Pleasure Bay (36 page)

“My brave girl, you’ve talked all around it, now say it. I need to hear it clearly, Mariah.”

“I never thought I’d say this again after…” Taking a deep, steadying breath, she continued, never taking her eyes from his. “I want to give you my submission, which is—well, you already know that it’s my true nature. I tried to suppress it, but I can’t anymore and want to surrender it—to you—because I know I can entrust you with it. I need and want to be with you more than anything. I love you, Dimitri.”

“
Grazie a dio!
Two years I’ve waited to hear those sweet, sweet words
, cara mia.”
He gathered her close and crushed her trembling lips with his own. His tongue swept in and took possession of her mouth, savoring the taste of her response. Finally, after robbing her of both her breath and her wits, he lifted his mouth from her and fervently spoke from the heart. “I gratefully accept your submission, Mariah, because I want and need that from you too.
Adesso tu sei mia.
You belong to me now,
piccola,
and
I’ll cherish you and this gift, forever.”

“Yes! Please, D, make love to me. I need you,” she cried, her hands clinging to his shoulders, her nails digging into him through his shirt as he relished the slight pain.

“You’re sure? I don’t want to push before you’re ready.”

“Please, don’t make me wait any longer,” she groaned, pressing against him.

His eyes searched hers and saw only passion. Not a hint of fear or reticence. Relief swept through him, followed quickly by a searing need. Summoning what was left of his control, he lifted her in his arms.

***

Settling her in the middle of his big bed, Dimitri pulled her loose summer dress over her head. The light gauzy fabric grazed along her thighs and belly, skimming along her taut nipples. Left in a skimpy pair of white panties, she looked up at him anxiously. His eyes swept her near naked body like a caress. Feeling confident in his hungry appraisal, Mariah brushed back her long hair, enjoying his eyes on her bare skin. Her reward was his low growl as he practically ripped off his shirt.

Bare chested, his hands moved to his waist, working his belt and the button on his trousers as she gobbled up the sight of him. She’d seen him before, by the pool and on the beach, or when working around the island. A hands-on owner, even though he could afford to have it done, he often enjoyed manual labor and it showed. He was lean, muscular, and very well defined. All hard, distinctive angles compared to her soft curves.

His pants slid down his legs, his belt buckle clunking against the floor, and then he was beside her. Moonlight from the open doors suffused the bed softly as he moved atop her and claimed her mouth again. The man could kiss. With lips and tongue he muddled her senses. She could drown in the sensations. His hand swept over her shoulder and down her side, pausing to cup a full breast. As his thumb swept over the peak, she arched as the breath left her chest. Sliding lower, his hand continued its exploration. Across her hip and the tops of her thighs, he trailed his fingers slowly between them and found her center. Two fingers dipped into her folds as he found her clit, stroking it once, slowly. She spread her legs, arching her hips against him, silently seeking more. The sensual touch was replaced with his thumb as his fingers moved lower and circled her opening, before one broad finger dipped inside.

“Yes, please,” she whispered.

“So hot and wet,” he groaned against her lips, “and ready for me.” He moved between her thighs, his hips aligning with hers as his hard length found her. With just the head of his cock dipping inside, he paused, settling against her.

“
Bella mia
, you said I made you feel again. I want you to do so now. I want you to experience every sensation as we come together for the first time. Look into my eyes, Mariah
,
be present in the moment with me, here and now. Can you do that for me?”

Looking up into his dark eyes, brimming with love and passion for her, she nodded, wondering how she had ever resisted him for so long. She knew it had been due in part to Dimitri… he had been waiting patiently for her—truly, his restraint had been amazing—until she was ready. Finally, he had pushed her, enough to snap her out of her comfort zone. Even though she had gone off the rails for a few days, she came home to him where she belonged.

As if reading her thoughts, he thrust home, filling her to near bursting. The hard length of him felt so good inside her, stretching her and kindling every nerve ending. The pleasure grew as he began to move, so exquisitely pleasurable that she almost forgot as her eyes blinked slowly.

“Eyes on me. I want to see what you’re feeling.”

