Chapter 23
TWENTY-THREE
RYE
“Should’ve known better than to trust Hannah.”
Mac’s voice isn’t the one I want to hear right now, my eyes on my phone.
Tonight’s Crimson party is in full swing around us while I watch my sister in my father’s office on my screen.
Getting Krystal to agree to this took a lot, but we got there. She’d meet with my father as long as we had her on video. This way, we can step in if she needs help.
“How’s it looking?” Gray asks, plopping into the sofa beside me.
We’re tucked away in the corner of Ember’s gallery in a roped-off section. After spending time with Hannah’s father, pushing for the lake house wasn’t an option.
“She’s still waiting,” I say, watching Krystal stare right into the camera hidden behind my father’s desk.
She looks nervous, her knee bouncing as she picks at her nails. So I send her a text to reassure her.
Ryung: I'm right here with you
Then I tap back to Hannah’s name, my text unanswered.
My eyes land on the clock.
11:48 p.m.
I should be more concerned about this meeting with my father, but I can’t get my mind off her.
“Why’s your dad meeting with your sister this late again?” Gray asks.
“It’s always like this,” I say, staring at the door. “It’s when his schedule clears and he remembers he’s a parent.”
We’re an afterthought, unless we make the family name look bad. I’ve always thought it was an extra tactic to wear us down so he’ll have the upper hand if we ever come up with something to bargain. But tonight, the facts will speak louder than we can.
“You nervous Hannah won’t show?” Gray asks another annoying question, lighting up beside me. His smoke adds to the hazy environment, red lights and dry ice filling the room.
“I’m not nervous,” I grab the joint out of Gray’s hand, knowing it does nothing to back my words. “I’m pissed off.”
Scanning the room, we’re almost at capacity.
Ember’s gallery is smaller than I prefer, in an area I don’t care for.
It helps that we swapped out canvases and sculptures for red velvet and silk.
It creates a contrast against the harsher brick and glass walls.
A small space also means we made this party exclusive.
It’s not for anyone. That makes this party all the more attractive.
“Pissed off because Hannah walked away from you in front of everyone today?” Mac chuckles. “Why are you surprised? It’s Hannah. She’s only out for herself.”
“This was her plan,” I remind them. Mac’s in joggers tonight, clearly just here for the vibes. Gray sports velvet boxers. Nothing more. “She doesn’t get to reap the benefits without being in the trenches with us.”
“Speaking of reaping benefits,” Gray says. “Heard you two added more steam to the steam room.”
“So it’s about the sex,” Mac says, two fingers around a crystal glass of amber liquid. “Right?”
“It’s about putting things where they belong,” I answer.
He laughs, sarcasm in his tone. “Sure, it is.”
Just as the clock strikes midnight, the gallery doors swing open.
It’s hard to hide the smirk that pulls on my face when Hannah walks in wearing her own interpretation of my dress code.
Her posse flows in behind her. While everyone followed the rules, the party a sea of reds and blacks in varying textures, Hannah didn’t even choose a colour.
She looks like a fallen angel in a sheer body-hugging dress embellished with crystals and gold chains, slits rising to her thighs.
It’s almost like she’s wearing nothing but sparkles, a crystal pasted over each nipple.
She locks eyes with me as she saunters into the room, flipping her shiny dark strands over her shoulder.
She’s even streaked it with glittering highlights.
Anything for the attention. The crowd parts for me as I approach her, a twitch in my pants as I watch her move.
Curves in the right places, hips I want to grab.
I want her bent over something. Anything.
I want to show her that I do control her.
I control her when she’s gasping for air, my cock buried inside her.
I control her when my hands dominate her body, keeping her in place so I can give her my—
Focus, Rowan.
“Here to greet the guest of honour?” she asks, those lips curling into a smile.
She looks good and she knows it. But there’s no time for admiration. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a long gold chain. Her body stills when my hand reaches for her face, my knuckles grazing her soft, warm skin.
“You’re right, Hannah.” Moving behind her, I graze my fingers along her collar before I wrap the gold chain around her neck.
“A gift? For me?” she asks.
“Exactly.” I attach the gold leash to the chain around her neck.
Her eyes widen as she turns around, following the long gold chain to the black leather handle in my grasp.
“What the actual fuck?” She tugs on the chain, looking around us.
