Hunted (14 page)

Because nothing happened when he stepped into the clearing, even though he could see the disguised net beneath his boot.

Shara blinked.

Damon heard Neil swear.

He knew he didn’t have much time. He leaped across the clearing and cut the net around Shara’s hips. He hacked through the rope overhead with an effort, just as Neil came out of the undergrowth.

“Run to the reservoir,” he whispered to her. “And stick to the clearings.”

She shook her head, evidently knowing that was where the traps were.

Damon smiled. “Trust me,” he whispered, then winked and slapped her ass.

Shara ran.

Damon spun as Neil roared in frustration. Neil flung himself at Damon, taking him right off his feet. The pair wrestled on the ground, writhing as they fought for supremacy. Neil was the first to throw a punch, and Damon hit him back, putting a good show on it before he let himself be beaten. He got Neil in the nose and blood spurted over them both. Neil roared and pounded Damon, who fell back as if overwhelmed.

He didn’t move when Neil stood over him, panting, just willed Neil to go after Shara.

When Neil raced into the jungle, Damon rolled over and smiled. He waited, listening to the way Shara ran lightly through the growth. He heard the stealthy footsteps of Neil pursuing her, then he could only hear Shara. He followed stealthily, and chuckled when he heard the unmistakable sound of a trap being sprung.

A rope slithered across the ground, then snapped hard. A tree branch groaned.

And a man hollered in frustration, then swore.

Perfect.

* * *

Shara didn’t know how Damon had done it, but he had trapped Neil at his own game. The other man hung suspended in a net, thrashing in one of his own traps. He already had his knife free and was sawing at the nylon with fury.

Damon strolled into the clearing below him and propped his hands on his hips. “You seem to have gotten yourself into a predicament,” he mused, and Neil swore at him. Damon was apparently untroubled. Shara thought he didn’t know she was there, but he beckoned to her.

She went to his side, uncertain what he meant to do and he flashed a smile at her. “You
do
want to be trained,” he murmured with a pleasure that made her blush, then untied the rope knotted around her.

She liked that he was careful with it, and the way his thumb slid across the chafe marks on her skin. He was frowning with displeasure when she was freed, and he trussed Neil with purpose, showing no mercy.

The other man yelped and protested but Damon was efficient and Shara knew the rope was tight. She shook off the net even as she watched him work. When he was done, Neil’s arms were bound to his sides and the net closed around him. Damon removed the other man’s knife from his hand and stuck it into his one belt, then picked a second one out of his belt.

“You can’t leave me like this!” Neil roared.

“No, I shouldn’t,” Damon said, his gaze roving over Neil. “You look pretty hot after your efforts. At least let me give you a drink. It wouldn’t be good for any of us to get heat exhaustion.” He opened his canteen, then offered the water. Neil eyed him for a second, then opened his mouth.

He must have tasted something, because his eyes widened and he closed his mouth to turn away from the water. Damon pinched the other man’s nose, then poured water over his mouth. Neil sputtered and struggled, but still he had to have drunk some of the water.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he complained, his manner sulky.

“Yes, actually I did.” Damon spoke firmly. “I needed to know what you put in the reservoir, and now we’ll find out.”

Neil began to swear then, but Damon dug in his backpack. He pulled out a length of cloth and gagged the other man securely, stepping back to watch him struggle. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “Jared’s waking up and in an hour or two, I’m sure he’ll be by to get even with you.”

Neil’s eyes bulged and he fought his bonds with even more strength. Damon laughed, then hauled on the rope, ensuing he hung even higher off the ground. “How’s that?” he said to Shara when he was done.

“It suits him perfectly,” she said with satisfaction.

“Rex said this was your birthday present to yourself,” he said, turning to her with a glint in his eyes that made her heart skip. “Is that true?”

“It is.”

“And when’s your birthday exactly?”

“Today.” She smiled at him. “I’ll guess that you knew that already.”

Damon grinned. “Not only did I know it, but I planned a celebration.”

“You’re going to hunt me some more?”

He reached out and touched her skin. The shadows were drawing longer and Shara looked down to see the spots he’d painted on her skin were glowing in the dark. She gasped and looked up at him in surprise and delight.

“You can run, but you can’t hide. Not tonight, Shara.” Damon caught her nape in his hand and kissed her so thoroughly and sweetly she didn’t even want to run from him.

But that was the point. When he lifted his head, she smiled at him and knew she looked as excited as she felt.

“Did you plan to be part of my fantasy?” she asked and his eyes narrowed.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because it seems like something you would do. I thought it was weird the other guy was unavailable. Maybe your fantasy is just intersecting with mine this weekend.” Shara watched Damon smile and knew it was true. “Maybe you planned all of this in advance.”

“Maybe the hunt started before you even knew it,” he murmured, his eyes glinting.

Shara laughed, liking that a lot. “Catch me if you can,” she whispered and Damon grinned.

“I can,” he replied, his confident words carrying after her as she raced into the jungle. “And I will. You can count on that, Shara.”

She
was
counting on it. His determination made her shiver in anticipation of being caught.

The only remaining question was how many times she’d climax in his captivity and he’d be compelled, by his own rules, to let her go.

Shara had a feeling the weekend was going to end all too soon.

But maybe the fantasy wouldn’t.

* * *

Athena left Steele and Amy to think about what they’d done for a while, and to worry a bit, before she gave them both what they deserved. She dressed with care for the encounter, choosing one of her elegant little tweed suits and a string of pearls. She wound up her hair and slid on a pair of sleek leather pumps. She surveyed her reflection, liking that she looked more like a society lady heading out for lunch in Paris than a dominatrix bent on vengeance.

Her choice would confuse them, which was perfect.

