by A. C. Melody
“Tessa, do you have something you’d like to say to Sir Louis?” Felix asked.
The guilt, while mild compared to how it felt with him, rose to heat her neck and face.
“I’m sorry for eavesdropping on your and Master’s conversation last night, Sir Louis.”
“You understand that eavesdropping is often more troublesome for the offender than the victim, pet?” Sir Louis asked.
“Yes, Sir,” she admitted.
“Then, I accept your apology,” he replied. “I hear you have a punishment coming, though, and I have to say, I’m quite disappointed you won’t be able to join in the luncheon social, but I agree with your Master’s wise decision. I hope it’s a lesson you’ll take to heart, Tessa.”
“I will, Sir, thank you.” She swallowed, her guilt increasing.
“Let’s get you set up, then,” Sir Louis said, making some kind of gesture she couldn’t see before he left the room.
Unsure of what to expect next, Tessa rose to her feet when Felix prompted her to and followed him out into the hallway. He turned right, back toward the commons where she was surprised to see a whole other section of the resort she’d never noticed before. Of course, it made sense she wouldn’t have. The opening would’ve been blocked by all the guests during the auction, and too central to have come within view of her downcast eyes any other time she’d been led through the area. It was a large square of a landing, housing an elevator on either side. A hall shot straight back to another possible exit, since sunlight seemed to be coming from there, and was flanked by a staircase on either side; the left set leading up, the right leading down.
Sir Louis took point down the center hallway, with them following behind. A metal railing lined the opening of the stairwell to their right. To the left stood two doors in the wall under the ascending staircase. At the end, a short hall shot off to the left and Sir Louis led them down it to another door. There were only windows to the right now, but Tessa couldn’t make out more than broad-leafed plants lining some kind of patio.
Inside, the room was spacious with bare tables and plain chairs, giving her more of the impression of a break room than anything the guests might use. There was a stretch of counter she couldn't see well to the left and the continuation of glass walls to the right.
“Fortunately for your Master, we’re not open for business yet, otherwise this room would be rather busy with staff,” Sir Louis stated.
Stunned, Tessa froze mid-step. What did he mean, not open for business yet? Her mind spun, reliving all the moments when Felix had moved about his suite as if very familiar with it, knowing exactly where everything was, knowing the names of all the staff. Oh God, was he their mysterious host? The leash tugged at her throat and Tessa stumbled forward.
“Are you trying to prolong your punishment, little fox?” Felix asked.
“No, Master.” She shook her head.
“Then, what’s the problem?”
“There’s no problem, Master. I was just...distracted.”
“Distracted?” he questioned. “You were looking around?”
“No, Master. I’m sorry I stopped, I was just surprised. I thought this place was already open for business.”
Tessa couldn’t explain why that ignorance embarrassed her, but she’d rather feel that than get into any more trouble. Nerves filled her when both men stepped closer and Felix prompted her chin up.
“Why would you think that?” he asked. “Weren’t you told about this week by your club’s manager?”
Her mouth opened and closed, unprepared for that question. “I…he did,” she stammered. “I mean, some things, I guess.”
“What things?” he pressed.
“That it was an exclusive getaway on a private island.”
When she didn’t continue, his brow arched dangerously and her heart pounded. “That’s it?”
“Well, no, I mean he also warned me about the whole privacy issue and that I wouldn’t be allowed to have my cell phone,” she answered, her voice growing weaker, because of the way they continued to stare at her. “I never thought to ask—”
“You shouldn’t have needed to ask, Tessa,” he cut her off, displeased. “You should have been given all of the details up front, to include that this was a dry run of operations for a new resort, so you could make a sound, consensual decision to be here.”
She felt horrible. She had no desire, whatsoever, to cause problems for the manager of her club and now she dreaded what they might do. “It wouldn’t have changed my decision, Master,” she admitted. “Please, I don’t want to cause trouble.”
“Weren’t there more of you from the same club?” he asked, ignoring her plea.
“Two more,” Sir Louis confirmed for her. “I’ll talk to them.”
Tessa’s shoulders slumped with defeat. She felt terrible, but neither of them seemed concerned with that outcome. They already had it stuck in their minds that it was an issue and were planning to do something about it. She could understand Louis being upset to learn of her ignorance, because for him it was business. He worked for whoever owned the resort and it would seem all of the club managers had been given a specific set of details they’d been expected to enclose, which Mr. Stone had not. Felix’s displeasure was harder to pin down, but she thought it must be a Dom thing, because the only other explanation was that he was indeed their mysterious host and Tessa wasn’t sure how she'd feel about that, if it were true.
“I’ll see to her lunch,” Louis added, as he left the room.
Felix waited for the door to close, then turned Tessa around and walked her up to the wall of glass.
“Do you see what’s happening out there, pet?”
