Spanked at the Masquerade

by Alexis Starr

  The auction started, and to Anna’s surprise, the men in the room were willing to spend a good deal of money to dance with the women. By her count, the dances had raised more money than several of the other auctioned items put together.

  “Next up, we have the lovely Anna Dalton. She’s a PR strategist at Milton and Hamilton, likes to read, and enjoys moonlit strolls down the pier.” Anna cringed. Whoever had written that about her had never done PR in their life. The MC continued. “We’ll open the bid at $10,000.”

  Anna held her breath, sure that no one in their right mind would bid $10,000 just to dance with her. But then, two men raised their hand at the same time. Ben and someone she couldn’t see.

  “Thank you, gentlemen. I have $10,000, do I hear 15?” Ben raised his hand. “I have 15, do I hear 20?” The man in the shadows raised his hand. Ben glared at him. “I have 20, do I hear 25?”

  “$50,000.” Ben shouted. The crowd gasped and turned to look from Ben to Anna. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she was grateful to have the mask on, hiding the blush. She did her best to smile, but her heart pounded so hard, it made breathing difficult enough to require her focus.

  “I have $50,000, ladies and gentlemen. Do I hear 55?” There was a moment of silence. “$50,000 going once. Going twice.” The MC waited a beat longer to give the shadowy man a chance to throw in a last-minute bid, and then he proceeded. “Sold to Dr. Hansen for the sum of $50,000. Thank you for your generous donation, sir.”

  Applause erupted around Anna, and she walked to the edge of the stage where Ben stood ready to help her down. When her feet touched the floor, he wrapped a possessive hand around her waist and led her back to the table. She took the time to whisper to him.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “Because I wanted to be the first to dance with you.”

  “You could have just saved the $50,000 and not pushed me into going up there, you know?”

  He frowned. “It’s for charity, Anna. And besides, I wasn’t the only one interested in you.”

  His words were flat, as though the idea of anyone else interested in her displeased him. She glanced at his rigid face and thought she must have imagined it. Anna thought she might have imagined the whole evening to this point. There was no way a man like Ben was interested in her. Then again, he had just spent $50,000 to dance with her, not to mention she was pretty sure he’d dropped a small fortune on their tickets.

  After the conversations had settled down, the dancing began. Ben led Anna to the dance floor with the other couples who’d taken part in the auction, and the first song was solely for the winners of that auction. It was an old-fashioned waltz, which Ben explained was a tradition of the wealthy. Ignoring the blatant sexism of the tradition, Anna enjoyed the feel of Ben around her. Despite not being wrapped in his arms, his powerful presence was still close enough to feel the heat from his body.

  Anna risked a glance at him and found him staring at her.

  “What?”

  “You look beautiful tonight.”

  “Thanks.” It was a cursory compliment, nothing to get too excited about.

  “I mean it. You’re always beautiful, but tonight you’re glowing.”

  She smiled, feeling the compliment had a little more weight than she first gave it credit. “You don’t look so bad yourself, Dr. Hansen.”

  Some of the stiffness left his body, and he grinned at her. The dance ended, and a more modern slow dance song came on. Ben wasted no time in pulling her close and wrapping his large arms around her, enveloping her in his warmth and his scent. He rested his chin on top of her head and swung her around in an easy rhythm she hoped looked as graceful as it felt. Anna’s head rested on his chest, and she felt the smooth, even beat of his heart. He smelled good, like sandalwood and fire. It was a unique scent, and she closed her eyes, savoring it as he rubbed her back.

  Chapter 3

  Anna was relieved when she noticed more of the tension had drained from Ben’s shoulders. He kissed the top of her head.

  “Anna, I—”

  “May I cut in?” A familiar voice sounded next to Anna. She and Ben stopped and looked at the newcomer.

  Anna beamed at the man standing before her in a tux and simple satin mask. She felt Ben tense beside her, but he remained civil.

