Slave To Love (42 page)

Jace ran to the door and flung it open. Inside he found Kitty, Macabre, and Taren standing on one side of the dungeon and the rest of the contestants and slaves standing on the other side. It felt like a Wild West moment where he had stepped in between an impending duel.

“What the hell is going on?” Jace volleyed his attention between the two groups.

“I overheard Junior over here telling his slave that they would be together soon.” Fear pointed to Bruiser. “If he doesn’t want to be here, his ass needs to leave.” He turned to Taren. “I want to win. Don’t waste film on him. Get him out now.”

“That’s fine.” Bruiser ripped off his mask. His low brow covered his brooding blue eyes. He looked handsome, evident by the way Breeze stared at him like he had transformed into a movie star. “I can’t help that I fell for my house slave.”

Solo and Sweetheart stared at Breeze. Bubbles kept her gaze down to the floor.

“The only way you’re going to get a submissive is by winning her.” Bruiser looked at Taren. “I don’t think she wants you either.”

Fear charged at Bruiser, who didn’t back down. He released Breeze’s hand and went after Fear. Lord No and Jace intervened in time to break the two men up before blows could be thrown, although had Jace let Fear thrown the first punch, he would have been eliminated.

“Get off me!” Fear struggled out of Jace’s grip. When he did, he glared at Bruiser. “You’re a fucking joke.”

Bruiser chuckled. “Me? At least I know how to cane, mother fucker.” He turned to Kitty and Taren. “It’s true. I’ve fallen for Karonica.”

“Who?” Fear and Macabre asked at the same time.

Bruiser stared at Breeze and ran his finger along the side of her face. “This woman here. When we’re not playing, I want you to call me Dru, okay?” He broke his stare from her to turn to Taren. “I wouldn’t have been a good Dom for you. I would be thinking about her, wanting her, wanting to play with her.” Then he looked at Kitty. “Sorry if this ruins the flow of the show. I’ll do whatever the next task is if you want and Taren can go through the motions of eliminating me.”

“Fuck that. Let him go. Gets me closer to the prize.” Fear rubbed his hands together and stared suggestively at Taren.

To stop that, Jace stood in between Fear and Taren to block his view. “Kitty, what are you going to do?”

She looked at the group and cursed. “There was a fucking plan, man.” She shook her head. “Fine. You.” She pointed to Bruiser and Breeze. “We’ll do interviews with you.” Then she turned to Taren. “We’ll get your reaction to this turn of events. The winner of tonight’s events was going to get to play with you exclusively in there.” She pointed to the guesthouse. “Since we’re not going through the motions of doing a challenge, I’d say that Lord No gets Taren for the night.”

“What? No.” Jace shook his head. He had to keep under wraps that the guesthouse had been designated as been off limits. As a contestant on the show, he shouldn’t have known that. “Can I talk to you?” He pointed to Kitty.

“No.” She looked beyond him and pointed to Lord No. “You and Taren can go into guesthouse. You’ll have it for the night. Take whatever toys you want. There are no cameras in there.” She glared at Jace like they shared an unspoken conversation.

Jace knew this prize for Lord No had been a punishment for Jace.

“Bruiser and Breeze, we’ll do your exit interview here. Then you’ll go see the P.A. to get your hotel assignment.” Kitty turned to Lord No. “Congratulations on the last win. Have fun.” She walked out of the room but not without Jace on her heels.

“You know that place is off limits,” Jace said under his breath to her. “I still have shit in there.”

“Too bad. I have Doms falling for house slaves. I need to do something to shake up this show so that I can keep my job.” She patted Jace’s chest. “Guess you shouldn’t have dipped your pen in the company ink, huh?”

He pushed her hand off him.

“And, yes, I know I’m a bitch.” She smirked. “It’s my best quality.”

When she walked off, Jace turned to talk to Taren. When he did, he found her and Lord No gone. Sweetheart and Bubbles remained in the room talking to each other.

“Where did No and Taren go?” Jace looked at the remaining slaves.

“Where do you think?” Solo nodded her head toward the guesthouse.

