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“I’m not going to let you come, not until you tell me who's in charge.” I shake my head and bite my lip, and he repeats it all again. The belt, the nipples, the tongue, his fingers curled deep inside me until every nerve in my body is on fire.

I'm striped with his belt, welted, and my clit almost hurts—it's so tender. It's too much and not enough, and I don’t have a word for that.

Two can play at this game. I tip my head to the side. I will not let him see how destroyed I am. When he comes back to my clit and licks me again, I think of everything. I think of nothing.

I think of him. God help me, I think of him, and that's what does it.

This time, when he licks me, I’m coming. I try to stifle the scream, but he only shakes his head.

“Look at you,” he says before he licks me again. “You're such a fucking tease.” He pumps his fingers into my pussy. “Go ahead then, you little whore. You want to come? You’ll pay for that.”

His tongue licks me as I’m trembling and coming, fully giving myself over to it. I writhe in waves of ecstasy until I can't stand it, until I'm crying, until I can taste the salt of my own tears. Then I'm falling, falling back to the bed, but he doesn't stop.

It’s painful and punishing, and I can’t get away. I try to move, but I can't. I’m tied to the bed, and he’s holding my thighs in his thick fingers. He licks me again and again. It’s so painful, too much, and then it starts to feel good again. It starts to feel so good I can’t breathe.

“Torin,” I hear myself say. “Please. Please.” What? Please stop, please don't stop, please, I don't know. I don't know what I'm begging for anymore.

“Come again,” he says. “Come again on my tongue. But first you tell me who's in charge.”

This hurts, and I don’t want to fight it anymore.

I’m tired. I’m so tired. But I know what giving in means, and I’m not ready.

“No,” I manage, my voice wrecked.

He lifts his head and looks at me with something almost like respect. I can’t fight respect the way I fight cruelty.

“No?” he repeats quietly.

“You heard me.” My teeth are clenched tight.

He holds my gaze as he bends back down, his tongue finding me again, slow, deliberate, and merciless. I squeeze my eyes shut.

I think of the cell. Shamrock's breath. Ginger's rope. The hood. The things they took from me and the things they didn't, and how I counted what was left every single day so I wouldn't forget it was still there.

“Stop,” I hear myself say. “Please.”

He stops. I could cry, but not for the reason I thought I would.

“That what you really want?” he asks in a dangerous voice.

“Valentina.” His tone is gentler now, his voice low against my skin. “I’ve got all night.”

“I know.” My voice breaks, and that’s when I know I’m done. I’m tired, I’m human, and I’m close to coming apart at the seams.

“Who’s?” Lick. “In.” Lick. “Charge?”

I finally break.

“You are,” I cry out with a sob. “You are, okay? You are. Please.”

“Good girl,” he says approvingly.

Then he lifts my ass like he's eating from a plate and licks me again, seductive and slow. He pulls my clit between his teeth, and I shatter into oblivion.

Spasms of utter bliss rock me to my core. I come until I’m falling back on the pillows, wrecked.

I say it again in case he gets any ideas. “You are. You're in charge, you big fucking bastard.”