Page 13 of Elevating Eve

“Yes, my lady?” It sounded smug even to his own ears.

“That’s too hard,” she said, hands fisting in the fine silk blanket covering her large bed. “I can’t take it.”

He rubbed the rosy mark his hand left behind on her pale skin. “You agreed to accept my punishment without a fight,” he reminded her, squeezing hard enough to make her gasp.

Whimpering, she whispered, “Yes, my prince.”

“Good girl. Now let’s continue.”

Without any warning, he brought his hand down twice more in quick succession, once on each cheek. Again, her body pitched forward, but she didn’t beg him to stop this time. Instead, she buried her face in the blanket, letting the purple silk muffle her cries.

Jonathan smiled. His brave, submissive little princess. It was time for her spanking to truly begin.

He brought his hand down against her tender flesh in a steadyrhythm, spaced far enough apart for a burn to ignite beneath her skin, but each impact coming too soon for her to catch her breath. When administered correctly, a spanking was truly a work of art.

Jonathan was a master of his trade.

Her whole body shook with each heaving sob, her cries now far too loud for the silk to muffle them. But still she stayed in position, never once attempting to rise or moving her hands back to protect her burning skin.

He was so proud of her courage that he ended the spanking before he had originally intended. The previously pale skin glowed a bright red—not quite the deep crimson he wanted. But she had earned the reprieve.

“Was that your first spanking?” he asked, rubbing her bottom with gentle hands, trying to soothe the worst of the pain away.

It took her almost a minute to get her crying under enough control to answer. “Y-yes,” she said, her voice catching. “Did I please you?”

“Oh, my sweet princess.” He let one hand slide toward her core, fingers gently probing. She was ready for him, her arousal hot and slick against his skin. “You couldn’t have possibly pleased me more.” With that, he plunged two fingers into her pussy. They slid in easily, her wetness coating his fingers and dripping down onto his hand.

All she managed in reply was a low, drawn-out moan.

Freeing his cock at last, he lined it up with her entrance. “You’re mine,” he growled, grasping her hips with rough, possessive hands. “I’ll make sure you never forget it.” Then he plunged his hips forward, burying himself in her scorching heat.

“Fuck!” Jonathan yelled, throwing his head back as hot come spilled onto his hand and all over his slacks. He’d been so lost in the fantasy, he hadn’t even realized he was about to tumble headfirst over the edge.

Letting his sticky hand fall to his side, he closed his eyes again and tried to catch his breath.

Jesus fucking Christ. What was this woman doing to him?

CHAPTER 6

Eve

It only took Jonathan and Aiden a week to choose two potential construction companies to finish the new building. And good God, they were eager to land the job. At both consultations, the company owners fell all over themselves in their efforts to suck up to Jonathan and Aiden. Eve spent the whole time on the verge of death by secondhand embarrassment.

She could only imagine the exorbitant amount of money on offer to get the project back on schedule. No wonder the two men made such fools of themselves.

She waited in the study on the Manor’s first floor while Jonathan and Aiden showed the owner of the second company out. Eve didn’t think it was her place to have any say in the selection process, but when Jonathan insisted, she’d agreed to tag along for the meetings.

Hopefully they didn’t pressure her into offering too many opinions, because she had a feeling they wouldn’t like anything she had to say.

Only a few minutes ticked by on the carriage clock on the mantle before the men returned. “Thank God that’s over,” Aiden said, dropping unceremoniously into one of the overstuffed leather armchairs. “I thought he’d never stop talking. My next guest is arriving in less than an hour.”

Jonathan took one of the remaining chairs with much more care, careful not to wrinkle his suit. “Let’s not waste any time, then. What do you think?”

A contemplative look stole into Aiden’s kind brown eyes. “It’s tough to say,” he said, speaking slowly as gears continued turning in his head. “I think both would do a good job. LGF might be the obvious choice?—”

“Since they’re cheaper,” Jonathan supplied.

“Right. But Crane & Faber has a bigger team. I think they’d do the work faster.” Aiden shrugged. “So it all depends on what’s most important to us.”

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