One Contract (The Game Book 1) Read online

"One million dollars." I lift my eyebrows and his lips pull into a small smile. "What would you be willing to do for it?"

  I stare blankly at him, and then Preston. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure I understand."

  "It's a simple question, really,” Preston says. “What would you do for a million dollars?"

  Tobias smirks. "Or better yet, what would you not do?"

  Preston glances at Tobias, then back at me. "Would you kill someone?"

  "No."

  Tobias laughs, spreading his arms wide. "Would you submit yourself then? Mind." He leans forward, locking eyes with me. "Body. Soul."

  I swallow. My heart hammers against my ribs. And I glance at the elevator, staring at the panel without buttons. “Submit…” I whisper, mentally acknowledging that I am trapped.

  "Complete subservience." Preston says.

  "Like a slave?" My skin crawls when I utter that word.

  Tobias’s brow raises as he glances at Preston. "Slave rather implies doing something distasteful, doesn't it?"

  A slow smile pulls at Preston's lips before he looks at me. "It does. Slavery is to be debased and degraded. Submission is to be protected." His eyes skate slowly over my body. "Coveted. Revered. Cherished."

  These two men look like wolves, waiting, preying...and although my stomach is unsettled, the allure swarming around them is nearly undeniable. They are like the forbidden fruit. One bite may kill you, but how will you ever know until you taste it?

  "Trust me, sweetheart, you'll like it...for the most part." Preston winks.

  "I'm offering you one million dollars in exchange for one week of your time," Tobias says.

  "No amount of money is worth my dignity." I go to stand, although I don’t know where I’ll go, but Tobias grabs my wrist, subtly shaking his head.

  "Dignity?" he says, smirking. "And where exactly will your dignity be when you're living on the street?" My heart pounds unevenly in my chest. "We offer you a salvation not many are afforded. One million dollars for a mere seven days of your life."

  His hand is still wrapped tightly around my wrist. I can't breathe. I can't move. His eyes have me pinned in place. Slowly, I sit back down.

  "Sweet Ella," Preston murmurs, standing up and walking behind me. He places his hand on my shoulder, the heat of his palm searing through me, "We know you have no money. No prospects. You're about to lose your apartment..."

  My heart sits in my throat in a pounding lump. I'm frozen with fear, and dare I say, curiosity.

  "You have no family, no one to fall back on," Tobias adds.

  "So tragic," Preston says, "what happened to your parents."

  I shake my head, unable to form words. How do they know this? How do they know these details about my life when I know nothing about them? "I..." I grip the arms of the chair so hard, I fear my knuckles may split.

  "No boyfriend. No job," Tobias says, inspecting the cuff of his jacket as though the entire notion of my pitiful existence bores him. "You've got nothing." His eyes flick to mine, imprisoning me in their green depths. "But you are very beautiful."

  Preston's fingers sweep back and forth across the nape of my neck, almost soothing me. "Nothing to lose." I feel him lean down by my ear. "But everything to gain,” he whispers before he kisses my ear. "You could be a modern-day Cinderella, if only you'll sign your name." He seems like a beautiful devil persuading me to sign away my soul. He moves away from me and sits, casually leaning back in his seat.

  "Seven days," Tobias says.

  He slides a piece of paper across the table. I stare at it for a second before I lift my gaze to his. He jerks his head towards the paper. I pick it up and carefully read over the first few lines. I don't know what I'm expecting, but it isn't this.

  "What is this?" I ask through my tightening throat, even though it's right there in black and white.

  "A game," Tobias says.

  "A game?"

  "I want you."

  He doesn't even know me. Even though it shouldn't, those three little words make me weak for him. The way he said it with such confidence, as though he knows he will have me, leaves me speechless.

  "It's a contract to play." Preston cocks one eyebrow, a grin on his face.

  I skim over the first few sentences: The lump sum of up to one million dollars will be paid (taking into consideration the rules and stipulation of the game) upon completion of this seven day legal and binding agreement.

