In response to a text, I met Hope at her midtown Manhattan offices a few days later. I wore a skirt suit, heels maybe a little higher than I normally would, and little lacy panties and bra I wouldn’t normally wear for a company meeting — not that I really expected anything to happen at her office, in mid-day but wanted to be pleasing if something could happen.

She greeted me, let me into her office, closed the door, and kissed me hard. Then almost as if she hadn’t just left me breathless, walked around her desk, sat down, and gestured me to the chair in front of it. I sat.

“To complete the round,” she said, “we still need another $20 million or so. Here is one opportunity for us. This is a hard one, and if you say no, we will try to find other opportunities.”

She moved a file across the desk to me, I couldn’t help admiring her rednailed manicure.

“Vladimir Nishkov,” she said. “A limited partner, and a co-investor in several of our ventures. Russian billionaire. Also not a nice man. Look through it.”

I paged through the folder. There was a photo, a man with a square-headed, close trimmed head, icy blue eyes, and a stern gaze. A list of his holdings and assets. Also a sort of diagram with connections to the Russian elite.

“He has reviewed your business plan, and thinks it interesting, but, uh, seemed at least as interested in your profile.”

“Um, what does that mean?”

Hope looked unhappily away.

“Were you okay with Chuck?”

“I’d rather have been with you, but eight figures, worth a fuck.”

She smiled. “Yes. But Vlad will want more. He’s a bit of a sadist. And will want a sense of ownership.”

“Wait… so you want to sell me to a Russian billionaire?”

Her hand snuck across the table to hold mine.

“Sweetie… it’s not as dire as that, no. Yes, you will have to fuck him, and bdsm will likely be involved. Everything beyond that is a negotiation, and probably we’ll have to agree that you’ll be his toy when he’s in the US — which may not be often, given Ukraine. Also I know he has toys in the UK, Czech Republic, and Finland, so it’s not like you’d be his exclusive target. If you agree, it might be a long-term relationship, but I don’t think one that would exclude ours.” She leaned across the table to kiss me.

“And you can say no,” she said. “I know it’s a lot of ask, but it probably fills out the round. And you do have equity.

I looked at the file. There’s no doubt Vlad was hot. And there’s no doubt I’d had serious D/s fantasies. But there was also no doubt the person I wanted most was Hope. And yet… she was asking me to do this.

“Are you sure, Hope? You’re who I want.”

She smiled. “And… can you imagine that I’d like to offer you to others, to prove your devotion to me?”

Something broke in me. A rush of arousal. I found I wanted to prove myself to her. And she was right; filling out the round was important, and made financial sense. And… the photo of Vlad made him look very hot.

So okay…. wtf.

She kissed me, looking a little regretful.

“You’re booked on a flight to Cyprus in two days. Here’s some context.” Handing me a file to read.

***

So Cyprus was where a lot of rich Russians had set up; in the EU, at least the Greek side of the island, good scuba diving apparently, and providing some distance and legal protection from the Putin regime. I was somewhat fatigued when we landed in Nicosia, but went through customs and collected my baggage. I was wearing a dark pencil skirt suit, heels and hose; maybe not best for a Mediterranean resort, but I was resolved to look professional.

A beefy blonde fellow was outside passport control, holding up a sign with my name on it. I went to him with some trepidation. “Ah, Ms. Travetere? Good. I am to take you to Mr. Nishkov. You are expected to wear this collar.”

I rocked back a little, looking at the steel chain links with a little tag hanging from it. He smirked a bit. “Is only near field communication chip, identifies you as friendly.” With some trepidation, I let him collar me.

I slid into his Maybach, feeling a little scared, letting him drive me through the Cyprus heat. Soon enough we pulled into the driveway of an enormous mansion. It had statues of bears and unicorns at the entrance, Ionic pillars at the sides, gables and gothic windows….. It struck me as being in the worst possible taste, in an extremely gaudy way. Gold trim everywhere.

He led me out of the care to the ornate front door, opening it… talking on his phone for a moment. Shortly, Mr. Nishkov appeared; I had, of course, Googled him, and new what he looked liked.

He embraced me fingering my collar, smiling. “My new fuctkoy,” he said, stroking down the back of my pencil skirt.

***

I expected him to take me to his office to discuss the deal, but instead took me too what was obviously a bedroom, but gestured me to a chair, moving to a table where tea and croissants had already been laid out, pouring for both of us, and offering a croissant.

“Your company plan is impressive, and of course I trust Hope’s judgment,” he said. “I’m inclined to invest. There are some things you should figure out though.”

I sipped my tea nervously. “Like what sir?”

He smiles. “Good that you call me sir. Crawl to me and suck my cock.”

I looked at him in shock but then thought about what my equity might be worth…. I put my teacup down and slid to hands and knees.

Stroking his thigh as I unzipped him… lips sliding onto his shaft… head whirling with mixed shame and arousal

Tomgue firm on his cock, sucking gently.

His hand stroke my cheek, smiling down at me.

“Oh yes,” he said. “I think you will be an excellent investment.”