Sir.” Better than green actually. She was tense, but in that happy way because any minute his hand was going to smack her ass.
She felt him push her skirt up, the cool air hitting her skin. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her hands beginning to shake just a bit. What was she doing? Why the hell was she doing it?
His hand cupped her ass. “You’re beautiful.”
She couldn’t see him. Couldn’t see his face. Couldn’t see what he was going to do.
She heard the smack before she felt it. The hot, hard slap landed on her ass sending a harsh shock through her system. Pain. Tears flashed across her pupils, and just for a second, she wasn’t over this man’s lap but tied down and forced to take whatever Hawk dished out, praying for it to stop, one way or another.
“Natalie?”
“Do it again.” She wasn’t there. Hawk was dead. He couldn’t hurt her anymore, but she could damn straight hurt herself. She wanted to scream red and run and hide in her room, but she knew what would happen. She would find a way to cut herself because she couldn’t cry.
No hesitation. He smacked her ass again, twice and then three times, that huge hand covering whole sections of her skin in fiery pain. He didn’t hold back. This wasn’t erotic or sexy. It hurt like fuck.
She gritted her teeth, enduring. Each time he slapped her, his hand soothed, fingers tracing her skin as though she was fragile and he was trying to make sure he didn’t leave a mark. But she wanted the mark. She wanted to feel it tomorrow and remember that she’d gotten through it, that she’d taken it.
“Where are we, sweetness?”
“More, Sir.”
“Natalie,” he started, the hesitation in his voice causing her to grasp his ankles.
“Please. I hate fucking begging.”
The slap to her ass was worse than all the others combined. “I’m not making you fucking beg but I will also not hurt you in a permanent fashion.” Smack . “If you want a real sadist, you need to find another sucker, sweetness.” Smack. Smack. Smack . “I am not some asshole who kidnaps women because I can’t keep my dick up without some sadistic shit.” Smack .
Her skin was so sensitive even the smallest slap made her bite back a cry.
This was what she’d missed. Not just the spanking. Not just the magnificent, horrible, amazing heat that flushed through her.
Connection. She was connected to Sir, emotion flowing between them in a way she wasn’t sure she could handle, but she knew she couldn’t say the words that stopped it.
Tears dripped from her eyes. It wasn’t a deluge, but it was enough. A nice floaty sensation started as the tears fell. She needed to scream, but this was enough. Years had passed with nothing but tension. Even when she’d hurt herself, she couldn’t cry, but they squeezed out now. No sobbing, but some relief flowed as Sir smacked her over and over again.
She relaxed, her muscles giving up the fight. Tears fell, silent but there.
He stopped, his hands lifting her, shifting her so she slumped in his arms.
“Cry for me, sweetness. You need it.”
She needed to get away from him. She had zero interest in getting cuddles from the big bad Dom. But he felt so good. His arms encircled her, his hand pressing her close, tucking her head under his chin as she sniffled.
“Hey, sweetie.” Gaby’s voice broke through the relative quiet. “You did great. Come on. We can go and sit and talk. I’m really happy for you.”
“Be happy somewhere else. She’s mine. Until she gets off my lap, she’s mine and I don’t want to share right now.” His arms tightened around her.
Such a bossy Sir. And warm. She was tired and weak and the day had been past shitty. She sighed and relaxed against him.
It was a while before she got off his lap.
Chapter Four
Ben thought about hanging himself from the nearest well-pruned tree. The resort was gorgeous and tranquil. He could see that even in the dead of night. But there was no peace for him here.
Charlaine Harris
Claire Ridgway
Bernard O'Mahoney
Margaret Thornton
Nyrae Dawn
Mickee Madden
Bibek Debroy
Reed Farrel Coleman
Chris Ewan
Sharon Kleve