“Of course, if you get bit by more than one spider…” Kyle shrugged and let his voice trail off, and then turned back to the cricket.
She was willing to bet the man was trying to scare her. “I’ll go wander then,” she said, and tried the sliding door.
“Door’s locked,” said Kyle, right after she discovered it for herself.
“What if I want to sit on the porch?”
“Then you might want to ask someone to unlock it.”
“Would you unlock it for me?”
“Nope.”
Okay, it was official. She didn’t like Kyle. Amber could have him. She thought of going to the kitchen to ask Tom, but he was probably busy and she didn’t want to seem too eager. There would be other chances.
She heard footsteps on the stairs and turned and saw Carter and Rhonda. Rhonda wore an emerald-green silk corset with lace edges and matching panties and stockings. They looked absolutely stunning on her. Natalie felt a pang of jealousy, and wondered what Rhonda and Carter had been doing upstairs. They didn’t look as though they’d just had sex—but could one really tell? Not that it was any business of hers.
“Hi, Natalie,” said Rhonda. “You look lovely.”
“Not as lovely as you. You’re gorgeous!”
“Oh! Thank you!” Rhonda blushed and moved closer, then glanced back at Carter.
Carter smiled in their direction—at Rhonda surely, but Natalie could pretend she was included. “You two can chat. Keep your voices down. Master Kyle has great ears, so save the real secrets for when someone scores eight or whatever.”
“You can’t score eight in cricket,” Kyle retorted.
“Not even if you go for the two-point conversion?” asked Carter, plopping himself down on the sofa.
“Barbarian.”
“You got it.”
Rhonda moved closer still and dropped her voice. “What hunks, huh? Do you think we get to try them all?”
Oh, I hope not. Not doing Kyle. No way. “You’re tired of Carter already?”
“Master Carter. And no, we didn’t get to do anything. He just asked lots of questions. I’d hoped that would be over once we got here. I mean, we filled out those questionnaires and the essay, that should be enough. But hopefully it will get full-on soon. Did you see what he did to Amber?” Rhonda nodded in Kyle’s direction.
“A little of it.”
“I loved watching him make that little hussy suck him off.”
I’d bite. “Ah. Missed that.”
“I think they wanted us to watch.”
Rhonda was probably right. Natalie had been blasé enough about the whole trip, but now she was wondering whether she was cut out for it. The idea of getting spanked was pretty hot. And she wouldn’t mind some sex, especially if it was with Carter, but Tom would do in a pinch. It had been a long time. But what was happening to Amber was humiliation. Maybe Amber had deserved it, in some sense, but Natalie wasn’t sure that made it okay.
“Do you think they were really punishing her for mouthing off, or was that on her list all along?” Rhonda asked. “Maybe she checked a big old five for public blowjobs.”
“Was that on the list?” It had been a very long list. Normally that sort of question would stand out, but there had been a lot on there that would have seriously pushed her limits, or was beyond them.
“Yep. I put down a three, but you know, now that I’ve seen these guys, well—whatever they want to do is fine with me. What’d you put down?”
“A two, I think.” Natalie remembered putting down a lot of twos.
Did someone who looked like Rhonda ever lack for male attention? Still, if she and Amber could keep both men occupied, that would leave her free to explore the jungle. Wasn’t that what she wanted most, what she came for?
And why did a part of her want to switch partners, even though that might make it harder to slip away?
“What’d you put down to the question about having two men at once?” Natalie asked. The question would have seemed out of bounds a few minutes ago but it seemed like fair game now.
“Oh, that was a five.” Rhonda grinned. “But until the fourth guy comes, that would leave someone without a partner. Hey, maybe the guys would go for a foursome. Wanna?”
“Um, no.” Natalie hoped she wasn’t blushing too visibly. “But feel free to have a go at Tom, if you want.”
“Master Thomas.”
“Yeah. Him.”
“Dinner!” boomed a voice from the dining room.
