by Piper Stone
“I already told you. I didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing. I could never attempt to kill anyone. I keep telling everyone that.”
“Perhaps there is a very good reason no one has bothered to listen. The evidence against you was significant, including your fingerprints on the knife that was used, the crime particularly... grotesque. Yes, there were several witnesses, all giving sworn statements to the police and every one of them indicated that you were the one standing over the victim with the bloody blade in your hand. By all rights, the poor young man is lucky to be alive.”
“Poor young man? Perhaps you weren’t given the correct information about Bobby Rivers. He was an arrogant thug and nothing more.”
“Even he didn’t deserve to be attacked.”
“That’s not fair,” I managed, remembering every ugly detail of the crime scene, even though there were no memories of the crime itself. I’d never even been to the bar where the crime had been committed before that night.
Tell him about the missing time.
Hell, no. I couldn’t trust him. I didn’t know who Gabriel Masters was. So what if I’d signed a deal?
“You will soon learn that very little in life is fair, circumstances not always within your control. That being said, your penalty phase is about to begin. Lower your jeans and underwear. It’s time for you to receive your first spanking.”
I took a step back, shaking my head. “No. That’s not what I signed up for.”
“That is exactly what you signed up for,” he said as he shifted his hands to his belt buckle.
I watched with a mixture of fascination as well as horror, my mind ready to shut down. I took two steps away, wringing my hands, prepared to flee the room. I’d go anywhere, finding a place to hide. This horrible man couldn’t keep me prisoner here. “Fuck you.”
Finding my courage, I bolted toward the door.
He wasted no time overpowering me, fisting my hair and dragging me back. Squealing, I struggled but it was no use. Very slowly he lowered his head, his stunning blue eyes now shifting into utter darkness.
“I can be a forgiving man, Alessandra, but not after you’ve acted like an ungrateful brat,” he hissed into my ear, the heat of his breath cascading across my skin.
I was floored by his vehemence, the force he’d used and by the way his chest rose and fell from his irritation. I was also able to see the mottled scar on the left side of his face for the first time, the skin appearing burned. He pulled me even closer until his luscious lips were mere centimeters away from my ear.
“Do not attempt even once to overstep your bounds in any way. When I ask you a question, you will answer without hesitation. You will respect my world as well as my house, including calling me sir. You are required to be obedient no matter what I command you to do and I assure you that I will use of every single inch of your body. If you think for even a second that I will ever let you out of the contract, you are wrong. You will never get away from me. If you attempt to do so, I will take extreme pleasure in developing and distributing the kind of punishment that will never allow you to forget. You are my property for the rest of your life. If I ask you to do something, you will never hesitate again. And the very reason? Because you are unworthy of anything else. You are guilty and deserve to pay the price.”
Even as the harsh words reverberated in my ears, the soft sensuality of his voice remained enthralling, the wave of heat pooling between my legs increasing. “Yes, sir.” I was sick to my stomach from the ugly realization that my body could respond in any manner other than utter disgust, revolting against everything he was telling me. I would never belong to anyone.
Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
The words reverberated in my mind, the ones I’d heard whispered in the courtroom.
He inhaled as he brushed his lips across my jaw then released his hold, walking away. As he did so, he finished unfastening his buckle. “I will command you one more time and there will not be a third. Lower your jeans and panties and lean over the edge of the desk.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the action as he slowly drew the thick strap from his beltloops. Every part of me shaking, I forced myself to move forward, my fingers stiff as I attempted to follow his orders.
A shadow of darkness swept over me as I forced my feet to respond, inching closer to the oppressive-looking desk. I found it difficult to believe that he was going to spank me like some bad little girl. Everything about the experience was overwhelming, pushing me closer to the edge, unable to think coherently.
I could no longer look at him, even allowing my hair to fall into my face as I managed to unfasten my jeans, struggling to slide them over my hips. A waft of cold air skittered across my skin, my heart hammering in my chest as I slipped my fingers under the thin elastic of my panties. I’d never felt so vulnerable, exposed for a man I didn’t know but one who considered himself my owner.
Easing across his desk dragged the very last of my sanity away. Even my throat clenched, tentacles of madness clawing their way to the surface. I clamped my fingers around the opposite edge, pressing my face against the cool wood as the anticipation and anxiety became pinpricks of raw anguish.
There was no sound for at least two full minutes, the wait becoming utter agony. When I finally heard his solid footsteps, I sucked in my breath as a single bead of perspiration trickled down from my forehead. A series of dazzling sensations indicated he’d moved closer until I was able to sense his foreboding presence, his muscular body as it loomed over mine. I choked back a cry, refusing to give into his basic tyranny.
In my mind, he was a true monster.
I didn’t know him, had no understanding of who he was or the weight he’d carried with my father. I found it difficult to believe that the man who’d raised me from a baby could tolerate doing business with anyone who could treat another human being this way.
Perhaps I did need the salvation of penance, but only for trusting someone I believed to be my friend. I wasn’t a bad person. I’d never purposely broken any rules, whether those doled out in my father’s household or in society in general. I’d been a good girl my entire life.
Then why did Gabriel’s words reverberate in my mind?
