Samantha Harding’s training was paying off. I’ll be walking in there with my head held high and a confident air. My other classes were amazing too, and if any of those refined members were interested to learn that a formula was a rock star equation highlighting the relationship between different variables, or that Virginia Woolf was a once beloved secret member of the Bloomsbury Group, I was their resource. Though if I knew one thing about Chrysalis’s members, they’d all be super smart.
Dominic knocked.
He grabbed the doorknob and turned it, gesturing for us to enter.
All but one of the men wore tailored suits. There were ten men, their ages ranging from thirty to sixty, all of them groomed to perfection. These men had money, their fancy watches and polished shoes also gave that away. Their arrogant glances toward Arianna and I proved they were used to getting what they wanted. Cameron sat amongst them, looking equally refined with one leg crossed casually over another. When he caught sight of me, he quickly rose and strolled over towards Dominic.
Cameron whispered to him, “What is she doing here?”
Dominic looked rattled. “You asked for two subs.”
Cameron didn’t acknowledge me. He merely glared at Dominic.
“Gentlemen, cognac?” offered Cameron, facing the others again.
Arianna was directed by Dominic to offer a glass to each man and I followed her around the circle, pausing briefly to pour their cognac. When it came to pouring Cameron’s drink, he didn’t seem to see me. He merely held his glass out for me to fill.
“Where’s Booth?” asked one of the men.
“He’ll be joining us next month,” explained Cameron. “He’s otherwise detained.”
With a gesture of his hand, Cameron directed Arianna and I to stand back a little, poised ready should they require a top up. Knowing Cameron’s decadent nature, this would be no easy wait. Though from what I’d gathered from that terse interaction with Dominic, Cameron wasn’t expecting me.
The only clue to Cameron’s aggravation with whatever they were discussing was him circling his signet ring. Chrysalis’s emblem of a lion’s face caught the light.
“It’s time to monetize,” said one of the men, his face handsome in a rugged kind of way, his salt and pepper hair hinting he was in his forties.
“Lance, we’ve discussed this issue before,” said Cameron. “My concerns remain the same. We uphold the trust of our elite members. Their privacy is sacrosanct.”
“Hear me out,” said Lance. “What if we opened the club up to the public but hosted them at another establishment? Say a private residence?”
“Our members would not be comfortable,” said Cameron. “With the crossover of staff, doms, and subs, there would be a greater risk of gossip. Other members mentioning who they’d seen and where. Privacy is our priority.”
“They could all wear masks?” suggested another man, who sat on Cameron’s right.
“Please,” said Cameron. “Don’t insult me. Look, we’re financially stable. We always have been and always will. This desire to make more profit is tasteless. That’s not what we’re about.”
“We could always break off, Cameron,” said Lance. “Start our own club.”
“All my staff would be forbidden from partaking,” said Cameron. “You’d be left high and dry without the caliber you need to make it work.”
“Perhaps we’d kick off in another city,” said Lance. “Seattle.”
“I see you’ve given this some thought,” said Cameron. “Look, what you do in your own time and with your own money is your business. But it would be without my blessing.”
“I’m talking about real competition for you.”
“And I’m talking about honoring the code.”
“Cole’s right,” said the man to his right. “These are fundamental changes.” He addressed the group. “What Cole has created… There is a very delicate balance here.”
“We’ve mastered a stable equilibrium,” agreed Cameron. “Let us continue to thrive with the best intentions. Turning it into a money making scheme would take advantage of our clients.”
“Another drink,” said Lance, raising his glass.
Taking several cautious steps towards him, I tipped the bottle carefully and poured. He grabbed my wrist and pain shot into my arm.
I froze, terrified I was going to spill liquor on him. “Please, Sir.”
The bottle tipped and Arianna caught it just in time. I threw her a glance of thanks, my wrist smarting from Lance’s ironclad hold.
Cameron was on his feet. Quickly, he reached for the bottle and extracted it from my grip. He placed it safely on the side table. “Lance, it’s unlike you to be so avaricious. Let her go.”
Lance narrowed his dark eyes. “A token gesture, perhaps?”
“I won’t tell you again,” said Cameron.
He released his grip and I stepped back, nudging up towards Arianna and gaining strength from her arm wrapping around my waist protectively.
Lance took a swig of his drink. “Later then? She can serve as my consolation prize.”
“She’s Master Cole’s sub,” blurted Arianna.
Cameron shot her a look so severe Arianna visibly flinched. “Out,” he ordered.
She quick footed it out of there and I felt her loss, her strength gone, and went to follow her.
“Stay there,” Cameron snapped at me.
Lance seemed to take pleasure from this revelation. “I’ll tell you what, Cole—” He looked over at me. “What’s your name?”
“Mia.”
“Lovely name,” said Lance. “Let me have her for one week and I’ll reconsider.”
A wave of terror washed over me. This really was a lion’s den, and getting devoured by one of them was a real threat. Anger rose in my gut that I’d been placed in this kind of danger by Dominic.
Looking at Cameron, I pleaded with him to let me leave.
