar to us.”

  She had no doubt Akim had planted the other transmitter. Had he really expected to get it beyond security? “What did you do with my things?”

  “They’re in a locker at the moment, but I intend to incinerate them. Is there anything with sentimental value in the bag?”

  She grimaced. The tranquilizer mist was in that bag. “I’m not the sentimental type.”

  * * * * *

  “What’s wrong now?” Petra studied Thorne as he crossed her office. This was the third time he’d disrupted her massage, and each time his announcements grew more annoying. He walked up to the retractable table and glared at Dick, her pleasure ’bot, who was rubbing her calf. How infantile. Thorne could be such a bother.

  “They must have found the audiocom. The signal went dead.”

  Lowering her face, she rested her forehead against the padded support and stared at his feet. “I figured it was a long shot, but what did we have to lose?”

  “We have no way to contact Bryce now. She’s entirely at their mercy.” His tremulous tone made her chuckle.

  “I’d almost think you care.” Petra waved him away. “Get back to work. I’ll figure out what’s going on down there. I always find a way.” He didn’t reply, but she could still see his shoes, so she asked, “Was there something else?”

  “You have your pleasure ’bot out.” He fidgeted. “I was wondering if there was anything I could do for you?”

  She propped herself on her forearms, intentionally displaying her naked breasts. “I’ve been trying to relax and enjoy a fucking massage for over an hour. Someone keeps interrupting me!”

  His gaze lingered on her breasts, but he inclined his head. “I’ll see that no one disturbs you.”

  “No one else, don’t you mean?” He left her office, and Petra rolled over onto her back. “Unbelievable.”

  Dick pulled the sheet away from her body and dropped it to the floor. He maneuvered to the side of the table and eased her legs apart.

  “What the hell are you doing?” she demanded.

  “You requested a fucking massage.”

  He pushed two long, warm fingers into her core. This wasn’t what she’d meant, but gods, it felt good. She closed her eyes, letting her legs fall open. An image formed within her mind and her heart lurched. Matthias. Why was it always Matthias?

  Opening her eyes, she looked into Dick’s bright silver gaze and sighed. The shape and movement of pleasure ’bots were remarkably realistic. Matthias hadn’t attempted to make them look human. Those silver eyes dominated sleek, subtle features. Dick’s outer casing felt like skin, but his color and temperature could be varied according to her mood.

  Dick rubbed her clit with his thumb while he pumped his fingers with even, rhythmic strokes.

  “Harder.” He obeyed, increasing the pressure of his thumb as well as his fingers. “No. Disengage. This isn’t working.”

  “Shall I lick your sweet love juices?”

  Petra laughed. She had to purge those phrases from his memory matrix. Matthias had thought it would amuse her… Matthias again. She sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes. She knew what she needed. No! She wouldn’t put herself through that again.

  “Shall I run simulation nine?”

  Damn intuitive programming. Matthias had created his toys with the ability to anticipate their owners’ needs, at least as well as stored data would allow. She’d promised herself she’d delete the simulation and move on with her life. Matthias had made it abundantly clear he was through with her.

  “I interpret your hesitation as a negative response.”

  “Oh, to hell with it. Run the simulation. Maybe it will help clear my mind.” She hopped down from the massage table and crossed to her desk, standing in front of it as she’d done on that night. She remembered every detail, letting the events roll through her mind.

  Matthias knew the code to her office, her personal code, which bypassed the security scanner. He’d let himself in while she was studying a video brochure for a competitor’s erotic resort.

  “Put your hands on the desktop and don’t say a word or I’ll walk out the door.”

  Chills danced down her spine. She’d recreated that first sentence from audio samples of Matthias’ voice. The rest had been recorded as it happened when she touched the upper right corner of her terminal. After months of frustration and need, she’d uploaded the recording into Dick’s memory matrix and went to work on the simulation.

  She put her hands on the desk. Dick moved in close behind her, teasing her hips and torso exactly as Matthias had.

  “I’ve tried to stay away. I want to stay away, but I can’t get you out of my system.” She started to speak, and Dick clamped his hand over her mouth. “No words. No more lies. I’m only here so you’ll understand what you’re giving up.”

  For months she’d hinted that, from time to time, she wanted to include a third in their love play. Affronted, Matthias had insisted he was all she’d ever need to stay satisfied. So she solved the problem the only way she knew how. She waited until Matthias was away from his lair and summoned two Pleasure Masters to scratch her itch.

  She still wasn’t sure how Matthias found out. Perhaps one of the Masters bragged to him.

  “I would have done anything for you. Anything—except share you.”

  Dick cupped her breasts, squeezing and shaping them. She’d spent weeks adjusting the simulation, capturing every touch, every scrape, every lick. Her heart pounded within her breast. Memory, reality and fantasy merged.

