“Take him to the production office.” Macabre looked at Slinky. “You can press charges if you would like.”
“Charges for a finger?” Fear shook his head.
“It’s sexual assault,” Macabre said.
Slinky shook her head. “No. I don’t want to press charges.” She cocked her head as she glared at Ball. “I’m assuming he got caught up in all the fanfare and forgot where he was.” She ran her hands up and down her arms. “I don’t think this venue is for me, though. Even if Sire Ball didn’t get eliminated tonight, I would have requested to go.”
“Understood. Sire Ball is leaving here now.” Macabre looked at Taren. “Congratulations. Your elimination has been done for you.”
Before they hauled Ball away, Slinky grabbed her necklace. “Take this piece of shit.” She pulled it, making the pearls fly all over the room. Whatever pearls remained in her hand, she threw at the man.
Taren didn’t know what to say about not having to get rid of someone. Great? Thank you? Everything happened so fast.
Macabre held Slinky’s shoulders as she looked into her eyes. “Please go to your room to take a bath and get dressed. We’ll get you to the hotel as soon as possible.” Macabre nodded toward the bedrooms.
“Go with her.” Jace nudged Sweetheart off the couch to assist Slinky.
Macabre held Taren’s hand. “Sire Ball is not the representation of all Dom and Dommes in the lifestyle. What he did was wrong. Despite this being a sensual relationship, certain things have to be agreed upon. If you don’t specifically say that it’s okay to insert something in you, then it can’t be done. Understood?”
Taren nodded.
“Good.” She turned Taren around to face the rest of the group. “I know this has been a trying day. However, I do need you to pick a winner.”
Although Taren liked everyone’s styles, she had been impressed with Jace’s style the most. It had nothing to do with him. He liked his compassionate side along with his sadistic one.
“Master. I choose Master.” When Taren made the proclamation, she noticed Lord No bowing his head and shaking it.
“Good choice.” Macabre nodded. “Of course, that means Master will not be eliminated for the next show.”
Sweetheart beamed about that.
“And as a reward, you and Master will have an intimate dinner tonight by the pool.”
“Great.” Taren plastered a smile on her face.
“Cut.” Kitty stormed into the room. “What the fuck was up with that douche bag? Hell, I’ll call the cops even if she doesn’t.” She started to leave the room with Macabre grabbed her arm.
“And what are you going to say? You going to tell officers of the law that you’re filming a show about people beating each other for fun? You know this is still illegal in the state of Virginia.” Macabre let Kitty go. “Go talk to Slinky. Make sure she’s really okay.”
Kitty shook her head. “I hate fucked-up dudes like that piece of shit. Vern is going to get an earful from me.” On the head of steam that propelled Kitty into the room, she disappeared just as fast.
Macabre continued directing traffic in the room. “With your permission, Dominants, the slaves can get cleaned up and start your dinners.”
All of the contestants nodded.
“Master, as the winner, you can choose what you would like for dinner,” Macabre said.
“Let me know what you would like.” Bubbles bounded up to Jace. “I love cooking.”
“Good. I need something special.” Jace peered at Taren.
Taren tried to contain her excitement. What did Jace have in mind for her? Only time would tell.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Looking good.” Fear remained reclined on his bed, flipping through a magazine, when he made the comment to Jace.
“Thanks.” Jace decided to go with a simple pair of light-colored slacks and a white button-down shirt. Thanks to Sweetheart, his outfit had been pressed to a crisp perfection.
“You look too good for dinner with a submissive.” Fear kept his attention on his magazine. “You may have had her swayed with your Mr. Nice Guy act. We all know once a sadistic bastard will always be a sadistic bastard.”
“Sadistic Bastard has already been eliminated, remember?” Jace headed to the door. He heard Sire Swift laughing at his joke.
“Have a good time.” Swift tossed a football in the air and caught it. “I would wish you luck, but that means that I’ll lose, and I never lose.”
Fear slammed his magazine closed. “I’m surrounded by delusional idiots.” He glared at Lord No. “And a mute.”
“You men have a good time in here. I have a woman waiting for me.” Jace headed out of the room.
“Don’t forget the camera crew,” Swift said behind him.
Jace didn’t worry about the cameras, especially with his new modified mask in place. In order for him to eat gracefully, Kitty asked for him to wear a cowl like some of the other contestants. He would need his mouth exposed in order to eat.
When Jace hit the dungeon on his way to the pool, he saw Sweetheart waiting for him. “What are you doing here?”
“I serve you.” She smiled but it looked forced, not like her normal cheerful self. “I’ll be bringing dinner out for you two, and do whatever you want during your meal.”
Jace put his hand on her shoulder. “Good to know.” He looked over her shoulder. “I do need you to do one thing for me.”
“Anything.” Sweetheart pressed her body against his.
“See that big pillow over there?” He pointed to a large, black-and-white striped pillow on top of one of the aftercare couches. “Bring that outside to the table.”
“Yes, sir.” Sweetheart went to the chair while Jace continued outside.
Taren hadn’t arrived yet, which worked for him. He had to prepare the stage for her arrival.
“Your pillow, sir.” Sweetheart trotted out to the poolside where he stood next to a small, round table with two place settings and two chairs.
