I smiled up at the ship, moored to what must have been Nine at North Harbor, and struggled to understand how something huge could float. I knew it was a simple matter of displacing water, but I was amazed anyway. The sheer size of the ship entranced me. Anyone who saw me staring would think this was my first time, but it wasn't.

I was in the Navy, stationed on an aircraft carrier. Every day, I requested permission to come aboard and go ashore, and I was still amazed. This vessel was bigger than the aircraft carrier. I looked around and smiled; the pier was lit only by a few street lamps. Looking around, there was hardly anyone to out. The morning fog was setting in heavily, and the air had a salty smell you could almost taste.

"Five A.M," I whispered after checking my watch; I was early, which I loved. I bet I' 'm going to be the first person aboard, I thought to myself. Well, at least for the first person enjoying the pleasure cruise portion of the ship, official check-in didn't start until seven in the morning.

I picked up the tickets at The Knot and Braid, a unique club my friend Jeremy introduced me to several months back. It was a safe place for people to meet and discover their fantasies.

At first, I only went with Jeremy and his sub, as in his submissive, his girlfriend, who was just short of his slave. Eventually, though, I decided to start going on my own. I met many interesting people. I also played with some very fun subs myself. Some enjoyed being on loan from their masters, and some liked playing with random people. The latter was pretty rare. If you wanted to play, you brought someone with you. However, there was a random new member every once in a while.

I am a flip or a switch; I like a little abuse or commands, and then I want to take over and conquer, as I call it. Now, though, I was looking for my sub or slave, as well as reinventing myself to become the person I wanted to be, not the one I looked at in the mirror.

This wasn't entirely true. I liked what reflected on me. I also needed what was outside and what was inside to find synergy. I needed to show outside the confidence and control that I owned on the inside.

I needed this cruise; I needed to let the past go and Angela go. Angela was my ex-wife. She had sent me a Dear John letter that started with 'Dear John, here is the letter you've been waiting for.' To make matters worse, my name wasn't John. Alexander was nothing even close to John. I had read the letter five or six times before I could muster the ability to call my friend James over.

"James read this?" I asked, still in shock. I pointed to the e-mail. James read the letter, looked at me, reread it, and then started laughing.

"E-mail her back, dude, and tell her you're not John, and she e-mailed the wrong guy," he said between fits of laughter. "Then ask her who the fuck John is!"

It was pretty funny, although I didn't think so at the time, but it was a year past now. I was past the point of hurting now. I had gotten past hating her, too, and now I needed to forget the past. At first, as one of my friends said, I was content to bang my way across America. Unfortunately, that only buried my hurt with moments of pleasure followed by feelings of guilt. I tried to date, but that always ended in me comparing the women I dated to Angela; shortly after that, a breakup would follow. What I wanted now was a woman who not only wanted to be with me but wanted me to be pleased with her. That may have been where I was always going wrong: being overly friendly, not assertive enough, and not making women appreciate me.

This is not to say women don't deserve respect; they do. I have four older sisters that would set me straight if I did think that. Although I will say being too nice may be what killed my relationship with Angela and everyone after her. Now, I had grown fond of being dominant, and I enjoyed the play. The women I had played with at the Knot, as I called it for several years now, who enjoyed a good flogging or wanted to be naughty and fuck around on their husbands. I wanted my slave, a woman devoted to me and only to me, someone who would beg me to let her stay.

I leaned down and grabbed the handle of my suitcase, extending it to its maximum length. I had several floggers and a few costumes for the cruise masquerade ball. I carried the rest of my clothes and travel stuff in my sea bag.

The cruise was three weeks out to sea with several planned port visits and parties. The idea was to meet someone, hopefully at the first night's introduction dinner, and go out, play, and have fun. The first stop was Seattle to pick up more passengers, then Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, and then back home to San Diego, where most passengers would get off.

Finally, the ship would make the last leg of its journey to Seattle for those who joined us late. I walked to gate after gate and started looking for a sign that read "line up here" or "pleasure cruise entry here," but I didn't see anything.

"Excuse me, sir, are you lost?" a voice from a darkened booth called out to me.

