by Lily White
The familiar stirrings of an orgasm ignited inside me. My muscles tightened, my breathing speeding up, yet I could only take shallow breaths through my nose. My head rolled back and forth on the pillow, but I couldn’t escape the pleasure he was forcing through me.
He pulled away and my body objected. I was left balancing on a precipice and I jumped when I felt his teeth slide along my inner thigh, nipping at the sensitive skin before he said, “Go ahead and fight it, beautiful. If you do, the release will only be stronger when it finally happens.” His voice was a breathy growl against my skin.
My hips moved every time he nipped or licked along the skin of my thigh. He slid his hands along my calves, pulling my legs apart as far as the shackles on my ankles would allow. I was open and exposed to him. His gaze was palpable on my skin and he moaned in appreciation of the sight.
“Has anybody ever told you how rare it is to find a natural red head?” His mouth was on me again as soon as the last word was spoken and my resolve fractured. A thick blanket of warm breath trailed over the slickened skin and his tongue swirled the opening to my body, teasing me to a point of breathless frenzy.
There was no fighting it when his teeth scraped over my clit, biting down softly, the slight pain was soothed by his tongue.
I’d never before realized my behavior when I had an orgasm. Always lost on a sea of hormones and pleasure, I didn’t realize that my head fell back, that my mouth opened and expelled my breath as if it was making room for the waves of ecstasy that rolled through me. But with the tape over my lips, with my body restricted and with only the ability to breathe through my nose, I was hyperaware of the way my body moved, how it writhed above him. I couldn’t make a sound, not really, and the inability to breathe through my lips jarred me and drew my attention to everything else I was doing.
My eyes opened and I looked down my body at jewel green eyes, glistening with triumph and mirth, watching me as I was finally lost to biology instead of logic. My thoughts swam in my head, muddied by a rush of blood and lack of oxygen. I felt split in two, trembling as he pulled away smiling, then reaching up to wipe away the moisture on his lips and cheeks.
“There.”
Spoken with a voice that hinted at his achievement, he taunted me with a single word before climbing off the bed and standing before me, the epitome of masculine perfection. Everything about him was beautiful. It was as if God himself had hand selected every bone and muscle, the color of his hair and the color of his eyes.
Physically, Holland Strong was built for seduction. Mentally, however, he was without morality or humanity. He was a monster disguised by pretty wrapping. A man who would take what he wanted and cause you to love him while doing so.
I’m not saying I loved him. Not after what he’d done. But I could see where women would fall for him despite the evil that lurked beneath his skin.
Pulling on his pants, he tucked himself, still hard, into his jeans before zipping them up. He didn’t bother with his shirt or shoes. He simply walked through the room to lean back against a wall and stare at me from across the space.
“That was for you.” His voice echoed in the stillness of the room. “You can find pleasure in this. It doesn’t have to be all bad. It’s a mutual benefit to both the men and the courtesans in the society.”
I blinked in his direction, obviously paying attention, but not able to respond.
“I have someone I want you to meet. Aiden will kick my ass for it, but fuck him. I’m as much as a Master in the society as he is. Likewise, I have every right to decide how you’ll be trained.
He rushed the bed. When he dropped to his knees, I noticed the scissors in his hands. Cutting the tape from my mouth, he ripped it from my skin and hair. Ignoring the small scream that escaped my lips, he threw the tape across the room.
He was frantic when he turned back. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Smoothing his hands over his face, he looked at me for a few seconds afterward. Silence fell between us because he was obviously trapped in whatever thoughts that were haunting him. I had nothing to say that would convince him to give me my freedom.
If it wouldn’t free me, then there was no point in speaking to him. I would never tell him that this was okay, not even after he’d spent the past fifteen minutes tending to what he thought was my need.
So I did what I do best. I watched him, mentally recording every movement of his hands or body, processing and categorizing every expression that raced across his face or the words that fell from his lips. Unlike Aiden, there was a crack in Holland’s façade, but it was so faint that an unpracticed mind wouldn’t notice it. I saw it though; a jagged line that had opened up just enough to allow me to glimpse into the pain and heartbreak inside him.
Something happened to him. Of that I was sure. It was just a matter of finding it and exploiting it to gain the advantage.
“You need to eat and drink something. It’s been twenty hours since I took you. Not getting food and water in your system will weaken you. Will you eat this time?”
I nodded ‘yes’, realizing that going along with his attempts at training me would help me gain his trust. Once I had that, the small fissure in his psyche would open wider and expose the secrets inside him that I needed to discover.
“I’m going to remove your shackles. We’ll get something to eat and then I’m going to introduce you to someone who lives in this house. You’ll like her, Claire. She’s smart like you.”
I could barely talk. My throat burned from lack of fluids, but I forced out what I had to say. “I’m not a child. Just tell me what you’re going to do and leave it at that. I accept the fact that I don’t have a choice. You don’t have to tell me lies in order to convince me to do as you say.”
He smiled. “I wasn’t lying. You will like her.” Chuckling, he added, “But I won’t argue with everything else you had to say. I’m glad you’re finally seeing things my way. It will make this easier.”