  “I believe that’s up to the lady.” He looked at Anna, searching her face for something. She saw the disappointment for just a moment before he slipped his mask of neutral control back in place. They would need to talk when this was all over, but for now, she’d very much like to catch up with an old friend.

  “Sam! How are you?” Anna reached for him, pulling him into a tight hug. She released Ben’s arm as she did, and he took that to mean she wanted to dance with Sam.

  As Ben melted into the crowd behind them, Sam pulled her in his arms, though not as close as Ben had. The familiar lines of Sam’s body filled Anna’s mind, and she grinned.

  “God, what’s it been? Five years?”

  “Seven. I’m married now.”

  “Are you? Good for you, congratulations. Is she here? I’d love to meet her.”

  “No, she’s home with the baby.”

  “Oh, well now. Congratulations for that, too.”

  He inclined his head, grinning excitedly, when a thought occurred to her. “Were you the one who bid against Ben for the first dance?”

  Sam’s smile turned wolfish. “Just helping the old fool realize where his feelings lie.”

  “Sam, you have a newborn. That was a dangerous gamble. And, anyway, he doesn’t—”

  “Don’t start that again, Anna. Honestly, for as brilliant as you are, you’re rather dense.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “That man has been in love with you for as long as I can remember. That’s why things never worked out with us. I couldn’t compete.”

  “Sam—”

  “It’s alright. Things worked out for the best.”

  Anna studied his brown eyes and felt a sadness creep over her. Of all her boyfriends over the years, Sam almost made her forget Ben. But, then he broke up with her, and Ben was there to pick up the pieces. She cupped his cheek with one hand and kissed the other.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Ah, it’s fine. I’m just glad to see you looking so well. But, are you happy, Anna?”

  Sam was taller than Ben, and a lot thinner. Where Ben was muscle and mass, Sam was height and bones. He was attractive in his own way, but he didn’t hold a candle to Ben. Thinking about how different her life could have been if she’d stayed with Sam, she smiled.

  “Yes, I’m very happy.”

  Sam smiled. “Good. I’m glad.”

  The song ended, and Sam led Anna off the dance floor to the side of the room where Ben stood looking dark and dangerous. Sam grinned as he looked down at Anna.

  “See? The man is bonkers for you, love. Good luck.” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek, a wave to Ben, and then he vanished into the sea of people moving onto the dance floor.

  Ben took a threatening step forward but stopped and scanned the room for Sam. Anna frowned.

  “Ben, what’s the matter with you?”

  He snatched her wrist and dragged her down to the first floor away from the prying eyes of Boston’s elite. Anna had to run to keep up with his long strides, and it was difficult to do when she wasn’t in strappy heels, but it was downright obnoxious in the heels. She yanked her wrist from his grasp and stopped, crossing her arms over her chest. She’d had enough of his weird mood for one night. They were supposed to be celebrating, and she’d been tied up in knots all night.

  Ben stopped and turned to face her, his dark mood increasing. Anna glared back, not backing down.

  “What the hell has gotten into you tonight?” She demanded hotly.

  “Not here.” He reached for her again, but she pulled away.

  “No, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on with you. You’ve been acting weird all night, and I thou
ght we were celebrating my promotion. Instead, it’s been—”

  Ben grabbed her and shoved her into a dark room off the main hallway. He pressed her against the wall and crushed his mouth against hers, kissing her as he had in her living room. Hunger and need swirled between them, driving them both to cling to the other. Heat cascaded down Anna’s body, pooling between her thighs, and the familiar dampness on her panties felt hot against her skin. Ben groped her, one large hand covering her breast and kneading it as his tongue teased her mouth, making her moan and lean into him, begging him for more.

  After several seconds, he pulled away, his breath a pant in her ear. “Jesus, Anna. The things you do to me.”

  Her own breathing was labored enough that she had to keep hold of him so she didn’t fall over. She wanted to look at him, but the room was dark and she couldn’t see him, even standing as close as he was. She’d somehow convinced herself that the kiss in her living room hadn’t been real, that she’d imagined it. But, he’d kissed her again and now she knew it wasn’t something she’d imagined. Ben had kissed her. Twice.

