They bundled up and strolled the cool, cobble-stoned streets of Basse-Ville and enjoyed seeing the gorgeous seventeenth- and eighteenth-century architecture. They took a midmorning break for coffee at a sidewalk café and checked out the local artists’ displays on the Rue du Trésor, where Harper purchased a small but beautiful oil painting of a Québec street scene, that was reminiscent of Paris, for her town house. They strolled the Place Royale, a beautifully restored market square, hand in hand, and had lunch at the green-turreted castle of Chateau Frontenac, Québec’s most famous landmark, a hotel which dominated the city skyline. After brief tours of the Musée National des Beaux Arts du Québec, as well as the Musée de la Civilization, both of which were located within the old city, Harper’s feet were tired, and they were both ready to call it a day. There was far too much to be seen in one day, but they made a valiant attempt to really scratch the surface. Harper was having a fabulous time and enjoying every minute of Morgan’s company. She had found him to be witty—but never at someone else’s expense—as well as sweet, without being saccharine. He was sexy and gorgeous and wonderful company, but when his Dom personality broke through, she could see that he had a definite hard edge and a sharp bite.
They returned to the ship at six o’clock, collapsed in the master suite, and put their feet up. This had been the busiest day of the cruise so far. They were looking forward to another visit on the return leg of the cruise. There were still several sites they wanted to visit. The next stop was to be in Montréal in the morning.
* * * *
Morgan handed Harper a glass of white wine. “Shall I order dinner to be served in the suite? Or do you want to go to the lounge?”
“Oh, definitely here. I’d love to shower, put on a robe, and relax in front of the fireplace. That sounds like heaven.”
“Your wish, my lady,” he said as he reached for the phone. He placed orders for two broiled lobster dinners with the braised asparagus that was Harper’s favorite, Caesar salad, and a bottle of wine. The chef recommended a bottle of Domaine de la Chauviniere 2008 Muscadet Sevre et Maine, a classic French seafood wine that wasn’t pricey. According to the chef, it would highlight the delicate flavor of the lobster while cutting through any heavy sauces or herbed butters. It was one of the chef’s favorites. Morgan was happy to have the recommendation and ordered dinner to be served at eight o’clock in front of the fireplace in the living room. “Now for that shower, babe,” he said as he reached down and picked her up off the chaise, where she was stretched out, wiggling her toes in bliss.
“This is service. I don’t even have to put my delicate little feet down on the carpet. You spoil me, Morgan.”
“That’s my fondest desire.”
Once in the shower with the multijets on full blast at a temperature guaranteed to parboil a lobster, Morgan soaped Harper’s back and thoroughly enjoyed running his hands over her body after he washed her hair. She returned the favor, and she was ready to climb him like a tree when he wrapped his arms around her and said, “Let’s hold that thought. I think we should enjoy the hot tub on deck after dinner.”
“Oh, you’re right. That sounds wonderful.” After they had dried each other off, donned the thick white terry robes, and returned to their drinks in the living room, Harper said, “Today was a really great day, Morgan. Thank you again. I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying this trip.”
“I’m glad for both of us that we decided to make the trip. Sometimes it’s hard to break away from the everyday pressures of work and just go. I needed this as badly as you did, Harper.” Morgan could see that the wine and the soft jazz playing in the background were relaxing her. He hoped that by the time they had eaten she would be ready for the surprise he had picked up for her in one of the shops on the Rue du Trésor while she was deciding which painting to buy. He had not intended to make this particular purchase just yet, but he had seen just the right thing in one of the shop windows, and he couldn’t stop himself. He thought that maybe he should just put it away for another time in case she wasn’t ready, but he was like a little kid at Christmas and couldn’t wait to see her face when she opened the box.
They enjoyed the two-pound lobsters, and the chef had been correct. The wine, while not expensive, was just right with the broiled lobster dipped in clarified butter. Morgan was thinking that he needed to make some calls to New York in the morning. The trip would be at the turnaround point tomorrow in Montréal. The progress of the drug trials was always in the back of his mind, and he was somewhat concerned that he had not heard from Joe Levine, the director of the double-blind clinical trial of Maxprotem. He had expected to hear something about the retesting of all the participants’ blood work and protocol reviews he had requested.
Morgan ran his fingers over the black box in the pocket of his robe and suddenly felt nervous. What if Harper wasn’t ready for this? Maybe he was pushing a little too hard, rushing the moment. Maybe he should just wait until they were back in New York and she had a chance to evaluate her feelings. He had never done this before himself. In all his years of practicing BDSM, he had never had the desire to collar a sub. He had been engaged for a short time just after graduating from business school, but it hadn’t worked out, and he and Lisa had broken up. It hadn’t been too traumatic for either of them, and they had just gone their separate ways.
