by Maya Hess
‘Did I tell you to get an erection?’ I stung his firm buttocks again, slightly puzzled by the existing grid of welts. ‘Did I tell you to steal my property?’ I thwacked him in time with my words and thought he might come there and then, something I wouldn’t have been happy about. I tugged on the chain that was attached to the end of his cock harness, causing him to writhe and buck as much as his restraints would allow. ‘If you come, I’m going to fetch a dozen of your guests to see their host strung up and helpless.’
I was beating Kinrade with such vehemence that my hair came completely loose and tumbled around my shoulders and face in an unruly mess. While I was careful to make the crop deliver only a sharp sting, I beat him incessantly, urged on in part by my captor’s moans of pleasure, though what really drove me was a head full of revenge and the desire to see him overthrown. I was a mad woman and screamed and chastised him with every blow.
Kinrade shot a creamy arc and at exactly that moment my action was arrested. An arm came down around my shoulders and another around my waist and a firm but soft voice urged me to calm down.
‘Ailey, Ailey, stop. Do you even know what you’re doing?’
I turned to see Connor, frowning and pressed up close beside me while staring at the strung-up Kinrade.
‘He deserved it,’ I snapped. ‘And look, he even enjoyed himself.’ I trailed the crop through the milky puddle at Kinrade’s feet.
‘Do you know who this is?’ Connor’s incredulity annoyed me.
‘I’m not stupid. Of course I do. Ethan Kinrade is the man who stole my inheritance and…’
Connor nodded and peeled the gimp mask off Kinrade’s head to reveal a surprised and sweating face. His hair was stuck to his scalp as if he had been swimming and he had red marks beneath his eyes and mouth.
There was a sudden tightening in my chest, as if I had been laced roughly into a tiny corset, and the entire world lost its colour and became ghostly grey.
‘Oh my God,’ I whispered and felt dizzy and sick, and then there was a rushing in my ears that sounded like the ocean rising in my head. Connor tightened his grip on me and, as my body wilted and my knees gave way, the last thing I saw was Dominic’s face framed within the metal rack.
10
The party continued until four a.m. We could hear the beat of the music, which had been taken over by a DJ at midnight, even through the thick slate walls of Connor’s cottage. When he brought me there, I didn’t speak for an entire hour until steady sips of Glen Broath had warmed my throat and loosened my tongue.
I was still in a state of shock.
‘How could I have been so stupid?’ I asked miserably. I was wrapped up in Connor’s robe again, having been carried across the grounds of Creg-ny-Varn in my underwear. Still drowsy from disbelief, I had been vaguely aware of Connor’s heavy breathing as he puffed through the freezing night heaving me and my heavy antique dress back to safety. He didn’t think I should be left alone with Ethan Kinrade.
‘He’d conned me all along, making me believe he was the gardener.’ I let out a sob, not really crying but trying to justify my emotions. Really, I was mad as hell.
‘Did you ever give him a chance to explain?’ Connor looked at me fondly, almost pityingly, and I was thankful at least that he hadn’t written me off as a mad woman. Actually, it seemed that he liked looking after me. He stoked the fire, tucked a tartan blanket around me, busied himself in the kitchen and brought me a snack, and kept up a steady supply of tea and whisky. Connor almost seemed pleased about my predicament.
‘I don’t think you really understand, do you?’ In fact, I knew he didn’t understand. To make him do so I would have to reveal how Dominic and I had indulged in several intimate moments aside from the whipping session Connor had just witnessed. This latest episode I could write off as madness and anger, a fleeting moment of insanity, and Connor was well on his way to believing me. As much as it pained me to conceal what I had been up to during my short time on the island, at least not revealing the truth wasn’t exactly lying.
‘So let me get this clear. You were snooping around Creg-ny-Varn when Mr Kinrade caught you.’
‘No, Dominic the gardener caught me.’
Connor pushed his hands through his hair. ‘And this man told you his name was Dominic?’
‘Yes. He told me when we were in his gardening hut. It was quite homely in there.’
