Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Laro

Smoke filled the kitchen as Laro yanked the dish from the oven. This was his third attempt at making it. It was a dish he’d made countless times before, so it shouldn’t have been an issue.

He tossed the ruined meal in the trash and started over. As he was chopping vegetables, a warm body pressed against his back. The knife slipped, narrowly missing his finger.

“Trying to smoke me out of bed?” Raven mumbled, her eyes still heavy with sleep.

“Was I that transparent?” Laro replied, sliding the dish into the oven. “About last night—”

What could he say? ~Sorry you walked in on me screwing my superior. Thanks for joining in.~

He replayed the night in his mind, how she’d just gone with the flow, how natural it seemed for her to understand the game and play her part so well.

In the past, Lyka had joined them occasionally, but it was clear she didn’t enjoy it. Her performance was lackluster, and she didn’t agree with the elements of humiliation and degradation.

Impact play with Lyka was never an option.

What bothered him was that Raven had managed to sneak up on both of them. They only noticed her when she gasped. If Fleu hadn’t been intrigued before, he certainly was now.

Laro’s device was filled with messages from Fleu about Raven, from the tests to their next game.

“Your friend was—intense. Who is he?” she asked, using him as a pillow.

“Intense, yes. Friend, no. He’s my superior, General Fleu.”

“I didn’t know you were into that kind of stuff,” she said.

“I could say the same about you. You were better at it than I expected. What else do you enjoy?”

“It would be easier to ask what I don’t like,” she replied with a smile.

He began to layer the chopped fruit into the serving bowl. Raven handed him the bottle of liquor.

“You would tell me if it was too much—or if there’s something you don’t like or want to do, right?”

She became still, her gaze dropping. “There was one moment. Where I felt—never mind,” she said, walking toward the balcony.

Laro put the bottle down and followed her outside. They climbed into the hammock and looked out over the city. They’d only been out there for a few minutes, but her skin was already warm and damp.

The waterfall on the side of the building was soothing.

“What bothered you last night?” he asked, stroking her hair.

“I was fine until he tried to penetrate me. I was just caught off guard, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting things to move so fast. That’s all.”

“No penetration. If you decide to join again, we can make that a rule. It’s one I would’ve asked for myself. Is there anything else that made you uncomfortable or something you don’t want to happen?”

“Gun and electro play, scars or serious injuries,” she said.

“The last ones go without saying. I’ll add everything to our list. So you’re okay with impact play of any kind as long as it doesn’t leave marks or cause injury?”

“Yes.”

“The humiliation, degradation, and bondage?”

“I like that,” she said with conviction.

That surprised him. Either he was the luckiest guy on the planet, or he was hallucinating.

“Why?” he asked. The question slipped out before he could stop it.

“Why does the sun rise? Why didn’t I go back to bed instead of coming in here? Maybe it’s the thrill. Or the roller coaster of emotions I feel. Maybe it’s a reminder that I’m not all-powerful. The way General Fleu spoke to you and me... it lit a fire in me,” she said, clenching her thighs together.

Laro could relate. He still remembered his first game with Fleu. Part of him wanted to slit Fleu’s throat, and the other part wanted to suck him off for talking to him so recklessly.

“Fleu knows all the right buttons to push, how to make you feel—”

“So shameful and hot,” she finished.

“He’s a wordsmith,” he said, smiling.

The breeze picked up, carrying the aroma of his dish toward them. He rushed over to the oven just in time to take it out. Raven had plopped down at the table, her face pressed to the dark wood.

“There are only two other people who know about this. Not even Arenk knows. I’d appreciate it if we could keep this between us,” he said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Fleu could do whatever he wanted without losing respect, unless he failed. But Laro was still clawing his way to the top.

Any hint of weakness could end his career before it even started.

“I understand,” she said, closing her eyes.

“Do you?”

She sat up. “Back home, this was—taboo. So I’m used to discretion. Don’t worry. I won’t be the one to ruin your climb.”

“Taboo?”

“Some people shy away from the darkness; I embrace it. Some people fall victim to conformity; I slay it. Some people don’t like it; I love it.”

***

The music rattled Laro’s shelves of antiques from the oldest dig site known on their planet. He’d be in debt to Fleu for the rest of his life for those alone. He should’ve taken them down. He still might.

Raven had insisted on being in charge of the music, and in that moment, he regretted it. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but smile at her focused expression as she tried to understand the equipment and the crowd’s mood.

He had to admit she was doing a fantastic job. The room was filled with laughter and dancing. She even managed to steer everyone toward his all-vegetable dish instead of Taraji’s meat supreme platter.

She used to hate his cooking, but after that one night, she’d come to appreciate it. Raven even helped him create a few recipes that were all vegetables but tasted like meat.

“She’s comfortable. You picked her clothes,” Fleu said.

Before, he hadn’t been able to grasp why she chose to wear what she did. Now, he got it. She was clad in a crop top that clung to her full, generous breasts and a skirt that was a tad too short for her curvy behind.

He recalled his vow to regain her trust. Had he managed to do that yet? He hoped so, because tonight he was ready to claim her in a way he hadn’t before. The way she hinted at without even realizing it.

The way she craved.

“No, she did. I sent the new rules. Did you receive them?”

“Yes. I hope you’re ready for a fuckfest for two. Was it any kind of penetration and every hole?”

Laro nodded.

“That’s fine. She’ll beg me just like you did.”

Laro laughed. “She might, but you won’t. It’s as much my rule as hers. She’s mine.”

Fleu grinned. “We’ll see, but for now, let’s concentrate on the second round of testing.”

“Second?”

He sighed. “Last night, I tested her physical strength, skill level, aggression, and submission. Tonight, we’ll see the difference under the influence. How much has she had to drink?”

“None.”

“She looks parched. You should make her a drink. A double.”

Fleu handed him a bottle that Laro recognized. Something from Fleu’s personal stash. Raven met Laro halfway, leaving her post. It seemed they both had the same idea.

Both exchanged drinks with a smile.

“It’s on auto,” she said, gesturing back to the equipment.

“Everyone is having a blast, but I’d have an even better time if you’d come and dance with me,” he said, downing the drink she’d made for him.

His chest burned. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Raven was trying to get him drunk. He tapped the top of her glass, and she nodded.

“I’ll need more if you expect me to dance.” She laughed, “So, are you ready to have your feet trampled?”

Several drinks later, they were intertwined, swaying to the rhythm. Laro’s feet had taken a beating for the first few songs, but now their movements were in sync. Fleu hovered nearby, observing them.

Raven pulled him close and whispered in his ear.

“I’ll be back. My bladder is full,” she said, vanishing into the crowd.

Laro went and made two more drinks. Fleu sauntered over and leaned against the wall.

“Provoke her. I need to see the behavior she exhibited that night,” Fleu said.

“You’re the expert at that, pissing people off,” Laro said.

Fleu grinned and grabbed the other drink. Three songs later, Raven was still missing. Just as he was about to go look for her, she stumbled through the crowd. Raven bumped the table as she reached for another drink. Fleu pulled it away from her. “You’re done.”

“I’m done when I say so,” she said, grabbing another one.

“Laro, I’m surprised. You allow this? Letting a weak—”

“Want to test that theory?” she asked.

“This wouldn’t be a game,” he said, engaging in a tug-of-war with her over the glass.

“Back out now if you want. It would be embarrassing to lose like General Hokji,” she said, grinning.

Fleu reached into his suit jacket and handed her a knife. “I never lose.”

His tone hardened, and his expression darkened. Anyone would have mistaken him for being angry, but this mood was excitement.