Enslaved (Devil's Kiss) (5 page)

Waited for me to deny it.
 

I stared at my shoes—spiky heels that made my feet ache and reminded me of the man who’d trapped me. Saying I was seeing someone would be the easiest solution to this dilemma. “There’s no one else.” I looked up and met Ian’s gaze. “There’s no one else,” I repeated. “I just need time.”

“Take all the time you need.” He flung the door open. “I hope you don’t take another seven years to figure it out.”
 

7. L
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I stood on Gage’s doorstep, allowing myself one last minute of reflection before I entered his domain of pain. Ian’s stormy exit from my life—once again—still clung to my emotions, making me susceptible to acts of unpredictability. I couldn’t afford feeling this way when Gage opened that door. The foundation of my acquiescence had shifted since I’d first stood in this spot a week ago . . . funny, how it seemed much longer. I no longer had a safe word, but more importantly, I owed Gage. Whatever he’d done, whatever strings he’d pulled, had gotten Eve into the trial faster than her doctor thought possible. I couldn’t mess this up. Forcing my turbulent thoughts to the back of my mind, I knocked on his door.
 

He treated me to a real smile from the other side. “Right on time. I take it you’ve learned your lesson this week?” He raised an eyebrow.
 

“Yes, Master,” I said as he ushered me into the foyer.

 
He held out his hand. “Your journal?”

I removed it from my oversized purse. “The research paper is tucked in the back.”

“Go ahead and put your things in the closet,” he instructed as he flipped through the pages. “Did you break anymore rules?”

“No, Master.”
 

He smiled in a way that made my stomach drop. The smile of the devil. “For your sake, I hope you’re telling the truth. Lie detectors aren’t easy to fool.”

“What are you talking about, Master?”

“You’ll undergo a polygraph.” Setting the journal aside, he grabbed my arm and led me into a home office. A wall of windows opened to a view of the swimming pool in the backyard. If not for the nervous flutters in my stomach, I would have laughed; only Gage Channing would have an outdoor pool in the Pacific Northwest. Rain beat against the glass, and watching all that water made me shiver.
 

We weren’t alone. Someone sat behind the desk, where an odd machine was displayed on the surface. “Have a seat,” he invited with a reassuring smile.
   

“This is Mr. Hughes,” Gage said as I slid into a chair. “He’s aware of the nature of our relationship, so there’s no need to feel uncomfortable at the intimacy of the questions. He’s heard it all, trust me.”
 

I quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t voice my incredulity.
 

“I’ll be back when you’ve finished.” Gage pinned me to the chair with his deep blue eyes. “I’ll advise you not to lie here, Kayla.”
 

I hadn’t planned to, but that still didn’t calm my apprehension. Lie detectors weren’t fail-proof, were they?
 

“Don’t be nervous,” Mr. Hughes said after Gage had disappeared through the doorway. “Just be honest and everything will go smoothly.”

Sure, says the guy administering the test.
I folded my hands in my lap and remained silent as he hooked me up to the machine. He pressed a few buttons, made some adjustments, and then pulled out a sheet of paper.
 

“Do you take any medications?”

“No.”

He asked several more questions—all of them related to my personal and medical background. “All right, I’m going to ask you two questions that you’ll answer yes to. This is to calibrate the machine.” He cleared his throat. “Is your name Kayla Sutton?”

“Yes.”

“Do you live in Europe?”

“Yes.”

He cleared his throat again and peered at the paper in his hands. “Let’s begin. Did you have any inappropriate contact with a man other than your Master?”

I swallowed hard and thought about Ian. Considering he hadn’t even touched me, and I’d only spoken to him briefly to push him out of my life—probably for good—I was fairly certain in my answer. “No.”

“Did you break any of your Master’s rules?”

“N-no.”
 

Mr. Hughes marked something on the printout. “Did you eat fish for dinner every night this week?”
 

“Yes.”

“Did you take off your Master’s collar?”

“No.”

“Did you masturbate?”

My face burned at such an intimate question. “No.” But, God, how I’d wanted to.

He asked a few more questions, and when it was over I experienced the sweetest sense of relief. Gage reentered the room after I’d been unhooked from the machine.
 

“Did she pass?”

“Yes.”
 

“Go on down to the basement and prepare. I’ll be down shortly.”
 

“Yes, Master.” I hurried from the room and entered the basement with flaming cheeks. That had been more mortifying than going to the gynecologist. A few moments snuck by as I leaned against the door, breathing heavy as uncertainty took hold of me. He wanted me to “prepare.” I suddenly felt lost; without Gage to dictate my every move, I wasn’t sure what to do. Descending the stairs, I entered his “dungeon” and remembered how the cold leather of the bench chilled my skin, how the sharp sting of his whip struck with the speed of a snake; and more recently how that strip of leather had the power to set my crotch on fire . . . how his tongue ignited a different kind of burn.
 

I stepped into the room, brought my fingers to my blouse, and began unhooking the buttons. Instinctively, I knew what he wanted. My nipples pebbled in the chilly air, and as I laid my clothing neatly on the couch, tingles shivered to my toes. I moved to the center of the floor and fell to my knees.
 

And closed my eyes and waited.
 

A drift of air was the only indication he’d entered. His clothes whispered as he came near, and I hated myself for craving the warmth he radiated.

Dampness flooded the spot between my thighs. I craved much more than body heat. Gage had done something to me—flipped a switch—and despite the harsh punishments he issued, I yearned for another taste of explosive liberation. I’d taken it once without permission; somehow, I knew he’d send me into another realm when he coaxed an orgasm from me of his own free will. It was that foggy-headed reality I hungered for most—a time when thought wasn’t possible, when pain and difficult decisions didn’t exist. Gage had enslaved me, and by doing so he also freed me on some level.
 

