The Bad Boys of Eden (17 page)

“How…where…?”

“Perhaps this is what you seek.”

As if pulled by an invisible force, she moved toward the stairs, the tips of her toes warming and tingling in the glittery sand. A beautiful multi-colored bird flew by, singing a melodic song as she reached the first step. With a strange sense of anticipation building up inside her, she stole a glance behind her to see if the Master was following, but just like her cabana, he had disappeared into the dark night.

She exhaled a slow breath as music drifted downward. Compelled to follow it, lured in some mysterious way, she climbed the stairs, letting the sultry beat wrap around her, seep under her skin. Her heartbeat quickened, everything inside her telling her that something promising, something forbidden, awaited her inside. When she reached the top step, she entered a circular room. Warm, overhead lighting created a soft glow over what appeared to be a high class nightclub, and when her eyes adjusted, her breath caught, a small squeaking sound rising up from her throat.

Her shock wasn’t from finding a nightclub in the sky, many of its patrons wearing golden colored masks to hide their identities, nor the magnificent, three-hundred and sixty degree view of the island. No, her shock was from the scene that was taking place in the middle of the room, one that was straight out of her deepest, darkest fantasies.

Not only did the salacious sight take her by surprise, but seeing her inner most desires unfold before her eyes excited her beyond anything she’d ever known. She sucked in air as she took in the lone, chained woman standing in what appeared to be a slow-moving carousel. Except this was no child’s carousel. Oh no. Not at all. This carousel was for adult play only. Instead of horses, each station had dangling chains with its own cart, a cart that held numerous play toys.

Alaska looked at the girl, who’s arms were secured above her head, shackled to one of the many sets of chains dangling from the circular, overhead dome. Her long legs were spread wide for all to see while some masked man dressed only in leather pants teased and pleasured her body in the most delicious ways.

For a brief second, Alaska felt a quick flash of panic, wondering what she’d just walked in on. But when the woman moaned in bliss, her skin glistening with moisture, her head thrown back, and her mouth slack from ecstasy, Alaska felt heat bombard her body. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat, and as she perused the captive crowd, the scent of alcohol, perfume, sex, and leather curled around her.

The familiar smell of leather made her think of Jesse, made her wish he were here, experiencing all this with her. Then again, if he knew where she was and what she was doing, he’d undoubtedly drag her back home and put her on lockdown. When someone bumped her from behind, she made her way to the bar, in desperate need of alcohol.

She squeezed in between two hot guys who were enthralled by the action in the middle of the room and ordered a much needed drink. After the bartender brought her a fruity concoction, she took a long sip and spun on her stool. Heat gathered in her core as another masked guy, one who had an air of authority about him and seemed to be in charge of the club, walked from table to table, observing the patrons and their reactions. He slapped a flogger against his palm as he picked guys—who were all donning masks, which, Alaska assumed, signaled they wanted to play—and girls from the crowd.

He walked the women to the carousel, where he secured their ankles in manacles. Alaska’s heart beat a little faster, her pulse quickening as she watched him restrain the girls. One girl had her clothes cut away by two well-built guys, their hands moving over her beautiful body, pinching her nipples until they grew taut. Alaska squirmed, wishing she’d worn panties, as liquid desire pooled between her thighs. She squeezed her legs together and groaned when the movement pinched her swollen clit.

The dark-haired boy on her right, who she thought was probably a college senior here for his spring break, leaned into her, the warmth of his breath wafting over her face when he asked, “What do you think? Want to play?”

“I… I…” As her words fell off, she took a huge gulp of her drink. While she loved to read all about this sort of thing, she’d never experienced anything like it in real life.

But you want to, her inner voice taunted. You know you do.

“That’s the point,” the guy with the cropped blond hair on her left said. She turned to him and took in his grin. While he was cute, he lacked the rough and tough, bad boy look Jesse had going for him. Damn. She really needed to get him out of her head. She was here to have some fun, and by fun, she meant get laid. Either one of the two guys flanking her would be perfect bedmates…or maybe even both. “You’re not supposed to think. You’re just supposed to feel.”

“Don’t worry,” the dark-haired guy on her right said. “Nothing will happen if you don’t want it to.”

The other guy put his mouth close to her ear and said, “If you want it to stop, all you have to do is say ‘Eden’.”

She’d read enough BDSM books to know what he meant by that. Eden was the safe word. All she or any of the women currently tied up had to do was say the word and the play would stop. She put her straw to her lips, her mind racing, but before she could take a long pull, the masked man with the flogger stepped up to her. He opened his hand, and as he dragged the soft leather tails over his palm, her body came alive. Her flesh quivered as though the strands had actually caressed her skin, and every nerve ending tingled in anticipation.

What would those tails feel like on my backside?

