by EM BROWN
Kimani’s jaw tightened.
“So live it up while you can tonight. Tomorrow, we get serious,” Jake finished. He wrapped his arm around Claire, who was wearing a skirt and top borrowed from Ryan. “Right, slut?”
“Yes, Master,” she answered.
Lisa draped an arm over Jason’s shoulder. “Can’t wait for the fun to begin. Master.”
After getting two glasses of water, Ben walked over to Kimani, who stood by the porch railing. Against the backdrop of the sun setting behind the lake, with the sky colored by vibrant orange and pink hues, she looked like something out of a romance flick.
Accepting the water, she seemed a little surprised. “Thank you. You’re not going to try to get me drunk?”
“The way I play, it’s best the sub retain all her faculties,” he said.
Her lashes gave a quick flutter, and she drank the water as if it were alcohol she needed to fortify her nerves.
“Are you suggesting you play...hard?” she asked.
“I’ve never read that Fifty Shades book, but my sister told me all about it. Let’s just say that Christian Grey sounds like a tame little puppy.”
“You get off on inflicting pain on women?”
He returned a cool stare. There was heat in her tone. If she was open to BDSM, why did she ask such a question?
“If she does, then yes,” he replied.
“If she doesn’t, then you wouldn’t?”
“That would be logical.”
“So, if a woman didn’t want to do a particular thing, you wouldn’t make her?”
“Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that your buddy Jake said we’re supposed to do whatever the fuck you tell us.”
“He’s not my buddy. But I thought that’s what you signed up for?”
“What if I changed my mind?”
Shit. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “Changed your mind about what?”
She took a deeper breath. “About sex with a stranger.”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Not exactly.”
“Sex with a stranger isn’t something new, is it?”
She narrowed her eyes. “I take it it’s not new for you?”
He held her judgmental stare. “I asked you first.”
“I may have had a one-night stand or two—back in college. When I was a horny eighteen-year-old.”
“Are you saying you’re not horny anymore?”
She bristled. “Sex just isn’t as big a deal anymore.”
“That’s too bad.”
She bristled even more. “I’m busy now. I’ve got a career and rent and student loans to pay.”
“Luckily, you’ve got this week to make up for your abstinence.”
“I didn’t say I was a monk and haven’t had any sex since college.”
“Good to know.”
She shook her curls in indignation. It was almost too cute.
“Your turn,” she snapped. “You’ve had a lot of one-night stands with strangers?”
“That wasn’t the original question, but yes, I’ve had one-night stands with strangers. I don’t know if your definition of ‘a lot’ is the same as mine. But, like you, I’m busy. One-night stands are easier. I’m not looking for a relationship right now. I take it you aren’t either.”
“Of course not! Especially...”
“Especially what?”
“Especially with guys who pay for sex. I mean, it’s obvious men who pay for sex aren’t looking for a relationship—not the healthy, loving sort, anyway. This is just a business transaction, right?”
“You sound like you have a problem with that.”
“I do—I mean, I don’t.”
“You said that if a guy has a right to buy sex, a woman should have the right to sell it.”
“Sure, but that’s just to be fair. Something about it doesn’t feel quite right.”
“That’s because, throughout history, men have defined morality. And it suited our purpose to have women value chastity.”
She stared at him with her mouth agape. She had such lush lips, lips that he wanted to crush beneath his.
“Did you grow up in California?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I take it you’re pro-choice.”
“Damn right.”
“Your body, your choice.”
“Right, you’ve said that before.”
“Shouldn’t you get to do with your body whatever you want?” he pressed.
“Yes, but...sex has been used for so long as a weapon to keep women down, to cheapen and objectify us. You’re suggesting prostitution is somehow empowering?”
He took a step closer to her. “Shed the expectations of a patriarchal society for a minute and think about what you want, what you like. Do you like sex?”
Damn it. Her lips were still parted. And he was close enough to pull her to his body.
“S-Sure,” she said. “When I choose to have it. And if he’s—if the guy is attentive and knows what he’s doing.”
He lowered his voice. “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
She seemed to swallow with difficulty. “How can I trust you? I barely know you.”
“You have your safety word.”
“And you’ll honor it?”
He was being drawn into her vortex, eager to be close enough to feel her breath, but her doubt pulled him out. “Of course.”
“So what if I said I wasn’t up to doing anything at all?”
“At all? Like you want to leave and go home?”
“Yeah.”
He rubbed his chin, where his five o’clock shadow was coming in. He felt like she was testing him. “Then you should leave and go home.”
“And you’d let me go?”
He gave a wry look. “You think I’d force you to stay? That would be kidnapping.”
Was she into kidnapping fantasies? Is that why she was asking? Or was she really having second thoughts?
“I feel like I’ve been kidnapped. I wasn’t told I was coming here, and I don’t know how to get back home. I kind of doubt I can get Uber out here. I don’t even know where ‘here’ is.”
He let out a long breath. “If you need a ride back, my jet is at the Weaverville Airport. It can fly you to SFO.”
Her eyes lit up. “You’re serious? You’d let me go? What about the money you paid to Jake? I’m not sure he’d want to refund any of it.”
