Lilith snapped her mouth shut and he wanted to grab her jaw, tell her not to stop, order her to spill all her feelings all over him because he wanted them. She huffed a breath out of her nose and shook her head.
“I just like it, okay? Some people relieve stress by meditating, some people exercise, I do kink. So do a girl a favor and spank me already would you?”
* * *
It’s not that Lilith hadn’t propositioned tops before. She had. But that was always at clubs or events. Places people would expect to be solicited for kinky shit. And this was, wow, not.
The way Vance gaped at her made her think she’d made a big mistake. Huge. But then something came over him.
It was like his uncertainty and bewilderment got wiped off the slate of his face to be replaced by a stern man who dwarfed her. A man who raised a single brow in a way that made her stomach turn to liquid anticipation.Yes.
“What are you waiting for, little girl? Dragging your feet isn’t going to make this any easier on you. For every second you stand there, you’re getting another swat. If I were you, I’d get a move on.”
“Fuck,” she breathed, the little part inside of her blooming where it had been so tightly closed around anyone else for so long.
“And what have I told you about language? That’s ten more. If you’re not careful, you’re going to get my belt and not just my hand.”
He’d obviously not said a goddamn word about watching her language but that was an invitation if she’d ever heard one.You want this, little girl? It’s yours.
Yeah, they should’ve negotiated a whole lot of stuff before getting into this and no it wasn’t smart and it wasn’t responsible and if any baby kinkster jumped into a scene like this, she’d give them her full on I’m-Straight-From-Hell-And-I’m-Not-Afraid-to-Take-You-Back-with-Me glare and a lecture so long and harsh it would make their ears bleed.
But Vance was obviously experienced, and she could hold her own. Just in case, though, because she was only so empty-headed, she made a quick time-out sign with her hands.
“Stoplights for safewords?”
“Got it,” he confirmed. “Injuries? Allergies? Triggers?”
“Nothing.”
They blinked at each other, tension crackling between them, and she could see his hand flexing at his side. God, that was hot. She could almost feel that bear paw coming down hard on her ass. It would be marvelous.
“Then let’s go,” he said with a tip of his head that almost looked like he was cracking his neck in anticipation.
That switch flipped again and they weren’t Lilith and Vance anymore. She was a misbehaving little girl in need of discipline and he was her strict daddy, only too willing to provide it. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
“I think you told me to watch my goddamn language because I’m supposed to act like a fucking lady.”
A flush crept up from Vance’s collar, and she imagined it prickling his skin under his beard before it reached his ruddy cheeks.
“We can play that way if you want, little girl. No skin off my nose, just skin off your backside. That’s ten more. Now if you’re finished sassing me, I think you’d best get over here and take your punishment. Unless you want to up the ante even further.”
Did she ever. But she could show a little restraint. Sometimes. She could always brat or straight up tell him she wanted more later, but probably best not to dig herself deeper into a hole she didn’t know the depth of. Just because he was a blond, boat-shoe-wearing Ivy Leaguer didn’t mean he couldn’t be a brutal sadist. If anything, someone being rich made them feel more entitled and less empathetic in her experience, so she shouldn’t play with fire even if she wanted to dance in these particular flames.
His golden brow twitched up a fraction of an inch before he started his count. “One.”
There was something about counting that sent moths fluttering through her belly, and she licked her lips, not failing to notice how Vance’s generous mouth parted between the scruff of his beard. Yeah, he liked this too. Liked her. Was totally into this game and she was going to play it for all she was worth because who knew when her next chance was going to be?
“Two,” he said, setting his own hands on his hips, drawing attention to the worn brown leather belt at his waist.
It had been way too long since she’d gotten to play. Club memberships were expensive as hell—anywhere that wasn’t a couple of stained mattresses and gritty St. Andrew’s crosses in an old warehouse anyway—and guest nights were infrequent and not cheap either. Never mind that she worked the night shift. And she’d never met someone she liked well enough—or trusted enough—to want to see outside a club.
The idea of Vance doubling the belt over, snapping it against her annoyingly unmarked buttocks was—
“Three.”
As much as she wanted to draw this out, savor it, Lilith wasn’t really into delayed gratification. She wanted to get spanked, and she wanted it now. She also didn’t want to chance this cautious, apologetic man coming to his senses and deciding he couldn’t go through with beating a near-stranger.
It only took a few steps to reach him. Once she had, Vance snagged her wrist, and nearly dragged her over to the couch, setting his big frame down in the middle of it before drawing her over his lap in one swift, smooth motion. Practiced indeed.