I didn’t respond. Once I was removed from my shackles, Holland let me sit for a second so that the muscles in my body could come back to life. Hours spent stretched across a bed had caused considerable pain in my arms and legs.
After a small amount of time had passed, he stood up and pulled me to my feet. I was wobbly where I stood and I reached up to grab onto his arm as we moved. I hated making contact with him. I was disgusted by being anywhere near him, but it wouldn’t do me any good to make my thoughts obvious by trying to avoid him.
Naked as the day I was born, I was walked out into the hallway and down the long corridors before being deposited in front of the bathroom. My bladder screamed when I saw the toilet and I had to be thankful for at least the small favor of remembering that I had bodily needs. I’d been so focused on walking that I hadn’t paid attention to the fact that it felt like my bladder would explode.
He wouldn’t allow me to use the bathroom alone and his piercing stare burned my skin from where he stood against the wall. I couldn’t look up at him, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t feel the way he watched me.
After I finished, he led me out of the room and down the remainder of the halls that led into the kitchen. My breath was stolen just as Holland froze in his tracks.
Dressed in an impeccable charcoal grey suit and crisp white shirt, Aiden sat at the table with a plate of food in front of him. In one hand, he held up a newspaper, his eyes surveying the stock reports on the page while his body was slightly turned so that he could cross his legs to his side and not beneath the table. His other hand held a fork full of food. He didn’t bother to look up and the scene would have been normal if not for what I noticed next.
Glancing beneath where he sat, I saw why he was forced to sit in that position.
A beautiful blonde woman was on her hands and knees at the base of his chair. She wore a leather corset that barely covered her breasts and a thin black g-string that did nothing to hide her body. A thick black collar was wrapped around her neck, snapped in place by a delicate looking lock. F
rom the collar, I could see a leash.
“Aiden? Damn man, I thought you were gone again.” Holland stumbled back, pressing his hand against my stomach as if to push me out of the room and out of Aiden’s line of sight.
It didn’t work. Aiden saw me and when he did, his eyes opened slightly wider and a sly smile slithered across his beautiful face.
Chapter Thirteen
Holland
When Claire had started to obey, when she walked the halls without being forced and when she dutifully responded to every command I’d given since leaving the black room, I’d breathed out a sigh of relief. I wanted her: wanted her body, her submission and her servitude. I wanted her on her knees begging to please me and for to me please her.
I wanted to run a flogger up the curves of her naked body and I wanted to use it against her to deliver bits of pain. Not enough to hurt her. Just enough to bring her nerve endings to life, to spark to life the part inside her that was feral and untamed.
I wanted to be the man who eventually tamed her, but most of all; I wanted the feeling of power that came with owning a woman as beautiful, intelligent and strong as her.
She would be the ultimate trophy.
Those were the thoughts that consumed me as I’d walked her to the kitchen, but they were quickly lost when I found Aiden sitting at the table.
There was no time to hide Claire from his view.
His eyes bore into me for a few seconds before flicking up to Claire’s face. He smiled, but it wasn’t the friendly gesture of one friend greeting another. It was cold and menacing, from a man who had couldn’t hide the evil he carried inside him. He didn’t have to.
“I see you removed the tape…again.”
His tone of voice told me that it was best not to respond to his statement. Standing up from his seat, he crossed the room to the stove. He glanced over his shoulder and said, “I brought some food home with me. You and Claire are just in time. Please, take a seat.”
My eyes flicked down to Rebecca, but she kept her face turned down towards the dog bowl that sat on the floor. I shook my head realizing what Aiden was doing.
“Come on, Claire,” Grabbing her by the elbow, I walked her into the room and pulled out a chair from the table with my other hand. She attempted to step around me to sit in the chair, but I pulled her back by her arm, taking the seat myself before letting her go. She glanced between Aiden and me nervously.
“On your knees, Courtesan. It’s about time your Master teaches you how dinner will be received each night.” Aiden turned from the stove, holding a plate of food that he crossed the room to place down on the table in front of me.
At six foot three inches, Aiden towered over her small frame. His blue eyes glinted with something malicious as he stared down at her and waited for her to obey his command. I sat motionless, begging her silently to do as she was told. Whereas I would wait patiently for her submission, Aiden was not the type to play around. It was a simple formula to him. He states a command and the courtesan obeys. Anything else would lead to punishment of the courtesan for her lack of the proper response.
Claire’s head shook ‘no.’ The motion was so slight, that I only noticed it because of the way her hair moved over her shoulders.
Aiden grinned.
“Very well.” Stepping around her, he retrieved a cane that was leaned up against a wall in a corner of the room. When he returned, he said, “I’ll tell you one more time, Courtesan. On. Your Knees.”
I was desperate for her to listen, my heart beating frantically in my chest at what I knew would occur. Once again, I looked to Rebecca and I could tell by the expression on her downturned face that she knew what would happen as well.
