Slave To Love (33 page)

Jace put his hand on her shoulder. “Good to know.” He looked over her shoulder. “I do need you to do one thing for me.”

“Anything.” Sweetheart pressed her body against his.

“See that big pillow over there?” He pointed to a large, black-and-white striped pillow on top of one of the aftercare couches. “Bring that outside to the table.”

“Yes, sir.” Sweetheart went to the chair while Jace continued outside.

Taren hadn’t arrived yet, which worked for him. He had to prepare the stage for her arrival.

“Your pillow, sir.” Sweetheart trotted out to the poolside where he stood next to a small, round table with two place settings and two chairs.

“Thank you. Put it right there.” Jace pointed down.

Sweetheart hesitated before complying with his demand.

“Now take away a plate, glass, and utensils. I only want one place set on the table.” Jace had taken the crack about him playing Mr. Nice Guy to heart.

Now that his latent BDSM tendencies had been awakened, he felt like his old self again. If Taren wanted to be a part of this lifestyle, he would show her his true self. After that, he’d see if they’d have any more late-night rendezvous.

Jace sent Sweetheart into the kitchen to retrieve their dinner. Before she returned, Taren arrived. She wore a short, gold dress that showed off her incredibly shapely legs. She styled her hair in big, loose curls that he wanted to run his fingers through and grab. Taren wore a pair of strappy sandals with a modest heel. Her glistening pink lips and her wide, expressive eyes caught his attention more than her garment.

Jace held out his hand for her. “You look wonderful.”

Taren accepted it. “Thank you. You clean up well yourself.” She started to take a seat when Jace stopped her.

“No, no. You won’t be sitting at the table.” He shook his head. Then he pointed down. “Kneel.”

Taren glanced down at the pillow. “You want me kneeling on the pillow?”

At that time, Sweetheart returned with a plate of salad.

“Yes. Get down on your knees and face me.” He let Taren’s hand go.

“Oh, Jesus,” Sweetheart said under her breath but loud enough that Jace heard her.

From the way Taren turned to the slave, she probably caught Sweetheart’s outburst, too.

“Sorry.” Sweetheart returned to the main house.

Jace faced Taren. “I’m waiting.”

Taren took a moment before she threw her shoulders back, took a deep breath, and lowered herself to the pillow. She gazed up at Jace while he sat down at the table.

“Thank you for selecting me as the winner for today’s challenge.” He held up a black cloth napkin and stared at Taren for a moment.

She dropped her gaze to the napkin. She broke her attention from it to stare at Jace again. “You’re welcome. I was impressed not only by your spanking technique, but I liked how you care for submissives.”

“You mean Sweetheart?”

“And Solo. No one else stepped up to help her but you. That caught my attention.” She swallowed hard. “You are all about the total package. You want to give a person the full experience.”

“Only going partway is not any fun. If you’re going to do something, go all out.” He winked at Taren.

Sweetheart returned to the table, this time with a bottle of wine. “Is this to your liking, sir?”

He never broke his gaze from Taren. “No alcohol tonight. I may want to play later.”

Both Taren and Sweetheart sighed.

Jace continued. “Will you get me some water and iced tea?”

Sweetheart bowed her head. It didn’t take her long to return with a pitcher filled with water and a second one with a darker liquid. She poured them in two different glasses.

“May I ask a question?” Taren placed her hands on her lap.

“Yes.” Jace couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say about this situation.

He had to admit that he figured Taren would have refused to drop to her knees, especially on national TV. She hadn’t. As he observed her, she started to act more and more like a proper submissive.

“Will you tell me about your work? I know you’re a builder. What else?” Taren watched him.

Jace hadn’t expected that she would ask him that question. He figured she would have asked about her treatment. That fact that she treated this new position like it could be a new normal for her gave him hope that she hadn’t gone into this venture with her eyes shut.

“I do own my own company. It took me many, many years and a lot of struggling to get it off the ground.” Jace cut into his salad. He stabbed his fork into some of it. “The struggle reminds me every day to hold tight to what it is I do. If I slack off even one time, I’ll lose. And I don’t like to lose.”

