Toymaker's Pet (Dark Star Doms Book 2)

by Ivy Barrett

  * * * * *

  With her hair still damp from the cleansing mist, Bryce slipped into a fresh robe the following morning. Oversight, my ass. Slade had no intention of giving her a uniform. Why bother when she’d be naked once the tests began? Their dinner the night before left her feeling vulnerable. In the harem, she’d known what to expect. She was treated like a sexual object, which allowed her to suppress all but the most elemental emotions.

  For a few short hours, she’d forgotten why she was there. She’d enjoyed their food and participated in their lively conversation. Iram had demonstrated the three-dimensional game he and Slade had been playing when she arrived. Her awkward attempts to control the holographic pieces had had them all laughing within minutes. Slade had escorted her to her room, and she’d slept peacefully for the first time in months.

  Then this morning her terminal had chimed and instructed her to report to the lab in one hour. A stack of identical knee-length robes had been put in her utility room during the night. No underwear and nothing for her feet, just the simple, collarless robes.

  To hell with it. She’d known what she was in for when she interviewed for the position. She’d just be more careful not to let her guard down. After combing out her damp hair and airbrushing her teeth, she went to the lab.

  Slade greeted her with a smile and proffered a steaming cup of coffee. “Let’s take a few minutes and go over the agenda for today.”

  “All right.” She accepted the cup and followed him to the small table in the back corner of the lab.

  “Do you take anything in that?”

  She hesitated. Was there some sexual significance to how she drank her coffee?

  “The tests haven’t started. Iram tends to make the coffee really strong.”

  Smiling at her paranoia, she took a sip. “Oh boy, definitely strong. I think I’ll need cream and sugar.”

  “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.” He exited through a different door than Bryce had used. The office, lounge and lab all had doors leading to the control center. A main corridor divided the larger rooms from the small, private quarters and storage areas. She’d love to see a diagram of the level. It would help her understand the unusual layout.

  He returned a few minutes later with cream and sugar. Fascinated by his unconscious grace, she watched him cross the room. As she made her coffee palatable, his gaze focused on her throat.

  “Has anyone tried to remove that choker?”

  “The release mechanism is fingerprint activated. I’m stuck with it.” She shrugged with feigned indifference. If he tried to remove the collar, the explosive would detonate. It was too soon to confide in him, so she tried to shift his focus. “Are you worried about electronic implants or something?”

  He shook his head. “Your scan was clean.”

  “When did you scan me?”

  “When you walked through the door.” His lips parted in a lazy smile, and her heart constricted, responding to the bittersweet temptation of his charm.

  Ignoring the unfamiliar pang in her chest, she asked, “What’s on the agenda for today?”

  “Today we’ll focus on tactile stimulation.” He took a sip of his coffee, his gaze avoiding her face. He was the clinical scientist again, polite, professional—impersonal. “There will be three subjects attempting to arouse you with nothing but touch. We’ll record your physical responses, but we also need you to compare the three and tell us how each makes you feel emotionally and mentally. Do you associate certain touches with past experiences? That sort of data doesn’t register on our scanners.”

  “Are they going to touch me one after the other or all at once?”

  “One after the other. Each has thirty minutes to bring you to orgasm. They are only allowed to use their hands, and they are not allowed to speak. They’ve been given no further instructions.”

  She stared into her half-finished coffee. While these men attempted to bring her to orgasm, Slade and Matthias would be recording her body’s responses, watching, judging.

  “Do you have any questions?”

  “Am I allowed to speak?”

  “It would be best if you didn’t. They won’t respond in any event.”

  Setting her cup aside, she pushed back her chair. “Where do you want me?”

  He flashed a wicked smile then dropped his professional mask back into place. “For the purpose of this test, it will be best if you stand on the padded platform.” He motioned toward a round platform about two feet high. Wristcuffs hung from the ceiling, along with leather loops. “A scanner beam will surround you, measuring your body temperature, pulse and respiration rate, and certain concentrations of humidity.”

  She laughed. “In other words, it will register when I get wet?”

