Shameful Reckonings (13 page)

To top it all off, she was also wearing some kind of headdress. Her hair had been brushed until it shone, and scented with some flowery perfume. A golden fillet sat on her forehead, and a filmy veil draped down from it behind her. More tiny bells were sewn into the hem of the veil. Gia couldn’t make a move without causing some of the bells to ring.

“What do I do?” she asked nervously, shifting from one bare foot to the other. Bells chimed sweetly.

“You dance for him, you silly little fool,” the brown-skinned woman snapped, “just as I tried to teach you. You will try to please him.”

Gia shuddered. In a moment she would be led through the wooden double doors into the presence of the big man, the Bashaw, and she was so fearful of meeting him again that it was probably a good thing that she’d been given nothing to eat or drink beforehand. She remembered the vicious flogging he’d subjected her to before.

“Lead me,” she said. She would have looked down as she was led through the doors, but the collar was too wide and too stiff to allow it.

***

The Bashaw leaned back against the cushions and watched as his latest pleasure slave was brought to him. She looked very attractive, and very desirable, and it was clear that she could not bring herself to look at him. He could see the fear in her eyes and in the movements of her lovely body as the music started and she began to dance for him. She was not very skilled at dancing yet, but she was obviously trying. He was pleased, but he did not smile. They had told him that she was not fully trained when he had first set eyes on her, but he could not help himself. He must have her as soon as possible, and now she was his.

She clearly feared him, and lived in mortal terror of his displeasure. That was good. That had been the reason for whipping her so mercilessly after she had pleasured him so sweetly with her mouth. Whether she cared for him or not, whether she took pleasure herself or not, she would forevermore be anxious to please him, eager to submit to his demands, if only to avoid his wrath. He might have to whip her again if she forgot her status, and he certainly would if he thought it was necessary, but for now he just watched as she danced for him. It would be pleasant to see to the rest of her training himself. It would be even more pleasant to hold her down and do things to that splendid body of hers as she lay beneath him. That would come soon. He permitted himself to smile at the thought.

Tropical Hell

Chapter One

“Ms. Verdandi! Oh, Ms. Verdandi!” The desk clerk’s voice cut through the low buzz of the hotel lobby. Sigrid stopped and turned towards him, sliding her sunglasses up out of the way. She brushed back a lock of her pale blonde hair. Amanda took another step before stopping and turning around, a question on her face. Sigrid waved her on with one slim-fingered hand.

“Find us a good spot,” she told her companion. “I’ll be along in a minute.” Amanda smiled, nodded, and went on her way. Sigrid walked towards the desk. The clerk was an older man. His gray hair was thinning away to nothing, and he wore thick-rimmed glasses. The maroon jacket of the hotel staff just didn’t seem to suit him. He looked more like a nervous little accountant type. As she walked towards him, she noticed that his gaze kept drifting to her long, tanned legs. Her beach robe barely reached to the tops of her thighs. They left a lot to look at. She kept smiling as she approached. She liked having men look at her, even balding older ones. She reached the desk and leaned on it with her elbow, wondering if he would try to look down her beach robe as well. He didn’t. Instead, he backed away a little, looking squarely into her ice-blue eyes. Well, she was half a head taller than he was, even without the high-heeled sandals she was wearing. A lot of men had a tendency to back away if she came close to them. Some didn’t. It was a good way to figure out if a man would be any use to her in bed.

“Yes? What is it?” she asked, pitching her voice low so that it came out in a throaty purr.

“A letter came for you, Ms. Verdandi. You asked to be notified?”

“Why yes, I did,” Sigrid smiled a little wider. “Thank you very much!”

The clerk turned away to retrieve the letter. He seemed happy to put a little more room between them. He took a long white envelope from its slot. As he turned back towards her, she saw the bank logo on the envelope and her pulse quickened. She was careful to give no sign. She straightened up and reached out for it. The clerk handed it to her with all the care of a man offering meat to an uncaged tiger.

“Thank you, Mr. Oliver,” she smiled even more widely, showing her even white teeth.

“You’re quite welcome, Ms. Verdandi.” His answering smile looked a little uncertain. “Enjoy your stay at our hotel.”

