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He hit a button, tossing the phone on the bed before dropping onto the mattress and setting me on my feet in front of him.

“Apparently you’ve been very naughty, Natalie.” A voice I didn’t recognize filled the room, and I realized then that Lucas must have put the call on speaker.

“What? Who the hell is that? Lucas?”

“I am the sole reason you haven’t already been kicked off that ship,” the deep voice from the phone drawled, and even though I couldn’t see him, had no idea who he was, terror crawled up my spine.

“Lucas has been keeping an eye on you for me, and it seems as though you’ve finally tested the limits of his rather generous patience. What was the final straw, my friend?”

I’d been so distracted by the voice on the other end of the phone, I didn’t even realize until that moment that Lucas had been making quick work of my uniform, stripping me out of my overalls and shirt, down to nothing but my bra and underwear.

“Lucas!” Shrieking with indignation, I stumbled backward, grabbing for my clothes to pull them back up. But Lucas was much faster and much stronger, and before I could so much as blink, I found myself over his lap.

“She’s been refusing to wear her harness and she damn near went into the water this morning.”

“Is that so?”

There was a coldness to the other voice that froze me in place over Lucas’s lap.

“It is,” Lucas confirmed, his own voice harder than I’d ever heard it. “Do I have your permission to proceed?”

“You do. I trust you to ensure this is a lesson that never needs to be repeated.”

“Absolutely.”

With that, pain exploded across my backside. For a moment, I was too shocked to fight, too stunned to scream. But when the second spank landed, the pain snapped me out of my stupor and I came alive over my assailant’s lap, fighting and screeching for all I was worth.

“Let me go, you fucking asshole! I’ll fucking kill you!”

“It’s a good thing I’ve stocked up on soap.” Laughter filled the room, mixing with the sound of my struggles. “Sounds like I’m going to need it.”

Over and over and over again Lucas’s hand connected with my ass. No matter how hard I fought, how loud I screamed, the punishment never ceased.

And through it all, the voice on the other end of the phone spoke in those deep, drawling tones.

“Make sure you give her sit-spots plenty of attention. She won’t learn if she doesn’t feel this every time she sits down for the next few days.

” “Our little one is a fighter, isn’t she?

You may need to use the paddle if she doesn’t give in soon. ”

I fought for as long as I could. Until, at last, I simply ran out of energy. Collapsing over Lucas’s knee, I gave up, sobs wracking my body as he continued to spank my already scorched flesh.

“Ten more, Lucas. I want to be sure this lesson sinks in.”

The ten that came after that declaration were the hardest yet, and by the time Lucas gently lifted me up, cradling me in his giant arms, I was very certain I would never, ever “forget” my safety harness again.

“There we are, my curious little kitten.” The voice turned gentle, almost soothing. “Are you going to be a good girl now? No more giving Lucas any trouble about your safety equipment?”

“She’s nodding,” Lucas said, his tone also taking on a gentle cadence as he rocked me in his arms. “Don’t worry, Evander. I’ll take good care of your little one.”

“See that you do. Sleep now, kitten. Daddy will be there soon.”

Exhausted, far too worn out from my punishment to worry about some strange man calling himself “Daddy”, I fell asleep in Lucas’s arms.

That was a week ago. I’ve been trying to shake Lucas ever since, but if anything, he’s only become more attached to me.

A shadow I can’t rid myself of no matter how hard I try.

He hasn’t spanked me again, but mostly because I haven’t given him a reason to.

Whenever he so much as looks at me sideways, I immediately stop doing whatever it is that’s earned me that look.

It’s becoming a bit stifling, if I’m being honest, but I’m not keen to find myself over his lap again any time soon.

But none of that matters. Because in just a short while, we’ll be docking at the island. Excitement bubbles in my veins, the thrill of the chase once again returning to overtake the sheer exhaustion I’ve felt the past few weeks.

Everyone is on alert, either already running to heed the orders we’ve been given, or waiting for their own set of instructions. I know I should be helping, but I’m too caught up in what awaits me at our destination to really care.

My first glimpse of the island takes my breath away.

I expected something tropical and lush, but I never actually saw pictures of it.

And even if I had, I’m not sure they could have prepared me for the reality of this rich man’s playground.

The forest is lush and dense, though it’s been cleared away at the docking area to make way for what appear to be warehouses.

As I take it in, worry worms its way through my excitement.

The island is huge, so much bigger than I’d anticipated.

How the hell am I supposed to find Juliet?

Or any of the other unknown women I’ve been told Jasper and his friends have brought here?

Already it seems like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Perhaps there’s a town. Surely if I can make my way to whatever center there might be, I can figure things out from there. Chat up the locals a bit, get a sense of things from them.

I’m so caught up in making my plans, I don’t even notice we’ve reached our destination. Or that the bridge connecting the ship to the dock has been lowered.

Or that a single man has crossed that metal bridge. I don’t notice a damn thing until a long shadow falls over me, and that deep voice I remember from the phone whispers in my ear.

“There you are, my naughty little kitten. Daddy’s been looking for you.”

Without even bothering to look and see who that terrifying voice belongs to, I do the first thing I can think of.

I run.