Hard Hand

by Sierra Cartwright

  “Oh?”

  “Fishing for compliments?” She turned to face him with a teasing grin. “You know you’re good.”

  His face was shadowed with midnight-dark stubble that appealed to her. Though his jaw was strong, his smile was transformative. Unable to resist—helpless to keep her hands to herself—she traced the scar on his face. Surprisingly, he didn’t stop her.

  The raised white line ran deeper than she’d imagined. It was an outward manifestation of the risk he’d taken in his life, so different from her sheltered upbringing.

  How many layers are there to this Dom?

  “Just making sure I take care of my woman.”

  The words poured heat through her. His woman. She liked that, wished it were true. “I enjoyed it more than any other flogging I’ve received. You’re a master.”

  “Go on.”

  She sighed, thinking through what she wanted to say. “The way you started told me I could trust you. By the time you hit me harder and faster, I was ready. I think on some level I was aware that it hurt, but I didn’t really feel it.” Even to her, that statement made no sense, but he nodded in apparent understanding. “You could have continued a lot longer, and it would have been fine with me.”

  “You’ve still got a caning to go.”

  She froze. “Master Cole.”

  “If you want it,” he added.

  “I…” Avery recalled the way he’d been with Gia—tenderness, combined with the indomitable force of his Dominance.

  “Bring it to me when you’re ready.”

  “I’m nervous,” she admitted.

  “And?” He arched his eyebrows.

  She blew out a breath. “You seem supremely unconcerned.”

  “I am. I’m looking forward to seeing marks on your thighs and buttocks. If you’re fortunate, you’ll feel them for some time.”

  Leaving the comfort of his arms was one of the more difficult things she’d ever done. But the temptation was irresistible.

  Without being instructed, she crawled to the armoire to collect the cane.

  “Your vibrator also.” He climbed from the bed.

  She rummaged through her purse until she found the small egg and its remote control, then returned to him.

  Cole pulled his trousers on, and there was something illicit about her Dom being dressed while she was nude.

  From her knees a few feet in front of him, she turned her palms up and offered both toys to him.

  “I want you bent over the bed. Do you need to be restrained?”

  That offer was a small mercy, and she appreciated it. She was honest when she said, “Whatever you prefer, Sir.”

  “In that case, no. I want your ass in the correct position because you want this as badly as I do.”

  Her mouth dried.

  “Spread your legs as far apart as possible.”

  Fighting her nerves, she went to the bed, then draped herself across the mattress and turned her head to watch him.

  He put the bullet in his mouth to lubricate it, then pressed it against her swollen pussy. She moaned and swayed, allowing it to slip inside her.

  Using the remote control, he turned it on to a slow, frustrating pulse. She generally went straight to the highest setting.

  “How’s that?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Irritating more than anything.”

  “Distracting?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Good. I’ll give you more when I’m ready.”

  It pulsed again, and she felt it in her belly. “Now’s a good time.”

  Her evil Dom laughed. “I’m sure it is. Close your legs please.”

  When the vibe pulsed again, she moved her hips, trying to stimulate her clitoris. Having her thighs together increased the sensations and prevented her from getting any friction. “This is borderline mean.”

  “Nothing borderline about it, sub.” He rubbed her skin.

  She squeezed her muscles, dreading the horrid stripes that would follow.

  Undaunted, he covered her ass cheeks and thighs with a dozen blazing slaps.

  By the time he caught her with the first light smack from the cane, she was ready to climb out of her mind.

  He gave her numerous taps that she figured were designed to increase her resistance and pain threshold. She wasn’t stupid enough to think he was going to continue to be so gentle.

  Suddenly the vibration inside her increased. She murmured in protest.

  “Ready?”

  Before she responded, he cut into her upper thigh with a brutal strike that only the cane could deliver.

  She hissed.

  “I take it you felt that one?” He turned the dial.

  A long pulse went through her only to gently fade to nothing. “I hate that setting.”

  “Because?”

  Avery struggled for words. Was it possible for him to understand something she’d never tried to articulate? “It feels as if I’m being wound up. When I reach the pinnacle, ready for more, it’s gone.”

  “Ah.”

  He made no move to change it, even though she expected that he would. “Sir?”

  “I told you to ask.”

  She nodded.

  “I never promised to give in to you. I said you will receive everything you need.”

  “That’s fucked-up.” And not for the first time.

  “Dominance and submission.” He marked her again.

  Avery buried her head into the mattress to ensure she didn’t scream.

  “Take it.” Cole laid another nasty stripe above the first.

  She exhaled.

  The third felt vicious. Combined with the whirling inside her pussy, she couldn’t relax.

  “Settle in.”

  Easy for him to say when it wasn’t his ass in the air waiting for the evil rattan to be delivered.

  An intimidating whistle sliced the air before the implement connected with her right buttock. She pitched forward, and he increased the torment inside her, making her forget the pain.

  He moved on to her left cheek, searing it.

  In her experience, there was nothing like the cane. It humbled. Its radiating bite went deep, and it didn’t dissipate as fast as a flogger’s.