Jace started to bring it up to his lips, then at the last minute, he turned the fork around and put it in front of Taren’s mouth.

She blinked, then stared at the food for a moment before parting her lips and accepting his offering.

“Good?” He retrieved some more food for himself this time.

Taren nodded. “Yes, Master.”

He hesitated when she called him by his scene name. For so many reasons, he wanted this world to be real, her reaction to be authentic, this life to be theirs.

He chewed on the salad, not caring about the taste or texture. “You asked me about my career. It wasn’t easy.” He got another helping for Taren and served it to her. “I struggled early in my life.” He gave her a knowing look, hoping she wouldn’t ask him to delve into his personal history on TV. Jace glanced behind her to glare at the two cameramen catching the action. “When I got through the dark period, I was determined to make something of myself. I don’t think anyone in my family thought I could do anything beyond being a screw-up.”

Taren snickered.

Jace fisted his fork in his hand as he regarded her. “Did I say something amusing?”

She nodded. “Your life sounds so much like mine. No one wants or expects me to do anything. I think if my mother could find a way or figure out a law, she would put me in a pretty outfit and place me on a shelf like a doll for all the world to stare at but never touch. No one expects much from me either.”

He held up another serving of salad to her. “Is that why you’re doing this show?”

Taren looked at the food, then brought her gaze up to Jace. She didn’t verbally respond. She shook her head and dropped her gaze to the ground.

Jace ate the offering. “If it’s any consolation, it really does get better. I started off doing handyman jobs from my old, beat-up pickup truck. I picked up the guy who was looking for work in front of a hardware store. He’s now my foreman. I trust him with my business.” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Jace knew that he could also trust Aaron. “I have over a hundred people on my payroll.” He picked up the glass of tea first and held it up to Taren.

“That’s inspiring.” She took a sip of the tea.

Jace pulled the glass from her mouth, then wiped around her lips with his napkin. “You’ll move someone, too, one day.” He held her chin and made her look at him. “Have faith.”

Taren nodded and sniffed like she wanted to hold back some tears. Jace had to shake up the mood. Get her out of her head.

“Sweetheart.” He continued feeding Taren salad while his slave approached him.

“Yes, sir?” Sweetheart stood next to Jace but with her back to Taren.

“It’s a bit warm out here. Remove Taren’s dress for her.”

Taren’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

Jace dropped his fork. “Are you questioning my decision?”

She split her attention between Jace and Sweetheart. “Uh, no, sir.”

He glared at Sweetheart. “I gave you an order.”

“Yes, sir.” Sweetheart unzipped Taren’s dress.

Taren had to raise her knees off the pillow in order for Sweetheart to pull the dress over her head. Taren remained on the pillow wearing a purple lace bra and panty set.

“Good. Much better.” Jace smiled. He turned to Sweetheart. “Remove the salad plate. We’re ready for dinner.”

****

Taren should have expected to be in all states of undress at some time during the show. She didn’t know it would happen at the end of the second episode. While Jace continued feeding her dinner and telling her about his life and career, she sat kneeling on a pillow in her underwear while cameras caught the whole scene.

When she thought she would have been embarrassed by it all, Taren remembered that she couldn’t do this a few years ago. She wouldn’t have been strong enough or brave enough.

She stared at Jace, the man determined to push her boundaries. She had to do the same to him.

“I like your new mask.” She licked her lips.

Being served buttery lobster had its drawbacks. Or maybe she drooled because of Jace and how he looked in his clothes…and out of them. He saw something in her that no one else had, strength.

“The director felt I would be able to eat better if nothing obstructed my mouth.” Jace rubbed his hand over his dimpled chin.

“When asked to pick a type of play to watch, you chose spanking. Why?” Jace summoned Sweetheart over to remove the dinner plate.

She did so while Taren answered his question.

“I had a really good experience with a spanking scene. I mean
really
good.” The more Taren thought about how Jace had handled her, the more her insides quivered.

She wanted him again. Now. Here.

“That’s nice. But Sire Swift was right. Spanking is a discipline more than it is a play scene. If asked again, what else would you have chosen?” Jace stretched his long legs out in front of her and crossed them at his ankles as he reclined back in his chair.

