Tattoos and Angels

by Casey McMillin

  We just stared at her. I'd been so wrapped up in what was going on that I totally forgot about this being a sore spot for Megan. I felt bad for not thinking about it.

  "So you knew that was going to happen at the dock?" Blake asked.

  "Oh totally," Megan said, grinning widely. "I had to get you guys turned around so they could sneak up on you."

  "Do you know where we're going?"

  "No, but he offered to tell me, I just didn't want to know." She grinned at us and raised her eyebrows. "I do know how to get us out of here, though."

  "You do?" Blake asked.

  Megan nodded.

  "Seriously?" I asked.

  "Yeah, but I don't really want to. Do you guys?"

  I shook my head. "No."

  We looked at Blake.

  "Do you?" I asked.

  She smiled. "No."

  Chapter 20

  I assumed we couldn't be too far from Miami, but had no real concept on how fast boats traveled, and couldn't imagine how far we'd gone. We were in that hold for another hour before Mack came down with a message that the three of us were supposed to return to our individual holding cells where we'd find instructions.

  "The captain says I'm supposed to stay and make sure you all follow orders." Mack said. "I'm gonna have to ask you to get in those rooms and follow the instructions so I can report back."

  We turned without so much as a single protest and each returned to our respective door. I actually wasn't quite sure we all had the right doors, and absentmindedly hoped it wouldn't matter if we got mixed up.

  As I closed my door behind me, I heard Mack yell, "You'll see once you get in there that you're gonna need help with something. Just tap on the door when you're ready and I'll come over."

  I wondered what in the world he could be talking about and squinted into the small room, looking for the instructions. There was a brown envelope on the ground, and I stooped to pick it up. My name was written on it, and I smiled, thinking I obviously had the right room. It seemed to contain a small, soft object, and I took it out to inspect it. It was strips of fabric that were about three inches wide, and made from the most beautiful embroidered silk I'd ever seen.

  This had definitely been influenced by Blake's love of fine fabrics, because I could tell the strips were of choice quality. In the next second, my thoughts traveled to what their purpose must be.

  I instantly started searching for instructions. There was a handwritten note in the envelope. It said: "There are two pieces of fabric here. They're meant for your hands and eyes, and they're meant to be tighter than you're capable of tying them on your own. Mack will have to assist you. Knock when you're ready. And Charlotte… I'm glad you'll be tied up. I've always wanted to see you like that."

  I smiled, blushing as I looked around nervously, hoping I wasn't being watched. I reached out and knocked gently on the door where Mack was standing on the other side.

  "You'll have to hold on," I heard him yell. "I'll be there when I get there."

  Adrenaline was coursing through my body. I knew I wasn't in serious danger, but the whole situation felt very surreal. Within two minutes, Mack opened my door.

  "Give me the ties," he said with a deadpan expression. He held out a hand, and I gave him the fabric. "Put your hands behind your back."

  "Really?" I asked. "I guess I just assumed I'd have them in front."

  "No offense, but I don’t really care what you assumed. Angel told me to tie your hands behind your back so that's what I’m gonna do. Turn around and put your hands behind your back."

  I almost gave Mack a hard time for being so mean since I'd gotten to know him over the past months as a sweet guy. But it hit me that this might be what Mack was really like when he worked for Tom, in which case he was probably serious about wanting to cut to the chase. Without comment, I turned and offered him my hands. He tied them tightly—so tightly that I almost protested. But I wiggled a little, and realized my circulation wasn't being compromised. He tied another strip around my eyes securely enough that there was no way I could see a thing.

  "Wow, Mack, you got that on really good."

  I could tell he was smiling as he said, "You think this is the fuckin' Hilton, Charlotte? You think you're the first person who's been locked in this hold?"

  I didn't know what to make of that statement. I figured Angel wouldn't have had anything to do with whatever Mack was referring to, but it was still sort of hot for some reason.

  "We're docking shortly. It'd be best for you to sit down so you don't fall over."

