Текст книги "Disgraced"

Автор книги: Annabel Chant

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

Twenty Eight

Her

I ate enough of my dinner to satisfy Nathaniel but, even so, every mouthful was an effort. I was so nervous, being there with him, my throat felt half its normal size as I forced down the meal. It wasn’t only the promise of the evening to come. It was more basic than that. I still didn’t understand why he wanted me – especially after how I’d acted ever since he’d met me. He was just too good looking, too rich and self-assured.

Sitting opposite me, so stunning in his tuxedo, his composure both enthralled and dismayed me. I felt like a little girl in his presence – naïve and rudderless, flailing from one disaster to the next.

I hoped tonight wouldn’t be yet another.

When I finally put down my cutlery and drained the last drops from my wine glass, he looked at me for a few moments, consideringly. ‘Come on,’ he said, standing up. ‘Let’s get you appropriately attired.’

He led me back into the bedroom. On the sheets, a squarish box lay, shallow and matte black –  a wide, baby-pink taffeta ribbon wrapped from corner to corner across it.

‘It’s for you,’ Nathaniel said, moving behind me. ‘Open it. See what you think.’

My fingers trembled as I pulled at the ends of the bow. The ribbon was loosely tied and fell apart, its ends trailing across the white silk of the sheets as I began, tentatively, to open the box.

‘I hope you like it,’ he added, sounding less sure of himself than he had at any time since I met him.

As I lifted the lid, I had no idea what to expect. It was clothing – that much I’d guessed already – but what kind of clothing would be appropriate for Dominion? I had visions of black leather or, more intimidating still, latex. My heart raced as I peered inside.

Whatever was in there was not yet apparent, layers of pink tissue frustrating my need to find out quickly. As I peeled them back, I was at first perplexed, then relieved. Nestled inside the tissue paper was an outfit, which I could see at once was entirely suitable for its purpose, but neither black, nor rubber.

‘You’re a Dominion virgin,’ Nathaniel said, as I removed the top article from its packaging. ‘And untouchable. I wanted to reflect that.’

‘But where did you…?’ I began, trailing off as I lifted the white leather corset up in front of me.

‘We have a shop, of sorts, at the club.’ He put his arms around my waist and gently picked at the knot of my dressing gown until it fell open. Then he lifted his hands to my shoulders and pulled at the gown until it lost its hold on me and fell to the floor.

I hardly noticed. I was utterly captivated by the garment in my hand and merely swapped it from one hand to the other to let the gown drop. I could feel his eyes upon my nakedness as I moved over to the mirror, still holding it up in front of me.

It was beautiful – finely stitched and soft as kid – and, as I pulled it down and over my breasts, I understood why he’d chosen it. The bustier part was revealing, merely a network of leather laces, yet it hid my nipples, pushing up the swell of my breasts from below. Beneath that, it tapered off into a tightly panelled corset, laced up the front with more strands of leather.

It stopped at my hips, suspenders dangling uselessly from front and back, the rounds of my buttocks peeking out from behind, my pubic mound exposed in front. I turned this way and that, pulling at the laces to tighten it and trying to figure out if I was doing it justice.

‘It’s a good deal more modest than some of the outfits.’ He shot me a smile, as if my fascination amused him. ‘I don’t think you’re quite ready for that kind of thing. But you can’t go dressed like a nun. Then, you really would stand out.’

Modest? I had on nothing but a corset. I hoped fervently that there was some kind of undergarment in amongst that tissue paper.

It seemed there was, because he went to the box and sorted through the packaging. But what he drew out was a pair of thigh-high leather boots, as white as the corset.

‘Put them on,’ he commanded, and I sank down onto the bed, pulling the boots up my legs before zipping them tight up the insides of my thighs, all the while trying to keep my legs closed. At the tops of the boots were suspender fittings.

I looked up at him. ‘Do these…?’

He nodded. ‘Allow me to assist you, Miss Anderton.’

I stood up and he knelt down beside me, his fingers snapping the fittings deftly into their holders. His touch against my legs made my bare skin pulse but, even so, I couldn’t help laughing as I looked down at him. ‘Well,’ I said. ‘Is this for real? Are you kneeling before me?’

