by Anise Storm
Zane got up from the bed and instantly the loss of his body heat had her quivering as the temperature in the room cooled her skin. She cast a longing look at the blond man before looking at the dark-haired one with his hands between her thighs.
“How’re you feeling, Calista?” Intense hazel eyes studied her, as if trying to read her thoughts. She thanked Xavier, and he smiled. “Providing aftercare is not only a Dominant’s responsibility, but it’s our pleasure as well.”
Cali smiled drowsily at his words. It was something she’d read during her research, but assumed like most of the other stuff that it was simply something to beautify what seemed so brutal and violent. Tonight, it opened her eyes to something she’d never dreamed in a million years that she’d experience. It also made her want to not only reexamine her own books, but herself.
She’d not only fully submitted to these two men; she’d given every part of herself to them in the process. The scariest part was among the gifts of her trust and her orgasms, they’d managed to steal her heart as well. How would she ever be able to live without them after tonight?
Zane returned to the bed, and she found herself sandwiched between them both once more. Draped unceremoniously across them, she tried to push the sense of impending doom into the back of her mind. She still had four more days left here in paradise until she had to return to Boston. She couldn’t and wouldn’t allow her own foolish notion of love to interfere with the time she did have left. She closed her eyes to stop the tears rushing to the surface. The last thing she needed to do was cry and have to explain to them why. Cali snuggled closer to the men and forced herself to fall asleep.
Chapter 28
THAT NIGHT, THE MEN kept her close to them at all times. Cali thought they would have been tired of her by that point. If anything, the two men became even more possessive. She’d been alone her entire life, keeping mostly to herself. This level of attention was something foreign to her.
Don’t do this, Calista. No matter what she told herself, however, she still felt like a princess when with them, cherished and desired. You’re just a fling, nothing more. Soon you’ll be only a memory. Though she tried, she couldn’t silence the inner voice that taunted her because it was right. This arrangement was temporary. In fact, she’d found herself constantly looking at the calendar, marking off each day until she would be thousands of miles away in Boston, as alone as she’d ever been.
Calista wasn’t quite sure what she’d expected after their time in the playroom. It was still mystifying that after what had occurred neither looked at her any differently because she sure did. Cali didn’t want there to be a weird dynamic, so she made sure to not tip the men off about how freaked out she still was. What kind of woman allows one man to do this type of things to her, much less two?
Even now, she couldn’t close her eyes without thinking about the leather tails trailing down her skin. She could even recall the stinging sensation as both men peppered her ass with blows. The flogger was one thing, but the hot wax was another altogether. Never again would she be able to light a candle and not remember each drop of wax as it coated her belly and breasts. In addition to that, she’d never had as many orgasms or such intense ones as those she’d had with them in the playroom. How could another man ever compare?
Was it possible that maybe they now thought of her in a different light? Ever the realist, Cali couldn’t allow herself to give in to delusions and expect anything from them other than the terms that had been laid out in the very beginning. Sadness passed over her each time she realized that. Xavier and Zane had both inched their way into her heart, and instead of enjoying the time they’d all had left, all she could anticipate was the heartache she’d suffer when back home in the real world.
Cali didn’t want to harp on the negative, but then again, she’d never expected to fall in love with either of them. After their time in the playroom, however, she couldn’t deny it any longer. No way would she have ever allowed someone else to do the type of depravity they’d done to her. Things were so different when she was with Xavier and Zane. They’d always told her they could read her better than she could read herself. She’d been skeptical at first, but each day had proven just how right they were.
Now she was lying between their sleeping bodies, staring at the darkness of the room. Yes, she’d written about domination and submission before, and the novels did well, but she’d never actually imagined that she, herself, would ever experience the things that her book characters did. And now that she had, it felt like one of the most natural things in this world.
Was it possible that I never truly enjoyed sex before because something was missing? She briefly closed her eyes before reopening them. Of course, something was missing. Most of the time it was a willing partner. But then, even when she had allowed Emily and Natalie to talk her into going out to meet someone, any sexual encounters that resulted were usually dull and boring. The males had hardly been able to hold her attention, or she theirs. Cali had always chalked it up to her own inexperience, but maybe the fault didn’t lie with her after all.
Xavier and Zane seemed to enjoy sex with her, and since she’d met them, Cali had been in their bed more than anywhere else. It was going to be comical trying to explain what she did during her time here on the island, because outside of a few places, such as the Baths, she hadn’t experienced anything else. Tomorrow she’d have to stress the importance of doing a few of the excursions she’d planned out to do. If neither man wanted to go with her, she’d simply have to go by herself.
Her thoughts drifted back to all of the places she’d researched after she’d booked the trip. Virgin Gorda was part of the British Virgin Islands and was a secluded paradise, just as advertised. There were, however, several different places to explore and sights to see, despite its remote location. Calista knew there was no way she could return home having never experienced any of them for herself. Topping her to-do list was a scuba-diving and snorkeling tour.
Over the summer, she’d gotten certified at scuba diving, even though it wasn’t something she’d wanted to do at the time. “Oh, c’mon, Cali, it’ll be fun,” Natalie had urged.
