Then it was over, leaving me shaking from head to toe. I gasped, desperate for more.
“Oh!”
There was no hesitation, no allowing me to bask in the glory of my climax. He jerked me to a standing position, ripping the shirt over my head, growling under his breath. Then he flipped me over on the island, my legs dangling, his hand pressing against the small of my back.
“As I told you before, if you disobey me, you will be punished. I own you. That includes your orgasms.”
I had no idea what to say or if I should plead with him. When he smacked the palm of his hand against my already bruised bottom, I’d never felt so wretched in my life. I’d disappointed him. I’d challenged him. I’d taken advantage of the moment. I stretched out my arms, holding my breath as he peppered his hand against my backside, moving from one side to the other. While the sting was significantly less, the utter humiliation of being spanked like a disobedient child was horrific.
Was I nothing more than a wicked little girl?
I cringed at the thought alone, thinking about all the years of loneliness, as if I’d been waiting for him to return. My nipples remained hard, still aching and longing for his mouth to soothe them in a way only he could do.
“You will learn to obey me, Sierra. I’m not kidding about this. Following my orders is a requirement.” He kept his tone even, his hand firmly placed against my back as he picked up the rhythm.
The sting turned into a bloom of heat then actual pain, forcing me to grip the edges of the island. I held back my cries for as long as I could, finally whimpering. I was pathetic. I was ridiculous. “That hurts,” I blurted out, kicking both legs in his direction.
“I don’t think you want me to use my belt again, Sierra. Hold your position or I have no issue giving you a lesson that you won’t soon forget.”
I shivered from his tone alone, trying to keep my legs and arms from flailing. As much as the punishment hurt, the tingling sensations continued, the vibrant electricity churning throughout my body. I fell into a lull, pressing my face against the cool granite as he smacked my bottom and upper thighs, every move so damn methodical.
I had no idea how long the spanking lasted or what I was supposed to say as he gathered me into his arms, turning me to face him. His face was flushed, his eyes wild with the same desire I’d seen before.
“You are very special to me. Never forget that.” He shook his head after saying the words, as if he hadn’t planned on muttering them, showing me a part of him that wasn’t supposed to exist.
He held me for a few minutes, stroking my hair until I stopped shaking. When he eased me back, his expression was stern and almost condemning. “I have to leave. You’re going to stand in the corner for a full thirty minutes thinking about the fact that my only requirement for saving your life is that you obey me no matter what I ask.”
With that, he walked me toward a corner of the room, placing me against the wall. I was so shocked I had no idea what to say.
I could tell he was hesitating, watching me.
Studying me.
Hungering for me.
The lump in my throat and the tears forming in my eyes pissed me off. I wasn’t someone’s possession. I wasn’t a girl who would tolerate following strict rules, yet he’d managed to turn me into some blubbering mess.
“Thank you for having someone wash my clothes.” I had no idea why I’d made the statement, other than a part of me didn’t want him to leave.
There was a skip in his breathing, a slight hesitation. “I only have a housekeeper who comes once a week. I washed them for you.”
The admittance was almost profound.
He remained where he was for a full minute, even crowding my space, the electricity sparking once again.
Then he slowly backed away.
When I heard his footsteps as he walked out of the room, I released the breath I’d been holding.
For all the years of my life, I’d never wanted a man as much as I did this one, but I’d made a promise to myself years ago that I wouldn’t fall into his web.
And I intended on keeping that promise.
One way or the other.
Lorenzo
I loathed family meetings, although the majority of the people involved certainly weren’t related. My father had coined the expression long before I was involved, treating all those who served him well like close relatives. Holiday pay. Bonuses. Dinners. Presents for their children.
Unless they betrayed him.
His brutality was widely known, his creative use of various punishment methods providing ugly stories told around a campfire. I couldn’t help but grin at the thought. I’d earned the same reputation, although I’d only used his tactics once with a damn good reason.
Theft.
Men would lie, embellishing stories of why they couldn’t pay their dues. I’d come to expect that. But anyone who stole from our organization faced my full wrath.
An eye for an eye.
The restaurant was crowded, much more so than I’d seen in one hell of a long time. As I walked in, I was greeted with nods of respect while several customers and employees cowered from my presence. There’d been a day that commanding these kinds of emotions had been enticing. Now? Hell, I’d grown weary of the notoriety.
Maybe I needed a vacation.
As if that was going to happen.
“This about the Movinos?” Dante asked. He and my other Capos had followed me to the restaurant, called to the meeting as well.
“No doubt strategic planning.” I noticed Vincenzo and Angelo scoping the room and sighed.