The blue tint of the windows was minimal, but enough to deduce it would be more reflective than transparent from the outside. Beyond them and the bordering flowerbeds, an extraordinary scene greeted her eyes. An enormous terrace filled with chaise lounges, tables with umbrellas; a huge gas firepit sat in the very center encircled by low sofas, the stamped concrete creating a decorative pattern all around it. A lake-sized infinity pool ended the terrace and from her position, it appeared to touch the sea. An optical illusion, she knew, but damn if it wasn’t beautiful.
There was a partitioning wall far off to the right, topped with more tropical plants. To the left was a set of stone steps leading up to another level where there appeared to be more seating, but that was all she could make out. She couldn’t see much else from her little room, and there weren’t any guests there yet. Staff members were rushing about, getting everything set up for the luncheon social—the very activity Tessa wouldn’t be attending.
The guilt of her late-night eavesdropping felt heavier now that punishment was upon her. Felix brushed his hand over the sweep of her braided hair, but she didn’t find any comfort in it. He seemed to understand that. She looked over her shoulder at him, their eyes holding for a moment in her shame-filled, sulking silence. His expression didn’t give anything away, not even disappointment. He turned her to the table right beside them, set in front of the wall of glass and pulled the chair out for her.
“You’ll sit here for the entire luncheon,” he stated as he guided her down into the seat. “And will be free to look around, because I want you to watch. I want you to see all the other submissives out there enjoying the pool and freedom to socialize.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and ducked his face beside hers. “I want you to remember what it feels like not to be able to participate, and think about why you’re in here all alone, instead of out there having fun.”
“I understand, Master,” she whispered.
“Do you?”
Tessa nodded. “Yes, Master.”
He straightened when the door opened, but otherwise didn’t move. Tessa bowed her head out of reflex, but caught a glimpse of one of the staff members rolling a food cart into the room.
“Her lunch, sir,” the man greeted.
“I’ll set it up, thank you,” Felix dismiss
ed him.
“Can I get her drink order, sir?”
“Tessa?”
The thought of having any more pineapple in her mouth made her gums hurt, but she didn’t want to get into trouble by mentioning their naughty little test with a stranger in the room. “Can I just have some ice water, Master?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Right away, sir,” the staff member replied and left the room.
Felix went about uncovering the trays on the cart and put together a few plates for her. He’d just set them out in front of her when her water was delivered.
“You can look around now, pet,” Felix granted, once they were alone again.
Tessa looked at all the food he’d set on the table: tea sandwiches, a salad, fresh fruits and a small veggie platter with what looked like spinach dip. She gave him a worried expression.
“I don’t expect you to eat all of it, little fox, but I do want you to eat as much as you can,” he said. “This evening’s activity will start before dinner, rather than during, and will take an unpredictable amount of time, so it could be a while before you eat again.”
“Okay, Master.”
“If you need to use the restroom, it’s right outside in the hall under the stairs. No socializing with other submissives you may run into along the way, Tessa. You may speak to tell them that you’re not allowed to speak and that is all. There’s no need to come across as rude. However, you do not, under any circumstance, talk to, touch or look at any of the other dominants, outside of Sir Louis, do you understand?”
“Yes, Master,” she answered, because she never would have dreamed of it anyway.
“Good girl,” he said. “No other dominant should even attempt to speak to you, but I do not know everyone here to trust that, so I am trusting you.”
“I won’t speak to them, Master, I promise.”
He crouched down, putting his face right in front of hers. “I believe you,” he said. “Kiss your Master.”
Surprised by the request, Tessa leaned forward the half an inch to touch her lips to his. He reciprocated, but didn’t deepen the kiss, just stared into her eyes.
“Learn this lesson well, Tessa,” he said, after standing again.
Worrying her bottom lip, she knew better than to say anything as she watched him leave the room. At the door, he paused and looked over his shoulder. “I expect a decent portion of that food to be gone by the time I return.”
The second the door closed, her shoulders sagged. That pesky feeling of guilt roiled inside her again, because she knew her Master was unhappy. If he was anything like her previous Doms, then he would loathe being put in the role of punisher just as much as she loathed getting into trouble. There was a huge difference, after all, between really punishing a sub and just creating a kinky scene for it. Most dominants didn’t sit around hoping their subs would get themselves into trouble just to have an excuse to spank or whip them. That’s just what outsiders thought happened. In reality, discipline was equally challenging and unpleasant for both sides, whereas spanking and whipping was more often used for pleasure.
Tessa eyed the food on the table and chose a tea sandwich to nibble on, dreading the time she knew would drag by in her solitude. She wasn’t hungry. She was anxious to get to the other side of her punishment, where all was forgiven, the shackles of guilt released, and everything was back to good again. With her fork, she picked through the fresh fruit, purposely avoiding the pineapple. She had just stuck a bite of watermelon into her mouth when her punishment truly began. The sound of people moving through the hall on the other side of the door to her lonely room preceded the sight of them walking out onto the terrace.
The luncheon had officially kicked off, and a steady stream of dominants and submissives soon filled up the luxurious scenery beyond the wall of glass. Tessa ate at a sloth's pace, not even registering the different flavors. She watched staff members dance in and out of the increasing crowds, offering towels, drinks, sunscreen—anything the guests might need or want. When one of them walked right past her window, she noticed that he was wearing a clearly visible name tag.
