He wasn’t sure how long they lay entwined, dozing, but it was the sound of ice melting and shifting in his glass by the bedside that woke him. Her eyes fluttered open when he shifted to look at her.
“Hi,” she whispered. “What timezz it?” she said in her sleepy, sexy voice.
“Three forty.”
“I um . . . should tell you something,” she said, and as she looked uncomfortable and nervous. He shifted to the side, for what he hoped would be a conversation leading to her confessing her passion for writing erotic stories. Her face was flushed, and not just from her body’s reaction to her earlier orgasms—she gave every sign of being embarrassed. He waited for her to continue, and merely lifted a brow to indicate he was listening.
“I umm . . . well sometimes I . . . well, I fantasize. There I’ve said it.”
“You’re going to have to expound, I’m afraid I don’t understand.” When, in actuality, he knew all too well what she was trying to say.
“I lose myself in fantasies sometimes. I kind of become someone else. And I just wanted you to know, my imagination takes me into another woman’s mind, and when it’s she who wants to be splayed for your ardent perusal, down there, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I do. I really get into my character’s heads and I hunger for what they want so desperately, that the need can become frantic if I let myself go. But that doesn’t mean that I’m that way. What I’m trying to say, is that my sexual needs are uniquely my own. But while you’re trying to figure them out with me, from time to time, some demon lady will take over and demand the strangest things. Like a while ago. So figuring out what I want and what she wants may be confusing.”
“It will be my pleasure to please you both. And I take direction well, so don’t ever hesitate to tell me what you or your lady friend want.”
“Right now, my imaginary friend would like to see how well you accept pleasure—with or without an equalizing payoff.” Her fingers danced over his reviving member as her tongue circled her lips as if doing warm up exercises. Reaching between his legs, she caressed his sac and made him moan. “Does that please you? Me touching you like this, in the middle of the night?”
His answer was to lift the covers up in invitation. “I can’t wait to live out all your naughty little fantasies,” he breathed as she slid down his body to latch onto him. Like a live wire his penis jumped as her exquisite lips tugged and ignited every nerve ending.
Dissolving into a sea of boneless lust, his hips undulated and he thrust his penis into her warmth as the primal intensity built. His desperate, plangent cries filled the room and sent his heart halfway up his throat when his release hit him, and he poured into her.
They slept like coon dogs after the hunt, nestled together, snoring slightly and all but dead to the world. Even the sun streaming in through the break in the drapes didn’t rouse them. It was only when housekeeping knocked on their door at eleven that they untangled their limbs and faced the morning.
Chapter Sixty-four
They enjoyed a full breakfast at the hotel before heading out on the town. They took a carriage ride they enjoyed so much that they took it again. They walked and talked and looked at art, and visited church cemeteries, where they stood hand-in-hand, imagining life as it was for the townspeople in the late 1800s.
It was hot, so they were happy to find reasons to go inside for ice cream, whipped lattes, and a variety of elegantly designed pastries. He found a reason to kiss her at every street corner, and they laughed and teased each other. He bought her earrings she oohed over, and shoes she said she couldn’t live without. She bought him a book that she thought all his students should read. He returned the favor. Then they sat in the shade under a tree in a park by the water, while he thumbed through Nickel and Dimed, On Not Getting by in America, and she became engrossed in Graceful Submission.
When the noticeable change in activity signaled the approaching dinner hour, he pulled her to her feet and led her back to the hotel.
“I have some work I have to do on the computer in the morning, so I’ll leave it up to you when we leave. We can even stay an extra night or two if you’d like.”
She smiled at him and shook her head, “I’d love to, but I can’t. I’ve committed myself to a few projects for the community and I wouldn’t feel right not showing up to help out.”
“What is it this time?”
“I’ve arranged for a young couple to help educate parents and grandparents on the dangers of cube-shaped ponytail holders. Their daughter, Joy, was hurt very badly when she fell with one in her ponytail. The sharp edges act as a wedge, and on impact, crack the skull. She was in a coma for a long time and then she had to completely relearn how to use her motor skills. Those things are the fifth contributing factor for head injuries in girls under 14, yet they still sell them. So I’m helping Light of Joy Awareness get the message out.
“You sure do a lot for one woman.”
“All of the homeowners at Ocean Ridge do. We like to make a difference. Ocean Ridge Charities Association donates handcrafted dolls for Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Life Care Center, and we recently donated $10,000 to support a family alcove. We do a lot for Brunswick Family Assistance and are a major sponsor for First Tee. The Rotary Club meets at Tamer’s Restaurant for breakfasts on Fridays, and it seems the charity golf tournaments never end. It’s a great community. The giving is spontaneous and heartfelt, which is a wonderful thing.”
“Don’t you ever get tempted to just write out a check and cover it all yourself?”
