Touch (3 page)

A rival was the kind of challenge David would normally have relished, but this time a part of him wondered if it would be better if he released Grace soon, by ensuring that she failed the fourth trial, rather than ruin both their lives. And that was what would happen, he knew it would, because in truth no matter how perfect she was, or much he loved her at the start, eventually he would tire of her.

Although not prone to self-analysis, he knew that boredom was anathema to him. He always had to find new interests: takeovers, financial ventures and of course new women. But to part from Grace now would, he realized with surprise, be impossible.

She was the only woman he’d brought to the Dining Club to pass the third trial, and for that reason alone he needed to see the game played to the finish. Tonight, at the end, as he’d enabled her sated body to be pleasured one final time, he’d also felt an overwhelming tenderness toward her.

When she’d snuggled against him, murmuring softly as he brought her back to their rooms, he’d wanted that feeling of tenderness to last, and until she fell asleep it had. It was only after that, when he had time to reflect, that the doubts surfaced again. Doubts about his ability to love, and doubts about how long she would keep him interested and intrigued if it proved possible.

As the hours passed, and dawn started to break, David remained seated in the chair, as he tried to solve a problem that, in truth, he had never expected to have to face.

The following morning, almost as soon as she’d woken up, David told Grace they’d have to leave the Club before lunch, as he needed to meet with his PA and make arrangements for a working breakfast the next morning.

“Is that Louise Penfold?” Grace asked, half-asleep but remembering what she’d seen on the television.

David was clearly surprised by her question. “Yes, as a matter of fact it is. How did you know?”

“I saw you both on TV a few weeks ago, at some charity function I think. She’s lovely.”

“Yes, she’s very beautiful,” he agreed, “but not as beautiful as you looked last night.” And with that he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her passionately, until she felt him hardening against her.

Then Grace knew that Louise didn’t mean anything to him now. Even if she had done once, she didn’t anymore. Amber was definitely her only threat to keeping this man she loved so much, Amber and the fourth trial.

She had intended to question David about the previous night, wanting to know why he’d been so angry when Amy had stopped earlier than anticipated, giving Grace a chance of winning, when he should have been pleased for her sake. She also needed to understand why he hadn’t explained the trial properly at the start, but as he’d skillfully helped her to triumph at the end, and was so passionate this morning as a result, she decided it could wait. He was a very complex man, and that was part of his attraction for her.

One day she’d find out, but for the moment she’d focus on her return to the Dining Club in a month’s time for her final trial. As long as she succeeded in that, she would be in a far stronger position to question David’s motives about everything, and find out exactly how he felt about the beautiful, possessive blonde woman who kept him close by her expert running of this very special Club that meant so much to him.

During the drive back, David was unusually quiet and Grace chattered more than usual to fill the silence. Normally after visiting the Dining Club he was relaxed and it was a time when she felt very close to him. This time it was different; he seemed lost in thought.

They went into her apartment, and after putting her case down he caught hold of her hands, drawing her over to the window. Cupping his hands round her face he smiled down at her, and she was almost overwhelmed with relief.

“I’m so proud of you, my darling,” he said softly. “You’re doing incredibly well at every trial. You have no idea how much that means to me. I was sure you’d like it, but I never expected you to take to it all in the way you have. It’s incredibly exciting for me, and hopefully for you too.”

“I can’t believe everything that’s happening, or how it’s making me feel,” she admitted, thankful that she hadn’t spoilt this moment by trying to question him about the night before during the drive back. “I’d never imagined doing the kind of things I do at the Club, and sometimes it scares me at first, but you were right. I love it, and the more things I discover about myself there, the more I want to go back.”

“Want or need?” he queried quietly.

She thought for a moment. “Need,” she admitted, averting her face.

“What’s the matter?”

“I’m so ashamed,” she confessed. “Afterwards, when I’m back in my everyday life I can’t believe what’s happening to me.”

He turned her face back so that she was looking into his eyes. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he assured her. “It does become a need, that’s why I have to know you fully understand that before I can…”

“Can what?” she whispered.