  I leaned against the wall and slid down it to sit on the floor. Then I heard the sound of Mack closing the door and latching a lock on the other side. I tested the ties, and when I felt that they were secure, it sent a wave of nervous excitement through my body.

  Angel and I waited until we were six weeks into our relationship before we started having sex, but lately we'd been sexually active—and when I say active, I mean we were both pretty insatiable. I was having a lot of fun getting to know him in that way and had no regrets whatsoever with making Angel my first. Maybe it made me naïve, but I truly believed he'd be my last.

  I hoped there would be a way the evening would end with sexual intercourse with my amazing boyfriend. I figured it was on his mind too, since he mentioned the bit about tying me up, but there was no telling what Tom had planned, and I hated to get my heart set on how things would go.

  It only took a few minutes for us to dock. I felt the boat shifting and before I knew it, I heard someone knock on the door three times. I was a little disoriented, but was relatively sure it was the door Mack hadn't used, the one on the other side.

  "Can you see?" I heard someone ask. It only took a second for it to register as Angel's voice.

  I thought it was him that was holding me earlier, but that wasn't even close to enough to satisfy my need for his touch. I hadn't seen him in five days and was so anxious to feel him against me that it was hard not to throw myself in the direction of his voice.

  "I'm gonna kick Mack's ass for tying this shit so tight," he said, coming to stoop beside me. Before I knew it I was being hefted into his arms.

  I squealed. "Don't squirm," he said. "There's no room in here, and I don't want to hurt you. Is this stuff too tight, amor?"

  I gave him a half-smile as I bit my lip and shook my head a little.

  "No? Good—because you look good like this."

  I smiled again, resting my head on his chest as he carried me somewhere. There was a ride in some vehicle that I assumed was a four-wheeler or golf cart or something similar because of the way it sounded and the fact that I could feel air hitting me as we moved. I curled into Angel's chest and he put his hand over my cheek to shield my face. I didn't care that I couldn’t see. It was actually kind of cool. All I knew was that I was in Angel's arms. That was enough to make me comfortable.

  Once the sound of the engine died, I could still hear the sound of crashing waves. He carried me for a full minute until sounds changed, and I realized we were indoors.

  "Dad said I can do anything I want to you just as long as I kept you out of Blake's hair for a couple of hours." He whispered it close to my ear, and the sound caused an instant burn between my thighs. Please tell me he just said we would be alone for the next two hours.

  "I'm not scared of you," I said.

  I felt him set me down on something soft that I assumed was a couch or a bed.

  "Even after I said I have permission to do whatever I want?" he asked.

  "I'm not scared because I like stuff like this. Can't you tell I'm a freak by all these tattoos?"

  He moved right next to me where I could feel the warmth of his face against mine. He tugged on the back of my blindfold, forcing me to look up. His mouth was touching my ear when he said, "Tell me I'm the only one who's ever seen you like this."

  "Well, besides Mack and whoever was driving us back there, yes. You're the only one who ever has and ever will."

  "Say it a
gain."

  "There will never be another like you," I said. "You're my one and only Angel Reyes, and l like that I can't see you right now and have to imagine how hot you are."

  "Well I can see you, Charlotte, and right about now I want to invade your body in unspeakable ways."

  "Say them," I whispered.

  He put his mouth by my ear again. "Oh, you want me to tell you what I'm going to do to you?"

  "Yes."

  "First I'm going to untie your hands. When I do, I want you to stretch your arms above your head so I can retie them where you can lie on your back. I don’t want you to take off your blindfold at any point."

  He untied my hands and I rested my back onto the soft bed. I put my arms above my head without touching my blindfold, just as he asked.

  "Hold on. Before we do this, I want you to get out of this dress. You have to wear it in a couple of hours, and if it's not off your body soon, I might rip it off."

  I wriggled out of my dress and stretched out on the bed in my bra and panties. He started speaking Spanish. I recognized some of the words, and knew he was describing my beauty and how badly he wanted me. The fact that I didn't know exactly what he was saying made it that much sweeter.