Jace rushed to the glass but stayed inside the house. He pressed his hands against the window. Even though he didn’t want to look like a dog missing its master, he knew he appeared that way. Funny how a submissive in training managed to get
him
to submit.

“Sir, is there anything you would like for me to do?” Sweetheart put her hand on his arm. “We have a whole dungeon here.”

Jace glanced at her. “Not in the mood. Take the night off.”

He returned to his room. He would have to wait until Lord No returned to know when Taren would be free. God help Lord No if he did anything to Taren.

****

Taren took deep, cleansing breaths as she stared at Lord No across the room. Why the hell had Kitty let her be alone with this man without cameras or supervision?

She started to head to the door when Lord No blocked her path. He appeared menacing in his open black button-down shirt, black slacks, and black shoes. The fact that he wore a black mask that looked like it came straight from a horror movie had her quivering.

Lord No pointed to the bed and then to her. Did he want her to strip? Did he want to have sex with her?

Taren shook her head. “I’m not sleeping with you.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll scream so loud to get security in here. I know Bubbles fears you.”

Lord No blinked. He stood perfectly still.

“She wanted to switch with another slave but you Doms wouldn’t switch up with anyone.” She started to head to the door again, when Lord No grabbed her shoulders. “Get off me! Don’t touch me!”

He pushed her on to the bed and held his hand up as though asking to stay in her spot. Taren propped her upper body on her elbows. She breathed hard as she watched him.

When he opened the drawer next to the nightstand, she saw that as a sign that the man searched for condoms. She scrambled to her feet and tried fleeing again.

No managed to net her in his arm and bring her back to the bed. He pinned her down to the mattress by straddling her body. In his hand, he had a notepad and a pen.

Taren didn’t care what he wrote. She wouldn’t be a victim. With all of her might, she kicked her leg up as much as she could between Lord No’s legs. She heard him grunt when she made contact, but he pressed her legs down and turned the pad over so she could see his message.

Not going to hurt you. Want to talk.

Taren slowed her thrashing. Lord No took that opportunity to carefully climb off her body. He sat at a desk chair across from the bed. He flipped the paper to the next clean sheet and scribbled another message. He showed it to her.

Eliminate me next. I shouldn’t be here.

Taren sat up. “Jesus Christ, not you, too. I’m so sick and tired of this. Why am I not good enough for you Doms?”

Lord No shook his head. He wrote something and showed her.

“‘Bubbles should be home with her family.’” Taren looked at No after she read his message. “You know Bubbles?”

He nodded.

“Before coming here?”

He nodded again. This time he removed his mask. Hot damn, the man looked stunning. He could stop traffic with his drop-dead gorgeous face. A strong brow, full, kissable lips, and those hypnotic light blue eyes.

He wrote another message and showed Taren.

“You owned her.” Taren shook her head. “Why is she so opposed to being with you? Did you hurt her?”

He shook his head. With great force he wrote
Never
on the paper.

“So what was it?”

Lord No wrote for a while before he handed the pad to Taren.

I’ve owned Bubbles for a year. I learned about her mother and I tried to help her. She refused my help. Then she asked to be released. I came here hoping to forget her. I guess she did the same thing.

Taren held the pad. It all started to make sense for her now. “She didn’t want you thinking she was using you for money?”

He nodded.

Taren handed the notepad back to him. “You two coming here is fate.” She smiled. “Is that why you’re blackmailing Master?”

Lord No looked down for a moment before writing his next message. He showed her several dollar signs on the paper.

She needs money. The longer she stays and if I win will get her the money she needs.

“You would give up your winnings for her?”

Lord No smiled as he wrote down his answer.
In a heartbeat.

Taren nodded. “I understand.” She laughed. “I thought you were so cruel.”

He pointed to himself, smirked, and nodded.

She shook her head. “No, you have a good heart. You’re willing to do whatever for her.”

Lord No shook his head. He wrote another message to her.

“‘I wish she knew that. I needed someone to talk to about Anya.’” Taren liked that he called her by her real name. He did know her. He cared for her. “I can’t believe you’re willing to leave for her. Not a lot of men are that devoted, Dom or not.”

Lord No stood and walked over to the window. He motioned for Taren to join him. When she did, he pointed to the main house.

