Troubled Hearts

by Jolie Cain

  Glancing over, she saw the package the desk clerk had given her. She turned it over and over in her hand. For some reason she felt reluctant to open it. Probably because of the news about the break-in and the previous gifts she had gotten—the odd charms and the bracelet. She shook her head ruefully. Okay, she was spooking herself. It was probably from Abby. She quickly tore the paper from the box and lifted the lid. Nestled on the white cotton was another charm … this time a tiny clown. What on earth was going on? After searching through the box and wrapping, she found the note. Every single day. Every word you say. Shit!

  She grabbed her cell phone again and placed a quick call to her sister. “Hi, sweetie. What’s up?” Abby’s happy voice came over the line.

  “Ah, I just needed to ask you about something, Abby. Did you, by any chance, send me a bracelet as a maid of honor gift? With some cute little charms?”

  She could hear the puzzlement in her sister’s voice when she replied. “Nope. Not me. Why?”

  “I just got one delivered to the motel, but there was no card. I thought it might be from you.”

  A light laugh came over the line. “Not me, but maybe it was Beau. It sounds like something he might do.”

  “Yeah, maybe. I’ll give him a call. Thanks.” Katherine pretended to agree to that possibility.

  “No problem. See you tonight.”

  “All right. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  As soon as Katherine hung up the phone, it rang again. Distractedly she hit the on button. Immediately the strains of the now-familiar song echoed in her ear. She paled and sat down on the bed. “Who is this? Harper? Is that you? Why are you doing this? Did you break into the office?” Nothing but the sound of the song continuing to play. Quickly she hung up.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. What the hell was happening? Was it Harper? Or someone else? A patient? Was someone was watching her? Following her? Even though nothing bad had happened, it was disturbing to realize that someone was scrutinizing her every move. Especially in her profession, such irrational behavior was alarming. She dealt with too many people with serious problems to be able to discount the possibility that one of them might have developed a fixation on her. Or that Harper had completely lost it.

  Quickly calling the number Jonas had given her, she spoke to the detective in charge of investigating the break-in. She told him everything that had been happening, including the gifts and the bizarre phone calls. He asked her several questions about Harper and her patients. She answered as completely as she could. After reassuring her that they were doing everything possible and cautioning her to be careful, he advised her to notify the local authorities about what had been happening, especially since the gift she had gotten that morning seemed to indicate that whoever it was might now be in Gulf Shores.

  When he ended the call, Katherine felt a little better knowing that there was someone working on the case. She decided she wouldn’t waste any more time in worrying about it. After all, nothing really bad had happened. She hadn’t been hurt or physically threatened in any way. And if it was Harper … well … she would just let the police handle it.

  Realizing that time was passing and Beau would soon arrive for their lunch date, Katherine set about refreshing her makeup and fixing her hair. Changing from the jeans she had worn earlier, she slipped into a light yellow sundress with narrow straps and white piping around the edge. A pair of white casual sandals and gold stud earrings completed her outfit. Just as she finished attaching the last earring, she heard a knock at the door. Looking through the peephole, she saw Beau standing on the narrow walkway, clad in his usual faded jeans and a black t-shirt advertising his company. She read the slogan, At Dalton’s Diving We Do It Deeper, and couldn’t prevent a smile from bursting onto her face. When she opened the door, he grinned and then stepped back to let out a wolf whistle.

  “Katherine, you look gorgeous. Ready?”

  “Yes, let me just get my purse.” She grabbed her handbag and then walked out of the room. After closing and locking the door, she followed him to his car. Less than five minutes later they were pulling into one of the many beachside cafés that lined Gulf Shore’s main public beach area. After they had placed their orders for fried shrimp and crab claws, they spent a few minutes just relaxing and tourist-watching. Before too long, Katherine had forgotten about the break-in and her fears. Beau was an entertaining companion and had soon regaled her with tales of some of the people she had known when she had lived in Gulf Shores. Since several of them had sided with Raymond in the divorce, Katherine enjoyed hearing of the misadventures and downturns that many had experienced in the ensuing years. Even though she knew it was somewhat catty, she was glad that they had gotten their just rewards after their treatment of her.

