She didn't leave Jackson's side for the next three days.  

After returning from whatever had made him so cold and distant, he'd been anything but. He'd spanked her across his lap, as he'd promised, fingering her pussy in between until she'd come, crying his name. Then, also as he promised, he'd made love to her on his big bed. Sweetly, tenderly.

He'd laved her with his tongue until she'd begged him to take her, then he'd moved up her body, and eased himself inside her. They'd been looking into each other's eyes, fingers linked together as orgasms had taken them both. 

She’d had no idea something so gentle could shatter her so completely. Leave her so exposed, stunned, shredded.

Not just physically, but emotionally. When he asked her afterwards as he held her — both of them a little shaken by the emotional depth of what had just happened — if she believed in Santa Claus, she'd wondered if that was some sort of code for something sexual.

But a few hours later, after they'd showered and napped, Jackson had escorted her off the ship and into the walled city of Bari. They'd stopped at a cafe for ice cream. She'd laughed when he'd told the waiter — in perfect Italian — that they would take any flavor but vanilla, they'd already had enough vanilla today. Then they'd walked, hand in hand around the narrow streets of the medieval city, and ended up at the Basilica di San Nicola. Jackson took her inside and explained the one thousand year old church was the final resting place of St. Nicholas. Santa Claus. 

She had to admit, it was an impressive first date.

Their second date was even more so, when the ship stopped the next day in Venice. Because of his offices in Rome, Jackson had spent quite a bit of time in Venice and took her around the city — so unique because no cars we allowed inside the town limits. To get anywhere, you either walked over narrow bridges or took a water taxi. 

Jackson had shown her Piazza San Marco, home of the infamous Carnival in February, where everyone dressed in masquerade masks and fancy dresses. He'd taken her to nearby Murano and shown her where they hand blow glass and had even bought her a trinket.

If she hadn't been in love with Jackson Calder since she was sixteen years old, she definitely would've been when he bought her a tiny glass charm shaped like a vanilla ice cream cone. It was utterly useless and perhaps the most wonderful gift she'd ever received.

Except for the necklace Jackson had slipped around her neck that morning. A modest gold choker, with thin golden woven strands.

As he’d fastened it under her hair, his blue eyes had met hers in the mirror. “Don’t take it off.”

No other words had been said, no promises implied, but they both knew that the necklace was a publicly acceptable version of a collar.

It announced to everyone that she was Jackson’s.

The Jackson she'd remembered before Scott had died was back. Funny, so smart, so patient. He asked her more questions about SilverSystems than she would've thought he'd be interested in knowing. But she'd done her best to explain. After all, he was the CEO of Calder Enterprises, SilverSystem's largest customer. She and Alexandra wouldn't go under if it wasn't for Jackson's business, but it would definitely be a big hole to fill.

She needed to get away from him to get to the server room to check the trap she'd placed for whoever was trying to steal from Calder Enterprises. She knew it had to be someone already familiar with various aspects of Jackson's software, because whoever it was wasn't just using the SilverSystem programs to steal, he or she was using multiple programs. Hopefully the thief had already taken the bait and she would be able to track him.

She didn't want to tell Jackson about any of it until she had proof. Partly because the thief had to be someone he was already acquainted with. Someone whose systems Calder Enterprises had been using for a while. She didn't want to accuse anyone without the data to back it up.  But more, if this new software she’d planted worked the way she thought it would, it could be a huge selling point for SilverSystems, helping future buyers combat fraud and theft.

She needed to get away from Jackson tonight and get this handled. There’d been no chance to get away from — hadn’t wanted to get away from him — for the past few days. But she didn't want it hanging over her head any longer and honestly just wanted to hand it off to someone who knew what to do with the information once she had the proof. She sure as hell wasn't interested in a confrontation herself. 

All she would need to do is get the proof to Jackson and he would have someone who could handle it. Once she had the data, she'd be able to pinpoint where the thief was working. Probably in either his New York or Los Angeles offices.

She couldn't help but think that he would be happy, even proud, of what she'd done. Realizing a problem, taking initiative and fixing it. He would be proud of her both personally and professionally. The thought sent a thrill through her. Maybe he would reward her. 