  Why hadn’t he told her what he intended to do? It was such a creative compromise.

  He worked her nipples into tight, aching peaks, expertly manipulating the piercings. She wanted his mouth there, not just his fingers, but he wouldn’t let her turn around. Nudging her legs apart, he eased one hand between her thighs.

  “You’re already wet. Did you miss me as much as I missed you?” Dick pressed her down on the desktop and moved her legs wider. He held her down, his strong hand on the back of her neck. Then he slapped her ass with his free hand, one fast hard spank and then another.

  She breathed through the initial sting, then savored the liquid spread of heat as it rolled through her muscles. No one could spank like Matthias. This was the only part of the simulation that wasn’t perfect yet. She tweaked the programing with endless combinations and still the resulting sensations weren’t quite right.

  Dick spanked her exactly eleven times, just as Matthias had, pausing after each slap to maximize the pleasure/pain. Even imperfect as the simulatio
n was, prickly warmth spiraled through her pussy, making her clit twitch and her inner muscles ripple with need.

  Kneeling behind her, he pressed his face against the apex of her thighs. His tongue darted and licked from her clit to her anus over and over again. Every sweep and flick was the same, and yet sorrow mounted, not passion. She ached for Matthias, not for release. She’d disappointed him before. Why had this time been different?

  “I’m the Toymaker. I fulfill fantasies.” Dick stood and arched over her. “Why wouldn’t you let me fulfill yours?”

  His long, thick cock pushed into her throbbing pussy. Petra moaned, tightening her inner muscles, losing herself in the fantasy.

  “Extend auxiliary cock, minimum breadth.”

  Knowing what came next sent shivers down her spine. She tried to look over her shoulder. Dick pressed her against the desk.

  “Would this have been good enough?” The ’bot’s auxiliary cock pressed against her ass. Matthias had altered his body, trying to give her what she needed. Dick held her hips in a firm grasp as he drilled into her ass. She absorbed the exquisite sensations, hot, hard, full.

  “Nothing can change your basic nature,” he muttered against her hair. “You were destined to break my heart.”

  Dick’s fingers dug into her hips, and he thrust fast and deep. Stretched onto her toes, she grabbed the edge of her desk and closed her eyes.

  Chapter Six

  Bryce spent the next hour exploring her private quarters. Privacy was a foreign concept in the potentate’s harem. His women took their meals together, bathed together and slept on padded mats scattered about the common room. Guard droids monitored their behavior to ensure nothing untoward happened. The sole purpose for a concubine’s existence was to pleasure the potentate. To ensure that her disposition remained sweet, each concubine was allowed one hour per week in the reality simulator.

  Shaking away the lingering memories, Bryce continued her search. The room wasn’t large. In a few minutes she had opened every compartment and figured out how the facilities worked. Slade had taken her travel bag, and all the compartments were empty. She was stuck with the robe.

  Restlessness crept in. She tried to activate the terminal, but the computer asked for an access code. Akim used isolation to punish her. Maybe having her own room wasn’t such a treat after all. She paced. The silence became oppressive. Where had Slade gone? He couldn’t spend all his time in the lab. They were directly beneath a brothel. Did she really have to wonder?

  She tightened the belt holding her robe closed and ventured out into the corridor. Wandering down one hallway after another, she had no real destination. The underground level was a veritable labyrinth. Laughter drew her attention to an archway on her right.

  “If cheating is the only way you can beat me, what does that say about your strategy?”

  She recognized Slade’s voice, but she’d never heard him laugh before. Granted though, they’d met under unusual circumstances and he’d been all business with her.

  “Every time I win, you accuse me of cheating. What does that say about your sportsmanship?”

  The second voice was unfamiliar to Bryce. She peeked around the corner, remaining behind the molded archway as she looked at the two men. Slade sat at a gaming table with his back to her. His opponent was young and dashing. Golden streaks highlighted his light brown hair, which had been styled in messy waves. His beaming smile framed even white teeth and caused his dark eyes to shine. She narrowed her gaze. There was something familiar about those thick-lashed dark eyes.

  Amusement and an almost paternal pride emanated from the room. She intensified her receptors. Still, the emotions remained indistinct.

  Slade deactivated the game, and the three-dimensional grid disappeared. “It doesn’t appear that our guest is going to join us for dinner. Would you like to take her a tray or shall I?”

  “You’d actually trust me alone with her?”

  An unmistakable surge of desire pelted her. She ducked around the corner and pressed her hand to her throat. Which one of the men was entertaining lustful thoughts? The emotional spike had been so unexpected, she couldn’t decide.

  “I’d trust her alone with you.”

  Slade’s statement brought her back around. What did he mean by that? Had her personality profile left him with the impression she was indifferent to men? Workers in the pleasure industry often became jaded, but her experience had been different. Fahbit had seen to her satisfaction, even if it had been vicariously through Levon.

