Judged by Him (24 page)

Gemma cringed. “Yes. Sorry.” She couldn’t look at his reflection in the mirror.

“Saved me the effort,” said Jason dryly, and she visibly relaxed. “You are beautiful and appear quite forlorn.”

“I didn’t intend to talk quite so bluntly. He riled me, my big brother. Then they harped on about pain, and I find myself practically confessing to being a masochist.”

“Please, Gem. You’ve been a masochist from our first session together and no doubt with others, too. Do
not
mention or think of
him
. Everything to do with him is distinct and separate.” He tied her hair back. “What you need is a little, light, tension-busting orgasm.”

Gemma had to smile back at his reflection, head cocked to one side. “Little. I don’t think you’ve ever given me a little orgasm.”

She let him slip off her bathrobe and reposition her by propping her bottom on the surface of the dresser. He knelt down between her legs and, with his tongue, set about delivering his promise.

“You’re so fucking unbelievable, John,” Andrea let rip into John the moment they returned to their cabin. “A bloody hypocrite.”

“What the hell do you mean?” he snapped back as she emerged from the bathroom.

“Yesterday, you quite happily stuck a finger up my arse and said you loved it and wanted more. Today, you criticised your sister for doing the same.” She slammed her makeup bag on the table.

John waved an arm about his head. “There is a big difference between what we do and what happened up there!”

“Don’t be ridiculous! They have the experience to do the stuff we just talk about.”

“Stop being flippant about it all, then.” He sat on the bed.

“Flippant! They take what they do extremely seriously. You heard Jason. Very safety conscious, too. You overreacted!” She tried to apply lipstick in the mirror with a shaky hand and gave up. “Enrique was right, you could have made things much worse. Gemma was very upset at the end. You would expect Jason to be angry, but I’ve never seen your sister that mad before. You’ve stuck your head in the sand about them. Perhaps you can finally get over your issues of overprotecting Gemma and accept somebody else does it for her.”

“Tying her up, you mean!”

“That’s just the sex. Stop seeing the ruddy sex. You heard Gemma, she loves it. She wants it. Just like you want to fuck me up the bum, and don’t tell me I’m making that up. As I said, you’re a bloody hypocrite.”

She fell silent and lay on the bed. After a while, John joined her, and the pair, breathing heavily, contemplated the morning’s events.

She rolled onto her side and put a hand on John’s chest. “You don’t think you’ve screwed up Jason’s offer to help, you know, the gardening business?”

“God. I don’t know. I can’t exactly come out and ask him now, can I?” John groaned. “I’m not looking forward to lunch.” He briefly covered his face with his hands.

“I know what you mean. Be very apologetic.” Andrea patted his chest. “I know it’s hard, but according to Gemma, Dominants love contrition. Meek and mild behaviour. It might placate him, and we have to hope he is as generous as Gemma says he can be.” She lay back on the bed.

“You know quite a bit what they do, Andi, don’t you?”

“We’ve chatted since we got here, while you were on the speedboat and other stuff. She wasn’t keen at first, didn’t want to talk about her and Jason, but she did talk about how she was trained,” revealed Andrea.

“Trained?” John’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

“You really don’t think that one day she let herself be tied up, fucked hard, blindfolded, all those things without building up some experience. She was sort of trained, by several different men. They had specialities or expertise in different things.”

She giggled at John’s gaping mouth. “Sorry, your face is a picture.”

“Trained?” he repeated.

“Yes! Taught how to please men in different ways or tolerate what they do to her. She’s very modest about her accomplishments, but reading between the lines, she’s quite a catch. Jason sought her out and chose her. This is a very rich man, who can have pretty much anything he wishes, and he chose your little sister. She is the queen of the submissives. A prize. That is why he brands her with henna. He’s proud that she is his. Think on that!”

She grinned at John’s face. His tense expression replaced with wide-open eyes and a slight smile. He seemed unable to not show pride in his sibling. He lay on the bed muttering, “Wow,” repeatedly.

***

As Andrea and John approached the al fresco dining table on the aft deck, Gemma and her husband rose from their seats.

“Apologies,” said Jason. “Gemma and I are rather ravenous and made a head start.”

“Oh, we were tardy.” John grinned. “Andrea decided to change her clothes at the last minute.”

