Her temples started to pound. “I’ve amended my earlier assessment of the man.” Hoping to change the subject, Gracie stood and went to the fridge. “I’m hungry. We never had breakfast.” She pul ed the door open, then bent to see what sort of groceries Wade stocked. She saw a package of lunchmeat and a container of sliced cheese. Sandwiches would do the trick. “Want me to make lunch while you go through the e-mails?” When no response was forthcoming, Gracie turned her head to see if Wade had heard. He was watching her, his eyes dark with passion. He looked her over from head to toe, pausing for a heart-pounding few seconds on her upraised backside. Her too large backside, she thought, which was facing him in the broad light of day. Oh, God. Gracie quickly straightened and closed the refrigerator door. Wade shut the computer, then stood and came toward her. Every one of her survival instincts screamed for her to move away. Retreat. Instead, she seemed frozen in place. The closer he came, the faster Gracie’s pulse beat. She backed against the counter, clutching onto the edge to keep from melting into the floor.
Once Wade was a few inches in front of her, his strong, masculine scent fil ing her senses, he growled, “Tel me the truth. Have you changed your mind about Hard & Dangerous?”
Gracie hadn’t expected him to take her so seriously. Al of a sudden she seemed incapable of lying to him. Stil , she wasn’t wil ing to give him that much leverage over her either, so she merely shrugged and let him decipher for himself what it meant.
Wade backed up a step, jaw clenched tight, the muscles in his forearms flexing as if he were trying very hard to keep from pouncing. The image of him unleashing al that untamed passion brought her back to the night before. He’d strummed her body like an expert. No man had ever taken such care, spent more time pleasing her.
“Turn around.” Wade’s deep voice al owed no room for argument.
And stil , Gracie pushed. “Why?”
Wade planted both hands on the counter beside her, caging her in. “Do as I said, Gracie.”
In that moment in time, Gracie knew the truth. Wade owned her. Irrevocably and completely. She would do anything for him. The notion sent a jolt of fear clear to her soul. No man should ever have such power over a woman.
On shaking legs, Gracie turned and faced the kitchen cabinets. Waiting, for what she didn’t know, proved to be a lesson in patience. It seemed like an hour passed before Wade spoke again. This time, his words had her pussy creaming.
“You lied to me, baby,” he whispered, his lips caressing the shel of her ear. “As far as I can see there’s only one thing to do about that.”
Gracie braced herself, anticipating the spanking she knew Wade would deliver. Only nothing happened. “Wade?”
“Hush, Gracie. I won’t be rushed.” When large hands cupped her buttocks and squeezed, Gracie groaned. “You wanted me for months, but you turned me down. Time and again. And then you have the nerve to lie about it to my face. That’s very naughty.” He caressed her through the denim, and Gracie knew a kind of torment she’d never experienced before. She ached to have his hard, cal oused hands against her flesh.
Warming her with the erotic spanking she knew was coming.
Stil , he took his time.
“So many times I went home after one of your rejections and was forced to take myself in hand. Do you know what that means, Gracie?”
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. His hands kept petting and kneading. She shook her head from side to side, already losing the thread of the conversation.
“It means, my Fiery Angel, that I unzipped my jeans and pul ed out my cock,” he whispered. “I had to wrap my own fist around it. Your image stayed in my head while I stroked. Your denials too. I came, vowing that someday soon it’d be your pussy I pumped ful of my seed, instead of a damn tissue.”
“Oh, Wade,” she whimpered, as the image he’d created with his words flitted through her head.
“And final y here we are.” Wade’s big, warm hands cupped and massaged; he was driving her insane with his words and touches both. “I’ve fucked this tight little ass. I’ve fil ed your hot cunt. And you’ve taken me to heaven with that pretty mouth of yours. Unfortunately, you had to go and tel that little fib about not wanting me.”
“I-I can’t help it. I’m not used to feeling so . . .” She simply couldn’t put into words the way he made her feel.
“Vulnerable?” he helpful y supplied. Gracie nodded, knowing that’s exactly what had her so scared. “You think it’s any easier for me? You can’t breathe without my taking notice of it, Gracie. Everything about you fascinates me.”
Facing away made it easier to speak her mind, Gracie realized. For the first time, she let down the wal s protecting her heart. “You’re too intense, Wade. I don’t know what to do with you half the time. I feel like a five-year-old going to kindergarten for the first time.”
“These are feelings we can work out. There’s no rush. I don’t need you to be a relationship expert. I only need you to be you. Open. Honest.
Wil ing to embrace what we could have together.”
She had no words. Wade already knew how she felt about relationships, so reiterating it seemed pointless. Instead, she stayed silent and waited.
Several seconds went by before Wade murmured, “So stubborn. Soon you’l see that I’m a good bet, sweetheart.” One strong arm wrapped around her waist. “Until then, there’s the little matter of your discipline.”
Gracie’s legs trembled as Wade unbuttoned her jeans. The zipper went down next. He pushed, and the material slid down over her hips to pool at her ankles. She felt him grip her panties and yank. The fragile silk tore in two. She moaned, more than ready to step out of her jeans and give him complete access to her body, but he stopped her with a hand on her hip.
“No. Stay stil . I like you like this. Shackled at the ankles and at my mercy.” Wade rubbed his palm over one cheek, and Gracie tensed. “God, I fucking love this ass. So round and creamy. I want to see it al pink, Gracie. I want you to have a stinging reminder of what happens if you ever choose to lie to me again.”
Gracie took a single breath, then yelped as Wade delivered the first hard swat to her bottom. She grabbed the counter harder and waited for the next, her clit throbbing and swol en, juices spil ing down her thighs. She didn’t have to wait long before Wade’s palm came down a second and a third time.
“Reach down and play with your soft little pussy, Gracie. Do it now.”