Slave To Love (36 page)

“Maybe you should take off the last lock so that I can leave with Mistress Night.”

Jace undid the second lock and stood. “Ah, the winner of the challenge.”

“I couldn’t name you.” Taren removed the device. She rubbed her hands over areas of her body where the straps cut into her skin.

“Of course not.” He held Taren’s free hand and dropped the keys into it.

“You tricked Sweetheart.”

He shook his head. “I told the truth. I haven’t thrown a whip in years. My technique was a bit rusty. I was very honest with her.” He moved in close to Taren and stared into her eyes. “See what honesty got me?” Jace couldn’t take being in this confined space with Taren without being able to do more. It killed him that he had to have a chaperone to remove a fucking chastity belt.

“It could have gotten you more, but—”

“But what?” He stopped before he reached the doorway.

“You scare me.”

Jace didn’t like hearing that from Taren. He turned like he would be following Soneni out the door. As soon as she stepped over the threshold, Jace slammed the bedroom door and locked it.

Taren didn’t look surprised or worried. “They’re going to break down the door.”

“They’ll do something. So will I.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Jace removed his hood. He wanted Taren to see him, all of him.

“You’ll get in trouble.” Taren placed her hand on his chest.

“Too late.” He leaned his head down and finally connected his lips to hers.

The first kiss blew his mind. It made him wonder why the hell he held off kissing her. Fear. He dreaded falling for someone who might not want him. Now it petrified him to think he could lose her.

Jace pressed his lips against hers harder. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, which she accepted. He barely heard the pounding on the door because it matched the thrumming of his heart.

He pulled back from her and stared into her eyes. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why?” she asked breathlessly.

“I want to put that damn belt back on you and make sure no one else has a chance of winning.”

“You think a belt will help me decide that?”

Jace liked that answer.

“Master, open this door or I’ll get Kitty!” Soneni continued banging on the door as she screamed. How someone so tiny contained so much power shocked him.

“Go get dressed.” Jace unlocked the door and opened it, making the poor assistant stumble into the room and nearly hit the floor. “The door is unstuck now. Imagine that.” Jace strolled out of the room and went back downstairs.

He had to figure out a way to get in more time with Taren. As soon as he walked into his bedroom, Lord No shot him a dirty look. Jace would also have to come up with a way to make this minor problem go away. Jace couldn’t lose to No, not again.

****

Taren strolled around the half of Club 4400 devoted to handmade adult toys. Furniture like the ones at the house sat on the showroom floor. Glass cases displayed all types of whips, canes, floggers, paddles and more.

Although Taren scanned all the items there, her mind stayed on Jace and that amazing kiss. He made her feel things she didn’t think she would at this stage of the game.

“What are you thinking about getting?” Mistress Night nudged her elbow against Taren’s arm.

Taren snapped out of her daydream to pay attention to the winner of that day’s events. “I don’t know. Still looking.” She glanced behind her to view the camera crew with cameras in her face and microphones looming overhead. It all seemed surreal that anyone would care what came out of her mouth.

“I’m thinking about this.”

Taren turned and her eyes widened. Night held up a big, purple fake dick that she could barely get her hand around. The Domme smiled as she waved it back and forth.

“It’s for a strap-on. What do you think?” Night put it in front of Taren’s face.

“It’s, um, very big.” Taren never thought of herself as a prude.

With that thing, she felt every available opening on her body slam close. She couldn’t imagine anyone enjoying something that monstrously big.

Apparently neither could Night. She started laughing and placed the item on the counter with a thud. “Your face. I just knew you would run out of here when you saw this thing.”

Taren exhaled in relief. “If you’re trying to get my attention, you did it.”

“Really? So I finally got your attention?” Night cocked her head as she regarded Taren.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Taren had a feeling of what Mistress Night meant, but she needed time to think. She didn’t want to lie to her. She needed a convincing truth.

“You don’t want a Domme. You’re interested in a Dom. Admit it.” Night strolled over to a wall of paddles and scanned them.

“I’m new to all this. I’m not sure what I should do.” That had been the truth.

