Tom got out of the pool. Roger gave seminars on how to use space and situation to reinforce the Dominant/submissive relationship, and Tom had listened in on a few. What Roger was doing now was straight out of that playbook, whether he intended it or not. Roger was seated, Tom was not. Roger was clothed, Tom was naked. Tom frankly didn’t give a damn, and if Roger thought any of that gave him a psychological advantage in this situation, he was wrong.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Tom asked. He grabbed a towel from the plastic box where they were kept and ran it quickly over his dripping body.
“Entertaining our guest,” said Roger mildly. “You seemed,” he paused, as if searching for the right word, “indisposed.”
At least Roger didn’t pretend he didn’t know what Tom meant and give him some smart-aleck answer about sitting down at the side of pool. “If you fucked her—”
“Then what?” asked Roger.
Reason said “then nothing”, but his emotions gave him a different answer. He hesitated for a moment, unused to feeling so strongly, and then Roger came to his rescue. “In any case, I didn’t. I thought it might matter to you. The question you need to figure out is why does it?”
Tom knew where Roger was headed. “Just because Kyle and Carter have fallen in love doesn’t meant it’s happening to me. Besides, she didn’t even return my phone calls.”
“Yeah. She’s obviously making sound, sensible decisions based on pure rationality,” Roger said drily.
“What are you trying to tell me?”
“That both of you are used to living life in your head, and now you have emotions to figure out.”
“Someone could get hurt.”
“That’s one possible outcome, yes.”
Tom decided to put on his clothes while he thought about it. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Kelly. He didn’t understand her actions. Maybe talking to her would help clear the air.
“She’s resting right now,” Roger said. “Probably sleeping. I don’t think she slept much last night and she was exhausted. You might want to wait until morning.”
Sensible. Not what he wanted to do, but sensible. Tom grunted assent. He thought about her list of fantasies. They weren’t his fantasies. But they were all very doable. “Let’s make her fantasies come true,” he said.
Roger grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”
Sounds like your plan, thought Tom. But it didn’t matter. Now that he had voiced it, he realized that was exactly what he wanted to do—give Kelly the time of her life. Even if it meant sharing. “But I’m in charge.”
Roger chuckled. “I won’t do anything I don’t think is in your interests.”
The two men locked gazes. Roger knew full well that wasn’t what Tom had said. But Tom knew Roger wasn’t likely to budge either. They’d been friends for a long time. Four Doms on one island led to the occasional locking of horns. Yeah, they all wanted to be in charge. Fortunately their friendship had been forged in the mountains and caves of Afghanistan. Roger had risked bullets to keep him safe. He’d done the same. He’d always been able to trust any of his friends with everything.
Only when it comes to Kelly do I hesitate. “Yeah,” he said. “Good enough.” It was better than trying to figure out why Kelly was so special.
“You’ll get your chance to talk to her,” said Roger. “But first, let’s figure out what we’re going to do to her when she wakes up.”
Tom nodded. This was familiar territory, figuring out together how best to satisfy the women who came to Submission Island. He thought, In a way, I love each and every one of them. He’d known for a long time that his biggest pleasure as a Dom came not from getting his own way but in making sure a sub got exactly what she wanted. That was what mattered, and on that he and Roger could find common ground even if the subject was a certain lovely policewoman.
Besides, it was past time he took control of the situation. “As long as we’re clear that she’s my sub unless she says otherwise.” He gave Roger a look that challenged the man to argue with him.
“We’re clear.” Roger smiled the way he did when he won a game of cribbage.
Chapter Three
Julia woke from her nap and looked at her watch, a present from Nana Gloria, her mother’s mum. Most of her friends looked up the time on cell phones, but her watch held good memories and despite its age kept excellent time. Right now it was telling her it was fifteen minutes after six, and she was wishing she doubted it. Did I really sleep for four hours? Well, she hadn’t gotten hardly a wink the night before. Sometimes police work had her miss sleep entirely, so she’d learned to fall asleep fast and hard when she had the chance, regardless of what time it was. This time though she had something important to do. I need to talk to Tom. I need to explain.
