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- Herausgeber: pinkflamingo
- Kategorie: Erotik
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2008
Madeleine is a beautiful young woman married to the wealthy and charming Robbie McKellar. Their once vibrant and often kinky sex life is destroyed when Robbie is confined to a wheelchair after he's wounded in the war. Though she does her best to adjust to her new life, Madeleine's passionate and unguarded need for sex sends her on Wednesday afternoon rendezvous with a bottle of Vodka, in a cheap motel, where she ruthlessly masturbates in scenes that are as disturbing as they are sexually satiating. Her fantasies about a sexual master lead her down the dark roads of submission and perversion. She binds her body, spanks herself and finally attempts an anal rape with an enormous dildo. Wracked by guilt and shame, Madeleine abruptly ends her weekly romps, but her punishing desires only become more demanding. Twice in her past Madeleine has succumbed to sexual clashes with an old friend of the McKellar family, political writer Daniel Prothero. In stolen moments of unbridled passion, Daniel forced her to confront the truth about her submissive nature. Though she once swore him off, it is to Daniel that Madeleine turns when her savage desires cannot be contained. She proposes that he take over the punishment and abuse she's come to crave. Soon, his domination of her becomes as determined and relentless as her wildest fantasies, opening up shocking new places of depravity in this once respectable young wife. But what happens when Robbie sees the evidence of punishment on her wellmarked flesh and she's forced to confess the truth about her shameful infidelity? Will Robbie throw her out or will he choose to punish her himself?
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Punishable Offenses
By Lizbeth Dusseau
ISBN 13: 978-1-936173-30-3
ISBN 10: 1-936173-30-1A Pink Flamingo Ebook Publication
Copyright © 2008, All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher.
For information contact:
Pink Flamingo Publications
www.pinkflamingo.com
P.O. Box 632 Richland, MI 49083 USA Cover Image © Roman Kasperski www.romankasperski.de Email Comments: [email protected]
Prologue
The most passionate of love affairs grow out of excruciating lust, that feverish throbbing that begins deep in the body and soon rises up to overtake the heart, and finally captures the soul in its furious embrace. Sometimes it’s just a single glance across a crowded bar, a smile of tender empathy between friends, the brush of a hand against a thigh or the exhilarating high of fantasy that starts that infernal beating of desire.
This love affair began differently than most, born solely from raw physical need, coupled with a fervent psychological requirement so suppressed that even careful scrutiny would not have unearthed it in Madeleine’s psyche. Never in a million years would she have guessed what lay dormant within her—until the moment that the fire exploded in her body. Had their paths never crossed would she have uncovered this well of grave secrets? Or would her life have been less profound, drifting thoughtlessly onward through the usual activities of life, toward typical conclusions? Romance. Marriage. Children. Middle-age. Death, eventually.
So many things hinged on that capricious moment of her indecision aboard the yacht. In that one-act drama decisions were made without her choosing, the course of her life irrevocably altered and something deep and troubling within exposed – if only for a fleeting moment. Awakened briefly, then left to softly slumber until another fortuitous moment years later when, shaking off that uneasy sleep, that strange something once again made its indisputable demands. This next time the passion would refuse to be suppressed.
Chapter One
Summer 1995…
He passed by her desk. A wisp of her brunette hair was caught at the edge of her mouth while she intensely scrutinized the computer screen before her eyes, unwavering in her dedication to duty always. She wiped the strand of hair away and went on working. Robbie McKellar saw her for the umpteenth time, but this time with more attention than usual, enough to make him stop suddenly and abruptly turn around.
“Madeleine, the yacht is going out this evening, why don’t you come along?”
For several moments he waited for her response, maintaining a winsome air of amusement. He was young, nonchalant, unguarded in his admiration of her. She would always be like this—more serious than he. His was a doting love from afar that until that moment had been left ignored, shunned perhaps; after all, this was a working environment where overtures of a forward nature were discouraged.
In time, Madeleine slowly looked up, a bit befuddled as if it were unclear if she’d even been addressed.
“Robbie?”
