Pleasure Island (3 page)

A strangled cry erupted from the room next door, startling Nikki. ‘What was that?’

The noise spoke volumes to Roxanna. ‘Ah, so it’s Claudie. Claudie has a tendency to do that.’

‘What?’ Nikki asked.

‘Rake her fingernails down the Earl’s back,’ Roxanna whispered. ‘He loves it.’ Her hand detached itself from Nikki’s breast to glide up and down her spine. Through the material of her dress, Nikki could clearly feel her fingernails. She wondered what the sensation would be like if the princess chose to dig deeper. As if reading her mind, Roxanna explained, ‘It’s exhilarating if done correctly. It treads that fine line between pain and pleasure. The trick is to know exactly how far to dig in.’

Another indefinable low utterance came from the adjoining room, and the headboard began to knock against the wall. ‘The Earl’s so excited: it sounds as if he is already nearing his climax. Claudie will be wet with arousal too. Her thighs will be burning, aching, while she herself will be longing to experience her first orgasm of the night. I wonder if he’ll last long enough to grant her that pleasure?’

Roxanna’s commentary was interrupted by a loud cry. She smiled. ‘And there you have it.’ A series of high-pitched yelps followed. ‘Ah yes, definitely Claudie. I wonder if that’s a genuine orgasm or if she’s faking it to please her lover?’

Never mind her lover, Nikki thought, what about me? Roxanna’s provocative narrative had aroused her to the extent that she had begun to envy the girl in the adjoining room. Though she had never felt any desire for another woman before, Nikki found herself so turned on she longed to kiss the princess again, to sate her desire. She felt that Roxanna only needed her to say the word and she would happily oblige. The two girls gazed deeply into one another’s eyes. Roxanna nodded gently in a reassuring manner. Nikki arched forward and planted her lips on the princess’.

Though Nikki had enjoyed the kiss they had shared earlier in the evening, that degree of pleasure had been nothing compared the one they shared now; as their lips locked, Roxanna’s hands began to explore her body. Nikki responded and, for the first time in her life, found herself caressing another girl’s hips and thighs. Did she dare to explore further? Roxanna broke away to plant a series of thrilling kisses around the nape of her neck. The next second, Nikki felt the fingers of Roxanna’s right hand clasp the zip at the back of her dress. The princess sat up and looked deep into her companion’s eyes for a sign of approval. Nikki took a deep breath … then, at that precise moment, the door opened.

Nikki sprang off the bed as if she had experienced an electric shock. Matt stood in the doorway, a knowing grin upon his face. She scowled at him.

Roxanna didn’t look overly happy at the interruption either. ‘Yes?’ she snapped.

‘I was just wondering if my mistress wanted a nightcap, but I can see that you have everything taken care of. Good night, ladies.’ Matt bowed and closed the door behind him.

With the spell broken, Nikki stumbled off the bed and gathered her purse and Dictaphone. Glancing back at Roxanna, she wondered if the princess was aware that her dress had ridden up and was revealing a glimpse of her panties. Nikki stared at them. Was it her imagination or was the front of them ever so slightly damp? For a split second, she thought about rejoining the princess on the bed and burying her tongue between her thighs. As if sensing Nikki’s desire, Roxanna lay back in an inviting manner and pulled her dress up a little further.

Determined to keep her longings in check, Nikki coughed and cleared her throat. ‘You said to give Matt my details, didn’t you?’

‘I did indeed.’

‘Goodnight then, your Highness.’

‘Goodnight,’ Roxanna replied.

Nikki opened the door and nearly bumped into Matt. Immediately, her suspicions were aroused.

‘Were you eavesdropping?’ she demanded.

‘I don’t think I was the only one,’ he retorted rather cheekily. ‘Now, I believe I have to take some details, don’t I?’

Nikki retrieved her phone from her bag and gave Matt her number. He punched it into his BlackBerry and then, as she retreated back towards the servants’ staircase, he wandered over to Roxanna’s room. She watched as he gently knocked the door and waited to be summoned. As she retreated down the stairs, she couldn’t help but envy the princess, for she could well imagine the kind of nightcap that Matt provided. 

