Page 2

Chapter 2

Apollo

As I watch Cherry in her beautiful red dress walk across the room with her arm around a client, I wonder if she sent me a link for that eyeshadow palette she wore last night. It’s been a while since I bought some new makeup. Been a while since I went out shopping by myself, actually. Tonight has been warm with clear skies, at least when I was getting in and out of the car. Maybe I could stay up and go to a store early. Browse a little.

“Don’t get shy now, Sugar. Let me hear that beautiful voice.”

The words coldly snap me into reality, sending shivers down my spine. Blinking, I try to orientate myself, first seeing my hands pressing into the soft mattress below. Then, I notice his hot breath next to my ear, and his sweaty, hairy skin rubbing against mine from the back as he fucks me. My left knee aches, so I readjust myself.

With a controlled inhale, I pull everything inside of me together and turn my face to the side to glance at the client, flipping on a flirty smile.

“You feel so good I got lost in the pleasure. Please forgive me, sir?” I put on my sultry puppy eyes I know work well on him. He’s too easy.

Chuckling, he grabs at my chin to keep my head tilted to see him. He snaps his hips against me roughly, making my insides tingle. As he moves his mouth toward mine, I smell that irksome scent of mouthwash mixed with bourbon he had before we started. It’s unpleasant, but not as unpleasant as the odor of his dick, so I’m happy enough he only wanted a quick screwing from the back.

“Can never stay mad at you, Sugar,” he says before kissing me sloppily.

Ugh. That goddamn nickname again. I wish he’d just shut up.

I kiss him in return, arching my lower back for him to go deeper, and moaning louder between gasps for air. As he gets closer to finishing, there’s a whiff of his pheromones. They’re weaker, thank god, reminiscent of an otherwise overpowering smell of some sort of laundry detergent—chemical one that stings in your eyes.

“Your cock feels so good, sir,” I moan out, hoping to get it over quicker. It works. His breath becomes more ragged and movements more erratic.

Make these important people happy. That’s all that matters, Apollo.

The words sound in my head like they always do when I get frustrated and want to be somewhere else. This disgusting, sweaty man twisting around me like a snake is a valuable client. One that has, unfortunately, taken a liking to me. Being a District Attorney is a stressful job. Thanks to that, he only shows up to see me once every few months. Or maybe it’s because of his wife and family…

I’m glad I don’t have to handle him as often as the others. That knowledge gets me through his slobbery kisses and nose-scrunching pheromone stench. Instead of thinking of a hot shower far away from him, I try to imagine better things to come as he comes, keeping the illusion in his head that I enjoy this alive.

He digs his fingers into the skin on my stomach as he orgasms, and I finish into my hand. My body has always reacted well to stimuli. A helpful skill for someone like me.

For a moment, the club feels louder and brighter in its chaotic energy. I have to close my eyes to catch my breath and ground myself. Thankfully, the DA needs even more time to recover, which gives me the opportunity to get it together.

“Mmmmm,” he mumbles into my ear while taking in my scent. I successfully suppress a shiver and smile instead.

“Your cock felt so good today,” I whisper seductively.

It doesn’t. I hate it.

The DA eats it up. With a stupid, self-gratifying chuckle, he finally pulls out of me and slaps me on the ass before leaning back with a deep sigh.

With my game face on, I turn around slowly and sit with my legs spread out in front of him, leaving everything on display. He notices my open hand with my cum dripping down and just as his eyes meet mine, I run my tongue across my palm without breaking eye contact, trying to scoop up as much as I can. His perverse grin means he likes what he sees. It means I’m doing my job well. That’s all that matters.

“What a good boy you are,” he purrs.

I move in closer and let myself be pulled into another kiss. His pheromones are fading, and the hot, sweet air of the room turns familiar and calming again.

He checks his fancy watch before pulling his condom off and reaching for his clothes. I help him get them, with my expression perfectly pleasant and submissive, but my mind is already way ahead—I can’t wait to shower and fix myself. Then, it shouldn’t be long before my day is over and I can relax.

When the DA stands, adjusting his tie and jacket, I sit back and observe him, legs to the side, leaning my head against my shoulder. It’s to make him feel like I’m his lover; a dreamy image from a romantic painting existing only for him.

He glances at me, pausing on my soft dick and then smirking as he meets my gaze. Stepping closer, he grabs my chin and bends down. “I’ll look forward to having you again, Sugar,” he says while releasing some of his pheromones in a response to tasting mine. I push through and give him one last wet kiss, winking as he moves away.

The moment he turns, the weight drops off my shoulders. I lay back with an exhale and stare at the ceiling.

