The Mount Series Boxset

by K D Grace

‘But what about my punishment? What about Edward?’

  Rita barely got the words out before the door swung open and the bigger of the two bouncers took her firmly by the arm. She was able only to catch a glimpse of Edward before the door slammed between them and the bouncers escorted her away from the main restaurant and out a side exit into an alley. There, the smaller one opened the door to a waiting limo and shoved her inside.

  In all the insanity and the incredible confusion of feelings racing through her, Rita barely noticed the tears until she tried to tell the limo driver where to take her. He simply raised a hand. ‘I know where you need to go, luv.’ Just then his mobile rang. He listened briefly, then hung up, and pulled out of the alley.

  Rita was too miserable to enjoy the plush interior of a limo that was clearly designed for decadence. Any other time it would have been a wonderful story with which to tantalise Kate. Instead, she sat in silence, staring out into the darkened streets wondering why any of this mattered. It had been good sex, fabulous sex, and nasty, yummy experiences she’d only ever fantasised about, and who cared if she got humiliated in front of a lot of rich people, who cared if they sniggered about her in the morning over coffee. She’d never see any of them again, nor they her. And yet she hadn’t been with Edward. Why did she care? She’d never even seen his face. She knew nothing about him, and what little she did know made her angry, made her wonder if perhaps she was better off not knowing him.

  Try though she might, she didn’t understand why she had not been considered worthy to play the game. The worst part was that Monday morning she would wake up, go about her job, go about her ordinary boring routine, and all this would be nothing more than a memory.

  Rita’s brooding was interrupted when the limo pulled to a stop, a man jumped in and slammed the door behind him. With a flip of some hidden switch, shades descended and the privacy window snapped shut. ‘You’re not leaving before I make love to you.’

  Her heart leaped to her throat. There was no denying Edward’s voice, nor his touch as he undid the belt of the leather coat and covered her breasts and belly in kisses. The driver pulled away from the curve, and Rita found herself cocooned in soft velvety darkness. What had once been her enemy was now her friend as Edward kissed the inside of her thighs. One hand stroked and caressed her heavy pout while the other fumbled to free his cock. ‘I have no more patience,’ he grunted as he shoved into her. ‘I’ve waited all night; I’ve waited all week, to be inside you.’

  There was a groan of pleasure, then he pulled her close, engulfing her in his strong arms, flooding her senses with the scent of rampant maleness. With each thrust the base of his penis rubbed maddeningly against her clit. Her breasts bounced each time they pushed and shoved and humped. It didn’t take long. His balls were full and heavy as they slapped against her bottom, and his whole body was tense with the need he had been containing for hours. He was hard all over, brittle, barely able to keep from shattering as he growled and grunted. She clawed and dug her heels in, riding him until there was no breath left in either of them, until there was nothing but gnawing, clambering need, which ignited like a spark and exploded through both of them as they came together, and the limo was filled with the humid scent of sex.

  For a long moment they lay, arms and legs entwined, catching their breath. Then the limo stopped in front of her flat, and Edward pulled away. ‘I can’t stay,’ he said, buttoning the coat around her. ‘If they find out I was with you before the initiation it’ll go hard for both of us,’ he cupped her cheek in the darkness, ‘but I couldn’t wait. I just couldn’t.’

  ‘I thought they kicked me out. I thought the game was over.’

  ‘The game’s just beginning. That is if you still want to play.’ He opened the door and helped her out with a long lingering kiss. ‘Oh, and if you do still want to play, it would make things easier for both of us if you’d keep what happened tonight a secret.’

  ‘Yeah, of course. Who would believe me anyway?’

  He chuckled softly. ‘Who indeed? I’ll text you.’ He gave her one last kiss then got into the limo and was gone again just as she realised she still hadn’t properly seen his face.

  Chapter Four

  Sending limo. Can’t w8 2 C U. E.

  That was all the text said. She received it only seconds before the door bell rang, and a man in a black suit stood in front of her. ‘I’m ordered to bring you to The Mount, Ms Holly.’

  Rita’s heart was still somersaulting from the text. She still held the mobile in her hand. ‘I can’t go like this.’ Her hair was caught up in a careless pony tail. She wore a faded blue sweat-suit with pink flip-flops accessorizing her can’t-be-arsed fashion statement. ‘Just let me change and get my bag.’