Chapter Four
Preparation

The following week proved to be one of the most exhilarating of Nikki’s life. Her emotions seesawed dramatically. One minute she would be ridiculously excited at the prospect of the long weekend ahead on the princess’ Caribbean island, whereas the next, she found herself on the verge of cancelling the trip.

Part of her suspected that Roxanna wasn’t simply going to grant her the interview and would somehow do her best to involve her in another passionate encounter. Nikki had mixed feelings about this. Though she had a clear recollection of how highly aroused she had become while kissing Roxanna at the Earl’s party, she felt slightly guilty about it too. But, despite her reservations, Nikki knew, deep down, that she was going to go.

As preparation for the trip, she tried yet again to find out any scraps of information she could about what happened on Pleasure Island. Alas, details were thin on the ground. While rumour and conjecture abounded, hard facts were practically nonexistent. It seemed that whatever took place on the island remained on the island. After digging around for several days, she did manage to uncover a rather scandalous tale on a rather vindictive blog. However, the piece read like an embittered and jealous account, written by someone who seemed piqued at Roxanna’s success, and so Nikki took it with a pinch of salt.

It also seemed that any snide comments about Roxanna were far outweighed by the welter of positive ones, many of which were made by the great and the good. Praise of her hospitality and munificence abounded. Disappointingly, the vast majority of these snippets didn’t go into any great detail, and the only ones that did tended to dwell upon descriptions of the island itself or the princess’ palace, neither of which was Nikki’s main area of interest.

The most intriguing fact Nikki did manage to uncover was that Roxanna had faced a sexism charge some time ago, as a result of the “men only” policy she had adopted when it came to recruiting staff to work on the island. Therefore, to avoid incurring the wrath of the courts, she had recently acquiesced and agreed that, if they wished to do so, women would be permitted to work on the island too. Interestingly, none had taken up a post to date and so the staff remained male only.

In stark contrast, Nikki couldn’t help noticing a distinct absence of men on Roxanna’s guest lists, for they were made up almost entirely of women. When questioned as to why male visitors to her island were rare, Roxanna was at pains to point out that they were most welcome, but strictly on her terms. Should any leading lights from the male-dominated world be eager to pay her a visit, she would be happy for them to do so.

When pressed on this point, Roxanna noted all of the areas of the world in which women were still treated as second-class citizens. All she was doing was trying to redress the balance a fraction. Surely no one would begrudge the world one tiny island upon which traditional roles were reversed and men were subservient to women?

Through her research, Nikki began to build up a vague picture of the princess. Most of the guests who had made comments in the public domain following a visit were extremely complimentary about their host. Nikki also searched around for the opinions of staff who had worked at Roxanna’s lingerie stores. Once again, it was a very similar story. Though there were criticisms, none were aimed at Roxanna herself, and several employees had taken the time to note that Regal Lingerie – the name of Roxanna’s company – was the best company they had ever worked for. Nikki found the glowing, positive comments a refreshing change from the usual dose of bile that tended to be served up by staff speaking about their former employers. The only downside to this was it didn’t really help her.

As a last resort, Nikki tried her best to get Matt Darnley to open up to her, for throughout the course of the week, the pair had exchanged a series of emails. To her chagrin, she found that he refused to be drawn. In fact, she began to wonder if she had misjudged him entirely, for the tone of his messages was actually rather formal, which Nikki found completely at odds with the impression she had formed of him at the Earl’s ball.

Matt’s final email was to advise her that a car would be sent to collect her that Friday morning to take her to Bristol Airport: this location was favoured by the operators of private jets as it was less busy than the London airports. It meant she would have to set off in the middle of the night, but this would ensure she’d arrive in plenty of time for the traditional Friday night reception party that Roxanna held to greet her guests.

By the time Thursday arrived, Nikki had given up on background research. While her finances weren’t such that she could afford to splash out extravagantly, she could allow herself a few little treats and so she decided to visit her local Regal Lingerie store. Though she had shopped there before, she hadn’t done so for some time and was quite surprised at the exciting new selection of products on offer. The last time she’d been there, the place had specialised solely in lingerie. However, that morning, she discovered a whole new collection of items. These ranged from the relatively innocent, such as feather boas, bikinis and beachwear, to the outlandishly risqué.