No. No! This wasn’t happening. I couldn’t be entrapped by a man who had no idea about my life.
Please let me go. Please.
I loathed admitting I was intimidated, but the simple truth was there. He had a way about him, not just the words he said as if knowing everything about me, but also his mannerisms. It was as if he was better than everyone else, his tether on others strengthening over time.
I wasn’t expecting the warm touch of his hand or the way my body reacted when he stretched out his fingers, shifting them across the rounded curve of my hip. A series of vibrations increased, my pulse skipping. I held my breath for fear of allowing him to learn of my body’s betrayal, almost instantly becoming dizzy.
His caress seemed practiced given the way he brushed the tips of his fingers from one hipbone to the other, finally sliding them down my rounded bottom. But not before digging his well-manicured nails into my skin. He wanted me to whimper, to attest to the fact I’d accepted his superiority. That wasn’t going to happen. Not now.
Not ever.
When he pulled a single finger down my thigh, the scent of my feminine wiles wafted into my nostrils. I was a sick woman to be aroused by this horrible deed.
My stomach churned, twisting from the stark reality of what I was facing.
And the punishment that he was prepared to dole out.
Harsh and brutal, just like the man he portrayed himself to be.
Gabriel shifted his hand between my legs, daring to dip them close to my wetness. I clenched my pussy muscles, fighting the urge to cry out.
To give him the satisfaction that I was excited.
To allow him to understand my fractured nature.
To accept the level of control he so desperately needed.
“I have the power to grant precious moments of pl
easure, but I will never do so without your complete surrender,” he said casually, as if this were just a game, a sick and twisted diversion in his otherwise organized life.
He wanted an answer, required some kind of reaction. He wasn’t going to get anything from me willingly. I would hire an attorney and fight this, no matter what it required of me.
I expected to feel the jab of his fingers, burying them deep inside. Instead, he stepped away.
There was no crack of the belt, no sound other than my ragged breathing. There was also no explosion of pain even as the strap connected with my backside, slicing perfectly across my sit spot. There was only an eruption of extreme warmth crowding up from the very tips of my toes to my core.
Immediately, he rubbed his fingers from one ass cheek to the other, caressing my skin in a gentle, loving manner. Was he already admiring his work, the sick bastard? When he gave another strike, I heard the sound as his wrist cracked. Electricity shot through me, pinpricks of white-hot heat searing every cell and tendon.
Yet there was no blinding anguish, no instant wave of new emotions, just the sick sense that this was his normal method of operation with his employees.
Keep them under your thumb.
Rule them with intimidation.
I refused to cry out, even as a single rush of pain shot through me. I’d never been disciplined in such a barbaric manner, my father preferring to remove privileges instead of resorting to corporal punishment.
He brought the belt down again and again, every action calculated. Every time he did, my channel clamped down, leading me to a near orgasmic moment.
Hell, no. Even though I didn’t know him, I had the distinct feeling he wanted me hot and wet all over, further exposing my vulnerability.
I concentrated on the whooshing sound that now penetrated my eardrums, biting down on my lip as the discomfort turned into sheer anguish. My bottom was on fire, extreme heat rising from my calves, shooting all the way to my shoulders. Once again, my body ignored the anger and frustration pooling inside my mind, my knees bending in an effort to force the horrible spanking to stop.
“Stay in your position, Alessandra. I would hate to start over again.” He didn’t touch me in any way, merely stopped all movement until I complied with his command.
Yet I did against all rationality. This man had no right to control me, my signature coerced by the thought of finding something less wretched than spending time behind bars. Was this going to be any different?
The next several cracks stole my breath, a rush of adrenaline creating an irregular beating in my heart. I gasped for air, my fingers flexing as stars floated in front of my eyes. Tears threatened to consume me, the intoxication of the moment becoming too much to bear. I lost all sense of myself as the whipping continued until I was able to hear his scattered breathing for the first time.
Perhaps there was a crack in his austere demeanor, a shattering of the man’s resolve as he spanked the poor criminal he now believed he owned. I was finally able to shove aside my despair, preferring to hold onto the earlier thought, a weapon to be used at just the right moment.
I managed to stay in position as he finished the round of punishment, his husky exhale another sign of weakness.
The sound of the belt being tossed was jarring. I gritted my teeth, willing every emotion away, placed in a little box that I could lock and control.
He inched closer, the rough pads of his fingers sliding under my shirt. I was shocked from the sensations, the gentleness he used as he caressed my skin. I held my breath as he rolled his fingers up and down, kneading the tense muscles in my back. The realization he was giving me a massage was disturbing, my body’s reaction creating bile in my throat.
I couldn’t want him, not on any level, yet the tingling sensations only intensified, grasping at the last vestige of decency. I was his for the taking. I’d signed away my freedom for a chance at... Freedom. The irony was disgusting.
Gabriel eased his fingers down the crack of my ass, sliding them between my legs. I closed my eyes, biting back a moan as he flicked a single finger across my swollen folds.
He said nothing, not a single word as he teased me, cupping my bare mound even as he swirled the tip of a single finger around my clit.
