The Game (2 page)

Blouse, shoes, and undergarments quickly followed the skirt, until Chastity stood before the assemblage stark naked. Hopefully Bitty would decide on an outfit soon. A silence descended over the room. Bitty and the redhead scanned her from head to toe, each giving an appreciative nod.

“Red to match the fire in those beautiful sky-blue eyes of yours. Leather…” the redhead chuckled. “He’ll never know what hit him.” She placed the piece of jewelry on a satin pillow, while the blonde continued riffling through racks and racks of clothing. Chastity shook her head. “I don’t want him—”

“Is this what you’re thinking?” interrupted Bitty.

Chastity’s breath left her lungs in a single whoosh. The blonde was holding up a red leather contraption that looked vaguely like baby-doll pajamas, except instead of silk and lace, it was edged with gold chains and thin, black satin ropes.

“Yes. Release her hair,” the redhead said.

8

The Game

Bitty waved a magnetic retractor over Chastity’s head. She felt the familiar tingle as the transparent pins began to dislodge, and the wisp of electricity as they gathered in the middle of the retractor. Piles of brunette ringlets slid down her shoulders, resting at her elbows.

“Beautiful,” both women chimed in unison. “Look at all those golden highlights,”

one said.

A rapid series of head-shaking was all she could manage. There was no way she would prance around the stage wearing
that
. Not to mention the obvious holes right where her nipples would peak. And, by the looks of the thong—a patch of material and a mere thread that would disappear into her crack—only her pubic hair would be covered.

A nervous laugh escaped Chastity’s lips. “You’re kidding, right?”

Bitty’s brows dipped. The woman stared at Chastity as if she couldn’t possibly understand her discomfort. “No ma’am. Why, this is normal attire for a sub.”

Chastity shook her head in confusion, forehead furrowing. “Sub?”

The redhead’s green eyes flashed a warning. “Hush your mouth, Bitty. Never mind her. Just slip it on.”

Cautiously, Chastity took a step backwards. Her voice rose in protest. “I can’t possibly wear something like tha—”

“Miss Ambrose, I believe your contract states that you agree to wear, eat or perform any deed as long as it does not do bodily harm to your person.”

“Yes, but—”

“But, what?” A finely arched brow lifted. “Have you changed your mind about the money?” The redhead’s eyes narrowed as she dangled Chastity’s Achilles’ heel in front of her like a carrot to a pika. Even the fur of the short-legged mammal with rounded ears would cover more than that piece of material they referred to as an ensemble.

“Are you afraid of Mr. Allen’s reaction?”

A disgruntle huff pushed through taut lips. “Mr. Allen has seen all there is to see of me. Inside and out,” Chastity added. “No, I’d say it was the billion plus pairs of eyes that puts me a little on edge.” In reality it
was
a single pair of eyes that set her heart aflutter and knotted her stomach. Would the outfit turn him on, or would he publicly spurn her? And what feat must she perform to win the one hundred million dollars?

“Oh!” Red curls bounced on a single nod of understanding. She pressed the costume to Chastity’s body. Chastity struggled, worming her way into the leather that adhered to her skin like glue. “Just pretend they’re not there.”

“Easier said than done.” Chastity looked down at her perky nipples showing through the peepholes. Then she glanced over her shoulder, down her back.
Well, there’s no reason to ask if the outfit makes my ass looked big.
9

Mackenzie McKade

Chastity wasn’t shy. An ad agency had paid big bucks to plaster her cinema-effigy over every galactic placard from Earth to the edge of the Milky Way, wearing nothing but Glimmer Diamonds.

For the evening she could withstand a little display of “T” and “A”, even in front of Seth Allen.

Surrendering, she slipped her feet into knee-high red leather boots that automatically shrank to the right size. She inhaled a deep breath. It was now or never. The time for reckoning had arrived.

The redheaded woman took a step back and eyed Chastity as if she had created a masterpiece. “Honey, you’ll never even know the audience exists. Not when you’re caught up in the moment.” Chastity didn’t like the Cheshire cat smile the woman gifted her with.

Before she could ask for clarification, Bitty draped a long velveteen robe over Chastity’s shoulders, covering that damn leather outfit, and pushed her out of the dressing room door and toward the stage.

Seth flashed his don’t-mess-with-me look as the stage-woman pulled a brush through his hair…again. It was only hair. How many times did it have to be brushed before she understood the tangles were gone?

But,
ohhhh
, she said, it was
soooo
soft. Chastity had loved his hair. The thought sent him into a fury.

