by Bella Grant
“I don’t know.” Victoria took a plate from Cindy and began drying it. “Tell me something. The guys just now, when they left us to clean up while they went in the other room, that doesn’t bother you?”
Cindy shook her head while rinsing the next plate. “No. But I’m not like most women, I think. Washing the dishes after dinner gives me a sense of taking care of Stanley. It’s what I do to serve him.”
“You two haven’t been together very long,” Victoria commented, sliding the dry plate into a cabinet.
“Not at all. Stanley’s being very patient with me. He’s usually very strict and very demanding, but he’s easing me into things. I’ve never been in a full-time relationship before.”
“You enjoy serving him then?”
“I do. It makes me feel calm and… well, cared for. I know it sounds like it should be the other way around. That I should want to be catered to, treated like a princess. And in many ways, I am. But to serve his needs, doing his dishes when he wants me to, laying out his clothes at his command, or simply sitting at his feet while he reads his paper, all of it makes me feel at home.”
Victoria watched Cindy’s expression as she explained herself. Her features softened, and her smile was genuine. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all.” Victoria took the next plate.
“From what Stanley told me, Raphael isn’t like him. Not in that sense. He’s more of a traditional guy, like he wants his women soft and submissive, but he doesn’t want a slave or really to follow many of the BDSM elements that Stanley and I do. At least not relationship-wise.” She gave Victoria a coy grin.
“Ah. Talking about us behind our backs are you?” Raphael walked into the kitchen with a wide grin. “Victoria, I’m sorry, but we need to go. It’s getting late, and I’ve set up an early meeting with my security team.”
Victoria put the last dish away and wiped her hands on the towel. “Sure. That’s fine.” After noting it was already after ten, she grinned at Cindy. “You made it past nine.”
Cindy laughed. “I guess I did.”
Raphael escorted the two women to the front door where Stanley was waiting for them. He leaned over and whispered something in Cindy’s ear that made her blush and cast her eyes downward. “I’m so glad we could get together tonight,” she said to them. “Do you think we’ll be able to do it again before you leave for home?” Cindy addressed her question to Raphael.
“I’m hoping to.” Before Victoria could do more than give a quick goodbye, she was whisked out of the house to the waiting car. She’d wanted to plan an evening with Cindy, but she’d been scooted out of the house so quickly by Raphael she barely managed to give her a quick hug in farewell.
RAPHAEL
The text message from his sister had unsettled him. She was having difficulty settling into married life with her prince. He knew it had more to do with her stubbornness and less to do with her new husband, but he still worried that perhaps she had been thrown into the deep end with her marriage. Isabella hadn’t been raised with strict boundaries and consequences. Having either of those suddenly thrust upon her in adulthood wouldn’t be easy for her.
Nor did it seem very easy for his own woman. As he re-read his message from his sister, Victoria stood in the corner of the bedroom awaiting her punishment. He had hoped to get through the week without having to discipline her, but her attitude when they were seated in the car on the way home from Stanley’s couldn’t go unchecked. His only concern at the moment was whether she would accept his authority and his discipline or call off everything and run home to her apartment.
After they’d pulled away from Stanley’s, she had turned to him with angry eyes. “Why didn’t you let me finish saying goodbye? You were very rude. I wanted to plan an evening out with Cindy.”
“I told you we needed to leave, and Stanley had already given Cindy her instructions for when we left. I didn’t want to dawdle.”
“Dawdle?” She had laughed. “It would have taken only a moment to let me finish saying goodbye. You were rude to not only her, but me. Which brings me to another point. When we arrived, and she offered to lend me a pair of jeans, why did you not let me change? I would have been more comfortable in jeans than in this formal gown.”
His eyes narrowed at her, but she didn’t notice the change in his demeanor as she continued her rant. “Victoria, your tone is unacceptable. If you have questions or concerns, you will voice them in a respectable manner.”
“Respectable—” Her eyes widened and she looked ready to scream, but to her credit, she had taken a deep breath and clenched her fists instead. “Why did you not let me change?” she demanded.
He had managed to keep his own irritation low as he leaned closer to her, letting her see his disappointment. “I wanted you to remain in your dress because I like the way you look in it. It was what I wanted.”
“So I’m just to walk around doing what you order. I’m just a toy for you to play with?”
“Not at all. Lower your voice.” He studied her for a moment and placed a hand over her clenched fist. “What’s come over you? You seemed fine during dinner, but I think all this mess with work is starting to get to you.”
“So it’s because of my feeble female mind that I’m upset and not your barbaric, rude, behavior?” She nearly yelled her question at him.
He knew a fit when he saw one after living with Isabella her entire life. Victoria was stressed and tired, and as much as she hated to admit it, she had been having a fit in the back of his car instead of dealing with what was really bothering her.
As much as he understood it, he wouldn’t allow it. He hadn’t responded to her last outburst. He had turned to face the front of the car, keeping his hand over hers, remaining completely silent. She calmed herself and sank into the seat beside him. Victoria didn’t try to pull her hand away, but she didn’t look at him either.
