then patted his lap. “Over you go for this conversation.”
Oh holy hell.
“Are you sure?”
“Over. Now.”
Gulp. That tone of voice meant business. She lay herself over his lap, squirming slightly at the feel of his hard thighs beneath her tummy. She pressed her thighs together as he raised her T-shirt above her ass.
“Uh-uh, relax and spread your legs slightly. This is a punishment spanking not a fun one. So there’s not pressing your legs together and trying to pleasure yourself. That’s why I’m not spanking you while you’re lying on your tummy. Now, if this was a spanking for fun, I would get you off while spanking you.” He sighed with exaggerated sadness. “Another time.”
Damn him.
“Now, if you can tell me what you did that was naughty, your punishment will be short and quick. But if you deny that you were naughty, I’m not stopping until your bottom is bright red, understand?”
Her breath hitched.
Another smack landed. Ooh that stung. She pressed her legs together as her clit throbbed.
“Hey, I didn’t answer!”
“You were taking too long.” Another smack. “And keep those legs apart. I’ll keep smacking this delicious ass until you answer me. And these spanks don’t count towards your punishment.”
“I was naughty,” she cried out.
Another smack. She glared at him over her shoulder. Damn man just grinned at her unrepentantly.
Ooh. He was trouble.
“Why?” he asked. Smack!
“Because I put myself down?”
“You don’t sound certain. Say, I was naughty because I put myself down.”
“I was naughty because I put myself down.”
“Better. Now it’s a count of ten.”
“What? You already spanked me!” she protested.
“And I told you that they didn’t count. Now, remember you have your safeword if you need it. Maybe we need to get you a nice, fat punishment plug. So after your spanking, you can stand or sit in the corner with your legs spread wide so you can’t give yourself any pleasure and a big plug inside your bottom. How does that sound?”
Like torture. And yet, she desperately wanted to try it.
“We could even find some ginger lube if you’re especially bad. That would provide a nice sting.”
Dear Lord, the man was going to kill her.
“Keep your legs spread and your arms out in front of you. If you move either, we start all over again. Count it out.” He slapped his hand down on her already hot ass.
“O-one,” she managed to call out.
Another smack.
“Two!”
He moved from cheek to cheek then back to the middle of her ass. By the time he got to ten, her bottom was warm and throbbing. He definitely hadn’t held back. It had hurt more than she thought it would. And being made to keep her legs open felt almost worse. If she could have gotten some friction against her clit, she might have enjoyed it more.
But then that wasn’t the point of this spanking, was it? She wasn’t sure she’d like a harder spanking.
Well, you know how to avoid that.
He lay back and turned her so she was lying sprawled on his chest. He held her tight until her breathing grew more even.
Ooh. This part she really liked. He ran his hand up and down her back. “You’re beautiful. So sexy. I wish you could see it. I’m dying to see all of you, to cover every inch with my lips, my tongue. I’ll tell you as often as you need to hear it that you’re a goddess.”
Did he really mean that?
“My aunt’s favorite insult is to call me a fat mouse.”
He grew tense beneath her. “That woman has a lot to answer for. Mari-girl, she was putting you down, trying to make you feel small so she could feel big. People like that, they don’t like anyone who is prettier than them, sweeter than them, smarter than them.”
“But she’s beautiful,” she protested.
He rolled her onto her back and held her face between his hands. “No, baby. You are.”
They looked at one another. And as she stared up into his eyes, it settled more deeply inside her. Was Rosalind jealous of her? It was hard to believe. Yet there was no mistaking the sincerity in Linc’s eyes.
And to her shock, she found herself reaching for the bottom of her T-shirt. Linc moved away, kneeling beside her, watching. He didn’t say anything. Didn’t try to hurry her along. He just stared at her with a gaze that was equal parts hungry and thankful.
She drew his top off over her head and lay there, completely naked. It was hard. Really hard. And she had to work