Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 70574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“Yes!” I answered quickly…probably too quickly. I clearly didn’t have an ounce of pride left in my body. “I mean, it was okay.”
He chuckled again, not believing my back-pedaling for a second. “Do you want to do it again?”
I shrugged in a way that I hoped appeared somewhat nonchalant. “If you wanted to, I guess we could.” If he wanted to—ha! I intended to do it at least three times a day, every day that we were on the cruise together. If he’d have me once we returned home, I’d gladly be his bed partner there, as well. I’d always dreamt of more but would settle for what Eli offered.
“You guess, eh?” He mocked. “Well, if we are going to get to enjoy and explore each other’s bodies, then you’re going to need to take your punishment for misleading me.” He cocked a brow at me and added, “You know I would never truly hurt you, right, angel?”
Well, hell. This trip had been all about losing my virginity, exploring new things, and becoming a man. Why not give it a try? Yes, it would be humiliating, and I knew I wouldn’t like it, but….
“Fine!” I snapped in what I hoped sounded like an irritated voice. “Do your worst, Eli. You don’t intimidate me.” I stood up and loomed over him, hands on hips and acting pissy. “Come on,” I taunted. “Don’t get scared now. What? Are you all talk? Is that it? Maybe you thought you could just threaten me and I’d wilt like a delicate rose! Sorry to disappoint, Eli, but that’s not me—not anymore.”
He slowly stood up so my looming over him vanished in an instant. Either on purpose or by accident, he mimicked my pose by standing with his hands on his hips. Note to self—he doesn’t look scared, intimidated, or disappointed. My accusations from seconds ago sounded deliriously stupid now.
“Perhaps you’d like to go inside to take your punishment, angel,” he suggested in the damn huskiest voice I’d ever heard in my fucking twenty years of life on this earth. “All the cabin decks of cruise ships have camera decks on them.” His grin grew wide across his face. “Now take me, for instance—I love putting on a show. I’m a bit of an exhibitionist. Actually, you could place it firmly in my kink column.”
Exhibitionism? Me? I could easily see Eli participating in sexual acts in front of a group of people…but me? Could I pull it off? The thought didn’t bother me as much as it probably should. If anything, the idea of someone watching while Eli performed wicked acts of perversion on my body sent warm tingles dancing within my bloodstream.
My heart raced.
My breathing changed.
My skin heated.
“Ohhhh, look who’s afraid now,” he teased playfully.
Fuck, but he knew how to play me like a violin. He’d known his taunt would be a dare…something I couldn’t pass up—something a tiny part of me didn’t want to pass up. “I’m not afraid,” I stated bravely. Well, it was brave if a person could ignore the slight tremor in my voice. “Show me your worst, Eli. If you think I’ve been so bad, punish me for it.” I had been wrong, but the whole punishment thing seemed utterly ridiculous to me. Well, all of me except for my cock. For some strange reason, it seemed all on board with a spanking and strangers watching it take place.
Eli sat back down onto the lounge chair and motioned for me to walk toward him. “Come here, angel. Your wings need clipping.”
Chapter Eight
Eli
Holy fuck, he was going to do it! Ari was actually going to go along with me issuing a punishment for his misbehavior. I couldn’t believe it. Fuck; it was too good to be true. Yes, I knew I hadn’t been completely honest with him, but didn’t really feel like I was lying because I’d convinced myself I could change if that’s what needed to happen to make things work out between the two of us. Now? I wasn’t so sure changing would be necessary. A lusty spark was burning in his emerald eyes, making them dark with desire. There’s was no lying about it—I might have manipulated him a bit with the dare. I knew that unless he’d changed dramatically over the years, he wouldn’t be able to turn it down. It was his Kryptonite—always had been and looked like it might always would be.
He hesitated for the slightest of seconds but then moved toward me. His bottom lip jutted out in a pout, but I knew the pout was just another weapon he used to try and get his way. Oh, the times I’d fallen for that fucking pout. Hundreds of times and I knew there would be thousands more. If a dare or challenge was Ari’s Kryptonite, then his pout and bubble ass were mine. He used his super powers, so I used mine.