  “What do I do to you?”

  He groaned, his lips falling to her neck. Ben traced slow, tantalizing kisses from her jaw to her clavicle. Anna thought she might burst into flames at any moment, but he didn’t seem to notice her dangerous state.

  “Ben?” She whispered, her need building in her core and causing her juices to flow.

  “You’ve been a very bad girl, Anna.”

  She moaned, letting her fingers slide up his shoulders to his hair where they tangled with his dark locks. Anna knew they’d feel like heavy silk in her fingers, and she wasn’t wrong. Ben’s strong hands returned to her waist and gripped her. His erection pressed into her, sending a thrill of excitement coursing through her. He was hard… because of her. She couldn’t believe it. He growled low in his throat, a guttural sound that was both primal and scary all at once. Anna froze.

  Ben spun her to face the wall, and she splayed her hands, trying to catch herself before she fell. The darkness of the room terrified her. She couldn’t see Ben, couldn’t read his emotions. He moved closer, his cock pressing into the small of her back, and he ran his fingertips from her neck over her shoulders and down her arms. Gooseflesh erupted along her body in the wake of his fingers, and soon his lips followed.

  “Bad girls deserved to be spanked, Anna.” He whispered in her ear.

  Her breath caught in her throat on her gasp of surprise. He chuckled huskily as he touched her, each moment a surprise because she couldn’t see. The only sound she could hear was his breath as he leaned into her and whispered in her ear.

  “Would you like me to spank you, Anna?”

  Her body tightened at the thought, and she nodded, belatedly realizing he couldn’t see her. He swatted her behind and she jumped.

  “Yes.”

  “Yes what?” He nibbled on her earlobe, sending ripples of pleasure straight to her pussy. Anna bit her lip.

  She’d read enough erotica to know what he wanted from her. Hell, she’d imagined something like this with him many times over, and now that it was happening, she couldn’t believe it.

  “Yes, sir. I want you to spank me.”

  “Good girl.”

  The thrill of those words rocked her body and she swayed, doing her best to stay upright when all she wanted was to strip off her dress and fuck him right there in the state house. She couldn’t wait. Anna stuck her ass out and rubbed it against his crotch. She grinned as he moaned, sliding his hand around her waist and moving down to her pussy. Anna was acutely aware they both had too many clothes on, and her fingers itched to unzip the dress and toss it to the side.

  Ben’s fingers pressed against the layers of her dress and rubbed her sensitive core over the fabric. It would feel better without the dress, but Anna had to concede that his touch made her hot no matter what. She leaned back against him, giving him better access to each part of her body he wanted to touch.

  “Oh, not yet my sweet. First, your punishment.” He gently pressed her against the wall and pulled her hips back.

  Anna splayed her hands against the wood paneling and waited with bated breath for whatever he had in store for her next. With slow, deliberate movements, Ben rolled the back of her dress up and shoved it over her hips. A cool breeze hit her backside, and heat washed over Anna. She could smell her arousal, which meant Ben could too. Embarrassment flooded her. What if he didn’t like the way she smelled? What if he was repulsed that she was so easily turned on?

  Ben ran a finger over her damp panties at the seam of her pussy and moaned.

  “So wet. All for me.” He whispered. A fierceness Anna had never heard before entered his tone, and a growl erupted from his throat once again. Before she could take her next breath, Ben spanked her, his hand smacking her ass over her panties.

  “That’s for making me feel jealous tonight, Anna.”

  He spanked her four more times, alternating between her left cheek and her right cheek.

  “I don’t enjoy feeling jealous, and I’ve been that way for 15 years.”

  Anna gasped with each smack. The sting brought heat to her backside and added fuel to the fire of her lust for Ben. Her pussy unleashed a torrent of juice that slid down her thighs. She was so close to coming and all he’d done was punish her. She couldn’t imagine what his cock would do to her. Anna bit her lip and moaned as he rained six more smacks across her ass cheeks and her nipples tightened in response.

