by Piper Stone
“Giving you a hard spanking.”
“What? Why? Get the hell away from me.”
“Not gonna happen, sweetheart.” His smacks against my bottom were hard and fast, moving from one side to the other. The force would have tossed me face first into the sand had he not been holding me in place.
I couldn’t breathe, every thought muddled in my mind. He refused to stop, the anguish drifting down the backs of my thighs.
The shock wore off quickly and within seconds, I was clawing at the sand, trying desperately to find anything I could use as a weapon. “Get off me!”
“As I said, that’s not going to happen.” His voice remained little more than a growl as he tore at my shorts, popping off the button in his effort to yank them over my hips.
“No. No!” Mortified, I closed my eyes, digging my fingers into the wet sand as he brought his hand down again and again, the sting not nearly as shocking as the horror that my nipples were still hard. I couldn’t want this. Everything was a distinct blur as he released several animalistic growls and guttural sounds.
“All bad girls deserve to be punished, Tiffany,” he stated in a commanding tone. “My guess is that Carter doesn’t have a problem disciplining you as necessary.”
That’s not me. That’s not me! Sadly, I couldn’t form the words. Shuddering, I could no longer feel my legs from a cold chill, yet my bottom was on fire.
And so was my pussy.
I let out a bedraggled scream as he thrust his fingers inside my pussy, driving them in forceful jabs. My body rocked as he fingerfucked me and I was stunned from my body’s reaction, the way my breath skipped, my heart racing. Even my muscles clamped around the thick invasion, pulling him in deeper. This was crazy.
But the sensations rocketing through me were like cans of gasoline tossed onto the flames. Crackling sounds occurred in my ears from the imaginary explosion, leaving me paralyzed.
“Damn, woman. You’re wet and hot,” Rafael said, surprise in his tone.
I couldn’t believe my body was rocking, bucking to meet every thrust. Panting, I refused to cry out as the sensations morphed, driving me to the point of an orgasm. Oh, hell, no. That was ridiculous. That wasn’t going to happen. I didn’t like this. I... I...
“That’s enough, Rafael,” the blond snapped, his tone riddled with anger. “We take sweet little Tiffany back to the house as we planned.”
Planned? This wasn’t some crazy accident. Oh, God. Oh...
Rafael stopped moving yet kept his fingers inside. I could feel such tension between the men, a power struggle.
“Fine,” Rafael huffed, backing away.
I dared to turn my head, studying the others and the nasty sneers on their faces. What the hell was this about? I couldn’t stop shaking, falling into a paralyzing round of fear, wincing from the heat erupting from my bottom.
As well as from deep within my pussy.
A warm flush swept over my neck, creeping up on both sides of my cheeks, my pulse ragged from the embarrassment.
“Enough for now. However, I can tell you’re going to need to be punished severely,” Rafael muttered. “I promise you, more of that will be coming later.” Rolling me over, he slapped his hands on either side of me, his glare nasty. There was such anger in his eyes, as if all he wanted to do was tear me apart. Why did I have the distinct feeling this was all about Carter? Just another group of enemies he’d collected.
When he lowered his head, I sucked in my breath.
The other two clapped, the blond huffing as he walked closer. “You really don’t seem to get it, do you, sweetheart? Your number is up.”
“Nice performance,” Jax chortled.
Rafael refused to ease away for a few seconds, lowering down until he was able to press his lips across mine.
I realized too late that I’d tilted my chin, accepting the unsought advance.
Growling, he pushed away from me, shaking his head. “Not yet, sunshine, but soon. You are far too beautiful to resist, but when it’s the right time...”
The right time for what? Oh. My. God. They had every intention of making good on their threat.
I was shocked and jerked to my feet, shivering as a combination of water and sand trickled down my back, dripping ever so slowly. Everything was pushed into one giant blur. I folded my arms and took several steps away, keeping my eyes locked on them.
Within seconds, I felt a powerful set of hands grabbing my arms and with one big yank, the blond brute tossed me over his shoulder, chuckling in the same dark and foreboding way as he had before.
