by Asha Daniels
I held my breath and walked closer, drawn to one after the other. I had no idea that there was such beautiful art, creations of remarkable moments capturing time, even the very soul of each and every subject. Blues were shimmering, dancing off the page, reds the very color of blood. And yellow like the most golden and perfect sunlight ever seen.
I weaved through the various stands, holding out my hand, yet not touching. But I could feel. I could envision his inner eye as he stood in front of the crystalline lake, snow covering the tree limbs and grass, rocks and shrubs, but the water continued to glimmer.
“Wow. Just wow.” I also noticed the paint strewn across every surface, strings of purple and orange, green and black covering the floors, the walls. Paint cans and buckets had been turned over, brushes tossed, sticking together. And canvases ripped and thrown on the floor. Discarded. This wasn’t about artistry but anger.
I moved closer to what was now nothing but garbage and eased to the floor. Very carefully I darted out my finger, touching the edges, pulling them together like the pieces of a puzzle. When there were three then four, I was forced to stifle a gasp. The painting was remarkable in resemblance, as if he’d been painting my likeness. But I could also see differences, subtle yet defined. This wasn’t me at all, but a woman he no doubt cared for very much. Reaching out, I allowed the tip of my index finger to trace the dried paint, the way her glorious strands of hair flitted against her eyes, her crooked smile and long neck. Exhaling, I brought my fingers to my lips, sliding a circle around them. My smile was just as crooked, my lips almost as full. Who was he painting and why?
“What the hell are you doing in here?”
His voice startled me so that I jumped up, almost knocking over an easel. I opened my mouth to answer but had no idea what to way. I’d invaded his private world without asking.
“I asked. What are you doing in here? Get out!”
When I managed to look toward him, I was shocked at the anger, the vehemence crossing his face, the veins bulging in his neck. “You were sleeping and I just wanted to know what was in here and-”
“You had no right!” He took several steps into the room until he was only a few feet away.
His entire body was shaking from the intensity of his rage. I huddled against the corner, taking deep breaths as I tried to figure out what to say to him. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to invade your privacy. I just wanted to know more about you.”
He raked both hands through his hair as he tipped his head back, the exclamation guttural, more like an incensed growl. He shot me another nasty glare. “Just go back to your room.”
“They’re beautiful.” I wasn’t certain what I hoped to accomplish from letting him know, but I felt compelled to tell him. I also believed he needed to hear it.
His eyes flitted back and forth, his chest continuing to heave. Even his hands were clenched, his legs apart as if in a fighter’s stance.
What had happened to this man to make him so bitter? “You’re very talented.”
Huffing, he said nothing, but his mouth moved.
We were at an impasse. There was no way he would allow me inside his realm. At least not tonight. But I would try again. I tugged at the blanket and walked around him. “You should punish me.” The instant the words blurted from my mouth, I was shocked, mortified but also tingling from excitement. I held my breath, waiting for the answer.
“What?” His voice had dipped to a dangerously low level.
“I… I shouldn’t have come into this room without your permission. I was wrong. I didn’t follow the rules. I should be punished.” I was standing outside of my body, watching a beautiful story, a magical moment. This was not the Megan who’d left for college, begging to be free from her father’s tyranny. This was not the Megan who’d longed for independence, evident in the decisions made. This was the real Megan. I was finally forced to accept the woman inside. I dared not look into his eyes for fear of humiliation.
He exhaled, hesitating. “Punishment.”
“Yes. I deserve it.” I couldn’t take not knowing. Darting a single glance, I expected confusion. Instead, I saw conviction.
He slowly turned his head, his eyes roaming up and down the length of my body. After taking a single step toward me, he looked away. “Discipline is a requirement in all aspects of life. That you will learn. Punishment is merely the consequence of being unable to maintain a life utilizing self-control. Obedience is only mastered if the training is accepted, embraced.”
The statement was enthralling. He understood. And he could see right through me. “Yes. I know, and I respect it.”
