“Light,
this isn’t funny. I'm going to make an ass of myself.”
“You
do know he's testing you.”
I
wanted to laugh hysterically “Testing me to see if I'll break? Or testing me to see if I'll walk over and slap his ass for treating me like some dime store stripper?”
“Nope.
Pushing your limits. Doms are very competitive. It's the ‘whose submissive can leave you wanting more’ showdown. And he’s going to put you on full blast in front of a room packed with experienced Doms who’ll be drooling when they see you on that stage. He wants them to know you’re his little sub.” She danced around me suggestively. “I think I'm in love with Knox,” she sang off-key. “He has a sadistic streak that is so enticing.”
I
stepped forward and proceeded to wrap my hands around her neck in a playful choke and she playfully gagged. “Will you stop fucking around? I'm really stressed here.”
Totally
ignoring me, she looked at the clock. “We've got to go. I promised Harper I'd get you down in time.” She hustled me out of the room and down the stairs into some backstage area packed with scantily dressed women as sensuous music whirled around me like a prelude to the main event.
I
looked around at the stick-thin women with obviously fake breasts. And here I was, size nine, dressed in a leather corset so tight that my ample ass cheeks hung out saying hello.
Light's
eyes narrowed on the blond-and-fit brigade and then back to me. “Oh no, you are not doing the self-conscious shit. You see them?” She pointed at them with a disdainful glare. “They need more bread in their lives. Their bodies look like young boys with fake boobs. Look at how they’re looking at you. They’re fucking jealous. You know why? You are fucking hot. So hot that if I wasn't your cousin, I'd switch to the other side.” She wagged her eyebrows suggestively.
I
slapped her arm softly. I didn't know what I would do without her. “Okay, got it.”
My
eyes locked onto the two bodyguards leaning against the wall, looking at me. No doubt reporting everything to Knox via earpieces. And from the smirks on their faces, they were enjoying watching me squirm. So I glared right back. If Knox was trying to teach me a lesson, then I was determined to teach him one too. That I wasn't the woman he pegged me for. Yes, I had issues, lots of them, but I wasn't the stuck-up, class-elite woman he thought I was.
The
women skirted around me, looking at me with barely concealed disdain. Some smiled with admiration of my outfit. Some barely missed pushing me maliciously as they bustled over to check their makeup. It was a regular cat fest.
My
eyes narrowed with warning on a woman who deliberately bumped me. “I have no idea what song to dance to. Maybe a circus theme song?”
Light
winked at me. “Don't worry. Harper and I worked that out.”
Biting
my bottom lip, I started to get real nervous. What if I tripped? What if I got stage fright? It was one thing dancing around in my living room, but in public? My stomach got that queasy feeling like I was on a roller coaster. Light grabbed my hand with a reassuring smile.
“Don't
overthink this, Storm. You both want each other. So go out on that stage and show the uber Dom exactly what he's getting.”
I
sighed heavily. “I'm the one who has to prance down that stage all exposed. So he's clearly in the position of power… this time.”
“True
, but that's just part of the power dynamics. To make you feel powerless. But that's the misconception about D/s relationships. The truth of the matter is that sexual submissives have all of the power in the relationship.
I
wanted to stamp my feet from frustration. “I'm not a submissive, Light! Please, will you stop?”
Light
rolled her eyes. “What do you think all of this is about, Storm? Deny it all you want, but right now, you’re his submissive.”
I
pursed my lips with disapproval. “And when did I agree to that?”
“The
minute you agreed to become his escort. Come on. Let's be honest. You want this. You might as well put a big red bow around your ass and sit on his lap, declaring yourself as his gift.”
My
heart raced. She was right. I did want this; I wanted to grab on to the freedom of not having to think every second. He was giving me that freedom. And after spending a lifetime of overthinking everything in my life, it was freeing but scary to put my trust in his hands. Granted, I wasn't there on the trust issue, but I knew that despite his sadistic streak, he wouldn't hurt me.
Light
grabbed my face. “You can stop this play anytime you want. I don't give a shit about saving this business if you're unhappy or hurt over any of this. He won't hurt you, Storm. I can read him, and everything about him says he wants you. But it's up to you to take this leap of faith, knowing that if you do, you'll end up on your knees before him as his sub.”
I
calmed my breathing. “How is it that I can walk into a room full of executives and give an off-the-cuff presentation without blinking an eye, but the thought of getting on that stage scares the shit out of me?”
“Because
getting on that stage means that you have to let go of that leash you have on your emotions.”
Arching
a brow, I looked at her, annoyed. “There’s a reason that I don’t get emotionally involved.”
“Don't
go there, Storm. The curse doesn't mean we spend our lives as emotional cripples. He’s giving you an out for however long this lasts. Take it. Just live in the moment for once in your damn life.”
She
was right. I wanted Knox. There was no need to deny that fact. But if he thought that this trip down memory lane was all about him, then he was dead wrong. The gloves were off and I would make sure he was ruined for any woman after me. My taste would always linger on his tongue and body. That was a promise.
“All
right, let’s just do it. Be damned with the repercussions.”
Light
clapped her hands, bouncing up and down with excitement. “Oh shit! Yes, the old kickass Storm is back. Knox is in trouble now.” Light reached over and snatched a jet-black fedora and a black men's tie off the dressing table. “Here're your props. Use it and abuse it as you strut your stuff.”
Slapping
the hat on my head, I made short work with tying the tie loosely around my neck. “Okay, so how does this strip-a-thon work?”
