Chapter 3
There was a moment of confusion when she woke up. The curtains were still closed to hide the balcony, and it kept the sun out of the room. But she was generally an early riser and a quick glance at the clock showed it was just coming up on eight am. There was a moment of panic thinking she'd overslept for work, but then the unfamiliar surroundings reminded her that she wasn't at home.
She started to sit up and winced. There was a dull throb in the back of her head, probably from all the drinking, she assumed. She didn't normally have to deal with hangovers because she rarely drank, but she'd expected to feel worse. The slight pain in her foggy brain wasn't nearly as bad as the ache in her ass from that hairbrush, and she quickly shifted position to get more comfortable.
It left her on her side, watching Jack as he slept. The slight lines of his forehead had smoothed in his sleep, making him look much younger, and she was tempted to reach out and brush the hair off his forehead, but she didn't want to wake him yet.
It was nice waking up to someone again. There was something so relaxing about it. While she'd stubbornly refused to give up her apartment to move in with Christopher, she'd stayed over probably two or three times a week. Sometimes more, depending on what they were doing that week. He'd never spent a whole night at her apartment, though. In fact, he rarely went there at all if he could help it and often made disparaging comments about the cheap location.
Well, she liked it. Maybe her things were second-hand, for the most part, but she liked being independent and having her own place. It was small and maybe it lacked the luxuries of his large house, but it was hers. The one thing she didn't like about it was sleeping alone. People were vulnerable when they slept and there was nothing better than having someone you trusted enough to let down your guard with. That had been Christopher for a while, but now…maybe it would be Jack.
She was debating whether she should wake him up by pushing her way into his arms for morning cuddles…and maybe something else, when his eyes fluttered and slowly opened. A slow smile grew as he looked at her. "Good morning, Kitty."
"Morning, Jack," she replied with an answering smile. She moved closer and he held out his arms for her, exactly as she'd hoped. She turned and wiggled back against him, her ass pressing against his groin where she could feel a growing hardness. Maybe just the typical morning issue that all men faced, but she liked to think she had partially inspired it and purposely wiggled a little more.
He grunted and then laughed. "Don't start something you can't finish, darlin'," he warned her.
"Who said I can't finish?" she retorted.
"I did." His arms tightened around her briefly, and he buried his face against her neck to give her a soft, teasing nip. Maybe it was in revenge because it certainly caused her body to react, but a moment later, he was letting her go and tossing back the covers to get out of bed.
She sat up slowly, frowning. With her hair tousled from sleep and a woe-begone expression on her face, she looked like a child who'd just been denied dessert. "I'm not drunk anymore and I'm not in trouble now so why can't we…" she trailed off.
Jack sighed, one hand going up to rumple his hair as he looked at her. He clearly wanted her; that wasn't the problem. She could see it in his body, even though he was still fully dressed from the night before, and in his eyes, too. He hesitated and, after a second, he came over and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Kitty, you're just out of a serious relationship. Your emotions are all over the place and you don't know what you want. To top it off, you're a submissive; I'm a dominant, and I punished you last night, so, every fiber of your body is telling you that you're mine now. Hell, mine's in agreement with you, but you're not mine." He sounded firm about that and she flinched, assuming it was his way of saying he didn't want her.
"Don't misunderstand. We don't know each other well enough to commit to anything permanent, but any man who doesn't snatch you up when given a chance is an idiot. Thing is…" He cleared his throat, looking awkward. "I'm not comfortable having sex with a woman who is still wearing another man's collar." He reached over and tapped the delicate silver anklet that proclaimed her as 'Owned'.
Her eyes followed his hand and settled on the silver band. She swallowed hard and shook her head. "I told you, I just forgot to take it off," she said, repeating her earlier lie.
"And I told you I didn't like lies." He said it gently, not like he was angry. "You didn't forget; you just weren't ready. When you're ready, you'll remove it. Until you're sure, I don't want to take advantage of your emotional state."
The frown on her face deepened, and she felt an attitude growing as she yanked her leg back and rolled to the far side of the bed to get up. "Fine, Jack," she snapped as she headed for the bathroom. "I'll see you later then."
"Kitty…" He tried to catch her wrist as she went by, but she evaded his grasp and slammed the door in his face. "Kitty, come out here and talk to me please," he said in a voice that was edging from understanding to irritated.
"Just go, I'm sure you can find someone less emotional," she said through the bathroom door. She tried to sound like she was fine, but she wasn't. She was angry, frustrated, but also hurt. If he really wanted her, a stupid bracelet wouldn't make a difference, was the thought going through her mind the loudest. She'd always had trouble with a bullying internal voice, and as much as she tried not to listen…sometimes she couldn't help it. Right now, it was working hard to convince her that Jack was just another man who was going to walk away, and tears had started to roll down her cheeks.
"Kitty, that wasn't what I meant. I have every intention of enjoying this trip with you and I'm not interested in anyone else," he said firmly. "Now, are you going to come out?"
"No!" She knew she sounded petulant, but she couldn't really help it.
