by Stone, Piper
Even under the mask, I was able to see the blush forming across the base of her neck, creeping to her jaw and cheeks. She swallowed before giving me a hateful look. “The items in my purse belong to me. How dare you.”
“Oh, really?” I asked as I held up only two of the credit cards from one of the local senators. “You should know better than to steal plastic. Every one of these cards will be cancelled before you have a single opportunity to use them. As far as the cash, nicely done. However, I have the distinct feeling you were just getting started. I have to wonder what the ultimate prize would have been.”
“Oh, my God. Who do you think you are?” She cradled the bottle against her, taking shallow breaths, her eyes shimmering with toxic venom.
She’d been caught in the act, something that likely hadn’t occurred before.
“A man who knows a thief when I see one.” I tossed the bag, knocking several of the items onto the floor as I shook my head. “Sadly, you’re an amateur.”
“As if you would know.” She backed away, her lip curling as she glanced several times in the direction of the fallen loot. She was indeed nervous that I’d report her actions to Mr. Worthington.
“I assure you that I am well versed in the art of theft. Now, we can handle this... situation in one of two ways.” I adjusted my cuffs, debating whether to remove my jacket. What I was considering as a form of punishment was different than my usual brutal manner, perhaps even ridiculous.
“Meaning?” She clenched her jaw, her entire demeanor haughty as hell.
“Meaning, I can allow you to atone for your sins right here. Right now.”
She laughed, shaking her head several times. “My God. What an arrogant prick you are. You wouldn’t dare even try. You don’t know me. Trust me, you don’t want to know who you are dealing with.”
Another challenge. I took the bottle from her hand, closing the distance until I towered over her. “Don’t issue a dare to a stranger unless you hunger to face the consequences.”
“Consequences. The truth is, I don’t care. I suggest you leave before things get ugly.”
I fisted her hair with one hand, lowering the bottle to the tasting table with the other. There was a part of me that remained savage from all the years of intense training. And tonight, my hunger was unbridled. “You should care, Ms. Princess. I’m a very bad man who is going to teach you a stern lesson in life.” I resisted the urge to rip off her mask, preferring the anonymity for both of us. This wasn’t about romance. This was simply sating an urge.
And providing a round of well needed discipline.
I lowered my head until our lips were almost touching, drinking in her perfume. She pressed her palms against me, hissing as I tightened my hold. “Let go of me!”
“Not until you learn respect.”
“You’re crazy.”
“And I’m not the mysterious guest who broke into a man’s wine cellar. I’m also not the one who stole items from several of the guests’ belongings.” I dragged her toward the tasting table, contemplating my impetuous decision.
“What?” she gasped, acting horrified. “You’re wrong.”
“Sadly, I saw you with my own eyes. You’re clever, but not nearly as much as you believe yourself to be.”
Her lovely mouth twisted, her entire body shaking, a hint of real fear sliding into her shimmering eyes. “I can explain what I was doing.”
“I’m certain you can try. Now, imagine if our illustrious host had noticed that your lovely hand was in deep into several men’s pockets. What would he have done? Tossed you out? Called the police? Interesting prospects. Perhaps I should tell him. Hmmm?”
“No. No! You can’t do that.”
“I can and I will. That is unless you take your punishment like a good girl.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re going to do?” She kicked out, managing to dig her heel into my knee.
I snapped my hand around her wrist, dragging her against the heat of my body, my nostrils flaring as I drank in every ounce of her sweet essence. I lowered my head until our lips were almost touching. “I assure you that your punishment will be much worse if you attempt to do something like that again.”
She blinked several times, struggling for only mere seconds. Then her lovely lips parted, her chin tipping. “What do you want?” Her tone remained rebellious, further fueling the dark beast dwelling within.
“I want many things, but unfortunately, my business needs preclude handling this in the manner I would prefer. I will offer you a deal. We can settle this now without Mr. Worthington’s interference.”
She debated, taking several shallow breaths. “What? What are you offering?”
I debated the risk versus the reward.
“One. Hard. Spanking.” I waited until the information settled in. “You are also required to leave the party immediately after.”
“Fuck you! You can’t tell me what to do.”
I cocked my head, lifting a single eyebrow. “For your insolence and your foul mouth, I’m going to use a belt instead of my hand.”
“I...” She blinked several times, fighting off a combination of anger as well as humiliation.
“You have exactly thirty seconds to make your decision or I’m going up those stairs.” I waited until at least twenty seconds had passed. “All right. Have it your way.”
“No! You just can’t do that. Okay.” She managed to jerk away from me, folding her arms. “You promise not to say a word.”
“Not a single one.”
I was even more taken than ever, my cock aching to the point I was in almost desperate pain. The dark demon in me wanted to strip her of her clothing, using every hole to my satisfaction. I would use restraint.
At least for now.
“Three seconds, Ms. Princess.”
“All right. I accept your deal, but I assure you, Zorro, that one day, you and I will tangle again. Trust me, you’ll regret the day you crossed me.”
While her words were meant as a threat, I wasn’t certain I’d mind sparring with her again. Only the next time would be entirely by my decision. “Lean over the table.”
