by Bella J.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered while Piper secured Scarlet’s ankles to the spreader bar.
“Now isn’t that a sight?” Rex said as he stared at Scarlet, standing in nothing but her thong and torn stockings, tied to fucking chains.
Hunter wanted to rip the asshole’s eyes out, but there was a part of him—a very dark part—that agreed with Rex. If this had been under any other circumstances, Hunter would have relished the sight. He would have loved the control that had been handed to him, to do as he pleased, to witness Scarlet surrendering everything to him.
He felt that familiar tingle move up his spine—a feeling he promised himself a long time ago he would never allow himself to feel again. Power.
Piper stepped in next to him and held a cane in her hand.
Hunter shot his eyes up to Rex. “What the fuck is this?”
“Miss Woods broke one of my girls’ noses—which is why I now have to be satisfied with Piper here who isn’t nearly as skilled in sucking my cock as Carla. So I feel a little punishment is in order.” Rex’s eyes gleamed with amusement, that annoying smirk permanently planted on his face.
“There is no fucking way I’m going to punish her,” Hunter seethed. “Besides, as her master, she didn’t disobey me by breaking one of your girls’ noses. In fact, I would have given her permission to if I were here.”
Rex glanced at the man with the rifle, and the man lifted the weapon, aiming at Scarlet.
“If you don’t want to punish her, I will. But I can promise you, I’ll enjoy punishing her far more than you would, and that would be a real bad thing…for her.” Rex winked, and the only picture Hunter could form inside his mind was Rex’s head on a fucking stick.
Rex shrugged. “I think twenty lashes would suffice, don’t you?”
Hunter snorted. “Twenty? No fucking way. Five.”
“Five?” Rex’s eyebrows almost touched his hairline. “She broke Carla’s nose. That deserves at least fifteen.”
Not that this was either the time or the place, but deep inside, Hunter couldn’t help but feel proud. Scarlet hadn’t lost her fight. Even after everything, she still had the strength to fight and break a woman’s nose. Nice.
Hunter took the cane from Piper. “Ten. Ten lashes, but that’s it.”
Rex narrowed his eyes like he was thinking it through, and then finally he nodded. “Fine. But don’t let me suspect you’re holding back.”
Piper walked over to Rex and sat down on the floor beside his legs. Rex reached down and started rubbing her head like she was a fucking pet—which, in his eyes, she probably was. This was insane.
Hunter swallowed hard, closed his eyes, and fucking prayed. He prayed for the strength to get through this—that Scarlet would be able to get through this. He prayed that this wouldn’t be the last shit that would finally send Scarlet spiraling over the edge.
When Hunter started nervously pacing, Scarlet turned her head to him, the chains rattling from the movement.
“Do it.”
Hunter walked up, bringing his face inches from hers, and whispered, “You will need to give me control, Scar. All of it, or he will not buy it. Can you do that? Can you fully submit?”
He saw the hesitation in her eyes and the color drain from her cheeks. She bit her lower lip, pinching her eyes closed for just a second.
“Can you do this, Scar?”
She opened her eyes, and what he saw almost took his breath away. Resolve, determination, strength, it was all there burning behind those iced-blue irises. “Yes, master,” she whispered. And then she said a little louder, “I am ready for my punishment, master.”
She was going with it, she was playing along. And by the way she kept her gaze on him with so much intent, he knew she would be able to do this. She was strong…and she was his in every way.
Hunter wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and then rolled his shoulders. Even though Scarlet tried to assure him that she was ready, he didn’t know whether or not he was ready for this. Sure, he loved spanking her beautiful ass whenever they got it on, but this wasn’t like that. He knew the amount of pain a cane could inflict, and he wasn’t sure if he could do it—not to her.
But he had to. If there was any hope for them to walk out of there alive, he just had to do it.
He walked over to his jacket that was on the floor and pulled out the collar James had handed to him earlier. He didn’t want to. Scarlet wasn’t some kind of fucking animal. She was a woman—his woman. But it was the only way. Their survival depended on this, and if he had to tap into the deepest, darkest parts of his soul, he’d just have to do it and pray the damage wouldn’t be too great.
Positioning himself behind her, he placed the black collar around her neck, purposefully brushing his fingers against her skin, wanting her to feel just that little sense of comfort. Just as he fastened the collar, he softly placed a kiss on her shoulder as he glided his hands down her arms.
Hunter grabbed ahold of all his self-control, all his strength, and then pulled his shirt over his head before starting to pace behind Scarlet, rubbing his hand vigorously through his hair.
How was he supposed to do this without feeling like he was taking advantage of her? Because God knew that was not what he wanted to do. He wanted to take her in his arms and lay her down on satin sheets while he made love to her like he had never done before.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this, goddammit. Punishing her with a cane while tied with chains and hanging from the roof was not supposed to happen. But here they were…about to play.
With his shirt in one hand and the cane in the other, he knew he needed to find a way to make her feel like it was just her and him—and no one else. For his own fucking sanity, he needed her to get into it, to embrace what he was about to do to her.
