“But…” What the hell was a full prep?
“Do you need help, chiquita?” the dom asked softly.
The leather vest he wore didn’t come close to hiding his muscular build, and his forearms were the size of her calves. Power lifter, she’d bet. He could probably rip her clothes off without bothering to undo them first. “No, Sir.”
Although Master Marcus had pressed his lips together, the corners of his mouth turned up. The bastard.
She stalked over to where two other subs were changing into slave rags. Gabi pulled off her clothing and hung it up. She tried to pretend she remained fully clothed, but the air brushing against her bare skin and the amusement of the doms waiting to one side destroyed the illusion. She unbuckled her cuffs and hesitated. Was she supposed to hang them up too?
“I’ll take them, Gabrielle.” Master Raoul took the cuffs out of her hands.
Startled at his sudden appearance, she flushed and started to cover herself.
He snorted. “You have a modest sub, Marcus?”
Shaking his head in disapproval, Marcus joined them. With a firm grip, he moved her arms to bare her body. “After your first night, I’m surprised you’d need reminding, darlin’.”
He stepped back, and his gaze ran over her slowly, lingering on her breasts, her pussy. The air itself seemed to heat. “You have a lovely body, sugar, and I do like seeing you without clothing.”
His open enjoyment warmed her almost as much as the heat in his eyes, and she stared up at him, feeling the earth slide sideways.
After a moment or an hour, he ran a finger down her cheek, and the simple touch made her shake inside. “Go with Master Raoul to get prepared for the gardens.”
Before she could answer, the muscular dom grasped her upper arm and guided her to the door.
Feet dragging, she looked over her shoulder, hoping for a reprieve. Marcus jerked his head in an unmistakable go on now.
Fine. “Whatever,” she muttered and rolled her eyes.
Unfortunately that meant she saw Master Raoul’s expression, like one more peep would get her butt blistered. Dropping her gaze, she kept her mouth shut as he escorted her across the soft grass next to the building.
A lanky man in leathers waited with what appeared to be a pressure sprayer. “I always get this job,” he complained. “Why don’t I get—”
“Because Heather would chop your hands off at the wrists.” Raoul turned to Gabi. “Hold your hair up for me.”
“Why?”
Master Raoul shook his head. “Don’t keep pushing, little sub. Jake, toss me the switch.”
A long, thin stick flew through the air. Raoul caught it and slapped it on his leather pants.
She took a hasty step back, trying not to cringe. I’m really getting to hate pain, and I don’t much like you either.
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
“No, Sir.” She gathered her hair off her shoulders and held it up with one hand.
“Good enough. Now hold still.” He nodded to Jake.
The brown-haired dom pumped the sprayer and turned the nozzle toward her. Warm liquid, lightly scented with lemon, sprayed across her front and, as he walked around her, her back and legs. “Done,” he said.
Gabi let out a sigh. Well, that wasn’t too bad. She’d expected worse. As she slid a finger down her stomach, she realized the liquid was oil and giggled. They’d oiled her like she’d star in a greased-pig contest.
Raoul’s grin flashed white in his tanned face, and even in the dim light she saw how his dark eyes softened. He looked entirely different. Like a nice person. “You have a pretty laugh, Gabrielle,” he said. “You can let go of your hair now.”
After sliding the switch under his belt, he held his palms out to Jake and received a squirt of oil. With blunt-fingered, calloused hands, he oiled her unsprayed arm.
Just about the time she started to relax, he moved to her shoulders, the other arm, her back, rubbing the oil into her skin. She stiffened. Hadn’t Marcus said it would be only him? But she’d screwed that up, hadn’t she?
He was unhappy with her. Again.
Seemed as if she always did something wrong. Either she wasn’t loud and rebellious and nasty enough for Agent Rhodes’s idea of a brat, or her behavior disappointed Master Marcus. And disappointing him…hurt.
“What’s making you so sad, chiquita?”
She blinked and focused on Master Raoul. He’d stopped to study her face, his expression so kind she wanted to spill everything out. She shook her head instead. “Nothing you can help me with.”
“And Master Marcus? Could he help?” Raoul asked softly.
The burning in her eyes was unexpected and totally unwelcome. What was this place doing to her? “No.” She gave him a crooked smile. “It’s my problem.”