  “When and how wet.” His throaty tone sent a warm tingle coursing down her spine. “I’ll need to blindfold you, but you’re welcome to use the straps if you’re not comfortable in restraints.”

  “I’m the curious type. If you don’t want me to touch the subjects, you better use the restraints.”

  “Are you ready to begin?”

  She shrugged. “Nothing like three orgasms to start off your day.”

  His warm smile was the last thing she saw as he tied a blindfold around her eyes.

  “Please slip off your robe.” She untied the belt and shrugged out of the garment. His warm hands guided her backward. “Step up.”

  She mounted the platform and found her footing on the padded surface. Without having to be told, she raised her arms above her head. He stepped up onto the platform behind her, his body pressed against hers as he secured the cuffs around her wrists. Was the scanner beam on yet? Her pulse had just shot through the roof.

  “I’ll announce the beginning of each test and the conclusion. Take as long as you need between tests. If you need to be released for any reason, just say the word and I’ll stop the test.”

  Grasping the chains above her cuffs for support, Bryce tried to relax. Darkness had never bothered her until Akim… She wouldn’t think of Akim.

  The soft hiss of the door told her Slade had departed. For the moment she was alone. Well, not really alone. Matthias and now Slade were supervising from the control center.

  “Are you ready for Subject A?” Matthias asked.

  She nodded and licked her lips. A door hissed farther away, the door from the corridor. Please let his hands be warm, let his hands be gentle. She waited, searching the silence for an indrawn breath or an excited sigh. Two hands cupped her breasts. She gasped, her fingers tightening on the chains. Firm, practiced, these hands knew how to touch a woman. They stroked and squeezed, rolling her nipples.

  Her body responded as it was supposed to, but her emotions remained separate, unaffected by his touch. She sensed nothing from him. His hands moved on, skimming along her abdomen to cup her mound and squeeze her ass. Like a programmed routine, the subject massaged her body. Tension gripped her abdomen, the sensation in no way pleasant. This wasn’t a man. It was a pleasure ’bot. She shifted, arching away from the unseen hands. She felt no breath against her skin, heard no sigh or hint of interest. Dead, mechanical, like the ’bots Akim used to torture her. It nudged her legs apart. She gritted her teeth, shaking, helpless.

  “Halt test one. Subject A, disengage.” Slade’s voice came over the comlink, and Bryce released her breath in a long, relieved sigh. “Bryce, your anxiety level shot off the scale. Please explain your reaction.”

  She swallowed and licked her lips before she began. “It’s a pleasure ’bot. I’ve had…unpleasant experiences with pleasure ’bots in the past.”

  “How did you know it was a ’bot?” Matthias asked, a note of disbelief in his weak voice.

  “’Bots don’t breathe, and they have no emotions. I’m empathic, remember?”

  “Subject A, return to your station.” A hint of amusement colored Slade’s tone. “Test one, stage one complete. Let us know when you’re ready for Subject B. I promise this one breathes.”

>   Bryce shifted on the platform, rolling her head as far as her upraised arms would allow. She might as well get this over with. “Send in the next one.”

  “Test one, stage two beginning. Enter, Subject B.” Matthias definitely sounded annoyed. He was the Toymaker. Of course it would insult him that she preferred a human hand to one of his inventions.

  The door swished open again and muted footfalls announced Subject B’s approach. The front edge of the platform shifted. Had he knelt at her feet? His warm breath brushed her thighs and confirmed her suspicion. Tactile stimulation—Slade had said they would only touch her.

  Warm fingers circled her ankle, lifting her foot to a firm thigh. He caressed her foot, her calf, her knee. Heat pooled between her thighs. She wanted his touch there, parting her folds, rubbing her clit. Her breasts quivered with each harsh breath.

  He teased her folds, traced her cleft without entering her core or touching her clit. She pressed her lips together, stemming the pleas welling within her. She wasn’t supposed to speak. He eased her foot to the floor, and she groaned. Not more of Akim’s games! She couldn’t bear it if they left her wanting. Already her body ached. Slade had said the objective was to trigger her orgasm.

