by Mia Carson
“Jezebel? Really?”
She giggled. “No. Not really. My parents named me Sarah, but I’d rather be a Jezebel, you know?” Sure. Whatever you need, Jez. “So why so sad?”
“I think I screwed things up with my wife.” I looked her in the eye as I said it, straightening my posture. She didn’t back off, but examining her, I realized I might have underestimated her. Her brown eyes were smart.
“Aw, geez, what did you do?”
“She lied to me. I lied to her.” Sarah looked like she had money. She’d get where I was coming from. “But I have a lot more money than she does. A whole lot. She feels trapped. Like she can’t leave if she wants to.”
Sarah puffed out her breath, leaned back in her chair, and put her feet up on the railing. The wrap clung to her sculpted body, and the night breeze gave her goosebumps, which she ignored. “You want advice?”
“I’ll take some if you have it.”
“This is the oldest one in the book. If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, you know it’s the real deal. It’s dumb, it’s a cliché, it’s on keychains, but it’s true. Get the money out of the equation. See what she does.”
With the money out of the equation, I thought with a sad sigh, Mackenzie Taylor would be gone, leaving twin puffs of road dust in her wake like a Loony Tunes cartoon.
“Thanks, Sarah,” I said.
The ditz trying-to-score persona returned, and she straightened in her chair. “It’s Jezebel.”
“Sarah’s prettier. Good luck tonight. I’d try the bar upstairs by the beach.”
“You know, I was there and didn’t find anyone interesting to talk to. I hoped I’d have some better luck down here.” She turned her attention to the waves and gulped her drink. “I never thought this would be so lonely.”
“No kidding,” I sympathized.
Sarah’s friend pulled her away, and they left, hunting for better prey. If I’d acted like my old self or like Ryan always did and taken both of them back to their room, I would never have had a conversation half as real as the one I’d just had with Sarah. I watched their tight asses as they left, but it was more appreciation for an art form rather than any expectations.
The bar kicked me out at two, and I walked down to the beach. I found a deck chair left out, claimed it, and watched the stars as the resort shut down around me.
Mackenzie
When he left I knew I wouldn’t sleep. I flopped down on the king sized bed, getting mascara and sparkly eye shadow all over the white comforter as I cried. To my surprise, the exhaustion of the day and the fight put me to sleep in moments.
I woke up to someone at the door, the light still on overhead, and daylight streaming in through the windows. I took a moment to figure out where I was and what time it was. The light was slanted at a sharp angle, so it had to be early. After a few beats, I remembered the fight. Scott was at the door, wanting to leave promptly for the yacht so we’d be there by eight. We’d spend the day pretending nothing ever happened. I rubbed my eyes, aware I looked a fright, and let him in.
Bags under his eyes, his clothes rumpled and a little sandy, he didn’t look like he’d slept. He ran his gaze over me. He often drank me in with his eyes, and, alternately, I felt like the most beautiful woman alive or like chattel. Today, unfortunately, it was the latter. I folded my arms over my chest, and, aware of what he’d been doing, he looked away.
“I’m going to make some coffee. You want some?”
“You’re not just going to call room service to do it for you?” The words snuck out before I could stop them. I was on a roll already, and it was… Jesus, a little before six. My head still hurt from all the crying.
Scott ignored me and strode to the French press in the kitchen. He returned to the living room where I’d left the sliding glass doors open all night, just the screens closed, and the curtains waved and bowed with a fresh ocean breeze. I was angry at the day for being so beautiful.
“Sit,” he ordered.
“I’m fine,” I replied and remained standing. The cool breeze made me cold, and I crossed my arms over my alert nipples.
“You’re not going to find anything on me for your boss. I’m clean. The whole business is clean, and to be honest, even if it wasn’t, the fraud wouldn’t be anywhere you could find it. So from that perspective, you’re wasting your time here. We’ve been at this for over a week; I’m happy to pay you for your time, $30k, and call it a day. I can put you on a commercial flight back to New York this morning.”
