"I have a business to run, Amicia," I reminded her.
"I know. But... I wish you had more time to spend with me. I thought... I thought we'd spent every minute of the twenty-four days together."
So had I. Before Kai had to leave. "I'm sorry, Kitty."
She nodded, looking away again and filling me with worry I wasn't used to. "It's okay."
"It's not," I spoke up again. "I will make it up to you. We'll go out tonight. I'm taking you to dinner. And afterward, I'll punish you for tonight."
Her eyes, which had momentarily lit up with pleasure, were wary again. "Punish me?"
"Of course," I went on smoothly, motioning toward the broken plate. "You've disappointed me, Kitty. I'm ready to make up for my own mistakes, but you must pay for yours too. Worry not. It will be a fun evening. Wait for me in front of the lift at seven p.m."
"Yes, Sir." She smiled tentatively and I kissed her forehead.
"Good girl."
***
She wore a silver glittering gown made of sequins that evening, and a pair of barely there, sky-high heels. I'd made her take lessons with the designer who made them, who taught her how to walk in the shoes.
Amicia looked like a vision that night—her hair sleek in a tall ponytail, her face made-up and her body glittering from the shimmering, scented powder I'd asked the makeup artist to apply. We were going out for a night on the town, at one of my favorite restaurants in Notting Hill called Carpe Diem.
I wrapped a sheer shawl around her shoulders, but I hadn't complimented my toy. Her transgression was still on my mind, and she hadn't done anything to make up for it yet.
I guided her down the lift to the limousine, and then from the car to the restaurant. I felt several pairs of eyes on us as we made our way to our table. She looked breathtaking, and I was certain many men in that room were jealous of my prized possession.
We were just sitting down when I heard a delighted shriek, someone saying my name. I turned around to see Dylan Benson squealing in delight.
"Dylan!" I said with pleasure. "What a wonderful surprise. What are you doing here?"
The gorgeous redhead pecked both of my cheeks, admiring me with her green eyes while Amicia stared her down with a venomous glare. "I'm here with my fiancé, Winston Clare. Winston, come meet Grayson!"
A man about my age, handsome and charming, approached us, grinning when he saw me. "Ah, you must be Grayson Kline. The man I have to thank for my wife-to-be."
"None other," I said with a wide grin, shaking the man's hand. "And this is Amicia, my date."
"What a beauty," the man muttered, shaking Kitty's hand. Dylan kissed her cheek, making Amicia blush.
"She really is," Dylan gushed. "So wonderful to see you here, Grayson. Would you like to join us for dinner?"
I could feel the disappointment oozing from Amicia as I smiled politely at Dylan. "I would love to—but I promised my wonderful date to spend the night making her feel special. Raincheck?"
Dylan's eyes flashed with jealousy, then sparkled even brighter as she leaned in to tell Amicia, "You really are lucky, my friend. Grayson never puts his playthings first—I should know! You must be very special, very special indeed."
We said our goodbyes, and the couple left us to sit down at our table. I busied myself by unfolding my napkin, feeling Amicia's eyes on me.
"Who was she?" she asked, unable to stop herself. "The woman... Dylan. Who was she, Sir?"
"A former plaything of mine," I replied, my eyes boring into my date's. "I kept her for a few weeks last year."
"Oh," Amicia muttered. "And she's now engaged to someone else?"
"Of course," I went on. "I'm glad she's happy."
"Aren't you..." She bit her lower lip as the maître’d placed the menus on the table in front of us. "Jealous?"
"Of that Clare man?" I chuckled. "Of course not, Kitty. I let go of Dylan for a reason. This way is better for her, and for me. Otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here with you."
This seemed to appease her, and she smiled brightly as I ordered for both of us.
We were halfway through our dinner when she asked about Dylan again. "Did you love her?"
I didn't need to ask who she meant. I pondered her question, though there was really only one answer I could give her. "No, I did not."
"Why not?"
