The Swear Jar

  “To my surprise planning Duncan.”

  “How’s it going so far?”

  “I’m having a very good time. I may not be able to sit down tomorrow, but it’ll be worth it.” She lowered her voice.

  With his glass empty, Duncan moved closer to Meara. She watched him carefully. Unwrapping a piece of chocolate, he placed it in her mouth. She let the chocolate melt. Wanting to stay in control of herself, she slowly drank her champagne. She didn’t want to spoil his fun by becoming too giggly.

  “Finish it,” he ordered. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  She drank the last bit of champagne. He took the glass from her and placed it next to his. She picked up a piece of chocolate and placed it on his tongue. He kissed her. Her mouth tasted like champagne and chocolate. A flush extended down from her cheeks to her neck. She wasn’t kidding about her reaction to alcohol. He had to be very careful.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. A little warm, but I’m okay. If I start to giggle uncontrollably, we’re in trouble,” she said.

  He took two small facecloths from the other sand bucket. He threw one in the water and with the other, moved towards her.

  “My dirty girl needs to be cleaned. I can’t trust you to clean yourself. I’ll have to do it for you. Now hold still.”

  She giggled. “Wait! What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m going to take this cloth and rub it all over you until you are clean. The bath and bubbles will get rid of all that nasty sand.” He rubbed the facecloth over her shoulders.

  She watched him, lust in her eyes. He rubbed her arms and chest, then her breasts. She panted, her face turning a light red. The champagne was kicking in as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He rubbed her buttocks, legs and feet. She giggled, taking great gulps of air. He worked his way to her inner thighs. As he locked eyes with her, the giggling stopped. She eased back against the tub and sighed. He gently massaged between her legs. Her flush subsided.

  She took the other facecloth. She washed his chest. He was sitting on the floor of the tub. He pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her legs around him. He slowly bounced her up and down to thwart her attempts to reach between his legs. She held his shoulders as she moaned softly. She was riding in his lap, her breasts bobbing with each bounce. She was trembling. She wanted him to take her now. He stopped bouncing her.

  “The water’s getting cold,” he said, holding up her hand. “Look, you’re pruning. Time to get out of the tub, you naughty little girl.”

  Not expecting this, she was dazed. “Get out?”

  He pulled the stopper, letting the water drain out. He stepped out of the tub, pulling her after him. He wrapped a towel around himself and then one around her. He tucked the end of the towel into her cleavage. He took a smaller towel and wrapped her hair.

  “Naughty girl?” she asked, confused.

  “Naughty, hungry girl. All pruned up and in need of a snack.” He led her to the bedroom.

  He sat her on the bed, tousling her hair with the towel. She sat with her hands on her chest, holding the towel closed. Once he was satisfied her hair wasn’t damp, he lovingly dried her face and neck. Walking back to the bathroom, he dried his own hair and tossed the wet towel into the bathtub. He retrieved his surprises from the kitchenette and put them on the night stand. She sat on the edge of the bed with a puzzled expression.

  “You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” she whispered.

  “A little,” he whispered, kneeling by her feet and rubbing her thighs. “Do you trust me?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “No, you don’t. Not entirely. I don’t blame you. It takes time. I have your heart. I know you love me. I have your soul. I feel it when you’re in my arms. I have your body. I know you want me. I don’t have your mind, not yet. You find it hard to let go. I can see it in your eyes, there’s a dragon inside you, Lady Meara.”

  She flinched. She tried to bow her head. He pulled up her chin to look at him.

  “It’s true. Don’t deny it. I see it smoldering in your eyes. Those eyes can change from sky blue to storm-tossed North Atlantic gray to green blue. There’s a fire-breathing dragon jealously protecting your mind. I want your mind. I want you to share it with me.”

  She squirmed. He took her hands. He kissed her. He locked eyes with her. She panted.

  “When you look into my eyes, the dragon is lulled. Your mind grows quiet and you’re happy. I want you to be like that all the time. I don’t want to slay your dragon. I want you to unleash her power. Use it. Show me who you really are. Make the dragon let go of your mind.”

