I sit in the sand and open my soda, the crack of the lid and spray of bubbles familiar and comforting.

My phone buzzes and I watch it light up in the darkness. A call from an unknown number. I ignore it and drag my thoughts back to my unsettled life.

Am I really surprised that my dream man is not what I built him up to be?

My phone buzzes again. This time it’s a text from an unknown number.

Answer me, Grace.

I pick up the phone and sigh, then press send for the number. It rings. He picks up before the first one ends. “Don’t ignore me. I hate that.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“What do you want from me?”

He’s silent for a few seconds and for a second I think the call dropped or he hung up. But then I hear him breathing. “Did I not articulate it clearly? Did I leave something out? Did I—”

“How did you get my number?” Why does my Dirty Heaven angel have to be a total demon? I look up at the stars and shake my head at some false God. Why are you f**king with me?

“I have access,” he says, as if that explains my question about the number. “I have needs, Grace. You have needs. You have one more day here, then—”

“How the f**k do you know so much about me?”

“That’s another spanking,” he says dryly.

And I have to admit, spankings are something I can get on board with. I have no idea why, but it’s so hot. The mere image of myself lying over his knee, my ass in the air, my face pressed into the mattress while he tells me I’m bad and slaps my ass. Holy Mother, just… yes.

“I’m going to make that ass bright red and I’m going to make it hurt. Do you understand, Grace? You are disobeying me on purpose and I’m going to make it hurt. I’m going to pull your hair, force your head back so I can see your eyes when the flat palm of my hand smacks against the curve of your bottom, and I’m going to enjoy every wince. Every tear. And each time you flinch or buck against my punishments, I’m going to withhold pleasure. But each time, Grace”—his voice softens now, just a whisper, just a breath of air that speaks my name—“each time you stay still, my palm will soften and slide between your legs, pushing apart the lovely folds of your pu**y, and I will pleasure you. Do you understand me? This is how the game is played. If you obey, if you please me, if you submit—then I will give you whatever your shuddering body requires to release. I’ll give you a reason to scream in pleasure. I’ll make that sore bottom of yours so worth it, you’ll be begging me to come back and do it again. And if you’re especially good, Grace, I will f**k you hard afterward.”

I gulp some air and then look over my shoulder. He’s standing near the concrete pathway, leaning up against a close concession stand, looking as free and content and in control as any person I’ve ever seen.

And why not? Why shouldn’t he feel that way? He’s beyond rich, he’s beyond beautiful, he’s beyond talented, and he’s so far beyond sexy, I’m powerless to resist his offer and he knows it.

“Say yes,” he commands. “You want to say yes, so just say yes.”

He’s so right about that. I do want to say yes. In fact, I’m a yes girl. I hate telling people no. I really do. But for some reason, this one person who I want to say yes to more than anything else in my entire life has reawakened the no girl inside of me and I’m having difficulty understanding why.

“Say yes right now or I walk away and you never see me again. Because I require your commitment tonight or I’ll just find someone else.”

“I want you,” I say breathlessly, my heart pounding in my chest. God, that was the total wrong move. What the hell am I doing?

“Of course you do.”

“I want you, but I’m not signing that paper tonight. I need to think about it. I need to be sure.”

“Grace, you have one more day left here on Saint Thomas and then you’re gone. So you’re wasting time.”

“Wait, you said you’d punish me when I was ready, implying we had lots of time to figure this out and now you’re in a rush?”

“Yes,” he says matter-of-factly. “I’m in a rush because I want to f**k you, woman. I want to f**k you bad. I’m dying right now because I’m all the way over here and you’re all the way over there, and all I want to be doing is f**king you. But instead I’m having this stupid conversation, convincing you, of all things, to let me pleasure you back if you pleasure me. But if you work out and you meet my needs, I might see you again. Some other place, some other time.”

“Then no.” I hang up the phone. Oh my God! I did it again! Where the hell are all these no’s coming from?

My phone buzzes in my hand but I ignore it.

A few minutes later I feel him walk up behind me. “May I join you on the beach?”

“It’s a free beach. Or is this one your personal property too? Am I just a beach to you? Something you own and enjoy at your leisure?”

“I don’t own you, Grace. Not yet. So I’m asking if I can join you so we can sort this out. And that’s one more spanking.”

“We’re never going to get to the spankings, Asher. You just admitted to it, so stop.”

He chuckles. “That’s it, isn’t it? You want the spankings and you’re afraid I’m not going to make good on my threats.”

Pfft. “You wish.”