Huh. I guess I should have sat down. Thirty thousand dollars would help, for sure. The payment would cover about half the cost of my aborted wedding and let me focus on my student loans. The collections agencies would back off, and I’d have room to breathe. I thought of Mr. Fallon. If I left, would the merger fail? If I lost my job, $30k would be next to nothing. I let my breath out in a long exhalation.
“Is that what you want? Won’t your deal fail?”
“Maybe. I’ll have however long on his boat to try and convince him I’m a great businessman no matter how I live my personal life.” Scott drooped back in his chair and watched some gulls swooping over the water. “It’s not worth it to me to make you miserable. This isn’t your life. This isn’t your scene, especially if you don’t want to be here.”
“I never said I didn’t want to be here.”
He laughed humorlessly. “You don’t have to say it.” He stood and stretched. “Anyway, think it over. I’m going to hop in the shower.”
I stood by the door and listened as he poured a cup of coffee and took it into one of the two bathrooms. I heard the shower turn on. My feet had grown roots and fused with the plush carpet.
I could go. I should go. There was nothing for me here. My brain argued: Nothing but a chance at being debt-free and a tropical vacation with some of the richest people in the world. And some amazing sex. I felt shallow, but I would be lying if I didn’t factor the sex into the equation.
Mr. Fallon dominated my thoughts. He’d call the FBI on me for fraud. I’d lose my job and go to jail. If I was going to cut ties with Scott, it would be better to do it loudly in front of Mr. Hall and his wife, torpedoing any chance he’d have for his merger. It was the most intentionally duplicitous thing I’d ever considered doing.
I couldn’t stay with Scott. His offer made it clear he didn’t even want me to. So this was the next best option. I did consider packing my stuff and slipping away while he was in the shower. I also thought about joining him in the shower and letting his body distract me for a while.
I waited too long, and the water turned off. I forced my feet free from the carpet and got myself ready for the day. I was going on a boat ride.
###
We got to the dock at ten past eight. Scott assured me they wouldn’t leave without us. In fact, upon our arrival there, we discovered Percival and Anne at the tender, with Giuliana and Isaac nowhere to be found. Percival glowered at us, but we took a seat and a handsome young man brought us each a mimosa. I sipped it nervously. I didn’t want to see Giuliana, especially now that I knew I’d stolen her husband. Seriously, she could have him.
Even this early in the day, it was hot, above eighty degrees. A yacht like the Halls’ must have air conditioning.
Percival ranted about his hatred of tardiness. “You know what my father always taught me?”
Scott, obliged by their business relationship, feigned enthusiasm as he asked, “What?”
“Early is on time, and on time is late. You at least have an excuse. Looks like you and the little lady didn’t get much rest last night.”
“Percival, don’t be crass.” Anne sipped her drink.
I tried to be helpful. “Well, it’s not every day someone gets to spend time with a creative genius like Isaac Cornell.”
They all looked at me. Anne couldn’t resist a dig at my expense. “Scott, where did you find her again? She’s absolutely adorable.”
Whatever. I gazed out at the Nomism
a moored offshore. It looked huge, and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like onboard. We waited a while longer, staring at our phones and at the resort, and finally, not even in a hurry, Giuliana and Isaac appeared.
No one said anything about it, either. Just a cacophony of good mornings and air kisses.
Fully loaded, the tender took off towards the yacht. Six decks with a pool on the second. “There’s a cover we can put down,” Anne explained, “and it becomes a dance floor.”
A hot tub on the highest deck. Two master suites with private balcony hot tubs. Sorry, Giuliana and Isaac, you just get a normal luxury suite. No outdoor hot tub for you. A 3-D home cinema with a bar and a popcorn machine. An amazing glass elevator connecting all six decks with ocean creature-themed metal work. Fully modern gym, sauna, and massage therapist on staff. Sundecks were everywhere—you couldn’t spit without finding a place to lounge either in the sun or in the shade. Lounges, bars… it seemed like we could easily go the whole trip without seeing any of the other passengers, if we so chose. The rainforest and sea inspired the décor inside, with neutral tones and ultra-modern furnishings. Multiple aquariums hosted tropical fish. A vivarium housed exotic lizards and tree frogs.