“That’s my problem. I’ll figure it out.”
She was silent in thought. When she met his gaze, she seemed less guarded. “You weren’t at the Scarlet Auction. Why?”
“You asked me that already.”
“You didn’t supply an answer.”
He went through his memory and realized she was right. “I had better things to do with my time.”
“Like what?”
“That’s a nosy question.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“About what?”
“About bidding...on me.”
He finished off his water. “Isn’t it obvious?”
She shook her head. He tucked a curl that the breeze had blown into her face back behind her ear. The whites of her eyes were so bright, and despite the fact that the sun had set, her eyes glimmered. He cupped her jaw and drew her to him till his mouth was near her ear. His tone was low and hushed.
“I want to fuck you. I want to do you till you can’t walk for weeks, torment you with rapture that will have you sobbing. In short, I’m going to devastate you.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Holy sweet Jesus.
Her jaw hit the floor. The guy didn’t mince words, and they kept ringing in Kimani’s head as her heartbeat jumped madly around at his touch.
I want to fuck you...do you...torment you...devastate you.
Of course, she knew he wanted sex. Why else would he have laid down two hundred thousand for her? In fact, it had been stupid of her to ask, like she was fishing for
compliments. She had wanted to find out how different he was from Jake, but what had she expected he would actually say?
She shouldn’t have asked because now her whole body had liquefied. If a saber tooth tiger were to jump out at her, she’d probably still be rooted to the spot, reduced to a gelatinous mess because of a few little sentences. It wasn’t just the words, however. It was the way he had said them. And the fact that he was so close to her, making her pulse skittish. He smelled good. Not from a heavy cologne. Just a hint of his aftershave, the soap he used, and something that was him. Pheromones, maybe.
“Pizza’s here,” someone announced.
Pulling back, Ben let his hand drop from her jaw. It was then that she realized she had been holding her breath.
“Thank God,” Ryan said. “Weed makes me famished.”
“Sluts get to eat over there.” Jake pointed to the coffee table before the fireplace.
Jason gave Lisa a slap on the rear as she stumbled with Ryan and Claire back inside the house.
Kimani didn’t want to leave Ben. He was different from Jake. She had already seen evidence of that, and she believed him when he said he wouldn’t hold her hostage. She hadn’t expected to dip into a discussion of feminist political theory. When they were conversing, it had seemed like the others had faded away. There was so much more to Ben that she wanted to learn. And the way he stared at her, with such penetration, she felt naked in body and soul.
Kimani bet a lot of other women melted instantly under his gaze, but she shouldn’t give in so easily. Men with his kind of wealth probably thought everything was theirs for the plucking, that they could buy anything they wanted, and women were ready to give it to them because society equated wealth with power. How different could he be?
She wanted to find out...but sensed herself at the edge of a cliff. It was dangerous, not because she might get pushed or slip and fall over the precipice. But because she might decide to leap.
Pulling herself away from the edge, she told herself that she needed to talk more with the other women, especially Claire. Doing her best to contain her wobbly legs, she went inside the house. Before joining the other women around the coffee table, she took a large breath and shook Ben’s words out of her head.
“I get the feeling Jake’s going to make us eat out of dog bowls next,” Kimani remarked as she knelt down at the table.
Ryan chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind. He’s so cute, I’d do anything he wanted.”
“OMG, Montana, your guy is so hot, too,” Lisa said as she helped herself to the cheese pizza.
Kimani glanced at Ben, admiring how his shirt fit over broad shoulders and revealed his muscled arms. He was chiseled but not beefy. She wondered briefly if she would get to see him without a shirt.
Girl, what is wrong with you? She snapped her attention back to the women.
“So you aren’t nervous at all about this week?” she asked.
“Why should we be? Jason’s a cute guy, and he’s got a sense of humor. Honestly, your guy looks kind of serious, but I’d jump his bones in a second anyway.”
“I’m just glad we weren’t won by one of those old guys,” said Claire. “I mean, most of the guys in the audience were so old.”
“Most wealthy men in the world are on the older side,” Kimani said. “They’re only younger in fiction.”
“Older men don’t bother me. I mean, I’d rather marry an older rich guy than a younger poor guy,” said Ryan. “I wasn’t meant to live a poor lifestyle. Who wouldn’t want to shop at Neiman Marcus and drive a Porsche if they had the chance?”
“But you don’t necessarily need a man to do that.”
“Who you kidding, honey? I’m not rich, and I don’t know if I’ll ever strike it a rich. It’s much easier to marry or date rich.”
“I don’t care so much if a guy is rich,” said Lisa, “as long as he’s good-looking and good in bed.”
“But fairy tales can come true where you have it all: a guy who’s good-looking and rich,” Claire interjected.
“What about a guy who’s smart and caring?” Kimani asked.
“Of course he’s got to be caring and totally in love with me,” Lisa said.
“Smart as in book smart?” Ryan asked. “I don’t date nerds.”
“And nice,” Kimani added, glancing at Claire. “Not a jerk.”