He stood up, one eyebrow raised and an amused expression on his face. ‘Don’t get used to it, Angel,’ he said. ‘And less of your cheek. You’ll suffer for it later, you know.’

Despite my nerves, his words sent another thrill through me, tingling my clit and making my walls clench with excitement despite myself. I felt my nipples harden as he put his hands to my shoulders, turning me until I was standing before him.

He perused me thoughtfully. ‘Yes,’ he said, finally. ‘Just one more thing, I think.’

At last, I thought, relieved. Something to hide my modesty.

And it was, in a way. He pulled a small white leather package from the box, and carefully shook it out. But it wasn’t underwear, it was a mask. He pulled it over my head, its leather soft and light against my cheekbones.

‘Look, Angel,’ he said, manoeuvring me back over to the mirror. He whispered in my ear, ‘My very own sex kitten.’

And I was. The mask fitted perfectly over my head, small ears standing up on either side of it. Large eyeholes made it easy to see how it looked, as he laced up the back of it, pulling it in comfortably tight across my nose and cheeks.

‘I feel I should purr,’ I said, self-consciously.

‘You’ll be purring later,’ he said, running his hand across my bare buttocks. ‘I shouldn’t wonder.’

With that, he turned to go out. ‘If you’re accustomed to your new look,’ he said. ‘I’ll wait outside.’

‘Um…’ I began. ‘I…that is…I look…’ I indicated down below the corset to where my skin remained resolutely bare.

‘You look stunning,’ he said, sounding surprised. ‘As always.’

‘Yes, but…’ I said. I could tell he knew exactly what I meant and he was enjoying discomfiting me. ‘I need some…knickers or something.’ A skirt, preferably, I thought to myself.

‘Knickers?’ He looked bewildered. ‘Whatever for?’

‘Well, you can’t expect me to go out like this,’ I said, exasperated. ‘I’m half naked.’

‘Hardly half,’ he said, with a frown. ‘And it is the best bits, on show.’

‘I’m not sure anyone else would agree with you,’ I said, firmly.

‘I can assure you any hot-blooded male would think so,’ he said. ‘So we’ll have to agree to differ.’

‘Even so,’ I countered, feeling my mouth tighten mutinously. ‘I’m not going out like this.’

‘I’m not going out like this, what?’

‘I’m not going out like this,’ I paused, hating him momentarily for making me say it. ‘Sir.’

‘Tut tut, Angel,’ he said. ‘The list continues to grow. All the same, since you look so adorable, I’ll take pity on you.’

He walked back over to the box and, after a moment or two of rummaging through the tissue paper, he pulled out another small white garment.

I shot him a scathing look as I took it from him. He’d known all along it was there. He just grinned wickedly back at me and I couldn’t help smiling.

He left the room, as I began to unwrap the panties but, as I stretched them out, it became apparent that they were going to do little to hide my dignity. Made of the same leather as the rest of the outfit, they were less panties and more a thong. I inched them up over the boots until they were resting in place, pulling the suspenders into my thighs. I went to the mirror and looked at myself, aghast. They barely covered me in front and, as for the back, it hardly appeared I was wearing underwear at all.

‘Hey!’ I began, marching as determinedly as I could, considering the boots, after him.

But he was already at the front door. As I reached him, he held a long black coat out to me. As I reluctantly let him help me on with it, I went to protest again.

‘Look…’ I said, feeling as if I was losing all control of the situation.

‘No, Angel,’ he said, putting his finger to my lips. ‘You look.’

I went to speak again, but he swept on. ‘You look…beautiful, my little kitten. Trust me – you’ll fit right in.’

Trust him? I sighed inwardly. That was the hardest thing to do, at the moment. I still didn’t really know if I could trust this beautiful, insufferable man. His life, his experiences, were so vastly different to mine, and he was still under investigation for murder. I only had his word he was innocent.

I followed him to the lift and, once more, put my fate into the hands of the Filth Monger.

    Twenty Nine

Him

I could hardly credit it, even then. I was on my way down to the club, Grace by my side, clad in next to nothing but one of my overcoats. The only thing that would have made it any better would have been if she’d been cuffed to me. I’d have to wait for that level of perfection, though. I was still not convinced Dominion would be for her, especially after her panic over the thong.