Of course it would be easier to explain if she understood herself. She’d never forgive herself for not at least letting him know she was going to disappear. He’d touched something that had knocked her off her moorings the night he’d made her beg. Okay, I was scared.
She wasn’t looking forward to admitting that either. Hopefully she could find some other way to explain why she’d run, and why she was here.
First, she’d have to get some clothes on. The clothes she’d worn were down by the pool, unless they’d been picked up and taken somewhere else. Roger had carried her upstairs naked. She looked around, hoping to spot them, but she didn’t. What she did see was that one of the drawers in the nearby chest was open, and inside was something made of shimmery red fabric. She decided to take a look.
She pulled out a lace-bordered silk chemise. Lingerie, not clothing. She put it aside. The next items on the stack were a matching black lace bra and garter belt, with seamed stockings. Sexy, but also not clothing. Beneath them were a green bra and panties—the bra had holes for nipples and the knickers were crotchless. Not clothing and so not my color.
Still, maybe that meant the other drawers had something in them. She opened them in rapid succession. She found vibrators and floggers but no clothes. She sat back down on the bed with a sigh. When Roger had told her to bring no clothes, she’d been hoping that clothing would be provided. She’d expected it to be sexy clothing, but she hadn’t expected it to be underwear.
She stood up again, grabbed the chemise and held it up to her body. The hem looked a decent height. At least it was opaque and didn’t have cutouts. She supposed it would have to do. She slipped it on and walked over to the mirror. The chemise dipped low in the front, showing the tops of her breasts, and at the bottom she had to tug it down to cover her ass. She certainly couldn’t bend forward in it or sit with her legs anything but perfectly crossed. But it would do.
Here goes nothing. She opened the door and headed downstairs.
“Hi, Julia.” Natalie was the only one in the living room. She was wearing blue jeans and a long-sleeved plaid shirt, which didn’t seem fair. On the telly, an old episode of Big Bang Theory was playing. “How’d you sleep?”
“Like a rock. Where’s Tom?”
Natalie smiled. “Master Tom is setting up something with Master Roger in the dungeon, I think. We’re not allowed down there unless we’re taken.”
What kind of rule is that? “I need to talk to him.” The door to the dungeon looked as if it would lead to a closet or a bathroom maybe, but she knew which one it was from her investigation on the island. She headed for it.
“You really don’t want to do that. Besides, Master Carter has directions for you. In the kitchen.”
“Fuck that.” She twisted the knob of the dungeon door and it didn’t budge.
“Also,” said Natalie, “it’s locked.”
“Where’s the key?”
“Carter has one.”
“You mean Master Carter.” If the other sub was going to correct her, Julia was going to correct her back.
Natalie laughed. “Right you are.” She got up from the couch and put an arm around Julia’s waist. “The boys are going to eat you up in that o
utfit, you know.” She steered Julia toward the kitchen.
Lacking better options, Julia let herself be directed. “I didn’t have many choices.”
Natalie smiled. “You still look gorgeous. Besides, making choices isn’t what being here is about, is it? I think my Master’s directions for you involve food, and he’s a good cook so let’s see.”
Natalie was right. The moment Julia entered the kitchen the smell of steak and herbs wafted to her. It smelled delicious. The steaks were being broiled in the oven. Carter was mashing potatoes in a bowl on a small butcher block table, his muscles bulging rather nicely. Julia stared for a moment, and then remembered what Natalie had said about Carter being taken. She looked over at the other woman, who smiled at her as if to say “You can look, but you can’t touch”.
Carter looked up and gave her an appreciative whistle. “You look good in that. Red suits you.”
“So do clothes.”