“You are such a bastard.”
“I assure you, princess, I’ve been called much worse. If I have to ask you again, I will simply leave you alone as I speak with Mr. Worthington on our behalf.”
She sucked in her breath, finally leaning over the table. As she swept her arms across, hitting the bottle on purpose, she laughed as the thousand-dollar scotch pitched to the tile floor, shattering into hundreds of pieces.
With a series of guttural sounds, I leaned over as I jerked up her dress, exposing her exquisite cherry red thong.
“Fine. Fuck you. This kind of thing doesn’t happen to me,” she insisted.
“This kind of thing? I would remember who has the upper hand.”
“No one disciplines me. No one. You will pay for this in manners you’ll never see coming.”
I chuckled more to myself. “Perhaps that’s been your problem all along and as far as payment, I guess we shall see. Be very careful making idle threats, sweet little fairy princess. I am the big. Bad. Boogeyman.”
At that moment, I knew I would see her again and on that day, I would do exactly what my mind had envisioned.
I would make her mine.
Chapter Three
Giliana
Threats.
What I’d made the pompous jerk was a promise. He would regret the day he made this decision, no matter who be believed himself to be. A boogeyman? He was obviously nothing more than a vicious con artist. I was furious, my blood pressure skyrocketing, although the majority of my anger was directed at myself. I’d been the one to allow my guard to fall, something I’d promised myself six years before would never happen again.
Trust was difficult, if not impossible.
However, lust was something entirely different.
A tall, rugged, and suave man with a killer accent had broken my personal vow, unleashing unbri
dled desire. I almost laughed at the atrocity of my thoughts. For all I knew, he could be nothing more than an unattractive loser under the ebony silk hiding his face.
And his dominating ways, his certainty I would do anything he commanded were appalling.
Then why did you do this?
I bit my lip to fight a moan threatening to rise to the surface. I was in over my head, the little game getting out of hand. I’d once been considered a daddy’s girl, a princess living the fairy tale life. If only people knew what my brother and I had been through. Then why had I pretended I was Cinderella with a stranger?
“Make certain you remain in position or I’ll be forced to start over,” the Russian said in a silky tone as he rubbed two fingers down my spine.
Every part of me tingled, my damn body betraying me. Even my nipples were aching. I was sick to my stomach at the thought. I bit back a string of nasty words, taking gulping breaths instead. The asshole was actually going to give me a spanking and I’d agreed. Granted, I couldn’t afford to have any kind of scandal tarnishing all I’d worked so hard to achieve. That wouldn’t bode well for anyone, especially me. Still, I wasn’t going to give in to this... criminal. “Fuck you.”
I had his number as well as an inkling why he was really here.
“If you don’t learn respect, I will have no choice but to wash your mouth out with soap.”
The hard crack of his hand against my naked bottom was merely a reminder of my place.
And the deal made with the devil.
Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you.
I bit back a cry of frustration, refusing to give him the satisfaction. How could any man look so damn hot in a tuxedo, the material draping perfectly against his muscular thighs? Even the crisp white shirt and penguin bowtie couldn’t hide his exquisite, rugged features. I took several deep breaths, shuddering from the masculine yet very exotic scent of his cologne.
“What a shame, little printsessa, that we couldn’t have enjoyed our time together in a different fashion,” he hissed, obviously weary of my behavior. The single word in Russian was more infuriating than the rest. He tossed around the term ‘princess’ as if my behavior denoted it.
I was a rough and tumble woman, not a pampered daddy’s girl.
I gripped the edge of the table, grimacing as I heard the slight rattle of his belt buckle. There had to be a weapon I could use on the horrible prick. Then he would only make good on his promise. That much my gut told me to be true.
The Russian was fascinating in a dark and devious kind of way. He was also far too sexy with his velvet tongue and ice blue eyes, the kind that had not only looked into my soul, they’d managed to snag a part of it.
Maybe that’s because we were far too much alike, ruthless in our own ways, refusing to follow the rules. The moment I’d seen him in the room, my entire body had become electrified. I rarely had physical reactions to any man, especially ones who wore their arrogance like a badge of honor. Yet he’d drawn me in, a predator beckoning for his prey. Everything about him reeked of danger as well as remote possibilities.
But the man was a snake.
I refused to be attracted to him.
Once again, I felt the warmth of his hand, the tips of his long fingers barely brushing against my skin as he moved my hair to the side. I was shocked at my body’s reaction; my nipples hard as tiny pebbles and my pussy dripping from desire. I had no doubt my panties were soaked, and that he’d gathered a scent of my hunger.
When he shifted his finger down the crack of my ass, twisting it around the thin piece of material of my panties, I snapped my head in order to glare him in the eyes. His expression was carnal, as if he planned on devouring every inch of me. As he shifted the rough pads of his fingers all the way down in a deliberate fashion, brushing them against my swollen pussy peeking out from my tight thong, I bit back a moan. How could he have this kind of effect on me?
Sheer embarrassment shot up from my neck, staining my face.
“You are very wet,” he half whispered.
“Not in the least.”