“Are you ready to fully submit, Kayla?”

“Yes, Master.”

He ran a hand over my hair. “Why are you on your knees?”

“To please you, Master.”

He groaned. “You are, baby, and I can’t wait to return the favor.” My heart began to race. The haze was taking over already, and he had barely touched me. “Though your pleasure will come with pain.” He tilted my chin up. “Did you send the doctor away?”

“Yes, Master.”

“How did he take it?”

Ian’s angry, hurt expression flashed in my mind. “Not well.”

“And he won’t come back?”

I blinked. “I don’t think so.”
 

“How does that make you feel?”

“Upset, Master.” The truth spilled from my lips without thought or effort. The way he commanded my compliance, his strong voice floating above me as I kneeled on the hard floor, reinforced the dynamics of our relationship.
 

“Yet you obeyed me, and you’re being truthful about it.”
 

“Yes, Master. I told you I was yours, and I meant it.” Five more weeks. I could give him that.
 

“I needed to know you’d be honest with me no matter what. Your absolute honesty is important to me. I’ll accept nothing less.”

“I know, Master.” It was one of two rules I would never break, the other being confidentiality.
 

He slipped a blindfold over my eyes, and then guided me to my feet. “Undress me,” he said, bringing my hands to his shirt.
 

I fumbled with the buttons, blindly undoing them. His shirt whispered to the floor, and my hands drifted to his belt; sliding it from the loops reminded me of the beating I’d taken in his office earlier that week. I shuddered at the thought and reached for what I thought was the button of his slacks. Instead I found his erection straining against the zipper. He jerked my hands up a few inches and helped me remove the last barrier to his body.
 

“Good girl.” He pressed down on my shoulders until I sank to my knees again. Unlike in his office, where he’d given me most of the control, he swatted my hands away, grabbed my head, and forced his cock between my lips. I gagged the deeper he dove, but that didn’t deter him. I couldn’t see his expression, but I imagined the tightness of his features, the tension in his shoulders as he neared climax. I didn’t fight him as he slipped in and out, his balls flapping against my chin. The loud groan he released as he spilled into my mouth sent fire between my legs. I ached in a way that was exhilarating and humiliating all at once—the two emotions fought for space in my heart. No matter how many times he forced me to my knees, demanded I bend to his will, my body still responded in a primal way even I didn’t understand.
 

Gage expelled a heavy breath. “You know how to love a man’s cock.”
 

I raised my head and waited for his instruction.
 

He removed the blindfold. “We have a Christmas party to get to.” Gage helped me to my feet, and I gasped when he spun me around and pushed me to the bed. “Bend over.” I hadn’t noticed the cocktail dress he’d set out on the mattress . . . or the butt plug and nipples clamps. I cringed to think of the pain those things would inflict.
 

“You’ll wear them to the party,” he said, as if he’d heard my thoughts. He grabbed the plug, and I tensed in preparation, hissing a breath through my teeth as he pushed it in. He grabbed my arm and twirled me until I faced him again. I shrank away when he reached for the clamps.
 

“I-I’m sorr—”
 

“Don’t be sorry, Kayla. Just obey. I can restrain you, if you won’t behave yourself.”
 

I shook my head and stepped toward him.
 

His eyes lingered on my nipples, and the edges of his mouth turned up. “Stand up straight and clasp your hands behind your back. You’ll learn to present your breasts properly.”
 

I lengthened my spine and laced my fingers together at the small of my back; the position put my chest on display. He bent down and slid his tongue across each nipple. A delicious chill raced through me, only to be obliterated when he clamped the first sensitive peak. I whimpered, and Gage responded by tightening the clamp further. I screwed my eyes shut as he did the same to the other side. I could only imagine how excruciating they’d feel if I hadn’t breastfed.
 

He brought his mouth to my ear. “I want you uncomfortable. I want your tits aching, your ass full. By the time we return tonight, you’ll beg me to fill every part of you.”
 

A shiver of excitement tore through me.
 

“Get dressed. Come upstairs when you’re ready.” His lips drifted down my chest, and he bit down on the chain connecting my breasts and pulled. “Don’t take too long—we’re almost late.”
 

I dressed quickly, gritting my teeth as the material scraped across my aching nipples, and then climbed the stairs. Gage’s voice rang through the house as I edged the door open, though judging by his low tone, I figured he didn’t want to be overheard. Whoever was on the other end of the call had sure pushed a button.
 

“I’m tired of your threats!” he hissed.
 

I should have announced my presence, but in the end my curious nature won. I pressed against the door and listened.

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with, do you?” Silence followed, until he muttered something indistinguishable. The sound of his feet hitting the floor reverberated in my ears. I scrambled to open the door behind me, and when Gage rounded the corner, it appeared as if I’d just exited. He smoothed the anger from his features and ended the call. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah . . .” My mouth parted, and I couldn’t help but stare at the sight of Gage Channing in a tux.
 

8. C
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The Sheraton Hotel hosted the company Christmas party. Gage opened the door for me, and then tucked my arm in his as we approached the room where the event was being held. Everyone in the room took notice upon our arrival, but Gage was correct in people’s reactions. Apparently, Katherine’s absence served as a reminder for people to mind their own business.
 

Gage nuzzled my neck and spoke into my ear. “Would you like some champagne?”
 

I nodded, unable to speak.
 

He leaned into me. “Enjoy yourself tonight. You’ll have plenty of time to surrender to me later.” My breath went thready at his words. Gage planted a kiss on my cheek and then headed in the direction of the bar.