Show Me The Ropes ~ Lothario Series ~ Book 2 (7 page)

Fallon tossed, trying to find a comfortable position, hoping sleep would find her since she couldn’t find it. The ropes Richard had put on her imprisoned tonight, where this morning they’d freed her. She fingered the key. She could unlock them, return them to Richard with a note explaining she’d changed her mind, or skip the note and let him draw his own conclusions.

Her hand slipped to her stomach and rested there against the web of ropes. There’d been no nightwear awaiting her this evening. Richard had intended her to sleep in only the ropes. She could have raided her own stash of clothes. As a crew member she was allowed to bring her own clothing to wear when they docked, or in the privacy of her own cabin, but she’d opted not to tonight. She rolled to her back and sighed into the darkness. She was lying to herself. She loved the feel of the ropes, had come to associate them with freedom, rather than submission or dominance.

Her mind played the sound track of their conversation over and over. If Richard had told her the truth, what could his motives have been for those first six months? She’d tortured herself with the memory of the one session he’d attended, the one he brought that blonde bimbo to. The one where he’d made her watch while the brainless twit sucked his cock. She couldn’t bear to think about what had happened when he’d put his mouth to the clueless creature he’d brought with him. That was a memory best left for another time, when her pussy wasn’t raw from the rasp of his tongue, the bite of his teeth.

She slipped her hand down to cover her exposed flesh. It was slick with the ointment she’d applied before crawling into bed. Exposed to the air all day, coupled with the vigorous workout he’d given her tissues, she’d needed to take special care of the area. Now her fingers slid easily along the valleys, along the thin ropes spreading her.

After everything she’d been through today, it seemed impossible she could still want more, but she did. Her tissues were swollen, her vagina weeping, her clit pulsing. She wanted him. There wasn’t any use denying it. He as much as said he’d changed, but he wouldn’t elaborate on the particulars. Until he did, her pussy would just have to make do with what was available. Her middle finger slid into the heated depths of her body. She flipped to her stomach, seeking the pressure her body craved. She ground her pelvis against the heel of her hand. She mourned the loss of Richard’s restraints, even the gag, as she buried her face into the mattress and choked back the scream she wrenched from her own body. Tears streamed from her eyes, soaking the sheet.

* * * * *

Sean sat at Ryan’s desk, surveying the various security cameras onboard. Ryan had an impressive array of monitors, enabling one person to maintain surveillance on the ship’s public areas. In addition, every cabin was equipped with a discreet camera that could be turned on remotely by guest services if a passenger wanted to make their own porn flick, a surprisingly popular occurrence. In addition, the cabin cameras could be viewed from Ryan’s office, a security measure, and one they didn’t abuse, much. Ryan had recently used the cameras to keep tabs on the passenger he’d fallen for. They were now somewhere in the Caribbean onboard Ryan’s private yacht,
The Vixen
. Richard expected an invitation to their wedding any day now. Ryan, once he found what he was looking for, had fallen hard and fast. Candace hadn’t stood a chance.

“What’s up, Sean?”

“Nothing. Other than the orgy in the theatre, it’s business as usual. Thanks for the heads up on that situation, by the way.”

“No problem. The music was good, better than average, and the beat was intoxicating. When the bass guitarist spewed to the beat, I knew we were going to have a situation. The audience loved it.”

“He really did? Cum to the beat I mean?”

“Yeah, it was fucking amazing actually. You should see the show tomorrow night.”

“I might do that. I imagine it will be standing room only. Maybe we should add another performance to accommodate everyone.”

“Maybe. I don’t know if the cast is up to it, pardon the pun, more than once a night, but we can ask. It would be worth the extra money to thin out the crowd some.”

“I’ll see about it tomorrow. How’s the vacation coming?”

“Okay. Why don’t you take a break? I’ll watch the monitors for a while.”

Sean rose and stretched. “I won’t argue with you. I’d forgotten how much work this ship really is. I’ll be back in what, an hour?”

