Oubliette Pt. 02

"You don't agree?"

"You think I'm controlling?" Marc sounded surprised.

"Well, when you decided our relationship was over, it was over without any input from me. Youtoldme you'd take me back to the other room and youtoldme I wouldn't be staying there. You have security cameras in that room. Youtoldme I'd be staying here in your apartment and that I'd be taking a shower and having a sandwich. You reprimanded me for my involvement with Ian. Youtoldme I'd be sleeping in your bed when I offered to use the sofa. You threatened to lock me in one of your cages if I attempted to leave with Ian. Controlling? You?"

He snorted at her with annoyance. "To answer your other question, no, I haven't had any steady relationships."

"Seriously? No long line of submissives paying homage to Master Hale as they wait for your directives and to do your every bidding? How is that possible?"

He snorted again. "It's that kind of attitude that makes the lifestyle misunderstood. And no, I've never had a submissive. Reed has had several but it's never been as appealing to me. Frankly it's never seemed like much of a challenge to dominate someone who feels the need to submit. I'd rather dominate someone who has a strong will and says no sometimes. I think it would mean a hell of a lot more when the time comes that she says yes."

"That seems like the kind of relationship Damon has with Katrina. You can see how much they care. They rely on each other yet she's also very willing to submit although, in his own way, he submits to her as well. They're great together. They can practically read each other's minds."

"You picked up on that after only a couple of hours?" Marc sounded amazed. "I'm impressed."

"I try to be observant. It suits my needs sometimes. My observations about Ian have helped me deal with him and find his weak spots."

"I know it's none of my business but I heard you telling Reed that you never agreed to being beaten or raped. How often did Ian force you to sleep with him?"

"I've never actually had sex with him. That's definitely one of Ian's weak spots."

"What does that mean?"

"In spite of his bravado, obnoxious and disgusting behavior, his skill at defrauding people, Ian is completely insecure and with good reason. He has a pretty advanced case of H-D-D."

"H-D-D? What the hell is H-D-D?"

"Hardness Deficit Disorder."

Marc looked puzzled for a moment then the light bulb flashed in his brain. "You mean he can't get it up?"

"Oh it goes up, it just doesn't stay up. Ian is pretty much alwaysdownon his luck because his appendagedownsouth isdownfor the count when he's caught with his pantsdown. I think that's one of the reasons he's trying to become proficient in the BDSM way of life. He thinks it will help him not be sodownin the dumps."

"You shouldn't joke about something like that." Laura noted that even though Marc was attempting to scold her, he was trying to hide a huge grin. "Guys are sensitive about stuff like that. Even somebody as insensitive as Ian Kent."

"Yeah, well that's not the only reason for his insecurity. Do you remember that porn video you used to like? The erotic fairy tales?"

"You were the one who liked watching that. As I recall your favorite wasThe Adventures of Pinocchio: It's Not his Nose that Grows.I can't believe I'm saying this considering my line of work but that was even too obscene for porn."

"There are any number of reasons why it would be very beneficial for women if a guy's cock grew every time he told a lie. That being said...do you remember the story calledThe Amorous Adventures of the Little Dickling?Ian could have done quite well as the littleDickling'sstand in although I'm guessing theDicklinghad a lot more mojo than infinitesimal Ian. As I said, he has good cause for his insecurities. About two inches of good cause."

Marc was shaking his head. "What the hell ever made me think you were naïve?"

"I think that was your second mistake."

"What was the first?" Marc questioned.

"Dumping me without an explanation."

Marc sighed. "That wasn't my first mistake, Laura. That was my biggest mistake. Look, I don't know what your plans are regarding Ian and I really don't care. The asshole deserves whatever he gets and when you're done with him, maybe we can talk about starting us again. I'm not going to let any of my dominantly controlling tendencies loose. At least not until you've taken care of Ian Kent. I'm just asking you to consider it."

"I could do that but I'd like to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a very memorable day."

It seemed like only a few minutes before she was sound asleep. Marc presumed getting one's ass strapped, being locked in a cage and then plotting revenge on the miserable scum known as Ian would make one a little agitated and restless but Laura appeared to be slumbering without the slightest bit of discomfort or guilt. She must have a very clear conscience. He fell asleep wondering what was going to happen the following day.