His dark gaze didn’t leave hers for a long moment. “I think you’d find he would listen, querida.” He squeezed her shoulder, then knelt to rub the oil into her legs, up her calves, her thighs. It felt good, strange, even a little exciting until he neared her pussy. Her muscles tightened. To her relief, he rose to his feet.
She relaxed…and then he put his big hands on her breasts. She squeaked, stepped back, and bumped into Jake.
“You’re not done yet, subbie,” the younger dom said. He held her upper arms firmly despite her struggles as Raoul massaged in the oil. When he stopped, her breasts felt achingly swollen.
He wasn’t done. She stared over his shoulder, and yet she could feel his keen gaze on her face, as he teased and pinched her nipples, wakening them with slow circles, gentle friction, and little jolts of pain until they stood in rigid peaks. To her horror, she felt herself dampening.
As if he could tell, his eyes crinkled with his smile. “I think you’re ready for Master Marcus now.” He brushed a kiss over her lips. “You’re a sweet little sub, for all your mouthiness.”
Jake released her arms, saying, “Have a great run, Gabrielle.”
Raoul walked her back to the door, but rather than going inside, he pointed to the huge yard and a wide grassy path between tall bushes. “Run that way, Gabrielle, and then wherever you want. Give Master Marcus a good hunt.”
Staring around her, she walked in the direction he’d pointed.
With a loud sigh, he pulled the switch from his belt and gave her a stinging swat right across her bottom. As she yelped in shock, he growled, “I said run, sub. Run!”
She sprang away, hearing the swish of the switch. Her bottom stung like hell—he’d got her good. Bastard dom, acting all sweet and then nailing her like that.
Her breasts bounced painfully as she ran, and she slowed quickly. As the plush golf-course-length grass tickled her feet, a sultry night breeze wafted against her bare skin. It felt strange—wrong—to walk around outside with no clothes on.
Rubbing her arms, she continued on. Hedges loomed on each side, opening into secluded areas with menacing shadows. “Give Master Marcus a good hunt,” Master Raoul had said, so she turned down a smaller path, working her way deeper in. Other glow lights twinkled here and there, reminding her she wasn’t the only submissive in the game.
What a beautiful place though. The moonlight paled the curving flower gardens. Fountains splashed and gurgled everywhere, and lights under the water glowed. White fog drifted through the humid air and swirled around her ankles. Fog? She glanced up at the cloudless night sky and frowned, then realized the fog came from the fountains, spilling like thick mist over the sides.
They created fake fog, just for fun? She shook her head, trying to be amused, except the stuff made the place really eerie.
A man’s voice broke the quiet. “Lords and ladies, the hunt is on. Find your slaves and do what you will.”
Oh my God.
Multicolored glow sticks danced like fireflies through the darkness. People ran here and there. Some of them. Other lights moved slower, more deliberately. The doms. Stalking their slaves.
And the sounds… A scream from the right. The slap of flesh on flesh and whimpering—someone getting spanked. Gabi turned her head and heard wet sounds and simultaneous grunts from the left—someone getting taken. Hard.
She had a quick image of Marcus grabbing her, forcing her to her knees, and driving into her. She sucked in a breath. He wouldn’t. That wasn’t what she wanted. Yet her nipples peaked, and her body dampened again.
He’d be out there somewhere, searching for her yellow glow stick. Hunting her. The air seemed to heat, wafting over her skin like a hot breath.
She walked, taking one path after another, veering around the tiny nooks, averting her gaze from the people in them: a black woman chained to a tree trunk getting flogged. A skinny, naked man kneeling, his dom’s cock in his mouth. A hefty domme in a shiny latex corset riding a man on all fours, steering him toward a secluded area. She’d bridled the guy, Gabi realized. Yeehaw.
Still looking over her shoulder at the couple, she ran into a solid body and squeaked.
The man grasped her arms in a firm grip. “Easy, subbie.”
She looked up. Pale eyes and silvery gray hair glinted in the moonlight. “Master Sam.”
“I’m one of the dungeon monitors this evening. Remember the safe word, girl?”
“Red.” They stood on a bigger path where others could see them…maybe the perp even, so Gabi added, “Oh lord and master. High muckety-muck.”