A Diabolical Arrangement
26
S o that’s a magnitude ten on the Richter scale?
Brynne’s heart was still thumping against her rib cage as he slowly lifted himself up and rolled onto the bed beside her.
Words were beyond her. She sure as shit would not tell him the earth moved. The power dynamics, the bondage, the punishment—set off a cataclysmic reaction that defied description. An involuntary shiver shook her body, which jangled the chains securing her to the bed. Gage reached over to unclip her arms and legs, and she automatically pulled herself into the fetal position. He laid the comforter over her and spoke in a low and soothing tone. “Stay right here. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Brynne couldn’t move if she wanted to, so she stayed in her cocoon and replayed the entire scene in her head. Holy hell Dorothy, we are not in Kansas anymore.
Rain pelted the roof, and the sounds of thunder permeated her muddled brain. In the distance, she heard bath water running and the faint tinkle of dishes. Gage returned and sat on the bed. He slipped the blindfold off and brushed her hair gently back from her face. She was grateful only the glowing embers of the fireplace lit the room. He methodically removed all the cuffs and carried her into the bathroom.
The bath was still filling when he stepped in, and they sank together into the hot, scented water. She smiled at him. “How did you know my legs wouldn’t carry me?”
His mouth tilted up at the corners. “I’ve seen you almost face-plant twice now and I take your safety seriously.” He leaned back in the enormous bathtub and positioned her between his spread legs. She was facing him now with her feet on either side of his muscular thighs. Brynne was so busy ogling his naked body, she didn’t notice all the goodies laid out on the ledge of the picture window.
“Here, eat.” He handed her a plate loaded with an assortment of cheese, grapes, and crackers. He poured them both a glass of ice water and helped himself to some cheese.
Brynne was thankful for the snack. “This is delicious. I’m starving.”
When she looked up from her plate, he was studying her.
“What? Is there something on my face?”
“No, you look properly ravished. And very beautiful.”
Color bloomed on her cheeks, and she got flustered. “Um, thank you. You don’t have to say that.”
A crease appeared between his dark brows. “I don’t have to say anything, Brynne. You are a beautiful woman.”
She looked away, embarrassed, and piled another cracker with the creamy brie.
He turned off the water and leaned back to watch her, while sensuously popping grapes into his mouth like a sultan. She shook her head and smiled shyly while her body responded with a mind of its own. Her nipples beaded under his gaze, and tingles started between her legs. She grabbed the glass of water and took a few gulps.
He leaned forward and took the plate and the glass from her. “Come here.” He slid forward and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist. “You pleased me very much when you stopped fighting your own desires.”
“I didn’t want you to think I was easy.”
He chuckled low. “You are the furthest thing from easy that I’ve ever met.”
She pouted and tried to pull back, but he linked his arms around her.
“I’m not done with you yet.” He pulled her closer with one hand on the small of her back and the other encircled her neck so he could plunder her mouth.
She wound her arms around his neck and melted into the kiss. His hands gripped her hips, and she felt his cock nudging at her entrance. When a loud thunderclap burst overhead, she jerked forward. He took advantage and thrust into her slippery heat.
“Oh god,” she cried into his mouth. She couldn’t move easily with her legs crossed behind him, so she tensed her muscles and squeezed him repeatedly.
“Christ, that feels good,” he said. Lightning lit the sky and the night lights under the vanity flickered. Brynne barely noticed.
“Can you come this way?”
She shook her head. “Mmm, I don’t think so. I need to lie on top of you with my legs straight.”
“Do it.” He braced on his arms and lifted his hips out of the water so she could straighten her legs. He managed to stay embedded inside her while she maneuvered around and got herself situated. She heard him chuckle and looked up to find him grinning.
“Are you laughing at me?”
“No, I’m enjoying watching you get comfortable on your mount.” His expression turned wicked. “Now shut up and ride me.”
After tucking his sleepy initiate into bed, he returned to the scene of the tsunami. He gathered the pile of wet towels and threw them in the tub, knowing he would never look at the jacuzzi the same way again.
His brain wasn’t ready for sleep, so he poured himself a scotch and sat in his favorite chair out in the darkened living room. What the fuck just happened? Why was a woman he supposedly loathed asleep in his bed? The rain came down in torrents and the generator was still running, so it was reasonable for her to stay rather than venturing out in the storm.