Maybe it would involve him tying her in some of the elaborate Shibari knots she'd seen him do in a scene a few months ago. The binding had seemed rather benign right up to the point where he'd suspended the submissive from reinforced bolts in the ceiling, and gently began swinging her. 

The knots he'd cleverly placed against the sub's clits and nipples had the woman screaming as she came over and over swinging back and forth.

“What are you smiling about over there?” Jackson's hand trailed up her naked leg to her belly from where he lay next to her on the bed.

Except for when they'd been off the ship, she'd basically been naked with him here in his suite. Not that she was complaining.

“I was wondering, if I was a very good girl, if you would use Shibari knots on me some time.” 

She smiled as his cock began to harden even though they'd already had two bouts of mind-blowing sex today — the last one involving him cuffing her to the bed and attaching her legs to a spreader bar. 

“Oh, I think Shibari knots are definitely a part of your future regardless if you've been good or bad.”

Him mentioning their future, even though they'd decidedly not talked about where this was going, eased and softened something inside her. Something that was afraid he'd change his mind and slip away again. 

He turned over onto his side so they were face to face on the bed. “Why? Have you done something bad, Lexi?” His furrowed brow seemed so serious. She wanted to reach up and smooth his forehead. “Because if you had, and then changed your mind or something, you could talk to me about it. I'm not so much of an asshole that I don't know that people sometimes make mistakes.”

She half smiled, trying to read him. Was this about her punishments that both of them loved so well? “I don't think I would admit it to you if I did something bad. I'm still barely able to sit down after yesterday's punishment.”

Before her mind had comprehended he was moving he had rolled over and pinned her under him. “Just tell me, Lexi. We'll work it out, I promise.” His face was so serious just inches from her own.

“Jackson?” What was wrong with him? She hadn’t seen him like this.

“Yes?” 

“I'm not sure exactly what you want from me right now. Are you being serious? Do you want me to apologize again for deceiving you?” She could feel herself tensing. If this was a game, she didn't understand the rules. 

“No, not that.”

“Then what?”

He just stared at her for a long moment, his eyes narrowed. She saw disappointment wash over his face but it was gone so quickly she wondered if she’d imagined it. Then a sultry grin overtook his face.

“Nothing. I was just hoping you'd done something bad so we could have more punishments today.” 

His sexy smile didn't quite meet his eyes, but she decided not to press it. “Oh, my punishment yesterday wasn't enough for you?”

“You have to admit you definitely owed me and Donovan that apology for deceiving us.”

“My ass is still sore. He really whaled on me with that belt.”

Now Jackson's smile met his eyes. “I loved watching your face as he spanked you. Watching you sob and know that you would feel better — and we would too — because the air was cleared between us. I liked it almost as much was as I liked you sucking my cock and spanking you myself.”

“That was a lot. Both of you taking turns.”

His eyebrow raised. “You saying you didn't deserve it? Letting us both scene with you, knowing we thought you were someone else? It's one thing for you to scene with people who didn't know either Alexandra Silver or Lexi Durham, quite another for you to deliberately deceive us.”

She blushed slightly. “I guess so.”

“Tell me what you were feeling during the punishment.”

“Jackson—” 

He reached between them and pinched a nipple. “Excuse me? That's Sir or Master.”

“I'm sorry, Sir.” Her nipple hardened just saying the words. “Do you really want to know how the punishment made me feel? That it both hurt and turned me on at the same time?”

“Yes. Especially that.”

She grimaced. “I knew I was in trouble when Donovan showed up. I could tell he was still a little angry with me.”

Jackson cocked one eyebrow. “I would say more than just a little. How did you feel when we told you what the punishment would be?” 

“I knew that it had been well-planned.”

He chuckled. “Donovan and I are nothing if not strategic. Were you worried about the pain?”

“A little. But I know neither of you would truly hurt me. It was the other—” She flushed again. “—the way you positioned me so you could see my face. That was hard.”

She shivered remembering it.

