Taming Emma (2 page)

The subtle scent of an aftershave she knew but couldn’t place filled her nostrils. It was a strangely comforting memory.

“Good evening, Damien.” The new voice sent a shiver through her, making every hair on her body stand on end. She’d heard his voice before, she was certain.

Her senses were heightened since she stood blind and she felt Damien’s body tense just a little beside her. “Good evening, Mr. Roark,” Damien said.

Mr. Roark?

Even through the blindfold, she could feel his gaze on her body. “She’s a lovely one, isn’t she?” he asked.

It can’t be. But the voice, the accent…

It took all she had to stand still, but when his hand crept along her belly then cupped her breast, she gasped and instinctively tried to pull away. Damien wrapped his hands around her upper arms and not only held her still, but when he pulled them back, he thrust her chest forward, as if he were offering her breasts to the man.

The man cupped one, then pinched her nipple which, already hard, scratched the cool silk of her dress. Even though painful, it sent a flush of desire straight to her clit.

“I’ve always liked a little fire in a woman,” he said. “Makes for a more interesting evening.” He brought his face close to hers so she could feel his breath on her neck, her ear. “But you should know I’m not so patient a teacher as your Damien, my dear.”

It was him, she was absolutely certain. Luke Roark, her brother’s one-time best friend.
Oh crap, crap, crap!
Didn’t he recognize her? He hadn’t seen her in more than six years. She’d been eighteen at the time and used to dye her hair a bright, horrible red. What was he doing here and how long would they keep the blindfold on to hide her?
No no no, this cannot be happening!

Damien’s hands on her arms tightened then released. “Remember why you’re here,” he whispered to her when Luke’s footsteps retreated. “I own you, Emma, you agreed. Don’t embarrass me or I will punish you in front of everyone and believe me, you won’t like it.”

He was being crueler than he’d ever been with her. He was under pressure.

“I can’t do this,” she panicked.

“Really? I thought you liked it, given the way your body reacted to him,” he began. He sounded jealous, almost bitter.

“I didn’t…”

He ignored her. “I do wonder,” he began, “if I slipped my hand inside your panties now,” his fingers trailed along her thigh, slowly raising her dress. “Would they be wet?” he asked, running a finger across the lacy fabric.

She tensed, wanting his hands off of her body, but knowing she was powerless.

“Oh, my…” He removed his hand and brought his fingers to her lips, smearing the stuff like sticky lip gloss. “My little whore.”

She felt her face redden as he led her forward, pinching her hard when she resisted. He was right, she was a whore. How had things come to this?

Hardwood floors turned to carpeted floors and the soft sound of opera music and the crackling of wood in a fireplace filled her ears.

Too late. It was too late.

“Take her to the fire,” an unfamiliar voice said. “She’s shivering.”

She wasn’t shaking from cold.

“Aren’t you going to introduce your beauty?” someone asked.

Another man chuckled. How many were there?

“Gentlemen, this is Emma.”

“Lovely,” someone said before the room grew quiet again.

There was a faint scent of books, old books, and the stale smell of a pipe smoked hours ago. Although the fire was warm at her back, she felt cold and alone.

Someone held a glass to her lips. Whiskey. She turned her face.

“Drink,” Damien said from several feet away. “It will relax you.”

Whoever was holding the cup pressed it to her lips. She drank the contents down and coughed with the aftershock of it. Although she was grateful for the drink, she needed to keep her wits about her.

“Strip her,” a man said.

It took all she had to remain still like Damien had taught her, like she instinctively knew she should. She was going to be stripped naked while Luke Roark watched.

“Breathe.”

She stiffened, smelling Luke’s aftershave even before he whispered that one command close to her ear. “Emma,” he said, his voice a deep whisper.

No, it was worse than she thought. He wouldn’t just be watching. He’d be doing the stripping.

Without intending to, she whispered Damien’s name. But she knew Damien wouldn’t save her.

“No, not Damien,” Luke began. “Sir or Master will do well enough though,” he kept going as cold sweat pooled under her arms. She’d had a crush on him for years when she’d been a teenager. In fact, she’d imagined moments when he’d be stripping her many a night while her fingers worked inside her panties. But it wasn’t ever like this, where she’d agreed to be offered as a bought-and-paid-for sex toy to a room full of men.

