Billionaire Romance: Darque Control (A Darque Billionaire Romance Book 2) (4 page)

“It hurts.”

“No it doesn’t.”

He smacked her a third time, the hardest one yet, leaving her butt a darker red color and tingling with a whole new numbing feeling.

“Oh God…what do you…did you…do to me.”

“It feels good, doesn’t it?”

“No…it hurts…”

“Wrong answer.”

“Nooo!”

He spanked her again and this time it was so powerful it left Bella’s body twitching and convulsing, almost causing an orgasm out of nowhere. 

“Oh fuck!” she screamed, getting a little dizzy and feeling her buttocks clench and tense so hard.

“It feels good, doesn’t it?”

“YES!  Yes!” she screamed back.  “It doesn’t hurt at all…”

He smiled…and let her have another.  This one connected hard and rocked her body again, sending her shifting back and forth and riding the apparatus with her stomach—but there was nowhere to go.  Her ass jiggled and it made Darque hard.  But that was for another day.  Tonight was all about Bella.

He smacked her again, this time a little less severe than the first few blows. 

“Ohhh God!”

He waited, watching her body vibrate and her breathing become rapid.  He began patting her sore asscheeks, making sure she was adjusting well and still conscious.

“It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

“No…not at all…not at all…”

“You want it to really hurt, don’t you?”

“Yes.  Yes.  Please…make it hurt.”

“I will,” he said, stroking and caressing her shapely cheeks, enjoying the fine shape of her body.  Still the prettiest he had ever seen. 

He waited a few more moments and then snapped the belt back into position.

“No…no…”

“Yes.  Yes.  More.”

She felt her buttocks tense and then release—then the belt connected, slapping hard and drawing her tears out.  “Ohhh God!”

“Doesn’t hurt.”

“No, no!  I need more!  More!”

He smacked her hard, this time in a series of rapid successive strikes, one to each cheek. 

She screamed so hard she choked and began heaving, almost as if a small child trying to fathom the injustice.  He whipped her good, so good it almost felt sexual.  Her buttocks clenched so much that her vaginal walls opened and became wet.  She knew he saw—he could see everything from that position.  The more he spanked her the wetter she became.

He smacked her again, this one connecting so intensely that it left her buttocks numb…then her legs…then her whole chest.

“Oh God!  I…I can’t feel anything.”

He was spanking her into a trance and so slowed it down, still spanking her lightly with the belt but with lighter strokes.  

“You like this?”

“Ughnnnn…” she mumbled not quite in the same world. 

“You want your hands undone?”

“Uhhhh…”

“I’ll untie them for you.  Because I know you want this so bad that you’re not going to go anywhere.  You want this more than I do.”

He untied her hands, letting her move up slightly.  Then he untied her legs too, allowing her full freedom.

“Now then.  You are completely free to move around.  You can run away if you prefer.  But the spanking isn’t finished.  Do you want more?”

She said nothing but couldn’t seem to get up and walk away.  He was training her well already.  She surrendered full control and didn’t quite want any back…not yet.  She wanted him to finish.

“Good then.  Touch yourself.  Remain in the position you are, put start playing with your clit.”

She obeyed and began stroking herself from the spanking position.

Bastien readied the belt again and whipped her butt cheek hard once again, this time incorporating the spankings in with Bella’s hand stroking, associating her orgasmic pleasure with his harsh punishments.

He whipped her again…it hurt so bad she cried…but all she could do was stroke herself in between spankings.  The anticipation almost killed her…waiting for the hard lashing then feeling her ass clench, her whole body tense…and then that wave of endorphins to come in, making her feel numb and tingly.  And just as she did she felt an orgasm from her own touch, heightening the experience. 

Whatever was happening couldn’t be good.  He was training her to desire more punishment, to say the opposite of what she was feeling, and to orgasm regardless of whether or not she was comfortable. 

But it felt so good.  He spanked her two more times, making sure each blow connected.  He noticed her breathing slowed down and her body stopped shaking.  She had had enough for the first session.  And he felt proud of her.  She didn’t even use the safe word.  She just took it all.  She let him do everything.  And she accepted it.

He almost felt a glow of happiness deep inside. A feeling he quickly became uneasy with and thus lost his developing smile.

“Get dressed and go.  We will do another session.  This time, you will have new instructions.”

She felt a dizzying high and a strange new post-orgasmic bliss.  For a few long moments she just sat there, turned over the apparatus and continued to enjoy the feeling of exposure.  She didn’t want to leave. 

Bastien left the room himself and yet she stayed behind wondering just how intense these sessions would become.  How much more could she take before it became pure madness?

*****

Bella felt confused about the whole experience though her orgasms and her non-gasms—those strange mini-quakes that left her numb and high as a kite—were nothing to complain about.  Somehow, Bastien knew how to manipulate the female body so that pleasure resonated with each slap.  He also seemed an expert in training women to want him—to crave his so called punishment.  And to demand that he make it more intense.

