Isle of Sin: A Standalone Dark Romance

Dreams.

Adalyn’s safeword had haunted me all day and night. As had her behavior at breakfast—which had really been more like a brunch by the time we ate—and dinner.

She’d been perfectly behaved.

Elegant.

Poised.

Beautiful.

Acting as though nothing was wrong.

So I’d rewarded her with two more instances where she could use her safeword. My intention had been to give her an infinite number, as that was the purpose of a safeword—to give the sub control.

But clearly, that concept had been ripped away from her long ago. Which meant defining her limits would be difficult.

And I didn’t just mean sexually, but emotionally as well.

Consequently, her perfect behavior irked me. She was hiding behind a façade of contentment, behaving as though everything in her life was perfectly fine. Yet I knew it was anything but fine. I’d witnessed her meltdown twice.

However, she was standing before me now in a pretty light blue dress with her hair pulled back into a bun and her hands clasped demurely in front of her.

She had on little white sandals, perfect for a stroll on the beach.

Absolutely stunning.

And staring at me expectantly.

It was as though she desired an opportunity to test out her safeword, to see if I would actually allow her to use it.

Which told me she didn’t understand the concept at all.

And she didn’t trust me in the slightest to keep my word.

That was the crux of our problem—neither of us trusted the other. This would prove to be dangerous when the Elite members began to arrive in ten days.

Because I had no faith in her staying quiet about Nathan’s death.

She still believed me to be like them.

And unless I convinced her otherwise in this very short period of time, we would likely both suffer the consequences.

“How are you feeling today?” I asked.

“Fine, Sir.”

I narrowed my gaze. “Did you sleep last night?” Because the hollows beneath her eyes suggested she hadn’t.

“Yes, Sir.”

I nodded. “I see. So we’re going to continue lying to one another today, then?” She’d done that yesterday on the balcony when she’d refused to tell me her concerns about eating outside.

The moment she’d glanced at the patio floor, I’d known her concern was me making her kneel there while I fed her. It was what Nathan would have done—something I’d witnessed on the video feed from his phone.

But she hadn’t voiced the concern.

Just like she hadn’t told me what she’d wanted for dinner. “Whatever you want, Sir.”

When I’d asked where she’d wanted to eat, she’d said, “Wherever you want, Sir.”

And something told me breakfast today would be a repetition of the “Whatever you want, Sir” phrase.

“Adalyn, we have ten days to get to know each other.” I stepped forward, purposely encroaching on her space and forcing her to look up at me. Only she stared at my chest instead. “Eyes up.”

She swallowed but slowly obeyed, her subservient act nearly flawless apart from the minute flicker of fire in her dark eyes.

“You need to tell me what you want, Adalyn. You need to express your fears. You need to start telling me some of your limits.”

I held up my hand when her lips parted.

“Do not spout that shit about having no limits again. Everyone has limits. I need to understand yours so we can face the Elite members as a team. You’re the one with network knowledge, not me. You’re the one trained to exist among them, not me. I am relying on you to guide me here.”

Her lashes fell as she blinked her big dark eyes at me. “You… you want me to teach you?”

“I want you to talk to me,” I corrected her. “I want you to open your eyes and realize I’m not like them, that I may be your best opportunity right now. Help me help you, Adalyn. I can’t do this on my own.”

I sounded desperate, but I didn’t know how else to get through to her.

She considered me for a long moment, her shrewd gaze telling me she was analyzing every scenario, every potential play, every chess move.

This beautiful girl was brilliant. Spirited. A survivor.

My fucking kryptonite.

Except she was utterly broken as well. A puzzle I longed to solve. If I wasn’t careful, this woman could become an addiction.

I wanted to save her, but she had to allow it first. She had to want to be saved, to believe she could be saved.

And we were nowhere near that point yet.

However, she nodded a little. “I feel tired today. No, I did not sleep well. I kept waiting for you or someone else to come test my safeword.”

Several truthful answers.

I accepted it as an olive branch, a sign that she intended to try to be more forthcoming.

“The purpose of a safeword isn’t to test it. A good Dom never pushes his sub to the point where she needs to use it. But as it’s clear your limits have not been properly established, I need you to use that term to help me learn more about your comfort levels.”

She just stared at me, my explanation clearly not registering.

Oh, she understood me just fine.

She merely didn’t trust a word I’d said.

That was fine. I’d prove it through actions.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, changing the subject.

“I am, yes.”

“Do you feel up for a walk?” I’d told Darby she would see me at breakfast today, and I didn’t plan on letting her down.

I also needed to be seen with Adalyn, as it would lend credence to the whirlwind romance story I intended to craft for the Sin Cave members.

Your organization did too good a job. I’ve fallen for her. And now I am going to keep her.

Not really, because I didn’t want to own her.

But she would stay on my island and remain under my protection.

“I would like a walk.” Her gaze actually brightened with the words.

“How about a walk to breakfast, followed by a tour?” I offered, having mentioned the concept the other day, but our plans had been derailed. However, we were back on track.

I still needed her decision—which would be difficult to acquire, given what little trust existed between us.

So perhaps I’d take another day to prove myself to her.

And ask again tomorrow.

Because we had to provide a united front or none of this would work.

“What will the tour include?” she asked cautiously.

“Whatever you want to see.” I shrugged. “We can start with breakfast. You can express your desires from there.”

She gave me another of those shrewd gazes, telling me she intended to test me.

What was the phrase she’d used the other day?