“Let me down! I’m going to kill you!” I exclaimed as I pummeled his back, immediately reaching for the gun. I’d shot one once or twice a few years before. It had to be like riding a bike.
Sawyer yanked the gun away before I had a chance to grab it, making tsking sounds. “Nice try. That’s gonna cost you too.”
“A feisty one, Sawyer. I think we’re gonna need to tame her quickly,” Rafael said as he flanked Sawyer’s side. “Then we’ll exact whatever information she has.”
I reflected on their names, trying to figure out if I’d heard them before. There was a nagging that formed in the back of my mind, but not a single name registered. Maybe I was grasping for straws. What I did know is that I needed to prove I wasn’t Carter’s girlfriend. Not by a freaking longshot.
“I’m not Tiffany. You have the wrong woman. I would never go out on a date with Carter Bradley.” My fists already ached from trying to do damage to Sawyer. He was hard as a rock. “In fact, I volunteered for this assignment. Yes, I work with Mr. Bradley, but I’m low level. I don’t know anything.”
“We know exactly who you are, sweetheart,” Jax stated gruffly, taking the lead back toward the house. “Lying isn’t going to get you out of this. We know your type. You’re the kind of woman who enjoys the money being made. The parties. The trips. What you don’t know is that he will use you and throw you away. That’s the way Carter works. You should also know that a portion of the money he claims he made was stolen. I intend on helping the man understand he crossed several lines.”
Was this situation really all about blackmail? Extortion? Revenge. That made much more sense.
“I’m not Tiffany, you oaf!” I squirmed and continued fighting to get away. “Or Betsy or Susie or whatever name you’ve seen in the tabloids as being his girlfriend.” I’d seen enough newspapers and glossy magazines to know Carter had enjoyed the likes of several women. Models. Actresses. He was only photographed with the most beautiful creatures on the planet.
“Stop struggling or your punishment will be worse,” Sawyer directed.
“Fuck you!”
“She’s got a mouth on her. We’re going to need to deal with that as well,” Rafael added.
I was shocked when Sawyer smacked my bottom several times, the embarrassment of being handled like some bad child almost too much for my brain to comprehend.
“Ouch! You’re an asshole!” I kicked my legs, trying to make contact as he brought his hand down several more times, the stinging sensations turning into real pain.
“Nothing a good bar of soap and one savage spanking with my belt won’t cure,” Sawyer muttered as he moved onto the patio.
Soap? Belt? I was in a nightmare.
“Bastards. I keep trying to tell you that I’m not who you think I am.” I could easily tell that no amount of my yelling was going to do any good.
But I refused to give in, kicking up a storm, almost able to slip out of Sawyer’s grip.
“Damn it,” he huffed. “You are getting one hell of a whippin’, girl. What Rafael gave you was nothing in comparison to what’s about ready to happen.”
I was taken inside, the door closed, and the second I was placed onto my feet, I bolted once again, this time heading for the kitchen. I managed to reach the block of knives, yanking the largest one into my hand. “Rar!” As I danced back and forth behind the island, challenging them to try to approach me, the three men walked into th
e room in a casual fashion, as if daring me to try to escape.
As if I had anywhere to go.
Sawyer leaned against the doorway after the other two were inside, his hand wrapped around his weapon, his dazzling ice blue eyes mesmerizing.
The thought about not taking a knife to a gunfight was far too appropriate, yet I refused to drop the blade. I was taken aback by Sawyer’s wry smile, the amusement on his face. He thought this was nothing but a game. Find courage. You can do this. “Listen, Sawyer. I’m doing a favor for Mr. Bradley. That’s it. I volunteered to come here and take pictures at the last minute. Something happened to his regular photographer.”
“Uh-huh,” Jax snorted, the other two men laughing.
Why the hell didn’t they believe me?
“Maybe I can help you,” I added, the knife feeling heavy in my hand.