*******

The skylights above the bed were just beginning to allow the earliest wisps of daylight into the room. Marc was suspended in the starting to awaken but still partially asleep state. Something felt different.

His eyes were slowly opening. He was curled on his side, snuggled with his front against Laura's back and his arm draped protectively over her. His eyes opened wide when he realized that the t-shirt she was wearing had ridden up during the night and his very hard cock was being caressed by her very bare ass which looked pretty damn good considering the strapping Ian had administered the day before. Impulsively he gave it a squeeze.

She rolled over and looked up at him, her copper eyes sparkling. "Good morning to you, too."

He looked back. "Laura? Remember what I said about not letting my dominantly controlling tendencies loose? I lied."

Suddenly any bit of control he thought he had was gone. His mouth covered hers almost as quickly as his hands uncovered the rest of her and the shirt she had borrowed was pulled over her head and tossed away. His fingers slid up and down her body, cupping her breasts, his thumbs entreating her nipples to stand at attention.

His pulse racing, he stopped to gaze into her copper eyes, noticing the flutter beneath the skin at the base of her throat where her pulse was beating wildly. Her eyes were filled with everything he was feeling, want, lust, passion, everything they had missed about each other.

Her hands slid up his flat stomach and she mimicked his move, tantalizing his nipples with her own thumbs. An instant later her hands moved lower and she gripped his length, making his already hard cock react, making him groan with need.

Anything she could do, he was going to do better and he slid his fingers lower, first finding silky hair, then moving into slick heat. She was so wet. He could feel her start to tremble as his fingers slid inside and her body tightened around him. He wanted her. All of her. Now.

His kisses moved lower and he licked the seam of her sex, her clit, nipped, sucked and licked again. She thrust her hips higher, begging, demanding, gasping, shivering as his tongue entered her. She was ready but he wanted her to wait, wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her. Wanted her to need him. Wanted to hear her beg.

He pushed between her thighs, intent on being inside her, feeling her legs wrapped tightly around him, wanting to make her come until she was screaming his name. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck, burrowed into his thick hair, pulling him closer, putting her need on full display as she offered herself completely.

He was so aroused, so hard he ached. He stretched on top of her, sliding inside, filling her. He set the pace, hard, slamming, almost punishing. She was clutching his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin, urging him further and deeper. His hands found her ass, griping and angling her hips, feeling how her back arched as she moved to welcome him.

He slowed to tease her, taking the time to kiss her neck, look into her eyes, tongue her nipples, listen to her moans of protest as she compelled him, pulled him closer, coaxed him. He could hear her whispering his name, shocking him with the intensity of how she sounded. He knew exactly what she wanted because he wanted it more.

He wasn't sure which of them was more ready but he was going to take her breath away. He tensed, then became more urgent, pushed back into her, felt her tight and wet desire as he stroked, demanded more from her, finally feeling her climax exploding and rippling through her body. He shuddered, his body almost turning to stone as he pressed himself deeper, his own breath rushing from his lungs as he came inside her. Aftershocks ricocheted through him, his eyes closed so tightly he could see bursts of vanilla-white light erupting in the darkness.

Perhaps he should look up the meaning of the wordnaïve. It didn't seem to mean what he thought it meant – at least not when Laura Ellis was involved.

Marc kept expecting his phone to ring, to hear from Reed that Ian was awake, hung-over and roaring demands but the call didn't come and he enjoyed his morning getting reacquainted with Laura. In spite of whatever she had endured because of Ian's manipulations, she still seemed very sweet, polite and a little sheltered. He and Reed had created a unique world and work environment for themselves. As much as he wanted Laura to be part of it, he couldn't imagine her fitting in. She was just so damned nice. So vanilla sugar with a hint of spice.

She had borrowed another of his t-shirts, this one the color of fine merlot wine. Even though it also hung almost to her knees, paired with her skinny black jeans, low-heeled black shoes, her long dark hair flowing around her shoulders, a slight shimmer of rose on her lips, she looked like the typical girl next door. Presuming, of course, that the girl next door was really attractive, a gourmet cook and hot as hell in the bedroom.