Five orgasms she wrested from riding him—while splashing a few gallons of water all over his bathroom floor. He wondered if she could have kept going but watching her in flagrante delicto pushed the limits of his control. He ended up ravaging her up against the bay window with her legs wrapped around him. A whimper of pain escaped when he propped her on the ledge, but she’d insisted that he keep going.
When did he lose control of the situation? Fucking her bareback while perched on one leg in the bathtub had insanity written all over it. He’d completely disregarded his own rules about unprotected sex. She told him she was on a birth control shot, but he had not seen the proof. He’d let his guard down, and that pissed him off more than anything. Where did that leave him? Besides wanting to make her cry and scream and come again, he wasn’t sure. Gage drained the glass of scotch and decided he could figure it out in the morning.
He woke at dawn to the sound of the bedroom door clicking closed. The space beside him was still warm, so he bolted out of bed to investigate where his little captive had gotten to. She was in the kitchen, putting on her blouse and looking for her boots.
“Going somewhere?”
She screeched and jumped in shock. “Christ, you scared the hell out of me. I was going to head home.”
“Did I give you permission?” It was all he could think of in his groggy state.
She started giggling until she saw his serious expression. “You’re funny. Listen. I had a great time, but I should go.”
He walked over to the coffee maker and flipped the switch. “We still have some matters to discuss. Stay for a coffee and hear me out.”
“I don’t know. Nothing has changed just because we had some fabulous sex.”
“Fabulous?”
She rolled her eyes. “I take my coffee with cream. Unless you have some, I am not staying.”
“I do.” He pointed to the counter with stools. “Sit down and I’ll make you some toast.”
She pursed her lips. “Butter and marmalade?”
“My god, you drive a hard bargain.”
“Said the kettle to the pot.”
He laughed, feeling an ease he hadn’t experienced in a long time. He pulled what he needed out of the fridge and set two place settings.
“You live alone.” She waved at hand at her surroundings and asked, “Why do you have a fridge the size of a Sherman tank and a bathtub that can fit four people?”
That struck a nerve he wasn’t willing to acknowledge, so he feigned nonchalance. “Blame the designer. I was too busy running the club to be involved in those decisions.”
In truth, he and Sierra chose everything in this house, but she didn’t need to know that.
He poured her a cup of coffee, and the toast popped a moment later. Brynne took a tentative sip and closed her eyes. “Oh wow, that’s good coffee.”
He poured himself a cup and took a deep breath.
“I have a proposition.”
“I’m listening.”
“I’ve seen the conditions your aunt placed on you.”
She bristled and bit into her toast.
“You have substantial repairs to make to the house livable and money is in short supply.”
“We’ve already established that you’ve unearthed every detail of my life. I told you—”
He stopped her with a hand. “Must I gag you so I can finish?”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Then you could lecture me uninterrupted.”
“I would do a lot of things. Lecturing is not among them.”
She bristled, but he saw the heightened color on her cheeks.
“Shall I continue?”
“Yes please.” That sounded sarcastic as fuck. A punishable offense.
“I had a gentleman’s agreement with your aunt, which is a moot point now, but the fact remains, my company needs access to this strip of land. In exchange, I’m offering to pay for the repairs and improvements to your house. I’m sure there are things you’d like to modernize.”
“Go on.”
“You need to finish your book. You’ve said you want an education in BDSM, which you will not get from surfing kinky websites or joining dangerous chat rooms.”
She looked at him over her mug. Her eyes were first questioning, then incredulous. Her face and neck reddened in shock. “How? What the hell? You hacked into my Wi-Fi?!”
“It’s my Wi-Fi, Brynne. I put Josie on my plan months ago, so she didn’t need to deal with those idiots at SkyeNet. Imagine my surprise when I received an invoice for 980 GB of data usage.”
“Oh my god. I can’t believe this. I’ve heard enough.” Brynne hopped off the stool and grabbed her jacket.
“Sit down and hear me out.” His tone brooked no argument. She stood for a few seconds staring at him, before plonking down and crossing her arms in a huff.
