“I didn’t realize fey had fetishes,” I said, assuming the same stance but far warier. “Spanking, I could see, but the need to dominate a species that had no chance of possibly besting you is just sick.”
“I am not doing this to dominate you.”
“It is just about the spankings?” I straightened. “Then put me over your knee and get it done. My legs are too sore from last night to put up a fight anyway.”
“I am not doing this to spank you.”
“My ass begs to differ. It feels like your handprint is still there. And you were far too excited in the kitchen about the prospect of spanking the other side. Admit it. You liked spanking me. Does Emily know?”
I was on my back in a second. I tried to bite him, but he arched out of the way and had me on my stomach in the next second. His hand came down on my other cheek just as he’d promised. The sting wasn’t as sharp as last night, and I grinned at my forethought…until I realized his hand was still on my butt. And, that it moved in a slow circle.
“What the hell are you doing, pervert?” I tried bucking off his hold, but he had one hand in the center of my back, pinning me in place.
His hand traveled up to my waistband. I knew I was in trouble the moment his fingers dipped into the elastic.
“Emily! He’s going to ass rape me, damn you!”
Merdon ignored me and tugged the hand towel free. I let my head fall to the mat in defeat. There’d be no sitting later today.
“This is cheating,” he said softly, tossing the towel on the mat near my face. “You will learn nothing without the sting of failure.”
“I’m learning nothing now, other than you’re a sadistic asshole. If you want me to learn something, teach me; don’t beat me.”
His hand left my back, and he lifted me to my feet like I weighed nothing.
“I get that life isn’t fair, in general, but you getting me on my back is a sure thing.”
“Is it?”
“You know it is.”
“Yet you managed to avoid it a few times last night.”
“Because I got lucky, played dirty, and was desperate not to get spanked.”
“So, do it again.”
“It wasn’t easy!” I let my frustration bleed through. Mostly because if we were talking, he wasn’t smacking my ass.
“It’s not supposed to be. You’re too slow, too weak, and aren’t thinking. You need to get better at all three if you want to have any chance.”
I fisted my hands as he crouched.
“Don’t just tell me why I’m failing. Show me how to fix it.”
“Crouch low, anchor your feet, and be ready. When I come at you, read how I’m coming at you. If I’m aiming high, go low. If I’m going low, go high.”
“Go high? That’s your advice? I’m not fey. I can’t jump like you.”
“So don’t.”
He charged at me, going slower than normal. His gaze was on my face. His hands reached for my arms. He was going high. I dropped and rolled. Instead of rolling away, I tumbled toward him, tripping up his feet.
Had he been less nimble, I would have liked to believe that he would have fallen on his face. I wasn’t that lucky, though. He recovered his balance. Springing to my feet, I ignored the protest in my legs and braced myself for another attack.
“That was good,” he said. “You saw what I intended and did the opposite. Rolling toward the danger isn’t smart, though. Use your head.”
“Says you. You’re too fast. Rolling toward you was to try to trip you up. Rolling away from you wouldn’t have done any good. You would have still caught me. This gave me a chance to get to my feet.”
He grunted and got back in the crouch position.
“No spankings. Today, I’ll bite.”
“What!”
He moved. I barely had time to pivot to the left and run, squealing.
“Good,” he said, returning to the center of the mat.
I unwedged myself from between a stack of boxes and looked at the insane grey man calmly regarding me.
“Good?” I demanded. “You just told me you were going to bite me. That is not okay. I want the spankings back. No biting.”
“I won’t break the skin.”
I couldn’t even respond to that. In no way was I reassured.
“Why are you doing this?”
“You said you wanted me to teach you.”
I snarled at him, knowing he was purposely misunderstanding me. He took the