4. Karolina
KAROLINA
The limo pulls up to a Georgian manor that appears even more imposing with the sun setting behind the massive historic home.
Through sheer force of will, I prevent my knees from shaking as I get out of the vehicle. Bones offers me a gloved hand, and I choose to accept his support. My hand grips his a bit too tightly, and his low huff hints at his amusement.
Even though his face is covered, I can sense his smirk.
I toss my long ponytail behind my shoulder and pretend not to notice.
That just draws a real laugh from him.
I lift my chin and take a step forward. His hand cradles mine in a gentle but unbreakable cage, tethering me to him.
I glance back at him and quirk a brow. “Are you coming? Or am I going to have to find someone else to chase me?”
He yanks me toward him, and I tumble into his broad chest. His other arm snakes around my lower back, trapping me.
“Any man who tries to hunt you won’t live to see the morning. You’re my prize. No one else touches you.”
I try and fail to smother a smile.
“Very scary,” I approve. “Such a brute. Much caveman.”
His head takes on that dangerous tilt. “You have no idea, kitten.” He leans in close, so the edge of his mask skims over my cheek as he whispers in my ear, “You think I wouldn’t kill to keep you for myself?”
My core turns molten. It’s probably unhealthy that I’m getting turned on by his theatrics, but I’m too immersed in our dark game to care.
“Mmmhmm.” I manage to hum sardonically.
“I mean it,” he insists. “I won’t let another man touch you.”
“I know,” I say, more earnestly. “I’m safe with you.”
His hand splays on my lower back, tucking me tight to his front. His erection presses into my belly, but I’m not scared. He promised he won’t force himself on me.
Even though I’m starting to regret our agreement about how far we’ll take things tonight.
Boldly, I shift my hips to rub myself on his hard cock.
He curses and steps back, breaking contact.
“Naughty little thing,” he admonishes. “You won’t tempt me to change the terms tonight. I won’t take advantage of you like that.”
“You wouldn’t be taking advantage of me. What if I want you to fuck me?”
His entire body flexes, as though it takes physical effort to restrain himself.
“You’re all hot and bothered after what I did to you in the limo.
You’re not thinking with your head right now.
And as much as I’d love to bury myself in your tight cunt, I don’t want you to regret anything in the morning. ”
I sigh—annoyance tinged with gratitude. I can’t deny that I’m aching for him, but he’s probably right. It took all of my courage to meet him tonight with the promise of nothing more than him touching me. Losing my virginity to Bones would create an attachment I might not ever be able to sever.
“Why do you enjoy denying me and making me suffer?” I tease. “Sadist.”
“You’re hardly suffering right now.” He chuckles darkly. “When I catch you, I’ll make you weep and beg and scream my name. Then you’ll know the meaning of suffering for me. And you will love every exquisite second of it.”
I square my shoulders to hide the rush of lust that threatens to make me quake. “Are we going to this hunt, or not? I can’t run with you holding my hand like this.”
I give a halfhearted tug, and his fingers tighten around mine.
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind,” he says. “Maybe I don’t want the others to see you like this.”
“Like what? I’m fully covered in this dress, and I’m wearing a mask.”
“Your pretty, prim ponytail is mussed, and your lip gloss is smudged from where I forced you to suck your arousal from my glove. Any man will know how wet and horny you are. I don’t want them to look at what’s mine.”
I try to smooth my hair back into a tidier state, and he laughs.
“Stop laughing at me,” I grumble. “You did this. It’s your fault if I look like a mess.”
“And what a beautiful mess you are. We can join the others if you’re so eager. If anyone looks at you too long, I can always gouge their eyes out.”
I pat his arm fondly. “I’m sure you would. How delightfully barbaric.”
My giggle morphs into a shriek when he lifts me as though I weigh nothing and tosses me over his shoulder. I wriggle, and stinging pain blooms on my thigh.
“Did you just spank me?” I demand.
Another twin blow lands on my opposite thigh.
“You tell me, clever girl.”
“Ouch! Cut it out and put me down.”
Two more swats in quick succession, and my skin burns. The heat sinks into my flesh, fueling the pulsing warmth between my legs.
His fingers tease higher, testing the slickness on my labia.
I relax against him with an embarrassingly needy whimper.
