Judged by Him (25 page)

***

“Anyone fancy jet-skiing on the water?” asked Jason coming back up from the lower deck, having spoken to Ted. “There’s enough time for a run out.”

They went out in pairs, men in front steering and their girls clutched tight behind. A terrified Gemma had imagined it would be thrilling, not scary. Jason set off at pace, and she nearly fell off the back with the acceleration. For an hour, they chased each other around
Sublime
, sped off closer to the distant shoreline before returning to the yacht.

Gemma held Jason’s padded waist tightly. The salty seawater splashed into her face, stinging her eyes and skin. From time to time, he would ease up on the throttle and ask if she was all right.

“Yes!” she shouted over the engine.

She managed to be both elated and petrified. Life with Jason was a continuous stream of adrenaline-pumped excitement. Nothing ever seemed to perturb him or, if it did, he portrayed little excessive emotion. When they climbed back onto the yacht, he helped her aboard, and she caught ecstatic delight written over his face, teeth bared with a grin and his blond hair bright yellow with the spray. Water dripped off him, pooling at his feet, and his skin glistened as if it was sending out a signal to her. All she wanted was him inside her, there and then, and the waiting game felt eternal and protracted.

Life vests peeled off, they sat in the lower pool to recuperate. Soft drinks appeared, and their thirst was quenched. The sun beat down as
Sublime
headed towards the southern end of Italy. After the near-disastrous events of the morning, the two couples relaxed in each other’s company.

Jason played with her, quietly and selectively. Nothing overt or unpleasant, they kept it in the realms of subtle and low-key. She remained attentive to his wishes, making sure when he asked for anything, a towel, drink, or a simple kiss, she gave it to him promptly and gladly.

She doubted her brother could hear her say the quiet “Sir” or see Jason’s seductive, clandestine nibbling on her earlobe or lips. If she winced or flinched, their guests seemed impervious. The bizarre spectacle on the sundeck had been filed away, confined back to his correct place in the private world of their host and his wife, and it wasn’t up for discussion or comment.

“Let’s move up to the sundeck. The view is better up there,” suggested Jason.

They rested against the handrail as
Sublime
cruised ever closer to the shoreline, and the pretty towns and villages became clearly visible. Gemma rested her head on Jason’s chest, and his arm draped over her shoulder. For a while, she was at peace and content.

***

Later, with their luggage packed, clothed in their travel attire and with sombre faces, John and Andrea stood on the main deck and watched
Sublime
approach the marina to the west of Naples. Their weekend of adventure was coming to a conclusion. Gemma stood alongside them with Jason.

“Please, make use of the sleeping cabin if you want on the jet,” Gemma told her brother.

John’s eyebrows rose. “There’s a bed? I didn’t notice on the way over. Too busy looking out the windows.”

“Yes, of course there’s a bed, for long-haul flights and other things.” She ran a finger along the railing, remembering many escapades had on that bed. John blushed.

He shook Jason’s hand vigorously. “Thank you for the offer of help. The gardening thing. I’m so pleased you haven’t changed your mind.”

Jason smiled. “Why would I?”

As the crew secured
Sublime
in its berth, the disembarking couple gave their appreciation for the crew’s hospitality, shaking a few hands as they departed. Their stewardess, Jada, also said her good-byes. Her duties completed, she would catch a ferry back to Barcelona.

John embraced Gemma, holding her tight to his thumping chest. Tears had formed in his eyes. She rarely saw him moved to tears. “Take care, little sis. Look after yourself. You know what I mean. I’ve put my trust in Jason, and I’m going to let go now. Don’t make me regret my decision.”

“I won’t, John,” said Gemma softly. “Thank you for being a good brother. Still being a good brother, I should say.” She reached up and kissed his cheek.

***

Gemma wiped a tear from her face. She stood by the railings and waved as the couple climbed into their limo.

The moment of despondency had arrived. The excitement of having guests was replaced with an empty feeling. Gemma sighed and wondered what the rest of the holiday was going to be like. They still had a little under two weeks to go. Part of her missed home, her garden, and the routine of a normal life. Seeing her brother depart had made her wonder if she wanted to leave, too, and not continue the cruise or maybe not continue to be Jason’s submissive for the duration of the cruise.