              She almost thought, maybe, just maybe, she was something close to normal.  That doing Bastien’s dirty work afterhours was just something every billionaire intern probably does.  But then she sat down…or shall we say, attempted to sit down.

Ohhh God she screamed internally.  But very careful not to make a scene.  The room was full of associates, interns and workers on the Darque campaign.  She had just sat down and experienced a sharp aching pain in her buttocks.  It still blazed, sore as hell, and hurting just as Darque promised.  Just as she asked for.

She smiled wide and uncomfortably—far too helpless and pained to get up now.  She tried her best to relax in the chair.

Then Bastien arrived, looking all suave and excitable, ready to talk business.

“Hello everyone.  Good morning.”

“Morning!” the room shouted back.

Oh shit.

Just then, the entire staff stood up, in respect to Mister Darque who was now addressing the company.  Bella was obligated to stand up too.  But it was nearly impossible at the moment, as her buttocks ached like scorching fire.

Bastien grinned at her, a bit madly, almost as if he couldn’t stay in character.  “Bella, dear girl.  Aren’t you going to stand up?”

She flinched and smiled and waved her hand.

“What does that mean?” Bastien said. 

“Uhhh…well…”

“Come on, stand up.  This is about team work.  Yes?”

The entire staff eyed her in suspicion.  How odd that a new intern wasn’t the first in line to do as the boss instructed.  Was she revolting or…?

Only Abrams, the project manager, thought something might be wrong.  “Bella, are you okay?  Is something wrong?”

“Arabella is okay,” Bastien said strongly.  “Although maybe she has something to say?  Bella, anything you want to say?”

“Uhhh…no.”

“Then stand up, please.”

Bella stood up and felt a second wave of pain from her tingling buttocks.  It was like he was spanking her all over again, this time in clear view of others.

“OOookay…” she said, pained beyond belief but playing along.

“Great, now sit back down, because the meeting is ready to begin.

Bella noticed she was the only one standing, and most of the others had taken a seat.  That left her in the middle of the room causing a scene.

“Oh God!” Bella said out loud alerting the staff.  She laughed in disbelief.  “Okay…okay…”

“Ahhhh…” she sighed as she sat back down and felt the spanking sensation all over again.  Not only the physical ache but the strong memory of submitting to his perversions.  It felt wildly erotic…and yes, more than a little painful.

The others stared in amazement, not sure if Bella was having an emotional breakdown or had a stomach flu, or something.  A few of the other men in the room whispered to her, asking if she was all right.

Only Bradley, the ex, noticed something unusually alert in Bella’s eyes.  If he didn’t know better he would almost say she was enjoying the awkward scene.  What was make her do this?  Bradley’s eyes widened, wondering for just a moment…

Is she sore from something that happened yesterday?

This was a disaster! Bella thought, knowing cracks in her “anonymous” affair were already being discovered and by Alicia and Bradley of all people.  How much longer before she was exposed?

Bastien seemed oblivious to the threat.  The man had no fear, and didn’t seem to remember that his reputation was on the line here.  If Bella went down she would be forgotten but his name would be ruined.

Bastien Darque, however, was a man of great strength and even greater weakness.  He usually thought things through.  He usually kept his private life very far away from his business life.

But as he himself might admit, his attraction to Bella was beyond all his rationale, and more powerful than his own set rules.  Sure, he was a dominant man and desired to control her every move, giving her all the pleasure she could or couldn’t handle.  But he didn’t know when to stop.  And that was dangerous.  It was downright career-ending.

Or could it be even life-threatening?

Bastien’s bratty little smile notwithstanding, just what would this man do if this tryst really caused a big scandal?  Would he be “professional” about it?

Or would the “real Darque” come out?  Would he be willing to do whatever it takes to silence a woman who could ruin an expensive campaign?

Bella took a nervous gulp. 

As she expected, Bastien confronted her in the break room after the meeting, eager to gloat about his game.  But Bella was too worried about the future to indulge him.  She met his eyes and began huffing.

“That was too close.”

“I know.  Isn’t it nice?”

“No.  I mean, it is fun for now, but when does it stop?”

Bastien lost his smile and stared her down.  “When I say it stops.  Arabella.  That’s when.”

“That works for you, but what about me?”

“What about you?” he said, his voice escalating in machismo.  “You will do as you’re told.  That’s what about you.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so, that’s why.  You know who I am.  You know what I do.  You knew that before signing the contract, did you not?”

“Yeah…I guess.”

“No guessing.  You say yes.  You will do as you’re told.  Or so help me, Bella…”

He said her name.  And said “Bella” instead of Arabella.  He was genuinely pissed.  A feeling of nausea came over Bella, as she looked into his fiery eyes, not quite sure just how dangerous a man he could be.  Or how dangerous the situation could be, regardless of how classy a man Bastien really was. 

And not such a classy guy, considering how he was ranting—almost oblivious to the threat of someone overhearing his conversation outside.

“You want to get fucked.  You want to get spanked.  That’s what you get, girl.  That’s it.  Don’t you dare try to pull this relationship shit on me!  I told you.  I don’t do romance.  I have no emotions.”

