Page 5 of Capturing Callie

Chapter 5

Callie had nearly stroked out when Ian McGregor had started telling her what he “saw” in her. Pickle fudge, what was in that damned report anyway? How did he find out that much? No way in hell he could have just guessed so accurately. Now he’d thrown down a major challenge, and damn if that wasn’t one of her biggest weaknesses. Damn it all to hell, she’d started getting in trouble with dares in kindergarten. Sure, she shouldn’t have cut off that chunk of Julie’s ponytail, but that stupid Joey kid had dared her, so what else could she do? No big surprise when she’d heard he’d wound up in prison. Served the little weasel right after he ratted her out. The bully had seen Callie’s dad leaving the local bar and been all too happy to fill him in on her latest escapade.

She’d missed several days of school because she had been unable to sit down after her dad had used the buckle end of his belt to “teach her a lesson” or at least that was what he’d been screaming all the while he’d been lashing her. As usual, her mom hadn’t been home. And when she’d seen Callie’s battered body the next morning, she’d been more worried about her social standing than she had been about her five-year-old daughter. So, Callie had been forced to at stay home, pretending she’d been sick. She had hated lying, and she had steadfastly refused to ever do it again. Her dad had still beaten her, but he’d been a lot more careful to keep the bruises hidden when he’d realized she wouldn’t lie for him.

Callie froze when she suddenly realized she’d been muttering out loud.Christ, save me from myself! Could I possibly fuck this up any worse?She looked up to see that Ian had moved out of his enormous leather chair and had knelt in front of her. He framed her face with his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away tears she hadn’t even realized had trailed down her cheeks. Just as she took a breath to speak, Ian growled, “Don’t you dare apologize,Carlin. I can’t begin to tell you how sad it makes me that your childhood was so difficult. Know that ‘punishment’ is far different than ‘beating’ and alcohol has adverse effects on people’s ability to make the distinction. But most importantly, I want you to remember, each and every experience—good and bad—makes us into the people we are today. You must be a very strong woman to have survived all of that. But, are you strong enough to challenge yourself? To seek what will fulfill you?” When he stood up, he brushed his hand lightly over her hair before returning to his seat. Looking up at her, he asked, “Are you ready to hear your options, pet?”Oh, I had to poke the Universe by asking if things could get any worse, didn’t I? I am so screwed.

Callie stole a glance at the huge man sitting next to her only to see a look of compassion in his gaze she hadn’t expected. Looking quickly back to Ian, she slowly nodded her head. “Okay, listen carefully. Option One is that we return you to the mainland and turn you over to the port authorities tomorrow morning. Since you had to cross the bay to get here, we’d contact the Coast Guard, and that is a different playing field, pet. You’d likely spend a couple weeks in jail before seeing a public defender thirty seconds before you appeared before a federal judge who might or might not release you until your trial, that is assuming you could come up with a minimum ten-thousand-dollar bond. Of course by then, your small apartment will have been stripped clean by the vultures in your neighborhood and your boss will have fired you and your sister will have been removed from her classes.”

She didn’t doubt any of what he’d just said was true, and the worst part was she had no one but herself to blame for the mess she was in. Sighing, she looked up at him and asked, “And what is Option Two?” Honestly, it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t have a choice…not really. She’d have to do whatever he said because she had painted herself in a proverbial corner.Damn, why didn’t I get a freaking boat with a motor?

Callie wasn’t completely clueless about the types of things that went on at Club Isola, she’d done her homework for this assignment after all. She wasn’t going to even get into how many panty changes that research had entailed. Some of the things she’d seen online had frightened her, but most of it had ignited feelings she hadn’t been able to get out of her mind, because try as she had, the images just wouldn’t leave her head. She also knew The Club’s name was a nod to his mother’s Italian heritage and translated to The Island Club. What she didn’t know is where the damn club was hidden, because she’d studied every aerial map she could find, and it just wasn’t there.

Even with all her BDSM research, she had been totally unprepared for the complete metamorphosis she watched take place in Ian McGregor as soon as the question had crossed her lips. The man had gone from cavalier disinterest to focused predator in the time it took her to blink. She watched as eyes transitioned from casual disregard to lust-filled desire, and the effect was mesmerizing. She had never seen anyone with eyes as dark as his, there didn’t seem to be any color to them at all. His dark skin tone and jet-black hair seemed at odds with what was certainly a very Irish-Scot-sounding last name.

Everything about him seemed to shift, he leaned forward with obvious intent, and his eyes flashed with arousal so obvious she felt herself draw back. “Option Two is that you belong to me for a month.” When she started to protest, he stopped her by simply raising his hand. “You will stay here on the island. You will submit to me and do exactly as I command while you learn about all things BDSM. You will be given a period of free time each day to make notes, but you will not have internet or cell-phone access unless I am present. Club Isola caters to a very distinguished clientele, so you will not be allowed to have your camera, we fiercely protect our members’ privacy. You’ll get your story,Carlin, but I’ll have the opportunity to approve and edit everything before the copy goes to print. You’ll have the exclusive of a lifetime.”

