I walked around the ship and explored. I had already found three gyms, two conference rooms, and several dining rooms that served as ballrooms and event rooms. There were also several bars, each sporting a unique name that fit the theme of the cruise, like The Secret Spot, Hushed Whispers, and my personal favorite, Entwined. None of them were open until after seven.

There was an upper deck with three spas and a vast pool, which struck me as funny, with all the water around us and a pool onboard. The rest of the ship was passageways filled with staterooms, which I was guessing only allowed entry if your stateroom was located down one of the long passages. I had tried to explore them, too, but my key card wouldn't grant me access.

I walked around on the weather decks and scoped out possible fun spots to bring someone. I also kept an eye out for where the staff hung out; that way, when I wanted a private moment with a woman, I knew the places that would be busy. I looked at my watch, still only six thirty, people would be arriving soon, if not already lining up. I made my way starboard, the right side of the ship if you're facing toward the front, and looked out over the rail. I was right; men and women were already lining up, many with bags in hand and others leaving suitcases with crew members to take to their rooms.

I watched as people stood in line. I should have thought of that; I could be meeting potential women now and getting a jump on some of the competition.

"Oh well, Alex," I mumbled to myself. "The early bird gets the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese."

I looked on for a bit, then checked my watch again. Seven on the dot, I smiled. It's time for breakfast, I thought, then changed my mind. If I waited until eight, I bet I could make up for the time lost in line and meet a few women then, at least getting the jump on the passengers who would join us in Seattle and those who were late today. I pushed off the rail and headed back to my room. Maybe I'd hit one of the gyms.

I entered the room to find it empty. Ari had left, but she cleaned up and made the bed. I smiled to myself; she cleaned up. She may make a good sub, even though staff were off-limits. I put my clothes away and organized my stuff, stowing it inside the built-in cabinets that all clicked shut to prevent rough seas from making them open. I put on a body armor shirt and some gym shorts, changed into my gym socks and shoes, and then headed out.

I wasn't a significant gym rat, but I wasn't one of those guys that went in and screwed around, either. I used to practice Shōrin-ryū but it had been a few years, I had also gotten into another sport that involved padded weapons but that was a lot nerdier, still had great cardio though. I wanted to take cruise yoga classes; I bet yoga could be enjoyable here. I stretched as I plotted; staying fit meant I had better stamina.

When I looked in the gym mirror, I was lean and muscular, but not so much that I looked like a steroid-using gym rat with more muscle than brains. I was simply muscular, semi-toned, and my skin slightly tanned. What always surprised me was the interlocking Celtic rose vines tattooed on my arms, starting at my wrists and going halfway up past my elbow.

The vines had hidden designs and a few other secret things. I had gotten them tattooed years ago and grown so used to them that I didn't notice them daily, so when I looked at myself in the mirror, they always shocked me a little. I liked how they looked; I had worried they might look silly because they were rose vines. On the contrary, when people saw them, they thought they were badass, or so a few people have said. Not that many people saw them; I kept them covered most often.

I worked through a few light sets of curls and bench presses and moved on to pull-ups. After a decent lift set, I ran a light treadmill. I wouldn't say I liked running much; it was boring, so I tended to drift off into fantasy land when I did. Today was no different; I let my imagination run away. My thoughts had run so far that I hadn't realized two women were looking in the window until a woman in a dark grey business outfit and long dark red curly hair passing by slapped her hand hard against the glass. My head jerked up, and the woman kept walking, smiling back at the other two and winking at me. They seemed embarrassed at first, then burst into giggles.

Damn, I hated giggling. I smiled at all three and returned her wink. Despite their giggling, they were pretty, with tight little bodies in their matching schoolgirl outfits, too cliché for me. Although I thought two for the price of one, I shook my head; there was not too much drama. There was too much giggling, although I bet their cries and screams were decadent.

Now, the other woman had spunk, and she was womanly, not girly. Her hair was excellent, and that wickedly beautiful smile as she thwarted the girl's fun time while they just stared had me thinking naughty thoughts. My gym shorts started to extend, and I stopped running, toweled off, and wiped the treadmill off. Giving the girls one last smile, I stepped out the door to a barrage of giggling.

"Girls," I said, nodding at them as I passed. I headed back to my room to shower. They giggled more and went their own way.