He wasn’t fooling Sean. “Yeah, that should be about right.”

“See ya, buddy.”

The codes came back to him easily. He punched in the necessary numbers and watched Sean’s progress down to the lower decks as he passed the security cameras placed along every hallway. Assured he wouldn’t be interrupted, Richard keyed in the code for Fallon’s cabin.

He had to know if she was okay, had to know if she took the ropes off. He watched as she came out of the shower, tossed tonight’s erotic towel sculpture off the bed, and slipped between the sheets wearing nothing but his ropes. A tiny flame of hope began to burn inside him. His cock rose to the occasion. He slipped a hand under his wrap and adjusted it to ease the discomfort. If he kept on at this rate, he’d be ruined for life.

He shouldn’t have worried. Fallon tossed and turned, clearly uncomfortable, and his erection withered. He’d done this to her, but she had the key. She could end it anytime she wanted. His heart stopped, his breath caught in his lungs as her fingers closed over the key, then slipped away. Under the covers, he couldn’t see what she was doing, but from the look on her face, he could guess. His cock surged anew, and he bit back the curse that flew to his lips. She flipped to her stomach. Her hips rose and fell under the sheet. Without sound, he could only guess at what she was doing. Her hips bucked one last time and her whole body shook.

No mistaking her orgasm. He’d seen her body quake like that earlier. His body reacted, and he closed his eyes against the pain. Damn. Why was he doing this to himself? Not to mention, she’d cut his balls off if she knew he was watching her. The knowledge helped, and his erection subsided enough for him to open his eyes again. Her tears soaking the sheet unmanned him.

By the time Sean returned from his break, Richard knew what he had to do. He’d never intended to hurt her, physically or any other way. That he’d brought her to tears wasn’t acceptable. Tomorrow he would tell her the deal was off. There wasn’t anywhere for her to go, at least not until they dropped anchor at the island. From there he’d have his helicopter take her to Miami, and that would be that. He’d played the game, and lost. He wrapped a hand around his aching shaft, the ropes mocked him. “So much for that, old buddy.”

“So much for what?” Sean asked. “For heaven’s sake Richard, if you have to play with yourself, do it somewhere else.”

Richard stood, slipping his cock back inside his sarong. “It’s my cock, and this is my ship. I can play with myself anywhere I want.”

“She’s got you twisting in the wind doesn’t she?”

The two men switched places. Sean pulled a disinfectant wipe out of the desk drawer and swiped down everything Richard could have touched.

“That’s cold, man.”

Sean eyed him up and down. “How about I come to your office, pull out my dick and wave it around all over your desk. I bet you’d have the wipes out too.”

Richard ran a hand through his short-cropped hair. “Yeah, I would. Sorry. You’re right. She’s got me so tied up, I can’t think straight.”

“She put those ropes on you?” Sean tossed the wipe in the wastebasket and pulled out another. Richard’s heart beat against his chest.

“You noticed?”

“What can I say? I’m trained to look for details.”

“It’s none of your business, so I’d appreciate it if you forgot about it, okay?”

“No problem.” He tossed the second wipe and took his seat at the console. “Must be a bitch going through metal detectors.”

“Fuck you, Sean.” He thought he heard Sean’s reply as he stormed out of the room, “Not with that on your dick.”

* * * * *

She had two choices, and he prepared himself for either one, even though he didn’t hold out much hope she’d choose the next piece of the ensemble over ending the game. When she opened her door, Richard forgot to breathe. She was naked except for the ropes he’d placed on her. He stepped inside and closed the door.

“Fallon. We need to talk.”

“Oh? About what?”

“About this,” he gestured to the ropes criss-crossing her body. “I want you to take them off.”

“No.”

“What do you mean no? It’s time to end this. I had no right blackmailing you into submission. Take them off.”

“No. I don’t want to.”

“Fine, then. Keep them on, but this game, this thing we’re doing, has to end.”

“Richard, what are you saying?”