Her eyes flicked open just as he drew back and returned hard, the friction along every nerve ending eliciting a groan from deep in her chest. “Who is loving you, Mariah?”

“You are, Dimitri.”

“That’s right. And who do you belong to?”

“You, always you, D. Since the moment I saw you, it’s been you.”

His head lowered and took her mouth in a soul-stirring kiss. Soon he was moving fast and hard within her while he gazed intensely into her eyes. What she thought would have been uncomfortable—wasn’t. What could have intimidated—didn’t. She found herself lost in the midnight blue depths, reveling in his warmth, his weight, and the way he possessed her. She wanted to stay this way forever. He moved against her, catching her hands that had been clasped tightly to his shoulders since the first plunge of his cock. Raising them over her head, he entwined their fingers, holding them there as he moved faster, widening his knees and along with them her thighs for deeper penetration. She was pinned beneath him now, hands held in his, legs bound by his strength, the weight of his body holding her in place as he took control of every movement and sensation. It didn’t frighten her; instead, beyond all reason, it made her feel free.

“I belong to you, Dimitri.”

“Yes, baby.”

“And in turn, you belong to me, don’t you?”

“Heart, body and soul,
piccola
mia
.”

She beamed up at him. “Forever?”

“For always!”

Basking in the warmth of his love, she gave up her control and surrendered to his body’s possession. As she watched him surge toward release, she rode the wave of pleasure with him, knowing the precise moment when his body took over, growling his release and spurring her own as they spiraled out of control into the throes of ecstasy together.

***

Eyes flicking open, she surveyed the image before her of sunlight filtering softly through the open French doors. There was a cool morning breeze lightly blowing, fluttering the sheer curtains and making her want to snuggle into the warm body behind her. Dimitri. A gentle smile pulled at her lips as she remembered the evening before, recalling both his tenderness and his intensity. Never had anyone possessed her quite so thoroughly before, or made her feel so cherished. Her heart filled with joy as she realized his love had made the difference.

Responding to her body’s demands, she tried to slip from the bed without disturbing him, but his arm dragged her back.

“Where are you going?” he asked sleepily.

Turning in the circle of his arms, she grinned at his heavy-lidded expression, the tousle of his silky black hair, and the dark scruff of beard on his chin. He looked so sexy when rumpled, she was reluctant to leave. But she couldn’t put it off any longer. “Um… you know, but I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, but hurry, baby. I’m needing a proper good morning.”

Releasing her, she climbed out of bed as he stretched. His big body arched as he groaned contentedly and she about swallowed her tongue. Muscles rippled and bulged as the sheet slid along his smooth olive skin. As it slipped dangerously low, it drew her eyes to his ripped abs and down the thin trail of dark hair that ran along his midline to where it disappeared beneath the stark white linen. The sheet moved and tented as she gaped. Her eyes flicked to his, the dark blue flashing with passion even as his lips turned up in a wicked grin.

“If you’re going to the bathroom,
piccola
, best run along before I pull you back into bed and have you see to what has so obviously captured your attention.”

Glancing back to the peaked linen, she licked her lips and nodded. “Yes, sir!”

His chuckle followed her retreat. “I’ll order up coffee and breakfast, and then we can linger in bed after we take care of some unfinished business.”

To Mariah, lingering in bed sounded sublime. She hurried through her morning routine and then brushed her teeth before working out the tangles from her wildly mussed hair. Despite her messy appearance, she grinned, giddy with contentment—she had sex hair from Dimitri’s fingers. Then, the rest of his words registered.
Unfinished business, oh my!
She was sure that meant a well-deserved punishment. Unavoidable, she knew, from the moment she had decided to come back to him. Looking at the hairbrush in her hand, she decided she would accept it gracefully.

With a final check of her appearance, she returned to him. Now fully awake, she also noted he was very aroused. It was impossible to miss as he sat naked at his bedside, his quite impressive cock at full attention. Approaching on nearly silent feet, she stood before him, ready for whatever punishment he had in mind.