The ship was filling up. I had passed men and women just coming aboard looking for their rooms. I entered mine and showered quickly in case the hot water didn't last long. Grabbing a pair of dark slacks and a tight grey shirt, I dressed and made my way to breakfast. Maybe if I were lucky, the suit lady would show up. My waiter brought me my coffee, and I ordered a light breakfast, an omelet with ham, cheese, and tomatoes. I watched men and women enter, some couples, but no suitable lady. The waiter came back, refilled my coffee and left; he was pretty good. He figured out what I needed without having to ask and did his job, not a lot of small talk, I wasn't a fan of small talk.

When my food arrived, the waiter asked if I needed ketchup or hot sauce. I needed neither, and he left. I liked him; he was straight to the point and not a bother. A good tip is coming his way. I did enjoy a waitress who flirted a little, but he was perfect as a waiter. I finished my meal, drank two more cups, paid, and left disappointed.

Returning to my room, I found a paper slid under the door with the ship's schedule; it looked like a few comedians, a band, and some regular day activities till we hit Seattle. Of course, we had the Introduction Dinner. I smiled and decided to listen to Cat'o'Nine Tails, an all-female BDSM rock band. If they sounded terrible, I could at least meet some women or crash the comedy act. I decided to walk about and chit-chat out on the top deck. I took the elevator. I was not lazy, but the stairs were probably empty.

The elevator opened to a breezeway with a bar not far to the left and the pool a short distance out into the sun. I walked out casually, looked around, took in the sights, and decided to head to the bar first. I ordered a Captain and Coke. Drink in hand, I glanced at the clock: almost eleven, underway in an hour. I walked out into the sun and instantly felt its rays begin to warm my skin, the pool was empty but the chairs around it had filled nicely with a buffet of bikinis. I smiled; maybe this cruise was going to be great. I sat for a little bit and casually enjoyed the ocean air. It was weird to me to be getting underway and not having any work to do. I finished my drink and headed inside for a quick nap.

I was almost in my room when I spotted the suit lady. She was still wearing her dark grey suit top matched with a pin-striped pencil skirt. She was leaning against the information desk counter, a seductive smile on her face as a nervous clerk reached for her key card. Her stockings accentuated her legs nicely, and her heels screamed sexy, but in a professional working woman kind of way. Her long dark ruby hair was done up now in a bun held firm with a black hair tie. Her milky white skin made her hair jump out, enriching its color.

The clerk handed back the card; he seemed to be apologizing a lot. I smiled as she looked up, winked at her, and kept on walking. I couldn't place her, sub, or Domme. She seemed dominant, but her eyes begged to please. Maybe she was a flip like me. I could feel her watch as I walked by, and after twenty feet, I could hear her heels click-clacking on the deck as she followed.

The click-clacking pace quickened slightly, so I slowed for her to catch up. As she came along my left side, I smiled at her, and she back. The ship jerked a bit, and a foghorn sounded, letting all those aboard, on the pier, and within a five-mile radius that the boat was underway. She stepped to the side and braced herself against the bulkhead.

"Enjoy your workout?" she asked, her voice teasing, sexy, and firm. She was born for the courtroom; a lawyer, I would bet my best whip on it. I looked her up and down, allowing her to see my evident appreciation of her body, and stopped once I reached her gorgeous green eyes.

"It looks like you enjoy working out, too," I said as a statement, not a question. "It must be hard to find time between court cases," I added to confirm her being a lawyer.

"Oh, I don't do court, but my firm makes time for us to stay fit. Full gym, in fact," she said, her eyes copying mine and thoroughly checking me out. As her eyes dropped, I admired her blouse in a lighter grey than her suit protruding past her flat stomach. I was sure she was all natural and not pushed up; I looked up just before she caught me in a second glance.

"Firm, huh? So, are you going to the comedy show or to see the rock group?" I asked, hoping she would want to meet up. Her thick, ruby lips pressed together as she made up her mind, and her hips swayed back and forth as we walked.

"I think the rock band, but I'm not sure. I'm not a huge fan of comedy, but the band may be too loud," she said, her mind still debating it as only a lawyer and a general could, weighing every little option. "You?" she asked, looking at me.

"The band, if it's loud, I may cut out early, too," I said, figuring that was exactly what I'd end up doing. "See you there then?" I asked a single eyebrow-raising question quizzically. I tapped my key card on the electronic device that opened the door to the passageway leading to my stateroom.

"Do you have one of the big suites?" she asked, amazed. Opening the door, she opened it for me.

