Grand Master (Demons, #3)

by Simcoe, Marina

  “What do you mean?”

  “Jade, I have to do something to make sure I keep my time slot with them. What if I found a girl to fill in for me, just for tonight? Someone who wouldn’t be after my job in the long run?”

  “Okay, that might work.”

  “Jade?” Something in her voice made me snap to attention. “Any chance you could do it?”

  “Me?” I nearly choked on the air in my apartment.

  “Listen,” she continued hurriedly. “These guys are really nice.”

  “You can’t be absolutely sure—you’ve never even seen their faces.”

  “That’s the best part. You won’t have to see them. No one even needs to know your name. You’d be wearing a blindfold, so even if they videotape you—”

  “Videotape?”

  “I’m not saying that’s what they do,” she backtracked quickly. “Actually, I’m sure that’s not what it’s about. Otherwise, why would they do the same thing to me over and over again? Wouldn’t they go for some variety if they recorded porn or something?”

  “That’s not the point, Tanya.” I steered away from the argument about how nice these men were or how varied their possible videotape collection might be. “I have a job—”

  “Well, if taking money makes you all weirded out,” she replied, her tone flat, “you can do it for free.”

  “Again, this is not the point. I just can’t do it.”

  “Sure you can, Jade. There is nothing you can’t do. There’re just things you haven’t done yet.”

  Obviously, she had learned enough about me by now to know exactly what buttons to push.

  “I’ve seen your face when I tell you about them,” Tanya went on. “You’re curious. Here is your chance to find out for yourself what it’s like.”

  I sighed and said nothing, her words swirling through my mind. Not that I was going to agree, of course not, but . . .

  “It’s not dangerous,” Tanya added. “Trust me, they won’t hurt you.”

  No, I’d heard enough from her to know that her bosses weren’t into causing pain. She had taken the burden of proof onto her slender shoulders, seized the risk of going there first, and paved the way for my curiosity—if I chose to act on it by following in her tracks.

  “Why don’t you call them first, see what they say?” I suggested, feeling too scattered in my thoughts and emotions to make a decision at that moment.

  “About you taking my place?”

  “No, you turkey,” I said with an exasperated huff. “About you calling in sick.”

  PHONE IN HAND, I LAY on top of the covers of my bed, still in my bathrobe. Going to sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. Eyes wide open, I watched stripes of light move across the ceiling from the passing vehicles outside.

  If Tanya called again, should I go in her place? And if I went, would it be hitting a new low in my life-long chase of a new high?

  Of all the wild adventures during my younger years, playing a prostitute in real life—outside of the safety of my own bedroom as a part of role-playing with my boyfriend—was something I had never done.

  Would it be something I wanted to do, though?

  The excitement of a new adventure rushed through me at the thought of surrendering my body to the hands of Tanya’s mystery men—the feeling of a thrill I had experienced less and less lately.

  The older I got, the more distant my wild teenage years had become. Working in international business and travelling the world to do my job seemed exciting at first. But in reality, it had turned out to be rather boring and predictable. I worked long hours and came back to my company-rented apartment just to sleep and shower.

  Ever since coming to Belarus nearly a year ago, I’d had only two sexual encounters. Both were one-night stands. And both turned out rather lacklustre.

  The last one was over two months ago. Since then, the most action I’d been getting had been the wandering hands of some government official or a businessman at a work party.

  My personal life had been considerably more vibrant before coming here. But even then, it always felt like something was missing.

  What if it was my destiny to always crave more than I got? Maybe I was born with a glitch—unable to be satisfied by just one man? But how could I find out for sure if I didn’t try?

  The phone buzzed in my hand, startling me. The screen lit up with the message from Tanya.

  ‘Called them. Best bosses in the world! I can take tonight off, they’re keeping Thursdays for me.’

  Another message came in moments later, while I still stared at the first.

  ‘He said to take the time to rest and even asked if I have someone to take care of me. Can you believe this?’

  Yes, actually, I could. Harry, my boss at the office, would have done the same. But, obviously, Tanya and I had different labour standards. As messed up as her situation was, I was glad she’d found some peace and stability in her current ‘employment.’

  ‘You don’t have to go tonight,’ popped up with another buzz, bringing a shocking pinch of disappointment.

  ‘Unless you want to.’

  Tanya texted a phone number next.

  ‘His name is Andras,’ came immediately after.

  ‘Go to bed. You need to rest, remember?’ I punched in quickly, hit the ‘send’ button, and collapsed back in bed.

  Eyes closed, I prayed for sleep, but my imagination had been stirred. I pretended I couldn’t open my eyes because of a blindfold. Tossing the phone aside, I untied the belt of my bathrobe and let it slide open, baring my breasts. My nipples tingled, hardening before I even touched them. I imagined those weren’t my hands, but the hands of a stranger—no, several strangers—massaging my breasts, pinching my nipples, sliding between my thighs . . .

  It’d been so long since I’d allowed someone’s hands on me. Why did I let it go for this long? I wondered if the subconscious fear of another disappointment kept me celibate all this time. Whatever the case, it only made the craving for a man’s touch stronger now.

