Those ocean blue eyes filled with hot, molten desire and when he spoke next, my whole body shuddered in need. "Oh, yes. Piper. I want you greatly." Then, as if it had never happened, Wynn picked me up and sat me on the bed. Giving me a low bow, he grinned and winked. "But not until you are well. I am, if anything, a gentleman."
A scoff from the doorway pulled our attention. Antoine stood on the threshold, imposing and arrogant as ever. He still wore his dress shirt and slacks, but the top few buttons were undone, and a speckle of hair peeked out showing just a hint of the tattoo over his heart. His hands in his pockets, Antoine sauntered into the room as if he didn't have a care in the world. Except there was a tightness to his movements, a bit of a robotic likeness to it, that showed me everything was not as it seemed.
Antoine stopped in front of the desk, his eyes down as he leafed through a few papers there.
"What?" I probed, when Antoine didn't say anything.
Not lifting his head, Antoine hummed.
"What was that sound about?" I pressed with a wave of my hand and a frown. "You can't just come in here and make rude noises without explanations."
"I can't?" Antoine finally looked up, his eyes twinkling with amusement, and I swore his lips were twitching to hold back a smile.
I narrowed my eyes on him, even as Wynn simply shook his head. "No, you can't."
"Oh, so you're the master now. Are you?" The sharpness to his words, even with the playful look on his face, confused me. It made Wynn tense up, but he didn't move from the bed.
"Uh..." I glanced between the two of them, not sure what I was supposed to do. When Antoine moved, stalking toward the bed, Wynn stepped in front of him with his hands up between them.
"She's still hurt. Don't do this now." The other vampire seemed to be pleading with Antoine, but Antoine wouldn't be dissuaded from whatever he was going to do. Wynn sighed, and cast me an apologetic look over his shoulder before moving to the couch. He appeared to be determined to keep an eye on me, even if he couldn't stop his brother.
"What's going on?" I hated the way my voice shook when I spoke, my gaze darting between the two vampires.
Antoine reached up and unbuttoned the buttons of his shirt, one at a time with slow, agonizing precision. My eyes followed the movements. Hypnotized by the deftness of his fingers and the delicious expanse of muscles appearing before my eyes, I didn't think I had any need to worry.
"Piper." The way Antoine said my name with such sternness and contempt made me pause. My gaze shot up to his and I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. "Did you not understand how dangerous of a situation we have found ourselves in?"
My brows furrowed. "Of course. I'm not stupid. I know we're in trouble."
"Then why would you think it would be a good idea to traipse around this godforsaken place on your own? Without anyone for protection? Didn't you learn anything from Valentine's last visit?"
"Why, I—"
"And did you think that you wouldn't be punished for not following orders?" Antoine stopped in front of the bed and I froze at the word punished.
"Punished? Why would you—" I gaped, and my wide eyes slid over to Wynn who only shook his head sadly before bringing them back to Antoine. "You can't be serious. I'm a grown woman. What are you going to do, send me to bed without supper?" I let out a nervous chuckle that neither of them smiled at.
"I am deadly serious, Piper." Antoine reached for me quick as lightning. Before I knew it or could even struggle, I was thrown across his lap and my ass was bare to the air. I kicked my legs and tried to roll away, but Antoine's grip was unbreakable. Finally, my eyes went to Wynn, pleading for him to help me.
"You have to understand, Piper," Wynn stroked his lower lip as he watched me, his eyes heating even as the frown on his lips deepened, "how dangerous this place and our kind can be, and the only way to make sure you don't forget is to make sure you remember."
"I'll remember. Don't you think I'll remember?" I screeched, not at all happy about being treated like a child. "I almost died. That's enough to keep me from doing it again. I promise. I won't. I promise," I finished weakly, while Antoine adjusted his grip on me as I finally gave up and stopped fighting.
Antoine's hand sat on my butt for a moment as he leaned down to speak to me. "It is not only your life that you risk when you put yourself in these situations, but ours. If one of us had killed Valentine for what he had done to you, then what do you think would have happened? Do you think our master would simply let us go? Any of us?"
I sniffed and shook my head. "No." It was true. I had barely met the master vampire, but knew already that beneath all the pleasantries, he was a vicious beast. If anyone displeased him, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them on the spot or worse.
"Believe me when I tell you, I get no joy out of this." Antoine sat back up and then lifted his hand. I held my breath as I prepared for the hit. My parents had never spanked me. I didn't know what to expect. So, when his hand sailed through the air and landed on my ass cheek with a resounding smack, I was so shocked I barely cried out. The next one Antoine landed was on the opposite cheek, and then to make it even worse, something changed about it. Changed within me. Each smack caused a stinging sensation that spread out and lingered between my thighs. My head jerked up as I heard Wynn suck in a breath.
His eyes were locked on me, his lips parted as he breathed in my scent. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I shouldn't be turned on by this. I was getting spanked for god's sake. But the way Wynn was watching me only spurred on the sensations I was feeling. After the last smack on my ass, Antoine's fingers slid between my ass cheeks until they dipped into my wetness.
"Naughty girl," Antoine murmured. "You are not supposed to enjoy your punishment. Perhaps I'll have to find something else to get my point across, but first...Wynn." Antoine's voice called out across the room, and Wynn was immediately on his feet and standing before me. "Piper doesn't seem to be getting the point of this little exercise. Suppose you can help her?"
Wynn let out a shuddering breath before reaching for me. Antoine fixed my pants and handed me over to Wynn. Confused and still reeling from the shocking punishment I'd enjoyed far too much, I held on to Wynn by his shirt. I wasn't sure what Antoine wanted Wynn to do, but since his particular power had a happy ending, I wasn't too worried. In fact, I was excited for it.
"Don't look so eager, lovely." Wynn smirked at me, stroking my cheek with his hand. That one caress sent a hot burn through my body. My nipples tightened into hard points and my thighs pressed tightly against each other, trying to ease the pulsing need between them.
A small, gasping moan released from my mouth and I sank against Wynn. "Are you going to punish me, Wynn?"