  “A tray isn’t necessary.” Bryce stepped beneath the archway and collided with a psychic barrier. Damn! She would love to know what Slade was hiding behind his shield. The barrier was so intense she could no longer sense emotions from either of them. “I might have been more sociable if you’d seen fit to issue me a uniform.”

  Slade pivoted in his chair, the hint of a smile curving one corner of his mouth. “I apologize for the oversight. The robe is charming.”

  The blond stood and crossed the room, extending his hand. “I’ve heard so much about you, Bryce. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

  She smiled and shook his hand. “You have me at a disadvantage.”

  “This is Iram.” Slade joined them in the center of the room, his expression guarded. “He’s our jack of all trades, or mechanical genius, whichever he prefers at the time.”

  Iram laughed. “I’m the only mechanical engineer fool enough to put up with your contract.” He looked at Bryce and flashed another knee-melting smile. “Whenever Matthias gets ready to release one of his masterpieces, he locks this place down like a prison.”

  “This has happened before?” She’d had no choice when she accepted the contract. Why would this charismatic man agree to become a prisoner?

  “This is my third shut-in.”

  His smile dazzled her. She wanted to trace his lips with her fingers and stare into his warm gaze. Shaking away the unexpected thought, she asked, “Why do you do it?”

  “Same as you, I’d guess. The pay can’t be beat, and I’ve got nothing better to do.”

  “Are you hungry?” Slade motioned toward an adjoining room. His gaze lingered on her mouth. He wasn’t thinking about food. “We were about to have dinner. We call this the lounge, by the way. There are game consoles, vidscreens and an extensive library terminal.”

  “Don’t forget the reality simulator.” Iram pointed to a door adjacent to the dining room, his smile turning wicked. “It’s a prototype of the ones they use upstairs. It can simulate anything you can imagine.”

  Despite his animated expressions, Bryce still sensed nothing from him. Was Slade shielding them both, or was Iram psychic as well? That would explain the paternal pride. Was Iram Slade’s apprentice? Or was their relationship more…personal?

  Slade pressed his hand against the small of her back and guided her toward the dining room. Warm, firm without being forceful, his touch sent currents of awareness vibrating through her body, distracting her from the other man. With a surprising show of courtesy, Slade seated her before taking his place across the table from her. Iram sat at Slade’s side, allowing her to converse easily with both men.

  “How long have you worked for Matthias?” she asked Slade.

  “He works with Matthias, not for him.” The mischief in Iram’s tone hinted at frequent debate over the subject.

  “Six years, and Matthias holds patents on all of his inventions. No one mistakes me for the Toymaker.” Slade smiled at Bryce. “Unless I want them to.”

  “But it annoys you that he gets all the credit?” Her gaze passed between the two men. They enjoyed an obvious camaraderie. Had she ever felt this at ease with another person? The other women resented her as she was summoned night after night. All the while she wished the potentate’s attention would fall on someone else.

  Iram shook his head. “You’ve got it backward. Matthias wants to give Slade credit for his contributions, and Slade won’t let him. I think he’s hiding from someone.”


  “You have a vivid imagination.” Slade chuckled. She’d never seen him this relaxed. He was actually quite charming.

  A domestic ’bot entered through a service door and arranged covered dishes on the small table. Smooth and metallic, the torso sported full, round breasts while the face had been designed with only the faintest hint of features.

  “How many people are employed by this project?” Bryce asked.

  “May I bring you a beverage, Bryce?” The ’bot’s question caught her by surprise.

  “How does she know my name?”

  “All the systems on this level are integrated.” Slade stirred cream into his coffee as he went on. “I entered your profile into the central computer, so all the terminals should accept your voice commands, and the service ’bots should—”

  “Service you,” Iram finished with a wink.

  She looked at the domestic ’bot. “Ice water would be fine.”

  “I’ll return momentarily.” The ’bot turned, displaying her clearly defined ass, and Bryce laughed.

  “Gender is optional on that model.” Iram nodded toward the retreating ’bot. “We can convert one of the others to male if you’d like.”

  “I suspect I’m grossly outnumbered as it is.” The men uncovered their trays, so Bryce followed suit. She didn’t recognize the entrée, but it smelled wonderful. “The terminal in my room asked for an access code.”

  “Standard security protocol,” Slade explained. “Your access code is ‘Bryce’.”

  “I hope I can remember.” She paused for a nibble of the food. The savory taste rolled across her tongue, and she took a bigger bite. “Back to my original question—how many humanoids are employed by the project?”

  “Matthias, Iram and I are the only people you’ll have contact with outside the lab.”

  “I won’t be allowed to interact with the other test subjects?”

  “Not initially.”

  She accepted his statement with a silent nod. Fuck on demand without thought or emotion. Would she ever escape that scenario?