I was torn by the jolt of electricity, the quivering shifting all the way down my legs. I was only vaguely aware when he removed my jeans and panties, tugging them over my boots. When he opened my legs wider, leaving me fully exposed, the change in his guttural sounds was both thrilling and terrifying.
He was nothing more than a beast, his hunger stripping away his humanity. He stroked me as if he cared, taking his time to explore every inch of my pussy while in my mind, I was fearful I’d beg for more. I was so wet, the scent wafting all around me.
As he pumped a single finger inside, I pressed my face against the desk, trying desperately to hate what he was doing to me. But I couldn’t. This bizarre deal we’d made was exciting, dragging out a level of darkness I would never have expected.
Every sensation shifting through my body only heightened my longing, fueling the kind of desire reserved for lovers.
Only we’d never be in a relationship. We would never share picnics or go to the movies. We’d never savor a bottle of wine in front of a roaring fire. We’d only pretend. He’d take what he needed then leave me alone. I already sensed that about him.
About the monster.
I closed my eyes, a whimper slipping past my mouth, betraying me all over again. The treachery of what was occurring, pleasure as well as pain, I was incapable of understanding.
He slid a second finger inside, then a third, thrusting as he twisted his hand, stretching my muscles as well as my mind.
I was torn between giving in and shutting down, refusing to enjoy, but as he curled his fingers, forcing my muscles to accept the unwanted invasion, I allowed my body to take over.
Bad girl. Don’t. Don’t...
But there was no escaping him or his command, even in silence.
As my muscles clenched around his fingers, drawing him in even deeper, I pushed up from the desk, arching my back. He plunged harder, the force shoving me against the edge of the desk. Everything was a blur, a rush of adrenaline mixing with the sting remaining on my bottom.
He was going to fuck me. I knew it. God, I wanted it.
I was sick. Disgusting.
His actions became more intense as he growled, his fingers spreading open wide as he pumped in a crazed manner.
A series of lights flashed in front of my eyes and all I could do was pant, a wildfire spreading all throughout my body.
He leaned over, fisting my hair and tugging, his hot breath washing down across my cheek. “That’s it.”
The thrusts awakened every part of me, tossing gasoline onto the fire. “Oh. Oh...” I could no longer hold back my whimpers, the tingling sensations becoming explosive. Everything felt so amazing, allowing me to feel something euphoric for the first time. I bucked against his hand, the moans slipping up from my throat strangled.
“You will come for me, Alessandra,” he commanded.
The moment I realized this was nothing more than a lesson in his domination, I did everything I could to shut down, fighting the urges and the sweeping electricity.
But it was no use.
The hard smack against my bottom was only a reminder. Obedience at all times, no matter what he asked.
I closed my eyes, pretending I would wake up from this in my own bed, eager to face a new day.
The climax was unsettling yet incredible, the warm rush of heat and euphoria unlike anything I’d ever felt.
“No... I...” I stiffened once again, the single burst of pleasure becoming an amazing wave, yet I knew it was one prepared to drown me, yanking me into the abyss.
And I wasn’t certain I would care.
I was shaken to my very core, my entire body off balance.
He rubbed his fingers across my thigh, ridding himself of my cum. Jesus.
>
Echoes of his voice were all I could hear, this time, a cold wave sweeping down the length of me.
“Get dressed,” he huffed, already walking away from me.
My entire mind was blank, my body shaking as I pushed up from the desk.
“Mr. Masters. You have a phone call.”
The sound of Jefferson’s voice was different than before, guarded. Maybe incensed. Embarrassment tumbled into every crevice and down the length of my arms and legs as I fought to finish my task. How long had he been standing there? Watching.
Enjoying?
“Understood. However, do not interrupt me again,” Gabriel stated. While there was no inflection of anger in his tone, there was an ominous chill that wafted across the entire room.
“Yes. Sir.” Jefferson’s answer was clipped. “However, this is important.”
Gabriel grumbled under his breath, his anger evident by the hard thump of his feet as he walked further away. “Wait outside.”
Jefferson hesitated, the tension in the room more intense than before.
“Fine. Sir.” The hard slam of the office door produced another angry growl from the man of the house.
I dared to shoot Gabriel a look over my shoulder. The sharpness of his features remained, his jaw clenching, the same stunning good looks deceiving as hell. His glare was still harsh, but in the eyes that once held a vestige of revenge and fury now held a ravaging desire that screamed of his obsession. When he tilted his head, his eyes were even more penetrating. He wasn’t just looking at the woman who’d given away her life. He was planning his next feast.
“Jefferson will lead you through the next phase of your new life, Alessandra. We will talk again where I will further explain the rules. I have business to attend to. You will follow orders, or you will be punished severely. As far as privileges and conveniences, they will be rewarded to you based upon good behavior. You will have the basics at first and nothing more. In a sense, a point system will be used.”
“A point system? Why? Because of my penance?” I spit out the words, unable to stop myself.
He was back to being carefully controlled, only the clenching of his strong jaw allowing me to realize I continued to infuriate him. “My rules. There is no other choice. If you obey, the points may be achieved. But only if I deem it acceptable. You will not want to experience certain aspects of discipline.”