Rachel surrendered to it, ready to be taken.
The Perfect Stranger
Nine
Sabrina Daniels breathed in the cool morning air and felt the spray misting her face as she stood at the bow of the ferry. Bainbridge Island was already in view. As she watched, hands buried in the deep pockets of her thick wool coat to ward off the winter chill, it loomed larger. More detail emerged as the ferry neared its dock. She could see the sailboats and yachts in their slips. Which one was her destination?
One of those bobbing masts represented her goal. The
Rebecca
, which struck her as both a romantic name and a good omen. She had a date with a pirate. Or at least with a man who wanted to play the part while she played his captive. Excitement bubbled up inside her, and she found herself grinning, almost hugging herself with happy anticipation.
Maybe it was silly to have gone to such lengths to fulfill a fantasy. She didn't care. She was entitled to be silly if she wanted. And she had gone to some lengths. Engaging the services of an exclusive dating agency that catered to clients with capture and bondage fantasies. Going through all theagency paperwork, tests, and requirements. Meeting her prospective match to see if they hit it off.
Sabrina curled her toes in her deck shoes at the thought of that first meeting with Kane.
Her first impression had been that he didn't look at all like her usual type. He wasn't an executive, with one of the three variations on the conservative male haircut. He wore his wavy black hair long, secured with a leather thong at his nape. The hairstyle showed off a solid gold hoop dangling from one earlobe.
His blue eyes framed by thick black lashes were almost pretty in contrast with his very masculine face. His skin showed the signs of long exposure to sun and wind. He'd worn jeans and a bone-colored fisherman's sweater instead of a suit, deck shoes instead of polished dress shoes.
And he was big. At least six feet four, with a well-muscled proportionate build. He'd filled the little conference room where they met, making the space around her seem too small. The height difference between them was noticeable, even sitting. His shoulders were easily twice as broad as hers. He lounged beside her, dropped her a wink, and said, "Arrrrr," in his best pirate voice.
Sabrina had burst into laughter and relaxed. She'd known then she didn't need to meet any of the other candidates on her match list. Kane might have been larger than she'd expected, but he didn't use his size to intimidate, and he had a playful sense of humor.
They'd arranged the date. She'd agreed to come to him this morning, board his yacht, and then, well, probably spend a lot of time in his cabin. Who knew what a pirate would demand of her?
She felt warm in spite of the winter chill as she imagined the possibilities. Maybe he'd start with finding out if she'd met his condition. In fact, she'd gone one step further. She felt her inner muscles tighten in anticipation and knew that she'd done the right thing for herself, no matter how silly it might be.
She felt alive. Excited. The frustration she'd been fighting for months had evaporated as soon as she held the Capture Agency's brochure in her hand. She'd known it was what she needed to do. After the Richard fiasco, she'd given up on finding what she wanted in a relationship. She wasn't about to set herself up for that kind of rejection again. The agency offered her another option—everything she wanted with no emotional risk.
It was a little unorthodox, true. But she'd always known she was a little bit different. One of these things is not like the others, she thought, looking at the group of ferry passengers. Students and businesspeople, some with books, some working on laptops, some using their BlackBerrys as they maximized their time during the half-hour ferry crossing.
Maybe she wasn't cut out for the traditional happily ever after of life in the suburbs playing soccer mom, but she
The Perfect Stranger
Nine
Sabrina Daniels breathed in the cool morning air and felt the spray misting her face as she stood at the bow of the ferry. Bainbridge Island was already in view. As she watched, hands buried in the deep pockets of her thick wool coat to ward off the winter chill, it loomed larger. More detail emerged as the ferry neared its dock. She could see the sailboats and yachts in their slips. Which one was her destination?
One of those bobbing masts represented her goal. The
Rebecca
, which struck her as both a romantic name and a good omen. She had a date with a pirate. Or at least with a man who wanted to play the part while she played his captive. Excitement bubbled up inside her, and she found herself grinning, almost hugging herself with happy anticipation.
Maybe it was silly to have gone to such lengths to fulfill a fantasy. She didn't care. She was entitled to be silly if she wanted. And she had gone to some lengths. Engaging the services of an exclusive dating agency that catered to clients with capture and bondage fantasies. Going through all theagency paperwork, tests, and requirements. Meeting her prospective match to see if they hit it off.
Sabrina curled her toes in her deck shoes at the thought of that first meeting with Kane.
Her first impression had been that he didn't look at all like her usual type. He wasn't an executive, with one of the three variations on the conservative male haircut. He wore his wavy black hair long, secured with a leather thong at his nape. The hairstyle showed off a solid gold hoop dangling from one earlobe.
His blue eyes framed by thick black lashes were almost pretty in contrast with his very masculine face. His skin showed the signs of long exposure to sun and wind. He'd worn jeans and a bone-colored fisherman's sweater instead of a suit, deck shoes instead of polished dress shoes.
And he was big. At least six feet four, with a well-muscled proportionate build. He'd filled the little conference room where they met, making the space around her seem too small. The height difference between them was noticeable, even sitting. His shoulders were easily twice as broad as hers. He lounged beside her, dropped her a wink, and said, "Arrrrr," in his best pirate voice.
Sabrina had burst into laughter and relaxed. She'd known then she didn't need to meet any of the other candidates on her match list. Kane might have been larger than she'd expected, but he didn't use his size to intimidate, and he had a playful sense of humor.
They'd arranged the date. She'd agreed to come to him this morning, board his yacht, and then, well, probably spend a lot of time in his cabin. Who knew what a pirate would demand of her?
She felt warm in spite of the winter chill as she imagined the possibilities. Maybe he'd start with finding out if she'd met his condition. In fact, she'd gone one step further. She felt her inner muscles tighten in anticipation and knew that she'd done the right thing for herself, no matter how silly it might be.
She felt alive. Excited. The frustration she'd been fighting for months had evaporated as soon as she held the Capture Agency's brochure in her hand. She'd known it was what she needed to do. After the Richard fiasco, she'd given up on finding what she wanted in a relationship. She wasn't about to set herself up for that kind of rejection again. The agency offered her another option—everything she wanted with no emotional risk.
It was a little unorthodox, true. But she'd always known she was a little bit different. One of these things is not like the others, she thought, looking at the group of ferry passengers. Students and businesspeople, some with books, some working on laptops, some using their BlackBerrys as they maximized their time during the half-hour ferry crossing.
Maybe she wasn't cut out for the traditional happily ever after of life in the suburbs playing soccer mom, but she
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