Page 36

damian

The second my wrist slipped free of the rope, her eyes snapped to mine. Our gazes locked, neither of us moving as shock crossed her face. She tried scrambling off me, but I snatched her wrist.

“Where are you going, wife?” I asked, my tone smug. “The fun is just starting.”

She let out a nervous laugh, her struggles intensifying. “You can’t keep a hold of me and free yourself.”

Determined to prove her wrong, I kept my grip tight on her as I yanked my other arm.

But the ropes were tighter, and no amount of pulling was going to work.

I tensed when she poked me in the ribs. When she did again, I muttered a curse, letting her go.

She flew off the bed, grabbing the dress on the chair.

I reached up, working out the knot as she got dressed.

“Don’t you dare,” I warned when she went for the key on the nightstand. “We’ll call this even right now, Natalia. Unless you take that key. We’re on a boat—there are only so many places you can hide.”

After a moment of hesitation, she snatched it up, the key dangling from the chain as she slipped on her flip flops. “I don’t need to hide. I only need to make sure you don’t find the key. Be a good boy, Damian.”

I redoubled my efforts to get free. My hand finally slipped through the ropes, and I jumped off the bed, only to freeze. Every movement was reminding me there was a cage on my cock. It was heavy, but tight enough that it wasn’t going anywhere. A small giggle had my eyes cutting to her.

“You look good as mine. Maybe I’ll keep you in the cage longer than just the trip.”

“Talie,” I yelled when she opened the door. “I fucking swear?—”

With a sinful smirk, she disappeared, slamming the door behind her.

I glanced down, indecision tearing through me.

I wanted to get this damn cage off. But I had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy without the key.

I rushed across the room to the closet, gritting my teeth at how uncomfortable it was to move.

I yanked my shirt off a hanger, quickly putting it on, not taking the time to button it. After slipping on a pair of slacks, it took me a few moments to spot my shoes. My mind was racing, trying to think about where Talie would have gone. She was most likely hiding in her sister’s room.

Ripping open the door, I stared down the hall, not seeing a soul.

I had no idea what time it was. Or where Charlotte’s room was.

Grumbling under my breath, I awkwardly strode down the hall, feeling the cage with every step.

I hoped the damn thing would slide off. Glancing down, my annoyance only grew.

While it wasn’t super noticeable, there was definitely a slight bulge where the cage was.

“Damian.”

Lifting my eyes, I saw my parents at the end of the hall. My mother had a coffee cup in her hand, letting me know it was morning. I straightened up, hoping to fucking everything my slacks were enough to hide the torture device Talie locked on me.

“Coming to breakfast, sweetheart?” my mother asked me with a smile.

“After I find my wife,” I muttered, not realizing my father heard me until he frowned as his gaze dropped to my unbuttoned shirt.

“It’s eight in the morning,” he said. “You’re telling me you don’t know where she is? Did she sleep somewhere else?”

“She had plans with her sister this morning.”

“I just saw them upstairs,” my mom informed me before taking a sip of her coffee. “They were on the lounge chairs.”

Interesting . She didn’t run and hide like I thought she would.

Ignoring my father’s words, I spun around, rushing down the hall, hastily buttoning up my shirt.

Instead of waiting for the elevator, I went into the stairwell, immediately regretting my choice when I climbed the first couple of steps.

Oh my fuck . I needed to get this damn thing off as soon as possible.

I raced up the stairs as fast as I could, letting out a long breath once I reached the deck.

The sun was already in the sky, and there were a couple of my father’s business friends walking around.

Before any of them could make eye contact with me, I stormed toward the back of the yacht.

I finally spotted Charlotte, who was leaning against the railing.

Talie was facing away from me as she sat on the lounge chair, listening to whatever her sister was saying.

Their laughs carried in the breeze, and I hurried my steps when Charlotte caught sight of me. She said something to Talie, who jumped to her feet, spinning around to face me. She backed up a couple of steps, a slice of panic crossing her face.

“Why so surprised, Natalia?” I murmured once I got closer. “You really didn’t think I’d find you?”

She laughed lightly, retreating away from me even more. “I thought it would have taken you longer.”

“Find you for what?” Charlotte asked, glancing at Talie. “What did you do?”

“Nothing,” she replied, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “Just teaching my husband a lesson in how revenge works.”

“Oh, my bratty wife.” I chuckled gruffly, feeling my dick trying to get hard from her feisty attitude. “You better hand over that key, or the lesson I give you will end with you unable to sit for a week.”

Talie’s eyes widened, and she bit her lip, clearly remembering the night I had her bent over the dining table. Charlotte let out a choking sound before clearing her throat.

“None of my business,” she muttered. “Maybe I’ll go and let you two work out whatever marriage squabble you’re having?—”

“Wait,” Talie cut her off, sounding nervous at the thought of being alone with me. “We were going to have breakfast together.”

“The key,” I said, my voice laced with warning. “You’re not going anywhere until I get it.”

Instead of listening to me, she ran. I lunged forward, catching the hem of her dress for a second before she tore away. The chain swung in her grip as she darted around a table before I could reach her.

“Looks like you can move well with it on,” she taunted as she danced away from me again. “That’s good, since it’s not coming off.”

I made a noise of annoyance as I cut her off when she tried rushing past me.

She whirled around, letting out a small yell when she hit the railing.

My chest pressed against her back as I reached for the key.

She flailed, refusing to give in, and I wrapped my other arm around her waist, keeping her tight against me.

“Stop fighting before you flip over the railing,” I grumbled, trying to snag the key. I was able to get a hold of the chain, and she tugged hard, trying to rip it from my grip.

“Let go of me?—”

Her words caught in her throat as the thin chain suddenly broke. I sucked in a sharp breath when the key slid down, plopping into the water before sinking under the surface. I froze in shock, and Talie didn’t move a muscle, the chain still dangling from her hand.

“That did not fucking happen,” I mumbled, staring at the blue abyss.

She stayed silent. I grabbed her hips, spinning her around. She tilted her face up to meet my eyes, and I could see the truth before I even spoke the words.

“ Please tell me you have a spare key on this damn yacht,” I said in a low voice.

A tense laugh erupted from her. “Not here. It’s in the city.”

“Natalia,” I ground out, disbelief swarming me.

“You two are drawing attention,” Charlotte said, reminding me that we weren’t alone.

“We don’t want your business partners gossiping about our marriage,” Talie sang out, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

Oh, she thought she was safe . Her grin morphed into a frown when my grip on her hips tightened.

“Gossip about what?” I responded, cocking my head. “We’re here to celebrate our marriage.”

“Damian—”

I didn’t give her a chance to reply before I bent down, throwing her over my shoulder. She let out a surprised cry, writhing in my hold when I locked my arm around her thighs, making sure her dress was still covering her ass. When I turned around, I saw Charlotte staring at us with her eyes wide.

“Tell our parents we might miss dinner,” I told her while striding away.

“People are staring,” Talie hissed. She grabbed my shirt, tugging on it as if that would make me put her down.

“Good.”

“Where are you two going?”

I glanced to the side to see Rhyett standing with a few other men who worked with Talie’s father. She stiffened in my hold, not saying a word as we passed them.

I shot Rhyett a grin. “I’m spending the day with my wife. We have a lot of time to make up for now that she’s home.”

A few of the men chuckled, and Talie grumbled something under her breath as I pushed open the door to the stairwell.

“What are you doing?” she snapped once we were alone.

I slowly went down the steps as she struggled. “You gave me a taste of my new favorite meal, and now I’m insatiable. So we’re spending the day with my head between your legs.”