Carter chuckled. “I don’t think anyone here agrees with you on that. Your clothes have been packed away for the duration. I got the steaks going as soon as I heard you and Natalie talking, so they’ll be ready in a few minutes. Tom said that you needed to be well-fed. He seemed to think you’d need your energy this evening.”
Natalie gathered up plates and silverware. Obviously, she knew her way around the kitchen. Julia felt keenly the fact that she was the only one who wasn’t at home here. “What I need is to talk to him.” Was Tom avoiding her? After what she had done, it shouldn’t hurt so much. But it did.
“Are you in control, or is he?” Carter asked. “What do you have to say that’s so important, anyway?”
I’m sorry. The words had never come easily to her. She wanted to tell him why, to explain her reasons. She wasn’t going to beg for forgiveness. I don’t do begging. “Never mind.”
“Must not have been too important then,” said Carter. He handed her the bowl of potatoes. “Take it to the table.”
Well. She didn’t mind helping out, and she didn’t mind taking sexy orders, but she didn’t much care for his manner. Nonetheless she took the bowl and turned toward the dining room.
“Please,” he added to her back.
She smiled. Amazing how one word could make a difference. “A pleasure,” she said over her shoulder.
She’d set the bowl down before she realized it had been the word Tom had wanted her to say. But that was different. To say please in the kitchen was common politeness. In the bedroom was different. There it was begging. Right? She wasn’t sure anymore where she stood.
Natalie had set table for two, Julia noticed. She frowned. Three would have made sense, if Tom or Roger were too busy to make it five. But two? The thought crossed her mind that maybe she wasn’t expected to sit at the table. Or maybe Natalie wasn’t. Three Doms, so even if slaves ate at the card table or on the floor—they had another think coming if they thought she was going to eat on the floor. She could feel her blood pressure rising and the heat go to her face.
Natalie touched Julia’s shoulder briefly. “Let it go. It’s going to be okay.” She picked up a big wooden spoon and dished healthy scoops of mashed potatoes onto the plates. The potatoes had little chunks of bacon in them, and cheese. They looked delicious, if not especially healthy.
It was hard to believe. She sat down at the table, frustrated. “Why are you allowed to wear normal clothes and I’m not, anyway?”
Natalie sighed. “I was working in the jungle and I like to be covered when I’m along there because of the spiders. But staying dressed wasn’t my idea, actually. Carter told me not to change after. Usually, trust me, he has me undressed by now.” She laughed. “I never thought it would make me uncomfortable to wear clothes, but I’m starting to wonder what was up.”
Carter came from the doorway, bearing a large metal tray with wooden handles, his hands covered by oven mitts. “I think it’s served its purpose, Nat. Go outside and take your clothes off.” He set the tray down on a trivet, and then used a spatula to scoop one of the five steaks onto each of the two plates. Five steaks, five people. At least that made sense.
“Yes, Master.” Natalie grinned and headed outdoors.
“Who’s eating where?” Julia asked.
“You’re eating here,” Carter said, which only partly answered her question. “So stay seated.”
From where she sat, she could see the door to the dungeon open. Tom filled the doorway—she loved how he made ordinary spaces look small. He headed right for the table and sat down across from her. Roger followed him up the stairs but turned to go outside, and Carter followed Roger with the steaks. They were all in on it, she realized. Everyone knew their place except for her.
I should have stayed home. Except if she had, Tom wouldn’t be there. She wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Was he angry? She couldn’t read him.
Tom waited until Roger shut the door behind Carter, and then said, “It’s time you and I talked. First, I’m sorry that I pushed a limit and hurt you. I didn’t know. Please forgive me.”
She blinked. “Um, sure.” Doms apologized? It was news to her.
“After I couldn’t reach you for weeks, I figured you didn’t want to talk to me. But now you’ve turned up here and you had to know I’d be here. So what gives?”
