Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Ciaran
If looks could kill, I had no doubt the glare on Annie’s face would send me six feet under. She may not have realized it, but when I warned her there would be consequences if she continued her search for that asshole, I was deadly serious. It seemed I hadn’t gotten my point across. Perhaps I’d gone too easy on her at Lola’s . I hadn’t wanted to scare her. However, if I’d been firmer, maybe she wouldn’t have disregarded my warning. Of course, then I wouldn’t have had an excuse to see her again.
“How did you even know where I was?” Annie demanded.
“My men were watching you.”
Annie huffed in outrage. “You had people spying on me?”
“You wouldn’t even have known they were there if you’d done as you were told.”
She pursed her lips. “Actually, I was aware I was being followed. It gave me the creeps.”
Hmm. Either she was more aware of her surroundings than the average person or my men were slipping. There was no way she should have detected their presence. I’d need to have a word with Max and find out who he had trailing her because they clearly needed to do a better job.
“Well, I’m sorry if you felt uncomfortable, but I won’t apologize for ensuring your safety.”
“My safety is none of your concern.”
That was where she was wrong. For some inexplicable reason, the safety of this woman I barely knew was important to me. I was about to tell her as much, but she didn’t give me a chance.
“I mean, who the hell do you think you are, Ciaran Reilly?” Her cute Scottish accent became more pronounced as her anger rose. “Who do you think you are to dictate what I can and can’t do?”
There was something adorable about the way she spat at me like an irate kitten. She had a point. I had no right to tell her what to do, but I also had no intention of backing down, especially not when she was giving me attitude.
“I think I’m the man who’s going to take off his belt and whip your ass with it if you don’t get over here by the count of three.”
Annie’s entire body tensed. Rather than jumping to obey, she glanced back over her shoulder. She was probably calculating if it was worth the risk to run. It wasn’t. Even if she made it to the elevator before I caught her, she would need to enter the security code to gain access.
“One.” I started the count, deciding not to draw it out. “Two.”
With a resigned bob of the head, Annie dropped the small white purse she’d been clutching onto the table by the elevator and walked toward me. I was almost disappointed she surrendered so easily. Chasing her would have been fun.
“I… How do I do this?” She stopped in front of me and pulled her long, blonde ponytail over her right shoulder, twisting it with trembling fingers.
“You’ve never done this before?”
She shook her head. It wasn’t a surprise, since her nervousness was palpable. Few women I met outside of Dominion, the BDSM club my brother owned, had experienced a spanking. Usually, I was happy to introduce them to the dual sensations of pain and pleasure a good thrashing could bring.
“Just lie across my lap. I’ll take it from there.”
Annie hesitated for only a moment longer before stepping closer. She bent at the waist and draped herself over my knees. Her movements were tentative, yet graceful. This woman carried herself with an innate elegance. As she settled herself, with palms flat on the floor, she pushed up on her toes, putting her ass into just the right position.
Conveniently, she’d worn a dress. A vibrant blue, it made her eyes shine brighter. Fitting tightly at the top to emphasize her curves, it flared out over her hips. She’d worn white sneakers with it. I wasn’t sure if that was a fashion statement or a sign of a practical nature. Perhaps she’d intended to do a lot of walking.
The fullness of her skirt made it easy for me to flip it up over her waist, revealing white silk panties trimmed with lace. That was a pleasant surprise. I thought she would wear something simpler. Cotton, perhaps. This wisp of fabric that barely covered her ass was sexy, while still retaining an innocence. They were a reflection of the woman herself.
As I drew her panties down and let them drop around her ankles, Annie shifted restlessly on my lap. Whether she realized it or not, my girl was eager for a spanking. I took a moment to admire her pale skin, the swell of her firm buttocks.
“Since this is your first time, I’ll use my hand, and we’ll start with twenty.”
“T-Twenty?”
“That’s right, sweetheart.” The trepidation in her voice gave me pause. Although this was a punishment, I didn’t want the pain I inflicted to be more than she could bear. I didn’t know Annie well enough to be confident I’d be able to read her reactions correctly. I needed to give her the power to call a halt if she needed to. “Choose a safeword.”
“Beetroot.”
She didn’t have to ask what I meant, and she came up with a word fast. Though she said she hadn’t been spanked before, she must have thought about it. I wondered if she’d wanted to experiment in the bedroom with some other guy. The thought made me irrationally jealous. Was she already involved with someone? That seemed important to know.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” I asked.
“No.” Her tone was indignant. “I wouldn’t be lying on your lap if I did.”
I didn’t bother to tell her she wouldn’t have had much choice, even if she was involved with someone else. She was here to learn a lesson, after all, and a boyfriend back home wouldn’t have deterred me from delivering it. However, it would have made me think twice about the other downright dirty things I wanted to do to her. I wasn’t interested in breaking up a committed relationship, no matter how much I might want a woman. The sort of drama that would bring wasn’t something I needed in my life.