  “Don’t come.” He growled in her ear. “If you do, it will be the only release you get tonight. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes.”

  Smack!

  “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Anna did her best to withhold her orgasm, but if he smacked her again, she wasn’t sure she could. To her relief, Ben pulled her dress down and pulled her into his arms. His mouth invaded hers, his tongue plunging deep inside and coaxing hers to meet his. They kissed with a hungry need that made Anna want to shred their clothes to pieces so he had no choice but to bury his thick cock deep in the folds of her pussy. He must have sensed her thoughts because he pulled away, panting and growling.

  “We should get back before we’re missed.”

  Ben tugged her back into the hallway, and together they helped each other right their clothes and hair before Ben took her back to the second floor and the masquerade.

  Chapter 4

  The rest of the night, Anna’s head was spinning with thoughts of what had happened in the downstairs room. Each time she looked at Ben he seemed to appraise her, checking to make sure she wasn’t crying or upset. Perhaps he hadn’t thought she could take his punishment? Although they’d shared stories of who they’d slept with, neither of them admitted to any specific desires. Anna hadn’t known Ben was into domination, and he hadn’t known she was into spanking. But, he definitely knew now, and the knowledge seemed to please him.

  They stayed for another couple of hours, each of them mingling and dancing with other people as was appropriate. Anna had a hard time sitting down after the spanking she’d received, so she kept her dance card full, so to speak. She danced with Sam a few times—much to Ben’s consternation—and she thought Sam delighted in tormenting Ben. Sort of his way of getting back at Ben for all the times he and Anna had fought over him. What Sam didn’t know was that Anna’s backside would pay for it later. After they finished their final dance, Ben made a beeline for her, pulling her possessively against his side and glaring at Sam.

  “Ah, Dr. Hansen. I was just telling your beautiful date how much I admire your work.”

  Anna swallowed nervously. They hadn’t had any such conversation, and she had no idea where he was going with his banter.

  “Thank you.” Ben’s response was curt, bordering on rude, and Anna elbowed him in the side. He grunted softly but didn’t move to say anything else. Anna rolled her eyes.

  “Sam, it was great to see you again. Say hello to your wife—” Anna emp
hasized the word and glared at Ben from the corner of her eye as she said it— "and let her know I’d love to meet her soon.”

  The twinkle in Sam’s eye brightened as Ben frowned. Anna shook Sam’s hand, and then he was gone. Before she could say anything about his behavior, Ben whisked her around the room to make their goodbyes. They were out the door and standing beside his car before could get a word in edgewise. He opened her door and she got in, forgetting all about her soreness until she hissed and lifted her hips. She glared at Ben, but that seemed to console him in a way nothing else could. He smirked at her as he closed her door and walked around to the other side.

  When he slid in, he winked at Anna. She glared.

  “Honestly, Ben. You can’t possibly be jealous of Sam. He’s happily married and just had a baby.”

  “I remember how much you loved him, Anna. Married or not, he still bid on your first dance.”

  “Yes, to goad you. None of that had anything to do with me tonight. He was always jealous of you. Every fight we ever had was about you, and him bidding on me was his way of making you realize you had feelings.”

  He snorted. “I didn’t need him for that.”

  Anna shrugged, but turned to look out the window. She watched the scenery pass, unsure of how to handle any discussion of feelings with Ben. It was important to her she didn’t lose his friendship, and if they slept together and things went wrong, she could lose him forever. Now there were all these feelings of jealousy to contend with, and they hadn’t even been on a date. Well, she supposed the masquerade ball counted as a date, but still. It was all very confusing.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” He asked, shifting gears and picking up speed as he pulled onto the highway.

  “It’s a confusing mess that would cost more than a penny to sort out.” She admitted without looking at him.

  Ben sighed. “I’m sorry. I’ve made a mess of things tonight. This wasn’t how I wanted to tell you I’m in love with you. I had something more romantic in mind.”