Most of the new items in question were pleasure toys. Given the exotic designs of some of these, she sometimes found it a challenge to work out how they should be used. And then, when she did finally twig, she found herself giggling as she realised which part of the anatomy the device was designed to stimulate. That said, the range of Electro sex toys left her completely baffled, although some of the attachments and appendages were highly intriguing.

Leaving the Electro aisle behind, Nikki found herself wandering along a section of shelving that contained toys that were much more familiar to her, namely, vibrators and dildos. Even so, she had never seen so much variation, not only in terms of size, but of colour also. There were clear ones, black ones, pink ones, cream ones, purple ones, red ones, cerise ones. And as for the texture, most of them practically begged to be touched. The new jelly ones in particular were delightfully pliable and tactile.

As she toyed with a particularly large vibrator, the store’s manageress came across and asked if she needed any help. Nikki turned, vibrator still in hand. Noting her selection, the woman smiled approvingly and remarked, ‘An excellent choice if I may say so.’

‘Thanks,’ Nikki replied.

‘But this is my personal favourite,’ the manageress said, picking up a purple double-ended dildo. Holding the object in one hand, the woman caressed it affectionately with the other. Glancing around to make sure that they weren’t within earshot of anyone else in the store, she lowered her voice a notch and whispered, ‘I treated myself to one when I split up with my ex-boyfriend a couple of months back. I know it’s kind of wrong of me to say, but I haven’t really missed him that much.’

Nikki looked on, mesmerized, as the beautiful, sultry, voluptuous brunette continued to stroke the toy. The way she ran her fingers up and down the shaft of the object was hypnotic. She then curled the dildo into a large “U” and began to tease the tips of it between her thumbs and fingers.

It didn’t take a great leap of the mind’s eye to imagine that the manageress had a large cock in each hand and was slowly wanking them off simultaneously. In fact, it reached the point where Nikki half expected a torrent of spunk to gush from the dildo, so expert were the girl’s attentions.

Trying her hardest to blank out the image and return to the here and now, Nikki remarked, ‘I thought those were designed to be used with someone else.’

‘They are,’ the manageress replied.

As she realised what the woman was implying, Nikki wasn’t sure whether to giggle or blush. Deciding it was time to change the topic of conversation, she placed the vibrator that she had been holding back on the shelf. ‘Actually, what I’m really after is something to wear this weekend. You see, I’ve been invited to a rather special venue.’

‘And you want to make a splash, right? Here, let me show you our premier collection of lingerie.’ The manageress put the purple dildo back on display, then guided Nikki to the front of the store. The underwear in that section truly was spectacular: a vast array of bras, basques, briefs, G-strings, knickers, and thongs. ‘The items here are all from our brand new range.’

‘So if I opted for something on display here, you reckon I’d be the only one wearing it?’

‘I couldn’t guarantee it, but I’d say there’d be a fair chance. We only received the stock yesterday.’

Nikki was immediately drawn to a simple yet eye-catching set. At first, she took the bra and panties to be white; however, on closer inspection she realised they were in fact a subtle champagne colour. As she lifted the hanger off the rail, she noticed the price tag and winced.

‘You see the decoration on the top of the cup? It’s lace, hence the price,’ the manageress explained.’

The material was amazing: so soft and delicate, fragile almost. Nikki could easily imagine how it would feel brushing against her skin, cupping her breasts.

Sensing her hesitation, the woman added, ‘Would you like to see this set modelled?’

Nikki didn’t understand. ‘How’s that possible?’

‘I’m wearing one,’ the brunette whispered.

Nikki’s heart began to thump in her chest and she found herself replying, ‘Why not?’

With that, the manageress led Nikki to the fitting rooms at the back of the shop. As the store was quiet that afternoon, the pair had the area to themselves. They stepped into one of the booths, then the brunette closed the door behind them. As she took off her top, the manageress brushed against Nikki in such a way that, even though they were in a small space, she couldn’t help but wonder if it had been accidental or not. The woman then turned her back and reached for the zip on her skirt. Her hands fumbled as it seemed to catch on the material.