“Respect you will learn while under my roof. Go to bed.” With that, he turned away, his decision made.
I reached out my hand, my fingers curling. I wanted more interaction. I craved answers. No, I craved his firm hand. “Can I at least know your name?”
The silence was almost eerie, all consuming.
“I’m Megan.”
“I know your name.” His answer was curt, as if even saying my name was far too difficult.
I didn’t even care to ask how at this point. The chill had settled back in, the aches in my joints. I was a long way from recovery. “Well, goodnight. I promise not to come into this room again.” I counted to five before walking out the door. I’d so hoped he would respond in any manner. How could I be trapped here with someone who refused to talk to me?
“Razer.”
The single word was offered with no inflection, no emotion. Just a name, but one that almost drowned me in thoughts, the syllables so seductive.
“And I will take you at your word.”
“Thank you,” I managed before lowering my head and heading back to the bedroom. There was no reason why I should be afraid, but I was. But of him or losing myself?
Chapter 7
Razer
Punishment? Had she truly muttered the word? Could she understand what it meant? Jesus Christ. I followed her to the point of the hallway, watching as she gave me another respectful look before closing the door. Taking a long stride backwards, I was completely thrown. I would never have expected she would ask, almost beg for punishment. At least not this soon. My mind was muddled, complex emotions running high. I continued to feel the same blinding anger from her disrespecting my space, but I’d seen the dazzling twinkle in her eyes as she studied the art.
And she’d seen the very picture I’d torn into shreds. I walked back into the room, staring down at the beloved painting. She’d placed the pieces together, moving the tears into the right position. I hadn’t even realized the likeness. The painting could have been of Megan. Crouching down, I shuffled the pieces together, crinkling them in my hand. She would never understand the burning need to create, to move outside of myself.
“They’re beautiful.”
I could still hear her words, the sentiment behind them. I bristled, as if the single compliment should mean anything to me. No one had ever seen my paintings and they never would. The audacity of this woman to go behind a closed door, to stand in the middle of my work, my sacred work. Issuing an audible growl, I clenched my fists before heading toward the kitchen. A drink was necessary in order to calm the fuck down.
Yanking the whiskey bottle from the counter, I rustled through the cabinet, trying to find a clean glass. This was preposterous. To think that she’d asked a stranger to… I poured a hefty amount, taking a long swig as I thought again about her request. Punishment should have occurred. Megan did need to understand my rules, requirements I will institute. I wiped the sweat from my brow and weighed the options. Spanking her would mean crossing a line, and one neither she nor I could return from. The act could be considered abuse.
What did I care?
If she wanted to atone for her disobedience, then by God, I would give her exactly what she needed. I would be the man to help her understand she would change her ways now, without any hesitation.
Snorting, I took another gulp, glaring at the hallway leading
to her room. The man inside that I knew, that I’d allowed to take control had the answer. Slamming the glass on the counter, I stormed in the direction of her room.
Bam! Bam!
“Yes?” Her voice seemed expectant.
I opened the door, allowing the dim light to flow in. “Punishment. Do you know what you’re asking of me?”
She shrunk back, holding the blanket over her breasts. “Yes.”
“You’re certain?” I could see her lower lip quivering. I clenched my fist, trying to reconcile my decision.
“I know what I’m asking for. I deserve punishment.”
Even in the shadowed light, I could see the two distinct nods, heard the defiance in her voice. “Then I will whip you. You will learn. You will follow my every rule from now on, no matter what I ask. Is that clear enough for you, Megan?”
“Yes, sir.”
Hearing the level of atonement in her voice, the amount of respect, I was floored, never anticipating her conciliatory answers. When she rose to her feet, dropping the blanket, I was stunned, my heart racing, blood pumping to the point I was forced to blink several times in an effort to focus.
Megan’s body was trembling, and she lowered her head, her eyes pinned to the floor.
