Chapter 2

Kink getaway – not a chance for poor Ava.

The boat ride to the resort was nauseating. Ava couldn’t believe she had booked the wrong transport and didn’t even think twice about it. Terrified of the water, boats were never her thing. Given her fears, the reasons she decided to book a photography job on a fetish-inspired island vacation were beyond any rational thought.

Her friends had teased her for weeks about the trip and the real reasons why she finally took the plunge to take the gig. They thought the water surrounding the island was nothing compared to the wetness she needed to happen down below for the naughty woman. They all knew Ava had a major curiosity about BDSM, and none of them knew a thing about the kink world. It had always been silly chatter they quickly laughed off, but she took a completely serious interest in it.

Deep down, Ava knew the chit-chat about kinks wasn’t just girl-talk to her. It was always an itch she never had the nerve to scratch. This was hopefully her chance to get answers to why being sexually submissive clouded her thoughts so often. Day in and day out she thought about some handsome Dom tying her to his bed and taking advantage of her.

The island’s website subtly hinted at the risqué underground scene she longed for, giving some hope to adventure in the steamy underworld without being judged by her vanilla friends.

Dominant over submissive research had done nothing for her but cause more confusion and desperation. Curious about BDSM culture for years, she was far too much of a miss-goody-two-shoes to explore it. Raised to be a well-mannered southern bell who taught etiquette classes for debutantes, Ava often held a bright smile to hide her insecurities from the world, and kinks weren’t part of the good girl dynamic she was raised. A nice southern girl needed to hold her head high with an inviting smile, always putting her best foot forward, or so her mother taught her. Yes, it was old fashion ways, and a tradition passed down through generations was like a prison to her.

Being a debutant herself, it was a shock to everyone when Ava stepped away from the family business to peruse her own identity and career choices.

With a cute, freckled nose and curly red hair, Ava gave off a genuinely polite presence, despite how much she tried to avoid her mother's teachings. The stereotypical southern gal was something that came easily but often slipped away with her occasional foul mouth; a bad habit she inherited from her father.

Deep down, an overactive imagination was what led her astray. Urban legends often led her down the rabbit hole of odd curiosities on the dark web researching urban legends, which ultimately led to finding kink sites that piqued her interest in sexual submission. This trip would surlily bring her to the height of those curiosities. Being scared senseless of what she might uncover in this sin fest island due to her mother’s constant harping about being a lady and keeping her virtue, she was equally excited to dive headfirst into the pit of sex and depravity.

The good girl side of Ava was never enough to satisfy her submissive needs. A deeper desire to be sexually dominated constantly nagged at her. Her past vanilla relationships had never seemed to satisfy the burning desire beneath the surface, and she hoped this trip would finally answer the questions if this life was truly something she wanted to be involved in. Yet she wondered, was she jumping into the proverbial deep end without a flotation device to keep her head above water? Probably, but she was willing to find out.

Her ex-fiancé was, as her mother called him, an absolute saint. Her adventurous sexual prowess disgusted the man who was supposed to have been her betrothed, and he constantly ridiculed her about it. She quickly became a runaway bride when faced with the realization that he would never fulfill her intimate needs. She would rather be alone the rest of her life than being forced into a marriage she wasn’t happy with. Or one where her husband made her feel dirty for even thinking about doing more than the missionary position.

Ava didn’t want to risk the news of her kinky interest getting exposed to her family either. Especially her recent in-depth application to Sizzle Island. Back home in the Bible belt, it was being pegged as an island of virtual Sodom and Gomorrah for the wealthy and upper class. If people found out what she was up to, she’d be living the modern-day Scarlet Letter, thought of as a whore and an outcast amongst her conservative family. It almost made her giggle to herself thinking about wearing that big red letter of shame. She’d wear it proudly for just one night in the bed of some sexy Dom.

Ava canvassed her trip within the ruse of doing her job, pretending it was all for the future of her career. Her life as an aspiring travel destination photographer would be over before it started if people back home learned the truth. A dirty little secret wrapped in the facade of work as usual. The perfect cover. Or so she hoped.