Kyle flicked the television off. “Looks like someone’s in for a punishment for being late. I’ll go drag her down.” He glanced over toward Rhonda appreciatively as he headed for the stairs. Rhonda straightened and arched her back.
Carter, Natalie noticed, did not look particularly amused, although whether it was at Rhonda’s preening or something else was hard to be certain. In any case, Natalie didn’t want to be present for Amber’s entrance so she headed toward the scent of steak.
Tom nodded at her when she walked in. There was a wooden table that probably would have seated ten in the middle of the room, with a big, thick top and dark wood that had been polished to a shine. There were six place settings and a plate with six big fat juicy steaks, another full of mashed potatoes that smelled of garlic and a third with a mix of snow peas, carrots and water chestnuts in some kind of brown sauce. There were extra chairs up against the wall and six around the table, all very sturdy looking. “You’ll sit here, Natalie,” he said, indicating a chair near one of the ends with a tap of his hand.
“Thank you, Master Tom,” she said, remembering Rhonda’s preciseness. She wasn’t trying to seduce the man but she wanted to blend in.
“Master Thomas or Sir will do,” Thomas said with a frown.
Ah yes. Why did she keep thinking Tom? That was what Carter had called him. “Yes Sir.”
Everyone else filed in. Tom—Thomas—sat near her, at the head of the table. Carter pulled out a chair for Rhonda across from Natalie, and then sat down at Rhonda’s side. Finally Kyle came in. Amber still wasn’t wearing anything. Somehow naked at the dinner table seemed even ruder than naked in the living room or the patio. Natalie’s mother had never let her come to table looking too scruffy or even wearing a halter top.
Kyle sat at the foot of the table, which she supposed meant that Amber would be sitting next to her. Awkward. With Rhonda in lingerie and Amber naked, her own too short dress made her feel almost decent, although she was still very aware that she wasn’t wearing underwear. She kept her legs close together.
Amber pulled out the final chair.
“No,” said Kyle. “Your lateness has cost you the right to use the furniture. Bring a cushion from the living room and you can kneel down here. I’ll move your plate to the floor.”
Natalie frowned. Kyle had waited until the last minute to tell her, although they’d had to walk right past the cushions to get to the dining room. Amber turned red, and no wonder. Kyle had maximized the humiliation when he could have told her in private, or before she’d started to sit down. She pushed the chair back up against the table and stalked out, looking for a cushion.
That doesn’t seem fair.
The thought must have shown on her face, because Kyle asked, “You have something you want to say, little one?”
Sticking up for Amber could get her in hot water. Maybe, as Rhonda had suggested, Amber had asked for this kind of treatment, although given the way she’d slammed the chair Natalie didn’t think so. “I think you’re being a little harsh.” As she said it, she thought that sounded pretty weak, so she tried another angle. “Besides,” she lied, “I’d like someone to sit with.”
“I’m sure Master Kyle knows what he’s doing,” Tom said sharply.
“And I’ll most certainly insist on a chance to punish you if you interfere again,” Kyle said, fixing her with a stare. “You’re scared of me, aren’t you? I’d never do anything to cause a woman damage, Natalie.” He smirked. “But that doesn’t mean you a
ren’t right to be scared.”
“Well, then, perhaps we should all eat on the floor,” Natalie said. She turned to Tom and asked, as sweetly as she could, “May I get a cushion, Sir?”
Tom frowned. “No.”
Amber reappeared with the cushion, tossed it on the floor and knelt on it. Natalie leaned back in her chair. That seemed to settle that.
The serving dishes were passed around and everyone loaded up their plates, Rhonda taking very tiny portions of everything but the steak, which didn’t really come in a small portion. Kyle filled Amber’s and set it down on the floor in front of her. He placed a napkin down too, and put the knife and fork on it. That made it a little better, as far as Natalie was concerned. The food looked good.
“Welcome to Submission Island, ladies,” said Tom. “You’re not always going to get your way here, but you are going to get Doms who authentically enjoy what they’re doing and we’ll try to match you with people who share your interests. Eat up, because you’ll need your strength. I think you’re all going to have a great time. After dinner, we’ll have a few minutes of lounging in the living room, and after that, we’ll get to work on making your fantasies come true.”
