by Avery Aster
But thinking about Jesse had her gaze moving to their dorm building. She zeroed in on his bedroom window, and her breath caught. Had his curtains just moved? Surely he wasn’t awake, standing at his window, watching her. Adjusting her duffle bag over her shoulder, she casually strolled toward the dance studio, positive it was just her imagination at play again but determined to cover her tracks, just in case. No way, no how was he going to blow this for her and prevent her from escaping. Unless, of course, he had a different kind of blowing in mind. She stole another quick glance his way, then shook some sense back into herself. Jesse couldn’t be up at this ungodly hour when he didn’t have to be, watching her from across the campus. Right?
***
Many, many hours later, Alaska found herself on a small boat, the captain taxiing her and a few other people out to Eden. As the others talked quietly amongst themselves, she stifled a yawn, gripped the brass rail on the side of the craft, and leaned over to watch the Atlantic waves splash against the vessel. A small charter plane flew overhead and caught her attention. Shading the sun from her eyes, she watched it land on a nearby island and couldn’t help but think that mode of transportation would have been faster. But she was in no hurry to make her final destination, not when she could enjoy the warm breeze and salty sea spray on her face.
She reached into her bag and pulled out her invitation to take a closer look. She read the fine print to learn she’d be staying in a private cabana, overlooking the ocean. She ran her fingers over the gold embossed letters as a new sense of excitement welled up inside her. Honestly, she had no idea what awaited her on the island, but as they approached, she glanced up in time to see a bronze plaque fixed to a rock jutting out of the water. When she read “Welcome to Eden, where reality is whatever you wish it to be...” her pulse leapt, and a wave of anticipation moved through her. She held her palms out, feeling a new energy in the air, a strange ripple in the wind, and suddenly, she found herself a little more anxious to arrive and a whole lot more excited to see what Eden had in store for her.
As soon as the boat docked, she disembarked and looked up to see the most lavish stone castle, its tall spires puncturing the sky. “Wow,” she whispered to herself, her feet practically floating on the long wooden dock leading up to a set of magnificent marble stairs. Good God, she’d never seen anything quite so majestic and royal. It made her feel like Cinderella. Not that she believed in fairy tales. She didn’t. The men in her life, who were ruled by greed and corruption, were hardly Prince Charming material.
At the top of the steps, she spotted a man scanning the arriving passengers. Dressed in black from head to toe, he had an air of command about him, but from this distance, she couldn’t see his face. He shifted his stance, and he seemed to look directly at her. Her breath caught, and a strange new tingling warmed her blood.
“That is the Master of the island.” She turned to see a hot Ryan Reynolds look-alike speaking to her.
“Oh,” she said for lack of anything else.
“If you’ll follow me,” the man said as he waved his arm toward the castle. He gave her a smile that came off as both sexy and professional at the same time, a smile that told her she was about to have an unforgettable experience. “I’ll get you registered and have a driver take you to your room.”
Alaska lagged behind the crowd, taking in the opulence of the island and enjoying the warmth on her skin as she walked along the dock leading to the marble stairs. She climbed the steps and walked inside the castle to discover a magnificent Greek-Roman fountain. As she examined it, the concierge came to collect her. He fitted her with a small, square sticky patch that passed as a key, assuring her it would open her room door for her, when she approached.
Dusk had fallen over Eden. Streaks of purple and pink bruised the skyline by the time she was taken to her cabana. Even though she was tired from all the travel, exhausted really, she wasn’t going to let that stop her from exploring the place in search of a little excitement.
But before she set out to investigate Eden, she did a walkthrough of the cabana, loving that she had a room decorated in relaxing, beachy decor, a big, king-size bed with numerous throw pillows, and a beautiful marble bathroom with the most perfect rain shower nozzle. She grinned, knowing she was going to spend hours under the spray. She found swimming or showering the perfect way to relax after a long day.
Thrilled with her accommodations, she spread her arms, dropped her bag onto the sofa, then slid open the patio doors to enjoy the warm breeze. Beyond her wooden deck, moonlight lit up the ocean, and a nervous energy bubbled up inside her as she listened to the waves splash against the sandy shore. She stripped out of her heavy travel clothes, and foregoing panties, pulled on a light sundress. Anxious to get outside and make every single moment of this vacation count, she slipped into her flip flops.
Following the lit, tree-fringed path from her cabana, she hurried to the beach. She found it empty and decided it was the perfect opportunity to indulge in one of her naughty fantasies, skinny dipping. She was about to peel her dress from her body when she heard movement behind her. She spun, and when she spotted a man closing in on her—the same man who stood on the castle steps upon her arrival—her breath caught. The air rippled, vibrating as he approached, and the hairs on her arms stood on ends, like they’d been statically charged. Even though she was alone on a beach with a virtual stranger, she wasn’t afraid. Oddly enough, there was something about him that put her at ease.
She looked into the night, and her heart lurched when she could no longer see her cabana. Not because it was obscured by palm trees or darkness, or because the lights on the path had burnt out, but because it was gone, completely and utterly missing. Everything seemed to have changed, the pink hue in the sky now an odd shade of orange, the white sand beneath her feet a golden shimmer.
