“Take control,” she whispered, nipping at Steel’s bottom lip.
“You don’t know what you're asking for, little ladybug.”
“Actually, I think I do,” she corrected him. He’d brought her here, tortured her, wrapped his hands around her neck, chased her, threatened to spank her, protected her from his team, shopped for her, cooked for her, shared his past with her, made her origami roses and a sweet little ladybug. “Let me lose control for a little while. I need to.”
The admission was hard to make because it could be so easily used against her, but somehow, Rose knew Steel wouldn't do that.
A growl was the only warning she got before he’d taken them both down to the ground. Flipping her onto her stomach so she was lying across his legs, he shifted one of his so it pinned her own legs in place.
A curl of cold air caressed her skin as Steel yanked down her jeans and panties enough to bare her backside to the cold night. An answering curl of desire swept through her stomach.
“I warned you, didn't I, little ladybug,” he said as his fingers traced circles on her bottom, around the healing welts. When she didn't answer, his palm cracked down against her skin, making her yelp, then immediately soothed over the stinging spot. “Answer me, little ladybug. I warned you, didn't I? What would happen if you caused yourself more pain?”
“Yes,” she squeaked, her body haywire with the warring desires. Part of her wanted to tell him to stop, that she didn't want more pain, but the other part was excited by this. Pain was what she knew, what she understood. Maybe she needed it woven into her pleasure.
“How many do you think is an appropriate punishment?”
“Umm … three?”
His chuckle filled the night. “Three? I don’t think so, little ladybug. Three is for wimps, and you're the strongest woman I've ever met. I think ten sounds more appropriate.”
“Ten?” There was no way she could handle ten. “I can't?—”
“You can,” he contradicted as his hand came down again, a little harder this time. “Your body craves this, doesn’t it, little ladybug?” Nudging her legs apart a little while keeping them trapped under his, he ran a finger along her center, where her body was weeping for him. “So wet,” he murmured as he coated his fingers with more of her wetness and spread it over her stinging skin before cracking his palm against her backside once more.
That was three, and he repeated the process, running his fingers through her wetness, teasing her entrance, bumping against her bud, before smearing the evidence of her arousal over her bottom. Before each smack of his hand, he did that, and by the time he reached nine, her backside was throbbing, tears streaked her cheeks, and she was so turned on that if he didn't give her something more soon she was going to combust.
“One more, little ladybug, you took your punishment so well,” he praised as his hand connected with her skin one last time.
As soon as he delivered that final one, he shifted her in his arms, lifting her up to cradle her against him, her legs still tangled in her jeans, straddling his, his arms locked around her as he caught her tears on his tongue.
“So strong,” he murmured. “So brave, so perfect. You let go so beautifully and took your punishment like such a good girl.”
“Please,” she whimpered, grinding her wet center against his bulge, the stinging on her backside spurring her on, filled with a desperation unlike anything else she’d felt before. “I need more.”
Chapter
Sixteen
December 31st
11:28 P.M.
“Please,” Rose whimpered, desperately grinding her wet center against his rock-hard length. “I need more.”
Steel wanted to give her more.
Wanted to give her everything.
But he had to be sure.
Was this really what she wanted or was she caught up in the moment?
There was no doubt that she was turned on. Her body had been weeping for him as he’d given her ten spanks for her bratty behavior, but that wasn't an open invitation for sex.
“Be sure, little ladybug,” he warned. The last thing he wanted was to be something she regretted when the New Year rang in.
In answer, she reached between them and grabbed his length, squeezing hard enough that he groaned and somehow managed to get even harder.