“Enough!” He stood in an abrupt movement, sending his chair backwards and the woman scrambling toward the door. “Shit!” The stage-woman wasn’t his target. She didn’t deserve his anger.

“I’m sor—” His apology was issued too late as she rushed through the open door past Monty, an old college pal, almost knocking the man on his ass. Monty gave him a

“what’s-up-with-that-woman?” look and then grinned.

“Ready for a little revenge?” He tipped his long nose into the air. “
Ahhhh
, you can almost smell it.”

Seth frowned. Was it revenge? All he wanted was to humiliate Chastity like she had him. Okay, by definition he guessed it was revenge.

“Hey, buddy, you never told me she was a piece of eye candy.”

“Huh?” Seth looked around the dressing room. Costumes of every shape and size hung on a rack. His own attire was a pair of black leather pants and boots. No shirt, no jacket, just tight—really tight—fitting pants. Butter-soft to the touch, they clung to every muscle and curve of his body. Lying on a table was a cat-o’-nine-tails, the handle wrapped in black leather, each braid a silvery wisp of a material he couldn’t identify. Included in the accessories were a set of velvet handcuffs and a black leather collar with an inset of diamonds and rubies—and it was attached to a leash. 10

The Game

“Da-yum, those legs.” Appreciation showed in Monty’s eyes. “Didn’t you say her legs were insured for several million?”

Chastity was a model, or used to be. The last couple of years Seth had lost track of what she was, where she was, or who she was with. In fact, the last thing he remembered was seeing her backside move through the church door, arm in arm with Josh Allen, his cousin.

“Yeah, five million.” But it was her full, rounded breasts that Seth loved, every succulent inch of them. And her laugh. She had the greatest laugh.

“Man, wait ‘til you see what I’ve arranged for you.” His friend’s mischievous grin made Seth pause.
Whips…handcuffs?
“Monty, what have you done?”

“A week of pure torture, or pleasure, whichever you choose to make it. Plus I’ve added a couple of surprises.” His brows wagged knowingly.

“A week! I can’t spend a week with her. Besides, I have several business meetings scheduled.” Six nights and seven days with Chastity Ambrose would kill him. Even now he was rock-hard, wondering how to get the boy down before he had to face her again. When he’d walked on stage and saw her for the first time in two years he’d thought of two things—fucking her or strangling her. He’d give anything to get his first choice.

“Now, Seth—” Monty’s tone was patronizing, “—you left the details to my discretion. Remember I’m balancing two balls here.” He stopped to laugh at his own crude joke. “Your retaliation and the ratings. Your presence has already attracted more viewers than the time I had the delegate from Pluto and his alien girlfriend with three breasts. You know he could suck one breast while fondling the other two at the same time?” The man shook his head as if it had been an amazing feat.

“Monty, you’re an intergalactic slimeball.”

His friend’s arm went around his shoulders. “Yeah, but you still like me.”

Seth gave him a heartfelt shove. “That remains to be seen.”

“Okay, I can live with that. Now let’s get this show on the road.”

Monty led Seth on stage in front of fifty thousand cheering fans. Seth flinched at the glaring lights that caused his eyes to squint. No wonder Chastity had reacted like she hadn’t recognized him when he’d first entered. He wouldn’t recognize his own father in this lighting. And the heat of the lamps was enough to entice him to strip down to his birthday suit.

When the crowd roared anew he turned to see Chastity enter. Glorious brunette curls framed her nonplussed face as she stumbled over a red robe covering her delicious body. The stiff, hesitant movement clearly showed that this was not her idea of a good time. For a moment he felt sorry for her. Well, almost.

“Ladies and gentlemen, our contestants.” Monty guided Chastity to Seth’s side. Forced footsteps revealed her resistance to being near him.

“Isn’t she a beauty?”

11

Mackenzie McKade

Seth wanted to hurt Monty as the man threaded his fingers through Chastity’s hair and waited for the applause to die down. “Would you like to see more?” he teased the audience, tugging at her robe.

Chastity’s cheeks flushed scarlet. Clutching the robe, she drew away from the game host, which caused her to crash into Seth’s side.

“Awww, she’s shy. Come on, Miss Ambrose, won’t you show us what you have hidden beneath there?”

When her wide eyes met his, Seth felt a moment of regret. A flicker of what might be fear appeared in them and just as quickly was replaced with cold detachment. She pushed away from him. Backbone ramrod-straight, she let the robe slip from her shoulders.

