Chapter 5 #3
“I’m surprised Gabriel told you.” Patrick moved behind her and eased the shirt off her shoulders. “He likes to pretend that the past doesn’t exist.”
The shirt slipped down her arms and then Patrick tossed it over a nearby chair. “Were you guys friends before Nuevo or did your friendship develop during your captivity?”
“We were friends before,” Patrick admitted as he placed his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t want to talk about Nuevo. Change the subject or I’ll find a better use for your mouth.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. This was as close to cordial as Patrick had been and she wanted to take advantage of his good humor. “Where did you grow up? How did you meet the Torloni twins?”
He ran his hands down her arms then back to her shoulders, his warm breath stirring the back of her hair. “I grew up in LA and worked at a bar near Caltech. That’s how I met Gabriel. The Torloni twins and their friends were regulars.”
Having the proverbial first date conversation while completely naked was odd, but Patrick had seen her naked repeatedly, so Heather did her best to ignore her nudity.
“Did you attend Caltech or just serve beer to the frat boys?” His touch was harder to ignore than the fact that she was naked.
His hands were warm, his caress light and unhurried.
“I’m a self-educated graphics designer.” Rather than moving to his original position, he turned her to face him. His hands settled on her shoulders once again. “I did freelance work for the Torlonis before they convinced me to work for them full-time.”
“What sort of graphics did you design?” They stood so close that she had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes, but his hands remained on her shoulders.
“They hired me to design their website and then pepper social media with promos. One of the videos went viral and the rest is history.”
“The Torlonis were folk heroes. They helped so many and accomplished so much. Why does Gabriel want to pretend the past doesn’t exist?”
Patrick’s gaze darted away from her face, and he lowered his hands to his sides. “Gabriel pushed for the merger. Most of us had serious concerns about getting into bed with Nuevo Biotech, but Gabriel convinced Raphael to accept the offer.”
There was significance in his statements as if the events were common knowledge. Heather searched her memory but came up with nothing that explained what he meant. “What offer? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Nuevo offered to buy out Echo. They insisted that the company would be left intact and simply be protected by the Nuevo umbrella. It was all bullshit, of course. They waited until the relocation was complete and then took every employee of Echo to their research labs.”
Stunned by the ruthlessness of what he described, she just stared at him for a tense moment. “How did they explain your disappearances, why family members suddenly stopped communicating?”
“Transport explosion,” Patrick told her. “Everyone on Earth believed we never arrived.”
Heather shuddered. “That’s horrible.” And then she remembered what started the conversation. Gabriel blamed himself for the captivity of his employees. If he hadn’t pushed for the merger, what followed never would have taken place. “Do others blame Gabriel or is his misery self-imposed?”
“It’s mostly self-imposed, but he is a convenient target for some.” He rolled his shoulders then locked his hands behind his back. “Let’s talk about the blanket hanging in the bathroom.”
She tensed and guilt immediately tightened her belly. “I didn’t mean to get it dirty. I was using it to stay warm and didn’t realize how grimy the bottom edge was getting.”
“Did you go outside?”
They both knew the answer and lying to him would just intensify her punishment. “I had to see for myself that there was no way down. I’m a touch-the-stove-to-know-it’s-hot type of girl.”
His vivid green gaze locked on hers. “Do you accept the fact that you’re here until one of us flies you back to the village?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Did you endanger yourself by tromping around outside without the appropriate clothing?” He motioned toward her feet. “You don’t even have shoes, much less boots.”
“I’m resourceful,” she muttered.
“You’re disobedient,” he stated firmly. “You were told to stay inside, and you chose to ignore the directive. What happens when you disobey?”
A shiver dropped down her spine and her nipples gathered into hard little points.
She wanted to blame it on the coolness of the cottage, but she tried not to lie to herself.
She had always been attracted to Patrick and time had only added to his appeal.
“I knew you would punish me, but I couldn’t sit here calmly until I’d at least attempted to escape. ”
“Bend over the side of the bed. Keep your legs straight and move your feet wide apart.”
Her feet felt leaded as she crossed the room. She’d known this outcome was likely when she chose to leave the cottage. That didn’t mean she was anxious to begin. She made it to the bed but watched him instead of bending over.