  But the vibrator changed her relationship with the pain, helping her to disassociate.

  “Three more,” he stated.

  She’d be lucky to take two.

  “Unclench your fingers, sub. Just relax.”

  Avery hadn’t realized she was desperately wadding the sheet in her fists. It took all of her concentration to release her grasp.

  “Don’t fight. Breathe. It is what it is. In and out.”

  She nodded.

  This time, he placed one beneath her butt cheeks in that tender, perfect strike zone.

  “Damn.”

  He massaged the skin he’d tormented, and her muscles softened, allowing her to accept more.

  “Where would you like the next?”

  “I wouldn’t.”

  “Slow? Red?”

  She exhaled. “No.” She’d be proud of herself for getting through this. “On my ass cheeks, Sir?”

  “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

  He laid one on her, and she gulped back a cry.

  Her legs wobbled. She was grateful to be over the bed. If he’d asked her to hold the armoire, she would have fallen over.

  He gave her some time to process the pain, file it away.

  Then he turned up the vibrator.

  He continued to interact with her, touching, massaging, kissing, and she began to slip away. She was aware of him talking to her, but at some point, pleasure vanquished every other feeling. The high from the endorphins wrapped around her. Each stripe from the cane only gave her a new feeling of bliss.

  Then she was aware of nothing, just a soothing, enveloping sensation, much like being in a warm bath.

  “Well done.”

  She heard the words but didn’t comprehend them, didn’t respond to
them.

  Cole moved back her hair and kissed the side of her neck. “You are an exquisite play partner.”

  When she opened her eyes, she was sitting up in bed, the comforter wrapped around her bare shoulders, nestled in the crook of Cole’s arm. He’d even managed to extract the bullet.

  “You’re back?”

  “Yeah.” Her own whisper was too loud. For some reason, all her senses seemed heightened.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Incredible.” It had to have been her state of otherworldliness that drove her confession. Everything she’d fantasized about had come true. She’d slipped free from the constraints of her body and moved someplace inviting. Subspace. Words didn’t exist to explain it—the thrill, the way reality fragmented, and the brightness of colors, sensation of soaring through time and space.

  The journey had been more exhilarating than she’d dared hope. His exquisite care and tender, infinite patience completed the experience.

  He reached toward the nightstand to pick up the bottle of mineral water. “You’ll need this.”

  She accepted it, and he kept his hand cupped beneath it, just in case her grip was still unsteady.

  After swallowing a couple of sips, she gave the drink back. Her hand was shaking.

  “Did you enjoy being someone different for the evening?”

  Avery put her hand flat on his chest and pushed herself away from him as much as possible. “Sir?” She frowned.

  “Someone you’re not usually. Bolder? Braver?”

  Her pulse sped, then slowed. “Yes.”

  His gaze was steely, uncompromising. “How difficult was it?”

  “I’m not sure I understand the question, Sir.”

  “Admitting what you wanted. Asking for it. Did you like it?”

  She scowled, confused, his clipped tone making her wary. “Yes.”

  “Then it’s time for you to be completely honest. Take off the mask.”

  “Don’t.” Avery reached up to hold it in place. “That’s not part of our agreement.”

  “We fit together well. I’d like to see you again, but in order for that to happen, there can be no secrets between us.”

  Her world became quicksand.

  “I had a sub who resorted to manipulation to get her needs met. Games. Brattiness. Anything to catch my attention and keep it focused on her.”

  Pain cut through his words, but Avery had her own demons. “I didn’t ask for more than one night,” she reminded him, even while she fantasized about a thousand more.

  “You’re a beautiful sub…Layla.”

  There it was again, that pause.

  “And you can have what you want. It takes daring, a big risk. But what are the alternatives? A lifetime of hiding who you really are? Being frustrated? There are costs to your choices.”

  “There are costs to everything. Asking for too much. Being too much.” Holding a sheet to her breasts, she bolted from the mattress and snatched up her gown.

  He climbed from the bed, spectacular and overwhelming. “The next time I see you, it will be without pretense. No mask. No hiding. Every secret laid bare before me.”

  What the hell have I gotten myself into? “There won’t be a next time.” She struggled to get into her dress.

  “Let me.”

  “You’ve done enough.”

  “I said let me.” His eyes were chilly, like a winter’s day.

  Damn him and his domineering ways.

  Without waiting for another argument, he took the dress from her and raised it over her head.

  Once it was in place, she exhaled and reached back to fasten it.

  He brushed aside her shaky hands and raised the zipper.

  “Thank you.” This wasn’t ending the way she’d envisioned, with her mysteriously slipping from his bed in the middle of the night. She hated the way they were parting.

  Cole picked up her vibrator and remote and offered them to her. “You can reach me through Diana or Alcott. Or call the hotel and ask to be put through.” He shrugged. “And you know which room I’m staying in, if you wish to present your ass for a spanking.”

  That won’t be happening. “Thanks for the fuck, Mr. Stewart.”

