Buttons and Shame Page 3

  “Can’t be seen talking to me?” I was hitting on her, but I wasn’t being a creep about it. “Are you sure everything is okay?” Nothing about this situation felt normal. She looked like she’d had the worst day of her life, not just been on an Italian vacation for the summer. “Because it seems like—”

  “Walk away, or I’ll scream.”

  When I saw the stern look on her face, I knew she wasn’t bluffing. I’d been rejected enough times to know I didn’t have a chance. I was a good-looking guy with a thick wallet, but that didn’t seem to have any effect on her. “You can hold your tantrum. I just thought you were pretty.” I left the chairs and didn’t look back. I headed to my terminal just when they called the first-class passengers. I handed over my ticket and got on the plane.

  I spent the evening in France, meeting up with a few friends who lived in Marseille. I wasn’t meeting Tristan until tomorrow night, so I had some time to kill. I hit a few bars and a club with my crew, but my mind kept drifting back to the woman I saw in the airport.

  She didn’t even tell me her name.

  She wasn’t even that pretty. With her wrinkled clothes and messy hair, she wasn’t remarkable. Her sense of style was nonexistent. Maybe I made a move because I thought she would be an easy target.

  Something told me that wasn’t the reason.

  She was just some stranger I had a short encounter with. She’d forgotten about me by now, only thinking of me as some annoying pervert who didn’t know how to take no for an answer. She hardly even looked at me, so she probably didn’t even know what I looked like.

  Forget her.

  I got back to the room late that night—alone. I had many rounds of scotch sitting in my belly, so I passed out on the comforter without even taking my shoes off. The next morning, I woke up to a migraine and a phone call from Crow.

  “How’d it go?”

  “I’m meeting him tonight.” I dragged my hand down my face, sleep crust thick in the crevices of my eyes. “Change of plans.”

  “I took a look at the shipment. Everything looks good.”

  I knew he’d say that. “Yeah. I’ll see if Tristan is interested.”

  “I’m sure he will be. He’d be a fool not to.”

  “Yeah.” I was still in bed, half asleep.

  “Long night?”

  “I went out with Ramon and a few other guys.”

  “I’m guessing you woke up next to someone you don’t know, then.”

  I wish. “No, unfortunately.”

  Crow didn’t make a jab. “I’ll talk to you later. Give me the info when you have it. I want to talk numbers.”

  Always to the point, like usual. “Bye.”

  After a swift pat-down and extra security measures, I was finally allowed to enter the French estate located right next to the harbor. It was protected from unwanted eyes by the curve of the peninsula. All the resorts and ships were on the other side, where the tourists and fishermen remained.

  I didn’t bring my gun because I knew it wouldn’t be allowed. But I always kept a small knife in the stitching of my jacket just in case. I was walking into a snake pit without any backup. That should make me trustworthy enough. Besides, I was a Barsetti. Unlike Bones, we actually honored our deals.

  I was ushered into the large dining hall where Tristan sat at the head of the table. In a gray vest over a white collared shirt, he looked aristocratic. But nothing could change the fact that he was butt ugly. With a long, hooked nose and beady eyes, he wasn’t a pretty picture. He was thin and lanky, but tall. I was sure the only women he had in his bed were whores—not that I was so innocent.

  Tristan rose when I entered the room and shook my hand. “Cane, good to see you.” He spoke in English for my benefit, but his French accent was evident. He took care of business all over the world, but France had always been his home.

  “Likewise.” I took a seat to his right and watched my glass fill with scotch from the waiter.

  Tristan sat down and snapped his fingers to one of his butlers. It must have meant dinner was to be served because they brought out bread, cheese, and assorted cured meats before they served the main entrees along with an expensive bottle of wine. I didn’t drink much wine. That was my brother’s forte.

  We got right down to business and discussed weaponry. Tristan didn’t give me the specifics of what he needed them for, and like a smart businessman, I didn’t ask. Privacy was important to all my clients. It was something Crow and I honored—unless we knew they were enemies to our country and our allies. Most of the time, the need for protection was based on gang mentality.