Only now do I finally get in full touch with my body. My cheeks still burn with heat, my lower back aches a bit, and my knees hurt, too. Sighing again, I stretch with a groan and sit up, hesitantly studying the room and people passing by. Hungry eyes from all around follow me. I try to ignore them, reaching for my lacy underwear and a sheer top.

I need to clean up, bad. Wash the stench of that man off me.

As I look toward the backroom, something inside me grows alert. Like my body already knows, senses him and his pheromones before I can even realize, I find Jasper entering the room. Surrounded by his tough guys and with that impenetrable expression on, he passes through, heading decisively to his office.

His eyes meet mine for a fleeting second. His face doesn’t change, and he only gives me a nonchalant nod as he walks past.

It’s so childish of me, always feeling hurt somewhere deep down when he does that. Yet I do. No matter how many times I tell myself that this is professional and how things should be.

Shaking my head, I put my top on and make my way to the backroom. All the dolls must be busy, since I find it completely empty. I gladly use the opportunity to hop into the biggest shower room and lock myself in. Pulling all my clothes off again, I turn up the water until it burns and step under the stream.

I lather myself up with the lavender scented shower gel and scrub every nook, cranny and hole. Scrubbing until I feel at least somewhat clean, I push my hair out of my face and wash it too, hoping it refreshes me a little. I should cut it soon. It’s close to reaching past my shoulders. He prefers it not to be this long.

When I finally walk out in a towel, there are a few dolls sitting by their vanity tables. Including Sadie. Huffing with relief, I come up to her with a smile.

“Oh. I was wondering why I didn’t see you out there,” she says while she turns, pushing her thick, wavy red locks behind her shoulder. She reeks of pheromones that aren’t hers—firewood ash with a touch of something sweet.

“I needed a good clean,” I grumble while raking my hair back. Finally, I check myself in the mirror. I don’t look too bad, but it will definitely need some styling.

Somehow, she catches onto the slight hint of disgust in my voice. Raising her perfectly drawn and arched brow, she stops patting the blush on her milky cheeks and turns to me with her whole torso. “The DA, right? I saw him coming in,” she notes, scrunching her nose.

“Yeah.” I lean against the edge of her table, crossing my arms over my chest. “You?”

“That foreign mercenary that deals with Big Boss,” Sadie says. She sucks in her bottom lip before taking out her lipstick. “Mhm, he’s always so rough and high-strung,” she mutters longingly, and it almost looks like a shiver of excitement passes through her.

I snort. “Not exactly what I’d call ideal.” The DA might be kind of gross, but at least he isn’t too intense. He’s a pencil pusher. A weak, insufficient old man. “But that is more your thing, I know, so…glad you enjoyed yourself,” I note with a playful smile.

Sadie glances at me, a spark in her eyes. “He’s gonna be a tough nut to crack, but he will break. I can tell that beneath all that burly bullshit, he wants me to fuck him.” Pausing with a devilish smirk, Sadie menacingly runs the tip of her lipstick, just a little brighter than her burgundy hair across her full lips. “Alphas like him are always all proud about getting screwed by another, but I see it behind his eyes. Poor boy’s yearning for it.”

“He’ll be lucky to have the pleasure of you doing him, then,” I say, leaning toward her with a chuckle. Sadie never fails to make me feel better about all of this. About the normalcy of it.

If someone takes this job as well as she does, surely it can’t be as unbearable as it sometimes feels.

I’m getting cold, so I finally stand and move to my station next to her. Besides, I’ve wasted enough time already. Before picking up some clean clothes, I open the long drawer to check my phone.

My heart skips at the message from Jasper. Two minutes ago. Must have gotten it when I was in the shower.

Done working. Waiting in my office.

A smile makes its way onto my face. I wonder if I could get away with finishing early.

“Gotta go and speak to the handler to check if there’s anyone else who wants to see me today,” I tell Sadie. She hums in agreement while messing around with her blush again. She really should put it lower on her cheeks. For a moment, I hesitate to say something but end up not being able to help myself. “It’s blended up a little too high.”

While she raises her brow, I stand behind her to show her in the mirror. “I finished another one of those online courses yesterday,” I clarify while she lets me wipe it off.

Sadie smirks. “I’ve been wearing my makeup like this for ages. Are you telling me I’ve looked like shit that whole time?”

The part of me that always needs to please everyone pulls at something inside my chest. When I meet her gaze and see her playful expression, I smirk back.

“Course not. It just talked a lot about using blush. It really will make a difference, even if it’s subtle.” I continue applying it the way the video showed. “It’ll make the face look more cohesive. Otherwise, if you put it too high, your face can lose definition. Not that you need any of this. It’s only…an extra step to make you extra gorgeous.”