  When the meal arrived, they devoted their energies to enjoying the delicious seafood. Finally replete, they both sat back and sipped their iced tea, taking pleasure in the beauty of the sugar white sand and blue-green waters spread out before them. Beau eventually broke through the silence that had fallen. “Have you brought the list I asked you for last night?”

  Jerked from her contemplation of the beachgoers by his query, her eyes darted to his, and she licked her lips at this reminder of their coming liaison. “Yes, I’ve got it.” She reached inside her purse and pulled the folded paper out. Passing it to Beau, she couldn’t help a shiver of anticipation that slid down her spine. What would he think of the items on her list? As Beau studied what she had written, she watched for his reaction. When he eventually looked up at her, the gleam of pleasure that lit his eyes told her that he was not disappointed. “This is wonderful, sweetheart. I think you and I are going to be quite compatible in the bedroom. Almost everything on this list I agree with 100%. And some of the things you are willing to try, I would love to introduce you to. Yes, I think this is going to work out just fine.”

  Katherine smiled. Since their talk last night, she had vowed not to be intimidated by the past any longer. Beau’s acceptance and appreciation of her was going a long way towards making her feel comfortable with him. He held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s go walk on the beach.”

  “Oh, no you don’t. I remember what happened last time we walked on the beach.”

  He grinned wickedly, but she just shook her head.

  “Hmm, so much for my being in charge,” he muttered, winking at her.

  She just laughed. “We’re not in the bedroom now, Beau. You’re going to learn I’m very independent outside of our sexual relationship.”

  “Oh, I think I already know that, baby. But what harm could a little stroll down to the pier do? I mean, give me a break, kitten. It’s broad daylight.”

  “Humph. Like that would stop you? No, you need to take me back to the motel. I’m going to spend the afternoon shopping.”

  “Well, don’t get anything new for the party tonight. I have something for you already. I’ll send it to your motel later. Okay?”

  Katherine nodded, blushing at the heated look in his eyes.

  * * * *

  After spending the afternoon exploring the outlet mall in nearby Foley, Katherine returned to her motel room where she found another package awaiting her, only this time with a card attached in a handwriting she recognized—Beau’s. After taking it back to her room, she opened the card.

  Kitten,

  I’ll see you tonight at six. Wear everything that you find in this box. And nothing more.

  Beau

  Carefully removing the paper, Katherine drew the lid off the gift and peeked inside. The first thing she saw was black fabric. She picked it up and realized that it was a dress much more daring than anything she had ever worn before. It had a low-cut halter neckline and when she held it in front of her, it fell to mid-thigh. The back was virtually nonexistent. A pair of delicate black sandals completed the outfit. When the box was all but empty, Katherine noticed one last package in the corner. Opening it up, she discovered a butt plug and a tube of lubricant. Did Beau expect her to wear th
is to the party? Apparently so. The note had said everything. She then noticed that there were no panties in the box. Looking at the note again she reread the instructions. And nothing more. Damn. Already slightly aroused at the thought of wearing clothing that he had picked out for her, plus the plug, she could feel a shiver of delight at the command. Could she do it? Could she go commando to the party? This was it, she realized. If she did this, she was submitting to Beau’s control of her. There would be no going back.

  Decision made, Katherine went into the connecting bath to run a bubble bath in the small tub. After soaking her tensions away, she got out and began applying her makeup. Lavishly she rubbed a silky lotion on her legs before pulling the dress over her head to let it fall gently around her hips. She moved toward the mirror, unable to believe how sexy she looked and felt. There was nothing like dressing for a special someone to make a woman feel feminine.

