Lucas: The Hunter Brothers Series (12 page)

I
took a deep breath and geared myself up for round two, wishing I could dislodge
the unshakable soft spot I had for the complex CEO of Hunter Industries.

He
was watching me closely as I walked in, beckoning me to sit. “I understand our
little exchange upset you,” he said as I nodded, embarrassed by my reaction.

“I
know I deserved a telling off and I shouldn’t have done it, but I just thought
it seemed like a sensible solution to send Melody. I tried to tell you, but she
said you were unreachable, Sir.”

“Why
didn’t you say a sick relative needed you?” he asked as I stared at him
puzzled.

“I
said a relative needed me, not that they were sick,” I clarified as his face
softened slightly.

“Thank
you for your honesty. What I’d like to establish is why you cried, Miss
Evangelista. You’ve admitted that you deserved to be reprimanded, so why?
 

I
swallowed hard against the invasion of those cobalt blues, my insides erupting
under the intensity and wondering how he managed to make me permanently edgy
and squirming uncomfortably in my seat.

 
I stayed silent, knowing I couldn’t answer
with the truth as he tipped his head, watching me closely. “Is it because you
were chastised, or because I was the one to chastise you?” he asked as my
cheeks flared and I stared at the floor, betraying my answer before it had even
formed properly in my own head.

“I
don’t like making you angry, Lucas,” I said quietly, risking a glance at his
reaction as his lip curved slightly and I racked my brain for something more
profound to say. It wasn’t forthcoming.

“Why
is it you seem to be much more open with my brother than you are with me?” he
asked curiously, gazing at me intensely. The answer was like a neon sign at the
forefront of my thoughts, flashing so wildly and vividly I wondered for a
moment if he could actually see it.

‘Because
I’m desperate for you to kiss me, hold me and spank me instead of Morgan.
Because you’re magnetic and electrify the air every time I see you, and because
I wish you’d just fire me, haul me over your desk and fuck me like there was no
tomorrow’. I blew out a long slow breath as he watched me closely, looking
almost amused but it was hard to tell. I settled on “Because you intimidate
me.”

He
slowly raised his eyebrows and I knew, mortified, that he wasn’t about to leave
it there. “Tell me why,” he said firmly, my head shaking involuntarily before I
stopped it, and wishing that flashing neon sign in my skull would fade before
it gave me a damn migraine. I needed to be careful here.

I
had to get my head in the game.

“Lucas,
it was clear from the start that you didn’t want me here. I can’t quit and all
I have ever tried to do is show you I deserve a chance. I want to impress you
and I thought we’d moved on, but before it was obvious that you don’t want me
here again,” I said as he leaned forward, holding me in his gaze.

“Oh
I want you here alright, Jessica. But sometimes my desire to chastise you and
fire you is somewhat overwhelming. Believe me, you should feel intimidated,” he
said, the words so low and deep and dripping with seduction that my breath
hitched. If a man had ever fucked with his voice, Lucas Hunter just had and I
was practically trembling in my seat under the power in that gaze.

“You
need to go now,” he said, his voice suddenly serious as he rose from his desk,
walking across to the window, turning his back on me and gazing at the London
skyline as I sat there reeling and wondering if ‘being fired’ was a pseudonym
for something else. It had certainly sounded that way and Lucas had never
behaved like this. For all he was still in control, he looked almost as off
kilter as I did.

 
I stood up, more confused than ever, turning
as he called me just before I reached the door. “How’s your hand?” he asked,
smiling gently.

“Better,
thank you,” I smiled back, watching for a moment as he shook his head,
seemingly amused at something before I made my way back to my desk.

 
My head was all over the place. I wasn’t over
thinking this or reading too much into it, I knew I wasn’t. Lucas Hunter wanted
to ‘fire me’ and just like that my brain was in overdrive all over again
thinking of all the ways I would like him to do it.

CHAPTER 11

It
was afternoon when I received the e-mail, elated that my boss was giving me
something to do. He wanted ideas for a party, a club owned by a friend to
celebrate its 10
^th
anniversary. I’d done well with the docklands and
finally my tenacity was being rewarded. It wasn’t a Hunter Industries event,
but a favour and I emailed back, requesting the name of the contact. I needed
to get a feel for the place; the venue would determine the theme and my initial
proposals, and I was eager to prove my capabilities and get started
immediately. With sod all else in my schedule, I decided I would go today.

I
grabbed a taxi to the address; a huge mansion house almost an hour outside the
city with instructions to meet a man called Zachary. He greeted me at the door,
rushing me through the corridors of the stately home into a small room that
looked like it had once been a pantry of sorts that had been converted into an
office.

It
was small with cold brick walls and no windows and seemed an unlikely fit for
the tall, broad man who ushered me into a large red velvet chair, smiling
broadly. He ran big hands over his shining bald head, offering me a drink as I
took a seat. “I’d love a tea,” I smiled as he rang a bell and my gasp was
audible as a beautiful petite blonde in an extremely short leather skin tight
dress came through hurriedly, nodding as he gave her the order.

