The little show lasted half an hour while the man bound her arms and torso. At the announcer's prompt that his allotted time was up, the man nodded and helped the woman off the stage to a seat at the side. There, he proceeded to remove the binding, taking care to rub circulation back into the skin as he went.
Team two made their way to the stage. The woman was flung against the bed where she began to struggle. At the first scream, Tara's nails bit into my palm, jolting me with shock. She hid her face in my arm and put her finger in her ear.
"Shhh, what's wrong?"
She shook her head and made humming noises like she was trying not to hear. I glanced around and caught that monster bastard with a huge grin on his face.
I pulled her closer and made soft noises to her. "They're only pretending, it's not real. It's not real."
God she was fucking trembling. Was this the reason for her frigidity? A past assault? Fuck. And I'd been so fucking insensitive and forward.
The tormenting act ended in a screaming orgasm. By then, the rest of the contestants were grinning and giggling at the little Dom lamb nearly in my lap. I wanted this fucking thing to be over so she could go back to her small town and forget this ever happened. And get her through this event without getting auctioned. She wouldn't quit, I was pretty sure. And I couldn't stand it if she got picked by that monster. Never.
"It's over?" She popped up and looked around. At the expressions on everyone's faces, she looked at me, regret filling her brow. "Shit, I'm sorry. I had a bad experience and I don't…" She shook her hands the way she sometimes did when extremely agitated. "I'm fine, I got therapy and-and everything, but sometimes it hits me, you know?" She nodded at me, her eyes full of worry.
I grabbed her face and kissed her lips repeatedly. "I get it. Stop. I get it. Don't fucking apologize for that. You're beautiful."
She took several calming breaths like it was a familiar routine she'd practiced. "I'm fine. I'm good."
The idea that she dealt with that alone for however long made me ache inside. Made me sick. Made me want to walk out of there with her, out of this life, this world and run away with her. Take care of her. Keep her safe.
The last bit would be a tad difficult with my past hunting me. I'd likely just get her killed, that's what I'd get.
I fucking needed to win this. But already we were so far from first place.
The second couple went into the little triage aftercare area and the third couple went up. If I wasn't careful, I'd vomit. We were next.
Tara hid her face on my shoulder. "Tell me what they're doing. I have triggers."
I placed my hand on her head, helping shield her as I watched the couple preparing. "It's… it's not bad. They're…acting out AB/DL."
She sucked in her breath and looked at the stage. "Adult baby…"
"Diaper love."
"Ohhhh my God."
The man got on the bed in his giant cloth diaper and began his act as a newborn infant, wailing and flailing his lanky limbs.
Tara burst out in snickers on my arm. "Why couldn't we get that?"
I looked at her with concern. "You want to play like a baby and piss and shit in diapers?"
She buried her face in my shoulder and stifled hysterical laughter. I had to smile and chuckle. Mostly at the amazing sound. I could definitely get used to hearing that.
"Oh look, she's nursing him."
Tara squealed as quietly as she could, kicking her feet and pulling my shirt.
I lowered my head. "Shhhh, it's not nice to laugh sweetheart."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you're right."
I bit my lip at the laughter in her tone. The woman rocked the large baby for a few minutes.
"Cawwee me. Cawwee me." The man held his arms up to the woman and she lifted him.
He wrapped his lanky limbs around her and I snuck glances around to see if anybody else was as entertained, and found all watching in rapt attention.
I looked back at the dynamic duo on stage just in time to see the woman lose her footing.
"Oh shit." Tara and I both leaned forward as the couple fell off the stage into a heap of limbs.
Loud booming laughter erupted from the couple on the floor and Tara followed suit. I watched her, speechless as she howled. God, she was so… not of my lifestyle. Genuine. Authentic. Sweet as fuck, even when she was trying to be mean. I'd wager she didn't have one deceptive bone in her body, that everything about her was decent.
The couple left the stage and Tara looked at me. My heart dropped. Our turn.
Chapter Nine
I made my way with her to the stage and pointed at the flogging horse.
"I lay on it?"