  With a trembling hand she reached out to lift the butt plug from the container. She had never used one before, so she took a moment to peruse the directions that had come in the box. Taking the plug and lube into the bathroom, she carefully washed it with soap and water. Once she had dried it carefully, she took the lubricant and generously covered the plug. Covering her finger with more lube, she probed against the tight anal opening until her finger slid in easily. After insuring that her tight hole was slick and ready for penetration, she picked up the plug. With one foot propped on the side of the tub and her left hand braced against the wall, she bent forward slightly and eased the tip of the plug into her anus, which immediately tightened. Taking a deep breath she bore down; slowly and carefully she inserted the plug deeper, pausing frequently to allow her body to adjust, until the flared end rested against the curve of her buttocks. Damn, she felt so full and stretched. Turning around and leaning forward, she peered over her shoulder into the mirror and examined the plug in her bottom. It looked so out of place and forbidden that Katherine couldn’t stop a shiver of arousal. She couldn’t wait for Beau to see it.

  Once she had stood upright, she dropped the skirt and walked carefully across the floor, getting used to the subtle feel of her ass being penetrated by the hard latex. Oh, my. The feeling of fullness in her rectum already had her sopping wet and ready for whatever Beau had in mind for later that night.

  With a small smile of delight, she put the final touches on her makeup and added a quick spritz of her favorite perfume, Romance by Ralph Lauren. Picking up her purse, she checked to make sure she had her wallet and keys before heading towards the door. As she was about to open the door, the motel room phone rang.

  “Hello?” Katherine spoke into the receiver, glancing at her watch to make sure she wasn’t late. Beau was expecting her by 6:30. No one spoke. “Hello? Is anyone there?” She paused to listen and could hear someone breathing on the other end of the line. “Harper? Is that you? Please, just stop this.” She could hear the slight hysteria rising in her voice. Suddenly there was a click and a song began playing. The same song as before. Then the line went dead.

  With a trembling hand she placed the phone back onto its cradle. A small sob escaped her lips, and she took several deep breaths to calm herself. “Okay. Just calm down, Kat. Just calm down. It’ll be all right.” After a few more minutes of deep breathing, she felt better. Another quick glance at her watch showed her that she would have to leave immediately if she wasn’t going to be late. Since she was acting as hostess, she really should arrive before the guests.

  And she just couldn’t tell anyone about the phone calls or the break-in. At least, not yet. She didn’t want to do anything to spoil this night for Abby and Jack. Or her night with Beau. But tomorrow … tomorrow she would tell Beau what was going on. Because she was afraid that whoever had been on the other end of that line was not completely rational, and as a psychologist, Katherine knew that it wouldn’t take much to send him over the edge, if he hadn’t fallen off already.

  Chapter Seven

  Fifteen minutes later Katherine was raising her hand to knock on Beau’s front door. His home was a lovely two-story house on the famous Ono Island, enclave of Gulf Shore’s elite. The gated island community was a very exclusive area, and Katherine had felt more relaxed as soon as she had passed the guard stationed at the only entrance. Now, waiting impatiently for Beau to answer her knock, she pushed all thoughts of the phone call out of her mind. She would not let some jerk ruin this night.

  When Beau opened the door, his eyes swept over and he smiled his approval before he pulled her into his arms. “You look gorgeous, kitten. Did you follow my instructions?” His hand swept down the curve of her hip, and she saw his smile grow wider as he confirmed that she had not worn any panties.

  “Yes, I did,” Katherine replied.

  “And you wore everything that was in the box?”

  Katherine cheeks flushed as she realized what he was inquiring about. “Yes, Beau. Everything.” She gave her hips a little shimmy to indicate she knew what he wanted to know and that she did, indeed, have the plug in her excited anal passage.

  “Excellent, baby. It’s not too uncomfortable, is it?”

  “No, it just feels a little … odd.”

  “Is that odd in a bad way?”

  She shook her head. “No. Not bad.”

  “Good. Good. Well, Come on in,” he drew her into the foyer.

