by Leah Brooke
Slowly turning, she turned to get on her hands and knees and, knowing what was coming, lifted her ass as high as she could.
Ace ran his hand over her ass. “It’s still pink from the warm water. Beautiful.” His fingertips traced the back of her neck, where tendrils of her hair had escaped from the clasp she’d used, continuing slowly down her spine. “Arch your back for me.”
Biting back a moan at the sensation his touch aroused, Hope closed her eyes and obeyed him, her breath quickening as his fingertips trailed down her back and to the crease of her ass.
Ace paused briefly to circle her puckered opening before sliding his fingers through her slit and into her pussy. “You’re wet again, aren’t you, sub?”
A moan escaped when he continued his slow, smooth thrusts. “It’s from my bath.”
Chuckling, he pressed at her G-spot. “It’s adorable that you think I can’t tell the difference between bathwater and your slick juices.”
He withdrew abruptly and slapped her ass. “Lies now? You really are racking up your offenses, aren’t you? All while I’m trying to cool the lingering effects of the ginger before you go to bed.”
She turned her head to watch him squirt a generous amount of lube onto his middle finger. “I’m sorry, Ace.”
“Not yet, but you will be. Watch how you address me. We’re not done here yet.” Using one hand to part and lift her bottom cheeks, he plunged his finger into her ass with a firmness that startled her.
She couldn’t hold back her gasp at the contrast between the cold lube and her warm ass.
“Arch your back, baby. More. Stick that ass up in the air. Don’t be shy about it. You just told me you wanted me to fuck it.”
She hadn’t realized how starved she’d been for a term of endearment until he used one and found herself desperate to please him.
Arching, she parted her legs as far apart as she could within the confines of the tub, another moan escaping when he bent to kiss her shoulder. “Good girl.”
Her eyes burned with tears, the knowledge that he’d begun to warm toward her again settling something inside her.
She struggled to keep from clenching as he stroked in and out of her ass, determined to give herself over to him completely.
He slowly withdrew his finger, patting her bottom affectionately. “You’re being so good. Let’s see if you can keep it up. You’ve got a lot to make up for.”
“I know, Master.” She realized how much she’d taken his indulgence for granted. The hurt in his eyes and in his tone struck her hard. Turning to look at him over her shoulder, she sucked in a breath. “I’m really sorry.”
“You should be.” He didn’t even glance up from lubing the butt plug. “I treat you very well and have even spoiled you. For some reason you’ve decided that my love for you gives you the right to disrespect me.”
More tears burned. “I’m sorry, Master. I didn’t mean to disrespect you.”
“And yet the result is the same. Keep that back arched.” He pressed the butt plug against her puckered opening and shoved it inside with little of the gentleness she’d taken for granted.
Sucking in a breath, she squeezed her eyes closed, and even though it was one of the smallest butt plugs, she struggled to adapt to it.
Ace washed the lube from his hands and let the water out of the tub. “Come on. Up.”
He helped her to stand and lifted her from the tub, drying her thoroughly before smoothing cream over every inch of her body.
When she automatically reached for her robe, he slapped her hand away, shaking his head. “No. When we’re home this week, you’ll stay naked, and for most of the week, you’re going to have your ass plugged.”
Her husband knew well how vulnerable it made her feel to have something in her ass, and he focused his attention there when he gave the Dominant inside him free rein.
Nodding, she snuck a glance at him as he led her down the hall to the living room, taken aback at his granite-like features.
Chilled, and missing the affection and teasing she’d become so accustomed to, she didn’t speak as he led her to the sofa, her stomach clenching when he draped her over his lap and reached for the remote.
After turning on the news, he ran a hand over her bottom. “Your ass isn’t as pink anymore.”
He spanked her during the commercials, just hard enough to warm her ass, pausing to rub the heat in when the news came back on.
“That looks better.”
During the news, he slid his finger into her pussy, stroking lightly. “Don’t you dare come.”
He kept his strokes smooth and even, pressing at her G-spot with an expertise that had her writhing on his lap.
“Be still.”
When the next commercial started, he withdrew his finger and spanked her again, alternating between each cheek and her upper thighs.
Fisting her hands in the cushion, Hope lifted into his slaps, moaning incessantly as the warmth became a burn.
She could no longer prevent clenching with each slap, making the plug in her ass feel even larger.
When the news started again, she parted her thighs in anticipation, her inner thighs soaked with her juices.
Instead of thrusting his finger into her again, he caressed her heated flesh, pausing occasionally to press at the base of the plug.
Her clit throbbed terribly, but she knew better than to try to rub against him, something she normally would have done.
Another time Ace would have teased her about being impatient and taken her to bed.
Given his present mood, she didn’t know how he’d react, and the distance between them made her uneasy.
Sucking in a breath, she turned to look at him. “Can I talk to you?”
To her relief, he turned off the television and set the remote aside. Turning her in his arms, he cradled her against him.
“Of course.”
Flattening her hand on his chest, she looked up into his steady gaze. “The shootings scared me.”