The last thing Marc wanted to do was deal with Ian Kent but he was still, at least for the moment, a guest ofOubliette. He had every intention of informing Ian that he was no longer welcome at the resort, especially if Laura was going to be around.

Reed was standing in the main lobby as Marc and Laura approached down the hallway leading from the west wing. Marc wasn't sure he'd ever seen Reed look so astonished.

"There you are," Reed's eyebrows hadn't quite settled back to their usual position. "I was just about to call you. Ian's finally awake and screaming. Damon and Katrina are with him. Ian's threatening to sue anyone who's ever crossed his path."

Marc just shrugged. "You know he can't do that. He signed the disclaimer promising not to sue so let him scream all he wants. What time did theLittle Dicklingwake up? The 'quack' of dawn?" Marc heard Laura quietly giggling. "Has he 'quacked' the lock and gotten out of the cage or is he just sitting in there 'quacking' up?"

Reed didn't look amused. "I'm going to presume you're having a delayed reaction to Katrina'sloss of abilitycocktail and ignore your comments. Miss Ellis?" Reed handed her an envelope. "This was just delivered for you by messenger."

"Thank you, Master Reed." She smiled sweetly as she took the envelope from him.

Marc led the way to the elevator. "We should get down to the dungeon. I'm sure theLittle Dicklingis going to be in a 'fowl'mood."

Reed still wasn't amused. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

As the elevator door opened, the sound of Ian screaming and cursing echoed down the narrow hall leading to the dungeon.

Laura touched Marc's arm. "I'll be in right after I read this." She held up the envelope.

He nodded. "Always a good idea to make sure yourdicks...uh...ducks are in a row," he responded as he kissed her cheek and ignored Reed's scowl. Marc still had no idea what Laura was planning although he questioned if she was truly going to be able to outmaneuver Ian. It really didn't matter. Between him, Reed, Damon and the employees, Ian Kent was going to be shown the door and tossed through it. They might not even bother to open it first.

The two Masters entered the dungeon and stopped dead in their tracks, astonished by the sight in front of them.

Ian was no longer in the small cage. He was hanging in the center of the room. His wrists were bound with thick leather cuffs attached to ropes that were suspended from the high ceiling. Leather cuffs also restrained his ankles and were fastened to hooks embedded in the floor. He was wearing nothing but his unyielding fury.

Marc evaluated the scene and decided it was probably a damned good thing he was screaming his ass off. Laura's description of Ian'sdicklingwas surprisingly accurate. Better he screamed his ass off because the guy truly couldn't afford to lose an inch anywhere else.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Damon greeted Marc and Reed.

"Damon, what's going on?" Reed masterfully demanded.

"Somehow the infernal Ian managed to lock himself in one of the cages. He was so inebriated last night he can't seem to recall anything. Luckily your very efficient staff managed to set him free but the poor man was a mass of knots and cramped muscles. A good stretching was exactly what he needed." Damon sounded quite satisfied with his diagnosis.

Shaking his head in frustration, Reed turned to some of theOubliettestaff. "Get him down," he ordered.

"Not just yet," came a quietly authoritative voice from the doorway.

Everyone turned. Laura was standing there. She didn't look the way she had just a few brief moments ago. The merlot-colored shirt wasn't hanging loose anymore. It was knotted tightly around her slim waist. Her lips were no longer pale rose. They matched the color of the shirt. Her long, flowing, dark hair was pulled tightly in a pony tail that hung straight down her back. The fiery look in her copper-colored eyes indicated that she was ready to do battle.

She stood silently, staring at Ian.

He had stopped in mid-yell at the sight of her and no wonder. Everything about her was totally different. Quiet and naïve Laura's entire demeanor had changed. The way she stood. The way she held her head. The arch of her eyebrows. Her clenched fists. She was dynamic, imposing, commanding, dominating.

In absolute and complete control, still holding the envelope Reed had handed her, Laura strode confidently into the room. Without a glance she crossed in front of Marc, Reed and Damon. She sneered at Ian and headed straight for.........................................

Katrina???

Holding on to a single slip of paper, Laura handed the envelope to Katrina. "It's done," she said, a small, triumphant smile lighting her face.