  I patted the sheets, searching for my phone. I had a way to bring my fantasy to life. And all I had to lose was potentially getting disappointed in the process.

  In the semi-darkness of my bedroom anything seemed possible, and taking on this daring experience felt exciting.

  I dialled the number.

  “Allo,” came after a mere second. Said in a deep, low rumble, the word made my breath hitch.

  “Hi. I . . . um,” I mumbled, my ability to speak Russian completely deserted me all of a sudden. “Andras?”

  “Yes.”

  I might have imagined the warm note in his voice. Still, it gave me the courage to continue. “I got your number from Tanya. She can’t come tonight, and I was wondering if . . .” I inhaled, closed my eyes, and blurted out at once, as if ripping off a band-aid, “if I could take her place.”

  “Where would you like to be picked up?”

  That simple?

  “Um . . .” I knew that Tanya met them in front of the restaurant and made them drop her off at a Metro station. She chose not to give them her home address, protecting her sister.

  I had no one to protect, and I would rather avoid taking a train at night.

  “My place.” I gave him the address of my building.

  “We’ll be there in an hour. I’ll have the money for you—”

  “I don't want to be paid,” I spoke quickly.

  “No?” There was a genuine puzzlement in his voice.

  “No. Instead, can I have the option to stop . . . um, whatever it is? If I want to, I mean.”

  “To stop?” He seemed unable to comprehend what I was asking from him.

  “Yes. If at any point of the . . . proceedings, I get uncomfortable and want to go home, would you let me?”

  He didn’t answer right away, possibly considering his reply. Or maybe wondering what kind of a prostitute I was and if he should even bother with me.

  “Alright,” he finally said. “You wil
l have to wear a blindfold at all times, and you can’t speak of this to anyone besides your colleagues who might be interested in working with us. Other than that, you will have full control over everything.”

  His voice sounded sincere and his words straightforward, putting my mind at ease a little.

  “Okay.” I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “I’ll meet you outside my building in an hour.”

  Chapter 4

  SO, IT WAS HAPPENING. I was getting a chance to live out my fantasy.

  Watching the black car pull over, I wrinkled the curtain in my sweaty hands.

  I could only imagine how Tanya must have felt getting into the car that first night. She did all the hard work for me. Now, I could expect to be reasonably safe.

  Still, my hands shook as I took the lift downstairs.

  The back door of the car opened as soon as I approached, and with another bracing inhale, I got into the back seat.

  “Andras?” I asked the man sitting there.

  “Hello.” He inclined his head in greeting.

  “Hi,” I croaked in reply, closing the door behind me. The vehicle took off immediately.

  Now there was no way back.

  I swept the dark interior with my gaze, stopping on the man by my side.

  Dressed in a dark robe, with the hood pulled low over his face, he appeared no more than a shadow. The light from the street, muted by the tinted windows, faintly illuminated the hard edge of a jaw covered with dark stubble. The rest of his face remained securely hidden in the shadows.

  I swallowed hard, noticing the strip of black velvet in his leather-clad hands.

  “Blindfold,” he said simply, making a move in my direction.

  I took a deep breath and nodded, closing my eyes.

  The movement of air around me along with a faint whiff of spicy male scent alerted me to his proximity. Then the soft velvet touched my face, as he tied the blindfold around my head.

  “No need to be nervous,” he said, moving away again. “We will let no harm come to you. You don’t have to worry.”

  “I’m not worried.” I made an effort to keep the edge out of my voice.

  “Yes, you are,” he replied confidently, as if he could read the scrambled mess of my thoughts. “But you don’t need to be. From this moment on, you have full control over everything that happens.”

  “Everything?”

  “Yes.”

  The absolute certainty in his reply gave me hope that I didn’t just make the biggest mistake of my life.

  “Good.”

  THE REST OF THE DRIVE was silent, interrupted only by my occasional deep breaths as I tried to calm my nerves. Excitement and anticipation led an unceasing battle with anxiety inside me.

  My companion remained silent, which was just as well. I didn’t think I would be able to carry on a conversation, consumed as I was by my inner turmoil.

  Finally, the car stopped and the door next to me opened almost immediately.

  “Welcome,” another male voice greeted me from outside.

  Then I felt a leather-clad hand take mine.

  Completely blinded by the velvet over my eyes, I leaned heavily on the offered support as I got out of the vehicle.

  “Please follow me,” the same voice coolly invited.

  The man seemed to have given me all of his attention as he carefully led me down a flight of stairs then along something that felt like a set of long corridors.

  The air inside smelled clean, with the artificial quality of air-conditioning and purifying. The heels of my boots clicked against the hard surface of the floor—the sound echoed off the walls around us.

  “Please have a seat.” The man carefully manoeuvred me onto something cushioned like a couch. The dusty smell of old furniture joined the sterile air of the room he appeared to have brought me to.

  “Keep your blindfold on at all times. Andras will be here shortly.”

  “Okay,” I exhaled, even as my fingers itched to rip the blindfold off. Without having a visual of the room, I felt utterly confused and disoriented.