“You seem to have an avid interest in bondage. I happen to be rather skilled in the field. You need firsthand experience for your book, which I am guessing is erotic in nature. And you need to show you’re capable of a relationship that exceeds three dates.”
“You are a bastard, you know that?” Her eyes were glittering, and her bottom lip stuck out adorably.
“Indeed, I am. Simply put, you give me what I need, and I’ll give you what you need.”
“How can you suggest this? It’s not that simple.”
He ignored her and continued, “You become my submissive for a month. You follow my rules, and you get a proper education in bondage and discipline. And I’ll pay for all your renovations.”
Brynne’s eyes went wide as she chewed on her thumb. Clearly his offer impressed her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“After last night, tell me it doesn’t intrigue you?”
Her chin lifted. “Just because I am intrigued doesn’t mean I should do it.”
“Chat rooms are not safe. This will be safe and consensual. There will, of course, be rules for you to follow. You will have the power to stop any time with your safe word.” He calmly took a sip of his coffee. “I will, however, push your limits.”
“Following rules is not my strong suit.”
“I’m well aware, but in time, you’ll get better.” His mouth quirked. “Because I will punish the defiance out of you.”
Her head tilted, and he was sure he’d convinced her. She spoke softly, “You don’t trust me.”
“I told you; I don’t care. And a month should be long enough to get this out of our systems.”
“So, I’ll get an education while you get kinky sex and access to my land?”
“Exactly. You will move in here.”
“Wait, what?” Her eyes widened.
“Your place will be under construction. It makes sense.”
“Where will I sleep?”
“You’ll have your own room for sleeping, unless I decide otherwise.”
He could see the wheels turning in her head. “I need to think about this.”
“Of course.”
“How much money exactly are we talking about?”
“One hundred thousand pounds.”
Her eyes widened and she couldn’t conceal her shock. “What if we can’t get along? Or one of us quits before the month is up?”
He contemplated his answer. “If I quit before the end of the month, you still get fifty for the access. If, for example, you quit after a week, you’ll receive twenty-five thousand. Fifty thousand for two weeks, and so on.”
“That’s not fair. I want seventy-five, regardless of how long we both last. I should get a bonus if I can put up with you for the entire month.”
Her eyes gave away her excitement. He admired her sweet attempt at negotiating the terms and shook his head in amusement. “That could backfire on you, Red. It might make me a harsher taskmaster if I’m paying more the longer you stay.”
Gage knew without a doubt that his libido dictated this negotiation. What if he tired of her in a week? Not bloody likely. “If you make it to thirty days, I will give you a bonus of twenty- five K for a total of 125,000 pounds.”
Brynne nodded, not quite smiling, but looking pleased with herself. “Okay. I think we have a deal.” She started giggling uncontrollably.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
She could barely get the words out. “The only thing that goes in the agreement is the one hundred K…for you to lay your pipe.”
Gage dropped her at home with explicit instructions to arrive at his door on Saturday by eleven a.m. sharp. He was going to prepare a simple agreement and NDA. If anyone asked, they had put aside their differences and reconciled.
She dragged her tired butt upstairs and lay on her bed. Staring at the ceiling, she questioned her sanity. She'd made a deal with the devil. The devil who still thought she published a libelous article about his secret sex club. Could she afford to pass on the opportunity, and the money?
That was some serious cake he was offering, and it would enable her to fix up everything in the house. Did that make her a prostitute? No, it’s just a business transaction!
This arrangement would give her more juicy experiences that she could use to make her story more compelling. That was a win. To the outside world, they would seem like a regular couple.
She plugged in her dead mobile and waited for it to get a pulse. Jared might call her five kinds of crazy for doing this, but wasn’t this exactly what she hoped would happen in London? She would need to explain it to him.
Brr-ring. Brr-ring. Brr-ring.
The landline was ringing downstairs, but she heard a muffled ring in the bedroom too. She rolled to the other side of the bed, followed the sound, and found a cute pink princess phone tucked in the bottom drawer of the bedside table.
“Hello.”
“Brynne! Where have you been, woman? Are you okay?!” Jared sounded peeved.
“J! Yes, I’m fine. Sorry! I was out last night without my charger, and my cell phone is dead. I was just about to call you! Do you have ESP or something?”
“You know I do. Dammit, I tried the house multiple times. Oh wait, did you go home with the hunky contractor last night?”