“Thank you. Put it right there.” Jace pointed down.
Sweetheart hesitated before complying with his demand.
“Now take away a plate, glass, and utensils. I only want one place set on the table.” Jace had taken the crack about him playing Mr. Nice Guy to heart.
Now that his latent BDSM tendencies had been awakened, he felt like his old self again. If Taren wanted to be a part of this lifestyle, he would show her his true self. After that, he’d see if they’d have any more late-night rendezvous.
Jace sent Sweetheart into the kitchen to retrieve their dinner. Before she returned, Taren arrived. She wore a short, gold dress that showed off her incredibly shapely legs. She styled her hair in big, loose curls that he wanted to run his fingers through and grab. Taren wore a pair of strappy sandals with a modest heel. Her glistening pink lips and her wide, expressive eyes caught his attention more than her garment.
Jace held out his hand for her. “You look wonderful.”
Taren accepted it. “Thank you. You clean up well yourself.” She started to take a seat when Jace stopped her.
“No, no. You won’t be sitting at the table.” He shook his head. Then he pointed down. “Kneel.”
Taren glanced down at the pillow. “You want me kneeling on the pillow?”
At that time, Sweetheart returned with a plate of salad.
“Yes. Get down on your knees and face me.” He let Taren’s hand go.
“Oh, Jesus,” Sweetheart said under her breath but loud enough that Jace heard her.
From the way Taren turned to the slave, she probably caught Sweetheart’s outburst, too.
“Sorry.” Sweetheart returned to the main house.
Jace faced Taren. “I’m waiting.”
Taren took a moment before she threw her shoulders back, took a deep breath, and lowered herself to the pillow. She gazed up at Jace while he sat down at the table.
“Thank you for selecting me as the winner for today’s challenge.” He held up a black c
loth napkin and stared at Taren for a moment.
She dropped her gaze to the napkin. She broke her attention from it to stare at Jace again. “You’re welcome. I was impressed not only by your spanking technique, but I liked how you care for submissives.”
“You mean Sweetheart?”
“And Solo. No one else stepped up to help her but you. That caught my attention.” She swallowed hard. “You are all about the total package. You want to give a person the full experience.”
“Only going partway is not any fun. If you’re going to do something, go all out.” He winked at Taren.
Sweetheart returned to the table, this time with a bottle of wine. “Is this to your liking, sir?”
He never broke his gaze from Taren. “No alcohol tonight. I may want to play later.”
Both Taren and Sweetheart sighed.
Jace continued. “Will you get me some water and iced tea?”
Sweetheart bowed her head. It didn’t take her long to return with a pitcher filled with water and a second one with a darker liquid. She poured them in two different glasses.
“May I ask a question?” Taren placed her hands on her lap.
“Yes.” Jace couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say about this situation.
He had to admit that he figured Taren would have refused to drop to her knees, especially on national TV. She hadn’t. As he observed her, she started to act more and more like a proper submissive.
“Will you tell me about your work? I know you’re a builder. What else?” Taren watched him.
Jace hadn’t expected that she would ask him that question. He figured she would have asked about her treatment. That fact that she treated this new position like it could be a new normal for her gave him hope that she hadn’t gone into this venture with her eyes shut.
“I do own my own company. It took me many, many years and a lot of struggling to get it off the ground.” Jace cut into his salad. He stabbed his fork into some of it. “The struggle reminds me every day to hold tight to what it is I do. If I slack off even one time, I’ll lose. And I don’t like to lose.”
Jace started to bring it up to his lips, then at the last minute, he turned the fork around and put it in front of Taren’s mouth.
She blinked, then stared at the food for a moment before parting her lips and accepting his offering.
“Good?” He retrieved some more food for himself this time.
Taren nodded. “Yes, Master.”
He hesitated when she called him by his scene name. For so many reasons, he wanted this world to be real, her reaction to be authentic, this life to be theirs.
He chewed on the salad, not caring about the taste or texture. “You asked me about my career. It wasn’t easy.” He got another helping for Taren and served it to her. “I struggled early in my life.” He gave her a knowing look, hoping she wouldn’t ask him to delve into his personal history on TV. Jace glanced behind her to glare at the two cameramen catching the action. “When I got through the dark period, I was determined to make something of myself. I don’t think anyone in my family thought I could do anything beyond being a screw-up.”
Taren snickered.
Jace fisted his fork in his hand as he regarded her. “Did I say something amusing?”
She nodded. “Your life sounds so much like mine. No one wants or expects me to do anything. I think if my mother could find a way or figure out a law, she would put me in a pretty outfit and place me on a shelf like a doll for all the world to stare at but never touch. No one expects much from me either.”
He held up another serving of salad to her. “Is that why you’re doing this show?”
Taren looked at the food, then brought her gaze up to Jace. She didn’t verbally respond. She shook her head and dropped her gaze to the ground.
Jace ate the offering. “If it’s any consolation, it really does get better. I started off doing handyman jobs from my old, beat-up pickup truck. I picked up the guy who was looking for work in front of a hardware store. He’s now my foreman. I trust him with my business.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Jace knew that he could also trust Aaron. “I have over a hundred people on my payroll.” He picked up the glass of tea first and held it up to Taren.
