Acquiesce

by CORY CYR

  I had so much more planned for Nic. I wanted her to explore every avenue there was regarding sex. I planned to take her every way possible without actually fucking her. I hoped whatever this was, this fascination, obsession, whatever I was mentally fighting, once I had her every single way I could, this feeling would be terminated and my job complete.

  I carefully wrapped a towel around my waist as I sat on my bed and began to scribble notes on my pad. I wanted to recall every single detail while it was fresh in my memory. This was about the research. I had to keep focused on my project, the reason I was doing all this. Now that I’d managed to jack off twice, I felt sated. Well, sort of. I had the feeling that wouldn’t truly come until I'd had my fill of Nicola Barrington.

  14~Nicola

  I greeted morning with a growl. I had only four hours of sleep and I was agitated. I’d read that orgasms made you happy and glow. Bullshit, I felt like crap. The release was great, but remembering Cass's words, his instructions, only reminded me of how cold and stern he tended to be. Seeing me like that hadn’t moved him at all. When it was over, he’d bolted out of his bedroom as if it had been on fire, leaving me to remove the blindfold and wander back to my own room, which almost made me feel like I was doing the walk of shame—in a brothel no less.

  He really had a way of making me feel unworthy. If I were a man, I'd say emasculated. I had no idea what was wrong with him. There were moments when I actually liked him and I felt the kindling of a friendship. Then other times he made me feel like a lab rat. I knew he was brilliant and probably his aptitude for intelligence made him less Mr. Personality and more Mr. Spock, but he was beginning to grate on my nerves.

  I'm sure I was more pissed off at the fact that I’d developed some kind of infatuation for him. Maybe it was because he was the first man I spent any time with in eleven years, or possibly the fact that I’d viewed sex with him and he’d watched me masturbate. On top of it, he was easy on eyes and had the ability talk me into things I would have never considered doing before. The tone of his voice was like a smooth cognac. Regardless, I hated the fact that I liked him. It hurt me that what I felt for Chris was mingled with these new feelings, and it confused me.

  I got up, washed my face, and put on a pair of green shorts with a print blouse. I slipped into my flip-flops and headed down to the kitchen. I was actually starved; I hadn't been this hungry in a very long time. There was only one chef in the kitchen. I walked in as he was pulling out cinnamon buns from the oven. My mouth began to water and my eyes got big.

  “Would you like one, miss?” he asked, placing them on a cooling rack. I nodded and he proceeded to place one on a delicate white china plate. “Coffee, tea, or maybe juice,” he offered.

  “Coffee would be wonderful,” I replied, swiping my finger across the warm bun. Normally, I disliked coffee, but this morning, I might need it to keep me awake. The added caffeine might also help me when I saw Cass.

  The chef poured me a steaming cup and handed me a basket of different flavor creamers. I grabbed two of them and placed them on the plate with my bun and grabbed the cup of coffee.

  “Thank you,” I said as I took my breakfast and proceeded out to the pool area. There were two dining areas, one inside and one outside. Both were beautiful and inviting, but for the most part, it seemed the Acquiesce guests and escorts gravitated around the pool area. There were half a dozen people eating breakfast and having conversations by the time I arrived.

  “Come sit with us, Nic. I feel like I haven't seen you in days,” I heard Pru say loudly as she stood, waving me over. My eyes darted to a quiet Dee reading the paper and drinking coffee. She looked out of place without a Bloody Mary in her hand. I reluctantly walked over and sat at the table next to them.

  “What have you been doing with yourself?” Pru asked, while Dee was noticeably silent.

  “Here and there, mostly in my room or the library. I've been around. We must keep missing each other,” I said as I took a bite of my bun. “So have you met anyone interesting?”

  Pru lowered her voice to a whisper. “I spent a couple nights with the one named Milo. He's quite nice and let's just say very energetic.” Pru giggled.

  “Well, as long as you're having a good time.” I grinned as I took a sip of my coffee. “How about you, Dee? Find anything here worth the money you spent?” I snorted.