His gaze met hers, and she bit back a breathy moan as the dark eyes behind the mask visually caressed her. He gave a slight nod, and there was something about him, something about his command, that told her he wasn’t a man who tolerated disobedience.

“Come with me,” he ordered in a tone that curled her toes.

Before Alaska even realized what she was doing, she was on her feet, blindly following him to the center of the floor to join the other women on the carousel. The masked man led her to her station, and as he secured her feet, she stood immobile, hardly able to believe what was happening. It was just this morning she was alone, feeling sorry for herself, on campus, and now she was on an exclusive island where she was about to be stripped, put on display, and pleasured in ways she’d only ever read about…fantasized about. Then again, it was always Biker Boy in those fantasies, not some random, masked man.

She pinched her eyes shut and opened them again, sure she was dreaming, but when she saw the crowd watching her, warm shivers of need rushed through her blood.

Holy shit.

Even though it was all happening so fast, her body burned with want, basic elemental need taking over. Some small part of her told her she should be embarrassed or frightened, but as she listened to the moans of pleasure coming from the pretty girl beside her, embarrassment was the last thing she felt. Besides, hadn’t she jumped all over the campus contest because she craved to go someplace where she could lose herself, try new things, cut loose, and have some fun? Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to do just that?

“Put your hands above your head,” the man said, the roughness in his voice giving way to soft persuasion as he ran one deft hand down her arm.

As his touch thrilled her, mesmerized her, she lifted her hands, and he secured her wrists to the manacles above. The sound of the chains cranking, hoisting her arms higher and higher, stretching out her body, filled her with equal amounts of fear and anticipation. Overwhelmed with what was happening, her blood pounded hard, and she remembered her safe word.

Not yet, the needy girl inside her warned. Not yet.

Blinking rapidly, she looked out at all the unfamiliar faces and wondered if she could really do this. The safe word lingered on her lips, but then, oddly enough, the hairs on her nape tingled, and she felt like she was being watched, not by the anonymous crowed, but by the one and only guy she wanted watching her. She gave a broken gasp and searched through the sea of masked men, searching for Jesse, but her thoughts fragmented when someone stepped up behind her.

She sucked in a tight breath when she felt the leather tails trailing down her body and gave a cry of pain and pleasure when they came down across her ass. Even though she still had her sundress on, the tails stung her sensitive cheeks just the same. A second man stepped up to her, and she could feel her dress being cut away, exposing her naked body beneath.

When the second hit came on her bare backside, she closed her eyes, imagining it was Jesse watching her, spanking her, touching her aching body. It filled her with want, and she moved her hips, flustered, anxious…so damn needy for the man who would never treat her as anything more than a mobster’s daughter under his care.

Chapter Four

Jesse stood back from the crowd and watched Alaska, watched the way her beautiful, pale nipples tightened with arousal each time the flogger hit her ass, the way the overhead light glistened on her pretty pink pussy as it moistened with need.

His mouth watered, and he drew in a harsh breath in an effort to bank the want riding through his veins. As he let the air hiss out slowly, he drove his hands into his pockets and rocked on his feet. Just because Alaska was hands off to him didn’t mean he couldn’t give her what she wanted. And if there was one guy who knew what Alaska wanted, it was him, considering he’d been studying her every move for months.

His mind drifted back to the night he caught her masturbating, and he shifted his stance, adjusting his thickening cock. Fuck, it had taken all his restraint not to strip off his clothes and join her in the shower, because not only did she get to him in a way no other girl ever had before, there was something so sexy, so honest and open about her when she lost herself like that.

The truth was, he knew everything about her, from how she spent her days, and more importantly, how she spent her nights…including the kinds of books she read and the way she danced like her life depended on it. Her actions told him so much about her, about what she liked…needed.

Not that she could ever act on her needs, or actually go after what she wanted. Alaska had spent her whole life powerless, stifled under a domineering man who controlled her every move. But here on Eden, the power was all hers. She might be the one restrained on that carousel, but when it came right down to it, she was the one calling the shots. And that was exactly what she needed.

Christ, he hated the way her father treated her, the way he so easily dismissed her like she was nothing but an annoying piece of lint on his coat. Even though Franco had never laid a hand on her, to Jesse, abuse was abuse, physical or emotional. Maybe that’s why he volunteered for this assignment. He had a sense of protectiveness in him, which undoubtedly stemmed from his own fucked up childhood.

His fingers went to the tattoo scroll on his arm, one that hid years of abuse. His gut clenched as he thought about his older sister and how powerless he was to protect her from their bastard father. The prick had taken turns beating the shit out of them. At the time, he’d been too young to stop it, but he swore he’d never see another girl suffer at the hands of a man, especially her father. As long as he was around, no one was ever going to hurt Alaska. The truth was he cared about her, which is why he wanted to give her the escape, the attention, she was craving.