Her eyes were a bit glazed over. But she was beautiful: high cheek bones, lustrous waves of brunette hair, perfectly formed lips softly brushed with dark pink. He’d savored her breasts on many occasions. What twenty-two year old man wouldn’t have given the sensuous abundance tucked inside her lacy bras a second glance, and then a third? He was quite certain that Madeleine Danes was unaware of her effect on men, or more specifically how her thin pastel blouses were often so transparent that what lay beneath them would be clearly visualized by any red-blooded male. That bevy of breast flesh could stir a man’s libido from yards away. Even now as she sat back in her chair, her chest sumptuously heaving as she took a long breath, Robbie could feel a gentle stirring in his pants as he glimpsed that beautiful bounty once again. How much longer could this gone on—his brazen lust—before he was forced to acknowledge his desire? Or act on that desire? So what that she was nearly twenty eight and he six years younger. They were both free of relationships, Madeleine’s latest relationship having broken apart three months earlier; she should be ready to date again, Robbie concluded.
“You just asked me to…to join you on the yacht?” She looked surprised. In fact, she was stunned by the invitation—not that she hadn’t secretly fantasized about such an invitation on more than one occasion.
“Yes, and why not? It’s a glorious day, and who the hell wants to be cooped up here in the office?” His big smile beamed beyond himself.
“But I do have reports to do,” she reminded him with a remorseful look.
“Right. I’m sure you do. You’re one dedicated lady. But you can play hooky for once. Who’s going to fire you?”
“I-I…uh…” Unaccustomed to the attention, Madeleine blushed.
Which only made Robbie’s smile more desiring. “Please come.” He sat his left hip on the edge of her desk and leaned in. “You’re a girl who needs a little time away. You’ll have a great time on the cruise, I promise.”
At twenty-two, Robbie McKellar was still boyish, a fresh-faced youth with a cocky smile, the sort that wealthy young men who haven’t a care in the world can dare exhibit for the world. Not to mention, he was damned good-looking: a scant 5’ 10”, with a well-built body and unruly dark brown hair that went along with his trouble-free charm. His life would be a breeze from beginning to end, as long as he kept that smile on his face and his feet out of landmines. Fresh out of Yale the year before, he had a choice of occupations within the McKellar Companies, and decided to work for the McKellar Endowment; something his youthful idealism found suitable. It was also a lot less stressful than the cutthroat world of finance, mergers and acquisitions that the other companies in his father’s conglomerate were known for. Malcolm McKellar had been disappointed that his son was not working in the adjoining office, where he could take the fledging businessman under his wing, but he had given his son a choice, and he refused to manipulate the decision into one of his liking. Robbie hadn’t known at the time that he’d find the working conditions in McKellar Endowment far superior to the rest of his father’s companies specifically because Madeleine Danes worked nowhere else.
“Listen, I’m not taking no for an answer,” he said when she failed to reply. He abruptly stood up and swooped in beside her behind the desk, did a quick save on her computer screen then pulled her to her feet.
“I guess I have no choice,” she laughed.
“Long as I’m the boss.”
He was not actually her boss, but his name carried great weight, not to mention the warmth and charm behind his grin that had her too captivated to raise another objection.
“But I do need to change,” she said, looking down at her smartly cut navy-blue business suit. This would hardly work for an evening on the water.”
“My thoughts exactly, Miss Danes,” he winked. “Tonight’s a pleasure cruise. No business, just some good old-fashioned fun.” He took her by the hand and led her out the door.
For a brief instant, the mention of good old-fashioned fun brought images of charades, card-playing, maybe even a vigorous game of Wii golf, however Madeleine was quite certain that none of those things were what Robbie McKellar had in mind.
***
Slung low in the sky, the day’s lingering sun cast a glow across the sound and bathed the yacht ‘Lani’s Dream’—named for Robbie’s mother Melanie—in an iridescent radiance that seemed almost otherworldly. This was not Madeleine’s first trip on the McKellar yacht. Once two years before—before Robbie—there’d been a Saturday brunch on board with the executives of the Endowment celebrating their third successful year. Much of that success had been due to the efforts of Madeleine Danes growing expertise in charitable outreach. This evening, however, would be a far cry from the blushing moments of congratulations on that occasion. Robbie’s friends were already on board, drinking and growing restless as they waited for their host. With everyone ready to take off, it wasn’t but seconds after his arrival with Madeleine that the 120 foot boat pulled away from the dock. No one expected the ship to return until well after midnight; even then, those on board were likely to sleep the liquor off in one of the several staterooms before attempting to negotiate the new morning, or the mainland. Perhaps this was not clearly fixed in Madeleine’s head when she first accepted Robbie’s invitation. At the time, it had seemed like a capricious escapade, fun she’d deprived herself of for months after her break-up with long time boyfriend Trevor Bailey.