I had to take several deep breaths, trying to control nerves that I’d never experienced before. I’d been with many women in my life, countless takers, wanting more than just a kinky night in bed. This woman was beyond the scope of my understanding. She was challenging in her quiet manner of seduction, but she was trying to offer her respect. I forced my mind into the role of Dominant until a delicious series of electric jolts rushed all throughout my body. Walking past her, I turned on the single lamp positioned on the nightstand.
She shuddered given my action, her fists clenching by her side. Her breathing was rapid and the chill in the air kept her nipples hard.
Drawn to her alluring body, I was only inches away from the most pristine nirvana, yet I was frozen, an odd series of sensations keeping me from touching. No. You can do this. You want nothing more than to do this. God above help me, but I wanted to consume her. Instead, I sat on the edge of the bed, holding out my arm. “Take my hand.” Embracing her before had been entirely different, but as she reached out, every action tentative, I held my breath.
The very second our fingers touched, electricity crackled, sending searing current through every muscle. I could tell she was experiencing the same thing from the way her eyes flashed, the scattered moan that no doubt escaped.
She gasped, the broken sound turning into a slight whimper, her lower lip quivering. She darted her gaze, searching for my eyes, her pupils partially dilated.
The single touch was powerful and so intense and as I pulled her toward me, I was unable to breathe. Swallowing, I intertwined our fingers, if for only a moment, locking out the rest of the world until we were the only two people who mattered. “When I give a punishment, it is painful. Are you certain you understand?”
“As they should be.” Shoring her shoulders, she slanted her gaze once again to the floor, her role completely accepted.
And so, I pulled her over my knees, rubbing my fingers down the length of her spine to the crack of her ass. I was caught off guard by the slightest of red spots covering her ass, even the tops of her thighs. The markings had not been caused by her fall or the time spent in the snow. The girl was even more mysterious. She was holding secrets. I doubted there was anyone she’d met at the resort in a single night she would allow to touch her. Everything about this woman was beguiling, her scent intoxicating, driving my cock into a state of sheer agony. I had to control my needs, my dark desires or I would fuck her first. No. This wasn’t the time. She would be forced to come to me. Her decision.
“You’ve been spanked before.” Even the tone of my voice had changed, reflecting the man inside.
“Yes. I mean, yes, sir.”
“Recently.”
“I…” She groaned. “Self-inflicted.”
Why did the answer force swelling in my balls? “You will be spanked when I deem necessary as long as you are here. You are in my house. My rules.” I stared at the bulging veins in my arms. Everything in my body was on fire, rationality eclipsed by this almost desperate need.
“Yes, sir.”
She palmed the floor, her breathing surprisingly calm, resigned to the punishment she so desperately craved.
Closing my eyes briefly, I thought about the repercussions for the last time as I rubbed both ass cheeks. My God. I was shaking. Even my right foot was pumping, the slight tapping noise mixing with the sounds of my thudding heartbeat. “All women deserve a hard spanking.” My only reason for muttering the words was to allow her to back out.
For she would not have another opportunity.
Smack! Slap!
She moaned only once as she wiggled against my body.
Crack! Pop!
The tingling in my hand was pulling me into such an erotic state, need mixing with yearning.
Whack! Smack! Pop! Crack!
I peppered her ass with hard spanks, moving from one side to the other with practiced precision. And all the while my cock was begging for release.
“Oh!” Jerking up, she flailed her arm back, panting, her mouth twisting in pain.
“Stay in position. I will not hesitate to use my belt.” The thought alone was enough to make my mouth water. Hesitating, I held my breath, unused to the sensations, the way my skin tingled.
Slapping the floor, she continued undulating, sliding her naked pussy against my knees. I forcefully rubbed the beads of sweat from my forehead and tapped her on the ass, a mere reminder.
Pop! Slap!
“Ohh…” she cried yet remained in position.
With every hard strike, every time my hand smacked against her skin, I was thrown into the mind of the other man buried inside, one ruthless and centered, powerful. This was the kind of man she required. Her skin was marked, yet she would not bruise. But she would wear my marks and no one else’s.