  ‘You’re to come immediately and as you are,’ came the curt reply. ‘You won’t need your bag, or that.’ He nodded to her mobile.

  ‘But I –’

  The man offered a seen-everything sigh. ‘Ms Holly, I promise you, there’s nothing in your possession that you’ll need tonight. Now if you please. It’s not wise to keep the Mistress waiting.’

  ‘The Mistress?’ She locked the door behind her, feeling naked without her usual accoutrements, and followed. ‘I thought I was going to see Edward.’

  ‘I’m not at liberty to answer any questions.’

  Inside the limo, she tried to avoid her reflection in the tinted glass. She wore no make-up and no bra, neither of which she considered helpful in her efforts to put together the story proposal she would present to her boss tomorrow, efforts which hadn’t been going well.

  It had been nearly a fortnight since Edward had made love to her in the limo and promised he would text. She moped about for over a week, jumping to attention every time she got a text, hoping against hope that every knock on the door might be him. Not that she would have known if it had been. Just when she had surrounded the soft spot at her centre with a hard shell of indignant anger at the way Edward had used her, here was the long-awaited text. The shell had cracked like an egg exposing tender, squishy feelings she was pretty sure it was a mistake to allow herself.

  She made excuses whenever Kate questioned her about her evening at The Mount, excuses that had caused friction between the two friends. But, in all honesty, she hardly knew where to begin, even if Edward hadn’t asked her to keep it secret.

  They were at The Mount almost before she knew it, and, for a horrifying moment, she thought the limo driver would drop her right at the front door. Instead, he pulled discreetly around behind the building, helped her out of the car, then led her inside and left her in the room where Aurora had punished her.

  Now the space looked like nothing but the expensive office of someone with good taste. She stared for a long time at the chair where Aurora had spanked her bare bottom and Edward had fondled her. Then she turned to pace. Why was she putting herself through this? Yes, the sex had been amazing, but so had the humiliation and the abuse.

  It was damn cheeky of Edward to assume he could summon her at his will to play more games with her. She should leave. She should just get a cab and leave. But she had no money. She had no phone. She had nothing. Nothing! These people could do whatever they wanted with her and just drop her body in the Thames. Or worse, sell her off to the highest bidder, and she could end up in Bumfuck Who-knows-where-istan doing who knows what with who knows whom!

  The door burst open and she let out a yelp of surprise as Aurora walked in, this time wearing no waitress costume to cover the PVC and metal that she wore so well. She gave Rita the once-over, but made no comment on her appearance. ‘Come with me.’ She turned on her heels as if it never entered her mind that Rita might not follow.

  Rita followed.

  At the end of the long hall, Aurora stopped in front of the linen closet where Rita had been with Alex and opened the door. ‘You have five minutes.’ At first Rita thought the waitress was talking to her. ‘Don’t use your cock. If you do, you know she’ll find out. My arse is already on the line. I
’m warning you, if I have to I’ll pry you off her with a crow bar.’ Then she shoved Rita inside and shut the door.

  In total darkness, Rita stumbled backward, then strong arms embraced her, and warm breath bathed her neck. ‘I couldn’t let you go before the High Council without seeing you first.’ Edward pulled her into a hungry kiss, even in the thick darkness finding her mouth effortlessly, deeply. At the same time his hands cupped and fondled their way over more of her body than she would have thought possible in such a short few seconds. He didn’t bother coming up for air, but spoke between gulps of her mouth. ‘It’s been ten long days. I didn’t think I’d survive.’

  ‘You could have at least texted, and –’

  He stopped her words with a deep probe of his tongue. ‘She took my mobile, and I couldn’t come to you without nullifying your right to initiation.’

  She reached for his fly, but he pushed her away. ‘You heard what Aurora said. Trust me, she’s right. You don’t want to go before the High Council smelling of my semen.’ He took her face in her hands and kissed her hard. ‘I just had to reassure you that you can do this. Don’t let the council intimidate you. Remember, that’s what they’re supposed to do. It’s an initiation.’ He pulled her into a bone-crunching embrace then released her. ‘It would be bad for both of us if anyone knew I’d seen you.’

