It’s over.

But it’s not even started yet…

I swallowed hard and looked up at him. My Master. A man whose name I don’t even know. That I’ll probably never know.

It’s not just the girls here who don’t use their real names. The clients are addressed only by the word Master. Dalia told me that if he likes you, you might be allowed to use his initial too. Or any name he might choose for you to use. It’s all up to the master. He makes all the choices.

I felt my breath, shallow and fast, as I looked up at him. He was powerfully built, wide at the shoulders and tapering to slim hips and muscular looking legs. His hair was black and just touched the top of his collar. But it was those eyes that I couldn’t look away from.

They were steel grey, almost cold in color, but burned somehow too. Like fire, as they watched me. He stood close… so close I could feel the heat coming off him. But he didn’t reach out to touch me. And I knew better than to touch him first. Mrs. Sparr had been explicit… about a lot of things. My mind shot back to the image of Dalia’s master fucking her as she sat on his lap, only moments after he bought her. That man had wanted me too, I thought, as a wave of revulsion ran through me.

“Mrs. Sparr, my compliments,” my new master said, without taking his eyes off me. I felt my cheeks burn as Mrs. S came forward to smile at him. The two of them were fully clothed, while I stood only in skin and jewelry. It was surreal.

“Mr. A,” she purred, as she reached her hand out toward him. I watched as he took it, raising it to his lips.

“Always a pleasure,” he murmured in return. “You’ve outdone yourself,” he added, watching me intently. I felt the blush in my cheeks drop to my chest, deepening and making me sway on my feet.

“Forgive me,” my master said, reaching behind me to where my robe rested on the chain binding my arms. “You will keep yourself covered when we aren’t alone,” he said, as those steely eyes bore into me. “You’re mine now and the first rule is… I do not share.”

He slipped the robe up around my shoulders and covered me with it. His hands were huge too, like the rest of him. And rough. They snagged at the delicate silk. This was a man who knew hard work, I thought, physical work. He might be richer than any man here, but that wasn’t a body that came from a gym.

“Mrs. Sparr,” he said, turning back to her. “Privacy, please. Now.”

I cast a quick look around the room. Several men had already taken the women they’d bought into the next room. A large, luxurious room like an old-fashioned ballroom. Basically, it was exactly that.

The masters who liked to show off their girls, and those who wanted to share them, could take advantage of the reception held there after the auction. I’d seen Dalia go in with the black-eyed man, along with a second girl he’d bought earlier in the evening. I’d been warned it was a possibility, and had to restrain myself from sighing out loud from relief now. At least my master wasn’t taking me in there…

Even so… the idea of being alone with him… a perfect stranger, so soon…

I shifted nervously and bit down on my lip. My eyes darted from him to Mrs. S.

“Please,” she said with a smile, gesturing for him to lead us. “I’ve put you in the Citadel, Mr. A, as you asked.” She fell into step behind him as he walked with long, steady strides. It was obvious he knew where he was going. I wondered absently, how many girls he’d taken there before. And what sort of things happened… in a place with such an ominous sounding name…

“Eden,” Mrs. S whispered as she fell into step beside me. “You have no idea how lucky you just got. Mr. A’s been with us for years. He’s… different from the others, but the girls have never complained.” I looked at her sharply and saw her eyes glitter. “In fact, lots of them go out of their way, to try to appeal to him. I guarantee you’re the envy of every girl sold tonight.”

We walked past the wide entry to the ballroom. Fast, but not so fast I didn’t catch an eyeful. There were girls lying on the long elegant buffet tables, naked, their breasts covered in black caviar… the hollow of their bellies filled with oysters and ice. My steps slowed, my eyes huge as I watched a man lap at the caviar as he held his raging cock in his hand and pumped. Dalia leaned over the table and watched him, as she rocked with the thrusts of the man behind her.

I dragged my eyes away, biting my lip, as my own master led us to the elevator. Mrs. S took my hand and squeezed it hard “You’ll be fine, Eden. I know you will. Just do what he tells you. And do nothing of your own accord.” We caught up to my owner as the elevator door opened.

