Chapter 6
Emmeline
A lesson?
What in the hell did Donatello think he was doing?
At first, I couldn’t move. He was already in the private elevator before I managed to react. But even my struggle did nothing. He had a firm grasp on me, holding me only with one arm. I was shocked to the point I hadn’t bothered screaming.
Not that anyone would have come to my rescue. Every employee would know better than to interfere.
“Let me down, Donatello.” It was on the tip of my tongue to add that I’d tell my brothers if he didn’t. Exactly how old was I again?
I hadn’t purposely slipped away from the men following me. They’d simply been too slow after I’d mentioned I was leaving. I’d gotten frustrated, starting the engine and even waiting for a couple of minutes. When they still hadn’t paid any attention, I’d left.
Donatello’s attempt at using the Miami Cartel did grate my nerves. Our bouncers would have caught them if they’d come to our club for a nefarious reason.
“I will. After you’ve learned your lesson.” His voice was also entirely different than before. He was enjoying this. He’d found the perfect opportunity to make me feel like a little girl.
While I’d enjoyed our games, I honestly wasn’t in the mood at this point.
As soon as the elevator doors opened again, I calculated how best to get out of his hold. One swift knee into his chest and he involuntarily pitched forward, losing his grip.
I shoved my hands against him, quickly lunging through the elevator before the doors closed once again. I thought I was home free, even slapping my hand on the up button while laughing when he somehow managed to shoot an arm through the opening.
“Ah, fuck,” I managed.
“Ah, fuck is right, la mia piccola strega.”
I backed away, shaking my head. “If you call me a little witch one more time…”
“You’ll what?” Every long stride he took pulled at a level of desire that was unwanted.
He’d pissed me off and was playing games with him, acting as if this was foreplay? Oh, hell, no. I kicked off my heels, pitching them against the wall before taking a fighter’s stance.
He stopped in his tracks. “You’re kidding me.”
My hands were fisted and I was ready to go. “Does it look like I’m kidding you? We’ve been dancing around each other for months. Why don’t we see who’s the better… man?”
Snorting, his eyebrows arched as he took his sweet time dropping his eyes all the way to my painted toes. “Try years and there is no weapon on this planet, no number of fights you can get into or belches you can expel that will make you anyone’s idea of a better man.”
“Who’s talking about any belching? I’m talking about fighting.” I threw myself at him, able to get off two brutal punches to his gut.
The way he playfully stumbled backward annoyed me and he knew it since he winked. He was all muscle and a goddamn tank couldn’t make his hard body move.
He allowed me to plant a third into his stomach, grinning the entire time. Only when I tried to throw a punch to his jaw did he finally react, swallowing my fist with his palm.
“Now, that wasn’t very nice of you.”
When he was playing with me, his Italian accent was much heavier. I’d made the mistake once of allowing him to know how much I adored his accent and from there, he’d used it as a weapon against me.
Sadly, my nipples were rock hard, the interaction of both violence and uninhibited teasing quite the powerful aphrodisiac.
The grin lingered even as he made tsking sounds.
“You should know by now I’m not a nice girl.” He had no intention of allowing me to pull my hand free. Oh, I could smack him for this. Maybe I would.
“Then I guess I’ll need to tame you. So you won’t potentially hurt yourself.” Instead of tossing me back over his shoulder, he used my punch as a way of pushing me backward down the hall. Toward the group of offices.
I glanced over my shoulder, trying to keep from stumbling. “What are you doing?”
“I already told you. Teaching you what I hope will be a valuable lesson. I think a spanking will do the trick. Don’t you?”
What? Did he think I was going to accept him giving me a… What the hell did he say? A spanking? Oh, that just wasn’t going to happen. No freaking way.
“Oh, no, you don’t. I told you. I’m the owner here.”
“It’s cute you think that will stop me. Besides, there’s something really hot about a powerful woman.”
He was goading me, using his sexiness in a way I wasn’t used to. He managed to push me into one of the offices, but as soon as we were inside, I almost managed to escape him, shrieking then laughing when he yanked me off the floor by the waist.
Now he carried me against his side, unfazed by my struggle as he flicked on a light, yanked out one of the armless office chairs and sat down.
I wasn’t expecting him to follow through with his threat.
Or his promise.
Whatever he wanted to call it, as soon as I was tossed over his lap, the shock prevented me from reacting. He was serious about this.
I was stunned enough that I didn’t move even when he jerked up my dress, exposing my thong. And my nearly bare bottom.
When the full realization this man could also see a flash of my pussy lips came at the same time, I was mortified.
My core had been throbbing for several minutes, which meant my lips were swollen.
I was also wet, the icy silver lace damp and the G-string had been pulled in a way the material was wedged deep.
This was the worst position I could be in.
Nothing was about to stop him from making good on his promise. He brought his hand down in rapid succession, moving from side to side in a measured rhythm.
“No!” I yelled, finally finding my voice.
“Oh, yes. You brought this on yourself.”