I strained my eyes to see inside and failed. The voice was hard to distinguish; I wasn't sure of the accent or if it came from a man or a woman.

"Umm, I don't believe so; that is the Lady's Gift moored over there, correct?" I asked whoever was in the booth, talking to me from the shadows. "The ship is hosting the pleasure cruise, correct?" I added on.

"Yes, sir, but official check-in doesn't start till zero seven hundred, sir; you are two hours early," the disembodied voice replied from the darkness. But sir, I can check you in now if you insist and have a cruise girl show you to your stateroom," the voice added after a brief silence. The old me would have relented, left, and come back later.

"That sounds perfect," I replied, still trying to see into the dark booth. I smiled; being enlisted in the navy, I have always stayed in a berthing with other people. Berthings usually around a hundred or more, stacked three high and six per side, twelve per isle. Staterooms were for officers, but not on this ship, I thought, smiling to myself. The sound of a door on the side opened, and a young man stepped out of the red and gold livery of the ship, followed by an Asian girl. Her cheeks seemed somewhat flushed, and I smiled at her; I loved when a woman blushed after being caught playing naughtily. Her livery was the same color but a dress, and her dark eyes were downcast after seeing me smiling at her. She had dark hair cut at the shoulder in a short but cute fashion.

"Oh, I apologize," I said slightly louder than I had been talking before. "I had not realized you were busy." I finished smiling at them.

"Sir, it is no problem; we were not that busy," he paused. "If you could not tell anybody about this, sir," he said, eyeing the young woman. "Please?" he added, questioning. His eyes pleaded with me as he spoke.

I looked at him. Finally, he was of average height, very slim, and had soft features to match his gender-confused voice. A Lady's Gift hat rested on his head, and barely any of his light blonde hair was visible. I looked at his blushing friend and gave her an even bigger smile. She would have fled had she the courage to move her legs.

"Your secret is safe with me, young man. Now, about my checking in," I puffed my chest out a little, knowing I had caught them by surprise and that the upper hand belonged to me. Maybe you could escort me to my stateroom?" I finished, knowing that it wouldn't be him escorting me. It would be the cute little mouse blushing bright enough to light up the pier that would be showing me aboard.

"Yes, sir," he replied promptly, stepping closer. "Ticket, please?" he asked, his hand reaching forward.

I guess this young man was somebody's kid who got hired as a favor and didn't want to disappoint his father or mother. I handed him the tickets from my pea coat pocket. Patiently, I waited as he shuffled the hard stock papers around.

"Ah, you, Sir Mr. Dalken," he read my name. You got one of the Domme suites, very lucky. I have helped set the rooms up before; they are fairly spacious. Two rooms and a head in all," he said, smiling at me.

It wasn't luck at all. I had read the brochure a few times and decided that if I were going on this cruise, I would reserve one of the more expensive suites available. He stepped into the booth and turned on an electric unit. The unit scanned my ticket and, receiving an audible beep in reply, removed it.

"Okie dokie, sir, you are all checked in, and Ari here will escort you to your room," he said, turning to her. "He is in suite fourteen on the O-eight level," he instructed her as he handed her the ticket.

Shyly, she smiled softly at me, making her glowing cheeks perk up a bit.

"Sir, would you like me to carry your suitcase?" she asked meekly.

I smiled back; I so loved to have the upper hand.

"No, dear, I am quite capable," I reply, stepping forward to follow her.

She led the way down the pier at a slower pace than usual, so I had to shorten my steps and slow down. I was used to it; my pace was always hurried because I liked to get to where I was going and not dawdle. While following her, I took the time to check her out. The red and gold livery dress fit her nicely. Her tiny frame was hugged firmly by the fabric from the top down to her hips, where it blossomed into a pleated skirt that ended just above her knees. She had sweet, skinny little legs that fit her tiny frame perfectly. I bet she would be fun to toss around and probably loved to fucked nice how embarrassed she was by the fact. My guess was it was all a game she played. I was optimistic when she looked back at me twice before I acknowledged her looks with one of my own. She looked away, blushing again; I thought it was a game.

