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faded blue jeans and a simple cotton shirt that hung open. His feet were bare, and his
hair cascaded past his shoulders in long, loose waves. It was his job to be easily
Belinda McBride Imperative (Collection) - 163 -
identifiable. He was the party favor, the pain slut. He didn t care who knew him. None
of these people would come to his funeral.
A hand rested on his ass, sliding down to cup his balls. He shivered a bit at the
sensation. The hand tightened, squeezing mercilessly.  Hey, slut.
He gritted his teeth against the pain.  Hey, Magpie.
 Margaret, Lady Margaret, to you. Her chin was up, her eyes angry.  Jase, can I
talk to you? In private?
He shrugged and followed her back into the kitchen. Margaret wasn t the
homeowner, but she organized the parties. Her little soirees were the hottest ticket
around. Drugs and alcohol flowed freely, the sex was casual and abundant. And she
always provided the party favors.
 I m getting some complaints that you aren t playing.
 I m not an employee, Margaret. I get invited like everyone else.
 Well, maybe we need to stop sending invitations.
He shrugged and sipped his water. Two months, what was the big deal? In two
months, he would be unavailable on a permanent basis. Idly, he rubbed his forearm
where the bones had been broken not so long ago.
 Oh, the injuries& are they still painful? To her credit, Margaret was one of the
few from the party circuit who d visited him in the hospital. Flora had come by as well.
Most weren t aware of the extent of his injuries. Only Neil and Mari knew that, and the
doctors, of course.
 Yeah, Maggie, I m still in pain. I tried& but not yet.
 Maybe you shouldn t have come.
There was no maybe. Jase definitely shouldn t have come. He looked out into the
large house at the crowd. They were dancing, drinking, a few were fucking against
walls, in semi-private corners. The designer opiate in the drinks lowered inhibitions
while raising libido.
He felt as though he were seeing it all through the eyes of a stranger.
What would she think?
Belinda McBride Imperative (Collection) - 164 -
The question had never occurred to him before, and it sent chills down his spine.
Miriam s face suddenly loomed in his mind, and every nerve in his body screamed in
shame. Dizziness washed over him momentarily.
 Look, Jase, why don t you head up to one of the bedrooms, take some time out.
That ll make it look like you re busy.
Her voice broke into his abstraction like a bell ringing in the distance. Not a bad
idea. His head hurt from the noise, and his eyes and nose burned from the smoke in the
air.
 Up the stairs. The bedrooms are to the left, just look for an empty sign.
She left him with a pat on the ass. He clenched his jaw with unaccustomed
irritation. As Jase slowly ascended the stairs, the smoke and heat of the room followed
him. At the second floor landing, he turned back and looked down at the crowd.
Several people were crowded around a woman who was straddling the back of a naked
man. He wore only a mask, a slave collar and an anal plug with a tail. He had a bridle
clenched between his teeth.
Jase had never pursued humiliation, only pain. Abuse. His playmates took him
in private. The games they played were much darker than what he was watching
downstairs. Jason s playmates liked to dance with death. Only social constraints and
fear of the law had kept a few from inflicting permanent damage on Jason s willing
body. Flora was far from the worst of the lot.
He wandered down the hall, looking at the doors. Maggie brought little hanging
signs that indicated if the room was vacant or occupied. Not everybody liked to do their
fucking in public.
He reached the end of the corridor before finding an empty room. With a sigh of
relief, he slipped into the darkened space, turning the sign and shutting the door behind
him. The silence soaked into his skin like water on a hot day. He was already without
shoes, so Jase crossed to the bed and flopped down, only to bolt back up when he
landed on a warm body. A woman s shriek sent him across the room.
Belinda McBride Imperative (Collection) - 165 -
 Sorry! Sorry! He brought up the lights on the dimmer, revealing a very female
form on the bed.
 Oh& oh my God! That s okay& I d just drifted off& 
She was fumbling with her mask, securing it to her face. Most didn t care so
much once they were in private. This one really didn t want him to recognize her. She
scooted up into a sitting position, her legs crossed.
 Love the outfit.
 Oh&  She pulled self-consciously at the skirts. He really did love it. While
everyone else was tricked out in black fetish gear, she wore a laced-up corset made of
brown distressed leather. Her skirt was leather to the waist and hips, voluminous folds
of fabric and ruffles cascading from underneath.
 You re dressed as a pirate!
 Or a wench. She smiled reluctantly. The brown of the leather looked good with
the vivid red of her hair, which was pulled up into a sleek tail at the crown of her head.
 My& friend told me it was a costume party.
 Ah. He stifled a smile. A lamb among wolves, then.  I guess this isn t what
you were expecting.
She gave an ironic little laugh.  There was an old song, a really old song about a
guy who went to a party his mother told him not to go to.
 Twentieth century. The Three Dog Night.
 Yeah. That s pretty much how I feel. She looked at him speculatively.  Why
are you hiding out?
Jase found a chair and pulled it closer to the bed. He sat, long legs stretched out
and propped on the mattress.  Just not in the mood. I was getting tired of having my
ass grabbed.
 You too? Jeez! I felt like I had a sign around my neck! I swear my bottom is
bruised!
 Well, you are wearing a sign of sorts. She looked at him in question.  The
collar.
Belinda McBride Imperative (Collection) - 166 -
 Deb& my friend gave it to me. Her hands flew to the brown leather band that
circled her slender throat. She wasn t a large woman, but her breasts swelled invitingly
over the leather bodice. The leather collar played up the fragile appearance of her neck.
 It s got a loop for a leash.
 A leash? Like a dog collar? Behind the mask, her eyes went wide. In this light,
he couldn t tell what color they were.
 That advertises you as an available submissive.
 Oh, damn!
 Maybe your friend isn t as good a friend as you think.
Her cheeks went red with embarrassment. He could literally see the color bloom
on her skin as it traveled from her face, to her neck, to her bosom. For the first time in
months, Jase felt his cock grow heavy with interest.
Once again, he let his gaze wander. She was small, but shapely, with a tiny waist
and rounded hips. Again his eyes settled on her breasts. He stretched out a bare foot
and ran it along her leg. Her skin felt warm and smooth. Her bare foot was small and
slender. She went still but didn t retreat.
 Why did you come tonight? His voice was soft, and a bit husky. Seductive.
Her lips parted. They were bare of make-up, pink and soft. They were the pink of
a seashell, the pink that dances over the ocean at dusk.  I haven t been out in a long
time.
 Lonely?
 Yeah, I suppose I am. Her smile was a bit sad. She looked a bit like he felt.
They sat in companionable silence for a time. Jase sipped his water, feeling cold
beads of sweat running down the glass onto his hand.
 Is that water?
He nodded.
 Could I& Whatever was in my drink& 
He moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Handing the glass to her, he watched in [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]