“Let’s get you to our room before you pull a muscle in your neck from gawking,” Scott whispered in my ear.
“Breakfast will be served aft on deck three at ten o’clock,” a white-suited crewman told us, leading us to our room at the nose of the ship on deck two. An aquarium wall filled with lionfish separated the sitting room from the bedroom. A mirror covered the ceiling above the bed, and the wall opposite the lionfish was a bank of windows overlooking the sea. The touch of a button would tint them as dark as we wanted.
A fruit basket waited for us with a bottle of champagne and a bunch of brightly colored silk scarves. How thoughtful of the Halls. The bathroom had a huge tub, a glassed-in shower, a bidet and a modern toilet with a heated seat. Two sinks and more mirrors. I stepped out on our private deck and found a hot tub big enough for four along with a few adjustable chaise lounges with sleek grey cushions.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” I gushed.
“I can tell.”
“You know what, I don’t think I’m ready to joke around with you yet.”
He put his hands up, and I could tell my words hurt him a little. “Sorry. When you decided to stay I just thought, I mean, I hoped it could be like yesterday.”
“You mean when we were fighting?”
“No.”
“The sex?” It had been particularly good sex. But then, with Scott, it always was. Must be all his practice.
“Come on. You know what I mean. Tulum. Dinner.”
I remembered holding hands and walking through the ruins in the setting sun. I’d never shared a moment like that with anyone. Certainly not with Lucas.
“I think we’re good together when we’re good together,” he told me.
“That’s kind of a bullshit statement.”
“You know what I mean.”
He sat on the edge of the bed. I felt like all the lionfish were watching us. Scott followed my gaze. “Aren’t those things poisonous?” he asked.
“Venomous.”
He put up his hands, but I could see him struggling not to smile. “I stand corrected.” He laughed, and I couldn’t help myself. “I’m sorry about last night.”
“I’m sorry, too.” I sat just out of his reach. I thought about my plan to loudly break up in front of everyone. I didn’t feel like a very good person. “Even if this is all just business, you should be able to trust me enough to tell me the truth if I ask you a question.” It’s what I would have said if our relationship was real.
“It means a lot to hear you say that,” he said.
I wanted to hug him. God, I was a mess. Plotting his sabotage and wanting him to hold me. I reminded myself that one helped with the other and stood up. I wrapped my arms around him, and his head rested on my breasts. The heat of his body warmed me in the air conditioning. I straddled him, our noses touching.
“What are we going to do for the next two hours?” I tried to sound innocent, like there was another option.
“Kenz—are we cool?”
“What?” I’d heard him, of course, but the words didn’t make sense.
He took a breath. “Are you still pissed at me?”
Yes. No. I didn’t know. I bit my lip, unsure what to say. “I feel like nothing in your shadow,” I said. “I’m your pawn. Your plaything.”
“But… do you like that?” His expression was earnest and open, and he put his warm hands on my hips.
I’d never really considered what I did and didn’t like. Sex with Lucas had just been sex. With Scott, though, we’d done more delicious experimentation than I ever had with anyone. I did like being his plaything, though I’d spent an awful lot of time fighting it. I slowly nodded.
“You’re sure?”
“No. Almost sure.”
He laughed a little. “That makes me nervous, as a dom. If you’re going to be my sub, I want you to trust me completely.”
“I do in bed.”
“But think of how much fun we could have out of bed, too. You trusted me yesterday, and it was great.”
“That was just dinner and sightseeing.”
He shook his head. “Babe, I told you what to wear, what to eat, what to look at.”
“I don’t want to lose who I am.” What was I thinking? This would all be over… soon. Maybe sooner rather than later.
“You won’t, if we do it right. I don’t want any secrets.”
His words slid like icicles down my back. “I’m not ready for that. Can we take it a day at a time? An hour at a time?”
“Whatever you want.”
“Okay.” I wanted the conversation to be over. I wanted to sink into familiar sexual bliss with him, the only place I could shut my brain off. “Then let’s have sex.”
