Page 22 of Hacker Unknown

“Thank you,” I replied. “If you could tell me something you're interested in, I’m planning on painting while I’m here. I wouldn’t mind making one for you as a token of my appreciation for letting us come here.”

“Oh, that would be amazing,” Kayleen responded with a genuine smile. “We can have a chat while these guys go do security checks.”

Jared leaned over and playfully slapped her ass, causing her to squeal. “Remember, you have a punishment coming tonight!”

“I know, sir,” she replied.

“Okay, we're going to head to our room and get some rest. Dinner is at 8 p.m. tonight, just off to the left over there. Do either of you have any food allergies?” Jared asked.

“No,” we both replied.

Kayleen wrapped me in a hug before she turned back to her husband. He reached down and pinched her ass. They walked toward an elevator to the right.

I followed Paolo through the main area to a trail. For some reason, I reached for his hand again. “Oh, I'm sorry,” I murmured as I went to let go, but he gripped my hand tighter.

He answered me with a gruff, “No.”

I couldn’t help but take in the view, the palm trees, the sand, and a flowing waterfall. Suddenly, a loud smack caught my attention to the right. I glanced over and saw a completely naked woman bent over a man's knee, his hand was coming down on her ass.

“Jesus Christ, Paolo—look, they're naked!” I whispered as if they might hear me.

He groaned, “I was hoping I could explain what this place is on our way here, but I didn't want to wake you up while you were sleeping during the car ride.”

“What do you mean? Explain what this place is. Isn’t it just a vacation island?” I asked.

Paolo threw his head back and chuckled. “It's a vacation island for a very select few. Jared Black is a well-known man who values his privacy, along with many other billionaires. This island is dedicated to BDSM, so seeing naked people around here is to be expected. Normally, I don’t mind it. But when I see my brother and sister-in-law naked with him smacking her ass … yeah, that's not something I wanted to see.” He shook his head and continued walking.

I teased, “So the people back there, they were your brother and sister-in-law?"

“Yes,” he replied.

I recalled reading about BDSM clubs in books before, but I never imagined an entire island dedicated to it. It might turn out to be a fascinating or frustrating trip. I couldn’t remember the last time I had sex.

Oh wait, I did remember, and it was horrible. The guy lasted only a couple of minutes, and I had left totally unsatisfied, only to go home and take care of myself.

At the end of the walkway, we found a wooden path leading to our designated bungalow. It actually sat on top of the water, a sight I had only seen in movies and television. I always wondered if such bungalows had see-through floors.

Paolo swiped the key card, and the door opened. Inside, there was a huge king-sized bed, a tub in the main living area that could fit four to five people, and a couch. There was only one bed. I wasn’t sure how I was going to sleep next to this man night after night without touching him. I recalled that Kat had mentioned he didn’t have a girlfriend, but the way Naomi looked at him made me suspect there was more to the story.

“Let's go check out the patio area,” Pablo suggested.

We walked to the back, and when he opened the doors, I discovered an easel set up with a chair and boxes of paints. I couldn’t help but squeal and run over to see what they had arranged. The paints were impressive—clearly, someone who knew what artists preferred had selected them. The slow roll of the ocean waves was so calming that I could have sat out here for hours painting.

"If you need anything else, let me know and I’ll get it for you," Pablo said.

“Everything I need is here,” I replied.

“We have a lot of time before dinner. Why don’t you sit out here and paint?”

I planned to paint, but I wanted to know something first.

“Can I ask you a question?” I ventured. We stepped onto the balcony, and Pablo leaned against the railing, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

“Do you mind if I have one?” he asked.

“Go ahead, it doesn’t bother me,” I replied.

I hesitated before asking, “Do you practice BDSM?”

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