When Donovan arrived at Jackson’s cabin yesterday, they had explained would receive ten spanks from each of them, with their instrument of choice. Although she knew that was going to hurt — especially when Jackson chose a wooden paddle and Donovan chose a belt — she hadn't been too worried. 

They had stripped her naked, and told her she’d be sucking them off in between her spankings. She’d thought that meant she would get on her knees and give them a blowjob, and then would be bent over their laps or the bed for the spanking.

But instead Donovan had sat in the middle of the couch and told Lexi to stand in front of him. She would suck him off from there, bending at the waist.

She’d obeyed instantly, but had been surprised when he'd stopped her a few minutes later. He'd taken her hands and rested them on his thighs and tilted her chin up so she was looking him in the eye.

“Five, Jackson.”

Donovan had watched her face as Jackson had given her ass five blows with the paddle. By the third she was crying. By the fifth, she couldn't stop her wails.

“Now, back to my cock,” he’d said.

Jackson had rubbed her stinging ass from where he stood behind her as she'd licked and sucked Donovan, taking his balls in her mouth and sucking them gently when he demanded. 

His breath was getting more ragged when he stopped her again, putting her hands back on this thighs. “The other five, Jackson.”

She didn't even try to hold back her sobs this time as Jackson paddled her again. By the time Jackson got to the fifth blow, she was wailing.  

”I'm sorry,” she said to Donovan between sobs after the last blow. 

He finally gave her a real smile. “I know you are. Now finish me, so that I get to spank that ass.”

When she'd finished swallowing his load, she’d stood and Jackson took his place on the couch and Donovan stood behind her. 

“Start with the spanking,” Jackson said. “I want to see her face as she gets all ten.”

His blue eyes had remained locked on hers as Donovan whipped her with the belt, his blows harder than Jackson's had been, stinging her already tender ass and thighs.

Having Jackson’s eyes on her as she went through this was so intimate, it was painful. Like he was looking into her very soul. She knew her face had to be red and blotchy from her continued sobs, but Jackson had looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

After her spanking, she’d remained in the same position, her hands on his thighs, bent towards him, unable to look away. Eventually, he’d gently wiped her face, reaching up and gently kissing her on the forehead.

She’d dropped to her knees and sucked his cock with abandon; reverence. Taking him deeper than she’d ever taken anyone. When she’d swallowed every bit of his cum and licked him clean, he’d pulled her up into his lap and they’d sat there for a long time. Donovan had slipped out after spanking her, leaving them alone together.

Lexi looked at Jackson now, running her fingers over his rock-hard abs. “Why did you like watching my expression as I got spanked?”

He trailed fingers down her cheek. “There's such an honesty to it. I've seen it on subs' faces during scenes, how it hurts, but also helps clear their mind, center them. Watching that happen to you was fucking amazing — how repentant you were, how it cleared the air.”

His blue eyes burned with a dark intensity and he looked like he was going to say something else, but stopped.

“What?” she asked, pinching him lightly on the abs.

The dark look was gone, replaced by a smile. “I liked watching you spanked but having my cock down your throat was pretty mind-blowing too.”

“And making sure the balcony door was open so everyone could hear my punishment?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. 

His grin was huge now. “That was just an added bonus for everyone's benefit.” 

He kissed her then rolled to the side. “I'm going to take a shower. You up for hitting the black stone beach in Dubrovnik in a couple of hours?”

The ship would be spending the next two days in ocean town of Dubrovnik, Croatia. Getting out and basking in the sun and exploring the city proper, where a lot of Game of Thrones had been filmed, was high on her agenda. Not that she minded being naked inside the cabin with Jackson.

She still needed to get away from him to get the server room. But it could wait until tonight. Maybe she could talk him into doing a scene in the Dungeon deck tonight. Without the mask. Going in unmasked to play with her own Dom would be a new experience. One she'd always hoped. But the fact that it would be Jackson? 

She'd always hoped but never quite believed it would happen.

She'd tell him she'd meet him in the Dungeon deck and take a little detour to the server room on the way. Get the work out of the way then focus on going public with one very sexy man.