"I tie you to it. You have to be nude, love." The regret and shame in my tone drew her gaze.
She came and kissed me on the cheek. "I'm sorry Lucian," she whispered. "I think it's the sweetest thing that you hate hurting me. But I need you to do this, please. Do it quick and I'll make it up to you."
"Don't." I shook my head, unable to look at her. "Don't offer anything for this. Nothing is worth it."
"Okay." She hurried and removed her clothes and I restrained her. I picked up the flogger and raised it. Then lowered it when the strength left my arm.
"Awkward, Lucian," she whispered.
I hardened my jaw and resolve. "Get ready. I'm doing it quick so hold the fuck on."
I made it to fifteen and stopped. I paced a few feet, wanting to kill.
"Just hurry. Finish."
The sound of her strained breaths tore my heart out. "Fuck!" I began again, aiming in different spots. She jerked left and right, her yelps killing me. Don't stop, don't stop. Don't you fucking stop. You're a fucking Dom. You dominate shit. Now dominate this and get it over. At forty-five, I couldn't see through my tears. I hurried to finish, feeling so fucking dirty.
On fifty, I threw the flogger down and hurried to her. "Fuck baby, I'm sorry."
She jerked to me. "Lucian! Lucian!"
I couldn't make myself look at her.
"Look at me. Look at me!" Her words were harsh and lassoed my sanity.
I finally looked at her,
"I'm okay, see? Didn't even cry. Now untie me so you can hold me."
I hurried and did as she said and pulled her into my lap when she was free. I stroked her body softly and carefully, rocking her, kissing her everywhere I could reach. I didn't care who saw. Fuck them. Fuck all of them sick bastards.
****
God, I'd never seen Lucian so upset. What had happened to him to make him hate hurting a woman? I wasn't the only one with issues, that's for sure. I let him comfort me until he was satisfied. The manager came on the stage to tell him to take me to the aftercare area. He promptly replied with, "Fuck you."
I waved the man off. "Lucian, sweetie, I'm fine. I'd like to get my clothes on. Okay?"
He looked at me. "Yeah. Yes, get dressed. I'll help you."
We went back to the couch and Lucian seemed miserable. I put my arm around him, trying not to wince and make him feel horrible. He laid his head on my shoulder. "God I wish this was over already."
I stroked his hair, my heart tugging hard in my chest. "Soon. Hold on for me?" I ruffled his hair a little.
He sat up and looked at me. "I have issues too, love."
"Pff." I tossed my hand. "Who doesn't?"
"Oh God, what a fucking monster," Lucian mumbled, eyes on the stage now.
I looked out and my stomach tensed at seeing that ugly giant of a man making that poor girl get on her hands and knees. "What…"
"Pony play." The disgust in Lucian's voice was lethal. "The one being the pony isn't usually made to carry weight they can't possibly sustain. Unless it's at the discretion of an idiot like him."
I grabbed his hand. "Do I need to turn away?" The guy put a leather apparatus on the poor girl's head, forcing something into her mouth as he did.
"I may need to. Of course he'd sit his fat fucking ass on her." Lucian's voice carried and he didn't se
em to care. Was glad.
"Okay, shhh."
Lucian made a disgusted sound and turned his head away when the guy began talking trash to her. He slapped her in the head, making her hair fly. "Fuck." Lucian sat back.
I grabbed his hand and squeezed. He was still upset over the flogging. This was bad. I could feel the tension in his body needing unleashing.
The man jerked on the leather reins leading to the girl's mouth, then slapped her butt, hard. "Take your master for a ride, you stupid cunt!" He let out a laugh like a fat demon while the girl walked him around the stage on her hands and knees. Her arms and legs trembled visibly from the strain of carrying him.
"Oh God." I looked around to see if any of them would do something. "Her… her mouth is bleeding."
Lucian leaned forward and lowered his head, shaking it.
The man delivered rapid blows to the girl's rear with a meaty open palm while she slowly crawled with him. "Hurry, you slow bitch. Giddy up!" Another evil laugh followed. "You better not make me late! I'm goin to DOM WARS!" He roared the words then whacked at her rear. The blows sounded more like punches than slaps.