His expression changed. It was obvious that there was some internal battle going on in his mind, as his eyes left hers and looked into the distance.

“Please, tell me,” she begged, longing to hear some words of love from him.

“Before I can tell you about table five,” he said at last.

She was so disappointed that it took a moment or two for his words to sink in. “Amber’s table?”

“It’s where Amber sits, yes.” He glanced at his wristwatch. “Look at the time! I’m late for Louise now.”

Grace desperately wanted to ask him more questions, but she realized that he’d already said more than he’d intended before they came inside, even though he still hadn’t said the words she longed to hear. Neither, she realized, after he’d gone, did she know what he’d meant when he’d spoken of table five.

* * *

“That was an absolute disaster!” said Amber furiously that evening. “I could kill that stupid Laura!”

Andrew tightened the cords fastening Amber’s ankles to the spreader board and looked at her lying spread-eagled on the king-size bed. “She made a genuine mistake. If you punish her too severely she’ll leave, so you’d better control yourself. We need her. The twins are a big turn-on for the men here, and some of the women too. Are we going to test this trial tonight or not?” he added. “If not, I’m going to find someone who’ll be more fun tonight.”

“If we’re not careful I’ll lose my place here, which will be a far bigger loss than the twins going,” snapped Amber. “I saw the look in Grace’s eyes when she triumphed over Amy. She’s the first of David’s guests to reach level four, and he’ll soon be starting to think he can’t live without her. So, if you want any chance at all with her, you should be worried too.”

“I’m not pleased, but losing my temper won’t help matters. Can you move at all?”

Amber tested the spreader board, and also tried to sit up, but a thick leather strap round her waist made it impossible. “No, I can’t. So do you have a brilliant scheme up your sleeve to make sure Grace fails the fourth trial?” Her breathing was quickening now.

“I wasn’t thinking about the trial, more about what she’ll be doing this coming month. David’s away on business in Europe for three whole weeks. She’ll be alone, and would probably be pleased to see a familiar face one evening.”

“What do you intend to do, go and knock on her front door? I’m sure David would be delighted if he learned about that.”

“That’s just silly, Amber,” said Andrew, and without warning he brought a multi-thonged leather whip down hard across the blonde woman’s lush, creamy breasts. Amber gave a cry of pain, but Andrew knew she liked pain, and swiftly whipped her three more times, until her upper chest was covered in thin red lines.

“I know where Grace is going to be next Friday night. I shall meet her there, ostensibly quite by chance, and try to get her interest. I’m sure she likes me. It won’t be difficult.” With that he lowered his head and started to run his tongue over Amber’s marked breasts. She shuddered with rising excitement at his touch.

“She probably likes a lot of people, but it’s David she’s in love with,” she gasped, finding it hard to concentrate now.

“At the moment she is, but the next trial is spread over the whole weekend. I bet he hasn’t told her that. I might let the information slip out during our chat, along with a few other things she may not know yet. Time to move between your thighs I think. Should I say out loud what I’m going to do? Tell me if that increases the excitement for you.”

Amber didn’t answer. “I think I should,” said Andrew. “I’m going to whip your inner thighs now, and then cover the marks with your own juices, but I don’t want you to come yet.”

“You bastard!” retorted the gasping Amber.

“We are testing out a trial,” Andrew reminded her, letting the whip fall expertly on each of her inner thighs before thrusting his fingers inside her and spreading her love juices over the marked skin.

Amber’s stomach muscles bunched tightly as she fought to stop herself from climaxing. “And you think that’s enough to stop her loving David and fall for you?” she said, her voice shaking as Andrew’s naked body crouched over her and he pushed two fingers into her rear opening while at the same time letting a vibrator play over her tight stomach. “No, but it’s a start. You need more faith in my ability to get a woman I want,” he murmured. “Do you have a better plan?”

“God, I need to come,” said Amber breathlessly.