“Gentleman, I believe we’ve covered everything,” said Cameron calmly.
“No negotiation?” said Lance.
“For God sake, Lance,” said the man to Cameron’s right. “Drop it.”
Lance merely held his sinister grin.
Cameron turned to face me. “Mia, would you like to spend time with Mr. Merrill?”
I swallowed hard and shook my head a little too enthusiastically, causing a wave of laughter from the men.
“Sorry Lance,” said Cameron. “You know the rules. No consent. No go.”
“I imagine she’d enjoy Pendulum,” said Lance, his attention back on me. “I can see it in her eyes.”
“Gentleman, I believe we’ve covered everything,” said Cameron.
Lance rose to his feet. “Think about it, Mia. Cole knows how to contact me. We’ll set it up.”
“She is a fine specimen,” said one of the others. “Cole, where did you find her?”
I focused on the print of Carl Jung, drawing strength from his kind face, that look of integrity that was missing from this room.
“Same time next month,” said Cameron.
They took the hint. All shook hands with each other and exchanged compliments. They left the room.
And I let out a long sigh of relief.
“You made eye contact with Lance,” said Cameron. “That was your mistake.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I was trying not to spill his drink.”
“Bend over the desk.”
“It wasn’t my fault.”
“That’s debatable.”
I rested my hands on my hips. “You made me a glorified waitress—”
“Prove to me your training has not been a waste of my fucking time.”
Quickly, I scurried over, leaned forwards, and bent over it. My hands trembled as my thoughts scattered. I was glad they’d gone, yet their cologne lingered like a pungent warning of the power they wielded.
With my eyes squeezed shut, I waited.
“Mia, I’m sorry,” said Cameron, lifting me up to stand before him. “I
shouldn’t take out my frustration on you. Forgive me.” He looked so worn, so harried.
I reached up and caressed his cheek. “You look tired. You work too hard, Sir. You need a break.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “What a mess.”
“They’ve gone now.”
“They’ll be back. With the same agenda.”
“Maybe Dominic can write up some legalese to help you?”
“What was Dominic thinking?” said Cameron. “Parading you in front of them.”
“He wanted to make them happy, for you. Please don’t be mad with him.”
“You are so sweet. So forgiving. I’m an idiot. I should have asked you to leave. How could they not covet you?” He shook his head. “And yet I wanted them to. I wanted to see in their eyes that they knew they will never have you.” He stroked my cheek and he chuckled. “I shouldn’t be the only one to suffer.”
“How do you mean?”
“Mia, our time together is drawing to a close.”
“Let’s not discuss that now.”
He waved it off. “This meeting was a waste of time.”
“It sounded like you had it under control,” I said. “You made some very valid points and most of them listened.”
“Greed is dangerous.” He caressed the tension out of his brow. “I doubt Lance can be dissuaded.”
“The others support you.”
He looked sympathetic. “In this room. After they’ve left—” He threw his hand up in a frustration. “They’re probably scheming as we speak.”
“I’m here for you. I want to be here when things go well and when they don’t.”
“God, you’re beautiful. I don’t deserve you.”
“Yes you do or I wouldn’t be here.”
“That’s not exactly true.” He turned away and ran his hand through his hair.
Slowly, I dropped to my knees before him and reached for his zip, knowing what he needed, what would calm him.
He pulled me up and nudged me against the desk. “No, Mia.”
“I want to.”
“Luckily for you.” He kissed the end of my nose. “You negate my upper hand with your beauty.”
“You always know what to say.”
He strolled over to the door and locked it. “I’ve been meaning to give this to you for some time.”
“What is it?”
“Now that I have a good reason to punish you.” He gestured to the desk. “Lean over.”
I rested my palms on the desk and pressed my butt out and up. He tugged my panties down and I stepped out of them.
A small, square velvet box rested on his desk.
“You soothe me, Mia.” He knelt behind me and leaned in.
Tugging my butt cheeks apart with firm hands, his tongue speared that delicate rosebud, circling and sending shivers. My face burned with embarrassment that he was touching me there. The intimacy of this moment forced me to shut my eyes and endure these foreign sensations. I covered my face with my hands.
Vulnerable. Forbidden. Decadent.
“They will never know what it is to have you, Mia.” His tongue flittered, and his warm breath fanned there. “They covet everything of mine. Especially you.”
Wanting nothing more than to please him, soothe with my body, I curved my spine and offered myself as I rested my hands once more on his desk.
I knew what was to follow. What had always been looming. He opened the box and the contents confirmed it. Inside lay a silver butt plug bejeweled with a large sapphire.
Arching my spine farther and widening my thighs, I showed I wanted this. I wanted to want this for him.
His left hand reached around and found my clit. “We’ll take our time to prepare you.”
Following through on his promise, he soon had me writhing on the end of his fingers, his frenzied pace taking me where I needed to go.
“I need it,” I cried, begging for it, as though he knew merely dangling the promise of that round rimmed plug would spur me on.