She suddenly collapsed under his weight. "What the fuck?" He got up and dragged her up by the reins. "What's the matter, jackass? Don't tell me you're tired." He slapped her across the face and she landed on her side.
Lucian shot up. "Come the fuck on! That's enough!"
I stood and held his arm while the guy turned wide eyes to him. "What's the matter?" He yanked the girl up by her hair and shook her like a rag doll. "You don't like to see pretty little girls hurting?" He twisted his fat face into mock sadness.
"Lisa. You can tell him to stop," Lucian called. "They'll make him stop. Just say the word, sweetheart."
"You know she don't want to stop." This came from the female in team three on the right. She grinned showing a few missing teeth. "She likes it."
Lucian spun to her. "How do you fucking know? How do you fucking know?" he roared.
The lady's bean pole of a man stood up. "Now calm down."
"She's fucking broken!" Lucian pointed at the girl. "How broken does she have to be? How pathetic does she have to be? She just wants acceptance and love. She lets him break her because she wants to make somebody fucking happy!" Lucian looked at the psycho. "You can't make a fucking devil happy!"
Several Dungeon Managers had gathered around Lucian, seeming ready to escort him out. "Get it together or you're out." A big black guy next to him spoke with a cautious hand stretched out.
Lucian put his hands up. "I'm fine. I'm fucking fine."
"This is your first and final warning. Another outburst will cost your team."
I pulled Lucian back to the chair, our corner, feeling like we were in a cage fight with a bunch of animals.
"We'll take a thirty minute break and then have the auction." The Dungeon Manager who'd spoken to Lucian scanned the room. "Afterward, you can return to your rooms. You'll have until midnight to work your points. Winners will be announced tomorrow at the formal munch."
God, we were almost done. Now if only I could get auctioned. Or Lucian. That would be a thousand points. We could win it then. Lucian pulled me into the corner next to a large artificial tree. I looked at him and my heart raced at the angst in his eyes. He lowered his lips to mine and kissed me with a hunger that speared my tummy, his hand firmly on my jaw, his other hand cradling the back of my head.
He broke the kiss but kept his lips next to mine. "Let's just quit. You want to?"
My heart lurched. "Lucian."
He pulled up and held my face. "Fuck this, it's not worth it. You're too good for all of this. Please."
"We've come this far, Lucian. I can't. I have to finish, I'm not quitting."
His eyes rolled shut and he put his forehead on mine. "If… you get auctioned. I'm quitting."
"No. No you can't do that. If you quit, I lose, you can't do that to me." I shook my hands, panic rising.
"Why does it fucking matter?"
"Because my Gramma is…"
He looked up with closed eyes. "Fuck, I knew it. I knew the moment I helped you pick up change from that adorable tin can that you were a fucking saint." He lowered his head and shook it. "What do you need, love? Maybe I can help you and you won't need to do this."
"A lot of money. To bring her home," I whispered, mostly because my throat was closing. "She…she's in a nursing home, she had a stroke. She needs special care. I can't leave her there, I need to bring her home."
He covered his mouth then held her shoulders. "She's old love, that's what we sometimes have to do—"
"No." I shook my head as panic set in. "She's not that old. She's my Gramma and she raised me when my mother and father abandoned me, she's like my mom, my friend, you have to help me. She-she's crying and begging me, please Lucian." I dug my nails into his arms my final words barely audible squeaks.
He pulled me into a tight hug and gasped in my ear. "Okay love. Shhhh. I told you I would help you. I'll help you."
I pushed out of his arms to see his face. "You won't quit?"
He sighed and lowered his head. "I won't quit." He met my gaze and stroked my cheek with his thumb. "I knew you were different sweetheart."
I nodded. "I knew you were too."
He gave me that sexy smile. "Did you?"
I nodded wiping tears. "I did."
"Time's up. Back to your seats for the auction."
Chapter Nine
We returned to the loveseat and Lucian made me sit in his lap this time. I felt awkward being held like a baby and at the same time it felt… so very amazing.