Was that how Felix always seemed to know their names? So much for her theory about him being their mysterious host. Of course, that didn’t explain how he knew where everything was—and not just in his suite, either. There was too much ease and confidence in the way he led her around the resort, as if he’d already been in every corner at least a dozen times.
A glimpse of red grabbed Tessa’s attention and she leaned her head into the glass to get a better look. Sure enough, she saw Gema’s unmistakable curls as her friend disappeared beyond sight far off to the right. A few moments later, Tessa saw the same tall and handsome Dom that had been on stage with Gema the night before, heading right toward her on his way to the stairs, which were now behind where she was sitting. Despite the tinted glass between them, she had the strongest urge to lower her gaze, lest she get caught staring, but there was no need. He couldn’t see her, and it was the strangest thing to be able to look right at his face as he passed.
He appeared a little younger than Felix with darker hair cut short around the sides and back, but long enough on top to flop over his forehead. He wasn’t muscular in the same way as Felix, either, though he had broad shoulders. He was built more like a runner. Long, lean muscles, rather than compact. It was too hard to determine the color of his eyes, but they were almond-shaped and slanted in the outer corners, like he might be from Asian descent. He wore a printed t-shirt and shorts with deck shoes—all designer, of course. Tessa was pretty certain all the dominants were rather well off, if not rich as hell, to afford a private invite for such an exclusive resort.
Then again, if the resort wasn’t even open for business yet, she had to wonder why these particular dominants had been chosen out of all the others. Were they investors? That made the most sense. The resort was large and luxurious enough to have required investors to build, and she imagined those investors would want to see what their money had gone into. To get a firsthand look at how profitable the resort would be, the kind of services it would offer to keep clients coming back for more. They might even be using the week to make their lists of suggestions, approvals and dislikes before it opened. But who was the one behind it all? Whose brain child was Dark Day Isle? That’s what Tessa was most curious about.
The door opened without warning, startling her so much she almost toppled head first into the window she was leaning toward. For a split second, her wide eyes latched onto Sir Louis’s, before she dropped her gaze and clung to her chair, as if it were still considering dislodging her.
“Why do you look so painfully guilty, darling?” he asked, amusement just below the surface.
Tessa opened her mouth to answer, but she had no idea what to say. She hadn’t been doing anything wrong, it just felt that way.
“I don’t know, Sir,” she managed. “Master told me to watch, but it feels...I’m just not used to being allowed to.”
“Mm. That makes sense.”
His understanding relieved her, and her shoulders relaxed again.
“I’m actually here on your Master’s behalf,” he informed her. “To give you this.”
Tessa lifted her gaze to the red rubber bracelet he held between his fingers.
“What’s that for, Sir?”
“It’s to let the dominants know that you’re not to be spoken to, should any of them wander in here,” he answered, his tone a little dry. “One would think the shiny silver collar around your neck would be enough, but your Master insisted.”
Tessa bit the inside of her cheek, keeping her head bowed to hide the grin that wanted to spread across her face. It was obvious her Master and Louis had already butted heads on the issue, as they seemed to do so well on many topics.
“Thank you, Sir,” she said, accepting it from him and slipping it onto her left wrist.
“Mm,” he remarked again. “I would put a much bigger dent in your lunch, if I were you, pet.”<
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With that final order disguised as a suggestion, Sir Louis left the room again. Such a Dom. Tessa sighed and twirled the bracelet on her wrist, wondering if she should be worried about Felix’s paranoia or feel good about having such a mindful Master. Settling on something in between, she eyed the food on the table and picked up another sandwich with determination. When her punishment was over at last, she didn’t want there to be any reason for Felix to still be unhappy.
****
Felix was unhappy. The setup was less than ideal, because he couldn’t keep an eye on his little fox. He didn’t need to watch her like a hawk, but the inability to see her at all grated on his nerves. There was nothing to be done about it, though. He wasn’t going to reenter that room until the luncheon was over. He wanted her to experience the isolation of her punishment, so she would do her best to avoid ever being put there again. In all honesty, he was just as anxious to see it finished as he imagined she was. Their time was so limited that even an hour spent in unpleasantness felt like such a waste.
Near the Infinity River Bar on the lower terrace, Felix watched the way the crowds moved. It was fascinating to see the natural way the submissives and dominants had segregated themselves on opposite sides, though understandable. It went back to the different atmosphere provided by the resort. In the clubs, subs remained with their dominants every step of the way. Singles blended with the hope of catching the other side’s interest, and time was limited to achieve individual goals. There was no hurry here on the island, and even less role-free time. The luncheon gave everyone the right to shirk the expectations of their chosen sides and just have fun, enjoy the ability to talk freely with like-minded peers. Felix knew he should be joining them, he just needed a few more minutes to brood. He should have known the others would seek him out, instead.