Pleasure Bay (5 page)

Switch?

6′1″. 220#.

Fantasy- F/m. Domination. Light bondage.

“Why the question mark after switch?” Dimitri called, pointing to the screen with his pen.

“Because that’s what he put on his application.” Mariah said. “He seems indecisive about classifying himself. He wants to submit to a woman, but—as he put it—not all the time, or maybe just this once. I have an idea about this guy, but I need some other info first. Jax, what did you get on him?”

“Pretty clean, only a few speeding tickets, and some reckless driving. Apparently, he finds it hard to stay under a hundred in his Ninja-1000 and likes to ignore helmet laws. He owns several construction companies, scattered across the U.S. Not bad for a twenty-six-year-old. He lives in a small house in the middle of Rockford, Illinois, keeps to himself mostly. Parents deceased, no siblings or other family. Other than working, and getting outrageous speeding tickets, this guy—”

“Is a loner,” Mariah finished for him. “He fears commitment and doesn’t want the responsibility of a relationship. I sense that he’s embarrassed by his submissive desires. On the outside, he’s a strong and intelligent businessman, always in control. On the inside, however, he urgently needs an escape; he needs to let go and let someone else be in charge for a while.”

“How about putting him with Shannon?” Vance offered.

“Shannon’s too much for him.” Mariah shook her head. “He’s a newbie, just testing the waters. She’ll overwhelm him and likely he’ll freak, leaving him without the answers he’s seeking.”

“What about Katie?” Dimitri suggested.

“Hmm…” She took a moment to consult her binder. Katie Hunt, a self-proclaimed domme, had been training with some of the other doms for almost a year now, and her file showed that she was progressing well in the dungeon. “She’s tall and dark-haired, which is his preference, slightly older than our boy here, but an older woman will help set the F/m tone. Do you think she’s ready to take on a novice?”

“Yes, she’s been progressing nicely. I like her sensitivity, but she’s definitely not a pushover. There’s something about her that I haven’t quite put my finger on yet, but I think she might be able to help our Mr. Moore here answer that switch question.”

Tilting her head with the hint of a smile, she looked at Dimitri, impressed by more than his insightfulness. “That’s why they call you the boss. Good call, sir. I think they’ll be a great match.”

Meeting her eyes with an answering twinkle in his own, Dimitri said, “Done,” while making a note. “Let’s move on to our specialty case.”

Jax pulled up a picture of Jennifer Reed, a stunning redhead with a bright beautiful smile and big light brown eyes.

“Damn!” Vance said. “So that’s who I get to keep my eyes on all weekend. It’s a dirty job…”

The men chuckled, adding their own appreciative commentary until Dimitri called them back to order.

“Let’s focus, please. Hers is a high-risk request.”

Mariah shot Vance a look, watching the smile on his face dwindle, his demeanor serious once again. She had faith in his abilities, as she knew Dimitri did. Vance was a consummate professional when the situation warranted. With the room refocused, Mariah presented Jennifer’s case.

“Ms. Reed is a twenty-nine-year-old experienced sub, although she is no longer active in the lifestyle. She’s looking to fulfill an abduction fantasy this weekend. Personally, I think she misses the lifestyle and wants this fantasy to fill the void.”

There were a few murmurs as every member of the team came to attention, immediately keying in on the potential difficulties of such a request.

“Research turned up a Richard Billings,” Jax said as he began his rundown, “her dom and boyfriend of four years. As a couple, they used to frequent Milano’s, an Orlando BDSM club. The owner told me they were one of the ‘must-see’ couples, often drawing large crowds when they scened together. Richard took a job overseas a couple of years ago. Jennifer was unwilling to give up her dental hygienist position and refused to go with him.”

“She wants an abduction fantasy because she misses the control. D and I have chosen Adam Dorant for her.” Mariah pulled a couple of sheets from Adam’s file, looking them over. As one of their first members, Adam had proved himself as trustworthy as he was dominant. He enjoyed visiting the island a couple of times a month for the dungeon play and asked Mariah to keep her eye out for anyone special and unattached. He was leaning toward settling down, but the girl had to be on board with his kinks as well as having a deeply rooted desire for
his
control. He wasn’t looking for a girl who only wanted sexual submission; he wanted to find a girl who was willing to live the lifestyle with him 24/7. Someone willing to go deeper, someone he could chasten with only a look. She had a feeling cute little Jennifer Reed might just be a likely candidate for a man such as Adam Dorant.

