Part 10 (1/2)

”Yes. A lady's makeup is softer. Less obvious. A slave's makeup is bolder. More exciting. Provocative.”

”I never knew that.” She thought for a minute. ”Okay. Let's do lady's makeup for our entrance. We don't have to worry about not being provocative enough. We'll be plenty provocative when we're licking each other's p.u.s.s.ies.”

Flame cringed at the thought.

”Don't worry,” Sapphire said. ”I keep myself clean down there. Practically sterile.” She laughed.

Flame couldn't laugh with her.

”And we have to wear our hair up,” Sapphire said.

Flame was startled. ”Up? Slaves never wear their hair up. It's forbidden. Real ladies would crucify us.”

”Where's it written that it's forbidden? Nothing is forbidden in an entertainment. Not as long as the gentlemen are kept amused. And we don't have to worry about any ladies. I can guarantee that no lady is ever going to hear about how slaves wear their hair in the billiard room.”

”Nothing is forbidden?” Flame asked.

”Well, one thing. Permanent damage to the slaves is strictly forbidden. Normal wear and tear is fine, but nothing that would lower her value. It's not just a matter of cost. It's about respect for the slave's owner. Only an owner is permitted to damage his own slave. My owner isn't in the room so I'm not at risk of permanent damage. Your owner will be there so you have to worry about him. Be extra careful not to offend him tonight because he'll have to do something severe if you embarra.s.s him.”

Flame intended to be the perfect slave tonight. No question about that.

When they wore her hair up, everyone would see the numbers tattooed on the napes of their necks. Yet another of the uncountable humiliations in a life of a slave. Flame didn't think that it would bother her too much.

When Sapphire removed her housedress, she turned her back to lay it over the easy chair. Flame was shocked by the criss-cross tangle of heavy scars on her back and b.u.t.tocks.

Sapphire noticed her reaction. She was self-conscious about her scars and always watched for a reaction when she was presented nude.

”I had an owner who liked to be caned,” she said. ”The only problem was that he felt obligated to punish me with twice as many strokes, twice as hard, to prove that he was my superior. He bought me for twenty-six thousand and, three months later, could only get twelve thousand back at auction. I don't think he cared that I lost fourteen thousand in value so quickly. He had money to burn.”

”That's terrible.” It was more evidence that Linda had lent the least valuable slave in her husband's kennel to Mrs. Dodge.

”The problem is that the less a slave is worth, the more she's at risk. That owner lost fourteen thousand just by beating me. If my current owner kills me outright and he'll lose only twelve thousand.” That was the terrible mathematics of slavery. Sapphire shrugged and smiled sadly. ”I'm already thirty-one years old. I'm not planning on living to a ripe old age.”

Flame spent the next hour applying makeup and arranging hair with meticulous precision.

When Flame pinned the last lock of Sapphire's hair in place, they both looked like perfect ladies. Except for the bold black numbers tattooed forever on the backs of their necks.

As they waited in the pleasure room, Sapphire spoke less and less. She wasn't as casual about the evening as she pretended. Her silence betrayed her nerves.

Finally, Dodge came. ”The gentlemen have a.s.sembled in the billiard room. It's time for you to join us.”

The click of their high heels echoed in the stone corridor. Flame had never heard such an ominous sound.

When Dodge opened the door, bright light almost blinded them. Most of the lights in the billiard room were muted to a red glow, but a spotlight was focused on the door that led to the slave kennels.

Soft music played from hidden speakers.

Seven men didn't look like so many until Flame thought about being f.u.c.ked by every single one of them, maybe twice or even three times if they could get it up. From that perspective, the guests looked like a crowd. She couldn't stop herself from looking at crotches and wondering what monsters lurked inside those pants.

Dodge announced them. ”Let me present, for your entertainment, Lady Sapphire and Lady Flame.”

There were snickers at the ironic t.i.tles. A large, sloppy man with a red beard guffawed loudly.

Flame recognized Baronet Grenfeld. She met his eyes and smiled.

He licked his lips, ostentatiously, and stared at her crotch.

Flame's p.u.s.s.y twitched and her a.s.shole pulsed. As the ranking gentleman in the room, he would be first in line to have her. Every time.

But he would have her only after she had Lady Sapphire.

Sapphire nodded and said, loudly, ”I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, each and every one of you.”

The men smiled back. Someone shouted, ”You will. Be sure of that.”

The others laughed.

Flame knew what to say and took the lead from Sapphire. ”Gentlemen, you all think that you know your ladies, but I can testify that you don't know as much as I do about what is in some of their minds.” If any other slave said that, she would be beaten half to death. But Flame had been a lady. That a.s.sertion was not so outrageous when it came from her lips.

For her, more than for any other slave, nothing was forbidden in this room.

Sapphire moved close and put her arm around Flame's waist.

”When the doors are closed,” Flame said, ”when the gentlemen are out of the room, you don't know how your ladies might amuse themselves.”

She turned her head to Sapphire and leaned close.

Their lips met. Sapphire kissed her long and pa.s.sionately.

When she broke away, Flame said, ”You never know what a lady might wear under her skirts.” She slowly pulled her skirt to mid-thigh and c.o.c.ked her leg to show the red stocking held up by a garter clip.

Sapphire followed suit.

”Or what your lady might not be wearing.” She pulled her skirt all the way to her waist and turned to show the audience a naked b.u.t.tock.

Sapphire turned forward and pulled her skirt high enough to flash a glimpse of her shaved pubis.

There was scattered applause.

Both slaves dropped their skirts back to their ankles. ”I'm not saying that your lady is as shameless as us,” Flame said. ”I'm only saying that you don't know.”

Sapphire took that as her cue. ”Some of them might enjoy each other as intimately as Lady Flame and I do.” She drew Flame into another long, wet kiss. This time, she reached up to pull the bow that secured the laces on the back of Flame's bodice.

Flame felt her top loosen and did the same to Sapphire.

Sapphire caressed Flame's b.r.e.a.s.t.s through the fabric of her bodice with one hand while she slowly unlaced the back of her dress with the other, pulling the ribbon through one eyelet at a time, stretching it out so that every man in the room could see that the bodice was coming undone.

Flame grabbed Sapphire's b.u.t.tocks, pulled their hips into tight contact, and ground her crotch slowly against her.

When Flame's bodice was completely unlaced, Sapphire pulled away from their clinch and slid Flame's dress off her shoulders and down her arms.