I
could see the strip of flesh that ran between her stockings and her hem, high
heels clattering on the stone floors as she smiled politely and nodded. My gaze
followed her out of the room; bewilderment etched on my face as Zachary
chuckled, smiling knowingly.

“Did
Mr Hunter explain what this place is and what we need?” he asked as I shook my
head to another soft laugh.

 
“I thought not,” he grinned, raising his
eyebrows as I frowned gently, wondering what the hell my next task would be.

“It’s
a fetish club,” he smiled as I tried not to giggle, my brain racing with
excitement at the prospect of running a party here. The venue was stunning and
I imagined there would be no holds barred as my imagination went wild, but
there was one question I wanted the answer to more than any other.

“Is
Mr Hunter a member here?” I asked as he nodded.

“Yes,
Jessica. He asked me to show you around and explain what we do here. I hope
you’re broadminded. Lucas seems to think you might be,” he laughed softly as I
shook my head, almost in disbelief.

“I
don’t have any experience, but I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s all
about,” I smiled as he nodded, watching as the lithe little leather clad
waitress delivered our tea in china cups with a bright silver teapot and a
selection of biscuits.

“Sugar
lumps,” he barked as I jerked in my seat, taken aback by the harsh tone of his
voice.

“Forgive
me, Master,” she said, trotting out of the room as he told her he’d “Deal with
that later.”

“I
apologise, Jessica, she’s in training,” he said as I tried to keep my cool and
my mouth from gaping.

“Training
for what?” I asked as he held my gaze.

 
“Lilly is my slave. She joined the club as a
submissive, but requested to move onto a Master/slave relationship quite
recently. There is a lot less leeway than she’s used to,” he smiled as I stared
at him wide eyed.

“Isn’t
that demeaning?” I asked, suddenly wishing I hadn’t as he laughed at my naivety.

“That’s
kind of the point,” he smiled as I nodded. I’d read about it and decided my
best bet was probably to keep quiet, but I was far too intrigued.

“Is
Mr Hunter a Master?” I asked, chewing the inside of my cheek as he smiled.

“No,
Jessica, Mr Hunter is a Dominant,” he said as I thought that perhaps I’d better
get back to the job in hand and stop asking personal questions about my boss.

“So
you’ve been open ten years?” I smiled as he nodded.

“My
wife and I set up the club together. Unfortunately she is no longer with us,”
he said and I wasn’t sure if he meant she’d left him or died, and I didn’t want
to ask. The thought of someone being whipped to death or choking on their ball
gag and I was sweating in my seat.

“I’m
sorry,” I offered as he smiled gently, pouring my tea and enquiring whether I
wanted sugar as I shook my head.

“She
left me for another Master,” he said sadly as I sipped on my tea, desperate to
ask if that was common in the lifestyle but deciding against it.

“So
exactly what kind of fetishes do you accommodate?” I asked as a small flush
crept up my skin, looking down at my saucer in the hope he wouldn’t notice.

“All
sorts. You’d be surprised at the eclectic sexual tastes of people, Jessica. We
try to accommodate them all, providing they are safe, consensual and legal of
course,” he laughed as I giggled nervously, wondering whether I would get the
opportunity to look around.

“What
are the requirements for the party?” I asked as he took a deep breath.

“I
was rather hoping you could help with that. We try each year to outdo the last,
so the tenth anniversary needs to be pretty special. All the members gather for
the event and we’ll require refreshments and food in the main hall. We tend to
leave the playrooms free as our members like to go and make their own fun
during the night,” he smiled as I raised my eyebrows.

“Would
it be possible to have a look around and get a feel for the place?” I asked as
he smiled broadly.

“Absolutely!
It’s
fairly quiet today but there are members who are happy to be watched if you
feel like dipping your toe in the water,” he chuckled as I nodded rather too
enthusiastically.

“Where
would you like to start?” he asked, watching me closely. “There are the
dungeons where you find some of the more hardcore scenes, or the bedrooms where
things are a little less severe,” he smiled as I decided to jump in feet first.

“I
always think it’s a good idea to work from the bottom up,” I smiled as he raised
his eyebrows.

“Personally
I prefer things from the top down. Follow me,” he chuckled.

I
was a bundle of nervous energy as I followed Zachary down into the cold stone
bowels of the old building, wondering what on earth I was in for. I could hear
the moans from the stairwell and they didn’t sound altogether good. There were
lashings and soft cries as my skin shivered, the noises more like a mediaeval
torture chamber than a place of pleasure.

 
“Buck and Sue are down here today and they enjoy
being watched. Buck is a sadist and Sue is a masochist and what you need to
remember is that this is consensual, Jessica. This is what Sue enjoys, she
derives a huge amount of pleasure from the pain that he inflicts and while it
may seem strange or wrong to you, this is a scene they have both requested.

I
slapped my hands over my mouth as I saw the woman chained to the wall, broad
red marks littering her back as I gasped out loud, causing Buck to turn as he
grinned mischievously. He was a big bastard and clearly enjoying himself,
flexing a huge black whip.