Esteban and Jada bustled about the table, topping up the drinks and laying out additional dishes of antipasto, dips, bread, and sticks of vegetables. Gemma and Jason playfully fed each other dips with pieces of cucumber and sliced peppers.

John picked up a fork and then replaced it on the plate with a clatter. When the stewards left, he spoke. “I wanted to say again how sorry I am…
we
are about this morning and everything.” His eyes shifted between Gemma and her husband.

“It’s fine, John. Jason and I have moved on. We don’t hold grudges, do we?” She smiled at Jason.

“Not a great idea, given the nature of what we two get up to, holding grudges!” He grinned back.

Gemma leant over and kissed Jason’s mouth, feeding him a piece of tomato as they touched lips.

“You’re certainly chilled, the pair of you.” Andrea glanced at John’s drawn face.

“What did you two do when you got back to your room?” Jason asked. Gemma could tell Jason was swinging into action. He didn’t want to waste time dwelling on the morning’s events. Neither did she.

Andrea fiddled with her bread, creating a pile of crumbs. “Well, we argued. We do bicker quite a lot when we’re stressed then we lay on the bed for a bit of a rest.”

Jason frowned. “What a wasted opportunity.” He took Gemma’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “She was stressed, too. However, once I had made love to her, it was all forgotten. Nothing like a good orgasm to wipe away tension.”

John dropped his fork, and Gemma went crimson. “Jason! You’re embarrassing me!” she said quickly.

Andrea bristled “Sex isn’t that spontaneous for us.”

Gemma despatched a carefully toned glare at Jason. “Don’t make them feel uncomfortable. Many couples require romance and ambience to have sex.”

“I’m well aware of that. I’m not ignorant of vanilla techniques!” he admonished with a white-toothed grin.

Gemma found his blue eyes especially dazzling after the stupendous orgasm he had given her. She had practically fallen off the dresser onto his head.

John scratched the stubble on his chin, frowning. Her brother seemed confused by Jason’s flitting behaviour. Not surprising. Her husband had switched from being a daunting, dominating man, who had his wife at his feet, to a playful host who happily joked with Gemma.

John shrugged. “I’m sorry Andrea and I can’t get into
the mood
for you.”

“Sex can be a humdrum for us,” explained Andrea. “We need the right atmosphere. Tension doesn’t do it for us.”

“Humdrum! What a sad declaration to make. I don’t think I could define our sex life as humdrum, could we, Gemma?” Jason raised an eyebrow at his wife.

“Err. No.” Gemma cleared her throat with a small cough. “At least, I wouldn’t dare say otherwise. You’re the one who directs, I merely follow the conductor’s baton, so to speak.”

“Cheeky. Seriously, you two, it’s in your hands to spice things up. The world of vanilla I find to be very restrictive if you’re not feeling romantic. Sex has so much else to offer, doesn’t it, darling?” He kissed Gemma’s palm, and she squirmed as his tongue tickled.

“You’re baiting me, Jason.” She turned to her guests. “This is play, you two. This is one of his mind games. I’m supposed to fall into a trap, say something he deems inappropriate. Sex is his weapon, you see. What it has to offer him is very different to what it has to offer me.”

“I’m a
him
?” Jason shook his head. “Reduced to pronouns. Very disrespectful. The deferential words are very lacking, Gemma. A weapon! If I remember, you quite like my assortment of weapons. You don’t complain about my armoury.”

“Your armoury constantly impresses me,
Sir
. I can’t fault it. I meant, being my Dominant, you have a different expectation of sex than me, your dutiful submissive.”

“Expectation? I expect you to do as your told, and in return, you can expect whatever I give you.”

“Lie back and think of England. That’s the motto of a good submissive.” Gemma jabbed her fork at him.

“Well, tonight you can think of Italy in its place.” Jason waved at the distant coastline.

Andrea and John listened to the banter with bemused expressions. They managed to spoon a few mouthfuls of food between their stunned looks.

“Anyhow, I hope your armoury can hold out, Sir,” continued Gemma. “We’ve still got two weeks to go, and I’m expecting constant changes in scenery. I’m greedy—that’s what you tell me.”

Gemma wiped her face with her napkin and waited for Jason to strike back. She thought she was holding out well. Only a few minutes remained on her watch.

“You wouldn’t dare accuse me of being dull! I’ve a good mind to leave you with Enrique and let him tie you in knots for a while.”

