CHAPTER FOUR
Ava
The opulence of the ski chalet took my breath as I followed the butler to a large library where Mr. Huffman stood waiting.
From the website, I’d learned all about the two lavish penthouses on the top floor. The lower floors held family suites, couples’ hideaways, accommodations for groups and single rooms. Throughout the rest of the chalet were great rooms, dining rooms, a playroom, and a media center with several full-size theaters and a dance hall. It also had its own ski runs and chairlift. And it was sparkling with hearts, red roses, and tiny white lights everywhere you turned.
After Lance had terminated my lease via thirty days’ notice, I had absolutely no place to go. I could barely afford the eight hundred a month I paid for my half of the room. Anywhere was better than there. So here I was. Sylvia had promised to pile my stuff on her side of the room if Lance made noise about tossing it out. After the competition, I would have enough money to get another place and start my own business.
If my reputation survived unscathed. Which I didn’t see how that was possible, seeing as parts of the competition would be uploaded to Hedon.com.
But if anything was true, it was that I was in desperate need of a good roll in the sheets with a man.
It wasn’t that I had anything against dating or even casual sex. I was just busy, and no man had sparked my attention enough to drag me away from my sewing machine. And that was sad in itself.
As Mr. Huffman led me into the library, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Hedon was best known for bondage, leather, whips, chains, implements, and toys, and everything you could do with them. And since some women who appeared on it were such obvious bimbos you could pretty easily suss out their life goals, the normalcy I’d witnessed here so far was comforting. I wasn’t into naughty and hoped I possessed enough of an adventurous spirit to make it through and win the competition.
The only positive to Hedon in my book was that it had an open forum to discuss relationships on all points on the spectrum, from gay to straight, vanilla to blood sport. I found those articles interesting and helpful. Which helped to convince me to say yes when Mr. Huffman’s secretary called.
Another thing that’d had me leaning toward a yes was not the money — and I really wanted that money — but a picture of one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen. Followed by a picture of another equally handsome man.
I needed to expand my world a little after so much time focused on school only. The money, combined with my need to climb out of my safe little box, topped off with those two billion-dollar faces had sealed the deal.
At the heart of the dot-com and the entire publishing business that ran Hedon was a respect for women. It was a place for women to have an outlet for their sexuality. Therefore, a lot of the videos were actually women’s fantasies of submission, dominance, and romance.
Standing before me now were two real-life fantasies. The one with dark hair who was the tallest looked intense, his sharp gray-blue eyes taking in every detail of me. The other, barely an inch shorter, looked a lot more friendly, his warm blue eyes meeting mine with a smile.
The temperature in the room rose as flashes of the videos I’d watched played out in my mind — of women reaching the peaks of their orgasms — before I forced my attention to the older man I’d interviewed with. He was an old perv, but he had tremendous personality.
Another woman had been escorted in before me. A blonde who was several inches taller than me and looked like she should be strutting down the catwalk in the clothes I had sewn together. Tough competition.
It made me size up the men again, wanting to get first pick.
I felt drawn to the taller man, Lucas, as I knew him from a Google search — he had a darkness about him that intrigued and terrified me at the same time. He was very handsome and completely in command of his space. I liked men like him from afar, they were beguiling and a bit intimidating.
Mason, on the other hand, was the kind of guy who could have talked me away from my schoolbooks. Gorgeous, laid back, well-traveled by the looks of his Italian shoes and Mexican necktie. He was the man who would appreciate art.
“Welcome, ladies.” Mr. Huffman stepped forward. “Please make my chalet your home for the next month.” He introduced the men then announced that we would go into dinner and he would see us after.
Mason stepped forward and lingered over the blonde, Isabella. She had such a classic beauty coupled with the perfect measurements, I felt intimidated. But it didn’t matter. He could fawn over her all he wanted. I was here for the money, not the thrill of the chase.
“Are we it? The four of us?” Isabella looked around as if expecting an endless filing in of knockout women, like on The Bachelor. Her forehead creased into a frown.
The heat in Lucas’s eyes when he glanced from the blonde to me left no doubt in my mind what he had been hoping was next. His ice-gray eyes searched mine as if looking for agreement and my breathing came faster, my underwear dampened.
I was now finding it difficult to breathe and wondered how I could possibly eat anything with this intense man’s gaze practically devouring me. Which was what I suddenly wanted, for him to devour me until there was nearly nothing left.
Lucas strode to me, did a half bow, and took my hand. “Congratulations on being chosen. I’m sure I owe you and Isabella many apologies if you interviewed with my uncle. He doesn’t hold back much.”
