Perfectly Too Far (18 page)

Does
that mean he understands, or not?

Warily,
she set her palm in his, noticing how small it felt in his grasp. He
helped her up, and she settled her weight on her injured foot. It
stung, but it didn't hamper her movement.

“
If
you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to now. I have an
important event tonight I need to prepare for.” His smile was
tight as a drum, his back to her far too quickly.

Judith
stood there, watching him vanish down the hall. As he left, she
turned her head; catching a glimpse of the red door, its surface
shining, mocking her.

Yes,
she
thought sadly,
I
know exactly what event you're planning for tonight, Master Onyx.

With
long, labored strokes, she painted the mural.

It
was the first she could remember not enjoying her art. It held no
joy, no satisfaction, knowing the piece would be complete soon.

Filling
her lungs, Judith pushed air between her tight lips.
This sucks.

There
was no better way to frame it. The situation was unfair, she'd been
forced to walk away from the thing she wanted most. The thing she
hadn't even
thought
she could want.

Dragging
the brush over the wall, Judith realized she'd run out of paint.
Scowling, she pulled out her phone to look at the time.
Almost
eight. Dammit.
She'd wanted to be done, gone out the door before
anyone arrived that evening.
Guess I messed that up, too.

Rubbing
her neck, the young woman massaged her knotted muscles. She ached all
over, mostly from how awful her sleep had been.
All those
nightmares.

Abruptly
her phone came to life, the girl almost dropping it in her surprise.
Peeking at the number, she brightened up and answered it. “Hey
Lorraine, what's up?”

“
Judith!
Hey! Just calling to check in, see how things were progressing.”

“
Well,”
she sighed, eyeing the wall. “The mural is pretty close to done
and—“

“
No,
silly.” Lorraine's voice dropped an octave, burning with humor.
“I meant the progress on your mystery man.”

Tightening
her fingers on the phone, Judith scanned the foyer below. No one had
entered the house yet for the auction, but she still felt like that
conversation was better in private. “Oh, uh...” Scurrying
over the floor, she slammed the door of the guest room behind her.
“Right. That whole thing.”

“
'That
whole thing.' What a way to phrase it!”

“
Lorraine,
listen. The stuff between me and... that guy?” Sliding down the
door, Judith sat on the ground. “It isn't going so well.”

The
girl on the line made a sympathetic sound. “Do tell.”

“
It
just isn't going to work out. I—I guess you could say I messed
up, thought he was someone else.”
Or didn't think he was
someone, more specifically.

For
a long minute, the willow-haired woman was quiet. When Lorraine spoke
next, she was dubious. “Okay, so is the person he
really
is someone bad, someone you don't like?”

Chewing
her tongue, the red-head looked down at her feet, at the bandage.
“No, he isn't bad. He's just more than I bargained for, maybe?
I don't even know. Lorraine, there's more to him than I initially
suspected.”

Her
hard laughter was surprising. “Who the hell doesn't have more
to them than we think at first? Judith, you're looking at this all
wrong.”

“
I
am?”

“
Yes!
So your crush has more to him than on the surface. If it's good
stuff, what's the big deal?”

What's
the big deal...
Judith's eye
roamed over to her closet. “I need to go, Lorraine.”

“
Uh,
what? Already?”

“
Yeah,”
she whispered, rising with determination. “I just remembered
something I have to do.”

****

Standing
in front of the red door was harder than it had ever been before.

But
she had made up her mind, so she wasn't about to back down.

Stepping
through, her pretty chocolate flats made no noise on the descent.
Corbin waited by the curtain, she hardly gave him a glance. With her
mouth in a tight line, Judith scribbled down her name.

Pushing
through the curtain, her dress close to matching with its deep violet
hue, she stared around the room. Inside, there was a clear, excited
vibe.

And
I know the reason. The auction is tonight.

Glancing
side to side, she spotted Roseli. The taller girl was clad in a
flowing, wispy thing the color of burnt caramel. Her hair was wound
up, elaborate and lovely.

If
I follow her, I'll know where to go, what to do.

It
wasn't a long wait.

Helm
strode into the main area, standing tall with a surety possessed only
by kings. He was as intimidating as Master Onyx, but no where near as
thrilling. Looking over the crowd, he gave a curt jerk with his head.

Instantly,
Roseli and a few other girls began to follow him. Judith took a slow
breath, trailing in among the tiny group silently.

They
moved down a hall she'd never explored, a path that opened up into
the largest room so far. It was wide, brighter than the rest. Candles
illuminated the round platform in the center, a place that drew
Judith's attention, held it.

That
must be where we'll stand. We'll truly be like items in a show case.

