Free Crave by Marina Anderson Page B

things we do to please each other. I don’t want to lose any of that. What would I do without the Dining Club?”
    “I’m quite sure that Grace, who’s beginning to build a good career for herself in the theater, won’t want to give all that up and run this place instead,” said Andrew reassuringly. “It wouldn’t make sense. She’s only here to please David, like the other two he brought. They weren’t a threat, they didn’t get anywhere near the top table.”
    “It would make sense if she loves him, and I think you underestimate her as well. She’s tougher than she looks.”
    “This is meant to be a place of pleasure,” said Andrew.
    Amber smiled. “I know that, but sometimes the pleasure is mixed with pain, and that’s where Grace will fall down. That’s something I can make sure of, and I think I’ll use Laura’s punishment time as a trial run for one or two of my ideas.”
    “Suit yourself then,” said Andrew. “I must get back to the office now, or my secretary will wonder what my dentist is doing to me!”
    After he’d gone, Amber returned to the study and picked up the form for Grace’s next visit. It was still blank, and she slid it into the top drawer of her desk. She’d fill it in after David had finished overseeing the disciplining of Laura. If she had her way, she thought with a smile, Grace wasn’t likely to pass her second trial at the Dining Club.
    * * *
    The following Saturday, Grace and Fran had spent the day together discussing a possible alteration to the ending of the play. When Fran finally left the flat it was early evening. Glancing at her watch, Grace saw that it was six-thirty, and realized that exactly a week had passed since she and David had sat down to dinner at the Dining Club.
    She hadn’t seen him since their return, and was missing him, but knew that he’d said he would be busy working this weekend. However, he’d phoned her twice in the week, and the second time he’d told her that he had tickets for the Opera at Covent Garden the following weekend and suggesting they also had a meal first.
    She was looking forward to that, and hoped they’d go back to his flat afterwards, as she was missing him terribly. Since the previous weekend she’d thought more about sex than at any other time in her life, which was shaming but also exciting. She was even looking forward to their next visit, wondering what her trial would involve this time.
    Little did she know, as she settled down with a glass of wine to watch the final season of
The Killing
that her lover was already back at the Dining Club. This was lucky, because if she had known, and been able to see what was happening, she might not have been quite as eager for her next visit.
    * * *
    Across the other side of London, Laura was lying on a high, narrow bed in the center of one of the smaller bedrooms. Heavy curtains had been drawn across the windows, leaving the room in semidarkness.
    Her wrists were fastened to metal rings on each side of the bed, her legs held apart by a spreader board, and she couldn’t speak because of the gag in her mouth. She had no means of communicating with anyone except through her eyes.
    She was sobbing softly, her body taut as Amber and Will worked on her with their clever, knowing fingers, hands and mouths. Every time she climaxed, she was punished and the mixture of pain and pleasure meant that there was never any respite for her tormented flesh.
    Watching her hapless, shuddering body from the corner of the room, David noted every nuance of expression in Laura’s pleading eyes and mentally replaced the softly moaning twin with Grace.
    As the unfortunate girl strained against her bonds, he pictured Grace in the same situation, her gentle curves tightening as she struggled to escape her clever tormentors. He swallowed hard, aroused almost beyond control at the thought.
    Suddenly a desperate muffled scream filled the room, and David was drawn back to what was happening at that moment.