"So, is that your boyfriend, Miss Ari?" I asked, wondering if I could make her turn a deeper shade of red and succeed as she looked back at me.

"No sir, we are just friends," she said as her face turned red.

She led us to an elevator door. This would. be nice on the carrier, I thought to myself. The door opened with a sw,ipe from her card, and we entered. Looking around the mired elevator, I could see her glowing cheeks radiating back at me, and I was sure she could see my smile. I looked down at the polished red tiles and could b,arel,y see a reflection of her panties in the mirror-like finish. The elevator beeped indignantly as if knowing, where my eyes had, been gazing, and the door opened.

"This way, sir," she said, grabbing my suitcase as she exited.

I followed behind, not minding the slower, pace; her skirt had a particular, flow as she walked. I wonder if it's designed like that or just because shweet little ass? She led down to a little railed bridge that crossed from the elevator tower to the ship. We passed under a big sign stating "08 LEVEL AFT." I smiled; being on a boat gave me another advantage I had not considered. I know the jargon, and even though it's only a little thing, it gives me just a little more.

Crossing the walkway, we headed straight to a set of doors set in the bulkhead, what we call a wall. Entering a long plush carpeted passageway decked out in the red and gold of the ship's colors, my breath was taken away. Passing a few doors in between decent stretches of bulkhead. She stopped at a door with an ornate brass fourteen on it.

"Sir, your suite," she said, looking up at me. Her cheeks were just starting to fade, but only barely.

Swiping the card, the door clicked, and she entered with my suitcase. She held the door for me to enter too. The stateroom was not huge like a bedroom in a mansion would be, but it was great for a ship. I had gone from a rack of about seven feet long by three feet wide and eighteen inches high to an eight by nine-foot stateroom. The bulkheads were decorated with red and gold wallpaper, the red in the background and the gold in intricate designs lined from top to bottom. My eyes instantly fell on the queen-sized bed that took up most of the room and the flat-screen TV mounted across from it. That wasn't going to be used, I thought to myself.

"Sir, here is the bathroom,'" she said, opening the door to a small room with a shower placed right next to a toilet and a sink on the other side. "And Sir, here is the extra room," she said, blushing deeply again as she opened the door to another eight-by-nine room dominated by a crossbar rack, used to tie someone up. I smiled as if she only knew what she was dragging in her hand, hidden inside my suitcase.

"Wow, this is amazing," I said, smiling at her. Could you bring that suitcase here?" I asked as she stood at the door. She brought it in and set it up right next to me.

"Sir, Breakfast is at seven, lunch at noon, and dinner at four. Several snack bars are stationed throughout the ship, a pool on the twelfth level, and the Introduction hall on the tenth. The introduction dinner doesn't open till three PM, but feel free to roam the ship. Pleasure cruise participants have free access to the aft portion of the ship from six to thirteen. The Lady's Gift is holding another function on the forward part of the ship and that area is off-limits." she gave me the spiel like she had said it a thousand times before.

I stopped in amazement to see that her blush had faded completely now that she was on familiar ground, giving a speech she knew by heart.

"Thank you so much. You have been amazing, Ari," I said, reaching out and touching her shoulder. "Can I ask you a question?" I said, letting my hand linger for just a moment longer, testing her boundaries.

"Yes sir, you may ask anything you like," she said, the perfect hostess. I smiled at her as I stepped up closer and she leaned back just ever so slightly to compensate for the closeness.

"What were you doing in the shack down there?" I asked, smiling at her as the crimson returned to her cheeks.

"Um, sir, I was, well Thomas was. He was trying to get me to, you know," she continually paused, hoping I would fill in the blanks or just not ask, but I waited. "Go down, sir, down on him?" she finished as the last. The battle with bashfulness and her blushing was lost. She looked down, embarrassed to be called out so directly.

"Call me Alex or Mr. Dalken," I said, crouching down to look up into her eyes as she looked down abashed. So Ari, did you? Did you go down?" I finished loving the humiliation I caused.

"No, sir, I did not," she whispered, shaking her head to emphasize her words.