She chuckles. “Hmmm… Cohesive , you say. Look at you and your fancy words,” she mocks me, but as I finish up with the blush, Sadie stares at herself in the mirror, turning her head up and down and left to right before pursing her lips in surprise. “That… Huh. That is much better.”

Smiling to myself, I go sit back down. I play with my hair for a bit before putting on one of the many lacy sets sitting in my wardrobe. Over it, I throw a sheer, bell-sleeve top and put on a tight pair of leather pants.

“Seemed pretty dead out there, honestly,” Sadie continues our previous conversation the moment I come out dressed. “You probably won’t get much trouble from the handler. I will see if I can have some quick fun before going home. Still got plenty of energy,” she says with a devilish glance.

Shaking my head and chuckling, I briefly touch her shoulder before walking away.

“Be safe.”

Having to leave the calm safety of the backroom, I put on my mask of flirty allure before stepping into the main area. Sadie was right—things seem to have slowed down at this time of the night. I see a bunch of men sitting at the bar, getting drunk, and a few couples getting it on around the room.

I glimpse Esme in one of the private booths. Must be the creepy, tall alpha again. He is weirdly obsessed with her. He’s also Jasper’s most precious business partners currently, which means he needs to be kept satisfied. So…he can do whatever he wants.

Poor Esme.

I push those thoughts out of my head and hurry on my way to find the handler. She’s where she usually is, in her office right by the music stage. She sits with her legs crossed and a stack of papers in her hands, her thin, wide glasses resting at the very tip of her nose.

She looks up the moment I step into the doorway. “Apollo.”

“Hey. Is there anyone else that needs taking care of?” I ask, leaning against the wall next to me. Rya darts her eyes to the computer screen and back at me. Something on her face shifts ever-so-slightly before she puts on a polite expression.

“No. Jasper said you are done. Enjoy your evening,” she says in that deep voice of hers that gives me shivers sometimes. I know what she thinks of me. That she doesn’t like this—even minimal—favoritism Jasper provides me. She can hide her disdain only so well.

“Thanks.” I put on a thankful, sweet smile and leave.

The further away I get from the play area, the crisper the air is. The cool, now mostly bare hallways calm me down. Or maybe it’s the knowledge of heading into the arms of someone whose touch I actually crave.

I walk up the stairs and notice some familiar faces in the little rooms to the sides with the doors cracked open. Some men hang around there between jobs. I hear a sports match overlapping with chatter. Once I get closer to Jasper’s door at the end of the hall, I see two men standing guard, as always. One is on his phone, lazily leaning against the wall, and the other…I don’t recognize.

He stands there like a soldier; back straight, expression intently focused. For a moment, I meet his brown eyes that have a hint of green at the outer ring, before he blinks and quickly moves aside. He looks somewhat out of place compared to the people normally surround Jasper with his clean-shaven face and his shiny, dark chestnut hair curling wildly on the top of his head. He most definitely lacks the plethora of crappy prison tats and scars.

He’s tough looking but also… pretty, despite that. Not exactly like he’s super conventionally attractive—his jaw is a little too wide and square, and his nose is quite prominent—but his eyes are big in a cute way, and his lips are plump and perfectly symmetrical.

The other guy notices me and mumbles something, swiftly opening the door for me before I can say anything.

Nodding and putting my head down, I step in. Jasper is at his desk, feet up, while Vince leans on the other corner of it, playing with his pocketknife in his hand. He turns to me lazily and smirks before glancing back at Jasper.

“Guess that’s my sign to stop yappin’,” he says playfully and stands. Despite his threatening, unnaturally large build, Vince is among the few of Jasper’s men who don’t make me feel on edge. He must have been one of his first associates, long before I came around or even before Jasper’s father let him get fully involved in the business. At least that is the energy I sense when I see them together. Not like Jasper ever really talks to me about his friends…

While Jasper chuckles in his chair, I put on a crooked smile and walk toward them.

“You said it, not me.”

He and Vince share a knowing look. “We’ll finish this talk tomorrow,” Jasper says.

Vince still swishes his knife around his finger as he passes me. A whiff of his pheromones, intentional or not, slaps me in the face. Strong and sweet, like Sherry. He flares his nostrils faintly and takes in my smell, too, just as he gives me a fleeting glance.

“Enjoy your night you two,” he hollers, without turning, before closing the door.

With a sigh, I set myself on Jasper’s lap. He opens his arms for me and swirls the chair to the side. After the day of being passed around and touched, I can finally release the tension and melt into his embrace, taking in the smell of ocean air. I close my eyes, smiling, as I lean against his chest. Jasper runs his hand over my back before he finds my neck and brushes my hair away for a kiss.

“There’s my baby,” he whispers, voice smooth.