I gave her a curious look. She was a curious little pet, which amused me. Still, she was prying about things she had no business asking about. "Aren't you asking a lot of questions tonight, Kitty. I didn't love her because I've never loved anyone."
"Never?" she wondered.
"No. Have you been in love before, Amicia?"
She gave a noncommittal shrug. "There was a boy... when I was still living with the woman who was my foster parent..."
"You loved him?"
"Maybe," she muttered. "I'm not sure."
"You know what they say," I went on. "If you aren't sure, you haven't been in love."
"Oh, I have," she went on in a soft whisper.
"Oh?" I repeated before my eyes flashed with understanding. "Oh, I see."
She didn't respond save for the flush of her cheeks as she continued with her dinner.
We didn't speak up again until we were done with our meal. Then, I escorted Amicia from her seat and told her we'd take a quick walk around town to see some Christmas decorations before returning home.
She delighted in seeing the lit-up trees all over Notting Hill, and we were having a wonderful time, our squabble from lunch forgotten, though her punishment was still on my mind. We were walking down an alley when a shadow approached. I spotted him right away, with his hood over his eyes and his hands tucked into his pockets. It barely came as a surprise when he stopped in front of us, aiming a blade at us with shaky hands.
"Money. Jewelry. Now."
Amicia gasped, and I pushed her behind me. "Do you know who you're dealing with here?"
"Don't give a flyin' fuck," the figure snarled. He wasn't older than eighteen, still a boy. I could take him down easily. "Money. Jewels. I said fuckin' now!"
I took a step forward, sliding his hood off and exposing a young, terrified face. He glared at me, swishing the knife in my direction before he realized who I was.
"Mr... Mr. Kline," he huffed. "I'm so sorry, I had n-no idea..."
"I can see that, yes," I hissed at him. "Report to your superior, kid. You shouldn't be working in this corner."
"Y-Yes, Sir," he managed, so afraid he tumbled over his own feet to get away. He took off running, and I sighed deeply, rubbing my eyes.
"What on earth just happened?" Amicia spoke up from behind me. "Are you okay, Sir? Did y-you know h-him?"
"Well," I started with a heavy sigh. "He knew me, and that's all you need to know right now, Kitty. Come on, it's time we went back home."
Her brows knitted together in confusion, but she didn't argue, allowing me to link our arms and pull her toward the limousine waiting a few blocks down.
I needed Kai back in town. Business was going to hell without him present, and now a street urchin had nearly harmed my Kitty. Everything was messed up.
Amicia seemed to sense my mood and remained quiet until we arrived back at home. I took her upstairs, my mind now firmly on her punishment. She hadn't forgotten about it either.
"Would you like me to prepare for..." she started, swallowing thickly. "For the punishment? Meet you in the... room later?"
"No," I said firmly. "Come with me now."
She followed meekly behind as I took her to the room. I dimmed the lights and ordered her to strip. She started moving her body, removing her clothes rhythmically, but I stopped her in her tracks.
"No, not like that," I said firmly. "Be quick and efficient. I want all your clothes off. Now."
She nodded, all the color draining from her face. It truly made me wonder how she'd been treated before me. I wasn't going to harm her the way she thought. I wasn't a vicious man. I wouldn't have wanted to see my marks on her fo
r longer than a few days.
"Get up on this." I pointed to the spanking bench, and she paled, getting in position. She lay on her front, her feet on the floor and her ass exposed. "I'm going to spank you. Twenty hits. I don't want a word out of you except for 'thank you, Sir', and the numbers as you count down. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir," she whispered as I got into position behind her. "Thank you, Sir."
I got ready to start, and she shivered on the bench beneath me. I reached down to turn on the bench then, and my plaything gasped in surprise as the vibrations started kicking in.
"No coming," I told her. "No matter how good it feels. Understood?"
"Yes, S-S-Sir," she stuttered, bracing herself against the leather of the bench as the vibrations massaged her needy pussy.
I hit her for the first time, the slap reverberating through her body. "Count," I reminded her.
"Twenty."
She was trembling, but as she began counting down, those shivers turned from terrified shakiness to needy trembles that told me just how turned on she was.
