7. Sonali
Chapter 7
Sonali
A warm hand brushed under my legs, waking me from my sleep. I blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out where I was. Paolo leaned over me in the back of a car, his arm sliding under my legs and his other arm going behind my back. We’d left the clinic late in the morning going straight to the private airport. Even with a full night of sleep I dozed off the moment we got on the plane and apparently during the car ride to the resort.
“You can go back to sleep. I'll carry you,” he murmured.
“Thank you, but I can walk,” I protested. He stepped back and still held out his hand to help me out of the car.
The warm, tropical breeze felt wonderful against my skin. The smell of flowers brought back a memory from my childhood when my mom would take me to the flower gardens, so I could pick a bouquet to decorate our table. Not sure why, but I automatically reached for Paolo’s hand as we walked toward the large, open doors. The night before flashed through my mind—his body wrapped around me while I slept. I wasn’t scared, but I knew it was the only way to get him to join me in bed. The chair he was about to sleep on looked uncomfortable.
"This place is beautiful," I said.
Paolo pulled a pack of smokes from his pocket and lit one. "It's my first time here. A few of my coworkers have told me stories though.”
“Why don’t you head in? I will be only a couple minutes.”
“I can wait.” I picked a white daisy and placed it in my hair. “I almost forgot did you take the meds Paxton gave you?”
This morning before we left, I’d seen the bag on the table next to my bed and I contemplated looking at the bottle to see what was wrong with him. I worried the blood I saw on his napkin was from whatever illness he was dealing with. My blood could only heal with the research and somebody that knew what the hell they were doing. Without Devon I wasn’t sure I could help Paolo even if I wanted.
“I haven’t decided if I am going to take the meds,” Paolo answered as he stubbed out his cigarette and disposed of it. “Let's go find your room so you can get settled in and maybe we could order some food.”
My stomach turned at the thought of food after being slipped pills in my last meal. I wasn’t sure I was ready to eat again. It was as if he had read my mind.
Paolo squeezed my hand. "I promise I won't let anybody do that to you again. I failed you once, but I won't let it happen a second time."
This big, gruff man had to realize he couldn’t protect me from everything.
We climbed the marble stairs into the open reception area. A five by five foot crystal chandelier hung from the center of the massive room. To the left was a row of marble counters, though nobody was behind the desk. Instead, a man about Paolo’s height and dressed in a suit stood poised under the light fixture. Next to him stood a woman with long brown hair, dressed in the skimpiest swimsuit I’d ever seen. Her nipples would probably fall out if she moved.
The man held out his hand as he said, “It’s good to see you again Paolo.” He turned towards me. “I’m Jared Black, welcome to my island. This is my wife, Kayleen. After you all get settled, Kayleen can help inform Sonali about the rules here.”
I watched as Pablo shifted his weight from leg to leg. “We're not here to play. My whole goal is to keep her safe. I wouldn’t mind talking with your security and get a tour of the property.”
Jared narrowed his eyes. “Even if you're not here to play, everybody must follow the rules. As for security, yes, we can have someone set everything up. But that will be discussed after dinner. Your brother and his wife are already here, and everyone is dining in one room tonight. We can talk about safety measures then, in case anyone sees someone who isn’t supposed to be here. I assume Antonio and Kat are coming as well?”
Paolo shook his head. “They have cleaned up in Fort Lauderdale and possibly are making a trip to New York.”
Jared nodded, “Here is your key card to your room. You have the first bungalow at the end of that walkway. I believe CJ already sent you all of my information. If you have any questions, just call my phone.”
Kayleen, stepped forward, “Can I just say how excited I am to meet you? Sonali, I absolutely love your paintings.”
I was taken aback; she actually knew who I was.
“Thank you,” I replied. “If you could tell me something you're interested in, I’m planning on painting while I’m here. I wouldn’t mind making one for you as a token of my appreciation for letting us come here.”
“Oh, that would be amazing,” Kayleen responded with a genuine smile. “We can have a chat while these guys go do security checks.”
Jared leaned over and playfully slapped her ass, causing her to squeal. “Remember, you have a punishment coming tonight!”
“I know, sir,” she replied.
“Okay, we're going to head to our room and get some rest. Dinner is at 8 p.m. tonight, just off to the left over there. Do either of you have any food allergies?” Jared asked.
“No,” we both replied.
Kayleen wrapped me in a hug before she turned back to her husband. He reached down and pinched her ass. They walked toward an elevator to the right.
I followed Paolo through the main area to a trail. For some reason, I reached for his hand again. “Oh, I'm sorry,” I murmured as I went to let go, but he gripped my hand tighter.
He answered me with a gruff, “No.”
I couldn’t help but take in the view, the palm trees, the sand, and a flowing waterfall. Suddenly, a loud smack caught my attention to the right. I glanced over and saw a completely naked woman bent over a man's knee, his hand was coming down on her ass.
“Jesus Christ, Paolo—look, they're naked!” I whispered as if they might hear me.
He groaned, “I was hoping I could explain what this place is on our way here, but I didn't want to wake you up while you were sleeping during the car ride.”
“What do you mean? Explain what this place is. Isn’t it just a vacation island?” I asked.
Paolo threw his head back and chuckled. “It's a vacation island for a very select few. Jared Black is a well-known man who values his privacy, along with many other billionaires. This island is dedicated to BDSM, so seeing naked people around here is to be expected. Normally, I don’t mind it. But when I see my brother and sister-in-law naked with him smacking her ass … yeah, that's not something I wanted to see.” He shook his head and continued walking.
I teased, “So the people back there, they were your brother and sister-in-law?"
“Yes,” he replied.