“How was your day?” I ask, no matter how vague I know his answer will be.

“Boring,” he mutters and continues placing kisses on my neck, then cheek. “I’m in the mood for something exotic. How about we try that new restaurant on the East Side?”

I was hoping for a chill night in, so I let out a low grumble. “Do we have to go out to eat tonight?” I ask, looking up at him. Eating out means performing still, even if in a different way. It means dressing up and holding myself high and it means people watching. I don’t want that.

Jasper smiles. He runs his rough finger across my cheek. It smells faintly rusty.

“You’re going to like it. Just trust me, alright?”

Knowing him well enough, I can tell he’s not planning to change his mind. No choice but to get all dressed up and pretending some more in front of strangers.

I suppress my discomfort. I shouldn’t be ungrateful. The food will be good. It always is. Definitely beats starving .

“The guy at the door… Is he new?” I ask while straightening my back. Jasper frowns briefly, confused by my question.

“Yeah. Why?”

“I was surprised, that’s all.” I run my fingers through his short hair, dragging them gently across his scalp the way he likes it. He reacts by pulling me in tighter by grabbing at my ass. “Just don’t see new people up here often.” I know Jasper doesn’t care about my insight on his underlings, so I rest my head against him again and focus on massaging his head.

His tight muscles loosen a little under me as he relaxes. “Been here about two weeks,” he says in an uninterested, distracted tone. “Anyway,” he continues, squeezing my butt briefly before pushing us off the chair, “go change and let’s get going. I’m starving…and sitting here with you like this makes me crave the dessert that comes after the dinner.”

I smile while looking to the side. His pheromones linger. I’m not the only one pent up and longing for release after a long day.

Nodding, I head to the small room at the back of his office where Jasper keeps his suits, some personal possessions in a small safe, and also my non-work clothing. I feel Jasper’s hungry eyes on me as I shed everything and slip into fresh clothes.

My desire to put on sweats and cuddle up to watch a movie has to be set aside. At least I don’t have to worry about cooking or cleaning up.

We get home a few hours later. Still full of good food and slightly tipsy from the wine, I stumble across the apartment with Jasper at my heels, vehemently kissing up at me. We end up where we always do, in bed, with him pulling my clothes off and pressing his crotch between my legs before I can even unzip his pants.

In a stark contrast to the Dollhouse, we’re surrounded by stillness. Silence. The familiar dim glow of my bedside table lamp is the only source of light besides the shimmer of the city in the distance.

I try to mentally shed today's sticky, lingering residue of other people’s scents. With my lips parted, I take in Jasper’s pheromones, focusing on only him while he enters me.

He digs his fingers into my hair and kisses me softly while we fuck.

“That’s my lovely doll,” he mutters while pressing his nose into the side of my neck. The words sting a little, but I ignore it. Biting down lightly at Jasper’s lip, I get a riled up grunt out of him before he speeds up.

Do I want things to go faster so we can sleep? Maybe . Either way, I know how to drive him mad.

“Look how beautiful you are for me, hm? Only for me,” he whispers as he releases a wave of pheromones, making my eyes roll into the back of my head with pleasure. Moaning freely, I sink into the pillows.

I know his body, his movements. As he gets close to finishing, I grab his hand and guide him down to stroke me. With some focus on my side, we come together and collapse next to each other. Finally, I can just exist.

Jasper pulls me into a hug. I shift to rest against his stretched out arm, and lock eyes with him in the ceiling mirror above our bed. He has that smirk on his face that he always has after sex. Playful. Proud. Cocky.

“Told you the meal was gonna be worth it,” he boasts, gliding his fingers through my ruffled hair.

I chuckle. “Yeah. It was nearly perfect,” I say, and watch his bright blue eyes widen in surprise. It almost pleases me to see him that way, since I so rarely do. Taken aback, insecure. “You called me a doll again. You know I don’t like it,” I add, with a teasingly disgruntled tone.

Jasper snorts before his face shifts into that devilish grin of his. He looks at me from up close instead of in the mirror and holds my chin with his thumb.

“Ever so demanding,” he says, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. I frown, only halfway serious. “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m no client.” Tightening his grip on me, he leans closer until our noses touch and I feel his hot breath on my lips. Something about him makes me breathless, hanging on his words like a dog eagerly expecting the next command. And he knows that. “It means nothing when they call you that…because they mean nothing. When I say it, it means everything. Everything we have. So won’t you just be my doll, darling?”

He pauses before kissing me, waiting for my response. No matter what’s going on inside me, I know he means well, so I push the discomfort aside and lean in.

“You’re right,” I whisper.

“I’m always right.”

We kiss softly, and in my alpha’s embrace, I feel at peace. That’s all that matters.