“Good. Now, brace yourself and remember to use your safeword, but only if you really need to.”
While I wanted to provide her with the security of being able to apply the brakes if I went too hard on her, I wouldn’t be pleased if she abused the privilege. Drawing my arm back, I brought my hand down on her right butt cheek. The flesh rippled beneath my palm. Annie squealed, but the sound was one of surprise rather than pain.
Alternating between her left and right buttocks, I spanked her six times in quick succession. Annie wriggled on my lap, and I had to fight to ignore the arousal she sparked inside me.
“Quit moving, sweetheart.” My voice came out huskier than usual.
“Sorry.” Her tone was anything but apologetic. The little minx probably knew damn well the effect she was having on me.
I spanked her harder, the crack of my palm on her tender flesh resounding off the walls. Annie hissed sharply. She must have felt that one. She pushed up onto her toes and wriggled her hips, but she didn’t use her safeword. I was glad, because I was nowhere close to being satisfied. Her skin had turned a beautiful shade of pink and was warm to the touch, but I wanted it red-hot. Perhaps then she’d take the lesson about staying away from Danny Mulhearn to heart.
She let out a low whine as I delivered another harsh slap to her gorgeous ass.
“Ciaran,” she protested, “that hurts.”
“Wouldn’t send the right message if it didn’t, sweetheart. Now, relax or it will hurt more.”
She unclenched her muscles, and I continued the spanking, making sure to pay equal attention to both sides of her bottom. Her mewls grew frantic, but she didn’t beg me to stop. As I reached number fifteen, she grabbed my right leg and sunk her nails in. Even through my pants, I could feel them making indentations in my skin. I didn’t care. Annie obviously needed to anchor herself and, honestly, the pain kept my mind on the task at hand. It stopped my thoughts from drifting to how mercilessly I’d fuck this woman if she let me.
With each moan she emitted, I came closer to losing control. My cock throbbed painfully, and I stifled an urge to claim her as primal desire trickled through my veins.
By the time I was almost done with her, Annie was sobbing.
“Just one more. You’re doing well, sweetheart.”
I had to admit I was impressed by her fortitude. Despite this being her first spanking, I hadn’t gone easy on her. Getting my point across was too important to do this halfheartedly. Fortunately, she’d coped well.
Bringing my palm down on her ass for the last time, I felt a rush of protectiveness toward the woman lying limp across my knee. As soon as the last swat had been laid down, I pulled her up, arranging her so she was sitting on my lap. She whimpered as her poor, punished bottom landed on my knee and burrowed against my chest.
With a tenderness I wasn’t usually capable of, I stroked her face, wiping away her tears. While I always made sure a woman I spanked was okay afterward, there was something different about taking care of Annie. I was doing it not from a sense of obligation, but because it felt entirely natural to look after her.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She sniffed back a tear and nodded. “Yes. It doesn’t even hurt that badly. I’m just….”
“Overwhelmed?” I filled in for her.
“Yes. That was so….” She waved a hand around as she tried to find the right word. “Different.”
I wanted to ask her if she meant that in a good or a bad way, but she didn’t give me the chance. To my surprise, she grabbed my face and kissed me. It was sweet and tender, just as I would expect from her. Too stunned to do anything else, I let her control the kiss for a moment.
As she parted her lips, I took over, plunging my tongue into her mouth. She moaned as I slipped a hand between her thighs to find her pussy drenched. Someone had clearly enjoyed their spanking. Returning my kiss with equal passion, Annie wound her arms around my neck as I played with her clit, flicking my finger lazily back and forth over the swollen nub. As I pushed two fingers into her tight channel, she pulled away. Eyes closed, she dropped her head down, concealing her reactions from me.
“Look at me, sweetheart. I want to see you when you come apart.”
Obediently, she lifted her gaze to mine. Her eyes were dark with desire as I fucked her slowly with my fingers, drawing out her pleasure. Her mouth fell open. Her breaths became faster, sharper, and she clutched my shoulders for support.
“Ciaran!”
“I know, sweetheart.” Shoving my fingers deeper, I circled her clit with my thumb. “Come for me.”
Something about my command spoke to her on some primal level, because she clenched around my fingers. Her hips bucked violently. Her head fell forward onto my chest. Withdrawing my fingers from her quivering pussy, I held her tightly as her tremors subsided.
“That was beautiful, sweetheart.” I’d never seen anything that thrilled me as much as watching this woman in the throes of ecstasy.
Annie pulled back and smiled. Catching me off guard once more, she slid off my lap and dropped to her knees on the floor. She shuffled close, reaching for my belt.
“What are you doing?” I asked, though her intentions were clear.
“I’m returning the favor.” She glanced up at me, a mischievous glint in those big, blue eyes. “Don’t you want me to?”