  Tristan snapped his fingers again, beckoning one of his butlers to draw near.

  Wearing a suit and tie, the man approached the table with his hands resting behind his back. He reminded me of Lars but much younger. “Yes, sir?”

  Crow never treated Lars that way, and neither did I. He was help around the house but still a human being. But it wasn’t my place to judge, especially since I’d committed a lot of crimes much worse than being rude to my employees. I nearly killed my sister-in-law once upon a time.

  “Bring my dinner guest.” He snapped his fingers again.

  The butler did a fantastic job hiding his disdain. I would have stabbed Tristan in the neck with a butter knife if he spoke to me like that. “Of course, sir.” He left the dining hall to retrieve the mysterious guest.

  “Who’s joining us for dinner?” I asked.

  “A beautiful woman I just met.”

  I drank my smooth scotch and enjoyed the burn down my throat. “A pretty lady, huh? Thinking of settling down?”

  “Ha.” His laugh was heavy with sarcasm. “No. She’s just a plaything. She was brought to me yesterday. I’ve had a lot of fun breaking her in.” He waggled his eyebrows before he took a drink of his wine.

  I understood his meaning immediately. The significance was a little traumatizing to my stomach, like there was too much acid and my body couldn’t break it down. I’d worked with lots of men who owned slaves. It wasn’t uncommon, especially in my line of work. I never blinked an eye over it or gave a damn. But now that Pearl was family, my attitude was different. Instead of giving a response, I drank my scotch again.

  One of his cronies brought the woman in. Dressed in a black bra and matching thong, she was barely covered. Her skin was bruised in places where she’d been struck with a hand as well as a whip. There were cuts along her body, as if someone had dragged a knife across her skin just to watch her bleed. The man pushed her down into the chair and walked away.

  I was sitting right across from her, and I instantly recognized her face.

  The woman from the airport.

  She stared at the table and didn’t lift her gaze. Her brown eyes were nearly black because there wasn’t any sign of life. Her skin was pale, and I imagined it would be cold to the touch. There was a cut in the corner of her mouth that looked like it was created with a man’s knuckle.

  “Hello, sweetheart.” Tristan leaned toward her and wrapped his fingers around her upper arm.

  She recoiled like a snake, a hiss escaping her mouth.

  He didn’t think twice before he backhanded her, slapping hard across her face and making her lurch sideways.

  I kept a straight face but hated watching it.

  He grabbed her by the neck and slammed her hand onto the table. “Be a good little slave, alright? Otherwise, I’ll punish you right here over dinner.” He released her and grabbed his glass of wine.

  She sat up, her face still a stoic mask of despair.

  “You must be hungry.” Tristan placed his leftovers in front of her, scraps from what he’d eaten. “Since you haven’t eaten in two days.”

  She stared at the food but didn’t make a move.

  “You’ll take my cock in your mouth and your ass, but you won’t eat my dinner?” Tristan asked in a warning tone.

  Without explanation, I figured out what had happened. Her captor had snatched her from somewhere and sold he
r into trafficking. She didn’t say anything to me at the airport because they probably threatened to kill her.

  It was a shame. I could have saved her.

  “I asked you a question,” he hissed.

  With a shaky hand, she grabbed the fork and stabbed it into a piece of chicken.

  Tristan smiled at her cooperation and turned back to me. “Now, where were we?”

  I kept my eyes on her, waiting for her to look up.

  “That’s right,” Tristan said. “I haven’t introduced you. Cane, this is my plaything. Plaything, this is Cane.”

  She finally looked up, the recognition clear on her face. She knew exactly who I was but quickly covered her reaction. “Hi…” Her hand shook as she grasped the fork.

  “Hey.” I didn’t mention our encounter to Tristan. Didn’t see the relevance.

  “She’s something,” Tristan said. “Weak but strong. I love listening to her cry when I fuck her ass.”