  ‘What difference does it make if we see each other? Why do we have to do this?’ She grabbed his hand as he turned to go. ‘And who took your mobile? What right do they have? I don’t understand.’

  He gave her another toe-curling kiss, then pulled free. ‘I know you don’t, Rita, but you will in time. You have to trust me that all this, the punishment, the separation, the waiting, all of it is so we can be together. I’ll understand, darling, if you don’t go through with this. Believe me, no one will understand better than I, but I’m hoping with all my heart that you’ll see it through, that you’ll give me the chance to prove to you that it’s worth it.’ He shoved open the door and left her standing alone in the dark, wet, trembling and frustrated.

  Before she could decide if she was touched that he’d made such an effort, or furious that he offered only excuses, Aurora jerked the door open.

  ‘Come on. It’s time.’

  The waitress led her through what looked like another linen closet at the end of the hall then down a winding staircase that felt like it descended for ever. The air around them no longer smelled of leather and silk and wealth, but more like she remembered her grandmother’s garden smelling when she had dug among the rows of herbs.

  When they finally reached the bottom, Aurora took a deep breath and squared her shoulders before she flung open the double doors.

  At first the bright light was dazzling, then Rita realised it wasn’t bright at all, just much brighter than the darkness she had grown accustomed to in the closet and on the barely lit stairs. If she’d had to describe it, she would have said it was bedroom light.

  Aurora took her by the arm and led her into the middle of a large stone chamber – not exactly a dungeon, though Rita had no trouble imagining it might be used as such. On a raised dais complete with velvet curtains, sat seven elaborate chairs, almost like thrones. Five of them were occupied.

  Rita could hardly believe her eyes, but, sure enough, there at the centre on the most elaborate chair, dressed in a red gown that was only slightly less than transparent, was the elusive Vivienne Arlington Page. In the overwhelming presence of a legend, Rita could have stared at her for hours, but she forced her gaze to the other members of the High Council.

  To either side of Vivienne was an empty chair. To the left sat a tall man with a neatly trimmed beard. He was dressed in khakis and held a pith helmet in his lap, as though he were about to go on safari. Next to him, Rita recognised Alex, who was dressed as though he had just come from a tango competition, black spandex trousers hugging his package suggestively.

  Beyond the empty chair on the other side of Vivienne sat the woman who had led Rita to wait for Edward when she first came to The Mount. This time she wore plain black silk dressed up with emeralds. Lots of emeralds. Next to her sat a caramel-skinned man of mixed race, and it was a lovely mix. His blue-black hair was pulled back in a pony tail, revealing the sculpture-perfect lines of his face. He wore three silver hoops of graduating size in his left ear. His left arm and the left side of his exquisite bare chest and torso were tattooed like leopard skin, a tattoo that disappeared into the front of low-slung black jeans, which were tucked into leather boots. Something about his demeanour made Rita think he’d gladly let her follow the trail of leopard spots into his tight-fitting jeans.

  When she was sure she had everyone’s attention, Aurora addressed Vivienne. ‘I’ve brought the candidate for initiation, as you’ve commanded.’ Surely Rita was just imagining the slight tremor in Aurora’s voice.

  Vivienne paid no attention to Rita. Instead, she patted the chair next to her. Two muscle men dressed in the Armani uniform of The Mount’s bouncers came to stand on either side of Rita, then Aurora joined the council, taking the seat at Vivienne’s left.

  For a long moment everyone simply stared at Rita, who tried to act as though she wasn’t staring back. At last Vivienne spoke. ‘Where’s Edward? He knows we can’t begin without him since it’s upon his petition we meet.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ a voice Rita recognised as Edward’s spoke from behind the curtain, then the man in the golden mask, dressed in black tie and jacket, stepped forward and took his place in the chair to the right of Vivienne. ‘I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to present Rita to you for the world.’

  For the first time Vivienne’s amber gaze came to rest fully on Rita, who suddenly had that bug-under-glass feeling. She did her best not to squirm. At last, Vivienne offered a light chuckle and took Edward’s hand from where it rested on the arm of the chair. ‘Really, darling, couldn’t you at least clean her up before you brought her before us?’