Athena took the keys and walked down to the basement of the townhouse, liking the sound of her heels on the marble floors. She nodded at the various staff as she went and ordered a car to be available. She’d go out after this was done, she wasn’t sure where, but she knew she wouldn’t want to remain in the house. Maybe she’d just be driven around, and look at the lights of the city.

She reached the occupied dungeon, feeling a bit depressed about what she had to do. She unlocked the door and stood in the open portal, surveying the pair within. Amy was still naked, but Steele had unbound her. Presumably the change in the itinerary had taken the heat out of the encounter. He leaned in one corner, watching her warily, but she saw the surprise in his eyes at her outfit.

Athena waited a long moment before she spoke, waited for both of them to make a twitch of agitation. Amy folded her arms around herself and rubbed her upper arms, her toe tapping with uncertainty. Steele took longer to show his uncertainty, but eventually he swallowed and glanced from Amy to Athena.

“You laughed,” Athena said.

The pair exchanged a glance.

“This whole place is funded by our clients and their need to see their fantasies fulfilled. The life we live within these walls, the pleasures that are available to us, and the opportunities we have are all funded by those clients. This requires that we earn and keep their trust, that we treat their fantasies with dignity and that we ensure that they come true.” Athena spoke with disdain. “We do not laugh.”

Amy cast her eyes down at the floor.

Steele’s gaze narrowed.

“I intervened for both of you, and you have betrayed my trust,” Athena continued. She nodded at Steele. “You have your own agenda and I know it. I also know that you know that your lead is a false one. We do no human trafficking at The Phoenix and you’ve known it since the second day you were here, maybe even before that. The lead you had was born of malice, and any cop worth a shit would have known that before he stepped inside this place.” Steele’s jaw set. “I think you’re a cop who is worth a shit. I think you just wanted inside to play. I think that laughing at the reason this opportunity exists is cause for you to leave.” His eyes widened a little at that. “Get out and don’t come back.”

She turned to Amy, who looked alarmed now. “I argued for you, too. You betrayed me, not just by laughing but by breaking the rules. Rules exist to ensure everyone’s safety in this little world of pleasure, but you didn’t think they applied to you. They apply to all of us. That’s what makes The Phoenix work. You can get out, too.”

Athena pivoted and walked away, hearing astonishment in the silence behind her.

She’d done the right thing, but she didn’t have to like it.

* * *

Jared woke up, feeling groggy. He was crashed out on the jungle floor and it was night. Stars shone above him and he rolled to his back, savoring the crisp breeze off the ocean. Even after filtering through the jungle, the coolness seemed to clear his head. He took a drink of water from the canteen he had, then wondered where he’d gotten it.

Damon. Yeah, he vaguely remembered the other man giving it to him. He drank again, glad of the water.

There was no sign of Shara or of Damon, and Jared assumed they were together someplace. The pair were clearly destined for each other. He sighed, wondering how long it would be before they were picked up from the island. He was ready to be back at the main resort, with all its comforts and conveniences, and the availability of easy, uncomplicated sex.

There was a sound off to one side, like something was moving in the undergrowth. He got up, feeling pretty good all things considered, and went to investigate. To his surprise, it was Neil, tied up in one of his own nets, gagged and glaring at him.

Jared crouched to consider the other man, taking another long cool swig of water.

Neil made some protest and he fought his bonds. His words weren’t clear, but Jared knew what he wanted.

“I could let you go,” he said, pulling his knife from his pocket. “But you’d have to satisfy my curiosity first.”

The other man’s eyes narrowed.

“Maybe my buddy’s wrong. Maybe some guys never change teams. I can think of one good way to find out.” When the other man didn’t move, Jared stepped closer. He cut the net around Neil’s crotch and smiled when he felt the other man’s erection. He opened Neil’s fatigues, exposing his huge hard cock, then spared Neil a smile. “Ready?” he whispered, then bent down and took the tip in his mouth.

When he heard Neil groan with pleasure, Jared fought a smile. He had a feeling these last few hours on the island were going to pass quickly—and pleasurably. He wasn’t any closer himself to choosing one orientation over another, but he figured having more experiences, more chances to compare and contrast, couldn’t hurt.

* * *

Damon lay on his back in the tent, Shara bound beside him. He’d put those shackles back on her wrists and ankles when he’d caught her, and secured all four of them together. He’d slung her over his shoulder and carried her back to the tent like a deer or an antelope, then taken her slowly. She dozed beside him, seemingly content to sleep in her bonds, which he liked a lot. It was late and the jungle was filled with the twitter of night insects. The glow of the moon came through the roof of the canopy and he could hear the ocean waves breaking on the shore. Shara’s spots had faded now, their fluorescence dimming with time.

He slid his hand over her and eased his hand between her legs. She rolled to her back and smiled at him, parting her thighs so he could caress her labia. She was wet already or maybe still, the scent of her arousal firing him up all over again.

“Where do we go from here?” she asked, her gaze meeting his.

He rolled to his side and began to finger her clitoris with more purpose. She gasped, those lips parting so invitingly he had to kiss her as he fingered her. She rolled a little more toward him and he put his other arm around her shoulders, drawing her tightly against his side. “I’ll let you go before the dawn,” he murmured when he broke their kiss, then ran his lips down her throat. “Since you insist on having orgasms, I don’t have a choice. I wonder how many times I’ll catch you and work on your training before the helicopter comes back.”

She laughed a little, then gasped as he took her nipple in his mouth and suckled it. “I like your game of catch and release.”

“I can tell.” He grazed her taut nipple with his teeth, savoring how she caught her breath, then looked down at her with satisfaction. “I think you like this fantasy a lot.”