Amazon Slave

by Lisette Ashton

  Emily had not bothered to thank them and neither Roderick nor Judy had mentioned this. They had stood in attendance as she dressed for the meeting and listened to her attentively. Dictating orders like a military general, Emily had explained how the negotiations were going to go. She had told Roderick and Judy that they were to obey every instruction she gave them without question.

  Knowing there would be repercussions if they disobeyed, the pair had happily agreed.

  John Masters did not bother to acknowledge Roderick and Judy. He kept his gaze fixed on Emily. ‘What if you’re the incentive that I want?’ His hand moved and brushed against her. The tips of his fingers rubbed against the fabric of her jacket, sending a soft tingle of warmth through the bud of her hardened nipple.

  Emily released a soft breath of excitement. She smiled at him and raised her eyebrows suggestively. ‘Perhaps that was what I had hoped for,’ she replied. Her fingers were still on his chest and she moved them over his white shirt, tracing the swell of his impressive pectorals.

  He placed his mouth over hers, kissing her with a forceful passion that revealed his innate arrogance.

  It would have felt natural to succumb to such a kiss, Emily realised. The easiest thing in the world would have been to melt beneath his embrace and allow him to dominate her. Instead, she kissed him back. She pressed her mouth against his with all the fury of her avaricious sexual hunger. Her tongue probed between his lips and her teeth gently chewed against the sensitive flesh of his broad, lower lip. Embracing him as they kissed, she pressed her eager body against his and was encouraged to feel the hardness of his arousal.

  Behind John’s shoulder she saw Alan Thomas move toward Roderick and Judy and she said a silent prayer. She had tried to warn the couple what to expect and she had given them explicit instruction about what they should do and how they should behave. Though she did not doubt they were obedient, her heart beat rapidly as she realised this was the one part of the negotiations that was outside her control.

  ‘And how do you fit into this?’ Alan asked Roderick.

  His gaze briefly incorporated Judy, but he was talking directly to Roderick.

  From her place by the door, Emily watched nervously. She saw Roderick’s adam’s apple bob sharply up and down as he swallowed nervously. Because apprehension had lowered his voice, she strained to hear his reply.

  ‘Judy and I have helped Emily to prepare the contract,’ Roderick told Alan. He moistened his lips suddenly and said, ‘Would you care for a drink?’

  Alan smiled broadly at him. It was the hungry grin of a predatory animal. ‘The girl can get the drinks,’ he told Roderick, placing a hand on his arm. ‘I’m sure that you and I can talk while she’s preparing them.’

  Roderick, allowing the arm to remain where it was, nodded and forced an easy grin to surface on his lips.

  Emily held her breath. She knew that Roderick was neither stupid nor naive; he would realise exactly what Alan was implying. The man was being alarmingly intimate, and she wondered if Roderick found the prospect unnerving or darkly exciting. She had made threats of retribution if he did not behave himself, but she did not know how far he was willing to go to comply with her demands.

  ‘You look nervous,’ Alan remarked calmly. He brushed the back of his hand against Roderick’s cheek. His fingers trailed almost casually against the sensitive flesh.

  Roderick shivered. ‘I suppose I am, a little,’ he conceded. He studied the man’s pale grey eyes, smiling softly.

  Emily could see the growing bulge at the front of his pants and she stifled an exclamation. She had always believed Roderick to be one hundred per cent heterosexual. The sight of him being aroused by a man was totally unprecedented.

  Roderick’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment and he tugged the lapel of his jacket so his arousal was hidden. His crimson cheeks burnt darker when he saw the smile on Alan’s face. It was obvious that the man knew why he had moved his jacket, or he had already seen Roderick’s blatant excitement.

  By the door, Emily eventually relented to the power of John’s kisses. His hands traversed the swells and contours of her frame and she heard herself gasp excitedly. When his hands cupped her buttocks through the flimsy fabric of her short skirt, she winced softly. The cheeks of her arse were still tender from the beating Captain Wilde had administered the day before.

