Page 49 of Unwilling Bratva Bride

My stomach dropped through the floor, and I tried to look back over my shoulder at Ivan.

“What?!”

“It’ll only be worse if you fight it, but I’m prepared for either way—quick and easy or slow and hard.”

In a swift pull that had my head spinning, Ivan yanked down my shorts and freed them from my legs. I was lying there in my panties, and I did not want to face just how wet they were because of everything Ivan was doing.

He worked my flannel top off and threw it to the floor on the other side of the bed.

“You can’t be serious!” I tried to thrash against him, but it was useless. “You’re not spanking me. I’m not a child.”

Ivan’s chuckle bloomed from behind me, so dark and alluring. I froze in place as his fingers dusted over the very edges of my ass cheeks where the panties didn’t cover. A needy moan slipped free despite how hard I tried to hold it in, and then his other hand grabbed my ponytail, winding the hair around his fist.

“I don’t think you are, Adley.” Ivan’s fingers traveled between my thighs, just grazing over the center of my panties where they were damp. “But I do think you’re enjoying this far more than you want to admit.”

My cheeks burned, and I clammed up. There was nothing to say, after all. Ivan was so very right, and I knew it.Heknew it. There was something so sinfully wicked about how much I enjoyed this that buried part of me coming to the surface and loving the thrill of being “punished” like this.

“You have two choices, Adley,” Ivan whispered, his touch roaming over my ass cheeks and then down between my thighs again. “You can count to five with the panties off. Or you can count to ten with them on.”

A shiver rocked through me from my head to my toes. I honestly didn’t know which one I wanted. I’d never been spanked before, in any context, and I wasn’t sure how much I could take of his bare palm against my skin.

But surely five was less than ten?

“Umm…”

“If you don’t make a choice, I’ll make it for you,” he bit out, his voice low and rough.

“Five,” I exclaimed. “Five.”

And then, just like with the shorts, my panties were yanked down my legs and tossed aside. Ivan’s hand landed on my ass, but it wasn’t a slap. I wasn’t that lucky. He was just warming me up, patting the skin to get the blood flowing.

Oh my God. I’m going to die.

“Count them out, sweetheart.”

Everything clenched, my entire being thrumming with electricity that had nowhere to go.

And then his palm cracked down over my ass.

I yelped—loudly—jumping slightly against the harsh burn that roared through my skin.Holy shit, that…hurt.

“Adley,” Ivan drawled, and I shook my head, trying to breathe through the sharp sting.

“One.”

Ivan rubbed across the other cheek, his touch light. “Good girl. Four more.”

I whimpered. One had been enough to get me vowing never to snoop again, but I knew it was pointless to say that. I’dviolated Ivan’s trust by going through his things, and I needed to face the consequences.

He hadn’t started up with the next one I realized. Ivan was waiting for me to indicate that I was ready.Fucking hell.

I nodded, and as soon as the gesture had been given, Ivan cracked his hand down on the fresh cheek. The pain flared through my skin, burning, and I clenched my thighs. It was impossible to keep myself from gripping him. Still, Ivan appeared utterly unphased by my nails digging into his leg, and I had to keep track of the damned strikes.

“Two,” I whimpered, renewed wetness pooling between my legs.

In quick succession, two more slaps rained down over each cheek. I hissed in a breath with both, still jumping as I was draped over Ivan’s knees. My ass burned, a steady throb echoing through each cheek as my heart beat faster.

“Three and four,” I sobbed, rocked by how painfulandpleasurable it was.

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