  Before Dee could say anything, Pru interrupted. “I think she's been with Bartel and maybe Amande, oh, and I'm fairly sure Esme.”

  “At least you're getting your money's worth,” I said snidely, passing a glance to Dee, then back to Pru. Three escorts in three days. Well, Dee, you're not only an alcoholic, but also a little slut.

  Look who’s calling the kettle black! I’ve watched two people fornicate and gotten myself off in front of man I hardly know. I'm not sure what to call myself.

  “I think she's waiting for that really serious-looking sexy man to come around. I'm sure she wants him,” Pru whispered as she leaned into me. “I don't think she'll have to wait long. You know Dee. Once she sets her sights on a man, that's it.” Pru chuckled.

  I put down my cup and pushed away my half-eaten bun. The conversation had taken a turn for the worst, because I knew what man Dee wanted.

  “What man, Pru? There are so many good-looking men on the island. Do you know which one?”

  “The one that doesn't work here. He's some kind of a writer or something. He's really smart and, holy mother of God, he put the bedroom in bedroom eyes,” Pru replied.

  Dee put down her paper and took a large sip of her coffee as she stared at me. She knew. I had no idea how, but that bitch knew, and she had set her sights on him anyway.

  “Something you want to tell us, Nic?” Dee asked in an accusing voice. Pru appeared confused at Dee's question.

  “What would I want to tell you?” I replied, meeting her stare.

  “Where have you been the last couple of days, surely not alone in your room? Be honest, if not with us, with yourself. You're glad you came, aren't you? Have you met the new Mr. Wonderful?” Even without the aid of alcohol, Dee could be a bitch. She was purposely baiting me.

  I began to wring my hands and I felt a slight blush on my cheeks.

  “You’re blushing, Nic. Has a certain man captured your attention? Is it Cass, because if you're not interested, I myself would love those lips between my lips, if you get my meaning?”

  I balled my hands into fists by my sides to keep from slapping her so hard her most recent face-lift would fall.

  “Nic, are you with him…?” Pru stammered.

  “No, of course not. We're just friends, well, kind of friends,” I replied to Pru, not even looking at Dee. I heard her snicker under her breath.

  “He's very attractive and he seems nice. I'm happy you've made a friend. You deserve it.” Pru hushed her voice as she bent toward me. “Don't worry about Dee. She may want Cass, but he looks at you differently—well, at least he did the other day at the pool. I say go for it.”

  “Pru, he's only in his twenties. I'm forty, for God's sake. He's old enough to be, well, my…”

  “Your friend, your lover. You don't have to marry him or even love him, but it makes me happy that you like him, and that in itself opens a door of possibilities,” Pru said, bumping her shoulder with mine and winking.

  “How'd you get so smart?” I joked.

  “I think Milo's rubbing off on me… in more than one way. He's studying to be a doctor. He only comes to Acquiesce twice a year to make enough money to pay for his education. I was shocked. I thought these guys were all, you know, like male hookers.”

  “Oh, Pru, sometimes you kill me. I'm glad you’re having a good time. A couple weeks to go, enjoy it.”

  I had eighteen days left here, and I wasn't sure what to do next. I knew Cass had plans for us, and as much as I wanted to dislike him, I felt drawn to him.

  I saw Pru's eyes widen as she nodded toward the sliding glass door. Cass sauntered out looking his usual stoic and g
orgeous. I hadn't noticed before, but every woman's head turned in his direction regardless if they were with an equally attractive man. Cass just oozed sex appeal—without even trying. He wore his green kakis with a gray ribbed tank top, which showed muscular biceps accented with smooth tanned skin. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, leaving blond streaks hanging loose, causing his light eyes to pop. He had at least a week of stubble, and the way he looked right now, I was positive there wasn't a dry pair of panties anywhere—including mine.

  “Good morning, ladies,” he said as he sat in the chair across from me. He had his token newspaper under his arm and his hand held his coffee.

  There was no way I could meet his eyes without replaying last night's event. My skin felt tight and my heart pounded. Just being around him was making me jumpy. I tried to exit the table, but he crossed his long legs over mine, keeping me in place. I'm glad no one could see, because it felt like an intimate gesture.

