Michele Zurlo (19 page)

Sabrina lifted her head from Jonas’s leg, the languor from her sated hunger fading fast at the mention of Jonas’s ex-wife. She did note that he seemed more upset that Heather had no plan for being truthful than anything relating to Helene. In an abstract way, Sabrina felt sorry for Mistress Hera. It was never fun to deliver bad news, especially if denial is the first instinct.

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything about what I knew.”

Mistress Hera might have said more, but Jonas cut her off. “This isn’t about that. It’s been eight years. I would have thought you’d grown as a person since then. You’re in charge of Elysium, a utopia for kinksters, people who hold honesty as a cornerstone for all encounters, and you’re being dishonest.”

While Sabrina couldn’t see above the tabletop, she could see the way Mistress Hera worried the soft fabric of her skirt into a patch of wrinkles. The woman was under a tremendous amount of stress, yet Jonas cut her no slack. He wasn’t actually being helpful. Sabrina’s heart went out to the woman.

With no other recourse, she stroked what she hoped was a soothing caress over Jonas’s knee, down his calf, and across the top of his foot. He did nothing to stop her, and she wondered whether he was in a holding pattern or if his attitude was softening.

“You’re right, of course.” Mistress Hera’s tiny laugh was sad and self-deprecating. “I think that’s why I chose to talk to you. I knew you would force me to do what’s right. I’ll call a staff meeting for tonight after the dinner shift ends. And I’ll start making the guest notifications tonight.”

Jonas settled back in his chair, and the tension eased from his muscles. “And call for a guest meeting tomorrow morning. You’ll need to inform your guests as to which services will no longer be offered and what parts of the resort you’ll be closing.”

Sabrina realized that Mistress Hera hadn’t been looking for a solution from Jonas. She’d known all along what needed to be done. She just wanted moral support, somebody to agree that the course of action was necessary. Last night Sabrina had only put off the inevitable with her offer of help. No wonder Jonas had forbidden her from talking this time.

As he and Mistress Hera continued to hash out the details, Sabrina tuned them out. It didn’t concern her. She was here for Jonas. He required only the comfort of her presence and her obedience, which she was happy to give. Relieved, actually. If she had been a participant, she would have put pressure on herself to find a different solution, and she would be miserable because she would have felt so badly for Mistress Hera.

All that stress washed away, unnecessary and unused. Sabrina snuggled against Jonas’s leg and let her mind drift. She missed her children. It would be time for their twice-daily video chat when they got back to the hotel room. Jonas’s mother rolled her eyes whenever they called and told them to relax and enjoy themselves. She was under the impression that Sabrina was the only reason they were calling. Apparently she missed the eagerness in her own son’s voice when he spoke to his children. Sabrina could only devote her time and attention to having fun if she knew her babies were safe and happy.

At least her mother, who had the kids for this second half of the week, understood. Her stepfather would smile with paternal pride and brag about all the things Rose and Ethan had accomplished since their last chat. Both her mother and Dmitri had been stern parents, but they’d turned into indulgent grandparents. Rose had an entirely new wardrobe by now, and Ethan was clutching a new toy every time she saw him.

When Jonas rose and held his hand down to help her rise, she hopped up, a happy smile on her face. She felt refreshed and carefree. Though she wished Mistress Hera the best, she didn’t feel that she had failed the woman or that she needed to spend more time on the problem. And the plug in her ass shifted enough to make its presence known. It hadn’t grown comfortable, and she no longer waited for her body to acclimate. She could accept the size, which had been the goal.

Mistress Hera walked them to the elevator. “Thank you for coming. I don’t know what I would have done without that special kind of kick you’re so good at giving.”

Jonas smiled, and this time it was the genuine article. Sabrina reassessed her assumptions regarding why he’d been alternately grim and annoyed until after Mistress Hera had admitted what needed to be done. Had he been upset that his vacation had been interrupted with this unexpected wrinkle, or had he been dreading a conversation with his ex-wife’s friend?