  Putting a finger on her lips, he led her to the top of the bed. He pulled down the bedclothes and removed the pillows. He made her get into the bed, lying down in the center. Her head was close to the slatted wooden headboard. He straddled her, pinning her legs under him. He leaned down, kissing her. He pulled her wrists above her head. He wrapped a length of rope around her wrist, tying it to the headboard slat. He did the same to her other wrist with another length of rope. He kissed her deeply. Reaching over to the night stand, he placed the sleep mask over her eyes.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she murmured.

  She sighed. Her heart pounded. She was panicking. She felt helpless and trapped. She curled her fingers into fists. She wondered what he was going to do.

  Calmly, he said, “Say stop and we’ll stop. The ropes are wrapped around your wrists, not tied. The mask will heighten the sensations. Let go and relax.”

  Meara whispered, “What are you going to do to me?”

  “I’m not going to do anything to you. We’re going to do things together. We’re going to have some fun. I have things for you to taste. I want you to feel safe and relaxed. Can you do that?” asked Duncan.

  “I’ll try,” she whimpered.

  She unclenched her fists. She took a deep breath and then exhaled. He nodded.

  “You’ve been a naughty girl. Staying so long in the tub you pruned. Making me bounce you while you were trying to play with me. Let’s see if you’re nice and dry and clean.” Putting his fingers inside the knotted towel at her cleavage, he pulled it open.

  She took several ragged breaths. Her body was exposed. He groaned appreciatively. Still straddling her, he kissed her deeply. He cooed in her ear to calm her. Sitting back on his knees, he removed his own towel and reached for the first container on the night stand.

  He took out a strawberry. “Are you ready?”

  She whispered, “Yes.”

  He let her smell it. “What is this?”

  “A strawberry.”

  “Take a bite.”

  She took a bite. She chewed it and swallowed. He finished the strawberry and kissed her. He tasted like strawberries. She licked her lips.

  “See? You were hungry, weren’t you?” he asked softly.

  “Yes.”

  He reached for the next container. It held blueberries. He placed a blueberry in her belly button. She jumped, but he cooed reassuringly. He placed a line of blueberries up her belly to her chin. He let her smell a blueberry. He placed it in her mouth. She ate it slowly. Starting at her belly button, Duncan used his tongue to pick them up one by one. He slowly made his way up to her neck. Her fingers flexed and she panted. He picked up the last blueberry and kissed her, feeding it to her.

  “Do you like blueberries?” he asked huskily.

  He had come up with this fantasy so she would trust him, give him control and relax her mind. He hadn’t counted on this fantasy having a strong effect on him.

  “Yes.” She sounded sleepy.

  She didn’t like being naked in front of him. She was vulnerable, but she was beginning to relax. The agitated butterflies were calming down. He was right about the mask amplifying the senses. She felt a dull ache between her legs. She wondered how he would awaken the dragon. She wondered if he was ready. He reached for the bear-shaped honey bottle. He sq
ueezed until there was a line of honey between her breasts. He put a dab on each of her nipples.

  She arched her back. Balling her fists again, she struggled slightly with her bonds. He used his index finger to feed her, placing the honey on her tongue. She lapped at his finger, drawing it inside her mouth. Murmuring, she sucked on his finger. She rolled her tongue around it and applied pressure. Shocked, he removed his finger. Her tongue moved across her lips slowly. The sleeping dragon was awakening. He wondered if he was ready.

  “What was that?” he asked as he fought for control of himself.

  “Honey,” she breathed heavily.

  He licked her chest until she was free of honey. He firmly held her left breast, sucking at the nipple until the honey was gone. He sucked at the nipple until it was erect and then he nibbled it. She gasped and tried to open her legs. She felt the throbbing ache between her legs increase. He held her still and turned to the right breast, repeating what he had done to the other. She pulled on her bonds and writhed. She panted. He opened the last container. It had chocolate-covered cherries in it.

  He said, “Bite this.”

  She bit the cherry in half. The cherry juice ran down the sides of her mouth and chin to her neck. They slowly ate their halves of the cherry. When he was done, he lapped at her neck and face while running his hands over her belly and breasts. He pinched her nipples and rubbed himself over her soft mound. He kissed her and their mouths tasted like cherry and chocolate.

