Three Strikes (Desire Island 3)

“I’m so happy for you, cousin,” Kendra said. “I hope this is everything you want it to be.”

Abbie laughed, still a little in shock. “I just hope that old adage about being careful what you wish for doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass.”

The next morning right after exercise and positions training, Abbie was able to pull Skylar and Maya aside. Maya had been in a long-term M/s relationship with Mistress Ella well before they bought Desire Island. They favored an intensive, 24/7 arrangement, and Maya never scened with others on the island without the express permission and direct involvement of her Mistress. She was collared, pierced and even branded with Mistress Ella’s marks of ownership.

Skylar and Master Caelan hadn’t been together nearly as long. Their Master/slave dynamic seemed looser and less ritualistic, though they were clearly madly in love. Both women glowed with an inner submissive serenity that Abbie longed for.

Now the three of them sat at a high counter in the corner of the main kitchen, sipping sparkling water as kitchen staff bustled around them. After Abbie brought them both up to speed and they offered their excited congratulations, she said, “Master Ryan wanted me to talk to both of you. To get your take on what it’s really like to serve a Master or Mistress 24/7—not just the sexy stuff, but the nitty gritty.”

“Master Ryan’s right,” Maya counseled. “This isn’t something to be entered into lightly. Being a slave is a lot different than being a submissive who enjoys hardcore BDSM play. A slave basically gives up her freedom of choice. She no longer has the right to her own body or her own choices, except insofar as her Master permits. By definition, you always put your Master’s needs above your own. He might take your desires into consideration, but he’s the one to decide what you need and when you need it. Slave isn’t just a word. It’s a way of life, a defined action.”

“You make it sound pretty harsh,” Abbie said, wondering if she wasn’t maybe biting off more than she could chew.

“Not harsh,” Maya protested. “But intense. And definitely not for most people. Speaking only for myself right now, I can honestly say I’ve never been happier than since Mistress Ella and I entered our Mistress/slave contract. If serving another in every possible way is something you crave, and if you’re able to completely surrender yourself to that person”—Maya’s face took on a rapturous glow—“there is nothing—I repeat—nothing as satisfying in this world.”

As Abbie regarded her friend, her heart seized with longing for the love, passion and total power exchange she’d witnessed between Mistress Ella and Maya. “I guess it doesn’t hurt that you guys are so in love on top of it all.”

“A true total power exchange can’t exist without love, the most intense kind of love there is,” Maya declared. “It’s not just about what I give to Mistress Ella, but what she gives back to me. I feel completely cared for and cherished every moment of my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“What about you, Skylar? Do you feel that way, too, with Master Caelan?”

“We’re definitely in love, yeah,” Skylar said. “And no question that that love is more intense within the context of our BDSM relationship. I wear his slave collar”—she stroked the simple, elegant collar around her neck that exactly matched her beautiful green eyes—“but our Master/slave relationship isn’t quite as formalized as what Mistress Ella and Maya share. Would you agree with that, Maya?”

As Maya nodded, Skylar continued, “That said, I belong to him, heart, body and soul. But it’s a two-way street, at least for us. We’re still pretty new at this. We’ve definitely hit some speed bumps along the way,” she added with a wry grin.

“Been there, done that.” Maya chuckled. “It’s like any relationship. You and your partner have to learn each other’s rhythms. It’s a give and take, especially at first as you both figure out what works for you. Every Master/slave relationship is unique.”

“I admit, I’m kind of terrified,” Abbie confided. “I mean, I want to find out if a total power exchange is really right for me. And Master Ryan is definitely the man I want to explore it with. But what if I fuck it up? What if I disappoint him?”

“You’re definitely going to fuck it up,” Maya assured her. “If Master Ryan’s worth his salt, and I know he is, he’ll correct and guide you along the way. That’s why it’s called training, Abbie. This is the toughest thing you’ll ever do. But also the most worthwhile.”

“Agreed,” Skylar said. “And you’re talking to a major fuckup,” she added with a laugh. “You should have seen me when I first got here. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.”