Dane snorted, returning with a dark blue suit. “Elliott may have showed you how to fight, but I don’t want you doing it. I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said with a critical tone to his voice.
“And neither do I, to either one of you,” Elliott retorted, his jaw clenched. Our eyes met; I didn’t want to come between them, but I was with Elliott. While I didn’t want to hurt anyone, the defense lessons made me feel safer. Dane didn’t raise the issue again, so I continued getting changed. When I was dressed, I braided my hair tight to my scalp, and Dane helped lace the strings of the mask before locking it in place.
“Since Elliott didn’t go over how you’d be expected to behave at this type of mixer,” Dane started, “we’ll need to discuss it now.”
“You can’t stand out or attract attention,” Elliott instructed. “You’ll have to kneel. You tried it earlier, but do it again for us.”
I went down on my knees and placed my hands on my thighs, facing upward, my eyes focusing on the carpet.
“Hmmm,” Dane said. “That’s too provocative.”
“Come on, Dane,” Elliott said. “This is a show-off party and you know it. Spread your thighs wide enough that we can see your pussy.”
“Argh,” I groaned.
“You have on the mask,” Elliott said. “No one but us will know.”
My face burned. I told myself they had already seen me up close so I didn’t need to be modest, but brazenly displaying myself before them was intimidating. The dark looks on both of their faces were enough to let me know I’d done it right.
“I’d say wider,” Elliott teased.
“I’m not a pretzel,” I shot back, and we laughed.
“Come on,” Dane said, trying to suppress his grin. “We have to get the rest right. If you’re on my lap, I’ll open you up, but if you’re on the floor, you lay back with your legs open.”
My mouth dropped open.
“You open your mouth if you’re kneeling between his legs,” Elliott said. “Go on, Gia. Better here than doing it for the first time in there.”
I grimaced but did as I was instructed, adding in an arch to my back with my arms up.
“Fuck. Don’t improvise,” Elliott said, reaching down and adjusting the front of his pants.
“Yes,” Dane said. “And if I touch you, you don’t have permission to come.”
“Good thinking, Dane,” Elliott said. “She’s too tempting when she comes.”
“Hello?” I said. “Talk to me, not about me. I don’t think I can hold back if I’m touched intimately.”
Dane helped me to stand up and kissed me. “I’ll do my best to avoid it, but you have to try, or you’ll be punished.”
I grinned. I knew he was teasing, but I was game. So far, I’d enjoyed what he’d done when I didn’t follow his orders.
“He won’t punish you with something you’ll like next time,” Elliott said, bursting my fantasy. “Just try to follow our lead. You’ll be fine.”
The mask gave me limited vision, but I could breathe easily. He held me away from him, at arm’s length. “You look exquisite, even in the mask. I know I’ll have to follow the rules of the party by showing you off, but I don’t want them to see you.” He chewed on his bottom lip.
“I’m sure you’ve showed off plenty of women,” I said in a light tone. “I thought that was part of your sharing.”
“It is,” he admitted. “But you make me selfish.”
He looked mouthwatering in his suit. Elliott looked equally as striking in all black.
“Where are your masks tonight?” I said, my voice muffled as we headed out of the room.
“The men will be unmasked now,” Elliott whispered. “Remember, anything out of the ordinary will attract attention.”
We walked down a carpeted corridor to the elevator and took it one floor up. When we arrived, we were escorted by guards into a large hall. The room was not at all like I had expected. It was a ballroom decorated in a festive theme with strings of white lights, small evergreen trees, and floral arrangements placed throughout. There were men and women dressed in formalwear seated at linen-draped tables. Some were playing chess and cards while others chatted on lounge chairs and couches. It appeared no different than what I would have found at a party on any other occasion, though there was one prominent exception.
Some of the women with the bracelets were dressed while others were naked on cushions by the seats or being toyed with by the men. All were masked. Even with my limited view of the men as we moved past the tables, I understood Elliott’s and Dane’s precautions. There were several men I recognized in attendance, some among the upper echelons of Washington’s elite. A few I knew had partners or were married and had children. If their secrets got out, it would shake our world. I was certain any of the men I saw there would harm me before leaving me with their secret. My presence there was dangerous.
