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  A few seconds later he was looking down at the exhausted Grace, his eyes sweeping over her sweat-drenched body as he assessed her with what looked to her like dispassionate interest. “Amber and Andrew have clearly given you a lot of pleasure, Grace,” he said quietly.

  Grace swallowed hard. “Yes, they have,” she agreed.

  “Well, you heard what Amy said. She can’t go on. The question is, can you manage another orgasm?”

  “I don’t have to!” protested Grace. “She was the first one to say she didn’t want to continue.”

  “But my darling girl, unless you manage another orgasm it will be a draw, and the trial will have to be run again another time,” he said smoothly.

  Staring up into his unreadable blue eyes, Grace was totally bewildered and very hurt. “Why are you doing this? Don’t you want me to succeed?” she asked, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

  “Of course I do, more than anything in the world, but that’s the rule. I’m sorry if I didn’t explain it clearly enough at the beginning.”

  He hadn’t, and they both knew that, but when Andrew nodded in agreement Grace knew there was no point in arguing any further. She only wished she knew whether it had been a genuine mistake by David or yet another moment of subtle cruelty by this man she loved so much.

  She heard Amy get off her bed and then heard the door open and close as she left the room. Now Grace was alone with Amber, Andrew and David, and somehow she had to manage one more climax or the whole trial would be repeated. She didn’t think she could face that; knowing what lay ahead the second time would make it too difficult for her.

  Still puzzled and upset by David’s behavior, she waited passively on the bed, as she knew was expected of her. When Andrew drew up a chair and sat down next to her, she saw the sympathy in his eyes and wondered why David couldn’t ever look at her like that during trials. “I’m sorry about this. It’s not like David to make mistakes, but it is the way this trial always ends,” he assured her. “I’ll blindfold you now. It will help to make the sensations more intense.”

  Grace nodded, her mind fastening onto what he’d said about David rarely making mistakes. She knew that was true, which only increased her belief that he’d done it on purpose and made no sense at all. At least, not if he wanted her to succeed. She bit on her lower lip, because the possibility that he didn’t was unthinkable.

  A soft black velvet blindfold was placed over her eyes, and then her hands and feet were spread out wide and fastened to rings attached to the sides of the bed.

  “Let’s start gently,” said Amber, opening Grace up between her thighs so that her clever tongue could begin to swirl lightly over the moist flesh, but Grace scarcely reacted to the previously arousing touch. While Amber worked with her mouth male hands that Grace recognized as Andrew’s opened the front fastening of her bra, allowing her breasts to be fully available to him. Then he began to massage them, lightly at first but with increasing pressure. When he let his tongue stray to the tender flesh of her armpit she squirmed, and to her relief felt a very faint stirring of desire in her belly.

  “She’s become a little damp now,” commented Amber, letting her tongue flick at Grace’s clitoris, but this time it was irritating rather than arousing and Grace tried to move herself away, pressing her back lower into the bed. With her senses heightened due to the blindfold, she heard a tiny sound of satisfaction from the other woman, and wanted to cry at the way her body was letting her down at such a vital moment.

  Andrew’s hands moved lower, gently stroking her round her bare waist and the soft curve of her hips, and then he began to kiss her softly in the same places. At the same time Amber tickled lightly at the inner creases of Grace’s thighs, and when she did that Grace suddenly knew that an orgasm would be possible.

  She could feel her body starting to respond, her hips moved restlessly on the bed as she attempted to push the lower half of her body down so that Amber would caress her clitoris with her tongue. Amber duly responded, flicking the side of the swollen nub in a steady rhythm, and now the pleasure was growing rapidly. Almost overwhelmed with relief, Grace felt her muscles start to contract.

  Immediately Andrew’s hands stopped moving, Amber’s tongue stopped what it had been doing, moving deep inside Grace instead, and the delicious darts of her impending climax began to die away. “No, no!” she cried piteously, frantic for them to continue stimulating her in the way they had been seconds earlier.

  “Oh dear,” said Amber, straightening up. “I thought she was near to coming, but she wants us to stop.”

  “No, I don’t! Please, please go on!” she whimpered, unable to stay silent as despair almost overwhelmed her as she felt the delicious sensations continuing to slowly subside.

  “What a shame,” agreed Andrew. “You nearly managed it Grace,” he added, and she felt his hands stroking her hair.

  “I didn’t want you to stop!” she shouted. “I was about to come. Please, please listen to me.”

  “You said ‘no,’ ” Amber pointed out.

  “Only because…”

  All at once, David spoke. “Be silent, Grace. I’ll be the judge of who’s telling the truth.”

  For a moment the room was silent. All Grace could hear was the sound of her own breathing, but within seconds David was at her side, and she felt his familiar touch as he stroked the side of her face. “If you were telling the truth you should be very ready, so this won’t take long,” he promised her.

  Relief surged through her, because whatever had been happening before, she could tell that he was now on her side again.

  “I’m going to suck on your clitoris now, and then stroke it with warm damp thread,” he continued. “While I’m doing that, I’m going to let a small vibrator tease the surrounding flesh. Will that be enough do you think?”

