Surrender (2 page)

She was right thought Andrew as he was driving home. He couldn’t affect the outcome of the challenge, but he did need to think about what he would do if the once-unthinkable happened, and Grace replaced Amber as the Dining Club’s hostess.

* * *

“What do you mean, you can’t make Sunday?” asked Fran in disbelief. “What the hell’s more important than a first read-through that’s taken weeks to set up?”

Grace didn’t know what to say. “I’ve no choice, Fran. It’s something that’s come up unexpectedly and…”

“Unless someone’s bloody dying I can’t imagine what it can be,” snapped Fran.

“I’m sorry, but I have to be somewhere else. I can’t explain more, and I’m really sorry. I know it’s terrible timing.”

Fran laughed bitterly. “That has to be the understatement of the year. Just don’t let it be something you have to go to with David, because if it is I’ll never forgive you.”

Grace didn’t answer.

“It is, isn’t it? You’re swanning off to some posh event with Mr. Moneybags and abandoning MY play. Go on, admit it.”

“It’s not like that. If I could get out of it I would, but I can’t,” said Grace, feeling close to tears.

“Then explain to me exactly what it is that you can’t get out of, because I can tell you right now that this is so unprofessional I can’t believe you’re doing it.”

“I can’t tell you. I’m not allowed to tell you,” said Grace.

“Not allowed? Is it some Masonic function, where they’re admitting women as a treat for being good girls? God, what’s happened to you? We used to laugh at people like that.”

“People like what?” asked Grace. “You don’t know anything about David, so don’t try to judge him.”

“I know he’s changed you,” retorted Fran, picking up her jacket and shoulder bag.

“Please don’t walk out on me, Fran,” begged Grace. “I don’t want us to fall out over this.”

“Well tough luck, because we just have. I’ll tell everyone you’re sick, which is true in a way, as you seem to be lovesick. Don’t expect to be welcomed back with open arms when you and David break up though. I thought you valued our friendship, but clearly I was wrong.

“You know, if you were head over heels in love with that chap we met at the King’s Head I could understand it better, he was a real hunk, but I have no idea what you see in David. All I can say is, he must be bloody good in the sack.”

Grace felt her cheeks flushing, and hastily turned away from her friend. “I’m truly sorry, Fran,” she repeated. “And I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t. I should be able to get your play up and running though. It’s probably only Sunday I’ll have to miss.”

Fran was speechless for a moment. “You ‘should’ be able to get my play up and running? Fine, but remember this. If you want to screw up your entire career through lust or whatever you choose to call it, it’s up to you, but lust doesn’t last. What will you do when David tires of you and you’re just another forgotten director who was once tipped for great success?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” responded Grace, stung to anger by her friend’s words, which were too close to home to be comfortable. “I won’t let him tire of me.”

Fran raised her eyebrows. “Really? Well short of casting some kind of spell over him, I don’t know how you can possibly say that. How can any of us know that someone we love will never tire of us? We all change, Grace. It’s called growing up, I believe. I’m beginning to feel really sorry for you.”

“There’s no need,” retorted Grace. “I’ve never been as happy as I am at the moment.”

Fran looked at her thoughtfully. “Yes, you do look happy; different, but happy. I still think this is a disgusting way to treat a friend, but if you’ve discovered the secret to eternal happiness, then feel free to let me in on it sometime. Until then, I’m leaving.” With that she walked out of the flat, banging the front door shut behind her.

Alone and shaken, Grace turned her thoughts to the coming Sunday. Now, more than ever, she knew that she had to succeed in the challenge. After everything that Fran had said, she was even more certain that her decision was right. What she really wanted to do was to run the Dining Club, and make a life for her and David that would totally fulfill them both. The moment she’d set foot in the Club her life had changed irrevocably, and she was now so consumed by her love for both David and the Club that nothing else mattered, which meant that Amber definitely had to go.

On the Sunday morning, David collected Grace from her flat at six-thirty in the morning. She’d already been awake for over two hours, her mind racing as she tried to imagine what might lie ahead of her, and how she could summon up the skills necessary to defeat Amber in the challenge for table five.

