Trust Me (20 page)

“I am actually quite good at it. My grandfather plays poker once a week and I’ve watched him for years.”

“But have you ever played?”

“Yes, often.”

“For stakes?” he asked as they entered the room. Sandra frowned watching the man walk to the dresser and opened the drawer pulling two shirts out and handing her one.

“Yes.”

“Good,” he told her, tossing the towel aside to a nearby chair and slipped the shirt over his head before he reached down to his discarded pants.

“Why? What did you have in mind?” She slipped on his shirt and looking around the floor for her panties. Creighton held up the very thin black material for her and smiled.

“You’ll have to make do with these, since you so graciously discarded your other ones and I’m running low on shirts, so don’t throw that one away or I’ll spank you.” She took the panties and slowly stepped into each leg, smiling as she slid them up across her hips, slowly running her hand over her buttocks as she did, knowing he was watching her.

“You wouldn’t spank me,” she snickered and he narrowed his eyes seductively.

“Is that a challenge Miss Dennis?” he asked closing the space between them in a single step. She looked at him innocently, batting her eyelashes. It was back, the sensual teasing that overtook her earlier that morning, making her feel like she was playing with fire.

“Depends on what I get out of it,” she said boldly and smiled even brighter at his hearty laugh, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her tight against him.

“Pure, unadulterated pleasure, my darling,” he assured her. “There is nothing I wouldn’t give for a few moments of having you across my knee.”

“Then why don’t we play for it, poker I mean?” she asked him smugly. “I’ll let you spank me if you can beat me at cards.”

“It’s a deal,” he agreed, kissing her lips hard and passionately. “But I’m warning you, I am very good.” She watched the arrogant expression cross his face. She matched his smile with her own, pushing out of his embrace and stepping to the door, turning to look at him over her shoulder.

“Bring it on Ashford,” she told him.

Sandra leaned back in her chair sipping on a glass of red wine, watching the man who had been staring at her silently throughout their lunch. The remains of lasagna sat on the table, along with the empty bowl of salad and two remaining slices of garlic bread. She hadn’t realized she was so hungry until they began eating. After nearly forty minutes of food, wine and now cream cheese croissants, she was beginning to feel quite comfortable and quite full.

Creighton smiled wickedly at her, tipping his chair back on two legs. She could tell by the look on his face, he was thinking about something indecent and intriguing and she couldn’t help but smile back. He sipped on the wine for a few silent minutes before setting his glass on the table, leaning forward and staring her in the eye.

“What do you say we make the stakes a little interesting?” he asked, leaning his elbows on the table.

“What did you have in mind?” She felt suddenly brave, eager to challenge his skills at cards and just as eager to loose.

“Besides the spanking, which I am very eager to take advantage of; for every hand I win, you surrender one day of your vacation to me. I want every minute you have left in Europe.”

“And what if I win? What do I get?”

“What would you like?” Sandra frowned as she looked into the sapphire eyes that watched her.

“I’m not sure,” she said honestly. “I’ve never played against such a skillful opponent before.”

“I thought you said you played for stakes with your grandfather?”

“I have; things like pennies, tooth picks, gumballs, even chores, but he never offered to spank me if I lost.” Creighton laughed, his eyes alight with pleasure and good humor as he leaned back in his chair.

“I should hope not; that would be a little creepy. How about if you win, I’ll show you how to use the kinky kit yourself?” Sandra blushed deeply.

“I couldn’t do anything like that,” she said shyly.

“Not even for me? You danced for me, it’s not much different.”

“It’s very different, besides I liked dancing for you. It was…exciting.” Creighton laughed and stood from the table, walking around to kneel in front of her.

“Then dance for me again,” he told her. “I have a few items that will stimulate the moves, for both of us.”

“Like what?” Sandra’s curiosity was growing, though she couldn’t remember ever feeling so wicked or wanton before.
It was this man
, she assured herself, he had a way of making her feel things she never had before, a way of making her want things she never knew existed. She felt the sting of sexual erotica and found herself enjoying the fact that she could tease him so easily. Creighton laughed, running his hands up her calves to her knees and to her inner thighs.

“Why don’t we play a couple of hands and see what happens?” he suggested. “If you’re as good as you say, you can tell me what you want and I’ll obey.” Sandra nodded softly, trying to control her breathing so he wouldn’t know how much he was affecting her.

“Do you even have any cards?” she asked as he reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet.

“Of course.” He walked to the cabinet on the opposite end of the entertainment room and opened a drawer, pulling out a new deck of cards. “Do you want to play in here or on deck?” Sandra blushed.

“We can’t go on deck,” she said in a shocked tone. “What if someone saw us? I don’t want people to see me get spanked for your pleasure.”

“Who’s to care if they see us playing cards? After your little strip tease this morning, I doubt poker is anything that would strike a fancy. Besides, the spanking is for both our pleasures. I would think you’d be more worried about people seeing us shag afterwards.” Sandra laughed, blushing profusely. She remembered how easy it was for her to strip earlier that morning and loved the look on his face when she did; but to get spanked and shagged afterwards seemed…. intriguing.

“Let’s just stay in here,” she answered, watching as he shrugged his shoulders and walked to the game table in the corner. Sandra followed suit and sat on a chair opposite him as he opened the seal on the cards and began shuffling the deck.

“Choose your poison,” he said, glancing up at her.

“Five card draw, deuces wild and to make it interesting, one call each.” The look on the man’s face was priceless and she smiled innocently, watching him stumble in his shuffling, sending cards sailing across the table. He narrowed his eyes at her, gathered the cards and began shuffling them again.

“So I know what you want if you win, but if I win…I think I want you to sing for me.” She watched as he fumbled his shuffling again, this time he managed to hold all the cards together.

