Passion Flower: 1 (4 page)

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 aren’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.”

“Amber is too thin. And Rhonda, well, lovely girl. But I
prefer natural breasts.”

“Is that why you’re not with her now?”

He frowned. “I prefer a woman’s full attention and I don’t
share well. Enough questions. Follow me.”

He turned and walked toward the pool. She followed,
conscious of her nakedness and glad to have him look away from her for a
moment, even though she sensed it wasn’t going to last. He picked up a towel
and dried her, moving the towel briskly across her skin. He didn’t shy away
from her breasts or her pussy but he didn’t linger either. He didn’t stop until
she was as dry as she had been when she jumped out the window, save for damp
hair.

He sat down on a plastic chair a few feet from the edge.
“Get over my lap.”

“Ex—” She caught herself. “Yes Sir.” She’d been caught, and
she knew she’d have to take her punishment. She knew it would hurt. But it was
better than getting kicked off the island. She bent over him and he pulled her
into position with her toes barely touching the ground, head hanging down, ass
up in the air.

Her attempt to explore couldn’t have gone worse. And yet all
she could think of was how she had
his
full attention. If that meant
taking a little pain, that didn’t seem so bad. And if he thought she was more
attractive than Rhonda or Amber, well, he was crazy but she didn’t mind that.

He caressed her backside but the gentleness didn’t fool her.
He was just warming her up. “You’ve been a naughty girl, haven’t you, Natalie?”

“Oh. Yes.” She broke the words up, not wanting to sound too
eager.

He pushed her legs apart and slid his finger into her pussy.
So much for concealing her eagerness. She knew she was wet.

He pulled his finger back out just as suddenly, denying her
any satisfaction from it. He was checking on her arousal, obviously. And now he
knew.

He smacked her bottom with an open palm, and it stung. She
yelped and jumped. He placed his hand on her back, forcefully but gently
holding her in place. She took a breath. She could do this.

“How often have you been spanked before?” he asked,
amusement in his voice.

Once. And he laughed the whole time and so it was just
embarrassing.
But the truth didn’t go very well with what she’d put on the
forms, so she lied. “Oh, bunches.” She wiggled her butt as if trying to entice
him to get back to it, which she kind of was. The spanking was less dangerous
than the conversation, and besides, she wanted to find out more of what it
would feel like. She felt foolish reacting so much to that first swat, because it
really hadn’t been that bad. It just startled her.

“Uh-huh.” Why didn’t he believe her? A slap hit her right
cheek, and then another hit her left. She twisted to try to see what he was
doing, but his firm hand on her back stopped her. The stings blossomed then
faded, leaving a soft, warm glow.

The next swat was gentler and right in her center. His
fingers curled around, brushing her pussy softly. Somehow in one motion he
collected every sensation that preceded and directed it straight to her clit.
She moaned and then choked it off, ashamed. She didn’t want to be that easy,
but dammit, it was hot being spanked by Carter.

He caressed her for a moment, then gave her three more swats
in quick succession, left, right and center. His fingers slid forward, dipping
into her pussy, finishing by caressing her clit. This time she couldn’t hold
back the sounds that came from deep within. Need grew in her belly and his
fingers were all that could satisfy it.

He lifted them away from her body and she braced for another
blow. “Sure you don’t want to tell me the truth about how often you’ve been
spanked?” he asked.

Fuck.
If he figured out she was lying she’d be thrown
off the island. No more
arthrochilus nocturnem
. No more Carter. She
needed to work out what lies she could get away with telling and which ones she
had to hold back, but her mind was too muddled to make that decision now. And
clearly, he knew the answer to this one. Hopefully inexperience wasn’t a
deportable offense.

“Just once,” she said. “But…”

“But?” He stroked along the edges of her labia, teasingly
close to where she wanted him. On her clit. Or inside her.

“I’ve always wanted to know what it felt like.”

“Good girl. And now that you know?”

Oh god. Am I supposed to beg for more? Admit that it’s
making me burn with desire, as if he couldn’t tell?
“It’s, um.
Interesting.”

He swatted her again, jolting her. It was different this
time, less sting but it moved her, pressed into her. She hadn’t realized a hand
could feel so different doing almost the same thing. Wasn’t that why people
used whips and crops and canes and all that, for different sensations? But he
alternated the short stinging blows and the deep rocking ones, mixing sharpness
and ache, and always connecting it up with a middle stroke that ended with a touch
on her clit. There wasn’t enough to get off, but the want in her belly built
until it ached. Her breasts felt heavy and neglected. She wanted something
inside her, filling and taking her.

“Fuck me,” she asked. She hadn’t meant to, but raw need had
taken control of her tongue.

