by Sarah Mosby
“What are you thinking about?” She asks, pulling off her sundress and taking off her slippers to head into the ocean. “You,” She smiles at his response.
“Oh really? What about me?” She giggles as he watches her from behind shades. She toys with the strings of her halter bikini top until it comes loose and falls beneath her breasts. She raised her eyebrows suggestively before winking at him and heading into the water. He shakes his head at her and stands there, watching her brown hair wisp around her, and her breasts bounce as she splashes around, completely carefree. “Are you coming to join me?” she calls out and he shakes his head, laughing at her.
“No. I’d much rather watch you from here,” He nods at her with a smile.
“Are you sure?” she asks holding up the bottom half of her string bikini. Matthew smirks at her and nods. “I’m sure,”
“Okay.” She pouts, tossing the panties up to the shore. Matthew chuckles as she puts on a show for him, ‘The little naked mermaid’ she has called it. His growing erection points in her direction but he remains composed as he watches her swim out further into the ocean.
He feels his cell vibrate and he reaches into his pocket to check the caller I.D. but the number is blocked. He keeps the phone in his hand and waits to see if the unknown caller will leave a message, but none comes through. “Amanda?” He calls out when he looks up to find that she is gone. He looks around the beach to see if somehow, she had come out of the water without him seeing. He drags off his clothes within seconds, runs out to the sea, and starts wading further out, looking for her. He is about to dive in when she comes back up giggling. “I got it,” she grins holding up a starfish but his face is stone cold.
“Get out of the water.” He growls at her and she wipes her face to see if he is joking. He isn’t. “What?” she asks, surprised at the sudden turn in his mood.
“Now. Get out of the water right now.” He starts wading back to shore and he can sense that she is muttering silently to herself. He’ll fix that too. He angrily walks towards the cabin and she quietly follows behind him. She can’t understand what made him react like this. Did he not see her go down? He kicks open the cabin door and enters, his long legs crossing the room in no time. She sees a bathrobe hanging off the back of a chair close to the door and wraps it around herself. “What is going on?” She asks quietly, suddenly feeling very unsure of herself. He holds up his finger, a motion she learned very early and she stops speaking. Her eyes follow him as he paces the room. She is tempted to disregard his instructions and just ask him again what she has done, that was so wrong.
“Are you okay?” He asks, his tone clipped and irritated. She has never seen him like this before. He is usually so calm and in control. “I’m fine Matt, what’s wrong.” He sighs, then crosses the room, heading for her. A part of her wants to run, but another part of her, the part that has learned to trust him again, the part that wants to learn how best to please him, that part holds her ground and he draws her to him, claiming her mouth in a kiss that she can’t understand. If the kiss was to be translated into words, they will be scribbled in another language from another planet. When he finally pulls away from her, his eyes are blazing and she can see something in his face that she hasn’t seen before. “You asked what I was thinking about earlier,” He grunts through gritted teeth, “I was thinking about you. I was thinking about what it would be like to lose you again.” She can feel tears starting to prick the back of her eyes. She had scared him. This big, fearless man, who has always been her hero; this man who opened her world and turned it on its head. She had scared him by disappearing. He wasn’t fearless after all. How could he be? How could anyone who loves another person ever be truly fearless? “I’m sorry Master,” she whispers, slowly sinking to her knees and staring up at him. She can see his jaw flexing from where she kneels and she waits patiently, quietly for his instructions. “What do you want?” he asks her softly, his mind still reeling with the idea of her being gone. Of her leaving him.
“I want to please my Master,” she whispers, knowing the words to say that would bring him the most comfort. She has grown so much in the weeks that they have been together. He has taken her to the local CRAVE club that until that day, she had no idea existed, and she observed all the subs. She was a quick study and an overachiever and Matthew loved both those things about her. “Stand,” he orders, his voice finally steadying, as he looks at her. He pulls the robe open and gazes longingly at her naked body before him.