“As a seasoned dom with a great sense of humor, I think if anyone can pull off an abduction, it would be Adam. We’ve spoken to him and he’s on board with the plan.” Mariah looked to Jax as she continued, “He’ll be arriving in a couple of hours. Could you get with him and bring him up to speed on our guest, including any other particulars you have in her file?”

“You got it,” Jax agreed with a nod.

“She wants her fantasy to be as real to life as we can make it for her,” Dimitri spoke up. “As you know, creating realism will be a very fine line for us. She’s agreed to let Mariah evaluate her and to a daily check-in with me, just to make sure things are going okay. Vance, I’d like you to meet with Adam and Jax. The more you know about her, the better.”

Vance nodded and Mariah looked up from her binder.

“I have an idea,” she said.

“Here we go.” Doc teased, rolling his eyes.

Other than giving him a look, Mariah ignored him. “I think I know how we can make her fantasy more realistic,” she said pointedly, still looking at Doc. Why did everyone always assume that when she had an idea, it was to set up a love match? “Adam is arriving with his yacht, right? What if we have him take Jennifer away from the island after he captures her?”

“Nice! That gives her nowhere to run,” Jax said.

“She’ll never expect it and it will satisfy the surprise element, making it real. That was very important to her. I like it,” Dimitri complimented. “I’ll approve, as long as we have strict control of the environment.”

“No problem, D,” Vance assured him. “Since he’s arriving today, we can have the boat rigged for surveillance before Ms. Reed arrives tomorrow.” He frowned suddenly. “Wait. That means I’ll be stuck on a boat all weekend.”

“Aw, poor baby,” Mariah teased with a grin. “It’s a dirty job, remember?”

The others chuckled, but she earned an arched brow from Vance at that remark. “Your sass is getting a bit out of hand. I’m thinking D needs to take care of that.”

Wide-eyed, she looked from a smirking Vance to a serious Dimitri before she blinked. Just the thought of being taken care of by D had her flustered.

“Um, I was just teasing, sir. Sorry.”

“You know better than to push a dom,
piccola,
” Dimitri scolded. “Do you have any more pertinent information to add about Ms. Reed’s scene?”

“Um, well… just a few minor details.”

She looked at Vance, who winked at her. The big dom was an incorrigible tease. Plenty of smart remarks came to mind, but she took Dimitri’s warning to heart and minded her tongue.

“Maybe you won’t be tied up all weekend, Vance. If they hit it off like I’m hoping,” Mariah explained. “I bet Adam brings Jennifer back to the island for a bit of dungeon play. He loves using the pillory.”

“See! I knew it. You are trying to set them up,” Doc accused.

“And why not?” Mariah asked, her face burning. Her reputation as a romantic invited constant teasing from the doms, many of whom were confirmed bachelors. She should be used to it by now, but still, when she spoke, she sounded a bit defensive. “We already know Adam is looking for someone special, and I think Jennifer might be too. Besides, it’s good for business and contributes to our good reputation.”

“Yeah, but it kills repeat business if you match them all up.”

“Gray, stop goading her,” Dimitri said with a shake of his head. “You know that Mariah matched most of our club members—that’s our bread and butter. We’re adding how many new cottages because of our growing membership?”

“Twelve.” Mariah said softly, warmed by the way he came to her defense.

“That’s right.” Dimitri gave a quick wink to Mariah.

Grayson backed off and Vance smiled at her, saying softly, “I’ll get my gear and the boat ready this afternoon.”

“Thank you,” Mariah said sweetly, while making a final note in her files. “So, we’re set. All the guests are paired and we have come to the end of our agenda.”

Mid-sentence, the conference room door flew open and Byron arrived.

The meeting all but over, Dimitri arched a black brow in his direction. “Glad you could join us. Are we interrupting your day?”

The handsome brash chef wasn’t fazed by the sarcasm. “As a matter of fact, I was disciplining one of my sous-chefs for fucking up again, when your little subbie there interrupted me. I was not pleased. The idiot wouldn’t know frappéd from fricasseed if it bit him on the ass.”