“Dark circles?” he queried, touching her face with the tips of his fingers. “I hope you haven’t been awake all night?”

“No, although it would have been nice if we could have spent the night together.”

“Unfair to Amber, don’t you think?” he queried.

“You really are totally impartial about this aren’t you,” she said incredulously. “I thought you said you loved me, and that you wanted me to do this.”

He cast a quick sideways glance at her. “I certainly said I loved you, because I do. I think the decision to take on the challenge for table five was yours alone though.”

“But we agreed it would be good for us, for our relationship. We talked about that.”

“Damn these lights, they’re all on red,” was his only response, and she realized that he didn’t want to talk about it.

“David, please tell me that you want me to win,” she begged him. “I need to know that.”

“I’ve known Amber a long time, and we’ve a lot of shared memories, Grace. I’m one of the judges in this competition, and I take part in the challenge. It wouldn’t be fair if I was more in favor of one of you than the other.”

“But…”

“Close your eyes and rest. We’ll be there soon enough and the challenge begins straight away. You’re nervous, which is understandable, and…”

“I’m doing this for us!” she exclaimed. “I’ve missed the first read-through of Fran’s play to be here today. All I want is to know that you’re pleased. Is that too much to ask? What’s happened to you?”

“Nothing’s happened to me, my darling. You’re the one who’s decided on a major career change.”

Suddenly Grace felt incredibly alone. “Please, say something nice,” she begged him. “I’m scared.”

He put a hand on her knee and squeezed gently. “Just remember how much I love you, Gracie. In all fairness to Amber, I can’t say anything more.”

She realized then that her final visit to the Dining Club as a client was to be no different from her first. David had switched off emotionally, his mind focused entirely on whatever the day held for her and Amber.

“I understand,” she said softly.

“I knew you would. That’s part of why I love you,” he said quietly, and finally she felt both comforted and reassured by his words.

There were already several cars in the driveway of the Club when they arrived. Laura opened the front door to them. “Everyone else is already here,” she said to David. “They’re waiting for you both in the drawing room.”

Walking in ahead of David, Grace saw Andrew sitting opposite the door. Glancing round the room she saw Will was there too, and also five other men that she didn’t know.

“Laura, take Grace upstairs and get her changed, then collect Amber and bring them both back to us,” said David, walking across the room to greet one of the men.

Grace’s mouth went dry as she realized that for the men in the room, the challenge had already begun. She followed Laura up the stairs to a small dressing room. “You’ll need to take all your clothes off,” said the blonde twin. “You and Amber have to wear the same outfit for this.”

Opening a wardrobe door she took out a black and gold dress, except that when Grace put it on she realized it wasn’t really a dress. The tight-fitting leather basque was laced up at each side, and the halter neck had a tiny black and gold collar attached to it. Black silk hung from the bottom of the basque to Grace’s heels, but only at the back. At the front there was one thin strip of silk that hung between her bare legs, brushing lightly against her skin.

“You need these too,” said Laura, unwilling to meet Grace’s gaze as she handed over a tiny pair of black bikini bottoms and a black and gold metal bracelet. “The bracelet goes round your left wrist. The pants will feel tight, but that’s how they have to be.”

Once she’d put everything on, Grace looked at herself in the full-length mirror set in the door of the wardrobe. “I look like some kind of slave girl!” she exclaimed.

“We’d better go down now,” said Laura.

“Am I?” asked Grace, fear rising in her. “Is that the theme of this trial? Do we have to be some kind of sex slave to those men down there?”

“I don’t know,” said Laura. “I wasn’t here when the last challenge for table five took place. We must go down now or I’ll get into trouble.”

At the top of the stairs, Grace came face to face with Amber, who had Amy with her. Looking at the blonde woman, so poised and confident, her slender, honed body shown to perfection in the same outfit as she was wearing, Grace felt a moment of doubt. How could she hope to defeat such a sexually skilled woman, who even now was looking supremely confident while she, Grace, was filled with fearful foreboding?