“I don’t know.” Taren shrugged.

Sweetheart brought a piece of cherry pie with vanilla bean ice cream on the side to Jace for their dessert.

“Think.” Jace picked up a fork and flicked the crust off the pie.

The move looked strange to Taren. Did he not like the dessert? She watched him on his expedition when, like a hunter, he located his catch. He stabbed the tines into a plump, juicy cherry, dripping with thick, gelatinous ooze, and he brought it to her lips.

He dragged the cherry over her lips. Taren smelled the fruit and wanted so much to taste it. She started to dart out her tongue when Jace stopped her.

“No, no. No tasting yet.” He continued painting her lips until he stopped.

He stared at her, admiring his work before he put the fork in his mouth. He groaned as he chewed the dessert. “So sweet.” He nodded. “Now you can taste it. Put your tongue out.”

She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue while avoiding touching her lips.

“Lick it off.”

Taren dragged her tongue over her lips and tasted the ultra-sweet dessert.

“Good, right?” Jace nodded.

“Yes, sir.” She turned and looked into the dungeon area. “Will you show me a toy in there?”

Jace glanced at the room then back at her. “We were supposed to only eat dinner.”

She smiled. “I was supposed to be sitting at the table, enjoying my own meal and dressed. Plans change on a dime, right?”

Jace wiped his mouth. “Right.” He stood and held out his hand to her.

Taren accepted it and followed him into the dungeon. He continued holding her hand as he led her around the place.

“Is there something here that you’re curious about that you having seen in action?” Jace released her hand. He continued strolling around the space.

“Plenty. Do you really hit people with those?” She pointed to a row of slender sticks that hung from the wall.

“Canes. They’re called canes. Yes, I do.” He removed one from the wall that looked like a pussy willow stem. “Give me your hand.”

Without hesitation, she did so. Jace turned her hand over and smacked the cane over the soft flesh on her arm.

“You like that?” Jace continued drumming over her arm, going up and down to vary the spots.

Taren nodded. “Feels different.” She paced in her spot. Taren peered at the opposite wall. “What about those?”

Jace put the cane back in its spot and moved over to the other wall. “Floggers.” He picked one up that looked like it had strips of purple suede coming out of the handle. “Stand right here.” He put his hand on her shoulder as he stood behind her. “Don’t move.”

She did as requested. She didn’t hear when Jace swung the flogger. She felt it, though, when he landed on her back. Taren gasped at the connection.

“Did it hurt?” Jace’s voice lowered an octave.

Taren shook her head.

“Speak to me.”

“No, it didn’t.”

He touched her shoulder. “So you reacted out of surprise and not pain or fear.”

She turned her head to see him.

“Answer.”

She stopped moving. “Surprise.”

Jace patted her shoulder before moving away from her. “Flogging would be a good scene to do.”

“I don’t know if I could handle a full scene like that.” She wrung her hands together.

Each time she thought about the way he touched her, the stroke of the flogger tails, and his absolute control over her during dinner, her stomach compressed into a ball. Her flesh felt electrified. She experienced the same feeling she had when Jace had taken her to Club 4400. She needed to get out of this room or she would make a huge mistake.

“Why couldn’t you handle a flogging scene? Are you afraid?” Jace moved to the other side of the room and started looking through drawers at everything the show had to offer.

“Afraid? Yes. But not in the way you think.”

Jace turned around to her. He stared at her. He looked like he studied her.

“Flogging. Caning. All of it. It’s all so personal. There’s a connection I didn’t expect to feel from it. It’s knowing that a person is inflicting the discipline that—” She hesitated, trying to find the right word to describe her feeling. “—excites me.” She drew her knees together and paced in her spot if only to rub her clit without touching it with her hand.

Jace continued on his scavenger hunt as though he hadn’t heard what she’d said. Suddenly he stopped searching. His hunt ended.

“Take off your panties.” Jace didn’t turn around. He kept his hands on top of the counter in front of him.

Taren slid her hands down the sides of her panties and eased them down her legs. She no longer cared that camera crews watched her every move. If Jace wanted to fuck her like Eagan had with his final two contestants, she would welcome it. She would want it.