Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Alexis
It’s more than a little unsettling, being forced to call one of the richest women in the world “Mommy” with my ass on fire and the taste of soap still lingering on my tongue.
But even more unsettling is the hint of what almost sounds like affection in Catharine's tone when she calls me her “naughty Little girl”.
Most unsettling of all is the flutter of pleasure in my tummy when she does so.
My mind is still working to unravel that particular mystery as Catharina cups my elbow and guides me back to the main cabin. “Have a seat, little one. We need to get buckled in so the pilot can take off. We’re already behind schedule.”
Even though my ass still aches from her punishing hand, I risk one last pleading glance in her direction. “I don’t want to go anymore. Please, let me go home. I promise no more using you to scam men out of money.”
“Silly girl.” Chuckling softly, she taps the end of my nose. “Mommy is taking you home. I think you’ll like my house much more than that tiny apartment you’ve been living in.”
I knew it was useless to even ask, and still my stomach drops at her refusal. Tears burn in my eyes as I allow myself to be guided to a plush, comfortable seat—though not quite plush enough that my butt doesn’t throb when I sit—while Catharina pulls the strap across my stomach.
“Oh, um.” Embarrassment heats my face as I reach for the belt. “It’s not gonna fit. You’ll probably need one of those extender things.”
“No worries, little one. Your Uncle Max had this plane designed for everyone’s comfort.”
To my surprise, the belt does fit, with room to spare.
With me securely strapped in, Catharina takes the seat next to me, buckling herself in.
Nearly the second she’s secured, the plane lurches forward, and I realize with no small amount of terror that I’m being whisked off to some undisclosed location, and that nobody will know where to find me.
I didn’t bother telling my friends about my trip because I knew they either wouldn’t believe me or they’d beg to come along.
Now, I’m wishing I’d mentioned it to someone. Anyone. But even if I had, would they even notice if I didn’t return home?
The thought that I could disappear forever and nobody would care enough to search for me is even more upsetting than the knowledge that I am being kidnapped by a crazy ass billionaire. Desperate for a distraction from both points, I focus on the woman beside me.
There’s a reason I chose her for my catfishing scheme.
It was a risk, certainly, as she’s not exactly the most private person.
She isn’t nearly as well known as say, a Kardashian, but she also doesn’t shy from the media.
Which is why when I used her pictures, I never bothered to pretend I was anyone but her.
If I’d tried to use her likeness with a different name, people would have caught on immediately.
And while a few men saw through the ruse immediately, likely because they know her in person, the ones who fell for it fell hard.
And honestly, how could I resist pretending to be someone like her?
Unlike my own round face, Catharina’s cheekbones look like they could cut glass.
The sleek, black waterfall of her hair is a stark contrast to my own riot of carrot-colored curls.
And her body. Fucking hell. A perfect hourglass, the kind of curves my mother always told me I could have if I’d just put down the junk food.
Everything about her is designed to lure men in, to strip them down to their most base urges as they walk straight into her trap.
Only now, I’m the one caught in her snare, and I’m still not sure why.
There’s another of those unsettling jolts as the plane lifts off the ground, and a soft gasp escapes me before I’m able to smother it.
In yet another surprising twist, Catharina lays a hand over mine, her thumb rubbing soothing circles over my knuckles as she smiles at me.
“Shh, little one. It’s all right. Mommy is right here and I’d never let anything happen to my babygirl. ”
I can’t help but believe her. After all, why would she go through all this trouble to trick me and kidnap me just to let me die in a fiery crash? And if anyone could keep a plane in the sky just through the sheer force of their will, it’s Catharina Montgomery.
That knowledge settles my jumping stomach a bit, but not quite enough, so I search my brain for another distraction.
It doesn’t take me long to find one, considering I have nothing but questions about what the fuck is going on.
I start with what I hope is an easy enough question for her. “Who is Uncle Max?”
Catharina’s smile deepens. “I suppose you could say he’s the head of our little family. The island was his idea, you see, and he takes the running of it very seriously.”
“You keep talking about ‘the island’. What island? Where is it? Who else lives there?”
“Curious little thing,” she mutters, but there’s a flash of pride in her eyes when she says it. “You and Natalie will get along well.”
“Who’s Natalie?”
Above us, the seatbelt sign clicks off and Catharina releases my hand to unbuckle hers, and then mine. “Kerry, would you fetch me the milk from the fridge? And the chocolates, as well. My Little one has had quite the morning.”
“Of course, Ms. Montgomery.”
With Kerry dispatched, Catharina gives my hand a firm tug. “Come here, little one. It’s been killing me not to snuggle you after such a harsh punishment.”
Disobeying her is likely to earn me another punishment, so I rise to my feet and step closer. But when she tries to pull me down to sit on her lap, I balk.
“I don’t want to crush you.”
The look she gives me is stern enough to have me shoving my free hand behind me to cover my ass. “Don’t be ridiculous, Alexis. Mommy’s lap was made for sweet Little girls like yourself.”
“But I’m not little. I’m like, the complete opposite of little. And you’re…” Perfect. You’re so fucking perfect. Unlike me.