“Yes, you are going to help us even though you’ve already broken the deal that you agreed to. Now, I’m going to explain this one more time, Tiffany, or whatever you want to call yourself today. We own you. Every inch of your body. We are Carter’s judge, jury, and executioner.”
Swallowing hard, I was totally out of their league, uncertain how to get through to them. “And you’re taking out your hatred on me?” I spouted off the question. “And my name is Delaney! Delaney Archer.”
“Delaney,” Sawyer repeated. “You can call yourself anything you want. However, it doesn’t mean shit. I’ve learned something important that I think you need to comprehend.”
“What?” I barked, the entire realization settling in. I was all alone. No one was coming for four days. The only way to call for help was to find the communications room, which I seriously doubted was going to happen. And I was being held captive by three assholes determined to punish me for someone else’s crime.
“Everyone has their threshold of pain and fear. Perhaps Carter will find a level of humanity within him when he learns of your predicament. Or maybe he’ll simply do what has occurred in the past. Toss you away.” Sawyer made the statement casually, yet his eyes gleamed as if holding a secret. “I made certain he knew I was coming for him. Let’s see if he comes for you.”
What the hell?
I continued to shift the knife from one hand to the other, my hateful glare firmly locked on Sawyer. Somehow, I knew he was the leader of the motley crew. I also realized he was prepared to follow through on his threat. I had no leverage, not unless I could somehow manage to gain their trust. But how? Even showing them my driver’s license didn’t seem like it was going to do any good. Either way, they believed I was very important to Carter.
I sucked in and held my breath as I attempted to figure out what to do. My instincts were usually never wrong.
The three men were absolutely dangerous predators.
“Look, I think we can clear this up if we find the communications room and contact Mr. Bradley. He’ll tell you I’m nothing special.” I tried to use my sweetest butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-your-mouth tone, but I could almost instantly that hadn’t been a good idea.
“There’s no need. He’s nothing but a fucking asshole who will face our wrath as well,” Jax hissed. “You’re just the beginning, sweetheart.”
The beginning of what?
“What did Mr. Bradley do to you?” While I’d asked the question more out of desperation than anything, the single flash in Sawyer’s eyes indicated I was close to hitting the mark.
“Why would you say that? Is there something special about Mr. Bradley’s business practices? Merciless? Illegal?”
I certainly wasn’t going to tell this asshole anything. “No. He’s a fair and honest businessman.” That I wasn’t certain of.
“See? Maybe you really don’t work for him in his corporate office because if you did, you’d know he was an absolute snake.” Sawyer walked closer, his footsteps managing to echo on the floor. “However, you’ve been a very bad girl so it would seem we can’t trust you.”
“What are you going to do?” I couldn’t believe I’d asked the question. They were going to do whatever they damn well pleased.
“First, you’re going to get that harsh spanking for attempting to run.”
I couldn’t believe the way Sawyer said the words, as if I had no other choice. The thought sent a series of shivers dancing along every inch of my body. I’d never been spanked in my life before today. Who the hell did these assholes think they were? Why did my little voice continue to encourage me? To keep my job. Besides, there were the ugly words I’d texted to Justine and Carter had seen jabbing me in the gut. If I bought some time, perhaps I could figure out what the hell all four men were embroiled in.
Ingenuity? Mr. Bradley was going to see that in spades.
“If I agree, then what?” I used my most demanding tone I was able to muster.
Sawyer glanced at the others, all three men finally gazing once again in my direction.
Hungry to discipline me.
Prepared to dominate me.
Longing to fuck me.
My mouth was suddenly dry as I glanced from one to the other, hating myself that I found them attractive.
Sawyer walked even closer, taking his time and placing the weapon out of my reach before easing the knife from my hand and placing it into the block. “Then, sweet Delaney, we will see. That’s going to depend on your behavior.”
When our fingers touched, the roar of electricity was off the chain, pushing my pulse to the point my hammering heartbeat echoed in my ears.
His eyes shimmering, he offered a sexy, lopsided grin, but it was absolutely commanding, knowing I couldn’t say no. There was an unexpected level of hunger in his eyes creating another wave of panic through me.
