“We do not wish to intrude on you, monsieur. If you prefer solitude…”
He hadn’t built a billion-dollar business by being shy or antisocial, and something about these two was very intriguing. “Not at all,” he said smoothly. “Why don’t we move to a table? Better conversational area.”
She nodded then slid from the stool. The hem of her sundress caught on one of the bamboo pieces, affording Gabriel a good look at her pale legs, knees to knickers.
She wore tiny red, lacy knickers that didn’t hide anything. Definitely the “for show” kind of racy underwear.
Without missing a beat or losing her smile, Madelyn unhooked her dress and slowly smoothed a hand over her hips.
“This way.”
He motioned Noah forward and then followed the pair. Noah pulled out a chair for Madelyn and seated himself only when Gabriel motioned him down.
“Not that I’m complaining, mind you, but to what do I owe the pleasure of your interest?” Gabriel spoke directly to Madelyn, though he kept a partial gaze upon Noah.
He caught the furtive glance they shared, and his radar went on high alert. He took a sip from his martini while he waited for an answer.
“Why are you here, on Pleasure Isles?” Madelyn asked.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Another shared look, and Noah gave her a sharp nod, and she sighed.
“Very well, monsieur, I will tell you, but please do us the courtesy of hearing me out fully before interjecting.” She drew random patterns on the glass tabletop with her long, rounded fingernail. “What I have to say is highly unbelievable, but I swear to you, one hundred percent true.”
Intriguing.
“You are a very successful businessman. So successful, you were able to sell your latest company for nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. You have an aptitude for finding a niche and filling it efficiently and in a manner which ensures you’ll make the most possible return on your investments.”
Gabriel stilled and narrowed his eyes, but remained silent. He was interested in seeing where this was going. His identity on the island was no big secret, but most people here were concerned with pleasure, not profit. So far, no one had approached him about his business dealings.
“You are divorced for one year and sixteen days. Your marriage lasted three years and nine days. You are thirty-six years old. No children. You work out regularly at the gym, swim on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and prefer potato vodka over grain.”
The grocery list, as varied and accurate as it was, sent alarm bells winging through his brain.
Still, though, he remained quiet.
Madelyn sipped her martini. “I tell you all of this to prove what I am about to tell you is the truth.”
“Any private investigator could have churned up that information,” he finally said. “You’ve not told me anything that isn’t actually a matter of public record.”
She looked chagrined.
Noah smiled and leaned forward. “When your wife told you she wanted a divorce, she cited difficulties with you in the areas of control and the bedroom. I believe her exact words were ‘You’ll never find anyone who will bend to your every command.’ Correct?”
It took every ounce of his willpower not to jump up, plant his fist in the other man’s face, and stalk away.
No one knew what Marcy had said to him that day.
He drained the rest of his martini, nodded, and rose. “Good afternoon.”
“Wait, please. Sir, please.”
Madelyn’s voice hitched with passion and pleading, and Gabriel cursed himself every kind of idiot and then some as he turned back. Her big blue eyes were as wide and imploring as a puppy’s. He’d always been a sucker for small and adorable things. Madelyn fit the bill perfectly. Her sweet face silently begged him to listen.
“Please, sit down again.” She patted the back of his chair.
“How in the hell did you know what my ex-wife said? And why in the hell should I sit down and listen?”
“I have not finished my story, Sir. There are a few crucial items to share.” She bit her bottom lip, suckling at the fullness. “It is truly important.”
He cut a glance at Noah, who also wore the same faint look of entreaty wrapped in an arrogance he was beginning to recognize and maybe even understand. The look of a Dom.
“Damn it.” He sighed and resumed his seat. “You’d better have a damn good explanation for this knowledge of yours.”
She took a deep breath, laced her fingers, and spoke again. “Our employer, collectively known as the Council, has sent us to intervene in your private life. To sort of guide you to the next step of your sexual evolution and help you to become a strong member in our community.”
“Council? Sexual evolution? Christ, lady, what are you smoking?”
“It gets more unbelievable, Sir, and I apologize.”
Gabriel waved his hand for her to continue. How much worse could it get?
“We are magically enhanced sexual guides,” Madelyn said in a rush. “You are our client. The Council has ferreted out every one of your secrets and determined you are a prime candidate for our services.” She took in a deep breath. “In short, Sir, the Council believes you to be a very strong and important Dominant in the BDSM world, except you don’t know that. We, Noah and I, have been assigned your case in order to help you find your way properly.”
His breath whooshed from his body. “Did you say a Dominant?”
“Yes, Sir.”
He wanted to dismiss her out of hand, but something stalled the words in his throat. Gabriel looked away, and his glance was snagged by a couple at the edge of the outdoor bar. She was leaning over the rail, hands in a white-knuckled grip on the wood, her skirt tossed to her back. Behind her, a man used his sandal to spank her ass.
Instantly his cock hardened again.
Him? A Dom? Surely not.
Madelyn’s soft hand closed over his forearm. “Yes, Sir, that is exactly what you are.”
He pulled his attention back to her. “Un-fucking-believable.”
She didn’t seem put out in the least by his harsh mockery.
