However, if you fail, I will suspend you from the beam above your head for the enjoyment of the tourists,” he explained evenly. He drew one hand up to her throat, encircling it gently.</p>
<p>“It’s……too raw,” she panted. Xxnx </p>
<p>She smiled weakly around the gag, content that she had pleased him.</p>
<p>Hannibal unhooked the working ends of his rigging, lowering her gently to the floor. He hauled her from the lounge and into his lap, cradling her against his chest on the floor, his back leaning against the clear wall overlooking the beach. It would be long after nightfall before he returned and she would be left, alone, in the dark, to wait for him. </p>
<p>“Eyes on me,” he murmured, playing with her just a bit. </p>
<p>“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he whispered close to her ear.
