by Avery Gale
The shocking realization he considered Savannah his hit him like a blow to the chest. He silently cursed his mother—she’d threatened to call one of her Voodoo buddies to cast a spell on him. Hell, he’d thought it was another one of her less than subtle hints about grandchildren, but now he had to wonder. His maternal great-something or other grandmother had been a well-known and, by all accounts, much-feared Voodoo Priestess. He’d never been particularly impressed, but his grandmother and mother had carefully cultivated and worked hard to maintain their New Orleans contacts over the years. Great, just fucking great. Now I’m worrying about hexes and spells. I’m going to be certifiable by the time we get Amaryllis Fitzgerald home.
“Have you finished your breakfast, Savannah?” She had been moving the remnants of her omelet around on her plate for several minutes—it was a safe bet nerves were overshadowing her appetite. She nodded and pushed the plate away with shaking fingers. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t allow her to avoid looking at him or to simply nod in answer, but he could see the lines of fear in her body language and wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. He was not looking forward to seeing Carter’s handprints on her ass, but it couldn’t be avoided.
“How many swats does she have coming?” He’d directed his question to Carter without ever taking his eyes off her.
“Six. Four for trying to avoid breakfast and two for rolling her eyes. She’s getting off easy on the second offense, because she was very candid in her explanation and Master Karl took pity on her.” Landon heard the amusement in Carter’s voice, but he doubted Savannah had.
“I have to say, I’m surprised Master Karl was so charitable since rolling her eyes gets his pretty sub in enough trouble to keep her from sitting through staff meetings at the hospital at least once a month.” He wasn’t surprised when Savannah didn’t react. He would have bet she’d have done her homework. And even though Mountain Mastery’s membership list wasn’t public information, there was very little the Agency couldn’t find out if they wanted the information badly enough.
If he’d been the one administering her spanking, he’d have her over his knees. He liked the intimacy, and subs typically found it much more difficult to hold themselves emotionally distant when their bare ass was positioned perfectly over their Dom’s lap. The increased vulnerability enhanced the connection, but she needed to bond with him, not Carter. It was unfortunate her first punishment wouldn’t be at his hand, but he planned to manage the scene closely—and that was going to have to be good enough.
“Come.” He walked around the table and held out his hand to her. There was only a brief hesitation before she placed her small hand in his much larger one. Lacing his fingers with hers, he could feel the fear she was working so hard to hide. It wouldn’t do him any good to tell her that her imagination was far worse than the reality, so he didn’t bother.
Carter followed them into Landon’s office. When Savannah heard the distinctive snick of the door lock, he felt the wave of panic move over her a split second before she tried to pull her hand from his. Before he could turn her to face him, she’d launched into full-blown panic. Her breathing accelerated to the point she was a heartbeat away from hyper-ventilating, and her eyes were impossibly wide. Savannah’s pupils so constricted he doubted she was even seeing clearly at this point. Her frantic glances to each side told him she was seconds from running. He heard Carter’s “What the fuck?” behind him but didn’t have time to respond.
“Savannah. Stop. Now.” He hadn’t shouted, but he’d infused his voice with every bit of dominance he could muster while banding her tightly against his chest. He knew she wasn’t thinking clearly. In truth, he’d expected her to meltdown before now. The only part of this that surprised him was how totally out of proportion her response was.
She went completely still in his arms, but the rapid rise and fall of her chest told him her body had responded to his command but her head hadn’t caught up yet. He kept her in his arms, rubbing his hand soothingly up and down her spine until he felt some of the tension drain from her muscles. “Tell me what triggered that response, Princess.” Whatever happened, they needed to conquer it before they went to Costa Rica. Absent that, he’d need to be meticulous about avoiding it and have a plausible story as to why.
When she didn’t immediately answer, he pulled back enough he could read her expression. Her eyes were still dilated with fear, but the wild look was beginning to fade to fatigue. Obviously, she was particularly vulnerable to adrenaline crash—another thing he needed to remember. Her gaze flickered to where Carter stood to the side before returning to Landon’s, and he saw her biting her lower lip as she fought through her unease.