  John’s hands continued to brush unconsciously against her bruised flesh, exciting the memory of each weal and welt. Emily suddenly felt breathless with the pent-up yearning of her arousal. She smiled excitedly into John’s face, her eyes shiny with desire. It had been her intention just to tease him to begin with. She had thought it would help her chances if his mind repeatedly strayed back to an allusion of intimacy while he studied the contract. Considering her own febrile desires, she realised she had not accounted for the effect he was having on her. The eagerness of his erection pushed forcefully against the flat of her stomach; she shivered happily at its nearness. Glancing over John’s shoulder, she watched Roderick place a tentative hand on Alan Thomas’s cheek.

  A moment later, the two men were kissing.

  The sight was so remarkable, she felt her own excitement intensify with voyeuristic delight.

  Alan had his hands splayed through Roderick’s long hair. Roderick was holding the back of Alan’s neck as their mouths shared one another. From her position, Emily could see the pair rub their bodies closely together.

  John Masters released her from his embrace and took a reluctant step away. He seemed surprised to find Judy standing next to him, offering him a glass of champagne from a tray. He thanked her and took a fluted goblet before testing the bouquet. ‘An excellent vintage,’ he told Emily approvingly.

  She nodded her thanks. ‘I thought you’d want to celebrate after you got my proposal in your hands,’ she explained arrogantly. With a knowing smile, she added, ‘Champagne was one of the ways that I thought we could celebrate.’

  He returned her smile and drained his glass in one. Glancing around the room, he caught sight of his colleague, then discreetly turned away. After giving an apologetic cough, he said, ‘Are you ready, Alan?’

  Alan moved his lips from Roderick’s. A reluctant smile of desire lit his expression.

  Roderick studied the man, looking painfully unsure about the feelings he was experiencing. Emily could see that he had already succumbed to Alan’s exciting mesmerism, but she doubted Roderick had ever been attracted to a man before. She wondered how he was dealing with the new experience. The intimacy the two men shared had been thrilling to watch.

  Alan grinned at Roderick. A line of understanding etched his lips. ‘You’ll be at the business meeting tonight, I trust?’ he asked quietly.

  Roderick nodded. He swallowed, the sound seeming to resonate in the quiet room.

  ‘We’ll study this, along with Wilde’s,’ John Masters told Emily, waving the proposal at her. ‘You’re invited to dine with us all this evening,’ he added. ‘Alan and I will have made a decision by then.’

  Hesitation clouded Emily’s brow. ‘I thought you were dining on board the Amazon Maiden this evening,’ she began.

  ‘We are,’ John told her. ‘Wilde will have no objections to you being there.’ A knowing smile broke his lips. ‘He wants this contract so badly he wouldn’t dare to object to my inviting someone else on board his ship.’

  Emily considered telling John Masters that the Amazon Maiden was a boat, not a ship. The fact had been repeated to her so many times it was almost automatic to correct the error. Wisely, she kept the thought to herself and graced him with a confident grin. ‘I can’t wait,’ she said softly. ‘I was already looking forward to tonight. Now I’m anticipating it more than ever.’

  He nodded understanding, a broad grin splitting his lips. ‘Come on, Alan,’ he called brusquely. ‘We have work to do.’

  Together, the two men walked briskly from the room. John paused, before closing the door and gave Emily an appreciative glance. ‘Until tonight
.’

  She nodded and smiled in response. His passionate kisses had bruised her lips, but they were not so badly damaged that she could not taste the sweet flavour of victory. She grinned triumphantly at Roderick and Judy and was pleased to see them smile back at her. There was only one cloud looming on the horizon now, she realised. Over dinner this evening she would have to face Captain Wilde again. The thought sent a shiver running down her spine. If she never had to set eyes on him again, it would be too soon. The prospect chilled her.

  Realising her hands were shaking nervously, she snatched a glass of champagne from Judy’s tray and sipped tentatively at the liquid. There was no doubt in her mind that when she next the saw captain, he would not be happy with her.

  * * *

  The door shook beneath the pummelling it was receiving. The hammering fist on the other side caused an echo to reverberate around the entire suite. It was a noise so loud and unexpected the three of them all jolted in their seats.

