Page 177 of Ashes of Sin and Stardust

I should be good,I thought.He doesn’t know about the orgasm this morning. Plus, I’m enjoying this high.

But I want a different kind of high.

I went back into the dungeon and used the shoe to prop the door open, grabbed the vibrator from the drawer, and settled myself right in front of the camera’s view.

His voice didn’t come through for a while, and I assumed he was probably in the middle of something and unable to respond. He probably got a notification on his phone when someone opened the door. That’s how he knew I was in there.

I let myself get lost in the pleasure of playing with my nipples, running the vibe up and down over my clit and sliding it inside me, becoming more desperate by the minute. By the time I was ready to come, I was aching. I didn’t normally edge myself, but the excitement of putting on a show for him was making me want to make it worth it. I wanted to know he was watching while I came.

His voice finally cut through the speaker. “You bad, bad girl. If you come right now, you’ll be back in that belt for five days. I will edge you every night until you’re screaming for release and deny youevery. single. time.”

Damnit. He probably would, too.

“You’ll have to catch me first,” I laughed, biting my lip at the idea.

“Don’t think for a minute I won’t restrain you and put it on while you can’t do anything about it. I did that last time, and I’ll fucking do it again.”

Shit. He had a point.

“Will you punish me tonight,” I said, looking the camera straight on. “Are you going to punish me for sneaking in here and outsmarting you?”

“You bet your ass I will. And I guarantee you won’t like it.”

I groaned and switched off the vibe. I could wait a few hours for release. I couldn’t wait five days.

After washing and returningthe vibe, I took an Adderall and threw myself into the task he’d left for me. I loved projects and organizing things, and his pantry and fridge were in desperate need of some TLC. I started with the fridge, throwing almost everything away even remotely suspicious, including things that sounded disgusting, like “oyster sauce” and some weird looking mushrooms that looked like they had mold growing on them (see? mold!) and a tiny jar of something called “truffle oil.” Whatever that was.

When I was done throwing everything away, I ended up taking everything out anyway and deep cleaning the fridge shelves and drawers, because it was a little grimy, and I thought,why the hell not? I’m not going to get satisfaction anywhere else for a few hours, might as well have a clean fridge.

I had pulled almost everything out of the pantry, made a trip to the grocery store to buy some plastic storage containers for all the half-empty boxes of pasta, and was attempting to reload tape into his label maker when there was a knock at the door. It was the currier with the dress. I signed for it, thanked him, and sent him on his way. Was I supposed to tip him? No clue.

Then I checked the time. It was four thirty. I had an hour before the driver would collect me.

I dropped everything, ran to the bathroom, and got cleaned up. My makeup and hair done just in time, I finally opened the box to look at the dress.I gasped at the sight and hurried to put it on.

It was short, ending mid-thigh, with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. Form fitting and stretchy, with rouching across the belly, it made my curves even more pronounced than normal.

Oh he is going to eat me alive in this dress.

I stared at myself in the mirror in awe. My tattoos were barely hidden and it showed off a decent amount of skin. I had to put some concealer on the bruises on my chest and legs left from Reuben’s intense caning, which were still sore from two days ago.

Also in the box was a shawl to cover my shoulders. It was a silverish blue, light as a feather, made of thin, soft glossy thread that was warmer than it looked. I wrapped it around my shoulders and tied it in a single knot in the front, letting the tails fall in front of me.

I wore the pair of strappy heels that came in the box, added a barrette to my hair, threw my lip-gloss in my purse, and ran for the door just as the doorbell rang.

It had been a longtime since I’d been in a place this fancy, and I was trying not to gawk at the plush carpet, luxurious mahogany tables, and the beautiful setup of the restaurant.

The host brought me back to the quiet corner table where Reuben was waiting for me, looking droolworthy in his black suit and tie and already sitting there with two plates of appetizers and a few mixed drinks in front of him. He rose when he saw me, drawing a chair out for me and helping me in.

“You look lovely, Alice.”

“Thank you, Sir,” I smiled at him coyly.

He leaned forward and whispered in my ear as he pushed my chair back in. “Don’t think for a minute you can cute your way out of your punishment tonight.”

I looked up at him, giving him my sweetest look. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Sir.”

I had a drink in front of me before I even finished settling down in my chair. The waiter stood back from the table, his hands clasped behind him, and his eyes dropped down at me. “Elderberry Haven cocktail, miss.”

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