“Answer the question honestly, Savannah. I assure you, Carter is not going to be insulted by anything but a lie.” Landon hoped like hell he hadn’t just misled her.
Carter nodded as he stepped closer. “Kitten, I think you’re letting your imagination run away with you. I am happy to help prepare you for the mission. But if something about my presence is causing a problem, I’ll step aside because your safety and your niece’s life are more important than my ego.”
She gave him a weak smile, but he knew Carter appreciated the effort. “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but…well, I don’t know you. And no one has ever hit me…except for training and that’s not really the same.” She’d stepped back far enough to twist her hands in front of her, and Landon stood quietly waiting for her to finish. He wasn’t surprised she hadn’t ever been spanked at home. But it was common for upper crust private schools to use corporal punishment, so he was shocked she hadn’t gotten at least one paddling there. Evidently, he’d gotten his and her share, and he’d only lasted one year.
He watched her shoulders slump and hated the bright sheen of unshed tears he saw in her eyes just before she dropped her chin. Landon gave Carter a quick hand signal encouraging him to do her punishment as a two-two-two series. She’d get two warm up swats, two punishment swats that might—emphasis on might—remind her to not roll her eyes, and then two erotic swats to show her spankings could also bring intense pleasure. Carter’s dark eyes studied him intently for long moments before he shook his head.
Carter stepped forward, lifted Savannah’s chin with his fingers, and smiled. God, she looked so forlorn Landon wanted to pull her into his arms and reassure her. Dammit, one small set-back didn’t equal failure, although he was willing to bet that was exactly how she was viewing it. “You are a beautiful woman, Savannah, and I’d love nothing more than feeling that sweet ass heat under my hand. But you’re pushing the clock on this thing, and you need to be focused on training with your Master. I’m going to ask him to administer the punishment you’ve earned.”
When the first tears breached the lower lids of her pretty blue eyes and rolled slowly down her cheeks, Landon clenched his fists. Carter framed her face with his hands and brushed them away with his thumbs. His expression wasn’t lustful—fuck, the gesture would have appeared almost brotherly if she hadn’t been naked. But Landon knew Carter had been looking for a woman like Savannah for a long time, and it was impossible to deny his relief at the man voluntarily stepping back.
Savannah surprised them both when she wrapped her arms around Carter, giving him a quick hug. Seeing her small body contrasted beside Carter’s much larger frame emphasized the D/s dynamic he knew Carter was searching for. Hell, she was practically a textbook example of the women his friend had always dated. Landon heard the growl of frustration rumble in his own chest followed by Carter’s chuckle. “Kitten, I don’t think your Master appreciates your affectionate nature as much as I do. Perhaps you should reconsider your loyalty to him when this is all over. I’m much more open-minded.”
“Out. Now.” Landon’s snarled words didn’t faze Carter in the least. The damned man gave him a knowing look as he made his way out the door. He and Carter had been friends for several years and the skeptical glare he’d given Landon was easy to interpret. The other man wasn’t
buying the story this was all about the mission.
Chapter Ten
Savannah was certain there’d been some sort of silent communication between Landan and Carter, but she didn’t understand exactly what had taken place. She’d already guessed Carter would be accompanying them to Costa Rica. She wasn’t sure why they hadn’t mentioned it yet, but she wasn’t going to let them off the hook, either. Dammit, they can just suck it up and tell me the truth. It frustrated her to admit how much the secrecy bothered her. So much for considering her an equal partner in her training and the op.
Obviously, her sudden swell of frustration hadn’t gone unnoticed. When her thoughts returned to the here and now, Landon studied her with a practiced eye. “Tell me.” It was a simple enough command, but she wasn’t in the mood to let him off so easily.
Raising one of her perfectly shaped brows in question, Savannah gave him a look she doubted any man on Earth would misread. Not going to make this easy for you, jerk. You want the information, work for it.