What the hell?
“Welcome to Eden,” the man said, his rich Greek accent eliciting a shiver from deep within her.
She looked up at the man known as the Master, but with his back to the moonlight, his face was cast in shadows.
“Thank you,” she whispered, then nervously searched for her cabana again, wondering if her overtired mind was playing tricks on her. Even though she didn’t believe supernatural events took place in the Bermuda triangle, she couldn’t deny that something strange was going on here. It was almost like she’d tapped into an alternate reality, like her world had shifted somehow.
Welcome to Eden, where reality is whatever you wish it to be...
Pushing that ridiculous thought aside, she nibbled her bottom lip and scanned the tree line once again.
“Are you lost, Miss Smith?” he asked.
For a moment, she wondered how he knew who she was, but instead of asking, she said, “I think I might be.” She looked past his broad shoulder. “I can’t seem to find my cabana.”
“Perhaps that’s because it’s not what you’re looking for.”
Her back stiffened, and as she tried to puzzle out his cryptic words, he waved his hand. She followed the direction, and her breath caught when she saw a long set of stairs leading to what appeared to be an outdoor night club in the sky. She shook her head. No way was that there earlier.
“How…where…?”
“Perhaps this is what you seek.”
As if pulled by an invisible force, she moved toward the stairs, the tips of her toes warming and tingling in the glittery sand. A beautiful multi-colored bird flew by, singing a melodic song as she reached the first step. With a strange sense of anticipation building up inside her, she stole a glance behind her to see if the Master was following, but just like her cabana, he had disappeared into the dark night.
She exhaled a slow breath as music drifted downward. Compelled to follow it, lured in some mysterious way, she climbed the stairs, letting the sultry beat wrap around her, seep under her skin. Her heartbeat quickened, everything inside her telling her that something promising, something forbidden, awaited her inside. When she rea
ched the top step, she entered a circular room. Warm, overhead lighting created a soft glow over what appeared to be a high class nightclub, and when her eyes adjusted, her breath caught, a small squeaking sound rising up from her throat.
Her shock wasn’t from finding a nightclub in the sky, many of its patrons wearing golden colored masks to hide their identities, nor the magnificent, three-hundred and sixty degree view of the island. No, her shock was from the scene that was taking place in the middle of the room, one that was straight out of her deepest, darkest fantasies.
Not only did the salacious sight take her by surprise, but seeing her inner most desires unfold before her eyes excited her beyond anything she’d ever known. She sucked in air as she took in the lone, chained woman standing in what appeared to be a slow-moving carousel. Except this was no child’s carousel. Oh no. Not at all. This carousel was for adult play only. Instead of horses, each station had dangling chains with its own cart, a cart that held numerous play toys.
Alaska looked at the girl, who’s arms were secured above her head, shackled to one of the many sets of chains dangling from the circular, overhead dome. Her long legs were spread wide for all to see while some masked man dressed only in leather pants teased and pleasured her body in the most delicious ways.
For a brief second, Alaska felt a quick flash of panic, wondering what she’d just walked in on. But when the woman moaned in bliss, her skin glistening with moisture, her head thrown back, and her mouth slack from ecstasy, Alaska felt heat bombard her body. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat, and as she perused the captive crowd, the scent of alcohol, perfume, sex, and leather curled around her.
The familiar smell of leather made her think of Jesse, made her wish he were here, experiencing all this with her. Then again, if he knew where she was and what she was doing, he’d undoubtedly drag her back home and put her on lockdown. When someone bumped her from behind, she made her way to the bar, in desperate need of alcohol.
She squeezed in between two hot guys who were enthralled by the action in the middle of the room and ordered a much needed drink. After the bartender brought her a fruity concoction, she took a long sip and spun on her stool. Heat gathered in her core as another masked guy, one who had an air of authority about him and seemed to be in charge of the club, walked from table to table, observing the patrons and their reactions. He slapped a flogger against his palm as he picked guys—who were all donning masks, which, Alaska assumed, signaled they wanted to play—and girls from the crowd.
He walked the women to the carousel, where he secured their ankles in manacles. Alaska’s heart beat a little faster, her pulse quickening as she watched him restrain the girls. One girl had her clothes cut away by two well-built guys, their hands moving over her beautiful body, pinching her nipples until they grew taut. Alaska squirmed, wishing she’d worn panties, as liquid desire pooled between her thighs. She squeezed her legs together and groaned when the movement pinched her swollen clit.
The dark-haired boy on her right, who she thought was probably a college senior here for his spring break, leaned into her, the warmth of his breath wafting over her face when he asked, “What do you think? Want to play?”
“I… I…” As her words fell off, she took a huge gulp of her drink. While she loved to read all about this sort of thing, she’d never experienced anything like it in real life.
But you want to, her inner voice taunted. You know you do.
“That’s the point,” the guy with the cropped blond hair on her left said. She turned to him and took in his grin. While he was cute, he lacked the rough and tough, bad boy look Jesse had going for him. Damn. She really needed to get him out of her head. She was here to have some fun, and by fun, she meant get laid. Either one of the two guys flanking her would be perfect bedmates…or maybe even both. “You’re not supposed to think. You’re just supposed to feel.”
