by Harper West
I rolled my eyes because we both knew that wasn't the only reason. "Is it in the contract that you have to get off so hard every time we have sex?" I asked. "Or that you have to make those little begging noises? Because don't get me wrong, I enjoy them, but I don't remember writing them into the agreement."
She flipped me off and turned her head to stare out the window. There wasn't much to see really, just piles of dirty snow and salt crusted cars whizzing along the highway, but she was sullenly silent until we got to her apartment.
Then she was out of the car and waiting for me to pop the trunk before I'd barely parked.
"Do you need a hand?" I asked her.
She shook her head, hauling her bags out. "No. I got it."
"Are you going to be mad at me for the rest of the year?"
"The rest of this year or the rest of the year we're supposed to be married?" she asked. "Because the answer in both cases is 'probably.’"
I laughed at that. "Fair enough. Don't forget about the ball."
"I'm not going to forget about your stupid ball. Did you get me a dress?"
"Yes," I said. "It should be delivered to your apartment in the next day or so."
"That won't be enough time if I need any alterations done," she said. "New Year’s Eve is in three days."
"Yes, I know," I told her. "It'll fit."
"How do you know?"
"It'll fit," I insisted.
"Whatever. I'm going in now. It's cold as fuck out here."
I made a 'go ahead' gesture with my hand, and she flipped me off again before taking her bags and walking up to her building with them. I stood back, leaning against the side of my car while I watched her fumble with her keys to get inside and haul her things towards the elevator.
Ash was so stubborn when she wanted to be, but once again I had to admit that was something I liked about her. She wasn't one to accept the easy way out of something. She knew the value of hard work.
She had my bank account(s) at her disposal, and yet she didn't ask for more than she needed to get by. She was fascinating and interesting, and it was funny because if we'd met in any other way, I knew she would never have given me the time of day, money aside.
She just wasn't the kind of person that was attracted to people like me, and I didn't know why that irked me so much. Maybe because I was used to being universally wanted. With my family's name and my money, it was hard not be immediately known when I entered a room. Even if people didn't know who I was, I knew I gave off an air of effortless confidence that drew people in. I'd dated models and actresses and heiresses. I was the one who had to turn other people down to keep them off of me, not the other way around.
And yet Ashlyn Everett didn't seem to care about any of that. The first day we'd met she'd been annoyed with me and not even a little intrigued to hear what I had to say. Granted, I'd been eavesdropping, and she had clearly been preoccupied with her own problems, but still. It wasn't how I was used to being treated.
Everyone had a type, and if I was honest, I didn't go for snarky baristas much myself, but there was just something about her. Something that made me want to find out more about what made her tick and take her apart again and again. She was so beautiful when she was suffering for me and still begging for more, and it made me want to up the stakes and see just what I could put her through before she finally backed down and told me she'd had enough.
I also wanted to be there to put her back together, which was part of the deal when it came to BDSM and the sort of things I dabbled in, really. You couldn't break a submissive down if you weren't willing to build her back up again. Well, you could, but it made you a huge asshole.
Ash already thought I was a huge asshole, but she had no idea the kinds of creeps that were lurking out there.
I shook my head because it was cold out and the line of thinking I was on wasn't helpful for anyone. In a few days I would be back to pick her up for the ball, yet another of her contractual obligations if that was how she wanted to look at it.
I could see Ash was still ticked off at me for the airport stunt because when I texted her to make sure the dress fit the next day, she just sent back a simple /it's fine/, and then refused to humor any of my requests for pictures.
That was fine. She could have her attitude. I'd see the dress for myself the night of the ball.
I was weirdly nervous about it. There was a certain kind of fashion that people tended to adhere to for the ball. It was a fancy affair, for sure, but it was also a kinky affair.
People would be decked out in leather and latex, collars and chains. The servers always wore the bare minimum people could get away with, and there was an area set up for playing for an audience.
It was basically a fancy play party, and I knew for a fact Ash had never been to one of those. Hell, she'd probably never been to a ball at all before, so I had no idea what she was expecting.
I didn't want to tell her what she was in for because I was sure she would lash out and not want to go, and the annual Fetish Ball was one of my favorite things. She would just have to deal with it for a few hours. Other than going at all, I wasn't going to try to get her to do anything she didn't want to do.
I selected one of my nicer cars for the night, a sleek, all black BMW with heavily tinted windows, and drove to her apartment building.
I was amused thinking of what her neighbors and the other people who lived in the building had to think about me showing up there all the time in fancy cars. I wondered if anyone had asked her about me. I was pretty sure I knew what she'd say.
A woman with her arms full of two yelling kids let me into the building, staring at me in my tux as I walked towards the elevator. I gave her a smile, and she blushed to the roots of her hair before hurrying the other way. My smile lasted all the way up to Ash's floor and down the hall to her apartment.
I knocked and waited, listening to the sound of her swearing as she came to the door. When she opened it and I caught sight of her, I had to stop and stare for a moment.