“You’re a hopeless romantic.”
I ground against him a little. “I didn’t say no.”
He thrust his hips back at me. “Bring me those scarves, will you?”
I was so dumb. I hadn’t understood until I handed them to him. He tied one around my wrist. The Halls left us that? Or maybe Scott asked for it? The bed frame had some very discreet tie offs—once I knew what I was looking for I couldn’t miss them.
My legs were spread and bound apart. My wrists were tied together and secured over my head. Gently, Scott wrapped another scarf around my eyes, and my sight was gone.
My breath quickened. I listened to the sounds around me, the sensations. The Nomisma was still moored, but it was so big I couldn’t feel the motion of the sea. The engines of the yacht rumbled softly, almost imperceptibly. The air conditioner pumped cool air into the room, battling the heat outside. I could tell Scott was somewhere on the bed, but he was so still, I couldn’t tell exactly where.
I waited. Anticipation prickled my skin. I was wet, ready. I’d never done anything like this before. I’d suggested bondage to Lucas once, and he’d treated me like a deviant, shaming me for my out-of-the-norm request.
Something tickled my thigh, shocking me out of my depressing reverie. I flexed my hips, excited. It brushed me gently, tantalizing, then vanished. I still couldn’t tell where Scott was and didn’t know what had touched me. The touch returned, stroking my other thigh. Scott brought it from inside my knee all the way up my leg, pulling away just before he reached my hungry pussy. I moaned. He chuckled, and the sound gave him away—to my left. He must have a feather—it was the only thing I could think of that would tickle like it did. It brushed over my skin, teasing me. On my nipples, caressing my labia.
I smelled Scott’s soap on his skin. He licked my nipple, and I groaned. The teasing was torturous fun. I wanted more. I wanted him. I arched my back, shoving my breasts into his face.
“Easy. Relax.”
“I can’t.”
He chuckled, the vibrations tickling the tender skin
of my breast.
The Nomisma’s engines growled to life, and we started to move.
Scott bit my nipple, and I cried out. Loud. I wanted to clamp a hand over my mouth, but they were tied up.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about it. No one will hear you.”
“No one?”
“Be as loud as you want.” If I couldn’t bury my head in a pillow or clamp a hand over my mouth, I wouldn’t have much choice.
My nipple stung gloriously where he’d bitten me, and when he pulled his head away I thrashed impatiently, wanting him back. Wanting his mouth all over me.
Something stroked my wetness. Not Scott—something else. Something cold, smooth, hard. Something slippery with lube. He pushed it into me—some kind of ribbed amazing toy. Oh wow. Double wow… After playing with my pussy for a moment, he headed for my ass.
I’d never had anything bigger than his finger, but he eased in the toy. I arched my hips and let my muscles relax. Oh wow. It went deeper, too, and oh my God. I wanted to make noise, but all I could do was open and close my mouth like a fish.
With the toy firmly parked in my ass, Scott climbed on top of me, the silky smooth glans of his cock pushing into my dripping vagina. Oh, yes. He fucked me with long strokes. All I could do was lie beneath him and experience what he did to me.
He kissed me, his tongue flirting with mine, which changed the angle just enough that the head of his cock rubbed my G-spot. I threw my head back as white blossoms of pleasure bloomed behind my closed eyes. My breath came in ragged little gasps, and I pulled against the restraints. Scott sped his thrusts in time with my panting. Together, we climaxed on the huge bed in our suite, the Gulf of Mexico behind us.
Scott
I managed to avoid Giuliana for the next day and a half. We stopped that evening on a private island the Halls borrowed from a wealthy friend, and Mackenzie and I spent hours hiking by a waterfall in the jungle. We made love on the rocks by a secluded section of beach. No sub/dom games this time. I just held her in my lap as we both experienced pleasure together. She and I managed not to fight at all that day, and for the first time since Las Vegas, went to bed together. She wrapped herself around me, head on my shoulder, and I rubbed the soft skin of her back. She smelled like salt, sun, and sand.
