His to Take (Wicked Lovers #9)(46)
Author: Shayla Black

Casting a considering glance to Bailey, he pondered his next move. What if she needed this and didn’t know it? Hell, he’d never spanked a woman in his life, but the way he felt like a damn volcano right now, he had to get his palm on her bare ass or he was going to blow.

“Come here.” He pointed to the ground right in front of him.

She bristled. “I’m close enough.”

He found himself sucking in a breath, squaring his shoulders, tightening his jaw. “Get the fuck over here. It’s not a request.”

Now she looked a little nervous. But her mouth still kept running. “Or what?”

Amazing that she’d managed to take her brattiness to another level. From what little he’d gleaned in the last day or so, if he had any intention of giving this shit a whirl, he had to shut her attitude down now, establish boundaries and control—quick.

“Fine. We’ll bypass the ‘or what’ conversation and I’ll just show you.”

As he stomped toward her, she tried to back away, but the desk stopped her. Before she could get around it and inch to the door, Joaquin grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her toward the bed.

“I’ve had enough, Bailey. You don’t run out of here. You don’t show yourself in public. You don’t put yourself at risk. You don’t question why I care.” He just did. Not that he could explain it even to himself. “You want some peace? I’ll give it to you.”

He jerked her against his body, her back to his chest. Bailey gasped. He went stone hard, all the blood rushing to his cock at the feel of her against him, at the thought that within mere heartbeats, he’d have her ass under his palm. The moment couldn’t come fast enough.

With his free hand, he jerked at the button and zipper of her borrowed jeans. They were a size too big, just like the panties underneath, so getting everything off her hips and shoving it all down her thighs was far easier than he expected. She yelped in surprise.

Joaquin ignored it as he lunged to the bed and planted himself on the edge, then dragged her facedown over his lap, doing his best to settle her squirming. Holy fuck, she had a gorgeous ass. Pale, firm, as delicate as the rest of her.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked. “What the—”

He interrupted her tirade by smacking the flat of his palm directly to her left cheek. Shit, her skin was so soft. The slap rang in his ears, then reverberated in his brain—the sound playing over and over in his head. His blood heated, came to a rolling boil. His cock got even harder. Something inside him stood tall, grew to a mountainous swell with some need to take her, touch her, control her, dominate her. Own her.

As he lifted his palm away, he saw the red imprint of his handiwork. The sight fascinated him. Glowing. Pretty. Perfect. He cupped her cheek, rubbed it, kneaded a little.

“What is wrong with you?” she cried. “Are you out of your mind?”

Probably. Shockingly, he didn’t give a shit in that moment.

Instead of answering her, he repeated the process, raising his arm high, then brought it down with resounding force on her right cheek. The crack of his hand on her butt, the little jerk of her body, followed by a cry . . . Yeah. Fuck yeah. He’d always supposed that a spanking could be erotic, but he’d never guessed how much. This was flipping his switch in a way he’d never experienced. Arousal burned so hot, it actually stung his veins. All he could think about was doing it again and again and again until she screamed, until her head quieted, until she begged him to fuck her.

That was it. The urge to work inside her pussy was strong, but he knew immediately that just getting her under him once or twice wasn’t going to cut it. He had to claim this territory as his own. His to kiss, to punish, to fondle, to arouse . . . to take. Jesus, the urge was killing him.

He swallowed and raised his hand again, already looking for another place to land his palm and turn her skin red. In the back of his head, he knew she’d questioned him. From his observation earlier, he’d figured out that neither submission nor endorphins happened in the blink of an eye, so if it took more than a few of his spankings for this to register properly with her, that was more than fine by him.

By the time that logic had wended through his brain, he found the perfect spot to land his next strike—high on her left cheek, a bit farther from her hip. He eyed that spot like a target, aiming for a bull’s-eye. With a whoosh, he lowered his arm. The blow hit exactly where he wanted. Instantly, the sound of his skin on hers filled his ears. More of the amazing, arousing sensations filled him. Shit, being with her made him feel eight feet tall. A brighter shade of red bloomed across her ass, and he rubbed it again, fascinated.