When they had finished eating, Morgan poured fresh glasses of wine and took a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries out on deck. He lit the candles in the hurricane lamps on the tables. They dropped their robes on the chaise next to the hot tub and stepped into the bubbling, steaming water. It was delicious. The air was cold, and the water was hot. They lay back against the side of the tub and just let the magic bubbles do their work as Kenny G played in the background. Morgan popped a small but very sweet chocolate-covered strawberry into her mouth, followed by a swallow of wine. He smiled as she sighed in pleasure and he watched as the tastes rolled over her tongue. He pulled her between his legs and began to massage her tired neck muscles, causing her to groan in sheer bliss.
“Oh, God. What could be better than this?”
He chuckled. “Not much, babe, but I can come up with a few things.”
When she had relaxed like a wet noodle against him, he whispered in her ear, “I have a little surprise for you.” He reached out of the tub and pulled the box from the pocket of his robe and handed it to her.
She looked over her shoulder at him with a question in her eyes. “What’s this? You’ve done so much for me already, Morgan.” She cautiously opened the box and gasped. The platinum collar with a pavé diamond-encrusted heart and key dropping from the front sparkled on the black velvet. “Oh, Morgan, it’s beautiful, but this is far too expensive a gift for me to accept.”
“Let me be the judge of that, sub. It’s something I want you to have. I’ve never collared anyone before, and it’s a big deal to me. I want us to continue our relationship after the trip—the D/s relationship, as well as a regular relationship. I realize it’s too soon to be sure where it’s all going, but I want to find out. Harper, I think I’m falling in love with you.”
Tears glimmered in her eyes, and he was afraid she was going to turn him down. He had never been this nervous in his life. “I think I’m falling in love with you, too, Morgan, but with all of my problems still hanging over my head, I’m not sure it’s not too soon for this.” She sighed. He could see the regret on her expressive face. He could see that she wanted this but was afraid to reach for it.
“If you want to wait, I’ll understand, but I really hope you’ll accept the collar and wear it in the spirit it was intended—as a commitment to further explore what we have so far, and as a promise to see what the future brings. Nothing is carved in stone, and you don’t have to be afraid of this. I want it to make you feel safe enough to move forward and leave your baggage behind, knowing you’re not in this alone.”
She turned in his arms and kissed his neck, his cheeks, his eyelids. “Okay, as long as w
e both understand the parameters. It’s a promise to try. No harm, no foul if it doesn’t work out for either of us. I really do want to try to make this work, but with my track record, I don’t want to make promises I might not be able to keep.”
“Understood, Harper. I’m not trying to tie you down. I’m trying to set you free.” He took the collar from her trembling fingers and put it around her neck. He pulled her into his arms and settled her over his straining erection. She wrapped her legs around his waist as she sank onto him with a sigh. She took his breath away. It felt like homecoming to him. He smiled into her hair and looked over her shoulder. “Look! It’s starting to snow.” The fat white flakes tumbled out of the black velvet sky and fell on the deck. They were starting to pile up on the railings, but they melted in the heat from the hot tub before they could settle on their shoulders as the ship continued through the dark night up river toward Montréal.
* * * *
Harper began to move on him, taking him deeper and deeper as she gained her rhythm. Her heart was expanding in her chest as she took him in and felt the ice that had been around her heart for so many years begin to crack and melt away. The feeling of belonging was something she had never experienced before, and she reveled in it. Maybe Morgan was right. She did want the promise to explore what they had, to move forward and leave the past behind.
Harper increased her pace as Morgan’s lips burned a trail down her wet neck then gently began licking and sucking her pebbled nipples. She almost giggled. Her breasts were bobbing and floating in the hot bubbling water as she rubbed against his perfectly sculpted chest. She couldn’t see his beautiful body, but she felt every inch of him inside her as she rode him to ecstasy. Her pulse quickened as she joined him, and they blasted over the edge together. He crushed his mouth to hers, swallowing her gasp of pleasure. His voice deepened as he whispered in her ear, “You’ve been collared, sub. You’re mine.”
Chapter Nineteen
Montréal, Canada, on the St. Lawrence River, November 20, 2013—Wednesday Morning, Day Eleven of the Cruise
Morgan was waiting in the living room of the master suite for Harper to change for the day and return from her suite one deck down. He thought he would get some phone calls out of the way while he waited. The first was to Joe Levine. He was hoping for some good news on the drug trials.
“Joe. It’s Morgan. What news do you have for me?”
“Nothing yet, boss. The protocols all seem in order. I don’t know why we aren’t getting the results we expected after our success with the animal trials. In fact, we aren’t getting any results at all. It’s very puzzling. Even if the results weren’t what we hoped, we should have something.”
“This is unacceptable, Joe. I need answers. We’re too close for something like this to happen. I think I may have to cut my trip short, as much as I hate to do it, and come back and oversee this myself.”
“I wouldn’t want you to have to do that, Morgan. I know this is your first vacation in several years. Why don’t you wait another day before you make that decision?”
“We’ll be back in Québec tomorrow. I can fly home from there if I have to. I’m hoping you’ll have an answer for me before that because I really do not want to have to cut this trip short. Understand?”
“On it, boss. I’ll talk with you tonight.”
Morgan looked up to see Harper standing in the doorway. Apparently she had heard at least part of his conversation. “Babe, things are not going well with the Maxprotem trials, and I may have to get back to the city. I can’t afford to let this just sort itself out.”
