Constant Craving [Rapture Island 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) (22 page)

“You want a series of scenes. No, thank you.” Gabriel got to his feet. “Come on. It’s time for bed.”

Kelsey stared at him in disbelief. “You’re going to leave me like this?”

Gabriel’s eyes hardened. “It’s no easier for me, and my temper’s short. Get your ass in the bedroom and into bed. Now.”

He clenched his jaw when she hesitated. “One of the things I admire most about you is your courage. I won’t be goaded into overpowering you. You’re going to have to take the next step, Kelsey. Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve had the guts to do what you want. If you want to go any further, you’re going to have to admit it.”

Picking at the remnants of her salad, Kelsey continued to stare at the door to the playroom as she had for the last twenty-seven minutes, wondering what Gabriel was doing.

She jolted when the door finally opened.

Dressed in black trousers and a black cotton shirt, Gabriel reappeared, looking elegant and gorgeous as always and far too dangerous for her peace of mind.

His eyes, dark and mysterious, went immediately to hers. “Have you finished your lunch?”

Looking down at her plate, she was surprised to find that she’d finished her chef salad without realizing it. “Yes. Did you finish whatever you were doing in there?” Her imagination had been running wild while she waited. She couldn’t wait to see what erotic surprise he had in store for her next.

Closing the door behind him, Gabriel smiled faintly. “Yes. What would you like to do this afternoon?”

Kelsey shrugged to hide her surprise that he’d asked. “How about a walk on the beach? I’m getting a little restless.”

“I’m sure you are. Are you ready to go?”

Walking beside him to the elevator, she bit back a moan at the slide of the silky green material against her skin, like a caress she couldn’t escape. It brushed over her nipples, bottom, and bare mound with every step, the sarong fluttering and causing a rush of air over her skin as they made their way down the hall.

Uncomfortably aware that only two thin pieces of material covered her, Kelsey glanced at Gabriel as they waited for the elevator to arrive, unsurprised to find him watching her.

She
felt
his eyes on her, and knew that he was waiting for her to take the next step.

She didn’t know how to do such a thing without looking silly.

Swallowing heavily, she looked away, struggling to understand how he’d become so important to her so quickly. She stared up at the numbers before glancing at him again, inwardly wincing that she couldn’t tear her gaze away for long. “Did you get all of your work done this morning?”

Gabriel’s lips twitched. “I dabbled a little. The others left this morning. Julianna said to tell you she’ll call you next week.”

Shaken, but inordinately pleased that, except for the hotel employees, she and Gabriel were alone on the island, Kelsey nodded. “They said they’d probably have to leave early. They promised to come back as soon as they could.”

When the elevator opened and they stepped inside, she met his gaze again, her mind spinning, and her body on fire for his possession.

She wanted to excite Gabriel, and to challenge him to new heights.

She wanted him to want her as much as she wanted him.

When the elevator stopped, he led her out and across the lobby to the large balcony leading outside. “You’re awfully quiet.”

The man standing at the desk nodded respectfully at Gabriel, but didn’t even glance at her.

Amused, Kelsey smiled at Gabriel. “Have you noticed that the people who work here never look at me? It’s like being invisible.”

Chuckling, he led her outside. “Nick trained them well. It’s considered extremely rude for another man to stare at a submissive without her Master’s permission. Julianna came close to smacking one of them because she thought he was ignoring her, much to the amusement of Steve’s men. They’ll help you in a heartbeat, but when your Master’s present, they’ll defer to him—unless you’re in danger or being mistreated.”

Confused, Kelsey mentally dismissed the man at the desk and stared up at Gabriel. “You said that at the club, the other men would all be looking at me. Here, they can’t. I don’t understand.”

Gabriel smiled and tugged her to a stop, turning her to face him. “In the club, there are certain areas for just that sort of behavior. The men here are not Doms, and we’re not in the club. This is a resort for Dominants to bring their submissives. The people who work here have been trained to respect another man’s property.”

Kelsey blew out a breath. “This is so confusing. Okay, so what if there are other Doms here. Would they be allowed to touch me?”

Gabriel’s cold smile sent a chill through her. “Not if they value their lives.”

Warmed at his threat, and intrigued by a set of rules she eagerly wanted to understand. “Would they look at me?”

“No more than any two people passing in a hotel. If they stared, I would handle it. It wouldn’t be anything for you to worry about.”

When they reached the stairs, Gabriel shook his head when she started to remove her shoes. “Leave them on. The sand’s hot. While you’re here, you’re considered my property. It’s up to me to make sure you’re well taken care of and that you have whatever you need. Something else is bothering you, though. What is it?”

Shrugging, she walked beside him. “Just thinking.” Shading her eyes, she studied his features. “We could have left the island with the others. Why didn’t we? The only reason we were coming here for the week was because we were going to take the plane home with them. Didn’t you want to leave?”

Gabriel’s smile sent a surge of heat through her. “Not a chance. We haven’t done what we came here to do. I think both of us know there’s more we need to explore and settle before we leave here. You’re a very sexual woman, and you know damned well I can fulfill those needs that no man has ever been able to satisfy. I slipped past some of those defenses, but I’m not through. You know there’s more, and your adventurous nature won’t leave it unexplored. Until we get things settled between us, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

Grinning, she lifted her face to the sun. “You sound like you have me all figured out.” The fact that he did warmed her. She looked back toward the hotel, and seeing only one man standing on the balcony, turned back. “So we really are basically alone here?”

“Except for a skeleton crew and security. No one will bother us.” He slid a hand under her sarong and caressed her ass, the possessiveness in his touch unmistakable. “We’re far enough away that no one at the hotel can see us. Would you like to tell me what’s bothering you now?”