“Do you remember the deal?” Rafael asked seconds later.
What the hell choice did I have? None. Oh, but I would find a way to get the upper hand, one way or the other.
“Fine. Yes,” I said through gritted teeth and held my head high.
Sawyer lifted his eyebrow and glared at me. My God. What I’d said wasn’t good enough.
“Yes, sir. We had a deal and I broke it.” I made a promise to myself that I would cut out Sawyer’s heart first. Then I would feed it to the sharks while I stood over him laughing.
Chapter Seven
Delaney
I had a screw loose. That was the only reason I could think of for accepting any kind of deal with three crazy, dangerous, sexy... strangers. Even now, I couldn’t think rationally, as if what was happening was normal on any level.
Sawyer inhaled, his nostrils flaring.
The asshole dared to rub his index finger across my cheek, creating a flash of anger deep within me. There was a hell of a lot more to their story. And I’d just made a deal with the devil. What the hell was I attempting to do, get to the bottom of this?
“Undress,” Jax said as if his request was no big deal.
“I beg your pardon?” I managed.
“You heard the man,” Rafael moved around Sawyer and me to the refrigerator, opening and dragging out a bottle of water, his dark eyes never leaving me. “We only officially punish a woman when she’s naked.”
I was sick inside, my stomach churning. Was this their method of handling women? And what the hell had the spanking been on the beach? Unofficial? My guess was that all three men were very single and had been for one hell of a long time. “You can’t be serious.”
“Don’t we look serious, sweetheart?” Jax asked, his voice even huskier than before.
“That’s...” I closed my eyes until Sawyer lifted my chin with the tip of a single finger.
“Obedience is a necessity in all things. Wouldn’t you agree?”
As Sawyer issued the words, he blew a swath of hot air across my face, his actions snatching at what sanity I might have left.
“Fine,” I repeated. “Where are we doing this?”
Sawyer gripped my chin, drawing me closer, his eyes no longer holding a sign of amusement. “You’re going to learn some respect.”
“Respect? You are kidding me.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. I knew instantly I was going to regret it.
Sawyer sighed as he snaked my other hand around my neck, using enough pressure to help me realize he was serious. “Now, you’re going to undress and lean over this counter right here. When we finish punishing you, you’re going to begin to learn what respect is all about.”
He was larger than life as he loomed over me, his scent creating a drunken feeling in my head. So musky. Exotic. All male.
Oh, God. I was falling into some kind of safety mode in my mind. You can do this. “Who are you?”
He lowered his head, taking a deep whiff before barely brushing his lips across my jaw, moving in a back and forth motion. When he nipped my earlobe, I pushed my hands against his chest, immediately rewarded with nipples aching. I couldn’t be attracted to him. Nope. That wasn’t going to happen. They were holding me against my will, for God’s sake.
“Your worst nightmare, Delaney. That is, unless you obey every. Single. Command. You made a deal.”
Between the warmth of his breath and the feel of his muscles beneath my fingers, my emotions were dragged all over the place. They would pay the price for fucking with me.
Eventually.
If I ever got off this island alive.
All of a sudden, my body betrayed me, the visible shudder pissing me off more than anything. When the bastard crawled one hand down my back, cupping and squeezing my bottom while he dragged me onto my toes, the crush of his throbbing cock against me forced a moan. Shutting down my impetuous desire was almost impossible.
But I did it.
And I slammed my hands against his chest with enough force he tumbled backwards. My gall only made the other two chuckle. Two more deep and husky sounds that filtered into my ears.
Sawyer lifted a single eyebrow before pointing toward the island.
Big man in charge.
The words almost left my mouth. I turned around instead, my hands shaking as I attempted to tug my blouse from my shorts. Thank God I’d worn decent underwear. The thought made me cringe even more. I had to place myself in some other land, and that didn’t include lala-land either. While I wanted to believe Carter wouldn’t put me in this position on purpose, I certainly didn’t know my boss that well.