  ‘Open up, you sneaky fucking BITCH! Open up, NOW!’ The torrent of blows stopped long enough for the words to be shouted. Then they started again. Emily had no difficulty recognising the captain’s voice. She was used to him delivering commands and orders at a deafening volume. Even though his shouts now transcended anything she had heard before, she knew it was him. It was unsettling to hear the note of anger that coloured his tone. Before, she thought she had heard anger in his voice. Now she realised this was the first time she had heard it. The thought was darkly unsettling. Emily tested a reassuring smile against the concerned faces of Roderick and Judy. The pair each held a flute of champagne and she saw that they were both trembling slightly. The sparkling liquid in their glasses fizzed and shook with the nervous tremor of their hands.

  ‘I’m warning you, EMILY! If you don’t open this door, I’ll kick the damned thing OPEN!’

  The door began to shake beneath a barrage of blows and kicks so forceful they were actually visible. Staring nervously, Emily wondered if it was possible he was trying to make good the threat. The door pushed hard against the jamb, groaning and bowing beneath the relentless pounding of his fists. The force of his rage seemed more than sufficient to destroy it. Emily could picture him bursting into the room in an explosion of splinters, shavings and mangled wooden debris.

  ‘I think that will be for me,’ she told Roderick quietly. ‘Would you mind getting it for me?’

  Roderick glanced at her doubtfully.

  ‘Now,’ she told him firmly.

  He nodded and after placing his glass on a table, made his way to the door. It burst open as soon as he had unlocked it.

  Captain Wilde stormed into the room, his face as dark as the underbelly of a thundercloud. His eyes were alight with malicious intent and his hands were balled into fists. His breath was a broken pant that exploded in soft, menacing growls. He glared threateningly at Roderick until the younger man took a reluctant step backwards. Casting his gaze furiously around the room, he caught sight of Emily and stamped angrily towards her.

  Emily remained in her seat, maintaining a mask of cool control.

  ‘I should snap your deceitful little neck like a fucking pencil.’

  She raised her eyebrows slightly, as though she was considering the idea. ‘I don’t think that would be wise,’ she told him eventually. ‘Even over here, they do have some laws that forbid that sort of behaviour. I doubt you’d even be able to get away with it on board the Amazon Maiden.’

  ‘You’ve stolen my contract,’ he growled angrily. ‘Don’t you dare try and make shitty jokes with me after that. I ought to…’ He raised his open hand high in the air and glared furiously down at her. His anger was so great he was lost for words

  ‘Don’t even think about hitting her,’ Roderick said stiffly.

  Captain Wilde turned to face him. His eyes were black coals of passionate hatred.

  ‘Hit her, and you’ll have to deal with me,’ Roderick said, trying to hide the nervousness from his voice.

  A malevolent smile broke the captain’s lips. ‘That’s not a threat, son,’ he growled. ‘It sounds more like a tempting invitation.’

  Roderick took a reluctant step backwards. ‘I’ll call the hotel manager,’ he threatened desperately.

  ‘You’ll have to call his replacement,’ Captain Wilde explained dully. ‘The manager’s in the corridor, nursing a broken nose.’

  ‘Thank you, Roderick,’ Emily broke in. She eased herself from her chair and walked boldly past the captain. Speaking carefully to Roderick and Judy, she said, ‘I want the pair of you to go to the bedroom for a while. Captain Wilde and I have some things to discuss.’

  Judy had remained silent throughout the captain’s entrance. She had stared at the man, not bothering to hide her fear of his anger. Still holding him with a wary gaze, she asked Emily, ‘Will you be all right, alone with him?’

  ‘I’ll be fine,’ Emily assured her.

  ‘I’ll take good care of her,’ Captain Wilde said, the implication of a threat obvious in both his words and the way he said them.

  Roderick stared unhappily at the captain, then at Emily. He could see the resolution in her face and knew there was no point arguing with her. ‘If you need us, we’ll be in the bedroom,’ he said slowly. He stared defiantly at the captain. ‘You’d probably defeat me in a fight –’

  ‘There’s no ‘probably’ about it,’ Captain Wilde said arrogantly.