  “So what are your plans today, Cass? Is there any possibility I could steal you away? I heard you're an incredible tour guide.” Dee spoke to him as she glared at me.

  Oh my God, we were actually fighting over a man, and I was considering kicking her ass. How did this happen? Damn Dee, she instigated this. She brought me here and then set her sights on the one person whom I had a friendship with.

  “I'm sorry, Dee, was it? I already have an engagement with Nic.”

  “Do you now? That's odd. She didn't mention it,” Dee spit out, obviously pissed.

  “We had an extremely late night. It may have slipped her mind,” he replied casually as he gave Dee a piercing stare.

  Now everyone was staring at me. I could just kill him right now. Why in the hell was he trying to humiliate me? I'm sure Pru and Dee were wondering why I’d kept such pertinent information from them. Honestly, I hadn't planned to follow through with what we’d talked about, but I guess Cass had decided for both of us.

  I watched as he took a long sip from his coffee. He put the paper down on the table as he leaned forward, close enough that I could smell his minty coffee breath.

  “You didn't forget about today, did you, Nic?” His voice dripped with innuendo.

  I dropped mine down to a whisper, hoping no one could hear me. “I just assumed that after last night, maybe we should take a break. God, Cass, you ran out of the room without a word, as if you couldn't get away from me fast enough. Good thing I was only blindfolded. Otherwise, I'd still be tied to your fucking chair.”

  I saw him give me a magnetic smile as his eyebrow arched.

  “You really are a bastard,” I hissed.

  “No, I had a mother and she was actually married to my father,” he replied, grinning. He was acting so flippant. I should let Dee get her nails in him—maybe they deserved each other.

  I struggled to get my feet loose from under his. His eyes flashed a warning as I attempted another try at getting free.

  “Come with me,” he said as he grabbed my hand, leaving his coffee and paper on the table. He pulled me up to him, my head barely reaching his chest.

  “What are you doing? Let me go. What will everyone think?” I said under my breath.

  “I don't care what they think. Do you? These people mean nothing to me, and from what I've seen and heard, your two friends don't appear to offer anything positive to your life other than that Chanel bag,” he replied as he squeezed my hand and began prodding me toward the sliding glass door. I could hear murmurs and sense the now visual confirmation of what people suspected.

  Once inside, Cass pushed me forward, back to the kitchen.

  “Ah, Mr. Cass, I have everything ready for you. I made extra special for you and your lady.” I didn't recognize this chef, but he spoke in broken Italian.

  “Thank you, Emilio,: Cass said as he grabbed a basket. “I assume there is stemware and wine in here?”

  “Everything you asked for and then some. You will enjoy. Food is good,” Emilio replied.

  “I'm sure it is, as usual. Thanks again.” Cass smiled, then turned to me, edging me toward the front door of Acquiesce.

  “Where are we going and why do we need a huge picnic basket?” I asked, stopping dead in my tracks before he opened the door.

  “Well, fairly self-explanatory. Picnic basket normally means a picnic.”

  “Cass, you left me last night, by myself, blindfolded—without even a good-bye. It's as if what I did last night had no effect on you. I realize I've been a recluse for eleven years, but don't men still get turned on? I mean, you're young and virile. Didn't you find anything about me fingering myself the least bit arousing? Or is it me? Is it the fact that I don't excite you?” I wasn’t only embarrassed, but tears stung the corners of my eyes.

  Cass pushed me past the open door. His body language felt incensed. He wasn’t happy, and currently, that made two of us. Once outside, we walked down the stairs of the brothel to the boat launch. We moved along the dock and stopped in front of a small sailboat. He put down the basket inside and leaned down, producing blankets and some small pillows.

  “Get in,” he growled.

  I almost loosed a retort, but I felt the best response was none. I got in and sat back against the far end of the boat. I watched as Cass untied it from the dock and stepped in as he pushed off. He didn't say anything as he started the motor.