  She faltered before she took another bite of her food. She chewed slowly, like she hated herself for obeying this ruthless barbarian.

  “Her pussy is tight,” Tristan said. “Popped her cherry.”

  Now that seemed even more ruthless. All I did was nod because I didn’t know what other reaction to give. I shouldn’t give a damn about this woman. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now she was paying for her stupidity. Her life would be short-lived and painful.

  “You want a round, Cane?” He grabbed the bottle of scotch and poured me another glass. “In honor of this deal, I wouldn’t mind loaning her out to you for the night.”

  When my dick got hard, I felt like shit. “That’s alright. Got a lady friend at the hotel.”

  “Not like this,” he said. “She’s got the nicest ass. It’s a great view from behind.”

  Now my cock twitched, but my newfound conscience still prevented me from taking the offer. I would have said yes in a heartbeat if this had been a few years into the past. I didn’t consider myself to be a good man. I was motivated by sex and money, and I would never change. But something still kept me stationary. I was very attracted to this woman. The second I set eyes on her, I wanted to fuck her. Now I had my chance. If I didn’t take it, I would lose the opportunity forever. “That’s a kind offer, but let the woman eat. She looks starving.”

  Instead of letting the topic die, Tristan furrowed his eyebrows in anger. “I offer you a gift, and you turn it down?”

  It was like he’d gotten me a new set of knives or a pocket watch. “I didn’t realize it was a gift, just an offer.”

  “Cane, I know you love women. You’ve loved all the others in the past.”

  I did. I didn’t bother denying it.

  “Why not her?” he demanded. “Something wrong with her?”

  “Not at all.” I took another drink to keep myself calm. I didn’t want to piss off one of my biggest clients by insulting him. “She’s stunning.”

  “Then what’s your problem? You don’t want to share a woman with me? Is that what this is about?”

  I considered telling a lie and saying I had a serious woman in my life, but no one would believe that for a second. Also, I didn’t want to lie. It was too much work. “Not at all, Tristan.”

  “Then take her away. I’m sure it’ll soften you to give me a better deal.”

  It would definitely soften me in other ways.

  “Go.” He clapped his hands. “The guest bedroom is right there.” He waved over one of his henchmen. “Prepare her for Cane.”

  Her breathing picked up immediately, her hand dropping the fork onto the plate.

  One of Tristan’s men yanked her out of the chair then escorted her out of the room by the back of her neck.

  And I was so fucking hard.

  4

  Cane

  Handcuffed to the bed and completely naked, she lay on the sheets with her knees pressed tightly together.

  Now that I was alone with her, looking at her small breasts and slender stomach, there was no stopping me. I pulled my t-shirt over my head and felt my heart pound in my chest. Excitement coursed through me like a current. I couldn’t remember the last time I was this aroused. I knew it was because she was a slave, a prisoner. That heightened my desire.

  Because I was sick like that.

  She watched me with terror in her eyes, doing her best to hide her body with her knees. But the closer she pulled her legs to her chest, the more I could see her shaved pussy.

  Man, I wanted to fuck her.

  I got my jeans off then my boxers, allowing my hard cock to come free. It was already oozing at the tip, ready to slide through that tight pussy I’d heard so much about. Like I was at a resort, there was a bowl full of condoms on the table. It reminded me of a bowl full of candy at the doctor’s office. I snatched one then sheathed myself with the condom. It was lubricated since she probably wouldn’t be very wet.

  My knees hit the bed, and I crawled toward her.

  She pulled her knees tighter to her chest and yanked on the chains that kept her arms above her head.

  I grabbed her knees and separated them, feeling no resistance since she knew she couldn’t get away from me. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. And if she didn’t cooperate, one of the other men would just yank her legs apart and fuck her once I was finished.

  I positioned myself between her legs and took a breath once I felt her warm skin touch mine. She wasn’t cold like I expected her to be. Her skin was soft despite the bruises and cuts. I pressed my face between her tits and kissed her everywhere, enjoying the softness of a woman.