Abruptly he tore a piece of fabric off his shirt, and tossed the rest to the floor. When he stepped behind Scarlet, he leaned in close to her ear as he placed the torn piece of fabric around her eyes.
She gasped.
“It’s just you and me, baby. This needs to be just you and me.” He spoke so damn softly, directly into her ear, careful not to let Rex hear anything he was saying.
She nodded slightly, and he tied the fabric behind her head, blocking everyone else out. Slowly he traced his finger down the side of her neck. “I’m going to take good care of you, kitten.”
He felt her shiver beneath his touch as his finger continued down her back, directly over her spine, and he made a mental note to make sure he touched every damn part of her once all this was over—commit every inch of her to memory.
Gripping the cane, he took a deep breath before stepping back.
Lord help him.
One.
The first lash cracked over the skin of her ass, and she jerked forward, the sound of the chains rattling filling the room.
Two.
Scarlet let out a soft whimper, and it fucking broke Hunter’s heart. He would gladly take a thousand lashes if it meant sparing her from experiencing ten.
Three.
This time, a cry escaped her, and Hunter watched as the red marks started to appear on her skin. The bastard inside him stared at the streaks of blushing red for a breath too long while he remembered the first time he fucked her—the way his handprint protruded from the skin of her ass while she was bent forward, all exposed.
Four.
This time she didn’t let out a sound, only bit down on her bottom lip. It was killing him seeing her in so much pain, but he kept telling himself that he had no fucking choice.
Five.
Her head shot backward as she tried to arch her back, trying to get away from the lashes. Hunter moved closer, pushing his lips against her ear, and whispered, “It’s just you and me, baby, remember that. Don’t feel the pain, feel me.”
Without letting Rex see what he was doing, Hunter inconspicuously traced his finger in lazy circles around her ass, wanting her to experience a soft, subtle touch in contrast to the
harsh, painful beating of the cane. That was one thing he had learned from his experience, that as long as there was a balance between pain and pleasure, it would be easier to control. Instantly she relaxed a little, and he heard her take a few deep breaths.
That’s my girl.
Still stroking her ass gently, Hunter glanced down and drank in the sight of the red lashes protruding from her skin. The filthy bastard in him couldn’t help but bite his lower lip, his cock twitching at the sight. He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t one of the most beautiful, most erotic things he had ever seen.
And then…
Six.
Again, she didn’t make a sound. Hunter glanced over at Rex sitting in his chair, eyes glued on them while Piper started to stroke his thigh. The fucker was turned on by this. Fuck him, but so was Hunter.
Seven.
This time Scarlet yelped as the cane landed just above her ass toward her back, and Hunter bit the inside of his mouth so hard he tasted blood. That sound…that damn sound shot straight to his cock. He loved it, and he hated himself because he loved it. The more he acted, the more he felt the darkness consume him. The need to give in to it completely was almost overwhelming, and he knew he had to fight it.
Only three more lashes to go. Hunter could sense Scarlet was close to losing it, close to breaking. So he started to circle her, giving slow, leisurely steps while never taking his eyes off her. The way she moved her head from side to side, she could hear him move around her. All her other senses were heightened since she’d lost her sight.
“If only you could see how fucking beautiful you look right now, kitten” And that was the truth. He wasn’t just saying it in a bid to keep her calm, to keep her focused on him, and to make Rex believe the ruse.
No. It was the goddamn truth. She looked fucking stunning all spread-eagled, blindfolded, and anticipating what his next move would be. For a second, Hunter forgot what this was all about and allowed himself to drink her in—her firm, big, round breasts, the curve of her hourglass hips, and the smooth skin of her thighs. Hunter knew exactly what it felt like to be buried between those thighs. Heaven—that was what it felt like. Fucking heaven.
“Three more, kitten, then there will be no more pain, only pleasure.”
Eight.
Nine.
Scarlet cried out, the sound piercing straight through his damn heart like a thousand sharp pieces of broken glass.
With a deep breath, Hunter swung the cane. One. Last. Time.
Ten.
Thank God.
Hunter threw the cane down with a thud and watched as her head hung down, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. The red lines that ran across her ass and lower back had started to swell, but thank God the lashes didn’t draw blood. Hunter was careful not to put his full strength into it without Rex noticing that he was holding back. He was sure he could say mission accomplished since Rex was looking pretty fucking happy right about then with Piper’s mouth around his dick.
Hunter moved closer, pushing his chest against her back, rubbing her ass gently, and whispered against her neck, “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she breathed, but he heard the quiver in her voice.
“You did beautifully, kitten,” he cooed in her ear. “So fucking beautiful.”
Scarlet let her head fall back against his shoulder, her chest rising and falling from the exertion.
He placed a tender kiss on her shoulder, kissing his way up her neck, letting her sweet taste linger on his lips.
“You’re fucking perfect, my little pet,” he said a little louder. “And now I’m going to reward you.”
Chapter 23
Scarlet wasn’t scared. Nervous, yes, but not scared. There was no fear as she felt Hunter kiss down the side of her neck. Her skin was burning from the sting of the cane, but it wasn’t as bad as she had imagined it to be. In fact, when Hunter softly traced his fingers around her ass, it felt soothing…pleasurable. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
“Are you still with me?” Hunter murmured, his lips still moving softly over the skin of her neck.
