Page 56 of Tainted Love

‘All right. What do you want to dance to?’

I wiggle my hips as I move towards her on the chair, swirling a finger just in front of her nose. ‘I think you know.’

‘“Mr Brightside”!’

‘Carl, can you?—’

It’s not obvious whether he’s laughing at or with me but I don’t care because The Killers’ ‘Mr Brightside’, my university party piece, comes over the speakers of the yacht as we slowly back out of the harbour into the ocean.

As the guitar kicks in, I walk backwards to the bow and Amanda struts towards me in time to the music, her lips pursed like a rock star. The beat drops. The voices. Bass. Drums. Amanda screams, running towards me.

We hold hands, jumping, shouting the lyrics.

Hell, I forgot how much fun we used to have.

Amanda stands in the verse, fanning herself as she moves to a lounger and sips cool water. I’m sweating, I’m hyper and I’m on top of the world.

Air guitar.

Head down, one leg bent and bouncing, I play that damned air guitar like a wild thing. I jump, my feet kicking out beneath me, my arms punching the air above my head.

Then I see him. Arms folded. Watching me.

I stop for a second and consider how insanely drunk I must look to him.

Then I think, fuck it!

I jump again to the final chorus and repeat my dress-removal action as a massive smirk pulls on his lips and Williams joins Amanda in hysterics.

‘Scarlett, come away from the edge,’ Gregory shouts over the music.

I check the position of my feet, then challenging him, I shuffle back towards the edge.

‘Scarlett.’

‘Oh, Gregory, she’s fine. Bloody hell.’

He scowls at Amanda and starts walking towards me.

‘Scarlett, I won’t tell you again.’

I shuffle my feet back further. ‘What will you do about it?’ He speeds up when my heels hang over the edge. ‘Will you spank me, Ryans?’

He darts towards me, knocking me off balance and ends up catching me, pulling me into him as I chuckle. ‘Baby, flirting with men on the beach, getting drunk without me, you were already in spanking territory.’

I swallow audibly under the intensity of his stare, the heat emanating from his body moves directly to my sex without passing Go.

‘For this, you’re going to be tied to the bed and you’re going to accept my cock until you make me come in that fucking marvellous mouth of yours.’

A sharp breath fills my lungs.

‘ThenI’m going to spank you.’

‘I want you so bad right now,’ I confess.

‘My cock is twitching to be inside you.’

‘Give in,’ I whisper.