“It certainly would be different.”

“Are you implying you are unimpressed with my rope play?” He widened his eyes in mock horror.

“Ropes,” mused Gemma, purring dreamily. She shook her head, backing out of her daydream. “In any case, I said different, not better. You’re hypersensitive and tetchy. Sir.”

“Tetchy! This, John, is what Gemma means by inappropriate. She should be grovelling on her knees by now, asking for mercy. However, we have guests, so I’m being benevolent. Gemma, do you remember the game I said I would get the crew to play?”

What game? Gemma regarded him blankly for a few seconds before her eyes opened wide.

“Well, the crew may not be able to play for real, but perhaps I could get these two instead.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” she gasped, the knife slipping out of her hand.

“Wouldn’t I? I gather they’re intrigued by anal play. I’m sure it would be a good lesson in what can be accommodated by a decent, well-trained arsehole.”

The table fell silent, and hot blood rose up her face. She opened her mouth wide then shut it quickly, almost with an audible snap.

“Ah, now I’ve got the goldfish mouth.” Jason laughed, checking his watch. “See you two, it opens and shuts and nothing comes out. I’ve won I think.”

“What?” John scanned rapidly back and forth between Gemma and her husband.

“I bet I couldn’t get her to goldfish mouth within ten minutes of you two joining us for lunch,” explained Jason. “You’re so easy to tease, babe.”

Gemma put her hand to her chest. “I thought for a minute you meant it!”

“Oh, I could ask if they’re interested. I’m starting to think it might be fun to play.”

She heard the familiar change in tone if the others didn’t.

“
God, no!
Please,
please, Sir
.” Gemma implored, with genuine panic. “I’ll do knees, anything,
please don’t
.”

He leant towards her. “I got the
anything
. I’ll hold you to it for later, my little subbie.”

A beaming smile spread across his face. Gemma felt resigned to her fate. He had more than won. He had trounced her. He glanced at his guests. “For a Dom,
anything
is a heavenly word.”

“Okay. You’ve been playing some form of game.” Checking around her, Andrea spoke softly, “What was that about anal play and the crew?”

“Earlier in the week, when Gemma was being a tad defiant, I threatened to have the crew compete to see which of them could find a suitable item to shove up her bum—”

“
Jason
!” shrilled Gemma.

“Of course, I was teasing. We wouldn’t let the crew be involved. However, you two are different—”

“Jason,
please
!” pleaded Gemma.

“What do you mean shove up her bum?” said John, both aghast and thoroughly engrossed by the conversation. His food lay unattended on his plate. Gemma couldn’t believe how quickly her brother had gone from agitation to curiosity.

“Actually thinking about it.” Jason cocked his head to one side in thought. “There are plenty of possibilities in a garden centre. You should have a good hunt round. You’ve already experienced the handle of a garden trowel, haven’t you, darling?”

Gemma wanted to sink under the table. “You said you wouldn’t humiliate me!”

“Did I? Sorry, my love. A jape too far?” He patted her hand.

“A garden trowel? Really?” Andrea’s hand drifted to her mouth to suppress a giggle.

“Yes, it’s amazing what will fit up a well-trained bottom,” Jason added. “I did say endeavour, babe. I didn’t promise, so don’t pout, you know it pisses me off. You should be pleased your brother and his fiancée look much happier.”

“At my expense!” said an indignant Gemma.

“Naturally, you’re the sub.” Jason tossed his napkin on the table, concluding the meal. “It’s getting hot. I suggest you join us on the sundeck. There is a small outdoor spa pool to recline in, and the breeze is fresher up there. Just buzz when you’re ready to join us.”

He rose and offered his hand to Gemma. Pausing, he turned to face his guests.

“By the way. Don’t go trying what we mentioned yourselves, will you? You need to be trained.” Jason wagged his finger at Andrea as she blushed.

As they strolled towards the stairwell, Jason lay his arm across Gemma’s shoulder. “There. That broke the ice didn’t it?”

“Yes, rather,” laughed Gemma. “I take it you are going to hold me to the anything?”

“Naturally, but later. Wouldn’t let that one go.”

He paused at the bottom of the stairwell and entered the key code. He leant down to kiss her cheek. “I wouldn’t want to be accused of being humdrum. So, perhaps a change of scenery as requested.”