  She shuddered. She struggled to open her legs. Her face turned into a grimace. She writhed so hard against her bonds, the headboard shook. She was losing control. She gasped and pushed her hips towards him. The ache between her legs was painful. She wanted him inside her. She pulled at the ropes. She panted and her breasts bobbed. When she tried to open her legs again, he lifted off her. He sat back on his knees, not sure what to do. The dragon was here.

  “Take the ropes off. Now,” she commanded.

  He released her wrists. She sat up on her knees and pulled off the mask, her eyes smoldering. They looked into each other’s eyes, both recognizing the animalistic desire there. She looked down to see he was aroused and smiled wickedly. He exhaled, reached for the lubricant and squeezed out a glob. She nodded her head. He grabbed her around the waist and reached between her legs. She moaned, relief flooding her.

  “You wanted the dragon, you got her. Come and get her,” she challenged.

  He pushed her down on the bed. She opened her legs and beckoned him by running her hands along her thighs. He ran his hands over her legs. She slid her hands down between his legs, giggling mischievously. She pulled him towards her, nodding, urging him on. He entered her and she gasped. The prolonged foreplay had affected him as well.

  “Do it. Give it to me. Harder. I want you now,” she cried.

  She held onto him as he grasped her shoulders and thrusted deeply into her. She raised her hips to meet him and gave in to her orgasm. She threw her head back and let out a loud, agonized groan. She continued to thrust her hips towards him. She ran her hands over his body and made encouraging noises. He groaned and thrust harder. She gave in to the rocking rhythm and threw her hands up to brace herself again the headboard.

  “Duncan!” she cried, her breathing coming in hitches.

  She arched her back, orgasming again. She trembled. He rocked forward and shuddered. He held onto her, groaning in her ear. He wrapped his arms around her. Kissing her, he slid behind her. He held her in his arms. He kissed her neck.

  “Meara. My Meara.”

  “Yes, your Meara. Heart, soul, body and mind.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. Are you?”

  “Yes, my naughty girl.”

  She giggled.

  He whispered, “Do you like role playing?”

  “Yes. I do, but we’re going to have to talk about your surprises, especially ones that involve bondage.”

  “I agree. We need to invest in a pair of handcuffs.” He laughed into her hair, holding her tight as she squirmed. “Relax. I’m kidding. Mostly.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Meara felt safe and loved in Duncan’s arms. He had figured out she was holding back, hiding behind her dragon, as he called it. It was true. She hadn’t meant to because she loved him, but a small part of her mind had held her back. She didn’t want to be hurt or rejected again, but holding back wasn’t fair to Duncan. She needed to give him everything. She didn’t have to hide, not anymore. She could show him everything. He would be there, wanting and loving her. Looking into his eyes did calm her mind. Tears ran out of her eyes and across her nose. He wrapped the blanket around them. He slipped a pillow under her head. Seeing her tears alarmed him. He pulled her to him.

  “Meara? What’s wrong?” He held her cheek.

  “I’m sorry, Duncan. It’s silly, but I’m so happy. It doesn’t make any sense, I know. I love you and I’m so sleepy. You wore me out. I don’t think I can keep up with you.”

  Her eyes closed, her voice grew soft, and she dozed off. She held her folded index finger against her lips. Duncan kissed her forehead.

  “It’s more likely I won’t be able to keep up with you,” he whispered. “I’ve never been happier. Not even with Brenda. That sounds terrible, but it’s the truth. I’m afraid this won’t last because you’ll figure out I’m too old for you.”

  She was fast asleep in his arms. He sighed and curled up next to her. He had an ache in his chest. He loved her fiercely, but seeing how passionate she was made him wonder what would happen when he was too old to love her like she deserved. His pained expression faded as he fell asleep. She awoke a few hours later. The sun was setting outside and the room was dimly lit.