‘And you saw him subsequent to this, never suspecting or thinking that he was Mr Kinrade?’ Connor was shaking his head, unable to get a grasp of my story. ‘Surely you saw him in the house. You were the cleaner.’
I was about to reply and tell him how I’d been led to believe that Mr Kinrade was away but we were interrupted by someone knocking at the door. I assumed it was Steph returning from the party. I was hoping to have more time alone with Connor.
‘You have a visitor, Ailey.’ Connor returned to the living room with Ethan Kinrade, or rather Dominic, as I was still used to knowing him. I leapt up from my cosy cocoon to confront the man I had recently flogged in pent-up frustration. ‘I’ll give you two a moment alone.’ Connor wisely ducked out of the room.
‘That is, if you think I’ll be safe.’ It was Kinrade’s attempt at a joke and I didn’t laugh. He had changed out of his fancy dress costume and was now wearing a pair of jeans and an old grey sweater with a waxed jacket on top. He looked far more like the Dominic I knew and I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d brought along a wheelbarrow.
‘You’ll be safe,’ I replied, sitting down. My legs had gone weak again.
‘As long as I don’t bend over, right?’
‘Oh, stop it!’ I scooped the blanket around me to prevent the shiver that was creeping up my body. ‘You were asking for it anyway, dressed in that costume. And you should have thought about punishment when you stole my inheritance and –’
‘If you’d shut up for a minute, maybe I can explain.’ Ethan Kinrade sat down beside me and when I opened my mouth to protest – how could he possibly explain? – he silenced me by placing a finger over my lips. Then he began.
‘I have never had any intention of stealing Creg-ny-Varn from you. In fact, the opposite could be said to be true.’ He pushed his finger harder against my mouth as another protest tried to escape. ‘I have been desperately trying to locate you since the day your father died.’
I bowed my head and just managed to speak through his finger, although it came out muffled. ‘You have?’
‘Investigators have been trying to track you down all over Europe. You’ve cost me a small fortune and then you arrive of your own free will anyway.’ Kinrade snorted a resigned laugh and removed his hand from my face, hopeful that I wouldn’t interrupt. ‘Do you honestly believe that I wanted to take your family home from you?’
‘The newspapers said you had.’
‘Pfah. And you believed that?’ Kinrade went and helped himself to a whisky. He turned, one hand jammed in his jeans pocket, the other holding the glass. ‘I was left with no choice but to look after the estate. With your father gone and my mother too distressed to cope, I couldn’t watch the place go to ruin. I was hopeful that one day I’d find you and be able to hand over the property. Creg-ny-Varn is a burden that I never chose. I’m happy pottering about the gardens but when it comes to running an entire estate, I’m not your man.’ He downed his drink and then said nothing, evidently allowing me time to talk.
‘I see,’ was all I managed initially. ‘So, in a way, you are the gardener.’ I wanted there to be some truth in all of this.
‘Correct.’ Now it was Kinrade’s turn to be embarrassed. He had begun the lie. ‘I didn’t reveal who I was immediately because I wanted to size you up first. I couldn’t hand over the estate to just anyone.’
‘And then?’ I was trying to regain that little bit of power.
‘Then things got a bit out of hand. Or should I say, in hand.’ He laughed and sat down again. ‘You did something to me, Ailey. You unleashed something –’
&nb
sp; ‘And that reminds me. What exactly have you done to my father’s library?’
‘You mean my collection? I’ve been an avid enthusiast of all kinds of bondage and fetish gear for many years now. The items in your father’s library only constitute about a quarter of what I own. The rest’s in storage. The costume I wore tonight was a very rare Victorian outfit that I found in an auction in London. Cost me a fortune.’ Kinrade spoke as if it was as normal as stamp collecting or butterfly catching. ‘I didn’t think it would hurt if I arranged some of my collection in the library. The house is so vast.’
‘Do you even live in the house? It doesn’t seem like it.’
‘The truth is, I enjoy being outside so much that I mostly sleep in the gardener’s hut. I have the dogs for company and, with the stove going, it’s toasty warm. I suppose it’s my way of trying to unleash myself from the burden of the estate.’
