The thought of him looking at me, staring at me from behind sent a new wave of desire crashing through every bone in my body. I was bound, exposed, and completely vulnerable to the one man who wanted to destroy me, yet right now that knowledge only added to the thrill of it all. It only made me feel more helpless, more at risk, but I’d never wanted anything more.
Suddenly, there was a tug on my neck, forcing me to bend more. The back of my legs stretched to a point of pain, my shoulders aching, every muscle in my back and neck pulled tight. Another clip and I was secured in place.
“Now you can’t run from me, little mouse. You are completely at my mercy, not knowing what I’m about to do to you. And the best part, you can’t do shit about it. You can’t run, you can’t hide. All you can do is stand there and fucking take it.”
He shuffled, and I heard the sound of a zipper. The idea that he was naked too, stalking around me, staring at me, harboring impure thoughts about me and my body had everything clenching tight between my legs.
“Does it hurt?”
I sucked in a breath. “Yes.”
“Good. Now, do you remember when you told me that I was wrong about you craving pain and that you couldn’t handle Vico’s lashes?” His fingers slowly moved along my back, caressing my skin softly, and I imagined he was tracing the marks Vico’s cruelty had left on my skin.
Cold spread like ice through my spine as the memories of pain and humiliation bombarded my mind. “Yes, I remember.”
“Do you remember my answer, little mouse?”
I tried to nod, only to realize I couldn’t even move my head without pulling the muscles in my shoulders. “Yes. You said my body didn’t respond to him.”
“Why?”
I swallowed. “Because he wasn’t the one.”
“And what else did I tell you?”
“That my need for pain, for pleasure, is rooted to my deepest, darkest desires and that it can’t be met by just anyone.”
He placed a palm against my ass, rubbing lightly, the sensation spreading across my skin in waves. “Good girl. Now tell me, Tatum, who has the power to meet your deepest, darkest desires?”
There was no hesitation in my answer because it was the undeniable truth. “You.”
I heard him groan behind me. “That’s fucking right, little mouse. I have that power. No one else, just me.”
His hand dipped down and brushed against my wet, exposed lips, his touch making me shudder with delight. And then his touch was gone. My hips tried to move in search for more, but pain radiated up my back and into my shoulders because of the movement, and I forced my greedy body to remain still.
A low, dark chuckle rumbled from behind me. “You are not in control, Tatum. I own your pleasure tonight.”
Something was being eased across my skin, something that felt like a whip, and I instantly stiffened.
“Shhh, you don’t have to be afraid of my whip, Tatum. Vico’s whip was controlled by his anger, his greed, his need to punish.” He traced the whip back down my spine, circling my ass. “My whip is controlled by my need to give you pleasure, to see you succumb to those desires that haunt you. Surrender your body to me and let go of your fears.”
I heard the whip cut through the air, but it was too late to even try to brace myself for impact. The whip landed hard and hot across my ass, the force of the strike letting me move forward, my shoulders burning as it stretched further while the chains ruthlessly kept me in place. When the second lash struck across my upper thighs, I was prepared, forcing my body to remain still, to soak up the pain that seared my flesh.
His fingers moved through my slit, and I moaned, suppressing the need to push my hips out in order to give him more access.
“Does that feel the same? Does the pain from my whip feel the same as Vico’s?”
My God.It didn’t feel the same at all. In fact, it couldn’t have been more different. My body wanted this, craved more. Even though every part of me ached in the position I was in, I needed so much more.
“Do you still think you can’t handle the pain, Tatum?”
Another lash, more stinging of flesh, and I cried out, “Yes, I can handle it.”
A finger entered me, his thumb stroking my sensitive flesh. The cries and the moans that rolled out of my mouth were uncontrollable as my body shuddered around his finger.
“Good God, Tatum. I could look at you like this all day. Unfortunately for us both, this isn’t a kind of position you can hold for long.”
“I can.” The words just came out. The thought of him stopping this was incomprehensible at this moment. “Don’t stop,” I begged through rapid breathing. “Not yet. Please don’t stop…sir.”