  Roderick sniffed unhappily and began again. ‘You’d probably beat me in a fight. But if Emily calls me back in here, I’ll make sure I hurt you.’ He held the captain’s gaze levelly.

  ‘Take Judy to the bedroom,’ Emily told him calmly. ‘And thank you.’

  With a reluctant air, Roderick made his way out of the suite, Judy leaning against his arm for support. As they moved, they both kept their gaze fixed on Captain Wilde. The entire suite remained in silence until they had vanished into the bedroom.

  ‘You certainly know how to make an entrance, don’t you?’ Emily said sarcastically.

  He reached for her hair and grabbed a fistful of her long tresses in one hand. Wrapping the hair around his fist like a rope he tugged hard and pulled her down to her knees.

  Emily stifled a gasp of surprise, fearful that Roderick would come bursting back into the room, trying to be heroic. ‘That hurts,’ she told him tersely.

  ‘It’s meant to,’ he replied in the same strangled voice. ‘This is a prelude to my snapping your neck.’

  She glared defiantly up at him. ‘If you’re going to hurt me, get it over and done with, then fuck off. I’m getting a little fed with up with the pathetic threats now.’

  He struggled to contain his rage and she could see a reflection of the battleground on his face. He dragged her to her feet, using the length of hair he still held. Emily grimaced but remained silent. She was determined that whatever happened in this room, it was going to be between her and the captain. She was also adamant that she was going to be the one in control, regardless of the captain’s methods.

  ‘Why did you do it?’ he demanded.

  She tugged her hair free from his grip and started to move away from him. He stopped her with powerful hands on her arms and she stared defiantly back at him. ‘I’m getting my drink first,’ she told him. ‘Would you care for a glass?’

  He released her slowly, and nodded. With a glass in his hand, he repeated the question. ‘Come on, tell me. Why did you do it?’

  She smiled softly to herself. The expression did not reach her eyes. ‘If you must know,’ she began, ‘I did it for three reasons. Firstly, I did it because I could. Back in England, I’m an executive with a company that specialises in corporate finance. Deals like this are how I make a living.’

  ‘You never said,’ he told her.

  ‘You never asked,’ she replied. ‘My second reason was for the money. My bonus is earnings related. If I secure this deal, the bonus will equal five year’s salary. I’m sure you’ll agree, that’s a powerful motive.’

/>   He sipped at his glass and studied her carefully. ‘And the third reason?’

  She smiled into his questioning eyes. ‘That’s the main one. The other two were just icing on the cake. The real reason why I did it was because I wanted to have my revenge against you. I wanted revenge and this contract was the best way I could think of hurting you.’

  He shook his head and swallowed the remainder of his champagne. ‘Revenge,’ he repeated slowly.

  ‘I never forgave you for beating me on that first night,’ she explained. ‘I vowed then to make you pay for it. If they award me the contract, then I’ll consider it a fair exchange.’

  ‘You’ve done all of this because I tied to you to the mast and caned you?’ he repeated. He seemed to be having difficulty understanding the words. ‘But you enjoyed that,’ he reminded her.

  Emily turned away, her cheeks colouring suddenly. ‘I don’t recall –’

  He grabbed her arm, his fingers pressing tightly into the flesh.

  Emily gasped, unsure if the sound was a reaction to the stinging pain he inflicted or the arousal he caused. She could feel her nipples hardening in the confines of her bra. The familiar tingle of excitement was building between her legs, and she dared not look at the captain for fear that he would see the obvious signs in her eyes.

  ‘You enjoyed it,’ he repeated.

  ‘I didn’t want to,’ she gasped, aware that her breath was ragged with excitement. ‘You made me enjoy it. I had to make you pay.’

  He pulled her close to his chest.

  She glanced up into his face and he kissed her. His mouth devoured hers with a brutal disregard for tenderness or caring. As they kissed, his fingers pressed tighter against her arms, inspiring a wealth of agonised delight. When he finally released her, it was only so that his hands could go to her breasts. His fingers stroked and caressed the orbs through the fabric of her blouse, forcing rivulets of pleasure to trickle slowly throughout her body.

  Emily did not bother to stop him.