Staring dead ahead, I felt the pressure of it at my entrance, the fullness, the strange sensation of pleasure and pressure as he twisted the plug in. My thighs shuddered, my sex tightened, and my short, sharp cries let him know I needed his fingers to finish.
“No, my darling.” He slapped my butt.
I spun round to face him, confused.
“You will endure this punishment,” he said. “Do not take it out. It’s there to remind you who you belong to.”
“But I already know,” I said. “I belong to you.”
He knelt at my feet and gestured for me to step into my panties. He tugged them up my legs, pulling them back on and hiding that plug. Cameron rose to his full height, his hands reaching around my hips, his fingers delving beneath my panties, trailing farther to find and twist the plug. Slowly, around and around.
I moaned and rested my head against his chest, swooning with the sensations, this fullness, a drawn out need threatening never to lift.
His hands shifted to my buttocks and he squeezed me into him. “Soon, I will explore this uncharted territory, and only then, Mia, will you know what it means to be mine.”
CHAPTER 38
I LIKED SPENDING time in here.
Cameron’s office was a peaceful refuge. Although I enjoyed mingling with the other staff and clients, in here I was assured of privacy.
I took pride in being trusted with Cameron’s emails, and even taking the occasional phone call from clients. Though most new inquiries were dealt with personally by Cameron. During the day, he worked at his clinic on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles, and I counted the hours to his return in the late afternoon. Cameron made balancing his clinic, his on-calls, and managing Chrysalis look easy.
I’d also been tasked with taking care of the smaller issues related to the day to day running of Chrysalis, like the one this morning where a valet had been caught snapping photos in the foyer with his phone. It pained me to report him to Dominic. The young man was fired on the spot.
Cameron had a vast collection of books, both in the library and here in his office. He encouraged me to borrow them, even his first editions that spanned an entire wall. There was nothing nicer than rummaging through Cameron’s books, drawers, and cabinets, to feel his closeness when he wasn’t here. He was a neat freak and everything was well organized. He had that in common with Richard.
Sipping a latte that Pilar had kindly brought in for me, I set about answering Cameron’s emails.
Chrysalis was hosting a ball tomorrow night and guests were still being confirmed and sent their tickets. The guests loved the exclusivity, apparently. This was to be the first ball I was going to attend. Cameron was going to choose my dress and we were going shopping this afternoon. A lady in Beverly Hills created one of a kind masks and Cameron and I were going to pay her a visit. I couldn’t wait.
I was still getting used to this bejeweled plug. It was a pleasant reminder of him and the promise of what this token meant. Soon, he would be taking me the rest of the way. I swooned with the thought. My sex tightened in anticipation.
I tried to refocus and get down to some busy work.
Despite clearing Cameron’s in-box, more emails kept coming in. Cameron was a popular man.
A knock at the door made me jump.
“Hey there,” said Pilar, smiling.
“Thank you for my coffee,” I said. “It’s delicious.”
Pilar came in, timidly glancing around Cameron’s office as though she too felt smaller in here. All this dark wood grandness intimated.
My ass flinched as though she somehow might know what was going on with my butt and that sapphire plug. My face was ablaze with the thought.
She paused before the desk. “Your visitors are here.”
I rose to my feet. “I’m not expecting anyone.”
Cameron wasn’t going to like Richard visiting again. My thoughts soared with how to deal with this.
“Who is it?”
“Ms.
Bailey and her friend,” she said.
I rounded the desk. “In the foyer?”
“The garden.”
“Pilar, they haven’t been screened.”
“You’re fine,” she said. “Master Dominic’s signed off on it and he arranges all the passes.”
I thanked her and hurried out.
Damn, I still had this distracting thingy in. I shook my head, making a mental note to take it out as soon as I could.
Bailey sat with her legs soaking in the pool, her striking titian hair catching the sunlight. Her warm smile greeted me. There was no sign of Tara.
“Bailey,” I called out, hurrying over to her. “Hey, how are you?”
“Mia.” She pulled her legs out of the water and trotted towards me, grabbing me into a hug. “This place is fricken amazing. Are you really living here?”
“Yes, I got a transfer over as Cameron’s secretary,” I said. “It’s temporary.”
“Have you been working out? You look amazing.”
“Swimming and tennis. That kind of thing.”
“Tennis! Ha, that’s, wow. Can you play?”
I shrugged. “I’m having lessons. I can just about get the ball over the net.”
She laughed. “Tara’s here. She’s in the restroom.”
Dread shot up my spine that Tara was wandering around inside. “I’m so sorry, Bailey, but you guys can’t stay. There’s this rule about being pre-screened. How about I meet you later?”
“What are you talking about?” she said. “It’s me.”
“I know that. I’m really sorry. But they’re so strict here.”
“Your boss won’t mind, surely?” she said. “Tara used to work for him.”
Pilar trotted out of the doorway carrying a large tray laden with three glasses of Coca-Cola and sandwiches.
“No, Pilar.” I gestured. “We’re not allowed.”
“No, you have permission.” Pilar set the tray down and laid out the glasses. “I was told to treat you.”
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