  Rules aligned within the contract, not to be broken, are as follows:

  1) Never leave 2) Never ask question 3) Never speak of this 4) Never develop feelings 5) Always submit

  "What kind of game?" I glance back at the paperwork in my lap, my head swimming with fear.

  "Whatever kind we want it to be," Preston says.

  "One where I become your own personal whore for seven days?"

  "No," Tobias says.

  "Well...I wouldn't put it like that." Preston shrugs one shoulder. I focus on him because he doesn't intimidate me half as much as Tobias. Not yet, at least.

  "This makes no sense,” I say. “There is no explanation as to what the rules even apply to. How can you play a game if you don't know what game you're playing?"

  He leans forward, propping his elbows on the table. "All you need to know are the rules, and that nothing we have you do will be unpleasant for you. Not in the slightest" His eyes drop to my lips and my pulse picks up because he's every bit as beautiful as Tobias.

  This is utterly insane. Shaking my head, I toss the contract to the side. I watch as he pushes to his feet, fastening the button on his jacket before he moves closer to me. He bends down, touching me only with his breath as he speaks. "Do you want me?" And then his fingertips brush the back of my neck as he moves my hair away. "Look at him," he whispers, and I find myself obeying. Tobias meets my gaze, studying me like a predator would a wounded deer. "Do you want him? Tell me you don't want him," Preston says, the sensation of his lips brushing my ear cause me to shiver. My entire body winds tight. My skin heats. My pulse hammers against my ears. He grabs a handful of my hair and twists my head to the side, pulling my face closer to his. "It'll be our dirty little secret, sweet Ella." He strokes the side of my face so gently, his eyes focusing on my lips. He's so close, just a whisper away from me, his warm cigarette tinged breath washing over my face.

  Morally, I know this is wrong, I know I shouldn't even be contemplating this, but I am. I am because they are right. I have nothing to lose. I have nothing—but in this very moment, I feel as though these two men could give me everything. I find myself leaning in closer and closer to him until my lips are mere inches from his, until the tension is wound so tight the air crackles with it. I lean in that last inch, drawn to him, wanting to feel his lips against mine. His grip in my hair tightens and he jerks my face away from his.

  "Did I ask you to kiss me?" He smirks, releasing my hair and stepping back.

  I blush and swallow, shame washing over me. I keep hearing one-million dollars over and over in my head. I keep seeing the pile of bills. The eviction notice. The empty place where Sawyer’s picture once hung. The mounting stress in my chest becomes nearly unbearable because where will I be in seven days if I walk away from them right now? On the street...in a shelter? And where will I be in seven days if I stay? Either dead or rich.

  Inhaling, I close my eyes for the briefest of moments, then open them. "This game...explain it to me."

  Preston shrugs, backing away from me. "Seven days—it’s very simple—you follow the rules, and win or lose, you get a million dollars. You break the rules four times—four strikes—you forfeit the game and leave with nothing. You win, you get two million."

  "And how do you win?"

  Tobias smiles. "That's the beauty of it, you won't know until the end."

  "That seems a little unfair."

  He leans forward and braces his elbows on the table. "Live isn’t fair. What do you have to lose, Ella? You get a million dollars either way."

  And I have nothing to
lose...except my life, but for whatever reason, I don't believe that is what they want. They want a game. A form of morbid entertainment. And I...need the money.

  I swallow hard. "Seven days? That's it? Seven days to follow the rules. Do whatever you ask?"

  His lips tip into the hint of a smile. "Seven days."

  “And you won’t hurt me?”

  His eyes flash. “Never.”

  "I'll have to think about it."

  "I'll give you until you come."

  "Until I—"

  Tobias pushes to his feet and moves toward me so quickly, I almost tip my chair over trying to back away from him. Perching on the edge of the table in front of me, that assured smirk etches its way onto his face. He slowly reaches for me and places a single finger underneath my chin, lifting my gaze to his.

  "Stand," he says, using his finger and that singular point of pressure to encourage me to rise to my feet. My legs are shaking. His emerald eyes lock with mine, something within them swirling so vividly I feel hypnotized. "Kiss me," he says.

