Page 18 of Duplicitous
He pats my butt again, and my cheeks burn. The heat is mirrored between my legs, the little hit of embarrassment only making me hotter for him.
“Stop that,” I say breathily.
“Never.”
To prove his point, he smacks me a little harder, a clear statement that he has every right to handle me however he wants.
And damn him, I’m loving it.
“Are you two planning to participate?” a new, feminine voice asks in a clipped English accent. “We’re about to get started. You’re welcome to play in the house if you prefer to skip the hunt.”
I spin on my heel and face the woman. “We’re participating.”
She’s dressed in a black latex catsuit that hugs her every curve. White-blond hair frames a porcelain face that’s half concealed by a dark purple mask. She towers over me inher ultra-high stiletto boots, but I meet her bright blue gaze squarely. I didn’t come here to hide behind Bones. I’m perfectly capable of speaking for myself.
One corner of her berry painted lips twists with amusement. “You’re a pair?”
“This big one is mine.” I trail my fingers down Bones’ arm, and his bulky muscles flex beneath my light touch.
“She means I’ll be the only one hunting her,” he growls.
I’m vaguely aware of the other masked people in the garden around us, but my full focus is on the woman and Bones. There’s not much space for peripheral awareness with the damn vibrator on that low buzz setting taking up the rest of my attention.
Her gaze shifts to him. “You don’t intend to share your prey?”
His hands close around my shoulders, and his body practically enfolds mine from behind.
“No one else touches her.”
The woman nods, unperturbed by his caveman posturing.
“I’m Lady Vera,” she introduces herself. “This is my home. If you need anything or feel unsafe, find me, and I’ll handle it. There are a few protocols to address before we get started.” She eyes Bones. “I won’t tolerate violence towards my other guests, so I’m sure everyone will be relieved to learn that we have a system for tagging prey.”
My brows lift. “Tagging?”
This isn’t part of the fantasies I’ve shared with Bones.
She gestures to a man who’s been waiting submissively behind her, and he places something in her outstretched hand: a black collar with a thin band of glowing red LED lights.
“Red means she’s not open to free use,” Lady Vera explains. “You’ll notice some of the others are wearing green. That means they’re fair game for any participant.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “And where’shiscollar? No one’s touching him either.”
Lady Vera appears to be smothering a laugh. “That something for the two of you to work out. Hunters don’t need collars.”
I frown, but she simply shrugs. “Enjoy the hunt.”
She walks away, and I turn to face Bones. “I mean it. I came here to be with you. I don’t want anyone else approaching you.”
“Don’t worry, kitten. As you said, I’m very scary. No one’s going to approach me. I’m all yours for the night.”
I trace the line of red light on the collar in his hand. “This isn’t fair. You’ll be able to see this when it gets fully dark.”
The vibrations inside me tick up a notch, and he drawls. “What about this scenario did you think was going to be fair? You’re helpless to resist whatever I want to do to you. That’s exactly how you want it to be between us.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I am going to make you run so hard that you’ll be gasping for breath by the time you finally catch me. Let’s see how scary you are when you’re wheezing and shaking from exhaustion.”
“That doesn’t sound very sexy,” he muses. “Good thing I have all the advantages here.”