When they had arrived in the suite, he had locked the door and instructed her to go to the bedroom, remove her clothing, and stand in the corner.
The surprise in her eyes when she faced him told him she had thought her outburst forgotten. “Why?” she demanded, but he could see the understanding in her eyes.
“Because I need a few minutes to calm myself before I administer your punishment. Now, go… Do as I say.” He willed himself not to break when her eyes had filled with tears.
“I-I know I agreed… but… I can’t,” she had whispered.
“You can, and you will.” He had remained firm in his stance, but it took everything in him to do so. She looked so frail when her shoulders drooped as she walked to the bedroom.
The text from his sister came as he sat staring at Victoria’s beautifully round, milky-white bottom from the bed. He decided to leave Isabella to her husband and deal with his own hot-headed woman.
“Victoria, tell me what worries you right now,” he asked from the bed. “Don’t turn around yet.” He waved his hand at her when she began to move.
Sighing, she rested her head against the wall. “I’m worried that I’m going to become a dull-witted idiot if I let you spank me like some child.”
“Why did you earn the spanking?”
“I yelled at you in the car.” She sounded so forlorn he had to fight the urge to take her in his arms to comfort her.
“You had a temper tantrum, yes?”
“I guess.” She nodded.
“Come here.” He spread his legs so she could stand between them. Once she was positioned, he held her hands and looked up at her. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and he wiped them away. “You are far from a dull-witted idiot. You are extremely talented, intelligent, and sharp-witted. The fact that I’m going to spank your ass until it’s red has nothing to do with that. Many women are disciplined in the same way, and it doesn’t diminish them one bit.”
“I know.” She nodded with a little sniffle. “I know that in my head, but I’m still worried. I mean… You didn’t even let me decide what I would wear tonight, or let me finish s
aying goodbye. You made all my decisions.”
“And you didn’t like that at all?”
“It felt odd to give the control to you. I mean, not horrible, but different.”
“Would you rather I not make decisions on your clothing? I won’t do it all the time, but sometimes, I’ll want you to wear something special or not wear something when I choose.” His thumbs rubbed her wrists.
“I get to choose?”
He gave a little laugh. “Of course you do. I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel badly about yourself or our relationship. If you say your clothing is off limits, I’ll respect that.”
“Oh.” Her lips curved downward and she took a deep breath. “I guess it’s okay. I mean, so far, you haven’t been an overbearing ass. I just… Well, I think I’m a little more stressed out than I thought about work.”
He grinned at her. “I don’t doubt that. You’ll let me start looking into the situation. Even if you decide not to come home with me this weekend, I need to know your business has not suffered because of me.”
“Okay. You can do whatever you do to make these things better.” She nodded. “Does this mean we can skip the spanking? I’m really sorry I blew up at you like that. It’s not like me to do something so childish.”
He shook his head and firmed up his jaw. “No. You still have to pay the consequences of your actions. And once it’s over, you’ll feel even better. Now. Lay over my lap.” He let go of her hands and moved his arms out of the way to give her room.
As though she were headed to her execution, she slowly lowered herself across his lap until her bottom was draped over his right knee. He wrapped his arm around her waist and began rubbing the white globes of her ass.
“Since you’ve never been spanked for being naughty, I won’t be overly harsh. But you must understand, in the future, any sort of outburst like that one in the car will be dealt with in the same manner as this, each and every time. We must always treat each other with respect, no matter what.”
“Yes, I know.” She nodded but didn’t look at him.
He could feel the tension in her back. “I did warn you after the small outburst in your office, didn’t I?”
“Yes. You did,” she ground out. “Please, can you just get it over with?”
He grinned down at the back of her head. The waiting was killing her. Pulling his hand back, he began to thrash her backside. Leaving no area of her round buttocks untouched, he placed slap after slap all around. Quickly, she began to squirm in his grasp.
“Okay… Okay… Please… I’m sorry.” Her hand flew back to try and protect her backside, but he merely snatched it up and held it behind her. Her legs kicked, and she wiggled hard, but nothing stopped him from delivering the spanking he knew she deserved.
After several minutes, and when her ass felt warm under his hand, he slowed the spanks. “You will always be respectful to me, and I will be to you. No matter what the situation. Name calling, yelling, and other rude gestures are not allowed between us.” He emphasized his rule with a harsh slap to the underside of her butt.
He began another volley of swats when her body sagged over his lap. She finally gave in and stopped struggling against him. “I’m sorry, Raphael. I’m so sorry.” He could hear her crying and feel her shoulders shaking, and he stopped the spanking. Going any further would be useless. His point had been made, and she had reached the place where she could let go of her remorse and focus on them again.
She lay over his lap, crying quietly for several moments, with his hand rubbing her back as she did so. Once she regained her composure, he pulled her up and put her on his lap, tucking her head beneath his chin.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered again.
“Shhh… It’s over now, Victoria.” He kissed the side of her head and rocked her gently.
“What am I going to do if I lose my company? As it is, I’m not sure I can afford to keep Jessie on the payroll, and Lilly is up for her quarterly commission bonus.”