“Your defiance just doubled your punishment, Princess. Better answer before you are in way over your head.” The muscles in his jaw twitched from being clenched so tightly, and his words were pinched out in frustration. Too fucking bad.
Stiffening her spine helped shore up her resolve, and Savannah lifted her chin. “I’m tired of being treated like a robot. I understand I’m supposed to be learning to play the role of a sex slave, but it’s just that…a role. No actor needs to live their characters twenty-four-seven to play a part. I’m a trained operative. I’m smart, and I’m capable. What I’m not is a brainless twit you need to hide mission details from. We are supposed to be partners, and it appears we have entirely different perceptions of what that means.”
Damn, it felt good to unload on him. She’d been holding in her anger and frustration since the moment she’d heard Amy had been kidnapped off the street. He’d called her defiant…well, the jerk had no idea just how damned defiant she could be. “What is it about me that make you think I’m nothing but an air-headed twit you need to shield from the real facts of the case? I understand the information will likely scare the shit out of me. I get it…I do! But dammit to dachshunds, I deserve to be included. I don’t like this dance of deception you all are orchestrating…not even a little. I know you’d rather have someone else, but we have to make this work for Amy’s sake. Can you put aside your personal disdain for me until we get her home? Then you can go back to avoiding me like the plague. I’ll stay as far from you as possible…I swear. I’m not a glutton for punishment. You aren’t exactly good for a girl’s ego, you know.”
Her heart hammered in her chest, and her breathing was so fast and shallow it was little more than panting. Fucking hell. She hated losing control, and that’s exactly what she’d done. Landon didn’t say anything for long moments. He just watched her. She could feel his eyes taking in every clue her body language was broadcasting and had never felt as naked as she did in his moment. His eyes flashed with something close to disbelief before he masked it quickly.
He’s a jackass who didn’t deserve your attention…he’s a jackass who didn’t deserve your attention…He’s a… She kept repeating the mantra over and over to herself. It was the only thing keeping the tears burning the backs of her eyes from unleashing in a torrent. In Savannah’s opinion, her biggest weakness was crying when she was pissed off, because it was like throwing gas on a fire. The whole thing was a vicious cycle…get pissed, cry, then get pissed off for crying, and cry more.
For the first time in years, Savannah was homesick. Not because she missed her family, but she missed the small gym. Her parents built it at the back of estate because they hadn’t wanted it cluttering their stately home. The separate building nestled in the trees, barely visible from the main house. They’d subtly added a living unit, and she’d happily complied.
On days like today, she could be found with her hands wrapped and shoved into gloves, pounding the training bag hanging in the corner. Letting her anger vent through pure physical exertion was the only way to control the rage she felt whenever she was discounted because of her looks or simply because of the family she’d been born into. Why people couldn’t seem to understand the perks came with huge burdens was a mystery to her.
It didn’t matter that she was naked as the day she was born standing in front of the man whose face she saw in her dreams…it was her father’s voice she heard in her head. “To those whom much is given, much is expected, Savannah. Fitzgeralds don’t cry, and they don’t let their opponents see them sweat.”
Finally! Landon had started to worry the woman didn’t have what he considered a snap-point. He could have broken her the first day. But he didn’t want to break her. He simply wanted to see some of the fire burning behind those icy blue eyes. She’d been patient to a fault and so compliant he’d started to wonder if there was anything left of the woman he’d known two years ago. Breathing a sigh of relief, he was grateful the spirit he’d admired was still there.
“We’re going to talk about what triggered your outburst, but one thing at a time. Come.” He shackled her wrist with his hand and pulled her to the sofa. He sat down but left her standing just to his right. “What’s your safe word, Princess?” It wasn’t easy to hold back his smile when her eyes went impossibly wide, but he was satisfied when she repeated what she’d been told verbatim. “Good girl. Use it if you need to, but be sure it’s because you cannot physically or emotionally endure any more. Using your safe word simply because you are uncomfortable means we’ll be turning this case over to the McCalls.”