“It’s the community effort that counts. It’s what makes us friends, neighbors, a support group. Everyone needs to do his or her part. It’s the giving and the volunteering that enriches. If I just sent a big check it would negate all that. Plus, it would out me. People would treat me differently if they knew how much money I had. The only ones who know are Tess, Viv and Cat—and their husbands, of course. In fact, they all advise me from time to time.”
“Aha! So that’s how you do it. One corporate raider, one world-class investor, one ex CEO of the largest bank in the south . . . no wonder . . . and here I thought you were prescient or something.”
“Well, everybody needs help figuring out where to put their money.”
“This changes our bet. You’re cheating. I’m surprised at you. I’ll bet you’re even getting inside information.”
“No! I would never break the law.”
He bent and kissed her on the cheek. “No, I don’t believe you would.”
He held the hotel door for her and watched her ass sway in the short-layered cotton skirt. He’d been itching to put his hands under it all day.
“I’d like to see you in those new shoes.”
“I don’t have anything to wear with heels.”
“Did I say I wanted you to wear anything else?” he asked with a sideways smirk.
“You’re not getting away with room service on our last night here,” she said emphatically.
“So you want dinner on the town, huh?”
“No, just not in the room.”
“Okay, let’s rest for a bit then get ready and I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
“That sounds lovely.”
“Is there someplace special you’d like to go, because we should make reservations.”
“I want to go where I can see the water.”
He opened the door to their room and followed her inside.
She turned and stroked his cheek, lovingly smoothed his eyebrows with her thumbs, then kissed him. “Surprise me. Meanwhile, I’m taking my new book and getting in the tub.”
He ran his finger along her arm. “I’m all for you doing research on submissives,” he whispered into her ear, then turned her and swatted her bottom.
When the door closed behind her, he booted up
his computer and while he waited, he dialed the concierge. He was going to need some help with this. He wanted a nice place for them to eat, something that had a view of a marina, and someplace where he could hold her in his arms while he danced with her. As long as he liked.
Chapter Sixty-five
Two hours later there was a knock on their door and a well-dressed man informed them that their driver was waiting out front.
Laurel was putting her new earrings on. “Where are we going that we need a car? I thought you drove your truck here?”
He walked over to stand behind her, then put his hands on her shoulders. He kissed the side of her neck. “Yes, I brought my truck, but tonight I’d like to have a drink or two, maybe some wine . . . I’ll let somebody else chauffeur us around. Plus, I don’t know this city very well. This way I won’t get lost.”
“Oh.” She stood back, and he admired her in the new V-neck shutter tucked dress he’d had delivered from the dress shop the concierge had recommended. It had been hanging from one of the bedposts when she’d come out of the steamy bathroom, and he had delighted in her reaction. It matched her new coral pumps perfectly. It should. He’d paid the personal shopper to go back to the store they’d bought them in, find the exact same pair of shoes, and match them to a size 6 dress.
“You are stunning. I can hardly believe that it’s I who gets the honor of showing you off.”
“Oh Garrett, you know exactly what to say to sweep a girl off her feet. But you look stunning too.”
He’d had the hotel arrange a tux and all the accoutrements, and he was resplendent in black and white.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Laurel, so a little dressing up is no big deal.” He took her hand, “C’mon, our chariot awaits.”
Every head in the lobby turned as they made their way to the front door. People on the sidewalk stopped to watch as the extremely handsome man in the formal tux lifted the incredibly beautiful woman in the stunning dress into the lighted carriage.
She felt like Cinderella going to a ball—without the midnight curfew, she hoped.
“I can’t believe you did this . . . this is wonderful.”
“The best is yet to be,” he murmured as he settled beside her and kissed her lightly on the lips, mindful of her perfectly glossed and glittering lips. People on the sidewalk clapped as they kissed.
“We’re creating a spectacle,” she said as she pulled back and her eyes met his. In his black tux, with the brilliant white shirt, his eyes were bluer, his impossibly full, thick lashes even sootier, and his lips, now with a tiny gleam of her glitter on them, were starkly sculpted against the dark shadows of the carriage, yet so inviting . . . so soft . . . so warm.
“In Charleston, it’s all about setting the scene and being seen. Enjoy it.”
He kissed her again and then wrapped his arm around her shoulders as the carriage lurched forward.
They drank in the sights of the city as the carriage lumbered through the old streets, turning this way and that, going through a maze of traffic until they turned off and followed the sounds coming from the harbor. Minutes later, they pulled up in front of a series of boat slips.
In front of the one Garrett was leading her to, was a small launch, and out in the distance a sailboat waited, lit up with white lights like it was Christmas.
“That’s where we’re having dinner?”
He smiled at her. “Room service of a different kind.”
“I can’t believe you went to all this trouble,” she said as she was handed down a short wooden ladder to an officer in dress whites. Her grin was mesmerizing.