Donatello was thrilled. Thrilled. I couldn’t believe he was daring to touch me. “You can’t do this. You have no right.” In addition to being strong, I was supple and fluid in motion. With a hard push on the floor, I had enough momentum to almost push myself off his lap.
Almost being the key word.
He was even quicker in response, throwing one leg over both of mine.
“I have every right. I was ordered by your brother to keep you safe, whatever it took. You remember, the Don of the family?”
The amusement in his voice created images of me locking him in the family mausoleum where he could spend eternity with my family’s ghosts.
Or maybe… “Je vais vous jeter un sort.”
He chuckled as if the entire thing was funny. “No, you will not put a spell on me. Gris-gris can’t work on me.”
“Wanna bet?”
As if testing the limits, he smacked his palm against my bottom again and again, drawing a gasp from me. It hurt like hell, the pain flashing down both legs.
“Trust me, little witch.” When he adjusted me on his lap, I could clearly feel his hard-on. Oh, my God. The man was built like… A tree trunk.
For a few crazy seconds, my mouth watered at the thought of seeing him naked. That would never happen, but the image might help get me through this horrific moment. “Why is that?” I struggled as his hand continued its relentless motion. I’d had no clue a spanking could be so ridiculously horrible.
“Haven’t you heard? People already call me the devil. There’s no chance in hell a spell would work on me.”
“You do know how much I love challenges. Right?”
His answer was to provide another crackdown of his massive palm, slowing the tempo as he covered every inch of real estate on my naked ass. He chuckled, exaggerating the demonic sound. I was surprised when he stopped his actions, caressing my aching and overheated skin.
I panted as tiny beads of perspiration trickled down my forehead, dropping ever so slowly to the floor. He rubbed in a soothing way, the rough pads of his fingers adding to a crazy moment of excitement. When he rolled them closer to the area between my thighs, I tried to cinch my legs shut.
Maybe I heard his breathing turn ragged or maybe I was hearing things. He hesitated while I stiffened, a part of me ready to beg him to continue.
I couldn’t want him, but at this moment, I did, the hunger wild and electrifying. His single hiss meant he was having a rough time keeping his oath of honor.
While we weren’t back in the old days where any breach in loyalty meant the death penalty, I had no doubt he’d be banned from the syndicate at best.
After my brothers worked him over one at a time. That’s how controlling they were over me.
“Alexander ordered me to do anything I thought necessary to keep you safe. This is vital. A lesson learned.”
Donatello wasn’t kidding in the least.
As he resumed the spanking, I bit my lower lip to keep from making a single sound. Wallowing in self-pity wasn’t my style. I simply knew I needed to get my message across to my family. They weren’t listening to me and the suffocation had to end.
I adored my family, my nieces and nephews allowing me to accept for the first time in my life that I wanted a family of my own. A doting husband and kids, lots of kids. And two dogs. I wanted two big fluffy dogs to sleep in the middle of the bed with us.
Obtaining what I wanted would never happen with them controlling every aspect of my life.
In fact, it would never happen at all. Period.
“Have you learned your lesson?” he asked.
“Which one? Not to head to a bar owned by the family when I crave spending time with a man?”
The way he sucked in his breath surprised me. The hitch was… Was he slightly jealous? I’d seen the look in his eyes. He’d been furious not only with me but with the three men.
He’d also been antsy, possessive.
“That means the answer is no. Ten more.” He’d already resumed the spanking before I could yelp or issue a retort.
I continued to struggle, furious with myself as much as with him. I shouldn’t have teased him, but when I was around the man, my naughty side came out.
The strikes were even harsher than before and he was taking his time finishing what he’d started. I was furious at the entire situation, but further taking it out on him or continuing to act like a child around him would only lead to further punishment.
I stopped moving altogether, allowing him to finish without my interruption even as the ache grew stronger.
By the time he stopped, I sensed confusion. He didn’t stroke my bruised skin again before he pulled down my dress. When he helped me to my feet, he couldn’t seem to look me in the eyes. Maybe the game we’d been playing for years had finally reached an end.
We both knew it had to. The attraction was based solely out of the taboo aspect and nothing else.
I backed away, wishing the dress was longer. “You’re really worried they are cartel members?”
“Yeah, I am. Their behavior is just too odd.”
He wasn’t faking his concern and his instincts were spot on. They always had been. There was nothing the man wasn’t good at.
Which had been another frustration.
“Okay. You can have someone follow me home. The girls are staying the night with me so we should be okay.”
He rose to his feet, nodding when he did. Even raking his hand through his hair. “That will be fine. Why don’t we say an hour or so? That will give you some time to enjoy yourself.”
It was all very matter of fact, no longer the exciting game we’d once played. A line had been crossed. I could feel it all the way to my bones.
“Okay. I think I can compromise.” This go-around. I moved toward the door, feeling as if I should say something to him but nothing came to mind.
Maybe we both knew this was the end of our flirtatious chapter.
Time for both of us to move on.