  His words alone were enough to arouse her. Her frantic body began to shake with excitement, and when his hands parted her outer sex lips and his mouth sucked gently on her rapidly swelling clitoris she moaned with pleasure and relief.

  “Now for the thread,” he murmured, and the words were so tantalizing that she felt her orgasm getting nearer even though nothing else had happened. The anticipation of the delicate, drawn-out movement of the thread was driving her out of her mind with excitement.

  “Ready?” he asked quietly.

  “Yes, oh yes!” she moaned, half out of her mind now as she anticipated the pleasure that was about to swamp her body.

  “What a wanton young lady you’ve become,” he murmured. Then she felt the lightest of touches as the warm, moistened thread stroked the surface of her clitoris, while a vibrator gently massaged the sensitive flesh around it, and gave a loud cry of triumph as her body was shaken by the most intense orgasm she’d ever had. It seemed to go on and on, and David continued to let the thread play over her until the last tiny tremors of pleasure died away. Only then did he stop.

  “I think we can safely say you passed tonight’s trial,” he commented dryly.

  Grace heard the door slam, and then David removed her blindfold, unfastened her wrists and ankles and looked down on her with what she thought was a look of admiration in his eyes. “You were absolutely amazing, my darling,” he said, his voice husky with excitement and desire. “I would never have believed it possible.”

  As he wrapped her in a fluffy toweling robe and took her back to their suite, Grace knew that before tonight she would never have believed it possible either. But she’d passed, and now she would only be making one more visit to the Dining Club.

  Strangely, despite everything that had happened to her there, that realization didn’t bring the relief she’d expected, but instead a surprising and rather shameful twinge of regret.

  * * *

  Once they were in their room, Grace collapsed on the bed and within minutes was sound asleep. After he’d made sure she was comfortable, David settled himself in one of the armchairs and thought back over the evening, trying to work out why, for a time, he’
d been doing his best to make sure that Grace failed tonight. Furthermore, he’d taken a perverse pleasure in it.

  She was proving herself to be everything he’d ever wanted in a woman, with a body that was as receptive to the kind of sexuality he enjoyed as he could ask for, and a love for him that was beyond doubt.

  He’d always wanted to find what he’d thought of as his perfect woman, yet now he seemed to have found her, he was deliberately trying to sabotage the relationship. Watching her tonight, as she reached the peak of her sexual pleasure time after time, he’d never been more aroused. He’d felt closer to her then than he’d ever felt to a woman, yet at the same time part of him hoped that she’d give in and choose to leave him. He wasn’t a fool. He’d watched the way Amber and Andrew had left Grace stranded as she was about to reach her final climax, and he’d understood Amber’s motive very well. It was fear. Andrew’s, on the other hand, couldn’t be fear, which left only one other logical conclusion. Andrew wanted Grace to fail, leaving the way open for him to ask her out.

  A rival was the kind of challenge David would normally have relished, but this time a part of him wondered if it would be better if he released Grace soon, by ensuring that she failed the fourth trial, rather than ruin both their lives. And that was what would happen, he knew it would, because in truth no matter how perfect she was, or much he loved her at the start, eventually he would tire of her.

  Although not prone to self-analysis, he knew that boredom was anathema to him. He always had to find new interests: takeovers, financial ventures and of course new women. But to part from Grace now would, he realized with surprise, be impossible.

  She was the only woman he’d brought to the Dining Club to pass the third trial, and for that reason alone he needed to see the game played to the finish. Tonight, at the end, as he’d enabled her sated body to be pleasured one final time, he’d also felt an overwhelming tenderness toward her.

  When she’d snuggled against him, murmuring softly as he brought her back to their rooms, he’d wanted that feeling of tenderness to last, and until she fell asleep it had. It was only after that, when he had time to reflect, that the doubts surfaced again. Doubts about his ability to love, and doubts about how long she would keep him interested and intrigued if it proved possible.

  As the hours passed, and dawn started to break, David remained seated in the chair, as he tried to solve a problem that, in truth, he had never expected to have to face.

  Chapter Two

  The following morning, almost as soon as she’d woken up, David told Grace they’d have to leave the Club before lunch, as he needed to meet with his PA and make arrangements for a working breakfast the next morning.

  “Is that Louise Penfold?” Grace asked, half-asleep but remembering what she’d seen on the television.

  David was clearly surprised by her question. “Yes, as a matter of fact it is. How did you know?”

  “I saw you both on TV a few weeks ago, at some charity function I think. She’s lovely.”

  “Yes, she’s very beautiful,” he agreed, “but not as beautiful as you looked last night.” And with that he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her passionately, until she felt him hardening against her.

  Then Grace knew that Louise didn’t mean anything to him now. Even if she had done once, she didn’t anymore. Amber was definitely her only threat to keeping this man she loved so much, Amber and the fourth trial.

  She had intended to question David about the previous night, wanting to know why he’d been so angry when Amy had stopped earlier than anticipated, giving Grace a chance of winning, when he should have been pleased for her sake. She also needed to understand why he hadn’t explained the trial properly at the start, but as he’d skillfully helped her to triumph at the end, and was so passionate this morning as a result, she decided it could wait. He was a very complex man, and that was part of his attraction for her.