“Do you want me to turn on the vibrator?” he taunts.
“Yes.”
The sweet sting flares hotter when he spanks me again.
“Too bad. I’m in control now. All these years, you’ve teased me and provoked me. I intend to punish you for all of it tonight.”
“You’re always the one in control,” I huff.
He barks out an incredulous laugh. “You hold all the power here, and you know it. But if I dropped to my knees and worshipped you, I don’t think you’d like it very much.
You want to play this game where I force you to surrender.
I’m here for your pleasure, Karolina. The least I can do is take my satisfaction in your sweet little pleas and breathy moans. ”
“Sweet little pleas and breathy moans,” I mimic. “What about all of your growling and snarling? Seriously, I hope you have cough drops for later.”
“So prickly.” He brushes his smooth glove over my stinging thighs. “Are you flustered about something, kitten?”
“I’ll make you flustered,” I shoot back. “Wait until you’re the one panting while I outrun you.”
A burst of vibration against my g-spot draws an embarrassing squeak from my chest.
It’s over in a second. I growl my irritation and writhe over his shoulder.
He just pats my upturned butt with unabashed affection.
I’m so distracted by my need for an orgasm that I don’t immediately notice the murmur of a small crowd as his long strides carry us around the manor and into a manicured garden.
“Looks like you’ve already caught your prize,” a masculine voice says. “What a disappointing hunt.”
“Keep your eyes on your own prize, or you won’t see anything ever again.”
If I thought Bones was snarling before, it’s nothing compared to the feral grumble that makes his entire body vibrate with aggression as he threatens the man who teased me.
I relax against my masked man with a happy sigh. I don’t have to worry about anything when he’s my scary protector. I’m not afraid that he’ll actually carry out the violent threat—Bones is all bark and no bite—but he’s intimidating enough to keep other men away.
And his fierce demeanor is sexy as hell.
I decide to playfully pat his butt too. I barely have a moment to appreciate the taut muscle beneath my hand before he lifts me off his shoulder and sets me on my feet.
His head is cocked as he stares down at me, his big hands bracketing my waist.
“What the hell was that?”
I grin up at him. “You’re very scary. I approve.”
He blows out a long breath and rubs his masked forehead. “What am I going to do with you?”
I lean into him, so my breasts press against his hard chest. “I believe there were some threats. Something about making me suffer? Punishing me? Making me come while I scream your name? Does any of that sound familiar to you?”
He traces the shape of my lips. “I’m not sure which I prefer: your sassy tongue or your glazed eyes when I gag you.”
“Dealer’s choice,” I tease.
He groans. “You are infuriating.”
“And you love it.” I tap his nose.
He captures my finger in his. “Your punishments are piling up,” he warns.
“Oh noooooo.” I draw out the refusal dramatically. “How terrible.”
He wraps my ponytail around his fist and tugs my head back sharply. I stop talking; I can’t manage more than an erotic gasp as my mind blanks. There’s no room in my head for anything other than raw need and him.
Then the vibrator starts up, a low, insistent purr that’s meant to stimulate me without allowing full release.
My knees go weak, and I grab his corded arms for support.
“What were you saying?” he drawls.
I lean into him, relying on his strong frame to hold me upright. “You’re very mean. Very intimidating. I’m shaking for you.”
It’s meant to be a joke, but the truth accidentally slips out.
“Hmmm, I do like when you’re shaking and clinging to me like this. Much better.”
He pats my butt again, and my cheeks burn. The heat is mirrored between my legs, the little hit of embarrassment only making me hotter for him.
“Stop that,” I say breathily.
“Never.”
To prove his point, he smacks me a little harder, a clear statement that he has every right to handle me however he wants.
And damn him, I’m loving it.
“Are you two planning to participate?” a new, feminine voice asks in a clipped English accent. “We’re about to get started. You’re welcome to play in the house if you prefer to skip the hunt.”
I spin on my heel and face the woman. “We’re participating.”
She’s dressed in a black latex catsuit that hugs her every curve.
White-blond hair frames a porcelain face that’s half concealed by a dark purple mask.
She towers over me in her ultra-high stiletto boots, but I meet her bright blue gaze squarely.
I didn’t come here to hide behind Bones.
I’m perfectly capable of speaking for myself.