She looked amazing. Ash was always a lovely woman, but the dress I'd picked for her was beautiful. It was long and black with sparkling seed beads sewn into the fabric from the hem up. They started a deep red in color and then got lighter and sparser as they moved up towards her hips and bodice, drawing the eye to the way the neckline dipped and showed off her collarbones and full breasts.
Her hair was pinned over one shoulder, putting one side of her slender neck on display, and she'd done her makeup light, but enough to draw attention to her striking eyes and full lips.
I let my eyes roam over her while I stood there, taking in the full picture, and she blushed and looked away from me, wrinkling her nose.
"Are you coming in or are you going to stand in the hallway gawking all night?" she muttered. "I still need to grab my coat and put my shoes on."
She left me standing there, so I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, watching the way the fabric of the dress clung to her shapely ass as she turned to walk back into her bedroom.
In the time I'd known her, I'd never seen her so dressed up before. She seemed the most comfortable in jeans and leggings, so seeing her in a dress, looking perfect for the ball took me a second to wrap my head around.
Even if she wasn't decked out in fetish gear, she was still going to be stunning.
Finally, she came out of her room with her coat over her arm and that flush still on her face. I was seized with the desire to pull her close and kiss her senseless, but I held back. If she was still mad at me, I didn't want to get kicked in the nuts.
"You look gorgeous," I said, finally speaking. "Stunning. Beautiful. That dress suits you so much."
"Well, you picked it out, so really you're just complimenting your own taste, aren't you?" she said, sounding put out.
I laughed and shook my head. "No, Ash. I mean, yes, the dress is lovely, but it helps that you're wearing it, believe me. If it was on a mannequin, I wouldn't say the mannequin was stunning. But
you... you're a vision."
Her blush deepened, and I saw her try and fail to hide a little smile as she looked away. "Well, thank you," she said. "It is a really nice dress. I appreciate that my whole ass isn't out or anything. I didn't know what your taste was going to be."
"Don't get me wrong," I said. "You'd look amazing with your whole ass out, too, but I knew you wouldn't be comfortable in something like that. I'm glad you like my choice."
She smiled for real, reaching up to pat awkwardly at her hair, and I had to wonder when the last time someone had made her feel beautiful was. "You don't look so bad yourself," she said. "I'm sure this kind of thing is the usual for you. Going to balls and looking dashing."
I grinned at her. "You think I look dashing?"
"You know what I mean."
"I know you said I look dashing."
"It's not news that you're attractive, Killian," she sighed. "Stop fishing for compliments." She fidgeted with her coat, and I stepped forward and took it for her, shaking it open and holding it out for her.
"Relax," I told her. "It's going to be fine. You look beautiful, and all you really have to do tonight is hob nob with some rich people and eat fancy snacks. I'm sure you can handle it."
"Of course I can handle it," she snapped, but there wasn't much heat to it. "I deal with rude customers at the coffee shop all day. I think I can deal with some kinky rich people."
"That's my girl," I said, and I was pleased when she made her usual annoyed face but didn't argue with me. I let her go first out the door, and down to my car, and once she was settled with the dress spread out around her, we headed off.
Chapter 7
Ash
I'd never been to a fetish ball before. Hell, I'd never been to any kind of ball before. That wasn't the kind of life I led. Balls were for glittering, glamorous people with enough money to afford gorgeous gowns and suits and all. I supposed with Killian's help, I was one of the people who could afford the dress, but I still felt out of place.
We walked into the ballroom, and it was beautiful. A little dim, but there were twinkling lights everywhere. Servers circled the room with trays held up on their hands, and I noticed that it was very much not ignoring the 'fetish' part of it all.
The servers all had collars on at the very least, and some of them went so far as being topless. One woman who passed us with a tray of champagne had on nothing but a frilly skirt and high heels, with a pair of clamps on her nipples that led up to her collar.
The guests at the ball weren't wearing much more in some cases. As Killian led me in, I felt like my head was on a swivel, turning left and right to try and take it all in.
There were people in collars, of course, that seemed to be the standard. Some of them were metal and gleamed when the twinkling lights danced off of them, and some were standard leather. I felt pleased that Killian hadn't insisted I wear my collar for the event.
A lot of dresses were made of latex in varying shades, leaving little to the imagination, and there was a woman in what looked like a full-face hood, being led around by a man with a leash in his hand.
I couldn't imagine being surrounded by people and not being able to see or interact with any of them, and I shuddered at the thought of it.
There were more tits on display than I'd ever seen in my life probably, most not even covered up with pasties or anything.
I felt relieved and overdressed all at once, and I glanced up at Killian who was smiling placidly.
"You didn't say it was going to be... all this," I muttered to him.
He lifted an eyebrow. "All what?"
"This," I said, barely holding myself back from gesturing around us at what I was seeing. "Naked people and hoods and stuff."
"No one is naked," he said, as if that was the point. "I told you it was a fetish ball, Ash. I don't know what you expected."
The really annoying part was he was right. I should have at least looked it up online to see if there were any standards or anything so I had a better idea of what I was getting myself into, but I'd assumed it was just... a time for kinky people to get dressed up and talk about being kinky while drinking champagne or something.