I wasn't much better off. Every time my palm landed against her ass, I felt my cock painfully throb in my slacks, eager to be buried inside her. We were on day twelve and I still hadn't fucked her. Halfway done, and my cock hadn't even felt her sweet cunt yet. I wasn't sure why I was prolonging the inevitable, but it only made the prospect of her needy pussy sweeter.
"One," she finally breathed as I hit her the last time. Her worn-out body was slack against the bench, and she started to cry as I guided her off the furniture and into my arms. I knew it wasn't the pain, but instead the sweet relief of letting go.
I guided her to the bed, gently tucking her into the sheets. Her hand grabbed mine, and our eyes met, a silent war raging between us.
"Stay with me, Sir," she begged.
"I can't fuck you," I reminded her. "You'll be in too much pain."
"Okay," she whispered. "Just stay next to me..."
I hesitated, knowing exactly what I wanted and how wrong it would be to give in to a submissive's demands. Yet I gave her a curt nod, stripped my clothes, and climbed into bed next to her.
Amicia fell asleep in my arms, and I held her close, listening to her heartbeat until we both fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Chapter 13
Amicia
Waking up in Grayson's arms felt magical. I burrowed deeper into his embrace, and he held onto me tightly, his hands embracing me and pulling me against him. My eyes fluttered open and closed slowly until they finally focused on the window. I jumped to my feet, stirring Grayson in his sleep as I pressed my palms against the glass.
"What's going on?" he spoke up sleepily from the bed as I stared outside.
"It's snowing!"
He groaned, picking himself up from the bed and joining me by the window in nothing but boxers. "So it is. And why are you so excited about that, Kitty?"
"It's magical," I whispered, giving him a devious look. "Wouldn't you agree, Sir?"
He chuckled, pressing a kiss against my forehead. "Magical it is. Whatever you say, Kitty."
I shrieked as he grabbed for me, throwing me over his shoulder while I giggled and carrying me back to the bed we'd shared. He lay me down on my back, kissing a line down my body and making me whimper in delight. Our argument was long forgotten, all that was left of it the tension we refused to acknowledge.
Grayson raised his head, his eyes meeting mine as he gently pulled back. Frustration gripped me tightly, and I sighed out loud.
"What?" he demanded. "Wasn't that the perfect night's sleep?"
I sat up straight, my eyes boring into his as I muttered, "But I didn't want to sleep, Sir."
"No?" He cocked his head at me, an amused smile playing on his lips. "What did you want then, Kitty?"
"I wanted you," I whispered.
His eyes were dark and filled with naughty promises as he advanced on me, caging my body beneath his on the bed. "Is that so?"
"Yes," I managed. "I always wanted you."
"You should have told me."
"You were busy punishing me, remember?" I teased him.
"You deserved it. Naughty little thing. Tell me how you want me again."
"I want... you," I whispered, and in moments, his warm mouth covered mine. He kissed me deeply, not like an object or a plaything, but like a person he cared for. I allowed myself to live the fantasy, returning his passionate kisses as his hands ran down the length of my body, caressing inch after inch of me.
His touch turned fiery. I knew he wanted me. His hardness was pressing against me as he deepened our kiss, demanding more and more from my quivering lips. I was still naked, the only thing separating us, the thin fabric of his briefs. Finally, he pulled them down, his cock touching my bare skin for the very first time and making me gasp, eager for him to do so much more to me.
"Tell me you want this," he demanded, gripping his cock in his fist, and touching his tip to my belly. "Tell me how much you want my cock inside you, Kitty."
"I need it, Sir," I managed. "I can't be without it anymore..."
"How badly do you need it?"
"I don't think I can stand another minute without it," I groaned, twisting, and turning beneath him. "Please, Sir... Put it inside me, don't torture me anymore..."