“Are we staying in Naples?” she asked Jason as he approached her from behind, allowing her to lean back into his arms. He kissed her neck.

“No. Moving on south. Towards Sicily and Malta.”

“Malta! I’d loved to go there,” admitted Gemma, brightening at the idea.

His kisses turned into tiny bites, and he hardened against her bottom.

“God, I need to fuck you,” he murmured in her ear. “First, though, we have unfinished business from this morning.” He drew away.

Gemma shut her eyes. Little Maria’s punishment was due.

“Do I have to witness it?” she asked solemnly.

“No. The yacht will depart once the crew has taken on fuel and fresh food. Enrique will administer the punishment to Maria. Then, when I have seen her dealt with, I will be expecting what you promised at lunch, remember?” He ran a finger down her spine.

“Yes, Sir. I remember.”

***

Enrique wanted to show Señor Jason his ability to subjugate his little Maria. He insulted her in Spanish and berated her for breaking the señor’s strict rule about privacy. He waited for Jason to give the command to have her stripped and then allow him to demonstrate his prowess with the whip.

It didn’t come. To his amazement, Jason changed the nature of the punishment, and it wasn’t simply about Maria’s negligence.

“Enough!” he snarled. “Where were you, Enrique? You were supposed to keep guard and not only was the door left open, you failed to monitor us. Your duty was to be our eyes and ears.”

Jason’s attack stunned him into silence. Taking a step back, away from the weeping Maria, he rocked on his feet. He had slipped away, not simply for a comfort break, but to fetch his sketchpad and pencils. In the brief moment he had been absent, the other two had wandered up to the sundeck. He couldn’t believe their timing and the consequences of their ill-considered curiosity.

Jason paced about the room as Enrique helped Maria to her feet. She now clutched his arm, and he wondered what fate awaited them both.

Jason halted, stood with his hands on his hips and gave them his judgement. “You both will remain in your room and, apart from fetching food, you will not stray to any other part of this vessel. You are suspended from my services, including your pay. If you wish to leave at the next port of call, you may. Otherwise, you will be reinstated in three days and be absolutely focused on pleasing my wife and me. Nobody else.”

Jason’s blue eyes tore into Enrique. He had forgotten how those eyes could inflict so much on their chosen prey.

“Sí. Señor, I apologise. I will do as you ask, and I beg we may be your dutiful servants once more.” Enrique swallowed hard.

If they left the yacht, their reputation would be in shreds. To be dismissed by a wealthy patron was too dangerous, especially given their immigration status in Spain.

“Very well. Out of my sight,” snapped Jason.

***

Jason suspected Enrique’s tirade at his lover was due to the man’s trying to impress him. Listening to the fiery man rant at the shrivelled Maria, Jason made a decision. There would be no physical chastisement and no opportunity for Enrique to bestow his whipping. When he reached down and slapped his lover about the face, Jason had filled with fury. Enrique had vanished from the sundeck at a critical moment, and his transgression had been as bad as Maria’s.

Jason paced the stateroom. The Mexicans had left, Maria held tight in Enrique’s arms. The man seemed to be genuinely remorseful. He held Maria tight to him, kissing her black hair. Jason was angry with himself for underestimating the man’s increasing obsession to capture the kinky scenes. Maria had simply been negligent and thoughtless. Enrique had forgotten his place and assumed he could draw when and as he wished. Spending three days out of sight and ostracised was a suitable punishment for them. Gemma probably would appreciate the extra privacy, as she had tired of Enrique’s company.

Jason found Gemma on the flybridge, engrossed in her stars and streaking meteorites trailing light across the blackness.

“Done?” she queried.

Jason sighed. He struggled to keep secrets from her, even if the truth had the potential to upset her. “Enrique, I think, has been trying to impress me too much, and Maria was absent-minded. I’ve confined them to their room for the next three days. The crew will be told they are having a respite period. Save them the embarrassment of being suspended from duties. They are to stay away from this deck.”

Gemma didn’t criticise his decision—it wasn’t her place. However, as he’d expected, she seemed relieved.

“I’m glad she wasn’t whipped. It seems harsh to me. Perhaps in the long run, she’s done us a favour. John has finally confronted what we are and seems to have accepted it.”