Noah settled his big hand on Gabriel’s other arm. “It’s true. Our mission here is to show you how to become the best Dom you have hidden inside.”
“How?” Gabriel muttered. What the hell? Surely I’m not buying into this.
“Have you not noticed your interest in all things bondage while you’ve been here? Didn’t you go hard as a rock when you saw the couple at the end of the patio? Aren’t you secretly critiquing his methods? His stance? Cataloging her expressions and wondering how you could take her higher?”
Every damn thing Noah said was true, and Gabriel fought with himself. Admit it or not?
“Fine,” he said. “Yes, I was thinking something along those lines. But what has that to do with some Council, and what the hell is a magically enhanced sexual being?”
Noah’s face lapsed into smugness, and again Gabriel found himself wanting to knock the expression away.
But this time, not with his fist.
With a whip.
Chapter Two
Noah watched Gabriel struggle with the revelations they’d introduced. He saw when he grudgingly accepted the possibility existed. He could also tell the other man really wanted to lash out.
Good, things were progressing nicely. Now they just had to find a way to channel his energy. Despite Gabriel’s interests, he still had to have the right temperament, abilities, and skill set.
“Being a Dom isn’t the right role for everyone,” he said. God, wasn’t that the truth? Visions of the demon redhead Krista floated in his mind. His gut clenched as bile churned, and he forced the acid away. “There are varying levels of every role in this world. Some are extreme and some are more playful. We need to find out which type you are.”
Gabriel’s expression was skeptical. “How do you propose we do that?”
“Mostly we talk to you about your likes a
nd dislikes. Find out what arouses you and why, then we put some things into practice,” Madelyn said. “Have you ever visited any BDSM specific websites?”
“No.”
“All right, let’s go back to the couple from a few moments ago. You had a very physical reaction to that scene. Why?” Her fingers covered his. “Please, be as specific as you can.”
Gabriel looked uncomfortable, and Noah squelched a hint of satisfaction. Something about the other man rubbed him sideways. Not a dislike, by any means, but more of a sense this client was going to be extremely difficult to guide. Already he sensed Gabriel’s stubborn nature.
He was arrogant, assured, and analytical. Normally good things for a Dom, but in this case, it just might impede the training process. Noah hid a smile behind his glass as he plotted a way to have Mr. Fleming on his knees and taking his whip.
After all, what better way to learn how to wield power than by submitting to power?
But he suspected that was something they’d have to work up to.
Gabriel shifted in the chair, took another sip of his drink, then shrugged. “First and foremost, I liked her position.”
“Why?”
He thought for a moment. “She appeared very vulnerable, I think. Unless she turned to look, she could not see what was about to happen to her. She placed herself at this man’s mercy.” He looked up, a self-mocking twist on his lips. “Crazy, huh?”
“Not at all,” Noah replied. “Overall, it is about trust. Your sub trusts you to know what pleases her, what does not, what her hard and soft limits are, and how and when you should try to break them. What else?”
“What is the difference between a hard and soft limit?” Gabriel asked.
“We’ll get into that later. Right now continue telling us what drew you to that scene. And, if you’ve witnessed anything else you’ve enjoyed, I want to hear about that as well.” He infused his tone with just a hint of authority. Not enough to make Gabriel balk, but enough to get his attention.
The other man snapped a sharp, assessing glare his way, but Noah merely smiled.
“All right, I’m game. For now.”
Noah inclined his head at the subtle challenge.
“The expression on her face as he was hitting her.”
“Spanking her,” Madelyn chimed in. “Hitting has such a negative connotation.”
“Fine, spanking her. I was intrigued by the way her mouth opened and closed with each blow and how her eyes sparkled. I could tell she was both dreading the next spank and relishing it. I also thought he should be delivering the blows a little harder. I liked the sound of the sandal as it landed against her ass, but I felt he was going about it in an almost timid kind of way.”
Noah stiffened. “How much harder?” Was Clarissa wrong and this guy another Krista? Not into the mental aspects of BDSM, just mental?
Gabriel shrugged. “I don’t know, just harder. She looked like she was enjoying it, and I guess that’s good, but I would have liked to see her squirm a bit more.” He paused and smiled. “I also liked the way her skirt was tossed up her back. Much more seductive than if she’d been fully nude. Though that would not be bad, either.”
Frustration rose in Noah. This kind of discussion wasn’t garnering him the results he wanted. The conversation was too conceptual and not enough action. But before he put anything into action, he wanted some answers.
“How would you feel about drawing blood?”
Gabriel’s startled and instantly repulsed expression put Noah at ease. He drew a much calmer breath.
“Hell, no. That’s too much, man.”
“Do you know the saying ‘safe, sane, and consensual’?”
Gabriel nodded. “Yeah, it’s hard to escape it, these days. Seems to be floating everywhere in pop culture.”
“Do you understand it?” Noah pressed.
“Sure. It’s a pretty basic concept. There are rules so neither person is hurt beyond what they wish to be. Or made to do something they wouldn’t like.” He lifted a brow. “Is that where the difference in limits comes in?”