Taren spotted Jace pacing back and forth at the window and looking across at the guesthouse. Lord No pointed to Jace then to Taren. He nodded.

“He’s just being a Dom.” If she truly felt that way, why had her heart started drumming out of control?

No shook his head. He pointed to Jace then to Taren. Lord No pointed to himself and Anya’s name on his notepad.

Taren had to get off topic or she would drive herself crazy thinking that it would possible to have something more with Jace. No love in BDSM. If that were true, why had it happened all around her?

“Why don’t you talk?” She returned to the common area of the guesthouse and sat in a high-back chair.

Lord No returned to the desk chair. He put his hands to his neck, the signal Taren had always known to mean choking. He shook his head.

“But you
can
talk. I saw you when you caned Bubbles. It looked like you said something to her in her ear.”

He shook his head vigorously this time.

“Okay. You don’t talk. And you don’t want to play.”

No shook his head again. He scribbled on the pad and showed her.

“You want to play. But not with me.” Taren snickered. “Story of my life. So what do you want to do?”

He wrote his answer, stood, and presented it to her.

“You want to hold me?” Taren looked at his request, then at the man.

He continued writing, then showed her his response.

It’s been a while since I held a woman. I got a taste of it after the caning session. Need more.

Taren stood. “No need to explain.” She took his hand and went to the bedroom area.

He took off his shoes and climbed into bed. Then he helped Taren onto the bed. He pressed his back against the headboard and opened his arms to her. The view looked too inviting to refuse. She curled up next to him with her back against his chest.

He stroked his hand down her back, a soothing motion that relaxed her. She couldn’t imagine Bubbles refusing him.

“You have to get your woman.” Taren patted his arm. “If you care for her, you have to let her know.”

He stroked her hair. Taren needed to take her own advice. She’d been letting Jace control whatever they had between each other by spouting rules of the lifestyle. Fuck the rules.

Taren settled against Lord No’s chest. Without warning, she felt a gentle vibration. He’d started humming. It sounded like “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. Next came the rocking, so gentle and soothing.

“You would make an awesome dad.” Taren snuggled next to him.

She remembered Lord No switching to another song, but she couldn’t remember the name of it before she succumbed to sleep.

****

Jace couldn’t take the waiting. Taren and Lord No had been gone for most of the night.

“Fuck this.” He stormed out of bed in his pajama bottoms, stomped through the dungeon to the back door.

He padded across the yard to the guesthouse. Before he touched the knob, he saw it jiggling. Jace managed to get himself to the side of the house before he saw who exited. With mask in hand, Lord No marched across the yard to the house. Where the hell was Taren?

Jace burst into the house. He found Taren standing, fully clothed, with her back to him. She stretched her arms in the air, then brought her hands down to her back. What the hell had that asshole done to her?

“Taren? Taren, baby.” Jace ran around her to face her. He didn’t want to jostle her back in case Lord No had injured her.

“Lord No?” She wiped her face.

“No.” Jace didn’t mean to snap at her, but she had him worried.

She looked around the room. “Why are you here?”

“You hadn’t come back to the house. I was concerned.” Jace crossed his arms over his chest when it seemed like her full concentration went to another man.

“I was fine. Lord No and I had a talk.” She laughed. “I talked.” She picked up a pad from the nightstand. “He did a lot of writing.” She handed it to him.

Jace looked through to read each and every message. Then he stared at Taren. “Him and Bubbles?”

Taren nodded. “The streak continues.” She headed to the door. “It’s official. I’m catnip for Dominants. Put me around you and you’ll fall in love…with someone else.”

“This situation is not a reflection on you. He cared for her before they got here.” Jace stood behind her.

“I know. Still doesn’t make me feel good.” She shrugged. “But we need to go.”

“Why?”

The doorknob jiggled again. Jace put his arm around Taren’s waist and pulled her into the closet. If the producers or Kitty had come in, he didn’t want to get in trouble for going to the guesthouse.

He stood behind Taren with his arm around her waist. Her musky scent wafted up to his face. On instinct, he held her closer. When he heard voices in the main house, he gently nudged the closet door open to see the action.