He unzipped the backpack and pulled out a long, narrow strip of what looked like brown leather.
“The buckle broke off this belt several months ago. We try not to throw anything away, but I hadn’t found a use for it.
” He paused dramatically. “Until now.” He wrapped one end around his hand as he approached the bed. “That’s not the position I detailed.”
Stubbornly gathering her courage, Heather turned around and bent from the waist. She rested her forearms on the bed and stepped her feet apart.
“Wider,” he instructed.
With obvious reluctance, she moved her feet farther apart. “How many times did you try to escape?” She hadn’t meant to argue, but the question just slipped out. She closed her eyes and braced for his anger.
“Six,” he admitted. “The last time one of the guards broke my ankle. The bone was set, but the foot was not immobilized. I had to crawl to the bathroom for weeks or risk permanent injury.”
She twisted around so she could look at him. “I was the one who set your ankle, and I put you in a protective boot.”
“The guards took it away each time I left the clinic. Why would I lie about any of it?”
“I wasn’t accusing you of lying.” She turned back around with a sigh. “I’m sorry they hurt you.” Then on impulse she added, “I’m sorry I let them hurt you.” The strap made contact with her bottom and Heather gasped. The sting had been slight, but the strap impacted both cheeks in a single smack.
He rubbed her upturned cheeks then slapped each side several times with his hand.
The strap had been more painful, but the hand spanking was more personal, more intimate.
“Your body is addictive,” he muttered as he spanked her some more.
“I don’t want to want you, but I do.” He straightened and swung the strap again.
Fiery pain sliced across her cheeks, dragging a muffled cry from her throat.
She understood the conflict he described because it twisted through her as well.
She still had feelings for the Patrick she’d known back on Earth.
That Patrick had been kind and funny, shrewdly intelligent and brave.
But the male spanking her now was cold and cruel.
He swung again and again, covering her cheeks with hot ribbons of sensation. Heather fought back the need to clench her muscles. She remained open and still, accepting the punishment because she’d earned it. Her clit twitched and pressure began to build between her thighs.
“How can I desire someone I detest?” Patrick sounded genuinely confused and the next swat never came.
She wanted to scream at the irony. His need to punish her aroused her more than Gabriel’s patient seduction. A few more swats and she would have come. Instead, Patrick’s hesitation left her empty and aching, desperate for release.
As if summoned by her thought, Gabriel emerged from the bathroom. “You resent her. You don’t hate her. You never did.”
Patrick tossed the ruined belt aside and delivered three vicious swats with his hand before arguing, “This sure as hell feels like hate.” He reached down and squeezed both her ass cheeks. “Does that hurt, naughty slave?”
“Yes, Master,” she cried, squirming beneath his cruel hands.
He spanked one side in quick succession then moved to the other and delivered an equal number of stinging slaps. “You deserve the belt, but I need to feel your hot flesh beneath my palm.”
Heather’s restlessness grew with each hard swat. She liked this better too. She needed the tangible connection between his body and hers.
“Is there a reason for the discipline or are you just demonstrating your dominance?” There was a hint of disapproval in Gabriel’s tone.
“She left the cottage when she was told to remain inside.”
“I see.” Gabriel moved to her other side and sat down on the bed. “You intentionally endangered yourself. He’s right to spank you soundly.”
“I was never in any danger,” she argued as Patrick’s swats moved to the backs of her thighs. “I just looked around.” The pressure between her thighs continued to build, making it almost impossible to stand still.
“You had no shoes on,” Patrick reminded with a resounding slap. “You could have ripped open your foot or encountered one of the wekarron that live in the forest. They aren’t large, but they’re vicious and their bite is lethal.” The flurry of swats that followed was the hardest yet.
Heather fought back a moan as unwanted heat cascaded through her body. Carnal need pooled between her thighs, making her feel hot and achy.
“How long were you out there?” Gabriel wanted to know. “A shirt and a blanket don’t offer much protection from the cold.”
“I borrowed some other clothes too.” They hadn’t figured out the full scope of her misbehavior, so why had she volunteered the information? “I really wasn’t trying to endanger myself.”
“No. You were trying to escape.” Patrick brought his hand up between her thighs.