  “Oh, Beau, this is lovely. Just lovely.” The house was a mix of modern simplicity and casual beach comfort. The floors were a light maple that was echoed in the exposed beams in the vaulted entryway. Etched glass windows captured the light from the setting sun, dazzling the eye as tracks of yellows and oranges trailed across the white walls and furnishings. He drew her further inside, to the open living area, which led onto a wall of French doors, all open, encouraging visitors to take advantage of the beautiful sunset that could be observed from the wrap-around deck. Just beginning to sink into the waters of the Gulf, streams of purples, pinks and gold radiated color and energy, adding to the wonder of the house. The mixture of natural wood, glass, and stone blended smoothly into a very comfortable yet elegant ambiance.

  She turned to Beau, who stood back observing her obvious delight in her surroundings. “What a perfectly gorgeous home you have, Beau. I envy you being able to enjoy this stunning house and view every day.”

  “It’s only special if you have someone to share it with, kitten.” He pulled her against him and gave her a long, sweet kiss. “I’m glad you like it. Come, let me give you a quick tour before everyone starts arriving.”

  They explored the ground floor quickly, peeking into the dining room, kitchen, and a large, comfortable den/office where Beau ran his successful diving business. Then he led her upstairs where he showed her the three spare bedrooms that were very simply but comfortably furnished. The last door at the end of the hallway was closed, but Beau reached around Katherine and escorted her inside, shutting the door behind him as she took in the sight of the master bedroom. A huge four-poster bed dominated the room and drew Katherine’s gaze immediately. The dark blue bedspread was turned back to reveal cream-colored satin sheets and mounds of pillows. As Katherine pulled her gaze from the huge bed, she let her eyes explore the rest of the room.

  Beau stepped up behind her, bringing his body against her own. His hand rested on her hip. As he stood there, he bent his legs slightly so that he could grasp the hem of her dress. Sliding his hand up her thigh, he whispered in her ear, “I want to feel the plug, kitten. I want to imagine you inserting it earlier as you dressed, wanting to please me, wanting to obey me.”

  She shivered at the sexy tone of his voice and the feel of his breath when it stirred the hair on her neck. His hand trailed across her hip and around to her rear, finally reaching the plug. When his finger came into contact with the toy, he traced around the outer flare. “Umm, baby. You don’t know how much this excites me. I want to fuck you here so much. And you want it too. I was so glad when I saw it was on your list of things you wanted to try. Have you fantasiz
ed about having a cock pounding into this tight ass, sweetheart? Have you? About me fucking you there?”

  His finger continued its probing exploration as he continued to arouse her with his words. He pressed some open-mouthed kisses against her neck while his other hand eased itself up between her legs to pet and probe at her swollen clit. His finger circled around the sensitive nub while his other hand pressed against the plug, driving it slightly deeper. He tortured her like that for several minutes until she was almost ready to scream with frustration from her desire to cum. Finally, she resorted to begging. “Please, Beau. Ohmigod. Please let me cum.”

  He bit the lobe of her ear and sucked it gently against his teeth before pulling his hands away and allowing the skirt of her dress to drop back into place. “Not yet, kitten. When you cum for me the first time tonight, my cock is going to be in that tight cunt, made even tighter by the plug in your ass.” With one last caress over the curve of her hip, he stepped away from her and crossed to the connecting bath. She heard the sound of water running and then he came out, drying his hands with a light blue hand towel.

  “Let’s go back downstairs. Abby and Jack should be arriving any moment now.” He took hold of her elbow and urged her toward the door, opening it and following her through. Smiling down into her frustrated face, he commented, “I know how you feel, baby. I’m not feeling too relaxed myself.”

  Involuntarily her eyes slid down to where the loose fit of his khaki pants couldn’t quite hide his obvious erection. He shook his head, smiling ruefully. “Yep. I should have known better. Now we’ll both just have to suffer.” With a final grin, he turned and escorted her back to the staircase and down to the living room just as the front doorbell rang.