The sound of the cane hitting the back of Claire’s knees caused me to jump, but it was her scream when she tumbled to the floor that set every nerve in my body on edge. Steeling the expression on my face, I attempted to hide my reaction as I watched the scene unfold.
Claire was on her hands and knees, tears streaming down her face with a long welt already surfacing on her skin on the back of her knees. Aiden laughed as he looked down at her, a dark chuckle that spoke of his amusement and seemed to echo across the quiet room. Claire sobbed where she landed, obviously confused as to what would come next. Aiden took no time in showing her.
Running the length of the cane across her bare ass, he said, “I’ve told you this before, Claire.” Kneeling down, he positioned himself so that she could see his face from where she was still positioned on her hands and knees. “I give orders, you follow them. There will be no questions, no hesitation, nothing but your immediate submission. I’m not a patient man. That’s unfortunate because it appears that you are a stubborn woman.”
His arm shot out and his hand gripped her cheeks. She cried out in surprise, but didn’t try to pull away from the tight hold he had on her face. Pulling his arm towards his body, he forced her to crawl in his direction.
When their faces were nearly touching, I noticed Rebecca peek over her shoulder, her face reddening to see how close Aiden was to Claire. She looked away again, not daring to object or voice her jealousy.
“Holland. This isn’t my courtesan to train.” He looked up at me while continuing to hold Claire in place. “Would you like to take over? Or shall I finish this?”
“I’ll take her from here.” My voice was weak, so I cleared my throat in order to speak more forcefully. “I can handle this.”
With one curt nod, he released Claire, stood up and returned to his seat in front of Rebecca. I moved to retrieve another dog dish from beneath the sink, placed a small amount of food inside and threw it on the ground in front of Claire. She looked up at me with both betrayal and disgrace written in her expression.
“Eat.”
With a single word, I dismissed the obvious pain she felt. This wasn’t what I’d intended when I brought her here, but now was as good a time as any for her to learn.
I’d barely had the time to return to my seat when she spoke.
“What if I don’t want to eat?”
Her voice was weak and there was no challenge to her words. She was merely asking a question, but it was enough to draw Aiden’s attention from the newspaper he held in his hand. Looking to me, he raised an eyebrow waiting for me to react to Claire’s insubordination.
I stood up to retrieve the cane, but Aiden spoke up before I could wrap my hand around the smooth wood.
“Use the flogger.”
I looked at him and he turned the page of the newspaper as if this was nothing more than a polite conversation held across the breakfast table. “She likes the flogger. Don’t you, Claire?”
The muscles of her body visibly tensed beneath her skin. I breathed out a heavy breath and grabbed the handle of the metal barbed flogger instead.
Stepping behind her, I advised, “Three strikes for your disobedience. When I tell you to eat, you better stick your face in that bowl and do as you were instructed. Don’t ask questions. Don’t complain. And don’t show a lack of gratitude for my kindness. Do you understand?”
She didn’t answer. From the direction she was turned, I couldn’t see her face, but I assumed her expression wasn’t good because Aiden watched and smiled once again.
The barbed tips of the flogger struck her skin and she screamed. I didn’t hit her again because the strike was simply a reminder of what came with her lack of obedience.
“I’ll repeat myself one more time, Claire. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” The word was choked by a sob, but it was there. I didn’t want to hit her again, but there was still the matter of teaching her what occurred when a courtesan asked the wrong question.
“Three strikes.”
One after the other I delivered the blows and on the third strike, she collapsed to the floor. Small wisps of blood leaked from where the barbs had caught her skin, but the cuts were nothing that wouldn’t close within minutes. Red welts sprang up angrily across the white surface of her skin. I stared down
at her, trying desperately to not become hard while looking at her.
However, I couldn’t help myself. She was beautiful as she pushed herself back up onto her knees. Even in pain, she was a woman that I desired above all else.
“Eat.” Placing the flogger down on the surface of the table, I took a seat in my chair and picked up a fork to start eating. I heard the base of her dog bowl scrape against the tile floor as she attempted to follow the curt instruction I’d given her.
Once it was quiet again, Aiden commented, “This is nice.”
I looked up at his smiling face. He motioned between us with his hand when he said, “Us, the peace and quiet in the house, our courtesans behaving as they should. It’s a nice reprieve after the events of last night and this morning.”
From where I sat, I could see Rebecca cringe at his words. I realized quickly that they’d been as much of a stab at her as they were at Claire and myself. Returning my attention to Aiden, I found a friendly expression plastered over his face. I cringed almost as noticeably as Rebecca in response.
If there was anything a person needed to realize about Aiden, it was that he was the farthest thing from friendly a person could get. If the expression graced his face, it was a disguise intended to gain the trust of the person in front of him so that when they dropped their guard, he could strike.
In essence, anything a person believed they knew about Aiden Oliver was always wrong. He was a master of making you believe one thing while reality was far different.
It was a skill I admired about him and one of the reasons my stepfather had been so adamant that I train beneath him. Of all the Masters in the society, he was the only one who could break and eventually rebuild whatever woman was placed before him.
He never failed.
Once I was finished learning the trade from him, neither would I.