Robbie had insisted on driving, and then stopped by her apartment first so she could change her clothes. A summer day as hot as this one didn’t require a lot of clothing. White shorts, sandals, and a pink tank top, a light hoodie for later, seemed enough and she was ready to go. On their way to the dock, Robbie chattered almost compulsively about the last time he’d sailed to Florida aboard the sailing ship, before venturing into a non-stop monologue about why the Yankees were going to take the pennant over the Tigers. While tuning into his favorite radio station, he answered a cell phone call, making Madeleine a little nervous with all this activity in the midst of driving through heavy afternoon traffic. Once on the road that led from the highway to the Yacht Club she breathed a little easier, and by the time Robbie pulled the Jag into the parking stall, he had calmed. Once again, his blue eyes were riveted on her enough to make her blush.
He reached out, taking her hand in his and giving it a firm squeeze.
“Don’t mind my friends if they should get a little wild,” he warned. “They have a tendency to party hard, if you know what I mean.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be just fine,” she brushed off his concern.
He’d followed a strict hands-off protocol in the office, which made his affectionate touching now seem foreign and strangely titillating.
Madeleine heard the music before she could survey the scene—her sight had been momentarily blinded when she gazed into the dazzling sunset, and she needed Robbie to help her board the boat. The music was a funky reggae, the drinks filled with rum, and her head began to swim with her first sip. That demon rum was never her favorite drink but the one that transported her fastest to the brief nirvana of inebriation. A few minutes after she felt that delirious high her stomach would begin to sour—a fact she forget about until it actually happened.
Robbie was like an attentive pup, which made every bit of the evening feel like a first date, all nerves and jitters and hopefulness rolled up together in a breeze of sexual ambience. He had a reputation for playing hard, so Madeleine shouldn’t have been surprised with the level of inebriation of his guests—friends Jason, Carly, Zack and Rachel were soon dancing on the aft deck, moving erotically in ways that left little room for the imagination. Arms were draped over shoulders, asses squeezed and body parts unveiled—not that there was much clothing in the first place. The girls were wearing skimpy bikinis; the buxom redhead Carly’s a bright aqua stripe, while the blonde Rachel wore triangular patches of red over a small portion of her abundant tits, centered at her nipples, and another red patch over her pubic mound. The back of her swimsuit bottom was a string that disappeared into her anal crack. It was impossible not to focus on her swaying behind as her hips moved in languorous rhythms to the sound of the erotic music. When Zack’s large hand smacked the perfectly rounded mound of her left ass cheek, she giggled and fell against him until he pushed her back upright. Where his hand had struck a bright red handprint appeared against her lightly tanned skin. Delirious in her drunken state, she twirled around with her head falling back, her face to the sky, open and exhilarated. Finally with a gale of laughter rising up between the raunchy quartet, the blonde slid down Zack’s muscled torso to her knees, where she jerked down his swim trunks and took his thickening erection into her mouth.
Blushing, Madeleine turned her head, while Robbie whispered in her ear, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” They’d been sitting side-by-side in a pair of deck chairs watching the show. Until Rachel went down to her knees, Madeleine was about to jump from her chair and start dancing herself. But this made her seize up just enough to shelve that plan.
The blow job went on in front of her face for several minutes—at intervals she stared back at the scene only to return her gaze to the waters of the Long Island Sound. Finally, she broke out laughing, though her stomach had chosen that moment to turn sour and she was unsure what to do next. It was not that she was embarrassed, which she was, but her eyes really wanted a different place to focus. Finally, Robbie turned toward her and smiled, then gently took her hand in his.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.” Which was exactly what she believed at the moment, even with Rachel and Zack having moved to a nearby lounge, with Jason and Carly about to join them.
“You’re quite a brat!” Zack was playing indignant to his date’s petulant pout and gave her a few more hard swats on her ass.
