Fire lashed my skin, and I forgot all about his arousal. My entire body tensed at the blazing heat of the belt slapping my tender skin, and I released a strangled cry at the sudden shock of pain.
“What did you say to that cop?” He punctuated the demand with three more lashes.
I choked on a shriek, and my hands locked around his calf as though clinging onto him for support, even though he was the last person I should cling to in this awful moment. My pink floral rug blurred through the tears in my eyes, and my cheeks burned almost as hot as my enflamed skin where he’d struck me.
“Answer me.” The leather tapped my stinging skin in warning.
“Nothing!” I insisted, breathless. The belt lifted, threatening. “No, wait! He did offer to help me. But I didn’t say anything to him. I asked him to leave me alone. I swear.”
“And why would he offer to help you? How do you know him?”
I shook my head wildly, not daring to speak about how I’d first met Morales; I didn’t want to remind him of my betrayal.
“You will be honest with me.” Three more harsh lashes drew a scream from my chest as fire licked my skin. “How do you know him?” he repeated, allowing me a beat to catch my breath.
“He’s…” I choked on a sob, my entire body shaking with a rush of terror. Once I revealed the truth, he’d surely lose his temper. This would get so much worse.
A big, calloused hand settled on my enflamed bottom, the steady pressure pushing the heat deeper into my flesh. His thumb stroked my stinging skin, and a strange shivery sensation raced over my body.
“Answer me, Isabel.” His voice was a deep rumble, and the hardness against my belly pulsed. An answering pulse between my legs had me squirming over his lap again. His fingernails bit into my abused flesh, forcing me to stillness and layering fresh, sharper points of pain over the burn that’d settled deep into my core.
I licked my lips, tasting the salt of my tears on my tongue. “He’s the one who told me to write the blog post,” I said in a rush, knowing I couldn’t deny him. I was trapped in his strong arms, utterly vulnerable to more of his unyielding discipline. “But I didn’t say anything to him today,” I babbled on, my fingers curving into his leg as I clung on tighter, anticipating another blow. “I told him to leave me alone.”
“You said he offered to help you.” Sebastián’s tone was unreadable, and his huge hand squeezed my tingling bottom, drawing a hiss from me as a fresh wave of heat pulsed through my body. “Are you sure you didn’t say you wanted his help? You’re holding something back. Don’t lie to me.”
I released a small groan, dreading what was to come. But I had no choice. I had to tell the truth. This wouldn’t end until I did. “I thought about accepting,” I admitted. “I thought about going with him. But I didn’t,” I rushed to add. “I swear I turned him down before Rafael came in to get me.”
“Why?” Sebastián demanded, willing me to yield every ounce of the truth. “You wanted to go with him. You don’t want to be in this marriage. Why would you turn him down when he offered to help you? I want the whole truth, Isabel.” He punctuated the last with two hard swats, using his hand this time. It stung less fiercely than the belt, but it made me feel even more vulnerable.
My voice was little more than a whisper when I gave him the truth. “Because I knew you would suffer if I betrayed the cartel again.”
He went utterly still, his muscles tense around me. “Be honest with me, Isabel.” He rumbled the gravelly warning, and his nails bit into my tingling skin again.
The little pinpricks of pain sparked through my flesh, tingling deep in my core. The hard bud between my legs pulsed in time with my racing heart, and a strange whimper eased from my chest. I pressed my heated cheek into his leg, squeezing my eyes shut against the forbidden sensations.
“I am being honest,” I squeaked. “Stefano said you were responsible for me. So, I knew that you would be in trouble if I went with Morales. I wasn’t going to say anything to him. I wanted to, but I didn’t. I swear. I—”
My soft pleas ended on a gasp when two thick fingers dipped between my thighs, tracing the seam of my sex through my underwear. The cotton was soaked with slick heat from my core, a sign of arousal that baffled and embarrassed me.
But I couldn’t fight the moan of pleasure when his tender touch brushed over my aching clit. Bliss rushed through my body in a warm wave, spreading from my belly to my fingers and toes.