He wants me to disobey too. He has something in mind for punishment and I’d like to know what it is.

“No, Master,” I say to soften my refusal. “I’m not comfortable doing that.”

“Your comfort is none of my concern. My only concern is that you do as you’re told, girl. Do you understand?”

“I can’t, Master. I can’t say those things. You should punish me.”

I catch him mumbling “Oh, shit,” as he turns to hide his smile. But then he clears his throat and turns back. “I will punish you by releasing you from my service. Do you want me to let you go, girl?”

“No, Master.” And for a moment I fear he might actually tell me to get lost. I stare him in the eyes as he thinks, and then he holds his hand out, an open palm, to help me up off the ground.

I accept it and he pulls me up and forces me to come right up next to his chest. “I will keep you this time, Grace. But your punishment is to walk back to your bungalow like this.”

“Naked?” I gasp.

“Yes, naked.” He turns me around and pushes me back towards the path I came from, then smacks me on the ass very hard, and gives me a push. “Walk, girl. And don’t look back. If you look back, this is over. Do you understand?”

I think he’s pissed that I said no, so I nod and squeak out a “Yes, Master,” as I pick my way barefoot through the long grass-covered path. When I came down this path a little while ago the sun was shining and it felt like a fairy tale—the flower-covered stone wall, the long lush grass under my feet like a cushion. But now the rain is pelting the foliage and the grass is matted flat in the mud.

Fantasy over. This is reality. And the reality is—I’m walking in the middle of a very busy resort naked.

At first I have no idea if he’s behind me, but once I get to the wall I hear some twigs snapping, so I know he is.

I turn back down the closed path that takes me to the sidewalk in front of my bungalow. After a minute or two of more silence, and just before I get to the chain that I have to step over to come out of the cover of trees, he places a hand on my shoulder. “I just want you to know that your muddy ass is beautiful. It’s filthy, Grace, but it’s beautiful.”

“Yes, Master,” I say. Even though he’s been calling me Grace, I’ve been calling him Master. I’ll have to think about that a little if I make it through this test with my dignity. I stop at the chain and peek out, trying to assess if anyone is on the path.

“Do not stop, girl. Keep going, and when you get to your bungalow, stop, turn around, and put your back against the door.”

I step over the chain and on the other side is a large puddle that I have to step through to get back to the path. I hear voices, but they are not in sight—the people they belong to are around a corner or on a nearby path. I’m not sure which, but Vaughn grunts at my hesitation and I continue through the puddle and step out onto the path. My pace quickens and I walk quickly down the small section of sidewalk that leads to my door. When I finally get there I feel a little relief that I made it, so I stop, turn around and then press my back against the door with a smile.

Vaughn is gone.

I fidget, shifting my weight from foot to foot as I wait. After several minutes of this torture, wondering if people will walk by and see me standing here, covered in mud and bare naked, I hear him talking to someone down the path, out of sight.

It’s another man. A deep voice that has a hearty laugh to it. I can hear them as they talk low, but I can’t make out the words.

I take a deep breath and wonder if he expects me to go inside.

Not likely.

The voices get closer and I know, right then, I know. He’s bringing him this way on purpose. He’s gonna let some strange man look at my naked body to hammer home his point.

I’m his property and he can do with me what he wants.

I watch them as they approach and then, just before they turn the corner that will give this stranger a full-frontal view of my naked and dirty body, they stop. There’s a junction there. A fork in the road, if you will.

And I feel like this is a fork in the road for me too. Because if he brings that man over here, I will turn and go inside. That’s a line I won’t let him cross.

I take a deep breath and steady myself to disobey. They chat loudly, laughing. I can hear the conversation now. They are talking about my bag. Vaughn must have picked it up and carried it back from the clearing. They are looking inside, because the other man is asking Vaughn if he’s got a naked girl stashed somewhere.

“I do,” Vaughn says. “I’m going to her now.”

“Don’t forget lunch, dude. See you in a few.”

And then the other man walks down the path that leads away and Vaughn comes into full view.

He’s smiling. Quite big. “Good, girl. You have no idea how pleased I am.”

I’m humiliated and confused but I’m pretty sure he’s got every idea about how I feel. “I’m sorry, Master. For disobeying you.”

“I’m sure you are, Grace. But we’re not done here, not even close. I am a fountain of ideas, girl. You need to understand what you’re getting into if you deny me again. I’m going to make this incident your example.”

My mouth drops into a frown. “What else do I have to do?”

“Please yourself, Grace. Here. Now. And once you do that, once you make yourself come in public for me, I will allow you to go inside and clean up.”