  “Where are we going? At least tell me that,” I asked.

  “This entire island is mainly a bay, but it has some small coves on both sides. I found a quiet one when I first got here and went exploring. No one goes there. I doubt anyone even knows about it. It's one hundred percent private. I wanted us to spend the day there. I want to show you something.” He never took his eyes off the motor or the ocean as he spoke.

  “Why would you even want to spend time with me, Cass? I realize I’m part of this research you’re doing and I'm of some interest to you because of your book, but why bother? You don't appear to be that riveted in me as a person, and frankly, being with you isn’t a morale booster. I felt horrible after last night. It was humiliating realizing what I did had no affect on you. Jesus, Cass, are you always so unfeeling that—never mind, it doesn't matter.” At this point, I was mentally exhausted. We were too different. I was too emotional and he was too vacant.

  A few minutes later, he turned off the motor. When we got close to the sand, he jumped out and pulled the boat the rest of the way in. He gave me his hand to help me out, and once I was standing on the sand, he reached back into the boat to retrieve the basket. He held my hand as he carried the basket inward to a set of palms. Once we got inside, the light defused and it became cooler.

  “Stay here. I forgot the blankets,” he said as he dropped the basket and retreated to the shore. He returned with two pillows and a blanket, which he gingerly spread out for us, then pulled me down with him as he sat. This place really was beautiful and serene. The only sounds I could hear were birds and the soft lapping of the ocean.

  “I'm sorry if I hurt you, Nic.”

  I blinked because he didn't seem like the type of man who would acknowledge wrongdoing.

  “I just don't understand you, Cass. I know you say what you want from me, but what is it you really want? You killed my ego last night. I mean, any self-doubts I had about me being sexually alluring went out the window the minute you rushed out the door. I know I'm older and probably not appealing to someone who looks like you, but if you want me to be involved with your research, you might occasionally have to stroke my ego instead of kicking it to the curb.”

  I heard him deeply inhale before he spoke. “I didn't leave the room last night because you repulsed me. On the contrary, I had to leave before I made a grave mistake.”

  “I don't understand—”

  He cut me off before I had a chance to ask any more questions. “You make me want to do very bad things to you.”

  15~Caspian

  The look on her face was worth the price of admission. I could tell she was trying to process what I’d just
told her.

  “You wanted me?: she asked as though it were the most amazing possibility, ever.

  “Want, umm… that would be a loose interpretation. I suppose being candid is the only way to clear the air with you. I wanted to fuck you, Nic, and when I say fuck¸ I mean fuck you hard and chaotic. The kind of fucking you've never done, the kind that would probably hurt you, the kind you'd be appalled by. I almost lost myself last night. I left because if I didn't, I was afraid I'd just take you.”

  She stammered, “You would have… what… forced yourself on me?”

  I stared at her with cold eyes. “I. Would. Never. Do. That. What kind of man do you think I am? Do I come across as a rapist, and do I look to you like I'd have to force a woman? What I meant was I would have taken you and you would have let me.”

  “How do you know I wouldn't have just pushed you away and I'd have been the one to leave?” She sounded defensive.

  I shook my head and closed my eyes halfway. My one hand grazed her bare arm and watched goose bumps form. “That would have never happened. You were in the throes of passion last night; you would have welcomed me and let me fuck you six ways ‘til Sunday. But if I let that happen, you’d have been full of regret right now, and our developing friendship such as it is would be ended. You would have never forgiven me, or worse yet, forgiven yourself.”

  “How do you know?” she whispered. Even soft, her words cut through me.

  “Because, little one, for you there can be no sex without love, and for me, I only have sex. Love is a poor man's emotion, a chemical reaction, a reason to act crazy. I like you too much not to be honest with you—and I will never love you and you will never let me fuck you unless I do. I suppose I could lie, but I know you'd see through me. For some reason, I believe I've met the one person who will call me on my bullshit.”

  I prayed that last statement actually wasn't true, because I had lied. Though it might have been insignificant to someone else, I sensed it would be an act of betrayal in Nic's mind.