“She’s right,” Emily had added. “You’ll be glad that you did.”
After talking her two best friends into coming with her, she had agreed to go. It wasn’t like she needed to twist their arms, though. Both women were so beautiful and had bodies that men would mortgage a house for the chance to touch. They’d always been willing to do anything that involved parading around in their skimpy bikinis. Cali could almost laugh about it now as she remembered the dive instructor’s face when he saw the two of them emerge from the changing room in their barely there two pieces and she came out in what had to be the frumpiest bathing suit ever. It was perfectly fine to her, but her friends had criticized every aspect of it until she’d thrown it away once she’d gotten home.
Cali and her friends had done the two days of training and four required dives so she’d have her certification, and she hated to think her time and money was spent for nothing. No, she’d have to tell Xavier and Zane that she needed some time to herself. Or maybe she wouldn’t have to. Both men were currently sleeping, so she could slip out of bed and go back to her room. She might earn herself a punishment, but at least she’d get to utilize her training.
She sat up in bed and then thought about the disappointment that would follow. Would she really risk having her last few days with the men spent arguing with them or worse, getting punished? Realizing it wasn’t worth it, Cali lay back down and sighed. Zane started to stir and she immediately felt bad that she’d woken him up.
“What is it, Calista?” he asked in a drowsy voice.
“Nothing,” she whispered, trying her best to keep her voice down. “I’d gotten a cramp in my leg, but I’m fine now.”
A few seconds later, a pair of strong hands massaged her calves. The lie had slipped so easily off her tongue and she would’ve felt bad about it had it not felt so damn good
. When he repeated the action on both legs, Zane pulled her against him, allowing her to meld her body to his.
It felt good to lie there in his arms, and as she tried once more to fall asleep, she thought about some of the other things she’d also wanted to do here on the island before her vacation was over. Outside of the water sports, there were so many different Bays to visit and even a mountain peak to climb or a zip line to ride, assuming she was daring enough to actually attempt either of those.
She thought about the latter excursion and wondered if the exhilarating rush she’d experience when soaring above trees, ocean, and land would match the thrill she’d experienced when suspended in the air in the makeshift playroom they’d set up earlier. The weightlessness from not having the heavy burden of her thoughts or body to weigh her down had been more freeing than she could’ve ever imagined. She’d read about the high one got when submitting but assumed those in the chat rooms on the fetish sites and on the Internet were over exaggerating.
Now she finally realized what they were talking about when they said there was freedom to be found in their submission. There was nothing else like it in the entire world. It was an almost indescribable feeling, and one she’d remember the rest of her days. When she opened her mouth, she yawned and took that as her cue to go to sleep. She could worry about excursions and everything else when she woke up. For now, she’d be content with being sandwiched between these magnificent males, creating other memories that would stick with her much longer. Closing her eyes, Cali drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 29
WHEN XAVIER WOKE UP the next morning, he couldn’t get out of bed fast enough when he saw the mane of long hair covering his chest. Sure, he’d slept with a submissive after a scene, especially like the one they’d had with Calista the night before, but this female wasn’t an ordinary club submissive. She was far more dangerous, and had no fucking clue what she did to him. Trying his best not to wake her up, he slowly untangled his limbs from hers and slipped out from beneath her. She made a murmured sound as she turned her head, but remained in her slumberous state.
He got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. On his way, he saw Zane look up from his laptop computer. “Are you still working, Z?” he asked in an incredulous tone.
“Yeah, the plans I’d originally drawn up for one of the vacant theaters are no fucking good anymore. Devin was sure he’d get that one, but as my luck goes, his offer was rejected, but he was able to acquire another with completely different dimensions. Now I’m working overtime trying to recreate something that will work for his plan B.” His friend raked his hands through his hair. “And I hate to impose, but you’re going to need to take Calista out to see some of the island today.”
“For fuck’s sake,” he cursed and then entered the bathroom. Didn’t Zane realize how perilously close Xavier already was to breaking his own cardinal rule? Even if he did, his friend wouldn’t have given a damn. He wouldn’t have been surprised to find out the man knew exactly what was going on.
Growling, he headed straight to the shower. He’d turned on the water and after stepping underneath the scalding spray, Xavier tried to think about what the hell he could do with her. He’d been on practically every square inch of the island at one time or another. The rugged beauty of Virgin Gorda was something that you had to see once in your lifetime. What are the odds that Calista Grant would ever venture this way again?
He knew Zane was right. The submissive deserved to experience everything she could while here. He’d have to choose places where they’d be around other people. Balling up his fists, he slammed them against the tiled shower wall. In all of his thirty-two years, he’d never been apprehensive around a woman, until her. And he knew why. She’d gotten under his skin and nothing he did seemed to work her out from beneath it.
She wasn’t even the type of woman he usually surrounded himself with. And maybe that had been his biggest mistake. Something about her innocence reeled him in like a fish. Calista was so fucking beautiful and didn’t even realize it. Most of the women he knew in Washington DC would flaunt their looks, using them as a weapon to try to bring a man to heel. And it wasn’t even so much her physical appearance that had drawn him to her. It was the inner kind, a certain goodness that those vapid women back home lacked.