His hands were remarkably gentle when he, without touching her skin, untied the knot at the back of her neck and slowly opened the dress to her waist, presenting her breasts to the room. She shuddered when, a moment later, he cupped them, kneading the nipples into hard points before pushing the dress down her body to pool around her feet. “Step out of the dress,” he said, his voice softer.

She stumbled as she did but with a hand at her elbow, he righted her. She could feel him behind her, to the side of her, circling around her while she stood exposed but for the small triangle of lace covering her sex, her thigh-high stockings and pumps. She struggled not to pull against her restraints while hot tears moistened the blindfold.

“Legs wider, Emma.” Although his voice sounded thicker with arousal, she knew it was the same man who’d ordered her to be stripped earlier.

“Do you need help?” Luke asked when she didn’t comply quickly enough.

Without answering him, she shifted her feet, standing with her legs slightly farther than hip distance.

He didn’t know it was her just yet, but she was sure the blindfold was coming off and soon. When his fingers traced her shoulders, a shock made her gasp. She tried to move away, but he twined them in her hair, pulling just a little. “Be still,” he commanded quietly.

“You’re safe, Emma. No one will hurt you,” Damien said from a distance. His words broke the spell and she realized she felt safer with Luke Roark stripping her than with Damien’s weak promise.

“Don’t coddle her, Damien. Your girl chose to come, remember that,” Luke said.

She flinched at his words but was simultaneously aroused by them, by his absolute power. And he was right: she was aroused; she wanted this.

Luke was so close that his breath moistened her flesh. He inhaled at her neck and shoulders, making every hair stand on end as she tried to anticipate his next move. “Beautiful,” he said after a few moments, his voice a low, deep growl.

“She’s trembling, Luke, give her some space,” a man said, but Luke didn’t move.

The man continued. “We will take your blindfold away in a few moments, Emma. There are several of us here. We have a few questions first. You’ve signed a contract with Damien, correct?” he asked.

She nodded a slow, small nod.

“And you consent? You’re not being coerced but are here of your own free will, is that right?”

She nodded again.

“Answer me with words, please.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. Take off her blindfold,” the man said.

“Relax,” Luke said behind her, his fingers working the blindfold. “You see,” he said, removing the cloth and moving into her line of vision. “I’m not so awful.”

Her eyelashes were wet and she had to blink several times to bring him into focus. This was the moment of truth. No turning back. He stood inches from her, her eyes at the level of his wide, muscular chest. She swallowed, lifting her gaze to his. Familiar eyes greeted her, a blue so dark they could be black. They froze for an instant while recognition set in. She kept silent and still, watching him, trying to gauge his reaction.

He cleared his throat before continuing. “You see?” He raised a hand and reached behind her to set her hair free from its clip. “I can be gentle too,” he said while he arranged the mass of dark curls behind her shoulders. He tucked the silk of the blindfold into his pocket and she couldn’t keep her eyes off of him.

“What’s the matter, Luke,” a man from the shadows said. “Has she got you bewitched already?” he asked as another man chuckled. “Move so we can all have a look at her.”

Luke’s mouth tightened and his gaze bore into Emma before giving the man who’d commented a look that banished his smile. But when Emma had his full attention again, she saw that he was more than angry, angrier than she’d ever seen him before.

“You forgot her panties,” a man said.

Luke’s lips tightened, his gaze holding her steady. Was that reluctance in his eyes when he gripped her panties and slid them down her thighs?

She made a sound and tried to move away, but he caught her. What was he doing? Didn’t he recognize her? He wasn’t reacting like she thought he would.

“What the hell is this?” His question was directed to Damien, but his fingers curled painfully in the little patch of dark hair between her legs.

“Ow!” All she could do was stare at Luke. What was he doing?

“I’m sorry, Mr. Roark. She was supposed to be waxed bare, but as you’ll find yourself, she has a stubborn streak.” Damien’s last words were directed at her, but she couldn’t have cared less.

“You didn’t examine her prior to bringing her here?”

“No, Sir. I neglected to. My error,” Damien said. “I apologize.”