Jason didn’t disagree with her. He stared up at the stars. There was a clear view of the Milky Way, and he found the twinkling, fixed constellations stilled his troubled mind. Tomorrow, he had work to face, and he felt in his bones it was going to be a bad news day.

He didn’t want to think about what had transpired in the stateroom. He wanted her. “I’m sorry your ‘anything’ is going to be somewhat subdued. I’m not in the mood for excesses this night. The Jacuzzi up here is warm, and I like the stars.”

They stripped and sank into the small pool, switched on the whirlpool, and allowed the gently swirling bubbles to pummel their bodies. Entwined in the warm water, they played spot the constellation, and that in turn became discover the erotic image portrayed by the night sky.

“Can’t you see, Jason, it looks just like a cock.” She drew her finger about in the air.

“You’re obsessed, Gem. Is that what you’ve been doing up here? Cock spotting?”

He nuzzled his chin in her hair as she lay back between his legs. At long last, he chilled out and went hard, pressing his cock into her naked back.

“Oh, God, Gem,” he moaned. “What would I do without you?”

Day Ten

“Señor Lucas? I am very sorry to disturb, but there is an urgent phone call for you.” Esteban’s distant voice came out of the intercom handset.

“Shit!” said Jason, rousing himself from the bed.

Gemma stirred, turning over, and drifted back off to sleep.

Jason took the call in his study, wearing his sweatpants and vest with his hair dishevelled—he’d gone to sleep with it wet. Listening to the news, he gripped the handset tightly, squeezing it between his fingers as his rage grew.

The deal was off.

The other party had pulled out, not prepared to sell off their lucrative subsidiary. The reasons given—none. The lack of excuses infuriated him. To have wasted time and energy on the negotiations, lawyers, and due diligence. The regulatory requirements, financial considerations, and profit forecasts—all generated and completed for nothing.

Philip rattled off a string of measures he had put in place. “We’d ironed out much of the issues we had last week, Jason. Nothing seemed to indicate they were going to back off completely and kill the acquisition.”

“They didn’t come clean about the asset portfolio, though, did they? No, there is something going on, something is wrong in that company. I’m not going to give up on this matter until I have an explanation of why they ditched a deal that was to our mutual benefit. I’ll come back today. Sort this fucking mess out myself!”

“I’m sorry, Jason. I—”

Jason cut across his apology. “Get my jet back out here somewhere. Get my travel arrangements sorted. I want to be back by tonight. We can talk tomorrow, Philip, when I’m in a better frame of mind, because at this moment, I don’t want to hear apologies or accusations of whose arse has screwed up. I have to go tell my wife she is going to be deserted on our holiday and, at this precise moment, that is what is occupying my mind.”

“I understand, sir.”

Jason slammed the phone down on him.

***

Gemma approached the office door. She had heard his raised voice, venting considerable spleen at someone. It was early, barely nine o’clock in the morning. With the sun blazing, the heat returned quickly, and the air conditioning worked hard in the background. Assuming his anger had abated—because the room had gone quiet—she decided to turn the door handle.

Jason sat at his desk, his face deep in thought, his arms folded, chin on his chest.

“Gemma.” He inhaled deeply.

“What’s wrong, Jason?” She approached, wrapping her gown about her body tightly.

“The deal has collapsed. No explanation.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“Oh is an understatement. I foresaw problems but not a fucking meltdown! I have to go back.”

“What, to England. When?”

“Today, Gemma, today.”

A wave of nausea hit her belly. “Both of us?”

“No. You can stay. One of us might as well enjoy the rest of the fortnight.”

“On my own. Without you?” Gemma put her hand to her mouth. “Will you be back?”

“I don’t know. I honestly can’t predict the next few days.”

“I’ll come back with you,” she said with a firmer voice.

“No!” snapped Jason. “There is nothing for you to do. I’ll be working, meetings, etcetera, and you wouldn’t see me anyway. I expect I’ll be back. I need to see what is happening in person, meet the relevant parties face-to-face. With any luck, I’ll return by the end of the week. The crew, everything is paid for. No, you will stay. That is my final word on the matter!” His eyes bore down on her.