“I’m sure I will,” Sigrid called out over her shoulder. She had an urge to rip the envelope open right there in the lobby. She resisted it. She was almost certain what was inside of it anyway, and Amanda ought to be present for the opening. She strode across the lobby towards the glass doors that led to one of the hotel’s pools. They slid open at her approach and she stepped from the cool dimness of the lobby into the bright, heavy warmth of the Caribbean afternoon. She paused to slide her sunglasses back into place and then began looking for Amanda. The pool area was a short walk from the doors. It was rimmed with thick tropical shrubbery that almost completely concealed the high security fence. Amanda was at the far end, sitting on one of the lounge chairs, talking with another woman as she worked her long dark hair into a ponytail. As usual, she had picked a spot that offered some shade. Sigrid frowned behind her sunglasses. The other woman was facing away from her, but she recognized the athletic body, short dark blonde hair, golden tan and gorgeous, muscular ass. It was Hope again. As usual, she was wearing a pale yellow tank suit. She was staying at the same hotel, so it wasn’t too unusual that they kept running into each other, but she kept popping up so often that she’d given a new meaning to the old phrase “hope springs eternal”. Sigrid slipped the envelope into her beach bag, making sure that only the back of it showed. What was in it was certainly none of Hope’s business, but if she saw it she’d be certain to ask. She was entirely too inquisitive for Sigrid’s peace of mind. At first, she’d thought that Hope was trying to hit on either her or Amanda. Now, she was not so sure. She’d seen Hope flirting with men at the hotel. Maybe she was just eager for company after all, but she asked too many questions, and was far too happy to answer any that were put to her. She was so open and friendly that Sigrid couldn’t help but suspect her of ulterior motives. She hoped that Amanda had sense enough not to tell the woman anything important, even by mistake.

Amanda finished making her ponytail and looked up. She smiled as she caught sight of Sigrid and leaned back onto the lounge chair. “Good news?” she asked. Hope turned to see who Amanda was talking to and smiled as well.

“Hi, there, Sigrid,” she said. “I’ve been trying to talk Amanda here into coming along with me and try windsurfing. Maybe you’d be interested?”

“Thank you, no,” Sigrid smiled politely and shook her head. She edged past Hope to the lounge chair next to Amanda’s. Unlike Amanda’s, it was out in the sun. “I just don’t go in for sports.” She placed her beach bag on the patio between the chairs. She kept her back to Hope as she shed her beach robe.

“You sure look like you do,” Hope commented. Sigrid dropped her robe over the beach bag and turned back towards Hope with a dazzling smile.

“Why, thank you, dear,” she said. “It takes a lot of exercise to keep fit, though. I just don’t see the point in even
more
exercise for fun.”

Hope took a half-step back. Her eyes swept quickly up and down Sigrid’s body, but to Sigrid’s eyes it was the glance of a woman sizing up possible competition, not of one assessing a possible bedmate. The bikini Sigrid was wearing fairly screamed for such attention anyway. Against the deep tan of her skin, it stood out blindingly white. The lower half rode high on her hips and was cut almost indecently low in front and back. The effect made her already long legs seem even longer. The upper half was held in place by two thin strings knotted behind her neck and between her shoulder blades. The fabric cradling her breasts seemed strained to its limits. Just over Hope’s shoulder, Sigrid could see several men stop whatever they were doing and look in her direction. She combed back her ash-blonde hair with her fingers and arched her back a little just for their benefit.

It had the unexpected benefit of prompting Hope to take another step back, as if from a physical threat.

“Well,” Hope cleared her throat. “I just thought I’d ask. Maybe some other time?”

“Maybe,” Sigrid shrugged. She refrained from adding “when Hell freezes over”, but the tone of her voice should have conveyed her sentiments perfectly nonetheless.

“See you around,” Hope shrugged. She turned and walked away. Sigrid settled herself into her lounge chair and closed her eyes. The sun felt wonderful on her skin. It was something she could enjoy only rarely when she was growing up in Minnesota. She was never going back to Minnesota. She hated the snow and she hated the cold. Here there was warmth and bright colors all the year round.

“Well?” Amanda said.

“I told you before. I don’t care for that woman at all. She’s too pushy and asks too many questions. Maybe we should go to another hotel.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Amanda sniffed. “You just like teasing me. Was it good news or not?”