Natalie said nothing. Tom seemed like a good enough guy. And she liked Dominant men, in theory anyway. In books. There was a fine line between being Dominant and pushy, and the pushy ones seemed far more common in the world outside. But for some reason, Tom didn’t do it for her. He was attractive, clearly not as hard-core as Kyle, and she had no idea why.
She dove into her food. He was even a good cook. Dammit, it would be a lot easier if she could get over it and have a fun time. Maybe it would be easier once she’d made progress on the work she’d come here to do.
Maybe it would be easier with Carter. She didn’t know whether she should feel guilty for thinking that. She knew she didn’t know the men well enough to make a decision. Carter was Rhonda’s Dom, and she didn’t go poaching other women’s men. On the other hand, Rhonda had just met him, and it wasn’t exactly a romance going on there. And Rhonda seemed to have a pretty open attitude.
Natalie shrugged and tried to enjoy her food while the others chatted around her. She’d signed up for Submission Island knowing she’d end up with a random stranger, or perhaps more than one. Yet somehow, now that she was here, she felt as if she were eating her last meal.
“Do you remember the safe word, Natalie?” asked Carter suddenly.
The use of her name jolted her. “Um. Yeah. Tapioca,” she said.
“Good girl,” said Carter. His smile was genuine and full of warmth. If anyone else had said that to her, she probably would have wanted to slap them, but from Carter it made her blush. For a moment she wanted to be his good girl. She shook her head to clear it.
“I guess,” she said slowly, “I have a bit of a headache.” She turned to Tom. “May I beg off for tonight, Sir?” It was the oldest excuse in the book, but at this point she was willing to use whatever would work. She could use the safe word and maybe she wouldn’t have to explain.
He looked as though he was thinking it over. “Migraine, actually,” she added.
“Ouch,” he said. “Yeah, get some rest then. Would you like to be excused from the table?”
“Yes Sir.” She hated to leave all that good food on her plate, but she’d eaten a fair amount already, and the fact was she’d be more comfortable by herself.
“Very well. You may be excused.”
“Thank you, Sir,” she said. She got up.
“Natalie?” asked Rhonda.
“Hmm?”
“Do you mind if I— You know.” Rhonda tilted her head toward Tom and then toward Carter.
“A threesome? Feel free,” Natalie said. She admired Rhonda’s carpe diem attitude, but sex with one man at a time was confusing enough for her. She hoped she didn’t look too much as if she was hurrying as she walked away. She retrieved her panties when she passed the stereo, congratulating herself for solving that delicate problem at the same time.
She waited in her room for an hour, listening. Eventually she heard footsteps. There was no guarantee that everyone would go up to the rooms, she supposed, given what Kyle and Amber did on the patio, and how many people had come up she couldn’t be sure, but she was betting it was more than two. It might be all five. She waited and slipped out into the hall, carrying her shoes. High heels weren’t practical for the jungle, but they were better than bare feet and she hadn’t seen any flats in the room. She didn’t want to make any noise in the hallway. If she was caught, she could always say she was looking for something for her headache. And that her feet were sore. Okay, that part was going to be pretty lame.
She listened at Rhonda’s door and satisfied herself that people were in there. But then she heard a squeal from downstairs. Amber. And presumably Kyle. She hoped she didn’t make noises like that when she was having sex, but then there was no telling what Kyle and Amber were doing, exactly. Damn.
She started to walk back when she noticed the window at the end of the hall. She quickened her pace. This end of the building extended over the water, and if the window wasn’t locked in place, she could dive into the water and swim around to the jungle path.
It had a simple lever as a catch. It required tugging, but eventually it gave and the window opened. Perfect. I love it when a plan comes together.
