Servicing the Target (Masters of the Shadowlands #10)(31)



“It’s about time you arrived,” Olivia said from the floor. “We’re critiquing porn techniques.”

Anne glanced at the wide-screen television where a fairly studly male was bending over a naked female. She frowned. “He’s going to kill the woman tying her like that.”

“See?” Andrea waved her hand at Kim. “That’s what I said. Scarves get too thin and dig in too much and are impossible to unknot.”

“True enough,” Kim answered, “And he’s doing it wrong. But I still think scarves are hot.”

“The bondage is bad enough.” Gabi tugged at her blue-streaked strand of hair. “But the dialogue? That’s seriously lame.”

“Birthday cake soon,” Sally announced to the room. “What are you drinking, Anne? I have margaritas, beer, wine, and sodas.”

Margaritas? Anne’s mouth almost watered. Dammit. “I’d love a margarita, but I can’t. An informant called, so I scheduled my bail bond recovery team to get together at four a.m. We’re almost out of time before forfeiture of the bond, so we have to get the skip now—which means no alcohol for me.” She couldn’t afford to be impaired.

“Aww, that’s too bad.” Sally gave her a sympathetic hug. “Diet Coke then?”

“’Fraid so.” Mistresses don’t pout. She totally wanted to sulk.

“Sit over here, Anne.” Olivia patted the floor beside her.

Anne navigated her way across the room, getting hugs and hand squeezes from everyone. By the time she sat down between Olivia and Kari, a warm candle of happiness glowed in her chest. Friends. A birthday party. Who knew?

“Oh, baby. Take me.” On the television, the actor pushed the actress’s legs apart with little finesse, accompanied by groaning—from the Shadowkittens.

Jessica joined the actor in another groan of “Oh, baby,” before throwing a potato chip at the television. “Gag me. They need better script writers.”

“It must be difficult to write sex dialogue, don’t you think?” Linda was around forty and often served as the voice of reason, even when well hammered. “I mean, how many of your men talk during the…act? I’d have to admit, Sam isn’t exactly chatty.”

Anne sputtered a laugh. Linda’s silver-haired rancher had terse down to a science—and he’d totally whip his submissive’s ass if he knew she’d shared. Not that anyone was about to tell him.

Ben wasn’t exactly talkative during sex either, although when he did speak… “Please. Mistress. I’d like to taste more.” “Did you know you’re abso-f*cking-lutely gorgeous when you come?” Anne felt her bones begin to melt at just the memory. Too many memories, actually. She’d heard his rough voice in her dreams, felt his hands, his mouth—

Hooting laughter broke into her thoughts.

“How about if Studly Dumbass says something like this?” Gabi hit MUTE on the remote and turned to Kim, beside her on the sectional. “Cum-bucket, brace yourself.”

Kim blinked and leaned away. “What?”

Gabi pretended to unzip her jeans and withdraw an obviously massive cock. The waggle she gave her pretend-erection was truly obscene. In a deep voice, she announced, “My ginormous slit-eyed demon’s gonna invade your pretty pink fortress. Oh yeah, my cunt thumper’s gonna penetrate that cocksocket.”

Cheers filled the room even as Kim made a barfing noise. “You call that better?”

“Well, yeah. Far more imaginative than ‘Ugh, grunt. Ugh. Oh, baby,’ like a caveman.” Gabi punched Kim in the arm. “So, nay-sayer, you’re the female in the bed. See if you can do better.”

Kim studied the television where the actor was stroking his cock, preparing to do some serious work. “Right.” She pressed her hands to her cheeks. “Oh, oh, oh, look at you. My goodness, your Puff, the One-eyed Dragon is so tall and straight. I am overwhelmed with my womanly lust. My meat curtains are soaked. Fuck my love canal, now.”

The moans around the room almost matched those starting on the screen.

“Meat curtains?” Farther down the sectional, Linda stared at Kim in disbelief, turned to Sally. “Wooman, I need a really big drink.” She waved a hand a Gabi. “One that’s bigger than that cock.”

Shoulders shaking, Sally headed for the kitchen. “Coming right up.”




Several hours later, butt still on the floor, Anne leaned her shoulders back against the couch. The noise level hadn’t abated, although fewer guests were in the room. Jessica and Kari had gone home to their children. Andrea had a cleaning job to see to; Cat had to go to work early. Jake had picked up Rainie and Gabi, leaving only Uzuri, Sally, Kim, Beth, Olivia, and Linda.

Laughter and conversation flowed around her, as cheerful as the bright helium balloons bopping on the high ceiling.

What a wonderful way to survive turning thirty-five. And how cleverly Sally had laid the trap. No wonder Galen and Vance were always half-complaining, half-boasting about how sneaky their fun-loving submissive was.

Anne rubbed her arm against Olivia’s, happiness a glow inside her as she glanced around the room. At one time, she hadn’t thought she could be friends with submissives. But, somehow, with these women, the Mistress-submissive dynamic had eroded over the years. She smiled. The last reserves had disappeared as she taught the Shadowkittens self-defense. Who could maintain a distance when delivering victory whoops for a subbie who’d finally succeeded in tossing the Mistress on her ass?

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