Page 49 of Dominion

He continued with the punishment, slapping her cheeks until they turned rosy.

She had begun to wriggle and make little cries with each loud smack, but she still hadn’t offered any resistance. As he paddled, her bottom bounced, cheeks flattening and springing back. Her pussy glistened between her legs, dewy with moisture. He wanted to stop spanking and drag his thumb over her glossy slit. He wanted to pleasure her with his fingers and his tongue.

But, no. Punishment first. And even if her body did respond to his dominance, that didn’t necessarily mean she would be in the mood after he had spanked her raw.

He stopped and ran his hand over her heated buttocks. He hadn’t expected her to take the spanking so well. He lifted her from his knees and stood with her, his body tight against hers.

She brought her hands to his chest.

Not yet.

“Go stand in the corner.”

She lifted her startled gaze to meet his eyes. Obviously, she had thought the punishment was over.

“This is a lesson I’m serious about you learning, baby,” he said. “Show me obedience,” he said, lifting his chin toward the corner.

“Yes, sir,” she said, blushing and dropping her gaze.

As he watched her walk to the corner, the evidence of his dominance standing out red against her pale skin, he felt a surge of some strong emotion. Love, maybe. Pride, that she had submitted to him, a desire to protect and care for her, yes, still the need to claim her, but for once, that took a back seat to the rest.

She faced the wall as he had directed, her pretty bottom painted red, her head bowed, juices leaking onto her inner thighs. He left her standing for no more than two minutes before he called her back.

“Come,” he said.

She turned, looking more vulnerable than he’d seen her look before and his heart surged again to protect her. She walked over to him.

“Bend over, Ash,” he said, pointing at the bed.

She looked over, her gaze flitting across his face, the line between her brows creased. He waited. Slowly, she folded her torso over the bed.

“Good girl.”

He wrapped the buckle end of the belt around his hand until only about eighteen inches of length remained. Picking up her wrists, he pinned them at her low back with one of his hands. “I require your obedience at all times, Ashley,” he said and swung the belt. The whoosh of displaced air sounded the moment before the leather struck her bare skin.

She yelped.

He stopped, trying to judge if it had been too hard or soft.

“I’m sorry, Ben,” she squeaked.

“Thank you for your apology,” he said, bringing the belt down again, and then a third time. She gasped with each blow, but did not protest. He whipped her, slowly and deliberately, setting a cadence of slaps and silences, punctuated by her little cries that grew louder with each stroke. Ashley buried her face in the covers.

He laid down five more and then dropped the belt, releasing her wrists.

When she jumped to her feet, he thought she was going to hightail it away from him, but instead she danced around, rubbing her bottom with a pained wince.

It was so cute, he had to bite back a smile and when she caught it, she flung herself at him. Her arms looped around his neck, her lips crushed against his.

He caught her up in surprise, pulling her body against his, squeezing the hot flesh of her ass. Kissing her back, he invaded her mouth with his tongue, claiming it. The animal in him roared to life, his cock swelling. Reason began to flee his mind.

Her fingers came to the hem of his shirt and she pulled it up, starting to peel it off him.

“What are you doing?” he croaked, trying to regain control.

She pulled back, frowning. “Don’t you dare push me away again, Ben Stone,” she said. “Not after everything that’s happened,” she said. The tears that hadn’t come during the spanking now popped into her eyes, causing his heart to constrict painfully.

Of course, she was right. How could he deny her the closeness she craved when she’d just surrendered to him, mind, body, and soul?