Indebted - Piper Stone Page 0,18

a sick and twisted diversion in his otherwise organized life.

He wanted an answer, required some kind of reaction. He wasn’t going to get anything from me willingly. I would hire an attorney and fight this, no matter what it required of me.

I expected to feel the jab of his fingers, burying them deep inside. Instead, he stepped away.

There was no crack of the belt, no sound other than my ragged breathing. There was also no explosion of pain even as the strap connected with my backside, slicing perfectly across my sit spot. There was only an eruption of extreme warmth crowding up from the very tips of my toes to my core.

Immediately, he rubbed his fingers from one ass cheek to the other, caressing my skin in a gentle, loving manner. Was he already admiring his work, the sick bastard? When he gave another strike, I heard the sound as his wrist cracked. Electricity shot through me, pinpricks of white-hot heat searing every cell and tendon.

Yet there was no blinding anguish, no instant wave of new emotions, just the sick sense that this was his normal method of operation with his employees.

Keep them under your thumb.

Rule them with intimidation.

I refused to cry out, even as a single rush of pain shot through me. I’d never been disciplined in such a barbaric manner, my father preferring to remove privileges instead of resorting to corporal punishment.

He brought the belt down again and again, every action calculated. Every time he did, my channel clamped down, leading me to a near orgasmic moment.

Hell, no. Even though I didn’t know him, I had the distinct feeling he wanted me hot and wet all over, further exposing my vulnerability.

I concentrated on the whooshing sound that now penetrated my eardrums, biting down on my lip as the discomfort turned into sheer anguish. My bottom was on fire, extreme heat rising from my calves, shooting all the way to my shoulders. Once again, my body ignored the anger and frustration pooling inside my mind, my knees bending in an effort to force the horrible spanking to stop.

“Stay in your position, Alessandra. I would hate to start over again.” He didn’t touch me in any way, merely stopped all movement until I complied with his command.

Yet I did against all rationality. This man had no right to control me, my signature coerced by the thought of finding something less wretched than spending time behind bars. Was this going to be any different?

The next several cracks stole my breath, a rush of adrenaline creating an irregular beating in my heart. I gasped for air, my fingers flexing as stars floated in front of my eyes. Tears threatened to consume me, the intoxication of the moment becoming too much to bear. I lost all sense of myself as the whipping continued until I was able to hear his scattered breathing for the first time.

Perhaps there was a crack in his austere demeanor, a shattering of the man’s resolve as he spanked the poor criminal he now believed he owned. I was finally able to shove aside my despair, preferring to hold onto the earlier thought, a weapon to be used at just the right moment.

I managed to stay in position as he finished the round of punishment, his husky exhale another sign of weakness.

The sound of the belt being tossed was jarring. I gritted my teeth, willing every emotion away, placed in a little box that I could lock and control.

He inched closer, the rough pads of his fingers sliding under my shirt. I was shocked from the sensations, the gentleness he used as he caressed my skin. I held my breath as he rolled his fingers up and down, kneading the tense muscles in my back. The realization he was giving me a massage was disturbing, my body’s reaction creating bile in my throat.

I couldn’t want him, not on any level, yet the tingling sensations only intensified, grasping at the last vestige of decency. I was his for the taking. I’d signed away my freedom for a chance at... Freedom. The irony was disgusting.

Gabriel eased his fingers down the crack of my ass, sliding them between my legs. I closed my eyes, biting back a moan as he flicked a single finger across my swollen folds.

He said nothing, not a single word as he teased me, cupping my bare mound even as he swirled the tip of a single finger around my clit.

I was torn by the jolt of electricity,