“Money isn’t an issue. I’ll take care of those things for you.”
“No.” She shook her head and pushed against his chest. Furrowed brows framed her hard eyes as she met his gaze. “You can’t fix this for me. I’m not a stupid woman who needs her boyfriend to fix every little problem she faces.”
He pinched her chin between two fingers and brought her chin up a bit. “I am not fixing anything for you. I’m helping you. There is nothing wrong with needing help.”
“You never need help.” The pout in her voice made him want to grin and kiss her, but he needed her to understand his motives.
“I need help more often than you think. For example, when I saw you hanging out of my windows and nearly killing yourself, I needed the help of a very strong brandy to calm me down. When you left to come home instead of staying with me, I needed the help of several of my friends to keep me from stopping your plane from taking off. And when I see the woman I love struggling with something I can help with and she won’t let me? I need the help of my open palm and her bare ass to get through to her.”
Her eyes widened, but she let out a soft laugh. He released her chin and she snuggled back into his chest. “Did you say love?” Her voice was nearly lost in the air, it was so soft.
“I did.” He nodded, bumping his chin on her head when he did so.
“You love me?”
Raphael wanted to see her eyes when he said the words, but she didn’t seem in the mood to comply. She continued to hide against him. “I do. I love you very much, Victoria. I’m in love with you. Did you think I would follow you across continents just because I wanted to sleep with you?”
“Well, you have commented several times this week that you have never seen such a pretty… well… never mind.” He didn’t need to see her to know her cheeks blushed.
He pushed her from his chest and adjusted his seating so that his erection didn’t poke her hip as she sat on his lap. He met her eyes again. “Victoria, I’m in love with you. Not because of your pretty pussy, but because everything about you makes me want to be my best for you. But I know you still have a few days to decide, and I won’t ask for your decision now.”
“That’s why you want to give me money?”
He laughed. “Yes, that, and I want your company to stay afloat until we figure out who is trying to destroy it because it would make you happy. And what makes you happy makes me happy. We are a team, you and I.”
“As your wife, I won’t be allowed to continue my business.” Her lips turned downward. “I would just be your wife in your country.”
“Women have a lot more rights than you think. If you really wanted to keep your business, we’d find a way. Don’t let that be your reason to say no to me.”
Her hands moved to his face. The gentle touch of her fingers on his skin soothed the tension out of his jaw. “I love you, too, Raphael.” Her whispered confession hefted a heavy stone from his chest. “I’m nervous about our future, though.”
“Did the spanking hurt so badly?” he teased, rubbing his hand over her still warm ass.
She laughed. “It was much more fun in my fantasies, I’ll admit to that.”
“Tell me some of your other fantasies,” he ordered. Enough seriousness had passed between them. She loved him. Everything else would be worked out later.
He slid her from his lap and laid her across the bed, blanketing her with his body. “Tell them all to me.” He started kissing her, and one gentle kiss to her cheek turned into hard, possessive kisses to her mouth and the rest of her body.
One thought ran through his mind over and over again. She loved him.
VICTORIA
Victoria stood in the bathroom at her office, staring at her backside in the mirror. Other than one very small bruise on the bottom of her cheek, all remnants of her spanking the previous night were gone. She had to admit, she was no longer a fan of disciplinary spankings. She would rather have those stay in her fantasies, accepting only fun, erotic spankings in rea
l life.
She smoothed down her skirt and rechecked her makeup before leaving the washroom and heading back to her desk. When she walked through the door, she found Bernardo standing in the middle of the room—still handsome, but quickly losing his appeal with his stalker personality.
“Victoria.” He greeted her with a grin. He made no move to touch her.
“Bernardo. Good morning.” She tried to remain civil. He wasn’t like most of the men she turned down. He frightened her.
“I won’t stay long.” He put his hands in the air. “I understand you have chosen that prince over me. As much as I want you, I won’t go to war with him over it. There’s enough to deal with without adding a woman to it.”
“Gee, your romantic side is showing.” Her tight smile amused him. He’d been so different the first night they met. Even at the club, he hadn’t been so callous. Then again, perhaps in time, he would have shown her this side of him.
“Ah. Yes.” He laughed, moving to stand closer to her. His aftershave filled the space between them. She found it stuffy and harsh. “Had you chosen more wisely, you would have quickly seen my romantic side. But, you’ve chosen that man. Tell me, Victoria, are the rumors true about the prince’s sexual tastes? Does he tie you to his bed and whip you hard until you can barely breathe before he fucks you? Or maybe he hangs you from the ceiling and uses you as his piñata?” His sneer, coupled with his words, sent a shiver of warning down her spine.
“I thought you said you didn’t care that I was with the prince.” She thrust her chin outward in defiance. Where were the guards? Raphael had told her since he was busy with meetings that morning, he would leave a man outside her office. How did Bernardo get past him? Lilly and Jessie were both out of the office. She and Bernardo were alone, a fact that made her chest tighten.
“I said I wouldn’t start a war over you. And I won’t. But I will get some use out of you.” He trailed his finger down her jaw. She jerked her face away from him.