“You ass!” she blared, though in trying to pull from Zack’s grasp, her breasts and nipples spilled free of the bright red patches, leaving her ample tits to sway free with all their voluminous bounty on display. The blonde didn’t seem to mind, and soon her angry retorts dissolved into a fit of giggling laughter. Even when Zack began to slap her breast flesh back and forth she didn’t object. Something about the stinging smacks was turning her on, and when Zack fell back against the lounge, she climbed on, straddling his hips, freeing his cock and climbing on for her first jubilant ride. “Yes, yes, yes, fuck me, fuck me baby, fuck me…” she cried. Her body twisted from one side to the other, her long bleached hair whipped back and forth, until Zack grabbed a hunk and pulled her down to his chest. It was impossible for Madeleine to hear all the seething comments whispered in her ear, but it sounded as if he was taking command of the naughty vixen. He reached for her ass cheeks and squeezed, which caused her to writhe more vigorously against him.
Jason, meanwhile, had sat down on an adjacent lounge and pulled Carly toward him. Tugging the aqua bikini aside, he began to lick her. Soon, she had falling against him with one hand roaming through his dark hair, her other holding onto his shoulder for balance as her sexual arousal became more intense.
“Damn, baby, I love you,” she kept on in a breathy whimper.
Already, Madeleine’s crotch was burning with heat in a pleasant sort of way. The music, the rum and the motion of the gentle waters managed to crowd out the anxiety mounting beneath the surface of her inebriation. A light breeze tickled the skin. She wanted to come—but not like this, not like Robbie’s whorish friends—she was sober enough to know that much.
For a while as they tried to avoid the sexual scene taking place just a few feet away, Robbie engaged her in small talk about matters that she wouldn’t remember minutes later but enough to fill a menacing void. Finally even he would decide that his fucking friends were a bit much for a first date with the sexy but refined Endowment Coordinator from the office. He had to thank the reggae, the rum and her good-natured spirit for not ruining the date he’d dreamed about since he first laid eyes on Madeleine Danes months before. At last, in an effort to distance them from the sexual tableau, he pulled Madeleine to her feet and drew her to the far side of the deck where they gazed out on the water and the lush Long Island shoreline.
“I hope that’s not too much,” Robbie said. “I mean if you’d like, we can move into one of the salons.”
“I’m fine,” she smiled with an air of kindness after noting the look of anxiety on his face. She was about to take him up on his suggestion when suddenly the sound of a woman’s voice made them both turn back toward the deck where a pretty redhead was waving at Robbie and approaching fast.
“Robbie, darling!” the woman fell into his arms. She was small, a bit plump with a vivacious smile and mischievous eyes. She turned briefly to acknowledge the four fucking friends, then turned back and looked at Madeleine briefly. “Hi there,” was all she’d said, before her eyes came to rest on Robbie’s windswept face.
“You don’t mind if I grab this guy away for a while?” she gushed, “I haven’t seen him in ages.” Even given her own inebriation, Madeleine could smell the liquor on her breath.
The bubbly female pulled Robbie from the deck railing, fully intent on taking charge. Falling against his chest, her navy blue bikini top became dislodged enough to show a bright pink nipple before she laughingly tucked it away. “Damn thing doesn’t want to stay put!” she joked.
“Sally, really, I can’t abandon Madeleine here,” Robbie tried to object.
“Oh, she’ll be just fine. We have catching up to do, darling.”
“No, really, she’s with me tonight.”
“Then she’ll have to get used to your other girlfriends, won’t she?” she glibly came back.
“It’s okay. I’m fine,” Madeleine offered, “I’ll just have a look around while you two catch up.”
“See? What did I tell you, Robbie dear. She’s not half as smitten with you as you are with her. Maybe I’ll make her jealous and that will work in your favor.” She winked at Madeleine then commandeered the boy and moved toward the forward deck.
“I’ll be back soon,” Robbie mouthed. Dragged off by the irrepressible Sally, he left Madeleine uncomfortably alone on a deck with two fucking couples and another couple she hadn’t seen before who’d just emerged from the rear salon. That pair had begun to dance with their hips locked in a tango as mesmerizing as the night itself. For a good two minutes Madeleine stood hypnotized by their show until she looked away feeling dizzy. Robbie had disappeared and with her stomach turning somersaults, she grabbed the rail and made her way toward the small salon at the front of the yacht. Once the door closed behind her she leaned back against it and took a deep breath, letting the cooler air of the dark room close in on her heated body.