Her mouth curves up in a knowing smirk. “I’m much stronger than I look, which you should have realized by now considering how easily I was able to put you over my knee. But perhaps you need another demonstration.”
“No, no, I believe you!”
To prove my point, I lower myself gently onto her lap, without fully resting my weight on her leg. “See? All good.”
One dark brow raises, but the smirk doesn’t budge. “Do you really think that’s what I meant, Alexis Paige?”
You know what? Fine. If she wants me to sit on her lap and break her fucking legs, then what do I care? At least then she won’t be able to chase me when I finally find a way to escape.
Out of pure spite, I drop down hard onto her lap but to my great annoyance she doesn’t even flinch. If anything, she only smiles wider as she wraps her arms around me, pulling me closer to her.
“There. Isn’t that much better, baby?”
My butt still hurts and I can still taste soap. But to my surprise I actually do feel a little better, snuggling up to her like this.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Because I don’t have an answer to that particular question, I keep silent, closing my eyes and pretending it’s someone else’s arms around me, holding me tightly. Comforting me. Anyone but her.
“Thank you, Kerry. You’re a good girl.”
An emotion I can’t quite place twists in my stomach and I pry open one eyelid to stare up at the perfect little cheerleader beaming down at Catharina. “Thank you, Ms. Montgomery. Anything else I can get for you?”
“A little privacy. I’d like some time alone with my Little girl.”
Kerry’s bottom lip moves into a slight pout, but then her expression clears and she’s all smiles again. “Of course, ma’am.”
That’s right. She’s my Mommy. Not yours.
Holy fuck. Where did that thought come from? Is that odd twisty feeling in my stomach actually… jealousy?
No. Definitely not. I don’t even like Catharina, so why would I care if she’s nice to Kerry? Just because Kerry is tall and thin and pretty and blonde, everything I know I’ll never be, it doesn’t mean I’m jealous.
Does it?
Of course not. Squeezing my eyes shut again, I try to ignore that weird feeling in my stomach.
“Open up, little one. Mommy has a treat for you.”
The smell of chocolate hits my nose and my mouth practically waters.
But I already had those cookies in the limo, which means I’m well over my “sweet treat” allotment for the day.
And maybe it’s ridiculous to be worrying about how I’ll look in a bathing suit, considering my most pressing issue at the moment is the fact that I’ve been kidnapped by a rich sociopath with the resources to make me completely disappear if she wants to.
And yet, here I am, ready to refuse a treat because of the extra calories.
“Not hungry.”
“You need something in your tummy, Alexis. If you don’t want the chocolate, we have other snacks. Would you prefer some nuts?”
“I said I’m not hungry.” There’s more than a little snap in my voice as I repeat myself, and beneath me, Catharina stiffens.
“If you’re that eager for another spanking, I can certainly accommodate you.”
Fury and fear dance inside me, and I push myself up to glare at her. “I didn’t even do anything! You’re just looking for an excuse to beat me!”
Of all the responses I might have expected to my outburst, her laughter wasn’t one of them. And yet, that’s exactly the reaction I get. Head thrown back, her whole body shaking, her delighted laughter fills the cabin. It’s the kind of laugh a girl could lose herself in.
If a girl was interested in her that way, I mean. Which I am definitely not.
“Oh, my sweet little imp.” Eyes shining with the evidence of her mirth, Catharina grins.
“I don’t need to look for reasons to spank you.
It’s a Mommy’s prerogative to spank her babygirl whenever she feels like it.
But I have a feeling you will be giving me many, many reasons without me looking very hard at all. ”
“Maybe I wouldn’t give you any reasons at all if you weren’t, you know, kidnapping me against my will.”
“The way I remember it, you couldn’t wait to jump on the chance of an all- expenses-paid vacation. It’s not my fault you failed to ask the important questions.”
“Oh, yeah, it’s definitely my fault for not asking if you were going to hold me down and spank me like a child and then wash my mouth out with soap.” Sarcasm drips from my words, but instead of scolding me, Catharina simply nods.
“Exactly. I’m glad we agree.”
The sheer arrogance of her response robs me of my speech, my mouth falling open as I stare at her. Just enough for her to pop one of the chocolates she’s holding between my lips.
I should spit it out, right onto her perfect suit. But before I can even process that thought, the chocolate melts on my tongue, mixing with the salted caramel in the center. It is, hands down, the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever tasted and a low moan slips from me as I savor it.
“See now? Mommy knows best. Coconut or a truffle next?”
Well, it’s really pointless to fight her now, I guess. My diet is already ruined and as she said, I have had a rather rough day. “Coconut.”
Catharina plucks another chocolate from the box and feeds it to me. The coconut is almost as good as the caramel, and the truffle she gives me next is even better.
To my dismay, she replaces the cover on the box and sets it aside. “You can have some more after lunch. I wouldn’t want my Little girl getting a tummyache from too many sweets.”
“But I wanna try the raspberry one.”
“You can try after lunch.” Her tone is firm, clearly indicating the conversation is closed. “Right now, Mommy has another treat for you.”
Disappointment gives way to curiosity. “What kind of treat?”
Leaning over, she picks something up from the floor. I blink at the thing in her hand, my brain trying to reconcile what she’s holding.
“Is that… Is that a bottle?”