Dom Wars: Round Two Read online

  Taking my fork she offered me a bite, but I gently took the utensil. “No, love. I want you to eat too. We don’t have enough time.”

  She didn’t argue but picked up her own fork and waited while I did the same. “Do you think last night’s challenge helped us any?”

  The reminder sent heat surging through my cock. “It certainly helped me.” A sudden thought repeated the effect and I stood and went to her then drew her to her feet.

  “What are you doing?” The game face was firmly back in place.

  I led her to the sofa and lowered to my knees, undoing her jeans then pushing them down. I sat her on the couch and finished removing them. “Now I need to help you.” I met her gaze, giving her a chance to refuse.

  Her lips parted, but she didn’t object.

  A deep breath calmed me enough to speak. “You have two minutes to come, love, or I punish you.” I slid my palms up her silky thighs, almost panting with anticipation, pressing her legs wide.

  Unable to wait longer, I buried my mouth in her, parting delicate folds with my tongue, then plunging into her entrance as far as I could reach.

  She collapsed back on the cushions with a moan, raking my scalp with her nails and lifting her hips to give me full access.

  The need to feel more of her drove me to slide a finger into her, and concentrate on her clit with my tongue. She whimpered and bucked against me, clutching my head to her. Inner muscles tightened with the approach of her orgasm and I slid another finger in as far as possible, allowing my ring finger to press against her ass.

  Deep within the hot wet silk, I flicked my finger against that place that drew such incredible responses from her. I sucked her clit gently between my lips as her muscles vibrated.

  Tara’s thighs clamped around my head and her fingers locked in my hair as a high-pitched cry escaped her. She shattered right there in my hands, leaving me in absolute awe. The urge to tell her she was mine, would always be mine, left my throat burning, but I managed to keep it under control.

  I kept my face on her stomach while we caught our breath, never wanting to move.

  I reluctantly helped her dress and returned her to the kitchen where we both sat and ate the amazing breakfast. In the most awkward silence in the fucking universe.

  ****

  They took us to separate rooms this time. I waited in another interrogation-style torture chamber with one table and two chairs, wondering where they were taking Tara and why. Danielle entered the room dressed in a gauzy white peasant blouse that revealed a royal blue bra, and a flowing skirt in the same color. Great.

  Taking a seat across from me, she smiled in a way that said I wasn’t going to like this challenge. The fact that she entered alone, without her mini Secret Service Agent, confirmed it. She also expected to derive a great deal of satisfaction from the challenge. I couldn’t identify what gave me that impression, but it was there and it was strong.

  “Trust. How well do you know your partner?”

  Her ambiguous opening line held all sorts of possibilities, none that I could peg, and probably none I wanted to know. “Depends.” I’d just have to fish a little.

  She clasped her hands together and gave me her best seductive look. “What would you say… if I told you that right at this second, Tara is in another room, being offered five hundred points to kiss another man. Do you think she’d take it?”

  I fought the explosion of emotions her words provoked in me. Tara. Kiss. Another man. It all train-wrecked in my head producing a carnage I didn’t think I was capable of. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, keeping my gaze on the table. Answer the question. Fuck. It could be a trick question. To see if I’d doubt her. The problem was, she likely would. “Yes.”

  “Yes, you think she’d do it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well.” She sat forward and began undoing her blouse, taking her time. A narrow blue satin ribbon laced the front of the blouse together, and she let it slip sensually between her fingers. “I’m here to offer you the same opportunity. Only more points, of course. Since I like you. A thousand points?” She slid out of her blouse then opened the front of her bra. “All you have to do.” She removed the delicately embroidered satin from her breasts and glided perfectly manicured fingers over erect nipples. “Is lick them. That’s it. It’s a win-win. And just between the two of us, you don’t have to stop with licking my nipples. That’s not so challenging, now is it?”