It wasn’t like it was a secret that she was attending the grand opening. She was no liar, and against her parent's wishes, she convinced them it was what was best for her struggling business. Ava was there to take photos of the venue and island amenities on a professional level, and for them, that’s all they needed to know. The deal she made with the owner to get her application approved on the fast track, was she would work for access to the island. Otherwise, she could never afford a week-long stay with such high-end accommodations.

The week would start with a couple of days’ work. Then, hopefully, ending on the receiving end of some handsome Dom’s flog, with a red ass and a lot of kinky memories. A firm hand smacking down on her pert backside with a crack while he pounded into her with ravenous need was worth every risk of her family finding out. The idea made her thighs clench and her core wet just thinking about being dominated.

For now, watching the boat bouncing over the waves made her stomach churn. Even on such a large yacht, the motion made her green at the gills, and she was doing everything she could to keep from losing her breakfast over the side of the boat.

Ava took a deep breath to calm her nerves, praying inside they would reach the island soon. Closing her eyes with a slow deep breath, she begged for the watery nightmare to end. Even though the boat was a smooth ride, her restless mind was thinking otherwise.

“God, please just get me off this boat. This must be the universe's punishment for coming here, to begin with. I should have just stayed home and listened to Mother.”

Ava looked to her left, finding a mysterious man watching her with a taunting chuckle. It was clear he was physically fit and probably had a nice body, but it was hard to tell. Tall with broad shoulders and short, curly, dirty blonde bangs sticking out from the hoodie jacket he was wearing; she could feel his eyes on her. His presence was intimidating yet strangely alluring.

The man pulled at his sleeve to cover a tattooed wrist with the words ‘With Darkness Comes Light’ written in calligraphy script. His attire was strange considering they were in the middle of Summer and the ferocious heat bearing down on them unbearable. She wondered what normal person wore a hoodie in eighty-plus-degree temperatures.

As her eyes veered over him, she noticed the man was completely covered from head to toe. His sunglasses were so dark he looked like he could pass for an old sketch of the notorious Unabomber. A bandana hiding most of his face covered his mouth and nose making him look even more like a serial killer. How the hell did this weirdo even get on the boat, more or less pass inspection?

Ava shook her head in annoyance at his smugness. In return, it was a bad idea, because the sudden faint head movement made her almost lose her breakfast. Holding her hand to her mouth, she tried to keep from being sick while thinking, “Please don’t throw up in front of all these people. Or on Mister Dark and Brooding.”

A chuckle came from the man again as he waved over the boat’s staff server. Taking a bottle from the tray, he shook his head in amusement as he watched her almost turn green. Walking straight to Ava with a cocky swagger, he handed over the water bottle. Without so much as a comment, he walked away, shoving his hands in his jeans, and whistling as he went.

“Weirdo,” she grumbled under her breath, quickly taking a drink of the water.

Turning to watch the strange man walk away, she couldn’t help but notice his peach of a backside. His jeans fit him to perfection, and she bit her lip, almost forgetting about her nausea.

“Jeez. Here I am, sick to my stomach, and still can’t stop thinking about getting laid. Now I’m checking out the masked bandit over here. What the heck is wrong with me? It’s been so damn long since I’ve had sex, I don’t even think I could point out an actual penis in a line-up, yet I’m looking at this idiot like I’m going to take a bite of that peachy ass.”

Hearing her words, as man and woman passed, they gave a snicker at her comment.

With a grunt, she rolled her eyes at them. “I can’t wait to get off this gosh-forsaken death trap. Too many nosey damn people on this boat.”

Not long after, Ava finally saw the island coming into view, giving her much-needed relief. The sick feeling eased away as she finally realized the ride from hell was almost over.

“Thank God. Freedom from the boat from hell. Well, Ava girl, here we go. Off to the land of kinky freaks and dirty Dom’s. Life as you know it is about to change.”