He stares at the envelope that I’ve placed on top of one of the place settings for a long moment before shaking his head. With purposeful, heavy steps he moves around the long table toward me. My insides want me to turn and run from the room, his eyes have darkened so much. But I curl my toes inside the ballet flats, a pseudo anchor.
When he gets to where I put the envelope he stops. “Men who defy me rarely live to make the mistake a second time.” He drags his gaze up from the table to meet mine.
I fold my hands in front of me to keep them from shaking.
“I’m not one of your men.” I raise my chin defiantly, as though this somehow shows him how strong I am. “So, if you’re telling me that to scare me, it’s not working.” I’m such a fucking liar.
The left corner of his mouth hikes up, like I’ve just told him something amusing.
“No. You aren’t one of my men, but you are mine. You did offer yourself, isn’t that right?” He steps closer to me. The stale smell of that cigarette hangs between us.
I swallow, trying to keep the fear from turning into an all-out scream. “I did.”
He lifts his hand up to my cheek, dragging the back of his knuckles along my jaw.
Is he going to hit me?
“Turn around.” He drops his hand and takes a step back from me.
“Turn around?”
He raises his eyebrows, like he’s not sure how I can dare make him repeat himself.
“Turn around and put your hands on the edge of the buffet.” He gestures with his chin where he wants me to position myself.
My jaw clenches, trying to keep the protest away. I signed up for this. In order to save my brother, I’ve put myself in his clutches. But it’s only for tonight.
Closing my eyes, I shuffle around and press my palms into the buffet table where a crystal decanter sits with glasses on a mirrored tray. Extra plates and napkins are piled as well, just in case he invites the rest of his family in to join us?
His foot lands beside mine. I can feel the stiff leather of his shoe through the thin material of my flats. My shoulder is pressed against his chest as he annihilates any space between us.
Nikolai releases a heavy breath, blowing through my hair. A heated trail runs from my spine down to my ass, along with his featherlike touch. Once he reaches my ass, he crumples the skirt of the dress into his hand, lifting it up.
“You’ve been here barely an hour, and already you’ve disobeyed me several times.” His voice is husky. “Why are you wearing your panties?”
I’m thrown by the question but recover quickly. “Because they’re mine.”
He huffs a laugh. “Did I leave panties or a bra out for you on the bed with this dress?” He slides his hand beneath the elastic of my cotton black bikini panties. There’s a roughness to his fingers I wasn’t expecting as they brush along my skin.
“No, but—”
“Then you shouldn’t be wearing them.” He grabs the elastic, rips them down over my ass, and shoves them down my legs. Once clear of my thighs, they drop to my ankles. I suppose I should be happy he didn’t tear them.
He slips his left arm between me and the buffet, wrapping it around my waist and hugging me to his body. There’s a thick, hard rod in his pants pressing against my hip.
“What are you doing?” I ask when his free hand begins to rub circles over both of my ass cheeks.
“I’m teaching you a lesson in obedience,” he says. His hand lifts then crashes down over my cheek once, twice, and then he’s back to rubbing.
I blink, shocked that he did what he just did. I’m not a child! And even when I was, my father never raised a hand to me.
“You’ve made your point.” I try to push up from the buffet, but he’s already anticipated my move and tightens his arm around my middle.
“I haven’t even begun to make it yet.” And with this, he unleashes a volley of swats. Alternating between cheeks, moving from one spot to the next, he covers every bit of my ass. The shock wears off, and the pain seeps in.
“Stop!” I try to wiggle free, but he’s too strong. He’s got me pressed against his body, and he’s in complete control of where I can move. And I can’t. Except to wiggle my ass, which doesn’t dissuade him at all.
“I don’t allow disobedience. And I don’t allow bad girls to go unpunished,” he says without so much as a sign of tiring as he continues to rain down sharp smacks to my ass, and now my thighs.