“Remember,” she said, letting my hand go. “Nothing.”

* * *

He unlocked the door to the Citadel and stood back, wanting me to enter first. Mrs. Sparr’s warning was still ringing in my ears. What the hell had she meant?

I walked into the loveliest suite of rooms I’d ever seen. Even in photographs.

Everything was in various shades of soft silver and grey. There were pale tones and dark ones, and the lighting was that familiar champagne color. It spread up the walls in soft fan shapes that gave the entire room a kind of golden glow. It was nothing like what I’d imagined. This looked like a very expensive condo, not a very expensive brothel… I shifted my shoulders awkwardly.

“Please, you’re uncomfortable. You must be,” he said.

He picked up a tiny gold key from a table next to the door and turned me in his hands, lifting the back of my robe. I felt the chain binding my arms go slack and sucked in the first full breath I’d taken in hours.

“You must tell me, whenever you’re uncomfortable. Or in pain, Eden,” he said, his eyes sharp on mine. “That’s not a request.”

I blinked… and nodded, afraid to speak without permission. He watched me a moment longer and moved into the living room, away from me. I stood where I was, waiting, trying to ease myself deeper into the folds of my slippery robe. Then I wondered why. It wasn’t like I could hide myself from him much longer…

He sat down and gestured for me to come closer. I stopped when he held up his hand. I was still a foot away. He still hasn’t touched me, I thought absently. I almost wished we could get it over with. The anxiety was building with every minute I had to wait.

“What is your name?” he asked, looking only in my eyes. His were curious, I thought. Sometimes cold grey, but sometimes warmer… like right now.

“Eden, Master,” I replied softly, as I watched the corner of his mouth tilt up.

“No…,” he said firmly. “Your name. Not the advertisement Mrs. Sparr dreamed up.”

I bit my lip again. He seemed amused somehow, but I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure of anything.

“Grace,” I said evenly, meeting his eyes. I saw them lighten and sparkle. Or at least I thought they did. “Grace… Clarey.”

“It suits you, Grace,” he answered, watching me closely. “There is some… business we need to discuss before… before we continue.” His voice was low and deep. It reminded me of a thunderstorm. Comforting. Soothing even, at a safe distance… Less so close up.

“You’re what I want. So I bought you,” he said quietly. “I’m in control,” he continued, never taking his eyes off me. “I’m always in control and you will never be… not while I own you.”

“You will do exactly what I tell you, nothing more, nothing less. You must agree to obey me without question.” His look hardened. “And I am unique in my requirements.”

I listened, watching his face as he spoke. His features stood like a stone wall in front of his thoughts. What the hell does he mean by unique?

“I’m not interested in making you do anything you’re not willing to do, Grace,” he continued. “But I won’t explain myself to you. And I can’t tell you now, what it is I’ll demand of you. You’re going to have to trust me. Completely. And agree to my terms. If you can’t, I will release you and Mrs. Sparr will be able to sell you again, still a virgin. A lovely, lovely one, I assure you,” he said, his eyes travelling the length of my robe.

“I will dominate you, if you choose to stay with me. Know that,” he said, lust apparent in his voice for the first time. “But I won’t force anything against your will. You can tell me no, at any time you please and for any reason. But our involvement will end at that moment.”

His eyes dropped from mine for the first time. “No matter what you decide, whether we proceed or not, you will never disclose, to anyone, for any reason, what’s transpired between us. I assure you, there would be consequences you would not care to face.”

“I don’t want one night, Grace. I want the whole week…” His voice trailed off as he reached forward and pulled the silk off my body. I saw his entire body tense, his erection huge and obvious under those expensive slacks. I was lost suddenly, in everything he was telling me, and in the sudden flash of unexpected heat I felt inside.

“I will introduce you to more pleasure than you can imagine, Grace.”

“I’ll do anything and everything to you that I please. And I do mean everything.”

“But you will tell no one what you’ve seen. You will not ask questions. And you will never, never, touch me.”