Page 29 of Unbreakable Vow

The lashing stops.

His belt lands with a jangle on the desk beside me.

“Good.” With gentle hands, he helps me off the desk and turns me to face him. He wipes away the tears that appeared somewhere during the spanking and kisses my cheeks.

“I didn’t like that.” I state the obvious.

An arrogant grin crosses his lips. “I did.”

I roll my eyes then try to grab my panties from the desk where he put them, but he snatches them before I can.

“You can put your jeans back on, but the panties are mine.” He tucks them into his pocket and zips up his pants.

I stare at him. He’s lost his mind.

“Be happy I’m not making you walk up to our room bare assed.” He walks over to where my jeans were left in a heap andbrings them to me. “Next time I have to remove your pants to discipline you, they stay where I put them.”

I work the jeans so they are right side out and shove my legs into them. The denim feels like sandpaper against my ass when I drag them over my hips.

“You have a real thing about things staying where you put them, huh?” I wipe my face.

He grunts.

“You learn quick.” He checks his watch.

“If you won’t let me go out, will you at least be civil enough to let my friend come here?” I haven’t told Krista all that’s been going on yet. She’s going to think I’ve lost my mind.

And who’s to say she’d be wrong.

“Have whoever you want over,” he agrees while buckling his belt.

“Is it going to be like this the whole time we’re married? You keep me locked up in this place?” It’s not the worst prison. Everything is more luxurious here, but it is still a cage.

“No.” He doesn’t expand on anything, which only makes me wonder what exactly it will be like married to him.

Fake or not, I’m sure he has expectations. His family will, too.

“Are you afraid I’ll change my mind and won’t go through with it?” I let loose a little laugh.

His eyebrows rise. Uncertainty flashes in his dark eyes, but he masks it quickly.

“Because that’s not going to happen,” I’m quick to assure him. Not unless I win the lottery in the next twelve hours. And seeing as he won’t let me out of here to buy a ticket, I’d say my chances are pretty small.

“Until a business deal is done, it’s best to keep all interested parties close,” he says, but it feels like bullshit. The man makes a lot of deals, and I have serious doubts he locks any of themup in his mansion while waiting for the money to drop into the overseas bank accounts.

“Well, it will be done tomorrow, right?” I try to sound positive, like this is just a small thing. Getting married to a mafia boss—happens all the time, I’m sure.

“Yes. Tomorrow.”

He cradles my face in his hand and kisses me. A soft, warm kiss that I could easily lose myself in, but he pulls away abruptly. His brow wrinkles, like he’s not sure why he did what he did.

He taps my nose and turns on his heel.

I clench my jaw and lean back on his desk, then jump away. My ass still burns.

And now my cheeks do too.

“Are you insane?”Krista’s voice bounces off the walls of Sergei’s living room.

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