“Don’t worry,” the dark-haired guy on her right said. “Nothing will happen if you don’t want it to.”
The other guy put his mouth close to her ear and said, “If you want it to stop, all you have to do is say ‘Eden’.”
She’d read enough BDSM books to know what he meant by that. Eden was the safe word. All she or any of the women currently tied up had to do was say the word and the play would stop. She put her straw to her lips, her mind racing, but before she could take a long pull, the masked man with the flogger stepped up to her. He opened his hand, and as he dragged the soft leather tails over his palm, her body came alive. Her flesh quivered as though the strands had actually caressed her skin, and every nerve ending tingled in anticipation.
What would those tails feel like on my backside?
His gaze met hers, and she bit back a breathy moan as the dark eyes behind the mask visually caressed her. He gave a slight nod, and there was something about him, something about his command, that told her he wasn’t a man who tolerated disobedience.
“Come with me,” he ordered in a tone that curled her toes.
Before Alaska even realized what she was doing, she was on her feet, blindly following him to the center of the floor to join the other women on the carousel. The masked man led her to her station, and as he secured her feet, she stood immobile, hardly able to believe what was happening. It was just this morning she was alone, feeling sorry for herself, on campus, and now she was on an exclusive island where she was about to be stripped, put on display, and pleasured in ways she’d only ever read about…fantasized about. Then again, it was always Biker Boy in those fantasies, not some random, masked man.
She pinched her eyes shut and opened them again, sure she was dreaming, but when she saw the crowd watching her, warm shivers of need rushed through her blood.
Holy shit.
Even though it was all happening so fast, her body burned with want, basic elemental need taking over. Some small part of her told her she should be embarrassed or frightened, but as she listened to the moans of pleasure coming from the pretty girl beside her, embarrassment was the last thing she felt. Besides, hadn’t she jumped all over the campus contest because she craved to go someplace where she could lose herself, try new things, cut loose, and have some fun? Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to do just that?
“Put your hands above your head,” the man said, the roughness in his voice giving way to soft persuasion as he ran one deft hand down her arm.
As his touch thrilled her, mesmerized her, she lifted her hands, and he secured her wrists to the manacles above. The sound of the chains cranking, hoisting her arms higher and higher, stretching out her body, filled her with equal amounts of fear and anticipation. Overwhelmed with what was happening, her blood pounded hard, and she remembered her safe word.
Not yet, the needy girl inside her warned. Not yet.
Blinking rapidly, she looked out at all the unfamiliar faces and wondered if she could really do this. The safe word lingered on her lips, but then, oddly enough, the hairs on her nape tingled, and she felt like she was being watched, not by the anonymous crowed, but by the one and only guy she wanted watching her. She gave a broken gasp and searched through the sea of masked men, searching for Jesse, but her thoughts fragmented when someone stepped up behind her.
She sucked in a tight breath when she felt the leather tails trailing down her body and gave a cry of pain and pleasure when they came down across her ass. Even though she still had her sundress on, the tails stung her sensitive cheeks just the same. A second man stepped up to her, and she could feel her dress being cut away, exposing her naked body beneath.
When the second hit came on her bare backside, she closed her eyes, imagining it was Jesse watching her, spanking her, touching her aching body. It filled her with want, and she moved her hips, flustered, anxious…so damn needy for the man who would never treat her as anything more than a mobster’s daughter under his care.
Chapter Four
Jesse stood back from the crowd and watched Alaska, watched the way her beautiful, pale nipples
tightened with arousal each time the flogger hit her ass, the way the overhead light glistened on her pretty pink pussy as it moistened with need.
His mouth watered, and he drew in a harsh breath in an effort to bank the want riding through his veins. As he let the air hiss out slowly, he drove his hands into his pockets and rocked on his feet. Just because Alaska was hands off to him didn’t mean he couldn’t give her what she wanted. And if there was one guy who knew what Alaska wanted, it was him, considering he’d been studying her every move for months.
His mind drifted back to the night he caught her masturbating, and he shifted his stance, adjusting his thickening cock. Fuck, it had taken all his restraint not to strip off his clothes and join her in the shower, because not only did she get to him in a way no other girl ever had before, there was something so sexy, so honest and open about her when she lost herself like that.
The truth was, he knew everything about her, from how she spent her days, and more importantly, how she spent her nights…including the kinds of books she read and the way she danced like her life depended on it. Her actions told him so much about her, about what she liked…needed.
Not that she could ever act on her needs, or actually go after what she wanted. Alaska had spent her whole life powerless, stifled under a domineering man who controlled her every move. But here on Eden, the power was all hers. She might be the one restrained on that carousel, but when it came right down to it, she was the one calling the shots. And that was exactly what she needed.
Christ, he hated the way her father treated her, the way he so easily dismissed her like she was nothing but an annoying piece of lint on his coat. Even though Franco had never laid a hand on her, to Jesse, abuse was abuse, physical or emotional. Maybe that’s why he volunteered for this assignment. He had a sense of protectiveness in him, which undoubtedly stemmed from his own fucked up childhood.