  I heard him moving, and seconds later, a song came on the stereo. I didn't know it was coming, and it surprised me, but the song itself was comforting and familiar. It was a slow, bluesy tune that I felt like I'd heard before. He grabbed my hands and secured my wrists together. My legs were free, and I wiggled them around on the bed as I waited anxiously to find out what he'd do next.

  "You never told me what you're gonna do to me."

  "I'm gonna do exactly what I wanted to do to you the last time this song was playing."

  "I thought I recognized this song. What is it?"

  "It's the one that was playing the night I came back from Puerto Rico and went to the club to get you."

  "I remember that," I said. "One of the girls was dancing solo to it." I was quiet for a second before I added, "So what did you want to do to me that night?"

  "I wanted you out of that place for good, first and foremost, but it would have been nice to see you like this in my bed too."

  "That didn't happen that night," I said.

  "I know."

  "Are you mad I made us wait so long?"'

  He sat beside me. I could feel the side of his leg against my ribs, and I cozied up to him as best I could. He ran the back of his finger along my cheek. "Mad is probably the last emotion I'd use to describe how I feel." He paused and then said, "I want you so bad I don't even know where to begin."

  "You can start with kissing me," I said. My words came out breathless and desperate just like I was. Before I knew it, his mouth was touching mine. Our lips were barely touching, but they were making contact nonetheless, and I leaned upward, taking my head off the bed to reach toward him as he pulled away. I made a disapproving sound when he broke contact.

  "If I ever got kidnapped in real life, I'd tell them I liked it and I wanted to join forces."

  "Are you trying to tell me you were tricking me by acting like you liked that kiss?"

  "I wish it were a trick," I said. "Because right now I'm so desperate for it to happen again, I feel like I might burst into pieces."

  He adjusted to hover over me. He let his lips get so close to mine that I could feel our breath mingling. I leaned up, trying to touch his lips, but he pulled back, evading my kiss. I let out a frustrated moan.

  "Be patient mami, you have to wait till I give it to you."

  "But you said we only have a little while."

  "Who's in charge here?"

  "You."

  "Then I decide when it's time to..."

  He kissed me, but this time it wasn't just a gentle touch. This time, he opened his mouth over mine, and let his tongue dip inside my mouth. I needed him inside me so badly that I opened to him and sucked on his tongue before he withdrew it.

  He broke the contact, which made me wiggle my legs and moan in protest again.

  "Why are you so impatient mi amor?"

  "Because I haven't seen you in five days, I can't even see you now, and I want you so bad I'm crazy with it." I continued to move my legs around in a restless gesture.

  "If you don't quit squirming around like this, I might have to pin you down to this bed."

  "Oh my gosh, Angel, yes, yes, yes, please yes. Please, please do that."

  In the next second, he was on top of me. We were skin to skin, with a considerable amount of his pressure bearing down on the lower half of my body to keep my legs still. It only took me a second to identify the spot where he was pressing his piece into my thigh. "That's what I use to pin you to the bed," he said, thrusting forward so I could feel his erection.

  "That's what I want," I begged. "I need to be pinned or I'm gonna keep wiggling." I slowly started to move my legs under him, and he shifted his weight to keep me still.

  Chapter 21

  Angel didn't give me what I wanted right away. He kissed me gently for several minutes before I got desperate and wrapped my arms around his head as we kissed. I pulled him closer, taking his tongue deeply into my mouth. He broke the kiss, and I could tell by his labored breathing that he was losing patience.

  "Please let me feel it," I begged. "I've been missing you so bad."

  Angel ran his erection along the slit at the top of my thighs, and I pushed upward to increase the pressure. He started speaking Spanish again. This time I identified the word Dios, and I smiled at his impatience.

  "Mamita, I wanted to make you wait for it, but I can't do it."

  "Finally!" I said, letting my head fall onto the bed dramatically.

  "I want you to see me."