“I wasn’t pleased with what you did today,” he says firmly and she sulks.
“I’m sorry Master.” She whispers, feeling every ounce of guilt in the center of her chest.
“You should be a kitten. You should be very sorry.” He walks over to the bed and takes a crop from his bag. “On the bed,” he instructs and she swallows hard, her eyes fixed on the crop that she knows would be biting into her ass in seconds. She shuffles over to the bed and kneels down on her hands and knees. Matthew smiles before running the smooth leather of the crop over the curves of her ass. He teases her glistening sex with the crop before swatting her there and she bites back a moan. “Good girl.” He praises her. He likes his subs to earn their moans through moments of reverential silence. Amanda has caught on after a few tries and a few floggings, which he has enjoyed. She lowers herself onto her chest and spreads her legs wider, to receive her punishment. The sight of her inspires him and he swats the soles of her feet, then the back of her calves, the back of her thighs, repeatedly, inching closer to her moist entrance, every time he swats her thighs. He can see her tensing as he swats her ass repeatedly, before dragging the crop down to her welcoming folds and swatting her clit. She screams and he smirks at the opportunity she presents. He climbs onto the bed behind her and gets rid of his shorts. She is still red from her spanking and he loves how her skin bears witness to where he has been. He pushes into her slowly, feeling her stretch around him, before pulling her back onto him. “You don’t get to cum,” he hears her gasp and he smirks, “Not today. And if you do, then that’s when the fun really starts. Do you understand? He asks. “Yes Master, she whispered.”
***
They have spent the entire weekend on the island, taking in the sun, eating all the food they can get, and having the craziest sex. Amanda has explored her borders and the more they came together, the closer they became. Amanda cannot believe how lucky she became. Everything seems to be falling into place and she can’t be happier. She fires up her laptop to check in with Emily, excited to share her big news with her. It is the first time in her life she is actually in a serious “grown-up” relationship and she knows it won’t have happened without her. She dances to the ringing of Skype but it rings out until the call ends without an answer. It rings out several times without an answer and she sulks back into the bedroom of Matthew’s hotel. “What’s wrong?” he asks looking over at her with concern on his face. “Oh, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“Amanda,” her name has never held so much meaning. It is a question, a command, a full sentence. He wants to know what is bothering her. “I wasn’t able to have my weekly Skype call, that’s all. I couldn’t reach Em and she’s never missed our weekly call.” Matthew smiles kindly at her, he can tell that Emily really means a lot to her. “Maybe she’ll call back,” he tries reassuring her and she nods, before disappearing into the living room. They have returned only just yesterday. Emily knew they were going to leave the country, maybe she got their return date mixed up. She wanders around the hotel room, taking everything in. She hears his phone ring and wonders if somehow, Emily is trying to reach her through him. She shrugs the thought off. She is a grown woman with a billionaire Dom. She can survive one missed phone call with her best friend. It’s not as if she is lonely anymore. She has the most loyal and honest man waiting for her inside the bedroom. The thought of him makes her smile. Matthew has really come a long way since their last conversation in her bunk bed in their foster home. She smiles at the memory
as she sees a picture of her, beside the television. She can’t believe how wrong she was about him for all those years. She decides that she isn’t the best judge of character and that she will release all her fears and just enjoy her life. When she looks up, she sees Matthew standing in the doorway, leaning against the wall, looking at her. She blushes, walks over to him, and places her hand on his chest. He leans down and kisses her forehead. She stares into his eyes and for some strange reason, she feels a twinge of panic. His face is as calm as it usually is but there is something off about his heartbeat. Something that betrayed his cool exterior and she wanted to know what it was. “What’s wrong?” she whispers and his eyebrow goes up, “What makes you think there’s anything wrong?” He asks, his voice doing nothing to betray the offbeat in his chest. “I can tell that there’s something wrong.” He smiles down at her and pulls her into a hug. He silently vows to protect her from whatever shit storm was about to hit and hopes that when the smoke clears, they will still be standing. Without letting her go, he sighs, “I need to get back to California for a few days.” He can feel her back tense immediately. “For how long?” she asks, her voice barely a whisper. “Just a few days.” He says, tightening his grip on her and she slowly relaxes. “Can’t I come with you?” she asks and he can tell that she is panicking at the idea of being alone again. “I promise I’ll come back button. I always come back.” He smiles into her hair.
