Pleasure Bay (6 page)

Ten in all rounded out the group and they all looked smashing. Her trained eye also calculated the combined price tag of the designer clothes they wore. Smiling to herself as her eyes swept over her own cocktail dress, she thought, tongue-in-cheek, that she should have brought business cards and increased her client base. Yeah, and get kicked off the island for breaking the privacy agreement, for good measure.

Shifting in her seat, she ran a hand over the shimmering ecru scooped-neck sheath she wore. She admired the twinkling beadwork and lavish embellishments that sparkled as she moved. It fit her curves snugly, although a bit short for her taste; the hemline that sat at mid-thigh when standing had migrated north. As she tugged it in place, she second-guessed her decision to wear such a form-fitting dress, but when in Rome… What else did one wear to a sex and kink fantasy resort cocktail party? Leather? No way!

“The detail on your dress is spectacular.”

Sydney’s eyes flew up. The redhead smiled at her.

“Thank you, but I can’t take credit. It’s D&G.” At her puzzled look, Sydney explained. “Dolce and Gabbana.”

“Ah…”

Sydney admired her sleeveless black chiffon, contoured low in the front and edged with beads that accentuated her curvy figure. “Let me guess, Oscar De La Renta?”

“Would you believe, Twice Remembered?”

“I’m sorry?”

The red-haired siren’s laugh filled the small cabin; others looked up at her and smiled at the sound. Sydney grinned in response; her laugh was infectious.

“It’s a consignment shop back home. I didn’t even check the tag. I just liked how it looked.”

Sydney leaned in close. “I have a confession. I borrowed mine. I own the boutique, but I can’t actually afford to buy my stuff retail. I’m Sydney, by the way.”

“I’m Jen,” she answered, still smiling.

“First time for you?”

An odd look crossed Jen’s face and Sydney regretted her question. “I’m sorry; I know this is all very private.”

“No, it’s fine, and yes, my first time to Pleasure Bay. I’m hoping it will be as good as I’ve dreamed.”

“Me too, but the closer I get, the more I think this was a crazy idea.”

“Mm… maybe. I just know that I won’t be able to focus on the future, or move forward with my life until I find out for sure. You know?”

“I feel much the same way,” Sydney whispered back. They were not so different, which made her relax a bit.

“Attention, Pleasure Bay guests and members,” the captain announced over the intercom. “We are beginning our descent to the island; please fasten your seat belts. And for those of you unused to a water landing, buckle up, hold on tight, and enjoy splashdown.”

“Water landing?” Sydney parroted, peering out the window. She gasped as she saw the small island in the distance. On the far right, she saw the white mansion on the point, near the entrance to the small bay, just like on the website. The surroundings were lush and green, the Caribbean waters a dazzling blue. Behind it all, the late afternoon sun sparkled in the sky. The sunset, she knew, would be amazing. It dawned on her, something was missing—a runway.

“He was serious? We’re landing in the water?”

Jen nodded. “I heard the gentleman behind us say this was an amphibious aircraft.”

“Another first, holy crap!”

“It seems we have a whole new world of experience in store for us this weekend.”

Sydney’s lips pursed and her brow furrowed. After a brief pause, “I certainly hope so.”

She and Jen laughed aloud; they’d said it together. Their laughter ceased suddenly as the plane speed changed and they angled downward. Splashdown was imminent.

“If we don’t get a chance to chat again, Jen, I hope you find what you’re looking for here.”

“Thanks, Sydney. Satisfaction guaranteed is what the brochure said. For 25K, I’m holding them to it.”

* * *

As he waited for Mariah at the bottom of the wide marble staircase in the mansion’s spacious lobby, Dimitri checked his watch. The plane should land within the next quarter hour. If she wasn’t down soon, he’d have to run up and fetch her.

The sound of rustling fabric drew his attention. Looking up, the sight of her in the royal blue dress made his body tighten. Shoulders bared, bountiful breasts pushed up revealing a sexy, although not obscene amount of creamy skin, voluptuous hips swaying, toned calves and trim ankles peeking out through the knee-high slit in her dress as she descended each step on glittering high-heeled sandals. Damn, she made him ache.