My knees went weak like in the novels when his skin brushed across mine as he took my hand. I chastised myself. I wouldn’t unravel just because I’d been worked up by all those videos.
This was my chance to spread my wings and move past my fears. I wasn’t a little girl crouched in a corner listening to my parents fight anymore. I was a thriving fashion designer, a caring person.
Before Lucas could lift my hand to his lips, I twisted mine in his and gave him a firm shake. “I can handle your uncle. Congratulations are in order to you too. You’re bumping shoulders with the next big name in fashion.” Or uglies, whichever came first.
“Ahh, so I can say I knew you when.” He nodded appreciatively.
I had been worried I was in over my head. However, Lucas behaved like a gentleman. He escorted me to dinner, which was located in a subdued and scarily impressive dining room that was heavy with old, impossibly expensive furniture. I suppressed my urge to chatter and make small talk to fill the void.
A server went around and filled our wine glasses. Wine, which at this point, I needed desperately.
“So, Ava,” Lucas leaned in, “is your outfit an Ava Durant original?” He’d nailed it. I was a walking billboard in my turquoise and black dress that was cut to leave a little to the imagination.
“Yes, this is a brand-new creation I am trying out tonight. Fashion is like art. And one aspect of the art is making it wearable for the customer.” I wanted Lucas to know right away that I wasn’t some gold digger wanting to lounge for the rest of my days. I was a seriously hard worker.
“I have an… appreciation for the arts.” This was said in a way that translated into the promise of pure pleasure, punctuated with a dashing smile.
“Oh, that’s good.” That’s good? That’s all I could come up with? “And you? What are you into?” Besides making panties everywhere go wet? I fumbled with the tongs as a gorgeous cranberry and walnut salad was held out for my benefit.
“Well, this at the moment. You. I did run an investment business, mostly properties, but it looks like I’m in publishing now.” He unfolded his napkin across his lap, a playful expression on his face.
Did he just say he was into me? “Do you like publishing?” I was coming off as the most boring person on the planet.
“I do like it. I think my uncle has built an incredible brand. I have to admit, I like some of his publishing products more than others.” He gave a devilish wink.
Oh shit.
I had a pretty good idea of what he was referring to. I had to up my game, or this thing was only going to be about the kink.
On the plane, I surfed a little and tried to wrap my head around the kind of sex the site catered to. It was a smattering of everything, so vanilla players could get their freak on, but mostly it was kink, fetish, and bondage play that seemed brutal to me that dominated the site.
Could I do that? Could I be bound or flogged or… have sex so hard I hurt the next day? I vowed on the plane, I could, and this would be my strategy.
Be tough, cool, and above whatever they threw at me.
I needed to know right now what fueled this man’s drive.
“What about this competition intrigued you most?” I had to do better than that, but it was a start.
“I want to run my uncle’s company. And I like sex… hard, intense, and frequently,” he said, his face and deep gray eyes serious as they penetrated mine.
I choked on my sip of wine.
Nope… I was never going to be able to do this.
I nearly got up from the table right then to call it quits.
But he laughed, and it was a sound so delicious I wanted to sit there until he did it again. “Don’t worry, I could tell from the moment you walked into the room, you wouldn’t have the appetite I do, and that’s okay.”
For some insane reason, I felt safer.
Dinner was served, and Mason became quite talkative and filled us in on all the fascinating places he’d been lately. Many of them were places I would love to go one day — Egypt, Peru, Thailand, Kenya. He had such interesting stories to share.
I didn’t want to regret Mr. Huffman’s choice in a partner for me, as he’d said they were very deliberate choices in our interview, but Lucas was a lot to take on. All during Mason’s storytelling, Lucas eyed me in an I-can’t-wait-to-get-you-undressed sort of way. Innocent and deadly at the same time, like I was a dessert he was memorizing for optimal enjoyment later.
I tried scolding him with my eyes, but it only earned me more laughter.
When dinner was over, my heart beat in erratic thumps as Mr. Huffman entered the dining room.
Puffing out his chest, he took a seat at the table. “Now that you’ve been given an opportunity to get to know each other a little, I don’t want to stand on pretense. We have a lot to accomplish in the weeks to come, and it’s best we get right down to it. I’m sure you’re curious who I’ve chosen for you. I hope by the end of this competition you will discover the reasons I’ve made these choices. But, before I get started, are there any questions?”
I only had about a million, but I was anxious to move this along, so I bit my lip.