“Exactly.” Noah nodded toward Madelyn. “Say, for example, Madelyn had a soft limit of no anal sex. As her Dom, it is your job to push that limit so far that, not only does she agree to having her ass plugged, but she begs you to do so. In essence, you force her to ask for something she originally refused.”
He could tell his deliberate choice of words aroused Gabriel, who now looked at Madelyn with narrow-eyed speculation.
For her part, Madelyn appeared both shy and peeved. She kicked Noah under the table. Wincing, he glared at her.
“A hard limit would be something like no permanent marks like nipple or clit piercings or brands.”
Gabriel’s instant recoil finally set Noah’s mind at ease. He stood and finished his drink. “I think we should take this discussion to our suite where we have a bit more privacy for demonstration. Madelyn.”
She immediately rose with fluid grace.
Gabriel was much slower to stand, though he finally did. He, too, finished off his martini. “I’ll close out my tab.”
As soon as he was out of earshot, Noah turned to Madelyn. “Are you up for playing?”
Her smile was sweetly devilish. “Of course. I assume I’ll be punished for some infraction?”
He winked and took her arm. “You did kick me, didn’t you?”
She pouted and ran her fingers up his chest. “Only a little, and you deserved it, chéri.”
Noah squeezed her soft skin. “You never kick your Dom without punishment, love, you know that.”
Her huff of amused annoyance was sweet along his cheek. He grinned as he kissed her softly. “Come on, let’s go see what kind of mettle our CEO has.”
They joined Gabriel at the bar just as he finished signing the bill.
“Ready?” Noah asked.
“Lead on.”
He led them off the patio and onto the silken sands of the beach, heading for their ocean-front suite. The Council did not skimp on amenities for their Enrichers. They’d been booked into a lush and large fantasy suite. One decked out with implements specific to their requests, but he always brought a few favorite toys of his own. Not to mention, it tickled the hell out of him to see the expressions on the TSA agent’s face as he passed through airport security.
More than once, his bag had been opened for inspection, and he had a good time explaining in detail the use of each toy. He liked corrupting the vanilla world whenever possible.
As they walked along the sidewalk that wrapped through the beach, Noah felt a strange sensation, like a spider walking up his neck. He slapped at the back of his head, but nothing was there.
“What is wrong, chéri?” Madelyn asked.
“Don’t know,” he muttered, his gaze bouncing to all the people surrounding him. “Just an odd feeling.”
She swallowed hard, and her glance, too, searched out those around them.
Noah knew they were both thinking of Krista.
“She’s not here,” Noah said and hoped like hell he was right.
He flicked a glance at Gabriel. Aside from a look of mild curiosity, he didn’t ask any questions about their mention of Krista.
Noah linked fingers with Madelyn and gave her a reassuring squeeze. He would not leave her alone.
Never again.
Noah inserted his key card into the lock and pushed the door open when it blinked green. He ushered them inside the tenth-floor room, slapped the “Do Not Disturb” placard on the handle, threw the dead bolt, and turned around.
“What kind of demonstrations are you proposing?” Gabriel asked as they made their way into the room.
“That will depend on you, Gabriel,” Noah said. “Let’s sit and talk a bit more.”
They moved into the spacious living room. A large couch flanked by two wingback chairs dominated the space. Between them sat a very sturdy wooden coffee table complete with convenient spaces to attach D rings and restraints.
“Sit down,” Noah said to Gabriel.
Again, a silent span of deliberation before he took a chair. Noah turned around, hiding his grin. Gabriel Fleming did not like being told what to do.
“What appeals to you about being a Dom?”
“The control aspect of it.”
Of course.
“In what way?”
Gabriel looked at him as though he were an idiot. “I like it when people do what I tell them to do. I like being in control.”
“Have you ever not been in control?” Madelyn asked. “Have you had a situation where you were forced to give it up?”
He shrugged. “A few times, yes. I hated it, but I’m sure you figured that out.”
She smiled. “I did.”
“So, you’ve not been involved in any level of BDSM? No sexual forays into spanking or humiliation or anything like that with your wife?”
Gabriel’s laugh was harsh and bitter. “Marcy was even more controlling than I am. She always complained I tried to force her to do things, but I disagreed.”
“What kinds of things?”
The question seemed to throw him and he frowned. “I don’t know. Sexual positions—she was very much a strictly missionary kind of girl—some role-playing, blindfolds. I once tied her wrists with a silk tie, but she wouldn’t have any of it and screeched until I released her.”
Noah knew exactly what he’d been through. Gabriel’s own hazy discovery of his dominant personality mirrored his in some ways. When he’d been scryed and contacted by the Council, his own awakening took a long time. He was cocky and on the verge of bucking authority every single day. Like an ass, he thought being a Dom meant being a dick.
Then Madelyn had entered his life, turned it upside down, and smacked the truth into his thick skull. She’d curbed his wild, bad boy mannerisms and helped him channel them into more positive, productive things.
Like whipping her ass.
They’d been paired together, and she quickly took him in hand and showed him what the D/s relationship was really about. In the ten years since, they’d never been apart, and he was grateful. Madelyn probably didn’t know just how close he’d been to the edge. How her soft ways and French stubbornness saved his life.
Empowered [Sexual Magic 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 2