“Yes,” she answered with a breath.
Abruptly he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. “Yes, what?”
Shit.
“Yes, master.”
“Good girl.” And then he hit her ass with his palm, the loud crack filling the air. “Next time you slip up, it’ll be the cane, and those ten lashes will feel like fucking foreplay.”
“Yes, master,” she replied quickly, knowing she had to keep her head in the game.
“Good.” He leaned in. “Remember, this is just me and you. There is no one else here. It’s me touching you, kissing you. It’s me you’re surrendering to. No one else,” he whispered, and she almost couldn’t hear him over the wild beating of her heart.
Scarlet nodded.
“Concentrate on how I make you feel.”
He snaked his arm around her and gently palmed her breast, kneading the round flesh softly. The touch moved straight down, the sensation settling between her thighs, all the while his lips were still moving over her skin as he kissed her from the one shoulder to the other.
His touch, his kisses were so soft, so delicate, it wasn’t like the other times they were together. He was taking his time, making sure she was as comfortable as she could be.
“I want to touch you, my little pet. I want to hear your moans hit the fucking roof while I push your body over the edge.” His voice was low, deep, and demanding, speaking to the deepest, most sensual parts of her.
When he took a nipple between his fingers, rolling and tugging, she gasped.
“That’s it, kitten, feel it. Feel what I’m doing to your body.”
“Ace,” she whispered, but he placed a palm over her mouth, and she realized what her mistake was. Luckily, he stopped her just in time.
He moved a finger inside her mouth, and instinctively she rolled her tongue against it. She heard him moan next to her ear and it sent a wild electric shock all the way down to her belly.
Scarlet’s body started to relax, and her thoughts drifted from all the things that had happened during the last few hours to how it felt having Hunter’s hand on her breast, his finger in her mouth, and his warm breath on her neck. Somehow every thought of Brent, Colton, and Rex no longer occupied her mind, and all she wanted was to feel and experience only him—Hunter.
A shudder spread throughout her body when his other hand glided down her stomach, leaving a trail of burning flesh in its wake. When he started to leisurely tease her skin just above the line of her panties, it ignited an ache between her thighs, wanting—no, needing—him to touch her there.
“Do you want me to touch you?” He read her fucking mind.
One finger slipped inside her panties. “Answer me. Do you want me to touch you?”
“Yes…master.”
“Fuck.” He moaned and then thrust hard against her ass before leaning closer to her ear, whispering the words only meant for her. “This is so fucked-up, but I love hearing you say that. Once this is over, I’m going to make you say those words every fucking day.”
The second he slipped his hand inside her panties, palming her between her legs, Scarlet gasped. His fingers started moving expertly through her slick heat, proving just how much power he currently had over her body.
“Fuck. You’re so wet,” he murmured into her ear, like her arousal took him completely by surprise. It took her by surprise too. She knew there were three other people watching them, probably getting off on it. There was so much danger, their lives hanging in the balance. But feeling him, feeling his touch, anticipating what he would do next, was like taking a walk through the Garden of Eden on her way to the forbidden fruit. It was right, even though their intentions were so fucking wrong.
She could feel her body climbing slowly to the edge. It had been too long since she felt his touch, and she had longed for it ever since the day everything got shot to shit in the
bathroom—the day her heart got cracked wide open.
The more he continued to work her with his fingers, the stronger the urge became to press her thighs together, to get some relief from the pulsing pressure that was starting to consume her, causing her legs to go weak. But her ankles were bound, her legs spread, and there was nothing she could do but rely on him to know what she needed—when she needed it.
“Are you ready for me?” He dragged his tongue all the way up the side of her neck, and tingles started to dance across her skin. “Are you ready for me to give you what you need, pet.”
Was him using the word pet degrading? Yes.
Was this entire scenario dirty and twisted? Extremely.
Did Scarlet love it? Abso-fucking-lutely.
When she heard the sound of his zipper, Scarlet’s insides twisted together in expectation. It was when he rubbed his cock against her ass that she sucked in a breath, her body feeling like it would burst into flames at any second.
“Feel that? That’s what you do to me. That’s what the thought of fucking you does to me.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he placed his finger over her lips. “Not a sound. I’m the one doing the talking.”
He pushed his finger inside her pussy, and her legs started to shake as a deep, intense pressure started to build in the deepest parts of her.
“Do you want my cock, pet?” He traced his hard cock down the slit of her ass. “Because I sure as fuck want to give it to you right here, right now.”
Scarlet nodded as he continued to work his finger in and out of her, pushing her body closer and closer to the edge of darkness. Or was it light? She didn’t know. She didn’t know what was wrong and what was right anymore. All she knew was that she wanted him, she wanted him inside her, pushing her all the way over—her body begging to be filled.
Hunter pulled his finger out of her, leaving her aching where his hand used to be. The feeling of loss was indescribable, and her body was screaming for him to just give her everything she needed to burst into fucking flames.