“I think this is turning out well,” murmured Andrew. “Perhaps a touch of the whip on the stomach now? Would that trigger an orgasm already, even in you?”

“I don’t know, just do it!” shouted Amber.

Andrew dropped the vibrator, and whipped Amber’s heaving belly hard before gripping her swollen breasts firmly in his hands and thrusting himself urgently into her.

Amber tried to get him off her, she hated it when he took over like this, but she was helpless to stop him, and the harder he thrust, moving against her bruised thighs, hands gripping her marked breasts, the closer she came to reaching her orgasm. Finally, with a scream of relief the pleasure flooded through her, and she tightened her muscles around Andrew, milking him hard even after he’d come, until he cried out with pain and withdrew rapidly.

“That was good,” she said after her breathing had calmed down. “It will test table three’s guest to the limit next month.”

Andrew padded off to the shower room.

“If Grace succeeds next month, she’ll want to challenge me, because she knows now that I’m her enemy. I saw it in her face last night. I felt it in the way her body reacted to my touch,” said Amber the moment he returned.

“Hardly surprising; you’re not exactly subtle,” Andrew pointed out, releasing her from the bed.

“Listen, if this so-called plan of yours fails, all you lose is the chance to move in on Grace. I could lose everything. Where would I go if David got rid of me? What could I do?”

“You could set up your own Club, with a similar theme. Be your own boss. That would suit your sexual preferences very well.”

“But I’d never see David again. We’ve been together for ten years now, and he does care for me.”

Andrew looked genuinely sad. “Surely you’re not in love with him? You of all people should have known better than to let that happen.”

She bit on her lip. “I didn’t mean it to, but it was impossible to keep totally detached and despite all the women he’s dated, he’s always ended up coming back to me. He told me he’d never find anyone else who matched him so perfectly.”

“But did he tell you that he loved you?”

“Of course not! I’ve already told you, David doesn’t fall in love.”

“Maybe he never has before, but Grace is different. He’s different when he’s with her too.”

“He nearly made her fail last night,” protested Amber.

“Yes, but in the end he helped her succeed. That’s when I knew how much she meant to him.”

“But you still want her?” Amber sounded desperate now.

“Yes, I want her and I think I’m half in love with her already. The irony is that I’ve never felt quite this way about a woman before, yet she’s in love with the only man I know who always gets what he wants and who’s also my closest friend.”

“Then fight for her,” Amber urged him. “If you fight for her as strongly as I’m going to fight to keep David, we won’t fail. Play to your strengths. You’re the polar opposite of David, and right now she’s probably torn between desire for him and her newfound sexual needs and fear of what a future with him might mean. You can satisfy her sexual desires but you’re less complex than David.

“Right now I’m sure she’s in a state of total confusion about what’s happening to her. I can tell she likes you, and with David out of the way these next three weeks are your best chance of success.”

Andrew nodded. “You’re right. It’s now or never for me. I’ll get things organized. We’ll leave that enema trial for another time.”

Amber watched him leave. She hoped he’d be successful, but if he failed, then she would need to have a fallback plan, to make it very difficult for Grace to take her place.

Thoughtfully, squeezing her still sore breasts to keep herself aroused for as long as possible, she began to watch all the film that they had of Grace from her first visit to the Dining Club.

* * *

At ten o’clock on the Friday night, Grace and Fran walked through the black doors of the King’s Head theater in Islington into the light and noise of the pub bar. As always the cramped pub was packed full of people, but Fran ruthlessly elbowed her way toward the fireplace as Grace collected the drinks they’d ordered in the interval.

To her surprise, by the time she’d been served and got through the crowd, Fran had found two seats at a table, which was nothing short of a miracle.

“How did you manage that?” she asked in astonishment.

“All thanks to this nice gentleman sitting beside me,” said Fran with a smirk that made it clear she fancied the nice “gentleman.”

Grace set their drinks down and settled herself in the remaining empty seat before looking at the man sitting next to Fran. “Andrew!” she exclaimed in astonishment, feeling the color rush to her cheeks.