Maybe if she just sat a while she’d be fine. Her mind was spinning, thoughts tumbling together in a confusing mess. Then suddenly a voice leapt out at her so fast that her entire body jumped in fright.
“What is it? The wild goings-on have you fainting?”
Her eyes shot open and she stared across the open space, passed the well-appointed luxury cabin and its fine furnishings to where a man was reclining comfortably in an easy chair, sipping a martini.
“Oh my, I’m sorry, I had no idea anyone was here,” she stammered. “I was just…just looking for the restroom.” The back of her hand brushed against her brow while she tried to rally back from the brink of complete madness. She pulled herself up, standing straighter.
“Relax, I’m not going to bite. The john’s through that door if that’s what you want.” He pointed to the closed door on the far side of the room.
Madeleine remained unmoving, forcing back the urge to retch.
Then as if reading the truth in her pale face, he said with a smile that only seemed to mock her more, “Or maybe you need a bucket to puke in.”
“No, I’m fine, fine. I just needed a breath of air.”
“A breath of air you can get on deck. A little less savagery, that’s what you’ll find in here.” He suddenly sprung from his chair and slowly walked her way with the Martini glass in hand. He was a fine looking man, perhaps in his late thirties, his short sandy colored hair with just a touch of grey at the temples. He’d be more distinguished the more he aged, but for the moment, he was doing enough to send Madeleine’s sexual angst into further turmoil.
“Savagery?” she repeated the word, as if to do so might help her conquer the weird sensations rising up inside her body. It wasn’t so much that she was feeling sick as overwhelmed. And the man in the white trousers, green tropical shirt, casually toting his martini did nothing to quell the feeling. It would seem that savage was a very good word to describe the moment.
“Must be getting crazy out there,” he added.
“Yes, just a bit.”
This made him laugh. “And our Robbie has abandoned you.”
“Not abandoned, really. He took off with a woman, an old friend…Sally I think. I suppose you’re another of his good friends?” Something about the possibility seemed unlikely, as she couldn’t imagine Robbie hanging out with a man this… well, settled or this old.
“I’m an old friend of the McKellar family, Daniel Prothero,” he introduced himself.
She had heard of him. A writer and newspaper columnist with national recognition, known for his wit and biting satire. “Madeleine Danes. I work for the…”
“The McKellar Endowment. I’ve known your name for some time.” The way he spoke, the way he looked so intently into her eyes—as if he knew the inside of her thoughts and had intimate knowledge of who she was. This too left her shaken.
She had not yet budged from her position at the back of the door, and Daniel Prothero was getting closer with his cool, dispassionate saunter, dangerously close.
“If you don’t need to use the bathroom, maybe you’d like to sit down? A drink, perhaps?”
“Oh no, the rum has already made me queasy enough. But that’s not unusual. I should never have accepted the drink in the first place.”
“You’re sure it’s just the rum?” He lifted his martini glass to the window looking out on the aft deck where it was possible to see through the dark glass and the half-closed blinds that the three couples were still going at each other, their clothes now stripped away. They fucked in the nude against the backdrop of the rising moonlight, their youthful bodies gleaming and erotic.
“Here.” Daniel Prothero reached out and took her hand, leading her further into the room, between the plush white linen couches. She thought he might offer her a chair, but instead they ended up facing the windows where on the deck the couples were screwing, and beyond the railing the Long Island Sound skirted by. He stood behind her. “There’s really nothing to be afraid of about them. It’s just sex. The raunchy sort.” He said this as the two watched Zack slapping his girlfriend’s ass until it was a toasty red hue.
“Really, Mr. Prothero, they are not my problem. I just drank too fast.”
“Call me Daniel, please.”
She could feel him behind her, the powerful force of his solid body, heat emanating from his loins, his breath hot against the back of her neck. She wanted to turn around, but he would be too close if she did, their lips too near.
“Excuse me, Madeleine, but I get the distinct impression that what you’re feeling right now is very much erotic, desire leaping on desire, and you have no way to let that go. You and Robbie McKellar are on a first date, and for that reason you’d never screw him. No, you’ll wait for the fourth or fifth date for that. That would be a lot more appropriate, more reasoned in your mind, even if Robbie will be avidly urging you to that end. He’s young and without much restraint. But when you do fuck him, and I’m sure you will eventually, it will be good. Rich young boys like Robbie have plenty of time to study the moves. They have plenty of time to practice, and lets say, well, I’ve seen him in the locker room and he’s well-endowed enough to please any female.”