  She stood and moved around the table until she stood next to me. The cloying scent of expensive perfume clogged my throat, threatening to gag me. I kept my gaze on the table, fighting my fury. Tara kissing another man. A thousand points? Just to lick a pair of really nice nipples? I was a fucking Dom, for crying out loud. She’d no doubt be furious if I didn’t. Fuck it, I didn’t want to. It felt wrong on so many levels. And I hated that Tara didn’t share that feeling.

  Danielle produced a cell phone, swiped the screen and held it out. I watched Tara in another room, watched a guy with his hands all over her. She stood there, still as a tree. The idea that she didn’t want him touching her, and yet made herself allow it, flooded me with equal portions of joy and fury.

  I clenched my jaws to keep from roaring. “Where is she?” My voice sounded strange even to my own ears.

  “Next room over.” The mirth in her answer made me sick.

  I got up and walked out, ignoring her insulted orders to come back. I went from one door to the next until I found Tara. “Get the fuck off of her.”

  The dude jerked up with a look on his face that begged to be punched right the fuck off. I didn’t deny the urgent request and my fist connected with that smirk on his mouth. Tara gasped and he hit the floor. I prayed I broke his perfect teeth or busted his lip—enough for the kind of stitches that left a scar.

  “What are you doing?” she asked. No, she demanded.

  I spun to her. “What are you doing?”

  “The same as you are!”

  “And what the fuck am I doing?”

  “I saw what you were doing.” Her brow furrowed slightly, betraying hurt feelings.

  I took a deep breath, fighting for calm, while eying the dude dragging himself up off the floor. “You didn’t see shit, because I didn’t fucking do anything.”

  The guy tried to get in my face and I gave him a shove, facing him, praying he’d come at me one more time. He stepped back with his hands up, wiping the blood from his lip. Come on you fucker, don’t stop, come on.

  “I don’t get paid enough for this.” He turned and walked out, leaving me with nothing to take my rage out on.

  “I saw you with her.” The hurt and betrayal in Tara’s whisper shook me to the ground.

  I grabbed my head, suddenly understanding. “What did you really see Tara? Think about it.”

  “I… she… Okay, fine, I quit looking because it was disgusting.”

  Her harsh tone said she’d already found me guilty. “Not as fucking disgusting as you, love.” I immediately wanted to take back the insult, but it was too late.

  Danielle walked in, still topless, clapping.

  I turned away from her, disgusted with her little schemes and the fact that she loved what they were doing to me and Tara.

  “Well you’ll both be happy to learn that at least one of you passed the test. Lucian was offered points for a challenge and refused. Tara was a big girl and took them. Good job.” She turned to Tara with a smile. “You have earned the right to Dom in the next challenge.” She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek and I couldn’t bring myself to stop her. I suddenly didn’t mind if it bothered Tara. And judging by the pissed look on her face, it did. Good.

  “What is wrong with you,” she said after Danielle walked out.

  I paced back and forth, fighting to process my feelings in a controlled manner. It wasn’t working out too well so kept my mouth shut.

  “I thought this was about winning a million dollars. It was a stupid kiss and I didn’t even want to, if that’s what you’re
thinking.”

  “Really?” As much as I knew that, I hated that she had allowed that man to touch her. “Anything for points, though right, love?”

  She quirked a brow, anger flashing in her eyes. “Jealous much?”

  I let out a derisive laugh at her tone. At that accusing tone. She was going to turn this around. If I let her. “About as much as I thought you were, yeah. But somebody here is just all talk, I think.”

  “All talk? Because I played the game we’re here to play? Why are you confused about this?”

  “Well fuck me for not being able to separate it. But let’s get this straight, love. I don’t want you kissing another man while with me. Even if it’s for only one day. If you’re with me, then you’re with me! Understood?”

  The jut of her chin said she caught my warning. I’d walk out if she didn’t comply, fucking right I would. It made me sick enough that I had to make her accept my limits. She jabbed her finger at me as she stepped in for a toe-to-toe distance, eyes practically glowing with the force of her anger.