"I splurged," I said, being honest but hoping I sounded modest. I stepped in, and she followed, her lip puffing out a bit and her head tilting into a pout that had probably won over many legal battles.

"Mind if I check it out?" she asked, trying to win me over. I smiled back and was about to say yes when I saw an overly tanned man, almost orange, storming up. He moved like a charging bull, and his arms and legs were massive; now, this man was either a total gym rat overcompensating for personal issues, or steroids were not a problem for him. Which meant, in my opinion, he lacked self-confidence and control. I smiled at him, then at her, touched her arm, and stepped slightly back with my right foot.

"Maybe next time," I said, nodding at him. He slowed enough not to run her over but yanked her around to face him.

"I had asked you to put away our bags!" he snarled at her, his hand gripping her arm tightly so that she winced in pain before answering.

"I was, but I wanted some fresh air, and then I got lost." She lied, hoping he'd let go. I wanted to step in, but this was none of my business, and for all I knew, this was how she liked her relationship with him. He was the Domme, if a poor one at that, in their relationship.

"Well, let's go. I will show you our room again; it's not hard to find. Jesus Christ's instructions are simple, and you can't even follow them," he snapped at her as he pulled her away. I turned back down the passageway to my room and went in. 'So much for that,' I thought.

I skipped the rock group, figuring she would go and wanting to avoid starting the cruise out with a confrontation. I didn't feel like the comedian, either. I finally decided fresh air would be good and went to the weather decks. I enjoyed the salty air and the coast view as we headed up the Californian coast.

I stayed out until dinner, ate quickly, and then retreated to my room. I decided to call it an early night. I tapped the card on the door and walked into my room, the lights dimly lit. That's neat, I thought to myself. There would never be a dark room to return to.

I pulled off my shirt and tossed it on the bed. Then I noticed the skirt and top on the floor—the kind the ship's crew wore. I stepped into the extra room, and Ari leaned on the crossbar. She smiled boldly at me, wearing only her panties, her perky little breast exposed for my excitement, her nipples fully erect.

"Oh, I have company," I said, smiling at her. I thought the company frowned on the staff visiting the crew?" I asked, smiling at her.

"Oh, Sir. It is very much against the rules. But you said I had to earn your love. And I am here to do exactly that," she said, smiling seductively as she turned, putting her hands through the bind straps. I stepped in and pulled them tight.

"Oh, sweet shy Ari, did I turn you into a little slut?" I asked as my fingers trailed across her shoulders and down her spine. She shivered in anticipation and she wiggled testingSire bonds, they were tight. I stepped up behind her, and she gasped, feeling me press against her.

"I fear, Sir, I may be a slut. I may want to be a slut, but only for Sir, Sir. I want so badly, want you inside me." she said, turning scarlet.

I smiled, aroused by this once timid girl's boldness, but thought she may have fooled me. I was sure she just loved the game, and she wouldn't win till we fucked. I stepped back and grabbed two floggers, one with thick, heavy suede tails and the other with thin rubber ones. I gently let the suede thud against her back and watched her quivering in anticipation. Next, I struck her softly with the thinner flogger and watched as her tight little butt cheeks clenched. She let out a weak moan, then a squeak as the rubber flail stung her. So, she was more about the pain of the sting and the hard thud of the suede. I hung the suede up and grabbed a second thin-tailed flogger.

"The word for me to stop is still bananas," I whispered in her ear, then gently bit it, earning another yelp. "If ever you want me to stop, for good, just say, 'You are not my ruler,' and you will not feel this again," I told her, then stepped back.

I began slowly with light hits that stung but didn't cause much pain. I hit her left then right, left then right, working a slow rhythm as the tails left light red marks across her flesh. She sang her approval in gentle moans and gasps. I continued the rhythm for a short period, then slowed to a stop, the last hit gently coming up between her legs, to which she yelped. Her knees gave way, and she hung by her arms till she regained her feet. Holding both floggers with one hand, I slipped my right gently between her legs to her wet thigh and turned up. My fingers brushed her black lace panties aside, confirming she was already dripping wet.

"Oh god, Sir. Sirk me, please. I'm a whore, your whore," she moaned gently as I assessed her arousal.

"Oh sweet Ari, you are a whore, and maybe someday you will be my little whore, but you have not earned that right yet," I whispered in her ear, and I stepped back, turned, and started flailing her again, quickly picking up the pace this time. I set a faster rhythm, matched by her moans and wails. I continued till sweat started to form on my brow. I slowed down, the last three hits landing between her legs to cries of delight. Her knees were quivering again but did not fail this time. Again I moved to push aside her panties but her thigh was already soaked. She rasped and breathed hard and finally raised her head to look me in the eyes.