Taren’s sexual attraction to Jace had been evident and proven a few times. That didn’t mean he would make a good Dom for her. The man told truths on his terms, which meant that she always had to be on her toes around him.

“What you should do is follow your heart and your instincts.” Night’s gravelly voice contained a sliver of warmth.

Night picked up a thick paddle that had a happy face cut out at the end. She placed it on the counter. Then she put her hand on top of Taren’s.

Taren jerked her hand away from her. The immediate reaction came from a different place than what she suspected Night must have assumed. In her mind, she still belonged to Jace, to Master. Taren ran her hand over her stomach to feel for the belt again. When she’d worn it, she felt a sense of pride. Jace didn’t put something on her that he didn’t think she could tolerate. She’d done it. She did it for him. She’d done it for herself.

“Your heart is telling you that you want a Dom.” Night stared into Taren’s eyes.

Night hadn’t been wrong.

“You don’t understand. I picked you and Miss Twist for a reason.” Taren continued looking into Night’s eyes to convince her that she told the truth. “I’m new to the lifestyle. I don’t know what my best fit is.”

“Close your eyes.”

Taren scanned the place. Although the merchandising half of Club 4400 had no one in it except for Taren, Mistress Night, the camera crew and the club’s employees, Taren felt silly closing her eyes in the place.

“Why?” Taren took a step back.

“Humor me.” Night took two steps closer to her.

Taren closed her eyes and hoped that if Night tried anything extreme that the camera crew would help her.

She felt and heard nothing at first. Far off in the distance, she caught the sounds of people moaning and crying in the dungeon portion. The cries managed to seep through the walls.

Like a soft breeze, she felt something light caressing the back of her hand. She didn’t flinch this time. The tickling sensation crept up her bare arm to her shoulder. The feeling twirled around her collarbone and down her other arm.

The light tickles continued to cover her skin until every hair on her body stood on end and she felt like she’d fallen into a fur-lined dream. Taren tilted her head back to enjoy more of the sensation. As the feeling began to lull her into a dreamlike state, she felt a hard smack on her ass.

Taren opened her eyes and stumbled backward. “What was that?” She touched her ass cheek that got the rough treatment.

“Until you opened your eyes, and before the spanking, did you like what you felt?” Night placed something that looked like a fur-lined paddle on the counter. She must have used that to rub over Taren’s skin.

“Yes. Then you spanked me.” Taren’s ass started to throb.

“When I did, did you think of me as a man or a woman?”

Taren started to answer that she thought of Night as a woman, but stopped. The hit she did almost equaled the spanking Jace had inflicted.

“You did it as hard as a man. But since I knew it was you, I knew you were a woman.”

Night stood directly in front of Taren. “If you let me, I could be what you want. I could give you the sensations that your body craves. I have no shame in who I am or what I do. Can you say the same thing?”

Right now, Taren couldn’t utter a word. She hadn’t expected to have her life turned upside down like this. She would have thought finding a Dom would be much easier. She could almost hear Dori in her ear screaming, “I told you so.”

“What do you know about Beauty?” Night looked over some canes while glancing at Taren.

“She seems nice. She enjoys serving.” Taren ran her hand over a few paddles sitting on the counter.

Night nodded. “Anything else?”

“She would rather be called Belle than Beauty.”

Mistress Night set a cane down on the counter. “Really?”

Taren nodded.

Night touched Taren’s hand and held it. Taren didn’t pull away from her this time. She didn’t flinch.

Even under her mask, Mistress Night managed to look sincere and serious. “I know you don’t want me. It’s okay. You had to choose between two people. I was the lesser of two evils.”

Taren started to refute Night’s statement, but Night held up her hand to stop her.

“It doesn’t hurt my feelings that you don’t want me as a Domme.” Night looked over her shoulder and moved closer to Taren. “Eliminate me next.”

Taren blinked. “Why would you ask me to do that? You’re a great Domme. Fear is an asshole. I want him gone.”

Night held up her hand. “You’re right about that. But it’s no use for you to drag out this process any longer than you have to. Plus, I’d like a shot at Belle.”

“Beauty.”