“I don’t sing,” he told her with a frown.

“I don’t care how you sound,” she insisted. “If I win, you sing ‘I am woman’ by Helen Reddy, oh yeah, on the deck and in the buff.”

“You want me to sing to you, completely starkers on deck? You were worried about people seeing you get spanked, but it’s alright if people see me naked and singing?”

“Yep.”

“You are going to get a very serious spanking, Miss Dennis.” Sandra laughed as he began to deal the cards. She picked them up and smiled; ten, jack and ace of spades.
A perfect start to a royal flush
, she thought as she laid a three of hearts and a four of clubs down as he adjusted his hand and glanced up.

“Two please,” she said and waited as he dealt two more cards, removing the ones in front of her. She picked them up, her heart pounding in her ears as she looked at them. She fought to keep the grin from her face, slipping the cards into the mix and looking up at the eyes that sparkled like rare sapphires.

“Dealer takes one,” he said, placing the card in his hand. “I’ll call,” he told her with a twinkle in his dark eyes. She smiled, laying the cards on the table, watching the expression of horror and utter shock cross his handsome face. Besides the ten, jack and ace, Sandra secured the queen and king of spades. Creighton narrowed his eyes, lying down a full house; two tens and three fours, good but not as good as her royal flush. Sandra’s smile widened, leaning back in her chair, a wicked gleam in her eyes as she raised a single brow. Creighton drew a deep breath as he pulled his tee-shirt off.

“I don’t know this song of yours, I’m afraid.” Sandra stood and hurried down the hall to the bedroom, ignoring the display of wrinkled bedding, kinky toys and handcuffs spread across the very used bed. She pulled her iPod from her purse and shuffled through the many songs as she walked back into the room, just in time to see Creighton remove his jeans. She blushed at the revelation that he had not bothered to put on underwear and quickly found the song she was looking for. She turned it on allowing the song to filter through the small speaker. Creighton listed for a few minutes, his eyes narrowing at her.

“You serious expect me to sing that?” he asked and she smiled, fighting back the laughter as she nodded her head. He growled verbally at her, took the iPod in one hand and her hand in the other, pulling her up the steps to the top deck. She walked beside him looking around to make certain nobody was watching, very much aware that he had not bothered to check for himself. He stepped to the middle of the deck where they had eaten breakfast, briefly registering that their meal had been cleaned up and removed, leaving only a wrinkled tablecloth across the small table. Creighton pushed the button on the iPod and turned to face her as she sat in a lounge chair to watch.

“I am woman, hear me roar,” he began and Sandra’s laughter exploded as she watched him, his arms spread out at his sides while he struggled to sing with the woman’s voice coming from the small device. He was about two beats behind her, but managed to keep up for two full verses. When he reached the chorus he began to move his hips, dancing a ridiculous imitation of a
singing diva, causing Sandra to laugh so hard she started crying, her arms wrapping around her aching sides.

“I am woman, watch me grow,” he shouted, raising his voice slightly in imitation of a female voice, his hips gyrating, his muscular chest poked out and his back arched. “I am woman. I am invincible. I am strong. I am woman.” He finished with his hands on his hips and smirked back at her while she wiped the tears from her eyes. Sandra began to applaud him as he bowed to her, tossing her the iPod and reaching out to take her hand. He pulled her from her seat and kissed her lips hard in punishment.

“That was very good,” she teased him, still smiling.

“Just wait,” he warned her. “Now that I know how vicious of a winner you can be, I’ll make sure you don’t do it again.”

“I don’t see how you can change it. I told you, I’m very good.”

“So I’ve learned,” he told her with a wicked grin. “But as far as cards go, you’re not going to win another hand.”

“We’ll see,” she said and they walked back down the stairs and into the entertainment room, taking their seats around the game table. He sat naked on the chair across from her, handing her the cards and watching as she shuffled them very effectively as though trained in a Monte Carlo casino. His smile turned genuine, admiring her beyond words.

“You never cease to amaze me, do you know that?” he asked her, watching her deal the cards.

“Why do you say that?”

“You are such a unique woman; brave, kind, talented and very intriguing, not to mention absolutely gorgeous. I think I could spend a lifetime getting to know you and never learn everything.”

“You’re quite the romantic, Mr. Ashford,” she said as she finished the deal and lifted her cards.

“It’s not difficult when you’re with someone you want to show the world to.” He picked up the cards in front of him and began to place them in order. Sandra felt the intensity radiating from him and found her heart pounding wildly. She wanted him to show her the world and all the secret, perverted little tricks he had learned along the way. She glanced down at her cards, actually wanted him to win this hand; hoping he would continue his private lessons.

She placed her cards in order and frowned. She had a good hand, even without exchanging cards and she had to struggle to determine if she wanted to play the straight she was dealt or allow him to beat her…. literally.

“Why so solemn?” he asked and she looked up to see him watching her closely. She blushed and chose to let fate take its turn.

“Just wondering what I should make you do this time when you lose,” she lied.

“Think you have that good of a hand, do you? Then let’s play what we were dealt. I call.” She gasped as he laid down four queens and a duce. He was dealt these just as she was dealt the straight.

“What do you have?” he asked her boldly, a challenging smile on his lips. She laid down the straight and frowned. She knew what he had planned and as much as he had made her punishment sound seductive, she was suddenly frightened.

“Looks like you lose, my love,” he told her gently and rose to his feet.
  He walked to her, taking her hand and lifting her from her chair, tipping her chin to look into her bright green eyes. “Don’t be afraid,” he told her, reading her expression. “It will be far more pleasurable than painful.” He leaned into her and kissed her lips until she was breathless, panting and clinging to his neck.