Beth's thumb pressed forward. I foughtmy body's immediate response and kept my muscles relaxed likeCanson had instructed. There was pressure and resistance, but nopain when she breached my hole, and I gasped as the oiled digitpenetrated me all the way to her hand.

"You're tensing," Cansonsaid.

"There's a lot of internaltightness," Beth noted. Their clinical speech patterns were drivingme almost as wild as their hands. Because there was nothing sexualabout their words, the pleasure I felt seemed out of place. Like Iwas doing something wrong, like I shouldn't be thinking of orwanting an orgasm. That this was a massage and I shouldn't begetting off on it, despite the fact they were clearly going to getme off.

"Maybe you can give me a hand?" Bethsuggested to Canson, who slipped a finger from his other hand in mycunt.

I gripped the sides of thetable.

"Like that," Beth told him,pressing her thumb down in firm circles that he repeated frombelow. Their fingers touched, separated only by the wall between myintimate passages, and I moaned.

"You're tensing up," Canson warned, hisknuckles alternating the pressure on my clit.

Relaxing made my impending orgasm seemtoo far away, and I gasped in frustration.

"I do tense up when I come," I toldthem. "Don't most people?"

"They do," Beth agreed. "But our jobisn't to bring you to orgasm."

"Then you're doing a terrible job," Ilaughed in dismay.

"Mr. Ashe has strictly instructed usnot to let you come, I'm afraid," Canson said, withdrawing hisfinger a little to access my g-spot. "Which is exactly why you needto relax."

"I think you're ready for the finalpart of your treatment," Beth said, withdrawing her finger. Igroaned in frustration as Canson removed his hand, aswell.

I lifted my head to see Beth takesomething from a small wicker cabinet. "What's the final part ofthe treatment? You show me an ice cream sundae and say I can't haveit while putting the spoon to my mouth?"

Canson chuckled at that.

"No, silly," Beth said witha laugh. She turned and held up a spool of wide red satin ribbon inone hand and a small steel butt plug in the other. "You've got tobe giftwrapped for Mr. Ashe's birthday."

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

(Matthew)

No birthday gift in my lifehad ever or would ever top the sight of Charlotte arriving at mydoor, bound in lengths of red satin ribbon and miserablyhorny.

“Is this for me?” I asked,pretending to be surprised as she glared at me above the huge redbow serving as a gag. The two staff members who’d brought herstepped out and closed the doors of “the residence,” the privatehouse reserved only for my stays on the island. Charlotte didn’tmove from her spot, though her legs weren’t bound in any way; itwould have made it far too difficult to parade her uphere.

I walked around her,admiring the handiwork of our spa employees. The ribbon that passedaround the back of her head and in front of her mouth was aseparate piece from the length that wound around her golden braidand bound her arms together at her back. The impossibly intricatebinding passed down to the huge bow she wore like a bunny tail, theribbon no doubt passing through the steel loop of the butt plugthey’d used on her. More slashes of bright red looped around herthighs and between them, up to bracket her hips and crisscrossbelow and above her perfect tits.

“Happy birthday to me,” Isaid with a low whistle.

Whatever she tried to saybehind the gag sounded impatient. And I couldn’t blame her. Ibrushed the backs of my fingers down her arm and she visiblyshivered, so I repeated the action on her tight pinknipples.

“Are you frustrated,princess?” I asked, patting the top of her head to be extra dickishabout it. “I know you must be. I watched everything they did to youdown there. And...down there.”

I gave the bow on her ass alittle tug, and she made a sound the gag reduced to gurgling. “Youliked this part,” I went on, cupping one round cheek in my hand, mythumb straying to the crevice between. “I particularly enjoyedhearing you beg them to put it in.”

I’d almost enjoyed it toomuch. Watching her, knowing she got off on being watched, knowingshe was aware of my invisible presence in the room the entire timemy team had teased her and tormented her, had almost made me comein my pants. I hadn’t even dared to jack off a little; I didn’twant to indulge myself in an orgasm until it was withCharlotte.

Her gaze flicked down, andI realized with a nasty shock that this was the first time she’dseen me in the flesh since the hospital. The cane I relied on wascustom made to look as not-geriatric as possible, and heavilyinfluenced by my infatuation with Charlotte. I decided to focus onthe aesthetic choices, rather than explain that a mobility aid hadbecome a part of my life and would likely remain so.

“Do you like it?” I asked,gesturing to the gleaming figure of the glowering dragon thatserved as a handle.

Her eyes widened.

“This way,” I said, turningto the wide-open living room. My private residence on the islandwas big, but it definitely wasn’t as large—or as themed—as thecastle where guest functions were held, but it was on a hilloverlooking the resort, and the glass walls of the entry and livingroom gave the people below plenty of opportunity to see what washappening inside, when the shades were open.