Amber’s eyes swept over Grace. “The costume suits you,” she said silkily. “I always knew you were naturally subservient.”

“In that case, I might do well,” responded Grace, as they descended the wide staircase together.

The men had gathered in the hallway, watching the two women with excited anticipation in their eyes. When they reached the bottom step, David stepped forward. “It’s time for me to explain the rules of the competition now. If there’s anything you don’t understand you can ask me, but no questions are permitted once the challenge begins.

“For the rest of the day you will both become our sex slaves, showing total obedience to our desires at all times. You will be allowed sexual satisfaction, but only when we give permission. Should you get satisfaction before gaining permission you’ll be punished. Punishment must always be followed by an expression of your gratitude. You will thank us for showing you the error of your ways. You won’t speak at any other time unless you are invited to do so.

“During the course of the challenge you will both be evaluated by each member of the committee. At the end of the trial a vote will be held in private, and whoever has the largest number of votes will be the winner. Do either of you have any questions?”

“I do,” said Grace, her nerves jangling after hearing him speak of punishments. “What do we do if we want the trial to end?”

“Naturally the normal Dining Club rule then comes into force, and you simply say that you want it to stop,” said David. “There will be no attempt to coerce either of you into continuing if you no longer wish to. Naturally we hope that won’t happen, and that you both complete the challenge. If there’s nothing else you want to know, we’ll begin.”

The men split into two groups. Andrew, Will and one of the strangers gathered round Grace, and a lead was clipped onto the collar around her neck. Instinctively she flinched away in shock, before being led along the hallway into the room where she’d first met the twins, while David and the other men brought Amber along close behind.

Then the leads were unclipped and the two women were told to wait by the door. Grace’s legs began to tremble, until she was afraid they would give way beneath her. David’s words, delivered in a crisp, dispassionate tone, had been a salutary reminder of how intense and challenging the day was going to be, but she knew there could be no going back now.

After a few minutes, Will and one of the strangers came over to them. Will hooked his fingers in Amber’s collar and led her across the room while the stranger indicated with his head for Grace to follow him.

Two deep chairs had been moved into the center of the room. Andrew was sitting naked in one while another stranger was naked in the other.

“Your first task as personal sex slaves is to bring your man to a climax without the use of sex toys. There’s a tube of lubricant beside each chair, which is allowed to be used. Naturally there is an element of competition involved. The winner will be the one who is successful first. Naturally you yourselves are not expected to reach orgasm through this.

“Before you begin, there is something else that needs to be added to your costumes, which Amy and Laura will put in place now.”

Standing naked before the unknown man, who was lean but well-toned, Grace realized he was very attractive, with dark hair and deep brown eyes. However, he had the same detached expression that she’d often seen on David’s face.

Amy was quickly by her side, sliding the tight bikini-style panties down Grace’s legs so that she could reach inside them, and now Grace could feel something smooth and cool pressing against her vulva.

“Excellent,” said David. “You may both begin now.”

Grace hesitated. She’d never touched a stranger in such an intimate way before. For her this act had always been an expression of love and trust, but she knew nothing about the man sitting waiting expectantly, and she didn’t know if she could do it. Then she heard a soft sigh from Andrew, and realized that Amber had already begun.

Seeing that the stranger was already semi-aroused, she swiftly unfastened the halter top of her clothing, then put some lubricant on her breasts before lifting them to form a shelf for his testicles.

He gave a sharp intake of breath as she arched her body, and his testicles slid through the channel between her breasts. Cradling his shaft in the gap between them she stroked his glans with the tips of her fingers, letting her long hair brush his straining stomach. He was breathing heavily now, the testicles swelling and tightening.

With increasing confidence she closed her mouth over the tip while letting her left hand stray beneath him so that she could lightly caress his perineum. His hips jerked and she tasted the first drops of pre-ejaculatory fluid in her mouth. Encouraged she swirled her tongue around the tip while at the same time pressing her breasts tightly around his straining shaft.