“I understand, Morgan. It would be a shame to miss the rest of the cruise, but at least we’ve had the first half, eleven glorious days. I’m ready to go home if we have to.”
“No, babe. If I have to leave early I’d want you to stay. Your steward can move your things into the master suite, and you can relax up here for the rest of the cruise. At least one of us should enjoy it.”
“I wouldn’t feel right about staying if you have to leave early. That wouldn’t be right. Besides, I’m your attorney. You may need me there.”
“If I do, I can send the jet to pick you up. Let’s see what I hear tonight. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the day. Montréal awaits.”
* * * *
Harper was worried. She didn’t know exactly how much money, as well as credibility for Morgan’s company, was on the line, but she knew it was substantial. She understood that he might very well have no choice but to return to New York and oversee this problem himself. She knew she would be disappointed to have their trip interrupted just when she was beginning to make progress herself. Isn’t that always the way? Stuff happens at the worst possible times. She hated to seem selfish, and she hated to see him worried.
They took a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride through Vieux-Montréal, which, according to her ever-present guidebook, contained the largest collection of historic buildings in North America.
“I think he should let me drive.” Morgan grinned at her.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that. With your tendency to go from zero to sixty…”
“This horse is not capable of sixty, so no need to worry.”
They spent the day enjoying the wonderful French culture that was the heart of Montréal. They explored only a small part of the nineteen miles of neon-lit shops and boutiques in the underground city and made a brief stop at the Musée des Beaux Artes, but there was only so much one could do in one day. They were disappointed to miss the Jardin Botanique, the largest Chinese gardens in North America, but it was really too cold, and the gardens were far past their peak in any event. Harper carefully watched Morgan, and she could see the worry underlying his cheerful disposition. She decided then and there that he was not leaving the cruise without her. If he went, she would go as well.
Over a late lunch at a café in Vieux-Montréal she said, “Morgan, I can see you’re worried. Why don’t we cut the trip short here? We can catch a flight back to New York tonight, and you can be in your office tomorrow morning. You can do what you need to do, and then maybe we can come back. If not, there’s always another trip.”
“I’m sure Casey can get us flights, but we won’t have time to pack up or anything.”
“Our steward can arrange to have our things packed and delivered when they get back to New York. I really don’t need anything but my laptop and my handbag. In any case, don’t even think you’re going back without me.”
“Harper, there’s no reason for both of us to miss out on the rest of the cruise.”
“Yes, there is. It just wouldn’t be any fun without you. I’m not going to change my mind—if you have to go back, we’ll both go back. Besides, you may need your attorney.”
“Are you sure? I hate to cut our trip short, but you’re right. My mind is just not on it. I need to be in New York. I don’t know what I can do that the scientists running the trial can’t, but I have to see for myself. Maybe fresh eyes…”
Casey Campbell got them on a flight to New York that night. She assured them that their suites would be waiting if they could rejoin the cruise, and if they could not, she would have their belongings packed and delivered to them in New York. Harper was amazed at the level of service provided aboard the Golden Dolphin. She knew she would always treasure the memories of this trip and hoped she and Morgan would be making many more great memories in the future. But right now, she needed to support him. She was wracking her brain to see if she could come up with any ideas. She wasn’t a scientist or chemist, but she had a legal mind like a steel trap and just as deadly. She planned to be in Morgan’s office with him in the morning.
Chapter Twenty
Offices of Court Industries, New York City, Thursday, November 21, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
Harper poured cups of coffee from the carafe on Morgan’s credenza as she watched him start to sift through the mail, reports, and miscellaneous items that had piled up on his desk during the past eleven days.
; “I haven’t been away from this desk for that long in years. It feels strange to be back. I keep thinking I should take my coffee out on the deck.”
“I know what you mean. I wish we were still cuddled up in bed watching the snow accumulate on the deck railing. What is your plan for the day?”
“First, I’m going to have Joe Levine and his team in for a little sit-down. I want a blow-by-blow of what they’ve done to look into this matter. I want to review the animal tests again and the records of the human participants in the clinical trial and see if anything jumps up and bites me. Levine and his crew will be here at ten o’clock, and I’ll see what they have to say. Don’t you need to get back to your office?”
“They’re not expecting me back in town until November 25, and I’m not scheduled to be back in the office until December 2. Thanksgiving is the twenty-eighth, so that gives us eighteen days to spend together and for me to try to help you here. I haven’t decided if I’m going to give notice and move over to another firm or start my own firm. I’ve been considering both options. I don’t think I’m interested in a partnership at my current firm. It might be time to move on.”
“You could be right about that. I think they’re too accustomed to taking you and your talents for granted for a partnership to make much difference in your quality of life. Any increase in salary would be at least partially offset by your share of responsibility for the firm’s debts and profitability.”
“I agree. I just have to decide which way to go.”
* * * *
Harper looked around the conference table at the worried faces of Joe Levine’s team. The meeting had not gone well, and nothing new had come to light.
Harper's Submission [Golden Dolphin 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 10