He waited, growing less patient as she refused to open the door. "I said I wasn't going to have sex with you. I didn't say anything about not spanking you, Kitty. Keep this up and you might end up with another dose of the hairbrush. I really don't think you want that after last night," he warned.
Her eyes widened, hands going back to cover her ass protectively, even though the door was between them. She couldn't handle another spanking already, but she also didn't want to open the door because, when she was struggling with attitude, her mouth tended to get out of control easily. "Jack, please…it's fine. Just leave me alone so I can get dressed. I'll meet you for breakfast in the formal dining room in half hour, okay?" she pleaded.
He growled, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the obstruction between them. She was upset, and it was obvious that she wasn't going to let him help. Maybe a little time alone would settle her down, though after her balcony adventure, he was extremely hesitant to leave her alone while agitated. "All right, Kitty. I need to change my clothes and shower, anyway. I will see you at breakfast, but if you're not there, I'm going to come back and we're going to have a long, hard conversation about dealing with things like an adult. Am I clear?" he asked, emphasizing certain words in a less than subtle point.
There was a long silence from her, but, finally, she sighed. "I'll be there," she promised.
That seemed to satisfy him at least temporarily, and a few seconds later, she heard the door open and close. She waited a little longer before hesitantly opening the door to make sure he'd gone. The room was empty and she wandered over to sit on the bed, feeling sulky and morose. She wasn't even sure why she was reacting like this. Any other girl would be thrilled that a guy wanted to wait around until she was over her ex before jumping into the sack.
But she was craving touch and the kind of spanking she could enjoy. The casual way he took command was exciting, and now that the pain in her rump had died down, the fact that he'd punished her was adding to that. Every time he used his stern voice, there was a pulse of pure desire low in her body, but she didn't want another harsh punishment. She wanted him to play with her.
An image of sprawling wantonly across
his knee while he spanked her, his fingers slipping between her thighs to caress her needy folds, flashed through her mind and brought a flush of heat to her cheeks. She needed it badly, but she probably wasn't going to change his mind by acting like a brat. She looked down at the silver chain on her ankle thoughtfully. He'd said if she was ready, she'd have removed the chain; maybe taking it off would be enough to get what she wanted.
She hesitated…without a clasp, the only way to remove it would be to break it and doing that would be like admitting that her relationship with Christopher was entirely over. She ran her fingers over the silver and sighed. She wasn't sure she was ready for that just yet. Besides, the chain was sturdy and thick, and she didn't know if she'd be able to break it herself anyway.
In the back of her mind was the very unlikely possibility that Christopher was testing her. Realistically, there was no chance of him sending her on a cruise alone just to see what she would do, but when she thought about the finality of removing the anklet, the 'what if' did pop up. Knowing him as she did, he'd be able to forgive a vacation romance far easier than he would her taking off his symbol of ownership for another man.
So maybe Jack was right, and she wasn't ready yet, at least not emotionally. Physically, her body was more than ready for him. She wanted his hands all over her body and just thinking about it was making her panties damp. She pushed it out of her mind hurriedly; he had too much power over her already without her body taking his side. But she dressed with extra care and took the time to apply a little make-up before heading down to join him for breakfast.
He looked up with a relieved smile when she approached the table, standing to pull out her chair. Changing the seating arrangements had been no problem; it happened commonly on cruises as people made friends, he explained as she settled carefully into the seat next to him. She was grateful for the cushioned seat; a dull ache from the spanking still lingered in her backside.
"Less choice in here, but it's more relaxed and there's no line to get food. Also, the meals tend to be a little fancier," he said, picking up the single-sheet menu and tapping it.
She leaned in to look and then laughed. "I'm not even sure what the choices are. I don't think I've eaten any of this before," she said. Picking up her own menu, she scanned the short list of entrees curiously. Not the most adventurous of diners, she tended to stick to the basics and nowhere on the menu did she see scrambled eggs and bacon. "I've heard of Eggs Benedict, maybe I'll try that."
He started to explain what the dish entailed, when they were interrupted by the waiter filling their coffee cups and asking if they wanted juice with breakfast. "Eggs Benedict is good if you like poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. You might like this better," he suggested, indicating the choice below it. "It sounds more exotic than it is. Fromage blanc is just a soft cheese, and crêpes are like pancakes but thinner," he finished once the drinks were settled.
"Oh, that sounds better, yes," she said in a relieved tone, and when the waiter returned, she ordered that. Christopher had always pushed her to expand her horizons when it came to food, but she tended to drag her feet. A low-income childhood, followed by scrimping her way through college, had never given her much chance to branch away from the common and she just wasn't comfortable with how fast he wanted her to change. But then, that was the whole problem with their relationship—he moved too fast and she moved too slow.
She sighed and pushed that out of her mind. If she was going to convince Jack she was over her ex, brooding over him wasn't going to help. She picked up her coffee as a distraction and inhaled the rich aroma. It was definitely not the cheap instant she was used to at home, and she couldn't resist taking a long sip even though the steam curling off the surface warned her it was too hot. She hissed as her tongue scalded, and she heard him quietly chuckling as he watched her with a look of pure amusement.
"Might want to let it cool down a little, Kitty," he said. He held his own cup, but blew carefully across the surface before sipping it cautiously.