I was suddenly reminded of the beach cottage and understood the appeal of an uncomplicated life. ‘The house has become your museum then.’
‘I suppose so.’ Ethan sighed and stared at me intently. ‘I’m an avid collector. I have many books on the subject too.’ He bowed his head and took a deep breath. ‘The thing is, Ailey, you do something to me – something thrilling and dangerous, like nothing I’ve ever found in a woman before. You have a unique, strangely innocent power over me that I’m reluctant to lose.’
‘You don’t have to sweet-talk me,’ I said, noticing a flutter deep in my stomach. ‘And whatever you’re into is fine by me.’ I couldn’t look back at him.
‘No, really. I’ve never felt like this before and honestly don’t know how I’m going to, well…’ Kinrade trailed off, evidently uncomfortable discussing his sexual needs.
‘Get what you want?’ I finished for him, feeling the seed of something devious growing inside me.
‘You’ve unlocked something in me that I can’t explain. Something that I can’t live without.’
‘You haven’t lost a diary, have you?’ I asked sarcastically. Ethan looked puzzled but didn’t ask what I meant.
‘Managing to sort everything out?’ Connor returned and crouched on the floor by the fire. I didn’t feel that I had quite finished with Kinrade but nodded all the same.
‘I was just leaving. I think Ailey and I have reached an understanding.’ Kinrade stood and spoke directly to me. ‘Your father never changed his will to accommodate my mother. You are still the sole beneficiary of the estate. I’ll notify the executors in the morning and they’ll be in touch with you. I’ll leave the property by the end of the week.’
I was jolted by guilt. I liked Dominic. There was something earthy and raw about him, like he was an essential part of the estate.
‘Where will you go?’ I tried not to show how keen I was.
‘Perhaps England. My mother’s staying with relatives in Yorkshire. I may join her.’
‘Creg-ny-Varn still needs a groundsman,’ I said. I stood and walked Dominic, Ethan, whoever he was, to the cottage door. I clutched the blanket around my shoulders. ‘And the position comes with a cottage too.’ I stared into his dark eyes, indicating just how serious I was.
‘Any other perks?’
‘Let me see.’ I rolled my eyes in pretend thought. ‘I could see to it that you get tied up once a week and get a good hiding. Would that entice you to work for me?’ I held out my hand and Kinrade gave it a firm shake. ‘You’ll even have somewhere to house your huge collection of kinky gear. I shall turn over the Grand Hall to displaying your artefacts and, of course, you’ll be free to inspect them any time you wish.’
‘I doubt if I’ll ever get a better offer.’ He was about to step out into the cold north wind but stopped and turned back to me again. ‘You want to know the real reason I kept up the charade so long?’
I nodded as the wind stung my cheeks and chilled my bare feet.
‘Because I wouldn’t have stood a chance with you if you’d known who I really was. Ailey Callister would never have bedded Ethan Kinrade.’
And as he stepped out into the night, I understood completely.
* * *
We watched the sun rise. A thin band of orange spread behind the hills as Connor cooked breakfast. We had talked, sipped more Glen Broath as if it contained all the answers, dozed in each other’s arms and then woken as the light seeped through the curtains.
‘So what will you do?’ Connor asked. We were eating in the living room and I had my legs curled underneath me. ‘About the estate.’
I blew out and put down my knife and fork. Bacon had never tasted so good. Why is it food tastes so good after sex?
‘How do you feel about having me as your boss?’ I’d already made up my mind the second that Connor’s fingers had slipped into my hair and his lips had pressed against mine. Estate or no estate, I wasn’t leaving the island.
He laughed. ‘After what I saw last night, quite intimidated. Can I expect to see you at the distillery with your crop?’
‘After hours, maybe.’ I snuggled back into the blanket, embracing the feeling that came after making love to someone so special. I slipped a hand between my legs to feel that the wetness was still there, that I hadn’t imagined it.
‘You’ll be staying then.’ It was a statement rather than a question and I could sense the relief in his voice.