"Hmmm," I said, fighting back a smile. "And why not, Ari?" I asked as I closed her hands in mine and continued to look up at her

"I was going to Alex, I mean sir," she stumbled over her words "Mr. Dalken but you walked up as I was playing with it," she whispered so low I had to strain to hear her.

"Oh, so I ruined your fun time with your boyfriend, huh?" I whispered gently to her, challenging her denial of Thomas being her boyfriend earlier.

"Sort of yes but I told Thomas we shouldn't anyway and he isn't my boyfriend. We are just friends; he wants to be more though," she whispered.

"And you do not?" I asked moving my right hand to just above her left knee as if bracing myself from tipping over.

"Well, no, sir. He is a nice boy and all, but that is it, just nice," she whispered, her leg trembling a little under my touch.

"Oh just nice," I asked as I placed my left hand on her other leg which was trembling too "So you don't like your men nice or you don't like boys?" I asked as I gently started to move my hands up and down, rubbing her smooth legs.

"No sir I like men who are nice just not," she paused as my right hand slid a little too far and brushed her panty line. "just not." She started again, but I interrupted her.

"Just not too nice," I said, finishing for her as my fingers hooked into her panties and brought them slowly to the floor. "you like men who are more in control, don't you? Not boys who beg to have a woman please them?

"Oh gosh," she exclaimed as her legs quivered and shook harder. She leaned back more, her sweet little butt resting against the bulkhead. "sir, this is against the rules. No staff is allowed to have sex with anyone on the pleasure cruise!" she gasped in a harsh whisper but she didn't move to put her panties back on either.

I smiled up at her, my right thumb brushing over the tiny trimmed bush covering her clit making her legs shake uncontrollably. I supported her weight with my other hand.

"But Ari, we aren't having sex; I'm just teasing you a little. What do your rules say about teasing or kissing?" I asked as I leaned in and gently ran my tongue between the sweet little lips of her tight pussy.

"Oh," she moaned dragging the word out as my tongue tasted how wet she was already. "it says any," she stopped to moan again ever so gently and softly, "it says no, no sexual contact, none," she mumbled between moans as I worked my tongue up and down her pussy while I used my thumb to rub her swollen bud.

"Oh none huh," I paused "I guess we already broke the rules, Ari," I stated as I looked up at her crimson face, her head leaning back against the wall and my left hand supporting her weight. I continued to rub her clit, then pulled my right hand down, rubbing her lips gently.

"I guess I could stop if you wanted me to?" I stated as I pushed a finger into her slowly. She moaned and arced her back off the wall.

"Oh god!" she whispered delicately, trying to control herself.

Pushing off the wall leaning into me, hugging my head to her as I pushed my finger in and out. I pulled out. She bent at the knees, trying to push my finger back in.

"OH GOD!" She moaned a little louder as she worked herself up and down onto my finger.

"Is that a no, Ari? You don't want to stop?" I asked, adding another finger inside her and curling it as she came down.

I pushed her against the wall, waiting for her answer as I took control and started to finger her a little faster, picking up the tempo slightly more aggressively.

"No. No. Oh my," she moaned between gasps. "it's a yes. Definitely, yes."

"No stop? Or yes stop?" I asked as my fingers curled and uncurled within her.

"fuck me, sir, fuck me like a little whore." She gasped as she reached into her shirt to play with her nipples.

Her legs quivering as she fought my control, hating her inability to fuck my fingers herself. I held her against the wall, leaned in, and kissed her hard on the mouth as my fingers worked in and out of her. She fumbled with my belt between returning my kisses and moaning. Her tight little pussy squeezed tightly onto my fingers. The sweet juices from her tight pussy wetting my whole hand. I leaned in between her gasps and bit her neck gently as my fingers curled and uncurled inside her rubbing on her G spot causing her to omit little yelps of pleasure.

Finally, her soft gentle hands worked my hard cock out of my pants and she started to stoke it. I backed away slowly, pulling my fingers out.

"Now Ari, you are going a little far. I don't just let anyone touch me, but I think since you came so close to having something in your mouth earlier, I may just let you please me. Maybe see what young Thomas is missing, huh?" I said, smiling at her as I gently pushed her to her knees.

