Rock Bottom (Tristan & Danika #2)(43)

I’d just kind of assumed, as much as I hated the thought, that she’d want to be passed around at this thing, especially if I was passing her to someone like James, who could questionably make anyone’s sexuality flexible.

“I’m sorry,” I told her quietly, something I’d likely never said to a sub, though she wasn’t quite that. Not yet. Perhaps not ever. I wasn’t going to let myself invest in the idea either way. “We can just observe, and later, you can tell me what you liked, what fascinated you.”

“I want to know what you like. I need to learn how to please you.”

I kissed her, a deep kiss, a distracting kiss, where I tried not to notice that I could taste another woman’s lipstick on her mouth.

We’d basically stuck to vanilla so far. It was not my preference, but I liked her company, and I wasn’t ready to give it up just yet. Breaking her in ran the risk of losing her.

I pulled back, breathing hard, feeling way too much for this woman I barely knew. The look in her eyes had me wanting to kiss her again, but I restrained myself, instead pulling her back into my side, and pointing at a small platform that had been erected in the corner of the room. Our entertainment was about to begin.

“If you want to know what I like, you should watch this. No one can put on a show like James. This is a real treat right here.”

He strode onto the well-lit makeshift stage, shirtless now, his deeply tanned skin, his sleek muscles, set off to perfection under a spotlight.

“Wow,” Estella breathed.

I didn’t blame her. At least, not too much. James was a sight, hard even for me to look away from when he was putting on a show like this.

His dark gold hair was tied back, setting off his perfect face. He was a combination of utter masculinity and enough stark beauty to make anyone stare. And those eyes of his burned through a person, even at a distance.

Jolene followed him up onto the platform, wearing nothing but a corset that cinched her waist in but left her, aside from some piercings, completely bare above and below.

They were striking together, but I always thought to myself that he could do so much better. He wasn’t only a beautiful shell, like her. With James, there was just as much to admire on the inside.

He used a firm hand on her neck to lead her to the St. Andrew’s cross that had been erected at the back of the stage. It said a lot about his presence that Estella only seemed to notice it then.

“What is that thing?”

“A St. Andrew’s cross.”

“What is it for?”

“You’ll see.”

It was shaped like an X, and slightly tilted back, so when he pushed Jolene against it, face first, she was leaning far forward, showing us everything we needed to see of her privates. She was pierced there, too.

“She’s very beautiful,” Estella told me quietly. I didn’t particularly want to hear that from her, but I kept that to myself.

“Yes, very.”

“Do you like her piercing? Is that something you’re into?” she whispered. I was going too easy on her. She should have been addressing me as Mistress Abelli and staying quiet, but I found that I wanted to indulge her curiosity, wanted to know the reason for it.

“I like piercings,” I allowed.

“I don’t have any.”

I smiled. I’d seen enough of her that she had to know I’d have noticed that. “No, you don’t.”

“Would you like me to get some?”

I tugged lightly on her hair, making her look back at the stage, since I knew she’d been staring at my profile. “If you want to get some, I’ll do them for you, but only if it’s what you want. Don’t do it for my sake.”

She went so still that I tilted my head to study her. Her expression was stiff, as though I’d said something to wound her. I couldn’t imagine what.

I brought my attention back to the stage. This was no time for a chat about her feelings.

James tied his sub’s ankles and wrists to the posts, spreading her wide for our viewing pleasure.

“Have you…been…with her?” Estella whispered, and I could feel her staring at me again.

I pursed my lips, wondering if I should chastise her for talking during a presentation. In the end, I didn’t. It seemed counterproductive to, since she’d come here because of all of her questions.

“No. She’s his. We don’t share like that. And I don’t like her.”

“You shared me.” It was an accusation.

My mouth hardened, with guilt as much as annoyance, I knew. “That was just a kiss, and I wasn’t talking about kisses. And I got your point. I won’t pass you around again unless you ask me to.”

I felt her stiffen, and then, unbelievably, impertinently, she was kissing me, rubbing her tits against mine, and moaning into my mouth.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

FRANKIE

I pulled her back, turning her until I was hugging her from behind, essentially forcing her to look at the stage. “What was that?” I asked her through my teeth.

“I want you. I want to get you off. You never get off with me, and I want you to.”

“Well, then, my sweet, watch the show. There is only one way to get me off, and if you’re interested in seeing what it is, it’s about to go down on that stage right now.”