Landon watched the muscles in her jaw tighten with resolve. Stubborn little sub. He gave her arm a quick pull, and she landed over his lap. Her squeak of surprise made him smile, and he was glad she hadn’t yet noticed the mirror a few feet away. She’d see it soon enough, and he hoped by then she would be too lost in the pleasure to be embarrassed. Savannah was a beautiful woman, but her sexuality had barely been tapped. Her position was so erotically vulnerable he worried she’d retreat if she saw herself the way he did. It was time to get started. Keeping her off-center was his best hope for knocking down the walls she kept so carefully erected around her heart.
Sliding her forward until her ass was peaked and perfectly positioned for his hand, Landon stroked over the pale silk of her skin. “You have a world-class ass, Princess. High and tight with perfectly rounded cheeks. I can hardly wait to see what shade of pink your ivory skin blushes.” Before she had a chance to tense, Landon landed the first swat.
She gasped, and he felt her hand wrap tightly around his ankle. “You have eleven more to go, Princess. We’re going to start out slow. Several warm-up swats first.”
“Wh…what? Warm-up? Slow?”
He landed two more stinging swats in quick succession. “Would you like to rephrase that before we begin again?”
“Again, sir?” She was definitely a quick study. He made no attempt to hold back his chuckle.
“Yes, we’ll begin again. I prefer to give warm-up swats to start. It brings the blood to the surface and will help prevent bruising.” Although, with her light complexion and the added slaps on her up-turned ass, there was a good chance she’d carry the evidence of her punishment for a couple of days. Unfortunate, but not unacceptable. It was important to maintain consistency in her training, so he reminded himself to begin as he intended to go.
“Since this is your first punishment, I’ll narrate, so to speak. But the price of this consideration is that I won’t allow you to speak again unless you’re using your safe word.” As he’d been speaking, he felt her relaxing over his knees. Savannah might not realize it, but on some level, she trusted him. He hated how much his rejection had hurt her, but he’d made the best decision he could at the time.
When he’d finished warming her up, Savannah’s ass was already scarlet red and hot to his touch. He wasn’t going to be able to increase the intensity of the swats by much or she’d carry the bruises for a damned week.
Her breathing was ragged, but when he checked her reflection in the mirror, he didn’t see any evidence of fear.
“Open your legs for me, Princess.” Her reaction wasn’t immediate, which earned her another quick slap to her already heated flesh. When her thighs parted, he could see the glistening evidence of her arousal. “Well, well. It looks like someone is enjoyed their warm-up.” Hell, her responses so far were almost perfect. She’d barely made a sound since he’d warned her about talking out of turn, but her body was speaking for her—loud and clear. He slid his fingers through the slick folds of her sex and watched her entire body stiffen in response. Her soft gasp preceded a rush of her cream flowing over his fingers.
Landon fought the urge to push his fingers deep into her heat. God, he’d love to see how quickly he could finger fuck her to a screaming release. He positioned a thick finger at the entrance to her vagina and smiled when he felt the muscles flex as if they were trying to pull him inside. She was soaking wet and he wondered if she knew how thrilled he was with her response. “Such a greedy little slave. You’ve forgotten you still have two punishment swats coming before we discuss that orgasm your body is clamoring for.”
Her moan of frustration changed to a shriek when he pulled his fingers back and slapped her with a solid swat. The heat would have been entirely different from the warm-ups she’d gotten, but she didn’t make any attempt to move off his lap. “Tell me why you’re being punished, Princess.”
She gulped in air before telling him again about her reluctance to enter the room when she’d seen Senator Tyson sitting at the table and rolling her eyes when Carter insisted she open her legs while she ate. He knew she understood on a cognitive level why Carter wanted her exposed, but until she experienced what it felt like to fully submit, she wouldn’t understand the real significance of the command. If she belonged to him, Savannah wouldn’t think twice about entering a room bare—she’d be confident to the depths of her soul he’d never humiliate or endanger her. The confidence that level of trust gave a woman was intoxicating.