“Depends how you define jerk,” Ryan replied. “If he’s arrogant and a little pushy, I can put up with that. But a cheating jerk, that’s harder...well, men are wired differently. I mean, if some skank goes all out to seduce your man, he can’t help his biology.”
“What about a jerk who hits you when you don’t do what he says?”
“Hits you how?”
Deciding it was best that the others knew more rather than less about Jake, Kimani lowered her voice. “Jake hit me on the cheek when I wouldn’t go down on him.”
“Jake? But I thought Claire was his?”
“He bid on me and Claire at first. Then, when Ben arrive, Jake sold me to Ben.”
“How romantic,” Lisa sighed.
“I don’t think romance is the intent of the week. They’re just after sex.”
Ben’s words echoed again through her head, making her shiver.
“Doesn’t mean they can’t fall in love,” said Claire.
“Really? Jake assaulted me.” Kimani stopped short of saying that she could press charges against him.
“I think he was just playing the dominant. You know, being super alpha.”
“He called me a nigger.”
“Maybe he thought he was being hip, like a rapper.”
“Stop worrying so much,” Ryan told Kimani. “You’re being kind of a drag. Relax and have fun.”
At that, Kimani decided to focus on her slice of pizza. Maybe Derek and Jason were decent guys, and that’s why Lisa and Ryan weren’t worried. But Kimani didn’t think Jake was acting one bit. Was Claire that smitten with her fantasy that she couldn’t see it?
Jason came over then and pulled Lisa onto the sofa with him. He had a glass of champagne for her. Taking the glass, she snuggled up to him. Seconds later, they were lip-locked.
“Hey, Slut #3!” Derek called from outside. “Get your ass over here.”
Ryan got up and walked out to the patio. Jake came over next. He shot Kimani a smug look.
“You missed out,” he said as he unzipped his pants.
Kimani felt her stomach plummet. He pulled out his cock and waved it in front of her. If she could be assured of not getting hurt, she’d bite his fucking dick off.
“Tell her how good this tastes,” he commanded Claire.
“It tastes good, Master,” Claire said.
“I bet you want to suck it bad.”
“I do, Master.”
Jake smirked at Kimani. “What do you say? Wanna taste?”
She stared at him, fighting the urge to show her disdain, but her mother didn’t bring her up to back down. Straightening her shoulders, she retorted, “I’d rather puke.”
The vein at his temple throbbed. He grabbed her by the ear, wrenching her to him as he lowered his head to say something.
“Did I say you could touch my sub?”
Jake looked up, and seeing Ben, released her.
“Your slut’s being a bitch,” he spat. “I was just going to teach her some manners.”
“That’s my prerogative.”
Ben jerked his head at Kimani to indicate she should follow him. She scrambled to her feet, eager to get away from Jake, and walked out to the patio with Ben. With night falling, the temperature had cooled. A couple of the heat lamps had been lit. Over at a patio table, Derek and Ryan were making out. Derek had pulled down Ryan’s tank top, exposing her lacy bra.
Ben took a seat on a lounge chair. “Sit down.”
She looked around for the nearest chair.
He indicated his lap. “Here.”
She sucked in her breath. It was time. The edge of the cliff loomed. He hadn’t aske
d for sex so far, but everyone else was going at it. Glancing inside, she saw that Lisa had rolled on top of Jason, and Claire was giving Jake another blow job.
Could she do it? Should she do it?
Torment you with rapture...devastate you...
She didn’t want to get sent home. Not when her story was incomplete. Gingerly, she sat down on his legs, but closer to his knees than his pelvis. Her body was turned perpendicular to his, so she could easily hop off if he tried anything. She hoped he wouldn’t. Right?
“Are you trying to piss Jake off?” he asked.
She thought for a minute. “Maybe.”
A grin tugged at one corner of his mouth.
“He was being an asshole,” she explained.
“He’s a Dom, you’re a sub. I thought you knew how things worked?”
“He’s not my Dom.”
“Then let me handle Jake.”
He ran a thumb beneath the bruise on her cheek. Did he know that Jake had hit her?
“Do you hit your subs if they don’t snap to?” she asked, hoping her voice didn’t quiver because of his touch.
“Some women like to be slapped around—”
“In play. No one wants to be beat up in real life.”
“Of course in play. There’s nothing nonconsensual here. In fact, you’re going to be begging for it all, even the punishments.”
Her mouth went dry, but she managed a doubtful laugh, though it sounded more insecure than confident.
His fingers curled around her neck. His hand felt warm and strong. Suddenly every inch of her skin had come to life.
“Do you like to be slapped around?” he asked, his thumb now tracing below her bottom lip.
Her words came out breathier than she intended. “I don’t think so.”
Don’t think so? The answer should be n-o!
His fingers massaged the back of her neck, and when she met his gaze, molten with desire, she tried to pull herself from the whirlpools of his eyes. She should stop this, explain she was still nervous, suggest he see how she felt tomorrow. But, Jesus, his hand felt so good.
It dropped lower, to the muscles that ran below her shoulders. She nearly purred as he worked the tension away.