One corner of her berry painted lips twists with amusement. “You’re a pair?”
“This big one is mine.” I trail my fingers down Bones’ arm, and his bulky muscles flex beneath my light touch.
“She means I’ll be the only one hunting her,” he growls.
I’m vaguely aware of the other masked people in the garden around us, but my full focus is on the woman and Bones. There’s not much space for peripheral awareness with the damn vibrator on that low buzz setting taking up the rest of my attention.
Her gaze shifts to him. “You don’t intend to share your prey?”
His hands close around my shoulders, and his body practically enfolds mine from behind.
“No one else touches her.”
The woman nods, unperturbed by his caveman posturing.
“I’m Lady Vera,” she introduces herself.
“This is my home. If you need anything or feel unsafe, find me, and I’ll handle it.
There are a few protocols to address before we get started.
” She eyes Bones. “I won’t tolerate violence towards my other guests, so I’m sure everyone will be relieved to learn that we have a system for tagging prey. ”
My brows lift. “Tagging?”
This isn’t part of the fantasies I’ve shared with Bones.
She gestures to a man who’s been waiting submissively behind her, and he places something in her outstretched hand: a black collar with a thin band of glowing red LED lights.
“Red means she’s not open to free use,” Lady Vera explains. “You’ll notice some of the others are wearing green. That means they’re fair game for any participant.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “And where’s his collar? No one’s touching him either.”
Lady Vera appears to be smothering a laugh. “That something for the two of you to work out. Hunters don’t need collars.”
I frown, but she simply shrugs. “Enjoy the hunt.”
She walks away, and I turn to face Bones. “I mean it. I came here to be with you. I don’t want anyone else approaching you.”
“Don’t worry, kitten. As you said, I’m very scary. No one’s going to approach me. I’m all yours for the night.”
I trace the line of red light on the collar in his hand. “This isn’t fair. You’ll be able to see this when it gets fully dark.”
The vibrations inside me tick up a notch, and he drawls. “What about this scenario did you think was going to be fair? You’re helpless to resist whatever I want to do to you. That’s exactly how you want it to be between us.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I am going to make you run so hard that you’ll be gasping for breath by the time you finally catch me. Let’s see how scary you are when you’re wheezing and shaking from exhaustion.”
“That doesn’t sound very sexy,” he muses. “Good thing I have all the advantages here.”
The vibrations increase, stimulating my g-spot.
“You’re evil,” I hiss.
“I’m anything you want me to be. You made me this way, Karolina. I was practically vanilla before I met you.”
“You were never vanilla,” I accuse. “Maybe you’re the one who made me this way. I was innocent before we met.”
One thick arm captures my waist, tugging me closer. “You’re still innocent. I’m the only one who knows all the depraved thoughts in your pretty little head.”
I swallow hard. He’s just teasing me. There’s no way he actually knows I’m still a virgin.
I decide to stop engaging in this dangerous conversation. I came here for physical release, not emotional entanglement. Bones doesn’t need to learn anything more about my life than the little I’ve chosen to share with him over the years.
“Are you going to put that collar on me, or not?” I ask. “Not that I want to wear it, but I’d rather not have anyone else try to hunt me.”
“Sure. Of course you don’t want to wear it.”
I know he’s mocking me, but I’m too frustrated by the insistent vibration at my core to come up with a snappy retort.
He lifts the collar to my throat. Supple leather encircles my neck. I can’t stop my eyes from drifting closed as he buckles it securely at my nape. Something about this is deeply erotic, and he’s barely touching me.
“Does my kitten like wearing a collar for me?” He traces the thin band of leather.
My skin pebbles beneath the tender touch, and my head tips back as though I’m going to offer him a kiss.
“So what if I do? You like that I’m getting turned on by all this.”
“We’re a perfect match,” he approves.
Alarm bells sound at the back of my mind. This is too intimate.
The vibrator starts pulsing, flickering off and on in a new pattern of torment.
The black pools of his eyes fill my world. “Are you ready to be my prey, Karolina?”
A man is calling out for the start of the hunt. A wild tension crackles through the night air as everyone shifts into a more primal state.
“You get five minutes head start.” Bones’ head dips towards mine in a parody of the kiss that’s impossible with his mask on. My lips nearly brush the crimson skull when he growls, “Run.”