But he wasn't done just yet. He grabbed my arms by the wrists, locking them above my head as he toyed with his dick, pressing it between my pussy lips. He was leaking precum in moments, getting me even wetter as I begged and begged for him to take mercy on me. The cruelty he'd shown me the previous night had melted away to reveal a kind, caring man who wanted to please me as much as he wanted to torture me. I was so eager for him, so ready for him to take anything he'd ever wanted from my willing body. And he knew it too, eliciting moan after moan from my parted lips.
"You're impossible to resist, Kitty," he muttered against my mouth. "Im-fucking-possible."
I hadn't heard him curse before, and the dirty word made me arch my back, ready to beg for him to take me. I didn't need to though.
His cock buried in my silky depths and I cried out with relief as he started moving in me. His hips were powerful and unrelenting, driving his cock into me again and again until stars exploded in front of my vision. He showed me pleasure in a matter of seconds, the kind I'd spent my whole life searching for. I knew the question to his answer from the previous night now more than ever.
Have you ever been in love before?
No, I have not.
Not then.
Not before you.
My lips parted to get the words out, but he drowned them with another demanding kiss. Grayson Kline was a passionate lover who wasn't afraid of taking what he wanted. His touch was as punishing as it was kind, and he brought me to the edge several times, pulling back just before I could come. He laughed at me, and I knew he was playing one of his endless games again as he drove into me again and again.
"Please," I rasped pleadingly. "I want to come, Sir..."
"You will," he promised me. "As soon as you tell me what you were just thinking about."
My cheeks darkened and flushed. The man was a mind reader on top of everything else. It felt like he was in my head, turning over every stone to find the truth that I'd selfishly tried to keep to myself. It was too soon... much too soon to admit the depth of my feelings, especially knowing he didn't feel the same way.
"I don't want to," I whispered, prompting him to reach up, brushing hair out of my face and gently wrapping his fingers around my neck. I gasped, eager for him to squeeze tighter yet too afraid to ask for the pain I hadn't known I'd been craving.
"You don't want to?" he repeated gently, and I shook my head. "I want you to though, Kitty. And that's all that matters, isn't it? That you please me."
I found myself nodding despite not wanting to admit it, and he smiled at me affectionately, groaning as my pussy clenched around his cock.
"As soon as you tell me, I'll let you come," he grunted. "An orgasm for
your thoughts, my pretty Kitty..."
I didn't want to, but he'd brought me close enough to the edge that I was unable to resist, my body quivering beneath his and demanding the release he refused to give me.
"I... I have feelings for you," I blurted. "You asked me if I'd been in love... No, I haven't been."
He stilled on top of me, his eyes questioning me and his cock throbbing inside me, making me shake. "Don't lie to me, Kitty. You're not allowed to lie to me."
"I'm not," I whispered. "I'm not lying... I haven't loved anyone... not until..."
"Not until what?" His fingers tightened around my neck and I whimpered in delight.
"Not until you," I finished softly.
A split second later, he began fucking me again, his eyes on mine as I gasped and gasped and he brought me so close I couldn't stop saying please. Finally, he allowed it, giving me a nod, and making my eyes flutter closed as I came apart beneath him. His fingers touched the hollow in my throat, gently but firm as they pressed down on my throat, giving me an orgasm I wouldn't forget for the rest of my life.
But he wasn't done yet, and as I came down from my high, he made that clear. He drove into me again and again, giving me pleasure like I hadn't known existed. His body pumped into mine and he groaned, making sure I knew just how much I was pleasing him.
"Please, Sir," I managed. "I want to make you come, too..."
"Are you on protection?" he grunted, his eyes searching mine for the truth.
I swallowed; eyes locked with his as I shook my head.
"Fuck," he muttered, making my skin erupt in goosebumps. "I shouldn't..."
"Please." I grabbed his wrist, my eyes begging him to go on, do the unthinkable. "I don't care, just do it."
He groaned, driving himself deeper into me. He was like a man possessed, his mouth swallowing me up as he moved his hips in and out of me at a pace that made me keep coming, again and again and again.
I knew he was close, his cock throbbing inside me and leaking with wetness when he pulled back, locking eyes with me.
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