I forced myself to stare at the heels on my feet. Dane and Elliott put their hands on my back and guided me forward. We moved slowly, giving Dane and Elliott a chance to search around for Angel, but then a gravelly voice beckoned us over. “Dane, Elliott, join us.”
I recognized the old man’s voice as the one I’d heard by the boathouse on Dane’s property.
“We have our own table, Vincent,” Dane said, his tone clipped.
“But we’re happy to join you. Thanks for inviting us,” Elliott added. I glimpsed him taking a seat on the other side of the half-moon shaped lounge.
Dane tapped my shoulder and I went down on the cushion at his feet, relieved to not be at eye level with the man, although I could feel his stare on me from across the table. The sound of loud slurps had me glimpsing over at Vincent. A naked woman was between his legs, sucking on his cock through his open trousers. A dry laugh erupted from him and I quickly lowered my head back down. I cringed inwardly. He’d already noticed me.
Dane petted my head, and I leaned in slightly to let him know I was okay.
“Get off,” Vincent admonished coarsely.
The woman tumbled to the floor. His foot came down on her hand, but she didn’t make a sound.
“She’s well trained,” I heard Elliott’s voice say. “At least in keeping her mouth shut.”
I glared at him behind my mask.
“She still uses her teeth,” Vincent complained. “I’ll have to remove them or pass her around to learn how to suck. You interested, Elliott?”
“I’ll take her off your hands if you’re already bored,” Elliott joked back, and they laughed.
My stomach lurched. It was a good thing I had the mask to cover my face; there was no way I could hide my disgust otherwise. I hoped Elliott was joking.
“Dane, you’re quiet over there,” Vincent mused. “I see you brought your last-minute entry?” There was a slight edge to his tone.
“Yes, I did,” Dane answered coolly.
“Drinks.” A staff member came over, and the three men conversed about the holiday and business. After a while, my legs cramped from the kneeling. They were all absorbed in their conversation, like us two women weren’t even there. So, I stretched. I quickly realized soothing my discomfort was an error when Vincent let out a derisive snort.
“Untrained I see,” Vincent said. “What are you calling it?”
I seethed behind the mask at him calling me an it.
“No name yet.” Elliott laughed. “We don’t know if we’re keeping her.”
I tensed. Elliott seemed too at ease here. Was he really Dane’s friend? Had I given in to an enemy or was he just playing the role expected of him? My mind raced, but then Dane spoke up.
“I call her mine.” He put his hand on my neck. “That’s all you need to know.”
“She can’t be just yours,” Vincent replied, his voice flat. “She’s here, and part of being here is negotiating. Now I’m curious as to what has you already owning her after a few days. Send her over to me.”
“Why tempt you with what I’m not willing to share,” Dane said in a c
urt tone.
“I bet you’ve been willing to give Elliott a taste,” Vincent pouted.
“I had a taste,” Elliott affirmed in a bored tone. “Why do you think I’m here now?” He chuckled, but Vincent didn’t join him this time.
My shoulders slumped. He may have been playing along, but his words still stung.
“You come out and see all our secrets,” Vincent grumbled. “But you want to keep your pet at the sampling party. Perhaps it would be better if you leave before the trade show.”
“Now, Vincent,” Elliott said. “There isn’t a rule that says you have to share with everyone. Dane already shared her with me. He’s keeping with protocol.”
“Elliott’s right,” Dane said. “I only share with those of my choosing. I don’t choose you.”
Silence stretched between them.
“Perhaps it would be better to show her off,” Elliott said, speaking up. “It’s harmless.”
Vincent coughed. “Thank you, Elliott. I was beginning to think Dane had lost himself. It was sure making me curious to see what was so special about her that has Dane so anxious.”
“We can show you there is nothing to get upset about,” Elliott said in a curt tone. It was an obvious warning to Dane.