“No, not exactly.”
“Start talking. My photo shoot got delayed. Spill the details now!”
“I had a date with Logan, but Gage interrupted it.”
“Oh boy.”
“Yeah. He sent Logan packing when I was up singing, and when I came back, he basically insisted on driving me home.”
“Uh-huh.”
“We stopped at his place, since mine is a mess right now. And anyway, one thing led to another…”
“And you went to bed with him?!”
“You could say that.”
“Holy shitballs!”
“There’s more.”
“Wait, don’t tell me. Is there a red room?” Jared sounded like a kid in a candy store.
Brynne laughed. “No! Well, not that I know of. But he has an insane four-poster bed and a seven-foot bathtub.”
“My guess is you christened both! Am I right?”
“Yup. Anyway, there was a wicked thunderstorm, so I stayed over.”
“Wow. Well, I was worried.”
“Why? Skye is the safest place on earth.”
“That may be, but two weird things happened that I’ve got to tell you about. It could be nothing, but my spidey senses say it’s not a coincidence.”
“What is it?”
“When I left the paper on Monday, a super fancy Range Rover was parked by the front doors. I saw it again when I came out of the drugstore.”
“Did it have blacked-out windows and red and black rims?”
“Bree, how the fuck did you know that?”
“I saw it too! It felt like it was following me after I left the club—it was driving slowly behind me before I raced into the underground.”
“That’s not all. When I went to your flat to pack your suitcase, I saw it again.”
“Oh my god. That means they have my address. Who do you think it was?”
“I don’t know, babe. Maybe Dimitri? After all, he had an unhealthy attraction to you. And god knows he has the money for a car like that.”
“Jared, this is unnerving!” She paused and chewed her lip. “What did you do with my suitcase?”
“Nothing yet. I didn’t want to ship it until I talked to you.”
“So, whoever it was, was following you to get to me? Fucking hell.”
“Listen, don’t worry. There’s no way they can track you to Skye. I’ll figure out a way to get it shipped. I’ll ask my friend John for help.”
“John, from the club?”
“Yes. He works at Scotland Yard, and I trust him with my life.”
“Ooh, that sounds interesting! Are you guys seeing each other?”
“Sort of. On the down low. And he’s the one who got me reinstated at the club.”
“I’m thrilled for you, J. But please be careful.”
“I am. We have to. No one can know about us. But what about you? I don’t like that you’re all alone out there.”
“Well, here’s the thing, I won’t be alone. I’m moving into… Um, that is, Gage and I are going to spend the next thirty days together.”
“Say what?!”
“We struck a bargain. I spend a month following his Dom rules so he can teach me the ins and outs of… you know. He’ll fund the renovations I need done at the house and, in exchange, I let him bury this fiber optic cable through Josie’s land.”
“Bree, are you sure about this? I mean, does he believe you didn’t write the story now?”
“Well, we haven’t talked about that in a while. He probably still thinks I did it. But that’s the beauty of this. It’s a business arrangement.”
Jared said nothing, so she continued, “My heart will be safe. He believes I sold him out so he will remain cold and aloof. This is the best way for me to get my fantasies fulfilled and inside knowledge so I can fix my book!”
“You make it sound so simple. It’s anything but. You are hugely attracted to him!”
“Only slightly attracted, and that is surely going to change when he starts bossing me around for real.”
“Except if you like it.”
“J, you are a worry wart. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”
They said their goodbyes and agreed to check in by phone or text every other day during what she called her incarceration.
Brynne tamped down the worries that Jared stirred up. Dimitri was a thousand kilometers away and she couldn’t worry about the Russian’s obsessive crush right now. Her first concern was how to navigate living under Gage’s roof.
Why did he ask me to stay at his house?
What does he have planned?
How can I prevent my heart from falling for him?
Saturday morning arrived, despite her wishes to the contrary. The snooze button didn’t help. She felt trapped on a runaway train without working brakes. Declan was not happy when she told him she and Magnus, a.k.a. Gage, were rekindling their romance. She poured on the excitement about putting aside their differences and starting again, but he still looked skeptical.
“Oh, the tangled web I’m weaving! It will be the death of me!” It was never a good sign when she talked to herself, and she’d been doing a lot of that since coming home yesterday.