He refocused his thoughts and watched her from across the room, gauging her reactions as the man behind the mask pleasured her. Instead of waiting for the carousel to circle back his way, Jesse followed it, keeping a wide berth. He pulled in a fortifying breath, his mind shifting through all the things he wanted to do to her himself, if only she wasn’t off limits.

For a brief second, her glance met his and his heart lurched. But when her dark eyes glazed over with lust, he knew she hadn’t made the connection. His job was to keep a level of separation and his true identity a secret, which meant that he couldn’t let her know it was him who’d arranged this, going to great measure to ensure she thought she’d won a contest and making sure she was safe while she indulged in her fantasies.

Jesse had known about this secret island for a long time, and between him and the guards patrolling the nightclub, as well as the shoreline, he knew she’d be safe here. Years ago, before Franco Rossi plucked his scarred and battered body off the streets and gave a him job, he used to street fight for cash. After one particularly bad brawl, while he was in the back room getting bandaged, he overheard two rich business men, men who’d just won thousands of dollars off Jesse’s fight, discuss a place called Eden—a place where fantasies came true.

At that point in his life, Eden sounded like heaven. But with what little money he made back then, Eden was out of his reach. It still wasn’t within his means, but he’d called in a few favors to bring Alaska here, to give her this brief taste of freedom.

Even though he’d never stepped foot on the island before, after learning more about it, he knew it was the perfect place for Alaska to blow off some steam before classes resumed after the break. From the books she read, he knew what kind of sexual playground he’d walk into tonight, considering it was a combination of her inner most fantasy and the island’s magic.

Perhaps after a week of living out her darkest fantasies, Alaska would go home happy, sexually sated. Then maybe she’d stop teasing the fuck out of him. When it came to her, sooner or later, his armor was going to crack. Once that happened, there wasn’t a man alive who could stop him from stepping over that invisible, forbidden line. The line he knew better than to cross, for both their sakes.

The masked man touched her, sliding his hands all over her lithe body. The urgency and emotion on her face had his dick aching. Damned if he didn’t want to be the one fulfilling her needs. The other women on the carousel moaned with ecstasy, but Jesse’s attention was on Alaska. The man in control of her pleasure pulled a small pink vibrator off the tray behind him and switched it on.

Alaska’s eyes grew wide, her mouth opened, and for a moment, Jesse wondered if she was going to use her safe word. But the second the man slid the toy between her spread legs, her head lolled to the side, and she clamped her mouth shut.

Jesus, she was so fucking sexy. His cock ached, his balls tightening as a tremor moved through him and a storm brewed inside his body. He cursed and fought the natural inclination to go to her. Claim her.

The man teased her pussy with the vibrator, and she rolled her hips forward, her body conveying what she needed. Her lashes fluttered shut, and she caught her lip between her teeth. Jesse growled, loving that look on her face, one he desperately wanted to put there. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and blood pounded through his veins as he watched her climax build, her throaty purr practically resonating through his body when it finally overtook her.

When she stopped moaning and hung limp in the chains, he watched her carefully. Sated and exhausted, and no doubt drowning in a sea of emotions and sensations, her chest rose and fell erratically. The man controlling the scene stepped up to her. He touched her forehead, and her heavy-lidded eyes closed. When her body sagged, her knees giving out, it prompted Jesse into action.

With his mask firmly in place and knowing he was in charge of her after care, he hurried forward and gestured for the carousel to stop. When it came to a smooth halt, he stepped up to her and pitched his voice low to disguise it. “I’ve got you,” he whispered.

She let loose a soft, mewling sound as he unleashed her hands and ankles. He gathered her into his arms and smiled down at her as she worked to keep her eyes open. The long day of travel, combined with the emotionally and physically draining scene she’d just played a part in, had zapped the last vestige of her energy. Jesse grabbed her dress, accepted the blanket that was handed to him, and wrapped her in it. The sweet scent of her skin thickened his cock as he carried her from the club and down the long stretch of stairs to the beach below. He walked to her cabana and the door opened as he approached. He deposited her on the bed, pulled her blankets over her, and set her dress on the chair beside him. As she snuggled in, he fought an internal battle to wake her, climb between the sheets with her, and fuck her until the wee hours of the morning.

Instead, he watched her until she fell into a deep sleep, loving the way her hair fell in soft curls across the pillow, the way her full lips opened slightly, her soft breathing sounds cutting through the quiet. Once he was sure she was safe and no longer in need of his care, he slipped from her cabana and made his way back to his, intent on taking a hot shower and abusing the hell out of his aching cock.