I couldn’t understand it, to be honest. From everything I knew of her, I’d have thought she’d have found it more exciting than alarming. It just showed I didn’t know her as well as I thought. Oddly, far from depressing me, the realisation I still had a lot to learn about her filled me with excitement. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to own her, body and soul.

As we went down in the lift, I checked her mask. The laces were still pulled tight, the double bow secure and uncompromising. The last thing I wanted was for it to work loose and risk exposing her.

‘Is it okay?’ she asked me anxiously.

‘It’s fine.’ I stroked the bare skin of her lower cheek. ‘Everything’s fine.’

She relaxed visibly.

‘Turn away now,’ I said. ‘We’re going past reception.’

She did as she was bidden and we passed through the foyer and down into the club. For once, I regretted having the glass lifts installed. I could hardly bear to keep my hands off her, knowing the secret of what lay beneath her coat.

The lift doors opened and I stepped out, turning back to take her hand. She grasped mine and stepped out tentatively into the secret world beneath my hotel.

‘So, this is it,’ she said, gazing around her in awe. ‘I didn’t expect it to be so…opulent.’

I’d never thought of it before. I hardly even noticed the luxury of the surroundings, but it was true. Dominion catered to the highest echelons in kink and depravity and anything less would simply not have done. The old man had had the placed kitted out to a level of extravagance hardly even seen in his hotels.

‘Welcome to Dominion,’ I said, stepping back to let her pass. ‘Discretion assured. No…’

‘Questions asked,’ she finished. ‘Yes, I know.’ She looked around her as I led her through the foyer and past the security detail.

‘Sir.’

I nodded my acknowledgment. It was Matt, heading the door alongside the best of the rest of my men. I’d made sure of it as soon as I knew I was bringing Grace. Ronnie was overseeing proceedings. I didn’t want anything going wrong and I knew I could count on her.

She was waiting for us just inside the club itself.

‘My god,’ Grace breathed, as she took in the surroundings. ‘Those chandeliers. The chaises-longues. It’s like a vampire’s chateau.’

‘Nat’s father always had a penchant for the dramatic,’ said Ronnie, drily. She kissed me briefly on the cheek, before turning to Grace. ‘He was nothing, if not flamboyant. You should see the dungeons. Welcome, my dear.’

Grace smiled at her, seemingly lost for words. She was still gazing around – taking it all in. I tried to see it through her eyes. The pillars, the gothic arches on the other side of the dance floor, leading to the playrooms. It was, I suppose, like stepping into another world or, at least, another time. I hoped she wasn’t feeling too intimidated.

‘Shall I take your coat, my dear?’

Ronnie held out her hand, but Grace drew back.

‘Not just yet,’ I said, intervening quickly. The last thing I wanted was to put her in a situation she wasn’t comfortable with. I remembered her running out of the playroom at the Castle. I still felt guilty about that, and didn’t want a repeat.

Ronnie turned to look at me. ‘A quick word, my love.’ She turned back to Grace. ‘Please excuse us for a moment, my dear.’

She put her hand through my arm and walked me away slightly, leaving Grace to drink in the sights alone. Once out of earshot, she pulled away and turned to face me, her expression pained.

‘I spoke to Alex earlier, Nat.’

I drew in my breath involuntarily, and she put her hand on my arm.

‘I know, my love,’ she said, her brow furrowed with anxiety. ‘But you know how I feel about it.’

‘I know,’ I said. ‘It’s just a bit soon.’ I didn’t want to tell her that I couldn’t face him. Not knowing what had happened to Rick.

‘He wants to come back to work,’ she said.

I shook my head. ‘No,’ I said. ‘Not yet. If, ever.’

‘Please, Nat.’

‘Look, I’ll think about it,’ I said, with a sigh. ‘I’ll call him.’

‘Talk to him now,’ she said, stepping back.

Alex was standing behind her, hidden in one of the many recesses the clubbers liked to make use of for discreet sex.

‘I’ll leave you to it,’ she said, her expression anguished. ‘Sort things out, Nat. Please.’

She left then and headed back over to Grace. Alex came out of the recess, his hands in his pockets. He looked as uncomfortable as I felt.

‘Sir,’ he said. ‘Please, Sir. I’m sorry.’