“No. Not now. You’re going to come for me.” His finger
swirled in small circles around her clit. She couldn’t have done better
herself. He seemed to know the right pressure and the right speed to build her
desire into an inferno. But she was too embarrassed to have an orgasm now, bent
over his lap and completely at his mercy.
He’ll think I’m a complete slut.

“Come
now
.”He pressed harder and everything
burst at once. She couldn’t control her legs, which flailed pointlessly. She
wasn’t going anywhere. Ecstasy rippled over her, starting at her clit and
spreading over her thighs and stomach. She squealed, hating the noise she made
but unable to stop it. For a moment everything seemed to clench, and then let
go to leave her utterly relaxed.

“Good girl.” His voice was steady, calm. She panted, trying
to catch her breath. He held her in place, in no particular hurry, although now
that she had been satisfied she noticed the hardness that pressed into her
stomach. It had been there for a while, she realized.
I did that. I turned
him on. Or at least he liked spanking me.

She remembered what Rhonda had said about Amber and Kyle on
the patio. The pool was on the opposite side of the building from the women’s
rooms, so no one would be looking out on them. Probably. But if they did, it
wasn’t as if she’d get arrested.

“Can I do something about that?” she asked.

“About what?”

It had to be on his mind, didn’t it? Did a man ache like she
did when he was aroused? “About your cock. I…” She looked around. The concrete
would be too hard on her knees. But there were cushions that would solve that
problem nicely. “I could give you a blowjob.”

He grinned. “And have you ever done
that
before?”

“Um. Yeah. A few times.” It had never been her favorite
thing to do. But somehow it was what she wanted now. A man had never made sure
she reached her pleasure first before either. She expected a Dom to be more
selfish. She supposed she even thought it was a good quality in a sufficiently
dominant man; she had fantasies of being used for a man’s pleasure and yet when
it actually happened she felt cheap. Used in a not very good sense at all.
Taken advantage of. Sex came with a lot of confusing emotions. Right now
though, it was simple payback. And an act of submission, and that was what she
was here for—other than the orchid, of course. She wanted to explore that part
of her, as long as it didn’t get in the way. Right then, she was willing to
have it get in the way a bit even.

“You may, if you want to.”

“May I get a cushion?”

“Of course.”

She walked over to get one, pulled it over and knelt. She
reached for his shorts. He lifted himself off the chair so she could get them
down and his cock sprang free. He was so long and thick she knew she couldn’t
get the whole thing in her mouth, but she thought she might have fun trying.

She kissed the tip and then licked it, looking up at him.
She thrilled at the sharp intake of breath, the extended blink as she tickled
his nerves. She slid the warm shaft into her mouth, exploring the velvet of his
glans, the rippled skin behind it and the stretched smoothness of his shaft.
She felt his pulse against her tongue and it made her feel powerful.

Suddenly she was impatient. She didn’t want the taste of
him, especially; she’d never been fond of that. And this would be worse. There
was no toothbrush in easy reach for after. But that would be a small price to
pay for knowing she could get this man off as easily as he’d made her climax.
Not
a very submissive thought. Whatever.

She tightened her lips around him and took him in until he
tickled the back of her throat. She pulled back and took him in again, up and
down, bobbing as fast as she could. No man could last long, as hard as he was.
She’d have him in no time. She knew she better make a decision about whether to
swallow, if she could, or to spit it out afterward, because if she didn’t
decide the result was bound to be ungraceful. She wasn’t sure she could manage
the swallowing, although that definitely looked the best, and she wanted to
give as good as she’d gotten.

Her orgasm had felt incredible. His hand came to rest on her
head. The salty taste of his precum excited her tongue. He gripped her hair.
Maybe he wasn’t going to give her a choice. Maybe he’d push her head down. She
wanted it. She felt him throb and pulse and knew that he was close. She
couldn’t help but smile around him.
Now
, she thought, unable to give a
command with her mouth full.

Suddenly, to her shock, he pulled her back. It hurt her
scalp but it wasn’t anything worse than the spanking. Even in that he showed
restraint.

“Want to tell me the truth about why you dove out of your
room?”

She blinked. He had been a second away from coming, she was
sure of it. All the power should have rested with her and yet he’d stopped her.

“I—” She stopped herself. For a moment she indulged the
fantasy that if she told him he’d be on her side and it would all become so
simple. But that was madness. The owners, and he was one, had already rejected
a straightforward request to explore the island’s ecology.

“Decide carefully.” His voice was husky. She could hear his
need in it. Surely he wanted to come badly enough to accept whatever she said.

“I just wanted a swim,” she said.

He shook his head. “I don’t come in the mouth of a liar,
Natalie. Up you go, and back to your room. And I’ll be watching you. Very, very
carefully, until you tell me what you’re really up to. You’re not an
experienced submissive, although you’re enthusiastic, I’ll give you that.”