"Please, sir," she pleaded. "Inside me. I'll do anything you ask," she begged. Her hair hung limp, and her back and her tight butt were a score of tiny red welts. I smiled, pleased.

"Not yet; you will earn this cock, just not yet. But you have earned only a little," I said, loosening her bonds and turning her to face me. I leaned in and let her feel my arousal pressed hard against her drenched panties. She moaned in response and began a fit, begging for it to be inside her. I turned her back around and secured her hands. "Ready for round three?" I asked as her little fists clenched in preparation.

"Sir, hit me harder," she said, hoping to earn my love.

I stepped back, arms flying in a fast Florentine pattern. The tails fell on her back in a complex pattern as the room filled with her screams. Every third and fourth hit swung gentler, swinging up to land between her legs. Her hips began to rock with the motion of her moans and screams, turning from pain to pleasure and back again. Her legs glowed beautifully wet in the dim light as she came again and again, and each new climax built off the previous. Her screams and her rocking continued even after I finished my flogging as she still came and came.

My cock was fighting the restraints of my slacks as I moved in behind her. I pressed firmly against her. Her body rocked against mine. I released her bonds and kept her secure to me. She would have begged for me to be in her, but her voice was reduced to a barely audible scratch. I stepped back with her, and she turned in my arms, facing me, looking up into my eyes.

She hit her knees before I could stop her, her hands attacking my button and zipper. My cock sprung out and hit her lips as she moaned. Her tiny red lips wrapped around me as she pushed me as far back as she could handle and began to gag. She licked my shaft up and down and pushed me as far back again, repeating the process over and over again.

I began to rock with the motion of her head; her caressing hands filled my balls with cum. I wrapped my hands in her shoulder-length hands and fucked her mouth, my hips picking up speed as she moaned and gagged. I breathed in deep and held it as I released, filling her tiny mouth with cum. I came again and again, overflowing her mouth and dripping out the side. She swallowed and swallowed again, smiling as more came out the corners of her mouth. Her eyes looked up at me as cum dripped off her chin and onto her perky little breast.

"Oh sir, noSirNow, have I earned your pleasure?" she asked, knowing I was already pleased at having filled her with my hot seed. She slipped her panties off and flung them aside, landing with a soft, wet splat against the wall.

"Sweet Ari, you should have been more patient; you've just wasted plenty of my love, don't you think?" I asked as my eyebrows arched up. I stepped back and smiled down at her.

"Oh sir, let me earn more then." she moaned as she crawled towards me, and I continued my backward pace into the other room. The Domme in me and the sadist wanted to make her wait, but the rest of me wanted her and wanted her bad. I led her backward to the bed and allowed her to climb up, still crawling the whole time.

As she lay there looking at me with pleading eyes and her voice harsh from screams, pleading too, I cuffed her to the wall restraints. She spread her legs, revealing her freshly shaved pussy, tempting me more. I slid my fingers to her swollen, welted, red clit and began rubbing slowly at first but picking up momentum till she was cumming again. As she bucked and moaned, I allowed her to fuck my fingers as I used my other hand to tweak her nipples roughly, and she came harder. I continued till she had the bed soaked, and she could rock her hips no more. She lay back, moaning into the pillows, her body quivering. I pulled my fingers from her tight little body and smiled as she lay there, exhausted.

I slipped into the bed behind her and held her soft body to mine. I wanted inside this little angel. I wanted to fuck her till she came over and over again, but I wouldn't. Ari was fun and unique, but she wasn't loved. She was lusty. Then again, maybe lust isn't such a bad thing to enjoy till I find love again.

"Sweet Ari, tonight you have earned my pleasure," I whispered into her ear as she gently moaned in her sleep. "Too bad you can't take it," I added, falling asleep with her in my arms.

I woke to find the bed empty and Ari gone. I stretched and couldn't help but frown. I knew Ari's game and probably played it a million times. I probably played every time the ship began a new cruise, I knew, but a part of me wanted to fall for it and give in. A part of me wanted to fuck her over and over again and pretend we were falling in love, but unfortunately, I wouldn't let the game go that far. I couldn't let the game go that far. So, for now, I'd enjoy the pleasures we shared.