She started the bath and pulled out her suitcase. “What does one wear to meet her new warden?” All she had were casual clothes and one tight black dress. He cannot possibly plan to keep me naked all the time. Can he?
It was ten minutes past eleven when she got to his door and rang the bell. Like an idiot, she dragged her suitcase up the hill, leaving her winded and sweaty. She should have driven the car up and taken it back later. She was brain dead.
He made a show of looking at his watch, then back up at her. She waited for the reprimand, but it didn’t come. If he wanted to keep her on edge, it was working.
He motioned her in and took hold of her suitcase, looking outside before he closed the door. “Where did you park?”
She blushed. “I walked up. It’s a nice day, and I just thought…I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I see.” He didn’t look overly amused. “Let me show you to your room.”
Great, Mr. Cold and Aloof is in residence.
Bree slipped off her sneakers and padded after him. There was no time to take in the amazing view of the water as they passed through the great room. She followed him past the double doors that led into the master suite and continued down the hall to the end.
He put her small suitcase on the purple velvet ottoman at the foot of the bed. “This will be your space. It has an adjustable standing desk so you can write here.” He pressed a button, and the blinds rose to reveal a door to her own private deck.
Brynne’s mouth hung open. “Oh, that’s a beautiful view.”
“If you want to sit out there, I’ll have some furniture brought up from downstairs.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Why was he sounding so businesslike?
He showed her the ensuite bathroom, then the tablet that controlled the lights, TV, and window shades.
“I’ll leave you to unpack and settle in. Meet me in the kitchen at twelve thirty for lunch. We will go over a few things.”
“Okay.” He left her standing there, and she wondered if she had entered the twilight zone.
At least he didn’t install you in his dungeon! Too bad, so sad.
The guest room could feature in a design magazine with its vaulted ceiling and timber trusses. The bedding on the Empire-style four-poster had little purple and green thistles and a rich purple velvet coverlet for chilly nights. Her toiletries took up one drawer in the sumptuous bathroom and her pathetic wardrobe of T-shirts and jeans fit into two shelves of the big closet. It was high time she shopped for clothes with her imminent financial windfall.
She set up her laptop and told herself she would avoid all porn sites for the next few weeks. He must have changed the network password back because it connected automatically.
It was only eleven forty-five a.m. Too much time to kill, so she texted Jared.
Brynne: Checked in to Gage’s five-star hotel. He didn’t put me in the cellar. ;-) He’s acting as cold as ice, and I still have my clothes on. Maybe I was worried for nothing. I’ll check in with you later—if I still have the use of my hands. lolz
No response. He must still be sleeping. After an internal debate, she took her laptop to the living room. Gage was nowhere to be seen, which gave her a chance to look around. The enormous stone fireplace was the focal point of the room, as were the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a deck that stretched from one end of the house to the other. The room had vaulted ceilings and big beams, giving it a rustic feel. She got comfortable on a loveseat that faced the water.
Gage emerged from his office a little while later with a bunch of papers.
“All settled in?”
“Yes. It’s a beautiful room. Thank you.”
He nodded. “I’ve drawn up a simple NDA and the agreement for the exchange of land access for home improvements. It’s better if I pay any contractors directly, so you can avoid tax implications for the whole one hundred thousand.”
“Okay, but I’ll need some of that money for me. I’ve used up most of my savings paying the rent on my place in London. The lease is up in September. My waitressing job doesn’t pay enough unless I get some more shifts.”
He handed her the contract and sat opposite her in one of the two wingback chairs. Brynne took the two-page contract. “I want to keep the apartment in case I find another job back in the city.”
“You plan to go back to London?”
“Yes, unless you turned my career to dust. Did you really tell every newspaper not to hire me?”
“Brynne, you turned your own career to dust.”
“Wow, so I guess you did.” Her shoulders dropped. “I can’t prove my innocence, but it’s stunning that you can’t admit someone might have framed me.”
“Who the hell would want to frame you? You were a junior copy editor and a waitress! What kind of fool do you take me for?”
“I don’t take you for a fool. Just a total asshole who doesn’t want to open his eyes.”
“Calling me names is a punishable offense.” His jaw was rigid.