I moved a little, trying to send my own signal to Dane that I’d do whatever he needed to keep the peace.
“Stand between my legs,” Dane instructed.
I did as I was told and kept my head low as Dane undid my corset and worked my thong down to the floor, leaving my body on display for anyone looking in our direction.
“Hmmm, she’s older, curvy.” Vincent spoke like I wasn’t there. “Is her pussy tight? Get her to bend over and let me feel it.”
“You won’t be finding out,” Dane said resolutely. He reached between my legs and stroked the cum he had left there, and I quivered. “She only needs to please me.”
My body trembled as I struggled to remain still and passive like the other women in the room. My only solace was that I was still masked.
“Look at the blush on her skin,” Vincent replied, ignoring Dane. “Kind of a sexy innocence there. Let me see if I can get you to negotiate, Dane. I’ll give you the building downtown, the contract with a redesign of my yachts, and a million if you give me the rest of the ride back to San Francisco with your plaything.”
I tensed. There was no way I’d go willingly.
“A night maybe,” Elliott said. “What do you think, Dane?”
“I’m not interested.” Dane pressed his hand on my shoulder to instruct me to get back into position. I didn’t hesitate to do so, though he left me nude. My mind was too preoccupied with the cavalier way in which Elliott was willing to use me.
“I don’t know why you’re being so insistent,” Dane said. “There are plenty of women around here, or men if you want one. I’ve never shared with you before, and I don’t want to do it now.”
“And why not?” Vincent asked.
“Because you break your playthings,” Dane said icily.
Elliott laughed. “Relax, Dane. Vincent’s only teasing you.”
Was he? I didn’t believe it.
The music started and a stage was revealed. On it, a couple went on a St. Andrew’s cross. The Dom teased the submissive with a vibrator. He then used clamps on her nipples and pussy, ending by whipping and fucking her. The sex scene had all the men playing with their partners, except at our table. Vincent, Dane, and Elliott stared at each other while the other woman and I remained on the floor. So much for blending in.
Finally, Dane rose and tapped my shoulder to rise with him. “I think I’d prefer to sit tonight out.”
“Elliott, you’ll stay and participate?” Vincent called to Elliott.
“Okay,” Elliott said. “I’m game.”
“I already asked Elliott to share with me tonight,” Dane said. “Maybe you can invite him tomorrow.”
We were about to move away from the table when Vincent called Dane back. “A million for the night, and you, pretty girl—I’ll triple whatever he’s offering you.”
I tensed. There was nothing Vincent could ever offer to make me go with him willingly. “I already told you, she’s not for trade,” Dane said through gritted teeth.
“Everyone’s for trade,” Vincent said in an icy tone. “It just takes the right incentive. You’re too blind to realize it, or maybe there is something about this woman that has you disrespecting me.”
“You demand respect, but you insult me at every turn,” Dane seethed. “You went against the rules. You can’t make an offer to someone who’s claimed. Now, I haven’t decided what I wish to do, but it is my right to choose who to introduce, show, and trade. If you have someone else to present, let me know, but don’t mistake my politeness for weakness. Don’t try me again.”
We didn’t stay around for Vincent’s reply. Elliott’s curse as we breeched the door told me everything about Dane’s exchange with Vincent. We were in trouble.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
* * *
When we got back to the room, Elliott was quick to unleash his anger on Dane. “What are you doing?”
Dane unlocked my mask and I pulled it off. “I’m not kowtowing to Vincent,” he grumbled.
“You do realize that you embarrassed him. He’ll now make a sport of fucking you over just to save face—”
“And I was just supposed to hand her over for the night?” he mocked, his voice raised. “I don’t give a fuck about Vincent. He may have been able to push the rules to get Gia on board, but I’ll be damned if I’ll give her to him.”
I wiped my eyes and pulled the braid out of my hair. “I don’t think he really wants me.”
“He doesn’t,” Dane said before walking over to the refrigerator and pouring two glasses of water. He handed one to me, and I drank it down. “It’s more to exert his power. I don’t have to give in to him.”