‘I don’t suppose you could give me a hand, could you?’

‘No problem,’ Nikki replied, reaching for the zip as she did so. She lowered it, unclasped the button, and slid the skirt to the floor. She couldn’t help but admire the manageress’ fantastic, curvy bottom. Sensing this, the girl wiggled her buttocks. It was all Nikki could do not to reach out, take hold of a cheek in each hand, and caress them.

The manageress turned around, looked Nikki directly in the eye, and said, ‘Well, what do you think?’

‘I think you look amazing … I mean, the bra and panties, I think they look amazing.’

‘Thank you.’ The brunette took her full breasts in her hands and lowered the bra cups, revealing her nipples. ‘We also do the bra in a half cup, which has this kind of effect. I just thought I’d show you. You don’t mind, do you?’

Nikki’s pulse rate began to soar, but she kept her voice calm as she replied, ‘Of course not.’

It wasn’t easy, though, for all sorts of lascivious thoughts raced through her mind. What was the matter with her? She found herself desperately fighting the urge to kiss each of the brunette’s breasts in turn. The way the girl’s nipples were standing to attention, it was clear that she was aroused. Her flesh looked so sensuous and inviting.

As if to tempt Nikki even further, the manageress said, ‘Do you remember that purple dildo I showed you earlier?’

‘How could I forget it?’ Nikki replied, breathlessly.

‘If you wanted to go and fetch it, I could show you how it works, if you like.’

Almost immediately, Nikki was picturing the girl inserting one end of the thick dildo into her pussy and inviting her to do the same with the other. It would slide between her thighs oh so easily and then … Well, the possibilities were endless.

Nikki closed her eyes, counted to ten, re-opened them, and replied, ‘Thanks, that’s really kind of you, but I’d better pass.’

‘Are you sure?’

Nikki simply nodded in reply. It had reached the point where she hardly trusted herself to speak for fear of what she might say. She was just about to step out of the booth when the manageress asked, ‘What about the bra and panties?

‘Yes!’ Nikki gasped.

‘Pardon?’

‘Yes, I’ll take them, thank you.’

The woman coughed, suddenly looking embarrassed, and said, ‘Er, you won’t mention any of this to anyone, will you? I’d hate you to think that I go around acting like this all of the time, it’s just that …’

‘What?’

‘Well, you’re so beautiful.’

Though she usually found direct comments a little embarrassing, Nikki didn’t on this occasion and merely smiled at the girl. ‘Of course I won’t mention anything.’

To show that she was fine with what had, or rather hadn’t, just taken place, Nikki went to give the girl a quick peck on the cheek. Somehow, she managed to miss the target and her lips brushed against the brunette’s. The pair kissed, gently, caressing as they did so. Once again Nikki found it extremely thrilling to share such a highly charged moment with another woman – however, before matters really got out of hand, she pulled away. ‘No offence, but I …’

The manageress grinned sheepishly. ‘None taken. I understand.’

Tempted though she was to stay, Nikki decided to vacate the booth. Before leaving the shop, she browsed through Regal’s swimwear section and selected a psychedelic rainbow bikini that she somehow thought might be appropriate for her exotic destination. On taking it to the till, Nikki found the brunette waiting for her. She very much approved of Nikki’s choice.

As the girl rang up the items, Nikki asked, ‘I don’t suppose you’ve ever met the big boss by any chance?’

‘Once or twice.’

‘Really? What’s she like?’ Nikki asked.

‘Gosh, where do I begin? Roxanna is –’ the woman racked her brain for the apposite phrase ‘– very much her own woman.’

‘A good employer?’

‘The best.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘She genuinely seems to care about all of her staff, plus, she treats you as a human being rather than just a number. Added to that, there are the staff parties.’

‘Tell me more,’ Nikki said.

‘Well, every year, Roxanna hires out a huge arena venue in London. Everyone’s invited, all expenses paid. It’s a fab night, but the real fun and games start with the raffle.’