She found herself wanting to say something, anything, to Luke. To explain. But explain what? How would she explain her presence as Damien’s ‘girl’?

“Your training leaves a bit to be desired,” Luke said, his gaze giving away no hint of recognition.

“Lisa,” Luke snapped, turning her around and untying her hands.

A naked woman about her own age who’d obviously been standing in the shadows behind her jumped to attention. “Yes, Sir.” This woman was terrified of him; it was evident in her body language as well as the tone of her voice.

“Take her to the back room and fix…this,” he said, tugging once again at her hair.

“Ow!” It came out before she could stop it. Someone chuckled. The bastard! That had hurt.

“Yes, Sir.”

Lisa took Emma’s arm and hurried out of the room from a side door. As they exited, the other door opened and Emma turned to find two more women being led inside, both bound and blindfolded.

* * *

“Why is he so mad?” Emma asked as they moved quickly through a narrow, dark corridor.

Lisa gave her a look that warned her to be quiet. The girl pulled her into a small bedroom.

“Don’t let them hear you speaking, you’ll be punished.”

“No one will hear us.”

As if to prove her wrong, the door opened and Damien stood in the doorway. He was so mad his face was bright red.

Lisa stopped dead and dropped her gaze to the ground.

“God damn it, Emma! I told you to have that taken care of!”

“I forgot! I’m sorry, I was a little preoccupied!” she said.

“Sir. Sir! Will you never learn?” He turned to Lisa. “Wax her bare and make sure it hurts. And if I hear a whisper from either one of you, I will whip both your asses raw.”

“Yes, Sir,” Lisa answered, waiting until he left before she moved to retrieve the wax.

Well, it hurt all right. As gentle as Lisa tried to be, waxing away every hair on her most delicate region hurt more than a little. It took all of fifteen minutes before they returned, slipping quietly inside. Emma’s pussy burned from the rough treatment and she didn’t miss Luke’s nod when he looked at the reddened flesh.

“Come here,” he said to her and everyone turned to watch. It was as if he were making a show of it on purpose.

She took one tentative step toward him before he gave his next command. “No.”

She stopped.

“Crawl,” he said. When she simply stood staring, he added, “That means get on your hands on and knees and make your way to my side. Now.”

Fuck him! She set her jaw, her gaze a challenge to his. He took one step before Lisa’s hand touched her wrist and pulled, desperately giving the signal to drop to her knees. For once in her life, Emma did what she was told, even though every fiber of her being battled on her way down. How dare he shame her like this? Everyone in the room watched as she knelt, then crawled to Luke’s side. He didn’t smile when she reached him. When she dropped her gaze, his fingers closed in her hair and forced her to look up at him. “You’ll be happy to know that while you were gone, your contract was arranged. I now own it. Do you know what that makes me?”

Tears stung the corners of her eyes as she tried to shake her head no. Her whole body shook; this was not how it was supposed to go.

“I can’t hear you,” he said.

“No. I don’t understand,” she said, her hand closing around his wrist while she rose a little to relieve the pressure of his hand in her hair.

“You belong to me, Emma. I am your master for the weekend, I command you. Now do you understand?”

She nodded.

His grip tightened painfully. “If I wanted you to nod your head, I’d do it for you.”

Why was he being so mean? “Yes, Sir. I’m sorry, Sir,” she said.

“She will be,” someone chuckled.

“Shame we won’t have a taste of that fine pussy tonight though.”

Luke looked pissed at that comment. “Gentlemen, continue with the evening. I have what I came for and will take my leave.” Turning to Lisa, he said, “Get me her clothes and find her a wrap.”

“Yes, Sir,” Lisa scrambled ahead of them.

“Luke, she’s new,” Damien’s voice came from across the room and Emma wondered where his sudden concern for her was coming from.

“Just like I like them,” Luke said.

Damien nodded and looked away. In the vestibule, Luke draped a warm wrap over her shoulders, took her clothes from Lisa and led her out the door.

Chapter Three

Once the door closed behind them, Luke turned to her. “Not a word until we’re in the car,” he warned, unlocking a sleek black Jaguar. “Get in.” He held the passenger side door open. She settled herself inside and waited. Once he was in, he turned to her. “Are you all right?” he asked.