‘I’ll be staying home,’ I reiterated and pulled back the blanket so that Connor could see what I was doing. He put down his plate and crawled across the floor to me just as he had done a few hours ago. He took my hands and clasped them in his own.
‘Welcome back, Miss Callister. It’s been a long time.’
‘Too long,’ I replied, trying not to think of the logistics that would be involved. There would be time for that later.
Connor kissed the inside of my thighs, working up my legs to the glistening space that he had recently entered as if he was the only man that ever had any right to be there. He flicked his tongue over my eager clitoris and between the still swollen folds of my sex, tasting his own seed and preparing me all over again. I leant back in the chair and eased my legs apart further, encouraging him to delve deeper with his tongue.
I sighed, feeling blissful and abandoned while Connor greedily tucked into me. There was so much catching up to do that I didn’t think that we could ever be separated. I wanted to explore each bit of his mysterious body but also every part of his mind, discovering devious desires that he had never dared to admit before.
‘It turned me on, seeing you punishing Kinrade.’ Connor slid up my body and opened the robe to reveal my breasts. He’d already set them on fire from the attention he’d given my pussy. In fact, my whole body had been aching for him again from the minute he came deep inside me several hours before, pumping his many years of frustration back where it belonged.
We had been talking, me subdued, him coaxing and understanding. The warmth from the fire had given my cheeks a rosy glow and with the whisky that I had taken to calm me from my shock, I was relaxed and melting into the sofa. Connor sat beside me and with each breath, each encouraging sentence with which he relieved my embarrassment, he eased himself a little closer until I could feel the beat of his heart against my side.
I knew it would happen. As our breathing synchronised and our faces aligned, our profiles painted with the yellow flicker of the flames, our mouths drew together as if we had been connected by a thread for fourteen years. His lips were so soft and full, searching but gentle and quite unlike the selfish mouth of Marco that I was used to. Connor was giving while secretly exploring and he coiled his arms around my shoulders as I cradled his face in my hands with a touch light enough to hold a butterfly. The kiss probably only lasted half a minute but contained my whole life. To be kissed by Connor was to know that I was safe for ever.
It hadn’t stopped with simply a kiss, although tender looks and muted sentences between the further meetings of our mouths filled the next half hour. Each of us knew that we wanted to hold and touch something more
intimate while our tongues collided. Strange how something I would have once never considered possible – our kiss – had now become not enough.
Connor took the lead, tracing a meandering path with a finger along my collar bone and down the valley between my breasts. He was touching my skin, the oversized robe having fallen open conveniently, and found the way to my upturned nipple. He knew I liked it because my back arched and I sucked in a breath, my fingers increasing their hold on his neck.
Impatient for more and daring enough to admit it, Connor loosened the belt of the robe and peeled the soft, thick fabric from my shoulders. Like an artist, his large hands drew the outline of my body, tracing a sketchy image of me while his lips coloured me in. He cupped my breasts, studying them like he was in a life-drawing class, and then brought his mouth onto them, delivering a strawberry wash of watercolour to my skin.
‘You are so beautiful. More than I’d imagined all these years.’
‘You’ve thought about me?’
‘Constantly.’ Connor’s admission drove his eyes to match the colour of the grey sea before a storm. ‘You’ve grown up in my head. I made you into my perfect woman. In my imagination, we’re already married.’
‘Already?’ I didn’t need to say more. If I searched deep enough, it was all in my head too.
He continued with his art, painting colour all over my body until he arrived at the very core of me, where his attention to detail was equal to the masters’. Meanwhile, I fumbled with his shirt buttons beneath the frills of his silly king’s outfit – we were finally king and queen – and exposed his warm body and a waft of his delicious musky smell. I dotted tiny kisses across his chest, the reddish-blonde fuzz that grew there tickling my nose, and inhaled the scent of his skin to burn in my memory for ever.
We were playing a game, taking turns, each more daring than the last. Connor was winning and plainly at an advantage when his fingers slipped inside my panties. His touch messed up my internal circuitry and lights and sparks twinkled through me as his fingers walked their way to my heart.