  Rita felt as though she had been slapped, but the indignant temptation to turn and walk out was thwarted by the bouncer-blokes who flanked her.

  ‘Why should I?’ Edward responded. ‘She needs no tarting up.’ He paused before the last statement, his eyes coming to rest on Vivienne, and even Rita could see the prickle run up the woman’s spine.

  But the prickle ended in a deep-throated kiss that nearly unseated Edward and had the rest of the council gasping. ‘We all need a little tarting up, Edward dear.’ Vivienne said when she came up for air. She ran a slender hand over the edge of the golden mask. ‘Look at you, trying so to hide the monster beneath from Cinderella or Red Riding Hood or whoever you’ve imagined this chick to be in your deluded fantasies.’

  Vivienne turned her attention back to Rita, who was struggling now to keep from making a break for the door. ‘Girl, do you want initiation into The Mount?’ She threw back her lovely head and laughed. ‘Of course you do. Everyone does. Our job is to judge your worthiness. I already know my opinion on that, but the High Council has the final say and I shall defer to their wisdom.’

  ‘I’m not sure that I do, actually.’ Rita knew immediately that she had said the wrong thing.

  ‘Oh?’ Vivienne rose from her throne and came to stand in front of her, so close Rita could smell the rich, musky perfume she didn’t recognise. ‘That’s strange, since my enforcer tells me you took your punishment, shall we say, more than willingly, in order to continue your little game with Edward.’

  ‘Yeah, well I get enough abuse at work. I really don’t need more.’

  Vivienne took a step closer until Rita could feel her warm breath. ‘Ah, but I’ll wager you don’t get rewarded for that abuse at work like you do here.’ Without warning, she grabbed Rita by the dishevelled pony tail and pulled her close. Somehow in one petty, insulting kiss, the bitch managed to make every part of Rita’s body ache with the want of her.

  As she pulled away, Vivienne didn’t release the pony tail, but wound it around her fingers until there was barely lip distance
between her and Rita, and, even this close, the woman was flawless. ‘I think you like abuse just fine, girl. In fact, I think it makes you wet. I think if I pinch your tits and slap your bottom and pull your hair until it hurts, you just might come right here in front of the whole council.’ She reached to unzip the front of Rita’s hoodie.

  ‘Vivienne, stop it,’ came Edward’s voice from behind the mask.

  The silky chuckle was so close that Rita could almost taste it. ‘You’re right, of course, Edward. As head of the High Council, it’s hardly my place to pleasure chavs.’ While everyone watched, she returned to her seat on the dais, taking her time, smoothing her dress as it swirled around her, shaking her hair back over her shoulders. Then she spoke. ‘Bruce.’

  ‘Yes, Mistress Vivienne.’ The body guard to Rita’s right snapped to attention.

  ‘Make her come.’

  Both the guard and Rita, along with the rest of the council, gasped their surprise simultaneously.

  ‘Pardon?’ Bruce said.

  ‘You heard me. Make her come. I know you’ve had fantasies about participating in what goes on in here. Now’s your chance. I don’t care how you do it. Just make her come.’

  ‘Vivienne, this is insane. Stop it,’ Edward growled.

  Vivienne ran a hand up the inside of his thigh in a sinuous caress. ‘OK, let’s make it more interesting. Bruce, put your hand in her panties and feel her pussy. If she’s not wet, then I’ll write it off to opening night nerves, but if she is wet, then I’ll assume she’s in need of a good orgasm. An initiate must be able to focus, and we all know how hard it is to focus when one needs to come. That will be your job, Bruce, to make our little initiate come.’

  Her face suddenly became sympathetic, and her gaze came to rest on Rita. ‘Of course if you consider my methods too abusive, Rita dear, you can leave without Bruce ever touching you. I’ll even send you home in a nice limo, would you like that?’

  The woman’s condescension felt like ground glass in Rita’s stomach, but in spite of her best efforts to be indignant, she suspected the bitch might be right. The thought of the big bouncer checking out her state of arousal with those large, beefy fingers didn’t exactly turn her off. And better yet, she was pretty sure seeing her so played with would make Edward very hard.