She could only stare at him, dumbfounded. When she finally managed to find her voice, she asked, “What about my sister? She can’t wait that long for tuition money…and…well, why? Why would you wantme? You are a great-looking, very wealthy from the looks of things, fellow. I’ll bet women fall at your feet, literally, begging to be your submissive. I’m not anyone special, if you don’t believe me ask my editor or my last boyfriend…although his current boyfriend might get pissy with you. See the last guy who was with me decided I was so frigid he liked guys better…so, why me?” Shit, she hated that she rambled on when she was flustered. She always said the stupidest things—not that they weren’t all true, but still.

He leaned back in his chair and smiled. “It speaks highly of who you are as a person that your first concern is for your sister. I assure you, her tuition will not be a problem for you. I’d be interested to speak with your former boyfriend if he blamed you for your inability to climax by his hand. And if you think you are the reason he’s chosen a male companion, you aren’t nearly as bright as I’d thought you to be. And finally, I will answer your last question when the time is right. Now, do you know what hard and soft limits are, pet?”

“Well, I think so, but wait a minute here. What do you mean about Chrissy’s tuition? I’m responsible for her. I can’t just disappear for a month. She’ll go crazy if I don’t call her every week. She depends on me to help her out, I mean, I know she needs to be more responsible sometimes, but she’ll get there…eventually…I hope. And, well, you didn’t answer the other question. Oh fuck! You aren’t planning to sell me or something are you? Oh damn, I have to get out of here.” Callie felt her heart rate speeding up, and her breathing getting too shallow, but she couldn’t seem to pull herself back from the edge. And damn it to hell she hated those dancing black dots crowing her vision again. And just as she tried to get to her feet everything went black.

* * * *

Ian was amazed that concern for her sister was Callie’s primary challenge to spending a month with him, or at least it had been until she’d talked herself into the crazy notion that he was some white slave trader or some such insane thing. Jesus Christ, she’d gone into a complete panic and dropped like a fucking stone. Thank God she’d been within Jace’s reach. If there was ever a woman who needed guidance and discipline, it was Callista Reece.Oh, indeed, little one, I know your full name and that your shoes are a size six.She’d been wrong about that, too—her shoe sizehad beenin the report Jace had managed in less than fifteen minutes.

As Jace had transferred Callie into his arms, he’d given his friend a short list of calls to make. He would make sure Chrissy Reece’s tuition was never a problem for Callie again. Jace smiled and said, “Did you look at the picture of Chrissy? Your sweet woman makes it seem as if Chrissy is a twenty-year-old struggling newbie to the college scene when that is not exactly the way I’d view it.” When Ian shook his head, Jace flipped the file open and slid it closer to reveal a woman who looked like the polar opposite of Callie. Chrissy Reece had emerald-green eyes framed by long bangs. Her hair was the color of dark mocha and fell in a straight silk sheath to the middle of her back. But the kicker was that Callie’s younger sister wasn’t turning up on any college registry in Florida. Ian would also bet that Callie wasn’t aware that Chrissy was, in fact, making a small fortune as a stripper. And while Callie had been living in poverty to help out her sister, the minx in Florida was enjoying all the perks of a two-bedroom luxury apartment complete with twice weekly maid service, twenty-four hour access to a health club to rival any Ian had ever seen, and a full-time doorman and other security measures. When Ian raised his eyebrow, Jace merely nodded.

“I want you here for the first two weeks, but then I want you to fly to Florida and make sure ‘Cut Crystal’ knows we’ll be holding her accountable for every cent her sister has sent her, including interest. She should also know that as of this moment, the First National Bank of Callie is forever closed to her. We’ll decide later what to do with her, in the meantime, get it all.” He didn’t have to elaborate. Jace Garrett knew he was to find out everything about both women. “Also, have her apartment packed up and everything shipped to the secured storage below the office. Send people you trust, have them send anything she might need here. If Daph goes, make sure she is well protected.”

Daphne Craig had worked for Ian since the beginning, the second day after his college graduation, in fact. Her first year salary had been paid for by the Chairman of the Board of Directors for McGregor Holdings, Inc. and Ian had teased her ever since that she was the mouthiest gift he’d ever received. She was also the most valuable gift he’d ever received or at least had been until earlier this evening. His gut was telling him he’d have to rephrase that claim from now on.