  He had turned to lie on his back, snoring lightly and looking peaceful. She smiled and wanted to touch his face, but she wanted to let him sleep. She got out of bed as quietly as possible. She went into the bathroom, getting herself a new towel to wrap around her body. Her other towel was still on the bed under him. She thought of snapping it out from under him, but she shook her head. He deserved to rest.

  She picked up their swimsuits and washed out the sand. She fished the used towel out of the tub. The candles around the tub had burned out, so she gathered them together with the sand pebbles and chocolate kisses. She took the bottle of champagne out of the bucket and dumped the ice water into the tub. She put the candles, pebbles and kisses into the bucket. She glanced back at him, but he was still asleep. She quietly took the bucket and champagne bottle into the kitchenette.

  She tiptoed to the bedroom and retrieved his containers. She picked up the towel he had been wearing. She placed the containers in the refrigerator. She wandered into the living room, looking at the photos on the wall. She noticed a few faces repeated. Those faces must be Mike and his family. Someone liked to take pictures of the beach. There were sunrises, rainstorms, and winter storms. She was lost in the photos.

  “I was wondering where you went,” he said softly from behind her.

  She turned. “Hello, sleepyhead.”

  He was wearing a towel around his waist. “Sleepyhead? Me? You’re the one who fell asleep first.”

  “True. I’ll admit that.” She rested her head on his shoulder.

  “You cleaned up everything. You didn’t have to do that. I could have cleaned it up.”

  “You gave me a wonderful surprise. The least I could do was tidy up a little. Will there be more surprises like this in our future? I hope.”

  He wanted to talk to her about their future together. Her trusting, loving eyes made him forget what he feared or made his concerns seem unreasonable. She made him feel as if he was the only other person in the world and only he mattered.

  “I’m sure there will be. I can be full of surprises.” He whispered. “I love you.”

  “I love you, Duncan.”

  His stomach growled.

  She giggled and rubbed his belly. “My poor sweetheart, I should feed you. How about we have some sautéed
shrimp over rice and a nice salad?”

  “You’re determined to make me eat healthy, aren’t you?”

  “I can try, but then you’ll feed me cake and chocolate and blow the whole thing. I spoke to Diana earlier today and told her we weren’t coming home until Thursday. Do you need to call Lucy today or tomorrow?”

  “I should call her tonight.”

  “I’ll go start dinner.” She headed out of the cottage.

  He was sad as he watched her go. He needed to shake the bad feeling he was having. He didn’t want to ruin their time together. He had wanted her to give him everything. Now he had it, he needed to cherish it instead of thinking it was too much for him. He had to be her knight in shining armor. He followed her to the house and passed her in the kitchen where she was setting a pot of water on the burner. He was in their bedroom changing when she arrived.

  Seeing his naked buttocks, she whistled. “Cute!”

  He rolled his eyes. He quickly pulled on his underwear and sat on the bed, facing her. She turned from side to side, showing off her legs. She undid the knot at her chest and threw her towel at his head. She giggled and ran for the drawers. She pulled out panties and a bra. She pulled them on in record time, but he still got a good look at her. She found a pair of clingy sweatpants and a soft blue t-shirt to wear. She went to the bathroom and brushed her hair. When she came back, he was fully dressed. She sat on the bed and put on her socks and sneakers. He found his cell phone and kissed her dimple.

  “I’m going outside and call Lucy. I want to make sure I’ve locked up the cottage and see if the pool needs any chemicals. Mike warned me it might need some maintenance.” He tried to sound cheerful.

  “I’ll be in the kitchen. If I get done before you, I’ll find you.”

  He headed downstairs and out the front door. He couldn’t shake the feeling something bad was going to happen. He sat down on the front porch steps. He dialed Lucy’s home number and listened to the rings. Duncan took a deep breath when Lucy answered. He explained how they had gone to the Shore. They would return on Thursday.

  Lucy promised to call the Board president on Tuesday. She would keep their romance private. He thanked her and said goodbye. He chuckled. That was the longest conversation he had ever had with Lucy. Lucy didn’t think they were crazy. She wanted them to be happy. He sat on the steps for a few minutes and looked around the neighborhood. He could hear the ocean. The night breeze was light and salty. He smiled.