The Toymaster's Castle

Chapter Seventeen - The Island

I woke to the smell of coffee and the sound of waves. But I couldn't really appreciate them because there was a dull throbbing pain behind my eyes.

Then Daniel hopped into bed and quickly extracted his revenge for the night before by putting his freezing feet on mine. I sort of leapt back and only just managed to avoid saying something that I would quickly come to regret.

But then he handed me a mug of coffee so I guess I sort of forgave him.

"I've built up the fire in the stove downstairs and put breakfast on," he told me. "It should be ready in half an hour. Afterwards, I've got a couple of jobs to do."

"Uh hur," I grunted.

"Whilst I'm busy, I'd like you to make a packed lunch for us and tidy up the kitchen, please."

"Who do you think you are?" I exploded. I guess with the lovely evening and then the snuggly night together... plus the rather unpleasant things that were going on in my head... I'd basically forgotten about what the relationship between us was really like.

"Lie on your back," he told me, taking my coffee cup from my hands and pulling back the covers. "Hands behind your head and legs apart. On this one occasion, I will not require you to present yourself naked for your punishment. I can hardly imagine that it would be particularly comfortable in this chilly room."

Reluctantly, I did as I was told.

"I am the person who owns you as a toy and will do whatever he likes with you," he Informed me before delivering my painful slap. "But I am also the person who went downstairs, built up the fire, made coffee and put the breakfast on." He gave me another slap... significantly firmer, this time. "So I will have no more of your impertinence, Toy!"

I did try to control my reaction but I couldn't quite manage it so he gave me yet another slap.

"Do you have anything you wish to contribute, Toy?" he demanded.

"No, Master," I answered formally.

"Good!" He gave me another couple of light pats. They were definitely not painful but made me want to scream with anger... or scream with frustration... or just generally scream. I'm not quite sure which.

He held me like that for several more seconds before giving me the nod that told me I could relax. He pulled the covers back over me and handed me back my coffee. "Please behave," he told me. "I wanted to make this an enjoyable day for us both."

"Yes, Master... and I guess I'm sorry. I've got a bit of a headache"

"I see! I rather suspect you might have what is technically termed a hangover!"

"Oh yeah!"

"You should have told me before you demonstrated that unacceptable degree of... attitude!" he said with a slight flick of his eyebrows. He hopped out of bed and returned a couple of seconds later with a tablet. "Take this and finish your coffee then you can snooze for another ten minutes. That should sort you out."

He'd open the window a crack so that we could hear the sound of the sea but it did mean that it was quite chilly in the room so I found myself snuggling into him. But, after a couple of minutes, I started to get a bit... intimate... he gave me a quick peck on the cheek and eased me back.

"Behave!" he told me in his 'official warning' sort of a voice.

And I knew much better than to push things so I gave a sigh and a formal answer of, "Yes, Master."

"Presumably, that means you're feeling better!"

"Yes, thank you, Master."

"In that case," he gave me a couple of pats on the bottom which were just too firm to be fun. "Let's go on down then!"