Slap! Crack!
As the spanking continued, I could hear her breath sounds change. She was crying, letting go. Perhaps of guilt or remorse but falling into her own level of peace.
When I knew she’d had enough, I placed my hand on the small of her back. I wanted nothing more than to gather her into my arms, to cradle her against my chest, rubbing my hand down the back of her head. I longed to kiss her forehead, tell her what a good girl she’d been. Then why couldn’t I move?
I finally eased her off my lap, holding her just long enough to make certain she was all right before moving off the bed. “Get some rest. We will talk in the morning.”
“Don’t go, Razer. Please. Stay with me tonight.”
Hearing her voice, the imploring tone, seductive as well as gentle was so enthralling. I was still all over, terrified of what I might do to her. “You need your rest.” The sound was slight but just enough that I closed my eyes as she placed both hands on my back, her slender fingers caressing, kneading. “Megan. Don’t.”
“Why? Don’t you want me?”
“I’m…” How could I say the words? How could I tell her that I was all wrong for her?
Megan rubbed my shoulders, palming my upper back, using the flats of her hands to rub up and down, every move sensuous. She crawled her fingers around my waist, easing her arms lower.
I gripped her hands after a few seconds, grunting as I controlled my breathing. “Don’t. I could hurt you.”
“I’m not fragile.”
“Yet, I’m a monster.”
“I don’t believe that. You saved me.”
Inhaling, the scent of her became a drug, one I needed, one I would have. I kept my hand on top of hers, moving both ever so slowly down to my crotch. “Shit.” As she continued rubbing, rolling her fingers around in slow and even motions, I was lost to the desire, unable to stop what was about to happen. There was no right or wrong, no sense of myself. Only my desire.
Squeez
ing, Megan rubbed up and down, taking control, soft moans pushing past her lips.
When I could stand no more, I turned around, taking her face into both of my hands and lowering my head. The guttural sound of my voice was almost shocking. “I want you. I’m going to fuck you, fill you. Take you.”
Her lips parted, pouting. Her eyes sparkled, and she held my wrists, rising onto her tiptoes.
Crushing her mouth with mine, I held the moment before thrusting my tongue inside, tasting her sweetness, drinking in the essence of her. Our tongues entwined, and the kiss became more savage. My body was tense, adrenaline rushing into every cell. The intimate moment became frenzied as I explored the dark recesses of her mouth, my grip demanding. I wanted nothing more than to control every inch of her.
She moaned past the kiss, arching her back as if offering every inch of her body, perhaps her very soul.
Fisting her hair, I held her in position as I broke the kiss, sucking in her lower lip then mouthing her chin. Her neck. I bit down on her tender flesh, suckling the skin around her pulse of life. Nothing had ever tasted so damn good.
“Razer. Oh! Take me. Please.” She was lying limp in my arms, succumbing to my every need.
Hearing her soft whispers of surrender was the most perfect music. Cupping her breasts, the sensations were exactly as I’d imagined, soft and inviting, her supple skin molding to my fingers.
She fumbled with my buttons, her fingers unfastening until she could peel the shirt away and down my shoulders, the tips of her fingers dragging down my heated skin.
I jerked it off, tossing the unwanted material before gripping the back of her neck with one hand, pulling her into a deep arc as I lowered my head, flicking my tongue around her nipple. I swirled the tip around and around, cringing as my cock became pinched in my jeans. I needed relief soon. Damn soon.
“Oh!” Gripping my arms, she closed her eyes, allowing my full control.
I sucked and bit, moving from one hardened bud to the other, savoring the sweet taste of her as her scent filled my nostrils. So feminine. Musky. Leaning back, I licked my lips and pinched her nipple, grunting the moment she whimpered. I moved back and forth until her nipples were hard points, reddened and no doubt aching. Breathing a swath of hot air across both, I grunted my command. “You will do as I say.”