She rolled her eyes. “Are you going to keep tabs?!”
“You can bet on it. Anyway, I’ll ensure your rent is paid through September, so you don’t have to worry. I don’t want you working extra shifts at the bar. There are duties for you here.”
“Duties?” Her brows creased.
“Yes.”
“Such as?”
“One of them is finishing your book. You will learn the other tasks as we go.”
“How can I prepare if I don’t know what to expect?”
“That’s one of the goals of this experiment. Not only will we see if you can submit to my wishes, but we will determine if you are truly submissive.”
She nibbled on her lip and wondered the same thing.
“We will start with demands that aren’t all sexual.”
“Oh. That’s disappointing.” At the question in his eyes, she huffed. “You took Mr. Boss. I assumed you were going to be his replacement.”
“Cute. No, you’ll need to earn orgasms through good behavior.”
“That sounds fucked up and totally unfair.”
His eyes sparkled. “That’s how we’ll get you focused on my pleasure and less on your own.”
“I’m betting it will backfire on you, professor. I’ll be so horny that I’ll be thinking only of my own release!”
“We’ll see. The key to your release will be your devotion to my satisfaction.”
“Jesus, what have I agreed to? You’re a sadist.”
“You agreed to learn and be open-minded. For the record, I’m more of a voluptuary. Admittedly, one who enjoys turning your ass a pretty shade of red.”
“I’ll be looking that word up.”
“Come to the kitchen. It’s time for lunch.” He led the way to the kitchen, and Brynne saw two large salads garnished with grilled jumbo shrimp and avocado.
“Are their little elves hiding somewhere doing your bidding?”
He chuckled. “No. A local caterer delivers fresh cuisine every morning.” He pulled the stool out for her. They sat facing each other and his proximity made her jumpy.
“This looks delicious. I’m relieved you weren’t planning on making me cook. I’m not very skilled in the kitchen.”
“Your mother never taught you?”
Her eyes speared his, and she clenched her knife and fork. “My mother taught me nothing. Wait, that’s not true. She taught me that blood is not thicker than water, that all mothers aren’t nurturing, and being in love is for idiots.”
He looked taken aback at her bitterness and then his gaze turned sympathetic.
“Don’t do that. Don’t feel sorry for me. Truthfully, it was the best thing she could do for me. Her leaving made me stronger.”
“Understood. New subject. One of your first assignments will be to tell me about your book.”
Brynne’s eyes widened in shock. She covered her mouth, which was full of lettuce. He poured her a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and continued, “I want to understand the premise, the characters and what you are trying to accomplish. So, you’ll read it to me.”
She finished chewing and swallowed a big swig of the white wine. “I don’t know about that. It’s very personal.”
“I thought you wanted to publish it? If so, you’d better get used to feedback—good, bad, and indifferent. To build your following, people will want to get to know you.”
“I’ve decided to publish under a pseudonym.”
He laughed. “Regardless, you will receive feedback, which could be mean or judgmental. Are you ready for that?”
She fiddled with her fork. “I’m not sure.”
“A pen name is a good idea, but it doesn’t solve your issues of shame. Is that why you didn’t make it as hot as you could have?”
“Okay doc, I think that’s enough psychoanalysis for one day.”
She tried to make light of this, but her brain was spinning. How did he uncover all her deepest fears in one sitting?
“It’s time for you to take responsibility for your writing, your desires, your needs. You need to stop being bad to get spankings and bondage. And start being good because that’s what I expect from you this month.”
She made a harrumph noise, then swallowed the lump in her throat.
“What? Did you expect it to be all fun and games?”
“No. Not exactly. I thought it would be more of what we did the other night.”
“As I recall, you did very little submitting. I took what I wanted, and you seemed to enjoy it. What I expect for the next several weeks is for you to follow my instructions to the letter. And if you do, I will reward you. If you choose to be a brat , you won’t like the consequences.”
He pushed his plate away and stood. “Since you lack cooking skills, you will handle the clean-up. And before you lose your mind, that means scrape the plates and load the dishwasher. My housekeeper will do the rest on a weekly basis. Your first assignment is to look up the term brat in your BDSM dictionary. Tonight, you will read me the sexiest scene in your book. Dinner is at seven. I will provide your outfit later today.”