Read Comforting Touch (Touch #5) for Free Online

wrought-iron fence. What I assume opens up to the backyard is hidden as the hill dips, and all I can see are the tips of glowing heaters and a few trees with lanterns in them.
    "Damn," I mumble, more than a little intimidated. The house is modern, lots of windows and straight lines, and must've cost a fortune. "He's gotta be loaded, right?"
    "Like a Rockefeller." Gretchen snorts. "He bought this house right after his fiancée died, but he's barely lived in it." Kayla's told me about that. The fiancée died in a car accident some five years ago. Gretchen's eyes light up. "Wait 'til you see his basement. Oh, my God."
    "He has his own dungeon there," Dante supplies, and I nod in understanding. "We've borrowed it a few times while he's been on missions with Doctors Without Borders. In fact, I think others have played there more than he has. Such a shame." He opens the door and steps out, and we follow suit.
    The asphalt sparkles with frost, and I'm thankful it hasn't snowed. We were given the option to change here, but Dante said if it was possible, he wanted us to change before. The only one who needs a minute to fix his costume is Dante. He's wearing a Roman tunic but tucked it into a pair of jeans since he knew he'd be stopping for gas on the way.
    "Do you girls need any reminders of the protocol?" He eases into Master mode.
    "No, Sir," I reply as Gretchen says, "No, Master."
    "Good." He reveals two brown leather collars and fastens them around our necks. I shiver, and not just from the cold. "What will you call me when we step inside that house?"
    "Dominus," we answer.
    He nods and attaches a rusty-looking chain to the rings on our collars. The authenticity only makes it more enticing. "And a Mistress?"
    "Domina," we say.
    "Good slaves. I have your limits for the evening right here." He pats the pocket of his jacket. "I'll give them to your new owners after the auction."
    Grabbing our bags in one hand and holding the end of the chain in the other, he takes the lead up the path toward the house.
    Anticipation surges through me at the thought of tonight's events. Approximately ten Tops have been invited, all of them bringing one to three bottoms. In addition, each Top has been given a certain amount of fake currency, which is to be used during the auction. Afterward, there are different tasks that will need to be completed throughout the night. Meaning, it's important they use their money wisely and invest in as many slaves as they can in order to finish the tasks well and quickly.
    Dante has barely lifted his finger from the doorbell before Miranda—naked as the day she was born—opens the door, averting her eyes to the ground once she's seen who it is.
    "Welcome to the domus of Dominus Kelly," she says softly and opens the door wider. "The guests are gathering in the atrium out back. Please allow me to show you the way."
    Atrium?
    Some jealousy lingers, and I can't help but sneer at Miranda as I pass her. Like Gretchen, she's a redhead and incredibly gorgeous.
    "Where do we put our belongings?" Dante asks curtly. I sneak a glance at him, a little confused when I see he's practically glaring at her. "I hope you won't be in charge of them… thief ."
    Gretchen and I exchange a brief look, and I wonder if that's Miranda's role or something. Thief? How odd.
    "No, Dominus." Miranda's voice cracks, and she gestures down a hall to our left. "Everything will be stored safely behind locked doors."
    Dante grunts then orders us to stay here while he follows Miranda down the hall. "You can remove your shoes, slaves," he adds over his shoulder.
    "That was weird," Gretchen whispers as we obey his command. "I don't remember seeing thief as one of the parts."
    Same here. Gretchen and I are foreigners, kidnapped by Dante, and our specialties lie in housework, sexual pleasure, and mending clothes and rope. Our weakness is our language barrier; we're not supposed to understand our owner's words very well. Dylan, I recall, is an injured