“You’re welcome. I hope everything goes smoothly. There are no problems that won’t eventually end. You’ll move on to a new job. In a month, this will all be an unpleasant memory, and the Mehlbergs will have to deal with the fallout.”

This time when she kissed his cheek as a farewell gesture, he softened a little. He didn’t want the kiss, but he didn’t openly reject it either.

Then she turned to Sabrina and took both of her hands. “You are one of the loveliest subs I’ve seen in a long time. Take care of this one. He’s a good man.”

A couple of snarky comments came to mind. She knew Mistress Hera saw her resemblance to Jonas’s ex-wife. Like some of his other acquaintances over the years, she must also attribute the same personality characteristics to Sabrina. Helene had been a cold woman who had no problem giving her body to anybody willing to flog it first. Sabrina felt she had nothing in common with that whore.

Though her face was tight, she managed a smile she knew walked the edge of haughty. Jonas usually didn’t have an issue with her giving attitude to other people, but so many of his expectations had changed that she didn’t know if he’d take exception to a bit of rudeness she couldn’t help.

“Thank Mistress Hera for the meal, Sabrina.”

He didn’t sound upset. She took that as a good sign. “Thank you for lunch, Mistress Hera. It was delicious.”

As soon as the elevator doors closed he dropped her hand and pushed her against the stainless steel panel that made up the back wall. The handrail dug into her ass and gave the plug a push that jolted her insides. She took a moment to catch her breath.

He propped a hand on each side of her head. “That was one of the most condescending smiles I’ve ever seen you give, and I’ve seen you flash quite a few of those beauties.”

Caging her like that produced one reaction no matter the circumstances. Heated cream rushed between her legs, and the scent of her arousal filled the small space. The breath she’d caught escaped again. She offered no explanation.

“Sabrina.” A single-word warning.

Her breasts heaved, trying unsuccessfully to close the scant distance between their chests. “She implied that I don’t appreciate you.”

“No, she didn’t. That was her way of apologizing to me. You see, she knew Helene was cheating on me regularly, and she never said a word. Doms are supposed to look out for one another, especially those they consider to be friends. When she first decided she wanted to become a Domme, I mentored her. I let her practice her flogging technique on Helene. She owed it to me to tell me what Helene was doing.”

When they had been estranged, Sabrina had visited their friend Sophia in order to be flogged. She had come to need regular impact play in order to deal with the enormous amounts of stress in her daily life. Jonas hadn’t been jealous, though he did take over that job once they got back together. Once in a while, he arranged for her to have a session with Sophia. No sex was involved. It satisfied her needs and it also let Sophia blow off some steam. She was married to a man who was neither a Dom nor a sub, so she did require another outlet to keep her happy.

Jonas was angry with her, not with Mistress Hera. That betrayal was in the past, a part of his life that no longer held him prisoner. Sabrina’s behavior was in the present. She lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry. Would you like me to apologize to Mistress Hera?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think she caught it. She doesn’t know you well enough to read when you’re being genuine and when you’re being an ice princess. I’ll punish you accordingly when we get back to the suite.”

She knew he planned to cook for them tonight. As wonderful as the amenities on the island were, she was looking forward to a night alone. She nodded her acceptance. When the doors slid open, he grabbed the lead to the leash and motioned for her to exit the elevator. He was still a gentleman even when he was treating her like a pet.

The leash wasn’t her favorite accessory. When he’d clipped it to her collar, she hadn’t been too crazy about wearing it, but he’d draped it over her shoulders and left it alone. She could handle it if he just meant it to be for show.

Walking back to the suite was much worse than the trip there. This time, people’s gazes not only lingered, but they smirked and smiled. Some called greetings, always to Jonas, but their eyes remained on Sabrina. She felt the heat of their judgment as it penetrated her shirt. In a betrayal, her breasts swelled and her nipples pebbled. The towel between her legs surrounding the ice pack was now soaked with her juices, and the liquid inside had long acclimated to her body temperature.

