Masters at Arms - By Kallypso Masters Page 0,28

PCH and the 5 just for fun was…don’t think about that now. Lifting the helmet’s visor again, she took a deep breath of the salty sea air. Alive. She wanted to relish in the feeling of being alive—free—before she returned to her prison.

They were passing through Camp Pendleton because she saw tanks on early-morning maneuvers to the west. How had they gotten this far north in such a short time? They must be flying like the wind. She loved it.

“Where are we headed?” she shouted into his ear, feeling loose strands of his hair whipping against her lips. She felt a zing to her clit. Crazy! She smiled and closed her eyes.

“Laguna Beach. A special place I want to show you.”

A niggling memory flashed across her mind. Happy, yet sad. Savannah quashed the memory before it could invade her good mood. Leave the past in the past.

She felt like a schoolgirl cutting class, or what she’d imagined that would feel like. Having had private tutors at home, skipping classes was something she had never been able to do. She’d been caned more than once by her tutors for other infractions, though. Some days, she seemed to get in trouble for breathing. More likely, they were just pervs given permission by Master to discipline her.

Forget about that for now. Today, you’re free, at least for a little while. Lowering the visor, she slid her arms around his waist, her thumbs brushing against his pecs. His muscles felt like leather-covered steel. She loved to touch him. The rumble of the Harley motor against her clit stimulated her much better than the butterfly vibrator her father used to force orgasms on her when he wanted to exact that torture on her.

Don’t think about Him anymore.

All too soon, Damián pulled into a parking spot across the highway from the beach-access steps. She scooted back on the seat, ignoring the stinging pain in her bandaged thighs. She didn’t want to think about that beating anymore. She only wanted to experience this, her last day.

Damián got off the bike first. She expected him to extend a hand to help her off. Instead, he motioned for her to swing her leg over the bike’s seat, then bent down to remove her stilettos.

“We’re ditching the heels,” he said. He opened the storage case behind the seat, pulled out a beach towel, and stowed her shoes inside.

“I don’t have any other shoes.”

“I’ll carry you.” He removed her helmet—well, his helmet, since he only had the one—and secured it in the compartment with her shoes.

She laughed. “I can walk in my bare feet once we get to the beach.”

His hands spanned her waist under the open jacket and he lifted her up as if she weighed nothing. She grabbed onto his shoulders to steady herself, laughing. His muscles corded beneath his black T-shirt.

“I’ll carry you again when we get to the rocks, then.”

Rocks? She thought they were just going to stroll along the beach. Where did he plan to take her? Curiosity filled her thoughts as she alternated standing on one foot then the other. Seconds after her feet hit the pavement, the cuts she’d endured yesterday on her soles caused her to wince.

Damián handed her the towel, then lifted her into his arms. “Oh!” She screamed in surprise and laughed. Holding onto the towel, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Satin on steel. His attention was intent on watching for an opening in traffic for them to cross. She stared at his profile.

His nose had been broken at some point. Had he been an athlete in school, or had he been injured fighting? He had a closed-up hole for an ear piercing. No earring. A lock of hair fell over his forehead that she itched to brush back with her fingers. His devilish appearance did strange things to her libido—like ignite it. Strange, indeed.

She was grateful she didn’t have to walk after all. It would take a while for her tender soles to heal. He started down the steps and she looked ahead to see where they were going.

A flash of memory caused a momentary bout of vertigo. She held on tighter and looked back up at him, almost expecting to see Maman. No. She was with Damián. She pushed the confusing image back into the recesses of her mind.

The steps went on forever. “My God! Are there really a thousand of them?” She couldn’t even see the beach for the overgrown arbor hanging over portions of the