“I’ll make sure Callie isassignedto this story for the foreseeable future and make sure Daph gets her some different clothes—you wouldn’t fucking believe what’s in her bag. I want to paddle her sister’s ass for taking Callie’s money while she’s been yucking it up in the lap of luxury. I had already sent two of our guys to secure her apartment, and the pictures they sent confirm everything she told you about the place, it’s a dump but neat and remarkably clean. Tyler said it was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.” Jace shook his head before he pulled his phone from his pocket and showed Ian a couple of pictures.

When Callie started to stir in his arms, Ian nodded to the door and said, “I’ve got this, if you’d take care of the things we talked about I’d appreciate it. I have a punishment to administer, and then we’ll need to feed her before putting her to bed. I can hear her stomach growling for Christ’s sake.” When he looked down into her sweet face, her eyes were open and she had the saddest expression it tore at his heart.

“Why the sad face, pet?”

“I am just so embarrassed…I have been working so hard to do everything right, and it just seems like the harder I try, the more disastrous things become. And you know I don’t have any choice, not really. I have to do the second option, and I’m so afraid you’ll send me to some horrible place and my sister won’t ever know what happened to me and she’ll get kicked out of her dorm, and I haven’t seen her in so long and I don’t have much in my little apartment, but it’s all I have, you know? And I fell down all those times, and you saw that, I know you did, so now you know why the kids in high school called me Calamity Callie. And if I don’t return that stupid boat on time, I lose my two-hundred-dollar deposit. And just look at my hair…I look like I stuck my finger in a light socket for Caesar’s sake.” By the time she’d taken a breath, Jace had turned and was striding down the hall, laughing out loud. Ian smiled and shook his head, hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard Jace’s full-belly laugh.

“Pet, first of all, I am not selling or otherwise getting rid of you. I fully intend to enjoy your company myself. That’s not to say Jace will not be joining us regularly, but you will belong to me, make no mistake about that. Now, we’ll be beginning your training tonight, right now as a matter of fact. Stand up. There you go. Now, look at me and tell me why you are going to be spanked, pet.”

Watching as her surprise changed to arousal was one of the most interesting emotional plays of expression he’d ever seen. “Um, well…oh…hey! Did you say spanked?” Her attempt at outrage was nullified by the full dilation of her beautiful eyes. There was only the barest hint of their violet still visible.

“Indeed that is exactly what I said, and if you make me repeat the question, I’ll double the strokes.” He merely raised his eyebrow and waited.

“Oh…frack…probably because I tried to sneak on your island and spy on your club. But in my defense, I don’t want to know about your members, only what kinds of things you are doing…well, I guess everybody really already pretty much knows about that stuff, so maybe Harry really did want to know who was attending your little kink parties, because he did say to take pictures that—Hey!” He’d cut off her latest spiel by pulling her over his lap and adjusting her to his liking so that her ass was nicely peaked and her feet weren’t touching the ground.

“Enough. You will get extra swats for your earlier cursing, and yes, you are being spanked for sneaking on the island, but more important, you’re being spanked because you don’t take care of yourself, you live in a deplorably dangerous neighborhood, and I shudder to think when you last had a decent meal.” He lifted the tail of his shirt up so that her ass was bare, and he landed the first three swats in quick succession.

He knew the intensity of the swats would surprise her, but she didn’t cry out or fight him. “How many strokes you get will depend upon how well you behave during your punishment. Since this is new to you, you don’t have to count, but you are not allowed to come without permission. Do you understand, pet?” When she didn’t immediately answer him, he landed another three swats, these considerably harsher than the first three. “I asked you a question, Callista.”

“Shit, you found that out did you? And I hadn’t answered because I was trying to decide if you were joking about that not coming thing. And it’s hard for me to think standing on my head…Sir.”

He spanked her several more times before stopping to say, “Yes, I knew your full name from the moment I opened that file, and why you chose to lie about that is a discussion for another day. And no, I was notjokingabout not coming, and you’ll understand that soon enough.” He landed several more swats and noticed that she was pressing her legs together, no doubt trying to put pressure on her needy little clit. He was pleased to see she’d been lifting her ass to meet the strokes. Her ass had pinked up nicely, and now it was turning a lovely shade of crimson. He moved her legs apart and circled his fingers around the swollen lips of her labia. She was soaking wet with her arousal, and the smell of her sex was pure temptation. Just as he knew she was getting dangerously close to climax, he withdrew his fingers and resumed her paddling.

“Oh no you don’t, pet. Don’t you dare come until I give you my permission.” He gave her another five swats before Jace returned. He’d heard her quiet sobbing, and then her hiccupped promises to not swear ever again in her whole “fucking life.” He looked up at Jace and just shook his head. “Now, Master Jace has returned and—Damn it, hold still. I promise you, yours is not the first bare ass he’s ever seen, although I’m not sure he’s seen one quite this blistered for awhile. He’s going to give you five swats for that little wildcat performance down on the dock and then we’ll decide about that orgasm your sweet little pussy is begging for.”

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