Everyone in the building caught their breath, including Seth. In fact, he might never breathe again. She was glorious. Those dusky rose nipples he had loved to suck, tease and bite called to him, jutting out, pleading for his attention. God, he could almost taste their sweetness, feel the weight of each breast in his hands. An instant hard-on was the result of his reverie. And he wasn’t the only one. The bulge in Monty’s pants told the story.

Seth wanted to kill him.

Chastity was a temptress, a dangerous siren bewitching every man that held her in his sights.

Legs slightly parted, she stood like a warrior—proud, daring. She needed no weapons to bring down a man. Her body had always been enough. The silence broke when Monty’s clapping sent the room into chaos. Men clamored toward the stage. Bodyguards appeared out of nowhere to restrain the crowd. A zap of electricity from a deadening gun felled several men. Momentarily stunned, they’d live, but wake up with a hell of a headache.

In all the confusion Chastity didn’t move or flinch. Even when a young man dressed as a seventeenth-century servant arrived with the cat-o’-nine-tails, velvet handcuffs and a collar. It was as if she had separated herself from her surroundings.

“Seth Allen, it is your challenge to tame the warrior.” Even Monty had recognized her likeness to a fighter. “You must break her will. Make her your subservient slave.”

He paused, expecting a reaction from the woman. A reaction that Seth would lay bets on would never come. Then he added, “Chastity, if you can last a period of seven days, six nights, under Master Seth’s bondage, you will win one hundred million dollars.”

Like a statue coming to life, she pivoted on her knee-high leather boots. Panic was evident in her wide eyes and flushed face. “What?”

“For your challenge, you must cater to the needs of Master Seth. You will be given a period of time to learn your role as his slave. You are required to complete each command and task given you. Your endurance and limits will be tested, of course.”

Monty released a taunting laugh before his voice lowered and he continued, “In the end 12

The Game

you must display total submission to your Master.” Then he jutted his finger toward the ground. “Now, kneel before him,” the game host demanded firmly. Her gaze whipped from the game show host to him. “Seth?” Her shaky voice reached out to him. Moisture gathered in her sky-blue eyes. Eyes, he had to remember, that had deceived him once before. But never again.

Square-shouldered, he raised his head, refusing to show compassion or leniency. He wasn’t here to console her or strike up a new acquaintance. Time for clemency was over. He had waited in vain two years for her explanation. When Monty had mentioned she was appearing on his show, Seth decided to seek his own peace in revenge. He took a dominant stance, legs parted, hands behind his back. “Kneel before me,
wench
.” Monty’s mouth gaped. Even Seth was surprised at the resentment and command in his voice.

Chastity’s brows shot up so quickly he expected them to touch her hairline. Then slowly her eyes narrowed and she looked away. Feet planted to the floor. It was clear she would not submit.

“Miss Ambrose, do you refuse the challenge?” Monty asked in a formidable tone.

“I’m sure there’s a lady out in the audience who would die to be where you are right now, even if there were no prize money.” An onslaught of female confirmation rang in Seth’s ears.

What would she say? What would she do? She was a proud woman, one that didn’t acquiesce easily. He watched her jaw tense, the play in her throat as she swallowed, her chest rising, lifting her breasts.

Without a word she faced him. Her chin raised a fraction, shoulders erect, the gesture of a soldier yielding for the moment, but never considering surrender. To his surprise, she kneeled before him, head bowed, as if waiting for the axe to fall. Triumph sparked in Monty’s eyes. Triumph Seth should’ve felt. But all he could think of was grabbing her by the arms and shaking her, before leading her from this mockery and making love to her all night long. No, not
love
, never love again. Just fucking her mouth and pussy until she screamed and begged him to take her back. Then he’d walk out on her without ever looking back. Monty nodded and the servant boy rushed to Seth, bowed and handed him the collar and leash. Seth felt Chastity tremble when he fastened the cool leather around her slender neck. Funny, for two years he had thought of getting his hands around her neck. Now he could only think about ensuring the collar wasn’t too tight. Next the boy handed him the handcuffs and hurried from the stage. Pinching her chin, Seth jerked her head up until their gazes met. A shadow crossed her eyes with an array of emotions he refused to comprehend. He helped her to stand. Seth grasped her arms and brought her hands before her, then clasped the handcuffs on her wrists. The expression on her face was priceless. Her blue eyes darted from him to the handcuffs and then back to him. But now there was fire in the depths of her gaze. Chastity was furious. She actually had the unmitigated
gall
to be angry. 13