  “You want more from me than this game? Is that it?” The sharp angle of her head in no way lessened the determination in her eyes. “You’ll have to earn it, love. I see what you’re doing, trying to break me down, trying to keep me open. But that’s not me. I don’t do wide open with anybody, especially not a man I hardly know who’s playing sex games for a million. Do I have stupid written on my forehead?” She hammered her pointer finger on her brow. “No, I don’t. I have smart written there.” She switched to nearly stabbing my chest with that finger. “Hot sex? Yeah, I’ll give you that. You really know how to seduce me with pleasure until I can’t even remember my own name. And yes, that’s a first for me. Problem is, I remember everything after. Real life isn’t a fucking mind blowing orgasm, Lucian. It’s more than that for me.”

  Fury seethed through me at what she implied. That I wanted her only for sex? Pleasure? Money? “Great.” I spread my arms wide. “By all means. Carry on. Let’s play the game and get your points.”

  “Our points!”

  “Hello!” Danielle hollered behind is. “I hate to break up the love chat, but…” she smiled brightly like we were the best fucking show ever, “…your next challenge awaits.”

  I spun on my heel and stomped out of the room.

  Chapter Eight

  I eyed Lucian’s pacing in the small hall. Wishing he’d quit that already, he was making me nervous. They gave us ten minutes to prepare, and then meet Danielle in the entry hall. I’d have rather they send anyone else with us, but it seemed we were stuck with her and the little man who always looked like he thought he was on the presidential protection detail. The man went over some sort of checklist, then nodded to Danielle.

  “Today’s challenge is at a different location, so we’ve arranged transportation. And we’ve been informed that a security issue has arisen. Mr. Grimes?” She nodded to the little black suit.

  “Ms. Reese, Mr. Bane.” His voice quipped. “I have been tasked with security concerns for all the Dom Wars events associated with this location.” We had never heard him speak aloud before, but he seemed quite comfortable with it. “Seems one of those ‘family values’ groups has decided to target the contest. The public relations and cyber-attacks were manageable, but they have discovered this physical location, and perhaps some of the others, making stronger security measures necessary.”

  Lucian glanced at me with one eyebrow raised. “What sort of threat are we talking about?”

  Grimes smiled, a mirthless, bloodthirsty expression that oddly fit his face. “A spokesperson for one of these groups has publicly stated there should be a bounty placed on the heads of those who participate in such deviant acts. We’re treating this as a very serious matter even if the statement is claimed to be a gag.”

  A cold brick settled in the pit of my stomach. “Do they know who we are?” What if Gramma saw my face plastered all over some religious program?

  “They do not.” Grimes seemed to be clearly aware what I was thinking. “We’ve been very careful with your names. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that they don’t have access to your images. That risk grows with every new subscriber. However, our legal department has drafted a warning about the unauthorized use of any Dom Wars footage, including still images from any source of contestants or organizers. For the time being, that has been enough to deter them from launching any sort of defamation campaign against anyone associated.”

  Oh. Dear. God. I suddenly had a mental nightmare image of me being sexually dommed by Lucian flashing across Gramma’s television screen. What about Lucian’s family? Did they know he was doing this? Judging by the tightness around his mouth, no they didn’t, and if they found out, they wouldn’t like it.

  Grimes spoke quietly into his phone’s headset, then nodded to Danielle. “The car is here. When I open this door, the two of you need to go directly into the open car door. Keep your heads down and don’t pay attention to anything else. The grounds are private but we never know what surveillance they may have managed. Just get in that car and get the door closed behind you. Understand.”

  Lucian and I both nodded. Grimes drew us up close to the exit door, opened it just a crack and glanced out, then flung it open and waved us through.

  Something, maybe instinct, made me reach for Lucian’s hand. When he grabbed my fingers and squeezed, the cold brick in my gut melted. We would be okay. Hand in hand, we darted through the door and crossed the dozen feet of concrete to the waiting car.

