Page 15 of The Toy Maker (The Pink Cherrie #1)

THIRTEEN

By the time the door creaked open, I was barely capable of forming a single coherent thought. My body was trembling, my skin damp with sweat, and every nerve ending felt raw and frayed.

Jason walked in with all the urgency of someone returning from a casual errand, two cups of coffee in his hands from the coffee shop down the street.

“Are you serio—” My attempt at outrage was cut off by another shocking climax, my back arching, my breath leaving me in a desperate, broken moan. My fingers clawed at the slippery sheets, grasping at anything to ground myself as wave after wave of pleasure rippled through me.

Jason watched as I moaned and clung to anything I could get my hands on.

A slow, satisfied grin spread across his face as he finally reached for the restraints, his fingers brushing against my wrists. “Alright,” he said with a chuckle. “Did you have a good time?”

His touch sent another jolt through me, an electric current that had nothing to do with the toy still tormenting me. I wanted to glare at him, to summon every ounce of fury I had left, but my body betrayed me once more.

Because when he leaned in, his face barely inches from mine, I shattered all over again.

I clung to him, nails digging into the muscles of his back as desperate, humiliating moans spilled past my lips. “S-stop,” I choked out, my body shaking from the overstimulation.

After the overwhelming sensations subsided, I was more embarrassed than angry. And I was still plenty angry.

And yet, when the sensations finally dulled, when the overwhelming pleasure gave way to reality, I realized something even worse than my anger.

I missed it.

The heat of it. The loss of control. The way Jason’s eyes never left me, the way he watched me fall apart.

Shame burned through me, but it only stoked the flames of my rage.

Jason didn’t move at first, his eyes boring into mine, and I couldn’t figure out if he was angry or as mortified as I was. His jaw locked into place.

His fingers lingered between my trembling thighs, pressing against my slick skin, and I nearly lost myself again. I had to bite my lip to keep from whispering a plea for something I wasn’t even sure I wanted.

Finally, his voice cut through the charged silence. “Nine.”

I blinked. “What?”

“That’s how many times you came in an hour.”

An hour.

My blood turned to fire. “You left me here for an hour ?” The realization ignited a fury so blistering I nearly lunged at him—if not for the damn restraints still holding me back.

“Well, an hour and a half actually.” He handed me a cup of coffee and tapped his to mine. “The line was really long.”

Homicidal thoughts took over my brain as I glared at the smug bastard in front of me. My body was still trembling, my thighs sticky with the evidence of his so-called experiment , and yet he stood there, completely unbothered, sipping his coffee like this was just another casual morning.

“What if something serious happened?” I demanded.

Jason chuckled and took a sip of his drink. “Death by too many orgasms?”

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I stared him down, refusing to let him turn this into some kind of joke.

Finally, he sighed.

“I was watching the entire time,” he assured me.

The confession sent nauseating rage and embarrassment dangerously twisting in my gut. I had been falling apart, thinking I was alone, drowning in wave after wave of forced pleasure, and the entire time, he had been watching.

He had no right to leave.

And he sure as hell had no right to watch .

“I couldn’t have taken the toy home to try?” I bit out. At least then I’d have some privacy.

Jason tilted his head, utterly unfazed. “Not the same effect.” The damn twinkle in his eyes was the final straw. He really was enjoying pissing me off.

I shoved the coffee into his other hand with enough force to slosh the liquid over his fingers, then climbed off the bed, my legs weak beneath me. I snatched up my robe, yanking it around my shoulders as my heart pounded with adrenaline. Then I stormed out of the room with Jason on my heels.

I fumbled with the robe tie while mumbling obscenities to my unwanted audience. I was at the door before Jason jumped into motion.

His palm collided with the door, preventing me from leaving.

I turned to him, my gaze piercing daggers into his face. “Move.”

His eyes tried to suck the anger from my body and leave me a withering mess again. “I will.”

I tried to maneuver past him, but he didn’t drop his arm until I stopped fuming. “What’s so important that you won’t just let me go?” I snapped.

He towered over me with a smirk tugging at his lips, one that made my breath catch against my will. He had me cornered —not just physically, but in a way that felt far more dangerous. “I heard you,” he said simply.

I postponed the kick to the crotch I was planning and met his gaze. “What are you talking about?”

Jason didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Didn’t let me escape. “You moaned my name.”

A chill licked up my spine.

I stiffened, my brain scrambling for some way, any way, to deny it. “Of course I was. I wanted you to let me out.” My voice was steady, but inside, I felt the walls closing in.

Jason tilted his head, studying me like he could see right through my flimsy excuse. “I think you just wanted me to get you off.”

The air between us thickened.

He leaned against the door, arms crossed, watching me with infuriating patience. His dark hair fell over his eyes, the dim light casting sharp shadows over his face. He knew he was right. That was the worst part.

“You wish.” The weakness in my voice didn’t help with credibility.

“Then go.” He stepped aside, giving me a clear path to the door.

I should have bolted. Should have shoved past him, gotten the hell out of there without another glance.

But I didn’t move.

For a single, agonizing second, I hesitated. My gaze flicked between him and the door, my body at war with itself. Jason remained perfectly still, his expression neutral, like he didn’t care which choice I made.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, forced my feet forward, and grabbed the handle. As the door clicked shut behind me, I sighed and hurried down the hallway.