“There's
no stripping involved. It's really a bump-and-grind show that's almost burlesque.” She pointed over at a curvy, gorgeous redhead strutting across the stage with a feather fan twirling around her body seductively. Light pointed to the black button in each man's hand. “When a man likes what he sees, he presses the button to bid on the woman. The winning bid gets to have drinks with the woman after the show. You track the winning bid up there.” She pointed to the wide-screen anchored discreetly near the ceiling.
We
looked back at the woman twisting her body sexily. Frankly, I've never seen anything so seductive. But the men looked absolutely bored as they ignored her, talking business loudly. They blew cigar smoke in the air and slammed alcohol-filled glasses on the stage. Her eyes widened as she tried to maneuver around glasses without sloshing them. It was a mess. She glanced up at the wide-screen, her mouth tightening at the flashing $1000. Abruptly, she gave the men the middle finger before stomping off the stage.
I
looked at Light, perplexed. “What happened? A thousand is good, right?”
Light
arched a brow. “The woman before her got a ten thousand-dollar bid.” Her cell buzzed. “That's Harper. She said you're next.”
My
stomach fluttered nervously. “Okay, what song will I be making a fool of myself to?”
“Don't
worry about it. We got you.” Light shoved me forward.
The
music lowered as Harper sauntered across the stage. “Doms, the next beautiful submissive to take the stage was brought to you by Mr. Gunner. He calls her
Breaking the Storm
.”
I
tapped my foot grumpily. “For the last fucking time, I’m not a submissive.”
“Oh
, shut up and dance,” Light said before shoving me through the curtains.
“You
little…” I sputtered. My body froze and I just stood there with all eyes on me. I counted at least thirty men of every ethnic background and age sitting in expensive leather chairs surrounding the wide stage designed to look like an actual boardroom table.
I
instantly recognized the heavy, sensuous beat of the music as it thumped and echoed throughout the room. Damn those two. They picked Knox's hit single for me to dance to. I blew out anxiously, feeling like I was about to throw up.
Damn, maybe I should just concede victory to Knox and go home with my tail between my legs.
That's when I saw Knox with his wide muscular back deliberately turned away from me, in what I knew was an intentional
you're not even worth paying attention to
slap in the face.
Okay, Mr. Gunner, it's time to wipe that fucking disdain from your face.
“Let's
get ready to rumble… New York style,” I mumbled under my breath as I paraded about a bit before strutting my stuff. Releasing all of the tension, my body relaxed, fully taking in the magnitude of the utter power and sexiness of my captive audience. Unleashed dominance pulsed around me. Yep, I could do this. It was Seduction 101, and from the lustful hooded stares of the men that were now sitting up at attention, they were very interested in seeing exactly what I brought to the freaky boardroom.
Licking
my lips seductively, I flipped my hair, strutting forward with a deliberate sway to my hips. Chest out. Head up. My gaze swept to every man as a hush filled the room. Knox turned around, giving me a blank stare.
The
lights flashed while the music wove a hard rhythm around me. I loosened the tie, running it through my hands seductively, then over my shoulders. A man with sexy black hair peppered with gray at the temple beckoned me over with a nod. Placing one foot directly in front of the other, I strutted over, proud and sexy.
Twirling
the tie in my hand a couple of times before leaning forward with my stomach in and ass out, I swung the tie around his neck to draw him close. Gracefully swaying my hips from left to right as his eyes followed my hips in perfect synchrony. Releasing my grip on the tie and with a simple lift of my leg, my heel dug into his wide, muscular shoulder. His eyes dilated, turning a light yellow. A tiger-shifter. Bumping my hips sensually, I glanced at the wide-screen. The bid was at $80,000.
“Absolutely
beautiful,” he said with a sexy Texas drawl. He pressed the button, moving the highest bid to $110,000. “You, I definitely want.”
“Tiger,
you might be asking for way more trouble than you can handle,” I responded with a wink before digging my heel deliberately farther into his broad shoulder, knowing that the pinch of my heel would give him what he wanted—pain. A growl rumbled deep in his chest, his hands clenching his glass. Just like I thought, the tiger was into pain. He pressed the bid button again.
I
spun around, leaning over from the waist and giving him full view of my ass. With one smooth move, I snaked my body up. “Thank you for the donation.” I winked at him before strutting toward the chair sitting in the middle of the stage. Circling sensually around it to build anticipation, I hooked my calf around it as I twirled it. Knox's voice weaved sensually with the hard thump of the drums and guitar… The music and atmosphere was liberating. I was the ringmaster, and these men were my circus to control any way I wanted.
Knox
lifted his glass to his lips, looking at me pensively. I twirled gracefully until my butt spun onto the chair. With a sultry sway of my hips, I worked that chair like a professional dancer. Our eyes locked before I fluffed my hair with an air of satisfaction. I slid off the chair to dance before another man who slid his business card across the stage. I worked the men hard and knew I had them in the palm of my hand as the bid hit $240,000.
Now
time for the man I really wanted. Knox held out his hand, his eyes lighting with amusement as I tossed my hair, dropping low in front of him with a seductive smile.
“Minx,”
he muttered.
“Whatever,”
I said with an air of confidence, swaying my way up. Leaning forward, I snatched the cigar from his mouth, letting my hair softly brush against his face. Stubbing it out on the stage, I popped it into my mouth like a boss in charge as I popped my hips, spun, and bent over, looking between my legs and giving him a full-on display of my ass.
Pulling
out the cigar, I flicked my tongue around it sensually. His eyes widened with desire. I swung up with a cloud of hair, extending my hand to him. Using his hard thigh as a step stool, I stepped down onto the floor. I never felt so alive, so seductive in my whole life. He was mine for as long as he wanted this thing to last and I was grabbing hold with both hands. I snaked myself around his body before standing between his wide-open legs, dipping forward, brushing my breasts against his chest.