He studied her with a gentle smile, eyeing the brush in her hand before he pulled her between his legs, his hands gliding from her waist, over her hips, and then to her backside where he cupped her round cheeks and squeezed lightly. “Are you so eager for your spanking,
cara mia
?”

“Yes, sir. I’d like to get it done and then move on to breakfast and that lingering in bed that you mentioned.”

He chuckled softly as he removed the brush from her hand and placed it on the nightstand. “We are of one mind, but I determine when and how. Okay, baby?” His smile faded and his look became serious. “Tell me first why this spanking is well-deserved, Mariah.”

“There are so many reasons. I fear if I list them all, the morning will be over and our breakfast will have grown cold,” she tried teasing.

“This is an important part of discipline—the listing of transgressions. You may begin.”

Realizing this was not a time for banter or stalling, she began the long inventory of her screw-ups over the past week. “Yes, sir. Let’s see, there was avoidance, stalling and evasion, and that was before I cuffed and tied you to a bed—I still can’t believe I did that—and then left you naked and helpless. I’m so sorry for that.” She bowed her head, unable to meet his gaze from the overwhelming guilt. “Something could have happened. There’s a cardinal rule about not leaving someone unattended in restraints.”

He nudged her chin up. “I forgive you,
piccola
, and expect that won’t ever be repeated.”

“No, sir.”

“
Brava,
what else?”

“At the cabana, I disobeyed you when you demanded release—I made you so angry.”

“Yes, but as I said, it dissipated shortly. What followed was worse.” He stroked her backside gently as he held her. Calmly discussing her behavior while they were both naked was surreal, but to Mariah, it also felt comfortable and seemed oddly right somehow. “Anything else?”

She searched his eyes; he was looking for something specific, almost leading her to it. “I didn’t trust you.”

“That’s right, and that is what concerns me the most. But we will work on that together—always together. Hasn’t it been that way from the beginning, 
cara
? Even before we professed our love, we had a bond, Mariah, one that went beyond friendship.”

“Yes.” She huffed a laugh. “Everyone knows I belong to you, don’t they? You, all the guys, even obnoxious Byron knew.” Lifting her gaze to his, she admitted, “I knew too, deep inside, but was afraid to admit it.”

His hand came around and with a finger, he lightly tapped her chest. “In here you’ve always known, but you buried it and hid your submission so deep, it took up here knowing,” the same finger rose and tapped her temple, “to set it free. From now on, honesty and trust, Mariah, above all else. Any doubts at all—or if you’re afraid—you come talk to me.”

“Yes, sir. I’m very sorry.”

He brushed away the single tear that escaped with the broad pad of his thumb. “I know you are, baby.” He pulled her face down to his and gave her a drugging kiss. “Enough talk for now, we’ll have plenty of time for more of that later. Come over my lap now, Mariah.”

Without pulling, dragging, or guiding her at all, he waited until she had settled across his thighs. By doing so, her voluntary actions demonstrated her willingness and acceptance of his authority. Her sense of surprise at her actions must have shown. “Always,
piccola
, you have the right to choose. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Amazed, her response came out raspy, “Yes, Dimitri. I am in control.”

“Exactly.” He patted her bottom gently as she rested against him. “Even though I am the dominant, you have the power to stop it all just by saying the word. Of course, it’s my job to know your limits and ensure that isn’t necessary.”

Lord, how she loved this man. She wanted this spanking, to assuage her guilt and pay penance for what she had done to him the day she left, but also because she deserved it for waiting so long to turn to him. Two years wasted when she could have been in his arms. How many swats did that deserve?

“Another rule,
piccola
. Once the punishment is delivered, it is done. You’ll have my forgiveness. I won’t have you beating yourself up over this ceaselessly. Is that clear?”

Absolution, that’s what she needed now. “Crystal clear, sir!”

“
Brava
.” With that acknowledgement, he brought his large hand down on her bare backside. The slap echoed in the room, but to Mariah, who had been expecting more, it seemed light and quite mild. Far from the blistering spanking he’d given her in the cabana the day of the storm. What followed was a gentle warming of her skin across both cheeks and upper thighs. It felt wonderful and she relaxed over his lap.