  Subject B caressed her breasts, rolled her nipples, gently pulled until she arched toward him. He wrapped his arms around her, cupping her ass in both hands and aligning her mound with his cock. The distinct ridge made her whimper. Oh, to feel him sliding inside her. She’d wrap her legs around his waist and ride him right here while the others watched. It had been too long!

  Scalding desire penetrated her mind, intensifying her arousal. Subject B needed her just as badly as she needed him. He went back down on his knees and lifted her leg to his shoulder. Lick me. Suck on my clit! Oh gods, let him lick me…

  He gently parted her folds, pausing. Was he looking or contemplating the consequences if he did more than touch? Two long fingers pushed into her core. She squeezed him greedily. A low, throaty moan escaped Subject B. Heat infused her face, her breasts, her pussy. She knew exactly what that sound meant.

  Circling her with his thumb, he slid his fingers in and out. She angled her leg, steadying herself against his neck. His breath fanned her cleft as his mouth hovered just out of reach. Tension gathered around his fingers, pulsing out through her abdomen. She arched, crying out sharply as pleasure released within her.

  He rubbed and thrust until the last ripple of sensation receded. Then, to her astonishment, he pressed his lips to her mound and breathed on her clit as he pulled his fingers out. She came again, the pulsations leaving her weak and trembling.

  * * * * *

  “You were only supposed to touch her,” Iram snapped as Slade entered the control center. “We agreed. No tongues until tomorrow.”

  “I didn’t touch her with my tongue. I touched her with my breath.”

  “Right after you promised her the next subject could breathe.” Matthias sounded just as angry as Iram.

  “You’re just pissed off because she sensed the ’bot so quickly.”

  Matthias glared at him. “The PB-8 is my most sophisticated— It doesn’t matter. I need to know what created her aversion to pleasure ’bots. We may have to rethink the rest of the tests.” He turned his chair toward Iram. “Release her from the restraints and conduct your phase of the test with her on the table.”

  “She hasn’t said she’s ready for Subject C.” Concern furrowed Iram’s brow.

  “Just move her to the table and hold her hand,” Matthias instructed. “Don’t touch her intimately until I give you the signal.”

  Iram nodded at Matthias, glared at Slade and walked from the room.

  “This may work to our advantage.” Matthias waited for Iram to appear on the surveillance screen. “If she doesn’t realize what Iram is, we’ll know we’re on the right track.”

  “And if she realizes he’s a biomech, we’ll reset his memory and let her know what we’re trying to accomplish. I intentionally let her sense my desire. She may think Iram is me.” He watched as the biomech released Bryce and lifted her into his arms.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and curled her body against his chest. Jealousy clawed through Slade’s gut. He’d never wanted a woman this badly.

  Iram didn’t just hold her hand. He stroked it, caressed it.

  “Are you ready to begin, Bryce?” Matthias asked.

  “Is this Subject C?” Her voice trembled. Slade activated the sensor beam. Her body temperature was still slightly elevated, but her pulse and respiration had returned to normal.

  “Yes, you’re with Subject C.”

  “Then I’m ready.”

  Iram grinned, obviously pleased by her reply. Slade crossed his arms over his chest, scowling at the vidscreen.

  She raised her arms above her head and grasped the edge of the table. Did she not trust herself to keep her hands off Iram?

  “You’re broadcasting your thoughts as well as your emotions.” Matthias stared at him quizzically. “I can record her responses. It might be better if you didn’t watch this.”

  Slade reined in his emotions and raised his psychic shield. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why she’s affecting me this way.”

  “The closest you’ve come to making love to a real woman in the past two years is spanking the ass of that hateful bitch.”

  “Pleasure Mistress Six and I have…a unique relationship.”

  “There’s nothing unique about it, and it’s hardly a relationship. She’s been inflicting pain so long, it doesn’t excite her anymore, and you’re sexually frustrated. You punish her by fucking her senseless, and none of her customers suspect their dominatrix has gone soft.”