“Of course I do.” The last thing I’d expected was for Annie to make the next move. “But you don’t have to.”
I must have been insane to not jump at the offer of a blowjob from such a beautiful woman, but I needed her to be sure. If she stood up and walked away from me now, I’d probably implode. My cock was rock-hard and eager for her hot little mouth. Fortunately, she smiled, coyly sinking her teeth into her bottom lip.
“I want to.”
Wrapping her slender fingers around my shaft, she pumped up and down twice, harder than I’d anticipated. It was almost painful, but totally arousing. My eyes rolled back as she took the head of my cock into her mouth and sucked. It was teasing at first, like she was trying to fuel my desperation. Then she applied more pressure, experimenting until my involuntary moans let her know she’d got it right. It was sheer heaven as she pulled me in deeper and swirled her tongue around my length. I didn’t even want to think about how she got to be so good at this.
“Fuck, Annie!” I groaned. “That’s incredible.”
She hummed contentedly, sending a vibration along the length of my cock, straight to my balls. Her lips and tongue teased me until I was close to losing control. When the urge to take over became unbearable, I wrapped her ponytail around my fist and held her in place.
“Tap my leg twice if you need me to stop.” It would take all the effort I could muster, but I would pull out if she needed me to.
Annie gagged as I thrust in deep. I withdrew just enough to let her suck in a breath before plunging in once more until my cock hit the back of her throat. Using my grip on her hair, I tugged her head back, so she was forced to look up at me while I drove my cock back and forth between her lips. Tears ran down her cheeks, but there was a gleam of desire in her eyes she couldn’t hide.
I pumped my hips two more times before I felt a familiar tingle at the base of my spine. My cock swelled in her mouth.
“Fuck, Annie!”
Like a good girl, she swallowed every last drop as I came. I released my grip on her hair, and she rocked back on her heels. For several long seconds, she stared down at the floor. She was silent, but her shoulders shook as she cried. Had I pushed her too hard? She didn’t tap out when I fucked her mouth, but perhaps she forgot my instruction. I watched closely as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, got to her feet and then bent to pull up her panties. She offered me a tremulous smile, before turning and walking away.
“Where are you going, sweetheart?” I asked as she headed for the door. She couldn’t get out unless I called the elevator for her, but I didn’t like that she was trying to leave without a word.
She spun around to face me. Her sorrow seemed to have been replaced by anger. “I thought we were done here.”
“Done?” Getting to my feet, I tucked myself back into my clothing.
“Yes, I mean, I thought you wanted to… uh ….” Her voice trailed off, and she lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. Her emotions seemed to be all over the place. She sounded dejected now, as if she imagined I’d already had my fill of her.
“What? You thought I wanted to use you and send you on your way?” A touch of annoyance infused my words. I couldn’t deny I’d selfishly used women to fulfill my needs in the past, but it irritated me that Annie might think that instant gratification was all I wanted from her. There was something special about this woman, and I needed to make her see that.
“Well, I mean, we used each other, right?” She was trying to sound nonchalant, but I detected a touch of sadness in her tone. Was that why she’d cried after giving me the best blowjob of my life? She thought this was a meaningless transaction. “It was just a bit of fun.”
“No, sweetheart.” I strode across the room, needing to be closer to her. “That’s not what it was.”
“Then what was it?”
Fuck if I knew. There was no way to explain the pull I felt toward this woman. It was visceral. If I believed in fate, I’d call it that.
“That was just a warm-up.” Cupping her cheek, I stroked the soft skin with my thumb. My heartbeat quickened as she leaned into my touch.
“A warm-up?”
“That’s right, sweetheart. It was a mere taster of what’s to come, because I am nowhere near finished with you.”
A flash of panic crossed her face, and she stepped back. I dropped my hand to my side.
“What if I’m done with you, Ciaran?”
Her challenging glare stunned me. I’d assumed she was as drawn to me as I was to her. Perhaps I’d read it wrong when she went down on me. Though I wanted Annie desperately, I wasn’t about to force her into anything. That wasn’t my style.
“Then you’re free to go.”
“And you’ll ask your men to stop following me?”
“If that’s what you’d prefer.” The concession didn’t come easily. Her safety was important to me, and I hated the idea of her being left without protection, especially since I didn’t trust her not to look for Mulhearn.
“It is.”
“Then I’ll tell them to stand down if you decide to leave.”
She cocked her head to one side. “What’s the alternative?”
“Well, you could choose to stay with me until you get on that plane tomorrow. For twenty-four hours, you’d be mine to do with as I please.”
Her eyes widened. “What would that entail?”
“Nothing you wouldn’t enjoy,” I assured her. “If you stay, you’ll give me complete control for the rest of our time together. In return, I’ll show you the greatest pleasure you’ve ever felt.” I gave her a minute to digest what I said. “So, Annie, what’s it to be? Will you stay, or will you go?”