“Mr. Prothero!” she whipped around, finding him to be just as close as she imagined, although he did take one step back to relieve the tension—but just barely. “I beg your pardon. This is not something I choose to discuss, not with anyone, let alone a total stranger.”
He laughed. “Oh, don’t look so incensed. Makes you sound like a priss. Or is this whole scene really shocking for you?”
“Your comments are way over the line.”
“I’m sure for you they are.”
She trembled miserably as her anger grew. “In fact, you may be the most objectionable man I’ve ever met.”
“That’s quite a compliment. Thank you.”
Would anything she said faze the man? She wanted to slap his face so much that he picked up on her impulse. Suddenly, his face darkened and his eyes narrowed with a menacing glare. When she lifted her hand no more than an inch or two, he caught her wrist. “I wouldn’t advise you do that,” he bit off tersely.
She shook him off and moved away. She should have run out the door, but that would only have put her back on the deck with Robbie’s raunchy friends. Rather than heading off into another part of the yacht, she stupidly moved further into the room, making herself a captive of this man. He was like poison to her and yet she could not bring herself to disentangle from his presence.
“Obviously you like my company enough to stay,” he noted with a wry grin before he returned to his chair and sat down.
“I don’t like your company at all.” She took a number of deep breaths to calm her emotions. “But let’s just forget this ever happened, shall we? As soon as my stomach settles, I’ll leave.”
“Suit yourself. But as far as forgetting this ever happened,” he said with mocking amusement, “I certainly won’t forget a woman as vibrant and passionate as you are.”
She stared at him unable to reply, then nervously turned away, looking again out through the windows, though this time she chose to close her eyes and shut out the scene before her. She breathed in softly, trying to be as nonchalant as the man behind her, though all the while, she felt Daniel Prothero’s eyes riveted to her back as if they were boring into her soul.
What the hell was she to do now? Managing some kind of exit would certainly be a fine idea. Set off to find Robbie an even better one. No sooner had these thoughts crossed her mind, than a door on the far side of the salon burst open and Robbie’s bright face appeared. “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.”
She was so happy to see him. “I’m sorry, I was feeling sort of…” she didn’t finish.
He moved forward concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Miss Danes is just fine, Rob,” Daniel Prothero chimed in, “just a little seasick, isn’t that right?”
“Yes, a little seasick,” she said weakly.
“How about something to eat? That might actually help. There’s a buffet at the back of the boat.” He put his arm around her waist and led her toward the door. “You coming, Daniel?”
“I might.” He saluted them with his drink as Robbie escorted Madeleine from the room.
***
Everyone was clothed for dinner, though the six previously fucking guests aboard Lani’s Dream looked pretty wasted when they came to dinner. Their raucous laughter was more muted; in fact, they seemed to be in a dreamy state of sexual satiation; their occasional erotic bantering did little to disturb the other guests aboard the yacht. Dinner was a gourmet barbecue where everyone milled around with drinks in hand waiting for the chef in his crisp, starched whites to serve up another delicious item straight off the grill. Grilled mango and pineapple, Jamaican chicken, Oriental pork, Thai beef.
Madeleine remained at Robbie’s side, which seemed like the only safe place. Robbie himself was more attentive, having realized that his earlier absence had left her uncomfortable and even a little miffed. Several times he apologized for being sidetracked by Sally—who now seemed more of an annoyance than a friend whose company he welcomed. They remained at opposite sides of the deck, Robbie’s jaw tensing every time the woman caught his eye. Madeleine had the feeling that there had been an argument between the two before Robbie came to rescue her from Daniel Prothero. Daniel himself joined them some minutes later looking vaguely bored with the party, though he was certainly interested in the food. He stood next to the grill talking to the chef as he ate, then was joined by a couple who’d come down from the top deck of the boat. After a brief conversation, Daniel excused himself and went back inside. Before he left, he nodded at Robbie, ignoring Madeleine completely. She’d cast a few furtive glances his way, finding even his presence on the deck disturbing, and she was much relieved when he was gone.
