She was somewhat shocked no one had kissed his feet before and she looked forward to discussing it with him. Later. At the moment, she wanted to play. She stood and kept her head down while she moved to get on top of the bed.
Within seconds, he was above her. “You aren’t to move. If I want you positioned differently, either I’ll move you or I’ll tell you to move. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Let’s see how wet you already are.” He ran his hand between her legs, chuckling as he drew back from her. “Damn, Marie. Already soaking. It’d be so easy to slip my cock into you and ride you hard. Give you the fucking I know you want so badly.”
She pleaded with him with her eyes.
“But we both know it’s not going to be that easy, don’t we?”
She took a deep breath. Part of her wanted him to follow through on his words. If she thought about it too much, she could probably come from the words alone. And if she imagined it . . .
His cock nudging her open, parting her as he prepared to claim her. He’d hold still and then—
A sharp slap landed on her right inner thigh.
“Where were you drifting off to?” he asked with another hard slap, but this one to her left thigh.
“To where you fucked me.”
“Not just yet, my impatient sub.” More slaps rained down on her exposed thighs. “Have you ever been spanked on your thighs before?”
He was inching closer and closer to where she throbbed with need. Just a little higher. “Only by you, Sir.”
“What do you think?” he asked as he spanked her harder.
She thought she was going to come, that’s what she thought, but when she opened her mouth to tell him, all that came out was, “Mmph, good, yes.”
He gave her an evil smile. “Hold your knees to your chest. I’m going to work on the backs of your thighs. This way, no matter what you do for the next twenty-four hours, you’ll be sure to remember me.”
As if she could possibly think about anything else. She almost let out a snort, but at that exact moment, he spanked the back of her thighs and it stung with that delightful sensation of pain edged with pleasure. She could only moan in bliss as her body accepted what he was doing.
“I love how you submit to me.” He didn’t pause what he was doing, he kept right on spanking her. “It’s like the highest of highs.”
Just as she grew used to his spankings, he slipped a finger inside her. “Someone liked what I was doing. You’re even wetter now.”
She begged him with pleading eyes to take her, to make her his completely. He put his finger to her lips. “Clean it.”
If a finger was all he was going to give her, she’d take it and be happy. She sucked his finger into her mouth, in much the same way as she had his cock before. This time, though, she kept her eyes on his and she saw his need and desire matched her own.
“Good,” he said. “You’re so good.”
She let out a sigh of relief as he climbed onto the bed. He drew himself up to his knees and put her legs on his shoulders. Her eyes widened at the thought of what he was getting ready to do.
“I like that look in your eyes,” he said. “You know exactly what I’m about to do and what position I’ll be in.”
She nearly whimpered as he lined himself up. Just the thought of it nearly made her come.
“You’ll be so tight like this. So tight and hot around me.”
She closed her eyes. God help her, if she didn’t come from the thoughts of what he was going to do, she’d come from his words.
But he wasn’t finished playing. He took his time, dragging his tip through her wetness. Almost slipping inside, but not quite. One pass. Two.
On the third she did whimper.
“Are you ready for me to claim you, Marie?” His voice was rough. “If so, then open your eyes and watch.”
Her eyes flew open and only then, with her eyes on his, did he finally press inside her. Then he stopped.
“You’ve held my heart for too many years,” he said, holding himself still. “For far longer than I ever allowed myself to admit. But I can’t call those wasted years, because I don’t think they were. They were growing years for me and they were necessary so that I could become worthy of you.”
She wasn’t allowed to talk, and she realized he’d planned it that way on purpose. There was no need for her to speak, though, for she knew he saw her love for him in her eyes. She knew when he reached down and gently wiped away the tears that had gathered there.
“Oh, Marie. I have no idea what I’ve done to deserve you, but it must have been phenomenal.”
Then there was no need for him to speak as he slowly pushed his way inside her. She realized as he began moving that though it had been painful at the time, their journey had progressed as it should. Even one year ago, they would not have been in the right place for each other.
Only now, after walking through the fire, alone, could they face the future united.
CHAPTER
Fourteen
Six Months Later
He’d made them wait six months. Lennox said he was being reasonable. Marie told him he was a closet sadist.
But today was the day and her belly was filled with butterflies, even though she had no reason to be nervous. Maybe, she pondered, she wasn’t nervous, maybe she was overly excited. After all, this was the day she’d been longing for for years.
Today she would officially become his.
She resisted the urge to pinch herself.
They weren’t going to have a traditional collaring ceremony, but they had planned a reception at Winnie’s cottage. Although now it was known as the Winnie Price Community Art Studio.
Andie had asked her if she felt strange having the reception at the place Lennox had shared with another woman. Marie answered honestly that she didn’t. She was secure in Lennox’s feelings for her, and she’d promised herself she was no longer going to have any jealousy toward a dead woman.
“Why are you pinching yourself?” Lennox asked, and she felt her cheeks flush. They were in his car on the way to the tattoo parlor.
“I didn’t know I was,” she answered with a grin. “I guess I’m making sure I’m awake and this isn’t a dream.”
They had stopped at a red light. He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips for a quick kiss. “It’s not a dream.”
“Does that mean you’re going to tell me what you’ve designed?” He’d been working on her wrist tattoo for months and he’d refused to let her see.
He laughed. “I don’t see how one relates to the other, but regardless, no.”
She faked a huffing noise and crossed her arms.
“You’ll see it soon enough.”
Yes, she knew that, but it was so much fun to tease him. In reality, she loved that he wouldn’t show her ahead of time. It was like Christmas in June.
“I know it’ll be beautiful,” she said.
“Thank you,” he said.
She also knew he’d stressed about it, wanting it to be perfect. Andie hadn’t seen it, but she said Fulton told her Lennox had shown him five different sketches before deciding on the one he wanted. She smiled inwardly at that, rubbing her right wrist where his design would go.
They pulled into the parking lot of the Portland storefront. It was a one-man shop, so only the artist’s car was parked out front. Marie waited in the car after it came to a stop. Lennox always insisted on opening her door for her. It took months for her to get