‘I don’t know what to say to you, Alex.’ It was true. The whole situation had put me on the back foot, and I didn’t want to say something I might later regret.

‘Sir, please.’

I looked out across the dance floor. The club was fast filling up. Ronnie had put out the word earlier that tonight was going to be something special. It wasn’t, but I wanted Grace to see it in its full glory, not half empty as it normally would be on a weeknight.

‘I can help Ronnie,’ he said. ‘It’s heaving and you won’t want to be bothered. Not with her here.’

He nodded towards Grace. He clearly recognised her, and that alone made me reconsider my decision. I needed him on side.

‘Okay, Alex,’ I said, reluctantly. ‘Do what you’ve got to do.’

He tipped me a nod. ‘Thank you, Sir.’

He went to walk away, then stopped and turned back. ‘I know it’s opening old wounds, Sir, and I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t so worried, but do you know anything about Rick? I mean, his whereabouts? He rang me this morning and said he was meeting up with you, but I’ve heard nothing since.’

I shook my head.

‘It’s not that I want to see him,’ he continued. ‘But I just need to know he’s safe.’

I could feel the colour draining from my face as I shook my head again.

‘No, Alex,’ I said. ‘I’ve no idea.’ I didn’t meet his eye as I said it. I couldn’t. I’d never been good at lying. I didn’t believe in it and yet here I was, trying to pull the wool over the eyes of a man I owed no loyalty to. Fuck, he didn’t deserve to have his feelings spared.

‘What, Sir?’ he said, coming towards me. ‘What aren’t you telling me?’

I shrugged. ‘I didn’t meet him. He was gone when I got there.’

‘But you know where he is,’ he persisted. ‘I can tell you do. Just put my mind at rest. Please, Sir.’

‘I can’t,’ I said, tired of lying already. ‘I can’t put your mind at rest.’

‘But you know where he is,’ he said. ‘I can still help him, Sir. I have money put away.’

‘I had money, Alex,’ I said. ‘He wasn’t interested in an easy way out. And it’s too late now.’

‘What do you mean, Sir?’

‘I said it was too late, Alex.’ I looked into his eyes. ‘You know what that means.’

His shoulders slumped and his expression changed with it. I couldn’t read it, but I knew my words must have been a stab to the heart. For whatever reason, he had loved Rick like a son.

‘Go home, Alex,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘No, Sir.’ He stood up straight and stared ahead. ‘I’ll oversee proceedings, if you don’t mind.’

‘As you wish.’

It was the least I could do, after dealing him such a blow. It was just a wonder he wanted to stay. I remembered the last time we’d been at the club. Rick had been there that night, smug and self-satisfied, sure his plan was fool proof. He’d been an idiot, but he hadn’t deserved to die.

Or had he? I thought of Felicity, pale and unmoving in the hospital, lost somewhere in a coma of Rick’s creation, and wondered if he had. If anyone had conspired at their own destruction, it was Rick, and Alex had been left to suffer, along with Sandy and those little girls.

It was with a heavy heart that I went back to Grace. Of all the scenarios I’d envisaged for tonight, Alex hadn’t figured in any of them. I wondered what was going through his mind now, and why I hadn’t been able to read his expression.

    Thirty

Her

We hadn’t been inside the club for longer than two minutes, when Nathaniel was called away to speak to a man. He was dressed similarly to Nat, in a tuxedo, but he had on a black shirt and he was older. I recognised him straight away – he’d been the guy in charge at the Castle that night – and I could tell he recognised me, too.

I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment and pulled Nat’s coat in closer around me, pushing the collar up until it covered most of the bare lower half of my face. Was the mask pointless, then? I wondered. Would the growing number of clubbers recognise me, too?

There was a steady stream of them coming in now, clearly dressed to impress. The men wore everything from statement dinner suits, like Nathaniel’s, to army fatigues and gimp suits. The women were equally disparate, with some – clearly Dommes like Ronnie – in glamorous, fairly modest outfits, while others wore barely more than a few leather straps in strategic places.

None of them paid me the slightest notice and, gradually, I let my coat fall back down away from my face. It was okay – nobody had a clue who I was. I could relax.

It was just as I thought this, that I heard a voice behind me.

‘Hello, Grace.’