“Okay. When do you have to leave?” she asks, “In the morning. I’d go tonight but I want to spend the rest of the weekend with you before I release you back out there into the world to mix with the commoners,” he jokes and she giggles. He wants to record that giggle and replace his heartbeat with the rhythm of her joy. “It’s going to be an early flight, so you can get ready for work from here.” He says and she nods. She brought an extra outfit just in case, so she has no issues with that plan. “Alright missy, go wash up. I’m heading down to the lobby for a quick second. I’ll be right back.” He swats her butt and she yelps, before walking away. He watches her shimmy away before taking out his phone again and stares at the screen. “I’ve got your bitch. I want what’s mine.” He redials the number and isn’t surprised when Jayd answers. He sounds unhinged and particularly dangerous.
“Hello, brother.” Jayd drawls and Matt can tell that he has relapsed again.
“What do you want Jayd?” He asks through tightly gritted teeth. He closes the door behind him and walks out into the corridor. “I don’t know what you did to the old man, but it makes no sense to me why he’d leave you all that stuff. You weren’t even family. You were nothing. You still are nothing. You think because you got a taste of the good life and you have a few extra dollars, that it makes you somebody? You’re still a useless nobody. You’re still an orphan. The bastard child born to a family wrecking whore.” Matthew can feel his grip on his phone tighten. “Fuck you Jayd, I’m hanging up.”
“You do that and your bitch here gets it.” Matthew glances back at his room door. Amanda is safely inside, possibly taking a shower and getting ready for bed. He knows she is safe. Still, his words make him question her safety for just a second. “I have no bitches Jayd.”
“I always knew the old man was into some strange shit. I guess that’s why you two got along. He did his strange shit with your cunt mother didn’t he,” He feels his jaw tensing as a growl forms in the back of your throat. “Jayd, you’re walking a thin line here. What the fuck do you want?” Matthew growls and looks around to be sure that he is alone in the long corridor. “I want the accounts and I want the island.” Matthew laughs. He must be out of his mind. “Why would I give those to you? They were gifts from Demarco to me. I didn’t steal anything from you. You proved yourself to be unworthy of managing his assets Jayd. What was he going to do? Just throw away his legacy by giving them to you?” He stresses every syllable and he can hear Jayd’s anger management issues in every ragged breath that he draws. “He was my father. I was his favorite until you came into the picture. You took him from me.” Matthew can feel himself losing patience.
“Jayd you were never his favorite. Be grateful he left you anything. Now get the fuck off my phone.” He barks and Jayd laughs a low sinister sound that makes Matthew’s blood run cold. “I suppose you really don’t care about her then. Pity. I always thought she was too good for you.” Matthew glances back at the door. Before he can say anything he hears a small voice on the phone. He can tell she is scared. He has hoped Jayd was simply bluffing but apparently, his brother has a death wish. “Matthew?” This tiny voice calls out to him and he is suddenly washed by guilt. She doesn’t deserve to be mixed up in any of this. “Emily are you okay?” he asks calmly and she sniffles into the phone. “Emily, am I on speaker?”
“No.” She whispers and he nods. Jayd really is an idiot then.
“Don’t tell him.” He doesn’t need to say anymore. He knows she will figure it out. “I’m coming to get you okay?” He says, sounding far more self-assured than he feels. He doesn’t know what to expect with Jayd. There was a reason his father had tried getting him help.