The pieces slid into place for her, pushing back the apology she wanted to give him as her mind turned. “Roger. Master Roger. He sent me an application after the deadline. I filled it out on a lark, knowing it would be late, but figuring you’d get to see it. Then he called me and told me to meet Carter at the airport.”
“And you did what you were told.”
“This once.” Julia smiled at him, hoping he’d see the humor. It took a moment before he chuckled.
“What were you hoping to find?”
“I don’t know.” Julia sighed. “What we did got to me. I wanted to know if it was us or the BDSM or what? Get it out of my head or have it figured out. One or the other.”
“Thus the scene with Roger.”
“Yeah.” She felt her defenses kick in. “It’s not as if you haven’t fucked lots of girls.”
“Do you need to explore lots of men, Kelly?” She could tell it was taking an effort for him to keep his voice steady. She’d hurt him.
“No. I’d rather—” She hesitated. “I’d rather not. I’d rather explore with you. But no begging.”
“No begging,” he agreed. “But you need to communicate with me honestly. No running away.”
“I’m sorry for that, but—”
“Stop.”
She blinked. “Huh? I’m not allowed to apologize?”
“One of my limits. If you need to explain, explain. If you want to apologize, do so. But ‘I’m sorry’ never belongs in the same sentence with ‘but’. It takes all the meaning out of it.”
“But—”
He shot her a warning look and she took a deep breath and began again. “The day after you left, I had a call to go on an undercover assignment. It was going to take me out of contact for a few weeks, and I also needed time to clear my head. It seemed like a good fit.”
He smiled. “Was it?”
“No. And I’m sorry for not letting you know what was up. Not that I could give you details, b— Um, not that I could give you details. That would violate all sorts of regulations.”
“Nice catch.” He grinned. “I respect your right to keep your job secrets. And now we’re starting to press against another limit of mine.”
Uh-oh. What have I done now? “What, Sir?”
“Letting good food go cold. Eat.”
She obeyed, and from the first bite of the potatoes she was happy she hadn’t argued. They were delicious, even though they had cooled. The steak was done right, lightly peppered and warm and pink in the middle. They ate in silence for a while.
Finally he spoke. “I did read your list, Kelly. Memorized it, in fact. You’re not going to leave this island with any regrets.”
She blinked. �
��But I thought—” That was off now. She stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. There was a fierceness there she hadn’t expected. “Yes Sir,” she said.
She had finished perhaps half her food, but he had a clean plate. She was used to being the last one done with food, and the serving sizes had been huge, anyway. She pushed her plate to the side.
“You can’t know what you want if you don’t know what the alternatives are. And besides, fantasies are what Submission Island is all about. First, though, finish your food.”
“It’s too much.”
“Are you full?
“No.”
“Eat what you can.”
“It’ll make me fat.”
“You’re not in any danger there. A little padding is attractive.”
She begged to differ. She worked out and ran almost every day, but there were still pounds that wouldn’t go away. If she were taller, maybe she could get away with it, but she was naturally more short and stocky. Reluctantly she pulled the plate back into position. The potatoes would go straight to her hips, but she thought she could at least finish up the steak. She knew people who swore by the idea of eating all the food you wanted, as long as you avoided the carbs. Too late for that, she thought, thinking of the potatoes.
“What’s next?” she asked.
“Whatever I decide,” he said.
She pursed her lips. God, he could be arrogant sometimes. Other times he was sweet and polite. Had he really apologized to her? Here he was, assuming she trusted him enough to let him make the decisions. Or maybe he thought she was too curious not to go along. In that, he was right.
When she pushed the plate aside the second time, he didn’t object. “Let’s go for a walk,” he said.
She had forgotten for a while how short the chemise was, and when she got up she felt a breeze up her thighs and yanked the hem down. He grinned as if he’d gotten an eyeful. He piled the silverware on the plates and carried them in one hand to the kitchen, and when he passed her he gave her a swat on the bottom. His hand hit bare flesh and she yelped.
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