As he claimed her mouth harder still, his lips stung. Raine’s fingers dug into his scalp. Her nipples tightened, and Macen longed to tear off his shirt to feel them against his bare chest.
He dragged his palms down her back, around her waist, as he ate at her mouth. Twisting the small button of her skirt free, Hammer slowly eased the zipper down and pushed at the garment. It fell down her legs.
As he released her mouth, he fused his gaze all over her. He exposed the lovely red ridges—signs of his possession—he’d left earlier on the inside of her snowy thigh and the pad of her smooth pussy. Those brands called to him, tempting him. He couldn’t resist that lure.
Around him, the crowd murmured louder, clearly noting the imprints, too. No doubt they were speculating even now that he’d left those bites on her tender flesh. Hammer’s nostrils flared. Satisfaction filled him.
He inched in close to Raine’s ear. “Step out of your skirt.”
“Yes,” Raine replied. “Sir.”
She’d finally called him Sir in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Pride wasn’t the only thing of Hammer’s that swelled as she affirmed to all around her that she belonged to him. And amid the escalating murmurs, he couldn’t help the gratified smile that pulled at his lips.
With a graceful elegance, Raine stepped from the puddle of clothes at her feet, then cast her gaze toward the floor. God, she’d become the epitome of submission, clearly striving to represent him, as well as herself, in a light so positive it was all but blinding.
Hammer’s world narrowed to only her. He’d always suspected she’d be utterly amazing, but watching her now stirred his Dominance all the way to its depths.
“Climb on the bench.”
She raised her eyes first, reflecting the total trust and faith she had in him. When she extended her hand, Macen helped her kneel on the leather, moving in close behind her as she bent and settled her body over the extended padded surface. He dragged his fingertips down the line of her spine in a whisper-soft touch. Goose bumps peppered her flesh. Turning her head toward him, she focused on his face as he traced indiscriminate patterns over her skin, then issued a soft sigh and closed her eyes.
“You’re like velvet,” he murmured, feeling her tension begin to bleed away beneath his fingers. “Supple. Silky. Warm. Are you ready to take my pleasure and my pain?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Raine’s reply was so soft Hammer almost missed it. But he caught the note of anxiety in her tone. A tiny ripple of tension made her flesh quiver as she waited. Hammer studied her, considering the girl with a frown. She’d come out of the gate so brave. He refused to let her worry or cower now and cling to her power.
Flinging his hand in the air, Macen sent it crashing down and landed a brittle slap across her ass. His palm caught fire as a thin wail tore from her throat. His cock, strangling within the confines of his trousers, twitched as he drank in her cries.
“I can’t hear you,” Hammer barked.
Raine’s head snapped up. She sucked in a shuddering breath. “Yes, Sir.”
Skimming his palm over the imprint blossoming all angry and red, Hammer bent to whisper in her ear.
“Let my burn sink into your bones,” he commanded. “Take my pain. Let it wash over you and carry you away.”
Leaning out to watch Raine’s face, Macen continued to caress the sting away as she lowered her head once more and worked to calm her breathing. Dialed in on her every nuance, he noted that the little line between her eyes he’d spied at breakfast had grown sharper and deeper.
“I’m trying, Sir.”
“You’re doing well, precious. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
Hammer moved to the side of the bench and caressed his way up her torso before wedging his hand beneath her breast. He teased her nipple between his finger and thumb. Raine’s breath caught on a moan. The line between her brows began to smooth. Hammer smiled.
She’d done a hell of a lot more than try. Raine had processed that slap as if she’d been a well-trained sub. Sometimes, like now, she utterly amazed him.
“Thank you, Sir.” Her voice quivered. A new frown tugged at the corners of her lips.
One well-placed spank wasn’t going to erase her concern for Liam. Hammer knew he needed to help Raine empty her mind by overloading her with sensation.
Feathering kisses down her shoulders, back, and ass, he punctuated each with a fiery scrape of his teeth. He bit into her hip and sucked for a long, satisfying second, then pulled at her flesh as he eased away.
Raine squealed and jolted, her legs flailing involuntarily and almost clipping Hammer in the jaw. He grabbed her ankles and pressed her feet back on the padded surface, then laved his tongue over the soft flesh of her ass.