Clearly it was so much more than that.
We kept moving, and I tried to keep my eyes at eye level so I didn't accidentally see something I wasn't sure I wanted to see.
It seemed like we were in the main area, where the dancing and socializing was happening. There was a raised platform off to the side where the band was playing, and I wondered how they felt about providing entertainment for something like this.
I guess you didn't book a fetish ball unless you were into it or you really needed the money.
I could relate.
There was a curtained off section towards the back of the large space, and I was pretty sure I already knew what was back there. I didn't know why it didn't occur to me that there would be playing at something like this.
I smoothed my dress down around me, trying not to be self-conscious and nervous about the whole thing.
Killian was no help. He led us right to a group of people who were standing around with their champagne flutes, eating what looked like salmon puffs and laughing.
At least they were all clothed.
"Killian!" one of the women said excitedly when we walked over. "It has been far too long, darling."
They did that rich person cheek kiss, and I fought not to roll my eyes. I straightened myself up, trying to look like someone who belonged in a crowd like this.
"Abernathy," one of the men said, holding his hand out to shake. "A pleasure."
"Likewise," Killian said, smiling his politician smile. It didn't reach his eyes at all, but these people didn't seem to care. He nodded at the others who hadn't greeted him so enthusiastically and then motioned me forward. "I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Ashlyn."
And just fuck him, really. I knew it was coming, but that didn't make me feel any more prepared. I smiled, tight lipped but warm. "Hello," I said.
"Killian!" the woman cried again, and I still had no idea what her name was because apparently these people didn't know how to do introductions. "I never knew you were married!"
He held up his hand, flashing the ring. "For six months now. It was a very private ceremony." He was lying through his teeth, but these didn't seem like the sort of people who would get hung up on the details.
"Well, congratulations," the man said. "Are you going to break her in tonight?"
I balked at that, but kept my face composed as best I could.
Killian put a calming hand at the small of my back, and I didn't jerk away. "She's not a horse, Devon," he said. "And no, I don't think so. This is her first, after all."
The woman sighed dreamily. "I remember my first ball. It was lovely. I have no idea the name of the man I went home with that night, but I had bruises for weeks." She laughed and everyone else joined in.
I just kept my mouth shut.
Killian kept his hand where it was. "Well, we're going to make the rounds," he said. "We'll see you later."
I breathed a sigh of relief when he led me away from them, and I waited until we were out of earshot to say with feeling, "What the actual fuck?"
To my surprise, Killian laughed, a low sound that made me shiver a bit. "Yes, I know. They're a bit much."
"A bit much? That Devon guy deserved a slap in the face and then a kick in the nuts. And what's up with what's her face? Like, I'm not one to judge, if you want to go home with a stranger, you do you, but maybe, I don't know, don't let them do shit to you?"
"It's not best practice, no. But Karen has always had her own way of doing things."
I rolled my eyes. "Well, whatever. More power to her, I guess. Is everyone here like that?"
He shook his head. "No, some people have common sense and decency."
That startled a laugh out of me, and I glanced up at him, amused. But then I remembered how he'd introduced me. "So, we're pushing the wife thing, then?"
&nb
sp; Killian looked down at me, head tipped to the side. "Would you rather we didn't?"
"I don't know, it just seems weird. I mean. It's only for another eight months or so, and I don't know any of these people. I don't want them... judging me or whatever because I'm not wife material. I don't want to have to answer dumb questions about where my family's from and where we go on summers or whatever it is you rich people talk about when you're together."
He snorted, but didn't argue the point, so I had to think I was right. "Hm, that's fair," he said. "How would you like to be introduced, then?"
"I don't know. Your friend?"
"I don't think that quite covers it. How about partner?"
"Why partner?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "Because then it's up for debate whether I mean romantic partner or play partner or business partner. And no one will ask."
I chewed on my lip a bit, considering that. I did like the ambiguity. Putting a label on this weird thing we were doing felt... I didn't know. It didn't feel good, even though it very clearly had a label.
"Okay," I said finally. "That works."
"Excellent. Come on then, partner. There's more to see."
He kept his hand on the small of my back, and I let him. It was nice to have at least some sort of anchor in the middle of all of it all, and I trusted Killian not to abandon me, at the very least.
We met more people, all of whom seemed to know Killian. Clearly, he came to the ball every year. They weren't all as terrible as the first people we'd met, and they barely seemed to notice me, which I actually preferred.
I wasn't there because I had any real desire to be, and I didn't want to have to answer any uncomfortable questions.
A couple of hours later, we were still there, but had finally made our rounds of the room.
"So," Pretson said, looking at me once he'd drained his glass of champagne. "I'm going to assume you don't want to play tonight."
I paused, surprised to be given the choice. "Um. No?" I said. "I mean... no."
He chuckled and nodded. "Alright, then."
"That's it?" I asked him. "You're not going to try to press me into it? 'The contract' and all?" I imitated his voice at the last bit, making fun of how he'd pressured me into coming to this damned thing in the first place.