Claire swallowed, throat almost too dry to move. Her muscles were tiring with the effort of keeping her neck up so she could look Dankyo in the eye. But she didn’t want him to see her lower her head. That would be like giving in. And…she was lying here with her bottom out. She let out a long breath, cursing softly. Her head sagged an inch.
He’d said he realized…something. “What have you realized?” But, in the blink of saying it, she knew. Lord, am I in trouble. Tied down, can’t move, and this rock of a man has a flogger.
His eyes glinted. “That I like this.” He picked up the flogger from where he’d left it on the floor, gave it a twitch. “That I like this. Beating the backside of a stubborn, annoying, cantankerous woman. You have no idea how angry I’ve been with you.”
“Angry?” Her voice squeaked.
“Not now. Now I’m happy because I’ve been given permission to deliver your punishment.”
All of it? She pulled on the ropes again. What was Theo thinking? “Maybe, uh, this is a bad idea?” She craned her neck to plead with Theo, but he shook his head, folded his arms.
Dankyo came close, caressed her hair. “After this, perhaps I’ll see if Kirsten shares a common interest.”
“I know she does,” she managed to croak out. “Why not practice on her first?”
“Oh no. You’re first. Don’t worry. I’ve used a whip before and know what I’m doing. I won’t break your pretty skin, and I’m only going as far as the colonel’s approved.”
He pushed her head down and stepped back where she couldn’t see. She shut her eyes. The blow fell. She jerked and clenched her teeth.
“Count.”
“One.” Or was it two? Oh frick. The pain flared and spread. She glared coldly at Theo. How could he give me to Dankyo?
“Wait, Dankyo.” Theo walked over and put a hand to her shoulder. “Add one more for insolence.”
“Yes, sir. With pleasure, sir.” He striped her across the right thigh, so close to her wet *.
She hissed, tried hard not to spit out some nasty word. “Two!”
“You can do this, Claire.” He looked her right in the eyes, massaged her shoulder, trailed his fingers across to and down her backbone. “Soon, it’ll be over.”
She heaved in a breath and really looked at her man. Her Theo. Took a mental step back from the pain and thought for a moment.
I do deserve this. “I know, sir. Without this, I’ll never feel right again…about us, about lying to you.” Another swat fired streamers of pain across her thigh. “Three.” She panted. “What happens, after?”
He bent down and kissed her full on the lips, murmured sweetly into her mouth. “Then we do more pleasurable things. Does that appeal?” He kissed her again, lips moving slow and sure over hers. The pain in her butt swirled, mingled, and she parted her lips under Theo’s.
His fingers found her nipple and circled it. Despite the pain throbbing through her bottom, her nipple spiked to a peak. Her slit moistened. Warmth traveled everywhere. She writhed, trembled, feeling every rope tying her down, the crisscrossing rigidity about ankle and wrist and breast.
He was helping her through this, mitigating the pain with some pleasure.
“Oh, yes. I’d like that, sir.” Her eyes half-closed at another light brush of his hand. This seemed wrong, yet so arousing, with Dankyo watching everything Theo did to her.
“Yes?” Those evil fingers of his reached the crease between her buttocks. His fingers—how many she couldn’t tell, didn’t care—slid into both her holes. She jerked and gulped in air, clenching around his fingers, reveling in the sensation. “Yes, dear?”
“Umm. This isn’t just…temporary, is it, sir? Before a good-bye?”
He laughed. “No, it’s not temporary, though now I’ve decided to keep you…” His fingers slipped in farther and stopped. She squirmed. “I plan on doing some most devious things to this lovely body.”
“Uhh. Good.”
“Sir.”
“Mmm, yes. Sir.” She swiveled her head, trying to look back at Dankyo, but only spotted his feet.
Theo’s fingers moved again, sliding thick and slow. He swirled his other hand over her breast. The invasion of her * and anus, the tight swelling of her breasts made each touch and thrust echo the other until her back muscles strained to arch more, higher. That Dankyo saw this, she no longer cared. Yesss. What was I saying?
Something puzzled her. Her words came out low and husky, though loud enough to carry. “Dankyo, if you wanted us together, why did you tell me you meant this to be a last good-bye?”
The flogger licked gently across her thigh. “Because you didn’t deserve to have it too easy. But also because I knew it would make you fight all the more for it.”
Uh. Well, she guessed the first part was fair. “But…what if I’d given up instead?”
Theo leaned in, put his forehead to hers, and murmured, “He knows you, dear, as I do. I don’t think he ever thought you’d give up. You can’t imagine the smile on his face.”
“What a bastard!” she whispered. Boy, am I going to find something bad to do to Dankyo. Maybe tie his shoelaces together before parade? Yes. For sure.