“All you do is give orders,” I said sadly, already figuring out his motivation.  “You just want everyone to do as they’re told, no matter how it suits them.  It’s all about you.”

“Yes, you are correct!” he said after giving it a moment of thought.  “That’s how I work.  It never steers me wrong.  That’s how my social life goes too.”

“I understand.  I wish that I could be special, you know.  That I could be someone who’s not just another girl.  Another lay.  Another submissive woman.  But I guess hoping that you really liked me was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”

Her brutal honesty caught him off guard.  He stared into her eyes, suddenly releasing some of his power.

“Oh well.  I’m young, right?  Guess I’ll just get over it.”

“Arabella…” he whispered. 

She turned his way and glanced, not quite smiling or frowning.  Just doing as she was told.

“What about the second session?”

“I have too much work to do.  Mister Darque.  Sorry.”

She turned around and walked away.  Just as Bastien started breathing hard and feeling his anger return, Carter Abrams walked in.  He noticed Bastien seemed agitated.  And did make a note that Bella had just left the room. 

The look on his face almost said, “What’s going on with you two?”  But he wisely deduced now wasn’t the time.  Abrams just smirked and left the room, perhaps hoping to leave Bastien with a deeper thought: You’re not fooling anyone.

              For the first time, Bastien felt the danger in the air.  Maybe he was pushing too hard, too fast.  But he had never met anyone like Arabella.  She put a trance on him, just as tight a hold as he wished to put on her. 

              He sighed and looked down, breaking his intense concentration. 

If she only knew.

Bella had determined not to see Bastien for the next session, or perhaps for any reason ever again outside of work.  The worst thing about it was not knowing whether Bastien would have the strength to go public…rather than live in denial and possible…maybe…kill her to keep the story quiet?

They all said Bastien was a dangerous man.  How much was real and how much was urban legend?  She decided it was time to start researching him again.  Even if he caught her doing it, it was beyond the point of respecting him enough to keep her job.  Her life was more important than a job. 

Then, as she searched for Bastion’s pictures in the media, she was struck with how congenial a man he could be—smiling for the cameras, giving them a warm avuncular face…sometimes even hugging his ghoul of a mother in public.

The man was capable of compassion, or at least the illusion of it. 

So why was love so out of his league?  Why was he incapable of any real human emotion?  Her marketing experience in college taught Bella the importance of understanding human psychology.  Men never stray far from what they are taught in their youth.  Was he taught that he should hurt women?  Or could it be that something or someone was taken from him?

All the records she searched on official websites gave the same story.  His biological father was from a small town in Campo, Portugal and swept Bastien Darque’s mother off her feet when they were both in college and she was attending Pompeu Fabra University.  Thus far, a rather innocent portrait of a family.  The senator certainly appears on television to be an upright citizen, even if politically ambitious. 

Nothing else was turned up from an online search.  If there was more to the story, it might require a more intensive investigation—perhaps even a private investigator.  Wow, wouldn’t that provoke Darque if he knew she was tailing him with hired help.  That does seem like the kind of stupid thing a college intern might do…only to have her body dumped in a lake somewhere. 

Santo was his father’s name.  She tried searching Santo, hoping maybe a mention of him somewhere in the press might reveal something about his marriage.  Usually misogynistic children had terrible relationships with their mother.  But from all apparent news sources, he had appeared in public with his mother frequently, smiling and hugging like they were a real family.  Could it all be an act?

Then, just as she was ready to give up she found a small snippet of a headline that caught her attention.

Aspiring Political Mind Agnes Mallory on Widowhood – An interview About Moving On

              What if Bastien never knew his father?  Could that have been the start of a huge downward spiral ending with his current obsession with control?  The article was incomplete but it did give her a lead to explore at the library.  Every bit of research conducted would have to be safe—preferably offline and definitely with no in-person interviews, which always trace back.  Bastien already knew the relationship was volatile and that Bella was on the edge of leaving—or worse, yet trying to ruin him.

Bella wasn’t sure and needed a rest.  She managed to avoid Alicia, her roommate fairly well, knowing she would have questions about whether her new man was in fact the billionaire political figure she managed to embarrass herself in front of.

But the next morning Alicia was there, not at work, and in a very chatty mood for some reason. 

“Wake up, sunshine,” she said, intrusively invading her space and shoving her face right into the morning sunlight.

“Oh hey.”

“Did you have a goodnight sleep?” she asked, a bit miffed.

“What?  I guess.”

“Did you dream anything, honey?”

“Ummm…about toast, I think.”

“I ought to kick your ass.”

“Excuse me?!”

“You hid this from me.  You sneaky, sneaky woman.”

“What?”

And just like that, Bastien was there.  In front of her.  In Alicia’s apartment…just inches away from a still groggy Bella.

“Oh no…you didn’t.”

“I didn’t do anything.  He came to see you, darling.”

“Yes,” Bastien said.  “I know where you live, darling,” he said with a wide smile…a bit unnatural and not quite as friendly as the first time they met.