He chuckled as he rubbed the tips of his fingers up and down the outer folds. Every cell in my body was on fire, ignited from his touch alone.
“I can tell by your pretty pink pussy otherwise.” Exhaling, he reversed his track, easing back to my bottom, patting first one side then the other. “If I had the time, I’d give you exactly what you need.”
“What’s that?” I dared to ask, stars floating in front of my eyes.
“One brutal ass fucking.”
Oh, my God. The arrogance of the man, as if he owned me.
Why did the words excite me so much? Why did I thrust back my hips, as if begging him to do exactly as he promised?
I was so embarrassed, ashamed that I’d allowed myself to get into this predicament. I’d simply wanted to enjoy the night, pretending as if I didn’t have a care in the world. Instead, I was in the catacombs of a beautiful old mansion with a sadistic man, about to be punished like a bad little girl. I shifted again, staring down at the broken bottleneck, my anger riled.
Bloody and gruesome visions swarmed into my mind, even though I’d never harmed a single human being. The Russian had managed to pry apart my emotional cage, unleashing the ugliness as well as the wretched level of longing.
As he kicked my legs apart, I lashed out, my spite and usual personality getting the better of me.
He snapped his hand around my throat, leaning over and whispering in my ear. The tickle of his hot breath sent a series of vibrations dancing through every cell and muscle in my body. “I’m not a man you want to take lightly. While this punishment may seem harsh to you, I assure you that I’m letting you off easily. If this were any other situation, my decision would have been entirely different. Do I make myself clear?”
The words didn’t bother me as much as the inflection. I was also aware that with a snap of his wrist, he could easily break my neck. “Yes.”
“You will respond to me with respect.”
The scent of his was far too intoxicating; musky and all male. I had to play the game or else. “Yes. Sir.” Fuck you, sir.
“Better. I won’t attempt to educate you in the truest manner of respect. At least for now.” He dug his fingers in deeper with a throaty growl.
As if I was nothing more than his pet.
I closed my eyes, fighting off the yearning that remained. “Just get this over with. Sir.”
“As you wish.” The Russian released me, taking two steps away.
Nothing had prepared me for the first hard crack of the thick leather against my bottom. The pain was blinding, sweeping down the length of my legs. While I’d always been a rebellious girl, my upbringing around mostly boys creating a tomboy with a kickass attitude, no one had ever dared discipline me in this manner.
And not a single boyfriend had ever attempted anything so egregious.
With one exception.
I refused to think about Paris, the monstrous man who’d tried to control me.
I was sick at my stomach from the anticipation, gritting my teeth to keep from screaming. While the cellar was as close to soundproof as any room in the mansion, I could only imagine one of the Worthington staff hearing a strangled cry and investigating. The tabloids would explode.
I was shocked at how loud the whooshing sound echoed in the room as the belt was brought down again, catching me exactly across my sit spot.
“Oh. Oh!” I couldn’t hold back the moan erupting from my throat or the tears that sprang to my eyes. I bent my knee, jerking up from the table as I was forced to take several deep breaths.
He pushed me down, caressing the small of my back. I’d never felt so exposed in my life, vulnerable in ways I’d never believed could occur.
“Nice girls shouldn’t find themselves in over their heads. I trust that will be something you remember in the future.”
I dug my fingers into the smooth wood of the teak table until my knuckles were white. Just the sound of m
y thudding heart hammering into my ears was enough to fuel my rage. How dare this man do this to me.
How dare my body betray me.
The spanking continued, the strikes coming one after the other. I was shocked at the way my toes curled, the backs of my legs tingling. Was I excited at the harsh punishment or from the man himself, his dangerous persona far too enticing? Either way, this wasn’t like me.
I was far too intelligent.
Far too sophisticated.
And no man would ever rule me.
The heat building on both ass cheeks was like white lightning, stealing my breath. When he brushed his fingers across my bottom, I jerked up once again.
“That. Fucking. Hurts.”
He chuckled in a demonic manner. “Allow me to give you a hint. Discipline is supposed to hurt, or the punishment cannot be effective.”
He had an answer for everything, his alluring accent sweeping over me like soft rose petals. I took several additional breaths, attempting to concentrate on anything but being here.
Crack!
The strap was placed across my upper thighs and this time, I couldn’t hold back that agonizing cry, the sound floating into the air. Yet as painful as the spanking was, the quiver in my pussy continued to drive me into the most insane thoughts, the kind that were filthy in all the right ways.
I envisioned him without the hindrance of his clothes; broad shoulders and a ripped chest, carved muscles that held such strength in them, narrow hips leading to long, chiseled legs. My mouth was dry, forcing me to drag my tongue across my lips. My nipples ached, longing to be plucked and twisted. I was ashamed that the anguish of a round of discipline had pushed me into a dark fantasy, one involving a total stranger.
The dichotomy of my emotions threw me, pitching my normally rational mind into the gutter.
What was it that some women said? There was nothing more exciting than a wicked tryst with a mysterious, sexy man? This one was dominating, his methods brutal, creating a sultry and humiliating fantasy.
“Come here, little pet,” he commanded as his eyes fell down the length of my naked body.