She stared up into his remote brown ones and wished he did that too. Looking up at him, the way his thick lashes framed his eyes, something stirred in her mind. Something dark and sinister, and she pushed it back where it couldn’t frighten her.
He turned back to the bench. “I’m making this for my brother, for his wedding present. He’d rather have this than a cheese platter. He runs an import/export business, and he already ships most of my stuff between here and the mainland. So there’s no reason I shouldn’t send it.”
He looked at her as if she might object then sighed when she didn’t. “I should be over it by now. Maybe that’s why you ended up here, subby. To teach me about forgiveness, about letting go of all this damned ugly pride. Well, tell me. What’s the secret then?”
Her gaze fell to the floor, demurring.
“No.” He lifted her chin. “There’s been enough looking at the floor. Look at me.”
She tried, but everything was a blur. He wiped a tear from her cheek.
“None of that either. At least, not unless I’m trying to hurt you. Here, give me a few minutes to clean up here and then I want to show you something. You’ve been a good girl. You deserve a reward.”
* * *
She jumped when she saw an iguana, only relaxing when she saw it was as still as the rock it sat on. He shook his head, but she could tell from the curve of his lips that he wasn’t really angry. His whole demeanor had relaxed since she had intruded on his work, and in her relief that she wasn’t in trouble, she relaxed too. The way they walked together was different too. She wasn’t following him, but walked beside. Wasn’t cowed by him, instead adoring. It felt wrong and delicious at the same time. If she suffered later, this would be worth it.
They walked along a well-worn path that eventually turned into rocks. When she winced at a sharp one under her bare foot, he paused. “Damn, I didn’t think of that. Do we need to go back?”
She was out of breath, exhilarated. No. Please.
He grinned, at least that’s what the small curve of his lips seemed like. Even that much seemed blinding. “What are we going to do then?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just pulled off his own boots and socks.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand and they ran across the beach, throwing up white rocks in their wake. She felt herself smiling, and when he looked at her, she could have sworn she saw awe in his eyes.
They entered a cave of some sort, with a pool of water below and rock surrounding them on three sides. Emerald light streamed inside through an opening in the top and, filtered through the thick mist in the air, cast colors all around. She lifted a hand to touch the green-purple and caught only air. Below, the water sparkled, a melting pot of color, all above a deep black void.
It took her breath away.
“Like it?” he asked, sounding just like he had in his workshop.
What do you want, girl?
She kissed him. His lips were unexpectedly soft. They parted—in surprise, she thought—and then she slipped her tongue inside. It had been forever since she’d done this, never had she done this, but it came to her like breathing. She needed it, and if he took it away, if he stopped her…
He did stop her, but only to reverse everything, changing it but leaving it the same, with only the flick of his tongue and the tightening of his hand on her hip. Then it was him kissing her; it was her sighing. Please, oh please. And he answered her with his heat, his taste, with the pleasure he found from showing her this place of beauty and magic.
No, she’d been wrong. Any price would be too high if she were to lose this after all. Even precious courtesy wouldn’t be enough, compared to this. The world upended around her, from pain to pleasure, from survival to passion. The pebbled beach smoothed to velvet under her feet, the moisture in the air slicked their skin.
An ache started in her sex, and her hips rocked against him. She would have restrained herself once she noticed, but he moaned, and she knew without words that it was good. She was good, and he wanted her to keep doing it. So she let her body lead—strange though it felt, foreign and uncertain. She rolled her body along his, she ran her hands over his skin.
It wasn’t her anyway. This was too much, too fast. It had to be some other woman playing the sensual lover, because she would never dare. And when he said, “God, yes, so long,” it was only a dream.
He broke the kiss, and she sighed with regret. But then he pulled her to the water, where eddies of warm and cool tickled her feet. She gasped in delight, and it sounded sharply even over the rush inside the cave. It had a strange amplifying effect—even the silence was loud, but each small splash or sigh was a roar in her ears.
She looked up to find him watching her with an enigmatic expression. In the shadows, the darkness of his eyes loomed large. She imagined she could see his thoughts, that they swirled like so much smoke: thick bands of lust, wisps of amusement.
Her training wasn’t about how to stand or to suck, not really. She had become an expert at reading expressions, at decoding body language. He was a formidable cipher, but she only needed time.
Meanwhile, she knew well enough what those heavy lids and flattened lips meant. She saw the tinge of red on his cheeks. All of that would have told her, even if she hadn’t seen the bulge in his wet jeans. He wanted to take her and this time, it wasn’t in his sleep. It wasn’t in some awkward moment, born
of pity—no. He had initiated this. He had brought her to this magical place. No dream.
He seemed to like her forwardness, like a release valve to the curious guilt he had about her status, so she tentatively reached up to sweep a wet lock of hair from his forehead. He remained still for her touch, his expression one of approving forbearance. But when she went to stroke down his neck, he caught her wrist.
“I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to say no if you don’t want it too. I’m afraid you can’t. If I were better—stronger—I wouldn’t even make you choose, but I…” He sighed. The moisture in the air beaded on his eyelashes. “It’s been so long. I’ve waited so long.”
He pulled her in deeper, until the water climbed her thighs and lapped at her cunt. They followed the wall of the cave until it opened up onto a small beach that was completely enclosed by cool stone and reflective water. Barely enough place for both of them, but she knew that was the point. Here even the white noise of the water was reduced, and all she could hear was her breath and his.