“You set him straight, I’m sure,” Dimitri stated.

“Oh, yes, he’ll get the Wellingtons right this weekend or he will stand with a blistered ass on the return trip to Kingston while contemplating his next employment. I’m feeling generous and giving him one more chance, that’s it.”

“We’re running out of lifestyle chefs to staff your kitchen, you know.”

He shrugged, unconcerned. “I want what I want, Dimitri. Do you want me to serve gourmet dishes or fuckin’ Hamburger Helper and canned biscuits?”

Dimitri chuckled and Mariah knew Byron had made his point, although most ineloquently. She took the opportunity to correct him on one point.

“I’m not his sub, Byron.”

“Yeah, right, princess, and my name’s Julia Child. Pull my other leg. You might not be in his bed, but he’s the only one you’re submissive to.” He addressed Dimitri next. “If she wasn’t yours, I’d have taken my serrated wooden spoon to her sassy behind when she called me a jackass. She’s a ballbuster to everyone except you, boss, which only works because she’s cute. But if I find her finger in my face or in my kitchen uninvited again, I’m not promising to be such a nice guy.” His eyes shifted from Dimitri to Mariah. “Don’t test me again, little girl.”

Speechless, Mariah nodded.

“I’ll see that she behaves, Byron. But if you think I’ll let you punish her and walk away on two legs, you’re dreaming.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, the air in the room suddenly oppressive. After a moment, Byron nodded respectfully.

“Fine. If it happens again, I’ll bring you my spoon. On one condition.”

His eyes shifted back to Mariah, who swore they glowed with an evil light. She squirmed in her seat, flushed with embarrassment at such a public chastisement, her eyes switching back and forth between the two powerful men.

“Name it.” This from Dimitri.

“I get to watch.”

“Done.”

Her gasp echoed throughout the room. Finding his easy agreement to such an outrageous demand utterly shocking, Mariah’s eyes flew from a gloating Byron to Dimitri, who calmly observed her reaction. Surely, he wouldn’t sanction such a thing.

“I would,
piccola,
as sure as the sun sets each night.” He’d answered as though he’d read her mind. She stared at him drop-jawed until he reached out and, with a long gentle finger beneath her chin, closed her mouth.

A burst of laughter drew her attention to a grinning self-satisfied Byron. With a mocking bow, the overbearing chef gave her an impudent wink before smugly exiting the room.

Chapter Two

Looking out the window as the plane banked sharply to the right, Sydney watched as Jamaica got smaller and farther away. She’d done it, taken the giant step to making her secret fantasy come true. She couldn’t believe she had the balls!

Giggling at her private thoughts, she drew the attention of the redhead seated across the aisle. After giving Sydney a curious look, she returned to her magazine. Sydney watched as she flipped through the pages quickly, closed it, and tucked it into the pocket on the side of her bucket seat. Sydney realized she was nervous too.

Glancing around the plane, she looked at the other passengers who had boarded with her in Kingston. A varied bunch, all dressed in evening wear as they had been instructed in the confirmation email.

Upon arrival, a gathering will be held at the main house for all guests. At that time, you will meet key staff, tour the mansion, receive your weekend itinerary, finalize any details and many of you will meet your partner(s), as appropriate. Evening wear is required.

Not ready to focus on meeting her partner just yet, the fashion maven inside her arose—her comfort zone—and she checked out the couture of her co-passengers. There were two couples seated on the couches at the back of the plane, all wearing black. They were also chatting away as if they knew each other while they sipped the champagne that was being served by the lone flight attendant.

“Champagne, Mr. Moore?” the attendant offered, coming up behind a seriously hot guy in his twenties staring out the window. Sydney watched as he spun around in surprise, nearly smacking his sandy blond head on the low-ceilinged cabin. His pearl tuxedo with onyx trim looked almost too tight for his broad chest. The guy was seriously built.

“No thanks, but I’ll take a beer if you’ve got it,” he answered politely.

Across from him was a forty-something man, distinguished in his dark suit and tie. Her eyes swept over a woman dressed in a floor-length red strapless gown and another closer to her own age in a Grecian-style white and gold-trimmed asymmetrical gown. She nervously fidgeted in her chair, crossing and uncrossing her legs as she repeatedly smoothed down her skirt.