  He pulled off the blindfold. I knew it was coming, but it was still a little overwhelming to take in my new surroundings. I was so comfortable on the bed, that I sort of forgot I was some place totally foreign.

  "Oh snap, Angel, this is beautiful," I said, lifting my head off the bed to take a look around. First off, we were in a gorgeous four-poster bed that was up on some type of platform. It was obviously a beach house because one whole wall was lined in windows. The curtains were drawn, but I could just tell by the style of the room that we were in a beach house. If this is our bedroom, I can't imagine what Tom and Blake's looks like, was the first thing that crossed my mind as I looked around. Then I glanced at the beautiful, naked man who was stretched out on top of me. I was so curious to see where we were that, for a second, I'd forgot to even look at Angel. The instant I did, any speculations about our location vanished into thin air. I officially didn't give a flip. As soon as my eyes fell on him, everything else was forgotten.

  "Oooooh, I missed you, papi," I said. I awkwardly ran my hands, which were still bound at the wrist, across his massive chest. I squirmed, feeling frustrated that I couldn't get my fingertips on him.

  "I missed you too, you little wiggle worm."

  "I want my hands free so I can touch you, papi."

  He grinned at me and deftly removed the silk tie.

  I smiled shyly and bit at my lip. "I probably love you," I said.

  He took his piece in his hand and worked the tip into my opening before thrusting forward with one swift movement. Each of us let out a sound of pleasure as he filled me.

  "How about now?" he asked.

  "Yes," I said, breathlessly. I ran my hands over his sides and back. I was so thirsty for the sight and feel of him, I felt like a dry sponge finally touching water. He filled me so completely.

  "Yes what?" he asked as he pulled out and thrust in again.

  "Yes I love you."

  "Probably?"

  "Not probably," I said.

  I writhed underneath him as he slowly slid in and out of me again. I looked at Angel and his wide mouth broke into a grin. He was hovering over me, but the full weight of his lower body rested on me. He moved in and out of me slowly at first. Each time he thrust into me, he paused, and we both relished in the feelin
g of our bodies becoming one.

  "Please Angel," I finally said. It was obvious by the sound of my voice that I was desperate to find my release.

  Angel's chest rose and fell in what seemed like a decisive sigh before he began thrusting into me with less restraint. Within only a few seconds of him going harder, I went to pieces. One second, I was gripping his backside to encourage him give me more, and the next, I was out of my mind. He buried himself inside me, with a determined thrust, and I felt the hot rush of ecstasy course through my body. "Oooh, oh that's… yeah… Angel… oh…that's… that feels really… oh…" I was still whispering things like this when he found his release. I heard him groan as he filled me again and again.

  We stayed there, drinking in the sight of each other for several long seconds. Finally, he smiled and bent to kiss me. I let my hands roam all over his ribs and back, and he stopped kissing me to pull back and study my face. "I missed you," he said.

  "You did?"

  "We could have skipped this whole thing and just met them here for the wedding."

  "I liked it," I said.

  "Oh yeah?"

  I shrugged.

  "I'll certainly never forget this grand adventure, sir. And especially the part where my captor took advantage of me."

  "Well, I'm not done with you yet. We'll go to the wedding to wish them well, but you're still mine for the night."

  I gave him sad eyes. "Just for the night?"

  "I was thinking indefinitely, but I didn't want to scare you on your first night as my prisoner."

  "I think I like being your prisoner."

  He bent to kiss me again. "You better get dressed," he said. "Tom wants us down there at six on the dot. It's the wedding then dinner, I think."

  I got back into my little dress. It, along with the one Megan and Addie were wearing were some I bought and then altered. I didn't have time to make all of us dresses from scratch, and I really liked the ones we purchased anyway.

  A few minutes before six, Angel and I left our room headed for the place Tom and Blake would say 'I do'. Angel led the way since I had no idea where we were or where we should go. He was wearing a beautifully tailored black suit with a white shirt and a slender black tie. It looked really sleek on him, and I thought it was a shame that it wasn't going to be a bigger wedding so more people could appreciate him.