“I should’ve known you were trouble when I first met you, belleza,” he said aloud to himself. Thank fuck the sound of the water pouring from the showerhead would drown out his voice.
He’d gone twenty-five damned years without ever feeling like this. Xavier knew this was only the beginning of the end for him, if he went down that road. Juan Rivera had proven that to be true. A scowl formed when he thought back to the weeks and months that followed Raquel walking out on them. His father had been a shell of himself…despondent…pathetic…and downright miserable. It affected everyone around him, and soon the man started drinking heavily, lost his job, and almost lost his entire fortune. And for what? A fucking female who showed not an ounce of regret when she strolled out of their bedroom and house with the pool boy in tow.
Not a single letter, phone call or anything followed. Xavier had come to realize that she’d not only turned her back on her husband, she did so to her son too, and it had to be because she knew he’d end up just like his father. Shaking his head vehemently, he refused to even entertain the thought that he’d act like Juan. That life lesson had thankfully been averted, and when he’d gotten old enough to understand, he’d made a solemn vow to never allow a female to compromise his resolve.
It was another reason he’d become a Dominant. The control wasn’t only something he enjoyed, it was something he desperately needed. There was no way in hell that Xavier could ever relinquish his for anyone or anybody. In all the years and continents he’d been on, no one had ever made him want to, until Calista.
He grabbed the soap and quickly washed himself up and then decided to get this day over with. No matter his feelings for her, there was no way he’d ever purposely hurt her. If she wanted to see the island, he’d give her the best tour he could and hope like hell he kept himself in check. Turning off the water, he dried off and then padded barefoot back into the bedroom. Cali was no longer in the bed, so Xavier looked over at the other man and arched his brow.
“Where did she go, Z?” he asked.
Zane hit a few more keys and then looked up at him. “She went to her room to shower and then get ready. I told her you’d be there in an hour.”
Xavier frowned as he walked over to the closet and pulled out some shorts and a shirt. He got dressed and then glanced over at the clock. He still had a little bit of time before she’d be ready, so he sat down on the bed and watched Zane. In the beginning of this trip, his friend had been the one who didn’t trust himself to be alone around a woman. The more he thought about it, he realized he hadn’t spent any one on one time with her at all. Is it possible that all this work is simply a ploy to get out of doing the very thing he’s pushing me to do?
Bastard. Xavier eyed Zane suspiciously before shaking his head. It was way too convenient that he could find time to be bothered when it came to sex only. He began to rethink ever inviting him to come to the resort for the holidays after all. He’d be sure to speak to his friend about this later. For now, he needed to go meet up with Calista and show her a good time. He just hoped he could continue to keep himself emotionally detached.
He grabbed the keys to the Alfa Romeo and stormed out of the villa. The short walk to her room did little to temper his irritation at Zane and the situation itself. Once he was standing outside of her door, he took a few seconds to regain his composure before knocking firmly on the teak wood.
A few seconds later, the door opened and he inhaled sharply. Calista Grant was standing there with a small bag that had towels, sunscreen, and what looked to be a camera sticking out from the top of it. Xavier turned his attention from her belongings to the woman herself. She was wearing a bikini top and pair of cut off denim shorts. Her long hair
had been pulled up into a ponytail and the smile she wore tugged at something deep inside of his chest.
He did have to admit that Calista had flourished under their guidance the last week and a half. She’d gone from being completely unsure of herself and her appearance to a confident and even more beautiful woman. Fuck. He was in serious trouble.
“Could you help me with my sunscreen, Sir?” she asked softly.
I could help you with so much more. Xavier shook that thought aside and nodded. She set the bag down onto the ground beside her and pulled out the bottle of lotion. He took it from her and motioned for her to turn around. After squirting some of the cream into his hands, he brought them to her shoulders, the heat from her body radiating into his palms.
Cali shivered slightly, and he made quick work of finishing up his task. He was certain she’d done the front side of herself, so when her backside was completely coated in the sunscreen, he closed the bottle and placed it back inside of the bag as he picked it up. She’d made a move to grab her own things until he arched his brows at her. Smiling, she dropped her hands and then followed him to the front of the resort where the car was parked.
“Have you any idea what you want to do most today?” Xavier asked her as they walked along the stone pathway.
“I’d really like to go scuba diving or even snorkeling,” she answered before adding, “I’ve hardly spent any time in the water since I’ve arrived here.”
Xavier smirked. “But you have gotten wet, belleza. In fact, you’ve stayed in that state since the night we met.”
His thoughts turned briefly to that evening at the bar. She’d been so incredibly nervous and that only endeared her to him even more. Normally, he’d be surrounded by self-assured women who knew exactly what they wanted and how to get it. Their submissive behavior lacked the sincerity that Calista’s did. She’d been scared at first, but with each day that had passed, she’d grown into the potential he’d witnessed that very first night.