Jade spotted me as I rushed over to the sales floor.

“You’re here early.” She was in her outfit for the show, a thin blue mesh top without a bra. Nothing was left to the imagination. Even her panties were sheer. She pulled her thick black hair into a tight bun and stuck a pencil through it. The final fittings were her time to shine.

“I wanted to practice the dance before rehearsal,” I explained.

She pinched her eyebrows together. “Yeah, okay.” Jade took my hand and pulled me to the dressing rooms. “Guess who showed up!”

The other Cherries who knew it was my first dress rehearsal cheered when they saw me enter the room. I waved and tried to hide the dripping between my legs.

Sarah bounded over and attacked me in a bear hug. “You’re just in time.”

“I am?” My eyebrows raised.

Jade nodded. “We need to make sure your outfit fits before the dress rehearsal.”

Panic set in as she reached for the tie on my robe. Holy shit. “Actually,” I said, pulling away, “I don’t have it on yet.”

“Then why are you wearing the robe?” Sarah asked, her forehead creased in confusion.

I stumbled for any possible excuse, “I was trying to get the shower to work but apparently Jason already fixed it.” They stared at me, so I continued, “My clothes got soaked.”

“You were in the shower with your clothes on?” Jade raised her eyebrows.

Sarah chimed in, “I think she was wet because she saw Jason.”

I scoffed, “No, I just didn’t expect the water to come out so fast. You know how it’s been barely trickling.”

“If you say so,” Jade said in a sing-song voice. “Where’s your outfit then? It isn’t with the others.”

“I—” I hesitated, knowing that I would have to go get it from Jason’s workshop. “I have it.”

“Do you?” Sarah laughed.

Jade dug through her sewing bag. “She’s keeping it in her other robe.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll go get it.”

“Do we want to know where it is?” Jade chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

I flipped my robe like a cape and turned on my heel. “You ask way too many questions,” I said over my shoulder.

“She’s hiding something!” Sarah said loud enough that she knew I’d hear they were onto me.

I made sure she could see my middle finger perched high as I stalked out.

The confidence I managed to scrounge up when facing Jade and Sarah left me depleted for my return to Jason’s lair. Apartment? Sex dungeon? I cringed.

No, “He’s just a guy,” I murmured to myself when familiar knots started to form in my stomach. I clenched the satin fabric of the robe in my fist and knocked on the door to orgasm hell with the other.

Jason shuffled on the other side of the door, and I tucked the loose strands of hair out of my face. He answered soon after and didn’t look surprised to see me standing in front of him.

“Can I help you, Ms. Holloway?” he said briskly.

His arrogance almost made me smile. "You’re very funny. I forgot something here.”

“Oh?” His cocky demeanor told me he knew exactly what I was missing. “What would that be?”

My pride, dignity, and self-respect, to name a few things. “My outfit for tonight.” I reined in my tongue so I wouldn’t call him out on his bullshit.

Satisfied with my answer, Jason grabbed my lingerie which was apparently waiting just out of sight. “Is this your underwear?” His tone reminded me of an amateur magician.

“Yes.” My response sounded more like a hiss than I intended. I reached for the golden laced bustier before Jason could change his mind.

Our hands brushed against each other in the exchange.

“Thanks.” I didn’t want to imagine what Jade would do if I didn’t have my outfit for the show. I wouldn’t have put it past her to make me spend the whole night stark naked.

Jason nodded and began shutting the door before firing one more quip in my direction, “By the way, you look better without anything on.”

“She lives!” Jade announced as I wandered back into the dressing rooms. “And she brings her lingerie.” Sarah slipped her a five-dollar bill with a sigh.

“Was that really necessary?” I groaned.

“Hey.” Jade wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “It’s not slut-shaming if we’ve all been there,” she reminded me.

Have we? My stomach sank. Jason hadn’t said I was the only Cherry testing the toys, but for some reason, I had assumed I was the only one with his attention.

She added, “Booty-calls before the big event are like pregaming before a football game.” Oh. They thought I had snuck out just to get piped in an alleyway.

The dressing room had nearly all the Cherries preparing for the biggest night of the month. Lipstick and mascara tubes were littered across the floor with lube sample packets. Cherry Calling Cards.

“Suit up.” Jade’s arm slid down from my shoulders to smack my butt. “Measurement time.”

I rolled my eyes and slipped the sheer bottoms on underneath my robe. When it came time to entrap my breasts in golden lace, Jade and Sarah’s focus couldn’t be pried away.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were both in love with me,” I joked while loosening the knot on the robe and dropping it to the floor.

Their whistles were meant to taunt me.

“I wish I had some singles to throw,” Jade teased, and Sarah sent a five-dollar paper airplane flying in my direction.

“Classy,” I mouthed as I shifted everything into position. When I finished, Jade pulled out some measuring tape. By the time the tape made it to my crotch, the events of the morning had caught up to them.

“Honey, I know my hands are magic, but maybe calm down?” Jade laughed.

Sarah took a break from applying her second coat of mascara to check out the growing wet spot. “Where exactly did you leave that outfit again?”

I scanned the room and all the potential gossipers in earshot. “I’m going to plead the fifth.”

Jade twisted her expression, shaking her head. “The truth will come out eventually.”

I pinched my lips together. Despite doing my best to hide there being anything to tell, the memory of being tied to Jason’s bed made it obvious I was hiding something.