“You're our guest of honour.” I shorten the leash, tugging on it. She stumbles over her heels, losing that iconic composure as I tug those pretty red lips to my face. Her eyes drop to my lips, then up to my eyes, like she’s fighting something inside her. “Let me show you around.”
“Rye, wait!” She grabs the chain again, but I pull harder, eyes on us as I lead her towards the chaise in the corner of the gallery. A red spotlight hangs over it. Another throne, just for her. “This isn’t why I’m here.”
“Isn’t it?” My hands come to her shoulders, pushing her down onto the chaise. After grabbing a couple of tools off the wall, I approach her, watching her lying there like the beautiful art piece I’m about to make a mess of. “I thought you liked my punishments.”
Her gasp fuels me when I pull her arms behind her back, securing them with a pair of golden cuffs. She leans forward, looking around her. “I thought we’d talk.”
“Now you want to talk?” Moving behind her, I tug on those silky strands, tilting her head back.
Then I pop a black silicone ball into her mouth, attached to velvet straps.
“I think I’ve heard enough.” It’s easy to fight against her physical protest, keeping her in place with her hair wrapped around my fist. Then I tighten the gag around her head.
“I’m going to show you how much control you have. And this time? I want everyone to see.”
She tries to say something before realizing her words only come out as muffled sounds.
“What was that?" I ask with a smirk. "You like it when you have no option but to let me touch you?” I grab one of the tools I brought over. A vibrating wand.
Her eyes fall to the toy in my hand, my smirk stretching as I trail the vibrator down the front of her dress. Hooking it into the fabric, I expose those soft tits, those pink, perky nipples just waiting to be teased. She lets out soft sounds when I graze the hard, cold silicone over each one.
“If you can’t handle it, you grunt for me, got that?
” I ask, those nipples hardening for me under the red light.
“That’s your White Flag, and I promise you I won’t stop until I hear it.
” She lets out a sound when my fingers grip her nipple, squeezing them as I flick the switch on the toy.
Her back arches when I do, and I smile as she proves my point.
I own her.
Reaching for that choker, I pull her open lips closer, just so she’s grazing mine with hers. A spark erupts that makes her jolt back, but I keep her close, tightening my grip on the chain.
“Spread those pretty legs for me.” She shakes her head, but she doesn’t grunt.
So I part those legs with my knee, making sure to press it against her warm centre.
Another soft sound leaves her as my abs tighten, savouring the way she stares into my eyes when I push harder.
That glare softens as her hips start to work with me.
“You should’ve answered my texts, Hannah.
You should’ve spoken to me when we had the chance. ”
Removing my knee, I release the choker and glide my hands up her calves, to her thigh, pushing up her dress.
It’s impossible not to bring my lips to her warm skin, planting soft kisses on her thigh while I grip the other.
Then I replace my knee with two fingers against those nude lace panties. Warm. Damp. Mine.
My eyes graze up her body, her chest heaving. Her eyes glance around, but I want them back on me.
“Let them watch, Kitten. Let them see what you’re so afraid of.
” My fingers find her clit, rubbing it in circles until her legs fall open.
Perfect. I settle the toy between her legs, the vibration shaking her thighs as she squirms. As she loses that bit of control.
She closes her legs, releasing a long moan.
“Don’t fight it.” Raising the vibrations gets her head to fall back, her body writhing against the bulbous head of the toy.
“You wanted to show how much control you had over me on campus.” I remind her.
“You want control? Then control yourself.”
Flicking the toy off, her head pops up, those honeyed eyes on mine again. She looks conflicted, glancing between the party and me, but I don’t see anyone else.
She says something, the gag stopping her words from escaping.
“What’s that?” Flicking the toy on again, her cheeks redden, and she can’t hide that filthy need inside of her if she tried.
She writhes against the vibrator, her legs opening and closing around it.
“Look at how needy you are. Look at how desperate I get you.” Moving behind her, I drop my head to her ear and I make sure she hears every word. “Tell them you’re mine.”
She shakes her head, so I stop the vibrations. Her body slumps forward, her legs falling further apart. When I start the toy again, those eyes come right back to me.
“That’s it,” I chuckle. “Look who’s controlling you. Look at who’s in charge.”
Her skin, flushed and dewy, reminds me of every single time I’ve had her against my body. She rocks her hips, her head falling back as another moan escapes under that gag.