How
right she was, it seemed. Helm motioned to Roseli, then one by one,
the women began to ascend to the stage. Judith shivered, avoiding the
Master's gaze when she followed suit. She thought he might say
something about her being there, yet he only smirked instead.

The
second they were all lined up, a group of masked slaves entered
through the doors. Judith didn't know who they were, why they were
there. “All of you are up for auction,” Helm snapped at
them. “Disrobe, then hand off your clothing to these women
here.”

Closing
her eyes, Judith forced herself to relax.
Of course, of course
they'd want that.
Beside her, she heard the gentle noise of
dresses unfolding. Looking down at herself, she used trembling
fingers to peel away the purple gown.

Darting
a look sideways, seeing everyone stripping their lingerie off, she
joined in reluctantly.

The
air was cool on her breasts, nipples firming in seconds. Her strip of
curls was her only protection. She realized the other women were all
shaved.

Bending
down, she offered her bundle of clothing to one of the masked woman,
spotting her collar glinting. “Your shoes as well,” the
brunette whispered. Frowning, Judith crouched to tug off her flats.
The first was uneventful, but the second...

Oh,
shit,
she almost gasped out
loud. There, wrapped around one slim heel, was the bandage Benedict
had placed on her that morning. No one noticed her wide eyes, why
would they?

Handing
off her shoes, she felt sweat slip down the middle of her chest.
This
could be bad.
She wondered in a
panic if he would see, if he might connect the dots like she had
about him.

“
Now,”
Helm called out, hands folded behind his back like a general. “All
of you will kneel, and all of you will be silent. The Masters are
about to arrive, assisting you in the grandest of your journeys. You
will be bought tonight, you will become the property of one of us. Do
not speak unless spoken to, do not act unless instructed.”

Shaking
all over, Judith was grateful to crumble to her knees. Turning
sideways, she saw the other girls all held a particular position;
backs straight, chest thrust, hands on their thighs.

Licking
her bottom lip, Judith emulated them as best she could. It felt
strange, sitting so quietly, her body exposed to the eyes of any who
wandered around the circular stage. They were elevated, almost eye
level with any Master who wandered close.

For
what felt like forever, they sat in silence. Judith saw Helm speaking
softly with his group of collared women, before they began arranging
chairs around the room. They'd barely finished when the first
footsteps down the hall reached the ears of all that had gathered.

Holding
her breath, Judith looked up.

They
entered with cool grace, heads held high and jaws squeezed tight.
Each of them masked, each of them a vision of pure male dominance.
Any one of them would have made her shiver, made her sweat and
squirm.

But
only
he
could make her quiver to her core.

Onyx
entered like a shadow, his outfit as black as tar. Lifting his chin,
he scanned the stage, focusing on her instantly. His intensity, his
calm disapproval, it struck her with absolute shame.

He's
angry that I came here. He told me he wouldn't let me so soon, that I
needed more training.

Well,
too bad, Master Onyx.

Too
bad, Benedict Vance.

Tonight
she would find out what she needed to know. It would influence her
decision to stay, or to leave and never return like she had thought
she must.

Tonight,
if he doesn't choose me, then I'll walk away.

“
Welcome,
everyone.” Helm spoke with a rumbling baritone, standing in
front of the sitting men. “Tonight we have five girls for you
to bid on, all of them lovely in their own ways. They've been
trained, and they're ready to serve. Let us begin, shall we?”

He
climbed on top of the stage, his boots clomping around them in a
circle. “First, we have the lovely Roseli.” Helm reached
down, stroking her shoulder. The girl flashed a tiny, pleased smile.
“She's the most patient of the bunch, and easily the most
beautiful.”

Wandering
around the girls, Helm talked about them as if they were livestock.
The compliments were scant, and by the time he reached Judith, she
was pink from nervous expectation.

Reaching
down, he grabbed her by the jaw, forcing her head up towards the
crowd.
No,
she thought desperately,
I don't want to look
out there, I'm not ready to meet his eyes!

“
This
girl,” Helm grunted, “is the most feisty of the lot. If
you don't enjoy a Sub who will require you to punish them at times, I
would avoid her.” Freezing, Judith glanced up at Helm in
surprise. His sneer was cruel, but his gaze was full of hunger. “I
was thinking of taking her myself, honestly, as I
do
quite
like the girls who need extra work.”

He
let her go, but his expression, his threat, stayed with Judith long
after.

No,
I can't go with Helm. If he picks me, I'll never come back here.

She
was spared from more of the cold man's commentary. He moved back
through the line, then dropped down to the floor. Folding his arms,
he nodded at the gathering. “I imagine you all want closer
looks. Go ahead, help yourselves.”

Closer
looks?