  One day she’d find out, but for the moment she’d focus on her return to the Dining Club in a month’s time for her final trial. As long as she succeeded in that, she would be in a far stronger position to question David’s motives about everything, and find out exactly how he felt about the beautiful, possessive blonde woman who kept him close by her expert running of this very special Club that meant so much to him.

  During the drive back, David was unusually quiet and Grace chattered more than usual to fill the silence. Normally after visiting the Dining Club he was relaxed and it was a time when she felt very close to him. This time it was different; he seemed lost in thought.

  They went into her apartment, and after putting her case down he caught hold of her hands, drawing her over to the window. Cupping his hands round her face he smiled down at her, and she was almost overwhelmed with relief.

  “I’m so proud of you, my darling,” he said softly. “You’re doing incredibly well at every trial. You have no idea how much that means to me. I was sure you’d like it, but I never expected you to take to it all in the way you have. It’s incredibly exciting for me, and hopefully for you too.”

  “I can’t believe everything that’s happening, or how it’s making me feel,” she admitted, thankful that she hadn’t spoilt this moment by trying to question him about the night before during the drive back. “I’d never imagined doing the kind of things I do at the Club, and sometimes it scares me at first, but you were right. I love it, and the more things I discover about myself there, the more I want to go back.”

  “Want or need?” he queried quietly.

  She thought for a moment. “Need,” she admitted, averting her face.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I’m so ashamed,” she confessed. “Afterwards, when I’m back in my everyday life I can’t believe what’s happening to me.”

  He turned her face back so that she was looking into his eyes. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he assured her. “It does become a need, that’s why I have to know you fully understand that before I can…”

  “Can what?” she whispered.

  His expression changed. It was obvious that there was some internal battle going on in his mind, as his eyes left hers and looked into the distance.

  “Please, tell me,” she begged, longing to hear some words of love from him.

  “Before I can tell you about table five,” he said at last.

  She was so disappointed that it took a moment or two for his words to sink in. “Amber’s table?”

  “It’s where Amber sits, yes.” He glanced at his wristwatch. “Look at the time! I’m late for Louise now.”

  Grace desperately wanted to ask him more questions, but she realized that he’d already said more than he’d intended before they came inside, even though he still hadn’t said the words she longed to hear. Neither, she realized, after he’d gone, did she know what he’d meant when he’d spoken of table five.

  * * *

  “That was an absolute disaster!” said Amber furiously that evening. “I could kill that stupid Laura!”

  Andrew tightened the cords fastening Amber’s ankles to the spreader board and looked at her lying spread-eagled on the king-size bed. “She made a genuine mistake. If you punish her too severely she’ll leave, so you’d better control yourself. We need her. The twins are a big turn-on for the men here, and some of the women too. Are we going to test this trial tonight or not?” he added. “If not, I’m going to find someone who’ll be more fun tonight.”

  “If we’re not careful I’ll lose my place here, which will be a far bigger loss than the twins going,” snapped Amber. “I saw the look in Grace’s eyes when she triumphed over Amy. She’s the first of David’s guests to reach level four, and he’ll soon be starting to think he can’t live without her. So, if you want any chance at all with her, you should be worried too.”

  “I’m not pleased, but losing my temper won’t help matters. Can you move at all?”

  Amber tested the spreader board, and also tried to sit up, but a thick leather strap round
her waist made it impossible. “No, I can’t. So do you have a brilliant scheme up your sleeve to make sure Grace fails the fourth trial?” Her breathing was quickening now.

  “I wasn’t thinking about the trial, more about what she’ll be doing this coming month. David’s away on business in Europe for three whole weeks. She’ll be alone, and would probably be pleased to see a familiar face one evening.”

  “What do you intend to do, go and knock on her front door? I’m sure David would be delighted if he learned about that.”

  “That’s just silly, Amber,” said Andrew, and without warning he brought a multi-thonged leather whip down hard across the blonde woman’s lush, creamy breasts. Amber gave a cry of pain, but Andrew knew she liked pain, and swiftly whipped her three more times, until her upper chest was covered in thin red lines.

  “I know where Grace is going to be next Friday night. I shall meet her there, ostensibly quite by chance, and try to get her interest. I’m sure she likes me. It won’t be difficult.” With that he lowered his head and started to run his tongue over Amber’s marked breasts. She shuddered with rising excitement at his touch.

  “She probably likes a lot of people, but it’s David she’s in love with,” she gasped, finding it hard to concentrate now.

  “At the moment she is, but the next trial is spread over the whole weekend. I bet he hasn’t told her that. I might let the information slip out during our chat, along with a few other things she may not know yet. Time to move between your thighs I think. Should I say out loud what I’m going to do? Tell me if that increases the excitement for you.”

  Amber didn’t answer. “I think I should,” said Andrew. “I’m going to whip your inner thighs now, and then cover the marks with your own juices, but I don’t want you to come yet.”

  “You bastard!” retorted the gasping Amber.

  “We are testing out a trial,” Andrew reminded her, letting the whip fall expertly on each of her inner thighs before thrusting his fingers inside her and spreading her love juices over the marked skin.