Ah, yes. Do your worst, darling.

She smiled as though she could hear my thoughts. Then she said, “Breakfast sounds lovely.”

A fake statement, but I let it slide. “Follow me.”

I led her down the hall to my staircase and paused at the bottom by the foyer table.

Glancing at her, I made a quick assessment and handed her a pair of smaller sunglasses.

Then I grabbed my own and stepped outside to put them on. She followed suit, the shades a little too big for her slender nose. But they did their job of protecting her eyes.

“Did you bring any sunglasses with you?” I asked her as we walked.

“I’m not sure. Nate packed my suitcase.”

I hummed in response, hating the bastard all over again. Fortunately, I was here now to take care of her properly.

Assuming she let me.

I moved alongside her, setting a slow and leisurely pace. It allowed her to take in the scenery while also guaranteeing that she wouldn’t overdo it. She still had a concussion, after all.

Her eyes danced along the greenery before moving to the ocean on her right. She took it all in, her lips curling just a little to confirm that the view pleased her.

“These flowers are beautiful,” she said after several minutes of silence.

I followed her gaze to the pink hibiscus trees along the stone path. “They’re an island favorite.” I reached for one as I said, “Hold on a minute.”

Adalyn paused midstep, her shoulders immediately tensing. I hated that a simple command could ruin the moment for her, but I intended to make it better.

With the pink blossom in my hand, I stepped around her. “You don’t have any plant allergies, do you?”

“No, Sir,” she whispered, falling instantly into her role.

“Asher,” I corrected her. “I only scene when in the bedroom or a play area.” I gently tucked her hair behind her ear, then slid the stem into place.

She held her breath, not moving a fraction while I worked.

Once the flower was secure, I released her with a smile. “Beautiful.”

She waited, clearly expecting something else to happen.

“We’re almost there.” I pressed my palm to her lower back and gently coaxed her onto our path. Her shoulders remained stiff, but she moved gracefully alongside me. It made me wonder if she’d been a dancer in a previous life, or if she would have become one in this world had her parents allowed it.

Did she have any hobbies? Had she even been granted the opportunity to explore any?

It angered me that so much had been taken from this girl. So much life. So much freedom. So much free will.

I took a calming breath, needing to cool down before I said or did something that would frighten her. My blood boiled every time I considered everything she’d been through. But I soothed myself with promises for the future.

I couldn’t save everyone.

But I would save her.

I drew my touch up her spine to the back of her nape, giving it a little reassuring squeeze as we approached the breakfast area on the island. It was all open air and decorated in palms, the fans overhead keeping the atmosphere cool while filling the dining area with a refreshing sea breeze.

There weren’t many guests here yet, Adalyn and I having chosen an early breakfast since she hadn’t been sleeping anyway. But the few who were already here all glanced up at me with satisfied looks, many of them smiling with gratitude.

Good.

That was what I wanted to see on my island.

There were no submissives kneeling, everyone eating calmly at their respective tables. Although, Matthias Bronson appeared to be hand-feeding his wife. The way she licked his fingers after each bite confirmed it was a sensual game, one I wouldn’t mind replicating with the woman beside me.

But that would have to wait.

I wasn’t sure we would ever truly play, given our circumstances.

However, that didn’t mean I was opposed to it. Someday.

“I typically sit over there,” I told her softly, gesturing to the table closest to the kitchens with a view of the entire room. “But how would you feel being closer to the beach?”

She glanced at my usual seat, then back out at the sea, her throat working.

I slid behind her, my hands on her hips as I pressed my lips to her ear. “Tell me your preference, beautiful. Tell me where you want to sit.”

“Don’t you mean kneel?” A hint of derision underlined her tone.

“This isn’t a scene, Adalyn. This is just breakfast.”

She started to turn her head toward me, but I wrapped my palm around her throat, forcing her to continue surveying the room.

“Close your eyes,” I whispered, willing her to ignore everyone and everything around us. Including my head waiter, a short and stocky man who had started toward us the moment he’d seen me enter. I gave him a look now, telling him not to intrude.

He nodded, backing away from us as Adalyn’s long lashes fanned across her cheekbones, her eyes closing just as I’d requested.

“I want you to pretend you’re alone on this island,” I breathed against her ear. “You’ve escaped the horrors of your past. No one can touch you here. No one can hurt you. Every decision is your own. This is a new day. Your first day. And you get to choose where you eat. What you eat. What you drink.”

She shivered against me.

“Think about what you desire,” I continued, my lips brushing her neck. “And when you’re ready, I want you to open your eyes and pick a table.”

Adalyn inhaled slowly, her pulse beating heartily against my thumb. And then, ever so gradually, she opened her eyes. “There.” Her gaze went to the table for four nearest the water with a fan directly overhead.

“Good choice, sweetheart,” I murmured, giving her a little squeeze before releasing her.

Taking her hand, I pulled her toward the table and to the seat with the best view of the water.

She frowned as I pulled the chair out for her. “I… I can get it.”

“You could,” I agreed. “But you’re not going to. Now sit down and tell me what you want to eat.”

Her jaw ticked a little in response, a hint of fiery defiance shimmering in her dark eyes.

There she is, the survivor beneath the façade.

Come play with me, sweetheart.

It’s you I want to know, not this docile creature you hide behind.

I placed my hand on the wicker backing of her chair and my other on the table in front of her. It was a purposeful move, caging her between me and her seat. “What do you want to eat, Adalyn?”