Kelsey turned toward him, not even bothering to close her sarong when the wind blew it. “I want to ask you something.”

His gaze lowered, narrowing on her bare mound before lifting again. “What is it, Kelsey?”

She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that she missed the wicked possessiveness, and silky dominance in the way he called her
my pet
. Frowning, she put her hands on her hips and looked up at him.

“I don’t understand a lot about this dominance and submission thing. It sounds like each Dominant has their own demands, and apparently different demands for different women. From what you say, there are things that you’ve done before that you don’t want to do with me. I want to spend the rest of the week with you trying to experience as much as I can, but I don’t want to disappoint you, especially since I don’t know what kinds of things you would expect from me.” Surprised that her face burned, she looked away. “I can’t deny that I’m very intrigued.”

Gripping her chin, he turned her to face him, his dark eyes glittering with warmth. “I understand that. That’s why I wanted to spend this week with you living the way we would live if you were mine. Every Dom is different, but until I met you, I didn’t think much about having a woman of my own on a permanent basis. It’s an entirely different level for me. There are certain things that I don’t want from you, such as letting another man see you. I want to dress you. I want to care for you in ways I’ve never wanted to care for another woman.”

Releasing her, he folded his arms across his chest. “If you’re going to belong only to me, it’s even more important for me to train you to my specifications.”

Kelsey couldn’t hold back a laugh. “Saying something like that would have pissed me off a couple of days ago, but now I know that you say things like that just to rattle me.” Cocking her hip, she grinned. “So, you gonna teach me what to do, and what not to do?”

“It’s my job to teach you.” With an intimate smile, he bent to touch his forehead to hers. “I’m very much looking forward to exploring this together. I think it could be something even more special than either one of us expects.”

Moving closer, she looked up at him through her lashes, her heart racing at the closeness they shared. “Do you?”

A dark brow went up. “I do. While I teach you, you’re teaching me things about myself that are a little shocking. I’m better with you, Kelsey.” His expression changed, a subtle change that made her nipples bead and sent a rush of sensation to her slit. “But, the only way to train you is to punish you for bad behavior and reward you for good. I told you that since you don’t want a relationship, you’re not to use my name. You’ve used it. Repeatedly. You want the familiarity without the intimacy. You have to pay for that.”

Kelsey sucked in a breath when he turned and continued down the beach, once again struck by the ease in which he cornered her with her own words. Contrarily, her pulsed leapt, anticipation rushing through her veins and leaving her a little dazed. “So what do I have to do?”

Gabriel turned, gesturing for her to walk with him. “You know what I expect from you.”

To tease him, and herself, she looked up at him through her lashes and stuck her bottom lip out. “I’m sorry.” Filled with excitement, Kelsey attempted to look repentant, but she couldn’t hold back a smile. “Am I forgiven?” She’d expected a smile from him, but other than a slight twinkling in his eyes, his expression remained cold.

“A simple apology for all the times you adopt a familiarity that you refuse to live by, and cursed at me? No, it’s going to take more than that.” Gripping her arm, he pulled her to a stop. Slipping his fingers into the material covering her breasts, he unclasped it. Gathering the fabric as it fell away, he rolled it around the clasp and stuck it into his pocket. “Keep your arms at your sides.”

With another quick move, he rid her of the sarong. Tucking the ends of it into his other pocket, he began walking again. “The clothes you wear belong to me. You’ll have to earn the right to wear them. Take off the shoes. The sand’s much cooler here.”

Naked and aroused by his commanding tone, Kelsey kicked her sandals aside and moved closer to him. “You know, I can’t just follow meekly along like the other women you’ve dominated.”

“I know.”

“I’m going to be just as demanding as you are, and probably rebel at your arrogance every chance I get.”

Gabriel’s lips twitched at that. “I know.”

Loving the freedom of being outside naked, and the sexual awareness, she found herself moving with a fluidness that felt unfamiliar, filling her with feminine delight. The knowledge that she could call a halt to this gave her the confidence to continue, and the daring to challenge him.

Wiggling her ass, she couldn’t hold back a grin. “So, you gonna spank me now?”

A dark brow went up, his icy tone sending a thrill through her. “I am.”

They came to an outcropping of smooth rocks that appeared to have been placed in position with careful deliberation. All had rounded edges, each at least five feet in diameter, none more than six or eight inches thick. They’d been stacked securely in a random pattern, overlapping each other in places, leaving high and low areas that she would bet would be put to good use for the visitors of the island.

Gabriel paused, propping a hip against one of the higher rocks, and pulled her sarong from his pocket. With a snap of his wrists, he covered the half of the rock closest to her. “Drape yourself over that.”

Smooth and flat, the large gray rock came up to Kelsey’s chest, but one of the rocks below it had been positioned in a way that provided a small ledge for her to step up on.

Taking his outstretched hand, Kelsey stepped onto the small ledge, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a big girl. You can take your punishment. I have a feeling it’s something you’re going to be doing quite often.” With a hand at her back, he urged her forward. “Of course there are limitless ways of curbing your defiance.”

Finding the rock surprisingly smooth and warm, Kelsey reached up to grip the edge, lying flat on the rock with her ass over the edge. “Good luck with that.”

Bracing a hand beside her hip, he slid the other over her bottom, igniting an awareness through her bottom and slit that had her repositioning her feet to spread her thighs slightly apart. “Luck has nothing to do with it. It’s a skill that takes years to perfect.”

Bending low, he nipped her shoulder. “I’ve perfected it.”

Unable to keep from clenching her bottom, she found herself lifting on to her toes and into his caress. Biting her lip, she waited for the first slap, but Gabriel seemed content just to caress her. Shifting as he ran his hand over one cheek and then the other, she started to relax the cheeks of her bottom, dropping her head on her arm to watch his face.