She felt the shift in the air and knew he’d risen to his feet, heard the rustle of his jeans as he walked around the table. She could just picture those thick muscles in his abs bunching and twisting. Then his hands were on her butt once more, rubbing and kneading. “Are you ready for yourpunishment?”
* * *
He could only prayhe was reaching her. He’d told her as much of the truth as he could; hedidneed her. He couldn’t hurt her. It was beyond hiscomprehension.
But Tomi’s wild spirit couldn’t be denied; he knew that was part of the reason she’d run the first time. Had he gone too fast? Is that what had pushed her over the edge? The thought terrified him. He wanted to badly to ask her about the past and demand she tell him why she’d ran, but he knew she wasn’t ready. He couldn’t risk her withdrawingagain.
He only had two days left to convince her to stay with him. Two days. And then he risked losing herforever.
No. That was a possibility he couldn’t think about. He had to focus on the now, focus on Tomi—it was the only way he could hope to create a strong enough bond between them that she’d never want to leave. “Are you ready for yourpunishment?”
Her answer was a breathy whisper, “Yes,Cole.”
He closed his eyes, enjoying his name on herlips.
“Don’t worry about counting,” Cole said, and then lifted his hand and spanked her. Her skin needed warming up, so his first touch was gentle. He had to deliver this spanking as a punishment, but he also intended to see that she came in his hands. The next two smacks were a little bit harder. And then he rained down a series of stinging blows, loving the way her flesh pinked for him. Each time she gasped and wiggled and squirmed, but she never once told him to stop. By the time he reached number ten, she was gripping the edge of the table and sticking her ass in the air, begging for more. Cole obliged. Feeding the beast inside him that needed to dominate, he delivered three stinging blows meant to give pleasure, not pain. And then he delved his fingers between her legs and felt her wetness, evidence of herdesire.
Needing to see the proof on her face, Cole rounded the table, every muscle in his body taut, and squatted down. Tomi’s eyes were closed, her lips parted, her cheeksflushed.
“Are you okay?” he askedquietly.
Shenodded.
“Tomi, I need to hear you sayit.”
Her lids parted, her eyes glazed with pleasure. “Yes,Cole.”
Her breathless words left him shaking. Cole rose over her and kissed her cheek and then he returned to his position behind her. The panties were easy, he ripped them from her body with a quick jerk, and then he stripped out of his pants, freeing his hard cock. Cole stepped close to her, lined himself up with her wet slit, and plunged inside. “Sweet, mercifulJesus.”
She was so tight; she clenched around him, squeezing him so hard he couldn’tthink.
Tomi made a low, throaty sound in the back of her throat and gripped the edge of the table, pushing against him. He’d recognized that look on her face, a look of complete submission. Knowing they both needed it, Cole gripped her hips and slammed into her, taking her with enough force to make the table shake on itslegs.
With the morning light bathing them through the window in the back door, Cole drove into her. This time he didn’t take it slow—he yanked her against him, taking her faster and harder. Each time he bottomed out inside her, she cried out, her head lifting off the table. It was one of the most beautiful sights he’d ever seen. Her sweet body bent over for him. He was mesmerized by the sight of her. In a daze, he slowed, dipped his fingers into the juices of her pussy, and slowly spread them up to her ass. Each time he worked more and more until she was slick. Slick enough for him to slide the tip of his finger into her back entrance. Each time he drove his cock into her pussy, he pushed his finger fartherinside.
Tomi made little mewling sounds, her breath hitching. A tingle started at the base of his spine; his balls drew up. He was so close to coming. Determined, he clenched his jaw and pushed his finger in past the knuckle, embedding it fully inside her as he speared her with hiscock.
Tomi lost control. She bucked. She screamed. She begged. Cole was beyond the point of reason or control; he was pure animal instinct now, the need to dominate overriding every other sense. He slammed into her until she was screaming in pleasure, and when her orgasm clenched around him, Cole buried himself to the hilt and let go, roaring his own release insideher.
Completely robbed of strength or breath, he leaned over her, still buried inside her, and placed his elbow on the table as he fought to catch his breath. The small beads of sweat that had formed on his face dripped onto her back. When he could finally speak, Cole said, “We need to take ashower.”
Her answer was a mmmhhhhmmmm. But that was all. The last thing Cole wanted to do was withdraw from her body, but Clint and Carter could come bursting in at any second. With regret hauling out of his gut, Cole fell from her. Tomi groaned. He reached beneath her, flipping her over and up into his arms, and then carried her into the bathroom. Cole reached inside the shower, turned on the water, and tested its temperature until it was just right. Then he put them bothinside.
Cole squeezed the sweet-scented body wash onto the loofah and washed Tomi as she stood there pliant and silent, her dazed expression evidence that she was still in the throes of her last orgasm. They made quick work of washing themselves before he stepped out, dried them both off, and placed her on the bed. He should go out and talk to his brothers, check that everything was okay, but the sight of Tomi lying in his bed was too much to overcome. Cole tossed the towel onto the floor and climbed in next to her. She curled right into his arms and tucked her chin against his chest. That moment, Cole felt more at peace than he had in his entirelife.
15
The creakingof the bedroom door pulled Cole from a light sleep. He lifted his head and glared at Clint. “What?”
“Got a call for you.” Clint’s normally stonewall expression was firmly in place, but Cole could hear the hint of worry in his brother’s voice. Which was the only reason he was giving Clint a pass for barging into the bedroomuninvited.
Cole ducked his head and placed a kiss on Tomi’s cheek, pressing his lips there for a second before he pulled the covers up over her sweet little body and climbed from the bed. He didn’t bother with the shirt, just yanked on his pants and stalked from the room. It irritated him, he realized, having to leaveher.
He’d never felt the least twinge of regret leaving a woman’s bed before, but Tomi wasn’t just any woman. She washiswoman.
Both Clint and Carter were waiting in the kitchen. Clint shoved the cell phone in his direction and said, “It’s Stahl. He needs to talk to younow.”
Cole shot his brother a questioning look, but Clint just shook his head, indicating Stahl had been his usual tight-lippedself.