  Slade chuckled. As usual, Matthias’ assessment was accurate.

  “Damn, my boy learns fast.” Matthias chuckled.

  Shifting his gaze back to the vidscreen, Slade curled his hands into fists. Bryce had bent her knees and opened her legs, giving Iram all the room he needed. His long fingers plunged into her core hard and fast while he rubbed her clit with his other hand.

  She cried out, her hips lifting clear off the table. Iram didn’t stop. He inserted a third finger with a slow, steady twist of his wrist. She moaned, her legs shaking. With his fingers stretching her pussy, Iram moved his other hand to one breast, tugging and rolling her nipple. His thumb brushed back and forth across her clit as his fingers flexed and relaxed, flexed and relaxed.

  “Look at these levels. She’s about to—” Her sharp cry interrupted Matthias. “Two orgasms in sixteen minutes. That’s not bad for his first time.”

  “I had her primed and ready.” Slade gritted his teeth as Iram guided her down from the table. He thought the biomech was going to leave the room. Instead Iram bent her over the table and nudged her legs apart. He cupped one of her breasts in his palm and thrust into her with the fingers of his other hand. Fourteen minutes left—was Iram trying to kill her?

  She lifted her ass, obviously loving the way Iram’s fingers slid into her slick cunt. Slade raked his hair with both hands. This was just foreplay. How in the gods’ names was he going to survive once they moved on to oral arousal and actual penetration?

  She cried out a third time, and Iram turned her around. He moved her arms behind her, and she braced herself against the treatment table. With just his fingertip, Iram circled her clit. She trembled. Her head rolled back on her shoulders, breasts thrust forward, nipples tight.

  “Time’s up,” Matthias said in a soft, distracted tone.

  “Don’t you dare leave her like that. Tell him to stop as soon as she comes again.”

  Matthias activated audio. “The test is completed, Subject C. Bring the lady to release and return to your station.”

  To Slade’s horror, Iram sank to his knees, cupped her ass with both hands, and continued the firm circular motion with his tongue. Bryce came hard, shaking visibly as the spasms gripped her. Iram swept her into his arms and laid her on the table. He traced her lush lips with his fingert
ip then left her alone in the lab.

  Slade met him at the door with a punch meant for his jaw. Iram easily caught his flying fist. “I didn’t use my tongue!” Slade sneered.

  “The test was over.” Iram grinned and shoved past Slade.

  Chapter Seven

  Replete and drowsy, Bryce smiled when Slade walked into the lab. He retrieved her robe from the floor and draped it over her naked body. Then he pulled up a stool and sat beside the treatment table.

  “You did extremely well,” he told her. “Would you like to rest for a while, or can we begin the post-test interview?”

  She handed him the blindfold and rolled onto her side, facing him. “If I fall asleep, I might forget something important. Let’s get this recorded accurately.”

  “All right. As you realized, Subject A was a pleasure ’bot. I need to understand your reaction to him, but we’ll come back to that in a minute. Subject B—”

  “Undeniable human.” She sighed, remembering his skillful touch and the tantalizing heat of his breath.

  “The sensors recorded your body’s reaction. I need to know what went through your mind. While Subject B touched you, what were you thinking? Was there anything in particular you found arousing?”

  “I realized he was looking at my naked body while I could see nothing. It was surprisingly erotic. Each time he paused, his desire intensified. It aroused me to know how much he wanted me.”

  “Is there anything else you can tell me about Subject B?”

  “There was an urgency to his emotions that surprised me. I felt as if he had wanted me for days, longed to touch me and more. Was he allowed to watch my initial interview?”

  He smiled. “You’re very perceptive.” His gaze lingered on her face, focused on her mouth. Desire flared for a moment before he reinforced his mental shield. “Tell me about Subject C.”

  She arched her brow and returned his smile. “Do I really need to? What can I tell you that you don’t already know?”

  He averted his gaze. Letting her sense his emotions had indeed led her to the wrong conclusion. “What were you thinking while Subject C touched you?”