I recalled reading about BDSM clubs in books before, but I never imagined an entire island dedicated to it. It might turn out to be a fascinating or frustrating trip. I couldn’t remember the last time I had sex.
Oh wait, I did remember, and it was horrible. The guy lasted only a couple of minutes, and I had left totally unsatisfied, only to go home and take care of myself.
At the end of the walkway, we found a wooden path leading to our designated bungalow. It actually sat on top of the water, a sight I had only seen in movies and television. I always wondered if such bungalows had see-through floors.
Paolo swiped the key card, and the door opened. Inside, there was a huge king-sized bed, a tub in the main living area that could fit four to five people, and a couch. There was only one bed. I wasn’t sure how I was going to sleep next to this man night after night without touching him. I recalled that Kat had mentioned he didn’t have a girlfriend, but the way Naomi looked at him made me suspect there was more to the story.
“Let's go check out the patio area,” Pablo suggested.
We walked to the back, and when he opened the doors, I discovered an easel set up with a chair and boxes of paints. I couldn’t help but squeal and run over to see what they had arranged. The paints were impressive—clearly, someone who knew what artists preferred had selected them. The slow roll of the ocean waves was so calming that I could have sat out here for hours painting.
"If you need anything else, let me know and I’ll get it for you," Pablo said.
“Everything I need is here,” I replied.
“We have a lot of time before dinner. Why don’t you sit out here and paint?”
I planned to paint, but I wanted to know something first.
“Can I ask you a question?” I ventured. We stepped onto the balcony, and Pablo leaned against the railing, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
“Do you mind if I have one?” he asked.
“Go ahead, it doesn’t bother me,” I replied.
I hesitated before asking, “Do you practice BDSM?”
He took a drag of his cigarette and asked, “Why do you ask?”
“Because we're here,” I said. “When I didn't do what you asked yesterday, you said you’d spank my ass the next time I didn’t listen.”
“Everyone at AA Security has gone through DOM training. You know how the team mentioned Blackwood Mercenaries?”
“Yes.”
“They have a BDSM club attached to that company, and AA Security and Blackwood Security work together a lot. Every weekend we end up hanging out at the club. And to hang out there, you have to go through training. I’ve played a little, but not at the level many of my teammates or friends have.”
“Can I ask another question?” I said quickly.
“As long as I can ask one back,” he countered.
“Did you ever play with Naomi at the club?”
He took two large steps forward, and he was next to me. His hand slid down my arm and he leaned in close, his mouth next to my ear. “No.”
This simple one-word answer sent a shiver down my spine. I blushed furiously.
“My turn, have you ever let a man strip you naked and have you lay over his lap? And while you lay there, he would run his hand over your gorgeous ass and right when you were putty under his fingers, he would bring his hands down hard on your ass?”
An image of me over Paolo’s lap flashed through my mind, and I wanted nothing more than to see what it felt like.
“No.” I whispered.
He ran his hands down my side, and I didn’t stop him instead I leaned into him as his hand glided across my waist and lowered to my ass. “From the way your cheeks turned pink, and your eyes dilated I think you like the idea.”
I nodded and he stopped, dropping his hand. I immediately hated the loss of his touch.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, and he said, “This is heading down a very dangerous road.”
I looked up at him through my eyelashes. “Are you saying that because you have a girlfriend?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t be touching you if I had a girlfriend,” he said.
He continued, “The problem is, you're a client, and the boss has a strict rule about sleeping with a client.”
Funny enough, I recalled the company rules. There was something about not killing somebody, but I don't remember any rule about not having sex.
I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Kat and Antonio were discussing the rules, and I don’t remember don’t have sex with a client being on the list.”
"Jesus, woman, you are playing a very dangerous game right now. I'm only hanging on by a thread. I want to taste those lips to see if they have a hint of strawberry.”
“I wouldn’t complain if you tasted them," I whispered.
The words barely left my mouth when his lips collided with mine. His tongue snaked into my mouth, and I caught a hint of cigarette smoke on his breath. My desire overwhelmed every caution. His arm wrapped around me, pulling me tighter, and his hard chest pressed against mine. I found myself panting as our tongues tangled together. The warm ocean breeze wafted around us, and all the cares in the world drifted away.
I wanted nothing more than to strip him naked, but he pulled back, breaking the kiss.
“You're too sweet a woman to want me. I am a damaged man.”
It was like a giant bucket of cold water was poured over us.
“I don't think you have any say in who I like or what I want. If I'm interested, that's on me,” I murmured.
He took another step back. “You don't know what I've done in my past, the people I hurt. You wouldn't want any part of who I am. I should disgust you.”
"Then why can't we spend time together while we're on this island?" I pleaded. "No promises afterward. Don't worry about your past, just us on this island. In a month, I have to go back to Paris anyway."
"One month?" he echoed.
I worried that my heart might not survive this one-month trial. Something about this man made me want to protect him, because he seemed not to care about himself.
"One month," he repeated, as if reassuring himself that it would be worth it.
I didn’t let him think any longer. I stood on my tiptoes, wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled him back. His hands gripped my ass as he pulled me against him. He shifted his hands and pulled me up his body and wrapped my legs around his waist, arched my back, and our kiss deepened as his hands roamed over my body.
We slowly walked back into the room, and he laid me down on the bed. He was about to crawl next to me when his phone began buzzing. He pulled back abruptly.
"No!" I protested.
He shook his head. “I can and will drop what I’m doing. Your safety is more important than anything,” he said as he tapped his phone and stepped out of the room and onto the balcony, closing the door behind him.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he was using this as a way to distance himself. But little did he know, I wasn’t going to let that happen.