“What if he has Angel?” Elliott pointed out. “You got this far, you’re not giving up now.”
Dane drained his glass. “I’ll have to find another way. I won’t sacrifice Gia for Angel.”
“Thank you, Dane,” I said, glaring over at Elliott. “I don’t know what you think you were doing by offering me to a man who breaks people. I mean, how could you?”
I hated the catch in my voice, but I stomped as much as I could on the way to the bedroom in my stocking feet. That was when I realized I was still naked. What planet have I gone off to?
I sighed heavily and went into the bathroom, this time locking the door and turning on the shower to hot.
“I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you,” Elliott yelled through the door.
“Just let him take me for the night,” I yelled back. “Go away.”
The door being knocked open had me incensed. What was it with these two men and showers? “Get out of here,” I shouted.
I turned off the water, but not before Elliott came to stand inside, dampening his suit. He clasped my face, his eyes glimmering. “I would never have let it get far enough to leave you with him. I have a hunch we’re close to the inner circle. Vincent might tell him about the trade show he organized, if Dane wouldn’t throw it all away…”
For me. I turned to face away from him and ran my hands over my arms to stop the shaking. “If he took me, he’d find out who I was, and I’d disappear.”
“Never,” Dane said. He came in the shower and stood close to my side. “I’m not letting that happen. I’d leave The Agency first.” Dane held my gaze as he stroked his hand up my arm. Brushing his fingertips through my hair, he pulled me to him until my nipples brushed against his shirt. He tilted my head back, leaning forward until our lips were only centimeters apart. I felt his hot breath against my cheek seconds before his lips took mine in a searing kiss. He kissed me with an underlying sweetness that made me ache deep within. I sank into it, giving over to the erotic pull of the sexual tension running between us.
Grabbing my hips, he pulled me against his erect
cock, rubbing my mound against the hard ridge until all I wanted to do was climb onto him.
“You need to feel me again,” Dane said, his voice hoarse. He removed his clothing and lifted me off my feet, aligning our mouths and bringing my clit in line with the tip of his cock. I wrapped my legs around his waist and lost myself in his kiss, tilting my hips until I got just the right friction on my clit. I could get off just rubbing myself against him, I thought just before another set of hands grabbed my hips. I tucked my head into Dane’s neck.
“I want you, too,” Elliott whispered. “I’d never let Vincent have you or let anything happen to you now. If you disappeared, I’d tear this fucking boat apart and everyone on it. I wouldn’t stop until I found you.”
“Oh, Elliott.” I breathed heavily, the air hot in my throat, and I swallowed hard. I was lost in the sweet reassurance of his words.
When Dane let me down, my legs still felt weakened by the eroticism of the moment. “Go to him,” he said with a firm voice.
In haste, I fell into Elliot’s embrace, and he wrapped me in a tight hug. He planted his lips on mine and broke through my tired defenses. All my senses went ablaze as his tongue slid into my mouth, burrowing like a hunting serpent.
Elliot withdrew his sugary tongue and held my face to his. “Take a leap of faith with me, and I’ll make sure you won’t regret it,” he promised.
Spellbound, I watched him peel his shirt off, exposing bronzed, muscled flesh. With easy grace, he drifted behind me, plastering his naked chest to my back. His warmth seeped into my soul, his arms snaked around my waist, and his tongue gently flicked my earlobes. “I want your pussy, Gia. Give it to me.”
I turned to face Elliot, sinking into the brimming lust in the electric blue of his eyes. His deep voice stoked the heat of my flaming desire. Just the sound alone could bring me to climax.
“Not yet,” Dane stated from behind me with a tone that wouldn’t permit insolence. He ran his hand down my back, triggering shudders along my spine. “You know she has to beg.”
I pursed my lips. I didn’t want to beg, but before I could protest, Elliott slipped his hand between my legs, touching the insides of my thighs. As his fingers brushed against my cleft, I became a feverish wreck. I moaned and hung on to him as he began a wicked pattern, swirling his thumb around my little nub, working a finger into my pussy, going a little deeper each time.
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