“I’m trying to tell you you’re free to go. I know you can’t go anywhere today, but tomorrow we’ll be at the island and my helicopter can take you to Miami from there.”

“I don’t want to go to Miami.”

“You can get a plane from there to anywhere you want to go. I’ll pay for the flight, you name it, and it’s yours.”

“Did you bring me another piece of the ensemble? I think I earned another piece, don’t you?”

“You can have the whole damned thing, Fallon. It’s yours anyway. I had it made for you.”

“You what?”

“I had it made for you.”

“When?”

“I commissioned it the second week we were at sea. It’s taken that long to complete it. There’s a lot more to it, jewels that were too valuable to display. They’re all yours. You can sell them, or whatever.”

“Did you bring another piece?”

He held out his hand. Gold ropes linked with rubies winked from his fist. “Yes. Here, take it. I’ll have the rest put in the Purser’s safe for you.”

“Put it on me, Richard.” When he made no move to comply, she added, “Please?”

“But yesterday, last night. . . .”

“What about last night?”

“You cried.”

“You saw that?” Anger laced her words with venom.

“I apologize, again. I had to know if you were okay, so I turned on the security camera in your room. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

“Richard.” She turned away from him and his heart stopped. The disappointment in her voice made him weak. He dropped the jeweled ropes onto the nearest table.

“I’m sorry, Fallon. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt, and all I seem to do is hurt you.”

“No, Richard.” She turned to him again. “I know what you saw last night, but it wasn’t what you think it was. I. . . I needed you. I wanted you so bad I couldn’t stand it, but I couldn’t call you and tell you, so I. . . well, you saw. Anyway, I did cry, but it was because you weren’t there, not because of the ropes, or what you did to me, for me, yesterday.” She drew herself up proudly and he dared to hope. “I like the ropes. I. . . . ” Jesus, was she blushing? “I want you to show me more. There is more, isn’t there? More bondage?”

His cock rose to the occasion and he turned from her before she saw the flash of pain cross his face.

“Richard?”

“Just a minute, sweetheart.” He sucked in a ragged breath and let it out, willing his cock to give him a break. He turned back to her, his hands laced behind his neck in an effort to keep them off her. “There’s more. Much more. I’m not really into the dominance thing, but when it comes to you. . . I don’t know. I just need to bind you so you can be free to feel, to experience it all.”

“That’s what I want, Richard. Show me.”

He couldn’t believe his ears, but his eyes confirmed it. She wanted him to bind her. “Okay. I’ll show you more, but you have to promise me you’ll tell me to stop, or use the key. I won’t gag you again. That was wrong. You didn’t have any way to stop me.”

“I didn’t want to stop you.”

“All the same, I shouldn’t have done that. I won’t do it again.”

“What if I scream?”

“We’ll use the soundproof rooms from now on. You can scream all you want.” A smile broke across her face and his heart flipped in his chest and sank to his groin, where it pumped furiously. He had to turn away again, this time reaching for the ropes he’d brought, taking his time untangling them while he mentally wrestled his cock back under control. When he turned back around, the game was back on.

“Come here, Fallon.”

“Yes, Richard.”

He added the breast cages, finely wrought ropes woven together with rubies in a random pattern. “Hold your breast up.” She lifted the firm globe so he could slip the ropes on. Her nipple protruded from an opening in the center. He’d never seen a more priceless ruby in his life. They repeated the process with the other breast, and then he took her to the mirror so she could see for herself. “There’s more.”

She touched her breasts reverently, admiring the craftsmanship of the cages. “These are beautiful. What more could there be?”

His hands came around from behind and she cried out in pain as he snapped the nipple clamps on. Her hands flew to cover her tortured nipples, but he grabbed her elbows and pulled them back, forcing her breasts to thrust forward.

“You can’t wear them all the time, not yet anyway.” Gold butterfly clamps pinched her nipples. Blood red rubies dangled from them on thin gold ropes. Her chest heaved, and her eyes watered, as she adjusted to the pain. Slowly she relaxed, and Richard loosened his grip on her arms.