Rubbing her thigh, he inclined his head. “I know that. I do my best to make sure you don’t worry and to reassure you that I’m okay.”
He smiled faintly and pulled her closer. “I’m careful, and I don’t take any unnecessary chances.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’d be lost without you.”
“As I would be without you.” He gathered her close and got to his feet, his long strides carrying them out of the living room and down the hall to their bedroom. “But still you drive fast and get tickets to get my attention. An unnecessary risk, but you don’t seem to mind that I worry about that, do you?”
Realizing how patient he’d been with her, and for the first time seeing things from his point of view, Hope felt shame at some of the things she’d done. “I guess I have been acting like a spoiled brat.”
“A reckless spoiled brat.”
Hearing the frustration and worry in his tone, Hope felt better. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she giggled and kissed his jaw. “And you worry. You love me.”
“Of course, I love you.”
“And you’re not mad at me anymore?”
Ace blinked. “Do I look mad?”
Staring up into his stony features, Hope sighed. “Yes. No. I don’t know. You never lose your temper. You’re going to make me pay for all this, aren’t you?”
He paused to set her on the edge of the bed and turned on the light on his nightstand, turning to her and smiling faintly. “I thought I’d already made that clear.”
He threw the covers aside and gestured toward the bed. “Get in.”
Hope smiled and slid into bed, biting back a moan at the shift of the plug inside her. Lifting to an elbow to watch her husband strip out of his clothes, Hope licked her lips. “So I get to spend the week being dominated by my husband?”
Naked, Ace slid into bed next to her, reaching over to turn off the light before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. “Looks that way.”
With her head pillowed
on his chest, Hope flattened a hand on his chest and put her leg over his, settling into her usual position. “Are you going to make me sleep with the plug inside me?”
Ace sighed and patted her hip. “Yes. I’ll take it out in the morning. Go to sleep.”
“I need to come.”
“No. You want to come. Like I said, I’ve spoiled you. Maybe a lesson in patience will teach you to appreciate my lenience with you a little more.”
After several minutes of silence, she wondered if he’d fallen asleep but knew he never did until she did.
Turning her head, she pressed her lips to his chest. “I never would have left you.”
“And yet you threatened to.”
His uncompromising tone chilled her.
Ace had to be the hardest, most masculine man she’d ever met, but part of what she loved so much about him was the tenderness underneath.
He had a soft spot for those he loved—none larger than the soft spot he had for her.
She’d hurt him by threatening the marriage that meant so much to both of them.
And for the first time in their marriage, he hadn’t kissed her good night.
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Go to sleep.”
Chapter Five
Hope woke the next morning with a start, the feel of her husband’s warm hand on her bottom tightening reminding her immediately of the previous night.
“Easy, baby.” Ace held her steady while easing the plug free, running a hand over her bottom once he’d withdrawn it.
Rolling to her back, Hope blinked at the bright sunlight streaming through the windows, the awareness in her bottom filling her with a sense of vulnerability, especially since he’d already dressed. “Good morning.”
He’d shoved the covers to her feet, but meeting the look in his eyes, she didn’t dare reach for them.
He stood over her, his gaze slowly taking in every inch of her body. “Good morning.”
Lifting herself to her elbows, she frowned up at him, noting that his hair was still damp from his recent shower. “You’re already showered and dressed.”
And he still hadn’t kissed her.
The air held a tension she hadn’t experienced with him before and that no argument between them had ever produced.
“I’ve been up for a while.” He gestured toward her nightstand. “Drink your coffee and take your shower. I’ll have your clothes laid out by the time you’re done.”
Feeling once again as if her husband had become a stranger, Hope gave in to the sense of vulnerability and reached for the edge of the sheet, pulling it up to cover herself. “You never pick out my clothes.”
With a dark look, he whipped the covers aside. “And now I do.”
Turning, he walked away, leaving her staring after him.
She’d always known that her husband had a dark side, but she hadn’t really understood the depth of it.
Wondering what it said about her that she wanted to explore those depths, Hope smiled and carried her coffee into the bathroom with her.
His mood both aroused her and made her uneasy, and she found herself eagerly anticipating the day ahead.
Using her favorite shower gel, she imagined Ace’s hands on her as she washed, but despite her growing arousal, she didn’t even attempt to pleasure herself, suspecting that her husband would somehow know.
Everyone who knew him knew that he could spot a lie a mile away.
He knew her so intimately that she didn’t stand a chance.
She dried off briskly and was in the process of smoothing on lotion when the door opened.
“Did you make yourself come?”
Relieved that she’d resisted, she met his gaze squarely. “No. I knew you would know, and I’ve already done enough to piss you off.”
Ace’s lips twitched. “Good for you. Maybe you are learning something. Are you finished in here?”
Hope nodded and set her lotion aside. “Yes.” Curious to see what he’d picked out for her to wear, she followed him into the bedroom.
Seeing one of her favorite sundresses hanging from the closet door, Hope started toward her dresser for a bra and panties.
“Come here.”