* * *

Alaska awoke to the sounds of a bird chirping outside her window. Where the hell was she? She peeled her eyes open, unease tightening her gut as she examined the unfamiliar surroundings. She blinked, then rubbed the sleep from her eyes in an effort to orient herself. Suddenly, the memories of the previous night came rushing back in a whoosh, and she sat up, darting a glance around her room. She swallowed against the dryness in her throat, her mind racing as fragments of the night before began to fall into place.

Had last night been a dream? Had she actually done those things?

A sound crawled out of her throat as she tossed her blankets off to find herself naked. She remembered her dress being cut away but couldn’t recall going back to her cabana, or going to bed. She’d had one drink…had someone slipped something in it?

She searched through the recesses of her mind, vaguely remember being carried, vaguely remembering the warm scent of leather. It reminded her of Jesse, but she knew he couldn’t be here. She looked at her body. There were no welts on her skin, which meant the masked man was either very skilled with a whip or last night had never happened at all. She shifted, and the muscles in her arms hurt, like they’d been stretched. When she saw the rub marks on her wrists and the dress on her chair, she knew it couldn’t have been a dream.

A warm shiver moved through her, and moisture pooled between her legs. Good God, had she really let some man tie her up while another pleasured her in front of a crowd?

You did and you loved it, the vixen inside her whispered.

Pushing her hair off her face, she rushed to the shower, desperate to get outside to see if the nightclub in the sky really did exist. She washed quickly, and after dressing in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, sandals in hand, Alaska walked the tree-fringed path back to the beach. She stood near the water and shaded the sun from her eyes as she scanned the area, but for the life of her, she couldn’t find the night club. Even though it sounded ridiculous, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was only visible at night, some trick of the island or the moonlight.

Some trick of the mind...

She turned and looked up and down the beach. Padded lounge chairs shaded by grass umbrellas dotted the sandy shore. At the far end of the beach, she spotted a Tiki bar with a bartender mixing drinks under the straw roof. A crowd gathered, laughing as they enjoyed early morning cocktails. She walked toward the hut, her heart beating a little faster as she took in the naked sunbathers dotting the shoreline.

She continued along the long stretch of sand, her feet in the water as the puzzle of the mysterious nightclub continued to plague her. Off in the distance, boats bobbed in the sea, and as she examined them, that old familiar feeling of being watched washed over her. She licked her dry lips and looked around, but when her glance came up empty, she fought down the unease, missing Jesse’s constant presence. With all these strange things going on, maybe she should have let someone know where she was going.

She made her way to the paved path and came upon a large map that detailed the island. She found the ‘you are here’ star and ran her finger along the trail leading to the castle. After getting lost on the winding turns despite the map, she took the corner and finally found a huge outdoor pavilion. Walking through the crowd, many of who were lounging on wicker furniture, checking emails or enjoying an early morning drink at the bar, she looked for a familiar face, someone who might have been at the club last night and could fill her on what was going on. Delicious smells reached her nostrils as she moved around the furniture, and when she heard music, she followed the sound. She walked until she came to a huge stage and found dancers, out of costume, practicing for a show. Quietly watching them for a while, admiring and committing their choreographed moves to memory, she lowered herself into one of the chairs. Her body swayed as she continued to study their moves, everything inside her longing to go up there, to be a part of the show.

One of the male dancers caught her eyes, and she felt herself blush when he gave her a sexy wink. Had he been one of the masked men last night?

A middle-aged man came onto stage, clearly the director. He clapped his hands and gave direction, then he looked at Alaska. He planted his palms on his hips and asked, “Are you just going to sit there?”

Alaska sat up straighter. Surely to God, he couldn’t be talking to her.

“I...what?” she asked.

“Are you just going to sit there or are you going to dance?”

“I’m not one of the dancers,” she said.

He folded his arms, his busy brow furrowing. “Then what are you doing here?”

“I was just watching.”

“The show isn’t until tonight, honey. Come back then.” He turned his back to her.

After being dismissed and wishing she really was one of the dancers—after all, performing on a stage like that would be a dream come true for her—she retraced her steps. But instead of finding herself back at the pavilion, she walked into a beautiful outdoor, breakfast area. She was instantly greeted by a hot guy who led her to a private table with a spectacular view of the ocean. Even though she was used to being alone, a strange sense of loneliness came over her as she sat by herself, missing Jesse’s distant yet constant presence. The empty chairs beside her a sad reminder that she had no one to enjoy the view with. Was she just destined to be alone? Would everyone in her life eventually abandon her?

When a waiter came with coffee, she redirected her thoughts, refusing to dwell on anything but this vacation, even though there seemed to be strange things going on. She blew into her cup then took a sip, hoping that after breakfast, she could find the two guys she sat between at the bar last night. As if thinking about them had conjured them up, they sauntered up to her.