“That
just looks like abuse,” I whispered, staring up at Zachary wide eyed and
immobile, listening to the loud cries and the soft moans as he brought the
leather down on Sue once more.

“Maybe
we should have taken the top down approach,” he said, beckoning me back up the
stairs to the lower ground floor of the old stately home.

“It’s
difficult at first, Jessica. Some people find it hard to wrap their heads
around it, but when we are sexually aroused the pain and pleasure signals can
blur and cause intense sensations. It happens in some people more than others
and I know from experience that Sue finds this incredibly rewarding. She is
what you’d call an extreme masochist,” he smiled.

“I
don’t think I’d want to have sex with someone if they’d just done that to me” I
said, frowning deeply as Zac smiled kindly.

“The
conclusion or objective of these scenes isn’t necessarily about sex, although
much of it can be incredibly sexual,” he offered in explanation, although it
only served to pose more questions than it answered.

“There
is a strong, often deeply emotional connection between people involved in these
types of activities, some even describe it as spiritual,” he said, noting my
obvious confusion. Whatever Buck was doing to Sue was a far cry from what went
on at church I mused inwardly, unable to hide the reaction that was leaking all
over my face.

“Some
things you just have to experience in order to understand,” he smiled
eventually as I nodded.

“Are
you a sadist?” I asked, suddenly thinking that was a really forward question,
but Zac didn’t seem to mind.

 
“Yes, to a point, although I’m not as extreme
as Buck. I’m a Master and there are plenty of members volunteering to be
slaves. This isn’t a one way transaction. It may be an exchange of power, but
the pleasure and reward is with both parties. Sometimes it’s easier to put into
context when you think back on your own personal experiences of sex and what
you enjoyed,” he said. Well that wouldn’t help, there were only two and the
first one had lasted less than a minute.

I
may as well be honest. “I’m not all that experienced,” I said, flushing as I
looked up at him.

“Don’t
be embarrassed, that’s no bad thing,” he smiled, touching my arm gently and
leading me down the corridor. Most of the doors were closed, but there was a
huge window running along the wall and I could see from here the tangled limbs
of the writhing bodies on an enormous four poster bed. It looked like two or
even three put together to create a massive space for what was obviously an
orgy. I couldn’t peel my eyes away.

“A
common fantasy that we cater for,” Zachary laughed gently as I watched two men
fucking a woman in the most improbable position I had ever seen as she took
another in her mouth. At least she looked like she was enjoying herself I
thought, glancing away as one of the men turned to look through the window, desperate
not to make eye contact.

“Thirty
is the most we’ve ever had in there” he announced proudly as I stared at him in
mute silence, turning again to see two men kissing as a dark skinned brunette
sucked their cocks in turn. I’d never seen men together in that way and it was
strangely thrilling, lighting up my body as I watched intensely.

 
“Does Lucas do that?” I asked as Zachary
looked down at me chuckling.

 
“I’m not entirely sure what Mr Hunter is happy
for me to share with you,” he smiled before making his way along the corridor
as I continually glanced back at the men in the orgy room, mesmerised and
captivated and trying to picture Lucas that way.

We
reached another stairway as I followed him up the red carpet that ran across
the middle of the broad stone steps, gazing around at the ancient looking
portraits that filled the walls. “Who are all these people?” I asked,
marvelling at the venue and imagining it would make a wonderful backdrop to a
gothic themed event with candles and fire, bringing the building back to its
past. It would be atmospheric; haunting even.

“Ancestors
of the mansion mainly, and some I don’t know that I’ve collected from antiques
fairs over the years. That one is the Marquis de Sade, and my particular
favourite,” he smiled as I gazed up wide eyed at the disturbing and sinister
portrait that sent a strange shiver of fear down my spine. Zac chuckled at my
response and I half ran to catch him up, away from the strange eyes of the
Marquis that appeared to follow me.

I
was glad when we reached the top step. “This is the main floor where the Dominant
and submissive members like to play,” he smiled as I looked around at room upon
room. Most were empty with their doors propped open. I glanced inside to see all
kinds of strange furniture and implements adorning the floors and walls, a
number of crosses, giant beds and brackets and cuffs where I assumed they’d be
tied up.

“Do
you have any ideas, Jessica?” he asked as I nodded.

“I
have a few, but I need to think about what might work best and I would quite
like to explore a bit more. I feel like I’ve scratched the surface today, but
I’d like to get a real feel for the place. Would it be possible for me to come
back?” I asked as he nodded brightly.

“Yes.
Come whenever you like, Jessica. No need to call ahead, just ask for me when
you arrive. If I’m busy I’ll have someone tell you which rooms are free for you
to explore,” he smiled and I wondered if he read my thoughts. My curiosity
wasn’t just for the party, it was for me.

The
more I thought about Lucas in this environment, the more I wanted to experience
it. It was a safe way to start, discover more about it under the banner of
research. It was unlikely I’d get another chance to glimpse this strange and
intriguing world and more than one thing today had aroused my body as well as
my brain.