Sigrid chuckled. “I don’t know myself yet,” she answered. “I thought it was something we should do together. What did that Welles woman want, anyway? I hope you didn’t say anything.”

“Just what she said. She thought we might like to try windsurfing.”

“Can’t she find anyone else to annoy?” Sigrid sniffed.

“It’s the off season, dear,” Amanda sniffed back. “I think we’re the only other American women here, and I don’t think Hope speaks French or Spanish or German.”

“You’re Canadian,” Sigrid yawned as she stretched herself out on the lounge chair.

“Only by birth,” Amanda countered. “Anyway, now you’re just stalling. What was the message?”

“Oh, all right,” Sigrid sat up and fished around in her beach bag for the envelope. She pulled it out, holding the address side towards her and expertly tore off one end of it. She slid the folded paper out and opened it.

“Well?” Amanda prompted after a long moment.

“All is well,” Sigrid grinned. “The transfer went through with no hitches.”

Amanda leaned close. Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “How much?”

“Two point six,” Sigrid whispered back. She folded the paper back up and slid it back into the envelope. The envelope then went back into her bag. With the other transfers going to the three other banks, their total was now well over eleven million. It would have been more if they hadn’t had to grease a few palms to make sure the transactions were impossible to trace. “Now stop worrying and enjoy our little vacation, dear,” she admonished Amanda. “Nothing to do now but enjoy the sun and the services of this very nice hotel.”

“You like the sun a lot more than I do,” Amanda said. “You know I burn too easily.”

“Thank you for reminding me,” Sigrid smiled lazily. She retrieved a plastic bottle from her bag. She opened it and squeezed a puddle of thick white liquid into her palm. She sat up and began rubbing it into her legs, slowly and deliberately. She started with her feet and worked her way up, taking special care with her full, round calves. When she got to her thighs, she knew that most of the men around the pool were staring at her, even if they were trying not to be too obvious about it.

She squeezed another handful of lotion into her palm and started on her torso. Her belly felt nicely taut and toned under her fingers. When she came to her breasts, she cupped them in her hands for a moment, hefting the soft weights.

“Maybe I should have these done. What do you think?” she asked Amanda.

“Oh, please!” Amanda responded. “They’re quite big enough and damned near perfect as they are, and you know it. You’re just doing that to get attention.”

“Well, it works,” Sigrid chuckled nastily. She began applying the lotion to the tops of her breasts. She worked her way up from there to her shoulders and arms. The lotion felt cool at first, and then nicely warm as it absorbed the rays of the sun.

“You should try this,” she waved the plastic bottle at her companion. “It’s wonderful stuff. It should be, it’s so expensive.”

“No, thank you,” Amanda sighed, waving a hand. “You’re already darker than half of the people who live here. Aren’t you worried that when you’re older that lovely satin skin of yours will turn all dry and leathery?”

“Not in the least,” Sigrid grinned. She finished with her arms, then did her face. She adjusted the lounge chair so that she was lying flat on her back. “This is supposed to prevent that too.” She held the bottle out. “Do my back, would you?”

Amanda sighed and took the bottle. Sigrid turned over. Lying face down, she reached behind her and untied the knots that held her bikini top on. To a casual observer, she would seem to be topless. She felt Amanda squeeze a blob of the lotion on her back, right near the base of her spine and start to work it in with slim, strong fingers.

“Mmmmm,” Sigrid purred. “That feels wonderful, dear. I’d be happy to do the same for you, you know.”

“So you always say,” Amanda sighed again. “You know there’s no chance of having to do it. I’m about as tan as I want to be, thank you. And I don’t care what the doctor told you about this stuff. By the time you’re forty, your skin is going to look sixty.”

“Good afternoon, ladies,” the voice was deep and masculine and the words had a definite island lilt to them. Sigrid turned her head and pushed her sunglasses up to see who was interrupting them. He was tall, muscular, wide-shouldered and slim-hipped. He was also the exact shade as bittersweet chocolate, except for his big, friendly, white, toothy grin. Not only was he bald, but it looked as if he shaved his whole body as well. His skin fairly glistened in the sun. Was it sweat, or had he just climbed out of the pool? He looked into Sigrid’s eyes. “I’d be happy to help you with that,” he said.