He chuckles. “Fuck, I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. My woman.”
“Yes.”
Finally.
He nibbles along my jaw, eliciting a tremor. “You put me through fucking hell. In this life, the only ray of sunshine is you, and you took that away, leaving me in darkness.”
“I’m sorry,” I breathe out.
A low growl rumbles in his chest. “That won’t do tonight.”
As his hand moves up, he bunches my dress over my waist. The cool air from the AC brushes my skin, but it’s not enough to dampen the fever he caused.
He releases my neck and takes a step back. His sharp intake of air makes me feel beautiful. “I approve of your choice of lingerie.”
My sister-in-law is a shopping fanatic, a connoisseur of all the finer things in life. I am glad I listened to her. Nothing makes you feel more feminine than a high-end piece of lingerie.
Stepping back between my thighs, he grazes his finger along the lace thong, eliciting a tremor.
He places a kiss on my neck, whispering in my ear. “You’re at my mercy, Dahlia. You wanted the beast. Here he is, baby girl.”
He pulls me away from the desk, turning me so fast I have to plant my hands on the desktop for stability. Before my legs steady, the first slap lands on my ass cheek. I cry out, the sting leaving my skin burning. A stuttered breath rushes out of my mouth, and I dig my fingernails into the desk, panting.
“Does it hurt?” he asks, deceptively soft.
“Yes,” I say, licking my parched lips.
“Punishment is supposed to. Count with me. You’re getting twenty. Ten for each cheek.”
“Twenty?” I don’t even try to hide the panic in my voice.
“Twenty,” he says matter-of-factly. “And you will take each. Then you can tell Tristan why you’re teary-eyed, puffy-faced, and flushed with a burning ass.”
I squirm. “But don’t hurt him, okay?”
Another one follows, even sharper.
“Don’t plead for another man’s life. It won’t help.”
My back arches up as if wanting to meet him instead of ducking away from him. The pain anchors me, but the sting once it subsides makes room for something else. Something that creeps out of hidden depths—raw pleasure. Strange yet titillating.
I suck on a breath. “Don’t start a war because of me. I’m the one?—”
Another one follows. “I’d start the fucking apocalypse for you.”
It’s only the third one, but it feels like my ass is on fire. Tears blur my vision, and tiny breaths puff out of my mouth.
“This is the man you want?” he grumbles, smacking my ass repeatedly. Four in rapid succession, stealing the breath from my lungs.
“I love when you cry for me. Makes me imagine how you’ll choke on my cock, cry when I fuck your ass.”
Good God. I am pure sensation. With every new slap, it’s like my body goes through a metamorphosis, turning into jelly, just like my brain. No rational thought left but synapses swimming in euphoric liquid.
My legs quiver, and I still have ten to go. It’s a valid possibility that I might faint at any moment.
“Fuck. Look at your ass, red and wearing my handprints.” The awe in his voice is unmistakable.
A blush heats my neck and face—not out of modesty. This man saw me naked for seventy-two hours, but from the sheer carnality as if he’s lost in me too.
