- 5 -
I dream about drowning.
Each time I’m saved.
Once by a seal.
Another by a man.
Both have taken my soul.
I wake, shaking and nauseous from almost drowning the night before, and the deep, throbbing desire that runs through my veins, still unsated since my experience with Logan. Stuffed under my pillow is the chain I ripped from the seal’s neck—proof I didn’t fabricate the entire thing.
I’ve run through the scene a million times in my head, but not once does it make sense. It must be the concussion, I think, taking a handful of aspirin. I’m convinced that must be the case, until I remember the chain.
“Ariella!” I hear from the deck. My stepfather, Winston Smithersmore has arrived. He likes these little drop-ins. Preferably when I’m either asleep or just woken.
He knows I prefer to sleep in the nude.
“Just a minute!” I reach for the closest thing, a white tank with the name Honolulu painted across the tits. I’m slipping on a pair of frilly-backed panties when he pushes open the door to my cabin.
“Oh, sorry to catch you in such a state,” he says, eyes glued to the tuft of hair at the edge of my pussy. God, he’s such a letch. It’s no surprise how my mother managed to land him. She’s a total MILF. Winston shifts his eyes from my cunt, over my breasts, and finally to my face. He frowns. “Are you okay? You look a little…rough.”
“I fell overboard last night.”
“My child, are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I say walking past him to get a band for my hair. I’m twisting it in a messy bun when I turn around and find my step-father two inches away. He reaches for my neck and touches it gingerly.
“That’s a nasty bruise.”
“Hit my head. I’m fine. Just a bit of a headache. Nothing a little Oxy won’t cure.”
“You really should get back in bed. Come, get under the covers.” I make a face but he presses, resting a possessive hand on my lower back. “I insist.”
I do as he says, not because I want to, but because Winston and I have an arrangement of sorts. I let him baby me, see me in various states of undress, and even cop the occasional feel, and he lets me stay on this boat without my mother knowing. He also gives me a generous allowance. That costs extra.
I settle on top of my fluffy white sheets and Winston tugs the duvet over my legs, trailing his fingers across my thighs in the process. He pulls it to my waist, brushing the ring on my belly button, which gives me a jolt to the pussy despite the fact I’m not remotely attracted to the man. I mean, he’s not ugly. Once upon a time I’m sure he was handsome, or even hot, but now? He’s becoming a victim to male pattern baldness, and despite him staying relatively fit, one has to look really closely to see a muscle. The guy is aging himself right out of any eligibility.
“How’s mother?” I ask, ignoring the ache in my loins that I’ve had since my fall.
“Good. She’s redecorating the living room. The whole house is covered in fabric swatches and paint chips.” He brushes a strand of hair out of my eyes. “You know how she gets.”
“I do.” I look at him from under my eyelashes, in the coy way I know he likes. “So I guess you’ve been feeling neglected.”
He smooths the blanket over my legs. “It can be a little lonely when she gets busy with her projects.”
What it comes down to is this. My step-father? He just wants a little spank bank material. He’s a total perv but ultimately pretty hands off. He’s well aware of my virgin status. He should be—he’s one of the reasons I have it. He and my mother drilled into me the fact that my pussy is gold and should only be given to someone worthy. I lean forward, far enough that my tank slips down to reveal the tops of my nipples. His eyes zoom in and he swallows thickly.
“I was wondering if you’d considered meeting my business partner, Calvin, for dinner.”
Ugh, Calvin. Now that was an old man who’d never been handsome. Rich as a king, but handsome? Barf.
“I don’t think he’s my type.”
“At some point you’re going to have to remedy your situation and Calvin is a perfectly acceptable option.”
“My cherry is not for sale.” I cross my arms, which only boosts my tits and probably doesn’t help my argument.
“I’m not trying to sell your virginity, Ariella,” he says, but we both know that’s not true. As word of my prolonged virginity travels across the island, several older, wealthy suitors have approached Winston to make a deal. At least three businessmen from Japan travelled from their home country to check me out. “But if you did choose to make an arrangement with Calvin, you wouldn’t have to hide from your mother or ask me for money anymore.”
I laugh. “Don’t pretend you don’t like coming over here.”
He licks his lips. “You know I do.”
“Well I don’t think Calvin is the kind of man who will want to share, even with you.” I give him a steely glare. “Thank you for coming to check on me. I really did have quite the scare last night. In fact, I nearly drowned. Then the craziest thing happened.”
“What’s that?” He rubs my arm gently and I feel my oversensitive nipples perk at his touch.
“A harbor seal saved me from drowning.”
“A seal? One of the Monks?”
“Yes, pushed me right out of the water, made sure I got back on the boat.”
My stepfather smiles, amused and condescending. “So after all these years you finally made an animal friend.”
“Maybe more than a friend.”
He leans forward and kisses me on the forehead. “You may have hit that noggin of yours a little harder than I realized.”
“What?” I ask. “No, it really happened. The seal—he saved me!”
Winston shakes his head. He loves me—or at least he loves my body and my youth. But he has never been entertained by my love for animals. He stands and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a fat roll of hundreds. He peels off three and rests it on the white blanket. “Go see a doctor, sweetheart, and get your head checked out. And let me know if you change your mind about Calvin.”
I stare at the money, feeling foolish that I let down my guard long enough to tell him about the seal. I snatch up the money, though, before he changes his mind. I let him get one last feel, running his hand over the side of my breast before he squeezes my nipple and walks out of the cabin. I reach under my pillow and feel for the chain. For the first time I look at them closely, my eyes bugging in reaction. Not only did I not make up my encounter, I had proof.