“I know you left California, brother. I’m expecting you back here tomorrow. We have estate matters to deal with.” With that Jayd hangs up the phone. Matt stands in the hallway fuming. His mind immediately drifts to Amanda. Jayd has grabbed Emily because he thinks she is still with him. He finds himself imagining Amanda in her place, and is overcome with a sudden need to see her. To make sure that she’s safe. He knows it’s irrational. He knows there is no way that Jayd can reach through the phone and grab her but he needs to see her. He just needs to be sure. He slams the door behind him and marches into the room to find Amanda sitting on the bed, with soaked cheeks. She doesn’t bother to look up at him. Her eyes keep glossing over the papers on the bed and he sees the envelope he left on the night table, laying on the bed. He freezes. He never meant for her to find out like this. He didn’t want her to find out at all unless she absolutely wanted to. With the night rapidly descending into chaos, he has a sinking feeling that the weekend is not about to end well for them.
“You knew?” she whispers without looking up at him. Her voice is so small and she looks so tiny in the king-sized bed.
“Amanda.” He says and she looks up at him slowly. He searches for her feelings in her face and he sees every single one. She is hurt and he kicks himself for keeping such a big secret from her. He searches but doesn’t see hatred in her eyes and for that he is grateful.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” her voice comes out in a tiny whisper as another tear falls down her face and onto the bed. “I wasn’t sure you wanted to know. I swear I would have told you if you changed your mind.”
“Changed my mind? Changed my mind about what?”
“You’ve always said that you didn’t care about who your family was. You said you didn’t want to find them or know anything about them. Amanda goes quiet for a moment, staring deep into his face. “What aren’t you telling me?” she asks.
“What?” he asks, already stressed by the idea of leaving her, knowing that Jayd can very well find out that he has the wrong woman.
“There’s something you’re not telling me. You’re a very smart man. You had to have known that I would want to know this. Unless I’m missing something, so what is it?” She asks, trying to keep her tone in check despite the feeling of sharp nails clawing her throat, as a wail waits to escape her. “There’s nothing.” He lies, wishing that he can hit restart on the day. She gets up and marches over to him. “I don’t believe you.” She folds her arms and stares defiantly into his face. He can feel himself getting wound up at her defiance.
“Amanda,” he starts off in a low, hushed tone that barely travels across the room. He reaches out to touch her hair and she takes an instinctive step back. His jaw flexes at her subtle rejection. Under normal circumstances, he will never tolerate such insolence, but he decides to let it slide considering all that is hanging loosely in the air. The night can still end either way and
he wants it to end well. He needs it to end well. He doesn’t want to be worrying about his relationship with her while trying to rescue Emily from his insane brother. “I’m telling you there’s nothing else. I made a judgment call. Apparently, it wasn’t the right one.” She stares at him trying to decide how she feels about him. He can see the whole thing happen on her face. “I’d like to go home.”
“Amanda,” he starts to say but she turns and crosses the room to pick up her travel bag, before grabbing the papers off the bed. “You should have told me, Matthew.” She sobs and he walks over to her. He hates how unsure he feels of himself, of her, of the entire moment.
“I’m sorry.” He says, watching her shrug on her jacket before passing him and heading out into the living room. He follows her, slowly watching her make her way to the door. The car ride back is quiet and she clings to the envelope with paper-white knuckles. Their entire weekend has been ruined. When they pull up at her house, she lets herself out of the car, not bothering to wait on him and runs up her driveway. Matthew sits in his car and watches her open the door before she disappears inside.
“John, can you get the jet ready? I need to head back to California to take care of some personal business. While I’m away, keep an eye on her for me would you?” The driver nods and drives off in the direction of their hangar.
***
Amanda paces back and forth as Emily’s cell phone rings without an answer. The house she has just left feels suddenly foreign to her. The walls seem to be pulling away from her, just like everything else in her life always does. She groans as the call goes to voicemail again.
