“I’m sorry!”
“Good.” His big hand came down again, landing heavily on her wounded backside.
With the pain layered upon itself, the sting of the blows hurt so much. They also ground her body against his erection, the one she wanted to take in her mouth or anywhere else in her body he chose to put it. She tried desperately to push the reckless thoughts from her mind.
“Please stop!” she begged hoarsely. “Linc, please!”
After several more sharp spanks, he released her. “Lie facedown on the bed.”
She scrambled up and lay down, but when she started to pull up her pants, he said, “No, your ass stays uncovered.”
“I don’t want to leave it that way!”
“I know.”
She covered her eyes, which were prickling with tears. “I don’t understand what you’re doing.”
“Yes, you do.”
Tears of frustration leaked from under her lids. “What do you want from me?”
“Your undivided attention.”
She moved her arm to look at him through watery eyes. “You have it.”
“I know. I also want your obedience when it counts.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’ll try to behave better,” she said hesitantly. “Can I please cover myself now?”
He shook his head, laying his hand on her flaming ass and squeezing possessively.
“Oh!” she said, slapping his arm.
He smiled. “Such beautiful skin. A flush suits you.”
“Go to the outer realms!” she snapped.
He stood and stretched. “You’d better hope I don’t. You can’t survive here without me.”
She looked out over the sparkling water. How had they gotten to somewhere so remote? Where was the nearest city? “You’re not a confidence trickster, are you?”
“Sure I am. This is all an elaborate VR landscape. Why don’t you look around for the off switch?” he asked with a grin.
“Bastard.”
* * *
The utter blackness of an off-grid world was like no other darkness that existed. Linc could tell that it scared her, but she was trying to hide that fact from him.
“What are you doing?” she whispered impatiently.
“I’m taking off my boots.” He waited.
“Still? What’s taking so long?”
He smiled. “It scares everyone at first.”
“What?” she asked.