She didn’t fancy the idea of trying to swim in the dress, but she liked the idea of being naked in the jungle even less. As short as it was, it was probably less cumbersome than the bathing costumes women wore a century ago. Carrying the shoes, however, seemed right out. Ugh. The things I do for science. She walked back to her room and put her glasses on the dresser. She couldn’t see as well with them off, but she’d be able to spot an orchid at night, and if she got up close she’d be okay. Not ideal, but she wasn’t going to swim with them on, and fortunately her vision wasn’t too bad. She tossed the shoes on the bed and hurried back to the window.
How she was going to get back in, she didn’t know, but for now she’d have an hour or two to explore, and then she’d try the front doors. There was really no reason for the men to keep all their doors locked—it wasn’t as if someone was going to come and burglarize the place. It was even plausible she’d looked out over the ocean and fallen in by mistake. Yep. That would work. Worst case, they’d punish her for it. If they handed her over to Kyle she’d say her safe word, but otherwise, it’d be totally worth it. In fact, the idea of Carter doing the punishment made her tingle. She shoved the thought out of her mind. Deal with that then. For now, all her mind had to be alert.
Pushing the window open, she dropped into the water feet first, since she couldn’t be absolutely sure how deep it was. Better to sprain an ankle than to get knocked out underwater. She knifed into the water as soundlessly as she could hope for. The water was cool but not cold. For some reason she expected the tropical water to be warm, even though she knew better, and was soon heading for shore.
She surfaced on the far side of the patio, her heart pounding with excitement. She spat out salt water that had gotten in her mouth and took in a big gulp of the fresh ocean air. It smelled so clean, so pure.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” asked Carter as he grabbed her arm and pulled her up out of the water.
Chapter Three
She had no reasonable explanation. She felt ridiculous standing there, her wet dress clinging to her body. It didn’t help matters any that Carter was dressed only in swim trunks. His hard muscles, bulging pecs and rippled abs were all too apparent and she wanted to take a moment to ogle.
“I thought a swim might help my headache.” It was worth a try.
“Bullshit. Besides, if you wanted a swim you could have told us and we would have let you use the pool. You didn’t need to jump out a two-story window into the ocean.”
“You saw that, did you?”
“I heard it. I was about to go diving in after you when I realized that at least you had the
good sense to stick to shore and were heading straight for me.”
Natalie made a face. “I’m a good swimmer. And the odds of a shark happening on me are astronomically small.”
“Oh totally. And sharks are the only danger in the Pacific, so you’re good there.”
Sarcasm always got her blood boiling, but she didn’t know what to say to that. Riptides, they could be an issue, dragging a swimmer out to sea, but if you relaxed you could usually ride one out and swim back. Could something bad happen? Sure. But life was full of chances. She shrugged.
His voice softened. “We don’t go swimming alone here in the ocean. Even Kyle, and he’s pretty reckless. When we do go swimming, we usually wear bodysuits. It’s not sharks, its jellyfish. They’ve got ones that will make you hurt like hell, hurt so much any swimmer would have trouble, and then there’s the man o’ war, which can outright kill you. They’re quiet and plentiful and the currents seem to take them near this island a lot. Now get that ridiculous dress off.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. If you’re going to swim you’re going to do it in the pool, and you’re going to do it naked.”
Natalie hesitated, but he was right. It probably made her lie even more obvious. If she had been just swimming, she would have ditched the dress, especially as she hadn’t thought anyone would be seeing, but she had wanted something on for exploring the jungle. She didn’t want him to see her naked but he was obviously used to being obeyed. If she said her safe word over that they’d probably kick her off the island. She peeled the dress away from her skin and lifted it over her head. She tossed it past Carter so it landed on the tile around the pool rather than on the sand at her feet. Sand that was sticking to her toes.
“When I give an order, I expect you to obey promptly. And say ‘yes Sir’. Do you understand?” His gaze swept her from head to toe and back up again. He took his time and she felt the heat rising in her cheeks.
“Yes Sir.”
“Good girl. You have a beautiful body. That dress covered far too much.”
That dress barely covered anything. But she didn’t say it. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from arguing. “Not like Rhonda’s or Amber’s.”
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