Page 44 of Balthazar's Fire

She hadn’t intended to swear, or to call his name, but as her head fell forward, she realized she felt better for having released the pent up energy.

“Excuse me?” His disapproving tone sent a rush of electricity through her.

“I’m s-sorry, sir,” she added, hoping he wouldn’t use her language as an excuse to add swats. “That was ten.”

“That was ten,” he agreed, wrapping his arms around her and tugging her toward him. “But I don’t like that language from you, pet.”

“I won’t use it again,” she insisted, turning for the protection of his embrace. “It just hurt, sir.”

“It was supposed to,” he assured her, catching her chin lightly between his thumb and forefinger as she attempted to bury her burning face into his chest. “Let me look at you.”

Oh Lord, no. Unable to recoil from his touch, she closed her eyes as he steadied her face.

“Cherie.”

His deeper tone drew her gaze open once more, compelling her to acknowledge his perceptive expression. As their gazes locked there was no doubt in her mind, Balthazar was impossible to ignore.

“Are you all right?” His thumb stroked her chin as he assessed her reactions.

“I’m…” Focusing on his absurdly high cheekbone, she mused on his question, uncertain how she felt. She didn’t regret having consented to him spanking her, but in truth, the act had allowed a lot of feelings to surface, and Cherie wasn’t ready to articulate most of them. “I don’t know. I think so.”

“Was I too hard on you?” Concern was etched into his voice as he circled her and brushed his palm over her ass.

Twisting around to see him, she noticed how he’d dropped to his haunches behind her. “I have some balm to apply which will soothe your skin.”

“N-no,” she answered, confused at the loss of his body heat. “I’ll be fine, sir. It’s not that.”

“Then, what?” Rising to his full height, his stare bored into her.

“It’s how I feel,” she confessed, realizing that Balthazar was going to coax her into talking however she felt about the subject. His serious expression convinced her of that much.

“How do you feel?” he asked, pulling her toward him and capturing her in his strong arms.

“Vulnerable and yet strangely empowered,” she whispered, conscious of the weight of his gaze even though she couldn’t bring herself to meet it.

“I want to empower you,” he murmured, reaching for her hair and tugging her head backward. “But if you enjoy the vulnerability, then all the better.” He smiled as if he couldn’t believe how lucky he was. “Tell me how else you feel, pet.”

“Why do you call me that?” she asked, unable to meet his eyes properly while his fist held her hair.

“Because it’s true.” There was no malice evident in his voice. Only affection. “You’re so fragile and beautiful, and you’re all mine, Cherie. Like a gorgeous animal I’m sworn to protect.”

“But you’re not sworn,” she countered, unsure why it mattered. Wasn’t she delirious about the idea of Balthazar? That he wanted to defend and devour her just made him all the more miraculous. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“Wrong.” His response was clipped, and her heart rate sped up at the resonance. “Your spanking got me so hard that I owe you a damn good fucking.”

Allowing her head to fall forward, he gestured to the erection tenting his joggers. “So, tell me again. How do you feel?”

A dark twinkle shone in his gaze as she finally met his eyes, a gleam there she could well understand. Balthazar’s plan sounded incredible, and the liquefying effect of her spanking ensured she was more than ready for him.

“I’m sore, sir,” she admitted.

“I’ll kiss it better later,” he promised, already tugging the joggers from his hips.

“But there’s something else,” she interrupted, drawing his concentration back to her.

“Oh?”

“Your spanking has left me hornier than I can ever remember being.” She grinned at her brazen admission, aware that she might previously have been ashamed at the words and yet now never feeling farther from shame. The brunt of Balthazar’s palm had stirred something deep inside Cherie that had slept for too long, and now that it was awake, she could sense it wrestling within her, demanding more. “I’m sore, but so bloody horny.”