Page 42 of Dominic

She laughed and even if he hadn’t known she was lying through her teeth he would’ve known that laugh was fake. “I guess I am a little bit.”

“Then I think you better let me cane you a little bit.” He studied her with hooded eyes. How far was she willing to let this go?

“O-okay.”

“Go lay over the bed, hips on the edge, legs spread. Now.”

She glanced at him quickly, but he kept his expression neutral. She went into the bedroom and placed herself the way he’d ordered.

“I think twenty should help you get over your nervousness.”

She sat up from the bed looking at him over her shoulder. Now real fear entered her eyes. ”Twenty? I could hardly handle eight before. I think twenty would definitely be too many for tonight.”

“And what about for putting spyware on my computer? Would twenty be about right for that?”

Her eyes widened and her breathing became more panicked. “You found out?”

“Titus did, and let me know. Did you really think you were going to get away with it? I guess you were just counting on me being as stupid and gullible as I had been seven years ago.”

She had turned around to face him. “No, I–”

“Funny thing is, I am just as stupid and gullible as I was seven years ago. Why did you take the spyware off? Crisis of conscience? Decided to go for a bigger payout? The spyware would’ve taken a long time before you saw any rewards, wouldn’t it?”

“Dom. Please—”

Dominic brought the cane down on the bed in a violent movement next to her. She flinched. “Don’t you dare call me that.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“So how many lashes is betraying me worth?” he lowered his voice until it was much more conversational, bending the rod again between his two hands. “I mean, twenty seems reasonable right?”

Her voice was shaky. “I don’t know that I’ll even be able to walk at all at the wedding if you give me twenty.”

He scoffed. “The wedding? The wedding is for family. Not conniving bitches who betray everyone around them. You’re not part of this family. You’ll never be part of this family. Hell, your own family traded you to a murdering rapist. Although, honestly I’m beginning to see why now. Can see why nobody would want you around.”

God, what was he saying? He was lashing out at her emotionally because he wanted to lash out at her physically. He did want her around. Why couldn’t she want to be around as much as he wanted her to be?

He watched as her face became a blank mask right in front of him. The distress in her eyes washed out by ice. He refused to feel bad. How many times could she play him and he continue to fall for it?

“You’re right.” She nodded her head. “I shouldn’t be around your family. I think twenty lashes would be fair punishment for what I did.”

She turned to arrange her body back on the bed, hips hanging over the edge, legs spread.

“Naked.”

Without a word she removed her bra and underwear and laid back down and position. Fuck. He wanted her to fight with him, to plead her case. Not lay there like she believed she truly deserve to be punished in this way.

“Did you feel even the least bit guilty when I got back last night and ate your pussy? Did you feel bad that I’d been starving for your body all night while you’d been spending your time setting yourself up to steal from me?”

When he’d gotten in from drinking with his brothers, all he could think about was tasting her. That was how blind he was to what she really was.

Dominic brought the cane down in a hard swing against her ass. She whimpered but didn’t cry out. He brought it down again crossways and watched her entire body go stiff with pain. He knew he was striking her much harder than he ever had.

“That’s only two. Do you want to beg me to stop? Want to plead your case?”

She drew in a shaky breath. ”No, Master.”

Her words caused him to see red. No. She had no right to call him that. He brought the cane down again, harder, against the tenderest part of her ass. This time a small scream escaped her before she was able to catch it.

Dominic saw a line of red along her buttocks where he’d just struck her. He’d drawn blood.

He dropped the cane on the ground. What was he doing? Why was she allowing this? Why was he allowing her to allow it?

Titus had been right, Dominic should’ve gotten some answers before he made any decisions. Should’ve gotten his head clear before talking to her at all. He had to get away from her before he did both of them irreparable damage.

“I can’t even look at you.” Not without wanting to force her to tell him what was so worth it to her that she would give up what they had. Give up the feelings he’d been so sure were real between them.

He would come back later, after the wedding, and talk to her then. Force her to explain what she was doing and why.

She was still lying on the bed when he left.

---