  He grabbed her by the shoulders, his jaw tight. His fingers bit into her skin. “It was more than a fuck for me. And it was to you as well, and that’s why you’re running scared. I’ll tell you this—you’ll remember tonight. You’ll think about it. You may be with someone else, but you’ll want this. And you won’t be able to have it unless, and until, you stop running.”

  Pain seared her lungs, but she refused to let him see her distress.

  She pulled away, crossed the room to grab her clutch, then stuffed her sex toy inside. Without a look back, she left, pulling the door closed with a decisive click.

  Only then did she collapse against the wall.

  She put a hand to her throat and drew a couple of breaths to tamp down the adrenaline. How the hell had the evening gone from something so perfect to a stunning disaster so quickly?

  Once her legs were steady, Avery pushed off the wall. Squaring her chin, she headed toward the elevator. Inside the compartment, she smiled at the older couple already in there. The pair had their hands clasped, and Avery looked away. Because of the way she protected herself, she might never experience that kind of easy intimacy with a partner.

  She exited when the car swished to a stop. Through willpower, she held her emotions in check while she walked to her room.

  Inside, she dropped her clutch on the table, then made her way into the bathroom to take off her mask.

  The reflection in the mirror stunned her.

  Mascara stained beneath her eyes. Her hair was a wild mess. Worse, her lower lip trembled.

  Cole and his opinions didn’t matter. They’d shared a couple of hours, nothing more.

  Recognizing the lie, she gripped the vanity.

  Those hours had been spectacular. She’d achieved the floating sensation that she’d sought for so many years. She’d taken more than she’d imagined she could. He’d given her orgasm after orgasm that left her shattered, not broken, and somehow more complete.

  But at what cost?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Goddamn it.

  He had a reputation as a ladies’ man. And he wasn’t known to be a fuckup with women. Then again, he’d never been with a woman like Avery Fisher.

  When the door had closed behind her, he’d been tempted to head down to one of the hotel’s renowned bars and drink a few beers.

  Instead, he changed into workout wear. Whether he wanted to or not, he would deal with his emotions head-on, like he demanded from Avery. It was easy to live in denial. But experience had taught him that reality was worth the fight.

  He entered the gym, or the Royal Sterling’s definition of a gym. Next Level occupied most of the tenth floor and had been named one of the best fitness centers in the world. Since he’d visited most of those places, Cole was pretty sure the designation was accurate.

  Though the aesthetics were stunning, he was a simple man. All he needed was a place to run and some significant weights. When he had no other options, his own body could be used for resistance, push-ups, sit-ups, planks.

  He bypassed the cardio equipment and went for the free-weight area. Despite it being the middle of the night, the place was busy. Not that it should be a surprise, he supposed. Las Vegas was the planet’s playground, and who knew what time zone people were on?

  He did squats until his legs burned, curls until his biceps bulged. After a drink of water, he headed for the running track. Maybe the mindless repetition would help him forget the image of Avery’s skin turning pink, then red, and her quiet moans of appreciation.

  A couple of miles later, a sledgehammer plowed into him. The problem was not her. It was him.

  Scening with someone who wanted to keep her identity a secret was fucked up. And he’d done it anyway. It didn’t matter what rationale he used. It had been a bad dec
ision.

  In his real-world job, ignoring risks could get him—or worse, someone else—killed.

  But the truth was, he’d have done anything for a night with her.

  It had been one hell of an evening. He’d been hot for her curvy, submissive body, and he’d enjoyed every moment they spent together.

  If he’d forced her to take off the mask, she might not have had the nerve to scene with him.

  The disguise had been the confidence booster she needed and the thing that left him hanging now. He was beyond disappointed that she’d fled instead of trusting him.

  He continued to push himself on the track until his lungs begged for a reprieve. And when he began his cooldown, his thoughts were still fragmented.

  His lack of compromise at the end was the only thing he wouldn’t change.

  He’d meant it when he’d said he wanted to see her again. There were a thousand things he wanted to do to her, from fucking her ass, to putting her on an iron cross, to scening with her in public, to licking her pussy for so long that the only thing she screamed was his name.

  Damn it.

  Damn her.

  In the case he had strapped to his arm, his phone vibrated.

  Maybe it was Avery, admitting she’d made a horrible mistake and saying she wanted to be real with him.

  Dreamer.

  That meant it could only be one person.

  Hawkeye. His boss and friend. Thank fuck. Nothing distracted Cole’s Dominant beast like work. Perhaps he was going to be offered an intense assignment where he could work out some of frustration by pummeling the shit out of some deserving sonofabitch.

  He slowed to a walk to answer the summons.

  As usual, Hawkeye didn’t indulge in time-wasting pleasantries. “Lazarus is leaving Vegas.”

  Stunned, Cole stopped.

  “Something…personal has come up for him.”

  A score to settle, no doubt.

  “I need someone I trust in charge of the Nevada office.”

  Not much left Cole speechless. The hell?

  “You can bring in someone to finish up the Royal Sterling project. But I need you in the office tomorrow.” Not surprisingly, Hawkeye hadn’t phrased it as a request.

  “Morris has more seniority.” In fact, most people did. Cole had only joined Hawkeye Securities a little over three years ago.