  She breathed deeply underneath me, doing her best not to make a sound.

  My cock rubbed against her folds, and my hips automatically bucked in anticipation. I wanted to have this woman under a different circumstance, but this would do. I kissed her stomach then moved up to her neck, feeling her quick pulse against my lips.

  The hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

  Now my head was really in the clouds. All I could think about was sex. I wanted to fuck her so hard she screamed. I wanted to fill the tip of the condom with so much come that it nearly broke.

  I positioned myself at her entrance and pressed my tip inside her as I looked down into her terrified face. She closed her eyes and wouldn’t look at me, like that would make the experience more tolerable.

  “Please don’t…” She finally made a sound, a quiet plea that no one else could hear outside the door. “Don’t do this to me… I can’t take it anymore.”

  My body stilled at the sound of tears in her voice. If she hadn’t said anything, I’d probably already be buried deep inside her. At that point, nothing would stop me. My cock would take over and not stop until he was satisfied.

  She opened her eyes when nothing happened.

  My cock was still hard and eager. But the sound of her voice, the soft tone that was innately feminine, halted me in my tracks. I wanted her to speak again, to say my name. But I wanted that in a different context.

  I should fuck her. There was nothing stopping me. There was nothing she could do about it, and whether I fucked her or not, she was still in the situation. When I left, she would still be beaten. At least I would be gentle with her. She might even like it if she kept an open mind.

  But I still didn’t do it.

  I moved down her body and pressed my lips to her skin again. I kissed her breasts and sucked her nipples into my mouth, making them pebble with my tongue. I moved farther down and across her belly button. When I reached the area between her legs, she stiffened.

  My tongue found her clit and I circled it, loving the taste of her pussy the second it was on my tongue.

  Fuck.

  She took a deep breath, a quiet gasp escaping her throat.

  My mouth took over her pussy, and I kissed it, licked it, and bit it exactly how I liked. It wasn’t as good as sex, but it was still something. I wasn’t a big pussy-eater, but I definitely wanted hers. I rolled off the condom then je
rked myself with my hand, beating off like a kid in middle school.

  My mouth devoured her pussy, and her knees gave way until she was wide open for me. I even heard a few pants from up by the headboard. I looked up her body and watched her, seeing her face tint with a blush the longer I devoured her. Sometimes she arched her body and writhed. It wasn’t clear if she was enjoying it or not.

  But she didn’t tell me to stop.

  I slipped two fingers inside her pussy because I needed to know how tight she was. I needed to imagine it before I beat off again and finished myself off. I expected to feel her walls tighten around my fingers in protest and try to expel them.

  But I felt moisture.

  It could be from my own saliva, and my hopes were a product of wishful thinking. But to satisfy myself, I imagined she was aroused by this, a stranger licking her pussy and making her feel good.

  I transferred the moisture back to my cock and continued to jerk myself, this time harder. I beat myself hard and pushed myself to the brink of an orgasm. I didn’t want to come in my hand, but I wanted to bring myself right to the edge. The saltiness of her pussy was smeared across my lips and tasted magnificent. I’d never had pussy that tasted so sweet.

  Before I came, I rose on my knees again and pointed my cock at her tits. I gave myself a few more pumps before I exploded all over her, spraying my seed across those beautiful boobs. The white globs dripped toward her stomach, sliding down from their weight.

  I admired my handiwork as I recovered from the orgasm that shook my core. I didn’t even fuck her, but it felt like I did. I licked my lips and still tasted her on my tongue. This was something I would definitely beat off to next time I was in the mood.

  I ran my fingers through my hair then grabbed the towel Tristan’s men left for me. I cleaned myself up then tossed the towel onto the bed next to her so she could clean up my come that still dripped toward her belly button.

  I pulled on my clothes and felt exhausted. I could fall asleep in that bed with her right now. To my surprise, I wasn’t even thinking about the money I was going to make off this deal with Tristan. Completely satisfied, I wasn’t thinking about anything.