  I swallow hard and drop my eyes to his full lips. Tobias's hand falls away from me, gripping the edge of the table. At this moment, I could refuse. I could, assumedly, walk away and never see either of them again. But as intimidated as I am, I cannot deny the excitement settling in my stomach, the thrill driving my racing pulse that quickens by the knowledge that these two men want me in the most carnal of ways. They're beautiful and powerful. And I can't help but wonder, what would one week with them be like? So, I lean in and cautiously press my lips to his. For a moment, he makes no move to touch me or reciprocate the kiss and I feel stupid. But just as I'm about to pull away, his hand slams around my jaw, his fingers gripping me with such force, my breath hitches. His lips part and he thrusts his tongue past my lips. I open my mouth, accepting him, inviting him because I want the brutality of this kiss, of his possession. I want to know what it feels like to be utterly dominated by a man such as Tobias Benton.

  He grips the back of my neck. His teeth scrape over my bottom lip. Suddenly, his mouth leaves mine and he spins me around, forcing me face down over the table, and pinning me by the back of my neck. Preston is directly in my line of vision, watching with a smirk on his face. My breathing grows ragged, and with each unrelenting pound of my heart, fear beats away at me, until I feel the slow caress of Tobias's fingers traveling up my thigh. He lifts the hem of my dress, bunching it in his hand and exposing my underwear. The cool breeze touches my overheated skin and sends chill bumps pricking their way over my arms and legs. My conscience screams at me, but at the same time, this all seems so far removed from reality, I almost believe it's fiction. With one, slow, torturous movement, he drags my lace underwear down my legs. As ashamed as I am of it, I'm trembling, unable to catch a full breath. I clench my thighs together in a desperate bid to relieve some of the mounting tension. His finger taps my ankle, and I step out of the lace hung around my ankles.

  "Spread your legs," he commands. Squeezing my eyes shut, I bite my bottom lip. It is impossible not to want him. It is a visceral, brutal, bone-deep reaction to want a man like him—like them. It's been so long since I've been touched. Wanted...and even though I feel dirty it's all overridden by curiosity—so, I spread my legs, the heel of my Prada shoes scraping across the concrete. I have no idea what's coming next. A single hot breath touches the inside of my thigh and my hands slide across the table, my nails raking over the linen table cloth.

  "Fucking beautiful," Preston groans.

  And then…Tobias's mouth is on me, right there. My legs threaten to buckle, but the table supports my weight. His long, thick fingers grip both my thighs as his tongue thrusts inside me. I've never felt so violated and yet prized, so possessed, yet free at the same time.

  A hand strokes over my hair, and when I open my eyes, Preston is watching me, his drink in one hand as the other strokes over me as if to soothe. The gleam in his eye makes me feel that I may very well be the only woman that could satisfy them, like I am all they need. Tobias's tongue flicks over my clit, and when my lips part on a gasp, Preston presses his thumb inside my mouth. Instinctively, I suck, and he throws his head back on a groan.

  "She's fucking perfect, Tobias," he says with a growl, looking at me again and stroking my cheek. "So perfect." His thumb slips out of my mouth.

  Tobias pulls me against his face, thrusting his tongue deeper and harder. Lick after lick. I can't take it.

  "See how good we can make you feel, Ella," Preston whispers.

  My body tightens, my limbs shaking as everything focuses on that one point where his tongue meets my body, and then that weightless feeling overwhelms me and I lose the last shred of inhibition I was clinging to. Bucking against him, I moan. I claw at the tablecloth as my entire body detonates. He wrings every inch from me, pushing me faster and harder than anyone ever has before. The second I'm done, he's gone, leaving my pussy exposed.

  Wind whips around the patio, howling, drowning out the muted sound of the New York City traffic below. I place my palms on the table and push up, but before I can rise, a pair of hands grab me by the hips, flipping me onto my back. Tobias presses between my thighs, his eyes narrowing as they work over my body. Bracing his hand beside my head, he leans over me, slamming his lips against mine. My back bows and I rise to meet him like a serpent dancing to his tune. His tongue lashes against mine, sweet with the of taste myself. All too quickly his hand grips my throat, and he pins me to the table.