Si magari
. Yes, if only. If only she were his. If only she would give him her trust and let him show her the way, to vanquish her fears and ease her pain. If only she had come into his life before…

‘If onlys’ reminded him of an old proverb his father used to say: if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. His papa had been a man of action, not a dreamer. Dimitri, however, never bought into that completely. He
was
a dreamer—an idea man—but he also had the drive and the means to make those dreams come true. Pleasure Bay had started that way, as a dream, but look at it now—unique, successful, and extremely lucrative.

Certainly, part of the reason for its success was the talent of Mariah Charmant. Also a dreamer, she loved the game, although she didn’t play it, not now. Instead, she reveled in the strategy, the planning, the setup, and the matchmaking—the bringing together of two people. She often said it was like connecting pieces of a jigsaw puzzle; some might look right together at a glance—same shape, size, and color—but no matter appearances, only one piece fit perfectly with its true match.

Yes, Mariah was a romantic to the core. She loved the challenge. Constructing a flawless fantasy thrilled her. Watching the cat-and-mouse games between the couples—the pursuit, mastering, and ultimate surrender between the D/s pairs—made her heart race. But even though these were satisfying elements of her job, it was the romance that pumped her up and made it all worthwhile. Although, always for the guests, never for herself.

Having tried to engage her affections for two years, they’d grown close, a friendship of sorts had developed, but he wanted more, he wanted it all; the submission of her glorious body, yes, but he especially wanted to form a personal attachment and capture her heart. He could have easily taken her body, dominated the submissive always seeking to please. He could have stormed the near-impenetrable walls she’d constructed to protect the fragile heart deep inside, but that would have proven him no better than the bastard who had broken her and destroyed her ability to trust in the first place.

No, he couldn’t do that to her, so he’d been patient and proceeded slowly. He’d developed a game plan long ago and had been slowly but surely chipping away at her walls, the goal to rescue and heal the heart within. Looking at her now, he smiled, eagerly anticipating the challenge ahead because he’d decided it was time to begin his siege. He was tired of waiting and planned to use all the tools in his arsenal to conquer her. She wouldn’t know what had hit her.

“Dimitri,” she said as she came to a stop on the first step, her eyes level with his. She was practically bouncing with excitement. “I have a feeling this weekend is going to be spectacular.”

“You say that every weekend,
piccola
.”

“That’s because we’re on a winning streak.” Her hands came up to straighten his collar. “You look handsome as ever. Have you been waiting long? I’m not late, am I?”

“No, we have time.” His eyes searched her lovely features, flushed with anticipation, her eyes twinkling eagerly. Did she have any idea what she did to him? Taking her slender wrists in his hands, he brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them. As expected, she froze, his touch seeming to entrance her. “You look stunning in royal blue, baby. The color is perfect for you.”

“Thank you, sir,” she breathed unevenly, her eyes fused to where his lips touched her skin. She seemed unaware that she referred to him as ‘sir’ frequently—her innate submissive nature hard for her to suppress. She’d resolved to stay neutral; he’d decided to test that resolve and push her a bit. Flipping her hand over, he brushed his lips against the tender skin of her inner wrist, his tongue flicking over her pulse point.

“Shouldn’t we, uh…” Flustered, her voice was low and quavering, close to a moan. “Shouldn’t we head down to the dock now?”

“In a moment,” he murmured as he inhaled, breathing in her essence. “You smell fantastic. I love your scent.”

“You should.” Short of panting now, she leaned in. “You picked it out for me.”

“Shalimar… mm, like vanilla and incense, it’s exotic and sensual, yet it’s as homey as cookies.” His lips wandered up her arm, toward her neck where he nibbled gently as he spoke. “The smell of cookies makes me hungry, baby.”

“D, we should go.” Her insistence was offset by the press of her body against his, as well as the way she angled her head away, exposing more of her vulnerable neck and throat for his mouth.

“You want me, Mariah. I can feel your pulse racing in your throat.” He kissed her there. “Your nipples are hard and pressing insistently against my chest. I know if I were to slide my hand under this sexy dress, you’d be wet and hot for me too. When are you going to stop fighting this attraction?”

His phone rang, buzzing in his front pocket. The moment lost, Mariah stiffened and pulled away.