Katrina removed what appeared to be some kind of document from the envelope, quickly scanned through it and smiled back at Laura. "It's done," she repeated.

Clearly confused, Marc watched the brief exchange between the women. Standing next to him, Reed's mouth was hanging open in astonishment. Damon stood casually, comfortably and nonchalantly watching as though what he was seeing was an everyday occurrence.

And then Laura turned to Ian, the look in her eyes chilling and venomous. Slowly and deliberately, never taking her eyes from his, she strode closer to him. The color seemed to drain from Ian's face and Marc was almost certain Ian'sdicklingretreated another inch.

He looked as if he was going to say something but she glowered menacingly. "You picked the wrong person to mess with Ian and you're about to discover just how wrong."

Laura walked toward the wall and examined the leather straps hanging on display. She selected one that was a virtual twin to the one Ian used on her the day before. Turning back, she snapped it, the sound echoing in the windowless dungeon. "Does this one appeal to you, Ian? One like this appealed to you yesterday." She snapped it again, watching Ian cringe.

"You're a coward, Ian," she continued. "You think you're smart and you think you can hide behind unethical behavior and force people to respect you. It doesn't work that way and if you were really smart, you would have checked me and my father's company out a little more thoroughly. What you would have discovered would have made you run so far and so fast, you'd still be running." Laura snapped the leather strap just inches from Ian's face.

Laura sighed dramatically. "Just because I said I wasn't interested in dating pathetic slime like you, you decided to ruin my father's business? Who does that Ian? I'd call you a snake but I think a great many snakes in this world would be highly insulted. It might interest you to know that I was aware of your scheme right from the very beginning. I've been almost running dad's company for the last few years. I had this silly idea that I should put my MBA from Harvard to good use. And do you seriously think my dad doesn't know what he's doing? Do you think his company flourished because he'd be stupid enough to fall for one of your schemes? You like schemes don't you Ian? Well here's a scheme for you. All this time that you thought dad's business was going under because of the way you tried to cheat him, you were wrong. The business was never in any danger. I had two profit and loss files. One was the real one and the other was as phony as you are. That's the one you saw, Ian. The business is worth more than ever, more than you could ever hope to have." Again she snapped the strap in front of him.

Marc hadn't moved an inch but he could see Ian shaking although it was hard to tell if it was from anger or fear. He was pretty sure if he was in Ian's place, fear would be front and center. Sweet Laura, naïve, vanilla sugar Laura was damn scary at the moment. What had happened to the woman who had been in his bed just a few short hours ago?

"And then there's the matter of the product application you attempted to use to defraud my father. The night you attempted your little blackmail scheme, you laughed because it was worthless. You knew it was worthless because what you presented wasn't what you provided. And because you were so sure it was worthless, you sold it to me for the sum of ten dollars. Well, here's your ten dollars. This is a cashier's check for ten whole dollars. You might want to frame it and hang it on your wall because it's the only profit you're going to see from this little caper you tried to pull." She held up the slip of paper so he could read it before she handed it to him. "Ten dollars. Bad move Ian. You see, what you failed to think about was that while the application was worthless to my father, it was extremely worthwhile for another company."

This time she very expertly lashed at him with the side of the strap, raising an immediate and perfect welt just above his knees. She calmly waited until he was back to paying attention.

"You see, Ian, the minute I actually looked at the application you attempted to pass off as the one you originally presented, I realized it would be worth a fortune to the right business. That pesky degree from Harvard just kicks in like that sometimes. So when you sold me the application for ten dollars, I took it to someone who I knew could really use it. Katrina. I'll bet you didn't know Katrina is the owner and CEO of a multi-bazillion dollar corporation which, because of that application, merged with my dad's business so now everyone is a winner except you, Ian. Katrina gets the application. Dad's business is thriving and every employee gets to keep their job. Dad gets to mostly retire and do some of the things he's always wanted to do but he also gets to stay on as an advisor and consultant. It all worked out perfectly and it was so worth the ten dollar investment. By the way, Ian," she glanced at her watch, "if my calculations are correct, and they usually are because of that degree I mentioned, Katrina's company has made three million, two hundred thirty-six thousand, nine hundred fourteen dollars and eleven cents since we've been having our discussion. So worth the investment."