On my final morning in the House of Cancer, Vance and I share brunch on the balcony, just the two of us, before he escorts me to the ground floor of the Zodiac Estate.
“Aren’t we a little early?” I ask as the elevator doors slide open with a ding, announcing our arrival in the main hall.
“We are,” he confirms. Just when I think Vance is about to usher me toward the library, he makes an abrupt turn, pulling me with him.
“Where are we going?”
“We need to make a detour first.” After several turns, he opens a door, and I recognize the oversized room where the medical examination took place at the beginning of my year-long sentence playing musical men.
“What are we doing here?”
“There’s something I need to do before I hand you over to Sebastian.” He shuts the door, enclosing us in privacy. “I could have done this at home, but I decided to bring you here instead. I thought the impersonal setting might make you more comfortable.”
“Comfortable for what?” I blink, retreating several steps, not at all appreciating the memories this place evokes, despite the ocean-themed decor meant to soothe. One glance at the table, and I see myself sprawled out, feet in stirrups and lady parts on display for all twelve men of the Zodiac Brotherhood to inspect.
That was the first time Sebastian touched me, the first time he drew a physical reaction out of me, and I despise that it happened here under the watchful stare of a depraved audience.
“Relax, Novalee. I only mean to prepare you, but it will be invasive.”
“How invasive?” If I back up any further, my spine will become one with the exam bench.
He shoves his hands into his pockets as if to appear unthreatening. “Do you know what an anal plug is?”
“Should I know what…that is?”
“Your innocence is refreshing.” Smiling, he leans against a counter, giving me much-needed space. “It’s a sex toy used for anal play, but it can also be used to prepare someone for anal sex.”
The reminder of what Sebastian plans to do tingles down my legs, and I grip the table behind me. Too many emotions roil in my gut, generating a stew of nervous energy that terrifies and excites in equal measures.
“And you plan to use this…plug thing on me?”
He hesitates, contemplation stiffening his clean-shaven jaw. “I won’t force you, but I believe you’ll benefit from it. Once you get over the fear of anal penetration, the sex will come more naturally. You might even enjoy it.”
“I don’t know,” I say with a hard swallow.
“Before you make your decision, let me show you what an anal plug looks like.” Vance withdraws a box from the cupboard behind him. As he crosses the room, he opens the lid and displays a tapered glass bulb nestled in a velvet backdrop. He takes out the toy and lets me handle it. The plug is heavy and solid, the surface smooth under my fingertips.
“Why’s it shaped like this?” I ask, touching the flat end.
“That part is the flange. It keeps the plug where it belongs.”
“How so?”
“Well, it keeps it from getting sucked into your anus.”
I almost drop it, and Vance’s quick reaction saves the toy from hitting the floor. “That can happen?”
“Yes, but it won’t because we’re using the correct type of insertable.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to do this.”
“Novalee.” He slides a palm along my cheek. “Can you trust me on this? You’re a virgin and inexperienced. I have no doubt Sebastian will be gentle, but I want to at least give you a head start.”
“Will it hurt?”
“Hardly at all when inserted with care. You might even become aroused.”
I doubt that, but his kind and cajoling tone urges me to give it a try. I glance at the toy, and despite my apprehension, I’m curious.
“Okay.”
“Good girl.” His hand smooths down the back of my head, thumb tucking a braid behind my ear. “Lay on your side. I’ll prepare the plug.”
I’m shaking as I bring my knees to my chest, keeping my ass facing away from him on the table. He strides across the exam room and washes the glass bulb, and when he returns, one hand carrying the toy, he also brings a bottle of clear liquid with him.
“It’s a lubricant,” he explains, setting both on a metal tray. Rounding the exam bench, he rolls the tray with him, and I clench my teeth in nervous anticipation.
“I need you to relax first, love.” Vance draws up the back of my skirt and tugs down my panties. “Close your eyes. I want you to breathe in through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth.”
I follow his directions as he massages my butt cheeks, his touch warming my skin. Several minutes later, I’m more relaxed than I thought possible.
“Keep breathing,” he murmurs, and I detect the click of a bottle cap, followed by a squirt. “It’ll feel cold at first.” He spreads my cheeks, and a cool and solid object nudges my back hole.
I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, expecting him to shove it in. Instead, he teases me with the tip, circling my anus and increasing the pressure as the plug grows warm. I feel it press forward and recede, rhythmic like a gentle wave.
“How are you doing, love?”
“I’m okay.”
There’s nothing sexy about this, and for that, I’m grateful. The harsh lighting, combined with the exam table and the sterile setting is enough to keep me focused on the fact that Vance is a doctor, and he’s not doing this in the pursuit of pleasure.
He’s doing this as a kindness to me.
“You’re doing great,” he says softly. “Try to stay relaxed as the pressure increases.”
He pushes the plug in deeper, and I hiss in a breath.
“We’re almost there. You’ll feel some discomfort and then relief.”
“Ow!” The pain subsides before I get the chance to gasp in another breath.
“That’s it,” he says, pulling my panties back into place. “All done.” Taking my hand, he helps me into a sitting position, legs dangling over the side of the bench. “How does it feel?”
I rock back and forth a bit, testing the odd sensation, the fullness, curious about the warm tingles spreading down my thighs. “It doesn’t hurt, exactly. It feels weird.”
“Leave it in until it’s less noticeable, then you can take it out.” A hint of mischief lights his eyes, bringing out the hazel. “Or you can ask Sebastian to do it. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
As I hop to my feet, I let my hair fall around my face, providing a curtain of privacy for the flush creeping into my cheeks. “Will it hurt coming out?”
“Not more than it did going in.”
“Thank you,” I say, my voice cracking.
He brushes back my hair and commands my gaze. “For what, my queen?”
“For your kindness.”
Lowering his gaze, he shakes his head. “Not everyone here is a monster.”
“I’m starting to believe that.”
He nods but doesn’t respond. What can he say? That I won’t be at the mercy of more monsters down the line? We both know it would be a lie.
Because in the dungeon, the scariest monster of all awaits his turn, only two months away.
“Do you mind if I go to the library alone?” I’m so nervous about facing Sebastian that I’m practically vibrating with anxiety. He ruled over me during my stay in the House of Gemini, but a shield of protection remained, constructed by separate living quarters and Sebastian’s own reservations.
This time, I’ll be trapped in the lion’s house, surrounded by his intensity twenty-four-seven.
“Not at all, love.”
“Thank you.” I move toward the door, but Vance places a warm hand on my arm, halting me.
“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Nodding in gratitude, I step into the hallway, preparing myself for a month in the House of Leo, and my gut tells me I’ve found an ally in Dr. Vance Morgan.