  His eyes lock with mine as he hovers a mere inch from my face. "Decisions, decisions," he says, raising an eyebrow.

  My eyes flick from Tobias to Preston and back. One million dollars. And no one would know.

  "You wouldn't hurt me?"

  His hold on me loosens, and he offers me his hand. I take it, and then the silence nearly drowns me. "Not unless you want us to," Preston says, smirking as he circles slowly behind Tobias.

  "What about after the seven days? What happens then?"

  "You can go on your way." Tobias says, shoving one hand in his pocket, the picture of casual sophistication.

  I study his face, the defined ridges of his jaw, the perfect dip in his lip, his eyes that hold power and promise. This man...these men could easily have any woman they wanted. They are rich and successful, beautiful. They exude sex with every breath, every movement and yet... "Why me?" I ask.

  He smirks. "Why not you?"

  "Why can't I leave?"

  Preston steps beside me, running his thumb over my bottom lip. "So we can do all the things we want to you." He leans in, brushing his lips in a feather light trail over my cheek. "And there are so many things..." He lets that threat, or that promise, hang in the air.

  Preston steps away from me, standing shoulder to shoulder with Tobias. And they watch me, they wait, a wall of muscle coated in fine suits.

  "You're going to sign it, Ella," Tobias says, tilting his head to the side. "But I advise you get all your questions out of the way first because once you sign, there are no more questions. No defiance. Your body is ours."

  My heart skips a few beats. My breath catches. Sweat breaks out across the small of my back, the heat becoming trapped between my skin and the table. This is insane. I know it is, but…one million, possibly two million dollars. How can I possibly walk away from that? "What if I want to leave?" I ask.

  "You're not a prisoner. You can terminate the contract at any time, sans payment of course."

  Inhaling, I close my eyes. There are moments in everyone's life that defines them, that changes them. And this, as fucked up as it is, I believe is mine. This is a game. I am their pawn. And the prize is two-million dollars.

  Two-million dollars. And two gorgeous men. I sit up, take the contract and read over each and every line, weighing my options.

  CONTRACT

  THIS AGREEMENT, made on this __ day of ______________, 201__, by and between Ella Taylor (participant) and Tobias Benton (host) and Preston Lucas (host), (collectively “The Parties”) shall set
forth all matters relating to and concerning the agreement.

  WHEREAS the parties agree that all activities are voluntary in nature; and

  WHEREAS, the parties agree that no physical harm that could result in death shall occur; and

  WHEREAS, upon the completion of the agreement, Ella Taylor will receive the lump sum of one to two million dollars, contingent upon the aforementioned rules and stipulations outlined in section1, rules

  NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants of each of the parties, they do hereby covenant and agree that these rules shall not be broken:

  Never leave, 2) Never question 3) Never speak of this 4) Never develop feelings 5)Always submit

  SECTION 1

  RULES

  The rules may be broken three times, upon the fourth violation of the rules, the participant loses the game, making this contract null and void. No monetary reward will be offered. If the participant completes the game, but loses, a monetary reward of one million dollars will be given in a lump sum. If the participant completes the game as a winner, a monetary reward of two million dollars will be given in a lump sum.

  SECTION 2

  NONDISCLOSURE

  The participant further agrees that they shall keep all knowledge of this agreement and occurrences that happen within the seven-day agreement window strictly confidential. The participant may not speak of or mention anything to do with the hosts and or their business, Six-degrees. The participant shall not make disparaging remarks about the hosts in person or on online accounts over which the participant has access or control.

  ENFORCEMENT OF AGREEMENT

  All provisions of this Agreement shall be enforceable in a Court of law.

  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have set their hands and seals the day and year set forth in the Notary Seal.

  WITNESS

  _________________________ _________________________(SEAL)

  ELLA TAYLOR

  WITNESS

  _________________________ _________________________(SEAL)