Had those people been present at the bonfire? Were they picturing what she looked like with her pussy spread wide as her Master whipped an orgasm right out of her? Could they still hear her cries of pleasure as he fucked her in front of them all?

Things that had bothered her a little now mutated into larger issues. She had made it clear to Jonas before they got on the plane that she hadn’t wanted to be naked in public. Like a true Lord of the Underworld, he had charmed her, lulled her into a false sense of security so he could circumvent her hard limits and have his way.

Stepping into the coolness of their building’s lobby had the same effect on her rising panic as a bucket of ice water. She was blowing things out of proportion. Jonas would have respected her safe word. He was the one who insisted on having it in the first place. He was the one who stopped their play every once in a while to remind her that it was there.

She breathed. In the elevator, she found the calm place inside and grabbed it with both hands. By the time they made it to the room, she had come back from the brink all by herself.

Jonas unclipped the leash after he’d closed and locked the suite door. “Strip.”

With trembling hands, she lifted her shirt over her head and shimmied out of her skirt. Jonas unhooked the chastity belt and removed the ice pack. The belt dangled from the attachment in the back. He took a step backward and studied her.

She didn’t know what he saw, but she knew what she felt like. Her insides were a raw mess and she was barely holding on to her sanity. Her exterior showed all the classic signs of arousal—hard nipples, wet pussy, heaving bosom.

“Remove the plug from your ass.”

Sabrina stared at Jonas, waiting for him to laugh, for that stoic expression to slip, anything to show that he was joking. But nothing like that happened. He lifted one eyebrow, and she knew that if she didn’t follow orders, she would be in line for another punishment spanking. That was not the fun kind.

Reaching back gingerly, she found the flat silicone base. It spread outward in a disc, which she supposed was so it wouldn’t slip inside completely and get lost. That would kill the passion pretty quickly.

The first tug produced no result. She felt it sucking at her rectum, striving to remain in place. The awkward position caused one nipple clamp to slip off. The heat of embarrassment washed through her body, and her chest bloomed with color. Jonas smiled like a pleased stallion and removed the other clamp.

She tried again, yanking harder. It slipped a bit. She worked it out slowly, wiggling it back and forth to keep up the momentum. Shards of pleasure sparked through her body, traveling up her spine to tingle in her scalp. Her knees grew weak. She wished he’d positioned her so that something else was holding her up.

When it was completely out, she held it out to him.

He shook his head. “Go into the bathroom and wash it off with soap. Then clean yourself up. I’ll check on you in five minutes.”

Sabrina rushed to the bathroom. She needed some time alone. She needed to process the reasons she’d panicked just because he’d put her on a leash. It was demeaning. Humiliating. This from a man who had always treated her like a treasure. She didn’t understand why he suddenly wanted things between them to change so drastically. Then she took a deep breath. Five days. Two nights and one day left. She could do this. It meant a lot to him.

Jonas knocked on the door, a fact she found surprising. He rarely observed the door as a barrier. At most it was a temporary inconvenience.

She’d finished washing, and she’d even managed to freshen her outlook. “Come in.”

He looked her up and down, and then he took a clean cloth and wiped down the chastity belt that still dangled down her backside. “Your punishment will be twofold.”

Though she could have used the mirror, Sabrina looked over her shoulder at him. “Wasn’t the leash punishment?”

Throwing the cloth into the wicker laundry receptacle, he shook his head. “That was because I wanted to.” He planted both hands on her shoulders and whirled her to face him. His eyes had taken on an olive-green cast that made them nearly impenetrable. “As your Master, it is my right to bind you however and whenever I want. Your job is to accept my will. You may enjoy it. You may revel in it. You may hate it, but you must accept it.”

Part of her did enjoy it, probably the part that enjoyed bondage. Another part of her hated the public display that might have set the women’s rights movement back half a century. It also regarded the part of her that enjoyed it with hostility. She sighed. “All right, Jonas. I accept it.”