Night shook her head. “Belle.” She squeezed her hand, not to scare or hurt her. Night seemed desperate. “Please let me go. Next round. I’ll throw it or something. I could care less about the money. I need my freedom.”

Taren shook her head. “I can’t. You won. You have immunity.”

Mistress Night let Taren’s hand go. “I do? I don’t remember hearing Mackie say that at the end of the taping, do you?”

Taren thought about the shoot. She could have sworn Macabre said something about immunity, but the tapings and challenges all ran together. She couldn’t be sure.

“You’re smart, and you’re kind. Please figure out a way. I’d hate to quit because I’m not a quitter.” Night ran her hand over her hair. “But I deserve my shot at happiness just like you, you feel me?”

Taren nodded.

Night smiled. “Good.”

“I hope Beauty feels the same way about you.”

“Guess I’ll find out.”

A salesperson strolled over to Taren and Mistress Night. “Have you two decided on what you want.”

Taren looked at Night. At the same time, they answered, “Yes, we have.”

Night held up a paddle. “I want this.” She looked at Taren. “You know what you want?”

Taren smiled. “I’d like to see your chastity belts, please.”

With Night bowing out, she would have half of the contestants left. Taren knew she would be dropping Fear. That would leave her with Bruiser, Lord No, and Jace. Master. In different ways, they all made her nervous.

“Make a decision.”

Taren turned and saw the nervous production assistant tapping her foot while glaring at her.

“Easier said than done.” Taren wished she had listened to Dori.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jace paced in his room, his cell. Taping earlier had gone over well, but what happened afterward had him rattled. He kissed Taren. As hard as he tried to avoid it, he couldn’t help but capture her lips. Now that he had a taste, he wanted more.

“Stop all that marching.” Fear strolled out of the bathroom. “You act like you’re Taren’s dad and she’s out on her first date.”

Jace glared at Fear. He wished Sire Swift had kept his cool. Then again, if he had, Jace would have been leaving because he wanted to knock the shit out the arrogant jerk.

“You’re an asshole. You know that?” Jace sat on his bed as he glared at Fear.

Fear rubbed the side of his face where Swift landed his punch. “I know that I’m consistent. I didn’t come here to make friends.” He sat on his bed. “I came here to win a prize. That prize is fresh meat.” He reclined back on the bed. “So tell me. What’s your end game?”

Jace snickered. “Fuck you.”

“Come on, man. We’re all here for a reason.” Fear looked at Bruiser. “Why are you here?”

Bruiser shook his head. “Keep me out of your twisted shit, man.”

“Fine.” Fear turned to Lord No. “This dude here must think Taren is Ursula, and that she has his voice box.”

“Who?” Jace hated to open up any dialogue with Fear, but he stumped him with that reference.

Bruiser sat up straight on his bed. “Dude, did you really refer to
The Little Mermaid
?”

Jace, Fear, and Lord No turned to Bruiser when he made the comment.

“What? I have nieces. They love that movie.”  Bruiser shrugged. “Besides, I’m not the one who made the comment. I just figured out the reference.” He stood. “Hey, anyone willing to trade rooms with me now since there’s only one person in there with me?”

“Still a woman.” Fear shook his head.

“Wasn’t talking to you.” Bruiser stood in between Jace and Lord No. “What do you say?”

Jace stared at No. If Jace could get away from him and only have one set of eyes on him, he could do more. He could sneak out to the guesthouse to make calls. He could make more time to be with Taren. Plus he would be away from Fear.

“I’ll do it.” Jace went to the closet to grab his suitcase.

“Cool. Mistress Night snores like a fucking lumberjack.”

Lord No walked out of the bedroom. Since he had on a pair of swim trunks, Jace assumed he planned on taking a dip in the pool. Jace didn’t blame him. If he didn’t have his mind on Taren, he would have done the same thing.

Jace wasted no time in packing up his clothes and toiletries. A knock sounded on the doorframe. Jace peered over and saw Solo standing outside, holding a tray full of food.

“Enter,” Fear said without looking up at her.

“Sorry, sir.” She shook her head. “Slaves aren’t allowed in the Dominants’ quarters. We would both be eliminated.”