The lady that had led us to our room strode out with an envelope, her voluptuous body on display in a skin tight red leather body suit and thigh high spiked leather boots. Red. Miss Red.
My leg jumped up and down and I chewed my thumb nail while Lucian sat like stone.
The woman's lips curved like a snake as she opened the envelope and pulled out a card. Her eyebrows raised. "Tara from team four is to be auctioned—"
"Mother fuck." Lucian slumped a little like he'd been holding his breath.
"And the contestant who gets his bonus time with our lovely Tara is…"
Lucian was back to rigid and I held my breath.
"Burt Mathers from team three."
Again Lucian slumped in relief, I hoped, before bringing his mouth to my ear. "If he selects anything sexual, or physically painful, you're done."
"I can handle it Lucian." I made my whisper harsh so he wouldn't know how nervous I was. "I'll quit if I can't." He sat back and I turned his face to me. "I'll quit myself if I can't handle it. I know what I can handle. You have to trust me on this one. Lots of years of therapy, okay? Degree in psychology."
He stared at me, his eyes calculating. "Remember what I said."
His hard voice and the brutal look in his eyes were entirely new to me, and sent a shiver up my spine. I nodded and he went back to brooding.
"Will the contestants come up please?"
****
The second Tara left the couch, a surge of energy bolted through me, leaving every muscle locked with a new domination whose middle name was Rage. I could barely breathe as the crushing power held me in a vice, burning like demonic acid in my bones. I stood behind the couch needing a barrier for the moment, something to prevent me from throttling someone.
If that man did one thing to Tara, he would die. Locked and loaded, I eyed the man called Burt as he strolled like Mr. Normal and stood to the right of the woman in red. I suddenly realized not knowing the man might be more dangerous. The only thing I'd gotten from supper about him was that he knew Duff. That in itself didn't speak well for the man.
They walked to the stage and I followed, stopping at the very edge of the allowed perimeter, leaving maybe twenty feet between myself and him. I'd need the momentum of speed if I had to step in. My heart thundered in my chest and I struggled to bring it under control.
The man leaned his head toward
Tara and talked in her ear. I couldn't see her face and I walked along the perimeter for a better angle, straining to hear the low mumbling. She nodded rapidly, mumbled something and I tensed as he nodded as well. They'd agreed to something.
The man finally stepped away and circled her until he stood at her shoulder. He remained there for nearly a minute, looking down at her like a predator sniffing his meal. What the fuck did he have planned? She'd made a lot of button-pressing remarks at supper the night before, but I couldn't be sure if any of his had been selected. Maybe all. And I didn't know what monster lurked behind the door leading to that dungeon in his soul.
Tara stood with her eyes closed. The fact that I could see her chest moving from where I stood said she was scared. What was he fucking doing? God I wished he'd do it. Just…do it. Put your fucking hands on her. I silently willed him to cross a line, any line. I took mental note of where bodies were that might try to stop me, calculating several scenarios.
I froze as he slid a hand up Tara's arm furthest from me. His hand made it to her shoulder, and she slowly raised it in a cringe. Was he just going to intimidate her? I could handle that.
He finally made his move. The wrong move. His hand wrapped in her hair and he jerked her head back. It was like lighting an extremely short fuse and Tara exploded like dynamite, slamming the man on the floor much the way she'd done with me, sending my adrenalin into overdrive and the audience behind me to their feet.
"You can't. Fucking pull. My hair. I just told you that."
The man grunted in pain with his face smashed to the floor, arm pulled up and back in a painful hold.
Tara looked at me and gave me an I got it baby nod, while panting.
"I'm sorry," the man gasped.
"You're sorry?" Tara gave a light chuckle and pulled his arm harder, making him scream. "Ohhh, now that sounds a little more like sorry."
A new energy mixed with my fear as I watched her. Hope. Pride.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The man's voice broke like a boy in puberty.
"You gonna let a girl take you?" Duff sneered from somewhere behind me. "I'd fucking kill that bitch."
I gritted my teeth, resisting the temptation to unleash my pent up rage on that Berlin wall behind me.