"Sir," she said, smiling as she fell to her knees. She smiled up at me, leaned in, and licked l my cock from the bottom of the shaft to the tip. She licked up and down again and again. Then wrapping her lips around the shaft she sank. She worked up and down slowly lathering my cock and sucking hard at the tip, that's where my pleasure almost loses me in ecstasy. She smiled still blushing knowing she was pleasing me as my boner started to bulge and harden more. I leaned back and wrapped my hands in her short black hair, pulling her head against me and pushing my cock deeper into her succulent mouth. She gagged as the mushroom tip pressed firmly at the back of her throat.

I fought back a moan and realized I was losing control; I didn't want to lose control, I reminded myself. I pulled her up, my cock sadly leaving her mouth. I spun her around, my hands cupping her small little breast through her top. I pulled her to me and kissed the back of her neck. I lifted her top, my hands exploring her fit little body.

"Oh, little Ari, you are an amazing little slut aren't you?" I asked as my left hand tweaked a now exposed nipple. My right found her pussy and continued my earlier torture of her clit. Her breath came loud, her moans louder as I continually worked my fingers in a self-paced rhythm. My hard cock rubbed against her sweet little ass cheeks. I wanted to bend her over and fuck her so bad.

"Yes sir, I'm a terrible little slut." she moaned as she pushed hard against me forcing my cock between her legs, coming to a rest just under her dripping wet pussy. Taken by surprise a little, I started to bend her over to push in before I realized I was losing control. My mushroom head split her lips and she lubricated my cock. I started to slide in, stretching her tiny shaved pussy. She was insanely tight. I pushed a little harder, and she screamed.

"Yes fuck me!" she begged.

"Oh no, Ari, you haven't earned that yet. You have to work much harder if you want that," I said, pulling back. I straightened her up and turned her around to face me. "Do you want to earn my cock, everything with me has to be earned." I finished smiling. I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it anyway.

"Yes, sir. God, I want you to fuck me! I want you to fuck me so bad!" she begged and dropped to her knees again to take me into her mouth.

I smiled at her as I stepped in and lifted her. I gently steered her to the crossbar held her right hand up to the strap and tied her in, then her left hand. There was a moment of panic when she realized what I had done and that she was bound.

"Oh sweet Ari, you just wait," I said and leaned down before her "Anytime you want to stop just say bananas. Bananas and I won't touch you again but to release you"

"I won't say those words, sir." She assured me

I opened the suitcase and fumbled around till I found what I wanted, I clicked the button and a high-intensity vibration filled the air. Ari's eyes got big as I touched it to her swollen clit, and she screamed as it instantly brought her to climax. She bucked and rocked, fighting the touch of the vibrator. I smiled, loving her screams of pleasure. Her voice was suddenly louder, and her body continued to rock back and forth as the vibrator touched her again. She fought for more and fought to escape at the same time. Scream after scream confessed her pleasure, and her sweet juices ran in streams down her legs.

After more orgasms than I could count wracked her body and her voice was a harsh whisper I stopped. She still rocked back and forth as if riding an invisible cock. I clicked the vibrator off, and her body went limp against her bonds. Setting the toy down I stood and held her up, releasing the bonds I carried her to the bed. She still was calming down and moaned gently as she nestled against me. Laying her down, I curled up behind her in a big spoon and gently kissed her neck.

"Ari," I whispered. "Ari, are you ok?" I asked as she lay in my embrace.

"Sir, fuck me, please. Haven't I earned your pleasure now?" she whispered back and I smiled, oh she was a delightful little thing I thought to myself and she played a great game.

"Oh Ari you were wonderful, but to earn my pleasure you would have to commit to me and I don't think that would be a good idea," I said smiling.

Ari was fun and easy, and I liked that, but as soon as I wasn't around she would fall prey to another Domme. I laid there holding her till she fell asleep. I covered her and went to shower. Wow, I thought, the official first day hadn't even started and I was already having fun.

After my shower, I dressed and found my room key in the guest welcome package. With a last look at the sleeping Ari in my bed, I left my room and headed out to explore the ship.