  The sound of soft footsteps came as someone entered.

  “Thank you for joining us this evening.” I heard the voice of the man who had travelled in the car with me.

  Andras.

  All I had was his name. No one else had introduced themselves to me, and no one had asked my name either.

  Good.

  This was supposed to be a nameless, faceless fantasy after all.

  “What would you wish for tonight?” Andras asked, catching me unprepared.

  All I had was the desire for something new and exciting but no clear scenarios in my head, just a series of vague, alluring, and passionate images.

  “Um.” I inhaled. “I don’t know.”

  Worry and doubt stirred inside me again.

  Should I have planned this better?

  “You don’t have to give me any details unless you want to,” Andras replied, as if hearing my thoughts. “We can do it all. In this case, I’ll only need your permission for us to take control.”

  Take control.

  The two words alone shouldn’t have been so arousing. I squirmed in my seat, as sudden anticipation quivered through my lower stomach.

  “Will I be safe?” I asked the most important question once again.

  “Absolutely.”

  I loved the unwavering sincerity in his voice.

  “Can I stop at any time?” I reiterated.

  “Promise.” The same firmness in his tone.

  “Is there something like a safe word?”

  “No. Your wish to stop would be enough.”

  “You mean my voicing my wish to stop?” I clarified.

  “Yes. Sure.”

  “Okay.” I nodded.

  “Our only requirement is that you keep the blindfold on at all times.”

  “Deal,” I agreed, with more confidence in my voice than I felt. “Oh! Sorry.” I remembered. “I do have one request.”

  “Anything.” His voice held the true promise of fulfilling my every wish.

  “Can there be more than one man, please? I mean, touching me.”

  Voicing my innermost fantasy out loud immediately set my face ablaze. My cheeks burned so hot, I was afraid they’d set the blindfold on fire.

  “How many?” Andras’s voice didn’t change. There was no mocking, no judgment, not even surprise in his tone.

  “Um . . . well, two?”

  Let’s start slow, Jade.

  “Done,” he easily agreed.

  I took a deep breath and rubbed my palms on my dress where it stretched over my thighs.

  “Well then, you have my permission to take control over the rest.” I nodded again and asked, “Now what?”

  “Would you need help to undress?” Andras inquired politely, as if asking me if I wanted him to pour me a glass of water.

  “Yes. Um, no. I mean, I should be able to manage it on my own. How much do you need me to take off?”

  “As much or as little as suits you.”

  Weird, so weird.

  Wouldn’t they have at least some kind of preferences if they ordered a prostitute and paid her good money for this?

  You’re not a prostitute, and they’re paying you nothing.

  “Okay,” I said again and got up to my feet, struggling to remain steady in my high heels.

  Falling off my feet while blindfolded would not be sexy at all. These would have to go. I sat down again, unzipped and took off my boots. Next went my leather jacket, the dress, and the strapless bra.

  In one resolute movement, I yanked down my lace panties, unsure if Andras was watching me. Without hearing a sound from his direction, I wasn’t even certain he had remained in the room at all.

  I contemplated for a second whether or not to leave my thigh-high stockings on. Since there was nothing but my fantasy to guide me, I decided to take everything off, because in my sexy dreams I had always been naked.

  Rolling the stockings
down and off my legs, I straightened up to my full height—completely nude, save for the blindfold.

  “I’m ready,” I announced into the room, not knowing which direction to face.

  “Please take my hand,” Andras’s voice came immediately.

  I guessed he might have stood nearby all this time after all, watching me take my clothes off. Was that supposed to be his thrill in all of this? I thought back to the rather quick and efficient way I had disrobed, wondering if he would have preferred me taking my clothes off in a more slow and sensual way.

  Well, if I was here to fulfil any of his fantasies in exchange for them fulfilling mine, then Andras should have voiced his preferences earlier.

  Stretching an arm out, I searched around for his offered hand.

  “Let’s do this.”

  Chapter 5

  WITH THE BLINDFOLD still firmly over my eyes, I couldn’t see the room Andras took me to. But the echo of someone’s boots hitting the hard floor on their way to me had a longer way to travel before it bounced off the walls, indicating that the space was fairly large.

  With a belt around my waist and a set of padded handcuffs on my wrists, I had been strapped to some sort of vertical surface, a wall or a contraption that held my hands up, arms stretched over my head.

  I had no idea where Andras went and no clue who else might be in the room with me. Two sets of footsteps stopped in front of me. Someone then softly brushed my hair away from my face.

  It was unexpected.

  This might have been my fantasy, but surely the people who were giving it to me had their own kinks to satisfy? Somehow, I half-expected tonight to be rather rough, with my body being used under the control of strangers for someone else’s pleasure. That was the reason I had made it abundantly clear that I wanted the power to stop if it went too far for me.

  This gesture of his felt out of place, even as it was . . . nice.

  The soft caress moved down the side of my face, skimmed along my neck then traced the length of my collarbone.

  Nothing I would ever consider as overtly sexual, yet the tenderness of it stirred something inside me—sweet and powerful.