Taking her hand, he led her to the bed and seated her at the edge. “Lie back.”
She hurried to obey him, her breath catching when he slipped something into his mouth, parted her thighs, and crouched between them.
She stiffened, fisting her hands in the bedding when he lowered his head, crying out when his lips closed over her clit.
Her husband’s mouth was magic, and she’d never stood a chance against it.
The light, warm friction against her clit set off a riot of sensation, making her entire slit tingle hotly.
Fisting her hands at her sides, she bit her lip to hold back her cries, need from the previous night reigniting in a heartbeat.
She needed release as much as she needed her next breath, her clit throbbing almost painfully, beneath her husband’s tongue.
Her thighs shook with the effort to remain still, fighting her rapidly approaching orgasm with every ounce of willpower she possessed.
Her devious husband held firm, closing his lips over her clit and sucking lightly, nearly sending her over.
He lifted his head abruptly as if knowing that she was about to go over. “Good girl.”
Struggling to pull back from the edge, she squeezed her eyes closed against the burning and nodded. “Thank you, Master.”
After a quick adjustment to the clit clip being tightened, one that had her crying out again, he caressed her thighs and rose again. “Very pretty.”
Taking her hands, he helped her to her feet, the movement shifting the clit clip he’d attached, intensifying the awareness there. “Get dressed. We’ll get breakfast on the way.”
Aware that her husband followed her movements with his dark eyes, she started toward her lingerie drawer again. “Can I ask where we’re going?”
“No. Did I lay out a bra and panties for you?”
Dropping the hand she’d lifted to open the drawer, she turned to him. “No.”
He crossed the distance between them in two strides, turning her and delivering a sharp slap to her bottom. “No, what?”
Hope sucked in a breath, the combination of her hot ass and the movement of the clip on her swollen clit almost sending her over. “No, Master.”
He turned her back to face him again. “Better. I’ve really spoiled you, haven’t I?”
Acutely aware of her nakedness, Hope lifted her gaze to his, her cheeks burning. “Yes, Sir.”
She’d been naked in front of him hundreds of times, and it had never made her feel as vulnerable as she felt at that moment.
With his hands on his hips, he let his gaze rake over her. “Leave the bra and panties where they are. I laid out everything you’re expected to wear.”
Nodding, she crossed toward where her dress hung, every step making her clit feel even more swollen and heavy.
Feeling his gaze on her warm ass, she reached up to take the hanger down, biting back a moan at the tug to her clit.
She slipped into the dress, her heart racing when he stepped up behind her and dealt with the zipper in the back.
The red flowered dress stopped right above her knees, with a hem that would sway with every step. It had a slight V-neck, which displayed the upper curve of her breasts, and a nipped-in waist that made her look even curvier.
She slipped her feet into the flat sandals Ace had laid out for her before turning to him. “I’m ready.”
“Almost.” Ace picked up the brush from her dresser and used one of her scrunchies to fasten her hair into a high ponytail. Meeting her gaze in the mirror, he set the brush aside and ran a possessive hand over her breast. “Now you’re ready.”
She’d never felt so owned before.
God forbid if Ace found out just how sexy it made her feel.
*
* * *
She turned to him as they passed her parents’ diner, frowning as he continued on the road out of town. “I thought we were having breakfast.”
“We will, but not in town. I want you all to myself today.” He glanced at her, his lips twitching. “Don’t worry. We’ll be back in time for your appointment at the spa.”
Hope gaped at him then shook her head with a smile. “I would ask you how you knew that, but I know I’d get the same answer. You know everything that goes on in your town.”
With a smile, Ace glanced at her. “More importantly, I know everything that goes on with my wife. I have some things to do while you’re there, and I’ll look forward to having you nice and smooth for tonight.”
“What are you going to do while I’m there?”
He glanced at her, his expression hard and formidable. “You gave up the right to know when you threatened to leave me. You haven’t earned it back yet.”
A hard pit formed in Hope’s stomach, and she realized that not only had she hurt him badly and lost some of his trust but she’d sorely underestimated him. “What do I have to do to earn it back?”
“You’re going to spend the rest of the week obeying me without question, submitting to my every demand without hesitation or attitude, and accepting any punishment I dole out.” His lips twitched. “If you’re good, I might forgive you.”
Hope smiled in relief at the brief show of playfulness and couldn’t resist teasing him. “And if I’m bad?”
Ace glanced at her, barely taking his eyes off the road. “Then I’ll help you move back into your old apartment.”
Hope gasped, the hurt like a slice to her heart. “You would do that? I thought you said you wouldn’t let me leave.”
Ace shrugged. “I thought about it a lot last night and came to the conclusion that if you couldn’t accept the punishment for your transgressions, then you’ll never stop being a spoiled brat and the same thing will happen over and over again. Threats. Demands that I quit my job. Ultimatums.”
He shook his head. “No, thanks. I won’t live my life that way.”
* * * *
Ace glanced at Hope again to see the hurt in her eyes, a sign that she believed the lie he’d just told her.