Blushing, she shook her head. "I always do that. Too impatient, I guess," she admitted and then followed his example before trying again. The coffee woke her up, and the food cleared up the last of the bad mood that had hit her in the cabin earlier.
"I'm surprised you're hungry," he commented as she devoured her breakfast. "After all that drinking last night, I thought you'd be too sick to eat this morning." His plate was piled high because he'd ordered a double helping of everything, so his appetite clearly wasn't affected by the drinking he'd done, either, though admittedly he'd drunk a lot less than she had.
She paused, a forkful on its way to her mouth, and thought about it, then shrugged and popped the cheese-filled crêpe into her mouth. "I had a headache when I woke up, but that's about it. I've never been a big drinker so I've never had a bad hangover. I've seen them, though." She made a face, nose wrinkling as she remembered dealing with her parents the morning after. "It was dumb drinking so much. It's not like me, really," she added.
She put her fork down on the empty plate and sat back to look at him. "I still owe you for last night. I know I thanked you already but—well, I was being an idiot and I appreciate your help."
He was quiet for a second, taking a couple of bites as he formulated his thoughts. "It was my pleasure. With the exception of the punishment, I've enjoyed every minute with you, Kitty. Not that I minded giving you the spanking you obviously needed, but I would have preferred it under a different…context." He lowered his voice, even though the rest of the table was empty, "I enjoy spanking, and you have an ass that just begs to be spanked, Kitty, but I'd have enjoyed something a little more sensual to start off."
It was more the tone of voice he used than the actual words, but something low in her body tightened like a coiled spring. Her face took on a cherry red color as the blood rushed to her cheeks. She licked her bottom lip and swallowed hard. "I-I would have preferred that, too." After a pause, she rushed forward with, "No reason why we can't still have that now. I mean, I'm a little sore right now but maybe, later tonight, we could."
She squirmed a little in her seat, embarrassed at the way she was practically throwing herself at him and wincing because she was still sore. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected it to be after he'd used that nasty hairbrush on her ass, but uncomfortable enough that she'd enjoy it more if they waited.
He leaned back in his chair and looked under the table pointedly then back at her. "Chain still on?" he asked.
She frowned; he really was going to stick to that and she didn't know what to say so her eyes dropped to stare at her plate. She was a tactile creature and she needed to be touched, to be loved. The way he'd held her last night was wonderful but she was needy for more than just a snuggle, and while the spanking was probably long past due, it didn't feed the sexual aspect of her needs.
"It doesn't mean I'm not ready to move on, Jack. It just means I don't want to break something that had meaning to me," she said. Her tone of voice made it obvious that she wanted to believe that but wasn't really convinced.
He didn't call her on the lie, though the look on his face said he was tempted. Instead, he changed the subject. "So what would you like to do today? We'll be docking in Grand Cayman in an hour or so. I checked on the way up and most of the excursions were sold out, but I know my way around so, if you like, we can do our own thing. I know a beautiful spot that's off the tourist track and usually pretty deserted on the weekdays," he offered.
"You've been here before?" she asked, surprised.
"I told you I've traveled a lot. I've been to all the places we'll visit on this cruise," he assured her. "I did the carefully planned ship excursions the first time. After that, it got boring and I learned to do a little exploring on my own. You up for an adventure?" he asked, teasing her with a slight smile.
"I-I guess so." The uncertainty in her tone was obvious, but so was her interest. "You're sure we'll make it back in time and everything?" The idea of missing the ship and having to fly
to the next port was breathtakingly scary to someone who didn't have a lot of extra money.
His large hand covered hers gently, calming her. "I promise. I've done this before. We'll be back right on time, and you'll see things none of the others on the ship will get a chance to see. Trust me," he said.
And she did trust him. In the one day they'd known each other, she'd already come to trust him. "I do, Jack," she assured him.
"Good girl. You should grab whatever you need for the day. Swimsuit, towel, sunblock, camera, if you want to take pictures." He listed items off the top of his head as he pushed back his chair and got to his feet. "I'll meet you at the departure ramp in one hour," he said. "Oh, and wear comfortable shoes, there'll be some walking," he tossed over his shoulder as he began to stride away.
He vanished out the door with a cheerful wave, before she could even formulate any questions. After a few seconds, she got up to follow, hoping to catch him, but he was nowhere in sight when she got there. His departure had been so abrupt, like he had someplace to be and it left her a little confused. He did seem to keep disappearing on her, but everything was cleared up when she arrived to meet him.
He had a backpack slung over one shoulder and a sturdy paper bag in his other hand. When she approached, he lifted it with a little shake and grinned. "Lunch. The kitchen will pack them for you if you ask the right people," he explained.
"Oh, what a good idea!" she said.
"I thought you might like to try the local cuisine for dinner, but it's going to be a long day and you'll likely work up an appetite before then," he said as they carefully made their way down the ramp.
"You really are an experienced traveler!" she exclaimed. She'd gotten so used to the swaying of the ship that the stable ground under her felt odd and she laughed as she took a few hesitant steps.
In Time for Love (Timeless Love Book 1) Page 8
