Page 9 of Mind Game

ChapterFour

Roman

Ava spends a good hour in the bathroom, and when she comes out, she’s even quieter than usual, her eyes shuttered.I shower after her, inhaling that intoxicating scent of hers that lingers in the bathroom, trying to figure out why the hell I feel like I just kicked a puppy.

I’ve been telling myself all morning I only did what any good Dom would do last night, giving his submissive what she needed at the time.But the truth is I enjoyed the intimacy of holding her, of pleasuring her for the sake of pleasure, almost as much as I enjoyed the look in her eyes when I told her I wanted her and the taste of her as she shattered on my tongue.So much so that I know I’m being a total asshole to her today, but it’s better if she learns that the Roman she saw last night isn’t who I really am.I’m her Dom—a sadistic Dom who gets off on her pain—and the sooner she understands that, the better.I don’t want her getting romantic ideas about me.

Besides, I’m not treating her any more harshly than I’d treat any other submissive.I’ve never been a proponent for post-punishment aftercare—after all, the whole point of a punishment is to make it unpleasant enough that a submissive doesn’t break the rules again—but then again, I don’t usually make a girl come when I’m punishing her either.I fight back a grin.I have a sneaking suspicion my little submissive is a bit of a masochist.

I’d whipped her hard enough to hurt, and in a moment of inspiration I’d struck her pussy with the crop, not intensely enough to cause any real pain but enough to make her squirm.But dammit if she hadn’t come apart, which had gotten me so fucking turned on I’d climaxed instantly.My cock stirs at the memory.While she’d almost seemed inexperienced at it—or maybe she’s just not used to being spanked with a man’s cock in her mouth—it was one of the best fucking blowjobs I’ve ever had.

When I emerge from the bathroom, she’s sitting on the bed—the bed that I can’t look at now without thinking about the feel of my cock in her mouth—and she looks up at me with those soulful green eyes and says, “Are you still mad at me?”

I sit down next to her.“No, Ava, I was never mad at you.I didn’t punish you because I was angry.If I lose my temper with you, then I’m not being a very good Dom.I punished you because you specifically disobeyed rules that were put in place for your own safety.But the whole point of a punishment is that when it’s over, it’s over.Everything is forgiven so we can move forward.”

“Then why are we going to lunch with Logan?Am I getting kicked off the show because I broke the rules last night?”She looks miserable, and my resolve to be firm with her cracks a little.Her body’s taut as if she’s used to bracing herself for bad news.I pull her into my arms, resting my chin on her head as she leans into me slightly, her face pressed into my chest.After a moment, I tilt her chin up so she’s looking at me.

“It has nothing to do with that.I promise.The meeting is completely unrelated to the show.”

“Oh,” she says, her eyes confused.

“Come on,” I say, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet.“You have nothing to worry about.Trust me.”

She nods, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever earn her trust.For about the one hundredth time, I wonder what the hell Emmett Stone has done to make this woman who trusts no one open up.

A Helix limousine is waiting downstairs to take us to the Top of the World at the nearby Stratosphere Hotel, where we’re meeting Logan.As we pull away from the Helix, Ava darts a sideways glance at me.

“No blindfold?”she asks impishly.

“Don’t push your luck,” I warn, but I can feel my lips tilt upward.It’s a short drive to the hotel, and Logan’s waiting when we arrive.Once we’re seated, Logan cuts to the chase.

“Roman showed me these pictures from your photo shoot,” he says to Ava, handing her several of the images.She slowly thumbs through them.

“This is me?”she asks disbelievingly.“I look so…I don’t know…so…”

“Beautiful?Submissive?”I supply.

“They’re exquisite,” Logan interjects.“And exactly the image we’re trying to convey for the Helix.Roman moving your photo shoot to Club Helix wasn’t exactly planned, but since he did, and since the pictures turned out the way they did, the Helix would like to offer you a contract to use the images for some of our print and website campaigns.”

Ava’s staring at him wordlessly, the surprise evident on her face.“Where would these, um, images be used, exactly?”she finally asks.

“We have a pretty aggressive marketing campaign,” Logan admits.“They’ll be everywhere—on the hotel website, magazines, the sides of buses—who knows?But the hotel is prepared to offer you a onetime fee of twenty-five thousand dollars for the exclusive use of the images.”

“I wouldn’t take it,” I say matter-of-factly to Ava.

Logan shoots me a look of sheer disbelief.

“Maybe for one image,” I concede.“But if they want all of them, I’d ask for at least fifty thousand.”

Logan rolls his eyes and sits back in his chair.

“In fact, I’d probably hold out for sixty,” I add, taking the opportunity to slide my hand up Ava’s thigh, which is deliciously bare under the floral skirt she’s wearing.Her skin is like silk.“But it’s up to you, Ava.”I shrug.

Logan sighs.“All right.We’ll pay you sixty thousand dollars, Ms.Summers.Due to the intimate nature of the images.”

“I accept,” Ava says quickly with a small, private smile, like she’s privy to some inside joke.

I sit back with satisfaction.Just as I’d suspected, Ava’s clearly motivated by money.That will undoubtedly make it easier for her to accept my offer to be my full-time submissive when the games are over.

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