“That’s inspiring.” She took a sip of the tea.
Jace pulled the glass from her mouth, then wiped around her lips with his napkin. “You’ll move someone, too, one day.” He held her chin and made her look at him. “Have faith.”
Taren nodded and sniffed like she wanted to hold back some tears. Jace had to shake up the mood. Get her out of her head.
“Sweetheart.” He continued feeding Taren salad while his slave approached him.
“Yes, sir?” Sweetheart stood next to Jace but with her back to Taren.
“It’s a bit warm out here. Remove Taren’s dress for her.”
Taren’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
Jace dropped his fork. “Are you questioning my decision?”
She split her attention between Jace and Sweetheart. “Uh, no, sir.”
He glared at Sweetheart. “I gave you an order.”
“Yes, sir.” Sweetheart unzipped Taren’s dress.
Taren had to raise her knees off the pillow in order for Sweetheart to pull the dress over her head. Taren remained on the pillow wearing a purple lace bra and panty set.
“Good. Much better.” Jace smiled. He turned to Sweetheart. “Remove the salad plate. We’re ready for dinner.”
****
Taren should have expected to be in all states of undress at some time during the show. She didn’t know it would happen at the end of the second episode. While Jace continued feeding her dinner and telling her about his life and career, she sat kneeling on a pillow in her underwear while cameras caught the whole scene.
When she thought she would have been embarrassed by it all, Taren remembered that she couldn’t do this a few years ago. She wouldn’t have been strong enough or brave enough.
She stared at Jace, the man determined to push her boundaries. She had to do the same to him.
“I like your new mask.” She licked her lips.
Being served buttery lobster had its drawbacks. Or maybe she drooled because of Jace and how he looked in his clothes…and out of them. He saw something in her that no one else had, strength.
“The director felt I would be able to eat better if nothing obstructed my mouth.” Jace rubbed his hand over his dimpled chin.
“When asked to pick a type of play to watch, you chose spanking. Why?” Jace summoned Sweetheart over to remove the dinner plate.
She did so while Taren answered his question.
“I had a really good experience with a spanking scene. I mean really good.” The more Taren thought about how Jace had handled her, the more her insides quivered.
She wanted him again. Now. Here.
“That’s nice. But Sire Swift was right. Spanking is a discipline more than it is a play scene. If asked again, what else would you have chosen?” Jace stretched his long legs out in front of her and crossed them at his ankles as he reclined back in his chair.
“I don’t know.” Taren shrugged.
Sweetheart brought a piece of cherry pie with vanilla bean ice cream on the side to Jace for their dessert.
“Think.” Jace picked up a fork and flicked the crust off the pie.
The move looked strange to Taren. Did he not like the dessert? She watched him on his expedition when, like a hunter, he located his catch. He stabbed the tines into a plump, juicy cherry, dripping with thick, gelatinous ooze, and he brought it to her lips.
He dragged the cherry over her lips. Taren smelled the fruit and wanted so much to taste it. She started to dart out her tongue when Jace stopped her.
“No, no. No tasting yet.” He continued painting her lips until he stopped.
He stared at her, admiring his work before he put the fork in his mouth. He groaned as he chewed the dessert. “So sweet.” He nodded. “Now you
can taste it. Put your tongue out.”
She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue while avoiding touching her lips.
“Lick it off.”
Taren dragged her tongue over her lips and tasted the ultra-sweet dessert.
“Good, right?” Jace nodded.
“Yes, sir.” She turned and looked into the dungeon area. “Will you show me a toy in there?”
Jace glanced at the room then back at her. “We were supposed to only eat dinner.”
She smiled. “I was supposed to be sitting at the table, enjoying my own meal and dressed. Plans change on a dime, right?”
Jace wiped his mouth. “Right.” He stood and held out his hand to her.
Taren accepted it and followed him into the dungeon. He continued holding her hand as he led her around the place.
“Is there something here that you’re curious about that you having seen in action?” Jace released her hand. He continued strolling around the space.
“Plenty. Do you really hit people with those?” She pointed to a row of slender sticks that hung from the wall.
“Canes. They’re called canes. Yes, I do.” He removed one from the wall that looked like a pussy willow stem. “Give me your hand.”
Without hesitation, she did so. Jace turned her hand over and smacked the cane over the soft flesh on her arm.
“You like that?” Jace continued drumming over her arm, going up and down to vary the spots.
Taren nodded. “Feels different.” She paced in her spot. Taren peered at the opposite wall. “What about those?”
Jace put the cane back in its spot and moved over to the other wall. “Floggers.” He picked one up that looked like it had strips of purple suede coming out of the handle. “Stand right here.” He put his hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her. “Don’t move.”
She did as requested. She didn’t hear when Jace swung the flogger. She felt it, though, when he landed on her back. Taren gasped at the connection.
“Did it hurt?” Jace’s voice lowered an octave.
Taren shook her head.
“Speak to me.”
“No, it didn’t.”
He touched her shoulder. “So you reacted out of surprise and not pain or fear.”
Slave To Love Page 26