I froze. I knew the voice, even the humourless, unimpressed tone of it. I turned reluctantly around. Even as I willed it not to be, it was.

‘H…hi, Max.’ I pulled the coat up around me again. The thought of Max seeing even an inch of the costume was unbearable. What the hell was he even doing here?

‘I was going to say it was a surprise, seeing you here.’ He gestured around at the club. ‘But I had a feeling you wouldn’t do as you were told.’

‘As I was told?’ I shook my head. I didn’t understand. ‘Are you talking about the advice you gave me?’

He nodded. ‘If that’s how you want to brand it. I thought I’d made it quite clear I wanted you to stay away.’

‘I tried.’ I shrugged. ‘I couldn’t. What are you doing here, Max?’

‘I could ask you the same question.’ He came round behind me and put his hands to the shoulders of my coat. ‘Allow me.’

I clutched hard at the lapels, but he made an impatient sound that brooked no argument and, unwillingly, I let him slip my coat down across my arms until I was standing in front of him in nothing but the tiny white leather outfit.

He let his eyes drift up and down me, but his reaction to my semi-nude state was understated, to say the least. He merely nodded. ‘Far more appropriate than the coat,’ he said and, turning on his heel, walked over to the cloakrooms, my coat across his arm.

For a moment, I almost wanted him to come back. I was so self-conscious, standing there alone in nothing but a tight corset, a tiny thong and boots, my buttocks bare and my breasts half-exposed. Even Max would have been better company than being on my own. I hugged my arms across me and moved around as people passed me, trying to hide my naked ass cheeks.

Whatever business Nathaniel had had with the older guy was obviously concluded. He came back over to me, seemingly surprised to find me without my coat on. He looked rattled but, whether it was because of that, or something to do with the conversation he’d just had, I couldn’t tell. He didn’t question me, anyway, merely ran his hand briefly across my bare buttock before taking my hand.

‘So, what do you think?’ he said. ‘Is it as you expected?’

‘I didn’t expect to see Max,’ I said, pointedly. I was still smarting from his dismissive inspection.

‘Oh,’ he said. ‘Ah, well. To be honest, I didn’t expect Max to be here tonight. He has…family problems at the moment.’

I didn’t speak for a moment. Max was a dark horse. I was his assistant and even I’d had no idea his life was anything but perfect. I didn’t know whether it made me feel more sympathetic towards him, or more irritated. It didn’t change anything, anyway. Max was always a hard-nosed bastard, problems or no.

‘Well,’ I said, trying to keep my tone bright and cheerful. ‘He’s here all right…he just took my coat from me.’

‘He did, did he?’ Nathaniel snapped his mouth shut briefly. ‘Well,’ he added, after a moment. ‘He’s had the best education money can buy. Any gentleman would take a woman’s coat.’

He led me around the edge of the dance floor and towards the bar. Sofas and chaises-longues were scattered around and, on each one, people lounged. On some of them, it was hard to tell where one body ended and another began. More than one had a cluster of bodies on it, engaged in various permutations of ménage. I was keenly aware of eyes upon me, now, as we passed them. Everyone seemed to be looking, first at Nathaniel, then at me. They seemed to be looks of shock, more than anything, and I got the feeling they knew him, and were surprised to see him with a partner in tow.

I did my best to ignore the stares, trying to take in the vast array of sexuality concentrated down into such a small area. I was so conscious of my semi-nude state that it was difficult, especially as my thoughts kept returning to Max. Good grief…it was all right for Nathaniel. He was just a friend, of sorts, to him, but he was my boss, for Christ’s sake. The enormity of it made me burn hot all over.

‘But, Max…’ I said, gesturing down at myself as we reached the bar. ‘How am I supposed to face him at work tomorrow?’

Nat leaned on the bar and summoned a waiter before turning back to me, a look of amusement on his face. ‘He was here, too, remember,’ he said. ‘He’s always here.’

I could hardly credit it. Liv and I had speculated wildly over Max’s sex life, but neither of us had even come close. I wondered what she’d think if she knew, and if it would put her off him. Somehow, I doubted it.

Nathaniel passed me a glass of very clear champagne. He put his hand to my elbow. ‘Here,’ he said. ‘Let me show you the dungeons.’