Page 25 of High Sea Seduction

She gazes warily around the spank room as if she expects one of the many whips and floggers to attack her any moment. I restrain a smile and watch her walk around the room, checking a list on her tablet.

“I have eight gadgets on my list. There are nine in here,” she snaps with a touch of exasperation. “I can’t start emailing clients the activity sheets if things are going to be added and taken off without my knowledge.”

“I had the last addition flown in this morning.”

“Which one is it?”

“This one.” I lead her to a black and indigo velvet free-standing cubicle. Inside, there are two horizontal bars at the top with restraints dangling from them. I watch her face as she examines everything.

“How is this different from the bench and the bed?” she asks.

I smile. “It won’t make sense until you witness it for yourself. Wanna be my guinea pig?”

She rolls her eyes. “I think you know the answer to that.”

Despite her reply, the interest in her eyes is clear to see, as is the unsettled pulse at her throat that hasn’t quite returned to normal.

I decide to test the true level of her interest. “I’m testing it out tomorrow. Swing by and see for yourself.”

Her gaze connects with mine. “You’re testing it out? Who with?”

I hide a smile at the ticked-off note in her voice I’m sure she thinks is nothing but curiosity. I recognize it for what it is. Keely Benson is territorial. She’s deeply possessive to a depth I’m sure even she isn’t aware of.

“Stop by after lunch. See for yourself.”

Leaving it at that, we finish the tour of the deck. We bypass the middle deck, where the construction crew is putting the finishing touches to the restaurant, bar and pool areas, and head for the deck below.

“So, why the need to own a sex boat?” she asks, again in that offhanded way, which gives the false implication that she doesn’t care about my answer.

“Why does any red-blooded male need one?”

“Two things spring to mind. Either you’re a sex maniac or you need a penis extender?”

I smile. “If I’m a sex maniac, I’ll hardly confess to it, will I? As for this being a penis extender, if you want to see the size of mine to judge for yourself, you need only ask.”

Her eyes drop to my crotch instantaneously, almost a reflex action. My body responds to the flash of hunger in her expression, and I grit my teeth against the powerful arousal moving through me.

Being around her is worse now than it’d been in Montauk, and it’d been pretty fucked up then. My phone’s presence in my pocket reminds me that I have a way out of this. One call to Hani and all will be well again. She is sending me two girls tomorrow, but that is different. They are just test subjects for the various additions I’ve made to a few sex implements on the yachts. Like everything I create, I need to make sure it’s fully tested before I release it to the public.

My blood rushes a little faster through my veins at the thought of taking them through the routines. It would alleviate some of my pent-up frustrations, but it wouldn’t be anywhere near the usual twelve-hour sessions I need to place my edge back under control.

My hand itches to take out my phone, but like every other time I want to take that final step toward numbing myself, I hesitate. The part of my brain that worked out my problem a long time ago knows this is yet another form of punishment, another form of self-flagellation for my sins.

I’d continue to live in this hell if I didn’t know that my rage and pain will spill to an innocent bystander.

Someone who doesn’t deserve it.

Someone like Keely.

I focus to find her answering her own phone. “About time you called back,” she snaps, but I catch a note of affection in her voice.

Affection, a now alien feeling that makes me cock my head and listen, the sound of it a concept punished out of my system a long time ago.

She flicks a glance at me. “Yeah, too late, B. He’s already sicced himself on me.” She stops and listens. “Fine. Whatever. Tell your husband that the next time he hires one of his friends to work on a project with me, he should give me a heads up. I don’t like surprises.” She rolls her eyes at whatever Bethany says. “No, sister, flattery will get you both nowhere. Now leave me to work, and don’t forget to feed Jeigerhamster,” she snaps, then her gaze softens. “Yeah, me too. Bye.”

She joins me in the hallway, and we walk for a minute before I say, “You named your pet Jeigerhamster.”

A smile plays on her lips before she bites it away. “Watch it. You mock, you die.”

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