  Once inside, with the door closed, we looked around in shock. The car was a luxurious stretch limousine, complete with bar and built-in TV and computer. I had to bite my tongue to keep from squealing and betraying my excitement.

  “Sir? Ma’am? I’m Steven, your driver for the day. If you need anything, just press one of the green buttons on the door panels, the bar, or the climate control panel.” He was young with sparkly blue eyes, shiny skin over a pudgy face, smooth voice and impeccable articulation. “We’re scheduled to arrive at your destination in twenty-two minutes. Until then, please be assured, you will be perfectly safe. This vehicle is built to the same specifications as the armored limo used to transport the President of the United States. In addition, we have an armed escort.” He gave a slow nod and blink with a practiced assuring grin before becoming serious. “Do you have any questions?”

  “Uh. No.” Lucian glanced at me as though to make sure he spoke for both of us.

  I smiled at the still waiting man. “Thank you, Steven.”

  Looking around at all that luxury, I tried my best not to appear like a small town girl who’d never seen anything that nice. Easier said than done. My fingers itched to stroke the soft leather upholstery. Everywhere I turned, I found amazing bits of opulence.

  The entire ride was quiet and surreal then the car slowed and made a left turn. “We have reached your destination. Mr. Grimes asks that you stay back from the windows as we pass through the security gates at the venue. A sizeable contingent of protestors is uncomfortably close, and there is a significant press presence as well.”

  We stopped and I peeked around. Just a few feet away, kept out of reach by armed guards and razor wire, several hundred people carried signs and shouted about demons and perverts.

  “Don’t look at them, love.” Lucian looked impossibly relaxed with his head against the back of the seat and eyes closed. “The last thing you need is more reason to be a hard-ass.”

  I jerked to him, trying to come up with a suitable come-back. Problem was, I was a hard-ass. But I had to be. My anger was lost on the scene outside. Those people were there to object to something I was doing. It didn’t feel too great. Suddenly the twilight zone of the entire event had become more real, more… wrong-feeling.

  The car moved again and I quickly called up morbid thoughts of Gramma to sustain me. Images of her being neglected and possibly beaten at the nursing home. Jaw trembling, gut-wrenching crying and screaming. She needed me. I had to do this.<
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  Moments later, we were driven inside what looked like a big warehouse. The anxiety of what we’d just left was replaced with what might be coming inside this creepy place.

  They had us stay inside the limo until the outer doors were closed, insulating us from the insanity outside.

  ****

  Finally, it was time to get started. Lucian still seemed annoyingly relaxed as I took a deep breath and turned my attention to that new blonde announcer who angled herself slightly away from the camera after finishing her introduction.

  “Now, today’s challenge consists of three phases.” She included us in her conversation now. “The opening challenge leads into the second which leads to the third. The right to Dom in each challenge is determined by the winner.

  “The first challenge is a simple assembling together of a one hundred piece jigsaw puzzle. First to finish wins. Since Tara won the last competition, she’ll get to choose her puzzle.” We followed her to a long table holding a timer, several puzzle boxes, and two chairs. “You have five minutes to finish, and the number of seconds remaining on the clock will be multiplied by ten to determine your score. However, each second over the five minutes will cost points.”

  Sitting next to Lucian, I looked over the four choices and chose the most complex design, knowing it would be the easiest to put together.

  “Thanks.” Lucian selected his puzzle, apparently familiar with the same tidbit of strategy.

  “You’re welcome.” Mr. self-righteous. He was still acting like I was a hussy. I didn’t do anything wrong taking that kiss. It was just a stupid kiss and I didn’t even want it. And I don’t care what he said, I saw him look at her tits. Bastard. And he sure didn’t seem to mind when she kissed him on the cheek. I bet he was sorry he’d wasted the opportunity now. I bet I knew what he was up to. He was trying to make the big play, wrap me around his finger until I became his sub in real life. Add me to the little collection he no doubt still had. No more subs. Right. Sure. Sex was obviously his forte, his profession. I wasn’t stupid.