“
Merda!
” She’d been so close. Reaching into his breast pocket, he pulled out his phone and thumbed on the screen. “What is it?”

“Da plane, boss, da plane.” Brody, on duty in the surveillance center, said jokingly.

“Yeah, after two years that shit never gets old.” Irritated at being interrupted right when he was making progress, Dimitri was unusually brusque as he hung up on the man.

He cupped Mariah’s cheek with his hand, sliding his fingers into her hair and wrapping them around the nape of her neck, pulling her closer. His lips hovered over hers, a hairsbreadth away. “We aren’t done here,
piccola,
not by a long shot.”

“We talked about this, Dimitri. I’m not ready.”

“It’s been two years, that’s much too long.”

“You don’t understand—”

“I do, baby. I know some bastard did a number on you, but you can’t let him keep taking from you, robbing you of your future. You are a sensual creature, Mariah, but you’re stuck, frozen in place. That’s no way to live, afraid, experiencing life vicariously through others. Open your heart and let me in,
bella mia
. I promise to give it the utmost care.”

“D.” This came from Vance, who appeared suddenly behind them.

Dimitri stiffened; he hadn’t even heard the door open, so wrapped up was he in the woman in his arms.

“The plane is landing as we speak.”

Staring intently into her eyes, he didn’t break contact while he answered. “We’re coming.”

The door softly closing told them he’d left. That he’d heard.

“Bad timing, baby; you just look so beautiful, the embodiment of temptation that I simply can’t resist.” He kissed her lips softly, before taking a half-step backward, releasing all but her hands. “We’ll talk more about this later.”

“That’s not a good idea.”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s happening.” Slipping an arm around her waist, he guided her out the front door and across the sloping lawn to the dock.

* * *

Jennifer stepped from the plane behind the big, handsome guy in the white tux, watching as he fussed with his jacket. He seemed a bit uncomfortable in the heat, but Jen thrived on it. The warm tropical breeze wrapped around her bare shoulders as a medley of different scents tickled her nose: lilac, wisteria, and jasmine. At the top of the steps leading up from the dock, a trio stood waiting to welcome them: two devastatingly attractive men and an equally gorgeous woman. These must be the owners.

One look at the elegant blonde dressed in stunning blue made Jen wish she had picked a more elaborate dress. Her eyes shifted to the sexy man standing next to her. Dressed all in black with his shirt open at the throat, his olive skin, midnight black hair, dark oceanic eyes, and strong build had her guessing he was probably Italian. The tall, strapping man next to him was dressed in a black tux, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. All three of them wore welcoming smiles as they patiently waited for the last passenger to exit the plane.

“Good evening, guests and members,” the man in the middle began. “I am your host, Dimitri De Luca. Please feel free to address me as Dimitri. Sir or Master D works for the BDSM-inclined.” The man’s voice was nearly as sexy as his appearance and although it was faint, she picked up on his accent, definitely Italian. The petite blonde on his arm was a very lucky girl.

“The lovely lady to my right is Mariah Charmant, our guest relations manager, and to my left,” he gestured, “is Vance Lebrock, our chief of security.”

Her eyes swept over Vance again, wondering if he was the man who was going to be keeping a ‘close’ eye on her this weekend. She noticed the way his steely eyes swept over those standing on the dock, deliberately, as if calculating every detail. Suddenly, they paused on her. Feeling as though she had just been caught ogling him, she looked away, pretending to be interested in something, anything else. Her gaze landed on a purple and white butterfly bush offset from the steps.

“We would like to thank you for entrusting us with the honor of making your special fantasies come true and hope that you will enjoy your stay,” the sexy Dimitri continued. Jennifer certainly wouldn’t mind him being her pretend captor, but the possessive arm around the pretty blonde’s waist told her he was already taken.

“I trust that you have all become familiar with your contract and our island rules. You will find copies of each in the guest manual in your rooms. This is for your convenience, as you will be held responsible for knowing and following them. Please review them as necessary. The rules are in place for your safety and that of our other guests; violators will be dealt with promptly and strictly.” His million-dollar smile beamed brightly, but she could hear the underlying, authoritative voice of a dom.