“Trouble? It’s no trouble making you happy.” He turned around and climbed down the stairs then turned back and retook her hand. He bent close and kissed the side of her neck as he added, “As I will demonstrate with an eager appendage a little later.”
She flushed and he chuckled. Then he grabbed her around the waist and led her to the floating dock and the launch.
They rode the launch to the impressive sailboat moored in the harbor, and were welcomed aboard by the Captain and his four-man crew. A tour followed, and they were led around the ship to the dining area, where a silver champagne bucket stood beside an elegant table facing the shoreline. The lights of the city twinkled against the backdrop of the inky sky, as water lapped against the side of the ship.
As they sipped champagne from chilled glasses and dined on Marinated Shrimp, Caramelized Onion Tartlets and Seviche, they heard the engines turning over and felt the ship begin to glide through the water.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Just up the coast, past Isle of Palms.”
“This is nice,” she said and leaned back in her chair to gaze out over the water.
“Yes, it is. But I am discovering that anything I do with you is nice.”
A server cleared their appetizer plates and brought them each a cup of Wild Rice Soup. That was followed by a Grouper Salad.
“I hope they don’t bring anything else. I’m getting full,” she moaned, rubbing her tummy.
But soon a pasta dish was put on the table and a server was heaping Bow-tie Pasta with Country Ham and Snow Peas with Asparagus on the pristine white china dishes that were resting on silver filigreed chargers. Accompanied by Rio Grande Roast Pork, and a Spicy Compote of Mango and Apricot, it was a meal she knew that the chef must have gone into a panic over, when told to prepare it with just a few hour’s notice. For that reason, and that reason alone, she managed a few bites of each.
“No more! Or I will waddle off this boat,” she protested when the chef began to set up a station to make Strawberry Cream Crepes.
Garrett waved him off telling him that there was absolutely no way either of them could eat another bite. With a polite bow and a knowing smile, his team whisked everything away.
A plate with tiny heart-shaped pieces of Hummingbird Cake was sent out along with a coffee tray and two snifters of Grand Marnier.
They took their coffee cups to a cushioned banquet where they could sit side by side under the stars, enjoying the coastline passing by.
When the musicians showed up and started playing soft, lilting strands of familiar love songs, Garrett put aside their cups, stood, and asked her to dance. She put her hand in his and he pulled her up. He held her in his arms and moved her expertly around the polished wooden deck, stopping with regular frequency to kiss her and to whisper how beautiful she looked in the moonlight as they danced to Eric Clapton’s, Wonderful Tonight.
When fireworks were lit off the bow, she turned to him in astonishment, her mouth agape. “You are never going to be a billionaire this way,” she said. He laughed and held her close, and breathed in the fragrance of her hair.
“No one’s ever given me fireworks before,” she breathed, spellbound, and unable to do anything but look up at the colorful display.
“That’s interesting, because I’ve never given anyone fireworks before. But they sure do cap the night, don’t they?” he said as a brilliant cascade rained down and left them suddenly in the dark. The fairy lights all around the ship had been set to go off at the same time, and now it was eerily dark. Seconds later, rope lighting lit the floor, and the steps leading both fore and aft.
A steward came out of the darkness and brought a silver lantern, which he handed to Garrett. “Will there be anything else this evening, sir?”
“No. Thank you, everything was perfect. Accolades to one and all.”
“There is a fully stocked bar in the stateroom and a button on the phone should you need anything else. Good evening sir,” he turned to Laurel and included her, “Madam.”
When he had disappeared into the darkness, she turned to him and asked, “We’re staying here, onboard ship?”
He smiled down at her. “Yes. While we were clomping along in the carriage the hotel staff packed us up and brought our luggage here. We’re actually heading back home, we’ll dock at Coquina Harbor in the morning.”
“Oh Garrett,” she sighed and her eyes sparkled with unabashed joy. She leaned up and kissed him.
“What about your truck?”
“A service is driving it back for me. It’ll be there at the marina when we dock.”
“Garrett, this must have taken you hours to plan. Thank you.” She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.
“I wish I could take credit, but it was all arranged by the concierge, all I did was call him, give him a limit, and hand over my charge card.”
“What was the limit?”
“You don’t want to know. But it was worth it, every penny.”
“This was truly special. I can’t believe you did all this.”
“I wanted to show you a magical time, and I wanted to dance with you under the stars. Now, I want to take you below and show you an even better time.”
“Well if you hadn’t fed me to the gills, that might have been possible, but I’m too full to move.”
“We have all night.”
“I hope they didn’t forget my book,” she said wistfully.
He laughed. “You get to read about a woman experiencing the adoration of her Dom, and I get an economy lesson? How is that fair?”
It was her turn to laugh. “Show me the way to our bedroom and once I get my nice loose night shirt on, and get these beautiful but tortuous shoes off, I’ll read you a few chapters.”
Flash Drive Page 48